)1 IlI I I i& -OFCONTAININC Full Page Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens of the County, TOCETHER WITH OF THE PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES. CHCA-OFBRANCHAPMAN BROTHERSY,MIC 1888TAI | Full Page Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent I and Representative Citizens of the County, I TOCETHEW WITH | PORTRAITS AND BIOGRAPHIES OF ALL THE GOVERNORS OF THE STATE, AND OF THE PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES. CHAPMAN BROTHERS, it 1888. 1 (~ M,~&c pF(EFJVE. F-I JEK greatest of English historians, MACAiULEY, and one of the most brilliant writers of the past century, has said: "'The history of a country is best told in a record of the lives of its people." In conformity with this idea the PORTRAIT ANI) BIOGRAPHICAL Ai ALBU.n of this county has been prepared. Instead of going to musty records, and taking therefrom dry statistical matter that can be appreciated by but few, our D corps of writers have gone to the people, the men and women who have, by their 'i enterprise and industry, L)rought the county to a rank second to none among those comprising this great and noble State, and from their lips have the story of their life struggles. No more interesting or instructive matter could be presented to an intelligent public. In this volume will be found a record of many whose lives are worthy the imitation of coming generations. It tells how some, commencing life in poverty, by industry and economy have accumulated wealth. It tells how others, with limited '1|. _ advantages for securing an education, have become learned men and women, with an,rc t^ I influence extending throughout the length and breadth of the land. It tells of men who ~t, v have risen from the lower walks of life to eminence as statesmen, and whose names have become famous. It tells of those in every walk in life who have striven to succeed, and records how that success has usually crowned their efforts. It tells also of many, very many, who, not seeking the applause of the world, have pursued "the even tenor of their way," content to have it said of them as Christ said of the woman performing a deed of mercy-"they have done what they could." It tells how that many in the pride and strength of young mnanhood left the plow and the anvil, the lawyer's office and the counting-room, left every trade and profession, and at their country's call went forth valiantly "to do or die," and how through their efforts the Union was restored and peace once more reigned in the land. In the life of every man and of every woman is a lesson that should not be lost upon those who follow after. Coming generations will appreciate this volume and preserve it as a sacred treasure, from the fact that it contains so much that would never find its way into public records, and which would otherwise be inaccessible. Great care has been taken in the compilation of the work and every opportunity possible given to those represented to insure correctness in what has been written, and the plublishers flatter themselves that they give to their readers a work with few errors of consequence: In addition to the biographical sketches, portraits of a number of representative citizens are given. The faces of some, and biographical sketches of many, will be missed in this volume. For this the publishers are not to blame. Not having a proper conception of the work, some refused to give the 'information necessary to compile a sketch, while others were indifferent. Occasionally some member of the family would oppose the enterprise, and on account of such opposition the support of the interested one would be withheld. In a few instances men could never be found, though repeated calls were made at their residence or place of business. CHAPMAN BROS. r CHICAGO, September, 1888. - i i - j - Li j i - i - i i i i f t I OF THE AND OF THE THE -A - rlllAh-ji1 --- - —, — ---- v!'Yv )I~f w T I -— l- -- Well I 11 t~" ~.-~-41~-WX~- I~-""C - * - -11 w i,-El~bq /l -t it i i~J — 410 4 I A. --.46 CA\ I (D II i wl-, I,:".I -P-1 - I obo fl jI a w.. " — 1- ~ Ill.-,., — ', -."-.l -, I.I~"-,,- -lI-~- -,., ~ - - 1 1 11 - 1- I, - - -I ---"I~11~~~~,~-l. —,a~ i -ft p^-1 A&- - - 1 -.....-1 1 - l I ". 1 1- - 11 -, 1 - 1 11 -.. - 1 I I. I - 1 I I- I - -- I. I ll. 1 I - 1- I 11 I, 1 -1 1 1 1 1 -. 1 --- I I~: I 0 "I Ol 0 - Ii I i I I i i i i I I Ii I i I I i i I j i i i I M & I I I I " a III, FIRST PRESIDENT. 19..-...._ ~- ~-yp ~Y-/rV' A -/d~-dC/'~~ -%~P L~.d~.V) ~33333`-~.,..h~ GEORGE dWASHINGTON{'", " CON\ Worn Ofmmmmtmmumm^lx 1 mmM ^ ^^ ^~ ^^ S ^t ^ a 4.w~ gw w x XIi HE Father of our Country was I i lborn in Westmorland Co., Va., Feb. 22, 1732. His parents '| _ /were Augustine and Mary (Ball) Washington. The family to which he belonged has not been satisfactorily traced in England. His great-grandl g father, John Washington, emigrated to Virginia about I657, and became a prosperous planter. He had two sons, Lawrence and John. The former married Mildred Warner Y' and had three children, John, Augustine and Mildred. Augustine, the father of George, first married Jane Butler, who bore him four children, two of whom, Lawrence and Augustine, reached maturity. Of six children by his second marriage, George was the eldest, the others being Betty, Samuel, John Augustine, Charles and Mildred. Augustine Washington, the father of George, died in I743, leaving a large landed property. To his eldest son, Lawrence, he bequeathed an estate on the Patomac, afterwards known as Mount Vernon, and to George he left the parental residence. George received only such education as the neighborhood schools afforded, save for a short time after he left school, when he received private instruction in mathematics. His spelling was rather defective. Remarkable stories are told of his great physical strength and development at an early age. He was an acknowledged leader among his companions, and was early noted for that nobleness of character, fairness and veracity which characterized his whole life. When George was I4 years old he had a desire to go to sea, and a midshipman's warrant was secured for him, but through the opposition of his mother the idea was abandoned. Two years later he was appointed surveyor to the immense estate of Lord Fairfax. In this business he spent three years in a rough frontier life, gaining experience which afterwards proved very essential to him. In I75, though only 19 years of age, he was appointed adjutant with the rank of major in the Virginia militia, then being trained for active service against the French and Indians. Soon after this he sailed to the West Indies with his brother Lawrence, who went there to restore his health. They soon returned, and in the summer of 1752 Lawrence died, leaving a large fortune to an infant daughter who did not long survive him. On her demise the estate of Mount Vernon was given to George. Upon the arrival of Robert Dinwiddie, as Lieutenant-Governor of Virginia, in 1752, the militia was reorganized, and the province divided into four military districts, of which the northern was assigned to Washington as adjutant.general. Shortly after this a very perilous mission was assigned him and accepted, which others had refused. This was to proceed to the French post near Lake Erie in Northwestern Pennsylvania. The distance to be traversed was between 500 and 6oo miles. Winter was at hand, and the journey was to be made without military escort, through a territory occupied by Indians. The — II i i. 4 l - - -) r r- ~ - rr rrr ~ 8 —aI -~ r rt.c0l * B -4* t I. I —~*11 6 C11 —bIII111 1- 1III '-*IC' — l~ I 1-"- 1 — ~b —C A-Il-.A.-. -~lli~~Z~~% $ 20 GEORGE WASHING.TON. I trip was a perilous one, and several times he came near losing his life, yet he returned in safety and furnished a full and useful report of his expedition. A regiment of 300 men was raised in Virginia and put in command of Col. Joshua Fry, and Major Washington was commissioned lieutenant-colonel. Active war was then begun against the French and Indians, in which Washington took a most important part. In the memorable event of July 9, I755, known as Braddock's defeat, Washington was almost the only officer of distinction who escaped from the calamities of the day with life and honor. The other aids of Braddock were disabled early in the action, and Washington alone was left in that capacity on the field. In a letter to his brother he says: "I had four bullets through my coat, and two horses shot under me, yet I escaped unhurt, though death was leveling my companions on every side." An Indian sharpshooter said he was not born to be killed by a bullet, for he had taken direct aim at him seventeen times, and failed to hit 'him. After having been five years in the military service, and vainly sought promotion in the royal army, he took advantage of the fall of Fort Duquesne and the expulsion of the French from the valley of the Ohio, co resign his commission. Soon after he entered the Legislature, where, although not a leader, he took an active and important part. January 17, 1759, he married Mrs. Martha (Dandridge) Custis, the wealthy widow of John Parke Custis. When the British Parliament had closed the port -f Boston, the cry went up throughout the provinces that "The cause of Boston is the cause of us all." It was then, at the suggestion of Virginia, that a Congress of all the colonies was called to meet at Philadelphia,Sept. 5, 1774, to secure their common liberties, peaceably if possible. To this Congress Col. Washington was sent as a delegate. On May 10, 1775, the Congress re-assembled, when the hostile intentions of England were plainly apparent. The battles of Concord and Lexington had been fought. Among the first acts of this Congress was the election of a commander-in-chief of the colonial forces. This high and responsible office was conferred upon Washington, who was still a member of the Congress. He accepted it on June I9, but upon the express condition that he receive no.salary. He would keep an exact account of expenses and expect Congress to pay them and nothing more. It is not the object of this sketch to trace the military acts of Washington, to whom the fortunes and liberties of the people of this country were so long confided. The war was conducted by him under every possible disadvantage, and while his forces often met with reverses, yet he overcame every obstacle, and after seven years of heroic devotion and matchless skill he gained liberty for the greatest nation of earth. On Dec. 23, 1783, Washington, in a parting address of surpassing beauty, resigned his commission as commander-in-chief of the army to to the Continental Congress sitting at Annapolis. He retired immediately to Mount Vernon and resumed his occupation as a farmer and planter, shunning all connection with public life. In February, 1789, Washington was unanimously elected President. In his presidential career he was subject to the peculiar trials incidental to a new government; trials from lack of confidence on the part of other governments; trials from want of harmony between the different sections of our own country; trials from the impoverished condition of the country, owing to the war and want of credit; trials from the beginnings of party strife. He was no partisan. His clear judgment could discern the golden mean; and while perhaps this alone kept our government from sinking at the very outset, it left him exposed to attacks from both sides, which were often bitter and very annoying. At the expiration of his first term he was unanimously re-elected. At the end of this term many were anxious that he be re-elected, but he absolutely refused a third nomination. On the fourth of March, 1797, at the expiraton of his second term as President, he returned to his home, hoping to pass there his few remaining years free from the annoyances of public life. Later in the year, however, his repose seemed likely to be interrupted by war with France. At the prospect of such a war he was again urged to take command of the armies. He chose his subordinate officers and left to them the charge of matters in the field, which he superintended from his home. In accepting the command he made the reservation that he was not to be in the field until it was necessary. In the midst of these preparations his life was suddenly cut off. December J2, he took a severe cold from a ride in the rain, which, settling in his throat, produced inflammation, and terminated fatally on the night of the fourteenth. On the eighteenth his body was borne with military honors to its final resting place, and interred in the family vault at Mount Vernon. Of the character of Washington it is impossible to speak but in terms of the highest respect and admiration. The more we see of the operations of our government, and the more deeply we feel the difficulty of uniting all opinions in a common interest, the more highly we must estimate the force of his talent and character, which have been able to challenge the reverence of all parties, and principles, and nations, and to win a fame as extended as the limits of the globe, and which we cannot but believe will be as lasting as the existence of man. The person of Washington was unusally tan, erect and well proportioned. His muscular strength was great. His features were of a beautiful symmetry. He commanded respect without any appearance of haughtiness, and ever serious without being dull. I -Le:~L.ISI -~ 11 -- I 11 -1 — a-L-e111111 M -—.ddAIIII"I111 ~ -I-llE _V 9 - lk U - -. -Raw Ir~~l"a ql m SECOND PRESIDENT. 2 ho # - 3 - I JOH(N NS ADBAMS. Sin -_ ---F — ^^3II t tt t w OHN ADAMS, the second |. President and the first Vicei President of the United States,. Ji was born in Braintree (now (;g Quincy),Mass., and about ten C ) 7, miles from Boston, Oct. 19, i t\<, 17 35. His great-grandfather, Henry | ^,C! Adams, emigrated from England: about 1640, with a family of eight 7 sons, and settled at Braintree. The parents of John were John and Susannah (Boylston) Adams. His father was a farmer of limited. means, to which he added the business of shoemaking. He gave his V eldest son, John, a classical education at Harvard College. John graduated in 1755, and at once took charge of the school in Worcester, Mass. This he found but a "school of affliction," from which he endeavored to gain relief by devoting himself, in addition, to the study of law. For this purpose he placed himself under the tuition of the only lawyer in the town. He had thought seriously of the clerical profession but seems to have been turned from this by what he termed " the frightful engines of ecclesiastical councils, of diabolical malice, and Calvanistic good nature," of the operations of which he had been a witness in his native town. He was well fitted for the legal profession, possessing a clear, sonorous voice, being ready and fluent of speech, and having quick perceptive powers. He gradually gained practice, and in 1764 married Abigail Smith, a daughter of a minister, and a lady of superior intelligence. Shortly after his marriage, (I765), the attempt of Parliamentary taxation turned him from law to politics. He took initial 1 steps toward holding a town meeting, and the resolu-,_ __ tions he offered on the subject became very popular throughout the Province, and were adopted word for word by over forty different towns. He moved to Boston in 1768, and became one of the most courageous and prominent advocatesof the popular cause, and was chosen a member of the General Court (the Leglislature) in 1770. Mr. Adams was chosen one of the first delegates from Massachusetts to the first Continental Congress, which met in 1774. Here he distinguished himself by his capacity for business and for debate, and advocated the movement for independence against the majority of the members. In May, I776, he moved and carried a resolution in Congress that the Colonies should assume the duties of self-government. He was a prominent member of the committee of five appointed June i i, to prepare a declaration of independence. This article was drawn by Jefferson, but on Adams devolved the task of battling it through Congress in a three days debate. On the day after the Declaration of Independence was passed, while his soul was yet warm with the glow of excited feeling, he wrote a letter to his wife, which, as we read it now, seems to have been dictated by the spirit of prophecy. "Yesterday," he says, "the greatest question was decided that ever was debated in America; and greater, perhaps, never was or will be decided among men. A resolution was passed without one dissenting colony, 'that these United States are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states.' The day is passed. The fourth of July, 1776, will be a memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe it will be celebrated by succeeding generations, as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to Almighty God. It ought to be solemnized with pomp, shows, At PI, —WI -q~ = - - — Iqq 4 i I i il I I i I I i I 24 JOHN ADA MS. -I -1 A I -- games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of the continent to the other, from this time forward for ever. You will think me transported with enthusiasm, but I am not. I am well aware of the toil, and blood and treasure, that it will cost to maintain this declaration, and support and defend these States; yet, through all the gloom, I can see the rays of light and glory. I can see that the end is worth more than all the means; and that posterity will triumph, although you and I may rue, which I hope'we shall not." In November, 1777, Mr. Adams was appointed a delegate to France and to co-operate with Bemjamin Franklin and Arthur Lee, who were then in Paris, in the endeavor to obtain assistance in arms and money from the French Government. This was a severe trial to his patriotism, as it separated him from his home, compelled him to cross the ocean in winter, and exposed him to great peril of capture by the British cruisers, who were seeking him. He left France June 17, 1779. In September of the same year he was again chosen to go to Paris, and there hold himself in readiness to negotiate a treaty of peace and of commerce with Great Britian, as soon as the British Cabinet might be found willing to listen to such proposels. He sailed for France in November, from there he went to Holland, where he negotiated important loans and formed important commercial treaties. Finally a treaty of peace with England was signed Jan. 21, 1783. The re-action from the excitement, toil and anxiety through which Mr. Adams had passed threw him into a fever. After suffering from a continued fever and becoming feeble and emaciated he was advised to go to England to drink the waters of Bath. W hile in England, still drooping anddesponding, he received dispatches from his own government urging the necessity of his going to Amsterdam to negotiate another loan. It was winter, his health was delicate, yet he immediately set out, and through storm, on sea, on horseback and foot,he made the trip. February 24, I785, Congress appointed Mr. Adams envoy to the Court of St. James. Here he met face to face the King of England, who had so long regarded him as a traitor. As England did not condescend to appoint a minister to the. United States, and as Mr. Adams felt that he was acconmplishing but little, he sought permission to return to his own country, where he arrived in June, I788. When Washington was first chosen President, John Adams, rendered illustiious by his signal services at home and abroad, was chosen Vice President. Again at the second election of Washington as President, Adams was chosen Vice President. In 1796, Washington retired from public life, and Mr. Adams was elected President,though not without much opposition. Serving in this office four years,he was succeeded by Mr. Jefferson, his opponent in politics. While Mr. Adams was Vice President the great French Revolution shook the continent of Europe, and it was upon this point which he was at issue with the majority of his countrymen led by Mr. Jefferson. Mr. Adams felt no sympathy with the French people in their struggle, for he had no confidence in their power of self-government, and he utterly abhored the classof atheist philosophers who he claimed caused it. On the other hand Jefferson's sympathies were strongly enlisted in behalf of the French people. Hence originated the alienation between these distinguished men, and two powerful parties were thus soon organized, Adams at the head of the one whose sympathies were with England and Jefferson led the other in sympathy with France. The world has seldom seen a spectacle of more moral beauty and grandeur, than was presented by the old age of Mr. Adams. The violence of party feeling had died away, and he had begun to receive that just appreciation which, to.most men, is not accorded till after death. No one could look upon his venerable form, and think of what he had done and suffered, and how he had given up all the prime and strength of his life to the public good, without the deepest emotion of gratitude and respect. It was his peculiar good fortune to witness the complete success of the institution which he had been so active in creating and supporting. In 1824, his cup of happiness was filled to the brim, by seeing his son elevated to the highest station in the gift of the people. The fourth of July, 1826, which completed the half century since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, arrived, and there were but three of the signers of that immortal instrument left upon the earth to hail its morning light. And, as it is well known, on that day two of these finished their earthly pilgrimage, a coincidence so remarkable as to seem miraculous. For a few days before Mr. Adams had been rapidly failing, and on the morning of the fourth he found himself too weak to rise from his bed. On being requested to name a toast for the customary celebration of the day, he exclaimed "INDEPENDENCE FOREVER." When the day was ushered in, by the ringing of bells and the firing of cannons, he was asked by one of his attendants if he knew what day it was? He replied, "O yes; it is the glorious fourth of July-God bless it-God bless you all." In the course of the day he said, " It is a great and glorious day." The last words he uttered were, "Jefferson survives." But he had, at one o'clock, resigned his spirit into the hands of his God. The personal appearance and manners of Mr. Adams were not particularly prepossessing. Hisface, as his portrait manifests,was intellectual and expressive, but his figure was low and ungraceful, and his manners were frequently abrupt and uncourteous. He had neither the lofty dignity of Washington, nor the engaging elegance and gracefulness which marked the manners and address of Jefferson. I I i i k I',_h. I, I -.&0 - Six11 m- IC~L IIII- ~ ~~l-Clr l~~ql ~IIL _ 1-4w~dB~ I -- i:- ~:::I ~,:air~- — U"e t. -AI -~-~ —~~~,~ arslrr~r- stIrI~~I Ir~-IC~ 1181 ~LC-. — 40lQ THIRD PRESIDEN.~ nT. 27 i! THR PRESIDENT. 27 l,^.i HOMAS JEFFERSON was 2 1 ir I born April 2, i743, at Shad~ }i | i[ l Hwell, Albermarle county, Va. 3X1',l,!~ His parents were Peter and -i zf, LJane (Randolph) Jefferson, the former a native of Wales,,D ~ and the latter born in London. To them were born six daughters and two sons, of whom Thomas was the elder. When 14 years of age his father died. He received a most liberal education, havW ing been kept diligently at school from the time he was five years of age. In 176o he entered William and Mary College. Williamsburg was then the seat of the Colonial Court, and it was the obode of fashion and splendor. Young Jefferson, who was then 17 years old, lived somewhat expensively, keeping fine horses, and much caressed by gay society, yet he was earnestly devoted to his studies, and irreproachaable in his morals. It is strange, however, under such influences,that he was not ruined. In the second year of his college course, moved by some unexplained inward impulse, he discarded his horses, society, and even his favorite violin, to which he had previously given much time. He often devoted fifteen hours a day to hard study, allowing himself for exercise only a run in the evening twilight of a mile out of the city and back again. He thus attained very high intellectual culture, alike excellence in philosophy and the languages. The most difficult Latin and Greek authors he read with facility. A more finished scholar has seldom gone forth from college halls; and there was not to be found, perhaps, in all Virginia, a more pureminded, upright, gentlemanly young man. Immediately upon leaving college he began the study of law. For the short time he continued in the practice of his profession he rose rapidly and distinguished himself by his energy and accuteness as a lawyer. But the times called for greater action. The policy of England had awakened the spirit of resistance of the American Colonies, and the enlarged views which Jefferson had ever entertained, soon led him into active political life. In 1769 he was chosen a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. In 1772 he married Mrs. Martha Skelton, a very beautiful, wealthy and highly accomplished young widow. Upon Mr. Jefferson's large estate at Shadwell, there was a majestic swell of land, called Monticello, which conmmanded a prospect of wonderful extent and beauty. This spot Mr. Jefferson selected for his new home; and here he reared a mansion of modest yet elegant architecture, which, next to Mount Vernon, became the most distinguished resort in our land. In 1775 he was sent to the Colonial Congress, where, though a silent member, his abilities as a writer and a reasoner soon become known, and he was placed upon a number of important committees, and was chairman of the one appointed for the drawing up of a declaration of independence. This committee consisted of Thomas Jefferson; John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston. Jefferson, as chairman, was appointed to draw up the paper. Franklin and Adams suggested a few verbal changes before it was submitted to Congress. On June 28, a few slight changes were made in it by Congress, and it was passed and signed July 4, I776. What must have been the feelings of that ' Uso-m-w - 4 -0 I -pp.II i I I i i i i I i E w a, M ~ -I I I.. - 11 - 1- - l 1-1 - - l -- - - I..I. -11 ". 11 I - -, - - I.-.., - ~., I - - -, s, - -- ~8 I — L 28 THOMAS JEFFERSON. - 1, Oman II iI I nan-what the qnotions that swelled his breastwho was charged with the preparation of that Declaration, which, while it made known the wrongs of America, was also to publish her to the world, free, soverign and independent. It is one of the most remarkable papers ever written; and did no other effort of the mind of its author exist, that alone would be sufficient to stamp his name with immortality. In I779 Mr. Jefferson was elected successor to Patrick Henry, as Governor of Virginia. At one time the British officer, Tarleton, sent a secret expedition to Monticello, to capture the Governor. Scarcely five minutes elapsed after the hurried escape of Mr. Jefferson and his family, ere his mansion was in possession of the British troops. His wife's health, never very good, was much injured by this excitement, and in the summer of 1782 she died. Mr. Jefferson was elected to Congress in 1783. Two years later he was appointed Minister Plenipotentiary to France. Returning to the United States in September, I789, he became Secretary of State in Washington's cabinet. This position he resigned Jan. i, 1794. In 1797, he was chosen Vice President, and four years later was elected President over Mr. Adams, with Aaron Burr as Vice President. In I804 he was re-elected with wonderful unanimity, and George Clinton, Vice President. The early part of Mr. Jefferson's second adminstration was disturbed by an event which threatened the tranquility and peace of the Union; this was the conspiracy of Aaron Burr. Defeated in the late election to the Vice Presidency, and led on by an unprincipled ambition, this extraordinary man formed the plan of a military expedition into the Spanish territories on our southwestern frontier, for the purpose of forming there a new republic. This has been generally supposed was a mere pretext; and although it has not been generally known what his real plans were, there is no doubt that they were of a far more dangerous character. I I ---- _ 1 ----11. ------------ sary of the Declaration of American Independence, great preparations were made in every part of the Union for its celebration, as the nation's jubilee, and the citizens of Washington, to add to the solemnity of the occasion, invited Mr. Jefferson, as the framer, and one of the few surviving signers of the Declaration, to participate in their festivities. But an illness, which had been of several weeks duration, and had been continually increasing, compelled him to decline the invitation. On the second of July, the disease under which he was laboring left him, but in such a reduced state that his medical attendants, entertained no hope of his recovery. From this time he was perfectly sensible that his last hour was at hand. On the next day, which was Monday, he asked of those around him, the day of the month, and on being told it was the third of July, he expressed the earnest wish that he might be permitted to breathe the air of the fiftieth anniversary. His prayer was heard-that day, whose dawn was hailed with such rapture through our land, burst upon his eyes, and then they were closed forever. And what a noble consummation of a noble life! To die on that day, —the birthday of a nation,- - the day which his own name and his own act had rendered glorious; to die amidst the rejoicings and festivities of a whole nation, who looked up to him, as the author, under God, of their greatest blessings, was all that was wanting to fill up the record his life. Almost at the same hour of his death, the kindred spirit of the venerable Adams,'as if to bear him company, left the scene of his earthly honors. Hand in hand they had stood forth, the champions of freedom; hand in hand, during the dark and desperate struggle of the Revolution, they had cheered and animated their desponding countrymen; for half a century they had labored together for the good of the country; and now hand in hand they depart. In their lives they had been united in the same great cause of liberty, and in their deaths they were not divided. In person Mr. Jefferson was tall and thin, rather above six feet in height, but well formed; his eyes were light, his hair originally red, in after life became white and silvery; his complexion was fair, his forehead broad, and his whole countenance intelligent and thoughtful. He possessed great fortitude of mind as well as personal courage; and his command of temper was such that his oldest and most intimate friends never recollected to have seen him in a passion. His manners, though dignified, were simple and unaffected, and his hospitality was so unbounded that all found at his house a ready welcome. In conversation he was fluent, eloquent and enthusiastic; and his language was remarkably pure and correct. He was a finished classical scholar, and in his writings is discernable the care with which he formed his style upon the best models of antiquity. In I809, at the expiration of the second term for which Mr. Jefferson had been elected, he determined to retire from political life. For a period of nearly forty years, he had been continually before the public, and all that time had been employed in offices of the greatest trust and responsibility. Having thus devoted the best part of his life to the service of his country, he now felt desirous of that rest which his declining years required, and upon the organization of the new administration, in March, i809, he bid farewell forever to public life, and retired to Monticello. Mr. Jefferson was profuse in his hospitality. Whole families came in their coaches with their horses,fathers and mothers, boys and girls, babies and nurses,-and remained three and even six months. Life at Monticello, for years, resembled that at a fashionable watering-place. The fourth of July, 1826, being the fiftieth anniver I ow -i J.4" 11ll.l~.8l~ " ^^ ^> C.,- e^~ < ^I I~ --- —-- --— ~ I FO URTH PRESIDENT., i~',7 AMES MADISON, "Father t,~7 ^. 1 ^ Iof the Constitution," and fourth I i President of the United States, was born March I6, 1757, and (;' <~ died at his home in Virginia, June 28, 1836. The name of James Madison is inseparably conf 1i nected with most of the important events in that heroic period of our ( w country during which the foundations of this great republic were laid. He was the last of the founders of the Constitution of the United States to be called to his eternal reward. \1 The Madison family were among eV a the early emigrants to the New World, landing upon the shores of the Chesapeake but 15 years after the settlement of Jamestown. The father of James Madison was an opulent planter, residing upon a very fine estate called " Montpelier," Orange Co., Va. The mansion was situated in ( the midst of scenery highly picturj esque and romantic, on the west side of South-west Mountain, at the foot of Blue Ridge. It was but 25 miles from the home of Jefferson at Monticello. The closest personal and political attachment existed between these illustrious men, from their early youth until death. The early education of Mr. Madison was conducted mostly at home under a private tutor. At the age of r8 he was sent to Princeton College, in New Jersey. Here he applied himself to study with the most im prudent zeal; allowing himself, for months, but three hours' sleep out of the 24. His health thus became so seriously impaired that he never recovered any vigor of constitution. He graduated in 177 I, with a feeble body, with a character of utmost purity, and with a mind highly disciplined and richly stored with learning which embellished and gave proficiency to his subse quent career. Returning to Virginia, he commenced the study of law and a course of extensive and systematic reading. This educational course, the spirit of the times in which he lived, and the society with which he associated, all combined to inspire him with a strong love of liberty, and to train him for his life-work of a statesman. Being naturally of a religious turn of mind, and his frail health leading him to think that his life was not to be long, he directed especial attention to theological studies. Endowed with a mind singularly free from passion and prejudice, and with almost unequalled powers of reasoning, he weighed all the arguments for and against revealed religion, until his faith became so established as never to be shaken. In the spring of 1776, when 26 years of age, he was elected a member of the Virginia Convention, to frame the constitution of the State. The next year (1777), he was a candidate for the General Assembly. He refused to treat the whisky-loving -voters, and consequently lost his election; but those who had witnessed the talent, energy and public spirit of the modest young man, enlisted themselves in his behalf, and he was appointed to the Executive Council. Both Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson were Governors of Virginia while Mr. Madison remained member of the Council; and their appreciation of his r! ob* ~.~ l --- l-I, I ---- -~.~ 1.,...~~- ~... -— ~.~. ~ -~ --- —~ --- ~ --- — ---- ---- - 1-1 —~- -.1-.1111 — ---- __1.. ____. __.__._~-.__.._. _._____. __~.i,-.- __. ~ ___._,. ___-_ _ ---------------- I ---~v t.m Mr 0 - I i j I I I I I I I i L w ~ 1 m a " _ L 32 JAMES MADISON. -i \ F L _ —= - - ~ --- —------------------------ I,. --- —-—, ---i. ---- ~l — -L~I A intellectual, social and moral worth, contributed not a little to his subsequent eminence. In the year I780, he was elected a member of the Continental Congress. Here he met the most illustrious men in our land, and he was immediately assigned to one of the most conspicuous positions among them. For three years Mr. Madison continued in Congress, one of its most active and influential members. In the year 1784, his tern having expired, he was elected a member of the Virginia Legislature. No man felt more deeply than Mr. Madison the utter inefficiency of the old confederacy, with no national government, with no power to form treaties which would be binding, or to enforce law. There was not any State more prominent than Virginia in the declaration, that an efficient national government must be formed. In January, 1786, Mr. Madison carried a resolution through the General Assembly of Virginia, inviting the other States to appoint commissioners to meet in convention at Annapolis to discuss this subject. Five States only were represented. The convention, however, issued another call, drawn up by Mr. Madison, urging all the States to send their delegates to Philadelphia, in May, I787, to draft a Constitution for the United States, to take the place of that Confederate League. The delegates met at the time appointed. Every State but Rhode Island was represented. George Washington was chosen president of the convention; and the present Constitution of the United States was then and there formed. There was, perhaps, no mind and no pen more active in framing this immortal document than the mind and the pen of James Madison. The Constitution, adopted by a vote 8 to 79, was to be presented to the several States for acceptance. But grave solicitude was felt. Should it be rejected we should be left but a conglomeration of independent States, with but little power at home and little respect abroad. Mr. Madison was selected by the convention to draw up an address to the people of the United States, expounding the principles of the Constitution, and urging its adoption. There was great opposition to it at first, but it at length triumphed over all, and went into effect in 1789. Mr. Madison was elected to the House of Representatives in the first Congress, and soon became the avowed leader of the Republican party. While in New York attending Congress, he met Mrs. Todd, a young widow of remarkable power of fascination, whom he married. She was in person and character queenly, and probably no lady has thus far occupied so prominent a position in the very peculiar society which has constituted our republican court as Mrs. Madison. Mr. Madison served as Secretary of State under Jefferson, and at the close of his administration was chosen President. At this time the encroachments of England had brought us to the verge of war. British orders in council destioyed our commerce, and our flag was exposed to constant insult. Mr. Madison was a man of peace. Scholarly in his taste, retiring in his disposition, war had no charms for him. But the meekest spirit can be roused. It makes one's blood boil, even now, to think of an American ship brought to, upon the ocean, by the guns of an English cruiser. A young lieutenant steps on board and orders the crew to be paraded before him. With great nonchalance he selects any number whom he may please to designate as British subjects; orders them down the ship's side into his boat; and places them on the gundeck of his man-of-war, to fight, by compulsion, the battles of England. This right of search and impressment, no efforts of our Government could induce the British cabinet to relinquish. On the i8th of June, i812, President Madison gave his approval to an act of Congress declaring war against Great Britain. Notwithstanding the bitter hostility of the Federal party to the war, the country in general approved; and Mr. Madison, on the 4th of March, 1813, was re-elected by a large majority, and entered upon his second term of office. This is not the place to describe the various adventures of this war on the land and on the water. Our infant navy then laid the foundations of its renown in grappling with the most formidable power which ever swept the seas. The contest commenced in earnest by the appearance of a British fleet, early in February, I813, in Chesapeake Bay, declaring nearly the whole coast of the United States under blockade. The Emperor of Russia offered his services as me ditator. America accepted; England refused. A British force of five thousand men landed on the banks of the Patuxet River, near its entrance into Chesapeake Bay, and marched rapidly, by way of Bladensburg, upon Washington. The straggling little city of Washington was thrown into consternation. The cannon of the brief conflict at Bladensburg echoed through the streets of the metropolis. The whole population fled from the city. The President, leaving Mrs. Madison in the White House, with her carriage drawn up at the door to await his speedy return, hurried to meet the officers in a council of war. He met our troops utterly routed, and he could not go back without danger of being captured. But few hours elapsed ere the Presidential Mansion, the Capitol, and all the public buildings in Washington were in flames. The war closed after two years of fighting, and on Feb. 13, I8 5, the treaty of peace was signed at Ghent. On the 4th of March, I817, his second term of office expired, and he resigned the Presidential chair to his friend, James Monroe. He retired to his Leautiful home at Montpelier, and there passed the remainder of his days. On June 28, I836, then at the age of 85 years, he fell asleep in death. Mrs. Madison died July 12, I849. lw i i i I I i l 1 I 1 Aith- L -I" i ", I 11 I -- - - - - - —.- - -, -. -. - - - & b ib, 1 -I ~ ? e e!57- ZI op - ------- ------ --- - -----—,;-.f a —.Nd&Al 1111 1 L1-11-.11.111. 111111" I 1~ —1~11.11,, ml 000- -— A FIFTH PRESIDENT. 35 AMES MONROE, the fifth President of The United States, was born in Testmoreland Co., Va., April 28, i758. His early < -- _ life was passed at the place of '~ nativity. His ancestors had for e e many years resided in the prov1 ince in which he was born. When, I; l at 17 years of age, in the process of completing his education at William and Mary College, the Colonial Congress assembled at Phila{g delphia to deliberate upon the unjust and manifold oppressions of Great Britian, declared the separation of the Colonies, and promulgated the Declaration of Independence. Had he been born ten years before it is highly probable that he would have been one of the signers of that celebrated instrument. At this time he left school and enlisted among the patriots. He joined the army when everything looked hopeless and gloomy. The number of deserters increased from day to day. The invading armies came pouring in; and the tories not only favored the cause of the mother country, but disheartened the new recruits, who were sufficiently terrified at the prospect of contending with an enemy whom they had been taught to deem invincible. To such brave spirits as James Monroe, who went right onward, undismayed through difficulty and danger, the United States owe their political emancipation. The young cadet joined the ranks, and espoused the cause of his injured country, with a firm determination to live or die with her strife for liberty. Firmly yet sadly he shared in the melancholy retreat from Harleam Heights and White Plains, and accompanied the dispirited army as it fled before its foes through New Jersey. In four months after the Declaration of Independence, the patriots had been beaten in seven battles. At the battle of Trenton he led the vanguard, and, in the act of charging upon the enemy he received a wound in the left shoulder. As a reward for his bravery, Mr. Monroe was promoted a captain of infantry; and, having recovered from his wound, he rejoined the army. He, however, receded from the line of promotion, by becoming an officer in the staff of Lord Sterling. During the campaigns of i777 and 1778, in the actions of Brandy wine, Germantown and Monmouth, he continued aid-de-camp; but becoming desirous to regain his position in the army, he exerted himself to collect a regiment for the Virginia line. This scheme failed owing to the exhausted condition of the State. Upon this failure he entered the office of Mr. Jefferson, at that period Governor, and pursued, with considerable ardor, the study of common law. He did not, however, entirely lay aside the knapsack for the green bag; but on the invasions of the enemy, served as a volunteer, during the two years of his legal pursuits. In 1782, he was elected from King George county, a member of the Leglislature f Virginia, and by that body he was elevated to a seat in the Executive Council. He was thus honored with the confidence of his fellow citizens at 23 years of age; and having at this early period displayed some of that ability and aptitude for legislation, which were afterwards employed with unremitting energy for the public good, I 1 - _^ll < -- - - l.s-I- I IE - -.I-. 1 ~ ~ ~ -1 - " - -., -~ ", ~ - -~ -, -. '~, -- - -,,~~" -,- ", ~ - ~ -1 -., - - ~ - -, - -~ - ~ -, ~ ~...... - - - - - - - - -- - - -l -- -,m ~ p I! I ~ - - - -- - - - 1 -e. - - - s..... wl II I I i;ii m ""a- ~"c"""u"Owo-"-im - -%- ~," L 36 JAMES MONROE. it, -: ~ — ~~-~~ —~ --— ~ ---- ~ ---- ~~ --- ~~ - ----- he was in the succeeding year chosen a member of the Congress of the United' States. Deeply as Mr. Monroe felt the imperfections of the old Confederacy, he was opposed to the new Constitution, thinking, with many others of the Republican party, that it gave too much power to the Central Government, and not enough to the individual States. Still he retained the esteem of his friends who were its warm supporters, and who, notwithstanding his opposition secured its adoption. In 1789, he became a member of the United States Senate; which office he held for four years. Every month the line of distinction between the two great parties which divided the nation, the Federal and the Republican, was growing more distinct. The two prominent ideas which now separated them were, that the Republican party was in sympathy with France, and also in favor of such a strict construction of the Constitution as to give the Central Government as little power, and the State Governments as much power, as the Constitution would warrant. The Federalists sympathized with England, and were in favor of a liberal construction of the Constitution, which would give as much power to the Central Government as that document could possibly authorize. The leading Federalists and Republicans were alike noble men, consecrating all their energies to the good of the nation. Two more honest men or more pure patriots than John Adams the Federalist, and James Monroe the Republican, never breathed. In building up this majestic nation, which is destined to eclipse all Grecian and Assyrian greatness, the combination of their antagonism was needed to create the light equilibrium. And yet each in his day was denounced as almost a demon. Washington was then President. England had espoused the cause of the Bourbons against the principles of the French Revolution. All Europe was drawn into the conflict. We were feeble and far away. Washington issued a proclamation of neutrality between these contending powers. France had helped us in the struggle for our liberties. All the despotisms of Europe were now combined to prevent the French from escaping from a tyranny a thousand-fold worse than that which we had endured. Col. Monroe, more magnanimous than prudent, was anxious that, at whatever hazard, we should help our old allies in their extremity. It was the impulse of a generous and noble nature. He violently opposed the President's proclamation as ungrateful and wanting in magnanimity. Washington, who could appreciate such a character, developed his calm, serene, almost divine greatness, by appointing that very James Monroe, who was denouncing the policy of the Government, as the minister of that Government to the Republic of France. Mr. Monroe was welcomed by the National Convention in France with the most enthusiastic demonstrations. I i I - ---- -, I Shortly after his return to this country, Mr. Monroe was elected Governor of Virginia, and held the office for three years. He was again sent to France to co-operate with Chancellor Livingston in obtaining the vast territory then known as the Province of Louisiana, which France had but shortly before obtained from Spain. Their united efforts were successful. For the comparatively small sum of fifteen millions of dollars, the entire territory of Orleans and district of Louisiana were added to the United States. This was probably the largest transfer of real estate which was ever made in all the history of the world. From France Mr. Monroe went to England to obtain from that country some recognition of our rights as neutrals, and to remonstrate against those odious impressments of our seamen. But England was unrelenting. He again returned to England on the same mission, but could receive no redress. He returned to his home and was again chosen Governor of Virginia. This he soon resigned to accept the position of Secretary of State under Madison. While in this office war with England was declared, the Secretary of War resigned, and during these trying times, the duties of the War Department were also put upon him. He was truly the armorbearer of President Madison, and the most efficient business man in his cabinet. Upon the return ot peace he resigned the Department of War, but continued in the office of Secretary of State until the expiration of Mr. Madison's adminstration. At the election held the previous autumn Mr. Monroe himself had been chosen President with but little opposition, and upon March 4, r817, was inaugurated. Four years later he was elected for a second term. Among the important measures of his Presidency were the cession of Florida to the United States; the Missouri Compromise, and the "Monroe doctrine." This famous doctrine, since known as the " Monroe doctrine," was enunciated by him in I823. At that time the United States had recognized the independence of the South American states, and did not wish to have European powers longer attempting to subdue portions of the American Continent. The doctrine is as follows: "That we should consider any attempt on the part of European powers to extend their system to any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety," and "that we could not view any interposition for the purpose of oppressing or controlling American governments or provinces in any other light than as a manifestation by European powers of an unfriendly disposition toward the United States." This doctrine immediately affected the course of foreign governments, and has become the approved sentiment of the United States. At the end of his second term Mr. Monroe retired to his home in Virginia, where he lived until I830, when he went to New York to live with his son-inlaw. In that city he died,on the 4th of July, I83I. A_ I m IIC, 11'II' I IWMWMN.y-r — '-P1~ —~ C-IC-r sl — LbO --- —ls-E~II I ~ - _ `" - _ I Ir ij , (.k 1 CAJW,6 O -RI II —od SIX THi PRPESIDANT. 39 i. f m^ OHN QUINCY ADAMS, the: l sixth President of the United MC igI Y l I [i States, was born in the rural I" home of his honored father, -___i_! John Adams, in Qtincy, Mass.,. ~ on the I Ith of July, I767. His \( ^ /mother, a woman of exalted Eo ~ E worth, watched over his childhood f l during the almost constant abI / sence of his father. When but a>- M i eight years of age, he stood with his mother on an eminence, listen~'n ing to the booming of the great battle on Bunker's Hill, and gazing on upon the smoke and flames billowing up from the conflagration of Charlestown. When but eleven years old he took a tearful adieu of his mother, to sail with his father for Europe, through a fleet of hostile British cruisers. The bright, animated boy spent a year and a half in Paris, where his father was associated with Franklin and Lee as minister plenipotentiary. His intelligence attracted the notice of these distinguished men, and he received from them flattering marks of attention. Mr. John Adams had scarcely returned to this country, in I779, ere he was again sent abroad. Again John Quincy accompanied his father. At Paris he applied himself with great diligence, for six months, to study; then accompained his father to Holland, where he entered, first a school in Amsterdam, then the University at Leyden. About a year from this time, in 178I, when the manly boy was but fourteen years of age, he was selected by Mr. Dana, our minister to the Russian court, as his private secretary. In this school of incessant labor and of enobling culture he spent fourteen months, and then returned to Holland through Sweden, Denmark, Hamburg and Bremen. This long journey he took alone, in the winter, when in his sixteenth year. Again he resumed his studies, under a private tutor, at Hague. Thence, in the spring of I782, he accompanied his father to Paris, traveling leisurely, and forming acquaintance with the most distinguished men on the Continent; examining architectural remains, galleries of paintings, and all renowned works of art. At Paris he again became associated with the most illustrious men of; all lands in the contemplations of the loftiest temporal themes which can engross the human mind. After a short visit to England he returned to Paris, and consecrated all his energies to study until May, 1785, when he returned to America. To a brilliant young man of eighteen, who had seen much of the world, and who was familiar with the etiquette of courts, a residence with his father in London, under such circumstances, must have been extremely attractive; but with judgment very rare in one of his age, he preferred to return to America to complete his education in an American college. He wished then to study law, that with an honorable profession, he might be able to obtain an independent stpport. Upon leaving Harvard College, at the age of twenty, he studied law for three years. In June, 1794, being then but twenty-seven years of age, he was appointed by Washington, resident minister at the Netherlands. Sailing from Boston in July, he reached London in October, where he was immediately admitted to the deliberations of Messrs. Jay and Pinckney, assisting them in negotiating a commercial treaty with Great Britian. After thus spending a fortnight in London, he proceeded to the Hague. In July, 7 97, he left the Hague to go to Portugal as minister plenipotentiary. On his way to Portugal, upon arriving in London, he met with despatches directing him to the court of Berlin, but requesting him to remain in London until he should receive his instructions. While waiting he was married to an American lady to whom he had been previously engaged, —Miss Louisa Catherine Johnson, daughter of Mr. Joshua Johnson, American consul in London; a lady endownd with that beauty and those accomplishment which eminently fitted her to move in the elevated sphere for which she was destined. I~~~~U I~r~~r~~ ) u~"~~ ~ ~ II"r~~"Y~l9bI III ~ ~~P r-1~-uYI lr~- * - - m-pl —C U ---C — IC~~c. ErlQ.r-qw _ -16 —L I Z4SI I i 40 JOHN QUINCY ADAMS. I —~ ---- - = He reached Berlin with his wife in November, 1797; ~where he remained until July, 1799, when, having fulfilled all the purposes of his mission, he solicited his recall. Soon after his return, in 1802, he was chosen to the Senate of Massachusetts, from Boston, and then was elected Senator of the United States for six years, from the 4th of March, I804. His reputation, his ability and his experience, placed him immediately among the most prominent and influential members of that body. Especially did he sustain the Government in its measures of resistance to the encroachments of England, destroying our commerce and insulting our flag. There was no man in America more familiar with the arrogance of the British court upon these points, and no one more resolved to present a firm resistance. In I809, Madison succeeded Jefferson in the Presidential chair, and he immediately nominated John Quincy Adams minister to St. Petersburg. Resigning his professorship in Harvard College, he embarked at Boston, in August, 1809. While in Russia, Mr. Adams was an intense student. He devoted his attention to the language and history of Russia; to the Chinese trade; to the European system of weights, measures, and coins; to the climate and astronomical observations; while he Kept up a familiar acquaintance with the Greek and Latin classics. In all the universities of Europe, a more accomplished scholar could scarcely be found. All through life the Bible constituted an important part of his studies. It was his rule to read five chapters every day. On the 4th of March, I817, Mr. Monroe took the Presidential chair, and immediately appointed Mr. Adams Secretary of State. Taking leave of his numerous friends in public and private life in Europe, he sailed in June, I8i9, for the United States. On the I8th of August, he again crossed the threshold of his home in Quincy. During the eight years of Mr. Monroe's administration, Mr. Adams continued Secretary of State. Some time before the close of Mr. Monroe's second term of office, new candidates began to be presented for the Presidency. The friends of Mr. Adams brought forward his name. It was an exciting campaign. Party spirit was never more bitter. Two hundred and sixty electoral votes were cast. Andrew Jackson received ninety-nine; John Quincy Adams, eighty-four; William H. Crawford, forty-one; Henry Clay, thirtyseven. As there was no choice by the people, the question went to the House of Representatives. Mr. Clay gave the vote of Kentucky to Mr. Adams, and he was elected. The friends of all the disappointed candidates now combined in a venomous and persistent assault upon Mr. Adams. There is nothing more disgraceful in } the past history of our country than the. abuse which I i I I II I I I I I was poured in one uninterrupted stream, upon this high-minded, upright, patriotic man. There never was an administration more pure in principles, more conscientiously devoted to the best interests of the country, than that of John Quincy Adams; and never, perhaps, was there an administration more unscrupulously and outrageously assailed. Mr. Adams was, to a very remarkable degree, abstemious and temperate in his habits; always rising early, and taking much exercise. When at his home in Quincy, he has been known to walk, before breakfast. seven miles to Boston. In Washington, it was said that he was the first man up in the city, lighting his own fire and applying himself to work in his library often long before dawn. On the 4th of March, 1829, Mr. Adams retired from the Presidency, and was succeeded by Andrew Jackson. John C. Calhoun was elected Vice President. The slavery question now began to assume portentous magnitude. Mr. Adams returned to Quincy and to his studies, which he pursued with unabated zeal. But he was not long permitted to remain in retirement. In November, 1830, he was elected representative to Congress. For seventeen years, until his death, he occupied the post as representative, towering above all his peers, ever ready to do brave battle'for freedom, and winning the title of "the old man eloquent." Upon taking his seat in the House, he announced that he should hold himself bound to no party. Probably there never was a member more devoted to his duties. He was usually the first in his place in the morning, and the last to leave his seat in the evening. Not a measure could be brought forward and escape his scrutiny. The battle which Mr. Adams fought, almost singly, against the proslavery party in the Government, was sublime in its moral daring and heroism. For persisting in presenting petitions for the abolition of slavery, he was threatened with indictment by the grand jury, with expulsion from the House, with assassination; but no threats could intimidate him, and his final triumph was complete. It has been said of President Adams, that when his body was bent and his hair silvered by the lapse of fourscore years, yielding to the simple faith of a little child, he was accustomed to repeat every night, before he slept, the prayer which his mother taught him in his infant years. On the 2st of February, I848, he rose on the floor of Congress, with a paper in his hand, to address the speaker. Suddenly he fell, again stricken by paralysis, and was caught in the arms of those around him. For a time he was senseless, as he was conveyed to the sofa in the rotunda. With reviving consciousness, he opened his eyes, looked calmly around and said " This s the endof earth;"then after a moment's pause he added, "I am content." These were the last words of the grand "Old Man Eloquent." i I ~f '\-~z b I I II j i i t _l~ ~-1 ads-INN *b-A a —j i,k I _ r r -:~ -iil V - -- --. --- -- ------ I i --- r i I I i I - SE VENTTH PRESIDENT.: 43 SE VENTH PRESIDENT. 43 I ;;i~ --— I T acter. It can be traced, it is said, Kg as far back as 1 280, when Hayes and L Rutherford were two Scottish chieftains, fighting side by side with Baliol, William Wallace and Robert Bruce. Both families belonged to the nobility, owned extensive estates, and had a large following. Misfortune overtaking the family, George Hayes left Scotland in I680, and settled in Windsor, Conn. His son George was born in Windsor, and remained there during his life. Daniel Hayes, son of the latter, married Sarah Lee, and lived from the time of his marriage until his death in Simsbury, Conn. Ezekiel, son of Daniel, was born in I724, and was a manufacturer of scythes at Bradford, Conn. Rutherford Hayes, son of Ezekiel and grandfather of President Hayes, was born in New Haven, in August, 1756. He was a farmer, blacksmith and tavern-keeper. He emigrated to Vermont at an unknown date, settling in Brattleboro, where he established a hotel. Here his son Rutherford Hayes the father of President Hayes, was born. He was married, in September, I813, to Sophia Birchard, of Wilmington, Vt., whose ancestors emigrated thither from Connecticut, they having been among the wealthiest and best famlies of Norwich. Her ancestry on the male side are traced back to I635, to John Birchard, one of the principal founders of Norwich. Both of her grandfathers were soldiers in the Revolutionary War. The father of President Hayes was an industrious frugal and opened-hearted man. He was of a me. chanical turn, and could mend a plow, knit a stocking, or do almost anything else that he choose to undertake. He was a member of the Church, active in all the benevolent enterprises of the town, and conducted his business on Christian principles. After the close of the war of I8I2, for reasons inexplicable to his neighbors, he resolved to emigrate to Ohio. The journey from Vermont to Ohio in that day, when there were no canals, steamers, nor railways, was a very serious affair. A tour of inspection was first made, occupying four months. Mr. Hayes determined to move to Delaware, where the family arrived in I817. He died July 22, 1822, a victim of malarial fever, less than three months before the birth of the son, of whom we now write. Mrs. Hayes, in her sore bereavement, found the support she so much needed in her brother Sardis, who had been a member of the household from the day of its departure from Vermont, and in an orphan girl whom she had adopted some time before as an act of charity. Mrs. Hayes at this period was very weak, and the -q-, I I i i i I j i I i men v. A&l- m -q - --- It dmftm = OMM - - aC": I 92 R UTHERSrO. subject of this sketch was so feeble at birth that he was not expected to live beyond a month or two at most. As the months went by he grew weaker and weaker, so that the neighbors were in the habit of inquiring from time to time " if Mrs. Hayes' baby died last night." On one occasion a neighbor, who was on familiar terms with the family, after alluding to the boy's big head, and the mother's assiduous care of him, said in a bantering way, " That's right! Stick to him. You have got him along so far, and I shouldn't wonder if he would really come to something yet." "You need not laugh," said Mrs. Hayes. "You wait and see. You can't tell but I shall make him President of the United States yet." The boy lived, in spite of the universal predictions of his speedy death; and when, in I825, his older brother was drowned, he became, if possible, still dearer to his mother. The boy was seven years old before he went to school. His education, however, was not neglected. He probably learned as much from his mother and sister as he would have done at school. His sports were almost wholly within doors, his playmates being his sister and her associates. These circumstances tended, no doubt, to foster that gentleness of disposition, and that delicate consideration for the feelings of others, which are marked traits of his character. His uncle Sardis Birchard took the deepestinterest in his education; and as the boy's health had improved, and he was making good progress in his studies, he proposed to send him to college. His preparation commenced with a tutor at home; but he was afterwards sent for one year to a professor in the Wesleyan University, in Middletown, Conn. He entered Kenyon College in 1838, at the age of sixteen, and was graduated at the head of his class in I842. Immediately after his graduation he began the study of law in the office of Thomas Sparrow, Esq., in Columbus. Finding his opportunities for study in Columbus somewhat limited, he determined to enter the Law School at Cambridge, Mass., where he remained two years. In 845, after graduating at the Law School, he was admitted to the bar at Marietta, Ohio, and shortly afterward went into practice as an attorney-at-law with Ralph P. Buckland, of Fremont. Here he remained three years, acquiring but a limited practice, and apparently unambitious of distinction in his profession. In I849 he moved to Cincinnati, where his ambition found a new stimulus. For several years, however, his progress was slow. Two events, occurring at this period, had a powerful influence upon his subsequent life. One of these was his marrage with Miss Lucy Ware Webb, daughter of Dr. James Webb, of Chilicothe; the other was his introduction to the Cincinnati Literary Club, a body embracing among its members such men as^ hief Justice Salmon P. Chase, III ml I P I --- ------- -I, L — - l s. --- —---— 1"Ah.- mm1111 II J RD B. H1A YES. - I Gen. John Pope, Gov. Edward F. Noyes, and many others hardly less distinguished in after life. The marriage was a fortunate one in every respect, as everybody knows. Not one of all the wives of our Presidents was more universally admired, reverenced and beloved than was Mrs. Hayes, and no one did more than she to reflect honor upon American womanhood. The Literary Club brought Mr. Hayes into constant association with young men of high character and noble aims, and lured him to display the qualities so long hidden by his bashfulness and modesty. In i856 he was nominated to the office of Judge of the Court of Common Pleas; but he declined to accept the nomination. Two years later, the office of city solicitor becoming vacant, the City Council elected him for the unexpired term. In I86i, when the Rebellion broke out, he was at the zenith of his professional life. His rank at the bar was among the the first. But the news of the attack on Fort Sumpter found him eager to take up arms for the defense of his country. His military record was bright and illustrious. In October, 186I, he was made Lieutenant-Colonel, and in August, 1862, promoted Colonel of the 79th Ohio regiment, but he refused to leave his old comrades and go among strangers. Subsequently, however, he was made Colonel of his old regiment. At the battle of South Mountain he received a wound, and while faint and bleeding displayed courage and fortitude that won admiration from all. Col. Hayes was detached from his regiment, after his recovery, to act as Brigadier-General, and placed in command of the celebrated Kanawha division, and for gallant and meritorious services in the battles of Winchester, Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek, he was promoted Brigadier-General. He was also brevetted Major-General, "for gallant and distinguished services during the campaigns of I864, in West Virginia." In the course of his arduous services, four horses were shot from under him, and he was wounded four times. In 1864, Gen. Hayes was elected to Congress, from the Second Ohio District, which had long been Democratic. He was not present during the campaign, and after his election was importuned to resign his commission in the army; but he finally declared, " I shall never come to Washington until I can come by the way of Richmond." He was re-elected in i866. In I867, Gen Hayes was elected Governor of Ohio, over Hon. Allen G. Thurman, a popular Democrat. In I869 was re-elected over George H. Pendleton. He was elected Governor for the third term in I875. In 1876 he was the standard bearer of the Republican Party in the Presidential contest, and after a hard long contest was chosen President, and was in augurated Monday, March 5, I875. He served his full term, not, however, with satisfaction to his party, but his administration was an average one-. I 60 u0. -..WmA., I V ---.,B. t Ir I ) N^ A, 11 Z moca mmomqm TWENTIETI! PRESIDENT. 95 i.f.';r| AIMES A. GARFIELD, twentieth President of the United: ~ I I i States, was born Nov. I9, v jJI i 8 1831, in the woods of Orange, j Cuyahoga Co., O His parents were Abram and Eliza _,. (Ballou) Garfield, both of New [txl England ancestry and from families well known in the early his'~ \~ tory of that section of our coun-, try, but had moved to the Western Reserve, in Ohio, early in its settlement. The house in which James A. was born was not unlike the houses of poor Ohio farmers of that day. It,as about 20 x 30 feet, built of logs, with the spaces between the logs filled with clay. His father was a nard working farmer, and he soon had his fields cleared, an orchard planted, and a log barn built. The household comprised the father and mother and their four children-Mehetabel, Thomas, Mary and James. In May, 1823, the father, from a cold contracted in helping to put out a forest fire, died. At this time James was about eighteen months old, and Thomas about ten years old. No one, perhaps, can tell how much James was indebted to his brother's toil and self-sacrifice during the twenty years succeeding his father's death, but undoubtedly very much. He now lives in Michigan, and the two siscers live in Solon, 0., near their birthplace. The early educational advantages young Garfield enjoyed were very limited, yet he made the most of them. He labored at farm work for others, did carpenter work, chopped wood, or did anything that would bring in a few dollars to aid his widowed mother in her ctrluggles to keep the little family to gether. Nor was Gen. Garfield ever ashamed of his origin, and he never forgot the friends of his struggling childhood, youth and manhood, neither did they ever forget him. When in the highest seats of honor, the humblest friend of his boyhood was as kindly greeted as ever. The poorest laborer was sure of the sympathy of one who had known all the bitterness of want and the sweetness of bread earned by the sweat of the brow. He was ever the simple, plain, modest gentleman. The highest ambition of young Garfield until he was about sixteen years old was to be a captain of a vessel on Lake Erie. He was anxious to go aboard a vessel, which his mother strongly opposed. She finally consented to his going to Cleveland, with the understanding, however, that he should try to obtain some other kind of employment. He walked all the way to Cleveland. This was his first visit to the city. After making many applications for work, and trying to get aboard a lake vessel, and not meeting with success, he engaged as a driver for his cousin, Amos Letcher, on the Ohio & Pennsylvania Canal. He remained at this work but a short time when he went home, and attended the seminary at Chester for about three years, when he entered Hiram and the Eclectic Institute, teaching a few terms of school in the meantime, and doing other work. This school was started by the Disciples of Christ in I850, of which church he was then a member. He became janitor and bell-ringer in order to help pay his way. He then became both teacher and pupil. He soon " exhausted Hiram " and needed more; hence, in the fall of I854, he entered Williams College, from which he graduated in 1856, taking one of the highest honors of his class. He afterwards returned to Hiram College as its President. As above stated, he early united with the Christian or Diciples Church at Hiram, and was ever after a devoted, zealous member, often preaching in its pulpit and places where he happened to be. Dr. Noah Porter, President of Yale College, says of him in reference to his religion: -L-;. \ _9 q i m~ J- 1..- I - - - - --- --- -. W,.~P-I^ls-~i~iY Wl- l, I i r --- -— 4e 0 I. _, —qqw $ NOWNW030 - aE. -I 11-#- IM I I I I 96 JAMES A. GARFIELD. ~- -- "President Garfield was more than a man of strong moral and religious convictions. His whole history, from boyhood to the last, shows that duty to man and to God, and devotion to Christ and life and faith and spiritual commission were controlling springs of his being, and to a more than usual degree. In my judgment there is no more interesting feature of his character than his loyal allegiance to the body of Christians in which he was trained, and the fervent sympathy which he ever showed in their Christian communion. Not many of the few 'wise and mighty and noble who are called' show a similar loyalty to the less stately and cultured Christian communions in which they have been reared. Too often it is true that as they step upward in social and political significance they step upward from one degree to another in some of the many types of fashionable Christianity. President Garfield adhered to the church of his mother, the church in which he was trained, and in which he served as a pillar and an evangelist, and yet with the largest and most unsectarian charity for all 'who love our Lord in sincerity."' Mr. Garfield was united in marriage with Miss Lucretia Rudolph, Nov. I i, i858, who proved herself worthy as the wife of one whom all the world loved and mourned. To them were born seven children, five of whom are still living, four boys and one girl. Mr. Garfield made his first political speeches in I856, in Hiram and the neighboring villages, and three years later he began to speak at county mass-meetings, and became the favorite speaker wherever he was. During this year he was elected to the Ohio Senate. He also began to study law at Cleveland, and in 1861 was admitted to the bar. The great Rebellion broke out in the early part of this year, and Mr. Garfield at once resolved to fight as he had talked, and enlisted to defend the old flag. He received his commission as Lieut.-Colonel of the Fortysecond Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Aug. 14, I86I. He was immediately put into active service, and before he had ever seen a gun fired in action, was placed in command of four regiments of infantry and eight companies of cavalry, charged with the work of driving out of his native State the officer (Humphrey Marshall) reputed to be the ablest of those, not educated to war whom Kentucky had given to the Rebellion. This work was bravely and speedily accomplished, although against great odds. President Lincoln, on his success commissioned him Brigadier-General, Jan. io, 1862; and as "he had been the youngest man in the Ohio Senate two years before, so now he was the youngest General in the army." He was with Gen. Buell's army at Shiloh, in its operations around Corinth and its march through Alabama. He was then detailed as a memberof the General Court-Martial for the trial of Gen. Fitz-John Porter. He was then ordered to report to Gen. Rosecrans, and was assigned to the "Chief of Staff." The military bistory of Gen. Garfield closed with his brilliant services at Chickamauga, where he won the stars of the Major-General. Without an effort on his part Gen. Garfield was elected to Congress in the fall of I862 from the Nineteenth District of Ohio. This section of Ohio had been represented in Congress for sixty years mainly by two men-Elisha Whittlesey and Joshua R. Giddings. It was not without a struggle that he resigned his place in the army. At the time he entered Congress he was the youngest member in that body. There he remained by successive reelections until he was elected President in i880. Of his labors in Congress Senator Hoar says: " Since the year I864 you cannot think of a question which has been debated in Congress, or discussed before a tribunel of the American people, in regard to which you will not find, if you wish instruction, the argument on one side stated, in almost every instance better than by anybody else, in some speech made in the House of Representatives or on the hustings by Mr. Garfield." Upon Jan. 14, I88o, Gen. Garfield was elected to the U. S. Senate, and on the eighth of June, of the same year, was nominated as the candidate of his party for President at the great Chicago Convention. He was elected in the following November, and on March 4, i88I, was inaugurated. Probably no administration ever opened its existence under brighter auspices than that of President Garfield, and every day it grew in favor with the people, and by the first of July he had completed all the initiatory and preliminary work of his administration and was preparing to leave the city to meet his friends at Williams College. While on his way and at the depot, in company with Secretary Blaine, a man stepped behind him, drew a revolver, and fired directly at his back. The President tottered and fell, and as he did so the assassin fired a second shot, the bullet cutting the left coat sleeve of his victim, but inflicting no farther injury. It has been very truthfully said that this was "the shot that was heard round the world " Never before in the history of the Nation had anything occurred which so nearly froze the blood of the people for the moment, as this awful deed. He was smitten on the brightest, gladdest day of all his life, and was at the summit of his power and hope. For eighty days, all during the hot months of July and August, he lingered and suffered. He, however, remained master of himself till the last, and by his magnificent bearing was teaching the country and the world the noblest of human lessons-how to live grandly in the very clutch of death. Great in life, he was surpassingly great in death. He passed serenely away Sept. 19, I883, at Elberon, N. J., on the very bank of the ocean, where he had been taken shortly previous. The world wept at his death, as it never had done on the death of any other man who had ever lived upon it. The murderer was duly tried, found guilty and executed, in one year after he committed the foul deed. j / S. mIl dd~zi~ —r~~c ~~ iig~ea~~P~ fa,~l~- ~i;~8b~i8~asCibabpg -li6% 4I i it j*I oeff; , lo 11, io; , sop-m-ow M TWENT Y-FIRST PRESIDENT. 99 X -r —c- I -~-c --- I I a M/ Aa AT a HESTER A. ARTHUR, A. ' twenty-first Presi,._1L of the; iUnited States, was born in,.._ ~ Franklin Cour.ty, Vermont, on the fifthof Ol ober, 83o, andis the oldest of a family of two i sons and five daughters. His ]g [father was the Rev. Dr. William Arthur, aBaptistcJ rgyman,who emigrated to tbhs country from the county Antdim, Ireland, in his I8th year, and died in I875, in Newtonville, neal Albany, after a long and successful ministry. Young Arthur was educated at Union College, S( henectady, where [ he excelled in all his studies. Afl ter his graduation he taught school l; in Vermont for two years, and at the expiration of that time came to New York, with $500 in his pocket, ^. and entered the office of ex-Judge E. D. Culver as student. After I being admitted to the bar he formed a partnership with his intimate friend and room-mate, Henry D. Gardiner, with the intention of practicing in the West, and for three months they roamed about in the Western States in search of an eligible site, but in the end returned to New York, where they hung out their shingle, and entered upon a successful career almost from the start. General Arthur soon afterward rn.arr;-d the daughter of Lieutenant Herndon, of the United States Navy, who was lost at sea. Congress voted a gold medal to his widow in recognition of the bravery he displayed on that occasion. Mrs. Arthur died shortly before Mr. Arthur's nomination to the Vice Presidency, leaving two children. Gen. Arthur obtained considerable legal celebrity in his first great case, the famous Lemmon suit, brought to recover possession of eight slaves who had been declared free by Judge Paine, of the Superior Court of New York City. It was in 1852 that Jon, athan Lemmon, of Virginia, went to New York with his slaves, intending to ship them to Texas, when they were discovered and freed. The Judge decided that they could not be held by the owner under the Fugitive Slave Law. A howl of rage went up from the South, and the Virginia Legislature authorized the Attorney General of that State to assist in an appeal. Wm. M. Evarts and Chester A. Arthur were employed to represent the People, and they won their case, which then went to the Supreme Court of the United States. Charles O'Conor here espoused the cause of the slave-holders, but he too was beaten by Messrs. Evarts and Arthur, and a long step was taken toward the emancipation of the black race. Another great service was rendered by General Arthur in the same cause in I856. Lizzie Jennings, a respectable colored woman, was put off a Fourth Avenue car with violence after she had paid her fare. General Arthur sued on her behalf, and secured a verdict of $500 damages. The next day the company issued an order to admit colored persons to ride on their cars, and the other car companies quickly Fll1'F)lr~-"~ --- —-.U [W-k" IJ -.A~ --- —------------ -~ —~-;-~- — ~ --- —-~~~ ~ ---~ ---~ ---- - --- Ir m 100 CHESTER A. AR THUR. A followed their example. Before that the Sixth Avenue Company ran a few special cars for colored per. sons and the other lines refused to let them ride at all. General Arthur was a delegate to the Convention at Saratoga that founded the Republican party. Previous to the war he was Judge-Advocate of the Second Brigade of the State of New York, and Governor Morgan, of that State, appointed him Engineerin-Chief of his staff. In I86I, he was made Inspector General, and soon afterward became Quartermaster-General. In each of these offices he rendered great service to the Government during the war. At the end of Governor Morgan's term he resumed the practice of the law, forming a partnership with Mr. Ransom, and then Mr. Phelps, the District Attorney of New York, was added to the firm. The legal practice of this well-known firm was very large and lucrative, each of the gentlemen composing it were able lawyers, and possessed a splendid local reputation, if not indeed one of national extent. He always took a leading part in State and city politics. He was appointed Collector of the Port of New York by President Grant, Nov. 21, I872, to succeed Thomas Murphy, and held the office until July, 20, 1878, when he was succeeded by Collector Merritt. Mr. Arthur was nominated on the Presidential ticket, with Gen. James A. Garfield, at the famous National Republican Convention held at Chicago in June, 188o. This was perhaps the greatest political convention that ever assembled on the continent. It was composed of the leading politicians of the Republican party, all able men, and each stood firm and fought vigorously and with signal tenacity for their respective candidates that were before the convention for the nomination. Finally Gen. Garfield received the nomination for President and Gen. Arthur for Vice-President. The campaign which followed was one of the most animated known in the history of our country. Gen. Hancock, the standard-bearer of the Democratic party, was a popular man, and his party made a valiant fight for his election. Finally the election came and the country's choice was Garfield and Arthur. They were inaugurated March 4, I88r, as President and Vice-President. A few months only had passed ere the newly chosen President was the victim of the assassin's bullet. Then came terrible weeks of suffering,-those moments of anxious suspense, where the hearts of all civilized na tions were throbbing in unison, longing for the recovery of the noble, the good President. The remarkable patience that he manifested during those hours and weeks, and even months, of the most terrible suffering man has often been called upon to endure, was seemingly more than human. It was certainly Godlike. During all this period of deepest anxiety Mr. Arthur's every move was watched, and be it said to his credit that his every action displayed only an earnest desire that the suffering Garfield might recover, to serve the remainder of the term he had so auspiciously begun. Not a selfish feeling was manifested in deed or look of this man, even though the most honored position in the world was at any moment likely to fall to him. At last God in his mercy relieved President Garfield from further suffering, and the world, as never before in its history over the death of any other man, wept at his bier. Then it became the duty of the Vice President to assume the responsibilities of the high office, and he took the oath in New York, Sept. 20, I88I. The position was an embarrassing one to him, made doubly so from the facts that all eyes were on him, anxious to know what he would do, what policy he would pursue, and who he would select as advisers. The duties of the office had been greatly neglected during the President's long illness, and many important measures were to be immediately decided by him; and still farther to embarrass him he did not fail to realize under what circumstances he became President, and knew the feelings of many on this point. Under these trying circumstances President Arthur took the reins of the Government in his own hands; and, as embarrassing as were the condition of affairs, he happily surprised the nation, acting so wisely that but few criticised his administration. He served the nation well and faithfully, until the close of his administration, March 4, I885, and was a popular candidate before his party for a second term. His name was ably presented before the convention at Chicago, and was received with great favor, and doubtless but for the personal popularity of one of the opposing candidates, he would have been selected as the standard-bearer of his party for another campaign. He retired to private life carrying with him the best wishes of the American people, whom he had served in a manner satisfactory to them and with credit to himself. I i m 1-~.1- I -. - - -- - 1. - ~ I- ---..- -y - I- - - - 11- I 1, lI mom - - -d I 1, - Im " - 'l - e b o. — ) I I Ia 7-ziooli V X * aM —K l ff aCPI"88k"scggf,P- = I 0 J TWEN'~'lTY-SECONDV PRESIDENT.VT 3 i I, i. 7' WNTY-ECON) PESIDNT. 03 i TEPHEN GROVER CLEVELAN D, the twenty-second President of the United States, was born in I837, in the obscure town of Caldwell, Essex Co., c, r N. J., and in a little two-and-af ~ ~half-story white house which is still d t ~standing, characteristically to mark C ' the humble birth-place of one of 7, America's great men in striking con'. trast with the Old World, where all men high in office must be high in origin and born in the cradle of X c wealth. When the subject of this sketch was three years of age, his father, who was a Presbyterian minister, with a large family and a small salary, moved, by way of the Hudson River and Erie Canal, to Fayetteville, in search of an increased income and a larger field of work. Fayetteville was then the most straggling of country villages, about five miles from Pompey Hill, where Governor Seymour was born. At the last mentioned place young Grover commenced going to school in the " good, old-fashioned way," and presumably distinguished himself after the manner of all village boys, in doing the things he ought not to do. Such is the distinguishing trait of all geniuses and independent thinkers. When he arrived at the age of 14 years, he had outgrown the capacity of the village school and expressed a most emphatic desire to be sent to an academy. To this his father decidedly objected. Academies in those days cost money; besides, his father wanted him to become self-supporting by the quickest possible means, and this at that time in Fayetteville seemed to be a position in a country store, where his father and the large family on his hands had considerable influence. Grover was to be paid $50 for his services the first year, and if he proved trustworthy he was to receive $roo the second year. Here the lad commenced his career as salesman, and in two years he had earned so good a reputation for trustworthiness that his employers desired to retain him for an indefinite length of time. Otherwise he did not exhibit as yet any particular " flashes of genius" or eccentricities of talent. He was simply a good boy. But instead of remaining with this firm in Fayetteville, he went with the family in their removal to Clinton, where he had an opportunity of attending a high school. Here he industriously pursued his studies until the family removed with him to a point on Black River known as the " Holland Patent," a village of 500 or 600 people, I5 miles north of Utica, N. Y. At this place his father died, after preaching but three Sundays. This event broke up the family, and Grover set out for New York City to accept, at a small salary, the position of " under-teacher " in an asylum for the blind. He taught faithfully for two years, and although he obtained a good reputation in this capacity, he concluded that teaching was not his 1 pp* — I I- 0 A A!h - ~ — d~ --- -~-~ — ~~- ---- --- ~ --- — ~ ---~ --- —-- — ~~ —~~ O14 S. GROVER calling for life, and, reversing the traditional order, he left the city to seek his fortune, instead of going to a city. He first thought of Cleveland, Ohio, as there was some charm in that name for him; but before proceeding to that place he went to Buffalo to ask the advice of his uncle, Lewis F. Allan, a noted stock-breeder of that place. The latter did not speak enthusiastically. "What is it you want to do, my boy?" he asked. "Well, sir, I want to study law," was the reply. "Good gracious! " remarked the old gentleman; "do you, indeed? What ever put that into your head? How much money have you got?" "Well, sir, to tell the truth, I haven't got any. After a long consultation, his uncle offered him a place temporarily as assistant herd-keeper, at $5o a year, while he could "look around." One day soon afterward he boldly walked into the office of Rogers, Bowen & Rogers, of Buffalo, and told them what he wanted. A number of young men were already engaged in the office, but Grover's persistency won, and he was finally permitted to come as an office boy and have the use of the law library, for the nominal sum of $3 or $4 a week. Out of this he had to pay for his board and washing. The walk to and from his uncle's was a long and rugged one; and, although the first winter was a memorably severe one, his shoes were out of repair and his overcoat-he had none-yet he was nevertheless prompt and regular. On the first day of his service here, his senior employer threw down a copy of Blackstone before him with a bang that made the dust fly, saying "That's where they all begin." A titter ran around the little circle of clerks and students, as they thought that was enough to scare young Grover out of his plans; but in due time he mastered that cumbersome volume. Then, as ever afterward, however, Mr. Cleveland exhibited a talent for executiveness rather than for chasing principles through all their metaphysical possibilities. " Let us quit talking and go and do it," was practically his motto. The first public office to which Mr. Cleveland was elected was that of Sheriff of Erie Co., N. Y., in which Buffalo is situated; and in such capacity it fell to his duty to inflict capital punishment upon two criminals. In i88r he was elected Mayor of the City of Buffalo, on the Democratic ticket, with espedal reference to the bringing about certain reforms CLE VELAND. -- -- I in the administration of the municipal affairs of that city. In this office, as well as that of Sheriff, his performance of duty has generally been considered fair, with possibly a few exceptions which were ferreted out and magnified during the last Presidential campaign. As a specimen of his plain language in a veto message, we quote from one vetoing an iniquitous street-cleaning contract: "This is a time for plain speech, and my objection to your action shall be plainly stated. I regard it as the culmination of a mos'; bare-faced, impudent and shameless scheme to betray the interests of the people and to worse than squander the people's money." The New York Sun afterward very highly commended Mr. Cleveland's administration as Mayor of Buffalo, and thereupon recommended him for Governor of the Empire State. To the latter office he was elected in 1882, and his administration of the affairs of State was generally satisfactory. The mistakes he made, if any, were made very public throughout the nation after he was nominated for President of the United States. For this high office he was nominated July II, I884, by the National Democratic Convention at Chicago, when other competitors were Thomas F. Bayard, Roswell P. Flower, Thomas A. Hendricks, Benjamin F. Butler, Allen G. Thurman, etc.; and he was elected by the people, by a majority of about a thousand, over the brilliant and long-tried Republican statesman, James G. Blaine. President Cleveland resigned his office as Governor of New York in January, I885, in order to prepare for his duties as the Chief Executive of the United States, in which capacity his term commenced at noon on the 4th of March, I885. For his Cabinet officers he selected the following gentlemen: For Secretary of State, Thomas F. Bayard, of Delaware; Secretary of the Treasury, Daniel Manning, of New York; Secretary of War, William C. Endicott, of Massachusetts; Secretary of the Navy, William C. Whitney, of New York; Secretary of the Interior, L. Q. C. Lamar, of Mississippi; Postmaster-General, William F. Vilas, of Wisconsin; Attorney-General, A. H. Garland, of Arkansas. The silver question precipitated a controversy between those who were in favor of the continuance of silver coinage and those who were opposed, Mr. Cleveland answering for the latter, even before his inauguration. I Sao_ i t-aft I_1.10 I I I 11 I 'I I I -- Tsl2,__ ___ __,____________________,.___.__.__..______...._... _.__.___ T 11 Ml — 1-4vi t A El" I I 9 WIN f i I f I I -F — *AM '" S sllt~`igi — ~idr lB i r 33 L1 I Z i ~~- - F i f i -C3CiTSSI i: r 2 k I --- O 'LyJP ~L SV)-Y4-f _.9 ail GO VER.II~VORS 0)_I' JIICHIGA 2V.N o5 L[ GO VERNORS OF JL-cHIGAN. 105 4 I ~Z t rr(.DC: ~' A 1 TEPHEN T. MASON, the I H(: [l first Governorof Michigan, was, ^ 1( a son of Gen. John T. Mason, [ < l^ l _J~[/] of Kentucky, but was born in Virginia, in 1812. At the age I of I9 he was appointed SecreI~ e" ) tary of Michigan Territory, and served in that capacity during the t ffi administration of Gov. George B. \, JlE Porter. Upon the death of Gov. 1 Porter, which occurred on the 6th of July, I834, Mr. Mason became Act-, ing Governor. In October, 1835, he was elected Governor under the State e/ organization, and immediately entered upon the performance of the duties of the office, although the State was not yet admitted into the Union. After the State was admitted into the Union, Governor Mason was re-elected to the position, and served with credit to himself and to the advantage of the State. He died Jan. 4, I843. The principal event during Governor Mason's official career, was that arising from the disputed southern boundary of the State. Michigan claimed for her southern boundary aline running east across the peninsula from the extreme southern point of Lake Michigan, extending through Lake Erie, to the Pennsylvania line. This she claimed as a vested right-a right accruing to her by compact. This compact was the ordinance of 1787, the parties to which were the original I3 States, and the territory northwest of the Ohio; and, by the succession of parties under statutory amendments to the ordinance and laws of Congress-the United States on the one part, and each Territory northwest of the Ohio, as far as affected by their provisions, on the -.| other. Michigan, therefore, claimed it under the prior grant, or assignation of boundary. Ohio, on the other hand, claimed that the ordinance had been superseded by the Constitution of the United States, and that Congress had a right to regulate the boundary. It was also claimed that the Constitution of the State of Ohio having described a different line, and Congress having admitted the State under that Constitution, without mentioning the subject of the line in dispute, Congress had thereby given its consent to the lirfe as laid down by the Constitution of Ohio. This claim was urged by Ohio at some periods of the controversy, but at others she appeared to regard the question unsettled, by the fact that she insisted upon Congress taking action in regard to the boundary. Accordingly, we find that, in 1812, Congress authorized the Surveyor-General to survey a line, agreeably to the act, to enable the people of Ohio to form a Constitution and State government. Owing to Indian hostilities, however, the line was not run till i818. In 1820, the question in dispute underwent a rigid examination by the Committee on Public Lands. The claim of Ohio was strenuously urged by her delegation, and as ably opposed by Mr. Woodbridge, the then delegate from Michigan. The result was that the committee decided unanimously in favor of Michigan; but, in the hurry of business, no action was taken by Congress, and the question remained open till Michigan organized her State government. The Territory in dispute is about five miles in width at the west end, and about eight miles in width at the east end, and extends along the whole northern line of Ohio, west of Lake Erie. The line claimed by Michigan was known as the " Fulton line," and that claimed by Ohio was known as the " Harris line," Cn rdrr 1 `'. - --— ~ I ~I — I - -. - R — mm ---.dmag L a Ib I IT - oob-~ i i i — I" ~.a_! EF- " -11,I II I11 li L 1o6 S TEPIIL,,'-,V 1'. JL4 SO.A0rl 136 S ]'EPIIEN T il/14 SON. I from the names of the surveyors. The territory was valuable for its rich agricultural lands; but the chief value consisted in the fact that the harbor on the Maumee River, where now stands the flourishing city of Toledo, was included within its limits The town originally bore the name of Swan Creek, afterwards Port Lawrence, then Vestula, and then Toledo. In February, I835, the Legislature of Ohio passed an act extending the jurisdiction of the State over the territory in question; erected townships and directed them to hold elections in April following. It also directed Governor Lucus to appoint three commissioners to survey and re-mark the Harris line; and named the first of April as the day to commence the survey. Acting Governor Mason, however, anticipated this action on the part of the Ohio Legislature, sent a special message to the Legislative Council, apprising it of Governor Lucas' message, and advised immediate action by that body to anticipate and counteract the proceedings of Ohio. Accordingly, on the 2th of February, the council passed an act making it a criminal offence, punishable by a heavy fine, or imprisonment, for any one to attempt to exercise any official functions, or accept any office within the jurisdiction of Michigan, under or by virture of any authority not derived from the Territory, or the United States. On the 9th of March, Governor Mason wrote General Brown, then in command of the Michigan militia, directing him to hold himself in readiness to meet the enemy in the field in case any attempt was made on the part of Ohio to carry out the provisions of that act of the Legislature. On the 3Ist of March, Governor Lucus, with his commissioners, arrived at Perrysburgh, on their way to commence re-surveying the Harris line. He was accompanied by General Bell and staff, of the Ohio Militia, who proceeded to muster a volunteer force of about 600 men. This was soon accomplished, and the force fully armed and equipped. The force then went into camp at Fort Miami, to await the Governor's orders. In the meantime, Governor Mason, with General Brown and staff, had raised a force 800 to 1200 strong, and were in possession of Toledo. General Brown's Staff consisted of Captain Henry Smith, of Monroe, Inspector; Major J. J. Ullman, of Constantine, Quartermaster; William E. Broadman, of Detroit, and Alpheus Felch, of Monroe, Aids-decamp. When Governor Lucas observed the determined bearing of the Michigan braves, and took note of their number, he found it convenient to content himself for a time with " watching over the border.' Several days were passed in this exhilarating employment, and just as Governor Lucas had made up his mind to do something rash, two commissioners arrived from Washington on a mission of peace. They remonstrated with Gov. Lucus, and reminded him of the consequences to himself and his State if he persisted in his attempt to gain possession of the disputed territory by force. After several conferences with both governors, the commissioners submitted propositions for their consideration. Governor Lucas at once accepted the propositions, and disbanded his forces. Governor Mason, on the other hand,.refused to accede to the arrangement, and declined to compromise the rights of his people by a surrender of possession and jurisdiction. When Governor Lucus disbanded his forces, however, Governor Mason partially followed suit, but still held himself in readiness to meet any emergency that might arise. Governor Lucus now supposed that his way was clear, and that he could re-mark the Harris line without being molested, and ordered the commissioners to proceed with their work. In the meantime, Governor Mason kept a watchful eye upon the proceedings. General Brown sent scouts through the woods to watch their movements, and report when operations were commenced. When the surveying party got within the county of Lenawee, the under-sheriff of that county, armed with a warrant, and accompanied by a posse, suddenly made his appearance, and succeeded in arresting a portion of the party. The rest, including the commissioners, took to their heels, and were soon beyond the disputed territory. They reached Perrysburgh the following day in a highly demoralized condition, and reported they had been attacked by an overwhelming force of Michigan malitia, under command of General Brown. This summary breaking up of the surveying party produced the most tremendous excitement throughout Ohio. Governor Lucas called an extra session of the Legislature. But little remains to be said in reference to the "war." The question continued for some time to agitate the minds of the opposing parties; and the action of Congress was impatiently awaited. Michigan was admitted into the Union on the condition that she give to Ohio the disputed territory, and accept in return the Northern Peninsula, which she did. ft Opp -4 F 4ZMr ghm -40 6 ~" \.,,. .1 A W-40 ---lr ---- — BL i i SECON,'D GO VER:NVOR OF AJICIf[GAN. 109,_ 7, ILLIAM WOODBRIDGE, l second Governor of Michigan, was born at Norwich, Conn., Aug. 20, 1780, and died at Detroit Oct. 20, I86I. He was of a family of three brothers and two sisters. His father, X lll1 Dudley Woodbridge, removed to Marietta, Ohio, about 1790. The I f life of Wm. Woodbridge, by Chas. Lauman, from which this sketch X is largelyconmpiled, mentions nothing concerning his early education beyond the fact that it was such as i was afforded by the average school of the time, except a year with the L i French colonists at Gallipolis, where he acquired a knowledge of i the French language. It should be borne in mind, however, that home education at that time was an indispensable feature in the training of the young. To this and and to a few studies well mastered, is due that strong mental discipline which has served as a basis for many of the grand intellects that have adorned and helped to make our National history. Mr. Woodbridge studied law at Marietta, having as a fellow student an intimate personal friend, a young man subsequently distinguished, but known at that time simply as Lewis Cass. He graduated at the law school in Connecticut, after a course there of nearly three years, and began to practice at Marietta in I806. In June, I806, he married, at Hartford, Connecticut, Juleanna, daughter of John Trumlbell, a distinguished author and judge; and author of the... I peom McFingal, which, during a dark period of the Revolution, wrought such a magic change upon the spirits of the colonists. He was happy in his domes. tic relations until the death of Mrs. W., Feb. 2, I9, i86o. Our written biographies necessarily speak more fully of men, because of their active participation in public affairs, but human actions are stamped upon the page of time and when the scroll shall be unrolled the influence of good women upon the history of the world will be read side by side with the deeds of men. How much success and renown in life many men owe to their wives is probably little known. Mrs. W. enjoyed the best means of early education that the country afforded, and her intellectual genius enabled her to improve her advantages. During her life, side by side with the highest type of domestic and social graces, she manifested a keen intellectuality that formed the crown of a faultless character. She was a natural poet, and wrote quite a large number of fine verses, some of which are preserved in a printed memorial essay written upon the occasion of her death. In this essay, it is said of her "to contribute even in matters of minor importance, to elevate the reputation and add to the well being of her husband in the various stations he was called upon to fill, gave her the highest satisfaction" She was an invalid during the latter portion of her life, but was patient and cheerful to the end. In 1807, Mr. W. was chosen a representative to the General Assembly of Ohio, and in 1809 was elected to the Senate, continuing a member by re-election until his removal from the State. He also held, by appointment, during the time the office of Prosecuting Attorney for his county. He took a leading part in the Legislature, and in 1812 drew up a declaration and resolutions, which passed the two houses aun;nimiously l. m t i 1 I I IRWW T — ~9~-, 11 -, -.- I - - - I., I I - I - I - -.1- - - - - -.,.- -.. -,,, - - - ---.A -d.O I 'I II I 1HM- (I, me -vlo- a 1 I Io WIL V LIA iAl and attracted great attention, endorsing, in strongest and most emphatic terms, the war measures of President Madison. During the period from I804 to 1814 the two law students, Woodbridge and Cass, had become widely separated. The latter was Governor of the Territory of Michigan under the historic "Governor and Judges" plan, with the indispensable requisite of a Secretary of the Territorry. This latter position was, in I814, without solicitation on his part, tendered to Mr. W. He accepted the position with some hesitation, and entered upon its duties as soon as he could make the necessary arrangements for leaving Ohio. The office of Secretary involved also the duties of collectorof customs at the port of Detroit, and during the frequent absences of the Governor, the dischargeof of his duties, also including those of Superintendent of Indian Affairs. Mr. W. officiated as Governor for about two years out of the eight years that he held the office of Secretary Under the administration of"Governor and Judges," which the people of the Territory preferred for economical reasons, to continue some time after their numbers entitled themn to a more popular representative system, they were allowed no delegate in Congress. Mr. W., as a sort of informal agent of the people, by correspondence and also by a visit to the National capital, so clearly set forth the demand for representation by a delegate, that an act was passed in Congress in 18 9 authorizing one to be chosen. Under this act Mr. W. was elected by the concurrence of all parties. His first action inCongress was to secure the passage of a bill recognizing and confirming the old French land titles in the Territory according to the terms of the treaty of peace with Great Britain at the close of the Revolution; and another for the construction of a Government road through the "black swamps" from the Miami River to Detroit, thus opening a means of land transit between Ohio and Michigan. He was influential in securing the passage of bills for the construction of Government roads from Detroit to Chicago, and Detroit to Fort Gratiot, and for the improvement of La Plaisance Bay. The expedition for the exploration of the country around Lake Superior and in the valley of the Upper Mississippi, projected by Governor Cass, was set on foot by means of representations made to the head of the department by Mr. W. While in Congress he strenuously maintained the right of Michigan to the strip of territory now forming the northern boundary of Ohio, which formed the subject of such grave dispute between Ohio and Michigan at the time of the admission of the latter into the Union. He served but one term as delegate to Congress, declining further service on account of personal and family considerations. Mr. W. continued to discharge the duties of Secretary of the Territory up to the time its Government passed into the "second grade." In I824, he was appointed one of a board of commissioners for adjusting private land claims in I WO ODBRIDGE. the Territory, and was engaged also in the practice of his profession, having the best law library in the Territory. In 1828, upon the recommendation of the Governor, Judges and others, he was appointed by the President, J. Q. Adams, to succeed Hon. James Witherell, who had resigned as a Judge of what is conventionally called the "Supreme Court" of the Territory. This court was apparently a continuation of the Territorial Court, under the "first grade" or "Governor and Judges" system. Although it was supreme in its judicial functions within the Territory, its powers and duties were of a very general character. In 1832, the term of his appointment as Judge expiring, President Jackson appointed a successor, it is supposed on political grounds, much to the disappointment of the public and the bar of the Territory. The partisan feeling of the time extended into the Territory, and its people began to think of assuming the dignity of a State government. Party lines becoming very sharply drawn, he identified himself with the Whigs and was elected a member of the Convention of i835, which formed the first State Constitution. In 1837 he was elected a member of tV e t ate Senate. This sketch has purposely dealt somewhat in detail with what may be called Judge W's. earlier career, because it is closely identified with the early history of the State, and the development of its political system. Since the organization of the State Government the history of Michigan is more familiar, and hence no review of Judge W's career as Governor and Senator will be attempted. He was elected Governor in i839, under a popular impression that the affairs of the State had not been prudently administered by the Democrats. He served as Governor but little more than a year, when he was elected to the Senate of the United States. His term in the Senate practically closed his political life, although he was strongly urged by many prominent men for the Whig nomination for Vice President in I848. Soon after his appointment as Judge in 1828, Governor W. took up his residence on a tract of land which he owned in the township of Spring Wells, a short distance below what was then the corporate limits of Detroit, where he resided during the remainder of his life. Both in his public papers and private communications, Governor W. shows himself a master of language; he is fruitful in simile and illustration, logical in arrangement, happy in the choice and treatment of topics, and terse and vigorous in expression. Judge W. was a Congregationalist. His opinions on all subjects were decided; he was earnest and energetic, courteous and dignified, and at times exhibited a vein of fine humor that was the more attractive because not too often allowed to come to the surface. His letters and addresses show a deep and earnest affection not only for his ancestral home, but the home of his adoption and for friends and family. l4!,. ALA le m 0 I I- 111 4L '-01 I1 t- II, II, I IIIIIIIII11AOW 111 L -a ItI - E / ,I" GO VERNAORS OF MICHIGA 1V. ti3 I Ii,5lJ/ sOHN STEWARD BARRY, Governor of Michigan from Jan. 3, 1842, to Jan. 5, I846, and from Jan. 7, I850, to Jan. )? I- 1 852, was born at Amherst, N. H., Jan. 29, 1802. His par-!i_ a ents, John and Ellen (Steward) ] Barry, early removed to Rockingham, Vt., where he remained until - he became of age, working on his father's farm, and pursuing his 1 studies at the same time. He mar(/f nried Mary Kidder, of Grafton, Vt., and in 1824 went to Georgia, Vt., where he had charge of an academy for two years, meanwhile studying law. He afterward practiced law in that State. While he was in Georgia he was for some -time a member of the Governor's staff, with the title of Governor's Aid, and at a somewhat earlier period was Captain of a company of State militia. In I831 he removed to Michigan, and settled at White Pigeon, where he engaged in mercantile business with I. W. Willard. Four years after, 1834, Mr. Barry removed to Con stantine and continued his mercantile pursuits. He became Justice of the Peace at White Pigeon, Mich., in 183I, and held the office until the year I835. Mr. Barry's first public office was that of a member of the first constitutional convention, which assembled and framed the constitution upon which Michigan was admitted into the Union. He took an important and prominent part in the proceedings of that body, and showed himself to be a man of far more than ordinary ability. Upon Michigan being admitted into the Union, Mr. Barry was chosen State Senator, and so favorably were his associates impressed with his abilities at the first session of the Legislature that they looked to hin as a party leader, and that he should head the State ticket at the following election. Accordingly he received the nomination for Governor at the hands of his party assembled in convention. He was elected, and so popular was his administration that, in I842, he was again elected. During these years Michigan was embarrassed by great financial difficulties, and it was through his wisdom and sound judgment that the State was finally placed upon a solid financial basis. During the first year of Gov. Barry's first term, the University at Ann Arbor was opened for the reception I t I i i 1!^ fF I l. 71 --- - - -. - - ~' ` ~~~x- ~ ~ ~"~ --- ~ — -~~ ----~-~- ~ --- —~ —~ — ~~-~ — — ~-~-;~ ---~ —~ —~ — ~~~~ --- —-- ~ --— ~ ---- ~;~-~~ — ~~~- ~ -- -~ --- —--- ~~-~ — ~ — -~- ~~~ -~~~- -~-~-I -~;; — --- I I -~ - --- I-~ -1- 1 — 1 --- —---------- ---- -------- -- appo -,IF am -0 NONOW111,100,101mil a — 1 - — dI' imm II4 JO IY TO STE ARD BARR Y'. 1A. I of students. The Michigan Central and Michigan Southern railroads were being rapidly constructed, and general progress was everywhere noticeable. In 1842, the number of pupils reported as attending the public schools was nearly fifty-eight thousand. In 1843, a State land office was established at Marshall, which was invested with the charge and disposition of all the lands belonging to the State In 1844, the taxable property of the State was found to be over twenty-eight millions of dollars, the tax being at the rate of two mills on the dollar. The expenses of the State were only seventy thousand dollars, while the income from the railroads was nearly three hundred thousand dollars. At this time the University of Michigan had become so prosperous that its income was ample to pay the interest on the University debt; and the amount of money which the State was able to loan the several progressing railroads was one hundred and twenty thousand dollars. Efforts were made to increase the efficiency of the common schools with good results In 1845, when Gov. Barry's second term expired, the population of the State was more than three hundred thousand. The constitution of the State forbade more than two consecutive terms, but he was called upon to fill the position again in I85o-the only instance of the kind in the history of the State. He was a member of the Territorial Legislature, of the Constitutional Convention, and afterward of the State House of Representatives. During Mr. Barry's third term as Governor the Normal School was established at Ypsilanti, which was endowed with lands and placed in charge of a board of education consisting of six persons. A new constitution for the government of the State was also adopted and the " Great Railway Conspiracy Case " was tried. This grew out of a series of lawless acts which had been committed upon the property of the Michigan Central Railroad Company, along the line of their road, and finally the burning of the depot at Detroit, in 1850. At a setting of the grand jury of Wayne County, April 24, I851, 37 men of the 50 under arrest for this crime were indicted. May 20, following, the accused parties appeared at the Circuit Court of Wayne, of which Warner Wing was resident judge. The Railroad Company employed ten eminent lawyers, including David Stuart, John Van Arman, James A. Van Dyke, Jacob M. Howard, Alex. D. Fraser, Daniel Goodwin and William Gray. The defendants were represented by six members of the State bar, led by William H. Seward, of New York. The trial occupied four months, during which time the plaintiffs examined 246 witnesses in 27 days, and the defendants 249 in 40 days. Mr. Van Dyke addressed the jury for the prosecution; William H. Seward for the defense. of his clients, nor did the verdict of that jury and the sentence of that judge remove his firm belief that his clients were the victims of purchased treachery, rather than so many sacrifices to justice. The verdict of " guilty " was rendered at 9 o'clock P. M., Sept. 25, 185 1. On the 26th the prisoners were put forward to receive sentence, when many of them protested their entire innocence, after which the presiding judge condemned 2 of the number to the following terms of imprisonment, with hard labor, within the State's prison, situate in their county: Ammi Filley, ten years; Orlando L. Williams, ten years; Aaron Mount, eight years; Andrew J. Freeland, eight years; Eben Farnham, eight years; William Corvin, eight years; Richard Price, eight years; Evan Price, eight years; Lyman Champlin, five years; Willard W. Champlin, five years; Erastus Champlin, five years; Erastus Smith, five years. In i840, Gov. Barry became deeply interested in the cultivation of the sugar beet, and visited Europe to obtain information in reference to its culture. He was twice Presidential Elector, and his last public service was that of a delegate to the National Democratic Convention held in Chicago in 1864. He was a man who, throughout life, maintained a high character for integrity and fidelity to the trusts bestowed upon him, whether of a public or a private nature, and he is acknowledged by all to have been one of the most efficient and popular Governors the Slate has ever had. Gov. Barry was a man of incorruptible integrity. His opinions, which he reached by the most thorough investigation, he held tenaciously. His strong convictions and outspoken honesty made it impossible for him to take an undefined position when a principle was involved. His attachments and prejudices were strong, yet he was never accused of favoritism in his administration of public affairs. As a speaker he was not remarkable. Solidity, rather than brilliancy, characterized his oratory, which is described as argumentative and instructive, but cold, hard, and entirely wanting in rhetorical ornament. He was never eloquent, seldom humorous or sarcastic, and in manner rather awkward. Although Mr. Barry's educational advantages were so limited, he was a life-long student. He mastered both ancient and modern languages, and acquired a thorough knowledge of history. No man owed less to political intrigue as a means of gaining position. He was a true statesman, and gained public esteem by his solid worth. His political connections were always with the Democratic party, and his opinions were usually extreme. Mr. Barry retired to private life after the beginning of the ascendency of the Republican party, and carried on his mercantile business at Constantine. He died Jan. 14, 1870, his wife's death having occurred a year previous, March 30, 1869. They left no children. i1 I It I The great lawyer was convinced of the innocence I 8 dwbh- m -- ----- -~~ --- — --- - or n11 'I' " - T, ----7 - II ~?. ~ci:~i r; j GO VERNAORS OF MICIIGAN. 17 i.. 11'1 J!%.w rr Sr"q.... *1"~LZ s-, ii; LPHEUS FELCH, the third )/,.^WlJ Governor of Michigan, was ~, (:^~^M]t 6"or; in ill Limerick, Maine, Sel,%Ad teml)er 28, I806. Hisgrand-. e father, Abijah Felch, was a sol( 7' dier in the Revolution; and when a young man, having with others obtained a grant of land be-.: J;! tween the Great and Little Ossipee -. Rivers, in Maine, moved to that region when it was yet a wilderness. The father of Mr. Felch embarked in mercantile life at Limerick. He was the first to engage in that business in that section, and continued it until v his death. The death of the father, 1 followed within a year by the death of the mother, left the subject of this sketch, then three years old, to the care of relatives, and he found a home with his paternal grandfather, where he remained until his death. Mr Felch received his early education in the district school and a neighboring academy. IJn 182I he became a student at Phillips Exter Academy, and, subsequently, entered Bowdoin College, graduated with the class of 1827. He at once began the study of law and was admitted to practice at Bangor, Me., in 1830. He began the practice of his profession at Houlton, Me., where he remained until 1833. The severity of the climate inmpaired his health, never very good, and he found it necessary to seek a change of climate. He disposed of his library and started to seek a new home. His intention was to join his friend, Sargent S. Prentiss, at Vicksburg, Miss., but on his arrival at Cincinnati, Mr. Felch was attacked by cholera, and when he had iecovered sufficiently to permit of his traveling, found that the danger of the disease was too great to permit a journey down the river. He therefore determined to come to Michigan. He first began to practice in this State at Monroe, where he continued until 1843, when he removed to Ann Arbor. He was elected to the State Legislature in 1835, and continued a member of that body during the years 1836 and 1837. While he held this office, the general banking law of the State was enacted, and went into operation. After mature deliberation, he became convinced that the proposed system of banking could not prove beneficial to the public interests; and that, instead of relieving the people from the pecuniary difficulties under which they were laboring, it would result in still further embarrassment. He, therefore, opposed the bill, and pointed out to the House the disasters which, in his opinion, were sure to follow its passage. The public mind, however, was so favorably impressed by the measure that no other member, in either branch of the Legislature, raised a dissenting voice, and but two voted with him in opposition to the bill. Early in I838, he was appointed one of the Bank Commissioners of the State, and held that office for more than a year. During this time, the new banking law had given birth to that numerous progeny known as "wild-cat" banks. Almost every village had its bank. The country was flooded with depressed "wild-cat" money. The examrinations of the Bank Commissioners brought to light frauds at every point, which were fearlessly re i -4 I ]IIkb- 4 - w I.I., 1 1 III II III I - - mill" i I I8 ALPHEUS!ELCH. I - I I — ported to the Legislature, and were followed by criminal prosecutions of the guilty parties, and the closing of many of their institutions. The duties of the office were most laborious, and in I839 Mr. Felch resigned. The chartered right of almost every bank had, in the meantime, been declared forfeited and the law repealed. It was subsequently decided to be constitutional by the Supreme Court of the State. In the year 1842 Governor Felch was appointed to the office of Auditor General of the State; but after holding the office only a few weeks, was commissioned by the Governor as one of the Judges of the Supreme Court, to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Judge Fletcher. In January, I843, he was elected to the United States Senate for an unexpired term. In I845 he was elected Governor of Michigan, and entered upon his duties at the commencement of the next year. In 1847 he was elected a Senator in Congress for six years; and at once retired from the office of Governor, by resignation, which took effect March 4, 1847, when his Senatorial term commenced. While a member of the Senate he acted on the Committee on Public Lands, and for four years was its Chairman. He filled the honorable position of Senator with becoming dignity, and with great credit to the State of Michigan. During Governor Felch's administration the two railroads belonging to the State were sold to private corporations,-the Central for $2,000,000, and the Southern for $500,000. The exports of the State amounted in I846 to $4,647,608. The total capacity of vessels enrolled in the collection district at Detroit was 26,928 tons, the steam vessels having 8,400 and the sailing vessels I8,528 tons, the whole giving employment to I8,ooo seamen. In I847, there were 39 counties in the State, containing 435 townships; and 275 of these townships were supplied with good libraries, containing an aggregate of 37,000 volumes. At the close of his Senatorial term, in March, I85 3, Mr. Felch was appointed, by President Pierce, one of the Commissioners to adjust and settle the Spanish and Mexican land claims in California, under the treaty of Gaudalupe Hidalgo, and an act of Congress passed for that purpose. He went to California in May, 1853, and was made President of the Commission. The duties of this office were of the most important and delicate character. The interest of the new State, and the fortunes of many of its citizens, both the native Mexican population and the recent American immigration; the right of the Pueblos to their common lands, and of the Catholic Church to the lands of the Missions,-the most valuable of the State,-wereinvolved in the adjudicationsof this Commission. In March, I856, their labors were brought to a close by the final disposition of all the claims which were presented. The record of their proceedings,-the testimony which was given in each case, and the decision of the Commissioners thereon,consisting of some forty large volumes, was deposited in the Department of the Interior at Washington. In June of that year, Governor Felch returned to Ann Arbor, where he has since been engaged piincipally in legal business. Since his return he has been nominated for Governor and also for U. S. Senator, and twice for Judge of the Supreme Court. But the Democratic party, to which he has always been attached, being in the minority, he failed of an election. In 1873 he withdrew from the active practice of law, and, with the exception of a tour in Europe, in i875 has since led a life of retirement at his home in Ann Arbor. In I877 the University of Michigan conferred upon him the degree of LL. D. For many years he was one of the Regents of Michigan University, and in the spring of 1879 was appointed Tappan Professor of Law in the same. Mr. Felch is the oldest surviving member of the Legislature from Monroe Co., the oldest and only surviving Bank Commissioner of the State, the oldest surviving Auditor General of the State, the oldest surviving Governor of the State, the oldest surviving Judge of the Supreme Court of Michigan, and the oldest surviving United States Senator from the State of Michigan. i i i i i t i i i."QI 11 I'll I I I I - III I ~ l: III -rrIaarWV1Llr rrlB113LPslllllA4aB 1Pbs wpp —, I z lb C:' -q' min"-l- II~L~ ---U IIDIIS~~~I1~~ s~~ I~I —.. — ~ --- ~~l --- - -~i I~I~~l~Il~ll*IPlj GO VERNORS. 121 Als. Al. NZ #.I::NK. g QIK 4-~4r d \lsdI~r~b-! g X II,LIAM L. GREENLY,!t ^I y lGovernor of Michigan for the - ^ ~ / year I847, was born at Hamilton, Madison Co., N. Y., Sept. 18, I8I3. He graduated at Uni ion College, Schenectady, in 1831, studied law and was admitted to the bar in I834. In 1836, having removed to Michigan, he settled in Adrian, where he has since resided. The year Ij following his arrival in Michigan he was elected State Senator and served in that capacity until I839. In i845 he was elected Lieut. Governor and became acting Governor by the resignation of Gov, Felch,! who was elected to the United States Senate. The war with Mexico was brought to a successful termination during Gov. Greenly's administration. We regret to say that there are only few records extant of the action of Michigan troops in the Mexican war. That many went there and fought well are points conceded; but their names and nativity are hidden away in United States archives and where it is almost impossible to find them. The soldiers of this State deserve much of the credit of the memorable achievements of Co. K, 3d Dragoons, and Cos. A, E, and G of the U. S. Inf. The two former of these companies, recruited in this State, were reduced to one-third their original number. In May, I846,the Governor of Michigan was notified by the War Department of the United States to enroll a regiment of volunteers, to be held in readiness for service whenever demanded. At his summons 13 independent volunteer companies, it of infantry and two of cavalry, at once fell into line. Of the infantry four companies were from Detroit, bearing the honored names of Montgomery, Lafayette, Scott and Brady upon their banners. Of the remainder Monroe tendered two, Lenawee County three, St. Clair, Berrien and Hillsdale each one, and Wayne County an additional company. Of these alone the veteran Bradys were accepted and ordered into service. In addition to them ten companies, making the First Regiment of Michigan Volunteers, springing from various parts of the State, but embodying to a great degree the material of which the first volunteers was formed, were not called for until October following. This regiment was soon in readiness and proceeded by orders from Government to the seat of war. t i 1 i *ppI-il- I~- - IIY I LI~~ —rI~IIl-a Q-rll Ll L CI via C-ciS I I 00 j V U - im m ~~-4* a I'la3*. low"NOWMAWM. --- -.II1 -. - -Ih 18 GO VERNORS. T2 GO VERNORS. I 2 - 'l\.... HE HON. EPAPHRODII T US RANSOM, the Seventh:: J m L Governor of Michigan, was a native of Massachusetts. In pjDthat State he received a col legiate education, studied law, and was admitted to the bar. i J Removing to Michigan about the time of its admission to the eJ '7 1 Union, he took up his residence at Kalamazoo. Mr. Ransom served with marked I ability for a number of years in the State Legislature, and in I837 he was appointed Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. In 1843 he was promoted to Chief Justice, which office he retained until 1845, when he resigned. Shortly afterwards he became deeply interested in the building of plank roads in the western portion of the State, and in this business lost the greater portion of the property which he had accumulated by years of toil and industry. Mr. Ransom became Governor of the State of Michigan in the fall of I847, and served during one term, performing the duties of the office in a truly statesmanlike manner. He subsequently became President of the Michigan Agricultural Society, in which position he displayed the same ability that shone forth so prominently in his acts as Governor. He held the office of Regent of the Michigan University several times, and ever advocated a liberal policy ' in its managemept. Subsequently he was appointed receiver of the land office in one of the districts in Kansas, by President Buchanan, to which State he had removed, and where he died before the expiration of his term of office. We sum up the events and affairs of the State under Gov. Ransom's administration as follows: The Asylum for the Insane was establised, as also the Asylum for the Deaf, Dumb and Blind. Both of these institutes were liberally endowed with lands, and each of them placed in charge of a board of five trustees. The appropriation in 1849 for the deaf and dumb and blind amounted to $81,500. On the first of March, 1848, the first telegraph line was completed from New York to Detroit, and the first dispatch transmitted on that day. The following figures show the progress in agriculture: The land reported as under cultivation in 1848 was 1,437,460 acres; of wheat there were produced 4,749,300 bushels; other grains, 8,197,767 bushels; wool, 1,645,756 pounds; maple sugar, 1,774,369 pounds; horses, 52,305; cattle, 210,268; swine, 152,54I; sheep, 610,534; while the flour mills numbered 228, and the lumber mills amounted to 730. 1847, an act was passed removing the Legislature from Detroit to Lansing, and temporary buildings for the use of the Legislature wereimmediately erected, at a cost of $I2,450. rl f B,,.1 WIN mi "Im I is-~,c. a a — r r t s i,; i j t i f i~4 c i -CLI.-~-.-^ll —.Y. X.-- F...I -r.~ ---... _ I I -::::: :I:::-; 5P:: 'f' -5 -- r::: ~~::: - ii -~1E — jBsg ~ __::: -~9 "I*ssa ih -41L ~!;?' "::: ~~i ~~.ri I ~! ff:I ~; iay i i ar ~" L U rr 4L.. *IeT.B ZZ1L38 1 GO ViERNORS OF 3M1CICIGAN. 129 ~-~j~, 11 c(~;~~~:~~~ji~~c~~1 rl~s - - -1. i -. OBERT McCLELLAND, 1 Governor of Michigan from I,\, itJan. I, 852, to March 8, 853, "' ' / was born at Greencastle, Frank-? >~ lin Co., Penn., Aug. i, I807. Among his ancestors were several officers of rank in the RevolutionI t1 ary war, and some of his family connections were distinguished in the war of 1812, and that with Mexico. His father was an eminent physician and surgeon whd studied under Dr. ~j Benj. Rush, of Philadelphia, and practiced his profession successfully v until six months before his death, at i the age of 84 years. Although Mr. McClelland's family had been in good circumstances, when he was 17 years old he was thrown upon his own resources. After taking the usual preliminary studies, and teaching school to obtain the means, he entered Dickinson College, at Carlisle, Penn., from which he graduated among the first in his class, in I829. He then resumed teaching, and having completed the course of study for the legal profession, was admitted to the bar at Chambersburg, Penn., in I831. Soon afterward he removed to the city of Pittsburgh, where he practiced for almost a year. In I833, Mr. McClelland removed to Monroe, in the Territory of Michigan, where, after a severe examination, he became a member of the bar of Michigan, and engaged in practice with bright prospect of success. In I835, a convention was called to frame a constitution for the proposed State of Michigan, of which Mr. McClelland was elected a member. He took a prominent part in its deliberations and ranked among its ablest debaters. He was appointed the first Bank Commissioner of the State, by Gov. Mason, and received an offer of the Attorney Generalship, but declined both of these offices in order to attend to his professional duties. In 1838, Mr. McClelland was electedto the State Legislature, in which he soon became distinguished as the head of several important committees, Speaker pro tempore, and as an active, zealous and efficient member. In I840, Gen. Harrison, as a candidate for the Presidency, swept the country with an overwhelming majority, and at the same time the State of Michigan was carried by the Whigs under the popular cry of" Woodbridge and reform " against the Democratic party. At this time Mr. McClelland stood among the acknowledged leaders of the latter organization; was elected a member of the State House of Representatives, and with others adopted a plan to regain a lost authority and prestige. This party soon came again into power in the State, and having been returned to the State Legislature Mr. McClelland's leadership was acknowledged by his election as Speaker of the House of Representatives onc - LI 0 - O P lm" '=;mm'.lef' - I I 1 -- - - --- ---- l I 0 ROBERT A illcCLELIAND, n'L L b -1- t - O- -ROBERT CE L I in I843. Down to this time Michigan had constituted one congressional district. The late Hon. Jacob M. Howard had been elected against Hon. Alpheus Felch by a strong majority; but, in 1843, so thoroughly had the Democratic party recovered from its defeat of I840 that Mr. McClelland, as a candidate for Congress, carried Detroit district by a majority of about 2,500. Mr. McClelland soon tock a prominent poIt tion in Congress among the veterans of that bodyo l)uring his first term he was placed on Committee on Commerce, and organized and carried through what were known as the " Harbor bills." The continued confidence of his constituency was manifested in his election to the 29th Congress. At the opening of this session he had acquired a National reputation, and so favorably was he known as a parlimentarian that his name was mentioned for Speaker of the House of Representatives. He declined the offer in favor of J. WV Davis, of Indiana, who was elected. During this term he became Chairman of Committee on Commerce, in which position his reports and advocacy of important measures at once attracted public attention. The members of this committee, as an evidence of the esteem in which they held his services and of their personal regard for him, presented him with a cane which he retains as a souvenir of the donors, and of his labors in Congress. In I847, Mr. McClelland was re-elected to Congress, and at the opening of the 3oth Congress became a member of the Committee on Foreign Relations. While acting in this capacity, what was known as the " French Spoliation Bill" came under his special charge, and his management of the same was such as to command universal approbation. While in Congress, Mr, McClelland was an advocate of the right of petition as maintained by John Q. Adams, when the petition, was clothed in decorous language and presented in the proper manner. This he regarded as the citizens'constitutional right which should not be impaired by any doctrines of temporary expediency. He also voted for the adoption of Mr. Giddings s bill for the abolishing of slavery in the District of Columbia. Mr. McClelland was one of the few Democrats associated with David Wilmot, of Pennsylvania, in bringing forward the celebrated "Wilmot Proviso,"9 with a view to prevent further extension of slavery in new territory which might be acquired by the United States. He and Mr. Wilmot were together at the time in Washington, and on intimate and confidential terms. Mr. McClelland was in several National conventions and in the Baltimore convention, which nominated Gen. Cass for President, in 1848, doing valiant service that year for the election of that distinguished statesman. On leaving Congress, in 1848, Mr. McClelland returned to the practice of his profession at Monroe. In I850 a convention of the State of Michigan was called to revise the State constitution. He was elected a member and was regarded therein as among the ablest and most experienced leaders. His clear judgment and wise moderation were conspicuous, both in the committee room and on the floor, in debate. In I850, he was President of the Democratic State convention which adopted resolutions in support of Henry Clay's famous compromise measures> of which Mro McClelland was a strong advocate. He was a member of the Democratic National convention in I852, and in that year, in company with Gen. Cass and Governor Felch, he made a thorough canvass of the State. He continued earnestly to advocate the Clay compromise measures, and took an active part in the canvass which resulted in the election of Genm Pierce to the Presidency, In i85 i the new State constitution took effect and it was necessary that a Governor should be elected for one year in order to prevent an interregnum, and to bring the State Government into operat:- *under the new constitution- Mr. McClelland was elected Governor, and in the fall of 1852 was re-elected for a term of two years, from Jan. i, I853. His administration was regarded as wise, prudent and conciliatory, and was as popular as could be expected at a time when party spirit ran high. There was really no opposition, and when he resigned, in March, 1853, the State Treasury was well filled, and the State otherwise prosperous. So widely and favorably had Mr. McClelland become known as a statesman that on the organization of thecabinet by President Pierce, in March, i 85 3, he was made Secretary of the Interior, in which capacity he served most creditably during four years of the Pierce administration. He thoroughly re-organized his department and reduced the expenditures, He adopted a course with the Indians which relieved them from the impositions and annoyances of the traders, and produced harmony and civilization among them. During his administration there was neither complaint from the tribes nor corruption among agents, and he left the department in perfect order and system. In I867, Michigan again called a convention to revise the State constitution, Mr. McClelland was a member and here again his long experience made him conspicuous as a prudent adviser, a sagacious parliamentary leader. As a lawyer he was terse and pointed in argument, clear, candid and impressive in his addresses to the jury. His sincerity and earnestness, with which was occasionally mingled a pleasant humor, made him an able and effective advocate. In speaking before the people on political subjects he was especially forcible and happy. In i870 he made the tour of Europe, which, through his extensive personal acquaintance with European diplomates, he was enabled to enjoy much more than most travelers, Mr. McClelland married, in 1837, Miss Sarah Eo Sabin, of Williamstown, Mass. They have had six children. two of whom now survive. I -060. is.- 440 I -, I 01, iM-, I 1 —,;.o I -~-ms -- -~-I — 4~b ~ L I.. .6 %P. P:: --.. ~ ---- ~I ---- -— ~~rur --- rr — ------— la~r~~lAwash- "~aa GO l,"1,'-R-,I:'O S OF,.,JIICIIIG~zV 733 GO 1 'ERNORS OF Jf!CHZGAN T33 to-r - 1. (&I t --- I IN,, I, Axltl=.I-axao,-A,= ~ &I I I k 'l, "I 1 1 '%'- " 11Cg raa El- - HU"l... La e- J ---, — a IV,~ r~ N DR NREW\ PARSONS, Gover-:/v^|J nor of Michigan from March 8, 853 to Jan. 3, [855, was -.. born in the town of Hoosick, cy._.(e County of Rensselaer, and ( ' State of New York, on the 22d day of July, 1817, and died June 6, 1855, at the early age of 38 1 JHI years. He was the son of John Xffl Parsons, born at Newburyport,!/Mass., Oct. 2, 1782, and who was the son of Andrew Parsons, a Revolutionary soldier, who was the son of Phineas Parsons, the son of Samuel Parsons, ) a descendant of Walter Parsons, born I in Ireland in 1290. Of this name and family, some one hundred and thirty years ago, Bishop Gilson remarked in his edition of Camden's Britannia: "The honorable family of Parsons have been advanced to the dignity of Viscounts and more lately Earls of Ross." The following are descendants of these families: Sir John Parsons, born 1481, was Mayor of Hereford; Robert Parsons, born in i546, lived near Bridgewater, England. He was educated at Ballial College, Oxford, and was a noted writer and defender of the Romish faith. He established an English College at Rome and another at Valladolia. Frances Parsons, born in I556, was Vicar of Rothwell, in Notingham; Bartholomew Parsons, born in I6I8, was another noted meimber of the family. In 163 4,Thomas Parsons was knighted by Charles r. Joseph and Benjamin, brothers, were born in Great Torrington, England, ^-%.. re and accompanied their father and others to New England about I630. Samuel Parsons, born at Salisbury, Mass., in 1707, graduated at Harvard College in 1730, ordained at Rye, N. H., Nov. 3, 1736, married Mary Jones, daughter of Samuel Jones, of Bostoi', Oct. 9, 1739, died Jan. 4, 1789, at the age of 82, in the 53rd year of his ministry. The grandfather of M-ary Jones was Capt. John Adams,of Boston,grandson of Henry, of Braintree, who was among the first settlers of Massachusetts, and from whom a numerous race of the name are descended, including two Presidents of the United States. The Parsons have become very numerous and are found throughout New England, and many of the descedants are scattered in all parts of the United States, and especially in the Middle and Western States. Governor Andrew Parsons came to Michigan in I835, at the age of 17 years, and spent the first summer at Lower Ann Arbor, where for a few months he taught school which he was compelled to abandon from ill health He was one of the large number of men of sterling worth, who came from the East to Michigan when it was an infant State, or, even prior to its assuming the dignity of a State, and who, by their wisdom, enterprise and energy, have developed its wonderful natural resources, until to-day it ranks with the proudest States of the Union. These brave men came to Michigan with nothing to aid them in the conquest of the wilderness save courageous hearts and strong and willing hands. They gloriously conquered, however, and to them is due all honor for the labors so nobly performed, for the solid and sure foundation which they laid of a great Commonwealth. I.ddlft i~il J 4 [ t - A6-.- I' sa~ 41Ua~rr k --- —--- m a l' ~ ---- ------ ---- ~ - _ —~,-, 010 - 134 ANDRE C PA r-'SS`OXS' --------- In the fall of I835, he explored the Grand River Valley in a frail canoe, the whole length of the river, from Jackson to Lake Michigan, and spent the following winter as clerk in a store at Prairie Creek, in Ionia, County, and in the spring went to Marshall, where he resided with-his brother, the Hon. Luke H. Parsons, also now deceased, until fall, when he went to ShiawasseCounty,then with Clinton County, and an almost unbroken wilderness and constituting one organized township. In I837 this territory was organized into a county and, at the age of only 19 years, he (Andrew) was elected County Clerk. In I840, he was elected Register of Deeds, re-elected in 1842, and also in I844. In i846, he was elected to the State Senate, was appointed Prosecuting Attorney in I848, and elected Regent of the University in i85i, and Lieutenant Governor, and became acting Governor, in I853, elected again to the Legislature in 1854, and, overcome by debilitated health, hard labor and the responsibilities of his office and cares of his business, retired to his farm, where he died soon after. He was a fluent and persuasive speaker and well calculated to make friends of his acquantances. He was always true to his trust, and the whole world could not persuade nor drive him to do what he conceived to be wrong. When Governor, a most powerful railroad influence was brought to bear upon him, to induce him to call an extra session of the Legislature. Meetings were held in all parts of the State for that purpose. In some sections the resolutions were of a laudatory nature, intending to make him do their bidding by resort to friendly and flattering words. In other places the resolutions were of a demanding nature, while in others they were threatening beyond measure. Fearing that all these influences might fail to induce him to call the extra session, a large sum of money was sent him, and liberal offers tendered him if he would gratify the railroad interest of the State and call the extra session, but, immovable, he returned the money and refused to receive any favors, whether from any party who would attempt to corrupt him by laudations, liberal offers, or by threats, and in a short letter to the people, after giving overwhelming reasons that no sensible man could dispute, showing the circumstances were not "extraordinary," he refused to call the extra session. This brought down the wrath of various parties upon his head, but they were soon forced to acknowledge the wisdom and the justice of his course. One of his greatest enemies said, after a long acquaintance: "though not always coinciding with his views I never doubted his honesty of purpose. He at all times sought to perform his duties in strict accordance, with the dictates of his conscience, and the behests of his oath." The following eulogium from a politcal opponent is just in its conception and creditable to its author: " Gov. Parsons was a politician of the Democratic school, a man of pure moral character, fixed and exemplary habits, and entirely blameless in every public and private relation of life. As a politician he was candid, frank and free from bitterness, as an executive officer firm, constant and reliable." The highest commendations we can pay the deceased is to give his just record, —that of being an honest man. In the spring of I854, during the administration of Governor Parsons, the Republican party, at least as a State organization, was first formed in the United States " under the oaks" at Jackson, by anti-slavery men of both the old parties. Great excitement prevailed at this time, occasioned by the settling of Kansas, and the issue thereby brought up, whether slavery should exist there. For the purposeof permitting slavery there, the " Missouri compromise " (which limited slavery to the south of 360 30') was rerepealed, under the leadership of Stephen A, Douglas. This was repealed by a bill admitting Kansas and Nebraska into the Union, as Territories, and those who were opposed to this repeal measure were in short called "anti-Nebraska" men. The epithets, "Nebraska" and "anti-Nebraska,' were temporally employed to designate the slavery and anti-slavery parties, pending the desolution of the old Democratic and Whig parties and the organization of the new Democratic and Republican parties of the present. I t I I t I F 11TI " "7 V. I1 ---- -—.-M... ----. —~~^ ---I- Il.~C.^ —.. —.I -ilL^ ----l I__.l.-.-.-.1-_..~.l~.L —_ —I-1 1~1~-.- 11_..-I ~ n I r'*..19 ~s ~IILL~ll~-~~lalt~ll I GO VERN.ORS OF MICHIGAN...-LG~c.. 44k 4 9 t- W~ -. -., r KINSL Y S. BINGHAM..~^t~r *- A n, \ P i -t - — T-.., -I" INSLEY S. BINGHAM, Governor of Michigan from S 1855 to I859, and United States Senator, was born in Camillus, Onondaga County,, N. Y., Dec. i6, i808. His father was a farmer, and his own I' early life was consequently def i voted to agricultural pursuits, but notwithstanding the disadvan| tages related to the acquisition ] l of knowledge in the life of a farmer he managed to secure a good academic education in his native State and studied law in the office of Gen. James R. Lawrence, now of jfr Syracuse, N. Y. In the spring of 1s 833, he married an estimable lady who had recently arrived from Scotland, and obeying the impulse of a naturally enterprising disposition, he emigrated to Michigan and purchased a new farm in company i with his brother-in-law, Mr. Robert Worden, in Green Oak, Livingston County. Here, on the border of civilization, buried in the primeval forest, our late student commenced the arduous task of preparing a future home, clearing and fencing, putting up buildings, etc., at such a rate that the land chosen was soon reduced to a high state of cultivation. Becoming deservedly prominent, Mr. Bingham was elected to the office of Justice of the Peace and Postmaster under the Territorial government, and was the first Probate Judge in the county. In the year 1836, when Michigan became a State, he was elected to the first Legislature. He was four times re-elected, and Speaker of the House of Representatives three years. In 1846 he was elected on the Democratic ticket, Representative to Congress, and was the only practical farmer in that body. He was never forgetful of the interest of agriculture, and was in particular opposed to the introduction of "Wood's Patent Cast Iron Plow " which he completely prevented. He was reelected to Congress in 1848, during which time he strongly opposed the extension of slavery in the territory of the United States and was committed to and voted for the Wilmot Proviso. In 1854, at the first organization of the Republican party, in consequence of his record in Congress as a Free Soil Democrat, Mr. Bingham was nominated and elected Governor of the State, and re-elected in I856. Still faithful to the memory of his own former occupation, he did not forget the farmers during his administration, and among other profits of his zeal in their behalf, he became mainly instrumental in the establishment of the Agricultural College at Lansing. In 185 9, Governor Bingham was elected Senator in Congress and took an active part in the stormy campaign in the election of Abraham Lincoln. He wit I i OID10 — m - -- I M - 10 -w -VW,.,.S._..... A, -..-. ' __ ____._ ...__......._........_..... _.t___._.;.,...,.,._..,__.__I*___... j 1 I M-^~ - - f... " I 1. I I " -,I, 1 -1 — 101I. ----lll~ —~lI ---111lll~I I 81 138 KINSLE'Y S. nessed the commencement of the civil war while a member of the United States Senate. After a comparatively short life of remarkable promise and public activity he was attacked with appoplexy and died suddenly at his residence, in Green Oak, Oct. 5, i861. The most noticable event in Governor Bingham's first term was the completion of the ship canal, at the Falls of St. Mary. In 1852, Angust 26, an act of Congress was approved, granting to the State of Michigan seven hundred and fifty thousand acres of land for the purpose of constructing a ship canal between Lakes Huron and Superior. In I85 3, the Legislature accepted the grant, and provided for the appointment' of commissioners to select the donated lands, and to arrange for building the canal. A company of enterprising men was formed, and a contract was entered into by which it was arranged that the canal should be finished in two years, and the work was pushed rapidly forward. Every article of consumption, machinery, working implements and materials, timber for the gates, stones for the locks, as well as men and supplies, had to be transported to the site of the canal from Detroit, Cleveland, and other lake ports. The rapids which had to be surmounted have a fall of seventeen feet and are about one mile long. The length of the canal is less than one mile, its width one hundred feet, depth twelve feet and it has two locks of solid masonary. In May, I855, the work was completed, accepted by the commissioners, and formally delivered to the State authorities. The disbursements on account of the construction of the canal and selecting the lands amounted to one million of dollars; while the lands which were assigned to the company, and selected through the agency at the Sault, as well as certain lands in the Upper and Lower Peninsulas, filled to an acre the Government grant. The opening of the canal was an important event in the history of the improvement of the State. It was a valuable link in the chain of lake commerce, and particularly important to the interests of the Upper Peninsula. There were several educational, charitable and reformatory institutions inaugurated and opened during Gov. Bingham's administrations. The Michigan Agricultural College owes its establishment to a provision of the State Constitution of I85o. Article I3 says, "The Legislature shall, as soon as practicable, provide for the establishment of an agricultural school." For the purpose of carying into practice this provision, legislation was commenced in I855, and the act required that the school should be within ten miles of Lansing, and that not more than $15 an acre should be paid for the farm and college grounds. The college was opened to students in May, 1857, the first of existing argricultural colleges in the United States. Until the spring of i86I, it was under the control of the State Board of Education; since that time it has been under the management of the State Board.BIIVNGHA zM. i - I ----CI of Agriculture, which was created for that purpose. In its essential features, of combining study and labor, and of uniting general and professional studies in its course, the college has remained virtually unchanged from the first. It has a steady growth in number of students, in means of illustration and efficiency of instruction. The Agricultural College is three miles east of Lansing, comprising several fine buildings; and there are also very beautiful, substantial residences for the professors. There are also an extensive, well-filled green-house, a very large and well-equipped chemical laboratory, one of the most scientific apiaries in the United States, a general museum, a meseum of mechanical inventions, another of vegetable products, extensive barns, piggeries, etc., etc., in fine trim for the purposes designed. The farm consists of 676 acres, of which about 300 are under cultivation in a systematic rotation of crops. Adrian College was established by the Wesleyan Methodists in 1859, now under the control of the Methodist Church. The grounds contain about 20 acres. There are four buildings, capable of accommodating about 225 students. Attendance in 1875 was 179; total number of graduates for previous year, 121; ten professors and teachers are eimployed. Exclusive of the endowment fund ($80,ooo), the assets of the institution, including grounds, buildings, furniture, apparatus, musical instruments, outlying lands, etc., amount to more than $I37,000. Hillsdale College was established in I855 by the Free Baptists. The Michigan Central College, at Spring Arbor, was incorporated in 1845 It was kept in operation until it was merged into the present Hillsdale College. The site comprises 25 acres, beautifully situated on an eminence in the western part of the city of Hillsdale. The large and imposing building first erected was nearly destroyed by fire in I874, and in its place five buildings of a more modern style have been erected. They are of brick, three stories with basement, arranged on three sides of a quadrangle. The size is, respectively, 80 by 80, 48 by 72, 48 by 72, 80 by 60, 52 by 72, and they contain one-half more room than the original building. The State Reform School. This was established at Lansing in I855, in the northeastern portion of the city, as the House of Correction for Juvenile Offenders, having about it many of the features of a prison. In I859 the name was changed to the State Reform School. The government and dicipline, have undergone many and radical changes, until all the prison features have been removed except those that remain in the walls of the original structure, and which remain only as monuments of instructive history. No bolts, bars or guards are employed. The inmates are necessarily kept under the surveillance of officers, but the attenpts at escape are much fewer than under the more rigid regime of former days.. II mI- WV-Lr 5`............ i Ir 6 e4 h;a-~trLe/JL - - —.M M.''. - -- 4* -- -.1 GO VERNORS OF MICHIGAN. 14r I I I i, k; 1 OSES WISNER, Governor of Michigan from 1859 to I86i, was born in Springport, Cayuga Co., N Y., June 3, I815. His early education was only what could be obtained at a!common school. Agricultural labor II and frugality of his parents gave 1him a physical constitution of unus-, ual strength and endurance, which was ever preserved by temperate habits. In I837 he emigrated to Michigan and purchased a farm in Lapeer I County It was new land and he at once set to work to clear it and plant crops. He labored diligently at his task for two years, when he gave up the idea of being a farmer, and removed to Pontiac, Oakland Co. Here he commenced the study of law in the office of his brother, George W. Wisner, and Rufus Hosmer. In I841 he was admitted to the bar and established himself in his new vocation at the village of Lapeer. While there he was apppointed by Gov. Woodbridge Prosecuting Attorney for that county, in which capacity he acquitted himself well and gave promise of that eminence he afterward attained in the profession. He remained at Lapeerbut a short time, removing to Pontiac, where he became a member of a firm and entered fully upon the practice. In politics he was like his talented brother, a Whig of the Henry Clay stamp, but with a decided antislavery bias. His practice becoming extensive, he _ ~.a... _ took little part in politics until after the election of Mr. Pierce to the Presidency in 852, when he took an active part against slavery. As a lawyer he was a man of great ability, but relied less upon mere book learning than upon his native good sense. Liberal and courteous, was he yet devoted to the interest of his client, and no facts escaped his attention or his memory which bore upon the case. He was no friend of trickery or artifice in conducting a case As an advocate he had few equals. When fully aroused by the merits of his subject his eloquence was at once graceful and powerfiul. His fancies supplied the most original, the most pointed illustrations, and his logic became a battling giant under whose heavy blows the adversary shrank and withered. Nature had bestowed upon him rare qualities, and his powers as a popular orator were of a high order. On the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act of I854, repealing the Missouri compromise and opening the Territories to slavery, he was among the foremost in Michigan to denounce the shamful scheme. He actively participated in organizing and consolidating the elements opposed to it in that State, and was a member of the popular gathering at Jackson, in July, I854, which was the first formal Republican Convention held in the United States. At this meeting the name "Republican " was adopted as a designation of the new party consisting of Anti-slavery, Whigs, Liberty men, Free Soil Democrats and all others opposed to the extension of slavery and favorable to its expulsion from the Territories and the District of Columbia. At this convention Mr. W. was urged to accept the nomination for Attorney General of the f I:! t. _ l l i _ 0 III qF I II I i _ ep I j t i I f i I I I I f I i! I i i I 1 I 1 i i i i 5 - 40 I. - ~l ~ ~'r,, ---- - --- - \ 142 MOSES WISNER. -4 State, but declined. An entire State ticket was nominated and at the annual election in November was elected by an average majority of nearly Io,ooo. Mr. W. was enthusiastic in the cause and brought to its support all his personal influence and talents. In his views he was bold and radical. He believed from the beginning that the political power of the slaveholders would have to be overthrown before quiet could be secured to the country. In the Presidential canvass of I856 he supported the Fremont, or Republican, ticket. At the session of the Legislature of I857 he was a candidate for United States Senator, and as such received a very handsome support. In I858, he was nominated for Governor of the State by the Republican convention that met at Detroit, and at the subsequent November election was chosen by a very large majority. Before the day of the election he had addressed the people of almost every county and his majority was greater even than that of his popular predecessor, Hon. K. S. Bingham. He served as Governor two years, from Jan. i, i859, to Jan. i, I86I. His first message to the Legislature was an able and statesman-like production, and was read with usual favor. It showed that he was awake to all the interests of the State and set forth an enlightened State policy, that had its view of the rapid settlement of our uncultivated lands and the development of our immense agricultural and mineral resources. It was a document that reflected the highest credit upon the author. His term having expired Jan. i, I86i, he returned to his home in Pontiac, and to the practice of his profession. There were those in the State who counselled the sending of delegates to the peace conference at Washington, but Mr. W. was opposed to all such temporizing expedients. His counsel was to send no delegate, but to prepare to fight. After Congress had met and passed the necessary legislation he resol ed to take part in the war. In the spring and summer of I862 he set to work to raise a regiment of infantry, chiefly in Oakland County, where he resided. His regiment, the 22d Michigan, was armed and equipped and ready to march in September, a regiment whose solid qualities were afterwards proven on many a bloody field. Col. W's. commission bore the date of Sept. 8, 1862. Before parting with his family he made his will. His regiment was sent to Kentucky and quartered at Camp Wallace. He had at the breaking out of the war turned his attention to military studies and became proficient in the ordinary rules and discipline. His entire attention was now devoted to his duties. His treatment of his men was kind, though his discipline was rigid. He possessed in an eminent degree the spirit of command, and had he lived he would no doubt have distinguished himself as a good officer. He was impatient of delay and chafed at being kept in Kentucky where there was so little prospect of getting at the enemy. But life in camp, so different from the one he had been leading, and his incessant labors, coupled with that impatience which was so natural and so general among the volunteers in the early part of the war, soon made their influence felt upon his health. He was seized with typhoid fever and removed to a private house near Lexington. Every care which medical skill or the hand of friendship could bestow was rendered him. In the delirious wanderings of his mind he was disciplining his men and urging them to be prepared for an encounter with the enemy, enlarging upon the justice of their cause and the necessity of their crushing the Rebellion. But the source of his most poignant gnef was the prospect of not being able to come to a hand-to-hand encounter with the "chivalry." He was proud of his regiment, and felt that if it could find the enemy it would cover itself with glory,-a distinction it afterward obtained, but not until Col W. was no more. The malady baffled all medical treatment, and on the 5th day of Jan., 1863, he breathed his last. His remains were removed to Michigan and interred in the cemetery at Pontiac, where they rest by the side of the brave Gen. Richardson, who received his mortal wound at the battle of Antietam. Col. NV. was no adventurer, although he was doubtless ambitious of military renown and would have striven for it with characteristic energy. He went to the war to defend and uphold the principles he had so much at heart. Few men were more familiar than he with the causes and the underlying principles that led to the contest. He left a wife, who was a daughter of Gen. C. C. Hascall, of Flint, and four children to mourn his loss. Toward them he ever showed the tenderest regard. Next to his duty their love and welfare engrossed his thoughts. He was kind, generous and brave, and like thousands of otheis lhe sleeps the sleep of the martyr for his coantry. Ab -W i I t i i i i i II I i I I j I I ii I i i I i t i I I1 ^ 4 -\ID" s 440 M-01 0 11111whoIC-l-L~ -*C-II-I Il-~ IIT ----." LI.19,, -- -- --- -I -I ------ -- --- -- -- - I --- — Is, "_"j...... I t F' I - aa~ ~~ ~s I H i i II i.i iI,I Ii I II f i i GO VERfNORS OF MICIIGAi.. I4 t5 of Michigan from Jan. 2, rI86, to Jan. 4, i865, and kown as the War Governor, is and illustration of the benifiN cent influence of republican institutions, having inherited neithI 1 er fortune nor fame. He was born in a log cabin at Caroline, Tompkins Co., N. Y., Feb. 8, I8i8. His ancestors came from ScotX land in the time of George I, and for many generations followed the eif pursuit of agriculture. His father, i George Blair, settled in Tompkins County in I809, and felled the trees and erected the first cabin in the county. The last 60 of the fourscore years of his life were spent on that spot. He married Rhoda Beackman, who now sleeps with him in the soil of the old homestead. The first 17 years of Mr. Blair's life were spent there, rendering his father what aid he could upon the farm. He then spent ayear and a half in Cazenovia Seminary preparing for college; entered Hamilton College, in Clinton, prosecuted his studies until the middle of the junior year, when, attracted by the fame of Dr. Nott, he changed to Union College, from which he graduated in the class of 1839. Upon leaving college Mr. Blair read law two years in the office of Sweet & Davis, Oswego, N. Y., and was admitted to practice in I84I, and the same year moved to Michigan, locat ing in Jackson. During a temporary residence in Eaton Rapids, in 1842, he was elected Clerk of Eaton County. At the close of the official term he returned to Jackson, and as a Whig, zealously espoused the cause of Henry Clay in the campaign of 1844. He was chosen Representative to the Legislature in 1845, at which session, as a member of the Judiciary Committee, he rendered valuable service in the revision of the general statutes; also made an able support in favor of abolishing the color distinction in relation to the elective franchise, and at the same session was active in securing the abolition of capital punishment. In I848 Mr. Blair refused longer to affiliate with the Whig party, because of its refusial to endorse in convention any anti-slavery sentiment. He joined the Free-soil movement, and was a delegate to their convention which nominated Van Buren for President that year. Upon the birth of the Republican party at Jackson, in I854, by the coalition of the Whig and Free-soil elements, Mr. Blair was in full sympathy with the movement, and acted as a member of the Committee on Platform. He was elected Prosecuting Attorney of Jackson County in 1852; was chosen State Senator two years later, taking his seat with the incoming Republican administration of I855, and holding the position of parliamentary leader in the Senate. He was a delegate to the National Convention which nominated Abraham Lincoln in I860. Mr. Blair was elected Governor of Michigan in i860, and reelected in 1862, faithfully and honorably discharging the arduous duties of the office during that most mo 1 I I F. - U — qo I , ", i 101111 allmm ik-.40 I. ----- -- - a *g i i~ I I I );: 146 A USTIN BLAIR. mentous and stormy period of the Nation's life. Gov. Blair possessed a clear comprehension of the perilous situation from the inception of the Rebellion, and his inaugural address foreshadowed the prompt executive policy and the administrative ability which characterized his gubernatorial career. Never perhaps in the history of a nation has a brighter example been laid down, or a greater sacrifice been made, than that which distinguished Michigan during the civil war. All, from the " War Governor," down to the poorest citizen of the State, were animated with a patriotic ardor at once magnificiently sublime and wisely directed. Very early in I86I the coming struggle cast its shadow over the Nation. Governor Blair, in his message to the Legislature in January of that year, dwelt very forcibly upon the sad prospects of civil war; and as forcibly pledged the State to support the principles of the Republic. After a review of the conditions of the State, he passed on to a consideration of the relations between the free and slave States of the Republic, saying: " While we are citizens of the State of Michigan, and as such deeply devoted to her interests and honor, we have a still prouder title. We are also citizeas of the United States of America. By this title we are known among the nations of the earth. In remote quarters of the globe, where the names of the States are unknown, the flag of the great Republic, the banner of the stars and stripes, honor and protect her citizens. In whatever concerns the honor, the prosperity and the perpetuity of this great Government, we are deeply interested. The people of Michigan are loyal to that Government-faithful to its constitution and its laws. Under it they have had peace and prosperity; and under it they mean to abide to the end. Feeling a just pride in the glorious history of the past, they will not renounce the equally glorious hopes of the future. But they will rally around the standards of the Nation and defend its integrity and its constitution, with fidelity." The final paragraph being: " I recommend you at an early day to make miani fest to the gentlemen who represent this State in the two Houses of Congress, and to the country, that Michigan is loyal to the Union, the Constitution, and the laws and will defend them to the uttermost; and to proffer to the President of the United States, the whole military power of the State for that purpose. Oh, for the firm, steady hand of a Washington, or a Jackson, to guide the ship of State in this perilous storm! Let us hope that we will find him on the 4th of March. Meantime, let us abide in the faith of our fathers-'Liberty and Union, one and inseparable, now and forever.' " How this stirring appeal was responded to by the people of Michigan will be seen by the statement that the State furnished 88,r i men during the war. Money, men, clothing and food were freely and abundantly supplied by this State during all these years of darkness and blood shed. No State won a brighter record for her devotion to our country than the Peninsula State, and to Gov. Blair, more than to any other individual is due the credit for its untiring zeal and labors in the Nation's behalf, and for the heroism manifested in its defense. Gov. Blair was elected Representative to the Fortieth Congress, and twice re-elected, to the Fortyfirst and Forty-second Congress, from the Third District of Michigan. While a member of that body he was a strong supporter of reconstruction measures, and sternly opposed every form of repudiation. His speech upon the national finances, delivered on the floor of the House March 21, I868, was a clear and convincing argument. Since his retirement from Congress, Mr. Blair has been busily occupied with his extensive law practice. Mr. Blair married Sarah L. Ford, of Seneca County N. Y., in February, 1849. Their family consists of 4 sons-George H., a law partner of A. J. Gould; Charles A., a law partner with hir father, and Fred. J. and Austin T. Blair, at home. Governor Blair's religion is of the broad type, and centers in the "Golden Rule." In I883, Gov. Blair was nominated for Justice of the Supreme Court of the State by the Republican party, but was defeated. a I FI 1 4 1"No. -t A FIAT, I I 11 I - - - - - - 110,0 I WO AN M mkollial ilto wl a b. - - i I — *W I ~s; ej ::'::1 Iik *~ dl~ r ss --— ~- ---i~fi@ —~ —;- iS,i p-::i~-~~i iil s d nqpBqprwa I ~~_:::::~ -i::1: -;B:~~ BL::::-::I: 51;,? ::I:~: IJ:B rss: :~.~ hS ~~:r:-la ::~~: I" :s -; ~;: as --:~i ~I% I.4:3 AO^-A go I I 01PW U GO ERNORS OF MICHIGAN. 149 A 14(4 ENRY HOWLAND CRAPO, Governor of Michigan from 1865 to I869, was born May 24, 1804, at Dartmouth, Bristol Co., Mass., and died at Flint, Mich., July 22, I869. He was the eldest son of Jesse and Phoebe (Howland) Crapo. j HHis father was of French descent and was very poor, sustaining his family by the cultivation of a farm in Dartmouth township, which yielded j nothing beyond a mere livelihood. His early life was consequently one of toil and devoid of advantages for intellectual culture, but his desire for an education seemed to know no bounds. The incessant toil for a mere subsistence upon a comparatively sterile farm, had no charm for him; and, longing for greater usefulness and better things, he looked for them in an education. His struggles to secure this end necessitated sacrifices and hardships that would have discouraged any but the most courageous and persevering. He became an ardent student and worker from his boyhood, though the means of carrying on his studies were exceedingly limited. He sorely felt the need of a dictionary; and, neither having money wherewith to purchase it, nor being able to procure one in his neighborhood, he set out to compile one for himself. In order to acquire a knowledge of the English language, he copied into a book every word whose meaning he did not comprehend, and upon meeting the same word again in the newspapers and books, which came into his hands, from the context, would then record the definition. Whenever unable otherwise to obtain the signification of a word in which he had become interested he would walk from Dartmouth to New Bedford for that purpose alone, and after referring to the books at the library and satisfying himself thoroughly as to its definition, would walk back, a distance of about seven miles, the same night. This was no unusual circumstance. Under such difficulties and in this manner he compiled quite an extensive dictionary in manuscript which is believed to be still in existence. Ever in pursuit of knowledge, he obtained possession of a book upon surveying, and applying himself diligently to its study became familiar with this art, which he soon had an opportunity to practice. The services of a land surveyor were wanted, and he was called upon, but had no compass and no money with which to purchase one. A compass, however, he must and would have, and going to a blacksmith shop near at hand, upon the forge, with such tools as he could find in the shop, while the smith was at dinner, he constructed the compass and commenced life as a surveyor. Still continuing his studies, he fitted himself for teaching, and took charge of the village school at Dartmouth. When, in the course of time and under the pressure of law, a high school was to be opened, he passed a successful examination for its principalship and received the appointment. To do this was no small task. The law required a rigid examination in various subjects, which necessitated days and nights of study. One evening, after concluding his day's labor of teaching, he traveled on foot to New Bedford, some seven or eight miles, called upon the preceptor of Friend's Academy and passed....e 5 L p "O.-A,_IICLPL''prp ---11.11. 1- - I * i 1i rrr* oh Now Iiii-it wq-pYY3 Isi L ~ -.A - ------ qrmpw ---f -- -L — I NINO 1 — T — t~ - ~ I I I 150 HENR IR' HO WLA ND CRAPO. a severe examination. Receiving a certificate that he was qualified, he walked back to his home the same night, highly elated in being possessed of the acquirements and requirements of a master of the high school. In I832, at the age of 28 years, he left his native town and went to reside at New Bedford, where he followed the occupation of land surveyor, and occasionally acted as an auctioneer. Soon after becoming a citizen of this place, he was elected Town Clerk, Treasurer, and Collector of taxes, which office he held until the municipal government was changed,-about fifteen years,-when, upon the inauguration of the city government, he was elected Treasurer and Collector of taxes, a position which he held two or three years. He was also Justice of the Peace for many years. He was elected Alderman of New Bedford; was Chairman of Council Committee on Education, and as such prepared a report upon which was based the order for the establishment of the free Public Library of New Bedford. On its organization, Mr. Crapo was chosen a member of the Board of Trustees. This was the first free public library in Massachusetts, if not in the world. The Boston Free Library was established, however, soon afterwards. While a resident in New Bedford, he was much interested in horticulture, and to obtain the land necessary for carrying out his ideas he drained and reclaimed several acres of rocky and swampy land adjoining his garden. Here he started a nursery, which he filled with almost every description of fruit and ornamental trees, shrubs, flowers, etc. In this he was very successful and took great pride. He was a regularcontributorto the New England Horticultural Journal, a position he filled as long as he lived in Massachusetts. As an indication of the wide reputation he acquired in that field of labor, it may be mentioned that after his death an affecting eulogy to his memory was pronounced by the President of the National Horticultural Society at its meeting in Philadelphia, in I869. During his residence in New Bedford, Mr. Crapo was also engaged in the whaling business. A fine barque built at Dartmouth, of which he was part owner, was named the "H. H. Crapo" in compliment to him. Mr. C. also took part in the State Militia, and for several years held a commission as Colonel of one of the regiments. He was President of the Bristol County Mutual Fire Insurance Co., and Secretary of the Bedford Commercial Insurance Company in New Bedford; and while an officer of the municipal governmenthecompiled and published, between the years I836 and I845, five numbers of the New Bedford Directory, the first work of the kind ever published there. Mr. C. removed to Michigan in I85 6, having been induced to do so by investments made principally in pine lands, first in I837 and subsequently in I856. He took up his residence in the city of Flint, and en gaged largely in the manufacture and sale of lumber at Flint, Fentonville, Holly and Detroit, becoming one of the largest and most successful business men of the State. He was mainly instrumental in the construction of the Flint & Holly R. R., and was President of that corporation until its consolidation with the Flint & Pere Marquette R. R. Company. He was elected Mayor of that city after he had been a resident of the place only five or six years. In 1862 he was elected State Senator. In the fall of I864 he received the nomination on the Republican ticket for Governor of the State, and was elected by a large majority. He was re-elected in i866, holding the office two terms, and retiring in January, I869, having given the greatest satisfaction to all parties. While serving his last term he was attacked with a disease which terminated his life within one year afterwards. During much of this time he was an intense sufferer, yet often while in great pain gave his attention to public matters. A few weeks previous to his death a successful surgical operation was performed which seemed rapidly to restore him, but he overestimated his strength, and by too much exertion in business matters and State affairs suffered arelapse from which there was no rebound, and he died July 33, I869. In the early part of his life, Gov. Crapo affiliated with the Whig party in politics, but became an active member of the Republican party after its organization. He was a member of the Christian (sometimes called the Disciples') Church, and took great interest in its welfare and prosperity. Mr. C. married, June 9, I825, Mary A. Slocum, of Dartmouth. His marriage took place soon after he had attained his majority, and before his struggles with fortune had been rewarded with any great measure of success. But his wife was a woman of great strength of character and possessed of courage, hopefulness and devotion, qualities which sustained and encouraged her husband in the various pursuits of his early years. For several years after his marriage he was engaged in teaching school, his wife living with her parents at the time, at whose home his two older children were born. While thus situated he was accustomed to walk home on Saturday to see his family, returning on Sunday in order to be ready for school Monday morning. As the walk for a good part of the time was 20 miles each way, it is evident that at that period of his life no common obstacles deterred him from performing what he regarded as a duty. His wife was none the less conscientious in her sphere, and with added responsibilities and increasing requirements she labored faithfully in the performance of all her duties. They had ten children, one son and nine daughters. His son, Hon. Wm. W. Crapo, of New Bedford, is now an honored Representative to Congress from the First Congressional District of Massachusetts. I --- l lrt - - — d — - — e. -~-~ ---p~~si w9pI I 4* 1 I 1- - -, - - - ", Ah i?|m~ -I11 I I IA I I i i I i II i i I I I ea-"-W L GO VFtRNORS OF MICHIGAN..~.~~_~.~~ ~.~_ T53. _ t Q 2 kG W.T ',,;,. - iidi % 3 7 [T'Wr' ^ ENRY P. BALDWIN, GovH I I i ' ernor of Michigan from Jan. 4, I869, to Jan. i, 1873, is a, lineal descendant of Nathane s~ t iel Baldwin, a Puritan, of Buck', inghamshire, England, who set-,d /4' tied at Milford, Conn., in 1639. His father was John Baldwin, ~( |. a graduate of Dartmouth Col1 7I. lege. He died at North Provi] dence, R. I., in 1826. His ( paternal grandfather was Rev. ]1 Moses Baldwin, a graduate of Princeton College, in 1757, and the I first who received collegiate honors at that ancient and honored institution. He died at Parma, Mass., in 1813, where for more than 50 years he had been pastor of the Presbyterian Church. On his mother's side Governor B. is descended from Robert Williams, also a Puritan, who settled in Roxbury, Mass., about 1638. His mother was a daughter of Rev. Nehemiah Williams, a graduate of Harvard College, who died at Brimfield, Mass., in 1796, where tor 21 years he was pastor of the Congregationalist Church. The subject of this sketch was born at Coventry, R. I., Feb. 22, 1814. He received a New England common-school education until the age of I2 years, when, both his parents having died, he became a clerk in a mercantile establishment. He remained there, employing his leisure hours in study, until 20 years of age. At this early period Mr. B. engaged in business on his own account. He made a visit to the West, in 1837, which resulted in his removal to Detroit in the spring of 1838. Here he established a mercantile house which has been successfully conducted until r the present time. Although he successfully conducted a large business, he has ever taken a deep interest in all things affecting the prosperity of the city and State of his adoption. He was for several years a Director and President of the Detroit Young Men's Society, an institution with a large library designed for the benefit of young men and citizens generally. An Episcopalian in religious belief, he has been prominent in home matters connected with that denomination. The large and flourishing parish of St. John, Detroit, originated with Governor Baldwin, who gave the lot on which the parish edifice stands, and also contributed the larger share of the cost of their erection. Governor B. was one of the foremost in the establishment of St. Luke's Hospital, and has always been a liberal contributor to moral and religious enterprises whether connected with his own Church or not. There have been, in fact, but few public and social improvements of Detroit during the past 40 years with which Governor B.'s name is not in some way connected. He was a director in the Michigan State Bank until the expiration of its charter, and has been President of the Second National Bank since its organization. In i860, Mr. Baldwin was elected to the State Senate, of Michigan; during the years of 186i-'2 he was made Chairman of the Finance Committee, a member of Committee on Banks and Incorporations, Chairman of the Select Joint Committee of the two Houses for the investigation of the Treasury Department and the official acts of the Treasurer, and of the letting of the contract for the improvement of Sault St. Marie Ship Canal. He was first elected Governor in I868 and was re-elected in 1870, serving from i869 to 1872, inclusive. It is no undeserved eulogy to say that Governor B.'s happy faculty of estimating the necessary means to an end-the knowing of how much effort or attention to bestow upon the thing in hand, has been the secret of the uniform I t Ildl~l rrr- - ------ - F- 1 _ —~- - --- 1 u1II-F-~~I1^ ^ Iyl — ULb 6~. — iP a I A Ir — o9 I nh~.bil- —,la' lli.,, ~r ---- I-* 1 — 1-~I -i- - -— lml- i..,,i-. l. I rA4 HENR Y P. success that has attended his efforts in all relations of life. The same industry and accuracy that distinguished him prior to this term as Governor was manifest in his career as the chief magistrate of the State, and while his influence appears in all things wit-. which he has had to do, it is more noticeable in the most prominent position to which he was called. With rare exceptions the important commendations of Governor B. received the sanction of the Legislature. During his administration marked improvements were made in the charitable, penal and reformatory institutions of the State. The State Public School for dependent children was founded and a permanent commission for the supervision of the several State institutions. The initiatory steps toward building the Eastern Asylum for the Insane, the State House of Correction, and the establishment of the State Board of Health were recommended by Governor B. in his message of i873. The new State Capitol also owes its origen to him. The appropriation for its erection was made upon his recommendation, and the contract for the entire work let under this administration. Governor B. also appointed the commissioners under whose faithful supervision the building was erected in a manner most satisfactory to the people of the State. He advised and earnestly urged at different times such amendments of the constitution as would permit a more equitable compensation to State officers and judges. Thelaw of 1869, and prior also, permitting municipalities to vote aid toward the construction of railroads was, in I870, declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. Many of the municipalities having in the meantime issued and sold their bonds in good faith, Governor B. felt that the honor and credit of the State were in jeopardy. His sense of justice impelled him to call an extra session of the Legislature to propose the submission to the people a constitutional amendment, authorizing the payment of such bonds as were already in the hands of bonafide holders. In his special message he says: "The credit of no State stands higher than that of Michigan, and the people can not afford, and I trust will not consent, to have her good name tarnished by the repudiation of either legal or moral obligations." A special session was called in March, 1872, principally for the division of the State into congressional districts. A number of other important suggestions were made, however, ard as an evidence of the Governor's laF borious and thoughtful care for the financial condition BALD WIN. -— ~ of the State, a series of tables was prepared and submitted by him showing, in detail, estimates of receipts, expenditures and appropriations for the years I872 to 1878, inclusive. Memorable of GovernorB.'s administration were the devastating fires which swept over many portions of the Northwest in the fall of I871. A large part of the city of Chicago having been reduced to ashes, Governor B. promptly issued a proclamation calling upon the people of Michigan for liberal aid in behalf of the afflicted city. Scarcely had this been issued when several counties in his State were laid waste by the same destroying element. A second call was made asking assistance for the suffering people of Michigan. The contributions for these objects were prompt and most liberal, more than $700,000 having been received in money and supplies for the relief of Michigan alone. So ample were these contributions during the short period of about 3 months, that the Governor issued a proclamation expressing in behalf of the people of the State grateful acknowldgment, and announcing that further aid was unnecessary. Governor B. has traveled extensively in his own country and has also made several visits to Europe and other portions of the Old World. He was a passenger on the Steamer Arill, which was captured and bonded in the Carribean Sea, in December, I862, by Capt. Semmes, and wrote a full and interesting account of the transaction. The following estimate of Governor B. on his retirement from office;by a leading newspaper, is not overdrawn: "The retiring message of Governor B., will be read with interest. It is a characteristic document and possesses the lucid statement, strong, and clear practical sense, which have been marked features of all preceding documents from the same source. Governor B. retired to private life after four years of unusually successful administration amid plaudits that are universal throughout the State. For many years eminent and capable men have filled the executive chair of this State, but in painstaking vigilance, in stern good sense, in genuine public spirit, in thorough integrity and in practical capacity, Henry P. Baldwin has shown himself to be the peer of any or all of them. The State has been unusually prosperous during his two terms, and the State administration has fully kept pace with the needs of the times. The retiring Governor has fully earned the public gratitude and confidence which he to-day possesses to such remarkable degree. I Irl I I L 4 e-I l A j. F - 0 - —, ----— I -- GO VERNORS OF AICAHIGAAN. 157 OHN JUDSON BAGLEY,,.4:] Governor of Michigan from 1873 to I877, was born in k9' 1 Medina, Orleans Co., N. Y., i [Julyl 24, I832. His father, John 'I } Bagley, was a native of New. ~ C,Hampshire, his mother, Mary M. J' l Bagley, of Connecticut. He at1;ll1 tended the district school of Locki port, N. Y., until he was eight years i old, at which time his father moved to Constantine, Mich., and he attended the common schools of that village. His early experience was like that of many country boys whose \ parents removed from Eastern States to the newer portion of the West. His father being in very poor circum[ stances, Mr. B. was obliged to work as soon as he was able to do so. Leaving school when 13 years of age he entered a country store in Constantine as clerk. His father then removed to Owosso, Mich., and he again; engaged as clerk in a store. From early youth Mr. B. was extravagantly fond of reading and devoted every leisure moment to the perusal of such books, papers and periodicals as came within his reach. In 1847, he removed to Detroit, where he secured employment in a tobacco manufactory and remained in this position for about five years. In i853, he began business for himself in the manufacturing of tobacco. His establishment has become one of the largest of the kind in the West. Mr. B. has also been greatly interested in other manufacturing enterprises, as well as in mining, banking and insurance corporations. He was President of the Detroit Safe Company for several years. He was one of the organizers of the Michigan Mutual Life Insurance Company of Detroit, and was its President from 1867 to 1872. He was a director of the American National Bank for many years, and a stockholder and director in various other corporations. Mr. B. was a member of the Board of Education two years, and of the Detroit Common Council the same length of time. In I865 he was appointed by Governor Crapo one of the first commissioners of the Metropolitian police force of the city of Detroit, serving six years. In November, I872, he was elected Governor of Michigan, and two years later was reelected to the same office, retiring in January, I877. He was an active worker in the Republican party, and for many years was Chairman of the Republican State Central committee. Governor Bagley was quite liberal in his religious views and was an attendant of the Unitarian Church. He aimed to be able to hear and consider any new thought, from whatever source it may come, but was not bound by any religious creed or formula. He held in respect all religious opinions, believing that no ore can be injured by a firm adherence to a faith or denomination. He was married at Dubuque, Iowa, Jan. I6, I855, to Frances E. Newberry, daughter of Rev. Samuel Newberry, a pioneer missionary of Michigan, who took an active part in the early educationalmatters of the State and in the establishment of its excellent system of education. It was principally N I a_ in I.-I - -W! in i - -lhk — II", I --- —- - lsl-~slll""P l-Uili l EIUColII I Il'ill-P lll ii --- —,Pmlg jm~ a I~~~e I Ii i58 JOHN N. BA GLE Y. _. _......... through his exertions that the State University was founded. Mr. B.'s family consists of seven children. As Governor his administration was characterized by several important features, chief among which were his efforts to improve and make popular the educational agencies of the Slate by increasing the faculty of the University for more thorough instruction in technical studies,by strengthening the hold of the Agricultural College upon the public good will and making the general change which has manifested itself in many scattered primary districts. Among others were an almost complete revolution in the management of the penal and charitable institutions of the State; the passage of the liquor-tax law, taking the place of the dead letter of prohibition; the establishing of the system of dealing with juvenile offenders through county agents, which has proved of great good in turning the young back from crime and placing the State in the attitude of a moral agent; in securing for the militia the first time in the history of Michigan a systematized organization upon a serviceable footing. It was upon the suggestion of Gov. B. in the earlier part of his administration that the law creating the State Board of Health, and also the law creating a fish commission in the inland waters of the State, were passed, both of which have proved of great benefit to the State. The successful representation of Michigan at the Centennial Exhibition is also an honorable part of the record of Gov. B.'s administration. As Governor, he felt that he represented the State -not in a narrow, egotistical way, but in the same sense that a faithful, trusted, confidential agent represents his employer, and as the Executive of the State he was her " attorney in fact." And his intelligent, thoughtful care will long continue the pride of the people he so much loved. He was ambitiousambitious for place and power, as every noble mind is ambitious, because these give opportunity. However strong the mind and powerful the will, if there be no ambition, life is a failure. He was not blind to the fact that the more we have the more is required of us. He accepted it in its fullest meaning. He had great hopes for his State and his country. He had his ideas of what they should be. With a heart as broad as humanity itself; with an intelligent, able and cultured brain, the will and the power to do, he asked his fellow citizen to give him the opportunity to labor for them. Self entered not into the calculation. His whole life was a battle for others; and he entered the conflict eagerly and hopefully. His State papers were models of compact, business-like statements, bold, original, and brimful of practical suggestions, and his administrations will long be considered as among the ablest in this or any other State. His noble, generous nature made his innumerable benefactions a source of continuous pleasure. Literally, to him it was "more blessed to give than to receive." His greatest enjoyment was in witnessing the comfort and happiness of others. Not a tithe of his charities were known to his most intimate friends, or even to his family. Many a needy one has been the recipient of aid at an opportune moment, who never knew the hand that gave. At one time a friend had witnessed his ready response to some charitable request, and said to him: "Governor, you give away a large sum of money; about how much does your charities amount to in a year?" He turned at once and said: "I do not know, sir; I do not allow myself to know. I hope I gave more this year than I did last, and hope I shall give more next year than I have this." This expressed his idea of charity, that the giving should at all times be free and spontaneous. During his leasure hours from early life, and especially during the last few years, he devoted much time to becoming acquainted with the best authors. Biography was his delight; the last he read was the "Life and Woik of John Adams," in ten volumes. In all questions of business or public affairs he seemed to have the power of getting at the kernel of the nut in the least possible time. In reading he would spend scarcely more time with a volume than most persons would devote to a chapter. After what seemed a cursory glance, he would have all of value the book contained. Rarely do we see a business man so familiar with the best English authors. He was a generous and intelligent patron of the arts, and his elegant home was a study and a pleasure to his many friends, who always found there a hearty welcome. At Christmas time he would spend days doing the work of Santa Claus. Every Christmas eve he gathered his children about him and, taking the youngest on his lap, told some Christmas story, closing the entertainment with "The Night Before Christmas," or Dickens's " Christmas Carol." a; clc-k I a IC I'll I I ~ ---" --- — *Pol --- —--------------- i E.- -4110 AN& <4., A....... # I Ir r-I - m --- J4; HARLES MI. CROSWELL, Governor of Michigan from i &Jan. 3, 1877 to Jan. I, I88i, was born at Newburg, Orange 6 oa, County, N. Y., Oct. 31, I825. y l He is the only son of John and Sallie (Hicks) Croswell. His i father, who was of Scotch-Irish extraction, was a paper-maker, and carried on business in New York City. His ancestors on his mother's side were of Knickerbocker descent. The Croswell family may be found connected with prominent events, in New York and Connecticut, in the early exis2 tence of the Republic. Harry Croswell, during the administration of ] President Jefferson, published a paa per called the Balance, and was i prosecuted for libeling the President under the obnoxious Sedition Law. He was defended by the celebrated Alexander Hamilton, and the decisir,. )f the case establised the important ruling that the truth might be shown in cases of libel. Another member of the family was Edwin Croswell, the famous editor of the Albany Argus; also, Rev. William Croswell, noted as a divine and poet. When Charles M. Croswell was seven years of age, his father was accidentally drowned in the Hudson River, at Newburg; and, within three months preceding that event, his mother and only sister had died,thus leaving him the sole surviving member of the family, without fortune or means. Upon the death of his father he went to live with an uncle, who, in 1837, emigrated with him to Adrain, Michigan. At sixteen years of age, he commenced to learn the carpenter's trade, and worked at it very diligently for four years, maintaining himself, and devoting his spare time to reading and the acquirement of knowledge. In I846, he began the study of law, and was appointed Deputy Clerk of Lenawee County. The du. ties of this office he performed four years, when he was elected Register of Deeds, and was re-elected in I852. In i854, he took part in the first movements for the formation of the Republican party, and was a member and Secretary of the convetion held at Jackson in that year, which put in the field the first Republican State ticket in Michigan. In I855, he formed a law partnership with the present Chief-Justice Cooley, which continued until the removal of Judge Cooley to Ann Arbor. In 1862, Mr. Croswell was appointed City Attorney of Adrian. He was also elected Mayor of the city in the spring of the same year; and in the fall was chosen to represent Lenawee County in the State Senate. He was re-elected to the Senate in 1864, and again in I866, during each term filling the positions above mentioned. Among various reports made by him, one adverse to the re-establishment of the death penalty, and another against a proposition to pay the salaries of State officers and judges in coin, which then commanded a very large premium, may be mentioned. He also drafted the act ratifying the Thirteenth Amendment to the Federal Constitution, for the abolishment of slavery, it being the first amendment to the instrument ratified by Michigan. In 1863, from his seat in the State Senate, he delivered an elaborate speech in favor of the Proclama gCPle llB& 9lsBLIIIF - ~I 81 ----b. 19L I. r ar a -— r F117olrCpCI*lrsrsnnj8llccll r62 C6 tARLE'S M. tion of Emancipation issued by President Lincoln, and of his general policy in the prosecution of the war. This, at the request of his Republican associates, was afterwards published. In 1867, he was elected a member of the Constitutional Convention, and chosen its presiding officer. This convention was composed of an able body of men; and though, in the general distrust of constitutional changes which for some years had been taking possession of the people, their labors were not accepted by the popular vote, it was always conceded that the constitution they proposed had been prepared with great care and skill. In i868, Mr. Croswell was chosen an Elector on the Republican Presidential ticket; in I872, was elected a Representative to the State Legislature from Lenawee County, and was chosen Speaker of the House of Representatives. At the close of the session of that body his abilities as a parliamentarian, and the fairness of his rulings were freely and formally acknowledged by his associates; and he was presented with a superb collection of their portraits handsomely framed. He was, also, for several years, Secretary of the State Board for the general supervision of the charitable and penal institutions of Michi gan; in which position, his propositions for the amelioration of the condition of the unfortunate, and the reformation of the criminal classes, signalize the benevolence of his nature, and the practical character of his mind. In I876, the general voice of the Republicans of the State indicted Mr. Croswell as their choice for Governor; and, at the State Convention of the party in August of the same year, he was put in nomination by acclamation, without the formality of a ballot. At the election in November following, he was chosen to the high position for which he had been nominated, by a very large majority over all opposing candidates. His inaugural message was received with general favor; and his career as Governor was marked with the same qualities of head and heart that have ever distinguished him, both as a citizen and statesman. CROS WELL. Governor Groswell has always prepared his addresses with care; and, as his diction is terse, clear, and strong, without excess of ornament, and his delivery impressive, he is a popular speaker; and many of his speeches have attracted favorable comment in the public prints, and have a permanent value. He has always manifested a deep interest in educational matters, and was foryears a member and Secretary of the Board of Education of Adrain. At the formal opening of the Central School building in that city, on the 24th day of April, I869, he gave, in a public address, an " Historical Sketch of the Adrian Public Schools." In his private life, Governor Croswell has been as exemplary as in his public career he has been successful and useful. In February, 1852, he was married to a daughter of Morton Eddy, Lucy M. Eddy, a lady of many amiable and sunny qualities. She suddenly died, March 19, I868, leaving two daughters and a son. Governor Croswell is not a member of any religious body, but generally attends the Presbyterian Church. He pursues the profession of law, but of late has been occupied mainly in the care of his own interests, and the quiet duties of advice in business difficulties, for which his unfailing prudence and sound judgment eminently fit him. Governor Croswell is truly popular, not only with those of like political faith with himself, but with those who differ from him in this regard. During Gov. Croswell's administration the public debt was greatly reduced; a policy adopted requiring the State institutions to keep within the limit of appropriations; laws enacted to provide more effectually for the punishment of corruption and bribrery in elections; the State House of Correction at Ionia and the Eastern Asylum for the Insane at Pontiac were opened, and the new capital at Lansing was completed and occupied. The first act of his second term was to preside at the dedication of this building The great riot at Jackson occured during his administration, and it was only bv his promptness that great distruction of both life and property was prevented at that time. gi l A.1 1 11 mob. k Noe, 0 A: I I,,.ISO- . I *I I I [] i S a r m F-4* OWNF~MO~ GO VERNORS OF MICHIGAN. r65 X Xm TF A1 DAVID H. JEROME, Goverg I!Il nor of from Jan. I, 188I, to I — I f Jan. I, I883, was born at Detroit, Mich., Nov. 17, I829. His parents emigrated to Michigan from Trumansburg, Tompkins Co., N. Y., in 1828, locating at Detroit. His father died March 30, 1831, leaving nine children. He had been twice married, and four of the children living at the time of his ' death were grown up sons, the offI spring of his first union. Of the five children by his second marriage, David H. was the youngest. Shortly after Mr. Jerome's death, his widow moved back to New York and settled in Onondaga County near Syracuse, where they remained until the fall of 1834, the four sons by the first wife continuing their residence in Michigan. In the fall of 1834, Mrs. Jerome came once more to Michigan, locating on a farm in St. Clair County. Here the Governor formed those habits of industry and sterling integrity that have been so characteristic of the man in the active duties of life. He was sent to the district school, and in the acquisition of the fundamental branches of learning he displayed a precocity and an application which won for him the admiration of his teachers, and always placed him at the head of his classes. In the meantime he did chores on the farm, and was always ready with a cheerful heart and willing hand to assist his widowed mother. The heavy labor of the farm was carried on by his two I _ older brothers, Timothy and George, and when 13 years of age David received his mother's permission to attend school at the St. Clair Academy. While attending there he lived with Marcus H. Miles, now deceased, doing chores for his board, and the following winter performed the same service for James Ogden, also deceased. The next summer Mrs. Jerome moved into the village of St. Clair, for the purpose of continuing her son in school. While attending said academy one of his associate students was Senator Thomas W. Palmer, of Detroit, a rival candidate before the gubernatorial convention in I880. He completed his education in the fall of his I6th year, and the following winter assisted his brother Timothy in hauling logs in the pine woods. The next summer he rafted logs down the St. Clair River to Algonac. In I847, M. H. Miles being Clerk in St. Clair County, and Volney A. Ripley Register of Deeds, David H. Jerome was appointed Deputy to each, remaining as such during I848-'49, and receiving much praise from his employers and the people in general for the ability displayed in the discharge of his duties. He spent his summer vacation at clerical work on board the lake vessels. In I849-'5o, he abandoned office work, and for the proper development of his physical system spent several months hauling logs. In the spring of I850, his brother " Tiff" and himself chartered the steamer "Chautauqua," and "Young Dave" became her master. A portion of the season the boat was engaged in the passenger and freight traffic between Port Huron and Detroit, but during the latter part was used as a tow boat. At that time there was a serious obstruction to navigation, known as the "St. Clair Flats," between Lakes Huron and Erie, over which w W-w I `i; I L lF) ~p~ - --- ---- --- — E _~ I - ~ Iw I,1 ~ l l Ir I [ t1,1 W-r-gaar~lnam gsl~~EIa lf i66 DA VID H. vessels could carry only about 0o,ooo bushels of grain. Mr. Jerome conceived the idea of towing vessels from one lake to the other, and put his plan into operation. Through the influence of practical men,among them the subject of this sketch,-Congress removed the obstruction above referred to, and now vessels can pass them laden with 60,000 or 80,000 bushels of grain. During the season, the two brothers succeeded in making a neat little sum of money by the summer's work, but subsequently lost it all on a contract to raise the "Gen. Scott," a vessel that had sunk in Lake St. Clair. David H. came out free from debt, but possessed of hardly a dollar of capital. In the spring of I85 I, he was clerk and acting master of the steamers "Franklin Moore" and "Ruby," plying between Detroit and Port Huron and Goderich. The following year he was clerk of the propeller "Princeton," running between Detroit and Buffalo. In January, i853, Mr. Jerome went to California, by way of the Isthmus, and enjoyed extraordinary success in selling goods in a new place of his selection, among the mountains near Marysville He remained there during the summer, and located the Live Yankee Tunnel Mine, which has since yielded millions to its owners, and is still a paying investment. He planned and put a tunnel 600 feet into the mine, but when the water supply began to fail with the dry season, sold out his interest. He left in the fall of 1853, and in December sailed from San Francisco for New York, arriving at his home in St. Clair County, about a year after his departure. During hisabsence his brother "Tiff" had located at Saginaw, ana in 1854 Mr. Jerome joined him in his lumber operations in the valley. In 1855 the brothers bought Blackmer & Eaton's hardware and general supply stores, at Saginaw, and David H. assumed the management of the business. From 1855 to I873 he was also extensively engaged in lumbering operations. Soon after locating at Saginaw he was nominated for Alderman against Stewart B. Williams, a rising young man, of strong Democratic principles. The ward was largely Democratic, but Mr. Jerome was elected by a handsome majority. When the Repubiican party was born at Jackson, Mich., David H. Jerome was, though not a delegate to the convention, one of its "charter members.' In 1862, he was commissioned by Gov. Austin Blair to raise one of the JEROME. six regiments apportioned to the State of Michigan. Mr. Jerome immediately went to work and held meetings at various points. The zeal and enthusiasm displayed by this advocate of the Union awakened a feeling of patriotic interest in the breasts of many brave men, and in a short space of time the 23d Regiment of Michigan Volunteer Infantry was placed in the field, and subsequently gained for itself a brilliant record. In the fall of 1862, Mr. Jerome was nominated by the Republican party for State Senator from the 26th district, Appleton Stevens, of Bay City, being his opponent. The contest was very exciting, and resulted in the triumplhant election of Mr. Jerome. He was twice renominated and elected both times by increased majorities, defeating George Lord, of Bay City, and Dr. Cheseman, of Gratiot County. On taking his seat in the Senate, he was appointed Chairman of the Committee on State Affairs, and was active in raising means and troops to carry on the war. He held the same position during his three terms of service, and introduced the bill creating the Soldiers' Home at Harper Hospital, Detroit. He was selected by Gov. Crapo as a military aid, and in i865 was appointed a member of the State Military Board, and served as its President for eight consecutive years. In 1873, he was appointed by Gov. Bagley a member of the convention to prepare a new State Constitution, and was Chairman of the Committee on Finance. In 1875, Mr. Jerome was appointed a member of the Board of Indian Commissioners. In 1876 he was Chairman of a commission to visit Chief Joseph, the Nez Perce Indian, to arrange an amicable settlement of all existing difficulties. The commission went to Portland, Oregon, thence to the Blue Hills, in Idaho, a distance of 600 miles up the Columbia River. At the Republican State Convention, convened at Jackson in August, i880, Mr. Jerome was placed in the field for nomination, and on the 5th day of the month received the highest honor the convention could confer on any one. His opponent was Frederick M. Holloway, of Hillsdale County, who was supported by the Democratic and Greenback parties. The State was thoroughly canvassed by both parties, and when the polls were closed on the evening of election day, it was found that David H. Jerome had been selected by the voters of the Wolverine State to occupy the highest position within their gift. r * -I OMI IIIII-I, ml. 14 I r~Ww _ —x~I-. He....... I I "W v bab I i i — I I i i F-111"-,, -- - ~r GO VERN-ORS OF MICHIGA V I69 - --- ---- --- - ------ - _ _.-_ _~ _I f rJ OSIAH W. BEGOLE, the present (1883), Governor of Michigan was born in Livingston, County, N. Y., Jan. 20, I8I5. His ancestors were of French descent, and settled at aan early period in the State of O P Maryland. Hisgrandfather,Capt. ) i'^ Bolles, of that State, was an officer in the American army during the war of the Revolution. About the beginning of the present cent-, ury both his grandparents, having become dissatisfied with the instiI tution of slavery, although slaveholders themselves, emigrated to } Livingston County, N. Y., then a new country, taking with them a number of their former slaves, who volunteered to accompany them. His father was an officer in the American army, and served during the war of I812. Mr. B. received his early education in a log schoolhouse, and subsequently attended the Temple Hill Academy, at Geneseo, N. Y. Being the eldest of a family of ten children, whose parents were in moderate though comfortable circumstances, he was early taught habits of industry, and when 21 years of age, being ambitious to better his condition in life, he resolved to seek his fortune in the far West, as it was then called. In August, 1836, he left the parental roof to seek a home in the Territory of Michigan, then an almost unbroken wilderness. He settled in Genesee County, and aided with his own hands in building some of the early residences in what is now known as the city of Flint. There were but four or five houses where this flourishing city now stands when he selected it as his home. In the spring of 1839 he married Miss Harriet A. Miles. The marriage proved a most fortunate one, and to the faithful wife of his youth, who lives to enjoy with him the comforts of an honestly earned competence, Mr. Begole ascribes largely his success in life. Immediately after his marriage he commenced work on an unimproved farm, where, by his perseverance and energy, he soon established a good home, and at the end of eighteen years was the owner of a well improved farm of five hundred acres. Mr. Begole being an anti-slavery man, became a member of the Republican party at its organization. He served his townsmen in various offices, and was in I856, elected County Treasurer, which office he held for eight years. At the breaking out of the Rebellion he did not carry a musket to the front, but his many friends will bear witness that he took an active part in recruiting and furnishing supplies for the army, and in looking after the interests of soldiers' families at home. The death of his eldest son near Atlanta, Ga., by a Confedrate bullet, in 864, was the greatest sorrow of his life. When a few years later he was a member in Congress I I 'I If I I1 [ E -4@ - aMP Ie 1 -4 0I " I Ig. g, Imlo,, 1,Im lm m _, I I ml, - I I I I - -- I s -ode k " - l i- _1 '''ll, I,0, 1, I m 11I I.1 I J [ i Ii 1 v fI *II!;, a 170 JOSIAH W Gov. Begole voted and worked for the soldiers' bounty equalization bill, an act doing justice to the soldier who bore the burden and heat of the day, and who should fare equally with him who came in at the eleventh hour. That bill was defeated in the House on account of the large appropriation that would be required to pay the same. In 1870, Gov. Begole was nominated by acclamation for the office of State Senator, and elected by a large majority. In that body he served on the Committees of Finance and Railroads, and was Chairmann of the Committee on the Institute for the Deaf and Dumb and Blind. He took a liberal and publicspirited view of the importance of a new capitol building worthy of the State, and was an active member of the Committee that drafted the bill for the same He was a delegate to the National Republican Convention held at Philadelphia in 1872, and was the chosen member of that delegation to go to Washington and inform Gen. Grant and Senator Wilson of their nominations. It was while at that convention that, by the express wish of his many friends, he was induced to offer himself a candidate for the nomination of member to the 43d Congress, in which he was successful, aftercompeting for the nomination with several of the most worthy, able and experienced men in the Sixth Congressional District, and was elected by a very large majority. In Congress, he was a member of the Committee on Agricultural and Public Expenditures. Being one of the 17 farmers in that Congress, he took an active part in the Committee of Agriculture, and was appointed by that committee to draft the most important report made by that committee, and upon the only subject recommended by the President in his message, which he did and the report was printed in records of Congress; he took an efficient though an unobtrusive part in all its proceedings. He voted for the currency bill, remonetization of silver, and other financial measures, many of which, though defeated then, have since become the settled policy of the country. Owing to the position which Mr. Begole occupied on these questions, he became a "Greenbacker." In the Gubernatorial election of 1882, Mr. Begole was the candidate of both the Greenback and Democratic parties, and was elected by a vote of 154,269, the Republican candidate, Hon. David H. Jerome, BEGOLE. I-~ receiving 149,697 votes. Mr. Begole, in entering upon his duties as Governor, has manifested a spirit that has already won him many friends, and bids fair to make his administration both successful and popular. The very best indications of what a man is, is what his own townsmen think of him. We give the following extract from the Flint Globe, the leading Republican paper in Gov. Begole's own county, and it, too, written during the heat of a political campaign, which certainly is a flattering testimonial of his sterling worth: "So far, however, as Mr. Begole, the head of the ticket, is concerned, there is nothing detrimental to his character that can be alleged against him. He has sometimes changed his mind in politics, but for sincerity of his beliefs and the earnestness of his purpose nobody who knows him entertains a doubt. He is incapable of bearing malice, even against his bitterest political enemies. He has a warm, generous nature, and a larger, kinder heart does not beat in the bosom of any man in Michigan. He is not much given to making speeches, but deeds are more significant of a man's character than words. There are many scores of mien in all parts of the State where Mr. Begole is acquainted, who have had practical demonstrations of these facts, and who are liable to step outside of party lines to show that they do not forget his kindness, and who, no doubt, wish that he was a leader in what would not necessarily prove a forlorn hope. But the Republican party in Michigan is too strong to be beaten by a combination of Democrats and Greenbackers, even if it is marshaled by so good a man as Mr. Begole." This sketch would be imperfect without referring to the action of Mr. B. at the time of the great calamity that in I88I overtook the people of Northeastern Michigan, in a few hours desolating whole counties by fire and destroying the results and accumulations of such hard work as only falls to the lot of pioneers. While the Port Huron and Detroit committees were quarreling over the distribution of funds, Mr. Begole wrote to an agent in the "lburnt district" a letter, from which we make an extract of but a single sentence: "Until the differences between the two committees are adjusted and you receive your regular supplies from them, draw on me. Let no man suffer while I have money." This displays his true character. I 4 __.. m i J wpw ----- I -I - V ' -o T-. __ i b I i i i i i iI i i i I iI p- -A. de.;:- I RM GO VERNORS OF 31ICH 1GAY. ~~_.__ --- —-OF ------— ~ --- —--- 173 LL- _ — -) J,,A/4940 _ _,]lf ~pore 4: IgNi'G,-,LA I II I I II p I II t I I I I 0i9iwPm| %1..,_w o I.- I V~M I: ' iUSSELL A.ALGER,Governor of Michigan for the term commencing Jan. 1, 1885, was born in Lafayette Township, Medina Co., Ohio, Feb. 27, u 1836. Iaving lived a temp erate life, he is a comparative young man in appearance, and possesses those mental faculties that are the distinguishing characteristics of robust, mature and educated manhood. When 11 years of age both his parents died, leaving him witha younger brother and sister to support and without any of the substantial means of existence. Lacking the opportunity of better employment, he worked on a farm in Richfield, Ohio, for the greater part of each of the succeeding seven years, saving money enough to defray his expenses at Richfield Academy during the winter terms. He obtained a very good English education, and was enabled to teach school for several subsequent winters. In 1857 he commenced the study of law in the offices of Wolcott & Upson at Akron, remaining until March, 1859, when he was admitted to the bar by the Ohio Supreme Court. He then removed to Cleveland, and entered the law office of Otis & Coffinbury, where he remained several months. Here he continued his studies with increased zeal, and did much general reading. Hard study and close confinement to office work, however, began to tell on his constitution, and failing health warned him that he must seek other occupation. I I He therefore reluctantly abandoned the law and removed to Gralnd Rapids, Mich., to engage in the lumber business. When Michigan was called upon to furnish troops for the war, Mr. Algcr enlisted in the Second Mich. Cav. and was mustered into the service of the United States as Captain of Co. C. His record as a cavalry officer was brilliant and honorable to himself and his company. He participated in some of the fiercest contests of the rebellion and was twice wounded. His first injury was received in the battle of Booneville, Miss., July 2, 1862. His conduct in this engagement was so distinguished that he was promoted to the rank of Major. On the same occasion his Colonel, the gallant Phil. Sheridan, was advanced to the rank of Brigadier General. A few months later, on the 16th of October, Major Alger became LieutenantColonel of the Sixth Mich. Cav., and was ordered with his regiment to the Army of the Potomac. After marked service in the early campaign of 1863, he was again advanced, and on June 2 received his commission as Colonel of the Fifth Mich. Cav. His regiment at this time was in Custer's famous Michigan cavalry brigade. On the 6th of July occurred the battle of Boonesboro, Md. In this conflict he was again wounded. His health received a more than temporary impairment, and in October, 1864, he was obliged to retire from the service. His career as a soldier included many of the most celebrated contests of the war. He was an active character in all the battles fought by the Army of the II I I i AhL_wl i 6m. 1 op.- -~ ~~ - I~-~ —l~-a Irr~lLrr -- ~ i _w"~ "M W i i I f I i i f i Ii I i I I I f i i 1 I I I I I i i I A I II 0 ago Adhi ---Il l..-_- r _-ILI_3 P-~l~F ~-~I~-~P~~ ~~C~1~L, _ 174 RUSSELL A. A.LGEl?. - -I- --- —-— '-'' —1 ----1-1 —'1.- ___. _._.._ _ I --- —I______.__.__ __I --- = Potomac, from the time of the invasion of Maryland by Gen. Lee in 1863, up to the date of his retirement, with the exception of those engagements which occurred while he was absent from duty on account of wounds. In all he took part in 66 battles and skirmishes. At the close he was breveted Brigadier General and Major General for "gallant and meritorious services in the field." Aside from regular duty, Gen. Alger was on private service during the winter of 1863-4, receiving orders personally from President Lincoln and visiting nearly all the armies in the field. Gen. Alger came to Detroit in 1865, and since that time has been extensively engaged in the pine timber business and in dealing in pine lands. He was a member of the well-known firm of Moore & Alger until its dissolution, when he became head of the firm of R. A. Alger & Co., the most extensive pine timber operators in the West. Gen. Alger is now president of the corporation of Alger, Smith & Co., which succeeded R. A. Alger & Co. He is also president of the Manistique Lumbering Company and president of the Detroit, Bay City & Alpena Railroad Company, besides being a stockholderand director of the Detroit National Bank, the Peninsular Car Company and several other large corporations. While always an active and influential Republican, Gen. Alger has never sought nor held a salaried office. He was a delegate from the First District to the last Republican National Convention, but aside from this his connection with politics has not extended beyond the duties of every good citizen to his party and his country. Gen. Alger is now forty-nine years of age, an active, handsome gentleman six feet tall, living the life of a busy man of affairs. His military bearing at once indicates his army life, and although slenderly built, his square shoulders and erect carriage give the casual observer the impression that his weight is fully 180 pounds. He is a firm, yet a most decidedly pleasant-appearing man, with a fine forehead, rather a prominent nose, an irongray moustache and chin whiskers and a full head of black hair sprinkled with gray. He is usually attired in the prevailing style of business suits. His favorite dress has been a high buttoned cutaway I I I - ~ - - I - - frock coat, witl the predominating cut of vest and trousers, made of firm gray suiting. A high collar, small cravat, easy shoes and white plug hat complete his personal apparel. IIe is very particular as to his appearance, and always wears neat clothes of the best goods, but shuns any display of jewelry or extravagant embellishment. He is one of the most approachable men imaginable. No matter how busy he may be, he always leaves his desk to extend a cordial welcome to every visitor, be lie of high or low situation. His affable manners delight his guests, while his pleasing face and bright, dark eyes always animate his hearers. Gen. Alger is a hard worker. He is always at his office promptly in the morning and stays as long as anything remains that demands his attention. In business matters he is always decided, and is never shaken or disturbed by any reverses. IHe has the confidence of his associates to a high degree, and all his business relations are tempered with those little kindnesses that relieve the tedium of routine office life. Although deeply engrossed in various business pursuits, Gen. Alger has yet found time for general culture. He owns a large library and his stock of general information is as complete as it is reliable. His collection of paintings has been selected with rare good taste, and contains some of the finest productions of modern artists. His team of bays are perhaps the handsomest that grace the roads of Detroit, and usually lead the other outfits when their owner holds the reins. Gen. Alger has an interesting family. His wife was Annette H. Henry, the daughter of W. G. Henry, of Grand Rapids, to whom he was married April 2, 1861. She is a slender woman of fair complexion, bright and attractive, and a charming hostess. She is gifted with many accomplishments and appears quite young. There are six children. Fay, a lively brunette, and Caroline A., who is rather tall and resembles her mother, have completed a course at an Eastern seminary, and during the past year traveled in Europe. The remaining members of the family are Frances, aged 13; Russell A., Jr., aged 11; Fred, aged 9, and Allan, aged 3. All are bright and promising children. Gen. Alger makes his home at his handsome and large new residence on Fort street, at the corner of First street, Detroit. L I I I i I i i I i i I j I I i I I i I I I i I i I I i I I I I i I _-d I p ob — I I _r -- -.I - - I dkmbIIIII p II~III I LCCI I Cl I I~-ILL-_ Cr — t II 5I sb-~ I I I I I i I i I I I I — ----------- -,. - - -- Ebb GO VERNORS OF MIICIHIGAN. 177 I 1 < - -- --- -- --- ^y^I - -^,...,. = iNus Cra 'Uoco —,- -L-4" 5 '. ' YRUS GRAY LUCE, the present Governor of MichilB y=:' iS gan, combines in his charac'^ i t. the New England ancestry of his father, and the chival-;* JIr ' rous and hospitable elements peculiar to the Southerners, which came to him from his mother's side of the house. The New Englanders, act-, ive in the cause of American liberty, after this desired result was accomplished, turned their attention to the - growth and development of the country which their noble daring had constitutea independent of foreign rule. The privations they endured and the struggles from which they had achieved victory built up in them those qualities which in the very nature of events could not be otherwise than transmitted to their posterity, and this posterity comprises a large number of the men who to-day, like the subject of this history, are making a record of which their descendants will be equally proud. Gov. Luce was born in Windsor, Ashtabula Co., Ohio, July 2, 1824. His father was a native of Tolland, Conn., served as a soldier in the War of 1812, and soon after its close emigrated from New England and settled on the Western Reserve in Northern Ohio. His mother, who in her girlhood was Miss Mary Gray, was born in Winchester, Va. Her father, tinctured with Abolitionism, found his home in the Old Dominion becoming uncomfortable as an abiding-place at that time, and accord-,ingly, with his wife and family of young children, he also migrated, in 1815, to the wilds of Northern Ohio. There the parents of our subject, in 1819, were united in marriage, and continued residents of Ashtabula County until 1836. There also were born to them six sons, Cyrus G. of this sketch being the second. The incidents in the early life of Gov. Luce were not materially different from those of other boys living on the farms in that new country. lie was taught to work at anything necessary for him to do and to make himself useful around the pioneer homestead. When twelve years of age his parents removed further West, this time locating in Steuben County, Ind. This section of country was still newer and more thinly settled, and without recounting the particular hardships and privations which the family experienced, it is sufficient to say that but few enjoyed or suffered a greater variety. Markets were distant and difficult of access, the comforts of life scarce, and sickness universal. Young Luce, in common with other boys, attended school winters in the stereotyped log school-house, and in summer assisted in clearing away the forests, fencing the fields and raising crops after the land was improved. He attended three terms an academy located at Ontario, Ind., and his habit of reading and observation added essentially to his limited school privileges. When seventeen years of age the father of our subject erected a cloth-dressing and wool-carding establishment, where Cyrus G. acquired a full knowledge of this business and subsequently had charge of the factory for a period of seven years. In the meantime he had become interested in local politics, in which he displayed rare judgment and sound common sense, and on account of which, in 1848, he was nominated by the Whigs in a district composed of the counties of DeKalb and Steuben for, Representative in the State Legislature. He made a vigorous canvass but was defeated by eleven majority. This incident was but a transient bubble on the stream of his life, and that same year I I i I I Ii I i i i II i i I II Ji i tIv sh.: 4: __ J~.~l~~l I -'VF m - - -- kb I I. I_ I 178 CYRUS GRAY L UCE. --- ` ---- --- — " Mr. Luce purchased eighty acres of wild land near Gilead, Branch Co., Mich., the improvement of which he at once entered upon, clearing away the trees and otherwise making arrangements for the establishment of a homestead. In August, 1849, he was united in marriage with Miss Julia A. Dickinson, of Gilead, and the young people immediately commenced housekeeping in a modest dwelling on the new farm. Here they resided until the death of the wife, which took place in August, 1882. Mrs. Luce was the daughter of Obed and Experience Dickinson, well-to-do and highly respected residents of Gilead. Of her union with our subject there were born five children, one now deceased. In November, 1883, Gov. Luce contracted a second marriage, with Mrs. Mary Thompson, of Bronson, this State. He continued on the same farm, which, however, by subsequent purchase had been considerably extended, until after his election to the office of which lie is now the incumbent. In the meantime lie has had a wide and varied experience in public life. In 1852 he was elected to represent his township in the County Board of Supervisors, and two years later, in 1854, was elected Representative to the first Republican Legislature convened in the State of Michigan. He served his township altogether eleven years as a member of the Board of Supervisors. In 1858 he was elected County Treasurer of Branch County and re-elected in 1860. In 1864 he was given a seat in the State Senate and re-elected in 1866. In the spring of 1867 he was made a member of the Constitutional Convention to revise the Constitution of the State of Michigan, and in all of the positions to which he has been called has evidenced a realization of the sober responsibilities committed to his care. To the duties of each he gave the most conscientious care, and has great reason to feel pride and satisfaction in the fact that during his service in both Houses of the Legislature his name appears upon every roll-call, he never having been absent from his post a day. In July, 1879, Mr. Luce was appointed State Oil Inspector by Gov. Croswell, and re-appointed by Gov. Jerome in 1881, serving in this capacity three and one-half years. In the management of the lduties of this office he is entitled to great credit. The office was not sought by him, but the Governor I I urged him to accept it, claiming that the office was the most difficult hle had to fill, and was one which required first-class executive ability. He organized the State into districts, appointed an adequate force of deputies and no more, secured a reduction of the fees by nearly one-half, and in every way managed the affairs of the office so efficiently and satisfactorily that above all expenses he was enabled to pay into the State Treasury during his management $32,000.49. In August of the year 1886 Mr. Luce was nominated by the Republicans in convention assembled at Grand Rapids, for the office of Governor of Michigan by acclamation, and on the 2d of November following was elected by a majority of 7,432 over his chief competitor, George L. Yaple. In 1874 he became an active member of the farmers' organization known as the Grange. Believing as lie does that agriculture furnishes the basis of National prosperity, he was anxious to contribute to the education and elevation of the farming community, and thus availed himself of the opportunities offered by this organization to aid in accomplishing this result. For a period of seven years he was Master of the State Grange but resigned the position last November. Fidelity to convictions, close application to business, whether agricultural or affairs of State, coupled with untiring industry, are his chief characteristics. As a farmer, legislator, executive officer, and manager of county as well as State affairs, as a private as well as a public citizen, his career has all along been marked with success. No one can point to a spot reflecting discredit in his public career or private life. He is a man of the people, and self-made in the strictest sense. His whole life has been among the people, in full sympathy with them, and in their special confidence and esteem. Personally, Gov. Cyrus G. Luce is high-minded, intellectual and affable, the object of many and warm friendships, and a man in all respects above reproach. To the duties of his high position he has brought a fitting dignity, and in all the relations of life that conscientious regard to duty of which we often read but which is too seldom seen, especially among those having within their hands the interests of State and Nation. I 1.1 i ow 4I 1 I m IIll ~~~I -r~lr~r~la~CPIII, I ~r - II — A- -c1 I - I J, -4_ 1 I r I In wwp-mg II / P — 4-c-l - -tlllnIwmS Jl-: 5 x i iL i i l kj: F i tom e$(L~sllL~-l~-~~ qrlP$BYILBP~PS L II1I~ I i, 00-7 -Ill. I 4"0 z j i i i i i i I I i I i I I i I f i i i iII I1 m L - __ I -.do ,-',-A T7K C OU iN'I'U, MIH IGAR-, La),n,() — i'10 D 11 I 4 a~ a 6-a oag a a O'X3iiilEfiihLQlilASiiiEiiihY aV- FiicxYYC S43;Va oliT 15UCiTSY tEUliaMO O]UC ~Ur Yllo olnslJtn&ill YYIWTtllO F7rSyA Fi,F3Cliy/iR o ObrBt i3F EusUo O] ntCEICiLah, -WEILO OFI Y57ZTCAIC YI`IJLTO olYil CiSvJmD 4Ylo O,VfLii"OS(o O O *o70si,'llg'o;~glj O ii _ fj 19 Isri i " -. Ok 4^ INTRODUCTORYJ@> J__. t HE time has arrived when it l 7 becomes the duty of the people of this county to perpetuate the names of their D pioneers, to furnish a record ofI their early settlement, and relate the story of their progress. The civilization of our day, the enlightenment of the age and the duty that men of -the present time owe to their ancestors, to themiselves and to their posterity, demand that a record of their lives,11/ " s and deeds should be made. In biographical history is found a power to instruct man by precedent, to enliven the mental faculties, and to waft down the river of time a safe vessel in which the names and actions of the people who contributed to raise this country from its primitive state may be preserved. Surely and rapidly the great and aged men, who in their prime entered the wilderness and claimed the virgin soil as their heritage, are passing to their graves. The nlmber remaining who can relate the incidents of the first days of settlement is becoming small indeed, so that an actual necessity exists for the collection and preservation of events without delay, before all the early settlers are cut down by the scythe of Time. To be forgotten has been the great dread of mankind from remotest ages. All will be forgotten soon enough, in spite of their best works and the most earnest efforts of their friends to perserve the memory of their lives. The means employed to prevent oblivion and to perpetuate their memory has been in proportion to the amount of intelligence they possessed. The pyramids of Egypt were built to perpetuate the names and deeds of their great rulers. The exhumations made by the archeologists of Egypt from buried Memphis indicate a desire of those people I to perpetuate the memory of their achievements The erection of the great obelisks were for the same purpose. Coming down to a later period, we find the (reeks and Romans erecting mausoleums and monuments, and carving out statues to chronicle their great achievements and carry them down the ages. It is also evident that the Mound-builders, in piling up their great mounds of earth, had but this ideato leave something to show that they had lived. A!l these works, though many of them costly in the extreme, give but a faint idea of the lives and characters of those whose memory they were intended to perpetuate, and scarcely anything of the masses of the people that then lived. The great pyramids and some of the obelisks remain objects only of curiosity; the mausoleums, monuments and statues are crumbling into dust. It was left to modern ages to establish an intelligent, undecaying, imm1untal)le method of perpetuating a full history-immutable in that it is almost unlimited in extent and perpetual in its action; and this is through the art of printing. To the present generation, however, we are indebted for the introduction of the admirable system of local biography. By this system every man, though he has not achieved what the world calls greatness, has the means to perpetuate his life, his history, through the coming ages. The scythe of Time cuts down all; nothing of the physical manl is left. The monument which his children or friends may erect to his memory in the cemetery will crumble into dust and pass away; but his life, his achievements, the work he has accomplished, which otherwise would be forgotten, is perpetuated by a record of this kind. To preserve the lineaments of our companions we engrave their portraits, for the same reason we collect the attainable facts of their history. Nor do we think it necessary, as we speak only truth of them, to wait until they are dead, or until those who know them are gone: to do this we are ashamed only to publish to the world the history of those whose lives are unworthy of public record. i. RI i I j! i i. lI I_ h^ I.4 mmmowmmmbk i a --- i i 4 t 1 -- --- I__ _ __ ~_ L L.~_ ~ _a. 4 I I K L;I i i I I I I -.A -------- 1111~ ~ lpPlrr-:~- I~IICII~~-~IIII11~~11 II~PI ---- ~L~- le-~I II —C —~-~LLs 1ao 1 I m I - 4 IL I I I i! W IO -— ~ - -ebm- — d iV BRANCH COUNTY. 185 W ---n-II-L-a-_I~I-illlllllYII-(*IIYL- I --- — __________ --- —_____________________ I... ^I lAUMAN CANFIELD, a venei 5 M siterable and highly respected -. citizen of Bronson, and of 4; whom we present a portrait on the opposite page, was (^1 born in the opening year V of the present century, 1 April 11, 1800, in the State of New i York, and is the son of Selah and ^ Dorcas (Satterly) Canfield, also natives of the Empire State. Selah Canfield was a farmer by occupation, and on both sides the family was & noted for longevity, the father of our subject dying at the age of seventy-three, and the mother, out-living her husband several years, died when eighty-three years old. Our subject received careful home training and a good education in the common schools and at Middlebury Academy in Genesee County, continuing a resident of his native State until nearly forty-four years of age. On the 3d of April, 1829, he began the establishment of a home of his own by his marriage with Miss Dorcas Bartlett, which took place at the home of the bride in Genesee County. Mrs. Canfield was born in Genesee County, N. Y., near Rochester, in 1805,! and was the daughter of Jacob Bartlett, of Genesee County, and by her union with our subject became the mother of five children, namely: Alanson A., Selah, Jr.. Chester N., Prudence L. and Alice A. Of these three are living and all were married. Mrs. Dorcas Canfield departed this life at her home in Alexander, N.Y., Jan. 12, 1840. On the 25th of July, 1840, our subject contracted a second nlarriage, with Miss Philura, daughter of Isaac King, of Alexander, N. Y., who became the mother of one child, a son, Marcus, who died at the age of five years. The mother departed hence June 20, 1845, in Bethel Township, Branch County. The present wife of our subject, to whom he was married in Batavia Township, Branch County, Dec. 2, 1849, was in her girlhood Miss Almira Emerson. She had before been twice a widow, and to them was born one daughter, Melinda, March 25, 1851. She is now the wife of Jacob Price, and the mother of four boys; they live in Bethel Township. Mr. Canfield came to this county in 1844, and purchased land in Bethel Township, where he farmed for a period of thirty-nine years. IHe then removed to the village of Bronson, where he and his estimable wife purpose spending the remainder of their days. They are both devout members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and Mr. Canfield has been one of the chief pillars, bearing a tenth of its financial burdens and (loing everything in his power to furn u~l~Y111- 5 ~UrII1U C1 I r j 0 mollooft- J 04 9 I., r -.1- -- - W -1- - -.- -- ~ s i ~ I.- -W I I I - i- - -- J-P WL * 0900 I I A I I i I1 I 14 i I I I I I/ccC11;_,,,,,,,-~,,_________ __;___ p -q-8 II 11c I -- ---- MOSW w~w O. -40 I I I L 186 13RANCH COUNTY. r ther advance its prosperity. When first becoming a voter he supported Whig principles, but in 1856 identified himself with the Republican party. IIe served as Justice of the Peace five terms, has been School Inspector and -lighway Commissioner, and was urged to accept the office of Township Supervisor, but did not feel inclined to take upon himself its responsibilities. We append the following poetry composed by Mr. Canfield on his eighty-eighth birthday, as well as give other productions of his which show that his soul is full of poetry and his heart mellow with love: EIG( H-ITY- EIG IT TO- )A r. Hark! hear the knell of time, the records say, Eighty-eight marks the tide of my birthday; How swift time flies, on its flitting wing Is borne the life of every living thing. From cradle to the grave, how rapid is our flight; We hail the morn, lunch at noon, Lo! 'tis night. My thoughts, that once so loved to stray From nadir to the milky way, From Arctic to Antarctic seas, Now love to rest and take their ease. My locks, once black as the raven's wing, To snow's white flakes are whitening, My memory has left her throne, And when called she is not at home. My hearing's bad, my sight is bleared; These omens show life's close is near. To emigrate must be my task, A solemn work, for 'tis my last. My goods are packed-Faith, Hope and Love, The only robes I will need above. AN APOSTROPHIE TO FRIENDSHIP. Oh! Heaven born guest, we, children of earth, address thee to-night. From thy lofty throne O hear thou the petitions we now offer thee. Look down on this cold earth and touch man's colder heart with a live coal from thy holy altar. Sin has cursed our world and frozen man's heart. Death reigns and mourning is in the land. Come with thy warm spirit. Breathe on us. Baptize our world with new life. Cheer the sad with thy kind look. Without thy smile we languish. Let thy kind spirit hover round and in sympathy divine rest on each of us. The melody of thy sweet voice is a cordial to the sinking soul and revives the lowly heart. With the pure hope of a higher life, 0, angel form, come dwell with men. Stoop down to earth, make thy abode with the meek and contrite ones who worship at thy holy altars. Without thee what is man? Man has no heart to feel where thy breath has not kindled it. 0, come and revive these dead hearts with thy own sweet, flowing life; cheer the weary pilgrim, smooth his rugged path as he advances. Instead of thorns may flowers deck his pathway. Earth is desolate and blighted, and men are beasts when thy scepter rules not the heart. Thy presence generates genial fires in the soul that purify and elevate, and unite man to man by kindred sympathy that death cannot dissolve. Where'er thy reign peace claims her home. Friendship's altars there abound-thy shrine the heart-thy dwelling where purity and love make their home. The friendless an(t forsaken find in thee a friend. To the sorrowing, crushed and despairing ones impart the consolations of a brother's love. Breathe upon us the sympathy and kindness of thy own meek spirit. Bind heart to heart in fellowship of kindred love. And may this world restored, be chained in friendship's softest bands, heart to heart, brother to brother, foe to friend, till the brotherhood of man, confessed, restored, shall pervade the whole earth. Whither we go may thy presence our steps attend. Commune with our hearts by the way. When we a brother meet may kind words reveal the kindness of our hearts, our mutual love-the mourner comfort, the fallen raise and bid him hope and live. To the lonely, despairing one speak works of comfort, call him brother, smile upon him, and hope will come again to his forsaken heart. O thou friend of the friendless, dearer than a brother, when the dark cloud threatens our sky thy presence is near. And when the storm rages high and the winds are loud thy sweet voice we hear above the roar. It calms all our fears. Wherever our humble cot may be in this lone vale of tears, there pitch thy royal tent. And as time wastes and each bright morning dawns, may we hear thy gentle voice calling us to the holy mission of doing good to all mankind. And when we die may it be in thy loved arms, breathing good-will and kindness to all I I.. o I: I4I II I 4rl.,1 Elu I bo_ 1 4 1 I I I i AL M_ 3BRANCHI COUNTY. 187 otur lace. May the soft hand of tender love these eyelids close. These arms lie gently folded on the silent breast. Affection's silken robe our winding sheet-our coffin the generous charities the world bestowed to hide from mortal sight the frailties of human life; and, borne by brothers' hands to yon sequestered shade of olive groves, where the night bird sings sweet vesper hymns, the wild flowers bloom-there let me sleep. Earthly friendship can go no further. Here its last consolations cease. To thee, kind father, in trust, we commit dust and spirit till the resurrection morn, when Gabriel's trump shall wake the dead, then, reunited, clothed in robes of ilmmortality and everlasting life, receive us to thine abode, our final home. We claim no merit but ask all through Christ, our Savior, Brother, Friend. Nor mounl, nor lnd, clher peering eyes could seeStill 'bove the waste, and o'er the pathless sea, Pursued her search. And, wearied in her flight, She sought a friendly tree on which to light j I II i i i NO1 As SOVE. As Noah's dove went forth with trembling wing And, wearied, late at night came fluttering in, Yet undismayed, did venture forth again And widely scanned the desolate main: The boiling floods, huge mountains ceaseless roll, And unrestrained its swells lave either pole, From West to East the waters heave and surge, And tallest mountains the wild waves submerge. Earth, one vast pool, which no eye could scan, So late the scenes of mirth, abodes of man; Save one floating mote, no object met the eye Above the molton floods or 'neath tie sky. This life-boat rode the highest, proudest wave, And slept beneath where arching billows lave; It scaled the highest mountain, nor feared the strand, For leagues below slept rocks and solid land. But all things bide their time. The flood obeys; Reversed her tides, and turned back their relays, Heaven's windows closed, her pouring flood gates guard, While earth's deep boiling founts her portals barred. The flood abates, its long, dull waves recede And seek their primal beds as Heaven decreed. Noah felt the ark grind 'gainst the mountain side, The bird sent forth to watch the waning tide. When lo' on the peak of a distant hill An olive spied and plucked it in her bill With joy-plumed wings, she homeward sped her way. This trophy in her master's hand to lay. So may these lines return my hopeful heart. One olive leaf its solace to impart, Long waters shoal and ne'er a friendly shore, My bark, tho' trained, now longs to venture more. Ye winds blow soft nor wake the sleeping gale, 1My first adventure, on your floods to sail, May my frail craft buoy the waves and the tide, And wrecked never be tho' not the Ocean's pride. As bread on waters thrown may feed a child Shipwrecked alone on coasts bare and wild, I'll trust these thoughts and throw them to the wind, And chance, in after days their fruit to find. T111( (1,ITS ON I'IIESENT AND) FiUTlRE LIFE. Can sadder thoughts the mind conceive, Death closes up this mortal strife; Yes, sadder still the spirit grieves That leaves no hope of future life. Skeptics may glory in their creed, When friends here part they'll meet no more; From such delusions may I be freed, I'll trust to meet them on the other shore. Shall earthly friendship close with death, Affection's holy claims be riven, Resign must we this mortal breath, With no dear friends to meet in Heaven? (Tell not the mother her babe and she must part, 'Twill freeze the tendrils of her heart Which twined her infant from its birth; 'Twill crush her writhing form to earth,) No, Death's (lark sleep ne'er shall sever Souls here endeared in Christian love; In that pure clime we'll part never, But dwell with God and saints above. Life's ocean ceaseless ebbs and tides, In calm repose it sometimes sleeps; On mountain swells it ofttimes rides, Yet passive in its bed it keeps. II I 000-A A k. A Akh. __-J. - U: ( 4 ml 188 BRANCH COUNTY. L I have braved life's storms, now past fourscore, To reach the harbor on the other shore; Where storms and winds disturb no more The bands that reach that peaceful shore. My bark's now frail, it seeks a haven, Its sails are torn, it springs a leak; I'll make in haste the port of Heaven, The bay that all God's children seek. And when this world I bid farewell, My work all done, may Angels bear My trusting soul where Seraphs dwell In climes more beautiful and fair. 01 Soul, expand thy vision wide, For bright scenes light up before me; Heaven's vast plains like ocean tides Reveal to me new fields of glory, On which to gaze can never tire, Our songs no languor I know or feel; Sweet waves of joy our souls inspire, As God in Christ His love reveals. INTItODUCTION. Returning from my summer's visit, in lone reveries, thinking over the many old friends I met, and the pleasant, though brief interviews that passed-happy scenes, of tender, cordial greeting, and warm embrace, imparting that thrill of joy whose vibrations will only cease when this poor heart shall cease to beat-friends of my childhood I may never meet on earth again. While musing o'er their memories, it came into my mind to pen a few thoughts, and commit to paper, that may show how and where the mind ruminates when sequestered, alone in my rural home-the themes that inspire my heart, and wake my thoughts, and tell where the mind delights to linger, and its fascinations. The ideal scenes, groves, and hallowed lawns my feet delight to wander in, my eyes to feast upon, and thrill of melodies, whose soft breathing voices fill the fragrant air with rhapsodies, akin to heavenly song. How sweet in melting trills they fall upon the ear. My whole being is awake, and seems renewed with a mental baptism, imparting a higher and purer spirit. And while glowing with unbounded, fervid thought, 'tis then my absent friends pass before my vision, their forms I see, their words I hear; that friendly smile, imparting genial fires from pure and gentle hearts, warms my bosom afresh, and there kindles a holy living flame. And by its pure light and inspiration I am prompted to write a few lines that shall indicate the yearnings of my nature, the channel of my thoughts, and the heart's treasures laid up in store. And to you they are given, free as the rain drops from the clouds. At the age of eighty-eight years Mr. Canfield is a hale and hearty old man, cheerful and companionable, and may most properly look back upon his life as one which has been well spent, and in which lie has evaded no known duty, and has sought to shape his course by the Golden Rule. He has been strictly temperate, never using whisky or tobacco in any shape. At the laying of the corner stone of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Bronson lie was appointed to deliver the address, a copy of which was placed within the stone, together with his photograph. It is hardly necessary to say that he is widely and favorably known throughout this part of the county, and held in more than ordinary respect. AMES R. WILSON, a prominent and skillfuil agriculturist of Branch County, occupies a leading position among the intelligent and respected citizens of Ovid Township. He is a native of New York, born in Starkey, Yates County, Jan. 12, 1836. He is of good New England ancestry, his grandparents, Reuben and Sabra (Follett) Wilson, having been born in Western Massachusetts, July 9, 1772, and July 25, 1775, respectively. After marriage they remained in their native State for some years, and then removed to Yates County, N. Y., being early settlers of Milo Township. In 1835 they came to the Territory of Michigan, spending their first season here in Coldwater, and then made a permanent settlement in Ovid Township, where they entered 160 acres of Government land on section 21. Mr. Wilson, who was a carpenter and joiner by trade, first erected a log house, which he soon after replaced by a sulb I &Akb.- M —.gg mh I - -. — I ~, "I I I I I W I, - I- - - "111-, -- - I 4 -/ ----.-. WV"' or a"* - - lLIII 19 BRANCH COUNTY. 189 I stantial frame dwelling. He improved a part of the land and lived here until his death, which occurred Aug. 17, 1839. Mrs. Wilson survived him a short time, dying Sept. 7, 1841, wlhen she was laid to rest beside her husband in the cemetery that he had located on his land on section 28. To them had been born eleven children, five sons and six daughters. Their son Daniel, the father of our subject, an honored pioneer of Branch County, was born in Berkshire County, Mass., Dec. 6, 1810, and was consequently but two years of age when his parents removed to New York. lHe attended the district schools of Milo, where he received thorough instruction in the fundamental branches of study, and while yet in his teens he commenced teaching school. During that time he began the study of medicine, and later continued his studies with Dr. Spence, of New York. Subsequently he was under the instruction of Drs. Whitney and Hluston, of Yates County, and received his diploma from the Medical Society of that county. He practiced there until 1836, when he came to the Territory of Michigan with a view of locating permanently. He bought eighty acres of land of his father, but in the fall of that year returned to the Empire State and resumed the practice of his profession in Yates County, resid(ing there until 1839, when, accomplanied by his wife and one child (our subject), he again came to Michigan. The journey was made across Lake Erie from Buffalo to Monroe, then with a one-horse wagon to Union City, Branch County, where he located and commenced the practice of his profession, being one of the earliest pioneer physicians of this county. In August of that year his father (lied, and it became necessary for him to remove to Ovid to care for his mother. He settled on the homestead, and for a few years managed the farm and attended to his duties as a physician. Finding the care too much for him, he removed to Coldwater, where he spent a few months, then went to Branch Village, and was there successfully engaged as a practitioner of medicine for two or three years. Returning to Ovid, Dr. Wilson settled on section 28, where he had previously bought eighty acres of timber land, and after clearing a space he commenced the erection of a house. It was his desire to retire from his professional duties an(l devote his entire attention to agriculture, but his ability and skill as a physician were so well known that his services were in constant requisition by the people, so that in addition to superintending his farm work, he also practice( medicine, until illhealth compelled him to retire from active life. IIe has been the beloved physician in many a household, where his presence has brought healing, and all regard him as a safe friend and a wise counselor. IIe is a man of superior intellectual culture, and rare strength and sweetness of character. He has often been called upon to fill important offices of responsibility and trust in the county and township, having served as Supervisor of Ovid, as Sheriff of Branch County, and as County Surveyor, the people having had such confidence in him that when the Legislature passed an act for appropriating 5,000 acres for the imlrovement of highways, he was appointed to locate the land, sell the same, and expend the proceeds. In earlier years the Doctor was a Democrat in politics, but differing with the majority of that party on the slavery question, he joined the Republican party on its formation, and has since been a firm supporter of its principles. )1r. Wilson was married, Feb. 9, 1834, to Miss Mary Sprouls, who was born in New Jersey, Dec. 25, 1810. Her parents, James and Corselas Sprouls, moved from New Jersey to New York State, where they spent their last years. Dr. and Mrs. Wilson were the parents of two children, our subject and Marion. The latter is the.wife of Allen A. Abbott, of Allegan County, Mich. Mrs. Wilson, who was a most loving wife and kind and devoted mother, died Oct. 6, 1879. James R. Wilson, of whom we write, was in his fourth year when his parents came to Michigan, and remembers well the incidents of pioneer life in Branch County. Indians still occupied their original haunts, and frequently called at the cabins of the white settlers; deer, wild turkeys and other game were abundant, and furnished food for the inhabitants. Our subject received his rudimentary education in the pioneer schools, and being a scholar of great intellectual attainments, was afterward sent to Hillsdale College, where he was a student the first term of school taught in that institution. Dur _A d " ".- - -, -- - - I- - - - I-; M.. A_ -_ - t IF L 10 3RACI - COUNTY.I L 190 tRANCHu'l~ COUNTu'lY. illg vacations and after leaving school our subject assisted in the work of the farm, living with his parents until his marriage, when he settled on the place where he now resides, opposite the old homestead on section 28. Mr. Wilson has been twice married. The maiden name of his first wife, to whom he was wedded July 4, 1867, was Maria Thompson, a native of Ohio, and daughter of John and Cornelia Thompson. After a few years of happy married life she passed to her long rest, Jan. 9, 1878. The second marriage of our subject was solemnized Aug. 28, 1886, he being at that time united to Miss Annie Goble, a native of Steuben County, N. Y., and a daughter of James and Eliza Goble. Mr. Wilson owns one of the finest farms in Branch County, consisting of 200 acres of fertile land, the greater part of which is under a high state of cultivation, and includes the old homestead of his father. Our subject is a practical business man, with sound and intelligent views on all the leading topics of the day, and is an influential citizen of his community. In educational affairs he takes especial interest, and has served as school officer in his district, and as School Inspector. He has also filled acceptably to his townsmen the office of Township Treasurer, and has represented the town on the County Board of Supervisors. Both Mr. Wilson and his estimable wife occupy a high social position in the community, and are justly esteemed for their many virtues. In politics our subject is a true Republican, and cast his first Presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln. JOHN TAGGART, one of the younger farmers of Bronson Township, has spent within its limits nearly his entire life, he having been born at the farm of his father on section 16, Jan. 20, 1840. The latter, David Taggart, and his wife, formerly Miss Sarah Perry, were among the earliest pioneers of this region, coming here in the fall of 1836. They battled with the difficulties around them, the elements of a new soil, the inconveniences of mill and market, but by their perseverance and industry succeeded in building up a good homestead and gradually, as the country became settled up, the most tedious features of pioneer life melted away. Our subject acquired his education mostly in the village school at Bronson, but when a youth of seventeen years entered the college at Ontario, Ind., where he completed his studies and thereafter followed teaching during the winter seasons for about fifteen years. In the spring of 1861, after the outbreak of the Civil War, he enlisted as a Union soldier in the 1st Michigan Infantry, serving with the first volunteers three months, and in 1862 re-enlisted, in the 67th Illinois Infantry, for the purpose of guarding prisoners at Chicago. In 1864 he joined the 7th Michigan Infantry for three years during the war, and was out in and around the Army of the Potomac in the 2(1 Corps, commanded by Gen. Hancock, about one and one-half years. He participated in the battles of Bull Run, the Wilderness, Hatches' Run, the siege of Petersburg, and met the enemy in numerous other minor engagements and skirmishes. He was tendered the office of Orderly Sergeant but declined. While in camp in front of Petersburg lie was clerk for the Captain, T. S. Benham, whom he assisted in making muster rolls and description lists. After the surrender of the Confederate forces he was mustered out at Jackson, Mich., July 5, 1865, and on the 3d of October following was united in marriage with Miss Alma Smades, of Hanover, Jackson County, this State. Mrs. Taggart was born Jan. 24, 1849, in Jackson County, Mich., and is the daughter of Jacob and Harriet (Gifford) Smades, who were natives of Canada and Vermont respectively, and are now deceased. Mrs. T. acquired her education in the district school and remained with her parents until her marriage. Our subject and his wife commenced the journey of life together in Bronson Township, and the household circle was completed by the birth of six children: Frederick W. died at the age of eight years; Frances Marian is at home; Lena Lee died when about one year old; Sarah Louise, John H. and Grace May are all at home. The homestead of our subject includes sixty acres of land under a I I I r r fI~l aml ~ -~ ----. I I I "I...- I- - --.... -..|.. -. t -^ BRANCH COUNTI^. — 1.1 -4 O BRAN~rCH COU~NTY. 191 good state of cultivation, where he has a fine residence with commodious and substantial out-buildings, and makes a specialty of good grades of stock. He takes a lively interest in politics and uniformly supports Democratic principles. lie has considerable influence in his township, where he has officiated as Superintendent of Schools and Highway Commissioner. Socially, he belongs to the G. A. R. and the I. 0. 0. F. DAM BASSETT, formerly a substantial and metAI' prosperous farmer of this county, to which he came when Michigan was yet a Territory, in 1835, became one of the leading men of the community, and when his death occurred, March 30, 1887, it was felt by all who knew him that a good man was called to his rest. He was situated on section 34, Batavia Township, and met with very good success in the pursuit of his chosen calling. Adam Bassett was born in Andes, Delaware Co., N. Y., March 1, 1823, and was the son of John Bassett, who was a native of Martha's Vineyard, Mass., where he was born on the 20th of March, 1793. He married Cynthia Benjamin, who was a native of the same Island, and was born Sept. 24, 1793. After the marriage ceremony, which also took place on that Island, John Bassett and his young wife removed to Andes, N. Y., and remained there until eight of their family of ten children were born. They then, accompanied by their family, started overland to Michigan, and arriving in this county located on Government land, on section 33, Batavia Township. They were the very first settlers in this township, and it is needless to state that with their large family they experienced all the vicissitudes that fell to the lot of the pioneer. But they persevered, until finally they saw grow up around them a beautiful section of country, redeemed from the sway of nature by indefatigable and persistent toil. The father died in March, about 1873 or 1874, after attaining the age of eighty-four years, while his wife had passed away many years previously, in 1860, when sixty-two years of age. John Bassett was a soldier in the War of 1812, and was a good, honest and industrious man, and he and his wife were active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. While iml)roving his tract of 160 acres of wild land in Batavia Township, Mr. Bassett had found time to engage in teaching, and conducted one of the first schools taught in the township. In politics he affiliated with the Democratic party, and was an influential man in the early history of the township. The parental family of our subject was increased after the arrival of the parents in Michigan to ten children, seven sons and three daughters, of whom Adam was the third in order of birth, and they are recorded as follows: Amelia, Arnold S., Adam, Emily, Edward H., John C., Francis, Marcus T., Sophia L. and George H. Adam was reared and educated chiefly in Batavia Township, and was there united in marriage, Nov. 24, 1850, with Miss Adeline Roberts, who was born in Mendon Township, Monroe Co., N. Y., April 2, 1824, and is the~ second child of Lyman and Sally M. (Stimpson) Roberts, natives of New York State. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Lyman Roberts settled in Mendon, and there resided until the death of the wife, which occurred in 1826, when she was less than thirty years old, being called away by that dread disease consumption, and leaving three children, the youngest of whom was six months old. After the death of his wife Lyman Roberts removed to Lockport, Niagara County, and for some time acted in the capacity of Sheriff of that county. He subsequently went West and started a good grocery store in Chicago, which he conducted for some years, and finally came to Michigan and lived with his eldest daughter, Mrs. Marshall Miller, of Batavia Township, until his death, which occurred in 1868, when he was sixty-eight years of age. In politics he was a Republican, and was an active and practical business man most of his life. According to an arrangement made by her mother just before her death, Mrs. Bassett was regularly adopted by the former's sister, Carolina Leet, and was reared by her aunt, with whom she lived until her marriage. At six years of age she accompanied the family to Ohio, and in 1848 they came to Aft I i I I )Po ---.RUM ill Ml~~-~-~~~ I ~ —Q~.~IL~_ Ln. A I -— gdLb r ---Iqqrw I -lb. -- ML --- —-- I m -- woo _ l C ll — r- t l 192 BRANC I COUNTY. Michigan and made a settlement in Batavia Township, where Mrs. Leet and her noble husband, John L. Leet, both passed away, ripe in years and honors. A brother of Mrs. Adeline Bassett, Mortimer D. Roberts, was but six months old when his mother died, and he was afterward given by his father to a man by the name of Eals, who was to care for himn for some years but was not to adopt him. The foster father, however, abducted the child and took him to Philadelphia, where the father lost all trace of both. They subsequently removed to Minnesota, where Mortimer grew to manhood, and after serving through the late Rebellion, married and settled down to farm life, all the while supposing that he was the son of Mr. Eals. But the anxious father never gave up hope, and at length, learning through a friend the address of the Eals family, instituted a search, and finally found his long-lost son. 'here was glreat rejoicing over this reunion, and he was rewarded for his efforts by having his son return witli him to Batavia Township, where lie still resides. Our subject and his wife at once engaged in farming in Batavia Township, where Mr. B. secured a tract of 120 acres of land, which is still owned by Mrs. Bassett, and there spent the remainder of his life. They became the parents of two children: Ida, the wife of Thomas Reading, residing on a farm in Bethel Township, and Elmer J., who took to wife Edna Sheldon, of Matteson Township, and is now operating the homestead. In addition to general farming he makes the breeding of horses a specialty, and owns " Minnesota Jack," a Clydesdale horse and a very valuable animal. IIe owns another wellbred animal, "Adicure," of trotting stock, which is stout and active, and gives promise of developing into a fast horse. ENRY H. BOWERS, a leading citizen of Butler Township, is regarded as one of the most intelligent and enterprising farmers of. Branch County. He is a native of Michigan, born in Salem Township, Washtenaw County, Oct. 25, 1837. His parents were among the early pioneers of Southern Michigan. His father, Henry Bowers, was born in New York City, and was a descendant of an old English family. He belonged to the New York Militia when he was a young man, and his son Henry has in his possession a desk and manual of arms which he used at general training. He married Miss Jane Vangiesen, who came of an old Dutch family that settled in New York State in early Colonial times, and her paternal grandfather was a Revolutionary soldier. Mr. and Mrs. Bowers settled in Genesee County, N. Y., where he was engaged as a carpenter for several years. In 1832 they removed with their family to Michigan. This was in territorial days, and the southern part of this great commonwealth was then mostly covered with the dense growth of the primeval forests, and with wild prairies and swamps, and few and far between were the settlements of small towns. They located first in Wayne County, but after farming there two years Mr. Bowers concluded to sell out and move to Washtenaw County, where he bought a large tract of 240 acres of land, and made his home until his death, in April, 1878, at the age of eighty years and six months. The mother of our subject died in March, 1886, aged eighty-six years. These venerable people were held in the highest honor and esteem by those about them, to whom they had end(eared themselves by innumerable acts of neighborly kindness, and tle help that they had always so willingly extended to those in need or trouble. They were the parents of six children, four of whom are now living; their names are as follows: Elizabeth M., Charles E., Susan C., John S., Henry H. and Viola A. Our subject grew up on his father's farm, and began to work and attend school at an early age. The educational facilities of his native town were very good, and as he was ambitious to gain a sound education, he availed himself of all the opportunities to attend school that fell in his way. When he was twenty-one years of age, in 1858, he came to Butler Township, but after staying here six months, he returned to the old homestead in Washtenaw County, to assist his father in the management of his extensive farming interests, remaining with him for twelve years. In 1870 Mr. Bowers again came to Brancl County, and on the 15th of Ij abo I -ode r ---1 --— X- C I. ~IIw avo ~L1PllY — ~ ftobo-M.-0leYIIY4*QYQ~-*II[I "T1 l11115-2-, -......._ m _ 7 t I *60 —i~ I - 1 BRANCH COUNTY. 193 — I I May was united in marriage with Miss Orissa Rosecrantz (for her parental history see sketch of Richard Rosecrantz). She presides over their happy home with the grace, true hospitality and culture of the perfect lady, and renders it very attractive to many outside of the home circle. Two pretty and intelligent children complete the household, Rena and Viola, both of whom are at home, the former attending school. Mr. and Mrs. Bowers are the owners of 120 acres of land, and he has erected a commodious house and is building a large barn, 110x30, for cattle and sheep, and has built a fine horse barn, corn house and tool house, and has made other good improvements. His farm is well kept and shows the constant care of the owner. Mr. Bowers has been very successful in his agricultural ventures, and is now in good circumstances and can enjoy life and its pleasures. He is in every respect a manly, whole-souled, free-hearted man, and is universally esteemed. He is a thoroughly good citizen, and takes an earnest interest in proinoting the welfare of Butler Township, and has done good service as School Director and Highway Commissioner. In politics he has always stood with the Republican party, castiig his first vote for Abraham Lincoln when lie was first elected to the 'Presidency. EWIS C. WALDREN. The citizens native < to the soil of Southern Michigan, reared in pioneer homes, inheriting the stern virtues of brave sires, who dauntlessly faced the perils of an unknown wilderness that they might be enabled to provide more substantially for their children, have now for many years borne a prominent part in the agricultural, commercial and manufacturing interests of the State; they are public-spirited, ever zealous in promoting the welfare of the community in which they reside, and as members of the body politic of the commonwealth of Michigan, they are proud of her high standing among her sister States. rThat they are not lacking in patriotism and devotion to their country was well proved by their conduct in the late Rebellion, when the regiments of Michigan were distinguished on the field of battle for their many heroic and (laring deeds, and for faithfil service throughout the entire war. In the subject of our sketch we have a fine representative of the class of citizens mentioned. lie has for several years been extensively identified with the lumber interests of Branch County, Ovid Township being the seat of his business. He was born Aug. 30, 1834, in the city of Adrian, Lenawee County, of which his father was an early settler. His grandfather, Lewis Waldren, was for many years a resident of Vermont, but in 1844 he took up his abode in Peoria, Ill., and, so far as known, spent his last years there. The parents of our subject, Joseph and Elizabeth (Pound) Waldren, were natives respectively of Vermont and New Jersey, andl the latter was a daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Wright) Poun(1, likewise natives of New Jersey. The father of our subject was but thirteen years old when lie started out into the world to fight life's battles on his own responsibility, and soon found himself in Cattaraugus County, N. Y., a stranger in a strange land, but he shortly found employment whereby lie was enalled to earn his own living. Ile married alnd lived there until 1830, when he came with his family to the Territory of Michigan, he and his brother-in-law coming by way of Lake Erie with the household goods, and their families coming with teams. They stopped four miles south of Adrian, and the father of our subject bought forty acres of land, built a log house, and commenced to clear away the trees to prepare for the tilling of the soil. He lived there two years, then sold and moved( to the village, where he engaged in the grocery business, being the first one to establish himself in that line. This was in the very earliest days of the settlement of Southern Michigan, and the country was in a primitive condition, having no indications of its present wealth and importance. There were no railways, and all his goods were drawn from Toledo with team. Mir. Waldren continued in business in that city until 1838, when he went to Tecumseh and built a grocery store, which, after managing a few months, he sold land went to Cambridge, He bought a saw i I I i f I 21 1 i1 i I i i I I I 1 i I i i I I i i i ei II i I i I i I i i I I 11 -0 f I 21 1 1 _-.9L NW I. a/ wvl — i - o. - -~-marur*r*---~-rc) ---UI-(" --- —-- r a _ow -b - * — wv,- p""~~D, *4*C3-a-~- &~ u~~~ 194 BRANCH COUNTY. I mill, or an interest in it, in that place, and was engaged in the manufacture of lumber for three years, and at the expiration of that time he turned his attention to farming. Moving to Jackson County, he purchased a farm, on which he lived, with the exception of three years, until 1858. In that year he came to Ovid Township and bought a tract of land, with good water-power and sawmill, and resided here until his death, in March, 1864. He was much missed in this community, as he had been esteemed a good citizen, being a man of enterprise, energy, and strict integrity. The good wife, who had shared his pioneer labors, and had always devoted herself to the highest interests of her family, died on the home farm in November, 1875. There were five children born of their marriage, of whom the following is recorded: Levi lives in Alagansee Township; Phebe is the wife of J. L. Maxon, of Ovid Township; Leroy died at the age of fifteen; Lewis C.; Loren lives in Ovid Township. Lewis C. Waldren was eight years of age when he went to Jackson County with his parents, and he completed in the schools of that county the education begun in the early schools of Lenawee County. As soon as large enough, his father required his services in his business, and in the farm work. He lived in the home of his parents until a year before his marriage, and in the year of his marriage he came to Branch County and rented a farm in Algansee Township, and was there very profitably engaged in farming operations when the war broke out, and in the second year of the Rebellion, when all looked dark and doubtful, and the fate of this great Nation seemed trembling in the balance, he laid aside his work, prepared, if needful, to sacrifice his all in the cause of his country, and on the 7th of August, 1862, enlisted in Company H, 19th Michigan Infantry, marched to the front, and served until the last battle was fought, and the cruel war was over. He was in the battle of Spring Hill, March 5, 1863, and was captured and imprisoned in Libby Prison for a few days, and after being in the hands of the rebels a few weeks, was exchanged and joined Sherman's army at Chattanooga. He was under that famous General in his celebrated march from Atlanta to the sea, thence upward through the Carolinas, still on to Richmond, and then to Washington, where he took part in the grand review. He was honorably discharged from service June 10, 1865, and on his return home entered into the lumber business with two of his brothers. In 1869 they completed a large steam sawmill at an expense of 83,000, but on the 29th of January, 1872, that building was destroyed by fire, and then the present mill was built. They are doing an extensive business, and have made a great financial success of it. Mr. Waldren has been twice married. His first marriage took place in 1859, at which time he was united to Miss Sarah E. lPotter, a native of New York State, and daughter of Godfrey and Lavinia (Vandercook) Potter. After a few years of a pleasant married life, Mrs. Waldren died, April 29, 1866. The second marriage of our subject was to Miss Sarah E. Jordan, who was born in Algansec, Branch County. To her and her husband have been born two children: Lillie E., wife of John McMurray, of California, and Verne J. There were two children of the first marriage, who (lied in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Waldren have a very pleasant home, to which many friends are attracted by the generous hospitality extended to them by the genial and courteous host and hostess. The extensive business interests of our subject have brought him a wide acquaintance throughout Branch and adjoining counties, and wherever known he has acquired a fine reputation as a straightforward man, whose dealings are conducted on strictly honorable principles, and his frank, manly bearing has made him hosts of warm friends. Socially, he is a member of Butterworth Post No. 109, G. A. R.; politically, his record will show that he has been a stanch Republican since he crossed the Ohio River into Kentucky to subdue the enemy opposing the Union, and trying to pull down the glorious stars and stripes. I I iK I ANIEL TICE, who is numbered among the ) early pioneers of Branch County, pitched l his tent here when a young man twenty-one years of age. ITe had come with his parents to Michigan when a lad of nine years, they locating in St. Joseph County, where he spent his 1- - - — ~ — a A I Vl a *o — 4 HBRANCH COUNTY. iBg I9 ^I --- —-— L --- —--— I --- - - --- —` ----- -- -- earilier years. He was taught habits of industry when a boy, and after coming to this county employed himself with a breaking team which was much in demand in those days. After the outbreak of the Rebellion, our subject, Feb. 9, 1864, enlisted in the 12th Michigan Infantry, and served until after the close of the war, being mustered out at Camden, Ark., Feb. 15, 1866. His regiment was assigned to the Western army, and did a great deal of skirmishing, protecting railroads, were on guard duty, and frequently made long and wearisome marches. Upon one occasion they marched forty-eight miles il two days as guard to Gen. Steele, and in the year's time estimated they had traveled 3,000 miles on foot. They frequently met the enemy, but in their encounters our subject fortunately escaped unharmed. Four men of his regiment died of wounds, and 109 of disease. Our subject was born in Catlin, Chemung Co., N. Y., Feb. 16, 1833, and is the son of Jonathan C. and Phebe (Styles) Tice, who were also natives of the Empire State, the father of German descent and the mother of English. They came to Michigan in 1842, settling in St. Joseph County, where the father occupied himself as a pioneer agriculturist, and where his death took place in December, 1862. The mother survived her husband a period of eighteen years, and died at the home of her son in Lagrange County, Ind., in April, 1880. They were the parents of ten children, three of whom died in infancy, and two sons died in the army. Those surviving are residents of Michigan, Indiana and California. Our subject when twenty-seven years of age was married in Bethel Township, April 7, 1860, to Miss Susan M. Johnson, who was born in that township, Feb. 16, 1843, and is the daughter of Morgan and Abigail (Hoxie) Johnson, natives respectively of New York and Rhode Island. They were of Holland-Dutch ancestry; the father was one of a family of seventeen children. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson were the parents of eight children, four of whom are living. The father died in Nebraska, Oct. 15, 1879. The mother is still living, and at present residing in Hillsdale County. Mr. and Mrs. Tice commenced the journey of life together on their present farm, and became parents of six sons and three laughters, Three sons and all of the daughters are deceased. Frank B., who is at home, was born Aug. 24, 1869; Warren M., at home, was born July 3, 1872, and Oran D., April 25, 1875. Mr. Tice supports the Republican ticket. He has been District Assessor twelve years. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity, the G. A. R. and 1. 0.. F. ENRY SISCO, after a well-spent life of al| i most fourscore years, during which he has witnessed and contributed his full quota toward the marvelous transformation which has taken place in Southern Michigan, is now prepared to spend the evening of his life retired on his farm on section 22, Union Township. Mr. Sisco was born in Troy, Vt., Sept. 28, 1810, and was reared in his native place, remaining until he reached the age of twenty-seven years. lie was reared to farm pursuits, which he has followed all his life with a good measure of success. In 1836, resolving to try his fortune in the growing West. Mr. Sisco started for Michigan, and in the early part of September he arrived in Branch County, an purchasd urch eighty acres of timber land on section 22, Union Township, from which nota tree had been cut. Deer and all kinds of small game were to be had in abundance, while the wolf and bear still prowled around the pioneer cabin, and made occasional nocturnal excursions to the poultry yard or the hog pen. Mr. Sisco erected a log house, and at once engaged in the clearing of land. Gloomy as was the outlook he was not discouraged, and his energy and perseverance were ultimately rewarded, as the forest fell before his stalwart arm, and gave place to smiling fields, producing luxuriant crops, and affording grazing ground for superior domestic animals. He brought all his land under the plow, and the log cabin gave place to a commodious farmhouse, which is now occupied by himself and his son. The farm is supplied with suitable out-buildings and good agricultural implements,which enables him to keep abreast of this progressive age. The marriage of our subject with Miss Lucy Iusk. was celebrated in Marengo, Calhoun Co., 1Micei. Mrs. Sisco was a native of the Empire State, and her luion with our subject resulted in the birth of w — Iqww i r 0 'O.bb-, - — rda - I.-I I P -CI~ I I I ----— 1 -- -~D - Th t....! w pp ----w -4 -I-~-~- -- - -ll4lIIILC-3l L I ~ I * (I "mP I 196 BRANCH COUNTY. A I --- ---- -- - --- -------------— F — ----- _. --------- four children; only two of whom, however, lived to maturity-Lovina and William. Lovina died when about nineteen years of age, and William is married and resides in Union Township with his father. After nobly assisting her husband in his life work by her womanly counsel and assistance, Mrs. Sisco was called to her reward, dying at the homestead in 1878. In politics Mr. Sisco is identified with the Democratic party, to which he has given a lifelong support. He has always been a worthy and highly respected man, adhering to the Golden Rule of doing to others as he would be done by, and has thus gained the approbation of all who have the pleasure of his acquaintance. la ~3 bzl I" C -- OEL SANDERSON, the father of George W. Sanderson, whose biography is found upon the following page, was born in tile town of Brookfield, Orange Co., Vt., Dec. 26, 1816. He is the son of James and Rebecca (Hovey) Sanderson. His father enjoyel the distinction of being the first white male clild born in Woodstock of the same State. The mother was a native of the town of Canterbury, Conn. They were married at Lymne, N. H., and immediately afterward established their residence at Woodstock. His occupation was that of farming, and considering the comparative crudeness of implements and lack of what would now be considered indispensable machinery, he was very Irosperous. In the year 1828 the family removed to Huron County, Ohio, but they had not been long settled in their new home before they were called upon to bid a last farewell to the husband and father, who was removed by death upon the 2d of September of the same year. The family circle included ten children, of whom Joel, our subject, was the youngest. In those days of pioneerism every member of the family helped to carry the general burden. Each one had his work, which was increased in variety and importance in direct ratio to his advancing strength and experience, so that when the death of his father occurred our subject was in a large measure prepared for the struggle of life. Not long after that event he began to work out, although only about twelve years of age. The remuneration was of course small, but every little was needed. During the winter months he would work for his board with the privilege of attending school, and thus was enabled to gain admission into the mystic, hallowed circle of mental culture and development, where is the true growth of the man. In Chialeborough, Somerset, England, was born, upon the 11tlh of August, 1816, to Thomas and Ann (Purchase) Legg, a daughter, who was christened Mary Ann. This family afterward came to the United States, and settled in the neighborhood of our subject's home. An acquaintance which was formed by the young people was happily consummated by their marriage upon the 7th of August, 1842. As the years rolled by the portals of their home were opened to receive and welcome eight children, whose names are recorded as follows: George W., James, Wilbur F., Sarah A., Rebecca, Eva, Asenath and Charlotte. Two years after his imarriage Mr. Sanderson removed from his rented farm in St. Joseph County to Lagrange County, Ind., and there purchased a farm in G(reenfield Township. Upon this he witnessed a succession of happy and prosperous years, until 1869, when lie purchased another farm in an adjoining township, which comprised 280 acres of well-improved, tillable land, and there he continues to make his home with her who has been his life companion, and whose presence, counsel and affection have been the brightness and inspiration of his life. Our subject has not been prominent in civic matters, nor what is known as a politician, but has consistently supported the Republican party and deposited his ballot in its interest. He has held various official positions in the township and county. He has also been connected with the 2d Ohio Milita, in which he was promoted, and served for a considerable period as Major. His influence has always been on the side of good morals and patriotic citizenship, and by this is meant such character, manly bearing and honor, as will reflect most creditably upon one's State, and country, also, and as a necessary part of the above, the willingness to stan(l in the defense of the same when called upon, { u IIC I *bP-M o __-r _c~_ -_7.. _ i l' i - II SIDENCEOFIA W.VVANDERSON, I M. GOOLDEN,SEC. 27. QUINCY TOWNSHIP., t ~b~B a 4La ~p-~-~* - sr~ -r~aar rra ---~ --- —~r~piC..nE: -<4. v — Wm l BRANCH COUNTY. 199 A 7f3EORGE W. SANDERSON. The Sanderson family is of Englisl extraction. James Sanderson, the paternal great-grandfather of our subject, was the first male white child born in Orange County, Vt., which county was also the birthplace of his son, James, Jr. The latter after reaching manhood and becoming the head of a family removed, about 1828, to uIron County, Ohio, and settled on a farm in Sherman Township. There he operated successfully as a tiller of the soil, and spent his last days in peace and comfort. lie had served as a soldier in the War of 1812, and while in the service contracted asthma, which was indirectly the cause of his death. Among the sons of James Sanderson, Jr., was Joel, the father of the subject of this sketch, who was born in Orange County, Vt., in 1816, and was the youngest of a family of ten children. He was a lad of twelve years when the family left the Green Mountain State for Ohio, and developed into manhood on the farm in Huron County. He was there married to Miss Mary Ann Legg, a native of Somerset, England, who came to the United States with her parents, Thomas and Ann (Purchase) Legg, when quite young. Their family included two children only, herself and her brother George, and the latter is a resident of Philadelphia, Pa. After their marriage Joel Sanderson came with his newly-made wife to St. Joseph County, this State, where he rented land for a time, and also purchased land in Lagrange County, Inc., to which he removed four years later, and he now lives in Lima Township, that county. He and his estimable wife became the parents of eight children, of whom George W., the subject of this sketch, was the first born. James is a resident of Lima Township, Lagrange Co., Ind., and Wilbur, of Bethel Township, this county; Sarah is the'wife of William F. Mott,of Coldwater; Rebecca married Ami Parham, and lives in Bronson; Eva, Mrs. Aaron Parham, is a resident of Fawn River Township, St. Joseph County, this State; Asenath is the wife of Loren Parham, also of Fawn River Township; and Charlotte is the wife of George Monroe, who lives in Matteson Township, Branch County. A child of but a year old whenleaving theBuckeye State, having been born April 28, 1843, our subject remembers but little of his life there and not much more of his early life in Michiganf He grew to manhood in Lagrange County, Ind., to which his parents removed when lie was a little lad of five years, and where lie acquired a practical education in the common school. He assisted in the various duties pertaining to farm life, and after leaving home labored two seasons elsewhere at the same occupation. On Christmas Day in 1866, he was united in marriage with Miss Calista M. Rice, who was born in Bristol Township, Trumbull Co., Ohio, Dec. 25, 1839. Her parents, Erastus and Frances M. (Bean) Rice, were natives respectively of Franklin County, Mass., and New Hampshire; the father was born in 1811. The parents were married in Connecticut, but settled in Massachusetts, where the father followed farming mostly, with the exception of a few years, in which he was employed in a cotton factory at Springfield. He left New England for Ohio about 1836, and a few years later came to this State, taking up his residence first in Burr Oak, St. Joseph County, where he lived seven years. Thence he removed to Lagrange County, Ind., which was his home for a period of fifteen years, and from there came to this county and settled in Quincy Township, where he is still living, being now seventy-six years old. The mother (lied here in January, 1883. The wife of our subject was the only child of her parents, but her mother had three children by a former marriage to Caleb Stewart. These were: Rufus B., who was a soldier in the late war, and d(ied at Indianapolis in the hospital; George A. and Eliza J. George A. lives in Chicago, and Eliza J. in Nebraska. Mr. and Mrs. Sanderson came to this State from Lagrange County, Ind., with Mr. Rice, the father of Mrs. Sanderson, and our subject purchased 100 acres of land in Quincy Townshipin company with his father-in-law. Subsequently he added to his real estate, and is now the owner of a fine farm of 213 acres with good buildings, and a fine assortment of live stock, including cattle, horses and sheep. He is an energetic farmer as well as a first-class business man, and in politics is a zealous supporter of Republican principles, and although caring nothing whatever for the offices, officiated at one time as A I -- - iPII~ — m - x ^ -- - I - D "W i I i i i i i i I i I I i I I I I i I i, i I Ii I Irf.1 0 r l-I L —106 — -— 1h-0-1 0- - - ~II- _~ ~lr 200 BRANCH COUNTY. I Drain Commissioner. Both Mr. and Mrs. Sanderson are members in good standing of the Baptist Church. They have an interesting group of chil(lren, five in number. who were named respectively: Estella C., Joel E., Jr., Marion and M1ay (twins) and Myrtie E. In addition to this brief sketch of his life we present a view of Mr. Sanderson's residence and surrounding buildtings. AMUEL M. GOLDEN is prominent among the farmers of Quincy Township, who by their enterprise, persevering industry, and shrewd management, have done much to give her a leading position among her sister townships in Branch County. He is a son of William Golden, who was born in the town of Wilton, Saratoga Co., N. Y., in 1804. At the age of sixteen he learned the carpenter and joiner's trade, at which he became very skillful and acquired a reputation as a first-class builder. In the winter seasons he was employed in wagon-making, and continued thus engaged and at his other trade in his native county until about 1838, when he removed with his family to Huron County, Ohio. He continued to live there actively engaged at his trade until the fall of 1849, when he removed to Michigan, and purchasing 320 acres of land in Quincy Township, Branch County, became quite an extensive farmer, although he still continued to ply his trade, erecting his own buildings, and doing some carpentering for others besides. He accumulated considerable property, but during his later years was unfortunate and lost heavily. He died in June, 1883, and thus passed away one who had materially assisted in building up Quincy Township, and who had been estimated as one of her best and most reliable citizens. He was a Democrat in politics, but would never accept public office. He was three times married; his first wife was Huldah Sturgis, who died leaving one child, John M., now a resident of Branch County. His second wife was Joanna Sheldon, who at her death left eight children, of whom our subject is the eldest. The others are: lHuldah J., wife of Samuel Hessenden, of Saylesville, R. I.; Napoleon B. lives in Clay County, Iowa; Robert E. died in M issaukee County, Mich., July 16, 1881; Maryette, the wife of Austin H. Bruen, lives in Detroit; Ruth died Dec. 11, 1849, aged one year; Joanna died at the age of two years; William lives in Wexford County, Mich. The third wife of Mr. Golden was Mrs. Heaton, nee Turner, and of their union was born one son, Dow C., who lives in Los Angeles, Cal. Samuel M. Golden, of this sketch, was born in Huron County, Ohio, Jan. 18, 1841, and was eight years of age when he came to Michigan with his parents, and has ever since been a resident of Quincy Township. He lived with his father until he attained his majority, actively assisting him in the management of his large farming interests. In the fall of 1864 he married Miss Mary A., daughter of Luther and Eveline (Amsden) Briggs. She was born in Quincy Township, Oct. 18, 1842. After marriage the young couple began their wedded life on a farm that he had previously purchased, which continued to be their home until the fall of 1874. Mr. Golden then bought his father's homestead, and removed to that with his family, and has since that time lived on it. It comprises 105 acres of highly cultivated land, and many excellent improvements have been made, among which may be mentioned a fine set of farm buildings. Our subject has paid particular attention to raising horses and sheep, which he has found to be a profitable source of income, and his stock of good graded animals compares favorably with that of any other farmer in this region. The married life of our subject and his amiable wife was brought to an end by her death, April 28, 1887. She was a woman whose high personal attributes won 'for her many true friends. She had been steadfast and faithful in all the relations of life, as daughter, wife, mother and neighbor, and her bereaved household, consisting of her husband and one daughter, Joanna, received the heartfelt sympathy of the entire community. Mr. Golden is counted as one of the most trustworthy and honorable citizens of Quincy Township, and well deserves his reputation as a man of sound integrity. He was a charter member of the first i 0-41 __ I hi k! I i ON 4m id- --- - ' 9"l~ Iaa a L-D —C-~- -C I 4L 118I obe-e I ~ -.10 -ap i 1 - f I 'my $e* - L BRANCH COUNTY. 201 ' and second Iorse Detective Association, of Quincy, and still belongs to that organization. In his political relations he associates with the Democrats. A view of Mr. Golden's home place is presented in this connection. OHN H. VAN ORTHWICK. The home of the subject of this biography is noticeable among the farms on section 7, in Quincy Township, for the neatness which has been exercised in its completion and the judicious management of the land, which has been brought to a fine state of cultivation. It lies on the town line road between Quincy and Cold water. It is not extensive, comprising only sixty acres, but every foot of soil has been made available, and yields perhaps as much in net proceeds as many farms of lalger acreage. It was purchased by its present owner in 1863, since which time he has given to it his entire attention, with the excellent results already indicated. The residence of Mr. Van Orthwick in this county dates from 1853. He first opened his eyes to the light in Seneca County, N. Y., Nov. 13, 1820, and is the son of Simeon and Persina (Traverse) Van Ortlwick, who were also natives of the Empire State. His paternal grandfather, Isaac Van Orthwick, came from New Jersey and settled in Seneca County, N. Y., where he spent his last days. His son Simeon sustained the reputation of the family for agricultural pursuits, in which he engaged all his life, and died in Seneca County about 1833, when middle-aged, leaving four children, of whom John H., our subject, was the eldest. The mother was subsequently married to Thomas Johnson, and of this union there were also born four children: Minor, Luke and Luther (twins), and a daughter. These are all deceased. Joseph R., the younger brother of our subject, and now deceased, was a resident of HIillsdale County, this State; Aaron A. resides in Butler Township, this county, and Mary Jane is still single and makes her home with her brothers. The subject of this sketch acquired a commonschool education, and lived with his parents on the farm in New York until the spring of 1844. He was then married. March 18 of that year, to Miss Susan Brickley, who was born in Schuyler County, N. Y., in 1826, and is the daughter of Jacob and Rachel Brickley, who were natives of New York, and are now dead. The young people continued their residence in their native State nine years after their marriage and until 1853, when they came to Michigan and first settled near the city of Coldwater, where our subject purchased sixty acres of improved land, which he operated several years, then, selling out, he removed to his present farm. Mr. and Mrs. Van Orthwick have no children of their own, but have performed the part of parents to several others whom they reared to become good citizens. Our subject cast his first Presidential vote for Clay, and was a member of the old Whig party until its abandonment. Since that time he has affiliated with the Republicans. He is a man of excellent business capacities, and has officiated as administrator upon several estates, besides holding other positions of trust and responsibility. Both he and his estimable wife are members in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church, at Coldwater, having been connected with this denomination for nearly half a century. Mr. Van Orthwick for many years labored faithfully as Sunday-school teacher and Superintendent, but the failure of his eyesight compelled him to resign the work in which he was so deeply interested. In his community he ranks among its representative men, being prompt to meet his obligations, upright and correct in his lusiness transactions, and in all respects fulfilling the ideal of an honest man and a good citizen. SAMUEL J. KNOWLES is an old and respected citizen of Butler Township, who by indomitable and persistent energy has worked his way up from poverty and obscurity to his present prominent position as one of the ablest men of the community in which he resides. When he came to Michigan in the winter of 1856-57 all of his worldly possessions were comprised in a suit of clothes, a rifle, and $15 in money, but he had youth, health and strength in I I dd obo la AI d91r- * 0 0lrp 00 II -..I- -r~-~- ~ ~ —~-~ ---~- r- -1 — ~ ---~- ~-. 'I — _ F U.. P I I- - m I L 2 - 202 BRANCH COUNTY. I! I I I his favor, and was not unwilling to work for what he desired. IIe soon found employment at cabinetmaking at Knowles' mill, Butler Township, working at that trade for a period of seven years. His first purchase of land consisted of one-fourth of an acre, and since then he has added various amounts in different purchases, buying eighty acres at one time, and has cleared over 100 acres himself. His farm now colmprises 145 acres, most desirably located on sections 28 and 33, and by his skill and good management it has become highly productive, and is considered one of the finest pieces of property in the vicinity. Our subject was born in Farnham Township, Brome County, Province of Quebec, Canada, Nov. 17, 1827, but he comes of New England ancestry, his father, David Knowles, having been a native of Vermont. The mother of our subject was born close to the banks of the beautiful Hudson, in New Y ork. Both she and her husband were Quaker ministers, being classed among those noble-hearted, self-sacrificing people who devote their lives to relieving the misery and needs, both spiritual and physical, of the human race. They traveled extensively on their mission of doing good, and especially did they labor among the Indians. At one time they visited the Indian Territory, in company with Simon D. Harvey, and worked among the Cherokees. After an absence of eighteen months in that region, they returned to their Canadian home in Brome County, and the mother, broken down in health from close application to her philanthropic schemes for the elevation of the red man, became an invalid, and six years later died, in June, 1848, at the age of forty-nine years. But in her death she was not divided from her husband, with whom she had so faithfully and nobly labored, for he had departed this life two weeks previously in the same month, at the age of forty-seven years, he having just returned from an extensive mission trip to Ohio, with his own team. Thus, though their lives were brief as measured by years, they had been productive of great good, and were rich in noble deeds. They were the parents of five children, four of whom grew to maturity, two sons and two daughters. Samuel Knowles was the second child and oldest son born to his parents. He was educated in the common schools of Canada, and sound principles and good habits were early inculcated by his wise parents, who taught him to walk in the path of honesty, sobriety and industry, if he would succeed in life. His early years were fraught with privations and misfortunes, but with the hope and buoyancy of youth, he rose superior to them all, and steadily labored on his father's farm, and also worked out for two seasons before he attained his majority, finding employment in the State of Vermont. At the age of twenty-one he suffered the loss of both his parents, which was a severe blow to him. In his twenty-second year he was married to Miss Hannah MI. Hall, also a Canadian by birth, but after a few years of happiness she died, leaving two children, George D. and Howard A., the latter dying in the same year as herself. Mrs. Knowles' death occurred Nov. 12, 1856, at the age of twenty-four. After marriage our subject was quite successfully engaged in the manufacture of building material for some time, but after the sad death of his wife, he abandoned that business, and leaving his son George with his grandparents, he turned his face toward Michigan, intending eventually to adopt his early calling on the rich and fertile soil of this State. We have already told of his great success as a farmer, and there is but little left to say, except that he has erected a good dwelling, and has provided a good home, in which he and his amiable wife are enjoying the comforts and pleasures of life. Mr. Knowles has a fine flock of sheep, thoroughbred American Merino, with a thoroughbred registered ram, John Boll, at the head of the flock. Our subject is a man of enterprise, and by no means confines himself wholly to agricultural pursuits, but is also engaged in operating a sawmill, which has a capacity of sawing 100,000 feet of lumber yearly. In March, 1859, Mr. Knowles made an extended trip to Pike's Peak, and was gone from home until the following June, his journey across the plains before the era of railways in that part of the country furnishing him with many curious experiences which would be of great interest to our readers, if the limited space of this biography would permit us to transcribe his adventures. Mr. Knowles' second marriage, which took place r c__ I Sabb1 4: N 'a L i II h r I I - U B 203 BRANCH COUNTY..! Dec. 28, 1857, was to Sophronia J. Cusick. daughter of David and Mary H. Cusick. She is a faithful member of the Christian Church, and is greatly esteemed. Mr. and Mrs. Cusick owned seventy acres in Quincy Township; he died on the homestead il January, 1888, at the age of eighty years, his wife having preceded him in 1879, at the age of sixty-three years. They were the parents of nine children, six sons and three daughters, of whom Mrs. Knowles, the fourth child, was born Oct. 18, 1839, in Medina County, Ohio. Mr. Knowles' son, George D., a youth of much promise, joined his father in Michigan, after he had established a home, and died March 22, 1873, at theageof twenty-one. Mr. Knowles is a man of good ability, is prompt and systematic in his business habits, is earnest and thoughtful in his feelings, and his reputation is without blemish. In politics he is bound to no party, believing in them only so far as they are necessary to bring about needed legislation and reform; he aims to vote for principle, for reform in finances, the sale of liquors, etc., and for men of principle who will endeavor to carry out such reforms. 1i ANIEL S. DUNKS, formerly a prominent | )) and respected pioneer of this county, was (r pleasantly located on section 9, Sherwood Township, on a fine farm of 200 acres of valuable land. Like many of the farmers of this section of the country, he made a specialty of stockraising and was very successful in this enterprise, having some superior specimens of domestic animals. With a neat and substantial residence and commodious and convenient out-buildings for sheltering his stock and storing the products of his farm, Mr. Dunks was well equipped for the successful prosecution of his calling. His last sickness was spinal and brain fever, which so deranged his mind as to cause him to commit suicide by drowning himself in the St. Joselph, about a mile distant from his home, April 21, 1877. The subject of this biographical sketch was a native of the Empire State, and first saw the light in East Bloomfield, Ontario County, Jan. 21, 1810. Determining to cast his lot with the pioneers of the infant State of Michigan, Mr. Dunks bade good-by to his childhood's home in 1838, and corning to this county settled in the township of Union. He was one of the first white settlers of this place, while yet nature reigned unmolested by the pioneer's ax, and the denizens of the forest had nothing to fear from the huntsman's rifle. Mr. Dunks was obliged to walk three and a half miles, morning and night, while engaged in building a house for the reception of his family, and during these walks he was much annoyed by the ubiquitous mosquito, and he was frequently obliged to carry with him a whisk of boughs, and brush them off as he ran to try to leave them behind. But his was not the courage to be intimidated by such obstacles, and being shrewd enough to predict to some extent the magnificent future of Southern Michigan, he kept in view the goal, and his efforts were crowned with that success which constant and well-directed effort seldom fails to bring. The subject of our sketch was united in marriage, Jan. 28, 1836, in West Bloomfield, N. Y., with Almira E. Saunders, who was born in Niagara County, N. Y., Feb. 11, 1816. Mrs. Dunks spent the first twelve years of her life in her native county, receiving her education in its public schools, and then removed to Ontario County in the same State. Two years after their marriage they migrated to this State, and cordially united their endeavors to secure for themselves and their children a heritage among the enterprising people of this section. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Dunks was blessed by the birth of four children, three sons and one daughter, who are recorded as follows: William C. was born Feb. 13, 1838, at Kendall, Orleans Co., N. Y.; lie was born a healthy child, but sustained a stroke of paralysis of the left side, when six years of age, caused by an accident, and has since been partially crippled. He is a physician of the homoepathic school and resides in Union City. Oliver S. was born Jan. 30, 1843, and has for twenty years been an inmate of the Asylum for the Insane at Kalamazoo; Julius S. was born Aug 1, 1846, and was united in marriage, Dec. 19, 1877, to Mary H. Bennett, and is now engaged in conduct- I I I I S I i| - 6. - - - - - I IIn-. I. - - - I.. I 1 I -. I - 1.-gI. I - ' I 1 1 A Io.. Aahl - _________AL ---- U ICIFI~II~1 ~ --- I- - I I~ I -~ I"I ~ I~ i ow ~~ "W - 204 m A BRANCH COUNTY. ing the homestead; Mary A. was born Sept. 6, 1852, and is at home with her mother. ' he family are members of the Congregational Church, of Union City. -— ^4^ ---- -:_ D1~ ICIHAOND F. PARKER, a farmer of Coldwater Townshilp, is a tine representative of the noble men of Branch County, who in wtimes of war or in peace have ever proved themselves to be faithful and loyal citizens of this great and glorious country, and no one is more worthy of note in this work than he. He can trace his descent through a long line of notable New England ancestry to one Lord Parker, of Macclesfield, England. The first of the family to come to America settled il Massachusetts, and were murdered by the Indians. Their children escaped by hiding in the grass, and one of their children's children, James H. Parker, was the great-great-greatgrandfather of our subject, and the line of descent is traced through his son Phineas, grandson Elijah. great-grandson Stiles, and great-great-granIdson John Parker, father of our subject. Stiles Parker was a preacher in the Methodist Episcopal Church. He married Demmis Caples, and subsequently moved from the State of New York to Summit County, Ohio, and held a pastorate in the town of Richfield for some years. He then went to Delaware County, where he died, and thus ended a good and noble life that had unselfishly been devoted to the moral elevation of his fellowmen. The grandmother of the wife of our subject had the honor of entertaining Gen. Washington at dinner one (lay during the Revolutionary War. 'The fatller of our subject was born in Ontario County, N. Y., March 18, 1793, and there grew to maturity and married, in 1813, Olive Foster, who was likewise horn in that part of New York, her birth occurring in 1796. They lived for awhile in their native State, but in the following year migrated to Kentucky, going by team to Olean Point, and thence down the wild and picturesque waters of the Alleghany and Ohio Rivers on a flatboat to Gallil)olis, where they stopped a short time before proceeding to Kentucky. Mr. Parker was a wagon maker, and followed that trade in the latter State, near Elizabethtown, for ten years. He then became a pioneer in Summit County, Ohio, where he bought a tract of land with an abundant water power, formed a partnership with another man, and built a sawmill, which they operated together for some time. Two of his sons learned the millwright trade of him, and then they built several mills in Summit and Medina Counties. In 1845 Mr. Parker sold all his business interests in Ohio and came to Michigan, where he had resolved to devote himself to agricultural pursuits. He rented a farm in Wheatland, Hillsdale County, and lived there four years, and then moved to Branch County, where, in the township of Union, he resumed the lumber business. He built a sawmill there, which, however, lie soon sold, and returned to Ohio, where he lived with his children until 1860. He then came back to Michigan, and spent his last years in the home of our subject, in Girard Township, dying in March, 1865. Ils good wife also spent her declining years with him in the home of their son, dying in 1871. They were active, industrious people, with many commendable traits of character, which won for them the respect and esteem of all who knew them. Eleven sons and five daughters were born of their marriage, namely: Alpheus, Huldah, Matilda, Peter, Paul, Minerva, Ransom, Marilda, William, John, George, Oliver, Richmond, Silas and Cyrus (twins), and Martha. Alpheus and Cyrus died in infancy. The rest grew to maturity, and with the exception of Silas, married. He served in the late Rebellion as a member of Company B, 44th Illinois Infantry, and was killed at the battle of Stone River. Iie was a brave and patriotic soldier, and faithfully served his country on the field and in camp. LIe was mustered in as Sergeant, and for gallant conduct was promoted through the different grades to the rank of Captain, and was leading his command to battle when lie was killed. The subject of this sketch was born at Hinckley, Medina Co., Ohio, April 15, 1836, and was nine years old when his parents first came to Michigan. I-Ie attended the district schools in Ohio and Michigan, and continued to live with his parents until he was eighteen years old, altlough a great lpat of the time he was working away from home. At the age of I abo.-M 1-4-0 401-14 -~~ I -In - i -11_1 _1_1_ IC- i'" "i I I __r-~~-~-~ —~~ ---— ~ r~-~ —-c-~i-~rrr — ---r --- —-~-?-. -XI IIT-l`-.-lll. ---- ----* ---L1-17-~-~1 -14 -.d - b U rL, l~P~4E~be ~ re, ~~ ~ I ~ - - -I BRANCH COUNTY. A I 205 eighteen he began to learn the trade of a millwright, which he followed, together with that of a carpenter, until 1860. He then bought a tract of land comprising forty acres, in Girard Township, built a log cabin on the place, and then commenced to improve a farm. On the 7th of August, 1862, he threw aside all personal ambitions and considerations, to enroll his name with those of the brave defenders of our country in the great Civil War that was then raging, becoming a member of Company C, 19th Michigan Infantry, and served till the close of the war, being the principal musician of the regiment, and for the last fourteen months was stationed at brigade headquarters. HIe was with Sherman in his march to the sea, through the Carolinas under that gallant commander, and on to Richmond. He took part in the grand review at Washington, and was mustered out with his regiment the last of June, receiving his discharge papers at Detroit. After the exciting scenes which he had passed through on Southern battle-fields, Mr. Parker returned to his home in Girard Township, and quietly resumed his farm duties, which he had cheerfully laid aside at the summons of his country. He was very successful in his farming operations, and added thirty-four more acres to his farm, and erected a very fine set of farm buildings. In 1883 he disposed of his property in that township and bought the place where he now resides. His farm here comprises ninety acres of good land, and is provided with substantial frame buildings. Mr. Parker is an intelligent and progressive agriculturist, and well understands how to cultivate his land so as to gain the best results for his labors. Our subject was married, Jan. 1, 1857, to Miss Caroline Fauble, who was born in Bristol, Wayne Co.. Ohio. Her father, Samuel Fauble, was also a native of that State, while her grandfather, Michael Fauble, was born in Germany. His parents brought him to America when he was young, and they died soon after landing in this country. Being thusleft an orphan he was apprenticed to learn the trade of a shoemaker. He married, in Pennsylvania, Miss Agnes McMahan, a native of that State, and then moved to Ohio, where he followed farming. He spent his last years in Bristol, Wayne County. He was a man of fine physique and health, and doubtless his temperate habits enabled him to ward off the usual infirmities of old age, for although his life was prolonged to the unusual lengtllof ninety-three years, he never had occasion to use spectacles or to carry a cane. Mrs. Parker's father was a lifelong resident of Ohio. He was a stirring business man, owning mills and farming land, and ably managing both. He died suddenly in 1850, while on a business trip, in Galesburg, Ill. His widow now resides in Delta, Fulton Co., Ohio. Her maiden name was Jane Halliwell, and she was also a native of Ohio, born in Jefferson County. Her parents were William and Elizabeth (Cox) Halliwell, natives of Pennsylvania and Virginia. Mr. Parker is a prominent member of Butterworth Post, G. A. R., and in politics the State of Michigan to-day has no truer Republican than he whose patriotic services in the cause of our country entitle him and his comrades to the undying gratitude of his fellowmen. By his upright and manly course from his earliest youth until the present time, when he has approached the meridian of life, he has inspired those with whom he came in contact with confidence, and is universally esteemed and respected.! RS. SOPIRONIA MITCHELL. Among ' the pioneers of Branch County the name of Mrs. Sophronia Mitchell deserves espe*/ cial mention. She came here with her husband in 183G, when most of this part of the country was still a wilderness, and nobly fulfilled her part in their mutual struggle to carve for themselves a home from the wilderness, which they might leave as a heritage to their children. In this they were eminently successful, and, while attending to their temporal wants, they did not neglect that higher social training which should fit their children to take their places as respected members of society. She is pleasantly located on section 32, Union Township, where, on her neat little farm of thirty acres, she can look forward to a happy old age, enjoying the comforts which her well-spent life has secured. The parents of our subject, Deacon Lewis and Charlotte (Barnard) Hawley, were natives of New I I _w1. I I I II I;,. I I - 1. ~~ ~ _ ~ ~ ~ ~ _ _ _ I -qo mvpl f 4 1 i I i I i i I i I II -,; --- — ~~ ----~ IL~ —l-____..I- - l~1_I__ll ---. X. -_-I ---l —l -4 0 ~, I.-II I.1 111hillbibm. 206 BRANCH COUNTY. Jersey and Vermont respectively. They came to Michigan in 1836 and settled in Union Township, this county, where Mrs. Hawley died, while Mr. Hawley afterward removed to Union City, and there resided until his decease. Their family included twelve children, of whom our subject was the eldest. The subject of this biography was united in marriage, in Niagara County. N. Y., March 28, 1836, with Archibald M. Mitchell, and they came to this county in that year, settling in Union Township. Mir. Mitchell at that time took up 640 acres of Government land, much of which he subsequently disposed of, leaving to Mrs. Mitchell the small farm already mentioned. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell was blessed by the birth of five children-Byron L., Solon M., Martha, Newton and Charlotte. Byron is a resident of Batavia Township; Solon is deceased; Martha is the wife of Daniel Herford; Newton resides in Kansas, and Charlotte is the wife of Henry Case, of Union Township. The father of our subject, Deacon Hawley, was for many years a Deacon in the Congregational Church, as was also her husband, and she herself is a conscientious member of that denomination. Mr. Mitchell was an upright and honorable man, esteemed and trusted by all who knew him. He held several of the public offices of his township, including that of Justice of the Peace, the duties of which he discharged honestly and fearlessly for a period of twelve years. Gt ARON D. MILHAN, who is Superintendent of the Branch County Farm and Infirmary, Coldwater, is a very able man, and his sound judgment and good business qualifications admirably fit him for the responsible position that he occupies. He is a native of the State of New York, born in Chatham, Columbia County, Nov. 15, 1841. His father, Martin Milhan, was born in the same town; he was a farmer, and spent his last years in Wayne County, N. Y. Mr. Martin Millian grew to manhood in his native town, and for many years carried on his lifelong occupation of farmer there. He married Miss Polly Rhoda, who was born in the town of Claverack, Columbia Co., N. Y. She was a daughter of David Rhoda, a native of Germany, who emigrated to America with his family, and settled in Claverack, where he bought a farm, and continued to reside there until death. In 1851 Mr. and Mrs. Milhan moved to Wayne County and located in Williamson Township, where Mr. Milhan purchased a farm, situated three miles south of the Ridge road. I-e lived at that place a few years and then rented to some one else, while he bought another farm, in the township of Marion, where he made his home until his death, which occurred May 28, 1877. He was a shrewd man of business and managed his affairs with ability, so that he laid up a good share of this world's goods. He was just and kind in his dealings, and was held in deservedly high respect. His amiable wife, who shared with him the esteem and regard of their neighbors, is living on the home farm in Marion. Our subject was ten years old when his parents moved to Wayne County, and lie has a clear remembrance of many incidents of the removal, which was made by the way of Erie Canal. He attended the common schools, where he gleaned a very good education, and in the vacations assisted on the farm. He remained an inmate of the parental home until 1869, when he came to Branch County, this State, and engaged in farming in Girard Township, meeting with much success in his undertaking. In 1877 Mr. Milhan bought an interest in a saw and grist mill in Union Township, and assisted in operating that mill for three years, when he sold his share of the business and resumed farming. May 31, 1867, was tile date of the marriage of our subject with Miss Mary Sweezey, who is a native of Palmyra, Wayne Co., N. Y. Her father, Stephen Sweezey, was born in the same town, of which his father, Isaac Sweezey, was one of the first pioneers. [Ie cleared a farm from the wilderness, and lived there until death. Mrs. Milhan's father spent his earlier years on the farm where he was born, and he was reared to agricultural pursuits, following the same throughout life. He married Fanny Reeves, who was born in Palmyra in 1805. She was a daughter of James Reeves, who was born i I I I I I I i I I i I-ow I I I _00 -* Ir I Im _.,-40 -b i - AUhh.-, BRANCH COUNTY. 207 = on Long Island, as was his father, Deacon Stephen Reeves, who was a leader in the colony that emigrated from that island to the interior of New York, and were founders of the town of Palmyra. lie was a Deacon of the first Presbyterian Church organized there, and he improved a fine farm and spent the remainder of his life there. The mother of Mrs. Milhan made her home during her last years with a son in the town of Marion. N. Y. To Mr. and Mrs. Milhan have been born three children, of whom but one is living, Glenn S. Their son Edwin R., who was born Feb. 15, 1874, died Oct. 16, 1874, and their daughter Fannie. born Aug. 10, 1875, died April 23, 1877. In 1881 Mr. Milhan was appointed to his present position, and in his administration of the affairs of this institution he has given the utmost satisfaction, as he has shown himself to be possessed of good executive and business ability, a just and even temper, whereby lie maintains firm discipline, and everything in and about the place indicates the hand of a master. In his good wife Mr. Milhlan has found a cheerful and able assistant in his work; indeed it may well be said of them both that they are well adapted to the positions which they hold. ^ ----^ --- —-^ V 4r UFUS LOCKWOOD, well known through[ out Coldwater and vicinity, was born near l \ the town of Java, in that part of Genesee \County, N. Y., now included in Wyoming County, this event taking place Aug. 23, 1828. His father, Squire Lockwood, and his grandfather, Barney Lockwood, were natives of Connecticut, and the latter one of a family of sixteen children. He was a cooper by trade, and took up his residence in the wilds of Genesee County, N. Y., in 1817, settling near the site of the present town of Java when there were but few white men in that region. The removal of the elder Lockwood from New England to New York State was made with oxteams at the time when the city of Rochester was but a hamlet, and the land around it being swampy was very cheap. Grandfather Lockwood disdained to settle there, but pushed on and secured his land of the Holland Purchase Company. For this he was to I RN C pay $4 per acre. It was a tract heavily timbered, and it took some time to clear a space big enough for the first year's crops. He could not meet his payments, and money was very scarce, while many of his neighbors were in a similar situation. The company renewed the contract with Mr. Lockwood, and deducted $1 per acre from his land, so that he was enabled to pay for it. There he lived and labored the remainder of his life, clearing a good farm and building up a comfortable homestead with good buildings. The paternal grandmother of our subject was Miss Elizabeth Squire, a native of Connecticut. She died at the home of her son a few years before the decease of her husband. Their family consisted of seven children, and Squire, the father of our subject, grew to manhood in Connecticut, and went with his parents to New York, living with them until his marriage. About the time of this event he also secured land of the Holland Purchase Company, adjoining his father's farm. He first put up a log house with a stone chimney and a large fireplace, where the mother did all the family cooking for a number of years. She also spun and wove, manufacturing the cloth for her husband and children for years. Squire Lockwood lived to see the wilderness develop into a civilized community, and the condition of the settlers changed from hardship and privation to a condition of wealth and plenty. The mother of our subject was in her girlhood Miss Aseneth Jewell, who was born in Cayuga County, N. Y., in 1794, and died at the homestead in Genesee County, in 1878. The parental household was completed by the birth of eight children, seven of whom lived to mature years. Rufus, our subject, was the fourth child of the family, and was reared to manhood in his native township, acquiring his education in the common school. He made good use of his opportunities, and when twenty years of age commenced teaching. Young Lockwood, when twenty-two years old, determining to see something of the farther West, started for Illinois, going by the lake to Detroit, thence by rail to New Buffalo, and from there by the lake again to Chicago. From this point he proceeded to Waukegan, visiting an uncle thirty -9 i 11 _i *L. _ *B-... "Ia 1 ------ I —~ -as I~-7~slsa~`I"la~~ - -'a IllllleCP bl. - -.Ag -o U- a Webb. L -Wv 208 BRANCH COUNTY. II I miles distant, and thence made his way to Kane County, Ill., on foot. He was misdirected, and the last day traveled forty miles out of his way, carrying a large satchel. He finally arrived at his destination, however, and early in the winter went into McLean County,via the stage to Peru, and from there down the Illinois River to Peoria. He next visited Bloomington, making his way on foot, and soon procured a situation as teacher twenty miles north. In the summer he worked at carpentering and painting, and in the fall retraced his steps to the Empire State. Young Lockwood, in starting upon his journey, had with him $40; he returned with $140 in his pocket. He continued with his parents until his marriage, and then purchased land in Sheldon Township, Wyoming County. This was partially improved, and he subsequently bought fifty acres adjoining, upon which stood a house and barn, and resided there until 1865. He had but little money when he bought his land, but being a good manager, he soon paid for his first purchase, then bought the second tract on time, and was equally successful in liquidating that debt. In 1865 Mr. Lockwood disposed of his property in New York State, and coming to Coldwater Township, this county, purchased sixty acres of his present farm. To this he added by degrees until he now has 152 acres, a part of which is within the city limits an(l very valuable. The family residence is pleasantly located on Chicago street, one mile east of the court house, and is a substantial brick structure, flanked by a frame barn, and all the other buildings necessary for the progressive agriculturist. He has labored industriously to attain his present position, and besides being a good financier, is accounted one of the most responsible men of his comnunity. He and his excellent wife are members in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which Mr. Lockwood has been Trustee and Steward a number of years, and is now a Class-Leader. He voted the Republican ticket many years, but at present is identified with the Prohibitionists. The marriage of our subject with Miss Sarah A. Meade took place thirty-four years ago, June 14, 1854. Mrs. Lockwood is a native of tile same State as her husband, and the daughter of William H. and Charity (Meade) Meade, who were natives of New York, and now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Lockwood became the parents of four children: Their eldest, Ida, is the wife of Fred Bidelman, and a resident of Ovid; Mary, the wife of Edward Lockwood, also lives in Ovid; Meda J., Mrs. George Collin, lives in Coldwater; William is a student in the Michigan State University, at Ann Arbor. ILLIAM ALGER, a prominent and worthy citizen and pioneer of Branch County, is pleasantly located in Matteson Township, to which he came in 1859, and has been a continuous resident since that time. He had previously owned land in the townships of Quincy and Butler, and was one of the first settlers in the southwestern part of Butler Township, cutting his way four miles into the woods in order to reach his farm. He made very decided improvements on this property in the four years during which he held it, and since removing to Matteson Township he has evolved from the forest a beautiful farm. Mr. Alger claimns for his birthplace the Green Mountain State, and was born in Richland Township, Chittenden County, in July, 1816. He is the eldest in a family of eight children born to Squire and Dorcas (Putney) Alger, who came to this State with their fainily when our subject was nineteen years of age, and the father remained here until his death. He was a man of good repute, strong mentally and physically, and is more fully written of in the sketch of Dr. Alger, of Coldwater, found elsewhere in this volume. Prior to their removal to this State the family had spent two years in Genesee Township, Livingston Co., N. Y. In his experience on several unimproved tracts of land our subject sums up in himself all the vicissitudes incident to pioneer life in Southern Michigan. At that age when the heart beats warm and the blood courses rapidly in the veins, he could not fail to recognize and appreciate all the romance and beauty to be found in Nature's handiwork, and although he experienced all the trials and privations incident to her subjugation, he looks back to the country in its -— me I f iA 0 m uhb U I 1 —* r l. r l ---- -, W-. l U1 I 10,U1I III I FA II 1,UI I 1 4w -lw.... BRANCH COUNTY. 209 A primeval splendor as the brightest picture in the landscape of his life. He has a very retentive and faithful memory, and is probably better acquainted with the history of the county, particularly with regard to the land, than any other man within its borders. He assisted the Government officers in the survey of the county, and thus had a good opportunity of observing its physical features and natural resources, which his good judgment showed him might be developed into one of the finest tracts of country in the United States. The beautiful oak openings and the trees, the trunks of which were in some places so free from foliage as to admit of the sight of the wild game sporting among them, was a sight which never ceased to charm the eye of Mr. Alger. Those times have passed away, and instead of the forest through which the pioneer groped his way by means of blazed trees and by fording streams, while he frequently encountered the denizens of the forest, there are now in a large degree the evidences of the greatest civilization the world has ever seell. With these scenes is passing away from his goings in and out among Inen the pioneer who effected the transformation, and the children are glad to chronicle the deeds and preserve the features of these heroes, as an example for generations to come of what their fathers have achieved by the well-directed efforts of a royal manhood. Believing that it is not good for man to be alone, Mr. Alger, after a few years in this county, carried his belief to its legitimate results, and in December, 1838, united his destiny with that of Miss Orphie Darwin. Mrs. Alger is the daughter of Russell and Almira (Campbell) Darwin, both of whom are now deceased. The father was a native of Vermont, and was married in Erie County, N. Y., of which State his wife was a native, and the former (lied in Quincy when in middle life, while the latter died in Butler Townshil) at the age of seventy-five years. Mrs. Orphie Alger was born in Erie County. N. Y., Selt. 22, 1819, and in 1835 she came to Michigan with her parents, who located in Quincy in the autumn of that year. Their daughter had received a good common-school education in her native State, and after her arrival in Michigan remained with her parents, cheering and assisting tlem in their primitive home until her marriage. Her union with Mr. Alger was blessed by the birth of twelve children, four of whom are now deceased, as follows: James enlisted in the Union army during the late Rebellion, and was assigned to the Mississippi squadron; le died of spotted fever at Mound City, Ky., and was buried in that city. Burdette was married, and died at the age of twenty-eight years; the others were Julia A. and Edgar. The surviving children are Rosette, Charles, Isaac, Jerusla, Loticia, Norman, Dellison and Mary. All are married and living in Matteson Township, except Rosette and Loticia, who reside in Kansas. The sons are all engaged in agricultural pursuits, and are generally meeting with good success, and Jerusha was engaged in teaching prior to her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Alger are kind and obliging neighbors and public-spirited citizens, ever ready to encourage and assist in any reform movelnent, while in politics our subject is a reliable and solid Republican, and a man of influence with his party. \tL ENRY S. LAMPMAN was an early pioneer Irr) of Southern Michigan, and for more than half a century has been prominently identifled with the farming community of Butler Township, of which he was one of the very first settlers, being the fifth man to locate here, and his dwelling was the fifth house erected in this township, therefore no history of Butler Township would be complete without a sketch of his life. He came here in the freshness and vigor of early manhood to cast in his fortunes with other earnest and cOurageous men, who, seeking to plant for themselves, their children and their children's children, a home on the rich virgin soil of this region, where the huge old trees of the primeval forest waved their branches, 'ibuilded better than they knew," for it -is due to the impetus that they gave in those territorial days that Michigan las arisen to her present proud position among her sister States as a great and glorious commonwealth. Mr. Lampman was born in Greene County, N. Y., Feb. 22, 1810, and his parents, Stephen and Elizabeth (Tryon) Lalmpman, were also natives of I "IIBErlEJ( er~-~ IIIm 1~81 - r1a c I. 11 1 *ON -a 1' - T-, -_ - - a X I~lr AA - I 4.I......- l-I.- - -1 -1.1- -— r 4 mo I II I - - I I - 1-11 210 BRANCI that county, and after marriage settled in the town of Coxsackie, where the father was engaged as a farmer. When their son Henry was seven or eight years old, they removed to Tompkins County, whence they came to Michigan in 1842, two of their sons, our subject and one of his brothers, having preceded them several years before. Mr. Lampman purchased a farm in Quincy Township, where he and his wife spent their remaining years. They were the parents of seven children, namely: Peter, Henry, John, Stephen, Winfield, Myra and Elizabeth. Our subject received a limited education in the schools of Tompkins County, and remained there with his parents until he was eighteen years old, when he went back to Greene County. In 1831 he came to Michigan and settled near Ypsilanti, in Washtenaw County, where he engaged in the manufacture of bricks. In 1832 he was married to Miss Huldah Bonner, of Orleans County, N. Y., born July 21, 1814. She came to Michigan at a very early date in the settlement of the southern part of the State, in 1827, and was married when she was eighteen. Thus for more than fifty-six years she and her husband have journeyed together hand in hand, rejoicing with each other in the blessings that have fallen to their lot, comforting each other in the sorrows of life, mutually strengthening and encouraging each other in their work, and as the years have passed furnishing a pleasant example of a true marriage, two hearts that beat in unison as strongly as on that wedding day so far back in the past. Nine children have been born of their union, as follows: Ira; Maria, Melinda and Mary, deceased; Elizabeth, William H., Lutitia, Amaline and John. Ira lives in Dakota, and has been twice married, his first wife having been Miss Musley, and his second Miss White; he is the father of four children, of whom but one is living, Oraey U. Elizabeth, who lives in Iowa, has been twice married; her first husband, Mr. Cooper, by whom she had one son, Calvin, died in the war; her second husband is Mr. Hillsworth, and they have one child, Scott. William H., who lives in Grand Rapids, has been married three times; Lutitia, living in Springport, Mich., is married and has one child; Ainaline, the wife of Charles Benson, lives in Pierson, Mich.; John lives i COUNTY. I- -- at home; he married Miss Lindsley, and they have three children-Henry, Maud and Millie. In the spring of 1833 Mr. Lampman made a memorable journey, on foot and alone, from Saline, now York Township, on the famous Chicago turnpike, that figures so conspicuously in the history of Southern Michigan, to Chicago, making the distance in seven days, arriving at his destination March 27, one day walking forty miles without food. His journey was full of adventure, and we are sorry not to be able to give an account of it, as it would give one such a good idea of the times and country in those early pioneer days. Chicago was but little more than an insignificant trading post; the stockade at Ft. Dearborn was still standing, and there was but one frame house in the place. Our subject went there to work for another man at his trade of making bricks, molding them by hn an and to him is due the honor of having made the first brick that was ever used in building in Chicago; it was the red brick, and the dimensions of each were 2x4x8 inches. Mr. Lampman returned to Michigan in the fall of the same year, joining his wife at Saline, Washtenaw County, October 7. He soon after went with his wife to Homer, Calhoun County, and bought forty acres of land, on which he lived for two years, then sold it and bought and sold another piece of land, and then removed to his present premises in 1836, buying his land of the Government. After many years of hard labor he has brought it into good shape and made a fine farm out of it, comprising eighty acres of well-improved land on section 14, and fifteen acres of timber land on the section north of it. We of the present day can have but little conception of the wildness and beauty of this part of the country when Mr. Lamlpman first set foot in it, with the magnificent primeval forests stretching away for miles in every direction, with here and there a prairie and an opening where the trees were more scattered; large swamps almost impassable, beautiful streams, with wooded slopes and pretty valleys. The Indians were still numerous in their old haunts, and wolves would break the silence of the night with their startling cries, while bears, deer, and other wild animals abounded. The hardships and trials of pioneer life, so far from the centers of civilization, f I, II.I NF-,qw — - - 4 "P. If -1 Ij II I I I w I r-I --- - - -, ------........................ 1- 1-1 - 1.1 -1- -.- -11.11-. ----ll — -.. - l l. -.. - 1-1-1 - 1-1 - 1 - 1... -"11- 1-1-1-~ —.;- " -".- - -—,-1-1 1 '. —~ -, I1 —4*~D~iB —P-~ ---l~ p~ l ~ ~~I~~*-P -dr-I~ ~C-L — P I ~~C~sl ~ C-~C*~-~I~ ~ VP~ i BRANCH COUNTY. 211 were innumerable. and would have discouraged any less resolute, courageous and hardy than our subject and his contemporaries. In many cases the land had to be cleared from large trees of many centuries' growth, or swamps had to be drained before even a bit of corn, upon which the early settlers were so dependent for food, could be planted; and their dwellings, which they were often obliged to fashion themselves, were mostly rude structures built of logs, where even the doors and windows were sometimes wanting to keep out the bitter cold of winter. But the pioneers were of a brave and self-sacrificing spirit, and patiently endured their trials for the sake of what they hoped the future would bring to them, and heartily entered into the few amusements which lightened their burdens. The greatest diversion of the times was hunting. The brief life record of our subject as it appears on these pages shows him in the light of a good citizen who has materially aided the progress of the township, and has ever had its social, moral and educational interests at heart. He is a member of Butler Lodge, is a Democrat in politics, and has been School Assessor. YMAN OGDEN. The subject of this biography is a son of one of the earliest pioneers of Branch County, David B. Ogden, who came to the Territory of Michigan with his young wife as early as 1824, and located in Girard Township, and from there they removed to Union Township, where the father secured a tract of land on section 1, and where, with his estimable wife, he spent the remainder of his days, both dying in 1881, the mother February 4, and the father May 31. The mother of our subject was in her girlhood Miss Eliza St. John, and was born in the same town as her husband, New Canaan, Conn., Oct. 1, 1804, while his birth occurred a few months previously, April 16 of the same year. They were thus both born in the same year, and in death were not long divided. Of their happy and congenial union there were born eight children, five of whom lived to mature years, and two are now living and residents of Michigan. The marriage of the parents took place in New Canaan, the place of their birth, June 8, 1823, and the year following they started for their new home in the West. Lyman Ogden, our subject, was born in Union Township, this county, Aug. 26, 1847. He acquired a common-school education, and from his boyhood has been familiar witli farm pursuits, which he is still content to follow, and in which he labors to excel. He has always lived upon the old homestead, is still occupying it, and it is hardly necessary to say it possesses for him a far more than moneyed value. To the old rooftree he brought a bride in the spring of 1867, having been married on the 2d of April, that year, to Miss Annie, daughter of Thomas and Catherine (Williams) Holmes, who were natives of England, and crossed the Atlantic in 1850, when their daughter Annie was a child three years of age. After landing upon American soil they proceeded directly westward, settling first in Milwaukee, Wis., afterward removing to Detroit, and from there coming to Calhoun County, this State, where the father engaged in farming, and where his death took place in December, 1858. The mother is still living, and makes her home with our subject. Their fanily consisted of three sons and five daughters, and Mrs. Ogden was the sixth child. The wife of our subject was born in the city of Dublin, Ireland, Oct. 11, 1847, and consequently remembers little or nothing of her native land and the voyage across the ocean, which, had it been a few years later, would have been to her always a matter of great interest and a rich experience. She grew up strong and healthful in mind and body, and became well fitted for her future duties as a wife and mother, and the head of a well-ordered household, whose domestic arrangements under her thrifty care have not only resulted in the comfort of her family, but had their effect upon their standing in the community. Mr. and Mrs. Ogden are the parents of a daughter and son: Nellie H., who was born Oct. 10, 1868, and who died when two and one-half years old, and William H., who was born June 23, 1875,and continues with his parents at the homestead. The only child of our subject and i I! "0 — A I ob — r-~llilll~~~1- IV( ICC~~p~9llY LC-P -I''''''''''''''''''' -— 9'~~~~~l —m ---- l —~e ~-re - a. -4. _ 1 i 4 f r L --- —-- 0 ~ 00l. —.- r 212 BRANCH COUNTY. A -- his wife is a bright and promising young man, and it is hardly necessary to say, one in whom they have great hopes of the future. Mr. Ogden, politically, uniformly votes the Republican ticket, and is making his mark in the community as one of its most thrifty and enterprising men. EVI KERNS, deceased, who was formerly a prominent farmer in Ovid Township, and, whose active labors before the surrounding country had fairly merged from its pioneer condition contributed much toward the development of this county, was born in Beaver Township, Mahoning Co., Olio, Feb. 17, 1824. His father, George W. Kerns. was a native of Maryland, and was there reared and married. He continued to reside in his native State until about 1802, when lie moved to Ohio, and became a very early settler of Mahoning County, where he bought a tract of land and was engaged in farming there until his death. The subject of this sketch was reared in his native town, was married there, and in 1848 moved to Trumbull County, and bought 100 acres of land in Champion Township. The land was heavily timbered at the time, and his first work was to clear a spot on which to erect a log cabin. Then commenced for him the pioneer task of felling trees and uprooting stumps to prepare the land for culture, but he was gifted with youth, energy and pluck, and entered upon his task with a will. In the fall of 1852 Mr. Kerns decided to sell his property in Ohio, and try the rich farming country of Southern Michigan, where he thought he could do even better than he was doing in his native State. In their removal here his family came on the cars, but the household goods were brought with a team. Mr. Kerns hired a house in Coldwater, where he lived until the following spring, and in the meantime bought the land where Mrs. Kerns now resides, and he was a continuous resident here until his death, with the exception of two years spent in Coldwater. His land was surrounded by and covered with a dense forest, with no road to it or buildingon it, and he therefore hired a log house one and one-half miles distant, into which he moved in the spring. During the summer he cleared a small spot on his own land and erected thereon a small log cabin, into which he and his family moved about the 1st of December. Notwithstanding the coldness of the weather, this rude structure had neither doors nor windows, but with the ready habit of the lioneers of adapting themselves to their surroundings, our subject and his wife made the best of their situation, and Mrs. Kerns hung quilts over the apertures where doors and windows should be. Mr. Kerns cleared a fine farm, erected a substantial set of buildings to replace the original structures, and lived to witness the disappearance of the primeval forests, which formed so conspicuous a figure in the early scenic surroundings of his pioneer home, as they gave place to beautiful farms, smiling villages and busy towns. In his death, Feb. 15, 1888, the community was deprived of an exemplary citizen, whose influence was always on the side of the right, and whose honest, blameless, manly life won him universal respect. Mr. Kerns was married, Feb. 1, 1849, to Miss Sarah Miller, who was born in Springfield Township, May 2, 1834. Her father, John Miller, was born in Maryland, as it is supposed, was also his grandfather, George Miller. In 1802 the latter gentleman moved to Ohio, in the same year that it was admitted into the Union as a State. The long and tedious journey was made in wagons, and after he arrived in the State he settled in Mahoning County among its very earliest settlers. Cleveland was the nearest market and depot for supplies for some years, and there being no roads, Mr. Miller used to travel the long distance from his home to that city on horseback and pack his supplies on the horse. He improved a farm, on which he made his home until his death, and did his part toward clearing the land and developing the resources of Mahoning County. The maiden name of his wife was Catherine Raub,a native of Maryland, and she died near Middleton, Ohio. To Mr. and Mrs. Kerns were born nine children, six of whom are living, namely: William H., John D., Mary C., Allison M., Moses D. and Edith B. William carries on a part of the homestead; he married Ellen M. Lyons, and they are the parents of three children. He is well educated, and has for,m slop 0rr I(- - 4l V i 00 - I i r i i i i I i I i t I PI - - -- - - - - - - — _ - _ _ _-I L BRANCH COUNTY. 213 BRANC COUNY. 21 several years been a teacher in the public schools. He is a leading member of the United Brethren Church, and has served as Class-Leader for several years, and also been Sunday-school Superintendent for eight years. John D., the second son, is a traveling salesman, and makes his home in Ovid Township; he married Alice Tuttle, and they have one daughter. Mary married Newton Shenefield; they have three children, and live in Cold water. Allison married Mary Baldridge, and they have one child: they live in Kalkaska County. Moses is a fine teacher and a newspaper correspondent, and makes his home with his mother; Edith married Orange Perry, and they live in Coldwater. Mrs. Kerns is a woman of true Christian worth, whose kindly, benevolent disposition has won for her a warm place in the hearts of those about her. In the various relations of life she has faithfully performed the duties that lay nearest to her hand. As a wife, she was the cheerful assistant of her husband, and to her unremitting toil he was greatly indebted for his prosperity; as a mother, she displayed firmness and wisdom in the management of her children, and reared them to be useful members of society; as a neighbor, she has ever proved a true friend, always ready to extend sympathy and help to those in affliction. After marriage she and her husband joined the United Brethren Church, and never severed their connection with it. *__. -y __~ 1818 he started for Western New York with a pair of horses and wagon, accompanied by his wife, and located in that part of Genesee County now included in Wyoming County. He bought a tract of timber openings in the town of Castile, and immediately moved into the log house standing thereon, in which our subject was afterward born. The route along which he traveled to get to his destination presented a very different appearance from what it does to-day, as for many miles there was an unbroken wilderness where now stand thriving manufacturing towns, busy villages and fine farms; the canal was just being constructedl, and there were no railways in those days. Rochester, forty miles distant from his home, and then a small place, was the nearest market, where he sold his wheat for twenty-five cents a bushel. Mr. Kellsy commenced to clear a farm, and his prospects of success were good, when, in a fatal moment, he signed notes with a friend, and when they fell due he had to pay them, and thus lost his farm. Not discouraged by this adverse circumstance, however, he cheerfully began again the up-hill work of repairing his fortunes, and he soon bought another place, and by patient industry in the years that followed secured a comfortable home, in which he lived until death closed his useful and highly honorable career in 1876. His blameless life record shows him to have been a man of unswerving integrity of character, who never knowingly wronged another, or was unjust in his dealings with his fellowimen. The maiden name of his wife, mother of our subject, was Tina DeGraff, and she was born in Washington County, N. Y., which was also the birthplace of her father, Abraham DeGraff. Her grandfather, Abraham DeGraff, Sr., it is thought, was born in New York State, of Dutch parentage. lHe lived to the remarkable age of one hundred and six years. Mrs. Kellsy's father made his home in Wyoming County during the last years of his life. The mother of our subject lived with her parents until her marriage, and under her mother's instructions became quite accomplished in the useful arts of spinning and weaving wool and flax, and made all the cloth used in the family for years. She died some years before her husband. There were ten children born of her marriage, of whom eight grew I i I i I I I I i I i I3 i i i II iI i I I aI i i I IRA KELLSY is a well-to-do farmer, whose agricultural operations have for several years been conducted in Ovid Township, where he is held ill high respect for the sterling integrity of his character, his thorough. practical understanding of his work, and for other qualities which have placed him among the best citizens of the community. He was born in the town of Castile, Wyoming Co., N. Y., Nov. 7, 1823. His father, Ransom Kellsy, was born in Easton, Washington Co., N. Y., where his father, who was a well-to-do farmer, spent the last part of his life. Ransom Kellsy was reared on a farm, and made his home with his parents until his marriage. About op-I I L -- ------- -- — 1 —. -- I__._ I__ ~._ _I__ __ —__l^ _ I I U I L a! - I -~"C -' _sI" —~. --- P-~~ - ~~- - -- -- - N o-~ "Wo - - C 1 1 214 BRANCH COUNTY. I i 1 I ul, namely: Calista, Ira, Mary, Sylvia, Abraham, Benedict, Sarah and William H. The subject of this sketch was the oldest son of that family, and when he was sixteen years of age he commenced working out by the month to help to support the remaining members of the family. He made his home with his parents until he was twenty-one, and then, as his assistance was no longer needed, lie started out in the world to see something of life for himself. He at first earned his own living by working by the month for others. In 1848 he came to Michigan, but after living in Ovid Township four years, returned to New York, and engaged in the livery business at Holley, in Orleans County, for five years. At the expiration of that time he went to Illinois, and was employed in farming in Kane County for nine years. Mr. Kellsy then resolved to make his home once again in Ovid Township, having been very favorably impressed when here before with the wonderful fertility of its soil, its fine situation, its salubrious climate, and the many other superior advantages that it offered to an enterprising and wide-awake farmer. After his arrival here, he purchased the place that he has ever since owned, and where he still makes his home. He has been eminently successful in bringing his farm to a fine state of culture. and has won the enviable reputation of being a sensible, sagacious, progressive agriculturist, whose systematic and business-like method of conducting his farm labors is well worthy of imitation. Mr. Kellsy has been twice married, the first time to Elizabeth Lingenfelter, their wedding occurring in 1859. She was born in Amsterdam, N. Y., and was a daughter of Michael and Margaret (Van Ness) Lingenfelter. Their married life was but of brief duration, as the young wife fell into that dreamless sleep that knows no waking in July, 1862, leaving behind in the hearts of many friends a pleasant memory of her kindly presence while here. Mr. Kellsy's second marriage took place Feb. 20, 1866, when he was united to Miss Catherine Lockwood, daughter of Uriah and Charity Lockwood, prominent pioneers of Ovid Township (for parental history see sketch of Deacon Henry Lockwood on another page of this work). Mrs. Kellsy is a native of Ulster County, N. Y. She has made her husband a pleasant and happy home, and shares with him the respect and esteem of the entire community. LERED S. BATES is an intelligent and wellinformed citizen of Branch County, who occupies a leading position among the substantial farmers of the pleasant township of Kinderhook, He was born in the town of Starkey, Yates Co., N. Y., Aug. 30, 1819. His father, Hiams Bates, was born in the city of Providence, R. I., and moving to the State of New York in early manhood, became an early settler of Yates County. He bought a tract of land in the town of Benton, but he signed notes with a friend and lost the land. After that he worked at the trades of carpenter and millwright, and spent his last years in Lima, Livingston County, dying April 14, 1828. He was a kind, just and honorable man, and by his blameless life won the entire confidence and respect of all who knew him. The maiden name of his wife, mother of our subject, was Barshell Southard. She was born in Orange County, N. Y., came to Michigan in 1848, and died in Coldwater in 1850. She was a very capable woman, of firm and decided character, and after the death of her husband she nobly took upon herself the support of their seven children, keeping house in Lima, and managed to keel) them all together until they were old enough to go out in the world and earn their own living She carefully trained them in industrious habits, and early taught them to be self-reliant and independent. Alfred Bates was in his ninth year when the death of his father left him solely to the care of his mother, but lie was a bright, manly little lad, and did what he could to relieve his mother from the burden of his support, and though so young contributed a shilling a day toward the family expenses. After le had grown to manhood he worked for $10 a month. He continued to live in his native county until 1848, when he concluded to come to Michigan, where he could secure cheap lands and build up a home for himself. He came directly to Branch County, and bought 100 acres of timber open-! I II* *abl. 0 ",did --- I ob O -M m _ i.. -Iqw ~fr' s.:t "r I, t I 6 -- A -M lw $I -..40 i 217 I th.BRAN CH COUNTY. B -- -------- ings in Kinderhook Township, at $4.25 per acre, and commenced at once to make improvements. There was a log house on the place, and three acres of the land were cleared. It was at 12 o'clock M., May 17, 1848, that he first took possession of his land in Kinderhook, and he has been a continuous resident here ever since. This section of the country was quite wild at that time, and wild animals abounded, furnishing plenty of meat for the table. The wild turkeys troubled the early settlers by eating the wheat in the fields when it was first sown, and after it was growing ripe, and the deer showed a fondness for the corn and pumpkins. In the years of active labor that followed his settlement here, Mr. Bates has become exceedingly prosperous, and has added to his landed possessions from time to time until he now owns 200 acres of as fine farming land as there is in this township. -Besides clearing most of his own farm he has cleared land for others. He is a man of marked energy and force of character, well-balanced, with shrewd common sense, and a good talent for business. Mr. Bates has been three times married. His first marriage was to Miss Mary Smith, to whom he was united April 4, 1852. She was born in the town of Weston, Oneida Co., N. Y., Oct. 6, 1827, and was a daughter of Edward H. and Harriet (Hutchinson) Smith. This faithful wife and devoted mother passed away April 16, 1868. Five of the children born to her and her husband are living, namely: George S., Charles Z., Mary A., Emma J. and Elda H. Edward, their eldest son, died at the age of thirty-one years; Alfred J., the fourth son, died at the age of four months. Mr. Bates' second nlarriage was to Miss Jane M. Gray, and took place Dec. 27, 1868. She was born in Camnden, Hillsdale Co., Mich., and was a daughter of Zalmon and Leah (Westfall) Gray. Her wedded life with our subject was not of long duration, for she died Dec. 24, 1873, at the age of thirty-five years. Two children were born of that union-James H. and Albert C. Mr. Bates' marriage to his present estimable wife took place Jan. 14, 1877. Her maiden name was Amanda R. Bender, and she was born in the town of Bethel, Branch Co.. Mich., Jan. 10, 1854, and is a daughter of Daniel and Caroline (Coffin) Bender, natives respectively of Maryland and New York State. Of this last marriage three children have been born, namely: Wellington E., Perry E. and Viola I. Mr. and Mrs. Bates have a pleasant, cheerful home, which their kind, courteous and hospitable manners render very attractive alike to friend and stranger. Mr. Bates is somewhatof a traveler, and can tell many interesting events connected with his journeys. In 1879 he visited Dakota, spending a few weeks there, and gaining a fair idea of her resources, and of what her inhabitants are doing to develop them. In 1884 he took a trip to the Pacific Coast, via the Northern Pacific Railway, and visited many points of interest in Washington and Idaho Territories and in Oregon. He returned home after an absence of two months, having had a most enjoyable journey, and being more than ever impressed with the magnitude and grandeur of our noble country. fMA 1CHAEL BOWER, a retired farmer and \stock-raiser, and whose portrait we present on the opposite page, is a highly honored and respected citizen of Gilead Township, where, on section 21, he owns one of the finest farms in this section of Branch County. He was born in Northumberland County, Pa., March 14, 1814, coming of sturdy ancestry, who for many years had made their home in that old State. His father, Frederick Bower, was a son of Mathias and Catherine (Helcot) Bower, all natives of the Keystone State, and the grandfather took part in the Revolution as a soldier from that State. The father of our subject grew to manhood in the place of his nativity, and there married Hannah Wolf, (laughter of John and Catherine Wolf, likewise natives of Pennsylvania. Some time after marriage Mr. and Mrs. Bower migrated to Ohio with their children, and settled in Stark County in the early years of its settlement. From there they removed to Richland County, in the same State, and after living there five years moved still further west, and we next hear of them in Steuben County, Ind., where they made their home in 1834, continuing to reside there till death. Mr. Bower was quite prosperously io ao Mp — I -/ -- -. ---- ---- --- -_ ___~ ----~ --- —-- PR -9 - - - - - - ob ol-r3g-~en~ra-I ----rP — sPc~~-.a ~ —~rIIlbe~~ - -- L 218 B3RANPCH COUNUTY. A 2R.UT engaged in farming there for many years; he died in 1867, his excellent wife having preceded him in 1848. They were greatly esteemed by the people among whom they had settled for their n)any good qualities of mind and heart, and enjoyed the thorough confidence of all who knew them. The subject of this sketch was the seventh child of the family in order of birth, and received from his good parents careful training in habits of industry and usefulness, and he also early acquired a knowledge of the duties pertaining to a farmer's life. He gleaned a fair education in the district schools of Pennsylvania, and when quite young moved with his parents to Ohio. He married, in Richland County, Ohio, in 1834, Miss Mary Critchfield, a native of Virginia, born in 1814, in the State of Virginia. She was the third child in a family of nine born to Jesse and Mary (Sarrap) Critchfield, natives of New Jersey. Her parents spent part of their married life in Virginia, but finally settled in Ohio, near Zanesville, which was then a small place. Mr. Critchfield became quite an extensive farmer, owning 400 or 500 acres of land, and he and his wife continued to reside there until their death, many years ago. After marriage our subject settled in Steuben County, Ind., on a farm of eighty acres, which his father had given him. After farming there for many years with good success, in 1863 he came with his family to Michigan, and settled in the county of Gratiot for one year, then moved to Brauch County. In the many years of toil that have passed since he started out in life a young man full of vigor, energy and enterprise, his good management and industry have gained for him a competency, so that he can spend his declining years free from the cares of active business, in the enjoyment of all the comforts that money can bring, and in the full consciousness that by his upright and honorable course through life he merits the respect and esteem that he has won from all about him. His farm, which, when he first settled on it, was covered with timber, now comprises seventy-three acres of fine, arable land, well improved, with a good orchard, and he has erected a substantial, commodious house and a good barn. He now rents his farm and thus derives a good income. The dearly beloved wife of our subject, who labored with him side by side for over fifty years, faithfully sharing with him the burdens and joys of life, died after an illness of eighteen months, March 28, 1885, at the age of seventy-two years. The following is the record of their eight children, six of whom are living, three sons and three daughters: Hannah is now Mrs. Wilkins, and lives in Des Moines. Iowa; Nancy Jane is now Mrs. Baker, and lives in Indiana; John; Elijah is married, and lives in Milwaukee; Albert is married and lives in Gilead; Mary is now Mrs. Lang, and lives in Gilead; James died at the age of twenty-one, in 1864, and Lucinda at the age of seven years, in 1864, both dying of the black measles while their father was in the army. Mr. Bower has an honorable war record of which he may well be proud. He enlisted in Kendallville, Ind., Oct. 11, 1863, as a member of Company B, 12th Indiana Cavalry, for three years, or until the close of the war. He was mustered in in the same town Dec. 23. 1863, and in the following May, the 8th day, went to the front and took part in many skirmishes and in the following battles: Murfreesboro, Nashville, Mobile Bay and others. While engaged in a skirmish near Vienna he received a wound in the right forearm from a lance that pierced clear to the elbow. Afterward he received a shell wound above the left eye, which broke the frontal bone and set the eye back, causing the loss of sight in that organ. In the same battle, Murfreesboro, he was wounded by a gunshot in the head, the shot penetrating the brain, and when the wound commenced to heal erysipelas set in, causing the loss of hearing in his left ear. He was left on the field to die, but his wonderful constitution triumphed, notwithstanding the dangerous and almost fatal character of his wounds, and he heroically remained in the service, and afterward took part in the battle of Mobile. While he was disabled he remained in a tent and did not go to the hospital at all. At another time, while traveling on a railway between Vicksburg and Black River, he received a severe wound in his back, from which he still suffers, as he also does from his other wounds, and is now drawing a pension of $16 a month. He was honorably discharged from the army in Vicksburg, Nov. 11, / *ba_ -. a- I I'll - a I II.... W.XA.......... -p I -j h-I-b- d. i! L BRANCH COUNTY. 219 A i I 1865, and returned to his home in Michigan. Within the last two years he has been afflicted by a stroke of paralysis, and is still suffering from it. Our subject is a man of keen, resolute, uncompromising nature, whose life is governed by sound principles. In politics he is independent, supporting the man or measure rather than the party. He is not an office-seekeer, but has served efficiently one term as Pathmaster. He is a member of the G. A. R., Post No. 336, at East Gilead. SA PARRISH, formerly a worthy and valued citizen of Coldwater, was one of the leading men of Branch County. He was a lr man of great mechanical ability, contracting for building mills and railway bridges, and by industry and economy accumulated a handsome competency. On the 18th of November, 1885, Mr. Parrish passed away to enjoy the recompense due to his long and useful life, but his memory still lives, and his honorable and successful career stands forth as a shining example of what can be accomplished by earnest and persistent effort. The subject of this biographical notice was born March 4, 1811, at lloneoye Falls, N. Y., and was the son of Abraham and Hannah (Shaw) Parrish, natives of Connecticut, though but little is known of their history. Their family consisted of thirteen children, as follows: Loomis, James, Jasper, Asa, Kimball, Tyler, Nathan, Abraham, Amos, Frank, Roccellana, Hannah and Adeline. The early years of the life of our subject were spent at the homestead, where he received a good business education in the common schools of his native place. In 1832 he married Miss Eliza Sprague, a native of New York, and their union resulted in the birth of two children: Abraham, who died in 1844, when eight years of age, and Andrew, at present residing at Muskegon, Mich. In 1836 Mr. Parrish came to Coldwater with his family, and soon contracted with Dougherty, Sprague & Co. to operate a new mill they had just completed, and he remained in their employ for two years. At that time there was no furnace in Coldwater, and he built the first furnace and manu factured the first plows made in Branch County. His means, however, were very limited, and it was a great undertaking, but soon afterward S. D. Crippen bought an interest in the business, and the firm was known as Parrish & Crippen. A few years later our subject bullt a steam flouring-mill with four sets of stones, and carried on an extensive milling business. After some time he sold out his interest in the mill to Mr. Isaac Alden, and took contracts to build nearly all of the important bridges for the Michigan Southern and Michigan Central Railroads, including the pile bridge at the Grand Crossing, ten miles east of Chicago, which is three and three-quarter miles in length. Finally, while riding on an open car from Coldwater to Cleveland, Ohio, on business for the Central Railroad Company, he contracted a severe cold, under which his health gradually gave way, and lie died, as already stated. The first wife of our subject died Aug. 27, 1837, and he was a second time united in marriage, this time choosing Miss Lois E. Gilbert, who was born in Warren, Addison Co., Vt., Dec. 7, 1815. Mrs. Parrish is the fifth in order of birth in a family of six children born to Calvin and Hannah (Blanchard) Gilbert, natives of Brooklyn, Conn., and her brothers and sisters are recorded as follows: Adeline became the wife of Col. Warren; Harriet died in childhood; William; Lucy became the wife of Oliver Morse, and Harriet, who became a school teacher, died in the prime of womanhood. The parents of Mrs. Parrish moved to Vermont shortly after their marriage, and settled in Warren, Addison County, where they lived engaged in agricultural pursuits until about two years previous to the death of the father, when he came to Coldwater, this county, and resided with his son William until his death. The mother survived her husband about four years, passing away in Rochester, Windsor Co., Vt., where she was living with a daughter. Mrs. Parrish spent her early years at the home of her parents and with an older married sister until she was twenty-one years of age, and then came to keep house for her brother William. She arrived in May, 1838, and in the following January was united in marriage with our subject, and from that lJ BLLQg40 -~LmkbY~.. LrPw-m -- -— Ir Y-YY UBI-gr- *I -. — C- -- 1 - IY -r~_r.Y- I I~II- )IIULYll ssl-(p -- IC1- II-J1 I x-zip It4! I Pil t '4. --- —- I - - I I- - -- - II —. — - I -I. —., 220 BRANCH COUNTY. iA time she has resided continuously in Coldwater, except in 1851 and 1852, when she was in Chicago, attending to some business. Her union with our subject was blessed by the birth of three children: Augusta. who died in childhood; Florence, who died when an interesting young lady of sixteen years; and Lois Elizabeth, who became the wife of J. Musselwhite, and now resides in Chicago; she received a good education in the High School, of Coldwater, and in the State Normal School, at Randolph, Vt. In politics our subject was in early years a Whig, and upon the dismemberment of that party he joined the ranks of the Republicans. Lie was a worthy and consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he served as a ClassLeader for many years. He was an ardent advocate of the temperance question, and was a member of the Sons of Temperance, and a highly respected and worthy member of society. Mrs. Parrish still survives, residing at her pleasant home on Chicago street, and is a lady highly respected by all who know her, and has been for many years an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. ai LFRED MILNES, a worthy and honored citizen of this county, resides at Coldwater, and is extensively engaged in the mercantile business, dealing in carriages, harness, groceries and queensware. He is a very successful business man, his honesty and habits of industry, coupled with his good judgment, placing him at the head of his line of industry in Southern Michigan. Mr. Milnes was born May 28, 1844, in Bradford, England, and was the third in order of birth in a family of six children, the offspring of Henry and Mary Ann (Atnyss) Milnes. The children are recorded as follows: Jane died in infancy; Charles Henry, Alfred, Robert; Samuel A. died at St. Louis, Mo., ill May, 1854; William Henry died in infancy in Salt Lake City, Utah. The father of our subject is also a native of Bradford, England, and was born at Little Horton; he is of English ancestry, many of his ancestors having spent their lives in Bradford. While yet in his native country, he joined the Mormon Church, and in 1854 set out for this country, emrlarking in the sailing-vessel ~Windermere." After a voyage of sixty days from Liverpool to New Orleans, he reached terra firma, and at once proceeded by boat to St. Louis, where he was thrown into quarantine and kept three weeks on account of cholera, which was then raging in that city. Utah being his objective point, Mr. Milnes proceeded to Kansas City, then a small hamlet, and while there, cholera broke out and hundreds died of the epidemic. The father of our subject bought a conveyance, consisting of an emigrant wagon, and a team made up of three yoke of oxen and one yoke of cows, and in this manner proceeded overland to Salt Lake City, via Fts. Kearney, Laramie and Bridger. They were fortunate in avoiding the Indians, and after a trip of sixteen weeks, reached their destination Sept. 25, 1854. Mr. Milnes commenced peddling the goods which he had brought with him from England, and also engaged in farming, but two years later he lost his wife, and removing to Springville, Utah, remained there until May, 1859. The father of our subject became much disgusted with the Mormons, and sold his property at a great sacrifice in order to leave the country. At that time it was dangerous to attempt to leave Utah, but in 1858 Gen. Albert Sydney Johnson had taken a force of United States troops and established a fort called Camp Floyd. In 1859, he and Mr. Milnes joined the Government train, and taking advantage of the protection thus offered, succeeded in getting away. He not only lost most of his property by selling at a sacrifice to the Mormons, but he took in exchange a stallion, which they afterward stole from him. On his return trip, Mr. Milnes drove overland to Newton, Iowa, where he remained during the winter of 1859-60, and in 1861 he came to Coldwater, arriving on the 28th of May, after traveling the entire distance, 1,800 miles, by means of oxen. He then opened a small business, which constantly increased until he gained a competency, and finally retired from active duties about 1878. He had been quite a successful merchant in his native land, and had brought with him considerable value in goods, of which the Mormons despoiled him. He has been a successful business man, and i t i i II I I _- - -cL --- - --- ------ II11II19,I= 11I jl~11!MII ol'ilili~lllil, 111111 1,1IMl —*' --- T l L w - - - - - I-Alh ML.A - - -Amiga,, 11 IN 11, -zlift I - 110 I M." -t di-flaillialm Will, 0 — -- - -, A\ I 1i BRANCH COUNTY. 221 BRANCH COUNTY. 221. is a reputable and honored citizen. The mother of our subject was a native of the same city in England as her husband, and her life was closely allied to his. She died in Utah. The subject of this biographical sketch was seventeen years of age when he arrived in Coldwater, and engaged at work in anything he could find to do during the summer, and attended school in winter during one year, after which he enlisted in Company C, 17th Michigan Infantry, Col. W. H. Withington, Commander, and H. B. Androus, Captain. He was mustered in at Detroit, and his regiment left the State Aug. 27, 1862, and went direct to Washington. September 14 of the same year his regiment participated in the battle of South Mountain, Md., and by their bravery gained the title of "'the Stonewall Regiment," but they lost one-third of their men. This name, which the regiment carried until the end of the war, was bestowed upon it in consequence of its charging three stone walls in succession. Three days later they took part in the battle of Antietam, where they lost fully one-half of their men, and all this fatality occurred within three weeks from the time of their leaving this State. The next battle in which they engaged was at Fredericksburg, Va., where the regiment was united with the 9th Army Corps, under Burnside, and was subsequently taken from the Army of the Potomac on to Kentucky, where they spent five or six weeks in pursuit of John Morgan. The regiment next was sent to Vicksburg, where it occupied a position in the rear in expectation of an attack from Gen. Joseph E. Johnston. It remained there about five weeks, until the fall of Vicksburg, and next took part in the seige of Jackson, Miss., about ten days after the fall of which it was ordered into Kentucky. Thence it marched to East Tennessee, and participated in the campaignl in that State under Burnside, and took part in the battle of Campbell Station, where it lost heavily, and in the seige of Knoxville, which lasted about four weeks. They endured many hardships, and had no rations except what they could pick up, and for some time subsisted on parched corn. While here, they were beseiged by Longstreet's army, but were released by Sherman, from Chattanooga, and after the siege was raised, they pursued Longstreet in his retreat through Tennessee. They were next removed to Annapolis, Md., where they recruited, and then marched to join the Army of the Potomac, which was about to engage in the Wilderness campaign. Here the 17th again lost very heavily May 6, 1864, and soon after, at Spottsylvania Court House, it was almost annihilated, only thirty-five coming out of the 225 who had heroically come to the assistance of their country. This ended the regiment as an organization, the remaining members being taken to the headquarters of Gen. Wilcox, and put on guard duty, at which they remained until the close'of the war, when they participated in the grand review at Washington. During his arduous service of three years, our subject was never absent from his regiment for twenty-four hours, and came home when only twenty-one years of age, the hero of many battles, and with an enviable war record. He then engaged with his father as clerk, and remained in his employ until 1871, when he engaged in business for himself in the firm known as Milnes & Vanderhoof. They were prospered in their business, and remained in partnership a period of ten years, after which our subject sold out his interest to his partner and, engaging in business alone, has prosecuted his calling successfully until the present time. On the 6th of January, 1868, our subject was united in marriage with Miss Lucina E., daughter of Cyrus and Eunice (Allen) Hull, and the younger of their two children-Edwin I. and Lucina E. Mrs. Milnes' parents were natives of the Empire State, and came to this county about 1859, settling at Quincy. The father was a farmer by occupation, and was educated in the public schools belonging to the Episcopal Church. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Milnes has been blessed by the birth of three children -Alfred Cyrus, Maude L. and Mabel F. Alfred C. was born Dec. 21, 1868, and died Aug. 12, 1882; Maude L. was born Dec. 18, 1871, and is now attending the High School, and residing with her parents; Mabel F. was born Dec. 4, 1879. The statesmanlike qualities and executive ability of Mr. Milnes have been recognized and appreciated, and he has twice in succession, in 1885 and 1886, been elected Mayor of the city. He has also been a member of the City Council for two years, I _ _ _ _ _ -'.I*11 " r I r I L ~..,..._ _.. _.,....-... ...-....,;..,'... __zr'1 L f.-bb- I 1_ — - - - -. = 11148 (I 222 BRANCH COUNTY. ----- and is at present Commander of Butterworth Post, G. A. R. He is also a member of the 1. 0. O. F., and has passed through all the Chairs in the Subordinate Lodge and Encampment. He was elected Grand Patriot of Michigan of the I. O. O. F., and was next elected Representative to the Sovereign Grand Lodge for two years, and now holds the position of Chief of the Staff Department of Michigan, Patriarch's Militant, I. O. 0. F., with the rank of Colonel. HARLES D. BROWN, one of the most successful and prosperous farmers of Kinderhook, is a fine representative of the good old New England stock, which has had such a powerful influence in the making of the great West, and the blood of some of the heroes of the Revolution who fought at Bunker's Hill beats in his veins. He was born in the beautiful town of Canterbury, Windham Co., Conn.. March 8, 1815. His father, Aruna Brown, was born in the same town in April, 1766, andi was a son of Capt. Benjamin Brown, who was either born in England, or was born in this country of English parents. He was an officer in the Revolutionary War, and four of his sons also took part in the war-Luther, Hiram, Ami and Benjamin. Hiram was killed in the war, and Luther lost a limb in the battle of Bunker's Hill. Capt. Brown was a farmer, and spent his last years in Canterbury. The maiden name of his wife was Adams, and she was a relative of John Q. Adams, President of the United States. She died at the home of her son Nathan, in Canterbury. The father of our subject was reared in his native town, and learned the trade of wheelwright, and made ox wagons, carts, wooden moldboard plows, and also built houses and barns. He married Rebecca Dyer, who was born in Kent County, R. I., Oct. 25, 1788. Her father, Jonathan Dyer, was born in Newport, R. I., and his father, Charles Dyer, was born in Scotland, and coming to America when a young man, located in Newport. He was in the mercantile business there, also managed a foundry, and was a slave-owner. During the Revolutionary War he was driven off the island by the British, and then located at West Greenfield, R. I. He lost the greater part of his property, but saved enough to start a small store at West Greenwich, and there he spent his last years. He used to go to Providence with oxen and a cart for his goods. The maiden name of his wife was Elizabeth Weaver, and she spent her entire life in Rhode Island. Jonathan Dyer was reared and wedded in his native State to Penelope Botten, also a native of Rhode Island, and a daughter of Daniel Botten. After marriage he settled in Windham County, Conn., where he bought land and lived until after the death of his wife, when he went to live with his children, and died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Avis Parish, in Westfield, Chautauqua Co., N. Y. He was a valiant soldier in the Revolution, and two of his sons, Jonathan and Garnier, served in the War of 1812. Mrs. Avis Parish was the seventh child in a family of fourteen children, and tho only one now living, and she makes her home with her nephew, our subject. In 1825 Mr. Brown moved with his wife and four children to the State of New York, the entire journey being made with a team to Otsego County, where he settled in Cherry Valley. He bought a small mountain farm of sixty-five acres, and ever after devoted his time to farming. In the fall of 1841 he sold his property there and came to Branch County, and bought land in the town of Ovid. It was heavily timbered, as was all the land surrounding it. He first stopped in Coldwater after his arrival in the State, and started out to seek a location from there. He rented a log house in that town, and bought the improvements on the place. He had lived there but a few days when he was taken sick, and died on the 8th day of October. Thus passed from the scenes of earth one who through the changes and vicissitudes of a long life had ever been true to his duties, and had dealt honorably and uprightly with his fellowmen. His worthy wife survived him many years, dying Nov. 17, 1874, at an advanced age. After his father's death, our subject became the head of the family, and nobly and faithfully did he perform the cares devolving upon him, and lightened the burdens of his mother. He was but ten years old when his parents took up their residence -a- ~~I M" B3 — - -.-rr~l*-* —~lll-rc —~ ----r~-^I- r^uo-~r*ll-r —n. —C —rrrrr ---r —p 4 1 I - —,4 alp.-Ii-40 I - I "~e rclR ' oanr ---. - n — P —~ngli~Cs 1- -- I _ __ -m I f BRANCH in the State of New York, and he made his home with them until he was twenty years old. Then, in the year 1835, he came to Michigan, coming by water to Detroit, and thence to Oakland County, where he joined a brother. He remained there for a year and a half, chopping wood and clearing land. He then returned to New York, and in the following spring we hear of him in Erie County, Pa., where for a year and a half he was employed in a sawmill. or in the exciting work of rafting lumber in the Alleghany River. After his return from there to Otsego County, he managed his father's farm until 1838. He then rented land until 1841, when he accompanied his parents to Michigan, and soon after, the care of the family devolving upon him, he immediately set to work to make improvements upon the land which his father had purchased. He erected a log house, covered it with shingles rived from an oak tree, and made a dirt and stick chimney with a large fireplace, where his mother used to cook their meals, as they had no stove. He cleared a part of the land, and in consideration of his services his mother gave him forty acres, which lie improved and owned until 1862. He then sold, and bought the farm that he now occupies on section 36, Kinderhook Township. It is one of the most valuable in this vicinity as regards location and productiveness, being beautifully situated on the borders of Coldwater Lake, and it is well stocked and provided with substantial buildings, and the necessary machinery for carrying on farming profitably. It comprises 200 acres, and the abundant harvests that Mr. Brown reaps from his broad fields are sufficient testimony that he is a skillful and industrious farmer. To the good wife who for nearly fifty years has walked by his side, lightening the burdens of life and increasing its joys, our subject was united in marriage Sept. 1, 1839. Her maiden name was Hannah Hoyt, daughter of Jesse and Laney Hoyt (see sketch of Daniel Hoyt), and she was born in Cherry Valley, N. Y., Sept. 22,1822. Their union has been blessed to them by the birth of six children, namely: Caroline, wife of Theodore Davis, of Ovid; Elisha J., who lives in Kinderhook; William H., who lives in Coldwater; Annie, wife r of Jonathan Roberts, of Rome, Lenawee County; COUNTY. 223 Harriet, wife of William Mott (of whom see sketch); Laney died in infancy; Mary, wife of John Brehm, of Kinderhook. This brief record of an honorable career shows that our subject is well worthy of the good fortune that has come to him through the wise management of his affairs after many years of hard labor. In all the relations of life he has nobly fulfilled his obligations to others, and is justly held in the highest esteem by all who know him. o - 3 - SCAR B. NICHOLS, one of the skilled carpenters of Bronson and vicinity, has been a resident of this part of the county for over thirty years. having come here in the fall of 1857, and since that time has made his home in the village, and, with the exception of fifteen years, worked continuously at his trade. This interval was spent in the sawmill business. Many of the buildings throughout the township stand as monuments of his skill and industry, and he is considered one of the best workmen in this section. Our subject was born in Fairfield County, Conn., July 4, 1826, and is the son of James and Nancy A. (Burr) Nichols, who were of New England parentage, and also natives of the "land of steady habits." They left the home of their childhood in 1856, and coming to this State located first in Sturgis, but two years later removed to Bronson Township, where the father died the following summer, in 1859, when about fifty-two years of age. The mother is still living, and makes her home with her daughter in Bronson. The subject of this sketch was the eldest child of his parents' family, three of whom died when young, and he remained a member of his father's household until his marriage, which took place March 7, 1847, his bride being Miss Louisa M. Brotherton, of Bridgeport, Conn. Her parents, George and Elizabeth (Waterbury) Brotherton, were natives of Connecticut and Long Island, N. Y., respectively, and the family included ten children, all deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Nichols spent the first ten years of their married life in Bridgeport, Conn., then came to the West. Four of their children were born in * 0_ _ e -A- I -I i J I,i 4 I1 ii i! _.I 224 BRANCH COUNTY. 4 1 I I I New England, and three in Michigan. They were named respectively: Amanda; O. Frank married Miss Ella Steele, and they reside in Waterloo, Ind.; James E., Emma L., Lizzie G., Dora A. and C. Lulu. Emma died at her home in Bronson, May 30, 1886. Mrs. Louisa M. Nichols departed this life at her home in Bronson, Nov. 23, 1886. Our subject cast his first Presidential vote with the Whig party, and has been a Republican since the organization of the party. He and his family are connected with the Regular Baptist Church. Mr. Nichols is recognized as one of the most praiseworthy citizens of Bronson, is its present Assessor and Drain Commissioner, and has several times held the offices of Township Treasurer and School Trustee. As a neighbor and friend he is held in high regard, and the family stands well in the community. RHAROD MOORE. Amongr the farmers and stock-raisers of Branch County who have been instrumental in raising it to its present favored and prosperous condition as a rich agricultural region, not one, we venture to say, is more worthy of the high consideration in which he is held by all who know him than the subject of this sketch. He comes of a sturdy New England ancestry, and his parents, Elijah and Susannah (Sweet) Moore, were natives respectively of Connecticut and Rhode Island. In the latter part of the eighteenth century, or in the first part of the present century, they removed from New England to New York State, and there spent the remainder of their lives. Of the seven children who blessed their union, Sharod, of whom we write, was the sixth, and he was born in New York, in 1808. Our subject was reared on his father's farm, and from him received many a practical lesson in the pursuit which he adopted as his own, later in life. He received a fair education in the district schools of his native State. When a young man he learned to be a cabinet-maker, and followed that trade for some fifteen years. He was a skilled workman, applied himself steadily to his calling, and in 1835 had laid by enough of his earnings to allow of his establishing a comfortable home, and as an impor tant step in that direction, he married, in his native State, Miss Eunice Bunker, also of New York, born in Madison County, in 1813. She was the second child in the family of eleven children (all of whom grew to maturity) born to Robert and Elizabeth (Macy) Bunker, natives of New York. Her parents removed to Michigan and settled in Branch County at an early day in its history. Mr. Bunker at that time bought a tract of land in Batavia Township and cleared and improved a farm. His death occurred there in 1863, and that of his wife in 1868. After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Moore continued to live for some years in New York, where he worked at his trade in various places. In 1844 Mr. Moore decided to turn his attention to the occupation to which he had been bred, and looking upon the rich virgin soil of Branch County, Mich., as the place where he could best succeed in agricultural pursuits, he bought forty acres of land on section 2, Bethel Township, where he and his wife have ever since made their home. His land was heavily timbered, and he immediately set to work with energy at the pioneer task of clearing away the huge old trees of the primeval forest, uprooting stumps and preparing the land for culture. His years of incessant toil have not been unrewarded, and lie has been enabled to add to his real estate by the purchase of more land until he now owns a fine farm of sixty acres, all in a goo( state of tillage, with convenient farm buildings and a cosy, comfortable dwelling. With the excellent assistance of his good wife he has laid up a competency, so that in her pleasant companionship he can pass his declining years free from the anxieties and cares of a stirring life. He lives partly retired from business, renting his farm, keeping for his own use a good team of horses, five cattle of good breed and some sheep. Of the six children born to Mr. and Mrs. Moore but one is left to comfort and bless their declining years, Louisa, now Mrs. Burleson, who lives in Dakota, and is aged fifty-two years. The record of the others is as follows: Lydia, the wife of D. Card, died March 24, 1883, at the age of forty-two; Ellen, the wife of Stephen McCurley, died Sept. 4, 1881, aged thirty-one years; Rilla, wife of Stephen ii I r k-10 I I 0 Mpv — ~~ —LI-*T ---C-"~ - - -r _^. I_-.- -~ — ___-. -. -X cal~ -r ~ 14 1, i ir I! r I 1-40.- ~aB~ I A BRANCH COUNTY. 225 McCurley, died March 27, 1884, aged thirty-two years; Franklin died Jan. 1, 1849, when quite young; Dolly, the wife of William E. Parsons, died June 4, 1883, aged twenty-five years. It is the comfort of the bereaved parents that their children were spared to gladden their hearts so many years, and to them More homelike seems the vast unknown, Since they have entered there; To follow them were not so hard, * Wherever they may fare; They cannot be where God is not, On any sea or shore. For over fifty years our subject and his wife have trodden life's pathway together, and they have been faithful and devoted to each other's interests, and by their kindness have won for themselves many warm friends in this community. When they first settled in Branch County the most of this region was still in a wild state, and they have witnessed its gradual development into a beautiful farming country, with thriving towns and cities, where the commercial and manufacturing industries have been developed side by side with the agricultural interests. Cold water was then but a very small place, presenting a great contrast to the busy city of to-day, with its population of 6,000 people. Mr. Moore has taken an active part in politics, and has been a consistent Democrat for many years. He has always used his influence in securing good schools for Bethel Township, and has been School Director a number of times, and has assisted in organizing some of the school districts of this township. He has done good service to the public as Justice of the Peace, Highway Commissioner and Constable. 'I ENJAMIN NELSON, who holds a good l position among the thrifty and prosperous farmers of Union Township, came from _ New York State with his little family in 1855, and has been a resident here for thirty-three years. During that time he has cleared nearly the whole of a good farm of 100 acres, erected a substantial dwelling and barn, together with all the other necessary buildings, has accumulated valuable farm machinery, and keeps a choice assortment of live stock. He possesses all the elements of character required by the useful citizen and enterprising business man, and stands well among his neighbors and acquaintances. Benjamin Nelson, Sr., the father of our subject, was a native of Maryland, and his mother, who in her girlhood was Miss Sarah Sloan, was born in New York. After marriage the parents lived for a time in Wayne County, the latter State, whence they afterward removed to Niagara County, where they spent the remainder of their lives. Their family included six sons and two daughters, and our subject was the fifth in order of birth. He first opened his eyes to the light in Junius, Seneca Co., N. Y., May 1, 1823, was reared to farm pursuits and received his education in the common school. He remained with his parents until reaching his majority, and then commenced farming on his own account, in Niagara County. Subsequently he purchased a farm there, being married in the meantime, and resided in Niagara County until the fall of 1855. He then disposed of his interests in the Empire State, and coming to this county settled in Union Township, of which he has since been a resident. The marriage of Benjamin Nelson, Jr., and Miss Martha Meach, was celebrated at the home of the bride in Wilson, Niagara Co., N. Y., Jan. 18, 1844. Mrs. Nelson is the daughter of Gordon and Marcia (Morse) Meach, both natives of Rensselaer County, N. Y. After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Meach settled in Schoharie County, whence they removed first to Niagara County and from there to Eaton County, this State, in 1853, where the father died, Aug. 23, 1854. The mother is still living at an advanced age, and makes her home with her daughter, Mrs. Nelson. Their four children consisted of two sons and two daughters, and Mrs. Nelson was the second born. Her birth took place in Summit, Schoharie Co., N. Y., April 20, 1823. She received excellent home training and a fair education in the common school, remaining wit): her parents until her marriage. 'o Mr. and Mrs. Nelson there were born two children, daughters: Elvira, who died Nov. 12, 1848, at the age of three years, and Lorinda, who is now 0VV~VLVJWV ~~ I I 1 i I I! - mqr --- U w F L;.-~..-~;.- ~1~.-.-..~-......1.1.MM -~ 1, - - - - - -- 1 - - I - 1 1- - -11 - -.- - -, - -,- - -1 1. - - -- -. "," I - - - 1 - - 1 - I -_ _.4" qplpp b rl —llll - - M- 440~S S PM 226 BRANCHiI COUNTY. 2H the wife of Martin Case, a well-to-do farmer of Union Township, and the mother of one child, Elsie S., who was born Nov. 14, 1885. Mr. Nelson has been prominent in the affairs of his township, and among other positions of trust and responsibility, has held the office of Highway Commissioner for a period of nine years. Politically, he is a Republican, having affiliated with that party since its organization. He and his estimable wife are members in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and are mumbered among the reliable citizens of Union Township. '...'. r=!- $~. ANIEL W. CARY. Among the many excellent farms of Branch County, owned and occupied by skilled agriculturists, not one is more indicative of the thrift, good judgment, and superior management of its owner, or reflects more credit on the county, than that of our subject, which is finely located on section 26, Butler Township. The handsome residence, tastefully fitted up with all the modern conveniences, and the ample barn and other out-buildings, with their pleasing surroundings, are a noticeable feature in the landscape and an ornament to this vicinity. The father of our subject, John Cary, who was of pure English stock, was born in New England and married Susan Brockway, who was of GermanDutch descent. She was born in New York, and was a daughter of a brave soldier of the Revolution. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Cary settled in Wayne County, N. Y., where he owned a farm of 128 acres, and successfully pursued his chosen occupation until his premature death by drowning, in 1839, when forty-two years of age. Mrs. Cary survived the loss of her husband five years, dying in 1844, in the forty-third year of her age. To them had been born four children, two boys and two girls, of whom Daniel W. was the youngest. Our subject was born in Seneca Falls Township, Seneca Co.. N. Y.,Jan. 29, 1834, and was therefore but five years of age when the death of his father, of whom he has only a faint recollection, occurred. When ten years of age he was also bereft of a mother's care, and the property left by his parents, which should have been used in educating and caring for him, was taken by others, so that four years later he was thrown penniless on his own resources. He had already received a fair common-school education, but being physically delicate, he was advised by friends to secure outdoor employment rather than become a clerk, or enter into any other sedentary occupation. Our subject, consequently, engaged in work on a farm, and continued thus employed for eight years, when he married and commenced working on his own account. In establishing himself in life Mr. Cary was fortunate in securing as a helpmate a most estimable woman, Miss Abby J., daughter of Pardon and Margaret Tripp, both of whom were born in Balston Springs, Saratoga Co., N. Y. After their marriage they settled on a farm in Chautauqua County, the same State, where the death of Mr. Tripp occurred in 1852, in the fortyfifth year of his age. Mrs. Tripp spent the last years of her life at the home of our subject, dying here March 30, 1887, at the advanced age of seventy-seven years. Of the seven children born to her and her husband, four are now living, two sons and two daughters. Mrs. Cary, who was the third child and eldest daughter of the family, was born July 27, 1836, near tile shores of Lake Erie, in Chautauqua County. Her union with our subject has been blessed by the birth of three children, namely: Frank A., Addie M. and Edna L. In 1866 the family circle was made desolate by the death of Frank, the only son of the household, who was drowned July 4, in Raisin River. He was an intelligent, interesting little fellow of eight years, and gave promise of a bright future. The daughters, who are both at home, are well educated, having received thorough instruction in the Quincy Union School. Mr. and Mrs. Cary, who have been residents of Michigan more than a score of years, came to Lenawee County and located in Raisin Township, in May, 1866, at which time Mr. Cary purchased 160 acres of land. Not being quite satisfied with his situation there, he sold the land in the fall of the same year, and coming to Branch County, bought a farm of eighty acres in Quincy Township. The ensuing year he removed with his family to the vil I I I I II if I I I -090 —m-o " ---~ - l 14Ibap) I-*I(( [] -w _ _._S o. _ i 4 ~. -g, i;pill ''I lip" - a- I-111 11 I, I-~ -e _ ~ l w I BRANCH COUNTY. 227 lage of Quincy, where he resided thirteen years. He at first engagedl in the produce and commission business there, until the fall of 1871, when, in common with many others, he sustained serious losses by the Chicago fire, the amount aggregating $4,000. With characteristic energy our subject again turned his attention to agriculture as the best means of retrieving his loss, and in 1884 purchased the farm that he now owns. It consists of ninety-four acres of valuable land, which, under his judicious care, yields him a good annual income. His spacious dwelling and large barn, 36x66 feet, which he has erected, and to which reference is made in the beginning of this sketch, are insured in the Continental Insurance Company, of New York, for $4,000. Mr. Cary is a whole-souled, whole-hearted man, well deserving the success that has ever been his. His intelligence, integrity and independence have won for him the respect and esteem, not only of his fellow-townsmen, but of other citizens of Branch County, where he is widely known. In speaking of his prosperity much credit must be given to his noble wife, who has proved a most loyal life conpanion, sharing with him his sorrows and his joys, encouraging him by her sympathy in times of darkness, and making the pathway of his life luminous by her wise words of counsel. They occupy a high social position in the community, and their attractive home is the center of a generous hospitality. In politics our subject is a true Republican, and firmly supports the principles advanced by that grand old party. GOAH P. LOVERIDGE, presiding over the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit, and having his residence in the city of Coldwatcr, is of New England birth and ancestry, and spent his early years until a young man of twenty in his native place. He completed his education in the academy in his native county, in Connecticut, under the instruction of the famous tutor, Frederick Gunn, whose school was subsequently designated familiarly as "the Gunnery." Our subject first opened his eyes to the light in New Milford, Litchfield Co., Conn., June 18,1826, and was the seventh in a family of fourteen children, the offspring of Erastus and Ruth Ann (Cary) Loveridge, also natives of the Nutmeg State. His eldest sister, Charlotte, married Mr. Orson Blossom, and they are living in Allegany County, N. Y.; Elijah died unmarried at thirty years of age, in Connecticut; Susan, Mrs. Wellington Watson, continues a resident of Litchfield County, that State; Huldah became the wife of Wallace Wadhams, and died soon after her marriage; Daniel E. and Edward D., twins, were graduated from Trinity College, at Hartford, Conn.; the former is now Rector of the Episcopal Church, at Unadilla; Edward is an attorney-at-law, practicing in Cuba, N. Y., where he has been very successful, and is also President of the National Bank there; Sally Ann married George W. Lewis, and is living in Bridgeport, Conn.; Janette is the wife of John Mullender, and resides in Waterville, Kan.; Nathan C. died when about eighteen years old; Orrin E. is a resident of Hammondsport, N. Y.; Carlos A. is living in Vermont; Charles A., his twin brother, died at Hot Springs, Ark., in 1887; Ruth A. became the wife of Carter H. Morgan, of Cuba, N. Y., and died soon afterward, leaving an infant child, Ruth, now a young lady. The father of our subject was proprietor of a cotton factory, and Noah, upon becoming of suitable age, had charge of a number of hands, and at the same time pursued his studies in English and Latin grammar, having his books open before him in the mill. There was but little profit in the business, and he was obliged to assist his father all that was possible. Upon leaving home at the age mentioned he commenced teaching school in New Jersey, and the first year while pursuing his duties as a pedagogue, he read Latin and geometry, improving every leisure hour. The next year he devoted his spare time to the perusal of Blackstone, and a few months later had the satisfaction of becoming a student in the National Law School, at Ballston Spa, near Saratoga, and continued teaching and studying law until 1851. Our subject now made his, way to New York City, and completed his studies in the law office of Judge Curtis, being admitted to practice in the city j I * - St-E Q IK-I,, I'l INS I II,, I M..., I Q. W -Bo -, - 1 - 4._ flb. I -1 I 1 4I 1 1 i I l I 0,I!i1, I I r -. | | w z W4 i < r I., I IN 228 BRANCH COUNTY. I of Brooklyn in the spring of 1852. He opened his first office in Cuba, and continuing practicing in his native State until coming to the West, in 1866. Upon his arrival here he took up his residence in Coldwater, where he followed his profession closely until May, 1882. Then, going to Washington at the request of Mr. Teller, Secretary of the Interior under President Arthur, he was occupied in writing opinions for this official in relation to railroad grants and public lands, for two years. He then received the appointment from President Arthur, of United States Deputy Commissioner of Pensions, which position he held until 1885. Mr. Loveridge now returned to Coldwater and resumed his regular law practice until the autumn of 1886, when he crossed the Atlantic and spenta year traveling among the cities of the Old World. He left home in November, accompanied by his family, taking passage by the Cunard line. on the steamer "Etruria," which landed at Liverpool. He went hastily through Great Britain, spent a few weeks in Paris, then proceeded to the South of France, where he spent the winter, and in September, 1887, returned home. In the meantime, during his absence, he had been elected to his present position, and on the 1st of January following assumed its duties, which he has since discharged with the wisdom and good judgment which are characteristic of the man. He first voted the Democratic ticket, supported Stephen A. Douglas, and during the war was most decidedly in favor of the Union. In 1878, however, on account of the policy of the Democratic party in relation to the currency question, he went over to the Republicans. The marriage of our subject with Miss Marietta King Vance, was celebrated at the home of the bride in Mendham. N. J., June 15, 1854. Mrs. Loveridge was born Dec. 25, 1829, and is the daughter of Elias and Abigail (Homan) Vance. To Judge Loveridge and his estimable wife there were born four children, the eldest, Livingston L., Aug. 20, 1855; he is now in business in Grand.Rapids, this State. Henry C., who was born Aug. 13, 1856, was graduated from Trinity College, of Hartford, and is a successful young lawyer at Coldwater; he married Miss Jessie, daughter of Col. 0. H. Moore. Ernest H. is a lover of books, and trav eled in Europe with his parents, with whom lie makes his home; Frederick H. is completing his studies in the Michigan State University, at Ann Arbor. AMES DORSEY, a leading representative of the farming community of Batavia Township, settled here in 1887, although he has been a resident of this part of the county for the last twenty years. His property lies on sections 33 and 34, and comprises 172 acres of land in a high state of cultivation, with first-class buildings. Before coming to Batavia Township Mr. Dorsey owned and operated a coopering establishment in Bronson Township for a number of years. He established there in 1868, and for thirteen years operated with a partner, the style of the firm being Benton & Dorsey; they did business together thirteen years and shippped extensively, mostly to Evanston, Ill. Upon the withdrawal of Mr. Benton Mr. Dorsey carried on the business eight years longer, building up a large trade. Previous to this he was similarly occupied in the city of Coldwater. Our subject was born in Greene Township, Monroe Co., N. Y., Dec. 21, 1837, and is the only child of John and Hannah Dorsey, who were natives of County Fermanagh, Ireland. Soon after marriage the parents emigrated to America, locating in Monroe County, N. Y., where the death of the father took place when his son James was but three years of age. One year later he was completely orphaned by the death of the mother, and was subsequently taken into the home of an aunt, and reared partially by her and partially by strangers He learned the trade of cooper, in Penfield, N. Y., and when eighteen years old came to Michigan, locating at first in Coldwater. Hle started in business for himself in 1860, and in 1869 was married, in Colon, St. Joseph County, to Miss Delia Moore, who was born in Schuyler County, N. Y., in 1846. Her father, Levi Moore, a farmer by occupation, came to Michigan during its pioneer days, settling in Colon Township, where he spent the remainder of his life. Both he and his wife died at the old homestead there when well advanced I i * i j 4 l i,40 vI. wp"u --—.Agb1k '4_ __ _ ______i__ l I I I g I i I W BRANCH COUNTY. 229 i I Li I in years. They had a large family of children, and Mrs. Dorsey was quite young when they came to Michigan. To our subject and his wife there have been born two children only-Ivan W. and Ina. Mr. Dorsey, formerly a Republican, politically, is now identified with the Prohibitionists. Both he and his estimable wife are members in good standing of the Baptist Church, at Bronson, in which Mr. Dorsey has been Deacon and given liberally to its support. OHN W. CULP. As a man of acknowledged ability, sound business principles, wide experience, and noble integrity of character, our subject occupies an important position among the agriculturists of Branch County, he being the owner of one of the fine farms, very pleasantly located in Cold water Township, for which this region is so justly celebrated. He is a native of New York, born in Newfane, Niagara County, May 8, 1832, and is a descendant of a good old Pennsylvania family. His father. Nicholas Culp, was born near Gettysburg, Pa., and Culp Hill in that vicinity was named in honor of the family. The grandfather of our subject was reared in the Keystone State, and married Agnes Walton, a native of Delaware. He moved to New York and became an early settler in Niagara County, where lie was actively engaged in farming until 1844. He then came to Michigan with his family, and locating in Coldwater Township, bought a home here, in which he and his wife spent their last years. The father of our subject was reared in his native State, and was a young man when he accompanied his parents to New York. He married, in Niagara County, Phoebe Rockwood, who was born in Clarkson, Orleans Co., N. Y. In the spring of 1837 Mr. Culp started, with his wife and five children, for Michigan, coming by way of Lake Erie to Toledo, and thence by rail to Adrian, then the western terminus of the railway, a primitive affair, with wooden rails and the cars drawn by horses. Our subject located in Palmyra Township for a time, that he might have a home for his family while he was searching for land that it suited him to buy. During that time he came to Branch County. and selected a tract of timber land in Girard Township. After he had completed his purchase, he returned to Palmyra, but continued to live there until 1839, instead of locating on his land. In that year he hired a teamster to take his family and goods to Branch County, and they moved into a vacant log house near his place. He immediately commenced the erection of a house of logs on his homestead, and cleared a small part of the land, on which he raised a small crop of corn while the logs were still lying on the ground. By incessant and well-directed labor he improved a good farm from the wilderness, and resided there until the death of his beloved wife deprived him of her valuable aid and counsel. He then sold his farm and removed to Coldwater, where lie lived in retirement in the enjoyment of the comfortable competency which had accrued to him through his far-seeing judgment, and the wise and skillful management of his affairs. He died in his home in that town in September, 1873. He was one whom to know was to respect, as in him were combined all those qualifications that go to make up a good man and a loyal citizen. To him and his wife were born six children-Joshua, John W., Phoebe, Laura, Jason and Hattie. John Culp was but five years old when his parents brought him to Michigan, yet lie remembers well the incidents of the journey, and of his subsequent life here in those pioneer days, when the Indians still lurked in the vast primeval forests, and wild beasts were plentiful. He was seven years of age when he came to Branch County, and he has since, for nearly fifty years, been a continuous resident here. He attended the pioneer schools, and being a studious, thoughtful lad, he managed to glean the rudiments of a sound education, which he has since completed by careful reading and intelligent observation. He remained at home with his parents and assisted in the farm work until he was nineteen years old, and then launched into a mercantile life as a clerk in the employ of H. C. Lewis, remaining with him until he disposed of his business. The two succeeding years he clerked for Crippen & Son, and then, in 1858, he entered into business with I. G. Miles, opening with him a dry-goods and grocery establishment. They were sp -1! i I_ p - -0 - r — I 1111 III HiCICIl~~L I aas~rll~ —I O I-:1 - } rI I2 - ll ---- — ~- -- * a OW - I - 230 BRANCH COUNTY. ------- very successful in this enterprise, and built up a flourishing trade. Mr. Culp was also engaged as a traveling salesman for a New York firm. On the breaking out of the late Rebellion, our subject, leaving the entire control of the business with Mr. Miles, earnestly entered into the work of assisting in recruiting regiments and equipping them for battle. He became a member of the Loomis Battery, an independent company, in April, 1861, and did efficient service in organizing the regiment, remaining with it until it was mustered into service for three years, and he was then compelled to resign on account of the claims of his private business, and returned to Coldwater. But sterling patriots were needed at home as much as at the front, and our subject worked zealously for the cause of the Union, and (lid all in his power to promote the comfort of the soldiers on the field. In 1869 Mr. Culpsevered his business relations with Mr. Miles, selling his interest to his partner, and then entered tie employ of a New York firm as a traveling salesman, being thus engaged the following five years. He met with marked success in that line, securing the confidence of his employers by his zeal and faithfulness in their service, and by his easy and courteous manners, ready conversation, and strictly honest dealings, making large sales. At the expiration of five years in that capacity, our subject decided to abandon mercantile business, and devote himself to the calling to which he had been reared. Accordingly he settled on his present place, which he had purchased in 1861. This is of great historical interest to those of the present generation, who are curious concerning the history of the dusky race of people who used to inhabit the primeval forests of Michigan. as it was a camping-ground of the Indians at the time our subject came to Michigan over half a century ago, and his son has a large collection of relics of the aborigines, that he has gathered on the farm; 145 acres of the richest and most productive land to be found in this vicinity is comprised within the limits of this fine farm, and nearly all of it is improved and under good cultivation, and well provided with substantial frame buildings. Our subject undoubtedly owes much of his success in life to his good fortune in securing a good wife, who has been to him a wise and cheerful helper, and by her amiability and tact has made their pleasant home one of the most attractive in the community. Her maiden name was Josephine Goodell, and they were united in marriage June 10, 1858. She was born in Fairport. N. Y., a daughter of Abisha and Ruby (Johnson) Goodell, natives respectively of Vermont and New York. The happy household circle of Mr. and Mrs. Culp is completed by their two children-Millie and Charlie. Mrs. Culp is a valued member of the Presbyterian Church. One needs but to peruse these brief lines recording imperfectly the life of our subject, in order to be convinced that he is a high-minded, straightforward man, of good business capacity, and of unblemished character. He is a man of enterprise and rare energy; is a great reader of both books and men, is well informed on all topics, and keeps himself posted as to what is going on in the outside world. In politics he was for many years a sound Republican, but he later joined the ranks of the Greenback party. He is identified with the Tyre Lodge No. 3, A. F. & A. M. EHOMAS DEXTER, an Englishman by birth and breeding, is a fine example of what a man who starts out in the world with no capital but strength and muscle can do for himself, if he possesses a resolute will and determination to succeed in life. When Mr. Dexter landed in New York City at the close of a long and tedious voyage from his native England, all his worldly wealth was comprised in four sovereigns, but by his energy and hard labors he has increased this small sum manyfold, and is now a well-to-do and successful farmer in Butler Township, where, on section 2, he owns one of the best managed and most productive farms in this part of Branch County. Mr. Dexter was born Nov. 16, 1829, in the parish of Brumstead, county of Norfolk, England, being a son of Golden and Sarah (Goose) Dexter, who were likewise natives of Norfolk County, England. His father was an overseer on alarge farm, and he and his wife were people of solid worth and integrity, of good personal habits and sound con 26i k - 't ----. - r-l...rl ~ —~I. -~Y.1-~C.. ~.~-.~LT —~-~~~I~III1~iY-I-Y. r_ C_ I - ------- - — r-.l~ C -- — rL ~~~.... k 'Om.A A -'qI 7E-..1W BRANCH COUNTY. 231 a r -- stitutions. After a long and useful career they both closed their eyes to the scenes of earth in 187 1, he at the age of eighty-two, and she at the age of eighty years. They were the parents of six children, all of whom are living-Robert, John, Phillis, James, Thomas and Mary. Thomas Dexter, of this sketch, was carefully trained by his good parents in all that goes to make a good man and a useful citizen, and received the benefits of a good education in a select school in his native country. At the age of seventeen, being desirous to see more of the world and gain for himself an honorable position therein, he resolved to emigrate to America, and embarking on board the sailing-vessel the " Wallpool," at Liverpool, March 15, 1847, he sailed for this country, and in just a month's time, on the 15th of April, landed in New York City. From there he made his way to Shelby, Orleans Co., N. Y., where he worked out by the month on a farm until he came to Michigan in 1852, where he had determined to buy land and become a landed proprietor in his own right. He here purchased eighty acres which comprises a part of his present farm, and he still continued in the employ of others until 1855, when he had laid up sufficient money to enable him to improve his farm at a good advantage. In 1878 he had become so prosperous that he increased the acreage of his farm by a further purchase of forty acres of good land, so that his farm now contains 120 acres of well-tilled land. In the cultivation of the soil Mr. Dexter has shown himself to be a skillful agriculturist, and his place, with its neat and tasty buildings, and its general air of thrift, shows marked traces of a master hand. In 1864 Mr. Dexter secured the active co-operation of a good wife in his marriage with Miss Melissa McComb, daughter of Isaac and Polly (Griswold) McComb. She is a most estimable lady, a devoted helpmate, a kind mother, and a true friend to her neighbors. She was born in Livingston County, N. Y., June 19, 1844, and received a substantial education. Her parents removed from Livingston County, where they had settled early in their married life, to Michigan, accompanied by the five children who had been born to them in their native State. They settled in Marshall, where the father engaged in his trade of carpenter and joiner for several years. In 1864 he came with his wife and children to Butler, in this county. They now make their home in Branch County; he is seventyfour years of age and she sixty-three. They are the parents of eight children, namely: Ann, Elizabeth, George, Lydia, Duley, Locina, Charles and an infant. Mrs. Dexter was ten years old when she came to Michigan, and twenty years of age when she was married. To her and her husband have been born five children, as follows: Sarah, Golden, Mary, Clark and Jay. Sarah is the wife of Fred Easton, of Butler Township, and they have one child, Netela. The other children of our subject are at home. Mr. Dexter is regarded by his fellow-citizens as a man of sterling worth, one who is eminently honest, upright and honorable in all his dealings. He is a firm adherent of the Democratic party, honestly believing that the principles upheld by that party, if carried out, would( bIe beneficial to the country. ILLIAM M. McCARTY. Among the prominent representative citizens and successful men of Branch County may be numbered the gentleman whose name stands at the head of this sketch. He ranks among its earliest pioneers, having made his advent within its borders in the spring of 1831, and has lived in the county ever since. From the first he was sanguine of the future of a section of country possessing such varied natural resources, and he has lived to see his expectations more than realized. He has taken an active part in the settlement and development of the county, and has cordially assisted and encouraged every measure tending to promote its advancement financially, educationally and morally. His good practical business ability has yielded its legitimate fruit, and after giving to his son eighty acres of land, he still owns a tract of 120 acres, well improved, and provided with the requirements of this progressive age. The subject of this biographical notice was born in Detroit, Mich., Dec. 15, 1817, and his father, also a ds akhM, 4 --- l-Y IYY"I -l- --- I. -Y l1l- I1l1lC'L1Y14rub m w diI — rr-C' i 4wL T 'CIT -kb. jI j - ~ - - - -., — -~ - -- - -,~ ~- -- -- - - '.," - -- -z- - - - - - ",, -, - - -., -,- —,,-,,,,. -- -, - -,,- ",., 232 BRANCH COUNTY. — --- William McCarty, was born in the same State, on Grosse Island, near Detroit, and was there reared to manhood. The father enlisted in the War of 1812, and was made Captain of the company, under Gen. Hull, and was with him when Detroit was surrendered to the British. He served throughout the entire struggle, and earned a good war record as a brave man and a capable officer. He subsequently came to this county, and was elected to the office of Sheriff of the county, the first incumbent of that office. He discharged his duties in such a manner as to win the admiration of his constituents, and subsequently became a merchant, settling in Coldwater, which he made his home during the last seventeen years of his life. During his mercantile experience he, with many others, was involved in the panic caused by the "wild cat" banks, and he lost all his money and died a poor man, at fifty-five years of age. Mr. McCarty was a public-spirited and a worthy man, and a member in good standing of the Methodist Church, in which he preached and exhorted very frequently. He and his wife were charter members of the church of Coldwater, and he was one of five of the first class ever formed in the State. The mother of our subject, whose maiden name was Maria Audrin, was the daughter of a Frenchman who came to America when a young man, and after his marriage in Philadelphia, Pa., came to Michigan, where he was appointed Auditor General, and served for twenty-two years; he died in this State, ripe in years and honors. His daughter Maria was his clerk for some years before her marriage, and died also in Coldwater. William M. McCarty was the third in order of birth in the parental family of eight children, and received his early training and education in Detroit. He early learned to rely upon himself, and when he was but fourteen years of age he came to this county with his brother-in-law, Mr. Allen Tibbets, who settled in Coldwater when it could boast of but one log house. Young McCarty was a rugged boy and already inured to farm labor, and he not only maintained himself during the difficult pioneer struggles, but he was the chief support for some years of his father's family. During those dark days he experienced all the trials and privations incident to the place and period; over roads almost impass able, and in some cases with only the Indian trail to guide him, his milling and marketing had to be done frequently at a long distance; and even the most common comforts of life were forgotten. Wild game was to be had in abundance, and beasts of prey were disagreeably plentiful, while not infrequently the log cabin received a visit from the tenant of the wigwam. Many became discouraged and took their departure for older settlements, and only those with the sterling qualities that heroes are made of, were found able to subdue nature under such unfavorable conditions. In Coldwater our subject met and was united in marriage with the lady of his choice, Miss Emma Shaw, who was born in England, July 18, 1824, and is the daughter of Christopher and Sarah C. (Baglian) Shaw, also natives of England, and of Scotch and French descent respectively. When Mrs. McCarty was a child of two and one-half years she was brought by her parents to this country. and locating in Hartford County, Conn., remained until she was eight years of age, when they removed to Erie County, Ohio, which became their home for fifteen years. They finally came to Michigan, and settling in Coldwater, remained until the death of the father, in 1852, at about sixty years of age. He came of good ancestry, his father being an English gentleman, and was a highly educated man of great natural ability. His wife still survives, at the age of eighty-three, in Coldwater, and is a remarkably active woman. She comes of a titled English family, and only during the last year made a visit to her native land. Mrs. McCarty was the eldest of the parental family, and profiting by her educational advantages, began to teach school when only fourteen years of age, and was thus engaged until her marriage. By her union with our subject she became the mother of one child. Frank, who took to wife Ada J. Mingus, and is now engaged in the livery business in Colon, Mich. By a former marriage, with Mary Shoecraft, Mr. McCarty had two children, one of whom, James, was a member of the well-known Loomis Battery during the war, and was instantly killed at the battle of (hickamauga. He enlisted at the age of nineteen, and served two years in the capacity of a private, but he had already earned a good war record when he met his untimely l II i-4. a~-~~ _Op i - I I I -_f u w__ -00 -. 4. - -. I a, I -..... If appo- z BRnANCH~ COUNTY. 233 I', I i I BRNHCUNY 3 death. Tie other child, R. Augusta, is the wife of Charles Ellis, and they reside in Chicago, Ill., where Mr. Ellis represents the Wizard Oil Company, and is at present in Prince Edward Island. Our subject is pleasantly situated on section 20, in Mattison Township, in the enjoyments of the comforts of this life, and the friendship of the best society of the community. He and Mrs. McCarty are whole-souled, social people, and are members of the Patrons of Husbandry No. 215, Colon, Mich. In politics Mr. McCarty is a Republican, and voted the first Abolition ticket cast in Coldwater. -~ --- —.<>,o..(.<_^..0,o. ----^GEORGE KNAPP came from his native Gerf < many many years ago, when a young man, \( anll became naturalized as soon as the laws of this country would permit, and is now one of Butler Township's best citizens. Though past the meridian of life he is still as energetic and enterprising as when in early manhood's prime he sought this country to better his fortunes. He owns a good farm on section 26, and by his wise management of his agricultural interests has placed himself in good circumstances. Mr. Knapp was born Nov. 27, 1821, in the Empire of Germany, and his parents were George and Gertrude Knapp, also natives of Germany, where they died, the fatherin 1848, at the age of sixty-eight years, and the mother in 1846, aged sixty-four. The father followed the occupation of a farmer, and was also a linen weaver. IIe and his wife were excellent people, whose quiet lives were records of good deeds, industrious habits, and honest dealings with their fellowmen. They were the parents of eight children, two sons and six daughters, and our subject was the youngest of the family. IHe grew to manhood in the fatherland, received a good education, and was reared in the Catholic faith, being confirmed when fifteen years old. He learned his father's trade, and followed it in his old home until he was twenty-five years of age. Our subject then became restless and dissatisfied with his position, and had a burning desire to try life in America, the Mecca of so many compatriots, where he thought he could place himself on the highway to wealth, and April 15, 1846, he set sail on the "Courier" for the port of New York, touching at London, and thence crossing the waters to his destination, which he reached on the 1st of July following. He could find no employment there, and we next hear of him in Rochester, N. Y., where he hired out to a farmer to work in the harvest fields. He remained in New York until November, 1847, when he came to Michigan and settled in Jonesville; he there worked out by the month, and then managed a farm on shares, and finally bought a farm in Allen Township, Hillsdale County. During that time Mr. Knapp took unto himself a wife, being united in marriage to Miss Emeline Martin, Sept. 5, 1850. She has proved a devoted helpmate, and has materially aided her husband in bringing about their present prosperity. She was born July 26, 1833, in the State of New York, and is the oldest child of Isaac and Mary (Goforth) Martin, natives of England, the father born in Lancastershire and the mother in Yorkshire. Her father came to America when a young man, and coming to Michigan at an early date operated a sawmill for Mr. Gardner at Jonesville. He and his wife were the parents of three children, two boys and one girl. The marriage of our subject and his wife has been blessed to them by the birth of three children-Maryetta E., Frank W. and Herbert H. Maryetta married James F. Knapp. who was born in Jackson County, Mich., and they reside with her parents, as lie works the farm on shares; Frank V. is a carpenter in Los Angeles, Cal.; Herbert, a blacksmith il Allen Township, married Miss Emily Hoskins, and they have one child, Minnie. Mr. and Mrs. Knapp made their home on the farm in Allen. Township for fifteen years, and he then sold out and came to Butler Township, where he purchased eighty acres of land. He has cleared part of it, developed it into a beautiful farm, and made many substantial improvements, among which may be mentioned his handsome dwelling and fine barns, which are a decided ornament to the locality. Mr. Knapp is a man of liberal and progressive ideas; he is the soul of honor, is generous and open-hearted, and has won for himself an enviable reputation in this community, where lie is highly i i i,... "W I I i 000- -— 40! _ OP m [ I I A II I II F ~ --- —-a - r --:I 234 BRANCH COUNTY. I respected. He received his naturalization papers in Hillsdale County, cast his first vote for a Presidential candidate in 1856, and has ever since been a strong Democrat. ILLIAM C. SORTER, a farmer of Ovid Township, is one of the self-made men of whom the country is justly proud, whose present prosperity is due entirely to his own persevering industry, sound sense, and integrity of purpose. He was born in Steuben County, N. Y., Jan. 3, 1837. His paternal grandparents moved from New Jersey to New York, and were among the original settlers of Steuben County, where they spent their last years. Jacob S. Sorter, father of our subject, was born May 8, 1802, presumably during the residence of his parents in New Jersey, and must, therefore, have been quite young when they moved to the Empire State. He was reared in Steuben County, where he married and settled, buying land, and living there until 1838. In the meantime Mr. Sorter had visited Michigan and purchased a tract of land, and in the fall of that year (1 838), accompanied by his wife and two children, started for the home that he was to plant in the wilderness. The journey, which is now accomplished so quickly and easily in luxurious railroad coaches, they performed in a wagon drawn by a pair of oxen as far as Buffalo, where they embarked, team and all, on a lake boat, in which they proceeded to Monroe, thence resuming their former mode of traveling, through the forests and swamps to Branch County. Their land was located on section 27 of Ovid Township, and a log house was on the place, and a garden spot had been broken. They at once moved into the cabin, and commenced their life as pioneers, for three years making that place their home. Mr. Sorter had bought the farm on time, and anticipated no difficulty in making the payments when due, but, unfortunately losing money that was owing him in the East, he was unable to meet the payments, and lost the land. Nothing daunted, however, by his adverse lot, he persevered, and was soon after enabled to purchase forty acres of land on the same section. A small part of it was cleared, but there were no buildings on it. Mr. Sorter first built a log cabin, then began to improve the land. From that time on prosperity smiled on his labors, and he added to his original purchase until he owned a farm comprising 200 acres. A neat and convenient frame house supplanted the log cabin, and good farm buildings were erected. Thus this sturdy pioneer, who bravely struggled with even more hardships than fall to most settlers in a new country, was amply rewarded for all his toils and deprivations. Besides being a thrifty and industrious farmer, Mr. S. was a fine hunter, and there having been offered a bounty of $13 for the scalp of each wolf, he made a considerable sum by trapping them. He was an honest, genial man, having the respect of all, and his death, which occurred May 6, 1882, was mourned by the community. The maiden name of his wife, mother of our subject, was Hannah Clark, a native of Steuben County, N. Y. She was an admirable helpmate to her husband, sharing cheerfully his labors, and assisting him in the various ways known to women. Her death occurred at the home. stead, April 27, 1876. She was the mother of eight children, seven of whom grew to maturity, and are now living. The subject of this sketch was the third child born to his parents, and was in his second year when he came with them to Ovid, thus having grown up with the country. Since his recollection deer, wild turkeys and other game, have roamed in the woods, and as soon as large enough to hold a rifle hle began to hunt, and has killed many a deer. He attended the pioneer schools of his town, and assisted in the work of the farm, remaining in the home of his parents until his marriage. Before that time he had secured a tract of land from his father on section 34, Ovid Township, and com. menced the improvement of a farm. He erected a fine set of buildings on it, planted an orchard, and lived there from the time of his marriage until 1877, then sold it, and bought the place where he now resides on section 28. Ile has 270 acres of valuable land, including the old homestead, and two sets of good frame buildings. The maiden name of Mr. Sorter's wife, to whom he was wedded in 1863, was Harriet Strong, who was I _ —,1 U! hi ) dw a k - ~- - I - - I - -...- I, ' I-Imm - - - - - I_ _d obp —] r e~B~~"Ol~J~~~lsl~i ~, ~ ~, ""~~P~"~""~'r;I~s~)CC ~e op-M-46C~ BRnANCH COUNTY.I' 235 A BRANCH COUNTY.235 born in Coldwater Township, July 23, 1841. She is of New England ancestry, her grandfather, Luther Strong, having been a native of that section of the country. He formerly owned a farm on Grand Isle, in Lake Champlain, but subsequently moved to Allegany County, N. Y., and from there to Potter County, Pa., where he died. HIe married Abigail Woodruff, also a native of New England, who, after the death of her husband, came to Michigan, and lived with her children in this State and Ohio, dying in her ninety-ninth year, and being buried in Kinderhook Township. Calvin Strong, father of Mrs. Sorter, was born in Washington County, N. Y., where he was reared and married, living there until 1839, when he came to Michigan by way of Lake Erie to Detroit, and from there with a team to Coldwater, where he was among the early settlers. About four years later lie removed to Kinderhook, and bought a tract of land in the locality now known as Strong's Island. He improved a farm, and lived there some years, subsequently residing in Quincy, Girard and Coldwater. Ile spent his last years with his children in Kinderhook. The maiden name of his wife, mother of Mrs. Sorter, was Stephana Smith, a native of Washington County, N. Y., and daughter of Stephen and Rhoda (Woodruff) Smith. She is now living with her children at the advanced age of eighty-six years. Our subject and his wife are social, genial people, with all the necessary qualifications to make them desirable neighbors and friends, and their true worth is recognized by their large circle of acquaintances. They have no children of their own to share the comforts of their household, but in the great generosity of their hearts they have adopted a daughter, Myrtle, who has an equal share of love and care from each. IRUM P. OLMSTED is classed among the representative farmers and intelligent citizens of this county, and is engaged in general farming on section 15, Union Township. His parents, Gamalia P. and Lydia (Burnett) Olmsted, came to Michigan about 1836, and settled in Tecumseh, but after a short residence there, they removed to Burlington, Calhoun County, which they made their home for two or three years. They then came to Union Township about 1840, and continued to reside here until their decease, the father passing away Feb. 8, 1860, and the mother four days later, February 12. Their family consisted of eight children, five sons and three daughters, as follows: Alfonzo, Nirum P., Emeline F., John A., William D., Benjamin F., Lucinda I. and Eva A. Emeline F., William D. and Alfonzo are now deceased. The subject of this biography was the second in order of birth in the parental family, and was born in Burlington, Calhoun Co., Mich., July 18, 1839. He was reared on a farm and was early engaged in assisting his father in the duties appertaining thereto, while acquiring an education in the public schools in the neighborhood, and has been a resident of Union Township, with little interuption, since he came to it with his parents, in 1840. Too much cannot be said in memory of the brave men who, taking their lives in their hands, went forth in the hour of their country's need, to assist in maintaining those rights and principles upon which our glorious Republic is based. History is replete with their deeds of heroism and daring, their endurance of inconceivable toil and privation, and yet the half has never been told. Innumerable deeds of valor, equal to the most daring of those recorded, were performed time and again by many soldiers whose names we have never heard, indeed the whole struggle abounds in heroic exploits of our Northern sons. Prompt at the call of duty, Mr. Olmsted enlisted in the army, Dec. 9. 1862, in Company C, 2d Battalion, 17th United States Infantry, and served three years. At Spottsylvania Court House he was struck in the right leg by a minie ball, and was so seriously wounded that he was confined to the hospital at Philadelphia for nine months, and very nearly lost his life. Upon his recovery he again shouldered his rifle. He had been previously slightly wounded at Laurel Hill, where he had his gun slot out of his hand. He was also in the engagement at Portland Harbor, and participated in the capture of twenty-seven privates. After earning for himself a good war record, remaining as long as his services were!I I B - MP M-0 -_m NO - - I I - I. - I- I - I I "Y I I - ' - " -- ' ------; _ I - - ~; pr~rr., wmwm~C~~ CC~ooow-~~ C t Io I I 4 0 -! olow - -' - -200-0-4 236 BRANCH COUNTY. I needed, he was discharged in New York City, and returned to his home in Union Township. Our subject was united in marriage, in Burlington, Mich., with Miss Alice E. Burnett, who is a native of Ohio, and their family consisted of three children: Eddie B. and Frank P., now deceased, and Nirum P. Mr. Olmsted now owns a farm of eighty-three acres, which was the old family homestead, and he has supplied it with substantial and commodious buildings, suitable for tile successful prosecution of his calling. He has made good improvements on his farm, bringing it to a high state of cultivation, and has a pleasant outlook for the remainder of his days. Our subject is a member of Corbin Post No. 88, and is also a member of the United Workmen. In politics he is a Republican, and is a man of liberal and decided views, discreet in forming an opinion and firm in maintaining it. ^ --— ~~~ —E ---- ^ e ORNELIUS DENHAM is one of the wealthiest farmers and most extensive land-owners in Butler Township, is considered one of the most skillful and progressive agriculturists in this locality, and is the owner of a large and valual)le farm on section 36, comprising 325 acres. It is well stocked with horses, cattle, sheep, and poultry of good grades, and is amply provided with farm buildings and machinery. Mr. Delham is a native of Massachusetts, although he was reared in the State of New York; his birth took place in Conway, Franklin County, Dec. i6, 1817. His parents, Cornelius and Lydia Denham, were likewise natives of the old Bay State, coming of good New England stock; his father was born in Franklin County. His grandfather, who followed whaling, made his home on the island of Martha's Vineyard. After marriage the parents of our subject settled in Conway, Franklin Co., Mass., where the father suce cessfully carried on farming, and there their eight children, two daughters and six sons, all of whom grew up, were born to them. In 1820 Mr. and Mrs. Denham left their native State and settled in Ontario County, N. Y., where the father became a large land-owner. He died in 1828, at the age of fifty-three. He was a man of more than ordinary energy and capability, and his death, when scarcely past the prime of life, was a severe blow to the community in which he resided. His good wife survived him until 1848, when she died at the age of seventy years. Our subject was the youngest of the family, and as he was but two years old when his parents took him to New York to live, he can have no recollection of the old home where he was born. His education was conducted in the "rate schools" of the day, before education was so universally free as it is to the youth of the present generation. He lived at home with his mother until he was twenty years old, his father having died when he was eleven. After leaving the parental roof he went to Bureau County, 111., and kept stock, looking after cattle, horses and sleep. He was thus employed for eighteen months, when he went back to New York and remained on the homestead for many years, he having inherited a part of the farni from his father, and so became the possessor of 123 acres of highly tilled land. He was very much prospered in his farming ventures, and acquired quite a competency, yet he was convinced that more money was to be made on the rich soil of Michigan, wichc had not been worn out by cultivation by generations of farmers, and in 1865 he settled up his affairs in New York, disposed of his property, and came here to purchase his present farm. His anticipations have been more than justified, as by his fine management of his interests he has accumulated wealth. He has made many improvements on his place since it came into his possession, and has repaired and rebuilt his house, barns, etc., until they rank among the best class of farm buildings in the township; his frame horse barn is 80x32 feet, and his grain barn is 45x30 feet. On the 23d of November, 1845, our subject was married to Miss Sarah, daughter of William and Lydia (Mapes) Blodgett, natives respectively of Connecticut and York State. After marriage they settled in Gorham, Ontario Co., N. Y., and there they died, each at the ripe old age of eighty-six, the father's death occurring in 1880 and the mother's in 1881. They had eleven children, five boys and six girls. Mrs. Denham, who was the second.lj _ —.di.. - - -Le -.A ---air~-* S - ~rI-~~FP-U~al~P~~I- - Le~I-aBa i VI r- - ~-~ —~ -R */I ~~. ~.~ r~ ~pd --- —-— ~-I-~~g~S0100-*~e-llw BRANCH COUNTY. 237 I - child of the family, was born Oct. 29, 1818. She enjoyed good educational advantages in the schools of her native town, and herself engaged in the vocation of teaching two terms prior to her marriage. Four children were born to her and her husband, all born in their New York home, and the youngest was eight years old when they came to Michigan. Their record is as follows: Lydia is the wife of Israel Kinyon, of Quincy Township, and they are the parents of two children-Louis and Ruby; Willie died young; Ida is the wife of Mr. Chase, and they live with her parents; Horace and his brother-in-law, Mr. Chase, manage the home farm. Our subject is regarded as one of the stand-bys of the community, as he is a high-minded man, of unblemished honor, always honest and upright in his business transactions, and has secured the perfeet confidence of his fellowmen. He may well be Iproud of his fine estate and good fortune, which he has acquired by legitimate methods. In politics he formerly cast his vote with the famous Free-Soil party. Later he became a Republican on the organization of the party, strongly supported Fremont, was a stanch follower of Abraham Lincoln, and has always given his allegiance to the candidates of his party. Lattermore, and they became the parents of eight children, only three of whom are now living, two sons in America and a daughter in England. Our subject acquired a common-school education and assisted his parents around the homestead until attaining manhood. He was then married, April 19, 1842, in his native county, to Miss Sarah, daughter of William and Sarah (Jinks) Dunmore, who was one of two daughters and three sons which comprised the family of her parents. Of this marriage there were born in England three children-Robert A., William and Mary-who are now all married and residents of New York State. Mr. Courten started for America the latter part of 1850, landing in New York City on the 1st of November. They made the voyage in a sailing-vessel called the "West Point." After he had canvassed the outlook for a future home lie decided to locate in Macedon, N. Y., and sent for his wife and children, who joined him in May following, coming on a sailing-vessel named the "Liverpool Crown." They were shipwrecked, and put back to the coast of Ireland for repairs, where they were detained two weeks, and were thus thirteen weeks making the journey. Mrs. Sarah Courten departed this life at her home in Macedon, N. Y., Dec. 22, 1853, about eighteen months after joining her husband in America. Four years later our subject contracted a second marriage, July 11, 1857, with Miss Prudence L. Clavenger, who was born in New Jersey, and was the daughter of Elias Clavenger. This union resulted in the birth of one daughter, Emily, who is now the wife of Aaron Latta, of Bronson Township, this county. Mrs. Prudence Courten died twenty years after her marriage with our subject, Sept. 19, 1878, and he was married, May 8, 1879, to Mrs. Ann Jane Hyatt, who had two daughters-Mary Jane and Maggie. They are married and residents, one of Bloomington, Ill., and one of Edwardsburg, Mich. Mr. Courten was a resident of Macedon, N. Y., for a period of fourteen years, then coming to this State, established himself in Coldwater, of which he was a resident six years, and employed himself at farming. In 1871 he came to Bronson Township, this county, and secured possession of his present farm. Here he has since labored industriously with most excellent results. He has taken a warm inter FI ii If i Il TEPHEN COURTEN. Among the homes of plenty which are so thickly scattered throughout this county, that of the subject of this sketch is invariably an object of interest to the passing traveler. The property lies on section 15 in Bronson Township, and comprises forty acres of land, with good buildings, fruit and shade trees, a choice assortment of live stock, improved farm machinery, and all the appliances required by the progressive agriculturist. The hand of thrift and industry is apparent on all sides, and no family occupies a better position in the county than that of Mr. Courten. The earliest recollections of our subject are of a modest home in the town of Thorney, Cambridgeshire, England, where his birth took place July 8, 1824. His father, Robert Courten, followed farm pursuits, and in early manhood married Miss Mary I - r,a 47tiia 33I 11 - , u. - I I-., I Iop- - - --- — Iqq Iqu 4 WO I -PI I I i I Ii i i t i I I i i i t i I ~- - - - - ~ - -- -- ----- ---- ---- -- ---------- odd& -e9 -a ' - - I -r - I low 238: BRANCH COUNTY. est in the growth and development of his adopted township, and in the building up of a creditable home has thus borne no unimportant part in adding to the reputation of the community for industry and enterprise. Upon becoming a naturalized citizen he identified himself with the Republicans, but is now an advocate of the principles of the National Labor party. A man of more than ordinary intelligence, he keeps himself well posted on the leading questions of the day, and is recognized as one of Branch County's solid men. Both he and his estimable wife are members of the Congregational Church, and Mr. Courten has held the various local offices of his township, the duties of which he discharged with the same conscientious care that has marked all his transactions in life. w 5cl:~~~,j~; ~ ~3f T'ownship, IHalton County, Canada West, May 3, 1847, and is the son of Nicholas G. and Zilpha B. (Case) Ellis, both of whom are natives of Jefferson County, N. Y. The father was general agent of the John P. Manning Reaper Company, and died in Bronson, Dec. 20, 1871, while the mother still survives, and lives with her son, our subject, in Bronson. 'he parents of our subject resided in Canada until George W. was a little lad eight years of age, and then removed to Jefferson County, in the Empire State, which they made their home until their removal to this county in 1856. Mr. Ellis was educated principally in Branch County, and being of a studious disposition, he laid the basis of a good education, which he broadened and( rounded out by an attendance at college at Ontario, Ind. Wishing to utilize his education, and believing in education as an elevator, he engaged in the profession of school-teaching, which he followed for seventeen years in this State, meeting with very good success, and gaining recognition as an educator on the most thorough principles. His field of labor was confined to the Wolverine State, but during his summer vacations he traveled as agent for the manufacturers of agricultural machinery, and thus, while supplementing his salary as a teacher, which in many cases is not commensurate with the efforts put forth, lie acquired a good insight into human nature, while his contact with men and things relieved the tedium of his profession and prevented his drifting into those ruts in which many teachers wreck their hopes. Our subject was united in marriage, in 1875, with Miss Alma N. Earl, a native of Bronson, and the daughter of Joseph E. and Sophia (Williams) Earl, natives of York State, though residents of the Buckeye State. The parents came to Branch County at an early day, while nature still reigned almost unmolested, and the unbroken forests were still the home of the wolf and the bear, and small game was in abundance. The trails of the red man, marked by blazed trees, were in many cases the only roads through which their intercourse with one another was kept up, and the original owner of the soil had not entirely disappeared from this section of country before the incoming tide of civilization. Mr. Earl engaged in the noble work of transforming the wilderness into a garden, and thus spent the remainder of his years, dying in Branch County. There have come to enliven the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ellis, two bright little girls-Maggie L. and Loie M. These children will receive the benefits of a good education, and under the instruction of their cultured parents will grow up to b)ecome useful and honored members of society. The family occupy a neat and substantial residence in the southern part of Bronson, on South Madison street, and are happy and contented in the enjoyment of the respect and esteem of society, and the love of their family. The integrity which has characterized all the (lealings, both public and private, in the life of Mr. Ellis, as well as his tact and liberal-minded spirit, have been appreciated by his fellow-townsmen, who have honored him with the principal offices within their gift. In 1878 he was elected Supervisor of Bronson Township, and has held the office continuously ever since, and lie is also Chairman of the Branch County Board of Supervisors. lHe was elected President of the village of Bronson in 1885, and served three years, and has served on the School Board for ten years, and is now the Director of the board. He is also Chairman of the building committee of the new Branch County Court House, I i 9l * ^ 0 I Ii i i I I II i t I I i I i I t i I I I I I I I II II I I I "No i IL 4 - 16 - I^ -._ I r - - ---- --- -- - — A-i-b~ '11,111ow- 0 6 —.A- go I II 8Clts "~ 1 I — t~-a ----"-l-~ ~ ~ ---— C1 Ir~lll llp I I I BRnANCH UCOUNTI.I 239 N and he has ever labored faithfully and conscientiously to discharge the duties of the various offices. Politically, Mr. Ellis affiliates with the Democratic party, believing that the platform promulgated by that political body is the most conducive to the best interests of the masses, and he cheerfully extends to it his help and influence. In 1886 Mr Ellis was defeated by a small majority for the office of Register of Deeds. Socially, he is a member of the Masonic fraternity, of the order of Knights Templars, and is a member of the I. 0. O. F. Mrs. Ellis is a member in good standing of the Baptist Church, and is a lady esteemed for her many wonanly virtues. lr7REDERICK MYERS, furnishing the staff of life to the citizens of Coldwater, is proprietor l of the City Bakery in that place, and from a small beginning, in the face of obstacles that would have damped the ardor of many men, he has persevered until he occupies a leading position, and is a prominent and respected citizen. The principal features in the life of Mr. Myers may furnish a lesson to the rising generation, and are substantially as follows: Frederick Myers was born at Sindelfingen, Wurtemberg, Germany, Feb. 20,1830, and is the eldest in a family of eight children, born to John Jacob and Christina (Wying) Myers, natives of the same place as their son, where the father was born in 1806, and the mother one year previously. John J. Myers owned a farm, on which he spent the greater part of his life, dying in his prime, in October, 1843, leaving a family of five orphan children. I-e and his wife were members of the Lutheran Church, and good Christian people. Mrs. Myers was an affectionate wife and mother, doing her duty as a noble Christian woman, and passed to her reward previous to the death of her husband, March 16, 1841. The other children born of this union are recorded as follows: Louisa was born in March, 1831, and became the wife of a Mr. Klem, now living in Germany; Catherine was born in April, 1832, and was first married to a Mr. Hahn, of Ger many; they came to the United States, and settled in Poughkeepsie, N. Y., where Mr. IHahn died from the effects of army life (luring the late war; her second husband is John Dobber, of Poughkeepsie. Christina was born in August, 1833, and resides in Germany; John Jacob was born in 1835, and died in infancy; John F. was born in 1837, and died at the age of eight years; Henrietta was born March 3, 1838, and became the wife of Louis Clauss, of Ploughkeepsie; an infant died unnamed when two weeks old. After the death of the father, the surviving children found homes with their relatives on the mother's side. Our subject was a lad of thirteen years when he was left an orphan, and he lived with his aunt, Christina Auer, nine months, attending school in compliance with the laws of Germany, which require its subjects to keep their children in school between the ages of six and fourteen years. He was afterward apprenticed to learn the baker's trade with Jacob Eicheley, of Boedlingen County, and remained in his employ two years. From there lie went to Stuttgart, the capital of Wurtemberg, and remained one year employed at his trade. He now resolved to join the tide of emigration to the New World, and bidding good-by to his kind aunt, at the youthful age of seventeen he started out to fight life's battles alone in a foreign country, with whose language and customs he was entirely unacquainted. Journeying to Havre, France, by rail and stage, le embarked on a sailing-vessel, which hoisted anchor April 6, 1847, and young Myers arrived in New York on the 2d of May, with just enough money to pay a week's board, but within that week he found employment at Williamsburg, N. Y., with John Gaus, a baker, and remained in his employ one year, working for $4 a month and his board, while he had to hire his washing done and clothe himself from that pittance. He then went to Brooklyn, N. Y., where he remained two years with a Mr. Webber, on Nassau street, receiving $2 per week and board for the first year, and $3 per week during the second. In 1851 he engaged in a cracker factory, in Paterson, N. J., but the work here was too laborious for Mr. Myers, who was not very robust, and at the end of six months he returned to New York, and remained eighteen I I 000.4 -I. - - 7 - `- ' --~-' —`"I^ "Ix"-- ---I_____I-.._;^__lc_______ .,.__.__._._..........___., _..I.... I L t <^ I II i I i r!J _- nk kBdl *,:,,,I, JI'l I iQ J11l1- I pill I If III I_ 1 *low, L 240 BRANCH COUNTY. I- -- - months with a Mr. Crane, of Red Hook. Mr. Crane then sold his business to a Mr. Lesher, and our subject remained with him about two and a half years, and then buying him out, commenced business for himself, and remained there until 1865. He then sold out his bakery, and coming to this State, chose Coldwater for his scene of operations, and opened a bakery in the first log house built in Coldwater, where now the Courier office is located. At the end of five years he removed to Chicago street, and about nine years later he sold out, and one year afterward, Dec. 1, 1879, he established his present business at No. 37 West Chicago street. In 1862 our subject was included in the first draft made in the Civil War, but he hired a substitute and remained at home. This was a serious drawback to him, for he had but little means. When he bought out his employer he had no capital, and gave him his-note for $600 without any security, but by industry and economy he has paid his debts and is a successful business man. He has had to contend with poverty, sickness in his family, and almost every trial that beset the pioneer, but he has outlived or overcome all, and is now in the enjoyment of a competency. Mr. Myers was united in marriage, Feb. 1, 1854, with Maggie L., daughter of John I. and Mary (Rowe) Decker, who was born at Red Hook, N. Y., in 1826. Her father was born and reared in Columbia County, N. Y., and was employed by the month until 1865, when he came to Michigan and settled in Union Township, this county. He and his wife spent their last days with their daughter, Elmira, and Mr. Decker died in August, 1876, and was buried in Oak Grove Cemetery, Coldwater. He was an honest, hard-working, upright man, a member of the Lutheran Church, and in politics was a Republican. His wife, the mother of Mrs. Myers, was also a native of Columbia County, and was the daughter of John and Alice (Webber) Rowe, the latter a native of Connecticut, where her ancestors settled on their arrival from Holland about 1600. She was an heir to the celebrated Trinity Church property, in New York City, known as "Aneke Jane" property, and containing originally 160 acres, lying on Broadway, N. Y. A lease was given for ninety-nine years, and at the expiration of this term the property reverted to the heirs. The mother of Mrs. Mvers is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and still survives, an honored and respected woman, residing with her daughter, Mrs. Elmira Phillips, in Union Township, To Mr. and Mrs. Myers there have been born four children, whose record is as follows: Arline was born Jan. 30, 1855, and( was educated in New York, and in the High School at Coldwater; she became the wife of R. R. Chandler, son of Albert Chandler, and has one child, Roline, who was born May 28, 1884. F. Carlton was born Jan. 4, 1857, at Red Hook, N. Y., and received his education in the Coldwater High School; he resides at the homestead. Ina N. was born June 12, 1860, and was educated in the Coldwater High School; she became the wife of Herbert Rose, of Ovid Township, and they have two children: Fred, who was born May 30, 1882, and Arsola, Feb. 2, 1885. Alva G. was born May 24, 1863, was also educated in the Coldwater high School, andl resides at the homestead. In politics our subject is a Republican, and religiously is an attendant of the Presbyterian Church, although in his native Germany he was brought up in the tenets of the Lutheran Church. While in New York he became identified with the Masonic fraternity. J AMES ASHTON. The farm of this gentleman comprises 170 acres of productive land finely located on section 3, where lie settled in 1842. Here he has employed himself industriously as a tiller of the soil, manipulating his land in that careful and judicious manner which has caused it to become the source of a, generous income. He has a goodly assortment of live stock and farm machinery, and the buildings necessary for his comfort and convenience. Our subject was born on the other side of the Atlantic, in Yorkshire, England, Sept. 2, 1821, and is the son of Thomas and Jane (Lazenby) Ashton, who were of pure English ancestry. The father was a carpenter and wheelwright by trade, and died in his native country in 1831. The family included seven sons and three daughters, only two of whom came to the United States, James and John. They i i:I II I I m _-.4" I I I F W Ch F- '.. I I I.,Id _~C1[ L A! I BRANCH COUNTY. 241 I settled at once in Quincy Township, this county. The mother had accompanied them to the New World, and died at the home which her sons had built for her in Quincy Township, in July, 1854. Our subject, with his mother and brother. sailed from England on the 11th of March, 1842, and arrived in New York City July 4 following. In August of that same year they took up their residence on forty acres of land which is included in the present homestead. Our subject entered forty acres from the Government, later purchased ninety acres. and subsequently the remaining forty acres, which complete quite an extensive farm. Our subject was married, in Quincy, March 5, 1848, to Miss Hannah Thornton, who was born Dec. 1, 1825, in the State of New York. Of this union there were born four children: Lucy J. died when four years old; Lucy A. (lied when thirteen; two, Corbett and Lydia, grew to mature years, but the latter died May 31, 1886; the son resides at the homestead with his father. Mrs. Hannah Ashton departed tis life at her home in Quincy Township, in February, 1874. Mr. Ashton has been connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church many years, and officiated as Class-Leader. He has very little to do with politics, but at the present time is a Prohibitionist. ILLIAM F. BINGHAM, a farmer of Branch County, is one of the most influential citizens of Ovid Township, where he possesses one of the fine farms for which this locality is so justly celebrated, and by his wise management and skillful cultivation it is brought to yield abundant harvests, and amply repays him for his care and toil. He was born in Rome, Crawford Co., Pa., July 22, 1844, and he comes of distant New England ancestry. His great-grandparents, John and Charity (Brockway) Bingham, it is thought, were natives of New Hampshire, and moving from there to Canada in 1798, accompanied by his family, Mr. Bingham took up a tract of Government land, on which he settled, but after making some improvements he gave it to his sons and returned to the States. Ile then made his home in Rockingham County, Vt., bought a farm there, and spent his last years thereon, his wife also dying in that State. The grandfather of our subject was born in the town of Marlow, N. H., in 1780, went to Canada with his father when eighteen years of age, and there met and married, Nov. 13, 1811, Lucretia Frasier, who was born in Nova Scotia, March 1, 1788. After marriage Mr. Bingham still continued to make his home in the British Dominion, and was there engaged in the peaceful pursuits of agriculture when the War of 1812 broke out. lie was pressed into the English service, but as he strongly sympathized with the cause of his native country, he deserted at the first opportunity, crossed the St. Lawrence, and soon made his way to the States, where his wife shortly after joined him. They made their home on his father's farm in Vermont for awhile, and then moved to Warren County, Pa., where they were among the earliest settlers, and Mr. Bingham was a member of the first jury that was impaneled at the first term of court ever held in that county. He subsequently moved from there to the town of Busti, Chautauqua Co., N. Y., and thence came to Michigan in 1835, and identified himself with the pioneers of Lenawee County, settling in the township of Woodstock. The entire journey from New York was made with a wagon and three horses. He entered a tract of Government land, erected a log house, splitting shakes for a roof and puncheon for a floor. He resided in Lenawee County until 1853, when he came to Branch County, bought a tract of 160 acres of land in Ovid Township, and here made his home the few remaining years of his life, dying Dec. 25, 1862. His wife also died on the homestead, her death occurring March 3, 1873. William S. Bingham, the father of our subject, was born in tie town of Busti, Chautauqua Co., N. Y., and was a young man when he came to Michigan with his parents in 1835. He was' soon after taken sick, and the doctor said that he was in consumption and would not live. He refused, however, to accept the doctor's verdict, and returned to his native State to consult a physician in whom he had more confidence. The result was that he regained his health and lived to a reasonable old age. After his recovery he went to Pennsylvania, i i I!i I F-40~a._p._ ON. I i i t -- L I - - -- - --- ---- I.-~I I m In V-6 m 242 BRANCH COUNTY. A and was married there to Eveline Reed, a native of Chautauqua County, N. Y., and a daughter of Cary and Polly (Hutchins) Reed. In 1846 Mr. Bingham returned to Lenawee County, and settled in Woodstock Township, on land which he had previously owned. He erected a log house, with a chimney of stone, and the top of it of mud and sticks, and as they had no stove the mother of our subject did her cooking over the fireplace. She used to spin and weave, and the clothes worn by her family were the results of her skill in those useful arts. In 1855 Mr. Bingham again sold, and coming to Branch County, located on a tract of eighty acres of land that he had previously purchased, lying on section 1. It was heavily timbered at the time and no road led to the place, but he erected a plank house and entered upon the improvement of the land. He lived there until the spring of 1869, when he took up his residence in Cold water, living there two years. From there he went to Barre County, and his last days were passed there, his death occurring in August, 1873. His wife had previously passed away in Cold water, in May, 1871. They had but two children: Amos R., a resident of St. Louis, Mo., and our subject. The latter was but two years old when he came to Michigan, therefore he may be truly said to have grown up with the country. His boyhood was passed in attendance at the schools of Lenawee County, and later in Ovid Township and Coldwater, thus receiving an excellent education which well qualified him for the profession of a teacher, which he commenced at the age of nineteen, and was an instructor in the winter schools for sixteen terms, varying that occupation the remainder of the year by engaging in agricultural pursuits. Our subject has been twice married. The date of his first marriage was Sept. 19, 1867, Miss Jennie Mason then becoming his wife. She was born in the State of New York, near Rochester, Oct. 9, 1843, and died in May, 1870, after a brief but happy married life. Mr. Bingham was a second time married, in July, 1872, when lie was united to Miss Mary I. Greenamyer, who was born in Fairfield Towiship, Columbiana Co., Ohio, and is a daughter of David and Margaret (Snook) Greenamyer. Her father is an extensive farmer and a respected resident of Ovid Township. He was born in Unity Township, Fairfield Co., Ohio, Jan. 28, 1820, and his father, Solomon Greenamyer, was a native of Pennsylvania, and his grandfather was either a German by birth or was born of German parentage. After residing for many years in Pennsylvania, he moved from there to Columbiana County, Ohio, being an early settler there, and he bought a tract of timber land, cleared a farm, and (lied there. Solomon Greenamyer was reared in Pennsylvania, and there married Maria Geiger, also a native of that State. They moved from there to Columbiana County, and made their home in a log house on his father's land. He at once commenced to clear a farm, built a comfortable home amid the wild surroundings, and there he and his wife spent the remainder of their days. Fourteen children were born to them, twelve of whom grew to maturity. David Greenamyer, Mrs. Bingham's father, was reared in his native county, and eagerly took advantage of all the opportunities of getting an education, first attending a subscription school, and later the free schools when they were established. He was married in Columbiana County, May 4, 1848, his wife likewise being a native of Unity Township, where she was born April 22, 1827. Her parents, John and Margaret (Rupert) Snook, were natives respectively of Pennsylvania and Maryland, and her father was quite an early settler of Unity Township, whence he afterward removed to Trumbull County. After living there a few years he returned to Unity, and spent his last years there. Mr. Greenamyer commenced life for himself in Columbiana County, working land on shares, and resided there until 1865, when he came with his family to Branch County. He then bought the place where he now lives in Ovid Township, there being no buildings on the place at the time, but the improvements now rank with the best in the township. The married life of himself and his wife has been blessed to them by the birth of eight children. Mr. and Mrs. Bingham are the parents of four children, namely: Cary A., Clara H., Nora M. and Orpha. Mr. Bingham is a man of good address, undeniable ability, and one whose judgment is to be depended upon. As a citizen he is public spirited I I I II I i. i I I Ii r; obp 0!.9 I -- 1-.40 I 00-10-40~-~ -- II-C —Q _~ e__._~ ~)ILI~~-~~l(~ - _- r _-.........+..: i ', t 1 ' —.a. -P M I I.111 IIII LC I M... -~ ~, —Sw — I L FM BRANCH COUNTY. 243.. I I I I I I i i i i I I and zealous for tie good of the township or county where he resides. He has filled various offices of trust in this community, has been Highway Commissioner, Superintendent of the public schools, and is now serving his third term as Township Clerk. In politics Mr. Bingham is a stalwart Republican, and cast his first vote for Gen. Grant. Mr. Bingham's uncle, Cary Reed, was a soldier in the 4th Michigan Cavalry, was present at the capture of Jeff Davis, and brought home as a souvenir a pocket knife which the Confederate chief had carried. and it is now in our sulject's possession. OLIN ALLEN. As an old and venerable citizen of Coldwater Township, and one who enjoys in the highest degree the respect and esteem of his fellowmen, it gives us great pleasure to present to the readers of this work an account of the life of the gentleman whose name stands at the head of this biographical sketch. Mr. Allen has for many years been an important factor in the farming community of this portion of Branch County, and shares with his fellow-pioneers the honor of having materially aided in its development and advancement from a wilderness to its present flourishing and prosperous condition. He comes of an old line of Revolutionary heroes, prominent among whom was the brave and daring Ethan Allen, of Ticonderoga fame. Our subject was born in the town of Sudbury, Rutland Co., Vt., April 29, 1801. His father, Reuben Allen, was a native of Connecticut, born in the town of Union, in Tolland County, and was a son of William Allen, who moved from that State soon after the close of the Revolutionary War to the State of Vermont, and became an early settler of the town of Orwell, in Rutland County. He made his home with his eldest son, William, and died there at an advanced age. He was a shoemaker by trade and followed that calling for many years. I-e took an active part in the Revolution, serving under his illustrious cousin, the gallant Colonel aforementioned. His son Reuben, father of our subject, was born in 1763, in the month of October, and at the youth ful age of sixteen enlisted in the Continental army, his heart fired with the patriotic desire to serve his country, and for a time he was engaged in the strife that freed the Colonists from the mother country. After the Revolution he went from his native State to Vermont when he was quite a young man, and in Pittsford, Rutland County, in 1790, he married Miss Rebecca Rhodes, a native of Rhode Island. After marriage he bought a tract of land in the town of Sudbury, built a log cabin to shelter himself and his bride, replacing it a few years later with a more commodious frame house, and busily engaged in farming. He cleared forty-four acres of his land, and then sold his place and moved to Salisbury, in Addison County, where he lived until 1832, when lie went to the State of New York, and spent his last years with his son, our subject, dying in 1836. His wife died in the home of her daughter several years later. They were people who led honest, blameless lives, and their kindly, charitable natures won for them a warm place in the hearts of those about them. Six children were born to them, namely: Clara, Sarah, Reuben, John, Saloma and Elisha. The subject of this sketch was reared in his native town, and took advantage of such opportunities as offered to obtain an education. He resided with his parents until he was twenty-two, and then established himself as a farmer in his native State, buying a tract of fifty acres of land in Salisbury. His place was heavily timbered, and there was no roof to shelter him from the inclemencies of the weather, so that his first work was to erect a small frame house in accordance with his means. He then commenced to clear and improve a farm, which he subsequently disposed of, and then made his home in Pittsford, Rutland County, whence he removed in 1832 to Orleans County, N. Y., the journey being made with a team to Whitehall, and from there to his destination by the way of Lake Chanplain and the Erie Canal. He settled in the town of Murray, and lived there until 1843, when he decided to come to Michigan arnd avail himself of the advantages of the cheap land that could then be procured here, and thus be enabled to build up a more commodious home. Accompanied by his wife and ten children, he ma(le the entire journey to Cold dkobb~ - ll11,-11W e- mtlspa- I~ ll I I Sp E i - - I Foxb ii m 1l I. I i g i I I 0 1 P?.BII;440 n —il~ -. ai L 244 BRANCH COUNTY. I water in a wagon drawn by horses. On his arrival here Mr. Allen bought 100 acres of land, now included within the city limits, and a part of which forms the site of the railway station. It was wild, uncultivated land at that time, and after building a shelter thereon he commenced its improvement, clearing quite a tract of it, and continuing to reside on it until 1856. In that year he sold the land and bought his present place of residence. Since becoming the owner of this farm he has greatly improved it by careful and skillful tillage and the erection of suitable buildings, until now it is second in value to none in the neighborhood, and the ample and substantial dwelling of brick that he has built since coming here seems to betoken comfort and cheerful hospitality. Mr. Allen has been three times married. His first wife, whose maiden name was Miranda Kelsey, was born in Salisbury, Vt., in October, 1800, and died in June, 1826, leaving one child, John Edward. His second wife was Esther Blackmer before marriage, and by their union eight children were born, five of whom are now living, namely: Maria, Alonzo, Franklin, Elizabeth and Martha. The third marriage of our subject was to Mrs. Britana (Jackson) Phettiplace, a native of Oswego County, N. Y. Mr. Allen, born at the commencement of the nineteenthnth century, now in his eighty-eighth year, is still hale and hearty, and retains his mental faculties to a wonderful degree. During his long life he has witnessed man mn marvelous changes brought about by the inventive genius of man-the improved methods of travel by the use of steam and even of electricity, the latter also being used for lighting purposes, and as a means of rapid communication through the telegraph and telephone. Since he first saw the light of day in that little Vermont town under the shadow of the Green Mountains, the United States has grown to be a great and powerful nation, and it has been his lot to contribute his share of labor in the development of three of the States composing this Union, as he has at three different periods of his life been a citizen of each. When he first settled in Coldwater this section of the country was in a very unsettled state, as large tracts of the primival forest had not then I yielded to the ax of the pioneer, and deer, wild turkeys and other kinds of game still roamed at will over the country. There was then no railway on the whole continent west of Adrian. The conditions of life were much different in the boyhood days of our subject from those of the present. The food that he ate was then cooked before the open fire that blazed on the hearth of the huge, old-fashioned fireplace, as it was before the time that stoves came into general use. The clothes that he wore were made from the cloth spun and woven by his industrious mother at the wheel and loom. Reaping and threshing machines were then unknown and undreamed-of inventions, and he harvested his grain with a sickle and threshed it with a flail. The ground was broken with the cumbersome oldtime moldboard plow, then the most approved instrument for such purposes. Born in the opening year of the administration of the third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson. the great leader of the Democratic, or, as it was then known, of the Republican party, Mr. Allen, through all the chances and changes of the many years since he attained manhood and cast his first vote for Gen. Jackson, the first nominee of the Democratic party after that party had adopted its present name, has remained a firm supporter of every Democratic candidate from that day to this. EJDWIN R. CLARKE, who is doing a good business in the drug trade at Coldwater, came to Michigan with his father in his youth, and acquired his education by means of both a private and district school. He commenced his business education as clerk, in 1844, at Monroe, this State. whence he came to Coldwater in 1S50, and since that time has given his undivided attention to the business in which he is now engaged. He thus has obtained a thorough knowledge of one of the most important branches of trade, his experience extending over a period of nearly forty years. Our subject is a native of Byron, N. Y., where his birth took place March 22, 1828, and was the elder of the two children born to Anson and Lucinda (Stevens) Clarke. His sister Jane died lahkll _ | — -- --- - - ` I'll II A"-m k~b~ ~~I~~ i to -4_._.r;~.~.1.. - - - - I' " ' '.,,,,-.1_.11. —',_ -, —.,. -....- - - - - " ' ', ",, 1 - ",, -,- - " " - -,, -,,,-, ' - - I I -,..- - -,,- 1 - qS& IWAI BRANCH COUNTY. 245 in infancy. His father wqs born in Connecticut, in 1803, and was the son of Stephen C. and Thirza Clarke, who were natives of Connecticut and of New England ancestry. Anson Clarke, upon reaching manhood, engaged in both farming and merchandising while in the East, but in 1834 decided to cast his lot with the pioneers of Michigan Territory. lie had been married to Miss LucindaStevens, a Vermont lady, who was born in 1803, and who accompanied her husband to Michigan, and, surviving him, died at her home in Adrian, in 1884. She is remembered as a devoted Christian, and fulfilled all the duties of wife and mother in a most creditable and praiseworthy manner. Our subject, upon reaching manhood and ready to establish a home of his own, sought for his wife one of the maidens of Monroe, Mich., Miss Sarah E. Gilbert, and they were married in 1850. Mrs. Clarke was born in Canastota, N. Y., in 1832, and is the daughter of Jonathan T. and Elizabeth (Morris) Gilbert, the former a native of Connecticut. She came to Monroe County, this State, with her parents at an early day, and remained under the home roof until her marriage. She is a lady greatly respected, and a member of the Presbyterian Church. Of this union there have been born four children, the eldest of whom, Eva F., became the wife of A. J. MacGowan, and resides in Hailey, in Idaho Territory; she completed her studies in Monroe Seminary, after having taken a full course in tile schools of Coldwater. Morris G. and Ralph E. were educated in the High School, at Coldwater, and are now engaged in business with their father; Mabel married W. N. Worcester, of Detroit, and died in 1885, at the early age of twenty-one years, leaving one daughter, Sarah C., who lives with her grandparents. The loss of this daughter was a severe blow to our subject and his wife, and she was greatly mourned by a large circle of friends and acquaintances, whom her bright mind and lovable disposition had drawn around her. Mr. Clarke is a Republican, and assists generously in supporting religious and educational institutions. He and all his family are regularattendants of the Presbyterian Church, and in the various enterprises tending to the general welfare of the community he takes a warm and active interest. On Wednesday evening, Dec. 29, 1886, the Tibbits Opera House was crowded with the citizens of Coldwater, gathered together to witness the tendering of a magnificent gift from our subject to the city, namely: the Edwin R. Clarke Library Building. This elegant structure, complete in all its appointments for the purpose designed, will long stand as a monument to the memory and generosity of one of the most honored citizens of Coldwater. It is located adjacent to the public square, on East Chicago street, is substantial and tasteful in architecture, built of brick with a tile roof, and practically fireproof. The windows of plate glass furnish amlle light, and heat is applied by the Boynton furnace. The ventilation is perfect. Mr. Clarke exercised his personal supervision over the construction of this building, and it is consequently put up of the best material and in the best manner. A winding stairway leads to a finely finished and furnished lecture room, which is commodious and convenient for the various gatherings of the cultured people of the city. Our subject, in his brief and modest remarks upon presenting the building to the city, expressed himself in the following manner: "' When I first came to Michigan the country was new. The people generally were in moderate circumstances, and books and reading matter were not plentiful. I well remember the great privilege it seemed and the kindness I felt it to be when some of those early settlers gave me access to, and the use of, their limited collection of books. Recollections of those early days and a desire to express the friendship I feel toward a community in which I have lived so long, induced me to offer to build for you a library building." Gen. J. G. Parkhurst replied on'behalf of the citizens of Coldwater, and from his remarks we lbriefly extract. 'It gives me inexpressible pleasure as the representative of the Free Public Library, of Coldwater, to accept the magnificent donation you have made to our institution, for the benefit and profit of all the citizens of Coldwater. The building you have erected and presented to us is beautiful in its structure, grand in its proportions, convenient in all its appointments, noble to behold. But permit me, sir, to assure you that it is the sentiment of this entire i I I I i II i t a -.A It III M~~ M --- -- W-fir~a 0,r. r lI 0 - I II f..ll SO ob-. 246 BRANCH COUNTY. -- = community that there is something nobler, and this is the spirit and disposition of the man who conceived the thought, and who had the heart to bestow so great a benefit upon an entire community. " It will be recalled by all around the fireside, and will be enshrined in the hearts of unborn generations, who will live to receive the benefits of your liberality. Now, sir, I return to you your voluntary obligation. May God bless you, and keep you with us to witness the great benefits derived from your noble generosity." Our subject has been very fortunate in his business undertakings, and when inquiring of one of his neighbors the reason for his eminent success, he quoted the saying of Solomon: "Show me a man diligent in business, and he shall stand before kings," and this is pre-eminently true of Mr. Clarke. He is a man of unquestioned honor, and his name is enshrined in the hearts of his neighbors. ~~. A. --- _s... — - AMES S. LYTLE. For much of the progressive element of Branch County it is indebted to those States fanned by the ( J breeze of the Atlantic, and it is a notable fact that wherever is found a man from the land of William Penn, whether engaged in mercantile, professional or agricultural lursuits, you find a man of industry and good judgment. To this class belongs the gentleman whose name stands at the head of this biographical notice, as he was born in the Keystone State, in Huntington Township, Luzerne County. Our subject first saw the light of day Jan. 16, 1824, and is the son of Wilson Lytle, also a native of Pennsylvania, and on the father's side of Irish ancestry. Thomas Lytle, the grandfather of our subject, was a shoemaker by trade and a skillful workman, and emigrating to this country from Cork, Ireland, married a New Jersey lady, whose name was Mary Stackhouse. After marriage they resided for some time in Pennsylvania, and subsequently removed to Portage County, Ohio, where the father died, when little over fifty years old. His wife, surviving him, removed to Medina County, Ohio, and died at the ripe old age of ninety-two years. She was a member of the Methodist Church, and politically, her husband was a Democrat. Wilson Lytle grew to manhood in his native State, and there married a wife of New Jersey parentage, and remained until his son James S. was three years of age, when the family removed to Carpenter Township, Portage Co., Ohio, and later to Sherman Township, in Medina County. There the parents spent the remainder of their lives, successfully engaged in agricultural pursuits on a farm which they had purchased, and died, aged respectively seventy-eight and seventy-three years. The mother was a worthy member of the Methodist Church, and the father was a conscientious man and a good citizen. He was formerly a Jacksonian Democrat, casting his first vote for Andrew Jackson, but he afterward became a Whig, and finally a Republican. James S. Lytle was the fourth child in order of birth in the parental family, which included eight sons and an equal number of daughters, fourteen of whom lived to maturity, and twelve to be married, while nine of them still survive. James S. was reared to maturity, receiving his education in Medina County, and was there married, in Sharon Township, to Miss Louisa P. Brown, who was born in Stark County, Ohio, March 29, 1826, and is the daughter of John and Jerusha (Simcox) Brown, the former of whom was a native of Virginia, and was by trade a blacksmith. He died in Medina County, Ohio, and his wife came to Michigan and died in Mattison Township, this county, when almost eighty years of age. Mrs. Lytle was a young girl when her parents removed to Wadsworth Township, Medina Co., Ohio, and there resided, assisting in domestic duties until her marriage, The union of our subject and Louisa P. Brown has been crowned by the birth of nine children, two of whom are now deceased. One who was named Abraham died when young, while the other, Wilber J., died March 10, 1888, when thirtysix years of age. The living children are recorded as follows: Rolla A. resides at the homestead and assists in operating the farm; Elizabeth became the wife of Danforth Mingus, and lives on a farm in Mattison Township; Jerusha became the wife of I I I. CI _ ]k A_ _. I I- - I - I I — m, M__.1.. - - *b —a.40 0 qw t r ~~ -~I'l -I~I~ III- ~ -~-C -~ -~-II-~II-~IIIC-SW mtlll-l~llb BRANCH COUNTY. 247 I I Frank Mingus, and resides on a farm in Batavia Township; Wilson married Aza Jackson, who died Feb. 4, 1888, and he at present lives at home; George B. also resides at home; Mary B. is the wife of Alfred Wilkes. a farmer of Mattison Township, while Ada is the wife of D. Alger, a farmer of the same township. Our subject is pleasantly located on a beautiful farm of 103 acres, on sections 5 and 8, of Mattison Township, which has been his home since 1854. At that date this land was guiltless of the destroying ax of the pioneer, and though the country around had undergone great improvements Mr. Lytle had considerable experience in pioneer life. The improvements now shown upon this farm, consisting of well-cultivated land, suitable and commodious farm buildings, with good grades of domestic animals, make a picture on which the eye of the passerby loves to linger. Of late years Mr. Lytle has been unable to engage in the heavier labors of the farm, but he continues to oversee the work, and has managed his property very successfully and profitably. He and Mrs. Lytle are members in good standing of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, and are prominent in assisting every measure pertaining to the advancement of their community. Our subject and his sons are all Republicans of the first water, and neglect no opportunity to record themselves on what they believe to be the side of the greatest progress. \Iv ANIEL L. ORCUTT, of Mattison Town)) ship, owns and occupies a beautiful farm j of 100 acres on section 24. He has first-class buildings, and the modern machinery necessary for carrying on agriculture after the most approved methods. He makes a specialty of stockraising, and in all his operations exhibits the thrift and industry which have been the secret of his success, securing for him a good position among the leading men of Southern Michigan, to whose development and progress he has thus contributed by the building up of one of its most attractive homesteads. Mr. Orcutt purchased his present farm about __ _...............A 1859, although not taking possession of it until 1876. He came to Branch County in April, 1865, and first established a general store at tile head of Mattison Lake, and was at the same time appointed Postmaster. He operated his store and conducted the post-office until removing to his farm. His store building was the first of the kind erected in the township. Mr. Orcutt was one of the pioneers of Southern Michigan, coming to St. Joseph County as early as 1837. - le had purchased a tract of land there and resided there until 1849, when an attack of the gold fever led him to the Pacific Slope. At Council Bluffs he joined a company who were also proceeding westward, and six months to a (lay from the time of starting from Council Bluffs he arrived at his destination, Sacramento. His first employment, in Septeml)er, 1849, was to dig out a stump from the ground which is now in the very heart of the city of Sacramento. He soon observed indications that it was likely to be a city of importance, and in the summer of 1850 ordered from New York City the frame and timbers of a dwelling, which was shipped to him by water, and which was one of the first erected in that place. This he sold some time later, and went into the mining regions of what is now known as Wood's Diggings. He met with fair success in his search for the yellow ore, but later migrated toward the coast, and about seventyfive miles below San Francisco located on a piece of land at Santa Cruz, and engaged in farming until the fall of 1843. Our subject now resolved to retrace his steps to Michigan, taking the Panama route. Upon his arrival in this State he purchased land in Leonidas Township, St. Joseph County, lying along the St. Joseph River, to which he subsequently added until he was the owner of 220 acres, and where he lived until coming to this county. He made considerable improvements, and sold his property at a good profit. Mr. Orcutt was born in Washington County, N. Y., May 6, 1817, and is the son of Basset Orcutt, who was a New Englander, and born Sept. 27, 1782. The father of our subject was a mechanic, and was married, June 12, 1803, to Miss Patience Little, of ancestry similar to that of her husband. L MJ6-' _IY_ l-I-Y~) -i~ —it~ -I -.C -..- _ I - MOMMEN.- - C- - - -. - - - -- - - - - - c-,% - -- ^ I 1 ~F I i! 1 rlLc1 I I h I ' go - g ~ I l'- I a l,, 248 I BRANCH COUNTY. wP They soon afterward removed to Washington County, Vt., and in 1838 to St. Joseph County, this State, where the death of the father took place in 1844. He was an honest and industrious man, who lived a quiet and unostentatious life, and (during his early voting days was a member of the old Whig party. The wife and mother survived until March, 1860, and died at the home of her son, our subject, at the advanced age of eighty-one years, having been born in 1779. She was a good woman and a devoted member of the Methodist Church. Daniel L. Orcutt, our subject, was the youngest but one of seven sons and one daughter comprising the parental household. He was twelve years old when the family settled in Otsego County, N. Y., and accompanied them in their removal to Monroe County, that State, and subsequently to Michigan, in 1837. lie returned to the Empire State for his bride, being married, in Bergen Township, Genesee County, Oct. 27, 1854, to Miss Lydia E. Langdon, who was born there Aug. 12, 1822. Mrs. Orcutt was the fourth daughter and fifth child of Horace and Sarah (Allen) Langdon, the former of whom was born in Oneida County, Nov. 27, 1786, and the latter in Rutland, Vt., Dec. 17, 1789. Amos Allen was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and a kinsman of Gen. Ethan Allen, of historic fame. The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Orcutt was Martin Langdon, who married Miss Lydia Chapin. They settled in Verona, N. Y., where they spent the remainder of their days, passing away at a ripe old age, honored and respected by all who knew them. The mother of Mrs. Orcutt was a very intelligent and worthy lady, well educated, and a school teacher before her marriage. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Langdon located on a farm in Bergen Township, Genesee Co., N. Y., where the death of the father occurred March 7, 1854. Mr. L. was a Whig, politically, and with his estimable wife, a member of the Free-Will Baptist Church. The mother, after the death of her husband, made her home among her children, and died at the residence of her son, Seth Langdon, in Deland, Piatt Co., Ill., Feb. 26, 1874. The household of our subject originally consisted of three children, the eldest of whom, Rowlin H., p married Miss Emma Bent, of Newark, Neb., and is now a resident of Kearney County, that State. Lillian E. and Adelbert R. are at home with their parents. The latter has the principal management of the farm. In politics Mr. Orcutt is a stanch Republican, and, with his excellent wife, a member in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church. ^h --- —- ^^ ---— ^~~c- l~ RS. SARAH C. GREEN, pleasantly located on section 3, Bronson Township, came to this county in 1843 and located on the farm where she now lives. She came with her husband, James H. Green, from Pennsylvania, and upon their arrival he purchased from the Government eighty acres of land, upon which Mrs. Green now lives. He subsequently purchased eighty acres more, to which he afterward added forty acres, and his widow now owns 200 acres. Mr. Green dealt largely in land, and brought this farm to a high state of cultivation and improvement, erecting a good residence and substantial farm buildings. The subject of this narrative was born April 17, 1818, and is the daughter of John and Frances (Mershimer) Smith, natives of Pennsylvania, and of German origin. The maternal grandfather of our subject was a soldier in the war of the Revolution, in which he served seven years, and (lied at the age of ninety-eight years. The grandmother passed away at about the same age. The parental family comprised nine children, of whom our subject was the fourth in order of birth. Sarah C. Smith was united in marriage, March 22, 1835, with James H. Green, of Mercer County, Pa., who was born Feb. 14, 1813, and was the son of John and Nancy A. (Gilfillan) Green. The grandparents of Mr. Green were natives of Ireland. About seven years after the marriage of our subject she and her husband came to this county, as before stated. They experienced the usual vicissitudes which fell to the lot of the pioneers, but they inherited the sturdy qualities of their ancestors, and with a firm resolve to hew out for themselves a home in the wilderness which they might leave as a heritage to their children, they kept the goal in view, and labored for its attainment. Their family I I r I I_ L - U t. gI Jef < I e-e:i -------------- --- --------.-IPI 'I If it BRANCH in due course of time numbered eight children, of whom all but one lived to grow to man and womanhood. Their record is as'follows: Frances C. is the widow of William Dugan, and lives at Auburn, Ind.; Mary is the wife of Arnold Corson, and lives in the village of Bronson; John married Emma Canfield, and lives in Bronson; Nancy is the widow of Thomas Pierce, and lives in Ottawa County, Mich.; Lorena E. is the wife of George A. Brown, and resides in Bronson; Benton married Detta Bowman, and is farming in Bronson Township; Isaiah and Lucinda A. are deceased. After seeing the desire of his heart accomplished, and his family settled comfortably around him, Mr. Green completed his life work and went to join the ever-increasing majority, Feb. 6, 1884. A life of unostentatious industry, coupled with a genial and thoughtful disposition, had endeared him to a large circle of friends and acquaintances, and he was recognized as one of the most worthy citizens of Branch County. Politically, he was a Republican. Mrs. Green's parents were born in Reading, Pa., whence they subsequently migrated to the northwestern part of the State, where they made their home until their decease. The father died Nov. 26, 1830, while the mother, who was born in 1793, died at the age of sixty-seven years, her death occurring over twenty years ago. SRAEL CORY, a retired farmer in good circumstances, and now a resident of Coldwater, spent the first years of his life not far from the Atlantic Coast, he having been born in Morris County, N. J., May 6, 1814. His father, William Cory, was a native of the same State, and of the paternal grandparents it is believed that they spent their entire lives in New Jersey. William Cory learned the trade of a blacksmith in his native State, and later migrated to New York City, where lie lived until March, 1816. At this early (lay the father of our subject, with the spirit of adventure strong upon him, accompanied by his wife and three children and his brother Israel, started for an unsettled portion of the Empire State. It was before the days of canals COUNTY. 251 or railroads, and they made the journey laboriously overland, with two pairs of horses and a wagon, carrying with them all their worldly possessions. They located upon the present site of the town of Menitz, in Cayuga County, when settlers were few and far between. The brothers purchased 100 acres of land, which they divided equally, and the father of our subject put up a shop, and carried on farming and blacksmithing combined until 1846. Thence he removed to the vicinity of Clyde, Wayne County, where he lived eight years, and then changed his residence to Wolcott, of which vicinity he was a resident until about 1865. The father of our subject now disposed of his property in the Empire State, and coming to Michigan, located first in Jackson County. Thence lie came to Quincy Township, this county, and here spent the remainder of his days. The maiden name of his wife, the mother of our subject, was Rachel Tombs, and she was also a native of New Jersey. She died in Jackson County, this State. Israel, of our sketch, was in the second year of his age when his parents took up their residence in New York State, so lie has no recollection of New Jersey, and little knowledge of it except what lihe has read and heard. When of a suitable age, he commenced assisting his parents in thle building up of a new home in the wilderness, but at the age of eighteen, desirous of leaving the farm, went to Fulton, Oswego County, and served two years learning the manufacture of edged tools. His apprenticeship completed, he worked in Cayuga County for a time, and then made his way to Port Byron, where he staid until 1834. That year he invested his surplus capital in a farm near the town of Pembroke, Genesee County, and also erected a shop, where he worked at blacksmithing a part of the time, and also carried on the cultivation of his land. Mr. Cory in 1853 sold out his possessions in Genesee County, and coming to Michigan, purchased 180 acres in Pulaski, Jackson County, to which lie added until lie became the owner of 360 acres, and one of the finest dwellings in that part of the county. After a residence of six years in that vicinity, his house was destroyed by fire, involving a loss of $5,000. After this catastrophe he and his..j I m - -- i li3]~r~-r ~-~- - W. I I II 111.1 YIIlllI 1 - - 1 L m -~ --— ~ --- -- Ide a[r 0 0,,I~ — — =- ~ 1C~CI-i ----~ —~l —~r - I-r —YI1 ~ _- - f< 252 BRANCHC COUNTY. A 25 C. family took up their residence in a log house, and upon leaving this, moved into a tenant house on his farm, which they occupied until 1864. In the latter year Mr. Cory and his family took up their residence in the village of Concord, Jackson County, where Mr. C. had purchased a house and ten acres of land, and while residing there still superintended the operations of his farm. In 1883 he purchased eighty acres of land in Girard Township, this county, upon which he removed, and occupied it until 1885, then leaving his son in charge, came to Coldwater, and purchased land near the fair groun(ls, where he resided two years, and in 1887 purchased his present dwelling. This is a handsome brick structure, built in modern style, conveniently arranged and handsomely furnished. The location is very desirable, being about half a mile from the court-house, and the home, with its surroundings, is one of the most attractive in Branch County. Nearly fifty-one years ago, on the 2d of Octobler, 1837, occurred the marriage of Israel Cory and Miss Julia I. Harmon. Mrs. Cory was born in Pembroke, Genesee Co., N. Y., Jan. 12, 18i9, and is the daughter of Shadrack and Phebe (Leavitt) Harmon, who were natives of Vermont, and are now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Cory began the journey of life together in Genesee County, N. Y., and of their union were born eight children. Their eldest son, Albert L., during the late war was in the employ of the Government, South, and is now on the home farm; Welcome S. served as a Union soldier in Company E, 20th Michigan Infantry, and died in the service at Washington, D. C.; William ser ed in the same company and regiment as his brother Welcome, and directly after the battle of South Mountain was stricken with paralysis, and was confined in the hospital at Weverton, Md,, until the March following. As soon as Mr. Cory received notice of his son's illness, he hastened to Washington, and spent the winter there nursing him. Welcome died in March following. William was a confirmed invalid, and the father, strongly desirous of having him discharged from the service, as he should have been, appealed to the discharge board, but for some reason they would not comply with his wishes, so he sought an interview with Senator Chandler, and from him received an intro(luction to Edwin M. Stanton, Secretary of War. He laid his case before the latter, who at once ordered the discharge of his son, and that night he started for home with the body of one son and the other a helpless invalid. They had both been in perfect health before entering the army. The remains of Welcome were laid to rest in the cemetery at Pulaski, Jackson Co., Mich.; William is still living, and resides in Mt. Sterling, ll1. The other children were: Daniel W., Addison C., Wallace L., Martha A. and Maretta R. Our subject and his estimable wife celebrated their golden wedding in October, 1887, and there stood up with them the same couple who had performed this service for them at their wedding in their youth. This couple had been married a few days previous to the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Cory, the latter standing up with them, and they also attended their golden wedding in turn. Mr. Cory when a young man united with the Methodist Episcopal Church, but is not at present a member of any religious denomination. Mrs. Cory and her daughters belong to the Baptist Church, in Concord. As one of the eminently representative and highly respected citizens of Branch County. we take pleasure in presenting, in connection with this brief sketch of the life of Mr. Cory, his portrait. -7DWARD D. STANTON, Director of the Farmers' National Bank, is an honored citizen and prominent farmer, residing on section 9, Sherwood Township. He has directed his best energies to agricultural pursuits, and has met with a large measure of success, owning at present 500 acres in Sherwood Township, 400 of which are improved and under a good state of cultivation. Now, while still enjoying a vigorous manhood, he is enjoying an easy competence, and the respect and esteem of his many friends and acquaintances -those blessings which a life of honesty and integrity has won. The subject of this biography was born in Sennett, Cayuga Co., N. Y., Aug. 10, 1833, and is the _ ab y ism 4~s —. -- 4 - 4 ahw-AP j 1 I- - - - -.-,-, - -, - - -.- '.-. --- - - I - --- N P- - BRANCt COUNTY. 253 I son of John Stanton, a native of Onondaga County, where his birth took place Dec. 10, 1799. The mother of our sulject, wliose maiden name was Susan Waldron, was born in Rockland County, N. Y., in 1798. After their marriage the parents settled in Sennett, Cayuga County, whence they came to this county in June, 1836, and settled in Sherwood Township. Here they continued to reside until the death of the father, which occurred Nov. 20, 1851. The mother subsequently went to reside with her daughter, at whose home, in Scipio T'ownship, Hillsdale County, she passed away, Jan. 6, 1868. Edward Stanton was the seventh in order of birth of a family of ten children, four sons and six daughters, who were sheltered under the parental roof. He was but a child of three years when he was brought by his parents to Branch County, in 1836, and here the foundation of his future success was laid, as he received instruction from his father in the management of the farm upon which he was reared. Mr. Stanton received such education as the facilities of that day afforded, laboring under all the disadvantages to which the pioneer children were subjected. The school-house was usually built of logs, between which the wintry winds whistled with unpleasant familiarity, while the furniture consisted of slab benches, with wooden pins for legs, and desks of equally rude character. Mr. Stanton was united in marriage, in Coldwater, Dec. 5, 1865, with Miss Susan, daughter of Elisha and Elvia (Demmnon) Atwood, who were natives of the State of New York. After marriage her parents settled in Genesee County, N. Y., whence they subsequently moved to Henry County, Ohio, and finally to this county, in 1848, settling in Sherwood Township. They have since removed to Union Township, where they continue to reside. Their family consisted of nine children, five sons and four daughters, of whom Mrs. Stanton was the fourth in order of birth, and was born in Genesee County, N. Y., Sept. 19, 1837. She received a careful training from her parents, and spent her maiden years in attendance at the district schools in her neighborhood, and in receiving those valuable lessons in domestic economy which were taught so successfully around the hearth of the pioneer of Southern Michigan. Her union with our subject has resulted in the birth of three children-John A., Vira E. and Inis. About two years after the Farmers' National Bank was organized, Mr. Stanton was elected one of its Directors, which position he still holds. He has also held the office of Highway Commissioner, with credit to himself and satisfaction to those who relied upon his good judgment. In politics he is found in the ranks of the Republican party, and gives his vote and influence toward the furtherance of the measures inaugurated by that party. ------- ----- EORGE W. STEARNS, of the firm of A. J. Aldrich & Co., is one of the editors and publishers of the Cold water Republican, and was born in the town of Gorham, Ontario Co., N. Y., May 14, 1821. His father, Royal Stearns, anative of Upton, Worcester Co., Mass., was the son of Ebenezer Stearns, who, it is believed, was a native of Englalnd. He was a farmer by occupation, and spent his last years at Upton. The father of our subject grew to manhood in his native town, whence he emigrated to New York State, and after his marriage purchased a section of timber land in Gorham, where he put up a log house, in which his son George W., our subject, was born, and where he made his home until his death. He was a public-spirited citizen, a member of the State Militia, in which he held the rank of Captain, and was noteworthy for his industry and integrity. The maiden name of his wife was Anna Mapes, a native of Coxsackie, N. Y., and the daughter of Israel Mapes, who was a slave-holder in that State until slavery was abolished, when he engaged in the hotel and lumber business. His last years were spent in Mendon, Monroe County, where he died. The mother of Mr. Stearns was subsequently married to Joshua Hicks, and removed to Macedon, Wayne Co., N. Y., where she resided until Mr. Hicks' death, when she returned to the old homestead in Gorham,and died there Oct. 16, 1875. Of her first marriage there were born seven children. Mr. Stearns, our subject, was the sixth child of his parents, and resided, after the death of his father, J -~P I m..-oe! woo-M~i — PI~-q~~o IX-. ---- 1 - C- -~I *b —mL _ 0 II 1-914" L I E L t 1 t 254 BRANCH COUNTY. I - I with his married sister, in Ontario County. After being widowed the second time his mother returned to the homestead, and our subject, although but a youth of seventeen years, took charge of the farm, andl continued there until 1846. He became a resident of this county in 1867, but did not engage in any active business until six years afterward, when he became the partner of his son-in-law, A. J. Aldrich, in the purchase of the Republican, with which he has since been connected. Mr. Stearns, while a resident of his native county, was married, Oct. 13, 1841, to Miranda, daughter of Thomas and Clarissa (Hatfield) Tufts, who was born in Gorham, Feb. 5, 1819. Of this union there are two children: Clarissa Arminda, the wife of A. J. Aldrich, of whom a sketch appears elsewhere in this work, and Irving Ariel, a resident of Wilkesbarre, Pa. Mr. Stearns cast his first Presidential vote for James K. Polk, and was one of seven who met in a ball room in Gorham Village and organized a section of the Republican party. Since that time he has been one of the most zealous adherents of the party. daughter of Asa and Lydia Houghton. In the olening years of the nineteenth century they took up their abode in Westford Township, Otsego Co., N. Y., Mr. Chase buying a tract of land there, and engaging in agricultural pursuits in that township for some years. In 1822, accompanied by his family, he went to Genesee County, the same State, and located in the town of Pembroke. He bought a farm there, which he successfully carried on until his death in 1840. His wife survived him and spent her declining years in Pembroke. They were industrious, honest people, whose blameless lives comlnanded the respect of all with whom they were associated. The lion. William Chase, of whom we write, was but a lad of seven years when his parents removed from the home of his birth to Genesee County, where lie was reared to manhood. By his diligence and good scholarship he obtained a very good education at the district school, and also a practical knowledge of farming under his father's instruction. In his youth he learned the trade of carpenter and joiner, which occupation he followed with good financial results until 1841, but his tastes and inclinations led him to resume the calling to which he had been reared, and in that year he came to Michigan with his family, deeming that on the rich virgin soil of this then young State, he could work to better advantage than on the soil of his native State, which many years of culture rendered less fertile and productive. They traveled by the way of Lake Erie from Buffalo to Toledo, and thence by rail to Adrian, then the western terminus of the primitive railway, with its wooden rails, iron strapped on top, the cars running very slowly. They were met by friends with a team at Adrian, and from there drove to Kinderhook, in this township, where he bought a tract of partly cleared land on section 4. He moved into the log house standing on the place, and commenced the hard pioneer task of felling trees, uprooting stumps, and preparing his land for cultivation. He bought a pair of oxen with which he did all his farm work and marketing for some years. This part of the country was still in a very unsettled and wild condition when he came here, as not a decade had passed since the ax of the first pioneer had awakened the echoes in the depths of the forest J ON. WILLIAM CHASE, deceased, was for r)[] many years prominently identified with the public interests of Branch County. He was a leading citizen of Kinderhook Township, in whose agricultural development and material progress he was an important factor. He was born in Westford, Otsego Co., N. Y., Nov. 12, 1815, and from a sturdy New England ancestry inherited the sound, practical sagacity and high-minded honor, that made him conspicuous in council, revered at the fireside, and respected by all men. The grandfather of our subject, Benjamin Chase, was a farmer by occupation, and removed from his old home in New England to New York, and settled in the town of Westford, where he spent the closing years of his life. His son John, father of William, was born, reared, and married in New England, Lucy Houghton, likewise a native of that part of the country, becoming his wife. She was a I i ml - 9 I, jl,,llj —~~a jj1~slljj. --- WN~ Pt' Pt"-%0 t BECIBRAN 'H I ~ --- —-17l 5, COUNTY. BRANH 4 OUNT. 25 I I primeval that for centuries had stood in silence un-. broken save by sounds of its own creating, the. footfall of the Indians. or the howlings of the wild beasts that frequented it. The settlements were few and scattering, and deer, wild turkeys and other wild game were plentiful. Mr. Chase lived to see the wilderness developed into a populous and wealthy community, and while aiding his fellowcitizens in advancing the interests of his township and county, he became prosperous himself, acquired considerable property, and by skillful and judicious management improved a fine farm, clearing the greater part of his land himself, and erecting suitable frame buildilngs. Our subject was greatly indebted for his success in life, and the high social position that he occupied, to his amiable and cultured wife, to whom he was united in marriage in March, 1839. Her maiden name was Marcia M. Flint, and she was born in Worcester, Otsego Co., N. Y.,Nov. 16, 1815. Her parents, Phineas and Pamnelia (Houghton) Flint, were of New England birth and ancestry, and were there reared and married. They afterward moved to Otsego County, N. Y., and in the town of Worcester Mr. Flint bought a farm, and became a prosperous agriculturist, and there, after an honorable and useful career, closed his eyes in death. After his death his widow made her home with her daughter, Mrs. Chase, until she too passed to the great beyond. Mrs. Chase grew to womanhood in her native town, receiving from a wise mother a careful training in all the household accomplishments that were then considered indispensable in the education of a young girl, and she early became an adept in the art of spinning and weaving, when she was so small as to have to walk upon a board to turn the wheel, and she used to weave and make the cloth for family use before marriage. Nor was her literary education neglected, as she had excellent opportunities for attending school, and received a superior education that well fitted her for the profession of teaching, which she entered upon when scarcely more than a girl, and pursued for several terms until she abandoned it to take upon herself the duties and responsibilities of a married life, living with her parents most of the time. She is a sincere and earnest Christian, and for more than half a century has been a member of the Preslyterian Church, having joined with her husband while living in Pembroke, N. Y. We have merely considered our subject as a private citizen. We will now give a brief resume of his public career, which lasted over thirty years, and in his death, which occurred in Kinderhook, March 23, 1886, it was felt that this community had lost one of its most influential and devoted citizens. In days gone by, his fellow-citizens, well aware of his unswerving integrity, his ability and good business qualifications, often called upon him to fill responsible offices, and it may be truly said of him that never once did he abuse their confidence, nor use his position to further private ends. As a member of the State Legislature in 1860, he was faithful to the best interests of his constituents. As Supervisor of Kinderhook Township, which important office lie was repeatedly called upon to fill, he was faithful in the discharge of his onerous duties. As Justice of the Peace for many years, his decisions were marked with equity and a good knowledge of the law. As Assessor for seven years, he gave general satisfaction. In politics he took his stand with the most advanced and progressive men of the day. In his early years he wasa Democrat, but as his views grew broader, and he found himself differing with many men of that party on the question of slavery and other great National issues that were agitating the public during the fifth decade of the present century, he stepped out of the ranks of the Democratic party, and on the formation of the Republican party became one of its firmest and most enthusiastic champions. E LIJAH GROVE is a prominent and representative citizen and successful farmer of this county, located on section 9, Batavia Township, which has been his home since 1864. He has been a resident of this township since 1853, and he and his estimable wife have acted well their part in contributing to the development of the county by building up a good farm, and assisting and encouraging all enterprises calculated to benefit the community. They have a farm of seventy t-~lrp9 t a I i i ti 1 A, ~ —~na~- I~ur l5~ ~L"-r7~-1~ --- —— ~ --- —-— e - P~as~ —MIp I rrl~ — q;~-gl *Po I I i i I i II I I i i I -1 -I I! i i -.4 *so"1~ 1111 1 I~l I ~ I T I 1III C~I~I~- ~ C r W- - 256 BRANCH COUNTY. acres of well-improved land, containing comnmodious and substantial buildings for the prosecution of their calling, and their pleasant home is the abode of peace and contentment. Mr. Grove was born in Royalton, Niagara Co., N. Y., Aug. 19, 1838, while his father, also Elijah Grove, was a native of Pennsylvania, and removed to York State when a young man. On reaching maturity he was united in marriage, in Niagara County, with Betsy Schoby, who was a native of the Empire State, and after their marriage the young couple settled in Niagara County, where the mother died, in the township of Lewiston, in 1842, while still in middle life. She became the mother of nine children, three sons and six daughters, of whom seven are still living, and our subject is the youngest but one of the family. The father subsequently married Miss Charlotte Reynolds, who was born in New York, and was there reared to womanhood, acquiring an education in the public schools. Of this union there were born seven children, six sons and one daugllter. In 1 853 the family all came to Michigan, making the journey by lake to Toledo, and thence overland to Batavia Township, where they at once secured a home. Here the parents resided for the first year, and then went to Coldwater, and lived there until 1875, when they removed to Clinton County, in this State, and now reside in Victor Township on a farm. The father has reached the great age of eighty-eight years, but still retains in a large measure all his faculties, mental and physical. During his residence in Batavia Township he was for many years engaged in the successful operation of a sawmill. Our subject accompanied his parents in their migration to this State, and resided with them until he attained his majority. He was united in marriage, in Cold water, March 6, 1859, with Mrs. Eliza J. (Loomis) Burnham, who is a native of Monroe County, N. Y., and the daughter of L. B. and Jane A. (Christaleer) Loomis, natives of New York State. They were married in Monroe County, and made that their home until after the birth of their five children, and in 1845 the family all removed to Wilson Township, Niagara County, where the mother died at the age of forty-five years. She _. I - - -- was descended from a Holland-Dutch family, a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and a worthy and respected woman. L. B. Loomis chose for his second wife Elizabeth Warner, a native of Ontario, Canada, where she was reared and educated. She and her husband still survive, and are residing in Wilson Township, Niagara Co., N. Y., the father, at eighty-two years of age, and the mother seventy-eight. Of this union there was born one son only. Agriculture has been the life work of Mr. Loomis, and he has met with a good measure of success in his calling. The wife of our subject was reared to womanhood at the home of her parents, and was first united in marriage with Orson Burnham, who died after the birth of one child, who is also deceased. After the death of her first husband the widow of Mr. Burnham came to Michigan, where she subsequently met and married our subject. Of this union there have been born four children, two of whom, Arthur and an infant unnamed, are deceased. Owen Glenn took to wife Nellie Gray, and is engaged in farming in Batavia Township, while Elijah B. resides at home. In politics Mr. Grove is identified with the Republican party, and is a man of practical ability, which fact is appreciated by his townspeople. who have elected him to the office of Highway Commissioner, which he held for some years, while he is now Township Treasurer, and discharges his duties in a manner at once creditable to himself and satisfactory to his constituents. Socially, Mr. Grove is a member of the Order of United Workmen, Lodge No. 62, of Coldwater. V 57RANKLIN PALMATEER is profitably engaged in farming and stock-raising, owning 1 as good a falr-as may be found in Bethel Township, very pleasantly located on section 5. He was born in New York in 1838, being a son of John and Betsy (Weaver) Palmateer, natives of New York. They came to Michigan at an early day, about 1845, and settled for awhile in Livingston County. In the following year they came to Branch County, and made their residence in Girard Town i I I! I I I I I I i i I i i II i t i II i i I I II i 6 1 _ IF-_J[ i I 'I I 'iS 4. 1, ~e lqo -— l~ —?- -ie lp —.1. a1 -4o &&PI~ m rk I 'Jgg" I,:I,, *SOIII. U e W BRANCH COUNTY. 257! A _ I ship for four years. In 1853 they removed to Bethel Township, where Mr. Palmateer bought eighty acres of land, forty acres of which were improved, and here the father of our subject was prosperously engaged in farming until his death, in 1871, his wife having passed from the scenes of earth some three years previous. The father of our subject took part in the War of 1812, and his father served in the war of the Revolution, on the British side, going to England to join the army, and at the close of the war he settled in this country and spent his remaining years here. Neither of them ever drew pensions. The subject of this sketch was the sixteenth child in order of birth of the eighteen children born to his parents. He was reared on a farm and received his education in the district schools of New York and Branch County, Mich. He early commenced his career as a farmer on the farm which he inherited from his father, and where he has made his home since he was a lad of fifteen years. It consists of eighty acres of good, arable land in a fine state of cultivation, well stocked with half-blood Clydesdale two-year-old colts, graded Durham and Devonshire cattle, and sheep of a common breed. His farm buildings are neat and commodious, and his dwelling is pleasant and comfortable. His place is very finely situated, about four miles from Bronson and ten miles from Coldwater Mr. Palmateer was married in this county, in 1860, to Miss Eliza Olmstead, who was born in Bethel Township in 1845, and was the fourth of the seven children born to Lyman and Sarah Ann (Cummins) Olmstead, natives of New York and Canada. Her parents were early settlers of Branch County, and continued to reside there until their death, the father dying in 1865, and the mother in 1886, at the age of sixty-four years. After a happy married life of nineteen years the beloved wife of our subject passed away, May 2, 1879, after a short illness of two weeks, at about the age of thirty-five years. She did indeed fill the perfect measure of wife, mother and friend, and many were saddened by her early death. Of her marriage with our subject six children were born, namely: L. C.; Mary Adelaide, now Mrs. Reynolds, of Bronson Township; Frank, Martha Evelyn, Stella Gertrude, and Eddie, who died at the age of eighteen months. Our subject has not married again, but his children keep house for him; one of them is attending school. From the days of his boyhood our subject has witnessed the rapid development of Branch County, and takes an active interest in everything tending to promote the material prosperity of the county and township in which lie has so many years made his home. He is a man of unblemished reputation, strict veracity and much ability. In politics he is independent, generally voting with the Democrats, though for three or four years he has not been bound by party lines, and has a decided leaning to the Greenback party. He is not an office-seeker, but when called upon to fulfill his duties as a citizen, faithfully responds to the call. He has held the office of Pathmaster, performing the work of that office with efficiency and fidelity. --— 3-"IIc ---a —~49 --- - LI CULVER during his active business life was one of the leading druggists of Coldwater, but is now retired and living in a pleasant home in the central part of the city. He became identified with the interests of this county during its earlier days, and has acquitted himself, both as a business man and a citizen. in a highly creditable manner. A native of the town of Hector, Tompkins Co., N. Y., he was born Feb. 4, 1816, and is the son of Sylvanus and Nancy (Raynor) Culver, whose family comprised eleven children, namely: Oliver; Phebe, who married Jonathan Moore; Abigail, Mrs. Sylvester White; Parsons, David, Walter, William, Catharine, Mary, Eli (our subject) and Jane. The latter is now Mrs. Lorenzo McGinnis. Sylvanus Culver, the father of our subject, was born in Soutlampton, Long Island, about 1777, and spent his early years, until fifteen years of age, on a farm. I-e then learned millwrighting, at which he worked in connection with farming for probably a period of twenty years. After his marriage he settled in Hector. N. Y., and thence later 1_ "ON-A~ I 0 M1 1,11M.-Om"Im ebm --- — W-49I i ll~-II~b 1~1l~ I C 4 -v .r I a- b- - ----- - -I ---~r --- —~'I ~~1 —~-~1IPIIIIII~F - W- MT 1l 41 258 BRANCH removed to Tioga County, remaining there seven years. Subsequently he was a resident of Bcthany, Genesee County, and Farmington, Ontario County, remaining in the latter place six years, and from there came to the Territory of Michigan in May, 1833, locating in Madison Township, Lenawee County. In this journey the father of our subject was accompanied by his family, coming via the Erie Canal and lake steamer to Detroit, and thence overland by team to Lenawee County. He purchased sixty acres of land, upon which stood a log house, and there he built up a comfortable home and spent the remainder of his days. His life as a pioneer was similar to that of scores of others in this region, and his industry was fully equal to theirs. At the time of his death he had brought his land to a high state of cultivation, planted an orchard and other fruit trees, and put up first-class buildings. He passed away in 1848, and his remains were laid to rest in the cemetery at Dover. The elder Culver was a Democrat, politically, and an attendant of the Presbyterian Church. IHe followed his trade of millwright to a great extent after coming to the West, leaving the farm work principally for his boys; he was prominent among local affairs and a man of good judgment, whose opinions were universally held in respect. His wife, Nancy, was also born on Long Island, and was one of the large family of Stephen Raynor, who was a farmer by occupation and spent his entire life on Long Island. The mother of our subject is remembered as a most estimable Christian lady, performing faithfully her whole duty to her liusband and children. She survived the former three years, and was buried by his side in the cemetery at Dover. Mr. Culver, our subject, was at an early age taught to make himself useful about the homestead, and continued under the parental roof until reaching his majority, attending school mostly in the winter season. Upon leaving home he worked out by the month on a farm until he had accumulated $200. This he invested in 160 acres of Government land in Algansee Township, and in the fall of 1839 commenced building a log house after the primitive fashion of those days. At the first rais [ COUNTY. i - ing it was not nearly completed on account of the absence of whisky, but at the second, under the stimulus of this beverage, it was finished. In 1839 Mr. Culver was married, and occupied this dwelling about six years, during which time hle brought forty'acres of his land to a good state of cultivation without other aid than that of his excellent wife, who assisted him in picking up brush, chunks, etc., and carrying them to the fire where they were burned. In 1843 Mr. Culver sold out and removed to Lenawee County, where he assumed charge of his father's old homestead, which he conducted four years. Next he purchased a partially improved farm in Rome Township, sold this six years later, and after farming a year elsewhere came to Coldwater and became the partner of his son in the drug business, at which he continued for a period of twelve years. Since that time lie has lived retired from active business. Mr. Culver owns a good property in the city of Coldwater and a farm near the limits. He is a member of the Republican party, although he reserves the right to vote independently. He has served as School Commissioner four years, has also been Highway Commissioner, and fulfilled the duties of other responsible offices. During the progress of the late war he was an active member of the Union League. In his early manhood he had some experience as a teacher. The wife of our subject was in her girlhood Miss Zillah D. Thompson, who was born in Perrinton, Monroe Co., N. Y., about 1823, and was wedded to Mr. Culver on the 11th of February, 1839. She was brought by her parents to the State of Michigan, and they settled in Dover Township, Lenawee County. The father purchased a tract of Government land and carried on farming, and with his estimable wife lived to a good old age, respected by all who knew him. Of this marriage of our subject there were born five children, namely: Alice, who died at the age of six years; George, Rosamond, Lorenzo Jay and Charles. Rosamond is now the wife of Anson Thompson, of Coldwater. These children were all given a good education, completing their studies in Adrian College, with the exception of Charles, who was graduated from the I I. - 'Wr- ar"..= r-.~-.-.. I,-~ f I I 1-40 ff up BRANCH COUNTY. 259 B Coldwater schools. His death, it is supposed, was the result of an accident in getting off the cars in 1884. The two boys surviving are carrying on business for themselves an(d are successful, both being druggists, one in Coldwater and one in Detroit. Mrs. Zillah Culver departed this life at her home in Coldwater, July 30, 1884, and her remains were laid to rest in Oak Grove Cemetery. She was a lady possessing all the womanly virtues, modest and retiring in disposition, and in all respects a model wife and mother. Mr. Culver, June 17, 1886, contracted a second marriage, with Miss Amelia, (laughter of David and Elizabeth (Hall) Howell, who was the second child of a family consisting of two sons and three daughters. She was born at Mendham, Morris Co., N. J., April 29, 1829, which was also the birthplace of her father, who carried on farming there until his death, in 1859. He was a substantial member of his community and an active and worthy citizen, Republican in politics, and a member of the Presbyterian Church. His wife, Elizabeth, was born at Basking Ridge, N. J., so named because Washington's army encamped there where his horses could bask in the sunshine. The mother of Mrs. Culver was a most amiable and excellent Christian lady, and died at her home in New Jersey, in 1860. Mrs. Culver, in 1870, came to Michigan on a visit to her brother, spending this time four years, then returned to New Jersey and lived six years, after which she came back to the West and here has since remained. She is a member in good standing of the Presbyterian Church, and has many friends among the leading people of Coldwater. J]OSIAH SANDERS. A perusal of the following sketch of the career of this gentleman will be valuable to young men starting in life on their own account, as showing what may be accomplished by industry and perseverance, coupled with good judgment. While Mr. Sanders hias watched with keen interest the growth and development of this section of tie country, he has not been an idle watcher, but has contributed his full share toward the wonderful transformations which have been effected. His present accumulations are largely the result of his own unaided efforts, and while he has had an eye to this world's goods, he has not forgotten those higher claims devolving upon him as a member of the best society of Branch County. He has ever taken an active interest in securing good schools for the rising generation, rendering active assistance in organizing the school in his district, and has fostered every measure tending to the uplifting of his fellowmen. He is now engaged in general farming, in connection with which he carries on stock-raising extensively, and is pleasantly situated on section 17, Gilead Township, about four miles from Orland. The subject of this notice was born in Columbiana County, Ohio, in 1814, and is tile second in order of birth in a family of seven children, five sons and two daughters, born to Abishar and Rachel (Wilkins) Sanders, natives respectively of Georgia and Virginia. The parents settled in Ohio at an early day, where they did good service among the pioneers, but in 1831 they exchanged the Buckeye State for the Territory of Michigan, settling on 240 acres of land on sections 18 and 7, Gilead Township, which the father hlad purchased from the Government in 1830. He at once erected the regulation pioneer log cabin, one end of which was occupied by a cavernous fireplace, out of which the smoke ascended through a chimney made of dirt and sticks. He at once commenced the improvement of his purchase, and was successfully engaged in transforming the wilderness into fertile fields until about 1858, when he sold out his possessions, and, going to Vermilion County, purchased a mill near Danville, on the Vermillion River, and engaged in milling. But life for him was almost over, and four years later, in 1862, he passed away to join the ever-increasirg majority, and was followed some years later by his excelleut wife. The paternal grandparents of our subject were of Welsh and English descent, while the maternal grandparents, Thomas and Elizabeth Wilkins, were natives of England, and the grandfather was a soldier in the War of 1812. Our subject has in his I I I A Isp - n-_-Vl -00-m~-o" _ I t I I -19. — -- ~~~ _ mqppl -= - -— 1v9 -lm --- —-~-b --- —- p --- —-I I - qo i! g9 260 BRANCH COUNTY. ) i possession a land warrant given to his grandfather, which has never been used. Early in life our subject was inured to farm labors, and in the hard school of experience early learned those lessons of industry and self-denial which build up character and teach good judgment. During his school-boy days his parents were pioneers of Ohio and Michigan, and young Sanders had little opportunity of securing a school education. He grew, however, to a rugged manhood, and, being a close observer, kept well abreast of the times on the important questions of the day. He commenced life upon his own account in this county, where, in 1840, he made his first purchase of land, which consisted of forty acres, partially improved, on section 17, Gilead Township. IHe engaged in his life work with a will, and the effects of his labors were soon visible, while he added to his possessions from time to time as his circumstances warranted, until his real estate has increased sixfold, he having now 240 acres of fine, arable land on section 17, in the same township. Levi Sanders, a brother of our subject, enlisted in the army at Danville, Ill., in the 125th Illinois Regiment, as Chaplain, and was killed at Park's Ford on the Tennessee River. In 1840, in Lagrange County, Ind., Mr. Sanders was united in marriage with the lady of his choice, Miss Mary Miller, a native of Marion County, Ohio. She was the eldest in a family of ten children born to William and Abigail (Reed) Miller, both of whom were also natives of the Buckeye State. They subsequently removed to Indiana, where they remained a number of years, and there the death of the mother took place Aug. 11, 1855. The father afterward removed to Iowa, and made his home with his son Jeremiah during the remainder of his life. The great-grandparents escaped from Germany, and were sold into slavery in order to pay their passage money-a not uncommon practice at that time. He was a poor baker's boy, while she was the daughter of wealthy parents, and they remained in slavery about five years before it was admitted that they had liquidated their obligations. To Mr. and Mrs. Sanders there were born nine children, five sons and four daughters: Levi, Amos, Emily, Elizabeth Jane, Rachel Ann, Emma, Jesse, John and Josiah. Levi is a practicing physician of Bronson; Amos enlisted in August, 1861, in Company I, 42d Illinois Infantry, for three years, and was mustered in at Chicago, Ill.; he reached Missouri, where he died of measles at Smith City, Jan. 20, 1862. Emily died when an infant of six weeks; Elizabeth Jane resides at home; Rachel Ann, now Mrs. Johnson, resides in Isabella County, Mich.; Emma died at the age of nine months; Jesse is married and resides near the homestead;John is at present in New Mexico, as also is Josiah, who is married. July 22, 1862, Mr. Sanders suffered an irreparable loss in the death of his devoted wife, who died after a short illness of two weeks of erysipelas. After marriage our subject settled upon the farm where he now resides, and has accumulated a fine property. He now rents his farm to his son, but still keeps a good deal of stock. He takes an active part in the subject of politics, but is at present not identified with either of the great leading parties, his sympathies being with the Union Labor party. ILLIAM H. COMPTON, B. L., was born in Gasport, Niagara Co., N. Y., in 1841, and is the son of Dr. Ransom and Alicia B. (Barnum) Compton, both of whom were natives of New York. His parents came to Bronson, this county, in 1845, where the father followed his calling of a physician. For the first five years he practiced his profession, and he then engaged in the mercantile business, which he pursued until his death, in 1877, his wife, the mother of our subject, having died in 1862. Mr. Compton was reared under the parental roof, and attended the common schools of Bronson, receiving such education as he could obtain, until 1858, when he engaged in mercantile business, which he followed two years. He then entered the University of Michigan, and was graduated from the law department in 1862. But the war cry was then resounding through our land, and the young lawyer's patriotism was of such an order that it I II I i i I I i i i I iI I i m sho1 1-lL1-MI I ----— a —a, —Psr dL —We 090-0-40 P-e —1 — - _~- — ~~CQ-~~*(# u IC —Iq qqwI-~ ---~ ---- I. L b I ob'1 f I t-.Ok -rHi-rsl~ III, - 1 r - --- I -T, I~ BRANCH COUNTY. 261 I would not permit him to stand aloof when danger threatened. He accordingly enlisted in the army, entering Battery I, 1st Michigan Artillery, on the call for soldiers for three years. He served only nine months, however, when failing health unfitted him for further service, and he was discharged at Washington for disability. Mr. Compton returned to his home, and after recovering his health removed to Durand, Wis., and again engaged in the mercantile business. The Civil War still continuing, he re-entered the army, enlisting in the 2d Minnesota Battery, and served until the cessation of hostilities. For his meritorious conduct Mr. Compton was promoted to the office of Sergeant, and was also made one of the principal clerks in the office of chief of the garrison artillery, at Chattanooga, Tenn. Upon the close of the war our subject returned to Bronson, and has been engaged ever since in the practice of his profession, building up a lucrative practice through his ability and integrity. He has been City Clerk for a number of years, and also Township Clerk and School Director. He has made for himself a fine home in the eastern part of the village of Bronson, and surrounded his family with the comforts of life. Socially, our subject is a member of the I. O. 0. F., and also the Masonic fraternity, has been presiding officer of the Chapter, and is a member of the Blue Lodge and of the G. A. R. Ile is also a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which lie has held various offices, and is at present Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and Superintendent of the Sabbath-school, and an active Sunday-school worker. The subject of this biography was united in marriage, in 1862, with Miss Mary Jackson, of White Pigeon, Mich., but she died in New York of malignant diphtheria in 1870. Mr. Compton was a second time married, in 1871, the lady of his choice being Miss Eliza A. Nott, of Bronson, and of this union there was born one child, Clifford. Mrs. Compton died in 1873, and our subject was again united in marriage, in 1875, with Miss Bessie Bennett, a school teacher of Bronson. This union was blessed by the birth of three children-Jesse, Bessie and Louis N. The mother of these children (lied in 1882, and in 1883 Mr. Compton was united in marriage with Miss Flora L. Stratton, of Wabash, Ind., a daughter of Rev. Mark Stratton, a minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church. Their union has been blessed by the birth of one child, whom they named Hazel. Mrs. Compton is an accomplished musician, and was for seven years prior to her marriage a music teacher in Wabash, Ind. She is at presentorganist in the Methodist Episcopal Church, in Bronson, in which she is a member, and has a large Sundayschool class. Mr. and Mrs. Compton are prominent and active members in the church, to which they contribute freely, and aid andencourage every good measure. Owing to their culture and genial disposition, they are among the leading members of society, and are recognized as people of influence and merit. As an advocate, Mr. Compton is precise, careful, earnest and astute in the interests of his clients, and is a close reader of human nature. IHe does nothing in a hurry, never becomes excited, and acts only after mature deliberation. In politics Mr. Compton is a Republican, and though he has never aspired to any political preferment, he has materially assisted his party. He received the nomination for the Legislature on the People's ticket in 1872, but was defeated by lion. George Gillam. Mr. Compton was nominated a second time, in 1876, but was again defeated, the successful candidate being Hon. George P. Robinson, a Republican. ^a _ Wh, __04" p Mj/ YRON W. STRONG is a fine representative /l of the sturdy farming element to which / X I M ichigan is so deeply indebted for lher prosperity and the advanced position that she holds among the powerful States of the Union. He is a native of Andover, Allegany Co., N. Y., born Sept. 30, 1829. His father, Calvin Strong, was born in the town of Wells, Washington Co., N. Y., in 1797, and his grandfather, Luther Strong, was, it is supposed, a native of New England. He was a natural mechanic, and early became a skillful carpenter and joiner, and for a time was engaged at that trade in Washington County. He then turned his attention to farming, buying a farm I I a L A L *1 f 262 BRANCH COUNTY. in Grand Isle County, on the beautiful Isle of Mott, in Lake Champlain. In 1814 he returned to Washington County, N. Y., and resided there until 1816, when, accompanied by his wife and children, he started with ox and horse teams to make the slow and tedious journey across the State of New York, much of the way lying through dense forests, to Allegany County, where he proposed to establish a new home. He bought a mill site in the town of Andover, and there built a saw and grist mill, which he operated for a few years, and then disposing of it moved to Potter County, Pa., where he bought a water power and erected a saw and grist mill in the town of Ulala. He subsequently sold the mill, and after a time bought a farm in the town of Hebron, where he spent his last years. The maiden name of his wife was Abigail Woodruff, and she was, it is thought, born in Connecticut. Her father, Joseph Woodruff, moved from Washington County, N. Y., to Allegany County, in 1816, becoming a pioneer of Andover, where he spent his last years. The grandmother of our subject came to Michigan after her husband's death, and passed her last years in Kinderhook, dying, however, in the home of her son George, in Ohio, in 1873, in the month of September. The father of our subject was about twenty years of age when his parents moved to Allegany County, and he there met and married Miss Stephana Smith, who was born in Granville, Washington Co., N. Y., and was a daughter of Stephen and Rhoda (Woodruff) Smith. They resided in Allegany County until 1838, when they packed up such of their belongings as they wished to carry, and with their six children started for Michigan, going to Buffalo with a team, there embarking on the waters of Lake Erie for Toledo, whence they proceeded to Tecumseh on the primitive railway, with its cars drawn by horses and its wooden rails, which were covered with strap iron, as far as Palmyra. At Tecumseh Mr. Strong hired a team to convey his family and household goods to Branch County, where on his visit here in the previous spring he had rented a farm near Cold water. The family lived there for seven years, and then the father bought a tract of land on section 5, Kinderhook Township. It was timber land at the time, and he built a frame house and commenced to clear a farm. In 1865 he sold his property here, and then lived successively in Quincy, Coldwater and Girard, spending his last years with our subject, and dying July 30, 1886, at an advanced age. He was a good man, and his name will long be honored and cherished as belonging to a worthy pioneer of Branch County, and no history of the township of Kinderhook would be complete wherein he is not mentioned. His beloved wife, who for more than half a century was his faithful and devoted companion, still lives to bless her children with her presence, making her home with her daughter, Mrs. Greer, in Kinderhook Township. A few days after his arrival in Branch County with his parents, our subject celebrated the ninth anniversary of his birth. He has a clear recollection of the journey hither, and of the life that they subsequently led amid.the pioneer surroundings of this then newly settled country, wherein deer, wild turkeys and other game were abundant, and furnished a grateful addition to the family larder. Ile was an attendant of one of the first schools established in this vicinity, which was conducted in the primitive log school-house of the times, heated by a fire in a rude fireplace, with slabs in which holes were bored and legs inserted for seats, with no desks, but a board fastened to the wall for the scholars to write upon. He continued to reside with his parents until he had grown to manhood, and when twenty-one years of age commenced life for himself, working by the month for about six years. Then, by his industry and prudence, he had saved enough money to buy eighty acres of land of his father, comprising the eastern one-half of the north quarter of section 6, Kinderhook Township. It was heavily timbered, and he worked on it until 1864, when he sold it and bought where he now resides, on section 19, the eastern one-half of the northwest quarter. This was covered with trees of many centuries' growth at the time that he bought it, and in 1866 he made the first improvement on the place by clearing eleven acres. He now has the greater part of it cleared and in an admirable state of cultivation, and has erected a substantial and commodious set of frame buildings. Mr. Strong was married, on the 23d of October, [m obp-WlilSQII. -- MROMTWOMMOO -7I-0(IIY~P~L~bj[~%~1 — 1O &AbEBl I L I I I BRNC -— COUNTY.263 M BRANCH COUNTY. 263 I l. 1866, to Miss Annis Purdy, daughter of Azern Purdy. She was born in California Township, Feb. 28, 1843, and her union with our subject has bee.n blessed by the birth of two children-Freddie (deceased) and Nellie A. The family occupy a prominent position in social and religious circles in this township, and by their frank and genial manners, and the generous hospitalities of a pleasant and happy home, they have endeared themselvesto a large number of friends. In a quiet and unostentatious manner they assist in the good work of the Free-Will Baptist Church, of this place, of which they are valued members. Mlr. Strong is a man whose ability is unquestioned, and his keen, resolute, uncompromising nature holds him to the highest levels of life. In his political views he has ever been a steadfast ally of the Republican party, to which he has belonged since its organization, and he cast his first Presidential vote for Gen. Fremont. We are herewith pleased to append a brief sketch of Mrs. Stlrong's parents, who were among the early pioneers of Branch County, and hlave ever since been numbered among its most sterling residents. Her father was of New England parentage and ancestry, but he was himself born in Canada, in the Province of Quebec, the (ate of his birth being Sept. 15, 1811. His father, Joseph Purdy, was born and reared in New England, and was there married to Sally Smith, likewise a native of that part of the country. He moved from there to Canada and engaged in farming until 1814, when, as he was in full sympathy with his fellow-countrymen, who were then at war with Great Britain, he watched his opportunity and escaped from the British Dominion to this side of the border, thus at the expense of his property proving his patriotism and loyalty to the land of his birth. He located in Vermont for a year, then went to New York, where he lived another year, and from there removed to Ohio, in 1816, and became one of the first settlers of Seneca County. The land in that section of the country had never been surveyed, and it was still inhabited by Indians. In February, 1835, Mr. Purdy made still another move, and we find him in the Territory of Michigan, where he took up his abode in what is now California Township, and was | _ one of the pioneer settlers of that place, and made his home there with his children until his death. His wife died at the home of her daughter, in Algansee Township, this county. Mrs. Strong's father was but five years old when his parents moved to Ohio, and there being only a few white settlers in the part of the State in which they located, Indian children were his playmates. He was never separated from his parents until their death. Soon after coming to California Township he exchanged the eighty acres of land which he had entered from the Government, in Hillsdale County, for a tract of the same size in California Township. He located there and improved a farm, on which he lived for seven or eight years, and then traded that farm for another in Kinderhook. He is at present living retired in Kinderhook, where he and his wife are enjoying the competence that their united labors have secured to them. The maiden name of his worthy wife was Harriet Holcomb, and they are both held in high estimation for the sound integrity that has characterized all their acts throughout these many years that their lives have been prolonged. LANSON T. KINNEY, Sheriff of Branch lCounty, was born at Woodhull, Steuben Co., N. Y., and is the second in order of birth in a family of three children born to Levi H. and Mary (Tyler) Kinney, natives respectively of Sodus, Wayne Co., N. Y., and Connecticut. The others are recorded as follows: Angie became tile wife of Lieut. Col. Emery, of the United States Engineer Corps; he was killed in the army and she died at Friendship, N.Y., in 1870. Bryce served throughout the war of the Rebellion, and died soon after its close. The ancestors of our subject came from Scotland, and settled at New York in the early history of the country. Levi H. Kinney, the father of our subject, removed to Sharon Township, Potter Co., Pa., where he was appointed County Commissioner and served a number of years, and also served as County W.I __ ...I 1 I I 11 111111 11 ilm - - --- -,1111, -I poilop lm ln *0 - I I I i I I I i i Ii I I i II i oI ----— --- L 4;,11 --- —— __-~-~Ll aqn-~I ~~ ~, ~ -~lc 3 ~ e, - - -l k 264 BRANCH COUNTY. I Treasurer. During the late Rebellion he raised a force known as Company D, 85th New York Regiment, and served throughout the war in the Army of the Potomac. He saw much active service, participating in the battles of Williamsburg, Yorktown, Fair Oaks, Seven Pines, Savage Station, White Oak Swamp, Malvern Hill, Suffolk, Kingston, Goldsboro, Gettysburg, Wilderness, and all the other battles in which the Army of the Potomac took part under Gens. McClellan, Burnside, Hooker and Meade. The father of our subject was promoted Colonel and aide-de-camp under Maj. John G. Foster, and served in that capacity until the close of the war, when he was honorably discharged and mustered out of the service at Elmira, N. Y., after enduring the risks and horrors of war for three years. He then returned to his farm in Potter County, Pa., to find a desolate home, his wife having died while he was in the army, in 1862. The father was a second time married, to Mrs. Granger, of Michigan, who died in 1883. He still survives, residing on the old farm in- Pennsylvania, and enjoying the quiet which a long life of industry and integrity has justly earned. Although lie is not identified with the visible church lie is a man of irreproachable character, and strict in his ideas of honor. In politics he is a Republican, and on that ticket was twice elected to the State Legislature, in which tie achieved some distinction as a fluent speaker and a close reasoner. Prior to her marriage the mother of our subject engaged in teaching school, and after her marriage went with her husband into the wilderness to make a home for themselves and their children, and were well started in their laudable pursuit when the Rebellion broke out, and she was left alone with her youngest son until her death. She was a model woman in every respect, possessing all the sterling qualities which adorn her sex, and was a member of the Baptist Church. For most of the education the children received they are indebted to their mother, and though she loved then dearer than life, at the call of duty she gave up her husband and son for her country and never saw them more, fighting life's battles at home alone, and showing as much heroism as ever marked the tented field until her death. After the death of the mother the youngest son ran away, and enlisted in Company B, 2d Iowa Cavalry, under Col. Hatch. He was promoted to Second Lieutenant before the age of seventeen years, and served until the close of the war, but on his return to his home he was accidentally knocked off the boat into the river, and sustained injuries of such a nature that he died from their effects. The early life of Mr. Kinney was spent as a working boy, and he received but a limited education. He was engaged in the lumber woods and on the rivers until the breaking out of the Civil War, when he enlisted in the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment, and served as a private for two years. He was then promoted to the rank of Second Lieutenant, and transferred to a New I ork regiment, with which he served until the expiration of his time of enlistment, in the summer of 1864. He then joined the 210th Pennsylvania Volunteers as Captain of Company F, and served until the close of the war, receiving a wound in the neck at the battle of Five Forks, March 31, 1865, which destroyed his voice, and from which he has never recovered. Soon after the war Capt. Kinney was appointed to a clerkship in the War Department at Washington, as Clerk, Bookkeeper and Special Agent of the War, Treasury and Interior Departments, and held the office until 1886, a period of twenty years. Our subject was united in marriage, March 6, 1884, the maiden of his choice being Miss Susan Sharp, who resided with and took care of her aged parents, in Gilead Township, after the brothers had all passed over "the River of Time," or settled in life for themselves. Four brothers gave up their lives for their country; one died in California, and one, Frank Sharp, is now living in Bethel Township. Mrs. Kinney's parents were born in England, the father in 1805, and the mother in 1813, and they came to the United States in 1835. After a few years' residence in York State they removed to Indiana, and thence, in 1867, to Gilead Township, in this county, where they resided until the marriage of their daughter Susan, with whom they have since lived. They had a family of nine children, seven sons and two daughters. The aged couple have always been strict members of the I. i h) up" -Iw I 4 I 4 — 40e ob- I I *W —~r. ir I srqrr- I*~~~ -~lllllllC~~)) 0 BRANCH COUNJTY. 265 I BRNHCUNYI6 Methodist Church. which now receives most of their time and thought, while awaiting the call to their reward from the Giver of life. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Kinney has been crowned by the birth of three children: Carl, who was born May 1, 1885; Mary, Sept. 4, 1886, and Hazel Gail, Nov. 6, 1887. Mr. Kinney was elected Sheriff of Branch County, in November, 1886, while yet in the service of the Government as a Special Examiner in the pension office, and the movement was characterized by the Chicago Times, as 'the most remarkable instance of pernicious political activity on record." Sheriff Kinney is an enthusiastic member of the Order of the Knights Templars, and received some of the orders with James A. Garfield, in Columbia Commandery, at Washington, and is also a G. A. R. man in the full sense of the term. He is a man of commanding appearance, and weighs nearly 300 pounds; he is equally strong intellectually, while his genial disposition and extensive and varied fund of information make him a favorite with all classes. He is not a member of any church organization, but is a man of rectitude and probity, sound on the temperance question, and an advocate of all measures calculated to promote the best interests of the community. In politics, Mr. Kinney is an uncompromising Republican, ever ready to lend his influence for the promulgation of the principles of his party. J AMES H. CASE. Among the solid and substantial farmers of Branch County, the subject of this sketch bears a worthy part in sustaining the agricultural interests of this section of Michigan. He has been a resident of Ovid Township since 1870, and the farm that he then purchased, beautifully located on section 9, has greatly increased in value under his wise and judicious management. Mr. Case was born in Phelps, Ontario Co., N. Y., March 7, 1821. His father, Norman Case, was born in Connecticut in 1789, and his father, Josiah Case, a farmer, was likewise born in that State. He removed from there, however, with his wife and children in 1800, and became a pioneer of Ontario County. He bought a large tract of land, included in the Phelps and Gorham tract, and improved a fine farm, making his home there until death. Norman Case was but a boy when his parents went to Ontario County, where he grew to manhood. He was quite a young man when the War of 1812 broke out, and he went into the army and served awhile as a soldier. He was married, Nov. 16, 1817, to Miss Anna Patton, who was born in Pittsburgh, Pa., July 28, 1796. At the time of his marriage his father gave him a part of the old homestead, and there he and his wife spent their entire married life. He was a man of practical wisdom, keen forethought, capable and enterprising, and added to his landed estate until his farm comprised 350 acres of good land at the time of his death. To him and his good wife five children were born, of whom our subject was the second in order of birth, and tile only one now living. James Case was reared in his native town, and his father being in comfortable circumstances, his educational advantages at the district school were not so limited as often happened to the farmers' lads in those days, they being kept out of school to help in the farm labors at home. Our subject assisted his father and remained on the old homestead until after the latter's death. Feb. 7, 1861, he took unto himself a wife in the person of Miss Hannah Rooks, a most estimable young lady. who has been to him a true and devoted helpmate. She was born in Herkimer County, N. Y., July 1, 1835, and is the daughter of George and Mary J. (Davis) Rooks, natives of London, England. Her father was the son of George and Sarah Rooks, and he was the only member of his family who ever came to this country. He grew to manhood in his native isle, was there married, and engaged in his occupation as a stonemason until he came to America in 1823, accompanied by his wife and five children. He located in Herkiner County, N. Y., and there carried on the trades of plasterer and brickmason. He afterward removed to Wayne County and settled in Arcadia, where he was engaged at his trade until 1853, when he came to Coldwater, and bought I I I i 9 —own L E t i i I i 1, _1-I a,d - I I- MV-. - -a- I~ -ly~ IC —~ I IF 1'_ = _,.v -....... - -V II a! ego,.-, m I" ol qmqi —ll — ~ —~~ —~ ---- -------------------— ~ —p — aB~aa 1 — 266 BRANCH COUNTY. A a farm one mile from the city, and turned his attention to agricultural pursuits. He erected a fine brick house and a good set of farm buildings on the place, but in 1867 he disposed of his farm and removed to the city, where he lived in retirement from the labors of life, and in the enjoyment of a comfortable competence. His death occurred there, March 3, 1874, and that of his wife, April 9, 1879. They were the parents of nine children, of whom Mrs. Case was the sixth child, and the first born in America. Our subject and his wife spent the first few years of their wedded life in his native town of Phelps. In 1870 Mr. Case decided to dispose of his property in New York, and in the great agricultural region embraced in Branch County, Mich., build up a new home, and moving to this State with his family, he located in his present place of residence. Mr. Case has been quite prosperous since coming here, and in the substantial and cozy dwelling, ulnder whose roof he and his family enjoy the comforts of life, he finds the realization of his plans. Four children have been born to our subject and his wife, namely: Frank, Minnie, Rosa and Rooks. Frank, who was born Feb. 16, 1862, died Feb. 8, 1875. GEORGE SAGER, who is a pioneer settler, has been successfully operating as a farmer and stockraiser on section 28, Bronson Township, and came to this county when a boy. His parents, John and Margaret (Deline) Sager, were natives of Wayne County, N. Y., whence they removed not many years after their marriage, and coming to St. Joseph County, this State, lived there two years. The father of our subject then purchased forty acres of land in the western part of this county, and added to this farm from time to time until he became the owner of a large farm in Bronson Township. The family included four sons and three daughters, all of whom lived to mature years. Four are now surviving and residents of Branch County. The subject of this sketch was born in Wayne County, N. Y., May 2, 1824, and has spent the greater part of his life in this State, with the exception of a year in Indiana, where he worked at blacksmithing. Farming, however, seemed his legitimate pursuit, and he subsequently purchased 160 acres of land in that part of Bronson Township which is now called Noble, and which he cultivated for a period of four years. He then purchased twenty acres on section 28, and subsequently bought 105 acres of his father's estate in the Dutch settlement, upon which he operated a few years, and then selling out purchased the farm where he now lives. This comprises 240 acres, most of which has been brought to a good state of cultivation. Mr. Sager, about 1863, erected the present substantial and commodious residence, and he has good barns and all other buildings required for the successful prosecution of agriculture. Our subject has been twice married, first at the age of twenty years, to Miss Emily Jane Blanchard, who was born in the State of New York, and was the daughter of Alvah and Jane Blanchard, of Wayne County, N. Y. Of this marriage there were born eleven children, who were named respectively: Mary Jane, Charles H., John A., George H., Margaret A., Lois, Emily Rosila, Isaac A., Albert W., Joseph and Lucy A. John A. died in infancy, and Isaac accidentally shot himself when a youth of eighteen years. The mother of these children died at her home in Bronson Township, March 10, 1886. Mr. Sager contracted a second marriage, Jan. 18, 1888, with Mrs. Lydia Smith, who is the daughter of Peter and Phebe (Mills) Jackson, natives respectively of New Jersey and New York. Mr. Jackson was of English descent, and his wife of German and French. Their daughter Lydia was born in Chautauqua County, N. Y., Dec. 1, 1836, and was first married to Horace Button, of Jonesville, this State, by whom she became the mother of one son, Charles E., who was graduated from the Philadelphia Medical Institute, and is now engaged in the drug business in Chicago. She was divorced from Mr. Button in 1871, and next married Adna H. Smith, of Bronson, in 1872; he died Dec. 3, 1887. Mrs. Sager has been a very successful teacher of music, which profession she followed for a number of years in La Cygne, Iinn Co., Kan. She owns property in this county. Both our subject and his I 1I..i.I OPINION I INI i Mi NoT-ws.wou~-. -~II~-~ -rr —u~-urram~ I I - Wr "I k I I~ Ir rI Ia ~ A I '' 11111111, b.-Il~ ---t~a E-r~~ta *a~~~Z~B~ -fgs — d -pl — 269 4 BRANCH COUNTY. I wife are church members in good standing, Mr. S. a Baptist and Mrs. S. an Episcopalian. Mr. Sager, socially, belongs to the Masonic fraternity and the I. 0. O. F., at Bronson. He votes the straight Republican ticket, and has been Township Commissioner several years. and also held the minor offices. As one of the pioneers of Branch County he has been an interested witness of its growth and development, and has contributed his quota in bringing it to its present condition. The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Sager was a staff officer under King George III, of England. He married Miss Elizabeth Shrewsbury, daughter of Judge Shrewsbury, of the King's Bench. He crossed the Atlantic and settled among the Colonists of Shrewsbury Lodge in New Jersey, and entertained the royal officers during Revolutionary times.;thWAeI~T A OBERT WAGGOTT. Prominent among ||j the worthy and respected citizens of this lI\\ county stands the gentleman whose name $heads this biographical sketch. He is essentially a self-made man, working his way up the ladder of success by sheer force of his indomitable industry and energy, directed by a well-balanced judgment. He is now a resident of Cold water Township, where he has a fine farm of sixty acres of highly improved land, containing commodious farm buildings. The grounds are dotted with trees and shrubs, which give to the homestead an attractive appearance, and, with all the other surroundings and appointments, indicate the home of taste antd refinement. Robert Waggott is a native of North Curry, Somersetshire, England, where he was born on the 1st of September, 1828, and his father, Thomas Waggott, was a native of the same town, and was there reared to manhood. He married, and continued to reside in his native place until 1840, when he determined to try his fortune in America, and accordingly, accompanied by his wife and seven children, he embarked at Bristol in October for the United States, and landed in New ork City the day Gen. Harrison was elected President. He pursued his way via the Hudson River and Erie Canal to Lockport, and thence to Attica, N. Y., where he spent the following winter. In the spring of 1841 he left the Empire State, and coming to this county settled in Coldwater Township, where his nephew, Charles Tavey, had settled in 136. He purchased a tract of timber land on section 34, and began his pioneer work by cutting down trees and clearing the underbrush to open a site on which to build a house. He erected a pioneer log cabin into which he removed his family, and then commenced the arduous struggle to subdue nature. But the sands of life were almost run, and in 1844 he was called upon to pay the debt of nature. The mother of our subject, whose maiden name was Jennie Moulton, died in 1832 in England. For his second wife Mr. Waggott chose Rachel Keene, who survived her husband and was a second time married, her husband being Zara Warner, and died at Spring Valley. Minn. Of the first union of the father of our subject there were five children, who are recorded as.follows: Charles married and reared a family, and died in California; George is married and resides in Canada; Elizabeth became the wife of D. Chapman, and died in Cold water; Robert was the fourth in order of birth; Worthy died in 1846, aged fourteen years. The second( marriage resulted in the birth of three children, as follows: Harriet is the wife of Mr. Filmore, of Minneapolis, Minn.; Amelia is the wife of Lceard Ballyett, of Faribault, Minn., and Jennie is the wife of Norton Bassett, of Coldwater. The subject of this sketch was a boy of twelve years when he accompanied his parents to America, and well remembers the incidents of the voyage and the vicissitudes of pioneer life in this State. Deer, bears, wolves and wild turkeys were plentiful, and roamed through the wilderness unmolested by the hand of the white man. He received the rudiments of an education in his native land, and upon his arrival in this country his services were utilized on their new farm, and lie remained thus employed until the age of fifteen, when the shadow of death passed over their household, and the father was called to that land whence no traveler returns. Thomas Waggott had made a good beginning in the C-MD 1I~ ~W1V ~ V~ NblI~ISi1VI m r l~p~sl~paas~ID --; - ~'IILr~yrrrrrurrr~~ ---C ~ - -~C~rlll ---- - - -cs --- —-. l-""r06-rFA~IM-40i-~~l m s1~ U gez lo I 0 270 BRANCH COUNTY. I improvement of his purchase, but in doing so he incurred some debts, and three years after his death the place was sold lby the creditors. Our subject bought the property at public sale, and engaging to work in a mill, he at length earned sufficient money to free the land from all claims, and now resides on his hardly earned purchase. When the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad was in process of construction our subject was employed on the work a great part of the time, and finally became foreman of the construction department. Upon the completion of the railroad he superintended the building of fences from Hillsdale to Sturgis in this State. Our subject was united in marriage, July 1, 1852, with Miss Emma Wells, who was born in Cohoctol, Steuben Co., N. Y., Aug. 9, 1832. Her father, Alexander Wells, was a native of Connecticut, and his father, Hezekiah, was born, it is supposed, in England, and at least was of English ancestry. Early in life he made his advent into Connecticut, whence he afterward removed to York State, where he resided until his death. The father of Mrs. Waggott was married in York State to Julia Bishop, who was a native of Connecticut. After marriage they resided in different parts of the Empire State until the autumn of 1833, whn ththey migrated to the Territory of Michigan and located at Tecumseh, Lenawee County. The father was a blacksmith by trade and followed his calling among the pioneers, doing business in Tecumseh, though he had purchased a farm in Raisin Township, to which he also attended. After a time he removed his blacksmith business to his farm, and continued to conduct both until 1841, when he sold out and emigrated to Allen Township, Hillsdale County, and bought a tract of 320 acres of timber land. By 1854 he had cleared and improved a large farm, but he again sold out, and this time removed to Coldwater, where he bought property and resided there until his death in 1856. The mother of Mrs. Waggott spent her last years with her family, and died regretted by a large circle of friends and acquaintances, in 1868.' Mrs. Waggott was but an infant when she was brought to this State by her parents, with whom she remained, obtaining such knowledge as could be gleaned in the irregularly taught pioneer schools, until her marriage with our subject. Hler mother cooked for the family over an open fireplace, and used to spin wool and flax which she afterward made into garments, and thus clothed the entire family. Mrs. Waggott learned many housewifely arts from her mother, and was in every way qualified to act her part in making a home and a name in the pioneer country. To Mr. and Mrs. Waggott has been born one child, Flora, who became the wife of John L. Robinson and resides at Sand Beach, Huron Co., Mich., and they have one child, Gretta. Our subject and his wife are worthy and honored residents of this section of country, and hold a good position in society, while Mrs. Waggott is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and adorns her profession by her walk and conversation. In politics Mr. Waggott was a Union Democrat before the war, but he has since transferred his allegiance to the Republican party, believing it to be the exponent of principles more in accordance with the wishes of a liberal and progressive country. Mr. Waggott is a member of Tyre Lodge No. 18, A. F. & A. M., Royal Arch Temple No. 21, and Knights Templar Commandery No. 10. A view of the splendid homestead is presented in this connection. 6 IMOTHY CLARK, one of the earliest settlers of Kinderhook Township, is now one of its most extensive and prosperous farmers. He was born in Broadalbin. N. Y., on the 30th of March, 1819. His father, Samuel Clark, was a farmer, owning a small farm in that town, where he resided until 1837, when he migrated to Michigan with two of his four children, his wife having been dead some years. He came by the canal to Buffalo, thence across Lake Erie to Toledo, where he hired horses to draw the wagon he had brought with him, and drove into Hillsdale County. He stopped in Somerset Township, rented land, and four years after settlement died there. He was an honest, hard-working man, and by his upright con H~c~- ~Ir -- -elg II~- C-~~-~PII 11I I I~~lYP~III L *aboe 4 1 r I r J ---~ * ^ s- P1P11 g ''I.-,, Il, Ill lm La il.- G - ~IEft-,rr 1a L,40(e BRANCH COUNTY. __ 271 I duct had won the respect of the people among whom he had come to make a home. His wife was Mary Ferguson, a native of Montgomery County, N. Y., and (laughter of James Ferguson. Her early death in 1 827 was a sad loss to her family, as she was a truly good wife and mother in every sense implied by those sacred terms. Our subject was reared in his native town, and was in his nineteenth year when the old home was left behind, and with other members of his family he turned his face toward Michigan, whe re his destiny was to be wrought out by his own hand, and he was to win his way to independence by sheer strength of mind and muscle. He arrived in Hillsdale County on the 9th of July, and on the llth of that month he earned his first money in Michigan, as he worked for a man hoeing potatoes, and received seventy-five cents in payment, and this may be said to have been the basis of his present fortune. As Hillsdale County at that time was very sparsely settled, being mostly a wilderness, it was difficult to find employment, so our subject and his brother started on the following day for White Pigeon, which was an older settlement, with the expectation of securing work in the harvest field. Thev walked nearly to Sturgis the first day, and at evening put up at a tavern on the road. The next morning they started early, and arrived at Sturgis before the hour of breakfast, and before they had partaken of that meal the landlord hired them to work in his hay field at $1 a day. They worked for him until Saturday night, and on Sunday morning continued their journey to White Pigeon, where they arrived early on Monday, and immediately obtained a job for the first few (lays, hoeing peppermint at seventy-five cents a day, and then working in the harvest fields for $1.25 a day. Our subject returned to Somerset two months later. with upward of $30 in his pocket. He there worked about by the day or month for a time, and. then procured a team and engaged in teaming for awhile. In the fall of 1842 he traded his horses even for eighty acres of land, now included in his present farm, which he had never seen. In 1845 he concluded to build on his land, and buying thirty pounds of nails, he started with nails, ax and hammer for this township, on foot, thinking he would get a chance to ride. He did not, however, and walked the entire distance, carrying the heavy load with which lie started. Traveling thus over this then rough, wild, unsettled country, his prophetic eye saw its future marvelous development, and remarking to his brother that the railway at Hillsdale was near enough to him for practical purposes, he predicted that there would some time be a railway to Coldwater, connecting it with the outside world. Mr. Clark did not then locate on his land, but continued working for others in Somerset and renting land until 1848, when, accompanied by his wife, he started with a pair of horses and a wagon for his future home. The trials that the pioneers had to undergo in establishing a home are well illustrated by their experience. Cold water being then but a small place, there was no furniture store in the town, and Mr. Clark had to order some furniture made, and then to wait nearly a year before it was done. Having no table, he bored holes in the logs and drove in pins, on which he placed a board, which answered every purpose as well as a more costly one. In the fall and winter seasons, when they had coL mpany, pumpkins were used for seats. Mrs. Clark (lid the cooking before the fire in the open fireplace for years, as they had no stove. Since that time, now more than forty years ago, Mr. and Mrs. Clark have been continuous residents here, and by their united labors, shrewd management of their affairs, and by wise economy, which knows when to spend as well as when to spare, they have accumulated much plroperty, and are now spending their declining years in the enjoyment of the comforts and luxuries of a pleasant home. Their course through life has been such as to commend them to the respect of all with whom they have come in contact, and they are honored and esteemed by the whole community. Mr. Clark has added to his landed estate from time to time, until he now owns 320 acres of land, the greater part of which is improved, and a good set of frame buildings has been erected. Our subject was married, Oct. 9, 1846, to Miss Sarah J. Mills, who was born in the beautiful town of Great Barrington, Berkshire Co., Mass., May 24, 1818. Her father, Alson Mills, born in Farmington, Conn., was reared and married in his native I I I A "PON -i I ---- - l - - -r —r rr. -r I -- ur- ~- u-~ —r —t -~u-tr u — - ~ —~ — Irl;- l ---- I 3~l-PI -~ll I -— qqr *B, —i I I I a -I —,.% - -~- ~~;;-. — ~;~I —~ — ~ --- ^,~~ --- —I.X II.~-1-~1 -^lCIl- ~ll-l I-~ —.-I~-1- I.-Dl i- II~.I~. 1.^~i.l.i.i~_. ---: -il_~~l _~l.-ii-i.. l 272 BRANCH COUNTY. State, Miss Sarah Dupee, of Wethersfield, Conn., becoming his wife. lIe then moved to Massachusetts, bought a farm, and engaged in agriculture until his death. His wife also spent her last years in Great Barrington. Mrs. Clark lived with her parents until nineteen years of age, and under her mother's careful training became a good housewife, and learned to spin and knit. At the age mentioned she went to New York and lived with her sister in the town of Wethersfield, and then, after living again in her Massachusetts home for three years, she came to Michigan, and subsequently married in this State, and has lived here ever since. Four of the children born to her and her husband are living, namely: Harriet J., wife of Elmer Boyd, of Kinderhook Township; Oliver J. lives on a.part of the homestead; Etta J. lives with her parents; Ellen M. is the wife of Sherman Jones, of Kinderhook Township. Phebe M. died at the age of twelve years. ~,;VV~w#;,P*'YV, County, worked by the day for a time. then bought a farm in Coldwater Township, where he remained a year. Removing at that time to Ovid Township, he purchased land on section 17, where he resided until his removal to the farm he now occupies on section 33. The maiden name of his wife, to whom lie was married in 1838, was Jane Wallace, also a native of Naseby, born June 21, 1818. Her parents, Thomas and Jane (Bruce) Wallace, were natives respectively of Naseby and Lancaster, and spent their entire lives in England. Mr. and Mrs. Cheney were the parents of four children, three of whom grew to maturity, namely: Alfred, Annie and Sarah. Our subject was six years of age when he came across the ocean to America, and has many recollections of the long voyage, and also of his life in Ohio, where he afterward resided until the removal of his parents to Michigan in 1851. HIe attended the district schools in Ohio, and subsequently in Coldwater, where his first year in this State was spent, then in Ovid, which has since been his home. He acquired a good knowledge of the fundamental branches, and at the age of nineteen years commenced teaching, and was thus engaged four terms. He intended to complete his education, and make teaching his profession, but after the breaking out of the late Rebellion, he, like many other adopted citizens of the United States, whose loyalty to the Union was as firm as that of her own sons, enlisted in her defense, Aug. 7, 1862, in Company H, of the 19th Michigan Infantry, and served until the close of the war. At the battle of Spring Hill, Tenn., March 5, 1863, his regiment was surrounded by the rebels and captured. Our subject, who was severely wounded during the affray, was exchanged after two months' captivity, and sent to the hospital at Annapolis, Md. When sufficiently recovered to be discharged from the hospital, Mr. Cheney was attached to the invalid corps. He protested and asked permission to join his regiment, finally writing to the Secretary of War asking to be assigned to his regiment, or discharged. His request was granted, and he spent the winter with his regiment in Tennessee. In the spring the regiment was placed under Gen. Sherman's command, and he was with that General on his march to the sea, participating in most of the I ib I;~ 1-4 LFRED CHENEY, successfully engaged in ' agricultural pu suits, holds a leading posia tion among the farmers of Branch County, and well represents that department of industry in Ovid Township, where he has long been a resident. He is a native of old England, born in Naseby, Northamptonshire, July 5, 1839. His grandparents, John and Fanny (Hednet) Cheney, spent their entire lives, as far as known, in Naseby, where their son Eli, the father of our subject, was born March 8, 1818. He was reared, educated, and married in his native town, living there until 1845. Then, desiring to improve his own condition, and anxious that his children might receive better advantages than was possible in his native country, he sailed from Liverpool in September of that year, accompanied by his wife and two children, and after a voyage of four weeks and four days, disembarked at New York City. They proceeded directly to Lorain County, Ohio, where Mr. Cheney, in company with his brother Reuben, bought a farm on which he lived nearly six years. In 1851 he disposed of his property there, and coming to Branch II l [ - -- w — -— 7AE --- —---— "Mlw -1pt~~-rr~rJ "r - -- - - -.. 4 'I L — O l* mlltl —3*1-1;zvl**40=4uml""liw,t-1wr I BRnANCH: COUNTY. 273 C C. 273 1 4 a I important battles of his campaign. He afterward proceeded through the Carolinas, and by way of Richmond to Washington, where he took part in the grand review. He was discharged with his regiment from service, June 10, 1865, and returning home, resided with his parents until 1866. In the spring of that year our subject took a most important step toward establishing himself in life, being united in marriage, March 5, to Miss Elida Piatt, who was horn in New York, May 11, 1845. He settled with his bride on the farm which he now occupies. Death, however, invaded the happy household, and took away the loving wife and tender mother, Nov. 3, 1881. She left three children, namely: Merrill, Herbert W. and Alfred Birdsell. Our subject was again married, Jan. 2, 1884, being then wedded to Miss Jane McLouth, a native of the old State of Massachusetts, born in the town of Worthington. She is of Scotch-Irish ancestry, her great-grandfather having been born in Ireland, of Scotch parents. Emigrating to America, he l ocated in Cheshire, Berkshire Co., Mass., where the remainder of his life was spent. He was well educated, having a good knowledge of Greek and Latin, and for a period of fifty years was engaged in teaching. His son Solomon, grandfather of Mrs. Cheney, was born and spent his entire life in Cheshire. He never adopted a profession, but devoted his attention to farming. Benjamin McLouth, the father of Mrs. Cheney, was born and reared in Cheshire. He received a good education, and became a Methodist preacher. In 1845 he removed to Walworth, Wayne Co., N. Y., and preached there and in other localities of that State, including Newark and Trumansburg. A few years later Mr. McLouth changed his religious views and joined the Baptist Church, taking charge of a society in Scipio, Cayuga County. In 1855 he removed to Indiana, where he preached a year, then came to Michigan, and located in Tecumseh, Lenawee County. He preached in various parts of this State, and spent his last years in Ovid Township, (lying March 28, 1868. The maiden name of his wife was Patience Ashley, who was born in Taunton, Mass., and also spent her last years in Ovid, dying Feb. 28, 1873. Mr. and Mrs. Mc' Louth being cultured people, paid much attention to the education of their daughter, Mrs. Cheney, who is a fine scholar, and was graduated from Hillsdale College in the class of '67. She commenced teaching in Ovid Center when eighteen years of age, and since graduating has taught with eminent success in Hillsdale, Mich., Green Bay, Wis., and in Kearney, Lincoln and Omaha, Neb. She resigned her position as an educator to become the wife of our subject, and it is needless to say that she presides over his household with the same grace and dignity that she did over her schoolroom, being equally well qualified to perform the duties now incumbent on her as a housewife. The marriage of Benjamin and Patience (Ashley) McLouth, the parents of Mrs. Cheney, was celebrated in Taunton, Mass., Nov. 16, 1828. The farm of our subject, which consists of 102 acres of rich and arable land, is under a good state of cultivation, and is furnished with ample and convenient buildings. It is pleasantly situated near to and overlooking Cold water Lake, having one of the finest locations of any farm in the county, and is as attractive a spot as can be found in the vicinity. Mr. Cheney is a man of integrity and ability, having the courage of his opinions, and by his fair dealings with all has won the confidence of the entire community. A brave soldier in time of war, he is an equally good citizen in time of peace, and is justly recognized as such by his neighbors and townsmen. ARZILLAI H. CALKINS, Mayor of the city of Coldwater, and junior member of the firm of Johnson & Calkins, cooperage manufacturers, in Coldwater, has been engaged in his present business since 1869, the location of his first manufactory being in Butler Township. Owing to a lack of railroad facilities in that place he removed his mill to Coldwater in 1874, and has since been engaged in his present line of industry. In Butler Township he took into partnership a younger brother, Marcus M., and when he removed into Coldwater Mr. L. B. Johnson and G. H. Tay B-Aft m x t;' N: LI 0l I I! t I - A. - —. -~Y -- qw-mmr -n L 274 a BRANCH COUNTY. _ I lor, and the banking firm of Bowin & McGowan also entered into partnership, and this arrangement existed until 1877. During all of the subsequent changes in the firm our subject has maintained an interest, and to-day he and Mr. Johnson are the members. The father of our subject, Moses V. Calkins, was born May 31,1814, at Danby, Vt., and is a lineal descendant of Hugh Calkins, who came to the United States from Monmouthshire, England, in 1640, and settled at New Lyme, Conn. Moses Calkins is the eighth in descent from Hugh Calkins, and during his early years he learned the trade of a millwright. In 1833 he removed with his parents from the Green Mountain State, and settling at Newburg, Ohio, remained there until 1844, engaged at his trade. Hle then came to this State, though he did not bring his family until four years later, and from 1844 to 1852 he was engaged in putting up mill machinery throughout Southern Michigan and Northern Indiana. His family settled in Coldwater upon their arrival in the county, and in 1852 Mr. Calkins completed his itinerancy and built a sawmill for himself in the town of Butler. Bringing his family with him, he resided here until 1874, and was identified with the history and development of Butler Township. He is a capable and public-spirited man, and was prominently connected with the political history of the township, and took an active interest in everything pertaining to the welfare of his community. In 1852 he held the office of Supervisor, and ten years later he was elected County Treasurer, and held the office for three consecutive terms. His farm in Butler Township consisted of eighty acres of land that he bought from the Government in its wild state, and cleared and improve(. In 1874 he sold this prol)erty, anti removing to Coldwater has since lived a retired life. In 1878 he removed to Big Rapids, in this State, where he continues to reside in the enjoyment of those comforts with which a life of industry and economy has surrounded him. He early identified himself with the brethren of the "Mystic Tie," and was a charter member of Butler Lodge No. 88, A. F. & A. M. The mother of our subject, whose maiden name r was Almera Hudson, was born at Dorset, Vt., in 1808, and was one of a large family born to Rev. Barzillai Hudson, a Presbyterian minister. She departed this life at Newbury, Ohio, April 26, 1844. For his second wife the father chose Maria Benton, of Burton, Ohio, their marriage taking place in 1846, and she still survives. Of the first union of Mr. Calkins there were born three children, as follows: Stephen, Nov. 3, 1838; Barzillai H., March 20, 1840. and Marcus M., May 14, 1842. The early years of our subject were spent at the home of his parents, and at the age of eight years he accompanied them to this county, which has ever since been his residence, except the year of 1862, which was spent in Erie County, N. Y. He acquired the rudiments of an education in the common schools, and supplemented this by a few terms' attendance at Hillsdale College, after which he engaged in the profession of a school teacher. Up to the age of twenty-five he prosecuted this calling during the winter, and for the remainder of the year followed agricultural pursuits. He then rented a farm, which he operated one year, and then purchased eighty acres of land, one of the oldest farms in the township of Butler, and continued engaged in its management until 1869, when lie sold the property and commenced his present business, as already state(. While deriving from his business a comfortable income, Mr. Calkins has done much for the development of this section of country, not only in furnishing employment to a large number of men, but in the accommodation he affords to all in the community using his line of goods, and lie has always been distinguished as a public-spirited man, anxious to promote the best interests of his community. The marriage of our subject took place Dec. 29, 1865, when he led to the altar a maiden of Butler Township, Miss Marie Decker, who was born in that township, Aug. 7, 1842. and is the daughter of Lawrence Decker. a pioneer of Butler Township. She remained with her parents until her marriage, which has resulted in the birth of four children, born as follows: Almera, July 11, 1867; Marcus D., Sept. 23, 1870; M. V., April 5, 1873; and Morna L., July 20, 1876. rhey are a bright and intelligent family, and all reside under the home roof. Mrs. Calkins is a member of the Methodist Episcopal m *ok.- i I I I -. _ -' _ _ _ ' _ _ _ _ - 4 t Il-~"l ----~-~-~CI --- —-L. II ----~~- h Bl~~~l~"ll~lii ~grrT- *""PIO -s-s r rrr- ~ arr - Ia Ll- lr BRANCH~C COUNTY. 275 A I BRANCH COUNTY. 275 Church, and an earnest and consistent professor, and active in all that pertains to the moral welfare of society. Mr. Calkins took an active interest in the cause of the Union during the Civil War, and organizing a company met and drilled regularly every Saturlay, but his being elected to the important position of Supervisor prevented his going to the front. He was elected to this responsible position in 1864, at the early age of twenty-four years, and during the Civil War the duties of this office were very arduous, but he discharged them in such a manner as to win the admiration of all classes. Their appreciation of the value of his services is shown by the fact that Mr Calkins was elected to the office five terms in succession and was again elected in 1873. Ile held various other offices in Coldwater, and in 1885 was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Board of Education, which position he still holds, being elected in 1886 and re-elected the next year. In 1887 he was elected Mayor of the city of Coldwater, and was re-elected in the spring of the following year. Politically, our subject has been identified with the Republican party since boyhood, and is an ardent advocate of the principles promulgated by that political body. Socially, he is a member of the I. 0. O. F., Coldwater Lodge No 31, and has held all the offices in the gift of the order, while he also belongs to Coldwater Encampment No. 86, and the Canton No. 23, Department of Michigan. P HILO H. CRIPPEN, a successful general merchant and miller, residing at Coldwater, is a native of the old Empire State, to which Southern Michigan is indebted for so large a share of its progressive element. Mr. Crippen was born in Penfield, Monroe County, March 15, 1809, and is the third in a family of eight children born to Bradley and Esther (Hard) Crippen, the other seven of whom are recorded as follows: Harriet was born Jan. 24, 1805, and became the wife of William Hawley; she died May 5, 1830. Lorenzo D. was born Aug. 29, 1806, and died April 20, 1864; Betsey Ann was born Oct. 31, 1811, and married Dr. D. Littlefield; she died April 8, 1886. Elliot M. was born Dec. 22, 1814, and died Nov. 19, 1878; Benjamin W. was born June 27, 1816, married, and celebrated his golden wedding in 1886; Gideon B. was born June 5, 1819, and died July 16, 1822; Currence A. was born May 8, 1821, and became the wife of Clark Williams, March 22, 1838; they have recently celebrated their golden wedding. Bradley Crippen, the father of our subject, was born in Herkimer County, N. Y.. Sept. 25, 1783, and was the sixth in order of birth in a family of nine children born to Ezra and Tabitha Crippen, the former of whom was a native of England, but settled in New York at an early day. Bradley Crippen's early days were spent with his father, who was a farmer by occupation, until 1809, when he removed onto a farm of his own at Penfield, which he continued to make his home until his departure for this State in 1835. The journey was made overland, partly through Canada by means of teams, and he was accompanied by several members of his family, among whom was our subject, who was born in a pioneer log cabin at the homestead in Penfield. On his arrival in Michigan Mr. Crippen bought a farm near Coldwater, but he lived in the city, owning a home where the public library now stands, in which he continued to reside until his death in 1855. He was an unostentatious, honest and upright man, rearing his family in the love of right, and was an ardent supporter of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he was Trustee and Steward for many years. He was a member of the A. F. & A. M., and was interred with Masonic honors. The mother of our subject, a Vermont lady, was the fourth in a family of fifteen children born to Philo and Currence (Hawley) Hard. She was a sister of Hon. Gideon Hard, Member of Congress and Judge of the Supreme Court, of New York. She was reared at the parental home in Arlington, and being one of so large a family, many of the domestic duties devolved upon her, and she, in common with the rest of the family, received only a limited education in the public schools. But she was a talented, la I - 1 - - I,, I IlI I I pm& — i Ii I, I I,, 's 'll ---- --- - - III Jill,,.Munk. --- 9- -.-. --- —-- ------ Ah-_ L 276 BRANCH COUNTY. r - I brilliant-minded woman, and, with others of the family, rose to distinction by her own efforts. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, often exhorting with great fluency, and led an exemplary life, devoted to her family and her church, and died beloved and respected, Aug. 22, 1863. The subject of this biographical notice remained at the homestead. alternating between the duties of the farm and attendance upon the district school, which instruction he supplemented by earnest night study, and in this way obtained an education that enaltled him to qualify for the work of a school teacher, and at the age of nineteen years he engaged in the profession, in which he continued four winters in succession. In 1832 he established home ties of his own, and settled at Honeoye Falls. where lie resided three years, engaged in agricultural pursuits. In 1835 he accompanied his father to this State, and forming a partnership with his brother, Lorenzo D., they settled in Cold water and engaged in milling and merchandlising, together with a realestate business. After a partnership of ten years he engaged in business for himself, and pursued his vocation energetically and successfully until 1870, since which time he has lived a retired life. Mr. Crippen was united in marriage, Feb. 19, 1832, with Miss Sophia Smith, who was the second in order of birth in a family of five children, the offspring of Francis and Mary (Sines) Smith, and was born Feb. 17, 1815. The father was a native of New Jersey, and was a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and a man of means and influence. He came to Coldwater in company with the father of our subject, and helped to build the first flouringmill in that place. The mother of Mrs. Crippen was a native of Vermont, and was a devoted wife and affectionate mother, attending to her home duties in a quiet and unassuming manner. She was a worthy and consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and died March 23, 1864, surviving for many years her husband, who died April 4, 1843. Besides the wife of our subject, their children were: Mary, Catherine, Hannah and Francis Asbury. Mary became the wife of William B. Sprague, of Honeoye Falls, N. Y., and departed this life May 12, 1864, leaving a husband and six children to mourn their loss; Catherine married i Abraham C. Fisk, and died July 12, 1881, leaving a husband and four sons; Hannah and Francis died in childhood. Of the first union of our subject there were two children-Mary E. and Myron A. The former was born March 5, 1833, and became the wife of Harvey D. Robinson, their marriage being celebrated Jan. 3, 1855; she died Dec. 25, 1868, and left a husband and one child, Philo B., who was born March 11, 1858, and married Miss Katy Pixley, of Detroit. Myron married Ardesee Skinner, and they reside in Chicago. For his second wife Mr. Crippen chose Ruth (Haynes) Crippen, the widow of his brotler, and the fourth in a family of nine children born to James and Abigail (Thompson) Haynes, whom he led to the altar Jan. 27, 1885. She is the sister of Hon. Harvey Haynes. of Coldwater, and was born at New Paltz,.on the Hudson, Ulster Co, N. Y., July 31, 1809. The other children are recorded as follows: Julia Ann was born at New Paltz, Oct. 14, 1803, and died April 19, 1817; John Thompson was born June 10, 1805, and died July 3, 1851, near Acapulco off the coast of Mexico, while on a voyage to California in the steamer " Pacific;" his remains were buried at sea with Masonic honors. Daniel was born Dec. 3, 1807, and died Oct. 28, 1829, at Penfield, N. Y.; David was born March 27, 1812, and died March 28, 1854; Harvey was born Jan. 24, 1817; Levi, June 10, 1820; James was born July 16, 1823, at Penfield, N. Y., and was drowned in Tonawanda Creek, Nov. 11, 1842; Abigail was born March 20, 1828, and died in infancy. The parents of Mrs. Crippen were among the early settlers of New Paltz, near Iighland, N. Y., having settled there in the first year of the present century. They lived on a rented farm for a period of twenty years (he owned the one adjoining it), and during the construction of the famous Erie Canal the father concluded to remove to Genesee County. Accordingly, in 1822, with a horse and light wagon, ie visited the State as far west as Rochester, and was so well pleased with the country that he purchased 100 acres in the town of Penfield, eight miles east of Rochester, and in the following January removed his family to their new home, the journey being accomplished in sleighs. Here 0-_ Amhl t l - WA~ill6 - --- 4 —~ ras-r~~o~s —a a~ 4 Fra~,_ I 4"3:c~ - -~ - -. - -.-I II...~~. I - -I-. - -. I- 1 - ~; ~ - -. - - - -,. - - - — II." 1 i - I - I, - r g 1.~ F ~CI1 w ''I..... mj~ 8 w I BRANCH our subject's wife, Ruth, grew to womanhood, employing her time in assisting her parents and attending school, and was thus employed until her first marriage, Dec. 13, 1827, with Lorenzo Crippen, the brother of our subject. In the following spring the young couple began the battle of life in earnest, and a more energetic pair it would be hard to find. Industry and economy yielded their legitimate reward, and they were fast reaching an easy competency when they were seized with the Western fever, and were among the first to start for the faroff Territory of Michigan, where they arrived at Coldwater, June 17, 1835. Land was cheap, everything looked encouraging, and here they decided to make their home. Sickness, hardship and deathi marked those years, but their strength was equal to their day, and during this gloomy period Mrs. Crippen displayed a moral heroism unsurpassed in the l)ioneer history of this county. On the back of her Indian pony she daily threaded her difficult way along Indian trails to visit the poor, sick and lonely emigrants, carrying a basket filled with linen, food and medicine, to contribute to the comfort and happiness of the sick and deslondent. Thus, from early morn to dewy eve, she administered aid and comfort to the sufferer, and smoothed the dying pillow of her neighbors. For a time she lived in the first log house ever built in Coldwater, and Allen Tiffetts is the only person surviving who was married and living in Coldwater at the time of her arrival. Her husband, Lorenzo D. Crippen, was an energetic business man, but was cut off by death in the midst of his usefulness, in April, 1864. To them were born two sons and one daughter-James B., Jay D. and Jane H. The daughter became the wife of Gen. Clinton B. Fisk, of New Jersey. After more than twenty years of widowhood Ruth Crippen became the wife of our subject, and they reside at their pleasant home on West Chicago street. When our subject came to Coldwater, he and his brother and their families resided in the same house, which they afterward sold to their father, and bought others for themselves. Mr. Crippin has belonged to the Methodist Episcopal Church for fifty-eight years, and has attained to the highest offices to which a layman is eligible, those of Steward and Trustee, and has been Chairman of the I COUNTY. 277 COUNT. 27 Ii i Board of Trustees twenty-four years continuously. He was also a delegate to the General Conference of the church, held at Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1880. Politically, our subject affiliates with the Democratic party, and is a strong temperance man, and at present a member of the City Council. +*+ -H<_# 4tO,"># +01 _&_ ANCASTER COFFMAN is classed among the most enterprising, competent and intelligent farmers of Branch County, and he takes a leading place among the men of his vocation in Ovid Township, his farm here being considered one of the finest in all the county. lie is a native of Mahoning County, Ohio, born March 17, 1831, and is a son of Christopher and Mary (Faulk) Coffm an, now respected residents of the city of Cold water. He is a descendant of good old Pennsylvania stock, some representatives of the family, who were from Germany, coming to America many years ago and becoming early settlers of Pennsylvania. The grandfather of our subject was born near the city of Philadelphia. He settled in Lancaster County after marriage, but he subsequently pushed across the Alleghany range of mountains to the western part of that great State, and settled in Allegheny County, where he lived a few years. In 1820 he made another move still further westward, and traveling in a northwesterly direction crossed the State line into Ohio and located as a pioneer in Mahoning County. He bought a tract of land in the wilderness and commenced to improve a farm there. Pittsburgh was at the time the nearest market and depot for supplies, and the price of wheat was three shillings a bushel. After a few years Mr. Coffman sold his property in that county, and moving to Trumbull County bought a farm there, and there spent the remainder of his life. Christopher Coffman, the father of our subject, was born in Lancaster County, Pa., in October, 1805, and was about fifteen years of age when he accompanied his parents to Western Pennsylvania. He assisted his father in clearing a farm there, and I I k. —I 1 OhA a,17 I [] - -A E N -MMO -1lqI BIBCBIi ~4 — I1~l-~-~ ---- L 8l~ — ~au 1-~ ----~- 1 ~b- -- I ~ 278 BRANCH COUNTY. I when a young man commenced life for himself by working by the month in the employ of others, and with the earnings that he then prudently saved, he was enabled, one year after marriage, to buy a tract of land with a small clearing, in Bethel Township, Mahoning County. One year later he sold that place, bought another tract in the same township, and built a small house to shelter his family. He was a man of splendid physique at that time, with the strength and robustness of youth, and being a good worker cleared his land rapidly. In 1838 he disposed of that property and moved to Trumbull County, where he bought a farm on which he lived until 1852, when he came to Branch County. He here purchased a farm, paying $30 an acre for the same, which was then considered a good price. He resided in that place about ten years, then sold out and moved to Coldwater, where he has since lived in retirement on the income derived from his labors and good judgment in business transactions. To the faithful wife who willingly shared his toils and now adds to the enjoyment of his possessions, he was united in marriage, in Mahoning County, Ohio, in 1830. They are honored for the rectitude of their lives, and their many good qualities of head and heart have won for them many warm friends in the community where they make their home. They are the parents of six children, three sons and three daughters. Their son Lancaster, of whom we write, spenthis early years much as the sons of a farmer generally (o, alternating attendance at school with working on the farm. After lie was eighteen years of age he assisted his father during the busy season, and the remainder of the year was allowed to work for others, taking jobs at various kinds of labor, and when he married, at twenty-one years of age, his capital comnprised the savings of what he had earned, no inconsiderable sum with which to enter upon a new period of life, as he was full of energy, industry and enterprise. In 1853 he came to Michigan with his young wife, and bought 120 acres of land in Branch County, eighty acres of which were on section 12, Ovid Township, and forty acres joining, were in Algansee Township. He arrived here in the month of May, but before he could commence the improvemeint of his land, which was heavily timbered, with not a building on it, he was taken sick with fever, and ere he had recovered his wife was stricken with the same disease. This was very discouraging for a commencement, and as his own land was not ready for tillage, Mr. Coffman rented a tract of land and planted fifty-five acres of corn. But a severe frost in the month of August destroyed his crop, and thus was added another discouragement, besides the fact that he owed a doctor's bill of $60. However, our subject did not lose all hope, but with characteristic pluck continued to work at the problem of how to overcome his misfortunes. He decided that renting land (lid not pay, and building a cheap frame structure on his own land, commenced his struggle for independence. We will not give a detailed account of his career from that time on, nor do we need to relate his splendid success brought about by persevering industry and sound judgment, with so many visible evidences of it in his surroundings. Mr. Coffman has been twice married. His first marriage, which took place May 6, 1852, was to Diana Fox, daughter of Peter and Elizabeth Fox. She was born in Champaign Township, Trumbull Co., Ohio, and died twelve years after marriage. Three children were born of that union-Lucelia A. Bingham, Loren E. and Milton. Mr. Coffman was a second time married, in December, 1864, Miss Marietta Horton becoming his wife. She was born in Bethel Township, this county, Sept. 12, 1845, being a daughter of Darius and Rhoda (Clendenin) Horton, natives respectively of Pennsylvania and Livingston County, N. Y. Her father was reared in his native State and was married in New York. After marriage they spent a short time in Pennsylvania, in Tioga County, whence they removed in 1844 to Michigan, the entire journey being made with horses and a wagon. They located in Bethel Township, Mr. Horton buying a tract of land there, and turning in his horses as part payment. There was a small clearing and a log house on the place at the time, and the surrounding country was very wild, deer, wild turkeys and other game being plentiful. He was industrious and immediately set to work to clear his land, when his useful life was cut short in April, 1850, by a falling limb in the woods, where lie was getting timber to build a 0 - [ I _o! -— 'RRF- - -- --- -- - - - - --- -- I --- -- - %ft-.. --- -~aaP I I I m -II --- —_ M-460 I g'IC, I I I I I's rp ~~~- 1111(1 - ~- C II C I I II, "I M BRANCH COUNTY. 279 t: barn. By his sudden death Mrs. Horton was left a widow with four children to care for, and her father came from New York State with a covered wagon to take her and her children home with him. The mother of Mrs Coffman was married a second time, in 1853, to George Misener, and the same year returned to Bethel Township and settled on her farm. Mr. Misener died in 1864, and she soon sold her place and moved to Lenawee County, and is now living in Fairfield Township. She has married a third time, Mr. Truman Gordon being her present husband. By his second marriage Mr. Coffman has five children, namely: Adelma Cox, Reverdy, Lena, Guvarie and Elsie. Our subject was formerly a Democrat in politics, but of late he affiliates with the Greenbackers. He and his wife are people of sterling worth and genuine kindness of heart, and enjoy the esteem and friendship of those about them. 6- HOMAS CRANDALL was one of the first pioneers of Litchfield Township, Hillsdale County, and was also an early settler of Butler Township, this county, and has been prominently identified with this farming community for many years. We quote the following from a history of the neighboring county in regard to the country as it then appeared when our subject first located in Michigan: "Until the spring of 1834 most of Micligan west of Detroit and Monroe was an uncultivated wilderness. Before that time birds warbled in the trees, flowers bloomed, and the sun sent his enlivening rays upon the surface; the limpid water flowed in the channel of the St. Joseph without any milldams to obstruct it in its passage. But there were no eyes nor ears to enjoy the beauties of the scene except those of savage beasts and a few scattering Indians as savage as they." Into this scene of nature, scarcely disturbed by the hand of man, came our subject with his parents in the fall of 1834. Not a building was then standing in the township of Litchfield, and he, then a manly youth r of seventeen years, strong, athletic, capable and willing to work, helped to erect the first dwelling in tile place. Felling trees to clear the land, and turning the sod with the plow to prepare it for cultivation was the order of the day, and our subject entered into his share of the pioneer labors with a will. He drove the team, and Mr. Henry Stephens, one of the first settlers of Litchfield, held the plow, to break one of the first fields in Litchfield Township. Soon after coming here he entered into the employ of Henry Stephens, the first settler of Litchfield, and worked for him thirteen months in payment for eighty acres of land which he afterward, with the assistance of his father, commenced to improve. This tract he subsequently exchanged for 160 acres, which is now included in his present farm, right across the county line. Mr. Crandall is of mixed English and Dutch blood, his father's people coming from their native isle to settle in New England in Colonial times, and his grandfather Crandall taking part in the Revolution, while his (father of our subject) was a soldier in the War of 1812; and his mother's mother came from Holland with her family and settled in New York, where the mother of our subject was born. John and Ruth (Cross) Crandall, parents of our subject, settled in Steuben County, N. Y., where the father was engaged as a miller for some years. Ile subsequently removed to Warsaw, Livingston County, where he still continued his milling business for several years. In the fall of 1834he came with his family to Michigan, and settled in Litchfield Township. He worked on his son'sland until it was exchanged for tie present place in Butler, when he came to this township with his wife and children, and here rounded out a long and useful life of seventy-two years in 1858. His worthy wife lived many years after his death, d(ying in 1884, at the advanced age of eighty-four years. They reared fifteen children, eight of whom are living. Thomas Crandall was the second child in this large family, and was born June 10, 1817, in Sparta, Steuben Co., N. Y. He was seven years old when his parents removed to Livingston County, where he enjoyed the advantages of an education in the "rate schools" of the days, and, as before stated, he was seventeen when he came to this State. He married and established a home early in life, hav i I I I i I I II i i i r E0rlll — A a op-m - 3l40 "u s=aar Il-~ Ia I I l I Ir r - - _ _ - - - - - - F mug 1 1 I r BI m-~cl~II~;a~ W & — ~ls -goommoop-9~ - I 280 I BRANCH COUNTY ing scarcely attained his majority when his union with Miss Esther Moorehouse took place. She had also accompanied her parents to this State at a very early date. The young couple immediately entered upon the vocation of farming, the husband working out at chopping and clearing for others until they moved to the place that our subject now occupies. This comprises 170 acres of land in a fine state of cultivation, well supplied with buildings and the most approved machinery for successfully carrying on agricultural pursuits. Mr. Crandall has been three times married. His first wife died at the age of twenty-eight years. Five children had been born of their marriageLouis, Mary Jane, Alphonso, Emeline and Euvilla. Louis died at the age of six months; Mary is the wife of William Curtiss, of Branch County, and they have five children, namely: Austin, Lillian, Ira, Cyrus and Nora; Alphonso, who lives in Butler Township, married Liza Vickery, and they have three children-Artemus, Eunice and Winnie; Emeline is the wife of Jackson Vickery, of Butler Township, and they have two daughters-Florence and Sarah, both married; Euvilla died at the. age of six months. Mr. Crandall's second mnarriage was to Miss Olive Moorehouse, daughter of Mathew Moorehouse, and she also died at the age of twenty-eight, leaving one son, John. He resides in Bellevue, Eaton County; he married Sarah Van Scooter, and they have one child, Madie. Mr. Crandall's third marriage was to Mrs. Dordthea Sharp, daughter of John C. and Betsey (Labar) Sprague. She was born in Barrington, near Waterloo, Wayne Co., N. Y., Nov. 11, 1832, and was married at the age of sixteen to William Sharp. After the birth of one child they came to Michigan. Mr. Sharp died Dec. 23, 1851, at the age of twenty-five. Two children were born of that union, an infant and Elizabeth, who is the wife of Alanson Coplin, a blacksmith of Hanover, Jackson County; they are the parents of four boys -Clarence, Thomas, Leonard and Alva. Six children have been born of the present marriage of our subject, namely: Vina, Frances, Thomas Haskell, Nettie Belle, Cora May and George: the latter died when nine years of age. Vina is the wife of John Riker, of Litchfield Township, and they have three boys-Pearl, Leo and Roy; Frances is the wife of William Ingham, of Litchfield; Thomas married Miss Clara Woversox; Nettie married Edwin Van Scooter, and they have one child. Lloyd; Cora married Charles Crawford, a farmer of Hanover, Jackson County. Mr. Crandall is also the proud possessor of two great-grandchildren. Our subject may well look back with satisfaction as he reviews the long years that have intervened since he came to Michigan in the old territorial (lays, and reflects that he too shares the honor and reverence in which the few pioneers still left among ueare held for the active part that they took in the second quarter of this century in developing this country, and aiding its advancement to its present prosperous condition. But it is not alone as a pioneer that he is held in high consideration; he is also esteemed for his citizenship and for his high moral worth. He has held public office; has served as school officer both in Litchfield and Butler Townships, and while in the latter township assisted in the erection of the first school-house ever built there. He has been Constable in Butler Township. In his political views he is independent, believing in parties only so far as they are necessary to carry out needed legislation, and votes for principle and men of principle. ILLIAM E. SHAW. The agricultural interests of Mattison Township find in this gentleman a worthy representative, he being the owner of one of the finest farms in Branch County, and which is pleasantly located on section 22. Although comprising but seventy acres of land, it is tunder a high state of cultivation, with first-class buildings, the latest improved machinery and a choice assortment of live stock. Previous to 1884 Mr. Shaw had lived for a period of thirty-three years on section 21 in Mattison Township, and in the meantime also had charge of the State Farm in Coldwater Township, in 1883. For a time, in 1884, he was employed as fore dboP-P -IL ~- MR —Aso~qIIT~*(~b: ~~i*pop —IN i _-. -- or I -.d - 11_ lfI _ I 1 Ii BRANCH COUNTY. 281 man of a stave and lumber factory at Williston, Ottawa Co., Ohio, and in earlier life followed milling, at which he has served a thorough apprenticeship. He is a very energetic and capable business man, and has been uniformly successful in his undertakings. His first experience at milling was with E. A. Paker, of Litchfield, in Hillsdale County, with whom he was employed three years. He then went to Hillsdale, and for a time was connected with the Emery Mills, but later returned to Litchfield, and subsequently located in Constantine, being the second miller of that place. From there he came to Orangeville, this county, and operated a mill there three years. Subsequently he was similarly employed at Jackson. On account of asthma he was obliged to abandon milling altogether. Our subject was born in Ovid Township, this county, Nov. 27, 1846, and is the youngest son of Christopher B. and Charlotte (Baglin) Shaw, who were natives of Worcestershire, England, and were there reared and married. Mr. Shaw was a farmer by occupation, which he continued after his marriage upon his native soil a few years, then with his wife and two children emigrated to the United States. They lived first in Massachusetts, then removed to the vicinity of Milan, Huron Co., Ohio, where six of their children were born. From the Buckeye State they came to this county about 1845, and took up their residence in Coldwater, where the father's death took place. The mother is still living, and makes her home in Coldwater. Our subject acquired his education mostly in the city schools of Coldwater, and began his apprenticeship at the miller's trade when a youth of sixteen years. Upon reaching manhood he was married, July 4, 1869, to Miss Ada E. Cart, who was born in Bronson Township, this county, June 1, 1850. The parents of Mrs. Shaw, Alexander C. and Mary A. (Vance) Carr, were natives of Nova Scotia and New I ork, and the father died in Orangeville, Union Township, this county, in January, 1877, at the age of fifty-six years. He came from Steuben County, New York State, with his father's family to Michigan, and for a time was connected with a store in Cold water, and later established a store of his own in Bronson. Upon selling this he purchased a hotel in the same place, then tried the B Ili experiment of farming near Bronson, and later sold out and purchased the Orangeville saw and grist mill, and in this town spent his last days. The mother was a native of Nova Scotia, born near the city of Halifax, and when quite young was taken ly her parents to Canada. Her father, Thomas Vance, finally came to Sturgis Prairie. in St. Joseph County, this State, whence later the family removed to Bronson, where Mr. and Mrs. Carr were married. The latter is still living, and makes her home with her daughter, Mrs. Jennie Denison, at Sturgis, and is now sixty-six years old. Both parents united with the Presbyterian Church in early life. Mrs. Shaw acquired a good education in the schools of Coldwater and seminary at Schoolcraft, this State, and remained a member of the parental family until her marriage. They have no children. Mr. Shaw, socially, belongs to the Masonic fraternity, and uniformly votes the Republican ticket. Aside from serving as Drain Commissioner he has carefully avoided the responsibilities of office. B BRAHAM WALTER. M. I)., a successful physician, is also a prominent agriculturist of Branch County, and a leading citizen of Kinderhook Township, where he owns one of the largest and most desirable farms in that vicinity. He is an Englishman by birth, born in Northamptonshire, England, March 26, 1831, but may well be claimed as a citizen of the United States, as, with the exception of the first year, almost his entire life has been passed in this country. His father, Abraham Walter, was, it is supposed, born in the same shire, and was there reared and married to Charlotte Mears, also a native of Northamptonshire, born in the town of Kittery, and a daughter of Thomas Mears. In the year 1832, Mr. Walter, accompanied by his wife and six children, set sail for Americti, and after his arrival here settled in Jefferson County, N. Y., where he rented land for seven years. In 1839 he migrated with his family to Steuben County, Ind., going by way of Lake Eric to Toledo, Ohio, which was then an important i F It W -w I i I "o i I i I I I I I I i I i i i I I I I I I I L 282 BRANCHC~ COUNTY.'Y p 4,~t-, - I ~00 I '1r-I CLI I~lC-& 1 ~C II- IIIIIL 2 COUNTY. -- - --- landing-place for the pioneers from the Eastern States, and consisted of a few log houses. From there he proceeded to his destination with an ox-team, and bought a tract of land in what is now Fremont Township. At the time of his removal, the only railway in this part of the country was the primitive one from Toledo to Adrian with wooden rails, and Adrian was his nearest market for some years. He built a log cabin on his land, covered with shakes which were held in place by poles. He had no horses, and for years did all his marketing and farm work with oxen. The country round about his place was in a very wild and uncultivated condition; forests with trees of many centuries' growth predominated in every direction, in which the Indians still lingered, and deer, wild turkeys and other game were very abundant. Mr. Walter was a shrewd, far-seeing, capable man, and during his residence of nearly forty years in Steuben County he improved a good farm, and there his life closed Dec. 28, 1876, he having rounded out the long period of eighty-seven years. His good wife had passed away many years previously, dying on the old homestead, Aug. 23, 1863, in her seventy-fifth year. Their union had been blessed to them by the birth of eight children, as follows: Sarah, wife of Peter Grice, who lives in California Township, this county; Robert died in Jackson County, Mich.; Ann married Edwin Witherington, of California Township; John lives on the old homestead; Francis married Angelow Dobson, and they live in Quincy; our subject; Charlotte married J. White, and lived in Kansas, but is now deceased; William lives in Ottawa County, this State. Dr. Walter was eight years old when his parents settled in the wilderness of Indiana, and the rudiments of his education were obtained in the primitive log school-house in which the children of the early settlers learned their "a-b abs;" a dirt and stick chimney with a huge fireplace heated the room; it was furnished with homemade furniture, the seats being made of puncheon, and the floor was of the same material, while the roof was covered with shakes, held in place by eight poles. Our subject lived with his parents and assisted on the farm until he had grown up. His chief diversion was hunting and trapping, which he commenced when quite It __ _ _ W _ young, and he became very expert in the use of the rifle, was skillful and very successful as a trapper, and used to make much money from the sale of pelts and wild game. In 1848 he entered into the employ of the builders of the Michigan Central Railway, which was then in process of construction, and was engaged in laying rails for four years. In 1852 the Doctor turned his attention to farming, and bought a tract of land with his brother in this county, on sections 13 and 24, Kinderhook Township. It was beautifully located, and forty acres of it were broken, but the trees were still standing, and the remainder was timber openings. The brothers energetically commenced its improvement and remained in company until 1859, when our subject brought his brother's interest in the place, and has since managed it alone. He built a log house on his land, the entire cost of which, excepting his labor, was $2, and in that humble abode he and his bride commenced their wedded life. It presented a marked contrast to the elegant and commodious residence in which they are spending their declining years. Our subject has been very prosperous financially, and from his valuable farm, comprising 280 acres under the highest state of cultivation, he derives a good annual income. He has erected two sets of substantial frame buildings, and has amply provided his farm with the best and most approved machinery for conducting farming successfully. Dr. Walter was married to the amiable and gracious woman who presides over their attractive home, March 5, 1854. Her maiden name was Drusilla Ent, and she was born in New Jersey, Aug. 7, 1834. Her father, Enoch Ent, was, it is thought, born in the same State, and married a native of the same State, Susan Gordon. In 1824 Mr. Ent went to New York and bought land in Cayuga County, where he was engaged in farming until his removal to Livingston County, where he resided until 1835. In that year he started for Ohio, with the intention of settling in Sandusky County, but changed his mind and came to Michigan, and located in Wayne County, where he entered Government land. There being no house on his land, he rented land in Washtenaw CoAnty for a time. In 1838 he removed to Lenawee County, and settled in the town of Ridgeway, of which he thus became a pioneer, and e —4a L I I II I; i II i 1; t I I i i i II i Ii i i i i i i i i I I i II II I i -I i I)-40 I -. - - ilOs l 0 _ l I)LqlIwo aI BRANCH COUNTY. 283 A BRC C I f I there his death occurred in July, 1840. In 1842 his wife renove(l to Branch County to make her home with her sons in this township, and resided here until her death at the remarkable old age of ninety-eight years. The Doctor and his wife have four children: William, who married Mattie Stone, and lives in California; Frank, who married Lucy Bovee, lives in Kinderhook Township; Fred A., who married Della Baker, lives in Fremont, Ind.; Dora married Albert T. Michael, and lives on the homestead. Both in his business and professional life, Dr. Walter has shown himself to be a man of progressive views, sagacious, practical, and high-minded..."-.*0~. ~ ~<^." ----,<-L DELBERT T. SHORT. The subject of J this history may usually be found in the vicinity of his pleasant home in Coldwater Township, where he has resided since 1880. Like numbers of the men around him, he is a native of the Empire State, and was born in Richmond, Livingston County, July 19, 1847. Of that county his grandfather, William Short, Sr., was one of the earliest settlers, but finally came to Michigan and spent his last years in Oakland County. Our subject is the son of William Short, Jr., who was also born in Richmond, N. Y., where he was reared, and there married Miss Sophronia Price. In 1855 they came to Michigan and settled in Bethel Township, this county, where the father purchased a tract of partially improved land. Here he lived and labored to good advantage, building up a valuable homestead which he occupied until his death, in December, 1886. The mother is still living, and resides in Springwater, Ontario Co., N. Y. There were born to William and Sophronia Short three children, two of whom are living, our subject and his brother, Barzilla W. The latter occupies the old homestead in Bethel Township. Seneca, the youngest brother, died when a lad six years of age. Adelbert T., our subject, was eight years old when his parents came to this county, where he acquired a common-school education, and as soon as old enough made himself useful around the homestead. When twenty-two years old he started out for himself and purchased twenty acres of land in Bethel Township, where he commenced as an independent farmer and resided two years, then selling out moved to Coldwater, where he resided six years, and then purchased his present property. The farm of Mr. Short is pleasantly located on section 35 in Coldwater Township, and embraces 190 acres of good land, thoroughly improved and supplied with excellent buildings. In addition to general agriculture he raises fine sheep, horses and hogs. His favorite equines are the Hambletonians, of which he has some fine specimens, and his sheep are the American Merinos. Among these is the well-known animal Diamond, that at three years of age sheared the largest fleece on record, and which weighed forty-four and one-quarter pounds. As a stock-breeder Mr. Short has proved a success, as in the other departments of farming. Just before leaving the parental roof our subject took unto himself a wife and helpmate, namely: Miss Rose E. Woodard, their marriage being celebrated at the home of the bride in Coldwater Township, Dec. 29, 1869. Of this union there are two sons, Warren and Charles, seventeen and fourteen years of age respectively, both living at home. Mrs. Short was born in Batavia Township, this county, Nov. 14, 1852, and is the daughter of Buel Woodard and the granddaughter of Joel Woodard, a native of Windham County, Vt. Her paternal great-grandfather, Samuel Woodard, served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War. He removed to New York State about 1800, and purchasing a tract of land, located among the pioneers of Chenango County, where he spent the remainder of his days. His son Joel was quite young when this removal was made, and was reared and married in Chenango County, his wife being Miss Betsy Goodenough, a native of Vermont. Later he changed his residence to Allegany County, removing thence overland with a team, and purchased land along the Alleghany River. He was at once, however, seized with homesickness, and four weeks later sold out, retracing his steps to the vicinity of his old home, and purchased a farm in Cortland County. Six '"~" l I- W A-~CI YII l~llY I - ~1- UII '. _ 'I i l - Sao... a 040 -milow. - 1 -qI 1 284 BRANCH COUNTY. I I I months later he sold this also at considerable loss, and moving into Pennsylvania, purchased a tract of timber land eight miles south of Elmira, where he sojourned until 1833. Grandfather Woodard, however, still unable to content himself, now cast his eyes toward the Territory of Michigan, and started out once more, making his way by team to Seneca Lake, thence by lake and canal to Buffalo, from there by sailing-vessel to Detroit, and thence by teams to Lenawee County, where he settled among the pioneers of Fairfield 'rownship. He entered a half-section of land from the Government, put up a log house and lived there until 1836. Then selling out once more he cane to this county and entered 1,320 acres of land, the greater portion in Batavia Township. He built a log house near the State road and resided there until 1851, making some improvements. The old restless spirit, however, was still with him, and leaving this place he proceeded to Oregon, where he entered a tract of land which he commenced to clear, but died two or three years later. His wife survived him several years, and died in Olympia, W. T. Buel Woodard, the father of Mrs. Short, came to Michigan with his parents, and was married, in Batavia Township, to Miss Sarah M. Sweet, who was born in New York State and was the daughter of Northrup Sweet, who spent his last years there. Mr. Woodard went to Oregon about 1857, where he engaged in mining a number of years, occasionally visiting his family and friends in this county. He was finally murdered by the Indians. OHN N. CRIST is numbered among the prosperous and wide-awake farmers and stock-raisers who are so nobly maintaining the agricultural interests of Branch County, and he owns a good. well-managed farm, on section 28, Bethel Township. He was born in Carroll County, Ohio, Sept. 3, 1842, and was the eighth child in the family of ten children of Peter W. and Christiana (Hatfield) Crist, natives respectively of Washington County, Pa., and Washington County, Md. They went to Ohio at an early day, when deer, bears, and other wild animals were plentiful, and were for many years respected residents of that State. The father of our subject was a son of Nicholas Crist, a native of Pennsylvania. The maternal grandparents of our subject were natives of Pennsylvania. His father was a skillful carpenter and joiner, and plied his trade very successfully, besides managing his farming interests. He was a prominent member of the State Militia, and used to serve as a drummer in the general musters in Carroll County. He was a public-spirited and useful citizen, and in his death, in 1874, the community met with a severe loss. His respected wife died in Williams County, Ohio, in 1854. The subject of this sketch was brought up on a farm, and was trained to ways of usefulness and good habits, and received his education in the district schools of Ohio. He early adopted the calling of a farmer, as tle means by which he could best make his way in the world, but in August, 1861, implelled by a patriotic love of country, he laid aside all l)ersonal ambitions to join the brave men who were going, or had gone forth to sustain her unity and( honor on Southern battle-fields, and he became a member of Company E, 14th Ohio Infantry, enlisting for three years, or until the expiration of the war. IIe was mustered into service at Defiance, Ohio, Sept. 1, 1861, and went to Camp Oliver, Toledo, where his regiment was organized under command of Col. James B. Steadman, afterward Gen. Steadmlan. Our subject was actively engaged in the battles of Wild Cat Mountain, Ky.; Mill Springs (where Gen. Zollicoffer was killed); Shiloh, Pittsburg Landing, Perrysville, Rolling Fork, Ky.; Hoover's Gap, Tallahonma, Tenn., and Chickamauga, Ga. In this last battle Mr. Crist received a gunshot wound in the left thigh and one in the right leg, being taken prisoner on the battle-field, and for many long and weary months suffered all the horrors of the various rebel prisons. He was first taken to Libby Prison, and from there was sent to a hospital, whence he was transferred to Scott's Prison, across the street from Libby; then.~_-._._..;;__r.~l.~._l..,.l.~,,..'WV, ---.. _, * L -.... — l-.-,-", —, —" --- —-ll 1-11 - - l-&- l 1-1-1-1 1 I I. — 1 —.11 - - - I-. -, `a - -11:~ ~xe 285 ' BRANCH COUNTY. I he was conveyed to Danville, Va., with the rest of the Chickamauga prisoners, 5,000 in number, and they were placed in five different prisons; in the spring of 1864 he was sent to Andersonville, where lie remained four and one-half months; from there to Charleston, and two weeks later to Florence, where he managed to escape. But his freedom was only of short duration, as in five days he was tracked to his hiding-place by the terrible bloodhounds, and was taken back to prison in Florence; he was at that time suffering from scurvy. He was finally paroled as a prisoner of war, and exchanged on the 24th of February, 1865, having been in prison from the 19th of September, 1863, until that date. Previous to the time of his being wounded and captured by the rebels, he was a strong and able bodied man, weighing 175 pounds; when he was finally liberated, he was so weakened and enfeebled by all that he had endured that he was reduced to eighty-two pounds in weight. He was honorably discharged from the service at the expiration of his term of enlistment, March 8, 1865, at Columbus, Ohio, having served his country bravely and well. He still feels the effects of his gunshot wounds, and also suffers from rheumatism contracted in Southern swamps. After the close of the war our subject resided in his native State for awhile, and then went to Orland, Ind., where he found employment as a farm laborer. In 1867 he formed a matrimonial alliance in that town, with Miss Teressa Sherman, a native of New York State, born in 1842. She is the youngest of the six children born to Elias and Betsy (Cole) Sherman. They commenced their wedded life in Orland, where they remained until in December, 1875. At that time our subject came with his family to Branch County, and bought forty acres of partly improved land on section 28, Bethel Township. Since coming here he has been exceedingly prospered, and with the ready assistance of a thrifty wife, who is a good housekeeper, he has been enabled to lay up a competency. He has made further purchases of land, and has increased the acreage of his farm to 120 acres of finely tilled, highly productive land, well supplied with good buildings, and stocked with good blooded llorses, one Clyde, a Fearnaught, a Morgan, and two Hambletonians, and his sleek and well-kept cattle are of Short-horn grades. Our subject and his wife are the parents of two children-Docia A. and Millie J. The former is now Mrs. Freeman, and lives in Bethel Township. Miss Millie is in attendance at an excellent school at Hatmnaker. Mr. Crist has proved himself to be a true and honorable citizen in the highest sense, and is in every way worthy of the respect and confidence of his fellowmen. He is a man of much force of character, wide experience, and is intelligent and well informed. He does not care to take a very active part in politics, but uniformly casts his vote with the Republicans. He is a member of the A. F. & A. M., at Bronson, Mystic Lodge No. 141. He was a member of Star Lodge No. 225, at Orland, Ind. He belongs to Hackett Post No. 185, at Bronson. ~1 ODNEY SIMONS, who is widely and favorIlL ably known in the northwestern part of L\\\ this county, owns and occupies a fine farm Q of 200 acres on section 3, in Sherwood Township. He came to this section of the country during its pioneer days, and for a period of fortyeight years has been a continuous resident of Calhoun and Branch Counties. Providence has smiled upon his efforts at subduing the soil, and building up a home in a new country, and he has by his own inherent principles of honesty and uprightness, secured a good position among his fellowmen. Our subject was born March 9, 1823, in Oneida County, N. Y., and is the son of Ishain and Harriet (Peck) Simons, the former of whom was born in Vermont, in December, 1794, and died at his home in Calhoun County, this State, Aug. 23, 1874. The mother, a native of Greenbush, Conn., was born Dec. 24. 1793, and was married to Isham Simons in Oneida County, N. Y. They came to Michigan in 1840, and had a family of seven children, two sons and five daughters, three of whom are living. Rodney, our subject, was a youth of seventeen years when his parents came to Michigan. He if II3 1 -- - i I -%..r II 'I I I - Pm I 4 ~ I, I OpI,-,~ IIjp qqq -Wqpp —L —C-,- A-40 ---- ~L~, s~r~a~l~e rm~aR ---~.r~-ar-~-~lol~ -— ~h~- -~~-p — m * 286 l v BRANCH COUNTY. A I- - - assisted his father in the building up of the homestead in the wilderness, and at the age of twentyone years began to set about the establishment of a home of his own. With this end in view he was married, Dec. 19, 1843, to Miss Mary S. Lee. Mrs. Simons was born Aug. 5, 1819, in Ontario County, N. Y., and is the daughter of Phineas P. and Nancy (Libhart) Lee, the former of whom was also a native of that county, born Sept. 17, 1791, and died at his home in this county, Feb. 12. 1873. The mother (died Jan. 1, 1846, also in this county. Our subject and his wife are the parents of five children, four sons and one daughter, namely: Phineas I., Rowena, Selah, Rodney J. and Edda, all of whom are living, married and settled in comfortable homes of their own. Mr. Simons has been a prominent man in his community, and as one of the first settlers of Sherwood Township, an interested witness of its growth and progress. Many years ago he identified himself with the A. F. & A. MI, in which fraternity he is now a Knight Templar. He cast his first Presidential vote for Polk, and has been a lifelong supporter of the Democratic party. yBRAM L. SMITH. Among the prominent and successful farmers of Girard Township the subject of the following sketch occupies no unimportant position. He comes of an excellent old family of New York descent, and his paternal grandfather, Benjamin L. Smith, was born Sept. 24, 1729; he carried a musket in the service of the Colonists during the Revolutionary War, and lived to the ripe old age of one hundred and thirteen years. His faculties of mind and body were preserved to a remarkable degree. He spent his last days on the farm of our subject, passing away on the 24th of March, 1843. The father of our subject, Benjamin H. Smith, was born in New Jersey, April 14, 1798, and in early life migrated to Walworth, Wayne Co., N. Y., where he learned the trade of carpenter and joiner. At this he employed himself until coming to the Territory of Mlichig.n, in 1830. He first took up his residence in the then unimportant hamlet of Ypsilanti, where he continued three years, working at his trade, thence removed to Battle Cieek, in 1832. After a six-months residence there, during which time he prospected considerably for land in the western part of Michigan, he went to Grand Rapids, which was then only an Indian trading-post, antd where he spent three months. In 1833 Benjamin H. Smith came to the embryo town of Coldwater, and soon afterward he and his father-in-law, Abram Aldrich, proceeded to Hodunk and erected a saw and grist mill. Later the mill was destroyed by fire, and the father of our subject transferred his interest in the property to Martin Barnhardt, a brother-in-law, who rebuilt and operated the mill for a number of years. Mr. Smith then invested a portion of his capital in 320 acres of land in Girard Township, this county, and in due time was numbered among the extensive land-holders of this section, for in addition to this he had already purchased 160 acres in Washtenaw County, the patent being signed by Andrew Jackson, April 1, 1831. Subsequently he purchased a tract of eighty acres in the vicinity of White Pigeon, this patent bearing the date of June 4, 1833. At Bronson, Dec. 1, 1835. he secured 120 acres more, and the following year, eighty acres, and on the 10th of September, 1838, 210 acres. All these purchases were from the Government, and all the patents signed by Andrew Jackson, while Michigan was a Territory. The father of our subject in time owned land all over the State, which he held for the purposes of speculation, but the large tract in Girard Township he reserved as a homestead for himself and his family. He put up the first frame house in this region, and which stood upon the present site of the city of Coldwater, and assisted in putting up the first mill at the latter place. Much of the land was covered with timber, and from this he cleared the trees, brought the soil to a productive condition, and instituted one of the finest farms in Southern Michigan. Up to the election of James Buchanan, Benjamin H. Smith was a stanch Democrat, although steadily dka6- r - 90eft - 11, 1'. - I I I - 1- -c- - - ~ I I- IM -A _ _ --- I $.-U U -.o 1 BRANCH COUNTY. 287 4 I I declining to become the incumbent of any office. He voted for Buchanan, but soon afterward wheeled over into the Republican ranks, on account of his sturdy opposition to the institution of slavery. He had been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church since early manhood, and died firmly fixed in his religious beliefs. When the first society of this denomination was organized at Girard, there was no place for the minister, and Mr. Smith took him into his own house, which thereafter remained the home of the Methodist clergymen of Girard for a number of years. In his church Mr. Smith occupied many positions of trust and responsibility, and was one of its chief pillars. The father of our subject, in 1865, left the old farm and took up his residence in Girard Village, where he lived about three years, then moved a mile south to a farm which he had previously purchased, and where he lived five years. Then selling this he bought a farm half a mile east of Girard, where he spent the last years of his life, his death occurring Sept. 22, 1879. His wife, the mother of our subject, was in her girlhood Miss Content, daughter of Abram and Sophronia (Lake) Aldrich. Their marriage took place in York State, Feb. 27, 1827. Abram Aldrich was born Dec. 3, 1777, in Wayne County, N. Y., and departed this life at his home in Girard Township, April 8, 1842. His wife, Soplronia, was born Aug. 7, 1777, and died Dec. 30, 1837. They were the parents of six children, and Mrs. Smith, the second daughter of the family, was born in 1807, in New York State. Of her union with Benjamin H. Smith there were born seven children, three sons and four daughters, four of whom are living. Laura Ann was born Jan. 19, 1828; she became the wife of Rev. Thomas H. Jaco, and died at Lansing, Mich., in 1881. Mahlon A. was born June 11, 1830, at Ypsilanti, and is now numbered among the successful farmers of Coldwater Township; Sophronia was born June 13, 1833; she married A. C. Williams, and is now a resident of Fullerton, Neb. Benjamin H., Jr., was born Oct. 30, 1835, and died at his home, April 16, 1880; ne was a man universally esteemed and beloved, and a devout member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Abram L., our subject, was born Oct. 21, 1838; Irene was born May 30, 1841, and was mar ried, in September, 1869, to S. H. Clizbe, M. D., of Coldwater; Mark H. was born June 15, 1844; he served as a soldier in the Union army, in Company C, 19th Michigan Infantry, and died in Kentucky, June 10, 1863. Abram L. Smith spent his boyhood days on the home farm, acquiring a common-school education, which he supplemented later by an attendance of three years at Albion Colleoe; then returning to the farm, he and his brother Benjamin carried on its operations until 1870, and the winter following our subject spent t Cmm Collee at the Commercial Collee, at Rochester, N. Y. He made his home with his parents until they no longer needed his filial offices, and his share of the estate consisted of an undivided interest in the old homestead until the death of his brother Benjamin H., when a division succeeded, and since 1878 our subject has retained possession of the old farm. It still comprises the 320 acres purchased by his father from the Government, and it is hardly necessary to say possesses for him a far more than moneyed value. Mr. Smith, besides carrying on general farming extensively, makes a specialty of breeding fine horses —roadsters and trotters of the HIambletonian, Mambrino and Morgan stock. For these he has all the conveniences, ample stabling room and rich pasturage, and can hardly be otherwise than successful. The Smith homestead in all its appointments is one of the finest in the county, beautifully located, and kept up in a first-class manner, and has never been out of the hands of the family since its purchase from the Government by the father of our subject when Michigan was a Territory. The buildings are of that solid and substantial character which alway s denotes a lengthy residence and ample means. It is one of the old landmarks, in which not only the immediate members of the family take pride, but in which the whole township of Gir'trd has a friendly interest, and which is invariably the object of admiration by the traveler passing through this region. It is to be hoped that it will continue in the Smith family for generations to come. Politically, Mr. Smith is a solid Republican. He cast his first Presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln, and has supported every Republican President since that time. Like his parents before him, he is II 1 _ ') a w l 4 - I-d m __ __iiiiiin _ ii iiii i SY - — l-..-I- I-1 --- - -1ili — -— sml~l.~~~)~~^~~(~ 1 jri J- ri 0s I sFi C~lb~krQ" - - ~ ~a~OL'"9"~"c"C""e"~or-~ v — ~an ~-v i '\ r 288 BRANCH COUNTY. 28 BRNC COUNTY a firm believer in the doctrines of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and socially, is a charter member of the P. of H., of Girard Township. He has inherited in a marked manner the industry, energy, and fine business capacities of his honored father, and with the solitary exception that he remains a bachelor, has distinguished himself in all respects as one of the most valuable citizens of Branch County. His household and domestic affairs are presided over by Frank R. Williams and wife. - -— 9 ---3' ----I:~ HESTER CANFIELD, farmer and stockraiser, is prominently identified with the agricultural interests of Bethel Township. IIe was born in New York in 1848, and is the youngest in a family of six children of Newman and Dorcas (Bartlett) Canfield, natives of New York State. His father left his native State in the year 1842 or 1843, to take up his residence in Branch County, locating at that time in Bethel Township, of which he became an early settler. He is now living in Bronson, in this county, in the enjoyment of the income that he has accumulated as a successful farmer. His amiable wife, who had been to him a true helpmate and to their children a tender mother, (lied when our subject was quite young. Their son Chester, of whom we write, was reared on a farm, and acquired a substantial knowledge of the vocation to which he has devoted most of his life. He gained a fair education in the district schools of Branch County. In 1861, fired with youthful patriotism, he determined to enlist in defense of his country. The regiment in which he enlisted for three months was organized at Burr Oaks, and he was mustered into service at Detroit, where he was also discharged at the close of his term of enlistment. At the time of the first battle of Bull Run he was sick with the measles. After he retired from the army our subject returned to Bronson, and engaged in farming. He began the world with very little capital, and is practically a selfmade man, having become so by judicious economy and perseverance, and by his energy and enterprise had accumulated enough money, even before he went to war, to enable him to buy land, and in 1860 he made his first purchase, buying forty acres of land on section 20, Bethel Township, which was unimproved. He has been so successful that he has added to his landed estate until he now owns a fine farm of 185 acres on sections 19 and 20, very pleasantly located about three and onehalf miles from Bronson. It is all well improved, with suitable buildings, and well stocked with high grade Hambletonian horses, Merino sheep, and good grades of cattle. In 1868, by his marriage to Sabinda Chapman, in Branch County, Mr. Canfield secured the active assistance of a good housewife. She was born in Iillsdale County in 1845, and is the oldest in the family of six children of Amos and Jane (Vanvleet) Chapman, natives of New York. After marriage they settled in Bronson for one year, where Mr. Canfield engaged in lumbering, and then removed with his wife to the farm where they have ever since resided. To our subject and his wife have been born five children, of whom four are living, namely: Charlie, Mattie and Mertie (twins), and Prudence. Ernest died in 1884 at the age of three years, three months, and twenty-four days. By his honorable dealings, and his manly and upright course in his daily walk, our subject has gained the respect and entire confidence of his neighbors and many friends. His duties and inclinations do not lead him to take a very active part in politics, but he is a firm adherent of the Republican party. ACOB FRANKLIN PRATT is founder and senior proprietor of the Coldwater Cutter Company, known as Pratt & Chase, which manufactures all kinds of sleighs, from the strong double cutter to the smallest sleighs for children, and they carry on an extensive business, which yields good returns for their industry and good management. The subject of this sketch is the son of John I pill a gl - ----— s 1o 1, fhy 6,,- un 7mr! 1 BRANCH COUNTY. 289 i and Lewey (Gillett) Pratt, the former a native of New York State, where he was born Dec. 12, 1803. He was by trade a carpenter and builder, and after spending fourscore years amid the scenes of his childhood, in 1885 he came to this State and settled in Tekonsha, where he is living a retired life. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, while in politics he was formerly an oldline Whig, and in later years a Republican. He was an ardent Abolitionist, and was connected with Garrett Smith and other leading men in what was known as the " underground railroad " for liberating slaves. The mother of our subject was born in 1804, and died when a young woman, in 1831. The father was a second time married, Nov. 8, 1837, to Rhoda B. Thomas, who departed this life in 1886. She was also a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Of this union there were born four children, whose record is as follows: Charles Francis was born June 16, 1841, and was killed at the battle of Gettysburg; George T. was born March 4, 1844; Esther Salina was born Sept. 14, 1848, and died March 25, 1849; Lydia Ann was born Aug. 25, 1854. Our subject was the fifth in a family of seven children born to John Pratt by his first marriage, and first saw the light May 8, 1829, in Cortland County, N. Y. The other six children are recorded as follows: Delia Sophia was born Jan. 28, 1825, and died September 25 of the same year; Erastus was born Dec. 13, 1825, and died in October, 1827; Frederick P. was born Dec. 24, 1826, and died in 1885; John Burdette was born Jan. 18, 1828, and (lied in the fall of 1887; Edwin W. was born Nov. 16, 1830, and an infant, who died with the mother at the time of its birth. Our subject spent his boyhood days in the town of Scott, in his native county, and up to the age of eighteen attended the common schools during winter, while in the summer his services were utilized on his father's farm. At that age, in 1847, lie came to this State, and engaged as an apprentice with Daniel and William Pratt, of Medina, Lenawee County, to learn the trade of a cabinet-maker. At the end of about three years he returned to his native State and engaged at his trade, first in Auburn, and subsequently y in Cortlandville, remaining altogether one year. He then retraced his steps to Medina, Mich., and on the 10th of Nlay, 1852, was united in marriage with Miss Harriet Allen, after which he came to Coldwater, and engaged in cabinet-making for himself. At the end of two years lie removed to Adrian, and worked on a farm about one year, after which he returned to Coldwater, and engaged in the tanning and boot and shoe business. He still retains an interest in the tannery at Coldwater, but he disposed of the boot and shoe business in 1884. In the fall of 1882 Mr. Pratt founded his present business, which is the largest establishment of its kind in the West, and has grown from a pay roll of from fifteen to twenty employes to between eighty and a hundred, kept employed the year round. On the 13th of January, 1884, Mr. Pratt sustained a great affliction in the loss of his devoted wife. She was a member and an efficient worker in the Baptist Church, and was a grand Christian woman and a prominent member of society. She was a vocal musician of some local reputation, and by her numerous Christian virtues won the respect and esteem of all classes. Our subject was a second time united in marriage, Aug. 4, 1885, with Mary W., daughter of Hon. Charles and Sophia Upson, but she was called away by death in less than a year, March 18, 1886. She was a member of the Episcopal Church, and a very estimable lady, and her untimely death was mourned by all who were acquainted with her many amiable qualities. The first wife of our subject was the eldest of a family of four children born to Artemus and Lucinda (Goldesbury) Allen, and was born Aug. 3, 1835. The others were: Helen, who was born Dec. 31, 1838; Irving, Feb. 7, 1842, and Artemus, who was born Feb. 8, 1845, and is the only surviving member of the family. The father of these children was born in Massachusetts, Sept. 24, 1800, and was a grandson of Ethan Alien, the hero of Ticonderoga. His father dying before the boy had reached his teens, the latter was bound in due form of law to an unappreciative and austere master. The boy could not endure the neglect and restraint to which lie was subjected, and he resolved toleave him. At the age of thirteen years he started in April, journeying on foot, and most of the way barefoot, to Canandaigua, N. Y., and began to learn r5 Z5) V VI-ir~~~V _ I 1-11.1 111.~- a " e 5. t I A r (CILDook- 0IE- -ll.4 "MlIII IIII1 —~IIrrI_ — c IIIIIIIIII m 290 BRANCH'C COUNUTY. 2 the trade of a mason with his brother Timothy. At the age of twenty-two years he settled in what is now the village of Medina, N. Y., and the mills, tanneries, hotels and many private dwellings still stand as monuments of his skill. -le was also the master mason in the erection of the aqueduct by which the Erie Canal passes over Oak Orchard Creek, and his work was allowed to stand after every other stone structure on the line of that great work was declared insufficient for the demands of later times. In August, 1836, he migrated to Medina in this State, and there, too, mills, churches and residences arose to perpetuate his memory. iHe was a member of the A. F. & A. M., and was its firm friend and supporter in the gloomy days of persecution, when the combined influence of political intrigue and bigotry enveloped many a sacred altar. He also took an active interest in the State Militia, and advanced in rank to that of Lieutenant of Cavalry. In 1838 he was elected to the State Legislature from Lenawee County, and was at the same time a contractor in building the Clinton Canal in Macomb County. But the numerous cares devolving upon him began to tell heavily on his iron frame and constitution, and he removed to Cold water, compelled to husband his forces and lead a less active life, until his death. IHe was buried with Masonic honors. Many monuments of his superior genius will long remain, and his unflinching integrity was as marked as his ability. The mother was born at Ovid, Seneca Co.. N. Y., on the 20th of August, 1812, and was the fourth in a family of twelve children, viz: Emeline, Franklin, Melinda, Lucinda, Nancy, Sally Ann, Laura, Betsey, Lorinda, Caroline, James and Arvilla. She spent her early days with her parents in Medina, N. Y., and in 1835 came to Medina, Mich., with her husband, to whom she was married at her home in New York, March 10, 1833. She is a member of the Baptist Church, and is now residing with our subject. To our subject and his first wife were born two children, the first of whom, named Charles, died in infancy. The other, Allen, was born March 1, 1860, at Coldwater, and was educated in the city schools and at Orchard Lake Military Academy. He was united in marriage, Nov. 10, 1880, with Miss Georgiana, daughter of Dr. S. S. and Georgiana (Lucas) Custer, pioneers of Branch County. She was educated in the city schools, and has borne to her husband two children: Kathleen, who was born Sept. 10, 1881, and Harriet, July 2. 1884. Mr. Pratt is a member of Tyre Lodge, A. F. & A. M., and has held the office of Recording Secretary. In politics he affiliates with the Republican party, and religiously is identified with the Baptist Church, to which lie contributes of his time and means. ' --- —-— ~ --- —-~ HARLES A. SPAULDING, a leading drygoods merchant of Coldwater, spent his early life near the place of his birth in Middlebury, Mass., where he first opened his eyes to the light Nov. 26, 1839. He was the youngest in a family of six children, the offspring of Ephraim and Aurilla (Frank) Spaulding, the former of whom was a native of Townsend, Mass., and was born Feb. 15, 1801. The paternal gran(lparents of our subject were Jonathan and Hannah Spaulding, the former a lineal descendant of Edward Spaulding, who settled in Braintree, Mass., in March, 1630. Another branch of the family located in Baltimore, Md., and another, going South, took up their residence in the State of Georgia. The father of our subject was a marble dealer of Middlebury, Vt., where he lived from the time he was twenty-one until 1845. Then turning his steps westward he settled first in Troy, this State, but a year later removed to Pontiac, where his death occurred in June, 1849. The children of the parental family were: William F., Sereno S.; Laura E., who died unmarried at the age of twenty-four years; Eliza A., Mrs. E. A. Steadman, of Howell, this State; Julia, who died when a maiden of sixteen years, and Charles A., our subject. Ephraimn Spaulding was an old-line Whig, politically, a member of the Congregational Church, and a quiet, unassuming man, of the strictest honor and integrity, who performed carefully and conscientiously all his duties in life. The mother of our subject was born in Middle L *. _ ml C11 ~~ 3 1 I r-T T-I~ C~ --- ---------— ' -- ' -— ` --- —-T 11_-_11__ -----*1 ~ —l~~-~l~~~ —~LI~-~IIIC~l ---^l^lll.- ll —~Lll __,.___- -_-^I 1 ~~ --- I! I f.A.Dd~-aY- BIs I -_ I -_ - -_ --— s~ a ee IsP 'F ---~~~~p~lC~ ~ I~l~bl*IIQ~*~l(l~ I( I BRANCH COUNTY. 291 bury, Vt., June 30, 1802, and was the daughter of Jeremiah and Hannah Frank, whose family included two children only, herself and her brother John, who died at the advanced age of eighty-eight years, in Troy, this State, where lie had settled in the pioneer days of 1823, taken up land from the Government, and retained the same farm to the day of his death. He received the title to his land from President Jackson; it was never encumbered, and never changed hands. Grandfather Frank was a Whig, politically, and in religion a Universalist. Mrs. Aurilla Spaulding survived her husband for a period of thirty years, her death taking place in 1879 in Coldwater, this State. She spent her last days with her son our subject, being a member of his family for fourteen years. Her parents died when she was a little child two years of age, and she was then taken into the family of her future husband, living with them as their own child until her marriage with Ephraim Spaulding, in 1823. The boyhood days of our subject were spent under the home roof and attending school until he was a lad of thirteen years. He then began his experience in the dry-goods line as clerk at Ann Arbor, this State, and soon afterward his mother and her family joined him there. He remained with this firm until the fall of 1861, then entered Bryant & Stratton's Business College, and after taking a partial course, left school to accept a position as buyer and general manager with one of the old partners of C. B. Thompson, who was opening a store for himself. With the latter he remained until in February, 1865, when, coming to Coldwater, he entered the employ of John W. Shively, with whom he remained until September, 1866, then established in his present business in company with partners, under the firm name of Spaulding, Dibble & Co. Mr. Spaulding upon coming to this place was recognized as a valued addition to the community, and in 1881-82 was elected to the City Council from the Second Ward, and later to the Board of Education. Socially, he belongs to the R. A. M., and to Jacob Commandery No. 10, K. T. He has held the office of S. D. in Tyre Lodge, and filled other offices in the order. Politically, he votes the Republican ticket; he attends the Presbyterian Church. In his business affairs he has been uni formly successful, and as a selfmade man, pursuing the even tenor of his way through the difficulties attendant upon a business course, he is deserving of due credit for the position which he has attained socially and financially. The marriage of Mr. Spaulding with Miss Mary E. Ball was celebrated at the home of the bride in Ann Arbor, this State, July 24, 1864. Mrs. Spaulding was born in Danbury, Conn., Feb. 27, 1843, and was the daughter of Calvin and Julia Ann (Miller) Ball. On her father's side she was of English descent, while her mother was of German ancestry. Mr. and Mrs. Ball were natives of Connecticut, and Mrs. S. went with her parents to Carmel, N. Y., when a child six years of age. They resided there until 1858, then came to Ann Arbor, this State, where Mrs. Spaulding completed her education. She remained with her parents until her marriage, and was the faithful and affectionate comlpanion of her husband until her death, which took place at her home in Coldwater, Dec. 22, 1865. Mrs. Mary E. Spaulding was an earnest Christian lady, an active member of the Episcopal Church, and labored in the church and Sunday-school for many years. She died mourned by her family and a large circle of warm friends. She was the mother of one child only, a son, Frederick B., who was born Dec. 16, 1865, and is now a student in the State University at Ann Arbor, a member of the class of '89. The present wife of our subject, to whom he was married Jan. 10, 1869, was Miss Grace, daughter of Henry C. and Harriet 0. (Champion) Gilbert, and who was born in Coldwater, Aug. 24, 1849. She was the third in a family of eight children, namely: Lucy, who died Oct. 17, 1865, at the age of twenty-one; Frederick, who died when four years old; Grace, the wife of our subject; Rosamond, who married George M. Wilder, of this city, and died April 4, 1881, at the age of thirty years; Norah, Mrs. Willis C. Marsh, of Quincy, this State; James W., who was accidentally shot, and died Feb. 4, 1871, at the age of sixteen years; Phillip, a resident of St. Paul, Minn., and Henry C., the latter also living in St. Paul. Henry C. Gilbert, the father of Mrs. Spaulding, was born in Gaines, N. Y., July 14, 1818, and was i L. *ON-R-40'",YIII~B~)eap 101=9191"Mm 1, I III 'll. i L 4 1 -1 i 0 i 292 BRANICH COUN~RTY. 292 BRANCH COUNTY. the eldest of a family of six children, the offspring of Daniel and Harriet (Clark) Gilbert. His father was a native of Sheffield, Mass., and born Sept. 12, 1786. He removed to Gaines, N. Y., and held the office of Judge of the Court of Common Pleas for a number of years. He came to Coldwater in 1844, and died Feb. 16, 1865. He was a prominent member and Deacon of the Presbyterian Church, a Democrat, politically, and as a member of the community was honored and respected by all. Grandmother Iarriet (Clark) Gilbert was born in Lebanon, Conn., April 14, 1791, and was married to Daniel Gilbert at Victor, N. Y., Sept. 9, 1817. She was a lady of much strength of character, a devoted wife and mother, and a consistent member of the Presbyterian Church. Her death took place at Coldwater, Nov. 27, 1864. She was a lineal descendant of the sister of Jonathan Edwards, of Puritan stock, and closely connected with Colonial history. Henry C. Gilbert was a finely educated man, acquainting himself in early life with common law, and practiced in the courts of Southern Michigan after coming to Coldwater, until 1862. He was one of the foremost attorneys at the Coldwater bar, a man of great industry, a close student, and built up a large and lucrative business. In due time he became the attorney of the Michigan Southern & Northern Indiana Railroad, and under President Franklin Pierce was Indian Agent for the Northwestern Territory, including Michigan and Wisconsin. During the late war he served in the 19th Michigan Infantry, receiving the commission of Colonel, was captured and confined in Libby Prison, and after his release mortally wounded at the battle of Resaca, Ga., while gallantly leading his troops in a charge upon the works of the enemy, May 16, 1864. He was conveyed to Chattanooga and died on the 24th of May following. Mrs. H. C. Gilbert was born in Ithaca, N. Y., April 16, 1827, and was the daughter of Reuben and Harriet (Jewett) Champion, with whom she came to Michigan at an early age, and was married in Coldwater, March 26, 1843. She was a very capable and amiable lady, refined and cultivated, domestic in her habits, and a great favorite among a large circle of friends. As a wife and mother she i D~> 1~ IIL I~I~-l' I I was irreproachable, and died lamented on the 2d of April, 1876. Her remains were laid to rest beside those of her husband in Oak Grove Cemetery. She was a lineal descendant of Malcolm Stuart, of Scotland, and first cousin to Judge William Cross, one of the earliest pioneers of this county. Mrs. Charles A. Spaulding was educated in the High School of Coldwater, and the Seminary of Notre Dame, at South Bend, Ind., and made her home with her parents until her marriage. She is a very intelligent and accomplished lady, an extensive reader, and possesses more than ordinary mental capacities. 1Her union with our subject resulted in the birth of four children, the eldest being Ethelyn L., who was born July 20, 1872, and educated in the High School at Coldwater; Louisa A. was born Aug. 15, 1874; Nina L., Aug. 5, 1876, and Charles A., Jan. 20, 1883. They are all attending school in their native city of Coldwater. Mr. Spaulding in 1876 purchased the old homestead estate and has arranged for a reunion of the survivors of the 19th Michigan Infantry at the former home of their old commander. OHN ROOT, formerly a prominent and respected citizen of this county, where he followed his profession of a lawyer, in Coldwater, was born at Skaneateles, Onondaga Co., N. Y., Aug. 18, 1823. He was the youngest in a family of eight children born to Edward and Sally (Cole) Root, and was of the seventh generation in the Farmington line. There were three Root brothers who came to the United States from 1635 to 1637, and their offspring occupied a good social position among the Puritan settlers as worthy citizens, substantial farmers and skilled manufacturers. The very common tradition that three brothers came from the mother country at that early date and settled in New England has been proved true by documentary evidence. Thomas, Josiah and Richard Root were brothers, as 4i I I I I d I - 0 i$T.W?. A.k- — dL BRANCR COUNTY. 293 B N C N 293 is shown by a deed of land given by Thomas, Sr., to his nephew Thomas, the son of Josiah, Richard being also mentioned in that instrument, which bears date June 20, 1655. The progenitors of our subject are said to have descended from the Farmington line from the fact that John Root, believed j to be the son of John Root, of Northamptonshire, England, settled at Farmington, Conn., in 1640. He married Mary, daughter of Thomas and Frances Kilbourne, who was also a native of England, and born at Wood Ditton, in the year 1619. They came to this country in the ship "Increase," in 1635, and were successful in their undertakings, and accumulated a good estate as a heritage for their children. Both were members of the Congregational Church, and were leading citizens in the history of the hamlet of Farmington. The father of our subject was a farmer by occupation, and was a Justice of the Peace for many years. He used to hold court in his kitchen, which was large and commodious, and was a clear thinker and possessed of good judgment. He affiliated with the Whig party in politics, and was a member of the Presbyterian Church until his death, which occurred at Auburn, N. Y., in April, 1859. The mother of our subject was a representative woman of her time, in religion a Presbyterian, a devoted wife and mother, and possessing in a large measure those sterling qualities which have made the Puritan women "beloved at home, revered abroad." The boyhood days of our subject were spent under the parental roof, and his services were utilized on his father's farm. He disliked farm life, however, and longed to obtain an education, but his father had been so liberal in his education of the older brothers and sisters that John found it necessary to work his own way to that coveted goal. He received the rudiments of an education in the private schools of Skaneateles, N. Y., and engaged in the profession of a school teacher. He assiduously pursued his studies, and by practicing the most rigid economy he acquired a liberal education, and followed teaching for a number of years. Mr. Root already had a brother in Ohio, and believing that greater possibilities for young men were to be found in the West, he bade good-by to the home of his youth, and coming to Coldwater in the fall of 1844, commenced teaching in the "old white school-house" on Clay street. He then began to read law in the office of George A. Coe, exLieutenant Governor, and was duly admitted to the bar; after which he practiced his profession until his death. He was School Inspector in 1846, and also served as Township Supervisor for many terms. He was a man of superior judgment, and was Justice of the Peace, Deputy County Recorder, Overseer ot Highways and Assessor of the village, and at the time of his death was County Superintendent of the Poor. Our subject was unitedl in marriage at Coldwater, Aug. 28, 1850, with Miss Adeline Parrish, who was the youngest but one in a family of fourteen children born to Abraham and Hannah (Shaw) Parrish. The children are recorded as follows: James was born Sept. 24. 1801; Loomis, Oct. 23, 1803; Daniel, April 24, 1805: Nathan, June 13, 1807; Jasper, March 2, 1809; Asa. March 4, 1811; Roccellana was born Feb. 4, 1813, and became the wife of David Holmes, of Westfield, Mass.; Abram was born Dec. 16, 1814; Hannah was born Sept. 20, 1816, and became the wife of William S. Gilbert, a pioneer of Branch County, and now residing in Coldwater; Kimball was born April 16, 1818; Tyler, May 14, 1820; Amos, June 24, 1822; Adeline, Aug. 29, 1825, and Harris Franklin, May' 21, 1827. Abraham Parrish was born at Windlham, Conn., March 30, 1772, and died at Honeoye Falls, N. Y., Nov. 18, 1844. He was the son of Zebulon and Hannah (Kimball) Parish, natives of Connecticut, where they were married Sept. 15, 1748, at Preston. Zebulon died at Little Britain, N. Y., in 1794, and the grandmother died at Canandaigua, N. Y. Isaac and Margaret (Smith) Parish were married in 1721, and he died in 1743 at Windham, Conn. It is supposed lie was the progenitor of the Parish family in America. To Zebulon and Hannah (Kimball) Parish were born at Windham, Conn., the following children: Jacob, Feb. 11, 1752; Nathan; Isaac; Irene, who married John Reid, May 22, 1780; Lucy; Stephen; Polly, who became the wife of Jasper Danes, and was a second time united in marriage, her husband being a Mr. Dudley; Jasper, who was born in March, 1776; Jerusha, who became the wife of Israel Wood; Abraham, who was the father of the wife of our i i I I II IF 71INIC IN-4 i I - MIN.- - III —ll~II i\ k 294 BRANCH COU.N.T'IY. I 294 BANCH OUNTY subject. The first three spell their name with one "r" and the rest with two 'r's." Stephen and Jasper were taken prisoners by the Delaware Indians in the Revolutionary War while working in the corn field, but the other members of the family escaped; the father was at the time fighting in the army against the British. Jasper was but eleven years old, and he remained a captive seven years, being transferred from one tribe to another among the Six Nations. He learned to speak the language of five nations fluently, and was restored to civilization in 1784. He was then appointed Indian interpreter and sub-agent of Indian affairs, serving in that capacity for thirty years. He settled in Ontario County, N. Y., in 1792, and died in 1836, at Canandaigua. Stephen settled at West Mendon, N. Y. Abraham Parrish spent his early life at Canandaigua, N. Y., with his mother, his father having died while Abraham was quite young. He remained at home with his mother and youngest sister until he was twenty-two years of age, and after the death of his surviving parent he was united in marriage with Hannah Shaw, of Hopewell, N. Y. Subsequently he removed to West Mendon, now Honcoye Falls, N. Y., where he followed agricultural pursuits, and also engaged in various business enterprises, building, contracting, etc. He owned a boat on the Erie Canal, and was considered one of the leading business men of his day; a man loved and respected by all. His generosity and kindness can best be shown by stating the fact that he reared five orphan children besides his own family of fourteen. He was successful il realizing money in his business transactions, and freely used it for the promotion of any good work for the advancement of the people among whom his lot was cast. His wife was a truly noble woman, in every way the worthy helpmate of her husband, working hard for her family, and, as was customary in those (lays, spinning and weaving the cloth and making the garments for the whole family. She passed to her reward in 1829, while her husland, surviving her, died in 1844. He was a member of the Washington Benevolent Society, with which he united in 1812. He raised a company of volunteers, holding a commission from Gov. Daniel D. Tomkins as Captain, dated Feb. 29, 1812, and marching from Honeoye Falls to Buffalo, N. Y., was stationed at Black Rock, subsequently participating in the battle of that name. He was at Buffalo at the time the city was burned, and was away from home about three months, during which his heroic wife took care of the family. At the age of nine years the wife of our subject went to live with a sister at Dansville, N. Y., and removed with her to Rushville, and thence, in November, 1844, to Coldwater, this county. She was united in marriage with our subject in 1850, and three children came to bless their union: Frank was born Aug. 21, 1852, and died Oct. 31, 1854; Dell was born June 20, 1857, and was reared by her mother, receiving a good education, and being graduated from the High School; she held a position in the Coldwater Union School for seven years, and Sept. 2, 1879, became the wife of Ansel A. Howard, of Fairport, who was a commercial traveler, and now lives at Coldwater. Parrish was born May 23, 1861, and was educated at Coldwater; he is a machinist. Mr. Root was a prominent and active business man in Coldwater for more than twenty years. He possessed a clear and logical mind and natural adaptation for the office of Justice of the Peace, the duties of which he discharged for many years. The uniform correctness of his decisions established a reputation bordering upon authority, and commanded a business so extensive that his court coull hardly be placed second in importance to the Circuit Court. His social qualities were of the highest order, and he was one of the most companionable of men. He died March 23, 1866, and being one of the few old prominent citizens, his death was seriously felt by the community. He left a competency for his family, and his wife assumed control of the business, and discharged the duties devolving upon her with credit, rearing and educating their children to become worthy members of society. She belongs to the Methodist Episcopal Church, and has been an ardent worker in the temperance cause, and is one of the pioneer ladies of Coldwater, a woman loved and respected by all. Her mother, Hannah Shaw, was the daughter of Daniel and Hannah (Wells) Shaw. Grandmother Wells lived on the Susquehanna during the Revolutionary War, and while her father was in the Colonial army the family } I *ban 0 Ole,, I I 21:1 112, ` I I I 000 —m -l" i > lb.z7 - - I I~4 I - - - -mmh.,L-,m I l~l~iI~~~~I, ' - 11 - 1 I-lp- vlm~~_~ -- l It BIRANCHI COUN'L'r1I 295 BRNHCUNYI9 were attacked by Indians, and she escaped with the two youngest children to the woods; the remainder of the family were massacred. In politics our subject was formerly a Whig. but ill after years lie became a Republican, and a very active member of the party, loving the cause that they espoused, viz.: the political equality of all men. He belonged to the Coldwater Light Guards, the first company ever organized in Coldwater, and was commissioned Lieutenant of the State Mlilitia by Gov. Alpheus Felch, July 22, 1846. Ile was also a member of the Sons of Temperance, and labored industriously and prudently to promote the cause. His death was felt by all classes to be a public calamity, and it will be long before we shall look upon his like again. ILVENUS WIXSON is one of the extensive land-owners of Branch County, and as an intelligent, progressive, enterprising farmer, he has met with marked success, and is justly classed among the foremost citizens of his community. His homestead, comprising 200 acres of fertile and well-improved land, is pleasantly located on section 27, Ovid Township, bordering on Coldwater Lake, the prettiest body of water in the Northwest. He owns besides 120 acres on section 27 of the same township and 169 acres in Union Township. Our subject was born in Wayne, Steuben Co., N. Y., Jan. 5, 1825, on the old homestead which had been the birthplace of his father, Elijah Wixson, who was born in 1'00. Solomon Wixson, the grandfather of our subject, who was of Scotch ancestry, and probably of Scotch parentage, was, it is thought, born in Massachusetts. He was reared and married in his Eastern home, Mary Travis becoming his wife, and moved from there to what is now Steuben County, N. Y., and was one of the first settlers in Wayne Township. This was in the latter part of the eighteenth century, when a very different order of things prevailed from the present condition of the country. It was some time before the introduction of steam as a motor power in traveling. and the removal to their destination was made with an ox-team, through a mostly wild and unsettled country, and the last part of the way the road was simply a trail marked by blazed trees. Albany was the principal market, althougl Elmira, forty miles distant, was somewhat of a market, and for the first two years the nearest milling point. He had no wheat the first year and depended on corn for breadstuffs, and having no mill convenient, the top of a stump was burned out and used for a mortar to crush the corn. He built a log house on his land, and cleared a good farm from the wilderness, on which he made his home until his death, in 1812, and his remains are buried near the scenes of his early labors in the Wixson Cemetery on his farm. His good wife survived him some years, living with the father of our subject on the old homestead. Eleven children were born to her and her husband, as follows: Joseph settled in Canada; Joshua and John were Baptist ministers; the former settled in Canada and the latter in Wayne, his native place. Daniel settled in his native town; James and Reuben settled near the old homestead; Solomon settled in Tyrone, Steuben County; he was a Baptist minister. Clara married Orlando Comstock, and settled near the old homestead; Polly married Henry Swarthout, and settled in Barrington, Yates County; Betsy married Benjamin Sachett, Esq., of Barrington Township, Yates County. Elijah Wixson, the father of our subject, the youngest child of the family, cared for his mother after the death of his father, and inherited the old homestead, on which his entire life was passed in the peaceful pursuits to which he had been bred. He married Martha Hastings, a native of Vermont, and a daughter of Timothy Hastings, a hero of the Revolution, and an early settler of Steuben County, where he improved a farm and died. lie was but fifteen years of age when the Revolution broke out, and he seems to have possessed a full share of the patriotic spirit that animated the "boys of '76," for when he went to enlist, fearing that he was not tall enough, he stood on tiptoe to increase his height; he was accepted and served faithfully throughout the war. There were eight children born to the parents of our subject, six of whom grew to matur I Ai — 40 -- --- - - - - - - -- - I O — -'' P- -11181Pl~s VP A I — _"1 t y *"' d -t1 - f i i " i; A1 296 BRANCH COUNTY. 29 B RC C I 1 i ity, namely: Timothy, Horace, Silvenus, Sarah, Marcia and Solomon. Silvenus Wixson was the third child in order of birth born to his parents. He was reared on the home farm and remained under the sheltering roof of the old homestead until his marriage, when he set up a separate establishment of his own, buying land in Bradford, Steuben County, on which stood a log cabin in which he and his bride commenced housekeeping. In 1846 Mr. Wixson came to Michigan and spent a summer in St. Joseph and Branch Counties, and before he left for home invested in land in the latter county, which now forms his homestead. He returned to his native State and lived there until 1857, when he settled up his affairs there, and then came again to Branch County, and located on the land that he had purchased on his previous visit. There were twenty acres cleared and a frame house in which he and his family made their home. Years of hard work followed, in which he was actively engaged in clearing his land, and by shrewd management of his interests he has added greatly to his landed estate, until, as before noted, he is one of the largest land-owners in the community. Our subject was united in marriage, Nov. 7, 1844, to Miss Adeline J. Smith, who was born in Benton, Yates Co., N. Y., Oct. 16, 1823. She received a good education and commenced teaching while in her teens, and taught each year until her marriage. IHer father, Salmon Smith, was born in Vermont, whence his father moved to New York, and settled in the town of Jerusalem, in Yates County. From there he moved to Allegany County, in the same State, and there his declining years were passed. The maiden name of his wife, Mrs. Wixson's grandmother, was Mary Luther. Mrs. Wixson's father was but a boy when his parents moved to New York State, where he grew to manhood, and in the town of Benton was married to Mary Patterson. She was born in Middle Smithfield, Pa., Oct. 22, 1797. Her father, Robert Patterson, was married in South Smithfield, Pa., Jan. 15, 1788, to Mary Riggs. He removed to New York and was one of the first settlers in that part of Ontario County now known as Yates County. tIe improved a farm in Benton Township, one-half mile from Penn Yan, k and spent the remainder of his life there. Mr. Smith, Mrs. Wixson's father, was a stonemason by trade, and followed his calling for a few years after marriage, when he decided to turn his attention to farming, and bought a tract of land in Barrington, Yates County, where he pursued agriculture for a few years. He then took up his abode in Bradford, in that part of Steuben County now called Schuyler County, where he passed away from the scenes of earth in January, 1855, and his wife some four years later followed him. The following is recorded of the six children born to our subject and his wife: Alice A. was born Nov. 27, 1845, was well educated and colnmenced teaching at twenty years of age; she was married in 1876, at Atlantic City, Iowa, to Jasper N. Thompson, and died at her home in Texas, Aug. 29, 1877; Halbert Iuther, born March 31, 1849, lives in Cold water; Valmer Adelbert, born Nov. 1, 1852, lives in the town of Union, Branch County; Clarence E., born May 8, 1856, lives at home with his parents; Martha E., born Dec. 19, 1859, married Charles O. Bingham, and lives in Ovid Township; Helen, born April 11, 1863, married Charles Conant, and lives in Ovid Township. Mr. Wixson is much given to reading and is well informed on all topics of general interest; he is outspoken and frank in the expression of his opinions, having the courage of his convictions. In politics, in his early years lie was a Whig, then a Republican, but since 1876, when he voted for Peter Cooper, he has been an earnest adherent of the Greenback party. ALLACE E. WRIGHT. The State of Michigan is greatly indebted for the proud position she holds as one of the wealthiest and most progressive States in the Union to the sons who were born on her soil, and who have eagerly taken up and are actively carrying on the work so nobly begun by their sires, the early settlers of the State. Often born in humble circumstances in the lowly log cabin, which was the typical habitation of those who first settled here, i i i I I I I $1 t, I a OPPM-4 I I 1 ofp) I M t;t%e.lu**ihIBi-.;381 i I I BRANCH COUNTY. 297 BRANCH COUNTY. 297 5 ti JI they early developed energy, manliness and selfreliance; educated in her schools, whose system of instruction is acknowledged to be one of the finest in the country, they are well able to cope with the problems that are to be solved in every walk of life. Occupying an honorable position among the native-born citizens of this commonwealth is Wallace E. Wright, of this sketch. Tecumseh Township, Lenawee County, was the place of his birth, and Aug. 31, 1845, was the date thereof. He is the youngest son of the late Spafford Wright, a pioneer of Southern Michigan, and of his wife, Julia A. Russ, who now makes her home with our subject. He was but two years old when he came to this county with his parents, and the rudiments of his education were obtained in the earlyschools of the county. The first educational institution that he attended was called the jail, because the windows were so high up that none but the larger scholars could look out. As soon as he was large enough lie began the practical training that has made him a skillful farmer, actively assisting in the farm labors. At sixteen years of age he commenced to attend the Union School in Cold water, where lie obtained a liberal education, being a pupil there most of the time for four years, thus becoming amply fitted for the profession of teacher, which he adopted at the end of his school life. His first experience in that line was in his native county in the town of Clinton. He then entered into business as a confectioner, being thus engaged a year and a half. After that he resumed teaching, and accepted a position as instructor in a school in St. Joseph County, Ind. He visited different parts of the West in that capacity, but in 1870 he retraced his steps to his old home in this county, and renting his father's farm, once again took up the pursuit to which he had been reared. After his father's death in 1877 he purchased of the other heirs their interest in the estate, and is now sole owner of his father's property. He has rebuilt the barns on the home farm, and has bought a farm of twenty acres adjoining the old homestead, on which stood a log house, which he has replaced by the neat and commodious dwelling that he now occupies. He has won the reputation of being a first-class farmer, which the fine appearance of his farm, with its broad and well tilled fields, and its tasty, substantial buildings, seems to bear out. Oursubject was married, June 21, 1870, to Miss Sarah Brewster, who is also a native of Tecumseh, Lenawee County, born Sept. 3, 1846. She comes of an old New York family. Her father, Micah Brewster, was born in Junius, Seneca Co., N. Y., Jan. 30, 1819, and was a son of Caleb Brewster, who was born in Orange County, N. Y., April 12, 1783, and was in turn a son of Benjamin Brewster, a farmer of Orange County, where his last years were spent. The grandfather of Mrs. Wright was reared in Orange County, and there married Deborah Mills, a native of Long Island, N. Y., and a daughter of Micah Mills. After marriage Mr. Brewster moved to Seneca County, and was an ea:ly settler in the town of Junius, the removal to that place being made with teams. He settled on a tract of heavily timbered land that was given him, and his first work was to build a block house, in which the father of Mrs. Wright was born. In 1837 he sold that farm, and coming to Michigan, became an early pioneer of Tecumseh, locating on a partly improved farm that he had bought in that part now known as Clinton Township, and he there made his home until his death in February, 1852. His wife passed her last days with a daughter in Manchester, WAashtenaw County. Mrs. Wright's father was eighteen years old when he came with his parents to Alichigan, their journey being made by the way of the Erie Canal and lake to Toledo, and thence on the railway to Adrian, which was then the farthest point in the West reached by rail, and from that city they proceeded to their future home in Lenawee County. He lived on his father's homestead until 1852, when he bought a farm in Franklin, on which he lived for six years. He then sold it and returned to Clinton, and was a resident of that township until 1871. After that lie went to Adrian, and made his home there for twelve years. He now lives with his children, free from the cares of life. IIe has been three times married. His first wife, mother of Mrs. Wright, was Aurelia Sackett. She was born in New York State, and was a daughter of Justus Sackett. She died Sept. 21, 1852, aged thirty years. His second wife was Mary Simpson, a native of Scot A 0 l — I I I I i i I I i I r/I-"l-" ---ICIM ---- CII~.0m-m_ ---Immushm, — r_~- rl1-~~ l i~_~~ ----~. I-.~~ —rll 298. _IWPP" BRANCH COUNTY. land, and a daughter of Thomas Simpson. She died March 11, 1866. Mr. Brewster's third wife was Maria Aldrich, a native of Raisin, Lenawee County, and she died in Adrian in 1871. Mr. Wright is a man whose fine character, good business traits, and scrupulous fidelity to the trusts confided in him, have made him a leading citizen in this township. He is prominently identified with various organizations for the diffusion of agricultural knowledge, formed for the purpose of educating, elevating and strengthening the farmer. He was a charter member of Pomona Grange, and Secretary of the society for nine successive years; he was also charter member of Subordinate Grange No. 261; was at one time Master of the Grange, and is at present Secretary of the Cold water Grange. In politics, he was a Democrat until 1876, when he joined the Greenback party, and became one of its most active members. He was a candidate of his party for County Clerk three times, and such was his popularity irrespective of party that lie ran ahead of his ticket each time. lister, of Hamilton, Ill., who was born April 8, 1821, in MIonroe County, N. Y., and is the daughter of Silas and Dolly (Wright) Newcomb. She was married to Alonzo Hollister in 1840, and of that union there were born a son and ldaughter: Albert N., who is now in Chicago, and Lillian C.; who died when an interesting young girl of seventeen years. In 1853 Mr. Shaw began the erection of a mill upon land adjoining his present farm. and later received for the structure and machinery ten acres of land. To this he added forty more, and in 1860 purchased fifty acres adjoining, and this constitutes his present homestead. He effected many improvements, but his mill was destroyed by fire in 1857, and then, somewhat discouraged, he removed to Sturgis, Mich., where for a year he had charge of a nursery. He then came back to his farm, which he has since occupied, and has been uniformly successful in his labors. He has everything comfortable and convenient, a substantial dwelling and good out-buildings, with excellent grades of live stock of all kinds, plenty of fruit for the use of his family, and all the other appurtenances of the complete home. Mr. Shaw upon reaching his majority identified himself with the Whig party, but later endorsed Republican principles, which he still supports. His wife is a member in good standing of the Regular Baptist Church, and both she and her husband occupy a prominent place among the honored pioneers of Branch County, being recognized as among her best and most valued citizens. ABUw x, S d. -! Ik m i~9 E RASTUS SHIAW, whose property lies on section 5, Bronson Township, came to this county in 1853, from Niagara County, N. Y., where he was born Jan. 8, 1817. His parents, James and Electa (Venton) Shaw, were natives of Massachusetts, and their family comprised six sons and two daughters, eight of whom lived to mature years, and of whom but four are now surviving. Our subject was the third child of his parents, who reared him upon a farm, and gave him a common-school education. Upon reaching manhood, he married a maiden of his own county, Miss Adeline Waldo, who was born in 1817, and who died at her home in Bronson Township, this county, Sept. 8, 1863. She had become the mother of a son and daughter, the former of whom, Alson E., is living, and continues at home with his father. The daughter, Alice A., died at the age of five years. Our subject, on the 14th of December, 1864, contracted a second marriage, with Mrs. Mary N. Hol 1 OHN ROBERTS, a prominent and wealthy resident of Cold water, retired from farm life in the fall of 1881, and took possession of his fine residence in this city, which is located on East Chicago street, and where lie has brought about many improvements, so that it now constitutes one of the most attractive homes in the city. Besides this property, our subject owns the valuable old homestead of 188 acres, where he had I __ I k -~.4il r~ ~ - --- *6".IY-~)~C ~~C ---~b HIs _r cl_._ I oo I I 1 i I C-ll Il-~.4" * - F —1 ----I31C10 31,1 I-1M -- ns —.r~t -~- I- r BRANCH COUNTY. 299 labored since a boy of thirteen years, carrying on the farm with his younger brother, reducing the uncultivated soil to a productive condition, and adding modern improvements, as time and means allowed. Three tenement houses were put up, besides three large barns and a carriage-house, in addition to the dwelling, which is one of the most commodious and substantial in the county. The whole comprises a fine estate, and is one of the attractive features in the landscape of this section. Our subject was born March 14, 1818, at Hartland, Niagara Co.. N. Y., and is the son of Francis and Lois (Lay) Roberts, whose family included five children. Their eldest child, Daniel L., was born N~ov. 14, 1806, and died in infancy; Anna A. was born Oct. 8, 1807, and died a maiden lady at the age of sixty years; Betsy M., born Dec. 9, 1809, was twice married, her first husl)and being Jacob Phillips, and her second Jesse Brooks; her death took place in Coldwater Township, Feb. 18, 1863. Stephen was born Sept. 14, 1820, and died in Coldwater Township, Feb. 18, 1868; Sally L. was born Oct. 28, 1826, and died July 4, 1827. Francis Roberts was born near Winnepesaukee Lake, Belknap Co., N. H., May 28, 1777, and was the son of a Welsh gentleman who crossed the Atlantic, and served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War. He left home at the age of eighteen years, going into Lower Canada and working over three years on a farm, and for this hard labor was cheated out of a goodly portion of his wages. His next residence was in Swanton, Vt., where he was variously employed until the time of his marriage, Jan. 1, 1805. Thereafter he also continued to work by the (lay and month until 1811. H-e returned to the Dominion of Canada, and was drafted into the British army to fight against his native country in the War of 1812. This he could not do, and, in company with a few friends, took an open boat and fled across Lake Ontario into New York State. He commenced work near Rochester, and after eighteen months returned to Canada for his wife and children, making the journey in an open boat as before, and returning in the same way with them. They then settled in Niagara County, where he afterward purchased forty acres of land in Hartland Township, where he continued to live for a period of sixteen years. Then selling out, he made his way to the Territory of Michigan and to the spot in the wilderness which is now occupied by the city of Ann Arbor. There was so much illness in the country that he returned to the Empire State, and took an article for a piece of land from the Holland Purchase Company, which he held for five years, and then sold. During the intervening time, from 1832 to 1836, he was greatly afflicted with rheumatism, in consequence of which he became a confirmed cripple, and his family were greatly reduced in circumstances. In the fall of 1835 lie was able to ride, and started overland for the Territory of Michigan, in company with Joseph Berry, and arrived upon the present site of Coldwater October 13. He at once purchased eighty acres from the Government, which is now a part of the Roberts farm, near the city limits. Afterward he returned to New York, and in April, with his family, made his final trip to the West overland in a wagon as before. Thliey were eighteen days on the road, and six of these were spent in the Maumee Swamp, during which time one of his horses was greatly injured on account of the bad roads, and lie had to leave a part of his goods in the swamp until fall. Mr. Roberts purchased a yoke of oxen, and with his remaining horse, pushed ahead, and upon his arrival in Coldwater, April 23, 1836, rented a log chair shop, and moved in with his family. With some assistance he cleared ten acres of land, and reaped from it a crop of wheat in the fall. The following spring lie put up a log house in pioneer style, and the family in due time were quite comfortable. The subject of this sketch, who was about eighteen years old at the time of his coming to Michigan, did good service in building up the homestead in the wilderness, and among other tlings, planted some apple seeds which he had brought with him, and from which sprung the trees which are still standing, after a period of fifty-one years. The father, at the close of a long and useful life, departed hence on the 26th of August, 1855. He was a good man in the broadest sense of the term, a member of the Baptist Church, and a loyal adherent of the Masonic fraternity. Although pos i 6_-oft t WA_ -1 1.-l, —r___-,_m, __- ~_I-L-6 _ _-lg, c ~ ~ u ~ " --- V-40 L II i I II i i 4 i f i i I I f i t 7 A,. _ 300 BRANCH COUNTY. -- sessing but a limited education, he had a remarkable memory, and was a man of more than ordinary intelligence. His remains were laid to rest in the Oak Grove Cemetery. The mother of our subject was born in Saybrook, Conn., Aug. 20, 1786, and was the daughter of Daniel and Anna Lay. Her early years were spent in her native place, where she acquired an excellent education, and became connected with the Congregational Church. Later she united with the Presbyterians. She taught.school a number of years, and while her husband was absent during the War of 1812, rode 240 miles on horseback alone to collect a debt. She possessed all the elements of a pioneer wife and mother, and was one of the genuine heroines of that time, looking well to the ways of her household, and rearing her family after Scriptural precepts. Her death took place in Coldwater, March 17, 1865. The youngest sister of our subject came from Chautauqua County, N. Y., in 1840, to join her father's family in this county, bringing her daughter, who was five or six years of age. She married our subject's wife's grandfather, Jesse Brooks, for her second husband, and she was his second wife. Her death took place Feb. 18, 1863, and she is buried by the side of Mr. Brooks in the family buryingground. She was a most estimable lady, and a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Roberts after the death of his parents continued to live on the old farm, where he laid the foundation of his future fortune. Although quite well advanced in years, he still superintends its olerations, going to and from it every day. He has kept his eyes fully open to what was going on around him in the world, and nothing has given him deeper satisfaction than the growth and development of his adopted county. In early life he was a Democrat, politically, but later joined the Republican party, which he still supports. In 1841 he identified himself with the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he has since been a prominent and useful member. In his ambition to build up the future city, he donated $1,000 toward the construction of the Coldwater & Mansfield Railroad, and which was a loss, as the road was never completed. He has given liberally to the church, and --- all other enterprises calculated to build up the county and elevate its people. Mr. Roberts was united in marriage with Mrs. Adeline Whitcomb, April 20. 1869. This lady was the widow of W. W. Whitcomb, and was born in Coldwater Township, Feb. 8, 1838, to Samuel and Effie (Cooley) Brooks, and was the eldest of their four children. IHer elder brother, Ira W., was born July 3, 1840, and is now in Missouri; Hattie E. was born June 10, 1843, and S. Jay, Nov. 30, 1845. Thle father was born Jan. 13, 1813, in Glastonbury, Conn., and was the eldest of sixteen children. Jesse Brooks, the grandfather of Mrs. Roberts, was born in Glastonbury, Hartford Co., Conn., March 31, 1790, and followed farming as an occupation his entire life. He was a quiet, unassuming man, peaceable in his daily life, and an earnest member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he officiated as Class-Leader and Superintendent of the Sabbath-school. He organized the first school of this kind in the Brooks neighlborhood, and closed his long and useful life on the 3d of September, 1872, in Coldwater. tIe had been three times married, having by his first wife fourteen children, and two by the second. The first was Miss Marinda Fox, the second Betsy M. Phillips, and the third Anna Goddard. Mr. Brooks in 1818 left the Bay State, and located in Chemung County, N. Y., whence, in 1835, he came overland to this county, arriving upon the present site of Coldwater, with his wife and eleven children, in the month of May. On the 11th of June following he purchased 240 acres of Government land, and July 16 secured eighty acres adjoining. He here commenced to clear away the timber, putting up first a small house for his family, in the meantime living with John Cooley. (The latter had come to this section from Canada early in January, 1834.) He lived here until 1869, then moved to Coldwater, purchased a comfortable residence on Washington street, and died there Sept. 3, 1872. The father of Mrs. Roberts lived at home until twenty-three years of age, working on the farm, and acquiring a limited education in the pioneer school. On the 9th of May, 1837, he was united in W ~4<..0 o. --- —<..__ G EORGE A. TUTTLE is a general farmer and stock-raiser, residing on section 18, Batavia Township, and is the owner of 100 acres of well-improved land, situated on sections 18 and 19. Here he has followed his peaceful vocation for about twenty years, and erecting a convenient and commodious set of farm buildings, has in every way kept pace with this progressive age. The subject of this biographical sketch is a native of Marshall County, Ind., and was born in the township of West, Oct. 26, 1849. His father, Major Tuttle, was a native of Connecticut, whence he removed in boyhood to Onondaga County, N. Y., and settled in Marcellus. He learned the trades of carpenter and cooper, and remained in that State engaged at one or the other until his marriage. The maiden of his choice, Miss Charlotte Barber, was a native of the Empire State, and was there reared and educated in the common schools. Soon after marriage the young couple migrated to LaPorte County, Ind., and subsequently to Marshall. -A 9;r —al. I, III!I! --- —--- ------—.1-e-." " " "~IIIIIII YIE ~~SLIe&.-....-. Tr -40 BRANCH COUNTY. 313 A B C C i Is County, settling in West Township while it was yet an unbroken wilderness inhabited by Indians and- wild beasts. They, however, possessed the qualities which characterize the true pioneer, and from an unbroken tract of land carved out for themselves a home which they might enjoy in their declining years, and leave as a heritage to their children. Major Tuttle sustained a great loss in the death of his wife, at their home in West Township, leaving four children, as follows: Timothy B.; Orson W., deceased; Sarah M., Mrs. Edwards, of Ft. Scott, Kan., and L. R. All the surviving members of the family are married. Major Tuttle was a second time married, in West Township, this time choosing Miss Eliza Ramsey, who was born and reared in the Empire State, and removed to Indiana when a young woman. She died at the homestead in West Township, Marshall County, about 1850, leaving one child besides our subject. Major Tuttle subsequently came to Michigan, and finally located in Bethel Township, Branch County, where he married his third wife, Mrs. Lucinda (Hopkins) Brown, daughter of Daniel and Anna (Clough) Hopkins. Mrs. Tuttle's parents were natives respectively of Rhode Island and New York, and after their marriage, which probably occurred in Madison County, they located in Nelson Township, and there spent the remainder of their days engaged in agricultural pursuits. The father passed away when seventy-six years of age, while the mother had died some years previously, in her fifty-fourth year. They were members of the FreeWill Baptist Church, and were worthy and honored members of society. Mrs. Lucinda Tuttle was born in Nelson Township, Madison Co., N. Y., May 10, 1819, and was reared to womanhood, and married in her native State. Her first husband was Joseph R. Brown, and their union resulted in the birth of three children-Otis D., Chauncey L. and Lovisa A. The (laughter died in York State, Chauncey in Lexington, Ky., and Otis D. in Michigan. Chauncey L. had been married and left two children-Charles G. and Carrie E. tIe enlisted in the Rebellion in August, 1862, as a private in Company C, 19th Michigan Volunteers, and becoming sick almost immediately afterward, and before participating in any engagements, died at Lexington, Ky., Feb. 9, 1863. Upon his removal to Michigan Major Tuttle resided first in Batavia and Bethel, and then in Coldwater Township, this county, until 1868, when he bought a farm in Batavia Township, and lived on it until his decease, which occurred June 24, 1887, at the ripe old age of eighty-five years. In politics he was a Republican, and held many of the local offices of Bethel Township, including that of Road Commissioner, while socially, he was a Master Mason, and an active member of the fraternity. Mrs. Lucinda Tuttle still survives in the enjoyment of health and strength, physically and mentally, at the age of sixty-nine years. She makes her home with our subject, and is a worthy member of the Baptist Church. George A. Tuttle was reared to manhood in Branch County, and received in the common schools such education as was common to the pioneers' sons of that period, while assisting as soon as he was able in the duties of farm life. He remained with his father until the death of the latter, returning as far as was in his power the kindness and care that he had received in his earlier years, and has since been engaged in the calling of an agriculturist. Hie is well abreast of the times in all that pertains to his calling, and has before him the prospect of a long life of usefulness and comfort. In politics he stands identified with the Republican party, believing that in its platform are found principles more in accordance with this progressive age. I HARLES S. WRIGHT is of Connecticut ( origin and ancestry, born in Mansfield, d/ Windham County, April 7, 1832, but nearly the whole of his life has been passed in' the State of Michigan, so that he may literally be said to have grown up with the country. Even before he attained manhood he allied. himself with the sturdy, enterprising farmers who were developing the wonderful resources of Southern Michigan, and he has now for many years been an important factor in sustaining the agricultural interests of Branch I Z II rI a ~*a — Clarp —L-% —~~nslr --- —------— ~ --- —, I r 314 BRANCH COUNTY. County. He owns a farm on sections 11 and 14, Ovid Township; the greater part of it is improved and under first-class tillage, and a fine set of frame buildings greatly adds to the value of the place. The father of our subject, Spafford Wright, was born Nov. 21, 1808, in the same town as himself, and his father, John H. Wright, was likewise born in Windham County, Conn.; he was a farmer by occupation, and it is supposed, spent his entire life there. Spafford Wright was reared to a farmer's life on the old homestead of his father, and married, in his native county, Feb. 20, 1831, Julia A. Russ, who was born in Mansfield, June 4, 1810. Her father, John Russ, is also supposed to have been a native of that town and to have spent his entire life there. Mr. and Mrs. Wright resided in their native town until 1839, when they started with the three children who had been born to them in their New England home for Michigan. The journey was made by team to Newark, thence by steamer on Long Island Sound to New York City, from there up the North and Hudson Rivers to Troy, whence they embarked on the Erie Canal for Buffalo, then across Lake Erie to Toledo, where they took the cars and rode over the primitive railway, with its wooden, iron-strapped rails to Palmyra, where they engaged a team to carry them to Clinton, Lenawee County. In that township Mr. Wright worked a farm on shares for a time, and for four years he and his wife kept a boarding-house. In 1847 he removed with his family to Branch County, and settled in a log cabin that he had built on a tract of land on section 14, Ovid Township, that he had purchased on a previous visit. There was no road cut to the place, and when they removed to it they followed a trail marked by blazed trees. The early settlers had conquered only a small part of the wilderness, and dense tracts of the primeval forest still abounded at that time, and their larder was plentifully supplied with venison, wild turkeys and other game. In the winter season the deer used to come close to the house to brouse on the foliage and bark of the trees which the wood choppers had cut down. Mr. Wright used to do all his farm work with oxen for some years, and they had at first to put up with many inconveniences until the growing country and increasing prosperity of I the settlers allowed of the introduction of comforts as in more populous and earlier settled States. Mr. Wright lived to see Branch County become well settled, wealthy, and one of the foremost sections of the State. He also accumulated property himself, with the aid of his energetic and capable wife, who is now peacefully and happily passing life's decline in the home of her son Wallace. In the death of Mr. Wright, May 7, 1877, this community lost a valued and highly respected citizen, whose unblemished life record is a precious legacy to his children, of whom there were five, four of whom grew to maturity, three sons and one (laughter, namely: Charles, Julia A., John D. and Wallace E. Julia married L. B. Davis, and died in Oswego County, N. Y., in June, 1881, leaving one child, Ida J., who is now the wife of A. E. Olmstead, of Oswego County, N. Y., and they have two children -Oramel and Fred L. Mrs. Wright's son Fred died in infancy. She had five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Her granddaughter's (Mrs. Greenamyer) children are named Rua E., Lloyd C. and Latela M. The subject of this sketch was seven years old when he came to Michigan with his parents, and he was sixteen years old when he came to Branch County, and when he was twenty years of age he entered forty acres of land from the Government, on section 11 of this township, land which now forms a part of his present farm. It was at that time heavily timbered, and he made the first improvements the following year. The first twoyears after marriage he rented an improved farm, and in his leisure time was engaged in clearing his own land, and erected thereon a small frame house. He has since added to his landed estate, and now owns 100 acres of as productive land as there is in the county. He is a shrewd, methodical man, careful and considerate in his dealings with others, and as a practical, intelligent farmer, is second to none in the township. Mr. Wright did not attain his present prosperous circumstances unassisted, but he has had the cooperation of an able wife, to wholm le was united in marriage Oct. 5, 1854, her maiden name being Mary A. Bingham. She was born in the town of Busti, Chautauqua Co., N. Y., June 24, 1832. Her } i t iI I I i i I i I i i III I I i I I i I I i r i I obo-4 0 I-dw I'll I --- -, I I -- -- -- -90 -0-AiOL- -- ~4l~l~l~I~bb~~ o_ 0 _ I. \ 1 7" we 60. i 118! ii I MM 1 'l a lIl I '. I- - BRANCH COUNTY. 315 = plarents, William and Lucretia (Brockway) Bingham, were natives of New Hampshire, her father born in the town of Marlow, in 1780. His father, John Bingham, is also supposed to have been a native of the Granite State. and he moved from there to Canada in 1798. I-e bought a tract of land, which he subsequently gave to his sons, and then went with his wife to Vermont and bought a farm in the town of Rockingham, where they passed their remaining days. Mrs. Wright's father was reared among the hills of his native State, and was eighteen years old when he accompanied his parents to Canada. lie married, in the Dominion, Nov. 13, 1811, Miss Lucretia Frasier, who was born in Nova Scotia, March 1, 1788. During the War of 1812 Mr. Bingham was implressed into the service of the British, notwithstanding the fact that he sympathized with the States, but he took the first opportunity to escape, and crossing the River St. Lawrence on the ice, made his way to Vermont, where his wife soon after joined him. They made their home on his father's farm for awhile, and he engaged in carpentering. They then moved to St. Lawrence County, N. Y., and from there to Warren County, Pa., and were among its early settlers. Mr. Bingham served as juror at the first session of court ever held in that county. He subsequently took up his abode in the town of Busti, Chautauqua County, and lived there until 1835, when he came to the Territory of Michigan, accompanied by his wife and children, and settled in Woodstock Township, Lenawee County, the entire journey being made overland with three horses and a wagon, in which the family and a part of the household goods were conveyed. Mr. Bingham entered a tract of Government land, and built a log house thereon, with split shakes for roof and puncheon for floor. The country was at that time in a most primitive condition, with few and scattered settlements; the pioneer's ax had as yet made but little impression on the large tracts of forest with which the land was principally covered; wild animals of many kinds abounded; many Indians still made their home in the vicinity, and were frequent callers at the cabin, and being usually in a state of hunger, they gladly traded whatever they had for food, and if they had nothing to bar I I BRNHCUNYI1 ter, they were not at all bashful about begging for something to eat. Mr. Bingham remained a resident of Lenawee County until 1853, when he removed to this county and bought 160 acres of land, ten of which were partly cleared. He and his wife continued to reside here until death, his occurring Dec. 25, 1862, and hers March 3, 1873. They were the parents of ten children, eight of whom grew to maturity. Our subject and his wife have one daughter, Clara S., who was born April 5, 1859, and is now the wife of Enos Greenamyer. Mr. and Mrs. Wright having no son of their own, in the kindness of their hearts adopted one, whose name is William, and reared him as carefully and tenderly as if he were bound to them by ties of blood. He married Lucinda Cheeseman, alld they have one child, Cleta. Mr. Wright is a stalwart Democrat in his political views, and that party has no firmer champion in all Branch County than he. He has occupied a conspicuous position in the administration of public affairs, as his geniality makes him popular with all, and his fellow-citizens, realizing that lie is a man to be fully trusted with the highest interests of their township, have often called him to office; he was School Inspector for seven years, Treasurer for two years, Supervisor for three years, and Drain Commissioner for two vears. AVID TAGGART, a representative pio) neer citizen, is engaged in general farming and stock-raising on section 16, Bronson Township, to which he came in 1836, and located where he now resides. Coming to Southern Michigan when this section of country was almost free from the touch of the white man, Mr. Taggart has grown up with the country, or rather, the country has grown up around Mr. Taggart. He is thoroughly familiar with the history of Branch County from his own observation since the admission of Michigan to the States of the Union, and has witnessed with pardonable pride its rapid development from an unprepossessing section of i i! 4 - k.11 A 4 F,-mw I - - - Abo-M, ~ (lg~~g~.~~etr019P.- S ~ -7 — JIR F 316 BRANCH COUNTY. country to one of the most beautiful and fertile portions of the United States. At this time deer, wild turkeys and smaller game were in abundance, while the settler was frequently startled, as he lay in his log cabin, by the howls of the wolf or growls of the bear in unpleasant proximity. But Mr. Taggart had come "to stay," and bravely encountering every obstacle which lay in the path to the goal he had in view, he surmounted all, and was rewarded by seeing spread out around him smiling fields of waving grain, or grazing herds, with towns and villages thickly scattered over the face of the country. His career as a pioneer has been one eminently worthy and useful to the community in which he has resided, and his neighbors and old friends unitedly bear testimony to his sterling worth, integrity, and valuable services as a frontier citizen. The subject of this biography was born in Dublin, N. H., July 9, 1809, and is the son of John and Hannah (Patterson) Taggart, natives of New Hampshire, and of Scotch-Irish origin. The great-grandfather of our subject came from Ireland, and located in Roxbury, Mass., and his son, the grandfather of our subject, came to Peterboro, N. H., and subsequently settled in Dublin. The father of our subject was born in Sharon, and spent his life in Dublin engaged in agricultural pursuits, until his death, in 1835, aged fifty-four years. The grandfather of our subject was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and was at the battle of Bunker Hill, serving as Ensign in the American army. His elder brother was a Lieutenant throughout the whole struggle. The parental family of our subject included nine children, eight of whom, four sons and four daughters, lived to maturity. David was the second child in order of birth, and was reared at the parental homestead, receiving such education as the public schools of the day afforded, and becoming familiarized with the details of that calling which was to be his life work. Before the removal of our subject to the West he was united in marriage, Oct. 29, 1835, with Miss Sarah Perry, who was born in 1815, in Beverly, Mass., and is the daughter of Benjamin and Susan (Sheldon) Perry, both natives of Massachusetts. This family consisted of nine children, seven of whom grew to years of maturity. The union of Miss Perry with our subject resulted in the birth of six children-John, Frederick W., Benjamin P., David, Henry and Maria-all of whom still survive, except Frederick W., who died in Chicago in 1862, while guatding prisoners.. John was also in the army during the Civil War, in Gen. Hancock's corps, and was present at Appomattox when Lee surrendered. Mr. Taggart first bought 160 acres of land in Bronson Township, which he afterward sold, and purchased a farm of 141 acres, upon which he now lives. He has brought it all under a good state of cultivation, and has erected a substantial and commodious residence, with out-buildings suitable for storing the products of the soil and sheltering his stock. He has always kept good grades of stock, from which he has usually realized handsome returns. Mr. Taggart, Feb. 3, 1885, suffered an irreparable loss in the death of his amiable and affectionate wife. She had been an active and consistent member of the Baptist Church for about twenty-five years, and was held in high esteem for her many womanly virtues. Our subject is also a member of the same church. Politically, Mr. Taggart affiliates with the Democratic party, for which he has been an active worker, and has served the people of his township two terms in the capacity of Supervisor, while he has also held the offices of Road Commissioner, Treasurer, and various smaller offices, and has always discharged his duties without fear or favor. EORGE W. REED is classed among the most enterprising, progressive and success\ j ful farmers of Branch County. He is a resident of Ovid Township, where for many years he has been engaged in agriculture, and the beautiful farm that he now owns is second to none in all the county, in point of cultivation and productiveness. He is a native of Ontario County, N. Y., born in s-3*_ M&W-41-400 ----- *VA.-rl~~eu~~ — -l —~Iirw ~ ~a~BI~U . L-r$sece4*l~-~ --- —-- ~ ~ s~~.' ~ - ~ -- ~- -~ I i I i IA i I t I BRANCH COUNTY. 317 BRANC COUNY. 31 the town of Richmond, Oct. 28, 1822, and descended from an old Vermont family. His grandfather, Phillip Reed, moved from that New England State to New York in 1795, and became an early settler of that part of the Phelps and Gorham purchase now included in Ontario County. He bought 3,000 acres of land in Ontario and Livingston Counties, and located his home in Richmond Township, erecting a log cabin to shelter his family, and at once commenced to clear his land. Being industrious, he attended steadily to his business, became quite an extensive and wealthy farmer, and built up a fine home, where once the wilderness covered his land. Wheeler Reed, the father of our subject, was born in May, 1788, in the town of Powlet, Rutland Co., Vt., and was seven years old when his parents settled in Ontario County. That part of the country being but sparsely inhabited and newly settled did not afford him many advantages for attending school, but he was diligent and studious, and eagerly availed himself of every opportunity, and thus acquired a substantial education for those times, and early in life entered the profession of teacher, having charge of a winter school for several terms. When he was twenty years of age his father gave him 200 acres of land, and he immediately commenced to clear it, paying in the meantime $1 a week for his board. The large trees that lie felled were drawn together and burned, and he soon had three acres cleared. Having no team with which to break the land, he made a rake, and after sowing the grain, raked it in. He built a log house on his place, and in that humble abode he and his young wife commenced their wedded life. At the time of his marriage he was the fortunate possessor of a pair of oxen, and accompanied by his bride, in a wagon drawn by the oxen, he went to Canandaigua, sixteen miles distant, where he disposed of the fifteen bushels of wheat that he had taken with him for that purpose, for forty cents a bushel, and with the proceeds bought all his furniture and household goods with which to commence housekeeping. They had no stove and Mrs. Reed did all the cooking before the open fireplace, and for many years she spun and wove all the wool and flax to make the clothes for the family. Mr. Reed was an industrious, capable man, and greatly increased his landed estate, until he owned 956 acres of valuable land, and (lied at the advanced age of eighty years, having accumulated quite a fortune for those days. He was twice married, and became the father of twenty children, sixteen of whom grew up, and fifteen married and reared families. The maiden name of the mother of our subject was Hannah Risden, and she was a native of Powlet, Rutland Co., Vt. Her father, Ornismus Risden, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and a pioneer of Richmond Township, Ontario County, of 1801. Mrs. Reed spent her last years with a daughter in Lima, N. Y. George W. Reed was reared in his native town, and received his early education in its district schools, which was further supplemented by a thorough course of instruction at Jenness Seminary at Lima. When he was twenty years of age he first visited Michigan, in company with his brother-inlaw, Warren Gilbert, having in charge a flock of sheep, which they drove to Buffalo, and then took them on a boat to Detroit, where they left them while they visited Eaton County, where Mr. Gilbert owned land. They had an Indian pony, which they took turns in riding, "riding and tying," as the expression was, one riding ahead, and after lie had ridden a certain distance, he would tie the animal, which the one who was walking would mount when he came to it and ride until he got beyond the other, and so on. They rode and walked over considerable of the country, which was then slarsely settled, visited Kent County, and then went to Cambridge, Lenawee County, where a brother of our subject lived, and rested for awhile. Our subject then rode the pony to Detroit, whence he drove the sheep to Lenawee County. lie returned to his home in New York in the fall, but the next spring found him again in Lenawee County, where he secured employment at farming for nine months, at the rate of $9 a month. Ile then went back to his native State, and in November, 1845, married Miss Elizabeth Bramble, who is, like himself, a native of Richmond, Ontario Co., N. Y., born Jan. 11, 1826. Her father, Daniel F. Bramble, was an early settler of Richmond, where he followed the trade of blacksmith for many years. He came to Michigan, and - V III gwoll-4(I --- — l P LLI~LC~Y -- - OwlC ~ calo go — 5 - I II I t i i I I i II t I I I i I i i I I i I I I I II I t i i I I i II t I I I i I i i I I I p oLq! 318 BRANCH COUNTY. turned his attention to farming, which he engaged in until his death. His wife was Serepta Peck, of Massachusetts. Her father, William Peck, also a native of that State, was tortured to death by British soldiers, who captured him while at the forge, and cruelly drove wooden pegs into his body until death relieved his sufferings. The mother of Mrs. Reed now lives at an advanced age, making her home in Eaton Rapids. To Mr. and Mrs. Reed have been born two children-George and Elmer. George was born May 14, 1852; he married Leiza Ferguson, and they have three children, namely: Annie, Florence and Edith. Elmer was born April 13, 1864; he married Nellie Clarke. After marriage our subject settled on a tract of land near Sudbury, the place belonging to his father, and he lived there until 1847, when he cane to Michigan to try his fortunes in this young and growing State. His capital consisted of $500 in cash; this by good financial ability and the skillful management of his affairs he has increased manyfold. He and his family found shelter in a log house that a cousin had vacated, situated in Cambridge Township, Lenawee County. He then began to look around for a good tract of land which would be within his means to purchase, and he soon found a tract of 100 acres of very desirable land in Rome Township, which he bought, and with his usual energy and industry entered upon the hard task of improving it, afterward adding ten acres more land to his original purchase. He lived there fifteen years, and during that time cleared eightyfive acres, brought it under a good state of culture, and erected a set of buildings. In 1862 he sold that place and came to Ovid Township, where he bought 120 acres of land on the southwest quarter of section 4. On that farm he conducted general farming and grazing cattle very successfully, and he bought other tracts of land from time to time until he finally possessed 320 acres. In 1884 Mr. Reed purchased the place that he now occupies, joining the homestead where lie lived so many years, and he has erected a fine set of buildings, and made many other valuable improvements, which rank among the best in the township. Our subject is a man of irreproachable habits, sound business principles, and is well worthy of the tr~ I ~ II ~. I~I _ w _ ~ _~__ _~_~ high regard in which he is held by all who know him. Politically, Mr. Reed was in early life a Whig, but since the formation of the Republican party it has had no stronger or more faithful advocate than he. USSELL WILBUR. This gentleman, prominent in the farming community of the \central part of this county, owns a large ) farm in Coldwater and Batavia Townships, and makes a specialty of dairying, keeping for this purpose about sixty cows, and finding a ready sale for the product in the city of Coldwater. He purchased the residence which he now occupies in 1886. It is pleasantly located on West Chicago street, and is a handsome brick structure, commodious and comfortable, and with its surroundings is one of the points of attraction in that city. A native of the Empire State, our subject was born over fifty-three years ago, in the town of Walworth, Wayne County, Jan. 8, 1835. His father, Smith Wilbur, was born in North Adams, Berkshire Co., Mass., in 1785, and his paternal grandfather, Gideon Wilbur, it is believed, was a native of Bennington, Vt., whence he removed first to North Adams, Mass., and thence to Madison County, N. Y. Of this latter locality lie was one of the earliest pioneers, and there spent the remainder of his days. Smith Wilbur was a youth of fifteen years when his parents left New England, and he was reared to manhood in Madison County, N. Y., where he was married, and resided until about 1810. He then went into the township of Walworth, Wayne County, and located among the pioneers of that region before the days of canals or railroads, the journey being made with teams. He purchased a tract of timber land and erected a log house; this was also before the days of stoves, and a large fireplace served to warm their dwelling and as the means by which the mother did her cooking. The latter also manufactured the cloth for the family use, and the children for a number of years were clad in homespun. The father of our subject improved the farm of j i i i I I I i I i I I m t i j I i i i i i [] _-Iw _a vIv" I J_ -1 -.1 o 4 (~ I f t k 11-1 1' - Iaw 1, I,.-wI7 anwL I BRANCH COUNTY. 319J I I Lt j 125 acres and lived there until 1835. The year previously he had traded his farm for 372 acres of timber land, including the present town site of Montville, Medina Co., Ohio. and in the spring of 1835 removed thither with his family. The entire journey was made overland with three pairs of horses, and three wagons. Mr. Wilbur had employed a man to clear a few acres of land and erect a house into which the family moved. Medina County at that time was a new settlement, and deer, wild turkeys and other game roamed at will through the wilderness. His eldest sons, Halsey and Gideon, were quite expert with the rifle, and kept the family well supplied with wild meats. As before, Smith Wilbur proceeded to subdue the soil around him, and with the assistance of his sons soon had a large area of land under a good state of cultivation. This remained his home until 1859, when he sold what land remained after deeding considerable to his sons, and purchased a home in the town of Granger, where lie made his home until his death. which occurred at the home of his son, Smith Wilbur, in Reading Township. Hillsdale County, this State, while there on a visit in 1861. The mother of our subject was in her girlhood Miss Nancy Falkner, and was born in Rhode Island in 1787. Her father was of Dutch ancestry, and became a settler of Pittstown, Rensselaer Co., N. Y., about 1792. He was a weaver by trade, operating a hand loom, at which he worked the greater pait of the time until 1807, then, going into Madison County he purchased a farm, and occupied the balance of his time in farming and weaving combined, until his death. Mrs. Nancy Wilbur lecame the mother of eight children, and died in Granger, Medina Co., Ohio, in 1877. The eldest son, Halsey, resides in West Walworth, Wayne Co., N. Y.; Gideon lives in Medina County, Ohio; Polly died young; Desdemona married Riley Smith, and is also living in Medina County; Smith lives in Reading, this county; Ransom, in OTnro, Wis.; Oscar in Granger, Ohio; Russell, our subject, was the youngest born. Of the seven children living the eldest is seventy-six years old and the youngest fifty-three. Our subject was an infant when his parents removed from New York to Ohio, where he attended the district school, and as soon as large enough learned to make himself useful around the farm. He continued a member of the parental household until his marriage, and then settled on a tract of land given him by his father, where he lived until 1866. That year he changed his residence to Ford County, Ill., where he occupied himself in farming and cheese-making two years, then went to Jasper County, Ind.; four years later he came to Sand Lake, this county, and engaged in the lumber business a year. Then coming to Coldwater Township, this county, he resumed farming three years, after which he migrated to Kansas City, and was the first white man of that region to engage in the manufacture of buffalo robes. In 1878 he organized a company and established a factory in Reading, this county, and two years later this company, in connection with a Chicago firm, purchased 50,000 buffalo hides, and tanned the entire lot at their factory in Reading. The company continued this business as long as buffalo skins could be bought, and then our subject turned his attention to farming and real estate in Hillsdale County. Mr. Wilbur was twice married, first in 1865, to Miss Mary A. Beach. She departed this life at her home in Remington, Ind., Oct. 10, 1869. Mr. Wilbur, in 1870, was again married, to Miss Louisa Smith, who was born in Albion, Calhoun County, this State, in March, 1848. Her father, Isaac Smith, was a native of the Province of Quelec, Canada, and born near the city of Brantford. Her paternal grandfather was one of the earliest settlers of that region, and was killed by a falling tree when clearing the forest. The father of Mrs. Wilbur came to Michigan Territory in 1834, when a young man twenty-one years old, and located in Allison Township, Calhoun County. There, not long afterward, he found his wife, and after their marriage they resided there until 1841. The father then purchased a tract of timber land in Ovid Township, this county, erected a log cabin, and settled with his family in the wilderness while he proceeded to clear a farm around him. This continued to be their home until 1868, when Mr. Smith sold out and removed to Reading Township, Hillsdale County, where lie lived three years, then changed his residence to Girard County. i) *ad l 0 a - - -- - ----- I III-III 'I ~-t-r~lll~~IL~rp - '1, om d -v 4 i wp — II I, Ii I -I i - -— ~~rr-r ----~ ~ I~s~ ---L1 'I O',YOB~ -eC.~Py rr py.II. ~. F. P - -1 'OFwvp- i 320 BRANCH COUNTY. Here he purchased a farm, which continued his home until his death, in 1874. The mother was formerly Miss Elizabeth Curran, a native of York State, and daughter of Jacob and Lydia (Hunt) Curran. She died in Reading Township, Hillsdale County. The parental family consisted of the following children: Alonzo, now a resident of Frankfort, Dak.; James, a resident of Nebraska; Hattie, Mrs. Philip Dyment, of Wright County, Iowa, and Louisa the wife of our subject, who was the youngest of the family. Mrs. Wilbur received a good education and commenced teaching at the age of sixteen years. She was thus occupied a part of each year until her marriage. Of her union with our subject there is one child only, a son, V. Clarence, who was born Aug. 24,1871. Mrs. Wilbur is a member in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and our subject, politically, is a solid Republican. AF MITH G. RAY, a well-known and highly respected citizen of Coldwater, came to Michigan in 1856, taking up his residence first in the vicinity of Grass Lake, Jackson County, where he purchased 160 acres of new land. Tile country around him was thinly settled, and he made it his first business to erect a shelter for himself and family, and then commenced to cultivate the land around him. He made some improvements, and later sold out, returning to his native town of Peterboro, N. Y., and there rented a hotel of Garrett Smith, the great Abolitionist. A year later le severed his connection with this also, having an opportunity to sell to good advantage, and purchased the farm which his father had worked on shares, and where our subject was born. This farm Mr. Ray also disposed of a year later, then purchased a hotel at Perryville, which he conducted six months, effecting also another change to good advantage. After several more changes he was drafted into the army, but preferred paying Uncle Sam $300 on condition of being released. He carried on farming, merchandising and hotel keeping, buying and selling to good advantage until 1871, when he returned to this State, purchased and sold farm land, and finally embarked in the grocery business at Grass Lake, and then at Jackson. A year later he removed to Cold water, and not long afterward went onto the Seely farm of 320 acres near by, upon which he operated a period of eleven years. He met with more than ordinary success, selling during that time produce to the amount of $28,000. While residing there he bought and sold three farms to advantage. Afterward he bought and sold considerably as before, and took up his residence in town two years before he finally gave up farming. Here he purchased a house and lot which he has since rented. In July, 1884, he purchased a livery stable, of which he still retains ownership; it is a large brick building, occupying an area of 200x88 feet, and at one time was sold for the snug sum of $14,000. In addition to this he has another large livery barn, with a capacity of stabling forty horses and forty or fifty wagons. As one of the active and enterprising business men ot Coldwater, he occupies a prominent position in the community, and has been no unimportant factor in advancing its interests. Our subject was the eldest of four children born to William B. and Lydia (Hammond) Ray, and first opened his eyes to the light in Perryville, Madison Co., N. Y., Sept. 24, 1833. His younger brother, Pardon, died in childhood. His sister, Betsey, became the wife of Matthew Hammond, of Peterboro, Madison Co., N. Y., and the youngest child of the family, Charles by name, is now deceased. The father, a native of Connecticut, was a farmer by occupation, and emigrated to the Empire State when a young man, about 1820. He purchased a farm near what was afterward the town of Phelps, Madison County, where he spent the remainder of his days, passing away in 1874. He also owned other property in the county. He was a man prominent in his community, holding the various township offices, and was a member in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Politically, he affiliated first with the old Whig party, and later with the Republicans. The mother of our subject was born near Ainsterdam, N. Y., in 1808, and was the daughter of I I I A I i i i j ii i I Ii i i I i I I I 1;: I 1 D~ r; II ---" I sop_ -01,01,11", — ~IY~~~I*LWIII lk- - -.M-__~ _~ __~___ _~_~~~_ ~~~__~~~__~ _~_ ~ _~~_~ ~~__ in Ih 010 —io-::::::-$~pzg~ig~ BRANCH COUNTY. -321 BRANCH COUNTY. 321 V f Pardon and Quithel Hammond, who were natives of Connecticut, and of English ancestry. Mr. Hammond also followed farming, and both he and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Lydia Ray, the mother of our subject, died in Waterloo, N. Y., in January, 1882. The subject of this sketch continued a member of the parental household until nineteen years old. working out a portion of the time, and attending school during the winter season. His first business venture was the purchase of a farm of 104 acres in company with his father, and which they operated together two years, and then sold. His next move was his first visit to this county, and his subsequent operations we have already indicated. Mr. Ray, while a resident of New York, assumed matrimonial and domestic ties in January, 1855, being married to Miss Harriet Vivert, who was a native of his own State, and daughter of Eliphalet Vivert, who spent his last years in New York. The mother died when her daughter Harriet was a child of eight years, and the latter leaving home, supported herself thereafter. She acquired a fair education through her own exertions, and grew to a worthy and capable womanhood. She also united with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and departed this life at her home in Phelps, N. Y., March 24, 1867. To our subject and his excellent wife there were born five children, namely: Willis C., in 1856; Ida, in 1858; Frank, in 1860; Isabelle, in 1863, and Carrie L., in 1865. Ida is the wife of Herbert Close, and is residing in Jackson, this State. One of the children is in the West; the others are at home. ------ — ~^-I+-" ^:: ^11 --- EROY B. TALBOTT, a worthy and respected resident and successful farmer, is pleasantly located on a fine farm of 125 acres of land on section 16, Union Township. He has brought his land to a high state of cultivation, and has erected thereon a fine residence, flanked by convenient and commodious out-buildings. Agriculture has been his life work. and he has derived from it an easy competency, such as Mother Nature usually vouchsafes to those who enter into communion with her. It is said that physical environments have much to do with the formation of character, a rugged coUintry producing a sturdy and vigorous constitution in its inhabitants, which augurs success when they unbend their energies in more favored localities. Bearing this in mind, a short sketch of those from whom our subject derived his being will be appropriate. The parents of Mr. Talbott were Lorenzo D. and Catherine M. (Nichols) Talbott, the former a native of Cazenovia, Madison Co., N. Y., where he was born in 1806, and the latter a native of Onondaga County, in the same State, where her birth occurred two years later. After their marriage they first settled in Cazenovia, where they continued to reside until 1847, and then removed to Mentor, Lake Co., Ohio, which continued to be their home until 1869. They had acquired the character of their sturdy New England ancestry, and upon their arrival in this county they were prepared to put their shoulder to the wheel of progress and development. They settled near Union City, where they continued to reside until the demise of the mother, which took place June 6, 1885. The father died at the residence of his son, our subject, March 20, 1888. Their family included three children, as follows: Leroy B.; Melissa, the wife of C. G. Alvard, of Union County, Iowa, and Emery H., who resides in Mentor, Lake Co., Ohio. Mr. Talbott was born in Cazenovia, Madison Co., N. Y., Nov. 8, 1830, and accompanied the family to Mentor, Ohio, which he made his home until 1866, when he came to this county, and settled in Union Township, of which he has since been a continuous resident. The marriage of our subject with Miss Julia E. Griswold was solemnized at Mentor, Ohio, Aug. 11, 1861. Mrs. Talbott is the daughter. of Henry C. and Elizabeth (Ackley) Griswold, the former a native of Lake County, Ohio, where he was born in 1811, and the latter of Farmington, Ontario Co., N. Y., where her birth occurred in 1818. Mr. Griswold died on the 1st of May, 1862, while Mrs. Griswold resides with our subject. Their family consisted of two children: Julia E., who was born im afibh -r.~rrr-.-~ -- ~.Sp --- —----— l-~ I II-~-~~-~ru-l~L_~~~II1 - .. ---------- 1 --- —- r - -----— ____rnl^ --- —-- — r — l-rC-rr ---- — r —ll —L~- i Akb — "No T1._ - -- --— ~_ m - 1, " I-"mlmmummm ow"IRMT- sw - I 322 BRANCH COUNTY. -- in Mentor, Lake Co., Ohio, Nov. 15, 1841, and Nannie B., who is the wife of Caleb 0. Linton. of Union Township. Mr. and Mrs. Talbott are the parents of one child, a daughter, Myrtie L., who is now the wife of Frank W. Baker, of Union City. Politically, Mr. Talbott affiliates with the Republican party, but although he is a good practical business man, a clear thinker and a close reasoner, and eminently qualified to discharge official duties, he is not in any sense of the word an office-seeker, but prefers to devote his attention to the more peaceful domestic pursuits of agriculture. J OHN M. GRAY, of Batavia Township, is proprietor of one of the most attractive homesteads within its borders, in the shape of a finely cultivated farm of eighty acres. with handsome and substantial buildings. Like many of the solid men about him, he is an offshoot of the Empire State, having been born in Westfield Township, Schenectady County, Sept. 29. 1827. Our subject is of Irish ancestry, his father, Thomas Gray, having been born in County Down, Ireland, where he was reared to manhood and learned the trade of shoemaker. Upon emigrating to America, he located in New York State, where he was married to Miss Polly McClintock, who was horn and reared there. After marriage, the parents of our subject settled in Chautauqua County, N. Y., where three children were born-Mary A., John M. and Emmett-and then moved to Erie County, Pa., settling on a farm in Girard Township. Our subject was then a little lad four years of age. Thomas Gray died there in the fall of 1840, at the age of sixty years. He was Democratic in politics, and a member of the Presbyterian Church. The mother survived until in July, 1877, and died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Charles Pettibone, of Girard Township, Erie Co., Pa. She was born in Northumberland County, that State, in 1796, and like her husband, was a Presbyterian in religious belief. The parental household included seven children, four of whom were born in Pennsylvania, namely: Caro line, Harriet, James and Margaret. The seven lived to mature years, and four are married. Mr. Gray, our subject, acquired a common-school education, and was a lad of thirteen years at the time of his father's death. He was then thrown upon his own resources principally, and at the age of twenty years, in 1847, embarked as a sailor on the lake steamer "Troy," which he left to go on the "General Harrison." Later he engaged on the schooners "Luran" and "Alps," under Capts. Pettibone and Trounce, respectively. He was thereafter upon several vessels plying Lakes Erie and Ontario, and arose to the position of mate on the brig "Clarion." Subsequently he became master of the "L. D. Coman." In 1857 he was master and part owner of the schooner "William M. Arbuckle," of Erie, Pa., and remained with this vessel until the close of the season of 1862. The year following he sailed as master of the schooner "Storm Spirit," and in 1864 became Captain of the same vessel. On the 10th of August, that year, she collided off lexington, Lake Huron, with the bark "Milwaukee," and sank in twenty minutes, a total loss with her cargo of coal. This disaster happened in the night. Fortunately there was no loss of life. Capt. Gray next sailed on the schooner "Rebecca," and was afterward on the "Wings of the Wind," with which vessel he remained until 1866. About daybreak on the 12th of May, that year, when five miles off the Chicago light house, she collided with the bark "Henry P. Baldwin," and in ten minutes sunk out of sight, involving a total loss with her cargo of coal, but fortunately, as before, no loss of life. Later, Capt. Gray was mate of the schooner "Mary M. Scott," and the season following was master and Captain of the same, and upon this vessel closed his boating life. In 1868, when resolving to settle upon terra firma, Capt. Gray came to this county and purchased the land which he now owns and occupies. He has developed from a competent sailor into a first-class farmer. In 1861 he was married, in Wyoming County, N. Y., to Miss Julia Phelps, who was born in Pike Township, that county, March 18, 1835. Her parents, Charles and Julia (Jordan) Phelps, were natives of New York, and died in Pike Township, Wyoming County, after reaching their three a. 0-!ii i3 I h jr.1 -"4o ) il I 1 11 _ -~-o ---rds I -.-~-rrr0-al~0r0 - L 9 - 0 __409. - p- a A I I W 1 - ~ m -,,IR w BRANCH COUNTY. 323 I, core and tel years. Her piternal grandfather served in the Revolutionary War. The parents were married in Cherry Valley, Otsego Co., N. Y., and at once settled upon a tract of wild land in Pike Township, Wyoming County, where they built up a good home, and spent the remainder of their (lays. Mr. Phelps was a Universalist in religious belief, and Democratic in politics. The mother was a Presbyterian. Mrs. Gray was the fifth child in the parental family of two sons and seven daughters. She was reared and educated in her native township, and is a lady of much intelligence, and held in high respect among her neighbors. She is the mother of seven children, one of whom, Lydia, (lied in early childhood; James married Miss Belle Van losen, and is general agent for a well-known Chicago firm, at Kalamazoo; Dellie is the wife of G. O. Grove, a well-todo farmer of Cambria Township, this county; Charles P. is agent for an Albany (N. Y.) firm; Libbie is attending school in Batavia; Frank and John M. are at home with their parents. The Captain uniformly endorses Republican principles, and has officiated as Justice of the Peace besides holding other minor offices. Socially, he belongs to the Blue Lodge, A. F. & A. M., at Coldwater. As a business man and a citizen he ranks among the leading men of his township. Mrs. Gray is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church; James and Libbie belong to the Baptist Church. ILLIAM H. H. CULVER settled in the eastern part of this county, on section 9, Quincy Township, in 1865, where he has since made his home, and engaged in agricultural pursuits. A native of Ontario County. N. Y., he was born near the town of Victor, Feb. 18, 1816, and is the son of Chancy and Lucy (Robert) Culver, natives respectively of Connecticut and Vermont. The parents of our subject left New England in their youth, going with their parents to Ontario County, N. Y., where upon reaching mature years they were married, and settling in Monroe County, that State, resided there until about 1838. Thence they came to Michigan, settling first in Clinton County, where the father entered land from the Government, and where he labored among the pioneers of that region until his death in 1855. The mother preceded her husband to the silent land, her death taking place in 1850. Their family included four sons and two daughters, of whom William H. H., our subject, is the eldest. His sister Mary, next younger, became the wife of Peter Smith, and the mother of three children, and died at her home in Lansing, Mich., about 1849; Annis is the wife of Alonzo Sage, of Ontario County, N. Y.; Joel was married, and died in August, 1886, in Ontario County; Chancy died in his youth in Genesee County, N. Y.; George is a resident of Iowa. The subject of this sketch was reared to manhood in his native county, and in 1856 started for the far West, taking at Buffalo the steamer "Ontario," which landed him in the embryo city of Detroit. He selected a location in Clinton County, and was joined by his parents and the balance of the family in the spring of 1838. His parents continued to live with him until 1841, and then, desirous of establishing a home of his own, he was united in marriage with Miss Lucina Priest, March 7. Mrs. Culver was born in Jefferson County, N. Y., July 19, 1826, and is the daughter of Joshua and Polly (Edmunds) Priest, the father a native of Vernmont, and the mother of New York State. They were married in the latter State in 1837, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride in Jefferson Count'. Soon afterward, migrating to Michigan, they settled in Bridgewater, Washtenaw County, where the father purchased forty acres of land, upon which he operated three years, then removed to Clinton County, where he only lived about six years, his death taking place inf August, 1846. The mother survived her husband a period of twenty-six years, remaining a widow, and died while on a visit to her old home in Jefferson County, N. Y., in 1872. The parents of Mrs. Culver had a family of fourteen children, eleven of whom grew to mature years. Polly became the wife of Asher Squires, t ~~spa~% ~ ~ ~~ar-~i~-u-L ---riL~y~- — " ~-~bll ~ll~e IOY ~IC LI~-ll ~ '~ ~I — ~CI __-' L IY~L ' —LI~3~r~YI*90 `-0 -4weIL~lC8-3181~B s -qs E - ~-wy 324 BRANCH and died in Wisconsin; Lewis died in Ionia County, this State; Electa is the wife of Simon Smith, of Jefferson County; George is a resident of Shiawassee County, this State; Ansel died in Ingham County; Joshua died in Jefferson County, N. Y., when about fourteen years of age; Lucinda married Jacob Lewis, and died in Clinton County; Lucina, Mrs. Culver, was next to the youngest; Loren went to California in 1849, and has not since been heard from; Elzina is the wife of Squires Church, of Kalkaska County, this State. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Culver resided in Clinton County about ten years, and then took up their residence in Ingham County, where our subject conducted a hotel for a time, and later was engaged in milling, sixteen miles east of Lansing. The mill was destroyed by fire, and he subsequently traded the site and remains for sixty acres of land in Livingston County, but continued a resident of Ingham, where lie in time became owner of 120 acres of land, where he carried on farming until his removal to this county. The present farm of our subject comprises eighty acres under good cultiyation, with a tasteful and commodious brick residence, a good barn, and all the other buildings required for his convenience. The household circle was completed by the birth of six children, the eldest of whom, Cindona, is the wife of William E. Jacobs, and resides in Shiawassee County; Annis C. is the widow of Charles Reed, and resides in Dunn County, Wis.; Mary L., Mrs. Elliston Warner, lives in Quincy Township; William H. is carrying on farming in Grand Rapids; Isadore is the wife of W. F. Bush, and a resident of Shiawassee County, this State; Lewis F. is residing in Detroit. Mr. Culver, politically, is a solid Republican, and has officiated as Postmaster in Clinton and Ingham Counties for a period of fourteen years. In Quincy Township he has held the various local offices, and is a member in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church. During his early residence in this county wild game was plentiful, and being a great lover of sport, Mr. Culver spent many a day with his rifle in the woods. He has killed many a deer upon the ground where since have arisen ample farm buildings, and all the other evidences COUNTY. -.. A qi, I I of civilization. One night in Clinton County a bear came after the pig in his pen, and Mr. Culver, sallying out, followed bruin, and when as near him as he dared go, fired in the direction, but on account of the darkness missed his aim. The following morning he followed the tracks of the bear as long as he had time, but being obliged to attend a funeral that day, was forced to abandon the chase for several hours. He found where the bear had left the hog, and when night came on, with the aid of a dog, they treed the robber. and built a fire under him to light up the branches. Mr. Culver brought the animal to the ground with his rifle, and after he was dispatched, skinned the carcass, and the following day hauled it to the woods, and built over it a pen of logs, within which he set a trap, and soon caught another bear, which he also killed. The lakes of Clinton County at that time also abounded in fish, which Mr. Culver often speared from his canoe at night. As one of the early pioneers of Southern Michigan he can relate many an interesting tale of the early days, and always finds willing and interested listeners among the rising generation. He endured, in common with the people about him, privations and hardships, and has done his share of work in bringing a portion of the soil of this section to a good state of cultivation. His career has been that of an honest man and a good citizen, and he is held in respect by all who know him. >_ __,.. A I i 1 I I I i i I AiK YRON H. ROWELL, after a life of travel I \ and a more than ordinary acquaintance with I the vicissitudes of life, has settled down to agricultural pursuits, at which he will probably spend his declining years. He is pleasantly located on section 5, Union Township, where he owns a farm of eighty-eight acres of highly improved land, which he purchased in 1882, close to the village of Union. The father of our subject, Jared M. Rowell, was a native of the Empire State, whence he removed from Naples, Ontario County, to this county in 210-4E —oft - ob —m —tIP" --- —~-P B~i~~llllWI1~~; ---- ~ —1B~~~t~~l~ __q". _. I f It 0 An: 1 -- "R 7ll- qJIs l BRANCH COUNTY. 325 I 1844, and settled in Sherwood Township in the fall of that year. He was accompanied by his wise and family of four children, three sons and one daughter, and was appointed Postmaster at Sherwood, which position he held for many years, and had the office in his residence. Mrs. Rowell, whose maiden name was Jemima Otto, was also a native of the Empire State, where she was born in Phelps, Ontario County They continued to reside in Sherwood Township for many years, and then selling their property, they removed to Union City, where the death of the father occurred Jan. 13, 1874, when seventy-nine years of age. He was born in New Hampshire in 1795, and during the War of 1812 did service in the army as drum major. The death of the mother occurred at the residence of her son, our subject, in the township of Union, March 9, 1888, when she also was seventy-nine years of age. The parental family of our subject included four children-Myron H., Jared S., Wells and Isabella. Isabella became the wife of Byron Ferris, and died in the township of Sherwood, Aug. 20, 1860, when about twenty-five years old. Myron H. was the eldest of the family, and was born in Naples, Ontario Co., N. Y., July 13, 1828. Ile came to Michigan with his parents when a young man of sixteen years, and resided at the homestead until the fall of 1850, when he took the water route, and started to California for the purpose of engaging in mining. He lived in different places in California, Washington Territory, Idaho, Nevada and Utah, spending altogether thirty-two years, and was engaged during this time in mining, teaming and stock-raising. While in California, at a place called Cox's Bar, he was engaged in mining, and while working under the mountain, a distance of 900 feet from the opening, in company with four other men, the earth caved in, and two of the number were killed outright. Mr. Rowell narrowly escaped sharing their fate, having his foot crushed and one leg broken, besides sustaining serious internal injuries, the effects of which he will carry through life. He was thus imprisoned two hours before he was extricated. Mr. Rowell's father held the office of Justice of the Peace in Sherwood Township for many years, and was elected to some of the other township I I offices. In politics the sympathies of Mr. Rowell are enlisted with the Prohibitionists, as his experience in mining regions has taught him the evils of intemperance. 6 HARLES W. STAFFORD, a gentleman in the prime of life, has been in possession of a good farm on section 15, in Union Township, for the last forty years, which comprises 169 acres, and of which he secured possession in 1863, after a creditable record made as a soldier of the Union army. A native of Calhoun County, this State, he was born in Burlington Township, Feb. 5, 1843, and aside from his army life, has had very little experience than as an agriculturist. His parents, Hosea B. and Lura (Wilson) Stafford, were natives of St. Lawrence County, N. Y., where they settled after their marriage, and whence they came, about 1840, to Michigan, pitching their tent among the pioneers of Union Township. Here the father occupied himself as an honest tiller of the soil, and was called from his earthly labors on the 12th of February, 1884, at a ripe old( age. The mother is still living, making her home with our subject. The eight children of the parental household were named respectively: Frances, Lucinda, Charles W., Harriet, Laura, Martha, Mary and Edward. Of these our subject was the eldest born, and from the time he was able to assist in the improvement of the new farm, was the mainstay of his father until the coming on of the Civil War, when he was constrained to enter the army, and do battle in behalf of the Union. He enlisted Sept. 17, 1861, in Battery D, 1st Michigan Light Artillery, serving three years and ten months, and although experiencing the privations and hardships incidental to army life, he returned in safety to his home, with an experience which has proved to him of benefit in all his after years. Mr. Stafford participated in many of the important battles of the war, including those of Stone River, Chickamauga. Mission Ridge, also Lookout Mountain, and many others which are perpetuated in, B "al"" I ai i i r II I 4 MOK-Lmmmwm wxwwxxxm ~x - -101^1 I is m at-,'1 A_. W W, 1_44 Arbb 1 I 1 ~ 326 BRANCH COUNTY. -- history. He was ever at his post, and in time was given the position of Quartermaster Sergeant, and by his faithful attention to duty and his readiness to march at the call of danger, received the approval of his superior officers, and the warm admiration of his comrades. Upon returning to the arts of peace his chief business was the establishment of a home of his own, and when he had a good prospect of this he was married, in Union City, April 28, 1874, to Miss Margaret C. Harsh, who was born in Carroll County, Ohio, April 25,1852. Mrs. Stafford is the daughter of Adam and Susannah (Mintling) Harsh, who became residents of Union Township in August, 1868, where they spent the remainder of their lives. They were the parents of twelve children, five sons and seven daughters, Mrs. Stafford being the youngest of the latter. Her union with our subject has resulted in the birth of two children only: Roy H., born June 11, 1881, and Ralph C., June 1, 1887. Mr. Stafford cast his first Presidential vote for U. S. Grant, and uniformly affiliates with the Republican party. He was elected Treasurer of Union Township in the spring of 1888, and socially, belongs to Corbin Post No. 88, G. A. R., at Union City. ON. RODNEY K. TWADELL located in Quincy Township in 1851, and was recognized as a valued addition to the community. He was intelligent, stirring, and very energetic, and after filling various local offices was elected, in 1876 and 1878, on the Republican ticket, to the Lower House of the Michigan Legislature, and served creditably two terms, being in the meantime Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture, and doing good service in other capacities. Mr. Twadell has followed farming all his life with the exception of the time mentioned, having, when first coming to Quincy Township, purchased 100 acres of land on section 5, where he made his home until 1883. He then wisely resolved to retire from active labor, and took up his residence in the village of Quincy, where he has since lived. In the meantime he retains his farm property, but extends over it his general supervision. It is a fine body of land, highly productive, and the source of a handsome income. Thereon Mr. Twadell put up good buildings, and supplied himself with all the machinery necessary for carrying on agriculture in a profitable manner. Our subject was born in Wayne County, N. Y., near the town of Marion, Nov. 7, 1827. Little is known of his family with the exception that they were of substantial Scotch ancestry, and crossed the Atlantic probably (uring Colonial days. Daniel Twadell, the father of our subject, was born in Connecticut, and was left an orphan at an early age. In the meantime he migrated to Wayne County, N. Y., where he was employed as a farm laborer, and married Mrs. Jerusha (Kellogg) Peckham, who was also of New England birth and parentage. They continued their residence in Wayne County, where the father followed farming, and where his death took place in 1849, at the age of sixty-three years. The mother subsequently came to this State, and died in Branch County, in 1870, at the age of seventy-seven. Of her first marriage there were two children, and of the last six. The latter lived to mature years, then two daughters, Laura W. and Mary Jane, died of consumption, and four of the children are still surviving. Alma P., now Mrs. Howell, is a resident of Wayne County, N. Y.; Rodney K., our subject, was the fourth child; Charles J. is a resident of Quincy, this county, also Helen E., Mrs. Culver. Mr. Twadell spent his boyhood and youth on the farm, receiving a common-school education, and in 1849 was married to Miss Mary Culver, who was born in Palmyra, N. Y., and was the daughter of Paul and Martha Culver, who came to Michigan in 1849. They were joined two years later by Mr. and Mrs. T. Our subject, leaving his wife here, returned to New York to settle up some of his business affairs. Upon coming back he located permanently, and has since remained a resident of Quincy Township. Mrs. Mary Twadell departed this life at the homestead, in October, 1872. She was the mother of five children, three of whom survive her. The eldest, Frank A., is a resident of Iowa; Eddie Reeves K Ii F1! AJr 4: -_ I I 1 I)(brC~~r —.~QC eP —~~-rr — ~ --- -~0)111*11~afts i apr a I BRANCH COUJNTY. 327 1 BRANC COUNY. 32 I resides in Nebraska, and Kittie B. is living at home. Mr. Twaddle in 1873 contracted a second marriage, with Miss Phebe L., daughter of Nicholas and Phebe (Rockwood) Culp, who was born in Niagara County, N. Y., April 5, 1833. Her parents were natives respectively of Pennsylvania and New York, and were among the pioneers of this county, coming to Girard Township in 1840, where they spent the remainder of their days. Our subject cast his first vote for Martin Van Buren the day he was twenty-one years old-the latter was the candidate of the Free-Soil party. Mr. Twadell's father voted for Gen. Taylor. After that time our subject continued a Whig until the organization of the Republican party. Since 1884, however, he has been identified with the Prohibitionists. He has served as Justice of the Peace, and filled many other positions of trust and responsibility. As an agriculturist, he met with more than ordinary success, and as a business man and a citizen he is above reproach. AMUEL BATER, in former years one of the most industrious men of Batavia Township, is now enabled to rest upon his oars and take life comparatively easy, as lie has a good farm and a snug competency to fall back upon in his later years. He came to Batavia Township in 1861, and took up his abode on the land which he now occupies in 1868, and which he has transformed from an indifferently cultivated tract to a good homestead. It comprises 105 acres, located on section 23, with substantial improvements and the soil in a good state of cultivation. Our subject was born nearly fifty-one years ago, on the other side of the Atlantic, in Devonshire, England, Dec. 25, 1837. His father, William Bater, was of pure English ancestry and spent his entire life upon his native soil in Devonshire. He followed agricultural pursuits, and was gathered to his fathers at the age of sixty-eight years, about 1861. The maiden name of the mother was Mary Cochran. She also was of pure English stock, and - like her husband, was born, reared, and spent her entire life in Devonshire. She survived her excellent partner and died at the age of eighty years. The subject of this sketch was a bright and ambitious boy, and early in life began to think for himself. When but a youth of fifteen he resolved to seek the soil of another continent, to see if something better could not be obtained than anything which was likely to befall him in his native land. He accordingly announced his determination to cross the Atlantic and join an elder brother in New York. He had no means, but such had been his training and his natural habits in life that he had no trouble in borrowing the money necessary for such a venture, and accordingly, one day bidding adieu to his friends, he made iis way to Plymouth, and embarked on a trading-vessel bound for Quebec, Canada. That city they reached after a tedious voyage of ten weeks, and young Bater soon made his way to Rochester, N. Y., where he lived eighteen months and occupied himself at whatever he could find to do. Not yet satisfied with his prospects, our subject, in 1854, determined to seek the farther West, and making his way to Fayette Township, Hillsdale County, landed in Jonesville, where he lived until 1859, engaged in farming. He next took up his residence in Coldwater, this county, and later decided to locate in Batavia Township. He now purchased forty acres of land, but not having the ready money gave a mortgage, which was foreclosed during his absence in the army fighting for Uncle Sam. Upon the breaking out of the Rebellion Mr. Bater was a resident of Batavia and engaged in his plans for the future, but the following year, there appearing little prospect of a speedy termination of the war, he enlisted as a private in Company C, 19th Michigan Infantry, under Capt. Charles Lincoln and Col. H. C. Gilbert, His regiment was assigned to the Army of the Tennessee, under command of Gen. Sherman, and our subject went with his comrades through the campaign. At Spring Hills the whole regiment was captured and sent to Libby Prison, but in twenty days were paroled. Later they fought through the Atlanta campaign, our subject being present at the battles of Resaca and New Hope Church, and meeting the enemy in vari I I a -..a IDLLk-~-~*Sb hL. n -- -- ---- - I~,aJ~e~l~sr~asrr 8u~ i v r, ~ I I ' ~, I' 1-p 'l - I I II 1.1, II II I'l I I11, 11 1I -11.11Ah m b - M I - F. - -- 328 BRANCH COUNTY. I ous other engagements and skirmishes. He escaped further mishap, and at the close of the war received his honorable discharge. Mr. Bater, upon laying aside the accoutrements of war, returned to his old haunts in Michigan, and notwithstanding the fact that he had lost his first land, he did not allow this to discourage him, but bravely took up another tract which was to be paid for in hard days' work, and the warrantee deed for which he received in due time. Before the war he had taken unto himself a wife and helpmate, Miss Lucinda Stafford, who was born in Union Township, this county, Nov. 6, 1841, and is the daughter of Asa and Hosea Stafford. who settled in this locality in the pioneer days. They located upon land in Union Township, where the father spent the remainder of his days and where the mother is yet living. Mrs. Bater was reared and educated in her native township and remained under the paternal roof until her marriage. Seven children have been the result of her union with our subject, of whom one, Thomas, died when two years old. Charles married Miss Rosa Van Voris, and is farming in Union Township; Mary is the wife of John Yetter, of Colon Township, St. Joseph County; Alexander, Harry, Rosa and Samuel are at home with their parents. It is hardly necessary to say that Mr. Bater is a Republican, politically, and he is also a member of thle G. A. R., Butterworth Post, at Coldwater. O G. BABCOCK occupies a prominent and influential position among the wealthy and extensive farmers and stock-raisers of Branch County. He resides on section 15, Gilead Township, where he owns, in company with his father, a farm of 510 acres, and he is the sole owner of a fine farm of 168 acres near Bronson, and in the town of Bronson possesses valuable resident property and real estate. Our subject was born in Portage County, Ohio, in 1837, and was the second child in the family of eight born to E. B. and Alma (Hoskin) Babcock, natives of Ohio and New York respectively. His paternal grandparents were pioneers of Portage County, Ohio, and the father of our subject was the first male child born in the township of Hiram, in that county. He is still living there, and is a well-to-do and highly respected farmer. His excellent wife passed away a number of years ago. Our subject was reared to a farmer's life in his native State. He received the basis of a sound education in the district schools of Ohio, and subsequently was a student at Hiram College for four terms, during the time that President J. A. Garfield was at the head of that institution. After completing his education, Mr. Babcock for twenty-five years followed the occupation of drover, and accumulated considerable money. He was married in Gilead Township, in 1861, to Miss Artimicia Green, who was born in Michigan in 1843. She was the eighth of the nine children of David Green. His wife's maiden name was Chalker, and they were natives of New York. They came to this county at a very early day, and were residents of Gilead Townslip a number of years. The father died in Coldwater, and the mother now lives in Orland, Ind., at the advanced age of eighty-six years. After marriage Mr. Babcock settled in Bethel Township, and was there extensively engaged in speculating, buying and shiping stock to Buffalo and New York City, and in the winter terms he taught school in Gilead and Bethel Townships, being thus engaged for five seasons very successfully. Feb. 11, 1863, he sustained a sad loss in the death of his young wife, after a very short illness; she was nineteen years old, just blooming into womanhood, and she left a child, a babe of two weeks, Edwin G.. who was taken to live with his grandfather in Portage County, Ohio, and makes his home with him at the present time. After the death of his wife our subject left Branch County, and made his home elsewhere the most of the time, and was for some years engaged as a drover in Ohio. He subsequently bought eighty acres of timber land in Bethel Township, on section 15, and after improving it sold that property, and bought a farm of 160 acres of partly improved land near Bronson. He developed it into one of the finest and best tilled farms in that locality, and still continues to own it. He also,A- ------ lPJlllq3-r. 1 ~-~1II- -— 11113-~~- ICIII I-I-"~~.LI~ ~~ ~~1II$~ -IV L I -114* MUMMUMM - - -:40 BRANCH COUNTY. 329 bought lots and erected a substantial residence in the city of Bronson, where he continued to live for about twenty years. His practical sagacity and fine business talents soon made him a leading citizen in that township, and he was often called upon to hold offices of responsibility and trust; he was for twelve years Supervisor of Bronson, was one of the Town Trustees for many years, and is a member of the School Board; he was especially active in educational matters, securing a new school building, of which he was the manager, and to his untiring efforts and zeal the citizens of Bronson are greatly indebted for the new town house. In 1865, in Portage County, Ohio, Mr. Babcock was a second time married, Miss Cornelia Kneeland becoming his wife. She was born in Ohio in 1836, and was the second of the five children of Isaac and Electa (Thompson) Kneeland, natives respectively of Connecticut and New Hampshire. When a boy of ten years, her father moved with his parents from his New England birthplace to Portage County, Ohio, and there he grew to manhood and married, and there engaged in farming until his removal with his family to Illinois in 1838. He lived for a few years in Whiteside County, that State, and then removed to Knox County, also in Illinois, where lie resided for a number of years. In 1844 he returned to Ohio and settled on a farm. He subsequently came to Michigan in 1871, and settled in Bethel Township, this county, where he was living at the time of his death, which occurred May 10, 1884, at the age of nearly eighty years. His excellent wife passed away in 1881, at the age of eighty years. After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Babcock settled in this county, making their home for many years in Bronson Township. In 1884 our subject bought with his father the farm in Gilead Township, and since then he and his wife have been valued residents of this conmmunity. The farm is well improved and is stocked with good graded cattle, fine blooded Morgan and Hambletonian horses, and fine Merino sheep. He owns a famous thoroughbred Hambletonian stallion, that has sired some very nice colts in this neighborhood. His fine residence is pleasantly situated about ten miles from Bronson and five and one-half miles from Orland, Ind. It may' be seen by reading this brief record of the life of our subject that it has been a busy one, and that he is practically a self-made man, having gained his present honorable position of affluence and ease by sheer hard work, and the judicious management of his affairs. In 1858, in company with four others. Mr. Babcock made the very memorable and exciting journey across the plains to Pike's Peak, which, it must be remembered was not the easy journey that it is to-day, but was fraught with some hardships and even dangers, and it took months to arrive at the destination which may be reached in a few days now. They went by rail to St. Joseph, Mo., and thence to the Rocky Mountains with an ox-team, and were on the road nearly three months, April, May and June. They did not stay long in the vicinity of Pike's Peak, but soon set their faces homeward, traveling along the Platte River, and had a very enjoyable trip. Since his residence in this county our subject has materially aided in promoting its prosperity, and has (one much to elevate its moral and social status. As we have seen, he has mingled much in public life in the towns in which lie has resided, having held high offices in Bronson Township, and also in Bethel, of which he was Township Supervisor for one year. In political views he is independent, with a leaning toward the Democratic party, yet lie does not confine himself to party limits, always voting for the man whom he considers best fitted for the office. Mr. and Mrs. Babcock are esteemed members of the Congregational Church, of which he was one of the Trustees for a number of years. *:;aint AGr EORGE H. SAGER for the last seventeen years has been comfortably located on a good farm in Bronson Township, where he cultivates twenty-six acres, and has a set of good frame buildings. He is a native of this township, and was born May 30, 1850. His parents, George and Emily J. (Blanchard) Sager, were natives of i 5 Z- - vwwxmmxnm mw - mqm a 4 r! i I -1 I I I r I I 330 BRANCH COUNTY. 1 I New York State and pioneers of this county. A sketch of them will be found elsewhere in this ALBUM. The subject of this sketch was the fifth of his parents' ten children, and like his brothers and sisters acquired a common-school education, and became duly familiar with the various employments of farm life. A few months after reaching his lmajority he was married, Oct. 11, 1871, to Miss Lucinda K. Swift, who was born in Macedon, Wayne Co., N. Y., Feb. 3, 1851, and is the daughter of Erastus W. and Melissa A. (Pelham) Swift, who were natives of New York State, and of German and English ancestry. The parents of Mrs. Sager came to Michigan in 1851, taking the first boat which ventured out on Lake Erie that spring, and were consequently, by a cold snap, caught fast in the ice, where they were obliged to remain until thawed out. Upon reaching terra firma they settled in Coldwater Township, this county, where the father carried on farming successfully, and departed this life in November, 1874. The mother survived less than a year, following her husband to the silent land in January, 1875. They were the parents of eleven children, of whom eight still survive. Mr. and Mrs. Sager settled on their present farm in 1871, and are the parents of two childrenMaurice J. and Lilly A. The wife of our subject is a member in good standing of the Baptist Church. Mr. Sager belongs to the I. 0. 0. F. Politically, he supports Republican principles, and is one of the most active members of his party in this section. s DMIRAL BURCH. The neat farm of 130 acres which occupies a part of section 15 in liRl Batavia Township, is noticeable for the manner in which the soil has been cultivated, the substantial buildings, the farm stock and machinery, and all the other appurtenances whicli go to make the model country estate. In this township our subject has lived since the time of his birth, which occurred Feb. 13, 1844, his father, Addison Burch. having been one of the early settlers of this region. Addison Burch was born in New York State, where he was reared and married Miss Mary Brown, a native of the same locality, and of English ancestry. After marriage they set out for Michigan, locating first in Monroe County among its earliest pioneers. The father was a very active and energetic man, kept tavern and operated a sawmill, and was never so well satisfied as when full of business. Late in the thirties the family changed their residence from Lenawee to Branch County, taking up their abode in the woods of Batavia Township. Here they remained for a number of years. The mother spent her last days at the home of her son Admiral, where her death took place in 1860, at the age of forty-seven. The father died two years later, while on a visit to his daughter, Mrs. Lucinda Hall, in Hastings, in 1862, when he was fifty-eight years old. Mr. Burch was a man of decided views, and a firm adherent of Democratic principles. Our subject was the youngest member of his father's family, and like the sons of the farmers around, acquired a common-school education. He remained with his parents until the outbreak of the late war, and in 1861 enlisted in the 1st Michigan Artillery, which was subsequently known as the Loomis Battery. This division was assigned to the Army of the Cumberland, and after marching to tlhe front they spent the first six months in West Virginia, where were fought the two battles of Rich Mountain and Greenbrier. Later our subject was under the enemy's fire at Bowling Green, Ky., and Chickamauga, at which latter place the Loomis Battery was captured, partly on the field and partly at Mission Ridge. At Chickamauga young Burch was one of the ten members of the Loomis Battery who became the spoil of the enemy anQl were sent to the Belle Isle Prison, where they were kept for a period of thirteen weeks. While being transferred to the interior our subject and a comrade from Illinois by the name of Clark. and another from the 2d Iowa Cavalry, made their escape by jumping from the train. They were going at a good speed, but the night was dark and rainy, and they were thus enabled to elude I4 i I I t P! 1 —od" r __ I -ll.40 I --- I I I ---- 4-P 1 B1;IP. ~- -, i. "I':,I g -—, I - -~IL, 0 00III~ IC I ~. 1 - _Aww I t L d v~- * "Oil 1 1, 111 1lol "I 1 1 I: ~ I,"m. "I I ' I M IMI 1,8 11 PR BRANCH COUNTY. 331 I their enemies. After sixteen days' travel over a very rough country, comprising a section of the Blue Ridge, and in fact a large portion of the Alleghany Range, they finally reached the Union barracks at Beverly, W. Va. Several times they were upon the point of capture, and traveled three days without food. Upon reaching a place of safety they were granted a thirty days' furlough, and upon the expiration of this Mr. Burch joined his battery and continued at his post until the close of the war and his honorable discharge. The Loomis Battery is now a permanent organization and has annual meetings. Our subject has not in any wise lost his patriotism, and refers with pardonable pride to that period of his life in which he distinguished himself as a soldier of the Union. Upon his return home after the war he resumed farming, and on the 5th of March, that same year, 1865, he was united in marriage with Miss Clemantile Millard, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride in Matteson. Mrs. Burch was born in Coldwater, June 13, 1845, and is the daughter of Lewis and Rachel (Gardiner) Millard, who were both natives of New York State, whence they came with their parents to Michigan, and were married in 1841. They settled in Coldwater Township, where the father carried on farming successfully, and built up a good homestead from the uncultivated soil. In 1878 they removed to Oceana County, this State, where the mother died in 1880, at the age of fifty-nine years. The father later returned to Coldwater and married his second wife, Mrs. Minerva Wilcox, and they are now living in a comfortable home in Coldwater Township. The mother of Mrs. Burch was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, as is also her father and his second wife. The wife of our subject was reared and educated in Coldwater, and is a lady of more than ordinary intelligence and amiability of character. She has been in all respects the suitable helpmate of her husband in the building up of their pleasant and desirable home. Their two children, Guleika P. and Lewis W., are living with their parents, and have inherited in a marked degree the fine intellectual qualities of their mother, and the good business head of their father. Mr. Burch uniformly votes the Republican ticket, and has filled the minor offices of his township. Both are members of the P. of H., No. 95, at Batavia, and our subject as an ex-soldier belongs to Butterworth Post No. 90, G. A. R., at Coldwater. AMES SHEFFIELD, engaged in general farming on section 8, Bronson Township, came to this county in February, 1856, and located where he has resided ever since. He is one of the oldest residents of this section of the country, having almost reached his fourscore years, as he was born Dec. 24, 1811, in Solon, Cortland Co., N. Y. The subject of this biographical sketch is the son of Silas and Sarah (Levisee) Sheffield, natives respectively of Rhode Island and Connecticut. They removed to New York State, where they were among the early settlers, and lived until the breaking out of the War of 1812. The father enlisted in the army in defense of his country's rights, and at the battle of the Stone Mill lie received a wound, from which lie died at Plattsburg, in 1814. Mr. Sheffield was united in marriage, in 1830, with Miss Lydia A. Edwards, of Geneva, Ontario Co., N. Y., and a daughter of Anthony and Anna A. (Parker) Edwards. This union resulted in the birth of the following-named children: George, Eliza Jane, William H., James U., Mary, and Josephine, who died in Detroit at the age of fortytwo years. The mother of these children died Feb. 4, 1875, and our subject was asecond time married, in Nottawa, St. Joseph County, to Mrs. Ann Shimmel, who was a native of England, and was twice married before her union with Mr. Sheffield. She was first married to John Dipple,'and their union resulted in the birth of nine children. In 1885 our subject removed from the Empire State, and settled in Lagrange, Ind., where he remained only about one year, however, and then came to Branch County. Upon his arrival he bought forty acres of land in Bronson Township, which he has now well improved, and has erected a i 1 I_ 00-4 — O, 1 1 Iraxan L ---- I-bC- skl, - pgl —Plr~* ----l ~ — P~.~ - l - I(~ar~~ 332 BRANCH COUNTY. 332 BRANCH COUNTY. neat and commodious residence. His son, George S., of whom a short sketch is found elsewhere in this volume, lives with his father, and has been quite successful in utilizing his inventive genius. He has invented a velocipede, from which he has realized handsome returns, and also another machine used in planting corn. EONARD TAYLOR. The name of this ( gentleman is widely and favorably known!1 throughout Batavia Township, where he operates one of the finest farms in this region, and which comprises 279 acres, pleasantly located on sections 28 and 29, the residence on the latter. The place is finely improved with convenient and substantial buildings, and everything about it is kept in first-class condition, from the fences to the live stock, while the farm machinery is of the latest and most improved pattern, and all the other appurtenances in keeping with the means and standing of the proprietor of a well-regulated country estate. Mr. Taylor became owner of this property in 1856, although he did not commence operating it until five years later. Like most of the prominent men around him, he is a native of the Empire State, having been born near Clarence Hollow, Monroe County, April 13, 1829. His father, Leonard Taylor, Sr., was a native of Vermont, and of New England ancestry. He was reared to manhood among the hills of the Green Mountain State, and settled in Morrow County, N. Y., when a young man, before his marriage. He sought for his wife among the maidens of that region Miss Caroline Stranahan, who was born and reared in New York State. They located on a farm in Clarence Hollow, and, in connection with agriculture, operated a country tavern for a number of years. There also their two eldest children were born: Leonard, Jr., and his brother Franklin, the latter of whom died in childhood. In the spring of 1834 the father of our subject, with his little family, resolving to seek the more western country, started for Southern Michigan, making the journey to Detroit by a lake vessel, and from there with teams overland to Clinton Township, Lenawee County. A year later they changed their residence to this county, and rented the old hotel on the Chicago road in Batavia Township. Many travelers passed through this locality, and stopped in large numbers at this public place of entertainment, it being probably the only shelter of the kind which they could find for miles around. Mr. Taylor operated this house in connection with a partner, Mr. John H. Stevens, who is now a resident of Oregon. Mr. Stevens finally withdrew, and Mr. Taylor conducted the house alone for a time, then purchased a tract of land on section 29, in Batavia Township, where he spent the remainder of his days, passing away on the 4th of November, 1877, when seventy-seven years old. Politically, he was a stanch Democrat, and was one of the first men in Batavia Township to serve as Justice of the Peace. He was straightforward in his dealings with his fellowmen, and left a worthy record to his posterity. The wife and mother survived her husband seven years, her death taking place June 29, 1884, she also being seventy-seven years old. The subject of this sketch grew to manhood in Batavia Township, becoming familiar with farm pursuits, and sought for his wife one of the maidens of this region, Miss Roxana Sweet, who was born in Ohio, and came with her parents to Michigan when quite young. Her father, Northrup Sweet, located in Batavia Township early in the fifties, and died at an advanced age some years ago. Of this union there was born one child only, a son, J. Franklin, who died when about eighteen months old. Mrs. Roxana Taylor departed this life at her home in Batavia Township, in January, 1854. Our subject contracted a second marriage, May 4, 1854, with Mrs. Laura A. (Card) Baker, who was born in Williams Township, Berkshire Co., Mass., March 14, 1827. Her parents, Freeden and Julia (Lamphere) Card, were also of New England birth and parentage, and came to the West about 1837. The father died at the age of sixty-seven years, Oct. 12, 1863, in Dover, Lenawee County, leaving a good property. The mother was subsequently married to a Mr. Carter, and is a resident of Adrian, being now eighty-two years old. Mrs. Laura Taylor was a child four years of age aft _ ah Ak.4-8 -71 —1m i Fr~~ * V.... I' -o" ow —70F --- --— owaagD*-~8 BRANTCH COUNTY.Y 3333 BRNHCUNY 3 I when her parents left Massachusetts and settled in Herkimer County, N. Y., where they lived about six years, and then came to Michigan, locating first in Dover Township, Lenawee County. They were residents of that township a period of twenty years, then came to Batavia Township, this county. Their daughter Laura was first married in Dover Township, to William J. Baker, a native of New York State, and who died in Dover Township, Lenawee County. at the age of thirty-three years. By her two marriages Mrs. Taylor is the mother of six children, two of wllom, Juliet and Frederick L., (lied when twenty-one months and eighteen years old respectively. Emma J. is the wife of Charles Noyes, who is farming in Batavia Township; Lauraett, Charles H. and Edward Watson are at home. Mr. Taylor has always supported Republican principles, and is a man of decided views, and one whose opinions are held in general respect among his neighbors. He was elected Justice of the Peace in 1884, the duties of which office he is discharging in the same praiseworthy manner as did his honored father before him. I Bartholomew and Edna (Warner) Strang, the father a- farmer by occupation, and who spent his last years in this county. The mother died when her son, our subject, was but a few months old, leaving besides him four other children, namely: Sally, who is now the wife of Charles Morse, of Oneida County, N. Y.; Abram, who died when about fifty years old; Charles, who is a resident of Bronson Township, and Mary, Mrs. Voorhees, living about one mile southeast of Bronson. Bartholomew Strang, after the death of his first wife was married to Miss Mary Ann Nelson, of Oneida County, N. Y., and in 1851 the family all came to Michigan, locating in Bronson Township, this county. Here our subject grew to manhood. He received his limited education in his native State, as his eyes prevented him from studying after coming to the West. I-e was steady and industrious, however, and before reaching the twentieth year of his age was married, on the 4th of March, 1857, to Miss Esther, daughter of George and Betsey J. Monroe, and who was born in Cayuga County, N. Y., April 4, 1842. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Strang settled upon a rented farm in Bronson Township, but a few years later changed their residence to Calhoun County, living in Homer Township until 1865. That year Mr. Strang was drafted into the army, becoming a member of the 10th Michigan Infantry, and they started for New Berne, N. C., but before they reached their destination Lee had surrendered to Grant, and the regiment was held in New York City and three weeks later discharged from service. Our subject now settled with his family in Allen Township. Hillsdale County, and bought a farm, but that year was in very poor health, having contracted a (isease during his short period of military service which did not readily yield to treatment. In 1866, however, he was himself again, and rented a large farm in Allen Township, Hillsdale County, a portion of which he purchased in 1869, and subsequently added to it until he was the owner of ninety-one acres. This he sold in the spring of 1883, and coming to this county purchased his present farm. He was fortunate in securing a very pleasant location and has been prospered in his labors. He votes the straight Democratic ticket, and stands ANIEL STRANG. The finely appointed homestead of this gentleman is one of the noticeable features of section 1, of Quincy Township, and embraces 195 acres of valuable land, the proceeds of which each year net to its proprietor a handsome income. He has a wellbuilt and substantial dwelling, good barns and all the necessary outhouses, the latest improved machinery, a goodly assortment of horses, cattle and swine, and all the other appurtenances of the complete country estate. A self-made man, the accumulations of our subject are the result of his own industry, as he was thrown upon his own resources early in life, having no one on whom to depend but himself. The main points in his history are substantially as follows: The early home of our subject was in Oneida County, N. Y., where his birth took place in Verona Township, March 25, 1837. His parents were l., He i ti I opp. aglC1~*u41&Lgl~"~~rsls~L~II8"~1PIB. ' -~Srrsra-, I-XIYLIIUlla -LL --- ql is?a k 11 I I f I I i I I i I 1 L 334 BRANCH COUNTY. U t I - -- well in his community. To our subject and his estimable wife there have been born eight children, six of whom are living and named respectively: George, Imogene, Monroe, Ettie, Myrtie and Mabel. It may be here mentioned that the farm now owned by Mr. Strang took the first premium three times at the county fair, as being the best arranged farm of its size in the county the arrangement of the buildings on the farm and the division of the place into fields have been made with a view to convenience and ease of access; two public roads run through the middle of the farm, one east and west and the other through the north and south, both being through the center. Mr. Strang makes a specialty of sheep-raising in connection with his farming. He always manages to have enough stock on hand to consume all he raises on the place, and sometimes buys grain to feed. HAUNCEY J. CORNELL. Among the foremost and representative pioneer citizens of Southern Michigan is the gentleman whose name stands at the head of this sketch. In his life we find an excellent example for young men just embarking in the field of active life, of what may be accomplished by industry and integrity. Mr. Cornell early learned the lesson that "perseverance wins the prize," and being of a practical turn of mind, he constantly kept in view the attainment of his object in life, and has met with a large measure of success. Nor has his been a success solely in the sense of accumulating wealth, but in doing good to others, and in winning their respect and esteem. He has ever strictly observed that most important factor in the successful public or business life of any man, honesty, ever adhering to the dictates of the "inward monitor" in matters both of a public and private nature. He is a liberal-minded and large-hearted man, ever interested in any movement calculated to advance the cause of morality in his neighborhood, and cheerfully contributes of his worldly goods. Religion for him is no idle word, but his example is in accordance with his precepts, and his life is an open book, "known and read of all men." The father of our subject, Job K. Cornell, was born in New York. while his mother, Tryphenia Morgan, was a -native of New York also. After marriage the parents first settled in Niagara County, N. Y., and subsequently migrated to Milan, Ohio, where they resided until they came to Branch County in the spring of 1835. Purchasing a tract of Government land on section 36, Union Township, they engaged in the work of redeeming a farm from the wilderness. They encountered all the obstacles to progress incidental to Michigan during its Territorial, and the earlier part of its State existence, but undauntedly they met and overcame all, and were rewarded by seeing around them smiling fields of waving grain, and grazing herds of high-grade domestic animals. Here they completed their life work, passing to that "bourne whence no traveler returns," the mother, April 11, 1852, and the father, Aug. 3, 1876. The subject of this notice is the eldest of a family of three sons and four daughters who brightened the parental home, and was born in Milan, Ohio, Aug. 21, 1833. He was but a small child when his parents undertook their western journey to Branch County, and was reared on his father's farm and became acquainted with agricultural life in the pioneer country. He received his education in the common schools of his township, dividing his time between the attainment of an education and the simpler details of farm life; he has been a constant resident of Union Township since his advent into Branch County in 1835, and has always followed agricultural pursuits. Hie is the possessor of 120 acres of good land, a great part of which is highly improved, and he has erected a commodious and substantial residence, a good set of farm buildings for the shelter of his stock, and the storage of the products of the soil. In Batavia Township, this county, on New Year's Day, 1857, Mr. Cornell led to the altar the maiden of his choice, Miss Isabella, daughter of David and Jeanette (Campbell) Gibson. They were early settlers of Branch County, locating in California Township, where they spent the remainder of their 1 1! la 1~ t {I I — Iqlr k d/ -—.A - Dor sslr~ l~~~ —. U SW -.6 -33 -335 i BRANCH COUNTY. I I lives, the death of the mother occurring Oct. 9, 1865, and that of the father May 18, 1875. Their family numbered seven children, four sons and three daughters. Mrs. Cornell was born in Genesee County, N. Y., April 16, 1839. Seven children came to brighten the home of Mr. and Mrs. Cornell, and they are recorded as follows: Afton died in infancy; Myron died when quite young, and Elmer also died, at the age of four years and four months; Carrie became the wife of Willis French; Elida and Jay K. live at home, and Edda died when two months old. David Gibson was born in Florida, Montgomery Co., N. Y., Jan. 4, 1796, while his wife, Jeanette Campbell, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, August 29 of the same year. Mr. Cornell has witnessed so much of the evils of intemperance from his earliest recollections of pionieer life in this country to the present time, that he ranks, as one might naturally suppose, with the Prohibition party in politics, and believes that in the end the right will triumph. He is not a seeker after political preferment, occupying his time in his domestic concerns, and in the furtherance of the cause of his church, which he loves so well. He and his amiable wife are members of the Episcopal Church, in which he takes an active part, and has been Class-Leader for a period of ten years, while he is also Deacon. DELBERT M. FULLER, deceased, was formerly an able and prosperous farmer, f actively identified with the agricultural interests of Branch, his native county, as they were represented in the township of Ovid, where he had his home. He had a further claim to distinction and to be cherished in the hearts of all who love their county, in that he was a gallant soldier in the late Civil War. He was born in Coldwater, Feb. 28, 1839, and was a son of Milton Fuller, a native of Vermont, and a pioneer of Branch County. His father was engaged in business in Coldwater for a few years, and then turned his at tention to agriculture, buying a tract of land which is now included in the farm which is occupied by Mrs. Fuller, the widow of our subject. He commenced the improvement of his land, buthis health was quite impaired and he lived but three years after locating here. The maiden name of his wife, mother of our subject, was Latetia Dunekine. She was born in the State of New York, and died on the homestead in Ovid, in December, 1877. There were three children born of that union, but our subject was the only one surviving when his parents died. Adelbert Fuller was seventeen years old when his father's death occurred, and lie then went to live with an uncle in Homer for one year. After that he went to the academy at Kalamazoo to complete his education. He then became engaged as a hotel clerk at the Burdick House, which position he held at the time of the breaking out of the war, when at the first call for troops his name was enrolled among the brave and patriotic men who sprang to their country's defense in her time of peril. He became a member of the 20th Iowa Infantry, which was attached to the 4th Brigade Reserve Corps. He met with many thrilling adventures on Southern battle-fields and took part in many engagements. He was preselit at the battle of Pea Ridge and at other battles in Arkansas. At St. Louis lie was detached to act as commissary clerk for a Wisconsin regiment. He was sent to North Carolina, and was ordered from there to Texas, and while en route was captured by the rebels, who robbed him of his coat, vest, loc(/s and knife, but fortunately the belt that he wore, containing $4,000 in greenbacks, escaped the notice of his captors. At night, after the rebels had stacked their arms and were at rest, he and his fellow prisoners planned a bold scheme to escape, and securing several of the horses belonging to their captors, they rode away amid a shower of bullets from the aroused Confederates. After wandering about for two weeks, our subject and his comrades found their way back to New Orleans, and he was then ordered to Texas by water. From that State he went to Missouri and Arkansas, and then to Alabama, where he took an active part in the battle of Mobile, the last engagement in which he fought. After the war closed our subject re _-,, __ __. -. _ _d.U. - I - L -- ~91lrps O 4 -a ) I i i - - - l.- - - - - - - 1 I, 1,1- - 111r.l., ~ l - ~, - -,, ~ " ~ -,, ~ - -, ~ - -~. I - 1 -1 1 - 1-1 - ~.- - -, -.,,, ~ - -.. a --- —---- U-4! 336 BRANCHC COUNTY.,V am 336 BRANCH COUNTY. turned to his home and friends in Ovid Township, settled on the old homestead, and from that time until his death, which occurred July 10, 1878, he devoted his attention exclusively to agriculture, and met with marked success in that calling, as his practical ability, keen intelligence and shrewd judgment on all matters noticeably characterized the management of all his affairs. In his death ere he had reached life's meridian, "while the shadows still were falling toward the west," Ovid Township lost a noble citizen. The wife of our subject, who had been to him a devoted and faithful wife in their short journey together, bravely took up his work where he laid it down, and has continued it very successfully. Under her able management many improvements have been planned and skillfully carried out, that have added, not only to the beauty of the place, but have greatly increased its value. The farm contains 276 acres, the greater part of which is well improved, and she has caused to be erected a large barn and a commodious frame house, her improvements ranking with the best in the township. Mrs. Fuller is well dowered with mental and physical vigor, and unites firmness with a pleasant disposition. Mr. and Mrs. Fuller were united in marriage Dec. 2, 1866, and of their union one daughter was born, whom they named Frances Grace. Mrs. Fuller was formerly Miss Augusta Strobec, daughter of Oliver and Mary (Jackson) Strobec. She is a native of this State, born in the town of Clinton, Lenawee County, April 1, 1842. Her father was born in Schoharie County, N. Y., Jan. 12, 1811, and his father, Frederic Strobec, was a native of the same county, where he carried on farming until his removal to Canada, where he spent his last years. Mrs. Fuller's father was one year old when his parents moved to the British Dominion, where they settled in the Province of Quebec, in the town of Chatham. He there grew to manhood and married a daughter of Hezekiah Jackson, who was born in Vermont. He then came from Canada to Detroit, and after residing there a few years, went to Lenawee County in 1834, and settled in the village of Clinton, of which he was an early pioneer, and he there worked at his trade of a carpenter and joiner until 1850. In that year he came to Ovid Township and bought a tract of timber land on section 15. His first work was to erect a log house, which the family occupied some years. He continued prosperously engaged at his trade for many years, and many of the best farm buildings in this vicinity were built by him. During the fall and winter seasons he employed his time in clearing his land, and built up a comfortable home, where he died July 6, 1888. He is spoken of with respect and enjoyed the esteem of the entire community. He was bereaved of his amiable and beloved companion July 26, 1860. -..^.* --- —,o~o..@S><~..o^). ---<^ ^A ETER WARNER, a solid and progressive general farmer and stock-raiser of Branch County, resides on section 3, Bethel TownI ship, where he owns 120 acres of fine, arable land in a good state of cultivation. This property is nicely situated about eight miles from Coldwater, and the farm is well stocked with good grades of domestic animals. Mr. Warner is a native of the Buckeye State, where he was born in Stark County, in 1826, and is the sixth in order of birth in a family of ten children born to Adam and Elizabeth (Troxell) Warner, natives of Maryland. The parents removed to Ohio, and settled in Stark County at an early day, being among the pioneers of that county. They remained there until 1866, and then came to Michigan and settled in Branch County, residing with our subject. The mother was taken back to Ohio, and died there Nov. 14, 1873, at the age of seventythree years; the father died Dec. 1, 1879, at the ripe old age of almost eighty-five years. The paternal grandparents of our subject, Adam and Mary Warner, were natives of Maryland, and Grandfather Warner served in the war of the Revolution, and also in the War of 1812, but never drew any pension for his services. The maternal grandparents of our subject, Peter and Mary Troxell. were also natives of Maryland. Young Warner was reared to farm life, and re '1 f _ u ~i *480i I c )I II.HAMUS,EC. 1 4. UINYCY 'ILLIAMS, SEC 7. QUINCY.TOWNSHIP.:11: 1111~kll111-11 If 1 i I M - MOMM= --- —----------- 1 —4 i-~1~1 BRANCH COUNTY. 339 I ceiving the opportunity for acquiring an education that fell to the lot of pioneers' sons, he made such good use of his time that he was soon qualified to take charge of a school himself. He had a good education for those days, and taught school two terms. He pursued his studies usually after night and without assistance, until at the age of eighteen years he was an adept at solving intricate mathematical problems. Indeed he was a natural born mathematician, and, as is usually the case with men of that turn of mind, is a man of acuteness and rare good judgment. Our subject was united in marriage, Feb. 25, 1850, in the Buckeye State, the lady of his choice being Margaret Myers, a native of that State, and the seventh in order of birth in a family of nine children born to Daniel and Hettie (Cauffman) Myers, natives of the Keystone State. The parents removed to Ohio at an early day, and were among the pioneers of Stark County. This continued to be their home until the decease of the father, which occurred in 1854; the mother recently died at the ripe old age of ninety-six years. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Warner settled in Ohio, but in 1866 they came to Michigan, and buying an improved farm of 120 acres of land in Gilead Township, engaged in work in earnest in the laudable effort to secure the comforts of a home for their family. Ten years later, however, Mr. Warner sold that property and removed to Bethel Township, where he bought an improved farm of 100 acres on section 32, and engaged in farming. Here also his stay was of short duration, as five years later he sold out and bought fifty-five acres of improved land in Bronson Township, three and one-half miles south of the village of that name. At the end of twelve months he had again sold his possessions, and in 1882 he bought 148 acres of partially improved land on section 3, Bethel Township; he has since sold part of his land, and now owns 120 acres, as above stated. To our subject and his wife there have been born a family of ten children, one of whom died in infancy. The names of the survivors are: Benjamin Franklin; Isaac M. and John A. are twins; William A., Peter Dallas, Mary Ellen, Daniel, HarS vey and Stella May. The first three are married and reside in this county. Mary E., now Mrs. Hurd, resides in Sherman County, Kan., where her husband engaged in farming. Daniel is also married, and resides in this county, while the rest of the children are at home. They have all had the advantage of a good education, and are taking their part in life as reputable and worthy citizens. Mr. Warner does not actively interest himself in the subject of politics, though his sympathies are with the Greenback party, for which lie left the Republican ranks, and on the temperance question he is in favor of local option. He and his estimable wife are members of the Lutheran Church, and are prompt to respond to every call for aid in promoting the best interests of the community. Our subject is actively interested in having good schools in his district, believing that a good education is a better heritage than riches, as it remains with one, and is at any moment available. r- DWARD WILLIAMS. The comfortable homestead of this gentleman is pleasantly located on section 17 in Quincy Township, where he is numbered among the pioneer citizens, and has been more than ordinarily successful in his agricultural pursuits. He is of New England ancestry, his father, Alpheus Williams, having been born in Vermont, where he grew to manhood, and was married to Miss Sylvia McLean, also a native of the Green Mountain State. Not long after uniting their lives and fortunes they migrated to Hartland County, N. Y., whence in 1836 they came westward to the Territory of Michigan, and the father purchased a tract of Government land in Quincy Township, this county. This land is now occupied by his son, the subject of our sketch. Alpheus Williams was prospered in his labors of tilling the soil and building up a homestead, and in due time became the owner of 200 acres of good land. He departed this life where he had lived and labored so many years, Oct. 10, 1877. The mother survived until Jan. 11, 1886. The seven children of the parental family are recorded as fol I WPP -A -i~ma iII i 11.-I- — l —"-., "-I-'1~ ---~- -- --- --— 1 —~-~-,- -.~ ---...... --- 1 ----~'- ----- -— I —.I, —, --- —" --- —--------— ~,. I L -- -~ --- ------— lL _1-~ _ _-CJ, -4. f. -1 *pop _'m d4 - - - -00. - w —oq ( 340 BRANCH COUNTY. I lows: Daniel is a resident of Mower County, Minn.; George, John, Henry, and Edward, our subject, are all living in this county, mostly in Quincy Township; Ann Eliza became the wife of Horatio Bidleman, of Coldwater; Monroe died in Webster County, Iowa, Jan. 13, 1874, leaving a wife and two children. Edward Williams, our subject, was born in Hartland County, N. Y., Oct. 3, 1835, and was an infant of six months when his parents brought him to Michigan. Since that time he has resided at the homestead which he now occupies. Here he was reared to manhood, and took care of his parents during the declining years of their lives. He is now the owner of 150 acres of good land, with firstclass improvements. In 1885 he erected a commodious brick residence, has a large barn and other suitable out-buildings, and is in all respects in a condition to enjoy the good things of life. The marriage of Edward Williams and Miss Rosa S. Foster was celebrated at the home of the bride in Jonesville, Hillsdale County, Jan. 1, 1861. Mrs. Williams is the daughter of Enoch and Eliza (Gates) Foster, natives of New Hampshire, where they were reared and married, and whepce, in about 1845, they came to Michigan and settled first in Somerset Township, Hillsdale County. Three years later they came to this county, taking up their residence in Quincy Township, but finally went back to Hillsdale County, where the father died in 1872, and the mother in 1873. To Mr. and Mrs. Foster there were born nine children, five of whom died in infancy and four lived to mature years. Melvina became the wife of Charles Sutfin, and she died at her home in Hillsdale County, Dec. 15, 1887; Brigham is a resident of Tracy, Minn.; Albert died in Hillsdale County, Oct. 30, 1887; Rosa S., the youngest, who was born Nov. 25, 1840, remained with her parents unt;l her marriage. Of her union with our subject there have been born four children, with all of whom they have been called to part, none of them surviving beyond their infancy. Mr. Williams confines his attention mostly to his farm interests, not caring to mix with political affairs, although he supports by his vote the principles of the Democratic party. He is not a member of any society, religious or social, but as far as he is able endeavors to do by his neighbors as he would have them do unto him. He is consequently prompt in meeting his obligations, and is numbered among the peaceful and law-abiding citizens, who, although wielding their silent influence in a very quiet manner, still have considerable to do in shaping the moral and financial status of the community. A view of his fine homestead is shown in this connection. ilLBERT POLHAMUS. The neat and attractive homestead of this gentleman is pleasantly located on a gentle elevation, and comprises 120 acres of good land on section 14 in Quincy Township. The buildings are put up in a tasteful and substantial manner, and, with their surroundings, make a most pleasant picture in the landscape of that region. The farm is in a highly productive condition, and furnishes a range for a goodly assortment of live stock, while yielding an abundance of the products indigenous to the soil of Southern Michigan. Careful management and the indications of thrift and prosperity are on every hand. A view of the homestead is shown in this connection. Our subject came to Quincy Township in 1850, where he has since resided. A native of the Empire State, he was born in Ontario County. Jan. 8, 1823, and is the son of Isaac and Anna Polhamus, who were both natives of Dutchess County, N. Y., an(l who are now deceased. The parental family included nine children, and being in moderate circumstances, our subject, when a lad of eleven years, left the home roof, and thereafter fought his own way in the world. For a period of eight years he resided with and labored for a farmer by the name of Colchester Mellon, and after reaching his majority became the employe of Cornelius Dunham, who is now a resident of this county, and with whom our subject remained five years. During that time a faithful and pleasing girl by the name of Juliaett Wiley was also in the employ of Mr. I tI l j L[ _t1 0 - t ~ -.a L ' — b — 40 - I a p -3 34l BRANCH COUNTY. I- - - - i Dunham, and in due time became the wife of our subject, the wedding being celebrated at the home of Mr. Dunham during the holidays of 1849. Our subject and his young wife commenced the journey of life together in a modest home in this township, and "pulled together" in their efforts to save something for the future and make a home for themselves and those who should come after. They had a true appreciation of the value of money, lived economically, and in due time realized their ambition to have a farm of their own. Too much credit cannot be given them for their industry and perseverance, and they are now numbered among the representative people of this section, respected among their neighbors, and in all respects most praiseworthy citizens. Mrs. Polhamus is the daughter of Samuel and Patience Wiley, who were natives of Naples, Ontario Co., N. Y.; the mother died in 1849. Mr. Wiley is still living, making his home with his (laughter and son in St. Joseph County, Mich., and has now arrived at the advanced age of ninety-two years. Mrs. P. was born in Ontario County, N. Y., July 1, 1825. Of her union with our subject there were born three children, the eldest of whom, Sylvia, died when an interesting young lady of twentythree years; Ida is the wife of John Ryan, of Quincy, and George is at home with his parents. Mr. Polhamus votes the straight Democratic ticket, but has very little to do with politics. OSEPH D. W. FISKE is an old and respected resident of this county, at present residing in Coldwater, and is an intelligent and wellinformed man. He combines great enterprise with much tact and good judgment, and readily assimilates the general information obtained by an extensive course of reading, and utilizes it in his business relations, public and private. He has a good library of well-selected books, which have been his friends through life, and give him much solace in his leisure moments. He pays particular __..._.........*:._..|_.A......... attention to horticulture, and as an agreeable physical exercise he derives much benefit from the occupation. The subject of this biographical sketch was born in Penfield, Monroe Co., N. Y., Sept. 24, 1829, and is the son of James Fiske, a native of New Hampshire, and the grandson of Ieacon Ebenezer Fiske. From a history of the Fiske family, compiled by Alfred A. Fiske, we extract the following: "The founders of the family in America were the children of John and Ann (Lantersee) Fiske. The father died in England, and the mother started for America in 1637 with her children, four in number, and died on the voyage. The children settled in Wenham, Essex Co., Mass. John had already been an ordained minister of the English Church, and became an influential member in the colony. William filled various offices of trust, and died in the prime of his powers at forty-four years of age. He was married in Pelham, England, to Bridget Musket, and had five children. Their son William was the next in line, and married Sarah Kilham. He was elected Deacon of the Congregational Church. They had fourteen children, ten of whom grew to maturity, and their son William was the next in line. He was born in Wenham, Essex Co., Mass., and married Susanna Batchelder, and in 1773 they removed to Amherst, N. H., and were pioneers there, where he bought a tract of land on Walnut Hill, and died there in 1777, aged fifty-two years." The next in line is Ebenezer, son of William and Susania Fiske, and grandfather of our subject. He was born in Wenham, Mass., in February, 1762, and married Abigail Woodbury, who was born in Beverly, Mass., March 7, 1776, and was the daughter of James Woodbury, of Vernon, N. H. He was for many years Deacon in the Congregational Church, and spent his last years with his son Calvin, at North Wilmot, N. H. The father of our subject was reared in- his native State, but when a young man he removed to the Empire State, and settled in New Paltz, Ulster County. About 1825 he removed to Penfield, Monroe County, where he purchased a farm and resided until 1835. He then determined to try his fortune in the Territory of Michigan, and accompanied by his wife and eight children, he came by canal and lake to De t I IN Im~ - m - U qwYw. ~a ~ -, l.l.. I. I mb-mII IA I 111 - - -, - - - - 1",,-,-. --- —, —, -- "- ----------— " --- -, —. —,." -—.-".-,,-~~.. 0 Wdda-;~-~ ----~~ 342 BRANCH COUNTY. 1 I 1, i = troit. He had brought with him a pair of horses and wagon, and at Detroit he bought a yoke of oxen, and thence came overland to Branch County, arriving on the 17th of June, 1835. He settled in Coldwater, which was then but a hamlet, and the county seat was still located at Branch. He and Dr. Sprague and Rev. Francis Smith bought the farm owned by Cross Brothers, land which is now included in the city limits. They divided the farm into three equal parts, and on the part that the father of our subject kept there was a barn, but no other buildings. He immediately built a frame house on the place, and then set about making other improvements, remaining a resident of the township until his death, which occurred Aug. 12, 1870, at eighty-three years of age. tie was a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and very zealous and earnest at prayer, class and camp meetings. Order with him was heaven's first law, and he was energetic and systematic in all things. His wife, whose maiden name was Eleanor Ransom, was the daughter of Joseph and Phebe Ransom, and was born, it is thought, at New Paltz, N. Y., and died at her home in Coldwater, March 18, 1856. Their family consisted of ten children, nine of whom grew to maturity-Betsey, Luther, Phebe, Susan, Eleanor, Lewis R., Joseph D. W., Harriet A. and Elmira E. James A. died in infancy. The mother of our subject was also a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and adorned her profession. Our subject was a little lad of five years when he came to this county with his parents, and remembers well many incidents of pioneer life. Deer, wild turkeys and smaller game were plentiful, while wolves and bears were occasionally encountered, roaming unrestrained where the city now stands. Joseph attended the pioneer schools of the township, and as soon as he was large enough his services were utilized on the farm, and he resided with his parents, and they in turn with him, until their death. He retained possession of the homestead until 1878, and then sold out and purchased the p:operty which he now owns and occupies. This consists of 100 acres of fine, arable land, under a high state of cultivation, with a good set of farm buildings, and agricultural implements necessary to carry on successfully his calling of a farmer. -de _ _',.i..,s,,ii.._~ — L I The ceremony which united the destinies of our subject and Delia B. Babbitt, took place on the 9th of June, 1859. Mrs. Fiske bore to her husband two children: Walter J., who married Adelle Bassett, and lives on a farm adjoining the homestead, and Carrie Louisa, who resides at home with her parents. Mrs. Fiske was born at Hartwick, Otsego Co., N. Y., Feb. 17, 1831, and is the daughter of Ezra Babbitt, a native of Franklin County, Mass., while his father, Rev. Isaac Babbitt, was born in New England, and was a minister in the Congregational Church, and preached in various places in Massachusetts. He finally removed from the Bay State and settled at Hartwick, Otsego Co., N. Y., and subsequently to Seneca Falls, in Seneca County, and there died. His wife, whose maiden name was Prudence May, was also a native of New England, and died at Seneca Falls. The father of Mrs. Fiske was reared at Hartwick, N. Y., and settling there after his marriage, remained until 1832, and then sold out and removed to Seneca County. In 1836 he started for Ohio. and coming by canal and lake to Cleveland, he then took a team to Lorain County. After a residence, however, of only two years, he joined a colony and started for Illinois with horse and ox teams, having to cross the Black Swamp in the wet season of the year. Arriving in Henry County, Ind., he concluded to locate, and settled in the village of Raysville. He worked at his trade of a cooper until 1851, and then removed to Livingston County, Ill., and settled on a tract of Government land near Pontiac. He built a house, and continued to reside there until 1869, and he then came to Michigan, and spent his last years with Mr. Fiske, (lying in June, 1880. The mother of Mrs. Fiske, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Tyler, was a native of York State, and the (laughter of Joseph and Orpha (Briggs) Tyler, natives respectively of Rhode Island and York State. She departed this life in July, 1834, while the family were living at Seneca Falls, N. Y. Mr. and Mrs. Fiske and their daughter are members in good standing of the Presbyterian Church, and are consistent Christians, respected by all who have the pleasure of their acquaintance. Mr. Fiske has been a member of Coldwater Grange since its organization, and has been Secretary of the County i 4, vp. L - eI i -4900 -s — "W"~~~ u~ r~~ a ~ BRANCH Agricultural Society for a period of twelve years. I le was Secretary of the Grange three or four years, and Lecturer in the same institution for several years, and at present Lecturer of Branch County Grange. Since removing to his present location, Mi. Fiske has been constantly connected with the schools, either as Superintendent or examiner, and was a number of years School Inspector, and also established a Young Ladies' Seminary in Coldwater..'-........ ' * AVID BERNARD PURINTON, Justice i fs )of the Peace in Coldwater, is a native of | ( Kthe Empire State, where he was born at Truxton, Cortland County, May 8, 1829. Ie is the son of Orpheus and Louisa (Call) PurinI ton, natives respectively of Hoosac, and Truxton, iN. Y. The subject of this sketch was the second in a family of twelve children, the others of whom are recorded as follows: An infant sister who (lied unnamed; Sabrina died at the age of twelve months, and the fourth also died in infancy, unnamed; Alfred B. and Joel C. enlisted in the Union army, in the 4th Michigan Cavalry and the 61st New York respectively; Elizabeth A. married J. S. Squires, of Cortland, N. Y., and died in 1871; Thomas was a member of the 6th Virginia; Oscar D. enlisted in the same regiment; Emma L. became the wife of Allman H. Sanders, of Cortland, N. Y.; John R. served in the 9th Michigan Cavalry, and Triphena died young. The father of our subject was taken by his parents to Truxton when he was about two years old, and there he grew to manhood, and prepared himself for the practice of medicine. In 1850 he removed to Groton, Tompkins Co., N. Y., and remained about a year, after which he removed to Preston County, W. Va., seven miles south of Rowles, and settled on a farm of 1,000 acres. During the oil excitement he sold a halfinterest in 300 acres for $12,000, and bought two farms near Independence, W. Va., which he continnued to make his home until his death in 1875. Politically, he belonged first to the Whig and subse ^ - - ~ ~ ~ - - ~ - - - - - ~............ --------------- ~ ^ a COUNTY. 343 quently to the Republican party, while in religion he was a Deacon in the Baptist Church, and was a genial, benevolent man, esteemed and respected by all. The mother of our subject was the daughter of Joel and Eliza (Totman) Call. and was born in 1807, the eldest in a family of five children who all lived to maturity, as follows: Louisa Maria; Rebecca, who became the wife of Milan Lewis; John R., Stoddard T. and Joel. The mother resided with her parents until her marriage, and received a common-school education. She was a member of the Baptist Church and an exemplary woman, firm, yet kind, and a devoted wife and mother; she died at the homestead in Truxton, N. Y., in 1849. Mr. Purinton was a second time married, his choice being Miss Rebecca Bryant, and of their union were born four children-Jesse D., Orlando B., Orpheus, and one who died in infancy unnamed. Joel Call, the father of the first wife of Mr. Purinton, was born in Massachusetts, and was Captain of a company of minute men, and served with credit in the War of 1812. He was afarmer by occupation, and though an eccentric man, was an honored citizen, and a Deacon in the Baptist Church. He removed to New York at an early day and died at Truxton, in that State. He was a second time married, to Mrs. Perry, but no children were born of this union. The grandfather was also a native of Massachusetts, and was a Baptist minister of distinction; he married Sabrina Boardman, and soon afterward removed to Hoosac, where the father of our subject was born, and subsequently removed to Truxton. Our subject spent his early days at the homestead, attending the country schools, until he was thirteen years of age, and during the next six years lie worked out on a farm in summer, and attended school the remainder of the year. In 1848 he bade good-by to the scenes of his childhood and coming to this county, located at Coldwater and secured employment as clerk in the general store of 0. B. Clark. At the end of six months, however, he had to discontinue the work on account of sickness, and during the following winter he taught school in the town of Quincy. In the spring of 1849 he commenced operating the farm of his father-in-law on shares, and was thus engaged seven years, when, in m Li -- * m- ommou -- I I - r B I- tM-M L,Jo-. Opp, M I —~-r0 —rrrr 0 1 — I I PR 344 BRANCH COUNTY. i ---- 1856, le finally settled in Coldwater, and has been a resident of this place ever since. One year after settling in Coldwater he was elected to the office of Constable, and in 1868 he became Town Treasurer, and at tile same time engaged in clerking in stores. In 1860 he was elected Supervisor, and since that time has discharged the duties of that office several terms, and holds it at the present time. In 1861 he was appointed Postmaster, and held the office five years, and in 1868 he was elected Justice of the Peace, and has held that office continuously ever since, while but recently he has been re-elected for a term of four years. In 1864, July 2, Mr. Purinton was commissioned Second Lieutenant by Gov. Blair, and raising a company of volunteers, was mustered into the United States service, and commissione( Captain of Company C, 28th Regiment, August 15 of the same year. For gallant and meritorious service in the field in the campaigns of Nashville and North Carolina, he was promoted Brevet Major, United States Volunteers, March 13, 1865, and was mustered out June 5, 1866, and honorably discharged. Oct. 26, 1864, the 28th Infantry, in con.mand of Lieut. Col. Delos Phillips, left their rendezvous at Kalamazoo with 886 officers and men on its rolls, and started for Nashville, Tenn. They arrived in Louisville, Ky., on the 29th, and on the 10th of Novenmber they were ordered to Camp Nelson, for the purpose of guarding a wagon train from that point to Nashville. They reached their destination December 5, and were reported by their Major (Col. Phillips having remained at Louisville) to Gen. Thomas for duty, and were assigned to the brigade in command of Gen. Miller, who had charge at the post at Nashville. In the meantime Hood had commenced his advance northward, threatening Nashville, and from the 12th to the 16th of December, the 28th participated in the engagement at that place, and established a reputation for gallant conduct. After this battle the regiment was assigned to the 23d Corps, and Jan. 11, 1865, proceeded to Louisville, Ky., to await further orders. Finally the regiment proceeded to Alexandria, Va., and was assigned to the 2d Brigade, 1st Division, 23d Corps, and leaving that point on ocean transports February 19, reached New Berne by boat and rail on the 25th. On the 2d of March the regiment moved toward Kingston, and joined Gen. Cox to co-operate with Sherman's army on its march to the sea. Again, in the battles of the 8th, 9th and 10th, at Wise's Forks. the 28th won for itself undying fame. The regiment then proceeded to Kingston, and afterward to Goldsboro. where it was detailed to guard the Atlantic & North Carolina Railway. It was variously employed at Goldsboro, Raleigh, Charlotte, Wilmington and other places, until sometime after the cessation of hostilities, and was mustered out of the service June 5, 1866, and returned to Detroit and was disbanded. Our subject had remained constantly with his regiment, and saw much active service, and returned with an enviable war record. Mr. Purinton. on enlisting in the army, left a good position of Postmaster in the hands of a deputy, Smith W. Fisk, a wounded soldier. At the close of the war he tendered his resignation to the Government, but it was not accepted, and he remained in North Carolina from March, 1865, to June, 1866, doing police duty during the trying period of reconstruction. For the last seven months lie was Commander of the post at Wilmington, N. C. Our subject was united in marriage, Feb. 28, 1849, with Dorlesca C., daughter of Timothy and Sally (Baker) Howe, who was born at South Livonia, N. Y., May 6, 1829. She is the sixth in order of birth in the parental family of seven children, the others of whom are recorded as follows: Sabrina was born Dec. 10, 1810, married Benjamin C. Webb, and died Feb. 21, 1881; Minerva was born July 17, 1812, became the wife of Chauncey Whitney, of South Livonia, N. Y., and is deceased; Lucetta was born Feb. 19, 1817, became the wife of Ira W. Pratt, and perished in a blizzard in Kansas in February, 1887; Stephen was born Oct. 18, 1818, and was drowned at the age of nineteen years in Conesus Lake, near Livonia; Caroline was born Oct. 6, 1820, married John Wymans, of Coldwater, and died in August, 1885; Mary was born May 10, 1831, and married Dr. Jacob Welper, of Quincy, who was killed by being thrown from a horse; she was married a second time, to John W. Burse, of South Livonia, N. Y. The father of Mrs. Purinton was born in Cayuga County, N. Y., and was the fifth in i i x GOP - M mL I - - El I 7 i L ~ I BRANCH COUNTY. 345 a family of nine children included in the parental family-Andrus, Benjamin, Aaron, Titus, Timothy, Baxter, Stephen, Hiram, and Lydia, who became the wife of William Sutton. Timothy Howe spent his early years assisting on the farm in Cayuga County, and also learned the trade of a carpenter. He subsequently went to South Livonia and worked at his trade, and also bought a farm, to which he added from time to time until he had an area of 214 acres. In 1846 he sold this property, and coming to Quincy, in this county, bought a farm containing a hotel near the village, and remained about seven years. He then sold out and bought a small place on the opposite side of the street, but after remaining about two years he sold out, and came to live with our subject in Coldwater, Mrs. Purinton spent her early days in attendance upon the schools at her home in South Livonia, and accompanied her parents in their migration to this county, which was accomplished in wagons, via Ohio, and occupied three weeks. She continued to reside with her parents until her marriage, and receiving a good education. was for some time engaged in teaching school. She has been a member of the Baptist Church since she was eleven years of age, and all her family died in the same faith. She has been a teacher of the infant class in the Sab bath-school for twenty-four years, and belongs to the Woman's Foreign Mission Circle. She is also a member of the order of the Eastern Star, in which she has held the office of Matron for four years, and that of Grand Matron for two years. Of her union with our subject there were born two childrenTimothy Edgar and Emma Louisa. Timothy was born Jan. 5, 1852, and was educated in Coldwater, and is now Station Agent at Angola, Ind., for the Ft. Wayne & Jackson Branch of the Michigan Southern Railroad. The daughter was born July 21, 1858, and was graduated from the High School in Coldwater; she became the wife of Edwin M. Howe, of Norwalk, Ohio. Socially, our subject is a member of Tyre Lodge. A. F. & A. M., in which he has held the office of Senior Warden, and has been Secretary for sixteen years. He has been High Priest, and is now Secretary of Temple Chapter No. 21, R. A. M., and is E. C. of Jacobs Commandery No. 10, K. T.; also a member of Royal and Select Masters, Mt. Moriah Council No. 6, and Eastern Star Lodge; G. A. R., Butterworth Post 109; I. O. O. F. and A. 0. U. W. Our subject was elected Grand Master in the A. 0. U. W. in February, 1883, and served one year, and was elected Representative in the Supreme Lodge of the same order for 1884 and the following years. -He is a member of the Grand Lodge Committee on Jurisprudence of the A. 0. U. W., and was a charter member of the lodge that was organized in 1879. Ever since that time he has held some office in the lodge, except the year he served as Grand Master, and has held the office of Grand Secretary in the O. E. S. for ten years, and Grand Patron in the same order for one year. He has also been Associate Grand Patron for the United States for three years. OBERT G. CHANDLER, of Coldwater, represents the wholesale saddlery and harness k business, and took up his residence here in \_ 1839, since which time he has acquitted himself as a worthy citizen and a capable business man. A native of the Wolverine State, he was born in the city of Detroit, Dec. 21, 1838, and is the son of Albert and Eliza F. (Abbott) Chandler, a sketch of whom will be found elsewhere in this volume. Mr. Chandler spent his boyhood and youth in his native city, attending school and assisting his parents. At the age of seventeen he commenced his apprenticeship at the tinner's trade, at Coldwater, with the firm of Hale & Chandler, and a year later was promoted to salesman, and finally succeeded Mr. Hale in the partnership; the firm then, in 1869, became Chandler & Son, and has thus continued until the present time. The business has been conducted in the manner which has built up for it a generous patronage, and our subject is rapidly acquiring a competency. Among his fellow-citizens he is regarded as one of the representative men of Coldwater, and has been an important factor in assisting it to attain to its present condition. Socially, Mr. Chandler belongs to Tyre Lodge No. 18, A. F. & VL~IMV _JII~ V-JV~~ I, i I p 346 BRANCI A. M., also was a member of Jacobs Commandery, and has held the office of Captain General for about ten years. He was also a member of the Grand Conmmandery, in which he has officiated in all the offices from Warden to Grand Senior Warden in the Grand Body. At the Grand Encampment in Baltimore, Md., he had command of the Adrian Commandery as Captain General, ranking second in the United States in point of efficiency of drill. Upon that Sabbath when the first gun was fired upon Ft. Sumter, our subject opened a recruiting office for the purpose of recruiting for the Coldwater Light Artillery, which Wias afterward known as the famous Loomis Battery. Commencing on 8 Sunday he gathered in thirty men that day, among them C. 0. Loomis, who enlisted as a private, and afterward became Captain of the battery which was named in his honor. It is an historic fact that R. G. Chandler, of the Coldwater Light Artillery, enlisting in this battery, was the only one of the original organization who went to the front with it. The battery went to Detroit and was re-organized, with Capt. H. C. Lewis in command. 'he latter, however, resigned, and C. O. Loomis was elected Captain, with Mr. Chandler as Junior Second Lieutenant, but owing to political trouble engendered by the Major of the 1st Infantry, Mr. Chandler also resigned from the battery and with him eighty of the men, who returned to Coldwater. Within a day or two our subject received a communication from the Governor asking if he would accept a position with the new organization, which was to be called the Loomis Battery, and he replied that if it was disconnected from the 1st Regiment of Michigan Infantry, and a commission given him as Junior Second Lieutenant he would accept. The next mail brought a favorable answer. The next day they started for Detroit, and were soon on their way to West Virginia, where the battery participated in the first battle of the war, at Rich Mountain. Lieut. Chandler was promoted successively from Junior Second Lieutenant to Senior Second Lieutenant, and finally First Lieutenant, and was with the battery through the West Virginia campaign under McClellan and Reynolds, and subsequently transferred to Kentucky, and made a part of the famous l 3d Division under Gen. 0. M. Mitchell. R. G. ~rlI - II — IIYA h~Iu-r -lbb.IIII-CI l M —~~II)IC1 I — od I COUNTY. i -- Chandler, after going through Tennessee and Alabama, was finally taken ill, the result of exposure and hardship, and was sent home. Mr. Chandler was first married. in 1863, at the home of the bride in Coldwater, to Miss Julia M., daughter of Henry A. and Lydia Tyler, and who was born at Penn Yan, N. Y. She spent her girlhood in her native place, and remained under the parental roof until her marriage. Of this union there was born one child, a son, Robert T. Our subject contracted a second marriage, in July, 1873, with Miss Eliza Jane Abbott, who was born in March, 1844, in Detroit, and the third child of James and Theresa (Ermitinger) Abbott, whose family consisted of four children. Their eldest daughter, Catherine, became the wife of Guy F. Hinchman, and is a resident of Detroit; Thomas H. is in Detroit; Alice T., Mrs. Fred Chesebrough, is deceased. Capt. James Abbott was a native of Detroit, and was at one time an officer in the United States Navy: he made his home in his native city, and died there about 1860. He was a man held in high regard by all who knew him, and a member of the Episcopal Church. His wife, Theresa, was a native of Michigan, and spent her younger years in Sault de St. Marie, and is now living in Detroit; she is a lineal descendant of a noted family in Canada and of English descent. As a wife, mother, and a member of society, she has fulfilled creditably all her duties in life, and for many years has been a consistent member of the Presbyterian Church. The early days of Mrs. Chandler were spent mostly at her home in Detroit, and her studies were completed in a private school at Ann Arbor; she was first married to James E. Smith, and became the mother of two children-James S. and William S. These, since her second marriage, have adopted the name of Chandler, and to our subject and wife there have been born two daughters: Kate E., July 28, 1874, and Alice T., Jan. 10, 1876. They both continue under the parental roof, and are pursuing their studies in the city school. Politically, Mr. Chandler was a member of the Democratic party until after the election of President Cleveland, then, feeling that the country was in safe hands, he turned his attention to the temperance question, and is now identified with the Prohi- ' i i I 'I r*lr *so- i 1 111~ —~ ol Cow- ~ A. L ---- ---- BRANCH COUNTY. 347 i = bitionists. Both he and his excellent wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and Mr. C. is one of the Trustees and among its leading men. I, ON. HARVEY HAYNES, of Coldwater, represented Branch County in the Michigan State Legislature for the term beginning in the fall of 1865, and was re-elected il 1870 on the Republican ticket. He has been before the public for many years. He represented Cold(water Township as Assessor and Supervisor for a period of thirteen years, was Justice of the Peace for four years, and Superintendent and Inspector of Schools the same length of time. He served as County and Township Drain Commissioner five years, and in 1868 was appointed Deputy United States Marshal, wlich office he resigned to take his seat in the Legislature, in 1870. After his term of office had expired he was re-appointed to the same, and in all his public life, as may be supposed from the frequency with which he has been called to important trusts, fulfilled his duties in that conscientious manner which gave full satisfaction to all his constituents. The subject of this sketch was born Jan. 24, 1817. at New Paltz (now Highland) Ulster Co., N. Y., and was the sixth of the family of nine children belonging to James and Abigail (Thompson) Haynes. Their eldest, a daughter, Julia Ann, was born Oct. 14, 1802, and died April 19, 1817, in Ulster County; John Thompson was born June 10, 1805, and died July 3, 1851, on his way to California, while on board a steamer off Acapulco, Mex., and was buried at sea; he was a member in high standing of the A. F. & A. M., and was committed to his ocean grave with the honors of the fraternity. Daniel was born Dec. 3, 1807, and died Oct. 28, 1829, in Penfield, N. Y.; Ruth was born July 31, 1809, and was twice married, first to Lorenzo D. Crippen, and then to his brother, Philo Crippen; she is now in Coldwater. David was born March 27, 1812, and died March 28, 1854, at Coldwater; Harvey, our subject, was the sixth child; I Levi was born June 10, 1820, and is in Fargo, Dak.; James was born July 16, 1823, at Penfield, and was drowned in Tonawanda Creek, Nov. 11, 1842; Abigail was born March 20, 1828, and died at Penfield in infancy. James Haynes, the father of our subject, was born in Connecticut, May 17, 1776. His father was an ocean coaster, and while at sea was shipwrecked, leaving his family destitute. From the faint records obtainable it is supposed that his ancestors came from Wales. James was a little lad six years of age when his father disappeared, and remained with his mother, assisting her in her struggles for a livelihood until reaching his majority. His education was extremely limited, and upon reaching manhood( he worked some on a farm and also followed the sea the greater part of the time until forty years of age. He then turned his attention exclusively to farming, operating a tract of rented land on the Hudson River opposite Poughkeepsie. Later he purchased a farm of 100 acres near Penfield and was prospered, becoming in due time the owner of 300 acres, which he subsequently divided among his boys. To L. D. Crippen, a son-in-law, lie gave 100 acres, for which he paid David, his son, $1,000; to John he gave fifty acres. and then selling the balance, came to Michigan and invested a portion of his remaining capital in 1,700 acres, over 1,100 acres of this being Government land, 520 acres in Butler Township and 640 in Gilead Township. He died Sept. 18. 1836, three months and nineteen days after his arrival here, leaving his son Harvey, a youth of nineteen, in charge of his business among strangers and in a wilderness. A wife and three sons were thus left to battle with the difficulties of settlement in a new country at a time when their neighbors were mostly IndiAns, and finding the task before them too difficult, they left the property the following spring and returned to Penfield, N. Y. Our subject now completed his schooling at the Penfield Academy, and commenced teaching. In the spring of 1838 he set out once more for Michigan, arriving in Coldwater Township April 19. He made the journey via the Erie Canal and steamer to Detroit, and from there by railroad to Ypsilanti, whence he proceeded by stage to Coldwater, being five days on the road. On the Monday morning 3 q I i I z z i I I i i I \ i i 118 I —.k~, _- — i _qw r *No rll ll~~ —.b fN - - L 348 BRANCH COUNTY. I following he took charge of one of the pioneer schools in Coldwater, and was occupied as a teacher one year, then commenced tilling the land which he now occupies, and which was a part of that which his father purchased. There fell to the share of our subject eighty acres of this, forty of which he sold to the Michigan State Public School. The balance of the land was divided up among the other heirs. Mr. Haynes by the spring of 1840 had become quite contented with his new Western home, and prepared to continue his residence here. On the 4th of March, that year, he was united in marriage with Miss Eliza Alden, who was born April 9, 1824, in New York, and is the daughter of Dr. Hiram Alden, a pioneer of this county, and a lineal descendant of John Alden and Priscilla, the Puritan maiden whose marriage and courtship have been perpetuated in poetry by Longfellow, and are fan iliar to every educated American. The young people commenced life together upon the farm which they now occupy, and which has to them a far more than moneyed value. In 1856 Mr. Haynes returned East in search of health and recreation, spent four months on the coast of Newfoundland, and employed himself as superintendent of a lumber business there. He cast his first vote for William Henry Harrison, was a Whig during his early manhood, and since the abandonment of the old party has been a stanch Republican. Although not connected with any religious organization he usually attends the Baptist Church, and contributes to the establishment and maintenance of the religious and educational institutions around him. Mrs. Abigail (Thompson) Haynes, the mother of our subject, was born in Greene County, N. Y., Nov. 17, 1783, and was one of a large family, the children of Jared Thompson. She lived at home with her parents up to the time of her marriage, and after the death of her husband lived with her son Harvey, our subject, until her death, which occurred at his home in Coldwater Township, this county, July 27, 1840. Her remains were laid to rest beside those of her husband in Oak Grove Cemetery. Besides being a most exemplary wife and mother, and a consistent member of the Baptist Church, she was a woman of great firmness of char acter, economical, conscientious and industrious, weaving her 100 yards of woolen cloth every year. besides attending to the numberless household duties necessarily involved in the care of a wellregulated family. Her life and her labors will be held sacred in the memory of her children until they shall join her in the long hereafter. Jared Thompson, the maternal grandfather of our subject, served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War from the beginning to the close, fighting at the battle of Bunker Hill. and participating ih many other of the important battles of that struggle. After the war he settled in New Paltz, Ulster Co., N. Y., where he spent his last days. _. X A ^_____ — -e 6HOMAS HALL, a pioneer settler and prominent resident of California Township, is pleasantly located on section 9. The life of Mr. Hall affords an illustration of what may be accomplished by a man beginning poor, but honest and industrious. In early life he enjoyed but few advantages, nor had he position or wealth to aid him in starting in life. He relied solely upon his own efforts and his own conduct to win for him success, and his large tract of well-tilled land, with its beautiful residence and commodious outbuildings, proves that he has accomplished his object. Nor has his been a success solely in the sense of accumulating wealth, but he has also gained a name for honesty and integrity second to none in the county. He is a careful, conscientious business man, ever adhering to the dictates of the "inward monitor" in matters both of a public and private nature. Our subject came to this county in 1844, and his first purchase consisted of 163 acres of land on section 22, California Township, now the site of Ray Village, and followed farming until 1875. He now resides at Hall's Corners, living a life of ease, retired from active life, while his land, which now numbers 317 acres, is operated by tenants. The subject of this notice was born in Washington County, N. Y., Jan. 12, 1814, and is a son of I r Ir O P 10 —ow...... *Do_.-. -- I i I -.A A&W.-M --. -d 9. & IGN 1110111111, I II III IP-C- IICIN I I M ~I ~ I ~. $ BRANCH COUNTY. 349 I George and Mary Ann (Mills) Hall, natives of Ireland and New York State respectively. George Hall was a son of John and Nancy (Robinson) Hall, and came to this country with the family abont the time of the Revolutionary War, and settled in Washington County, where the parents lived until their demise. Their family consisted of six children who lived to mature years, viz: Robert, George, Thomas, Mathew, John and Martha. George Hall, the father of our subject, grew to manhood in New York, and there learned the trade of a tailor. He was married to Mary Mills, a native of New York State. In 1824 they removed to Livingston County, in the Empire State, and resided there until the death of the mother in 1838. Six years later Mr. Hail came to Michigan, and died in the fall of 1849. Their family consisted of ten children: Robert, Rebecca, Nancy, Margaret, Martha, John R., Thomas, Ellen, Mary A. and James. The only survivors at present are Thomas, James and Margaret. Thomas Hall was ten years of age when his family removed to Livingston County, where he assisted in the labors of the farm, and resided at home until his marriage. This important event occurred on the 14th of October, 1841, the lady of his choice being Nancy, daughter of John and Jane Paul (for parental history see sketch of David Paul in another part of this work). Mrs. Hall is a native of the old Empire State, where she was born in Argyle Township, Washington County. Three years after their marriage they bade good-by to the home and scenes of their youth, and coming to Michigan, settled in this county, as already stated. They became the parents of five children, two of whom, Martha, Mrs. J. N. Averill, and Nancy Maria, Mrs. J. P. Albright, still survive. One (aughter, Margaret Ann, died when twenty-four years of age. The mother of these children was called away by death in 1875, and Mr. Hall was united in marriage with his present wife June 17, 1880. Mrs. Hall, whose maiden name was Hannah Hulse, was born in Cayuga County, N. Y., Oct. 15, 1832, and is the daughter of John and Charity (Perkins) Hulse. The family came to Michigan in 1855, and settled in California Township, where the parents died. The family included six chil dren: Betsy M.; Martha L., deceased; Hannah; Hiram, who died in the army; Delilah, also deceased, and John. In politics Mr. Hall was formerly a Whig, but upon the dissolution of that party lie entered the ranks of the Republican party. In religion both he and his wife are identified with the United Presbyterian Church. R. LEVI SANDERS, a physician and stirgeon of good standing in the village of Bronson, has been numbered among its citizens since the spring of 1868. He was graduated from Bennett College in Chicago, and subsequently attended a course of lectures in Michigan University, Ann Arbor. He has spent the greater part of his life in the Wolverine State, of which he is a native, having been born in Gilead Township, this county, Dec. 21, 1840. Josiah and Mary (Miller) Sanders, the parents of our subject, were natives of Ohio, the father of Welsh and English descent, and the mother of Dutch and Irish. Their ancestors were pioneers of Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia. Their family consisted of eight children, of whom Levi, our subject, was the eldest born. and the others were Amos, Elizabeth, Rachel, Emma, Jessie, John, and Josiah, Jr. Of these six are living, and two are residents of New Mexico, and four of Michigan. The mother died in Gilead in May, 1864. The father is yet living, and residing on the old homestead. Dr. Sanders spent his boyhood under the home roof, acquiring a common-school education, but early in life announced his intention of becoming a member of the medical profession. After completing his studies he was married, June 20, 1867, to Miss Lodema Jameson, who was born Aug. 14, 1843, in the State of New York, and is the daughter of James and Elizabeth (Davis) Jameson, also natives of that State. The father is deceased; the mother is still living, in New York. To the Doctor and his wife there have been born seven children, namely: John R., Lola L., Lowell L., Emory, - pp — = -W - -- - -"1 -I ---~~~_?~nn~~r~Bus l~l- ~ L --- —---- ---- I ----' -LC -- - - - t I I I i I 350 BRANCH COUNTY. Bennie F., Erwin and Milton J. The eldest is seventeen years of age and the youngest four, and they are all at home with their parents. Our subject began the practice of his profession in Jamestown, Ind., on the 1st of April, 1863, with Dr. L. P. Waterhouse, with whom he continued five years. Thence he came to Bronson, where he is now in the enjoyment of a large and lucrative business. In 1885, on account of impaired health, he abandoned practice for a time, and going to Indianapolis, was engaged in lecturing on "the diseases of the eye " and "' surgery." Two years thus employed afforded him the needed rest and change, and he has now resumed his practice with renewed vigor. Dr. Sanders, politically, is an active Republican and a zealous defender of the principles of his party. Socially, he belongs to the Masonic fraternity, being a member in good standing of the Mystic Lodge No. 141, at Bronson. The pleasant family residence is located on Madison street, and its inmates enjoy the society of hosts of friends. OHN B. TUCKER, a prominent representative citizen of this county, is a resident of Union City, where he has been successfully engaged in business, and is Vice President of the Farmers' National Bank. The present commercial importance and prosperity of Branch County are due, in a large measure, to the wisdom, foresight and enterprise of her merchants, and it is a fitting tribute to those who have honorably distinguished themselves in the commercial arena, that their names and career should be commemorated among those of the leading men in all branches of industry. It is a fact worthy of consideration that nearly all of our prominent business men have struggled from comparative obscurity to the foremost places in every branch of trade, and this struggle has taught them self-reliance, which enables them to bear worthily the honors they have achieved. As a representative of this class we present the following brief A_ outline of one who has won, unaided, the leading position he holds to-day among the business men of Branch County. Mr. Tucker was born in Griswold, New London Co., Conn., Sept. 28, 1811, and was there reared until about twenty years of age on the farm of his father, who followed agricultural pursuits. Young Tucker then started out in life for himself, and engaged as clerk in a general store in his native town, and after about three years' experience he removed to Pittsfield, Mass., where he engaged as clerk, and soon had charge of the store of his employers, J. Pomeroy & Co. At the end of about eighteen months, however, failing health interfered with his plans, and he returned to his father's home, where in a short time he was restored to health. He then engaged as clerk with his brother and a brother-inlaw, in Constantia, Oswego Co., N. Y., and remained in their employ about five years. In 18<38 he directed his steps westward, and coming to Calhoun County, in this State, he settled in Burlington, where, for the next five years, he was engaged in mercantile business on his own account. He then returned to New England, but remaining there only a short time, he went to Syracuse, N. Y., where he resided for eighteen months. Mr. Tucker then once more retraced his steps to Michigan, and coming to Union City was employed as clerk for a furnace company, with which he remained five years. He next purchased a mill property at Burlington, Calhoun County, but lived there only about eighteen months, when he returned to Union City and purchased a mill property consisting of a saw and grist mill, which he operated from 1852 to 1869. Mr. Tucker then disposed of his mill property and engaged in mercantile business, in partnership with Horace A. Corbin, under the firm name of Corbin & Tucker. After ten years' successful conduct of the business our subject disposed of his interest to his partner, since which time he has not been actively engaged in business. The subject of this biography was married in Burlington, Calhoun County, to Miss Ermina Cutter, who was born in New Hampshire and spent her early life in Springfield, Vt. Their union has been blessed by the birth of three children, who are recorded as follows: Ermina T. is the wife of A. C. M-40-~ --- —--------- ----------------- - 4m-sW- i% —Omls BRANCH COUNTY. I I i I I I Nichols, of Lansing; Fanny A. became the wife of C. M. Hall, of Union City, and Charles C. is engaged in general merchandising in Union City. Mr. Tucker is a member of the Congregational Church, in which he has held the offices of Trustee and Deacon, and is a worthy and consistent member. Mrs. Tucker is also a member of the Congregational Church. ICHARD GREENWOOD, late a resident Li and one of the earliest settlers of Coldwater 1\/\ Township, was born near Rochdale, at wPlumpton, Lancashire, England, Dec. 18, 1809, and was the son of Robert and Ann (Ashworth) Greenwood, who were also of English birth and ancestry, and spent their entire lives upon their native soil. Our subject attended school in his youthful days, numbering among his mates Hon. John Bright, who has occupied such an important place among the councils of the present Parliament. He learned the trade of weaver and worked in the factory of Jacob Bright, the father of John, and continued in his native county until 1841. Then, not satisfied with his condition or his prospects, he resolved to seek the New World, andc crossing the Atlantic on a sailing-vessel, landed in New York City, whence he at once started for the West. Mr. Greenwood came to Southern Michigan during the time when the now flourishing city of Adrian was an unimportant town, and the western terminus of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad. Thence he made his way by stage to Coldwater, when the greater part of the ground which now forms the site of the present city was a tract of wild land. Upon it stood a few log houses, while deer, wild turkeys and other game were abundant. Upon his arrival here he commenced learning the trade of cooper, which business he followed for a period of twenty years. He was a man of great industry, and of excellent habits, and possessed of superior business qualifications. In a few years' time he had secured a competency which provided generously for him in his declining years and enabled him to live at his ease. He spent his last years at a comfortable and pleasant home in Coldwater, his death occurring April 1, 1877. Reared in the doctrines of the Episcopal Church, Mr. Greenwood was a conscientious Christian, and for some years after coming to Coldwater he walked to Jonesville, a distance of eighteen miles, to attend the nearest service. So conscientious was he that he would not even make this journey on the Sabbath day, but went on Saturday and returned on Monday. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Episcopal Society at Coldwater, which was started with a few members, who gathered first at private houses, and later in the court-house, until they were enabled to build a frame church. In the course of a few years the congregation had outgrown the edifice, and in 1879 a handsome brick structure was erected, in which the three altar windows were placed by Mrs. Greenwood in memory of her departed husband. A man quiet and unostentatious in his manner, Mr. Greenwood yet possessed a heart warmly in sympathy with the woes and afflictions of mankind, and he always had a kind word for everybody and exerted himself to do a favor. Such a man could not be otherwise than honest and upright in his dealings, and he was consequently the idol of his friends and family. His name is held in the kindest remembrance by the people of Coldwater and vicinity as that of a sincere Christian, a kindly and indulgent husband, and a citizen whose loss it has been difficult to replace. The marriage of our sublject and Miss Margaret Mary Foane was celebrated in Trinity Clurch, Rock Island, Ill., on the 18th of March, 1867. Mrs. Greenwood, like her husband, is of English birth and ancestry, her native place being the village of l:eovil, Somersetshire, Where she first 'opened her eyes to the light. Her parents were Charles and Mary Foane, who spent their last years in England. She, like her husband, was reared in the Episcopal Church, and formed his most faithful and sympathizing companion in his Christian labors and duties. Whenever they resided where there was no church of that denomination Mr. and Mrs. Greenwood were Ij mi ev e- l- III III M II I elp-lM U -YU~lrr-uy.4IIIU0 - L - w *Do II I I I! r4I 352 BRANCH COUNTY. = content to worship with others, thus illustrating the spirit of true Christianity, which acknowledges no sect, but that salvation is free for all. The father of Mrs. Greenwood was well-to-do, and gave to his daughter the advantages of an excellent education. The parents spent their entire lives in their native England. Mrs Greenwood came to America with a married sister. She is a lady of most lovable qualities, and held in the highest respect by all who know her. HF442* —,. —|.-* _ V ESLEY SEARS, A. M., Superintendent of the Michigan State Public School, a position for which he is eminently qualified both by nature and acquirements, is of New England birth and parentage, and first opened his eyes on the rugged Atlantic coast in Knox, Waldo Co., Me., Oct. 22, 1851. His parents, David and Sarah Milbury (Walker) Sears, were natives of the same section of country, and had a family of ten children, namely: Allen; Achsa, who died in infancy; George Washington; Vesta, who married W. E. Noble, now of Los Angeles, Cal.; Roscoe, deceased; Maria; Wesley, our subject; Frances, who died in infancy; John Franklin and Theo Hall. David Sears was born in the same town as his son Wesley, in 1813. The paternal grandparents were John and Achsa (Whitcomb) Sears, who probably at an early day moved from Massachusetts to the Pine Tree State, and are believed to have been of English ancestry. David, the father of our subject, was a farmer by occupation, and also was engaged in lumbering considerably. He moved from Maine to Monticello, Wis., in 1855, 'and engaged in farming and stock-raising, until his children had grown beyond the district school, when he took up his residence with them in Hillsdale, Mich., for the purpose of giving them the advantages of instruction there. This completed, he returned to his Wisconsin home, and there spent his last days, his death taking place Sept. 24, 1880. He was a Whig, politically, then an Abolitionist and a Republican, and a member in good standing of the Free-Will Baptist Church. The mother of our subject was born at Albion, Me., on the 17th of April, 1815, and was the daughter of Joshua and Maria Walker, who it is believed were of Scotch ancestry. She was in all respects the suitable companion and helpmate of her husband, and like him connected with the Free-Will Baptist Church. She is still living at the old homestead in Monticello, Wis. The subject of this biography spent his early life on his father's farm, and was one of the family who went to Hillsdale, not however, to complete his education, but to assist in increasing the family income. His sister Maria was to pursue her musical studies, and a brother, Roscoe, was to be fitted for the ministry. The latter died, however, while attending school. While Wesley was teaming in the streets of Hillsdale, after the death of Roscoe, the question occurred to him, why could not he be permitted to take the place of his deceased brother in college, and if this met with opposition he decided that he would rather return to the farm than stay in the city. The father, however, gave a willing consent, and in 1869 young Sears entered the preparatory department of Hillsdale College, under the supervision of the Free-Will Baptist Church, and was graduated from the classical course with the title of A. B., in the class of '74. Subsequently there was conferred upon him the degree of A. M. Upon leaving college Mr. Sears was given the Superintendency of the schools of Eaton Rapids, where he remained two years, and was elected for a third, but resigned to take a position at Mt. Clemens on a higher salary. He continued at this place for a period of nine years, then changed his residence to Flint City, and from there was called to his present position, in June, 1887. Wherever Providence has cast his lot he has met with excellent success as an instructor, and has ever been credited with that careful attention to the details of his profession which is so necessary for effective work. For many years he has been interested in the Masonic fraternity. He was Master of the Blue Lodge at Mt. Clemens, and is at present a member of the Romeo Commandery No. 6, at i _ —_Oom * ^t b I-I. * "'"J f.a -a- m - - - II Mo, U 1-.IO I BRANCH COUNTY. 353 3 Romeo, Mich. He was President of the Michigan School Superintendents' Association in 1887, and prominent in the Michigan State Teachers' Association. The wife of our subject, to whom he was married Dec. 29, 1880, at Lansing, was formerly Miss Nellie O., daughter of Rev. Hiram and Sarah Maria (Longyear) Law, whose family consisted of five children, Nellie being the second in order of birth. The father was a native of New York, and settled on a farm near Le Roy, N. Y., in 1816. He completed his education in Genesee College at Lima, and came to Michigan prepared for the ministry, commencing his labors in the pulpit of the Methodist Episcopal Church about 1845. He was successively in charge of the churches at Niles, Grass Lake, Homer. Litchfield, Port Huron, Centerville and Birmingham, and was a Presiding Elder in the old Michigan Conference. His death occurred in the pulpit, while he was preaching at Mosherville, this State, Sept. 9, 1866, and his remains were taken to Grass Lake for burial. Mrs. Sarah Maria Law was born in 1824, and was the daughter of Benjamin and Nellie (Short) Longyear, who spent their last years in Grass Lake. She was a very excellent lady, fond of her home and her children, and a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. She died at Lansing in 1860. Mr. and Mrs. Sears are the parents of two children, Arthur Wesley and Clarence Howard, the latter of whom died in infancy. The State Public School of Michigan is situated one mile north of the center of the city of Coldwater, and occupies a commanding site from which a fine view of the city and the surrounding country is afforded. The property consists of the Administration Building, with the ground plan in the shape of a cross, having a frontage of 198 feet in the central part, around which are grouped thirteen other buildings, one of which is used for a water tower, boiler and engine house and gas works, one for a hospital, one for a school-house, one for a laundry, and the other nine for cottages. All of these are heated by steam and lighted by gas, and with the exception of the hospital are constructed of brick. They have not only a substantial, but a cheerful and homelike appearance. There have been introduced the latest improvements in steam heating, cooking, laundry, bathing and ventilation apparatus. In connection with it is also a farm of 110 acres, on which there is a bearing orchard of 500 apple trees. The total cost of the whole outfit closely approached $200,000. The families connected with this institution all live separately like ordinary citizens, although in numbers they aggregate from twenty-five to thirty for each household. The children work, eat, and attend school together. The cottages are in charge of intelligent women who care for the children, the object of it being to provide for all the dependent children in the State. The price of admission is dependency upon the public, and the only conditions, that they must be sound in body and mind, over two and under twelve years of age. They are clothed, fed and educated until satisfactory homes are found to place them in. The school was opened May 21, 1874, since which time children to the number of 2,512 have been admitted. There are accommodations for 270 children. The records show that 1,889 have been indentured, the most of whom are remaining in their adopted homes. An agent ascertains the means and standing of the people who apply for a child, and many of those indentured at an early age have been subsequently legally adopted and given the care and affection of an own child. The Michigan State Public School is a most admirable and well-conducted institution, well worthy the people of the great commonwealth which projected it, and which keeps it in operation, and the present Superintendent appears to be in all respects the right man for the place. ETH F. GOODWIN, one of the thrifty and successful young farmers of Branch County. is pleasantly situated on section 9, in the township of Matteson, where he owns an excellent farm of 240 acres of fertile land, which makes it one of the largest and best farms in Branch i' I IIIll. ---r- l ~ NW Y- -~ I-Y _. —II~L- - I-pi ~~LUUIII~-~~- CPI~I CC-~ I -YI)CIlt. ~ 1 A '{ c I I -1 A I I i i I i i i i I i i i i t i i i i i i I i i i i I i '' i 1i i i i I I I! t! I- -- ". — ^-~ ^~; --- ~rl — ~ --- ~- -- - ~ ~ ~- ~ —,'' -~ --- --- - -- ~- - _ 1-1 —, III-1 —..... —, - I~1 II -I'l-.-, -. — 1.- I - - II.~.1.. I I - -- ---... - - ~-, ''ll — 1 II -l" 0 -— 11-1011, I -~ — "m III -4 - I-^~ll~ ll*~-rlC~I-~ ~ ---~ ^ 1 1. L 354 BRANCH COUNTY. I - County. Mr. Goodwin was born upon the farm where he now resides, April 11, 1854, and has been its owner for the last fourteen years, during which he has become one of the prominent men of the county, and brought his land to its present high state of cultivation. It is provided with buildings suitable for its requirements, and forms altogether one of the attractive homesteads of this county, upon which the eye loves to linger, and is indicative at once of the enterprise and culture of its owner. The father of our subject, Charles H. Goodwin, was a native of Rochester, N. Y., and a son of Seth Goodwin, a native of the same State, who operated a sawmill and engaged extensively in the lumber trade. He was thus engaged until 1835, when he came to Michig an, and locating first in Colon, St. Joseph County, on a tract of land which he bought, set about improving his purchase. He subsequently sold this property and purchased land in Matteson Township, this county, upon which lie resided, actively engaged until his demise, Oct. 12, 1859, at the age of sixty-three years. Seth Goodwin was a native of New Hampshire, and removing to Rensselaer County, N. Y., was married, when a young man, in Albany, in that State, to Miss Sarah Winne, who was born in Brunswick, Rensselaer County, in 1803, and is of York State parentage. She and her husband were associated with the Regular Baptist Church, and Mrs. Goodwin still survives, and resides with her grandson, our subject. She is an amiable, intelligent woman, was a devoted wife and mother, and is highly esteemed among her acquaintances for her many Christian virtues. Charles H. Goodwin while still a boy accompanied his parents to this State, though he had received his education in his native State, and resided with them on their new farm until his marriage, which important event took place in Matteson Township, with Miss Jane Bennett, a native of York State, who came to Michigan when quite young. She became the mother of four children, and died when her youngest, our subject, was an infant of six months. The other children are recorded as follows: Charles E. married Sarah Hogoboom, who is now deceased, and he resides in Colon Township, St. Joseph County, engaged in farming and handling farm machinery; Sarah E. became the wife of Emery Blossom, a farmer of Sherwood Township; Mary J. became the wife of William Grover, but he is now deceased and she resides in Colon Township. The father of ouir subject gave up agricultural pursuits late in life, and engaged as a merchant and hotel-keeper in Colon, where he died in 1880, aged fifty-six years. The subject of this biographical notice grew to manhood in Colon Township, St. Joseph County, and there received his education at the common schools. On the 2d of June, 1874. he was united in marriage in that place, with Miss Eva A. Legg, who was born in Colon Township, Nov. 7, 1852, and is the daughter of Orin Legg, a native of York State and a mechanic and farmer by occupation. He there married for his first wife Miss Sarah Bangs, and they subsequently came to Michigan, but she died while on a visit in the Empire State, and her only child died in infancy. Mr. Legg was a second time married, in Colon, St. Joseph County, to Melissa Webster, who was born in Lorain County, Ohio, in 1823, and was a little lass of seven years when she came with her parents to Colon Township, St. Joseph Co., Mich., which they made their home until the decease of her father, Dec. 31, 1870, at the age of fifty-eight years. Mrs. Legg still survives at the age of sixty-five years, and resides in the same township in which she first settled. Her husband was a member in good standing and officiated as Deacon in the Baptist Church, while in politics his sympathies went out to the Republican party. Mrs. Goodwin received a good education in Coldwater, and for some years prior to her marriage was engaged in the profession of school teach. ing. After marriage the young couple settled upon the farm which has since been their home, and Mr. Goodwin has now about 150 acres under the plow. Among his domestic animals may be found specimens of the best strains of Short-horn and other good breeds of cattle, which yield to their owner a handsome remuneration for his outlay of time and money. Mr. Goodwin has filled acceptably several of the offices within the gift of his townsmen, having been Highway Commissioner, and is at present School Director. He is a member of the A. 0. U. W., and is Foreman of Lodge No. 132, located at Sherwood. In politics he affiliates with the Re w d r 1 ___ — m! - ~l~r~-r- ~l~-lr~ — I..- I Irr~ ~ rrr - - - ~-~ — I II Il~~rllr ~ - ~ ~-~-~rr)_ -lo AI — e4 s 3 r | s* 40 — koI l.rl-'l- ~~ -~ s-~ lLB, ~~S-40q~tt -e -o I w I I I i ii hi BRANCH% COUNTY. 355 a BRANH CONTY.355 i publitan party, in whose deliberations his voice may be heard, and he is a man of influence in the commnunity. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Goodwin has been blessed by the birth of six children, one of whom, Mabel G., is deceased. The others are Effie A., Reah A., Carl H., Orin S. and Lorin E. The parents are members in good standing of the Baptist Church, at Colon, and Mrs. Goodwin is a woman of education and refinement, who has been the able counselor and assistant of her husband, the trusty exemplar for her children, and a kind and congenial friend. l ENJAMIN PERRY TAGGART. To the early pioneers of Branch County too much honor cannot be awarded. They were men of strong principles and wonderful energy, many of them having come from the vicinity of the old Plymouth Rock. They endured hardships for the sake of their posterity, who love to recount their struggles and triumphs, and keep their memory fresh and green. But their children, who worthily wear the mantle that fell from pioneer shoulders, are also entitled to great credit for carrying on the good work which their fathers began. Growing up in a new country, with but little opportunity for education, they labored under great disadvantages, and yet many of them, yes, most of them, are noble, high-minded men and women, many of whom have come to the front in all the higher walks of life. To this class belongs the gentleman whose name heads this sketch, and who was born in Bronson Township, Aug. 18, 1843. He is now engaged in general farming on section 18, in his native township. and in connection therewith makes a specialty of raising stock, in which he is supplied with the best grades, which yield him a handsome annual income. Benjamin P. Taggart is the son of David and Sarah Taggart, natives of New Hampshire and Massachusetts respectively, and of English origin. Young Taggart received the rudiments of an education at the common schools of his native county, and being bright and ambitious, this increased his desire for a more complete education. His wish was gratified by an attendance at the High School in Bronson, after which he entered Hillsdale College, and received the benefits of that highly efficient, central institution of learning. He then chose the profession of a school teacher, which he followed for about fourteen years, varying his work by engaging in farming during the summer months. By the time Mr. Taggart had assumed the duties of "ye pedagogue," the old log school-house had given place to the handsome frame or brick structure, which for elegance and beauty of design compares favorably with that of the older settled countries, and in place of the "master," who was looked up to as a superior being, and was consulted on all matters of law, physics and religion, there was found the teacher of liberal culture, intelligent and progressive, with broad and comprehensive ideas on the subject of education, and the best means for training and developing the youthful mind. It meant more than mere teaching in order to make a living, more than a knowledge of a great number of isolated facts in the great universe of mind and matter. It meant the complete and harmonious developing of the various powers of our nature, mental, moral and physical. Our subject was united in marriage, March 25, 1879, with Miss Ella Owen, of Matteson Township. She was born in Lake County, in the Buckeye State, Sept. 26, 1857, and is the daughter of Hiram and Mary Owen, natives of Ohio and Massachusetts respectively. When advanced in life they removed to Michigan, and located in Matteson Township, this county, where the mother died about one year after their settlement. The father then returned to his native State, but he subsequently came to Michigan, where he spent the remainder of his life, dying in 1878. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Taggart has been blessed by the birth of four children-Sarah Bernice, Ella Bertha, Burton P. and Frances Maude. The first purchase of real estate made by our subject was a house and lot on section 16, Bronson Township, then, in 1874, he, with his brother George D., bought 114 acres of land where he now lives. He has since bought out the interest of his brother, and out of what was at one time a forest, 7" i B i, I -- ----------- l --- —, --- I --- — r I-m-"" 4 I im { I ~r 000 - I i Ii i i I I i t I i i i!1!i! r~ --- —~ I i, "'"-"~;" ":"~I"'~ r" r MIIII- PI-I. I I IN___ 4 ~ar~lI1ILllb 356 BRANCH COUNTY. I I I he has made a good farm, and has erected conveniently arranged and substantial buildings for the successful prosecution of his work. Mr. Taggart is a man of decided ability, and is well informed on all public questions, an acute thinker and close reasoner, discreet in forming an opinion, modest in advancing it and firm in maintaining it. These qualities have not been overlooked by his townsmen, who have elected him to the most important offices within their gift. He was at one time Township Superintendent of Schools, an office which has since been abolished. He was elected Township Drain Commissioner, and held the office for two years, and he was also nominated by his party, in 1878, for the Legislature, but was defeated by the Republican candidate. In politics, he is a stanch Democrat, and assists his party by his vote and influence on the occasion of all important elections. He has also been School Inspector for a number of terms. Socially, Mr. Taggart is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and was formerly a member of the Patrons of Husbandry. OHN B. HAVILAND, a general farmer, situated on section 5, Sherwood Township, was born in Danville, Vt., Oct. 28, 1816. He moved to Ohio with his parents in 1833, and three years later he came with them to Branch County, and settled in Sherwood Township, of which he has since been a resident. He now owns a tract of about 300 acres of good land in Branch and Calhoun Counties, besides other valuable property, and has always been engaged in agricultural pursuits. The father of our subject, Ebenezer Haviland, was born in Danville. in the Green Mountain State, and his mother, whose maiden name was Betsy Batchelder, was also a native of the same place. After their marriage the parents of our subject settled in their native township, and resided there until 1833, then came to Michigan, and entered a tract of 153 acres in Sherwood Township. After thus fixing upon a place of residence where he thought the possibilities for the achievement of success much greater than in the early settled States, Mr. Haviland returned to his Eastern home, and started with his wife and family for their new home in the West. While visiting in Northern Ohio on the way, Mr. Haviland was attacked by the dreadful scourge cholera, and there died, leaving his wife with her family of six children. She resided in Northern Ohio for three years, and then came to Sherwood Township and settled on the land which the father had taken up from the Government. She bent herself heroically to the task of supporting and educating her family in the new country, and contended with all the difficulties to which the pioneers of Southern Michigan were subjected. She and her children were engaged, as were all the pioneers of the day, in subduing nature, building cabins, clearing land, breaking prairie, etc., but with all this labor they were social and happy, and while many secured little technical education, they learned those practical lessons of life which prepare men and women to fight successfully the battle of life. The mother continued to live at the homestead in Sherwood Township until her decease, which occurred when she had attained the age of seventy-five years. The parental family of our subject included seven children-Mary, Sarah, John B., Ebenezer, Betsey, Mark and Harriet M. Mary became the wife of Jesse Reynolds, and Sarah is the wife of R. H. Willard; Ebenezer (lied in Sherwood Township; Betsey was the widow of Colvin Carpenter, and is now also deceased; Mark resides in Nevada, and Harriet is the wife of Gilbert Palmer, of Union City. Mr. Haviland is a public-spirited and practical business man, and these qualities have been appreciated by his townsmen, who have elected him to several of the offices within their gift. He has been Supervisor of Sherwood Township one year, Justice of the Peace three years and Highway Commissioner two or three terms. In politics he is a Democrat, and is ever ready by his vote and influence to further what he believes to be the best cause. His early acquaintance with pioneer life, together with his genial manners and large store of information, make Mr. Haviland an agreeable and t I ii/ []!I _ P-'qw m I ^ I am" F 4, I4. 1.....1,4...~ ^,~,, 4 a I l j~" 4,m 4 -4. I i ofr- U~ 1-14 L BRANCH COUNTY. 357 AI entertaining companion, and he is familiarly known in his own section as "Uncle John," and is a man who is universally respected and esteemed by his fellow-townsmen. \ IILLIAM W. PARADINE is one of the selfmade men of Branch County, who, while making his way with characteristic energy and pluck from poverty to comparative wealth, has in no small degree contributed to the material advancement of the community of which he is an important member. In March, 1859, our subject, then in the very prime of life, came to Ovid Township and invested his hard-won earnings in a tract of wild land, of which but very little had been cleared. In the years that have intervened he has toiled incessantly, with the assistance of his good wife, and by shrewd management, thrift, and judicious expenditure of money, that same tract of wild, forest covered land has been brought to represent one of the finest farms in this locality. Mr. Paraline is an Englishman by birth, born in Buckinghamshire, Aug. 26, 1837, and his father and grandfather, both of whom were likewise named William, were lifelong residents of the same shire. The mother of our subject, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Saunders, was also born in Buckinghamshire. Three years of her life she spent in America, and then returned to old England to die. She and her husband were worthy, respected people, and were justly held in esteem by those who knew them. They were the parents of eleven children, eight of whom grew to maturity, namely: Ellen, William, George, Joseph, Esther, Charles, Thomas and Harriet. Four of these came to America: Our subject; Joseph, who settled in Branch County, but is now a resident of Lake County, Mich.; Charles, who settled in Ovid Township, and subsequently died here; Thomas, who lives in Ovid Township. The subject of this sketch was reared in his native shire, and as soon as he was large enough to be of assistance, he was set to work to perform his share in the maintenance of the family. His first em ployment was to keep the English sparrows from the grain, and his payment for that service was two shillings and sixpence a week, with the privilege of boarding himself. When he grew older he was promoted to labor on the farm, and his wages were increased from time to time until he received two shillings a day, out of which sum he had to board himself. In 1856, ambitious to better his condition, and seeing in America a land of promise, where life seemed to. hold forth more inducements and brighter prospects of success, our subject determined to try his fortunes here. Accordingly, in the month of September, on the 25th day thereof, he bade a long farewell to his native isle, and set sail from Liverpool on board the vessel "William Tapscott," and after a voyage of six weeks and four days landed in the United States. He proceeded to Cleveland, Ohio, and soon obtained employment on a farm near that city. For the first four months that lie worked there he received the sum of $5 a month, but for the next four months he was paid $10 a month. In the fall of thatyear, 1857, lie went to Medina County, and resided there until March, 1858. While there he met and made the acquaintance of Miss Sarah E. Higgins, who afterward joined hands with him to walk in the journey of life, their union being consummated Dec. 17, 1858, and to her faithfulness and devotion to his interests he and their children are greatly indebted for the pleasant home that they enjoy. She was born in Brunswick, Medina Co.. Ohio, Sept. 2, 1841, and is the daughter of Jonathan W. and Lucinda (Rosa) Higgins, natives of New York, the mother born in Allegany County. They moved from their native State to Ohio, and settled in Brunswick Township, where Mr. Higgins carried on his trade of stonemason. He finally moved to Wisconsin, and died there in 1847. Mrs. Higgins is now living in Sylvania, Lucas Co., Ohio. The marriage of our subject and his wife has been blessed to them by the birth of eight children, of whom five are living. Their record is as follows: Laura A. married Fred Conkling, and lives in Kinderhook Township; Leona, Ralph; Melvina, the second child, born Sept. 7, 1861, died at the age of three years; Joseph, the third child, died young; William W., George H., and Susie, the seventh child, 4 go* - -. C _ - o- 40 i 1 i, - E.- -.a - a -- a - III I s I I I I I l1 1 02110 - ( I yrp -]W-410 I I, 358 BRANCH COUNTY. -- who was born in September, 1877, and died at the age of four weeks. In March, 1858, Mr. Paradine went to Lucas County to work on a dairy farm, and was employed there until the following March. He then came to Michigan to work on a farm in Coldwater Township, and in the same month he bought the land which is now included in his present farm. Four or five acres of it had been cleared, and there was a log stable on the place, but there being no dwelling he was obliged to rent a place in Ovid, to which he removed with his young wife. During the summer he bought a house three miles distant, paying $7 for that and a wagon. Ile built a tamarack shanty on his own land, and in the fall used the boards from the house that he had bought to roof his shanty. On the 26th of December le and his wife took up their abode in that humble dwelling, and have been continuous residents of Ovid Township ever since. l1r. Paradine now has the greater part of his land improved, and has erected a substantial set of frame buildings to replace the original structures of the first few years. He has been very successful and has bought other land, so that lie now owns 100 acres of fine farming land. Mr. and Mrs. Paradine are worthy Christian people, and faithfully live up to the tenets of their church. the United Brethren. These lines, briefly sketching the life of our subject, show that he has been an earnest and active worker, and we will add that he has led an upright life and is always true to his convictions of right. As a citizen he is peaceful and law-abiding, and although loyal to the land of his nativity, he is a stanch believer in the institutions of this country, and in casting his vote with the Republican party does what he can to support the m. ----------— ~ 4 -^t^^^r- --------- g R'TEMAS A. ROBERTS is actively identified with the farming interests of Michigan, his native State. He has a very pleasant home on section 11, Quincy Township, where he settled July 7, 1882, and his farm, in point of culture and productiveness, compares favorably with the best in this locality. Our subject is a worthy representative of a pioneer family of the adjoining county of Hillsdale, where his birth took place in the township of Litchfield, March 20, 1853. His parents were Daniel and Clarissa (Allen) Roberts. The former was born in Willet, Cortland Co., N. Y., June 27, 1810; the mother was born in Scipio, N.Y., July 23, 1812, and they were married in Willet, N. Y., Sept. 15, 1839. They started from their home in New York Sept. 9,1845, and arrived in Jonesville, Mich.. on the 23d of the same month, settling in Scipio Township, Hillsdale County, where they resided for two years, and then moved to Litchfield Township, of which they were respected residents for more than forty years. In 1880 they removed to Battle Creek, where they are now passing their declining years in comfort, and free from the cares of active life. They have witnessed with great interest the wonderful development of Southern Michigan, from the sparsely inhabited wilderness which prevailed over the most of this part of the country when they first came here, to its present prosperous and populous condition, and they can feel with pride that by their labors they contributed to its growth. In the period of fifty years that they have traveled together, they have been faithful in all the relations of life, and have conscientiously performed its duties. They are sincere and earnest Christians, and have for many years been connected with the Baptist Church as honored members. They have nine children living, of whom our subject is next to the youngest. He was reared to the life of a farmer, and educated in the common schools. He was active, intelligent and enterprising, as a youth, and even before he had attained his majority he had gathered together enough of this world's goods to enable him to establish a home of his own, and on the 13th of January, 1874, was united to the lady of his choice, Miss Fannie Bowen. She was born in Hillsdale County, Jan. 12, 1859, being a daughter of Alvin and Caroline (Burdick) Bowen, natives of Greenfield, Saratoga Co., N. Y., where the father was born April 25, 1812, and the mother May 7, 1829. They were married in their native county, May 20, 1854, and a year later, in the month of May, came to Michigan and settled in Litchfield s-a-y I 4 L 4 g ~b~-~la91~~~~~I I -—..-~ ---Lp ---~gisFr-~l~t~ill~lB t BRANCH Township, Hillsdale County. The father died there in 1872. The mother is still living. She is a truly good woman and a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. She and her husband were the parents of three children, of whom Mrs. Roberts is the eldest. After marriage Mr. Roberts continued to live for two years in his native town, Litchfield, and then removed to Branch County, where he still makes his home in Quincy Township. Since coming here lie has made a success of his agricultural ventures, and is already numbered among the substantial farmers of this community. His farm of ninety-two acres, with its rich harvest fields, gives ample evidence of the care, skillful management and hard labor of the owner. The pleasant household of Mr. and Mrs. Roberts has been blessed by the birth of four children: Lennie, Ida, Fred and Hazel. Our subject is capable, energetic and systematic in the management of his affairs, and strictly honorable in his business transactions with others. In his home he is a kind husband and a tender father; in his relations with his neighbors he is always pleasant and obliging. He and his good wife are active and earnest members of the Baptist Church. Politically, lie is a Republican; he has never held office, but has devoted himself closely to the conduct of his agricultural interests.,4 X OHN R. FULTON, the efficient Station Agent of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern i O Railroad, and also agent for the American Express Company, at Ray, Ind., first settled near this place in 1854. After a residence of some years in Kansas he returned to Ray about twelve years ago, since which time he has been employed in his present business. The subject of this narrative was born in Logan County, Ohio, Nov. 11, 1837, and is the son of Henry and Catherine (McBeth) Fulton, natives of Pennsylvania. During their youth they removed with their respective parents to the Buckeye State, COUNTY. 359 f [COUNTY.39 where they subsequently became acquainted and were united in marriage. Induced by the glowing accounts which reached them from this partially developed State they removed to Michigan in 1854, and settled on a farm in California Township, Branch County, where they resided, laboring in its improvement and cultivation until their decease. They became the parents of five children, one of whom, Sarah J., died in early womanhood. The other four are: David, a carpenter of Bellefontaine, Ohio; Joseph, a farmer of Jackson County, Kan.; William H., who is engaged in the insurance business at Indianapolis, and our subject, who was the youngest of the family. Mr. Fulton was reared on the farm and received his education in the district schools of his township, and was thus engaged until the removal of the family to the West. Upon their settlement in Michigan he continued to reside with the family, assisting in improving the land, and thus passed his life uneventfully until his marriage, which took place in 1860, Ellen L. Reynolds, who was born in California Township on the 4th of September, 1842, becoming his wife. She was the daughter of Thomas H. and Olive (Lane) Reynolds, the former of whom was born in the Empire State, and migrated westward when young, with his parents, Joseph and Ruth Reynolds, and in 1836 the family settled in California Township, this county. Mrs. Reynolds was born in Illinois, and died in California Township, in 1856, leaving five childrenEllen, Elizabeth, Rosaline, H. T. and W. M. Thomas H. Reynolds was married a second time, to Elizabeth Schattuck, who bore him one child, Ira. The father died in 1876. Mr. Fulton followed agricultural pursuits in California Township until 1867, and then removed to Jefferson County, Kan., and purchased an unimproved farm of eighty acres. After a residence there of seven years, during which time he suffered much from the depredations of grasshoppers, he determined to try some other locality, and disposing of his property at a sacrifice, returned to Michigan, and has since been engaged in his present employment. Mr. Fulton has also been engaged, for about eight years, in buying grain at Ray Station, and does considerable business, affording a S d ~-I r1 M 16 --- — - lrsqoc 1 e o -1 I ri I - I I --- _ -. I. I I 1.1 I arlliea s I — - I~ I I, - C I I- -- — 111 360 BRANCH COUNTY. I medium of exchange between the grower and the shipper. Mr. and Mrs. Fulton have been blessed with a family of four children, one of whom, a daughter, died of that terrible scourge, diphtheria, in 1886, at the age of six years. The names of the three children living are Edith 0., Thomas H. and Ethel J. In religion Mr. and Mrs. Fulton are members of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, in which they take an active and leading part, and always extend their hearty co-operation in any measure inaugurated for the good of the community. In politics Mr. Fulton is a Prohibitionist. BRAM J. ALDRICH, one of the editors and ( proprietors of the Cold water Republican, is a gentleman in the prime of life, and the midst of his usefulness, having been born Feb. 3, 1843, and a native of Girard Township, this county. His father, William Aldrich, was born in Macedon, Wayne Co., N. Y., July 26, 1811, and was the son of Abram Aldrich, Sr., a native of Upton, Worcester Co., Mass., and born Dec. 3, 1775. Abram Aldrich was reared and married in his native State, and later removed to the vicinity of Macedon, N. Y., before the era of canals and railroads, the journey necessarily being made overland with teams. He purchased a tract of land amidst the timber, and improved the farm which now lies along a section of the Erie Canal. In 1832 he sold out and came to the Territory of Michigan, and was one of the first men to settle in what is now Union Township. As before.'he entered a tract of land from the Government, and after beginning to live comfortably, erected a saw and grist mill near what is now known as Hodunk. These were the first mills in this section of country, to which people came many miles. Grandfather Aldrich here spent the remainder of his days, his death occurring April 8, 1842. He was reared in the Society of Friends, but subsequently became a Methodist in religious belief, and died in that faith. A man energetic and ambitious, he was open-hearted and generous, and always ready to aid those in need, or less fortunate than himself. He was married, Feb. 17, 1801, to Miss Sophronia Legg, who was born in Orange, Mass., Aug. 7, 1777, accompanied her husband to the West, and died in Girard Township, Dec. 30, 1837. Of their nine children, seven grew to mature years. Of these, William, the father of our subject. was the sixth child, and was reared to manhood in his native State. He also came to Michigan in 1832, settling in what is now Girard Township, where he entered land from the Government, and was the partner of his father in the ownership and operation of the mills. After marriage he settled upon his land, and engaged in farming in connection with his milling, until resting from his earthly labors, Aug. 26, 1850. The father of our subject became identified with the Methodist Episcopal Church early in life, but later espoused Presbyterian doctrines. Politically, he was a Democrat, and a pioneer Justice of the Peace in Girard Township. He was first married in 1836, to Miss Betsy Fisk, a native of New York State, but who lived only a short time after her wedding. In September, 1838, he contracted a second matrimonial alliance, with Miss Phebe J. Ransom, who was born Aug. 4, 1813. in Lloyd, Ulster Co., N. Y., and departed this life at her home in the city of Coldwater, this county, Nov. 26, 1877. Her father, Joseph Ransom, was born May 21, 1768, and died in September, 1838, in Lloyd, Ulster Co., N. Y. His wife, Phebe, was born June 25, 1773, and also died in Ulster County, Jan. 2, 1846. They were the parents of eleven children, and the mother of our subject was next to the youngest. Mr. Aldrich was the only child of his parents. He pursued his first studies in the district school near his home, later attended the city schools of Coldwater, and Hillsdale College in the spring of 1861. He then entered the literary department of the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, and was graduated with the class of '65, with the degree of A. B. Three years later he received the degree of A. M. The fall and winter following he traveled, visiting the East, then returning, settled upon the home farm in Girard 'lownship, where he resided eight years. In 1873 he purchased an interest in the Coldwater Republican, an(d lhas been connected I I I i I 1 —odsL i I I esp. i Ir L _ii saw. rril.~Ld_ _^0.. k I r r oapPi —it *lilID ~L~. ~ ~ - O* -— ~ --- —~ilI~-qwwe~l BRANCH COUNTY. 361 C1 I, I with the paper since that time. In 1875 it was changed from a weekly to a semi-weekly. Mr. Aldrich cast his first Presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln, and has always been a stanch Republican. An intelligent man, and prominent in his community, he has occupied many positions of trust and responsibility, has been Secretary of the Library Board, and a Ruling Elder in the Presbyterian Church. Too busy with other affairs to accept the responsibilities of office, he has, notwithstanding, always been willing to devote his time and attention to the success of the party in whose principles he thoroughly believes, and has frequently been sent as a delegate to the various conventions which have met from time to time. Ie is a clear and forcible writer, and received the second prize offered by the Detroit Evening News for the best written article. In 1886 he read a paper before the State Press Association, entitled "Relation of the Newspaper to Politics." It attracted wide attention, and was commended on all sides. Mr. Aldrich, in September, 1870, was united in marriage with Miss Clarissa A. Stearns, eldest child of George W. and Miranda (Tufts) Stearns, who was born in Rushville, Yates Co., N. Y., Oct. 24, 1842. Of her parents mention is made in the biography of George W. Stearns, which will be found elsewhere in this volume. Mr. and Mrs. Aldrich have two children-Mabel and William Irving. Mr. Aldrich was President of the Michigan Press Association, in 1886, and has been a member of this body for a period of twelve years. -. ---— *.. ~ ~..0. — %..*** --- -,~ ON. AMOS GARDNER. The last twentyfour years of the life of this prominent citiz en of Matteson Township have been spent ( at his farm on section 11, to which he has during this time given his close attention, and to judge from appearances, has been amply rewarded for his industry. The land is remarkably fertile, the buildings are tasteful and substantial, and his live stock, of which he makes a specialty, is equal to anything of the kind to be found in the western part of the county. After obtaining the warrantee deed to his first purchase, he invested his surplus capital in additional land, and now has property on sections 11, 12 and 14, the house being on the first mentioned. He thus is owner of 240 acres of some of the best land in Southern Michigan. A course of thorough cultivation and judicious management has rendered this highly productive, so that it is now the source of a handsome income. Mr. Gardner has been a resident of Matteson Township since 1837, being thus one of its early pioneers. He was born in Burlington Township, Otsego Co., N. Y., March 18, 1833, and is the son of Hiram Gardner, a native of Vermont, who removed to New York State with his parents, Samuel and Diadamia Gardner, during the early settlement of Otsego County. The latter spent there the remaider of their lives, dying after reaching their fourscore years. The father of Samuel Gardner flourished in the Colonial times and served as a soldier in the Continental army, while his brother, a Tory, fought on the side of the English, from which nationality they both sprang. Hiram Gardner, the father of our subject, was reared and educated in Burlington Township, Otsego Co., N. Y., and upon reaching manhood married Miss Permelia, daughter of Amos and Eleanor Matteson. They came to the Territory of Michigan in 1835, and were among the first settlers of Matteson Township. Mr. Matteson secured a large tract of land near what is now Matteson Lake, and from him the township secured its name, as he was one of its most honored and popular citizens. He lived to see a large proportion of the dense forest converted into flourishing grain fields, and passed away at a ripe old age, in 1864. His first wife died about ten years after coming to Michigan, and his second wife also died before his decease. The good old man often referred to the manner of his journey hither, which was made in a way widely different from that of the traveler of to-day. A lake vessel conveyed them from Buffalo to Detroit, and thence they made their way laboriously across the country with teams, over imperfect roads and oftentimes through the forest. The Gardner family left the Empire State in the summer of 1837, and besides our subject there obo-m Im-1111,1111M, - _ - -- --— Erl -rm~a wpm~aai~~~~k;a ra T 1 AMAI -~1 i A i 1 1 1 11111011 llaraaacl - -I C MEMO! IN WON -11.10 la,11 — ~118 1 — ~.I1 Is 8*M IIIeB D 362 BRANCH COUNTY. were two other sons, DeWitt and Samuel, who assisted in driving the ox-team. The mother bore her share of the burdens, standing bravely by the side of her husband, and, meeting with patience the hardships and difficulties which they encountered. She is still living, and is now seventy-nine years old. She makes her home with her youngest daughter, Miss Permelia, in Sherwood Township, and for many years has been a member in good standing of the Methodist Church. After their arrival in Michigan, five daughters were added to the household circle, the eldest of whom, Diadamia, died when about twenty-one years old. The others-Eunice, Delia, Celinda and Permelia-are all living in this part of the county. Amos Gardner, our subject, was but a child when coming with his parents to Michigan, and was reared to manhood on a farm, acquiring such education as he could in the district school and by close application to his books in later years. He was more than ordinarily intelligent as a youth, and as a man has made for himself a good record. Upon establishing a home of his own, he was married in Franklin Township, Lenawee County, to Miss Ellen Whelan, who was born there, Dec. 18, 1844. Her parents, Eri and Hannah (Stearns) Whelan, were natives respectively of New York and Massachusetts, and were married in the Empire State. Both lived to an advanced age, the mother passing away in Franklin Township about 1865, and the father later, in Tecumseh. They were among the earliest settlers of Lenawee County, and lived to see Franklin Township develop into a wealthy and prosperous community. Mrs. Gardner was reared under the parental roof and completed her education in Tecumseh, after which she was employed as a teacher some years before her marriage. Of her union with our subject there were born seven children, two of whom died in infancy. Mrs. Ellen Gardner departed this life at her home in Matteson Township, June 9, 1887, mourned by her family, and regretted by the entire community. She was a lady of more than ordinary intelligence, a faithful wife and mother, and with always a helping hand for the needy and distressed. Miss Ella M., the eldest daughter of our subject, is the wife of Eli Keyes, a well-to-do farmer of Matteson Township. The other daughters-Gertrude B., Donna I. and Berenice A.-are at home with their father. Mr. Gardner represented Matteson Township in the County Board of Supervisors ten terms, and has always distinguished himself as a liberal-minded and public-spirited citizen, willing to labor and make sacrifices for the good of his community. In 1885 he was elected to the State Legislature from the Second District, and acquitted himself creditably in behalf of his constituents, being mostly interested in educational matters, and serving as Chairman of the Library and other committees having important matters in charge. He is a man whose influence is noticeable and whose opinions have due weight among his fellow-citizens. 1 SAAC WOODRUFF is one of the solid farmers and representative citizens of this county, and is pleasantly located in Sherwood Township, where he owns a magnificent property, consisting of 500 acres of land, fully equipped with buildings and machinery for the successful prosecution of his calling. Besides engaging in farming to a large extent, he is much interested in stock-raising, for which his farm is well adapted, and to which he devotes special attention. In his barns may be found some of the best bred Short-horn cattle and Hambletonian and Cleveland Bay horses, and he can look with pardonable pride on what lie has accomplished in this line of industry. He is also engaged in the lumbering business, dealing extensively in pickets and heading. The parents of our subject were natives of New York and came to this State at a very early day, locating in Wayne County. Here our subject was born in 1834, and was reared at the homestead, where he remained until 1862, engaged during his early years in obtaining an education and assisting in the duties of a general merchandising business in Plymouth and Coldwater. He subsequently engaged in the wood and coal business in Grand Rapids, Mich., which he conducted about four years, 91, A I i __0 - 4! I 4. m - - L I..... ii! f -14" em*-lEI-Eag-l6L-Amig ~ BRnANCH C~OUNTY.E 363 BU after which he returned to this county, where he has since been engaged in farming. and has met with continued success. Our subject was united in marriage, May 6, 1856, at Lyongs, N. Y., with Miss Mary E. Reilly, who was born at Lyons on the 1st of October, 1837, while her parents were also natives of the same State. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Woodruff has been blessed by the birth of four children, two sons and two daughters, as follows: Henry F., Florence J., Ellen F. and Charles R., all at home. Mr. Woodruff's political affiliations are with the Democratic party, andl he is a warm supporter of the present administration, while socially, he is a member of the F. & A.M. M rs. Woodruff is a member in good standing of the Episcopal Church, and she and her husband are reputable members of society, and assist in the advancement of all measures tending to promote the welfare, moral and financial, of the community. Y., where they spent the remainder of their lives, living to an advanced age. John Scribner, Sr., the father of our subject, was one of a family of eight sons and two daughters, who were conspicuous for their magnificent stt n rt stature and grat strength, eight of the ten weighing over 200 pounds. They all lived to be aged people. John tipped the beam at over 200 pounds, and was a man of remarkable muscular development. He was reared to manhood in his native county, and there married Miss Hannah Hartsough. She was also born in Montgomery County, where she was reared to womanhood. Her father, Henry Hartsough (now spelled Hartsuff) was also a native of New York, and of Holland-Dutch descent. He married Miss Sally Van Ness, of Holland-Dutch parentage. Henry Hartsough and his wife died in Montgomery County. Mr. H. was a farmer by occupation, and was a citizen who ranked among the solid representatives of that region. John Scribner, after his marriage, settled in Hampton, and there followed his trade of a stonemason and farming combined, until 1844. Then, with his wife and the younger members of the family, he set out for Southern Michigan, making the journey via the lake from Buffalo to Detroit, and thence overland up to a farm in Scipio Township, Washtenaw County, this State. Their eldest son, John H., had located two years before at Ann Arbor. In 1847 the parents and most of their children, moved to Raisin Township, Lenawee County, where they made their home until 1858. That year they changed their residence to this county, purchasing 160 acres of land where now live our subject and his brother John. Here also the parents spent the remainder of their lives, the father dying Jan. 27, 1862, at the age of seventy-eight years, and the mother Aug. 5, 1872, when seventy-five years old. The elder Scribner was a Republican in politics, and both parents were members in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The subject of this biography was but a child when his parents came to Michigan, and he acquired his early education in the schools of Lenawee County. The first most important event of his life was his marriage, which occurred at the home of the bride in Adrian Township, Lenawee County, March 21, 1857, the lady of his choice being Miss I;i'i RANCIS G. SCRIBNER. The subject of this i-bi biography holds a good position among the A well-to-do farmers and stock-raisers of Batavia Township, where he is owner of the undivided half of 164 acres of land on section 31. The greater part of this is in a fine state of cultivation, with first-class improvements, and the soil admirably adapted to the rich crops of Southern Michigan. The farm of our subject has been the property of the Scribner brothers for a period of thirty years, during which it has been transformed from an uncultivated tract covered with timber to one of the most beautiful and productive farms in this section. John H., the senior of the two brothers, was born in Hampton Township, Montgomery Co., N. Y., Jan. 26, 1815. Francis G., our subject, was born in Penfield Township, Monroe County, that State, Sept. 20, 1838. The father, John Scribner, Sr., was also a native of the Empire State, and was the son of Abel Scribner, a native of Connecticut, who married a Miss Bollman, a New England lady of Dutch ancestry. They settled in Montgomery County, N. |Ia ^O IanF. i.....:.............................S....... ii VW-,p — I, I I II 11 II Ill IN - -- I I I m -.0 t I -~ | "P - ~lm wqo- - 111,1lsl L1101110"l- e L - -I -- FM 364 BRANCH COUNTY. I Emma Houghton, who was born in Lyons Township, Wayne Co., N. Y., Sept. 29, 1840. Her parents, Jonathan and Catherine (Wright) Houghton. were also natives of the Empire State, reared and married in Wayne County, where their nine children were born. These included two sons and seven daughters. Mrs. Scribner was the youngest daughter, and the youngest but one of the family. In 1844 the Houghton family came to Michigan, and located on a farm in Adrian Township, Lenawee County, where they lived a number of years. The parents then removed to Hillsdale Township, near the city limits, where the mother died Dec. 31, 1886, at the age of eighty years. In religion she was a Wesleyan Methodist, and was in all respects a most excellent and worthy woman, who fulfilled her duties in life in a most praiseworthy manner. The father is still living, being now eighty-six years old, and continues a resident of Hillsdale Township. He is a smart and intelligent old gentleman, and politically, a solid Republican. Mrs. Scribner obtained her education in the schools of Adrian, and remained under the home roof until her marriage. Of her union with our subject there have been born seven children: Ida F. is the wife of Paul Crippen, of Chicago, Ill.. where Mr. C. is engaged as stationary engineer; Mae, Bessie E. and Charles H., are at home with their parents; three died in infancy. Mrs. Scribner belongs to the Congregational Church, and our subject, politically, uniformly supports the Republican party. The Scribner farm is familiar to all the old residents of Batavia Township, and is carried on in that methodical and profitable manner which indicates the intelligence and industry of the proprietor. E LIAS RICHARDSON, a respected citizen of Bethel Township, is busily engaged in his business of farming and stock-raising on section 18. He is a native-born citizen of Branch County, and a worthy representative of one of its pioneers. He was born in 1830 in Bronson Township, and is the fourth in the family of nine children of John G. and Charlotte (Long) Richardson, natives respectively of New York and Canada. His father was in his youth a sailor, but subsequently became a carpenter and joiner. When a young man he came to Wayne County, Mich., at a very early day in its settlement. From that county, shortly after his marriage there, he came with his wife to Branch County, and located in Bronson Township in 1828. In the following year he bought forty acres of prairie land, which is included in the present site of the town of Bronson, and on a part of which the Clark House now stands. He subsequently sold that and bought forty-four acres east of it in the same township, where he continued his trade. In 1833 he bought eighty acres of land on section 18, where our subject now resides. It was unimproved, and he toiled unceasingly to bring it to a good state of tillage, and at the time of his death, in 1850, had a very good farm. He was industrious, honest, and faithful to the duties devolving on him as a man and a citizen. His good wife survived him some years, dying in 1863 in Northern Michigan. The subject of this sketch was reared to the life of a farmer, and his education was conducted in the district schools of Branch County. When quite young he commenced farming for himself in this his native county. In 1863 he was drafted to take part in the war, and became a member of the 4th Michigan Cavalry, and was sworn into service at Grand Rapids. He was crippled, and for two years was troubled with chronic diarrhoea, and the officials did not accept or make much use of him, though he was in the army for about four months. He then returned to his farm in Branch County, and in 1864 he was married to Miss Christina Lowther. She was a native of Ohio, born in 1847, and was the fifth of the ten children in the family of Samuel and Sarah (Sherman) Lowther, who were natives respectively of Ohio and Virginia. At an early day they became pioneers of Morrow County, Ohio, and the father is now living at the advanced age of eighty years in Putnam County, that State. His wife departed this life in 1866 in Columbus, Ohio, at the age of forty-seven years. After marriage our subject and his wife lived for one year in Ohio; he then returned to his native I *DO I4 0 —Uo *I I I. L *0 ---s~A I I] ii! r l;, --- —-.^ ^ - -^ ^ 1 — --- I- - - -— 1 — - I- --— j BRANCH COUNTY. 365 --- --- = county with her. and they have ever since resided on this place. Mr. Richardson owns forty-two acres of land in an excellent state of cultivation, situated in Bethel and Bronson Townships. He has it well provided with comfortable buildings and a good dwelling, and well stocked with horses and cattle of good grades. To Mr. and Mrs. Richardson have been born six children, all of whom are living, and to whom their parents have given excellent chances for an education. Their names are as follows: Lester L., Charles Elias, Sadie A., Magie Irene, Estella Lorette and Hattie Jane; two of them are in attendance at school. Mr. and Mrs. Richardson, as practical, capable members of society are worthily doing their share in sustaining the material interests of this community, and in the advancement of its moral welfare. Mrs. Richardson is an active worker of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of Bronson, of which she is an esteemed member. Mr. Richardson takes a deep interest in politics, has been a Democrat, and on the formation of the Greenback party became one of its stanch supporters. J OHN SEBRING, numbered among the substantial farmers of Branch County, is an honored resident of Quincy Township, where he owns on section 27 as fine a farm as this region can boast. Mr. Sebring was born in Wayne County, N. Y., April 10, 1824. His grandfather was a Revolutionary soldier, but aside from the knowledge of that fact, little is known of him or his antecedents, as his son John, father of our subject, was the youngest in a large family, and could transmit but little of the genealogy of his ancestors to his descendants. John Sebring, Sr., was born in Eastern New York, and there reared and married, Nancy Dungee, of Vermont, becoming his wife. After marriage they continued to make their home in that part of New York for some time, Mr. Sebring being actively engaged in his occupation of farmer. Subsequently I BU they moved to Wayne County, in the same State, and spent their declining years there. His wife, who was a most excellent and amiable woman, died on the old homestead there, leaving seven children, of whom our subject was the fifth. The record of the others is as follows: Moses died at the age of eighteen years; Eunice married Richard Patton, and died in Quincy; Jeanette married Martin Hawley, and died in Quincy; Sarah married John Seccomb, of Auburn, N. Y.; Permelia married Cyrus Hawley, and died in Sturgis, Mich.; Catherine married Philo Seccomb, who died in the late Civil War, and she is now living in Kalamazoo. Mr. Selring was a second time married. Miss Sally A. Reynolds becoming his wife, and by their union eight children were born. Our subject was reared to manhood on his father's farm, and secured a fair education in the common schools. He was seven years of age when his mother's death deprived him of her kindly care. He continued to make his home with his father until he attained his majority, when he began life for himself as a farm hand, being thus employed the following two years. le then worked in a sawmill, which employment lie followed for fourteen years, during which time, in 1854, he came to Michigan and operated a sawmill, and carried on a lumber trade, being associated with his brother-in-law, Martin Hawley. They erected the first sawmill in Quincy, and sawed much excellent white wood and walnut lumber. They operated the mill together about five years, doing quite an extensive and profitable business, and then Mr. Sebring sold his interest to his partner, as he wished to devote himself to agricultural pursuits. He purchased eighty acres of land, and was soon actively engaged in the calling to which he had been reared, and in 1861 he bought fifty-one acres of land which now forms his home farm. The land was mostly cleared, but had no buildings or other improvements, and he did not then locate on it, but continued to live in Quincy Village until 1869, when he settled on his farm, and has ever since made his home here. By his enterprise, judicious investments, and shrewd management, Mr. Sebring has accumulated quite a good property, mostly since settling in Branch County thirty-four years ago. He owns ten acres a. i Y,;I I S-9 K- _U Im - -A -w - tPON -, I 1 I III I I A -_ *N- - I -i A I i t I i i i Ii i j i ij I' — - -6 ------ --- - I -, __ I.- I ---- -, "' -;, _'_ - 11 I I I I - I I I. I --- I - I -.1- I I dgdo, I, in W L 366 BRANCH: COUNTY. __o 366 BRC of valuable land in Quincy Village, and he has increased the area of his farm to 171 acres, all in a fine condition, and capable of producing large crops. He now has as good a set of farm buildings as is to be found within a radius of many miles, being very conveniently arranged and well adapted for the purposes for which they are used. He has paid especial attention to stock-raising, and has met with marked success in that line, as is attested by the fine condition of his Short-horns. Mr. Sebring was married, in 1852, to Miss Mary A. Pettys,daughter of Benjamin and Deborah Pettys, natives of New York State, where Mrs. Sebring was also born, in Wayne County, Dec. 27, 1825. Their marriage has been productive of four children, as follows: George D., a farmer and merchant in HIolt County, Neb.; Calphurnia is at home; Eugene, a farmer in Holt County, Neb.; Deborah J. married Enos Allen, of St. Joseph County, Mich.; they live at Burr Oak. Mr. and Mrs. Sebring are people of high character and standing in this community, among whose people they so many years ago cast their lot, and they possess in an eminent degree those traits which make them desirable as friends and neighbors. Mr. Sebring is a member of the Quincy Horse Thief Detective Association. In politics he is a sound Republican. l' OSEPH M. SAGER, who is numbered among the younger farmers of Bronson Township, was born here Sept. 5, 1862, and is the son of George and Emily J. (Blanchard) Sager, natives of New York State, who came to Michigan during its pioneer days. (For further history see sketch of George Sager.) He was reared to manhood on the farm of his father, receiving a good common-school education, and before twenty years of age he was married, Feb. 26, 1882, to Miss Maggie A. DePew, of Noble Township, Branch County. Mrs. Sager, who was also quite youthful at the time of her marriage, was born Jan. 22, 1861, and is the daughter of Nelson and Harriet (Guthrie) DePew, the former a native of Gilead Township, and now living on a farm in Indiana. The mother was born in Steuben County, Ind., and is also living. The parental family included nine children, seven of whom lived to mature years, and of whom Mrs. Sager was the third in order of birth. She was educated in the schools of this county, and by her union with our subject is the mother of one child, Adella, who was born Dec. 23, 1883. Mr. Sager is carefully cultivating twenty acres of fine land on section 28, where he has one of the neatest homesteads to be seen in this locality. The little farm is beautifully located, and with its neat and substantial buildings forms a very attractive feature in the landscape. Mr. Sager is ranked among the representative citizens of his township, being enterprising and industrious, and taking pride in his home, his live stock and his farm operations. He has not had very much to do with public affairs, but cast his first Presidential vote for the Republican candidate, and uniformly supports Republican principles, A sketch of his father, George Sager, will be found on another page in this volume. I AMES R. VOSBURGH. Mr. Vosburgh be. i longs to that large class of cultured, intelligent and enterprising people who came into Southern Michigan from New York and the New England States, and who have been such important factors in developing to so high a degree the resources which nature has so generously lavished upon it. This element of the population of Southern Michigan has not only contributed vastly to the development of the material resources of the State until to-day it takes a front rank as a producing section of our country, but it has stood as the champion of enlarged and increased educational facilities. The father of our subject, Martin R. Vosburgh, was a native of Columbia County, N. Y., as was also his mother, Rachel Robinson. After marriage they settled in their native county, but subsequently removed to Yates County, and afterward to Niagara, MP, i~ t 1440 I ~ --- — -- --------------— ~ --- —-------- ~-~ ---tB~gBR —i I 1 A 4 I I ra aA 4-~ 367u I A BRANCH COUNTY. 367 A 4. County. They finally removed to Orleans County, in the same State. where they resided until the decease of the father. The mother subsequently came to Michigan, and died at the residence of her son, our subject, in Union Township, May 19. 1884. The parental family of our subject consisted of twelve children, eight sons and four daughters, of whom James R. was the sixth in order of birth. He was born in Milo, Yates Co.,N. Y., April 2, 1826, and was reared at the homestead until he attained his majority. He received such education as the common schools of that section afforded, and assisted his father on the farm, learning from him those practical lessons of life which he has since utilized to such good purpose. He remained in his native State until the spring of 1855, when he resolved to try his fortune in the West, and accordingly setting out he came to Branch County and settled in Union Township, where he purchased eighty acres of wild land on section 12. At this time Branch County b had undergone wonderful changes for the better, since the early settlers of the thirties began their heaven-born mission. But there were still large tracts of the land where primitive nature reigned unmolested, and our subject's purchase was in such a part. Ile bent his energies to the conflict with nature, and has now seventy acres of his tract well improved and under a high state of cultivation. He has erected thereon good buildings, conveniently arranged, and well adapted for the purposes for which they were intended. X James R. Vosburgh was united in marriage, in Niagara County, N. Y., to Ruth R. Harrington, but she was removed from him by death, in Union Township, Feb. 7. 1856. In the same township, Oct. 13, 1860, Mr. Vosburgh was a second time married, his choice being Miss Amanda M., daughter of William and Nellie (Haviland) Ripley. They were originally of Chautauqua County, N. Y., but they came to Branch County in 1844 and settled in Union Township, which they made their home until death, the father passing away in 1846, while the mother survived him many years, dying in 1886. Their family consisted of four sons and four daughters, of whom Mrs. Vosburgh was the seventh child in order of birth, and was born in Ellery, Chautauqua Co., N. 5'., May 2, 1832. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Vosburgh resulted in the birth of two children: Frank E., who married Miss Nettie Mack, and resides in Coldwater Township, and Grant, who took to wife Hattie Barnett, and resides in Union Township. Mr. Vosburgh is an energetic and progressive farmer, and a worthy and representative citizen of this county, and by his straightforward business methods and l)ractical common sense he has won the regard and esteem of his townsmen who, appreciating his good qualities, have elected him to the office of Highway Commissioner, a position the duties of which he discharged faithfully and conscientiously. In politics he is a stanch Republican. Mrs. Vosburgh has been in every respect the worthy helpmate of her husband, and is an amiable, intelligent lady, endeared to those who have the pleasure of her acquaintance by her pleasant manners and charitable disposition. And as they look back upon a well-spent life, filled with worthy deeds and a careful and conscientious care of those who were dependent on them, they have the happy assurance that in their old age they may enjoy an easy competency, and the loving and tender care of those whom they have reared to take an honorable place in society. ETER B. SUMMERS. Twenty-seven years )) ago, in the month of April, 1861, the subject of this sketch came to Noble Town|~ ship, and bought seventy acres of land on section 15. Here he has made his residence since that time, and given his attention to the building up of a homestead. He has been successful in his labors, and has lived the quiet and unostentatious life of a private citizen, assisting others as he had opportunity, and establishing himself in the esteem and confidence of the people around him. A modest home in Lancaster County, Pa., sheltered the infant head of our subject, and there his birth took place Nov. 12, 1831. His father and mother, Jacob and Frances (Wilson) Summers, were also natives of the Keystone State, and emigrated i rj -. | n| FsB -r m~a ----- -----------— ~- ~ ~L~ —~ — Y~~r~-~-~ — - c --- —~rl $ I-( )II X K w. IP i! 3 BRANCF i I 368 BRANCE to Michigan with their son in 1867. The father only survived six years, his death taking place at the home of our subject, in 1872. The mother survived nine years, passing away in 1882. They were the parents of ten children, who present the rem'irkable spectacle of an unbroken group, the ten being all living and residents of the States of Michigan, Indiana, Kansas and Pennsylvania. Peter B. Summers, the year after coming to the West, was married, Jan. 14, 1868, to Miss Julia A. Greiner, who was born July 22, 1841, in Wayne, Pa., and is the daughter of Henry and Mary (Brink) Greiner, who were natives respectively of Germany and Pennsylvania. The father emigrated to America when a lad of eleven years, and selecting farming for his occupation, followed this the remainder of his life. He died in Holmes County, Ohio, in 1875. The mother passed away forty years ago at their home in Ohio, when her daughter Julia was a mere child. Mr. and Mrs. Summers have no children. Mr. Summers, although a capable and intelligent man, has steadfastly declined the responsibilities of office, which his fellow-townsmen would have been glad to have him assume. He takes no active part in politics, otherwise than to cast his vote in favor of Republican principles. e C. VAN VORST. For the last twenty-six years the form of this gentleman has been a familiar figure among the people of Matteson Township, to which he came in 1862, and located upon the land from which he has built up one of the finest homesteads in this part of the county. It comprises 180 acres of good land, most of which has been brought by our subject to a good state of cultivation, a result which has only been effected by the most persevering industry. It was mostly a wild and unbroken tract when it became his property, and is now a fine illustration of the good judgment and industry of one of Branch County's most esteemed citizens. Our subject has been a resident of this part of I COUNTY. Michigan since a lad nine years of age. The opening years of his life were spent in Rutland Township, Jefferson Co., N. Y., where his birth took place Nov. 3, 1836. His parents, Jiles and Sarah (Buyse) Van Vorst, were natives of Seneca County, N. Y., and both came from excellent old families, who were reared along the Mohawk Valley and were of Holland-Dutch ancestry. The father of Jiles Van Vorst died when he was an infant, and he was reared by an aunt and learned the trade of wagon-making. He was married in his native county, where he plied his trade for a number of years, then moved to Jefferson and later to Oswego County. About 1846, with his wife and eight children, he started for the West, and coming to this State, located on a farm in Colon Township, St. Joseph County. There most of the children were reared to mature years, and the father built up a good homestead, improving a farm of eighty acres. He died there in December, 1863. He was a man of great energy and industry and stood well in his community. He was a Republican from the time of the party organization, although meddling very little with political affairs. The mother passed away in 1873, at the age of sixty-five years. She was a good woman, a faithful wife and devoted to her family, and a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Our subject acquired his education mostly by his own efforts, completing his studies in Elkhart, Ind. He was for several years before his marriage engaged as a teacher. He was wedded on the 16th of March, 1863, at the home of the bride in Bronson Township, to Miss Adelaide Hunt, who was born at the farm where she now lives, in Matteson Township, Jan. 7, 1848. Her parents, Joseph S. and Harriet (Merritt) Hunt, were natives respectively of Pennsylvania and New York. The father came to Lenawee County, this State, when a young man, and was first married to Miss Sarah Howell, who died in the city of Adrian, leaving one child, John L. C., who is now farming in Adrian Township. Mr. Hunt subsequently came to this county and was married to Mrs. Harriet (Merritt) Monroe, and locating on the land which our subject now occupies, here spent the remainder of his days. Mrs. Hunt was subsequently married to Harvey Ander U~ ~ r! i ~ ir ~- ~Ir- ~ IIIL~ -IL.~- ' 101~e-C -Y- ~~ -~r-r-r*r I I.ftIIIIIUP ~_ —ORW., k~ I opp ob". i BRANCH COUNTY. 369 B son, and they located on a farm in Bronson Township, where Mr. Anderson died in 1873, and his wife Dec. 31, 1871. The latter was forty-seven years of age, and, although not identified with any church organization, carried out in her daily life the principles of the Christian religion. Mrs. Van Vorst was carefully reared by her excellent mother, and received a very good education. Of her union with our subject there were born two children, one of whom, Myrtie A.. died when about ten months and twenty-one days old; Harriet C. is the wife of Byron Ruggles, who is farming in Bronson Township. Both our subject and his wife belong to the I. O. O. F.. in which Mr. Van V. has held all the Chairs of his lodge, and Mrs. Van V. is Past Grand of Rebecca Lodge No. 85, at Bronson. Our subject, politically, is a stanch supporter of the Republican party and has been quite prominent in township affairs, holding the offices of Supervisor, Justice of the Peace, Highway and Drain Commissioner, besides other positions of trust and responsibility, including that of Chairman of the School Board for several years. ~C —_ _ ' DAM B. HELTZEL. The subject of this biography owns one of the best farms in Noble Township, and which is eligibly located on section 4, the soil brought to a good state of cultivation, and the farm buildings of that style of architecture amply indicative of the solid and substantial character of the proprietor. Mr. Heltzel, in addition to general farming, interests himself considerably in stock-raising, and is able to exhibit some of the best animals in this part of the county. His horses, although not fast stock, are mainly serviceable for the farm and road, while the sleek and well-fed cattle, whether in the field or the stable, look the picture of comfort, and are fully in keeping with the characteristics of the typical Pennsylvanian. Our subject was born in the Keystone State, Oct. 18, 1840, and is the son of Jesse and Catherine (Fishel) Heltzel, who at the time of his birth were living in York County. They also were natives of Pennsylvania. and of German ancestry. Mr. Heltzel spent his early years in his native county, and came with his parents to Michigan in 1859. They located on the land which he now occupies, and the father, with the assistance of his sons, cleared and improved a farm from the woods, putting up a log house in which the family lived until 1883. The homestead became the property of Adam in 1870, and he has since put upa modern dwelling and other farm buildings. The mother passed away in 1881. and the father in 1883, at the age of seventy-two years. They were the parents of four children, three of whom lived to mature years, and three are now living. The eldest son, Daniel, was killed by lightning in York County, Pa., before the removal of the family to the West. Mr. Heltzel continued with his parents until his marriage with Miss Julia Curtis, which took place at the home of the bride in Noble Township, Oct. 24, 1871. Mrs. Heltzel is the daughter of B. H. and Elizabeth (Koblin) Curtis, natives of Canada, and was born May 12, 1853,in Canada. Her father lives in Reed City, Mich. Her mother died in June, 1886. Their five children are all living. To our subject and his wife there have been born six children, five living, namely: Albert F., Irona, Elizabeth, Charles and Nettie. The Heltzel homestead embraces 166 acres of good land, which has been thoroughly cultivated, and is the source of a generous income. Our subject has little to do with public affairs, confining his attention mostly to his personal interests, but votes with the Democratic party. His wife is a member of the Mennonite Church. I i 4 I r i i iI i I I i L -o L I - cy"2 --- — ~)~t ~ 4N -C4.l OSEPH W. SHENEMAN is pleasantly located on a good farm on section 26, in Batavia Township, where he carries on general agriculture, including stock-raising. His property comprises 114 acres of valuable land, situated on the Chicago turnpike, five and one-half 4 ^ I swom ~i 0 - sh -40 -. v — iv I iII I i ii i f I i I i U a, -.dq L 370 BRANCH COUNTY. u-p i -Iwq -- miles southwest of the city of Coldwater, is convenient to market, church and school, and in all respects forms a most desirable country home. Our subject is a descendant of substantial German and American ancestry, who settled in Pennsylvania probably during the Colonial days. His father, a native of Wayne County, that State, was born in 1800, and lived there with his parents on a farm, acquiring his education in the common school. He continued under the home roof until twentyeight years of age, then with his parents removed to Wayne County, Ohio, where they purchased a farm and lived for a period of fifteen years. There John Sheneman met and married Miss Catherine Ginter, and there were born to them four children in the Buckeye State, namely: Jacob, John, Mary Ann and Joseph, our subject. In 1843 Mr. Sheneman disposed of his interest in Ohio, and coming to this county purchased the land which is now owned and occupied by his son Joseph. To the first tract there was, however, added enough to make him the possessor of about 1,400 acres, all of which was covered with the virgin forest. At the time of his coming here there were only three houses in Batavia Township. By his dauntless courage and unflagging industry Mr. Sheneman brought to a high state of cultivation nearly all of his great estate, and made his home where our subject now lives until the time of his death, which occurred July 29, 1875, when he had reached the ripe age of seventy-five years. The mother of our subject was born in the little Kingdom of Wurtemberg, Germany, Aug. 17, 1806, and when a maiden of eighteen years came with an elder sister to America and settled at once in Wayne County, Ohio, where she became an inmate of the home of her husband's parents, supporting herself until her marriage. She survived her husband six years, her death taking place also at the old homestead, Dec. 12, 1881, her age being also seventyfive years. After the removal of the family from Ohio to Michigan, four more children were added to the household circle, namely: Jackson, Catherine, Victoria and Rosa, all of whom lived to mature years. The father in addition to the home farm owned also at one time considerable land which is now occupied by the city of Coldwater, includ ing the ground upon which stands the Lewis art gallery, which at that time was covered with forest trees. The journey from Ohio was made in a covered wagon, in which they lived until a log house could be built. The mother was a most excellent Christian lady and a member in good standing of the Methodist Church, in whose interest she labored and to whose support she contributed. Mr. Sheneman, our subject, thus knows all about the trials and hardships of pioneer life, being but a lad when coming to Michigan with his parents. He was born in Wayne County, Ohio, Feb. 19, 1843, and continued a member of the parental household until reaching his majority, in the meantime acquiring a good practical education and a thorough knowledge of farming. Three days after becoming his own man, having already selected his future wife and helpmate, Miss Maggie Groves, of Batavia Township, he was married, Feb. 22. 1864, and the young couple commenced life together at Batavia. Our subject after the death of his father carried on the improvements the latter inaugurated, keeping the old buildings in repair and putting up new ones as they became necessary. To him and his estimable wife there was born one child only, a daughter, Mary E., Aug. 22, 1870, and who still continues with them. Like his father before him, our subject is an uncompromising Democrat, politically, although he has no desire to take upon himself the responsibilities of office. Mrs. Maggie Sheneman, the wife of our subject, was born Sept. 5, 1845, in Batavia, and is the daughter of Archibald and Jane Groves, who were pioneers of Michigan, coming to Detroit from New York by lake, and from there by an oxteam to the northern portion of Batavia Township. There was then no road, only a faint track through the wilderness, their only guide being blazed trees. Mrs. Sheneman was the sixth child of her parents, whose family included four sons and five daughters, and her early studies were conducted in the pioneer schools until she was thirteen years old. She was then sent to Minneapolis, Minn., where she lived seven years and completed her education. She returned home on the 9th of July, 1863, and the following February was married to our subject. Her father died at his home in Batavia Township, Sept. 11 w 6 Ah "Po -040 I I l 1I-I IIC~l L ~- ~ I I --- -I- — L-bIII — L ---ssI i i I .IP. Xa p *: q~t~ I I - I I.1 —.1g o — r —i.-41 BRANCH COUNTY. 373 = 1, 1853, at the age of forty-two years. Her mother, Mrs. Jane (Pitcher) Groves, was the daughter of Elisha Pitcher, of Orange County, N. Y., where she was born and lived until her marriage. Mrs. Groves still survives, making her home with her son Jay, at Batavia Station, and is now seventy-five years old. In her more active years she was a member and regular attendant of the Methodist Episcopal Church. E! LIJAH C. S. GREEN. While traveling through Branch County the biographical writers of this ALBUM met with but few of the prominent business men who had not worked their way from comparative obscurity to their present condition of competency or affluence. The vast majority of those who to-day are tilling the soil and raising stock, or engaged in business or commercial enterprises, have worked their way up the rounds of the ladder of fame by sheer industry and good judgment. To this class belongs the gentleman whose name stands at the head of this sketch, and who is now pleasantly located, following his peaceful vocation of farmer and stock-raiser on section 9, Gilead Township. From a life full of interesting incidents, many suggestive to the rising generation, and altogether more than interesting, we clip the following: The subject of this biographical notice was born in Tyre, Seneca Co., N. Y., Sept. 16, 1825, and was the second in order of birth in a family of nine children born to David and Miranda (Chalker) Green, the former a native of Schoharie County, N. Y., and the latter of Vermont. The father was born in 1802, and growing to manhood, followed farming for a number of years, after which he had charge of the infirmary at Ohio for two years, at a salary of $600 per year, and furnished rooms. In 1836 he made a tour of this State, prospecting for a place of settlement, and in the following year he returned and bought a tract of land near Coldwater. In 1841 lie brought his family and settled in Gilead Township, where he bought 300 acres of land of D. Waterman, on sections 20 and 21. Five I acres of this land were already improved, and David Green at once began the work of making a home for his family. He improved sixty-five acres of his land, and when in a fair way to reap his reward he sold out and went to Coldwater, where he remained about twelve years. He was engaged in agricultural pursuits until his death, which occurred Oct. 9, 1885, at the age of eighty-three years. He was at one time Lieutenant in the old Flood Wood Company, organized in Seneca Falls, N. Y. The mother of our subject still survives, and resides at Orland, Steuben Co., Ind. The paternal grandparents of our subject, Boen and Sally (Cole) Green, were natives respectively of England and Holland, and both came to this country while unmarried, and united their destinies in 1799. The grandfather was a drum major in the Revolutionary War, and his remains are buried in Schoharie County, N. Y. The grandmother died, and was buried in Gilead, in this county, and three of the Green brothers came to this country from England. The maternal grandparents of our subject, Nathaniel and Sally (Cook) Chalker, were natives of Vermont, but trace their ancestry back to England, whence some of the family emigrated to this country in its early history, in 1828. Young Green was reared to farm life in his native State, and was fifteen years of age when he came to Michigan, obtaining his education largely in Michigan, where he attended college two years at Albion. He subsequently attended one year at Spring Arbor, in this State, and after leaving college he taught school successfully for two years. Mr. Green consummated his first purchase of real estate in 1845, at which time he bought eighty acres of "burr openings" on section 16, Gilead Township. He remained at the homestead two years after attaining his majority, and on starting out he received $200, besides assistance in the breaking of his land. The ceremony which united the destinies of Mr. Green and Nancy M. Keyes took place in Bethel Township, July 16, 1846. Mrs. Green was born in the Empire State in 1827, and was the third in order of birth in a family of seven children born to Samuel and Mary A. (Jerrold) Keyes, natives of the same State as their daughter. They came to ay"! I I 00z l1m-40 - Ool I I A 4 II I I ii II I. I t I i i ~r"l"-l —;"""`"' " 119- - ~"~r~sp~~m, o.LF-.aaP- u~~ZAlnsa -ICb" — 1~ll~ Fl~t L 374 BRANCH COUNTY. Michigan at an early day, and settling in Adrian in 1838, made it their home for four years, after which they went to Bronson, where they engaged for a time in keeping a hotel. The father died in Bethel in 1881, while the mother passed away five years later. After marriage our suboect settled on section 9, Gilead Township, where he operated rented land for a short time,. but in 1855 he went to Iowa, and buying a tract of land in Scott County, engaged in agricultural pursuits. He subsequently sold this property, and returning to Michigan located in Bethel Township, where he purchased eighty acres of land on section 16. At the end of a year he sold this property at an advance, and has since dealt in land, buying and selling until he now owns 300 acres of fine, arable land in a good state of cultivation. This farm is adorned with an elegant and substantial residence, provided with a good barn and out-buildings, a view of which we present in this ALBUM, and stocked with high-grade domestic animals. His cattle are of the Durham and Devon varieties, and his horses include good breeds, having among them two half-blooded Hambletonians, while his sheep, of which he has a beautiful flock of eighty-five head, are Merinos. January 27, 1861, Mr. Green lost his amiable and accomplished wife, after suffering about three years with consumption. Everything that loving hearts could suggest was done t, ward off the destroyer, but she died in the prime of life, aged thirty-two years, eight months and ten days. She bore to her husband three children, whose record is as follows: Isabelle G., Mrs. Bigelow, of Lincoln, Neb., is actively engaged in the cause of temperance, and is a celebrated speaker, having lectured throughout the States of Nebraska. Kansas, Iowa and Michigan. She is a member of the W. C. T. U., and has been Corresponding Secretary, and is a member of the delegation which meets in Indianapolis in June, 1888. Her home is at Lincoln, Neb. Eliza died at the age of thirteen years, her death being caused by inflammation of the bowels; she was a bright and intelligent girl, a very apt scholar and a natural mathematician. Bascom Rodel died in 1861, a sweet child of two years, six months and ten days. Mr. Green was a second time united in marriages m ~............._... April 15, 1863, the lady of his choice being Lydia H. Thurston, a native of Sturgis, Mich., where she was born in 1835. She is the eldest in a family of six children born to George and Sarah (Jones) Thurston, natives respectively of New York and Pittsburgh, Pa. The parents came to Michigan in 1818, and settling near Detroit, assisted in taking down the old stockade at that place. During the struggle known as the Black Hawk War, he was residing at Sturgis, and participated in the contest. He is still hale and hearty, and has completed his fourscore years; the mother died several years ago. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Green has been brightened by the birth of two children-Harry G. and Homer J. They are bright, intelligent boys, the latter attending school in the home district, while Hairy G. will also attend during the coming year. A brother of our subject, D. N. Green, settled in Gilead Township in April, 1841, engaging to work upon a farm. He was a natural born carpenter and a good mechanic, and received an education in the public schools of the county, which was supplemented by an attendance at Spring Arbor and Hillsdale. He worked his way up rapidly and became Probate Judge of the county, holding the office twelve years, and has been Sheriff during the same length of time. He is at the present time residing in Valley City, Dak., where he is extensively engaged in farming, and holds the office of County Commissioner. He was united in marriage, in this county, with Marion Grey, who was born in Cleveland, Ohio, but came here in 1837 with her parents, who died some years ago. This union resulted in the birth of two children: Gilbert, a banker in Minneapolis, Minn., and Ida, now Mrs. Fox, who resides in Dakota, while her husband is a railroad contractor. During the Civil War our subject went to Kalamazoo with three squads of men, paid them their bounty and saw them mustered into the service. Mr. Green takes an active interest in politics, and is a stanch Republican. He has been a delegate to three State Conventions, twice to Detroit and once to Grand Rapids. He has been Deputy Sheriff of Branch County, and was Justice of the Peace twelve years, and Notary Public sixteen years. Mr. Green l i l II L _oAA I) 1 i I i i iI I ii i I i I I Imr 0.I - i -— 40 moommobb.-Ars~i~-8ul~8 a- — r ~ I _ U-4. f I - - -~ -— ~~ --- —-P- --- 0 .1 e I I- a~ — "" I o.-M wrvp, m BRANCH COUNTY. 375 I -44l takes an active interest in educational and religious matters, and assisted in organizing the school district in his township. He is a liberal supporter of churches in his community, and is altogether a worthy and honored member of society, and we are pleased to present his portrait in connection with this brief sketch of his life. RA P. BICKFORD. In presenting this biographical notice of one of the leading men of Branch County, and a gentleman who is thoroughly representative of its progressive element, we deem it our duty first to advert briefly to the life story of those from whom he derives his origin. Daniel Bickford, the grandfather of our subject, was one of the early pioneers who have long since gone to their reward. He was born in one of the New England States, and there grew to manhood, and was united in marriage with Mrs. Eunice (Trask) Knapp, whose parents resided in Keene, N. Y. By her first marriage she became the mother of one child. Soon after marriage Mr. and Mrs. Bickford left their New England home, and directing their steps westward, settled in Seneca County, Ohio, whence they soon afterward removed to Huron County. In 1837 they disposed of their possessions in the Buckeye State, and coming to Michigan, settled in Algansee Township, this county, where the father purchased about 140 acres of unimproved land, and there passed the remainder of his days in the noble occupation of making "two blades of grass grow where but one grew before." They reared a family of six children, as follows: Jonathan, who is deceased; Lydia, Mrs. Brown; Charles, Stephen, Judith, and Sarah (deceased). Jonathan K. Bickford, son of Daniel Bickford and the father of our subject, and his wife, Phebe A. Purdy, were both born in Canada, where their respective parents resided for a short time, and when small children they were brought by their parents to Huron County, Ohio, where they grew to maturity. About 1836 Mr. Bickford came to Michigan, and entered land on section 18, Algansee Township, which he labored to convert into a farm and prepare for the reception of his bride. His marriage took place in 1840, in the same township, to which his wife's parents had removed from Ohio. After marriage he settled on this farm, on which he continued to reside until his death, in May, 1882. Besides this farm of 140 acres he owned several farms at various times, and gave each of his three sons a farm of eighty to 100 acres, besides valuable property to his daughter. He amassed money by buying wild land, which he cleared and sold at a largely advanced price. In politics he was a Republican, and served his township fifteen years as Highway Commissioner. He was a member in good standing of the United Brethren Church, and was a hard-working and worthy pioneer, whose name is kindly remembered by all who knew him. Mrs. Bickford is still living, and makes her home at the old homestead. Their family comprised five children, who are recorded as follows: C. M. is a farmer, residing in Harper County, Kan.; Charles D. died in Comanche County, Kan., in 1887; Ira P. is the third in order of birth; Eunice T. became the wife of E. S. Frederick, and died in Harper County, Kan.; Olive E. was first married to Alvine Dove, and some time after his death she became the wife of Edgar Aldrich, of Coldwater. The subject of this biographical sketch was born on section 18, Algansee Township, March 12, 1844, and has been a resident of this township continuously ever since. He was reared to farm pursuits, acquiring at the same time such education as was obtainable in the public schools of the township, and was thus engaged until his marriage. This important event in the life of our subject occurred in 1865, Miss Mary Craig being the second contracting party. Mrs. Bickford was born in Sandusky County, Ohio, April 27, 1846, and is the daughter of Harrison and Adeline (Lybarker) Craig, natives respectively of Vermont and Pennsylvania. They were married in Ohio, and about the year 1852 left the Buckeye State, and coming to Branch County, settled in Algansee Township, where they resided until the death of the father in 1861; the mother is still living. Their family numbered three children, as follows: Mary, the wife of our subject; Melissa, Mrs. Lewis Dove, and Sarah, the wife of f! TI, 10 ppl-ea I ------ -l-, - ft- — A - IIIL kb — a~sl~t 8~~~mz-~-~. *~- -— a II ~ —~lII ~C~-~I-I,-~- ON1-~C-~-l~El~~8 -Ru - 7r 376 BRANCH COUNTY. I Samuel Knecht. The parents were members of the United Brethren Church. After marriage Mr. Bickford brought his bride to the old homestead. where they still reside, and he now owns a total of over 100 acres of land, while Mrs. Bickford owns forty acres. On this large body of land are raised in abundance the products of this climate, while the farm is supplied with the modern machinery for their successful cultivation and harvesting, and with buildings for storage and for the protection of the fine grades of domestic animals. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Bickford has been blessed by the birth of four children: Ela., the wife of Alva. C. Ayres; Alice. Ethbert and Dora. Mr. Bickford has acted as executor of his father's estate, and has also been the administrator of other estates, which his tact and ability settled satisfactorily. In politics he is a Republican, and is a man of influence in his party. The maternal grandfather of our subject, Horace Purdy, also came to Algansee Township, where he was among the earliest pioneers, and the first town meeting was held at his residence. \ ARTIN L. UPP is extensively engaged in I agricultural pursuits in Branch County, i owning one of the largest farms in Kinderhook Township. He is a gentleman of good address, a scholar of rare ability, bringing to his work an acute mind, finely trained in some of the best literary institutions for which the State of Michigan is so deservedly celebrated. He is a native of Ohio, born in Richmond Township, Huron County, June 8, 1846. His father, Jacob Upp, was born in little York, Pa., in October, 1822, and was a son of Philip Upp, a farmer, who removed from Pennsylvania about 1830 to Ohio, and became an early settler in Richmond Township, where he bought a tract of timber land, which he had developed into a fine farm at the time of his death. The father of our subject was a lad of eight years when the removal of his parents to Ohio occurred, and he grew to manhood on his father's homestead in Huron County, and there married. After marriage he bought a tract of partly improved land in Richmond Township, on which stood a comfortable log house, the same in which our subject was afterward born. Mr. Upp remained on that farm until 1854, and then came to Branch County and located in Kinderhook Township, buying 360 acres of land, partly on sections 5 and 6 of that township, and the rest on section 1 of Gilead Township. The removal to this place was made in the month of April, they starting from Huron County, accompanied by two other families, traveling with both ox and horse teams; the entire journey was made by land, a distance of 180 miles. The most of Mr. Upp's land was heavily timbered, but there were forty acres partly cleared, and on that tract stood a log cabin, in which the family resided for a few weeks. In the meantime Mr. Upp had commenced to clear land on section 6 to obtain space to erect a more substantial log house than the one which then sheltered his family, and as soon as it was completed he moved into it with his wife and children; he replaced it with a good frame house, which remained his home until his death four years later. The first year of his residence here he cleared twenty acres of his land and sowed it to wheat. At the time of his death he had sixty acres cleared and under good cultivation. He was a clear, coolheaded man, of excellent ability, whose judgment and opinion were highly valued by his neighbors, and with his good wife he enjoyed the esteem of all the community. Eight children were born to him and his wife, as follows: Isabel is the wife of Henry Gripman; Martin L.; Hannah is the wife of Charles E. Hilton; Elizabeth is the wife of Edwin Hughes; Philip J.; Christie A. is the widow of Lewis Hilton; Alice is the wife of George Chase; Susan, now deceased, was the wife of Carrol Gager. The mother of our subject married a second time, and is now the wife of Alonzo Mosher, and they live in Gilead Township. Her maiden name was Susana Croningen, and she was born in Seneca County, Ohio. Martin L. Upp was the second child born to his parents, and he was seven years of age when he accompanied them to this county. He has a distinct remembrance of the journey, which was quite an I,! IlGLjha l-nI4 —~9~-~ -~,I --- -1- -— ~- ~It — I PROAae~O --- ~~ —D*CB C~III$E,- Rq w ft A And — 40 r ~117k-a~g\~~~PLI(I I~I BRLANCH COUN-TY. 377 f B C C incident in his young life, and he still retains recollections of the pioneer surroundings of his early home in this county ere the greater part of the grand old trees of the primeval forest had fallen before the ax of the pioneer, when deer and wild turkeys abounded, would often come near the house, and would frequently be seen by him on his way to school. As soon as large enough he began to assist I in the farm labors, and after his father's death the care of the farm devolved upon him to a great extent, notwithstanding his extreme youthfulness, as he was the oldest son. Ambitious to obtain more of an education than was afforded by the common schools, he attended Hillsdale College, where he ranked high in scholarship, and to still further complete his education for the profession of teacher, he took a good course of instruction in the excellent Normal School at Ypsilanti. He commenced teaching at the age of eighteen years, and taught several terms of winter school, but the healthful, invigorating labors of the farm life to which he had been reared had not ceased to have strong attractions for him, and he was finally drawn back to his old calling. Of this he has made a great success, and while still in the prime of life is in the enjoyment of a good income as the result of his labors. Mr. Upp was married, Oct. 21, 1877, to Miss Emma Bradley, and their union has been blessed to them by the birth of three children, namely: J. Garfield, Phil Whitford, and an infant, Edward H. Mrs. Upp was born June 4, 1850, in Kinderhook, Branch County, being a daughter of John Bradley, one of the first settlers of Ovid Township. He was born April 20, 1808, near Saratoga Springs, N. Y., and his father, Howard Bradley, who was a resident of New York State for several years, came to Michigan in 1834, accompanied by his son, of whom we have just written. They came by way of water to Detroit, whence they proceeded on foot to Ypsilanti, and from there by stage a part of the way to Branch County. They entered a tract of Government land on section 6 of what is now Ovid Township, and erected a log house. Then the grandfather of our subject went back to New York for his family, and returned with them the following July, and they resided in that place for nearly two years. In the spring of 1836 Mr. Bradley sold his land in Ovid, and bought more on sections 8, 9 and 17, Kinderhook Township. There was a garden spot cleared, and a log house on the place at the time of purchase. He remained there, actively engaged in agriculture, until his death deprived the community of one of its most substantial citizens. The father of Mrs. Upp was twenty-six years old when he accompanied his father to Michigan, and as this part of it was then a wild, uncultivated country, deer, wolves, bears and other animals were plentiful, and he had many good opportunities to indulge in his propensities for hunting, and with his unerring rifle many a delicious meal of wild game (lid he provide. On one occasion one of the cows had strayed away, and with gun over his shoulder he started in search of her, and as he was walking in the woods lie discovered a bear. He aimed his gun at it and shot it severely, but the bear, although mortally wounded, turned to pursue him, and he was obliged to flee for his life. He ran some distance, and was nearing the house, when his dog put in an appearance and tackled the bear, thus giving Mr. Bradley an opportunity to load and fire again, which shot put an end to the life of bruin. Soon after the removal to Kinderhook Township Mr. Bradley exchanged a pair of horses, wagon and harness for eighty acres of land, which is now included in the homestead on section 7. There were twenty acres cleared, and a log house constituted all the improvements on the place when lihe located on it. He completed the house, married, and settled in it, and continued a resident of this township until his death, April 21, 1881. He had in the meantime erected a good set of frame buildings, and bought fifty acres more land, and while thus improving a fine farm greatly aided the advancement of the township of Kinderhook, where his memory will ever be held in reverence as its original pioneer settler. He was a man of sincere and earnest piety, and joined the Regular Baptist Church in New York, and later became connected with a church of the same denomination in Ovid. After coming here he was one of the first members of the Free-Will Baptist Church, which was organized in the school-house near his own home in 1851, and he was a consistent member of it until death. He was twice married. His I mft M -lalvp- 'T — % I A 4 OPP1 I j ---- -~ —~ --- — ---— ~ --- —------ -- Okk-M Ilig-, I I I - --- -.r1- 11,rp-rrrlim ---e-p —L- -iP IL~luB-~d~II~~l~al~ i i 378 BRANCH COUNTY. I - second wife, mother of Mrs. Upp, was Mary (Whitford) Gripman, who was born in Otsego County, N. Y., April 18, 1814. Her father, Eli Whitford, married in Otsego County, Nancy Sim, who is thought to have been a native of New York. born of Scotch parents. About 1820 they moved to Jefferson County, and lived there until about 1835, and then came t ththe Territory of Michigan, settling in Calhoun County, and resided there for some years. They subsequently migrated west of the Rockies, and spent their last years there. Mrs. Upp's mother had been twice married. She was first married in New York to Uriah Gripman, a native of that State,, who died in Battle Creek, Calhoun County. Mr. Upp is regarded as a man of progressive and enlightened views, well dowered with firmness and high principles. As a citizen, he is trustworthy and wise in council. His learning well fits him to take an active part in educational matters, and he is serving his township as School Inspector, which office he has held for some time. He has also been Justice of the Peace. W ILLIAM A. BUFFUM, a representative general farmer and stock-raiser of this county, resides on section 11, Bethel Township, and after a well-spent life of over fourscore years, during which he has watched with much interest the growth and prosperity of his county, he is patiently waiting until the shadows are a little longer grown and he is called away to the enjoyment of his reward. He has seen his family grow up and settle around him, and in their trials and triumphs in life's work he has again lived over the scenes and experiences of his own life. His farm is pleasantly situated about nine miles from Coldwater, and consists of forty acres of land which he has brought from a partially improved condition to a high state of cultivation. Mr. Buffum was born in Rhode Island in 1805, and was the ninth in order of birth in a family of thirteen children included in the household of Rich ard and Mary (Wheeler) Buffum, also natives of "Little Rhodie." When William A. was a little lad of five years his parents with their family migrated to New York and remained there until their death, which occurred for the mother in 1818, and the father in 1835. Richard Buffum was a farmer by occupation, and also followed milling. They were descended from Quaker ancestry, and were consequently opposed to fighting. William A. was reared on a farm in the Empire State and was educated in the district school of his township. He first started in life for himself in that State, and was thus engaged for a number of years. Our subject was prospered in his undertakings and was soon in a position to take upon himself the responsibilities of a family. He was accordingly united in marriage in 1832, the lady of his choice being Maria Van Dusen, who was born in the Empire State in 1812, and was the eldest in a family of six children born to John and Anna (Woodworth) Van Dusen, also natives of the Empire State. Her parents residled in their native State until their decease, which occurred a number of years ago. After marriage Mr. Buffum settled in New York with his young bride, and remained in that State until their removal to the West. They had purchased and cleared a farm in Western New York, which they disposed of upon their removal to this county in 1852. They settled in Coldwater Township near Branch, where Mr. Buffum purchased eighty acres of partially improved land, and remained there three years engaged in its cultivation. He then sold that property and bought forty acres of partially improved land on section 11, Bethel Township, on which he has since continued to reside. Mr. and Mrs. Buffum became the parents of six children, three of whom still survive —Helen, Emma and Byron. Helen, Mrs. Burch, resides at Batavia Center, and Emma, Mrs. Linden, at Coldwater; Byron married and resides at Ovid; Robert M. was married, and died in Butler County, Kan., at the age of fifty-two years, leaving a family; Agnes Bair died in 1882 at forty years of age, in Coldwater, and Martin married and operated the home farm until his decease, April 15, 1882, at the age of thirty-six, leaving two children to mourn their loss. I I Ii I) I ~)-1 i- r g _, r Cr ~ I" ~ — ~~ ----~a,. — IF w.. ) t -mex amm I lwl lmlm -Ambb-~i~l~B r~~~-a% i BRANCH COUNTY. 379 Our subject, during his long life, has taken an active part in politics, affiliating with the Republican party, and took a lively interest in the Harrison campaign. While yet in New York he held a number of the township offices, including that of Constable, the duties of which he discharged for a period of seventeen years. He would have enlisted in the suppression of the last Rebellion but he was rejected as too old1. He contributed largely to that element of pioneer life in Southern Michigan, which achieved such wonderful results, of which their children and children's children are today reaping the benefits; and the rising generation have just cause for revering their deeds and helping to cherish and hallow their memory, for from their constancy and patriotism, through dangers, doubts and difficulties, an unprecedented national prosperity has sprung up, which demands words of honor and reverence. Therefore, let the families hand down to the unborn generations the deeds of the heroic pioneers. in Covert Township, where the father followed farming very successfully for some years until his death, while still a young man, leaving his family in limited circumstances. Of the four children of that union all grew to maturity and came to Michigan, and all are living except J. R., who was a prosperous farmer in Hillsdale County. Four years after the death of the father the mother married Thomas Johnson, and removed to Fayette Township, where Mr. Johnson carried on his occupation as a farmer, and there the mother died. leaving four children by her second marriage. Mr. Van Orthwick was the third child born to his parents, and although he was but four years of age when his father died he still has a faint recollection of him. After his mother's second marriage he lived with his stepfather until he was twentyone, and enjoyed the privileges of a substantial education in the village school. Then he worked out by the month on a farm for one year, and at the age of twenty-two came to Michigan in the year 1852, actuated by the high ambitions of youth to carve out for himself a name and an honorable position in this then young and rapidly growing State. He continued working by the month for two years, and then bought a piece of land heavily timbered, close to Coldwater; he began to clear it, and soon had a good farm, yet he still continued to work by the month, and made his home with his brother, who also lived near Coldwater. At the age of twenty-five, wishing to become still better educated, he went to Reed, Seneca Co., Ohio, and was a pupil in the excellent village school of that place during the winter term. He returned to Michigan in the following spring, and in 1857 was united in marriage to Miss Helen Nichols, daughter of Ansil and Susan (Jalmson) Nichols. Her parents were natives of Vermont, and in 1836 they left their pleasant New England home, among the Green Mountains, and came to Michigan, thus becoming early identified with the pioneer history of this county. The father died in 1877, at the age of seventy-three years, but the venerable mother, now eighty-two years of age, still survives, and is a cherished member of the household of our subject. She is the only surviving charter member of the Baptist Church at Quincy. She still retains in a ON. A. A. VAN ORTHWICK is one of the most distinguished and wealthy citizens of Branch County, and is prominently identified with the administration of public affairs. He is a farmer and has a beautiful home on section 25, Butler Township, where lie has long occupied a leading position among the able agriculturists of this region. He is a native of New York, born in Covert Township, Seneca County, Dec. 19, 1829, and is a lineal descendant of one of the famous old D)utch families who were early settlers of New York. His parents, Simon and Parsina (Travis) Van Orthwick, were natives of the State of New York, and his father was born in the same township as himself. The maternal grandmother of our subject, Mrs. Travis, was one of the brave women who so nobly assisted in the defense of their countrymen when their homes were attacked by the cruel Indians and treacherous British at the famous Wyoming massacre. After marriage the parents of our subject settled I a] 11 1 1 -~l~~~b - ~~. mrom _,~ --- ~~ —n~asr~ l-u~l~i~I~CIlflW"-I&R -9-l~rnaF-~r —~~ ON -~-qrurCL — ~ ~-~ 'i Arbb 19 i -- -- - Bak..sx ----~ - I d, 380 BRANCH COUNTY. marked degree the strong mental and physical traits of character that denote her New England origin. To her and her husband were born five daughters, of whom Mrs. Van Orthwick was the third in order of birth, and having no son of their own, they adopted one, whom they reared as if theirs by right of kinship. Mrs. Van Orthwick was born in this county, Nov. 5, 1837, and her education, which was begun in the common schools, was completed at the High School at Quincy, and also by a course at the Jonesville High School. She is a woman of rare nature, well endowed mentally, self-reliant yet modest, and her fine social qualities have undoubtedly strengthened her husband's position. Her wedded life has been exceptionally happy, and three children have been born to her and her husband-Jay D., Charles H. and Cora A. They all live at home; the sons, who are manly, intelligent and well-educated young men, have charge of the homestead. The daughter is also finely educated, and her many engaging qualities make her a favorite in society. A few years after marriage Mr. Van Orthwick sold his farm near Coldwater and moved to his present premises, and for nearly twenty-four years has been a resident of this place. His affairs continued to prosper under his able management, and by two subsequent purchases of tracts of land, containing forty and 145 acres each respectively, he has increased the original area of his farm from eighty acres to 265 acres of valuable and well-improved land. We will now turn from Mr. Van Orthwick's record as a private citizen and a business man to his public career. He has for many years served his fellow-townsmen in responsible postions; he has been School Superintendent, and has often been called upon to fill the office of Supervisor, having been first elected to this responsible position in 1870, retaining the office then for three consecutive years. He was called to the Supervisorship in 1874 for the fourth time, and in 1880 for the fifth time, and has ever since been an incumbent of the office. In 1886 the Republicans of Branch County, desiring to put in nomination a candidate of ripe experience, sound judgment and unsullied reputation, to represent them in the halls of the State Legislature, selected our subject as eminently worthy of their suffrage, and he was elected, his constituents embracing more people than were represented by any other Legislator in the capitol. His wise, patriotic and dignified course throughout his term of office, showing him to be a true statesman rather than a mere politician, fully justified the confidence which placed him in that high position. He served on several important committees; was Chairman of the Committee on the State Prison at Marquette, was on the State Library Committee, and on the Committee for the Public School at Coldwater. The following, taken from the Quincy Gazette, of June 24, 1887, well voices the sentiments of his constituency: "Those who have watched the career of our representative, Hon. A. A. Van Orthwick, at Lansing, must feel proud of his consistent course and general level-headedness. He has in our opinion voted right on every bill that has come up; he has not wasted much time in speech-making, but has been true to the interests of his constituents and of the people, as against class interests every time." In 1888 our subject was elected as a member of the State Republican Convention. Mr. and Mrs. Van Orthwick have for many years belonged to the Baptist Church. EORGE W. TILTON, formerly a successful general farmer, pleasantly situated on section 15, Matteson Township, has now retired from active life and leaves its burdens for younger shoulders. He has resided on his present farm since 1841, and although he bought it of another party, but little attempt at improvement had been made. He met with such success in his calling that at one time he owned a tract of 240 acres, which, however, he has since reduced to 108 acres. On this farm Mr. Tilton is spending his declining years in the enjoyment of that ease and comfort to which a long life of industry and benevolence has so justly entitled him. The subject of our sketch was born in Herkimer "ov, II F *N I ofe r I '66A --- i.,,-__.. ___.,m_, __.-_, _____-_._..,-...-~ —.-.~~.I —. -..:-.. -.._.,- 7WP.. '- a~ ~J --- a: x z Lai (I) z Uli LIJ 0 L.A U z La aI '.I<, 383 I BRANCH COUNTY. County, N. Y., March 2, 1812. while his father, Joseph Tilton, was a native of the Green Mountain State, and of New England parentage. The father was reared to agricultural pursuits, and in his native State met and married Abbie Brooks, whose ancestry was similiar to that of her husband. Joseph '1 ilton came of English and French stock, and was a branch of the same family to which Theodore Tilton of New York belongs. Joseph Tilton and his wife removed to Herkimer County, N. Y., after the birth of five children, and four more were added to the circle, of whom our subject was the first born in that county. The parents removed to Michigan the year succeeding that in which our subject came, and they settled finally in Cold water Township, where they resided until their death. the father passing away about 1838, when less than sixty years of age, while the mother died in 1876, after attaining her fourscore years. George W. Tilton was fourteen years of age when his parents removed to Jefferson County, in New York State, and six years afterward he came to Michigan on a steamer, which was making its first passage across the lake. During the voyage the boat was disabled, and our subject completed the voyage on a sailing-vessel to Monroe, Mich., and from there walked through the woods to Tecumseh, a distance of about fifty miles. He made his advent into this State in 1832, and located first at Jonesville, Lenawee County. He had learned the trade of a carpenter and followed it here for a few years, during which he helped to build the old Baxter & Lisson mill, near Jonesville. He was a skillful mechanic, and after coming to Coldwater he did the carpenter work for one of the first mills erected in this place. He subsequently worked at Jonesville and Tecumseh, previous to settling on his farm in Matteson Township, and whether in the workshop or on the farm, his skill, industry and good judgment have made him pre-eminently successful. When Mr. Tilton found himself in a position to assume more responsible duties he was united in marriage, May 11, 1841, with Miss Zllpah A. Dufoe; the ceremony took place in Matteson Township. Mrs. Tilton was born in Cambria Township, Niagara Co., N. Y., May 19, 1816, and is the daughter of Charles and Mary (Cray) Dufoe, natives of Canada, and the former of French parentage, as his father, Nicholas Defoe, was born in France. The Crays are of Irish descent and were first represented in this country by the grandfather, John Cray. Charles Dufoe followed the trade of a stonemason, and after his marriage the young people settled in Ontario County, N. Y., which they subsequently left for Cambria Township, Niagara County, which became their home until their decease, each being about threescore years of age. Mrs. Tilton was one of a large family of children, and was reared and educated in her native township until she reached womanhood, when, at twenty-two years of age, she came to tis county and settled in Matteson Township. Mr. and Mrs. Tilton have had no children of their own, but they have fostered a number belonging to other people, among whom was Darwin Thompson, the first husband of the present wife of Gov. Luce. In politics Mr. Tilton has been a lifelong Republican, and has ever been ready to give a reason for the hope that is in him. He rendered material assistance in the civil and political history of his township, and the first township meeting, at which twenty-five votes were cast, was held in his house. ENJAMIN BUELL, a reputable citizen and an intelligent and progressive farmer and;)j) stock-raiser of this county, resides on section 5, in Bethel Township, where he owns a well-improved farm of 100 acres of fertile, arable land. It contains as fine a residence as can be found in this part of the country, with suitable out-buildings for the shelter of his fine stock, and the storage of those crops which his land yields in abundance. It is pleasantly situated on the Chicago road, three miles from Bronson and nine miles from Coldwater, and is well stocked with highgrade horses, cattle and sheep. Mr. Buell has a fine stallion, a cross between a Morgan and Hambletonian and Membrino, that took the first premium at the State Fair in Jackson, in 1884. He has also a fine selection of Jersey and Durham cattle and high-— Y I-~ —~V-~V-V'-~~V — ~- WYUU YC~YI WIM~n j pI i I I t - -1 i~ i. I -1-1.11 —., ----. —, ---, --- —-'',- ---- 1. — l --- —.- -- -1 I I.,,,- I -- I - I 1-1. 1. — l-I - - -.- II — - I.- — 1 — I -- -- - - - "I I.- -... 1-1- I I - - - --..V- I- I 111.1 06 - 384 vv BRANCH COUNTY. = grade Merino sheep, usually keeping on hand about fifty of the latter. The subject of this biographical sketch is a native of the Empire State, where his birth occurred in 1841, and is the youngest in a family of five children born to Benjamin and Lois (Buell) Buell, natives of Connecticut. The patents migrated to New York at an early day, and first settled in Chautauqua County, whence they removed a few years later to Genesee County, in the same State, and resided there until their removal to Michigan in 1854. Upon their arrival they settled in Branch County, where our subject now resides, on a farm for which the father had traded his property in New York State. On this farm, which was partially improved at the time of their settlement, they resided, and brought it to a good state of cultivation prior to their death, which occurred for the father in 1858; his excellent wife, surviving him, died in 1862, at the age of sixty years. The father of our subject served in the War of 1812, and participated in the engagement at Buffalo. Mr. Buell was reared to farm life, and was partly educated in his native State, as he resided there until the age of fourteen. The trip to the wild West was a great event to an observing and intelligent boy, and our subject has a vivid recollection of the incidents of the journey. He completed his education in the district schools of his adopted State, and finally engaged in farming on his own account. As soon as he felt warranted in assuming family responsibilities he was united in marriage, In 1865, in Ashtabula County, Ohio, with Miss Jane Welton, a native of Pennsylvania, where she was born in 1840. She was the youngest in a family of seven children born to Ephron and Lucia Welton, natives of Connecticut. Her parents removed to New York at an early day, and thence to Pennsylvania, where they remained a few years. They finally removed to Ohio, and settling in Ashtabula remained there until their decease, the father passing away in 1862, while the mother died when the wife of our subject was a girl of twelve years. Immediately after marriage our subject settled where he at present resides. Mr. and Mrs. Buell have been blessed by the birth of two children, Sarah Louise and Etta Bell, who - are both at home with their parents. They have enjoyed good school advantages, having attended the graded school at Bronson. A brother of our subject, the next to the eldest, served in the Mexican War. Mr. Buell takes an active interest in school matters, and knowing the advantage of having a good education, always exerts his influence to have a good school, and indeed he is interested in every measure that he considers will benefit the coinmunity. Mr. Buell, politically, is found among the ranks of the Democrats, but he does not take a very active part in politics, as his tastes are more domestic. E LIAKIM ANDERSON, a prosperous and well-to-do citizen of this county, is classed among the enterprising and intelligent farmers who are actively engaged in the pursuit of agriculture in the township of Kinderhook. He has a very fine farm here, including the entire southeast quarter of section 14, well stocked, and equipped with the most approved farm machinery, and provided with excellent buildings. Mr. Anderson is a native of New Jersey, born in the town of Danville, Morris County, Sept. 26, 1832. He is of Scottish origin, his great-grandfather, Eliakim Anderson, being a native of Scotland. He came to America in early Colonial times and settled in New Jersey, where he spent his last years. His son, Eliakim Anderson, Jr., grandfather of our subject, was born and reared in Morris County, N. J. He bought a tract of land in his native county, paying for it in continental money, and there spent his entire life in the peaceful pursuit of agriculture. The father of our subject, Eliakim Anderson (3d) was born and reared on his father's homestead, and in early manhood was married to Miss Amy King, likewise a native of Morris County, born in Hanover Township. They first established their home in their native county, and continued to reside there until 1840, when they started with their children with teams for Ohio, crossing the Alleghany Mountains to Columbiana i; l II l,.,' i I. li l 1. — 4d16 I li "W 4l e -IqIIIp I. l~s"s- ", 1-.11-1 ---- -1. -. 1- — ~ I- - I.1-I.I-II.i-I -1..1 -- I ---1-1-.-..I- - I-I- -, I1.- 1 - 1 1-111 —";",I-11-. —. 1... -1 — Ad - 1 - l I.. 1-'..~-,_ " —., —,,-.-~- l ~ 1 -1 1.1I.I -1 - 1-,_,. --- —-_-1-1 —~ 0-0 fe I BRANCH COUNTY.~ 385 { BR CUY8 County, and locating on a farm in Salem Township. They lived there until 1867, when Mr. Anderson sold his property, and came to Branch County and bought a farm, the one where our subject now lives. I-e resided here until his death, Nov. 12, 1885, at the advanced age of ninety years. IIe was a man of good habits, calm judgment and sound principles, and through the vicissitudes of his remarkably long life, was always known and respected as a good man. Our subject was eight years old when with his parents he made the (to him) ever memorable journey from the place of his nativity to his new home in Ohio. His education was conducted in the district school, and in assisting his father in the labors of the farm he acquired a good practical knowledge of agriculture. In the fall of 1852, desiring to see something more of the country, he paid his first visit to the West, going by boat down the Ohio, and by the same means ascending the Mississippi River to Rock Island, 11. He spent the winter in that vicinity, but the following spring he decided to return home, and as Aurora, Ill., was then the western terminus of the railway, he was obliged to go by stage to that point, and thence went by rail to Ohio. He resided in that State actively engaged in his occupation as a farmer until 1867, when he came to this county with his parents, and assisted his' father in carrying on the farm which has since become his own. Our subject has been very successful in his chosen career, and has established a pleasant home where he is comfortably enjoying a good competency. Mr. Anderson has been twice married. The maiden name of his first wife, to whom he was united Jan. 24, 1854, was Martha R. Depew, a native of Columbiana County, Ohio. By her death in November, 1881, lie was deprived of the com. panionship of one who had always been a devoted wife, and to their offspring a wise and tender mother. Eight children were born to their union, three of whom, Eugene D., Sophia B. and Minnie C., are now living. The names of those deceased are Laura N., Mattie L., James H., Franklin C. and Birdie R. The second marriage of our subject, which took r place Feb. 6, 1882, was to Mrs. Emeline (Norton) Stephenson. She was born in Cleveland, Ohio, Jan. 13, 1835, and was a daughter of Trumbull Norton, a native of Massachusetts. HEer father married, in Jefferson County, N. Y., Lois Alger, daughter of George Alger, and a native of New York State. Her parents commenced their wedded life in the county where they were married, and continued to live there until about 1829, when they started westward to seek a new home. Traveling by the way of Lake Ontario, Welland Canal and Lake Erie to Ohio, they located in Perrysburg. They did not remain there long, however, but in the following year came to the Territory of Michigan with a team, bound for St. Joseph County, where Mr. Norton bcught a tract of wild land. This was in the earliest years of the settlement of Southern Michigan. The primeval forest abounded. and there were but very few inhabitants. Mr. and Mrs. Norton being among the first pioneers. The now populous and flourishing city of Coldwater had then scarcely begun its existence, there being but one building, a log house, on its present site. Mr. Norton immediately took possession of his land, and built a habitation of logs, with a dirt and stick chimney on the outside. By the huge fireplace Mrs. Norton usually cooked their meals, though in pleasant weather she prepared them in the open air. She used to do all the spinning and prepare the cloth for the loom.. She and her husband continued to reside on the old homestead in St. Joseph County until their death, the father dying about 1850, and the mother in 1839. Their daughter, Mrs. Anderson, has been twice married. Her first marriage, in January, 1856, was to Robert Stephenson, son of Daniel and Eliza Stephenson. He was born in Lagrange County, Ind., Jan. 8, 1835, and was reared to agricultural pursuits. He received his early education in the district schools, and it was completed at the Lagrange Collegiate Institute. The spring following his marriage he located in the town of Gilead, Branch County, where he bought land in connection with his father. They farmed together a few years, and then the son removed to Bronson, where he engaged in the livery business for two years. He then returned to the farm and lived there until 1875, when he went to Coldwater to establish himself in the butcher and provision business. His hi r~b~-~ab ct, — ~o ------- __ _~,,_ I I i~ 1 L *bp I N I I I e- -------- --- -.P X ~~ ~ p I I 386 BRANCHC COU~NTY. 3B HT death occurred in April, 1878, and a good citizen was lost to the community. Five children were born of that union, four of whom are living, namely: Kennett, James, Cora and Grace. Lucian, the firstborn, is dead. Mr. and Mrs. Andersen's sterling worth, kind hearts, ready and wise helpfulness to those in need, have won for them a high place in the sincere regard of the; many friends who have been attracted to them by these worthy attributes. ~v _^ ts\y.- v ILES BALDRIGE, a leading farmer of Branch County, owns one of the most extensive and best managed farms in Ovid Township, inheriting it from his father, who was prominently identified with the agricultural interests of this county and township from 1847 until his death, in 1879, and though not among the early pioneers, he was active in assisting in the development of the county from the wilderness, and (lid a great deal toward furthering its progress. Our subject was born in the town of Meadville, Erie Co., Pa., Nov. 6, 1839, and is descended from good old New England stock, whose early home was among the beautiful hills of the State of Vermont. His father, Harry Baldrige, horn June 10, 1810, was a native of Powlet, Rutland County, where his father, a lifelong resident of Vermont, was engaged in farming. The father of our subject grew to manhood in his native State, and in the free, bracing air that swept over its mountains, acquired a strong and robust physique, developing strength of intellect and character as well. When quite a young man he left his old home and went to Erie County, N. Y., where he was married to Marilla Starkweather, who was born in that county June 20, 1810. Samuel Starkweather, her father, was an early settler of Erie County, and there spent the remainder of his life, occupied in farming. Soon after his marriage Mr. Baldrige removed with his young wife to Erie County, Pa., where he bought a tract of wild land, which he partly improved and then sold. He immediately bought an improved farm in Meadville, on which he resided until 1847, when he decided to sell out and come to Michigan, where he had previously traded for a tract of land without seeing it. He started for his destination in a wagon drawn by a pair of horses, accompanied bv his wife and one child, and twenty-six days later they found themselves in Coldwater. Mr. Baldrige immediately proceeded to look up his landed property which lay in the township of Ovid. But on arriving here he was not at all pleased with his land and would not settle on it, renting land for one year instead. He then operated a brickyard in Coldwater for one season with much success. The newly settled country, with the breaking up of so much new land, and the undrained swamps. caused the climate to be malarial and unhealthful, and there was much sickness, our subject and his family all suffering from the ague. In 1849 Mr. Baldrige rented a farm in Coldwater Township for a year, and then bought 200 acres of land in Ovid Township, which is now included in the farm of our subject. There were four acres of it cleared and fenced. but no buildings stood on the place, and his first work was to erect a small onestory frame house and logstable. He hadexpended his money in buying his land, and was obliged to seek work to provide for his family before he could enter upon the improvement of his land. He found employment in a brickyard, and made the brick for the first brick house ever built in Coldwater, and also for the first court-house. During the winter seasons he employed a man and actively engaged in clearing his land, and after three or four seasons had enough ready for cultivation so that he could devote his whole time to farming. He continued his residence here until his death, July 25, 1879, at which time his farm had been increased to 390 acres, the greater part of it cleared, and a good set of frame buildings erected. He was a man of marked force of character, of superior judgment, and ability above the average, and owed his prosterity to his own exertions, which were, however, ably seconded by a good wife, who survived his death but little over two years, dying in September, 1881. Of the four children born to them but two grew to maturity, our subject (the eldest) and Mary E., wife of George Allen, of Ovid Township. A f i I 6 1111 viI 1 0 AI "Po_ "1 4 --- -- 0 001 --- —-- ~ ---~F - -gj....... - 11111-1 - - 1 - 1 - 11 - 111 11 111 --. ",-,.l-l, l.-... 1,__1-,_.-._I -- "__ —I' lI-~,lil-._ll i.... X l -- -4* --— ~~~ —~ — --------------------- 387 ' BRANUCH COUJNTY. C C Y 3 Niles Baldrige, of this sketch, was eight years old when he came to Michigan, and he still remembers the incidents of the memorable wagon journey from his old home, and can recall the wild scenes of the unsettled country that greeted their eyes on their arrival-large tracts of the primeval forests that had not yielded to the advances of civilization, the rude homes of the early pioneers, the small, scattered settlements, and many other evidences that the country had but recently been taken possession of by the white man. Their larder was supplied by (leer, wild turkeys and other game, which was still plentiful, and wolves and bears would occasionally put in an appearance. He obtained a substantial education by attendance at the pioneer schools and as a pupil of the Coldwater High School. He always resided with his parents during their lifetime, and is still an occupant of the old homestead. He is a p ractical, shrewd, progressive farmer, well endowed physically, methodical and business-like in his methods, and with a clear understanding of how to farm so as to l)roduce the best results from the least expenditure of time, labor and monev. In 1880 Mr. Baldrige met with a serious loss by fire, his house and nearly all its contents being destroyed. It was in the dead of a cold winter night, with the mercury twenty-seven degrees below zero, that our subject was awakened by the light of the fire shining in his face, and he scarcely had time to rouse his family from their beds and go out with them in the bitter cold before the house was wrapped in flames, and i they had to seek refuge in a neighbor's house. With characteristic energy he as soon as possible commenced the erection of his l)resent ample and commodious dwelling. Mr. Baldrige was married, Aug. 15, 1861, to Miss Olive M. Green, a native of Woodstock, Jackson Co., Mich., born April 11, 1841. Her father, Alvin Green, was a native of New York, as was also her grandfather, likewise named Alvin. He was a farmer in his native State, and removing from there to Michigan, became an early settler of Jackson County, where he spent his last years. The father of Mrs. Baldrige grew to manhood in New York, and there married Polly Jones, a native of Rutland County, Vt., and a daughter of William Jones. Mr. Green remained a resident of his native State for i.l..^^ ~ ^ I some years after marriage, and then removed to the Territory of Michigan and settled in Jackson County, where he rented land for a few years. He then came to Branch County, and in 1850 started for California by the overland route. Hle remained in that State until 1863, and then returned to Michigan, and died in Calhoun County. His wife is now living in that county, in the town of Albion, being quite aged. The pleasant wedded life of our subject and his amiable wife has been blessed to them by the birth of four children, namely: Nellie, May, Harry and Gertie. S. RUPRIGHT, farmer and stock-raiser, is the owner of one of the finest and most productive farms in Bethel Township. It is beautifully situated on the shores of a lake, nearly midway between Bronson and Coldwater, and there are three other lakes in the vicinity, which are well stocked with fish. His farm consists of eighty acres of valuable land on section 4, on which is a comfortable residence and good farm buildings, and everything around is indicative of the thrift, practicality and prosperity of the owner. His cattle are of the Short-horn breed, and he has two full blooded animals of that variety; he owns some fine horses, and his Merino sheep compare in grade with the best raised in this township. Mr. Rupright is also paying much attention to the cultivation of fruit, has a good orchard on his place, and has besides put out a fine pear orchard. Our subject was born in Ohio in 1838, and was the third in the family of thirteen children of William and Mary (Miller) Rupright, natives of Pennsylvania, who emigrated to Ohio in 1836, and became pioneers of the eastern part of that State. They are still living at an advanced age, and are making their home with their youngest son in Hartwell, Stark Co., Ohio. The father was formerly a substantial and well-to-do farmer, and owns a large farm in Ohio. His parents, Henry and Mollie Rupright, were natives of Pennsylvania, and his father did gallant service in the War of 1812, but I I I Illollml SOON -low - — m "0 — m I I IIt I 4 ~~ - - - -~-~ -~~ ---- 11-1- -l-1- -l-I -111-1- 1- - -.11~~- ~ k 388 BRANCH COUNTY. I did not receive a pension therefor. His wife's parents, Phillip and Mary Miller, were also natives of that State. The subject of this sketch was reared in his native State to the life of a farmer, and early displayed those qualities of vigor, self-reliance, and a mechanical genius which enables him to do anything to which lie puts his hand. He commenced farming for himself in Ohio, and by his marriage, in June, 1861, to Miss Mary E. Keller, obtained an able assistant in establishing a comfortable home. She was born in 1836, in Germany, the fourth child in the family of seven children, three of whom are living, born to Peter and Mary Keller. Her parents emigrated with their children to this country, and settled among the pioneers of Stark County, Ohio, in 1858. Her father was killed by falling from a barn in 1860. Her excellent mother survived him some years, living with her eldest son. After marriage Mr. Rupright settled in Ohio on a farm, remaining there, prosperously engaged in agricultural pursuits, for six years, and besides his homestead owning valuable village property there. In 1866 he came to Michigan and settled in Gilead, where he bought an improved farm, on which he continued to reside for twenty-one years. While living in that township he took an active part in public affairs, was Constable for fourteen years, and greatly interested himself in educational matters, doing efficient service as School Director, and assisted in organizing District No. 6, Gilead Township, and also in building the school-house. In 1884 he disposed of his property there and bought his present farm, where he has since resided. To Mr. and Mrs. Rupright have been born seven children, as follows: William Edward, who is a painter in Ohio; Jesse, who is a tinner by trade, and is engaged in the hardware business in Ohio; Mary, who is now Mrs. Selby, lives in Bethel Township; Bell, Ida, Hiram and Sadie, who are all living at home with their parents, the youngest in attendance at school. Our subject and his wife have accorded to their children the advantages of a good education, and a careful home training in the duties and responsibilities of life. Mr. Rupright has witnessed much of the growth of Branch County, and has contributed his share to its material prosperity by his course as an intelligent citizen and an honest, enterprising man. In his political views he sides with the Democratic party, although he does not take an active part in politics. OHN BURK, a well-to-do and thrifty farmer of Branch County, owns a fine farm in Kinderhook Township, on section 8, whose beautiful location, between Crooked and Pleasant Lakes, is unsurpassed by that of any other in the State of Michigan, and his pleasant home is delightfully situated on an eminence commanding a lovely view of both sheets of water and the surrounding country. Our subject was born in Seneca County, N. Y., June 26, 1834. His father, James Burk, was a native of the State of New Jersey, born Aug. 3, 1799, and at a very early age he was left an orphan and had to depend on his own resources for a living. In the War of 1812, notwithstanding his extreme youth, he being but fourteen years old at the time of his enlistment, he served his country bravely as a soldier. After the war he went to Seneca County, N. Y., and there followed the trade of carpenter and joiner for several years, marrying and establishing a home, Susan Severs becoming his devoted companion and helpmate. She was born in New York State, March 18, 1799. In 1837 Mr. Burk left his family in Seneca County, and came by himself to seek a spot whereon to build a new home, thinking thus to place himself in even better circumstances, and to be better able to provide for those dependent on him. He selected a tract of land containing forty acres in Canandaigua, Lenawee County, and then went to Toledo. Ohio, which was at that time a small place, and he there worked at his trade a short time, and soon sent for his wife and children. After they joined him he settled on his land, and resided there until 1846. In the meantime he had cleared quite a tract of land, which he then traded for eighty acres of timber land in Williams County, Ohio, and removing there with his family, again commenced the upbuilding of a home in the wilderness. The i I i i I i I I I i i ii i I! I~ a- _, 400 - -1 - I -Iq IPqww I, -C~I)IIE IF~C.'a - 4 - I I - --- - WEPPIP, I BRANCH COUNTY. 389 I - country in both Michigan and Ohio was at that period in a very wild, unsettled condition, with dense forests extending for miles in all directions; the Indians had not been moved from their old haunts, and many wild beasts lurked in the woods. He built a log house into which he and his family moved, cleared several acres of land, and lived there until 1857. In that year he returned to Michigan with his family, and in Kinderhook Township bought 114 acres of land on section 19. It was partly cleared, and a set of log buildings stood thereon. Mr. Burk spent the remainder of his life here, dying in July, 1880. He possessed much shrewd ability, was highly esteemed as a citizen, and as a man his character was above reproach. His wife, who was equally esteemed by all in the community, passed away a few years before her husband's death. They were the parents of nine children, eight of whom grew to maturity. Our subject was the fifth child of that family, and he was in his third year when he came to Michigan with his parents. He made his home with them until he was twenty-one, assisting his father on his farm, and then he rented the homestead on shares for one year. At twenty-four years of age he married, January, 1859, being the date of that important event of his life. and Mrs. Melinda (Wolf) Vanwormer being the other contracting party. She was born in Greene County, Pa., Dec. 28, 1831, and is a daughter of the late Peter and Rachel (Masters) Wolf, natives respectively of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the latter born in June, 1810. Her father was a son of Jacob Wolf, who moved from New Jersey to Pennsylvania, and thence to Ohio, where he died. Peter Wolf accompanied his parents to Pennsylvania. and there married and lived for a time, when he went to Ohio, and later to Indiana about 1839, locating in Scott, Steuben County, the removal thither being made with teams. He built a log house on a tract of timber land that he had purchased, and continued a resident of that part of Indiana for several years, living a part of the time in Angola, where he followed his trade of blacksmithing. In 1 854 he sold his possessions there, and coming to Michigan bought a farm in Gilead, which he cultivated for some years. He spent his declining years with his daughter, Mrs. Burk. She has been twice married, her first husband lbeing Philander Vanwormer, a native of New York. He died in Gilead, Mich. By that marriage Mrs. Burk was the mother of three children, of whom but one is living, William P., a minister in the Free-Will Baptist Church. Her son, Charles L., died at the age of twenty-five, and her daughter, Mary E., died when two years of age. Three children have been born of her present marriagePeter J,, Lewis H., and Cora, wife of L. J. Gripman. Two years after marriage Mr. Burk made his first purchase of land, having rented land prior to that time. It contained seventy-five acres of fine farm. ing land on section 8, Kinderhook Township. There was a log house on the place, which he has since replaced by a more convenient and commodious dwelling, erecting besides substantial farm buildings. His farming venture has resulted so well financially that he has increased his landed estate to 160 acres, and is in receipt of a good income from the sale of the products thereof. His farm shows evident care and intelligence in cultivation, and marks him as a superior farmer. He and his good wife are generous, hospitable people, who have won for themselves a warm place in the hearts of those about them, and the candor, rectitude and Christian grace that characterize their daily lives are well worthy of imitation. They are true and consistent members of the Free-Will Baptist Church. I ii i 2 I i k i 1- la Or RRIN L. SMITH, a farmer of Butler Township, Branch County, who, although very young, has already shown himself to be a man of more than ordinary enterprise and energy, bids fair, in the not distant future, to place himself among the leading agriculturists of this section of the county. He is very successfully managing the old homestead, which was his place of birth, and in which he has a half-interest. It is very finely located on section 28, comprising 150 acres of land, which is very productive and under good tillage, and since settling on it he has made many improvements, among which is the reparation of the barns, I "7_0-1 11 3 "1111 -m oo I I I -v — u --- —— I-. —"I- -ILe —,,C & _ -P _o~ I i! L C r i 390 BRANCH COUNTY. = which are very conveniently arranged for the use of his cattle, horses and sheep. Mr. Smith also owns twenty acres of valuable land in Quincy Township. Our subject was born on the homestead where he now resides, Feb. 25, 1865, and is a son of Abram and Mary (Weatherwax) Smith, the latter a daughter of John T. Weatherwax (see sketch). There were three children, one boy and two girls, born to Mr. and Mrs. Smith, of whom our subject is now the only one living. He has been well educated, attending first the district school in Butler Township, and later the public schools of Quincy, whither his mother removed when he was nine years of age, his father having died when he was four years of age. When within one year of graduation from the schools of the latter township, he entered Parsons Commercial College at Kalamazoo, where he obtained an excellent education and was well intructed in the best methods of conducting business, and from whence he was graduated in 1884. He soon after became a clerk in a Quincy clothing establishment, and afterward traveled for four or five months as commercial agent for Whitnall, of Coldwater. He then made up his mind to go to some western State, and turn his attention to farming, and selecting Ft. Dodge, Iowa, as his destination, after his arrival there, he rented a farmn and for a year and a half was actively engaged in agricultural pursuits in that place. It was in that western town that our subject met and made the acquaintance of the charming woman, a lady in every sense of the word, who has since become his wife. She was formerly Miss Bertha Woodard, daughter of John and Ella (Irish) Woodard. Her parents are of New England birth and ancestry, her father having been born near Augusta, Me., and her mother at the foot of Mt. Mansfield, Vt. They went to Minnesota in their early manhood and womanhood and there married, and resided in Rockford, that State, for some time, and in that town Mrs. Smith, who was their third child and youngest daughter, was born May 17, 1868. In 1870 the family moved to Ft. Dodge, Iowa, where Mr. Woodard purchased 275 acres of land, which lie manages in connection with his business as mechanic and wheelwright. He is a well-to-do and - I respected citizen, and is now sixty-seven years old, and his wife is forty-three; they are the parents of four children, three girls and one boy. Mrs. Smith was educated in the public schools of Ft. Dodge. In 1886 Mr. Smith returned to Michigan with his young wife, and settled in his old home, and has since been busily engaged in carrying on the farm. He is well adapted to the calling that he has chosen to pursue, as he is gifted with physical vigor, and has a keen, quick intellect, and eagerly seizes upon the most advanced and improved methods for conducting agriculture. He manifests an intelligent interest in public affairs; he is a membner of the Branch County Detective Association, at Quincy, and in his I)olitical views is an ardent Democrat. R. DENNIS W. ROGERS, a practicing ll)) physician of Union City, is the son of Benjamin Rogers, who was born in Scipio, Cayuga Co., N. Y., while his mother, whose maiden name was Clarissa Nutt, was a native of Vermont. After marriage they settled in Jerusalem, Yates Co., N. Y., where the father followed the occupation of a farmer. They subsequently removed to Ontario County, where they resided some years, and finally to Livingston County, in the same State, where they settled in the town of Lima, and spent the remainder of their days. The parental family of our subject consisted of ten children, seven sons and three daughters, of whom Dennis W. was the oldest. He was born in Jerusalem, N. Y., Feb. 25, 1826, and was reared at the homestead of his father. He was an ambitious, studious youth, and although the facilities for obtaining an education were very meager, he struggled with adverse circumstances, and spending many a night burning the midnight oil, he studied by himself, and acquired a good education. His tastes inclined to a professional rather than an agricultural life, and determining to follow the practice of medicine, he entered the office of Dr. Doolittle in Richmond, Ontario Co., N. Y. He staid with his preceptor until he was about twenty-three 1 I _ 2d I.~h --- —------— p —~ —~ —~ -------------- - - -- — " ------- I I.1 ----~r-1 4 0 - * i.- IT~ BRANCH COUNTY. 391 I% — 1 years of age, and then his plans were interfered with by failing health, and he was obliged to discontinue his studies and desist from all kinds of labor. At the end of eight years his health and strength had been restored, and he prepared himself for entering college, which he did in 1858, in the Western Medical College at Cleveland, Ohio, and took a medical course. Dr. Rogers began the practice of medicine at Quincy, this county, in the summer of 1859, and was there engaged until 1863, when he removed to Coldwater and remained two years. In July, 1865, he came to Union City, where he has since been engaged in the practice of his profession, with the exception of seven years, during which, on account of ill-health, he was obliged to relinquish his practice. Dr. Rogers was united in marriage, in Richmond, Ontario Co., N. Y., with Mary C. Huff, by whom lie had four children-Wheeler, Raymond, Kate (Mrs. Frank Abrams) and D. 0. The mother of these children died in Tekonsha, Mich., Feb. 22, 1882, and our subject was a second time married, in Concord, Jackson Co., Mich., to Mrs. Sarah A., widow of James Gillespie. Dr. Rogers was admitted to the American Institute of Homeopathy, and the Michigan State Homeopathic Society. He is also a member of the Masonic fraternity, Burlington Lodge. Politically, his sympathies are with the Prohibitionist party. RCHIBALD R. GROVE, one of the wellknown representative men and successful general farmers of this county, has spent his entire life engaged in farming in Batavia Township. His beautiful home is situated on section 11, where he owns 100 acres of land, nearly all in a high state of cultivation, and adorned with a good set of convenient and commodious farm buildings, showing at once the taste and thrift of the projectors. Mr. Grove wears worthily the mantle of the pioneer which has fallen upon him, and is a connecting tie between those heroes who carved out for them selves a home in the wilderness, and the younger generation, who, while reaping the rewards of their parents' industry, are nobly pushing forward the work of progress and development. The subject of this biographical sketch was born March 17, 1839, in Batavia Township, and is the son of Archibald Grove, a native of the Empire State, and a descendant of German ancestry. The father was reared to farm pursuits under the instruction of hard-working and intelligent parents, of whom, however, but little is known by our subject, except that they came to this country from Germany. Archibald was united in marriage, in Connecticut, with Miss Jane Pitcher, who was born in that State, and came of an ancient and honorable family of New England. Mrs. Grove was reared and educated in her native State, and resided there until her marriage. After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Grove located at Palmyra, N. Y., and remained there until after the birth of two children, Jerome and Elisha, and then the family came to Michigan, following the much-traveled route, viz: by lake to Detroit, and thence across the unbroken country to Branch County, where they at once made a settlement on section 4, Batavia Township, which was still in its virgin state. Mr. Grove at first secured eighty acres of land, which he finally brought under the plow, and afterward purchased forty acres more on section 4, which became the home of the parents the remainder of their days. Mr. Grove was for some time overseer on the branch of the Southern Michigan & Northern Indiana Railroad which was in course of construction through Calumet Swamp. He was closely identified with the early history of the township and county, and by his enterprise and unselfishness endeared himself to all lovers of progress. In the early deliberations of this section of country he was a prominent factor, and held at various times almost all the local offices. In politics, originally a Whig, lie subsequently affiliated with the Democratic party, of which he was a stanch supporter. His death occurred at his home Sept. 1, 1853, while he was still in middle life. His wife still survives, and is living with her children. Although seventythree years of age she retains her strength of mind and body in a remarkable degree, and ably assisted i i - - j vmmLLb-r - - 1 11- -1. -1- LL -, - - P 1 - - - LL - -L L. i < _ .0C4l-f 0 o~mmo mI~ l~ ---~I — ~ -~-~ll —l -~-~-II — ~~ 392 BRANCH COUNTY. I and encouraged her husband in his efforts to build up a home for themselves and a heritage for their children. In religion she belongs to the Presbyterian Church, and has ever been ready to assist in advancing the well-being of her community. Mr. Grove was the first child born to his parents after their arrival in Michigan, and is the third in order of birth in their family of five sons and an equal number of daughters, of whom four sons and four daughters still survive, and have homes of their own. Archibald B. was reared and educated at home, receiving such instruction as the common schools afforded,and soon after attaining his majority he enlisted in the Union army upon the first call for three-months men, in April, 1861. He was enrolled in Battery A, 1st Michigan Light Artillery, commanded by Capt. C. O. Loomis, now deceased, and the battery soon became known as the Loomis Battery, and achieved a world-wide reputation. After its organization Battery A went to Detroit, and soon afterward enlisted in the three-years service, and was sent to West Virginia. After- seeing considerable service and earning a good reputation as hard fighters, they were marched out of the State and joined the Army of the Cumberland, under Gen. Thomas, and participated in many engagements. Among these were: Bowling Green, Stone River, Bridgeport, Athens, Hoover's Gap, Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, Mission Ridge and several others. At Chickamauga Battery A came nearly being annihilated by the enemy's bullets, it having approached into the full vortex of their fire without any support, and only a skillful retreat prevented the whole force from being killed or taken prisoners, and as it was they lost all their guns. In the history of the war published in Michigan there are many compliments paid to the Loomis Battery, which is described as the best and most successful that took part in the war. The battery holds its annual meetings at Coldwater every May, and its surviving members have held thirteen reunions under the permanent organization. Our subject is one of its active members, and may well be excused for referring with pride to the record of the famous Loomis Battery. At the close of the war our subject received his honorable discharge at Chattanooga, and returning to his old home, was united in marriage, Aug. 27, 1865, with Miss Marbury Fenner, who was born in Ripley, Chautauqua Co., N. Y., June 16, 1844, and is the daughter of Collins and Lucinda (Myers) Fenner, now living on a farm in the township of Bethel, this county, where they have been successfully engaged in farming since 1848. Mrs. Grove was educated in Bethel Township and at Coldwater, and resided at the homestead until her marriage. Her union with our subject has been blessed by the birth of one child. Benjamin C., who is a bright and intelligentyoung man, residing at home, and gives promise of a bright future. Mr. Grove is a solid, straight-line Republican, and is active in the cause of his party. He has held many of the local offices of his township, including those of Treasurer and Highway Commissioner, and has discharged his various duties in a commendable manner. Socially, he is a worthy member of the A. F. & A. M., Tyre Lodge No. 18. and is a publicspirited and enterprising man, holding a high place in the respect and esteem of the community. ESSE C. UNDERHILL is pleasantly situated on section 10, Bethel Township, about five miles from Bronson, where he owns, fortyfive acres of good, arable land in a high state of cultivation. Here he is peacefully pursuing his vocation of a farmer and stock-raiser, having some good grade horses and cattle from which he receives good returns, and is one of the reputable citizens of this county. The subject of this biographical notice first saw the light in the State of New York, in 1835, and is the second in order of birth in a family of eight children born to Jesse and Emeline (Johnston) Underhill. The parents were also natives of the Empire State, but they removed to Michigan April 4, 1864, and settled in Gilead Township, this county. They bought a farm and engaged in improving it, but just as they had brought it to a good state of cultivation they sold out and removed to Batavia.M I I* — r 4 100 years, during which time they bought and sold a number of farms in the county, and he finally owned 250 acres of land in Batavia and Union Townships. He was residing in Millgrove Township, Steuben Co., Ind., at the time of his death, which occurred in 1884, at the age of seventy-five years. His excellent wife still survives him and resides in Steuben County, Ind. The great-grandfather on the mother's side took part in the war of the Revolution, and Grandfather Johnston was a soldier in the War of 1812. Young Underhill was reared to farm life and was educated in the district schools of his native State, and continued his farm labors until the war cry, ringing through the land, aroused the enthusiasm of every lover of law and order. Our subject was not slow in responding to the call, and enlisted in Company E, 85th New York Infantry, for three years, the date of his enrollment being in August, 1861. He was mustered into the service at Elmira, N. Y., in October of the same year, and was actively engaged in the battles of Fair Oaks, Wilmington, Goldsboro and Plymouth, N. C., and was also engaged in a great number of skirmishes. At the end of his period of service he veteranized, re-enlisting in the same company for three years, or during the war. His second enrollment took place Jan. 1, 1864, and he was afterward almost continually in active service. He was taken prisoner at the battle of Plymouth, N. C., and was immediately confined in the prison pen at Andersonville, suffering all its horrors from April until September 11. From there he was removed to Charleston, where he remained a prisoner for twenty-three days, and was then taken to Florence and kept in "durance vile" about three months. Mr. Underhill kept a diary of each day's events while in prison. He went from Florence to Wilmington, thence to Goldsboro, and back to Wilmington, where he was liberated on parole. Immediately after being paroled he went into the hospital at Wilmington, where he remained some months. and then went to Washington, and on to Annapolis, and was finally honorably discharged with a good war record, at Elmira, June 21, 1865. Since the close of the war he has constantly suffered from disease and disability contracted during the Ac I~srarr~asrrsrr~rss~~llrrnrr 1 COUNTY. 393 terrible struggle, of which loss of memory is among the greatest afflictions; he is at present drawing a pension from the Government. Upon his discharge from the army Jesse C. Underhill came to this county, where his people had settled while he was engaged in the service of his country, and lie was married in this county in 1865, to Ursula Stone, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1847, and was the second in order of birth in a family of four children born to Joseph G. and Susan A. (Pierce) Stone, natives respectively of Vermont and Canada, but both passed their early life in the State of New York. In 1850 they came to Michigan and settled where our subject now resides. and which continues to be their home up to the present time. Grandfather Stone participated in the War of 1812, and during the last three or four years of his life he drew a pension from the Government. After marriage the young couple settled in Union Township, residing on part of his father's place, and remained there about three years, after which they removed to Muskegon Township, Muskegon County, where they remained the same length of time, and then returned to Union Township, which they made their home about one year. They finally removed to Bethel Township, where they at present reside. Mr. Underhill, lured by the prospects of the farther West, went to Minnesota in the fall of 1879, and settled in Yellow Medicine County, at Grant Falls. He was engaged at day labor in the town, and also farmed one year in Clippewa County, remaining in Minnesota about six years, during which time he bought and sold some town property and bought three and a half lots in Grant Falls, on which he built a house and barn, which he has subsequently sold. Mr. and Mrs. Underhill became the parents of five children, who are recorded as follows: Joseph died March 2, 1887, when nearly twenty-one years of age; the rest of the children are at home attending the district school, and are named Grace, Sylvia, Edwin and Fred. Mr. Underhill takes an active interest in the subject of education, believing that no better capital than a good, practical education can be secured for the youth of the land, and he does his best to provide a good school in his district. Mr. Underhill, politically, is identified with the I,_= s"~i.~l.rbR~1YZ~rC-W~- 1~-~ 111 C~IllsI~s(~CP~~~PP~~ob. iPP~l~1 1-4w f AU $"b;;3. --- ML — (gMl'o%-~~4"4 -- I I 'II E —. -4 394 BRANCH COUNTY. A 4 i ii Republican party, but is not an office-seeker in any sense of the word, and, indeed, does not take an active part in political matters. He is a member of the G. A. R. Post at Bronson, and can relate many incidents relating to the hardships undergone in Southern prisons during his unhappy experience. Mrs. Underhill is a member of the Close Communion Baptist Church, and is a lady held in high esteem for her many womanly virtues. G EORGE F. NIVISON is one of the most able and enterprising of the farmers of Quincy Township. where he owns, on section 31, a valuable farm of 160 acres, 100 of which are well improved, and is amply provided with good farm buildings. Mr. Nivison was born in Tompkins County, N. Y., April 17, 1844, and his father, Nathan Nivison, was also a native of that State, born in Buffalo in 1810. The grandfather of our subject, John Nivison, also a New Yorker by birth, served in the War of 1812. He was a ship carpenter by trade, and spent his entire life in the Empire State, rounding out a period of nearly ninety years. Nathan Nivison, father of our subject, in early life learned the trade of ship carpenter, and in due time, when he had gained a thorough mastery of his calling, and obtained the means, he married and established a home, Matilda Kniffen becoming his wife. She was born in Westchester County, N. Y., and at the date of her marriage was living in Steuben County, that State, where she and her husband settled. They afterward removed to Tompkins County, whence they came in 1853 to Michigan, and settled in Algansee Township, Branch County. Mr. Nivison purchased a farm here, and cultivated it until nearly the close of the Civil War, when he bought another farm in the same township, on which he resided until his death, Dec. 19, 1886. He was held to be a man of honesty and sound integrity, and faithfully discharged his duties as a man and a citizen, winning universal respect. Mrs. Nivison still lives on the old homestead, enjoying in a high degree the esteem of all in the com munity. She is the mother of five children, namely: Robert B., William W., John T.; Drusilla, the wife of George P. Goodman, and our subject. The latter is the next to the youngestin the family. He was reared on his father's homestead, educated in the common schools, and as soon as old enough assisted in carrying on the farm. He was but seventeen years old when the late Civil War broke out, but notwithstanding his youthful age, he wished to take part in the defense of his country, and in July, 1861, enlisted with Company E, 1st Michigan Infantry, which was recruited under the first call for three-years men. The first engagement in which his regiment took part was at Fair Oaks, and then followed Mechanicsville, and the sevendays fight in front of Richmond. At the battle of Gaines Mills, fought June 27, 1 862, our subject was wounded by a gunshot in the shoulder, was then taken prisoner, and for three months was confined in Libby Prison, with no surgeon to dress his wound. After leaving prison, in the latter part of September, he joined his regiment at Martinsburg, and at once started on Burnside's campaign on Fredericksburg. On the 13th and 14th of December, during the engagement before that city, he served as Orderly on Gen. Barnes' staff. The forces were defeated and retreated across the Rappahannock River, and on the 10tli of January, 1863, Mr. Nivison was discharged from service on account of disability caused by the gunshot wound received at Gaines Mills, which, not receiving proper attention, was unhealed. His record for bravery, coolness and fidelity while on Southern battle-fields, would have done credit to a veteran. After his retirement from active service, Mr. Nivison returned home and helped recruit men for several regiments, thus doing much to aid the cause of the Union, although he was no longer able to fight its battles. He subsequently did some light farm work, and dealt considerably in lumber and logs. Our subject was married, on July 11, 1869, to Miss Katie Flaherty, who was born in Ireland, Aug. 18, 1851. She came with her parents, James and Margaret Flaherty, to America in 1852, when she was scarcely a year old, therefore she was reared in this country, and has known no other home. Her father was a railway contractor, and after living I L — —.a- I I III, I I I 11 I 11. L BCmmmewI F~~ll~B~a~li-~~lrB-OB~l~i-I llll*()IICI_~Ql~]( k -- 'i 1l MIML I_ - I *-MlllP B / nr — T I I BRANUCH COUNTY. 395 4 some years in Cleveland, Ohio, where he first settled on his arrival in this country, he removed to Huron County, Ohio, where he died. In 1866 the remaining members of the family came to Michigan, and made their home in Algansee Township, Branch County, where the mother died April 24, 1885. Three of the children born to her and her husband grew to maturity: Anna, wife of J. C. Cupp; John; and Katie, wife of our subject. In 1870 Mr. Nivison moved to Cleveland, Ohio, and was there employed by the United States Express Company for a period of eight years. He then returned to Branch County, having determined to devote himself to agricultural pursuits, to which he had been reared, and for which he has a natural aptitude, and purchased his present farm. Although he has been farming here but a few years, he has already gained an assured place among the leading agriculturists of his neighborhood. and is considered by them as a man of keen insight, good business habits, and sound principles. To Mr. and Mrs. Nivison have been born three children-May, Cora and Bertha. Their pleasant home is made very attractive by the geniality, openhearted hospitality, and true courtesy of the host and hostess. Mr. Nivison takes a prominent part in social, political and public affairs. He is a Knight Templar, and is one of the leading members of the G. A. R., having served as Commander of the C. O. Loomis Post No. 2. He is identified with the Republican party, and uses his influence to further its interests. He heartily co-operates with his fellowcitizens to promote the highest welfare of Quincy Township, and has been Supervisor one term. _ e a~(.-~.-.c-h, preserve the fertility of the soil, he is engaged in general farming, raising in abundance the cereals and vegetables which flourish in this climate. A few of the many interesting incidents in the successful career of our subject are recorded as follows: Mr. Shaw was born in Sidney, Ohio, Feb. 22, 1836, while his parents, Adison C. and Rebecca A. (Niceswanger) Shaw, were natives respectively of Massachusetts and Ohio. When our subject was a child of four years his parents removed to Kalamazoo County, Mich., which at the end of one year they exchanged for St. Joseph County, and resided there three years. where the nlother died. They subsequently removed to Three Rivers, this State, where they remained, and our subject engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1887, when in June of that year he came to Branch County, and engaged in farming on his present location. In our country's hour of need Mr. Shaw was not slow to render assistance, and enlisting in the army for a period of three years, he was enrolled in the 25th Michigan Infantry, and immediately marched to the scene of action. He was under the command of Gen. Sherman in the Army of the Cumberland, and was 100 days within hearing of the musketry. He saw much active service, participating in several hotly contested engagements, and was wounded five times. Among the battles in which he took part may be named: Tibs Bend, Green River, Ky.; Ettawah River, May 20; Altona, May 26; Pine Mountain, May 28 and 29; Lost Mountain, June 10 to 18; Kennesaw Mountain, June 23 to 29; Culps Farm, June 27; Chattahoochee River, July 1 to 9, and Decatur, Ga., July 18 and 19. He was distinguisled for his courage, seeming indeed to know no fear, and was the first Union soldier who entered Decatur. On the 3d of August, 1864, he was wounded, and on the next day, and again during the 6th he was badly wounded and carried to the hospital. He was honorably discharged, and has a record for the discharge of his trying duties during those dark days to which he is justified in pointing with pride and satisfaction. On the 29th of July, 1865, our subject was united in marriage with Miss Elsie J. Sickles, who was born at Three Rivers, Mich., Nov. 10, 1844, and spent most of her unmarried life in her native town. 0 I -~r rl i I i I I i I 11 L. J ASPER N. SHAW, a thorough and enterprisiing farmer, may be classed among the solid and representative men of this county. He is pleasantly located in Sherwood Township, on a beautiful farm of 210 acres, and is well equipped for the line of industry in which he is engaged. Believing in rotation of crops as the best means to W. NRUP~IE-~l~s- - - ----- ri,,2Fit^ --- —~lorE ~~-% t — " L I.i 010. I II -1 A I I - - - l ~" -. — - - - I -1 - - - -1 - - - --- - - - - - L 396 BRANCH COUNTY. Their union has been blessed by the birth of three children, two sons and one daughter, who continue to reside at the homestead. In politics Mr. Shaw supports the principles promulgated by the Republican party. LMOND S. GRAVES, a prosperous and progressive general farmer residing on section 14, Gilead Township, came to Michigan in 1857, and bought 160 acres of unimproved land on sections 13 and 14. In addition to general farming he is largely engaged in stock-raising, in which his good judgment in buying, besides his intelligent treatment of his stock, has made him more than ordinarily successful. He is now pleasantly situated, enjoying the fruits of a well-spent life, and looking forward with hope to a clear sunset. Mr. Graves was born in Oni(la County, N. Y., in 1811, and was the third in a family of eleven children born to his parents, nine of whom they reared to their majority. The parents of our subject were Sterling and Rosetta (Mathews) Graves, natives respectively of Connecticut and Vermont. They emigrated to New York at an early day, settling there immediately after the Revolutionary War, and the father followed the occupation of a farmer. He participated in the War of 1812, but for some reason he did not receive a pension. He left the Empire State in 1833, and removing to Ohio, settled in Cuyahoga County, where he resumed his calling of a farmer, and was thus engaged until his death, which occurred in 1843. His excellent wife survived him some ten or twelve years, passing away full of years and honor, in Ohio. The grandfather of our subject, Jonathan Graves, was a native of Connecticut, while his mother, Rosetta Graves, was born in Vermont. They emigrated to the State of New York at an early day, and remained there until their death. The maternal grandfather of our subject, Aaron Mathews, was a native of Vermont. lie participated in the war of the Revolution, holding the rank of Lieu tenant in a Vermont company, and was with Gen. Sullivan when they built Ft. Stanwix, now the site of Rome. Young Graves was inured to farm life, and also learned the trade of a carpenter and joiner, which he followed about fifteen years. He was educated in the district schools of Geneseo County, N. Y., and making good use of his time and being bright and intelligent, he made rapid progress. He was a born mathematician, solving problems that would puzzle those much beyond his years, and as is usually the case with men of a mathematical mind, he has always been characterized by sound, practical judgment. When a young man he migrated to Cuyahoga County, Ohio, and engaged at his trade, which he followed until his removal to this State. In the Buckeye State, in 1842, our subject was united in marriage with Miss Almina McClaflin, who was born in that State in 1823, and was the sixth in order of birth in a family of eight children born to William and Anna (Abbott) McClaflin, both of whom were natives of Vermont, though, as the name implies, of Scottish descent. Her father was by occupation a farmer, and migrating to Cuyahoga County, Ohio, at an early (lay, was among the pioneers of the county. At that time Cleveland was a very small place, but the parents lived to see the country fairly developed, and contributed their share toward bringing about many important improvements prior to their decease, which occurred there many years ago. After marriage Mr. Graves and his young bride started in life together in the Buckeye State, which they continued to make their home until 1857, when they came to Michigan. Mr. Graves came to Michigan first in 1838, and entered land from the Government in Algansee Township, this county. The country was at that time largely in a state of nature, the home of many wild animals, while the Indians still lingered before the march of civilization. Mr. Graves never lived on this purchase, but he spent two years in Lagrange County, Ind. He now owns i00 acres of fine, arable land, well improved and located in the town of Gilead. He has sold several building lots, and also gave his (laughter forty acres, which reduced his original possessions to 100 acres. East Gilead is pleasantly I t;.-40! _ _ I j -~.1 r —,I- II 1 l? _r ll Al-.~ Lh~ I' r —qqww L I t - a ~ > fP I - - -- - -11~s~k a BRANCH situated in a fine section of the country, well adapted to agriculture, and all that is needed is a railroad to make it a flourishing center. It contains two good stores and several fine residences, and is situated midway between the Southern Michigan and Air Line Railroads. Mr. Graves has his farm operated by tenants, and is himself taking life easy in his well-appointed home. To Mr. and Mrs. Graves have been born three children, as follows: Eliza1beth, Mrs.-J. Wilkins, resides in Gilead; Lucinda, the wife of H. Kinzie, and Hattie, Mrs. J. Sanders, also reside in Gilead. Mr. Graves gave these chili dren a good opportunity for acquiring an educa-? tion, of which they availed themselves to some purpose, and Lucinda and Hattie have both taught school in Gilead successfully. In politics our subject is a Republican, but he does not take an active part in the deliberations of that body, and is in sympathy with the labor party. I He has been Postmaster at Gilead, and was the first officer who retained the position for more than a short time. For his services as Postmaster he one year received $12 as remuneration, and it was principally through his efforts that the mail route was organized. He also assisted in organizing the school district in his township, and was elected Justice of the Peace, but did not serve. Mr. and Mrs. Graves are members of the Second Advent Church, to which they contribute of their time and means, and are earnest in the promotion of the cause of morality. Mrs. Graves is an amiable lady, and has acted well her part in their joint endeavors to round out a useful life work. EACON ISRAEL W. CLARK, of Union City, was born in Connecticut Farms, N. J., Sept. 29, 1803, and has consequently attained to more than his fourscore years. He is of New England ancestry and English descent, and when a little lad five years of age was deprived of the care of his father by death. The mother subsequently removed with her family to COUNTY. 397 s i Bloomfield, and thence to Newark, where Israel W. made his home until he was thirty years of age. Young Clark when a lad of thirteen years entered the employ of Dr. Hayes, a druggist of Newark, with whom he remained two years, and which proved a valuable apprenticeship. Subsequently he was employed as clerk in different places until twenty-five year of age. Then, associating himself with a partner, he embarked in the dry-goods trade at Newark, where he operated successfully four years, then disposed of his interest in the business to his partner, and established himself in New York City as a dry-goods jobber, which he followed eight years. In 1836, in the city of Philadelphia, Pa., our subject was married to Miss Roxana Foote, who was born there, and whose father was a New England clergyman, and married a lady of New Jersey. That same year Mr. Clark purchased a quarter interest in a large section of land in the county, and a part of which is now occupied by the village of Union City. The following year he made his first visit to this region, remaining only one week, but returned in 1838 in company with his partners, and began the erection of a saw and grist mill. In 1839 he closed out his business in New York and came to the West to remain permanently. Mr. Clark, since the year above mentioned, has been closely identified with the interests of Union City. Finding that he was obliged to go to either Coldwater or Marshall for supplies, and which would involve the employment of many men, he purchased a large stock of general merchandise, in which he carried on an extensive trade for several years, and which was the first establishment of the kind in Union City. While attending carefully to his business affairs he was suitably alive to the moral and social progress of his community, and at an early date was chosen a Deacon of the Congregational Church, and has been one of its chief pillars. Mr. and Mrs. Clark became the parents of nine children, the eldest of whom, a son, David H., died when a youth of fifteen years and while a student at Olivet College. Edward P. (1st) died in infancy; Edward P. (2d) served as a soldier in the Union army, in the Loomis Michigan Battery, and was killed in the battle of Chickamauga. He was Acting Quartermaster at the time of his death. As i iII i Rt - Mb." " IN q J L o - i Ir I -1 A I i V-40 1s~~a~IaIlI ~~lllC ~C-~ Il t 111 F~ 1 111 11 ~~l~l I)I1~I III, 398 BRANCH COUNTY. -- such he was exempted from service in the field, but he fought in every battle in which the battery was engaged after joining it, in 1862. Mary M. is the wife of Dr. John W. Streeter, of Chicago; Anna W., Mrs. Aaron C. Henderson, is a resident of Colorado; Sarah B., the wife of Rev. H. N. Hoyt, is a resident of Oak Park, Ill.; Henry M. and Arthur W. died in infancy; George H. is engaged in business in Chicago. YRUS A. HAND is numbered among the enterprising and substantial farmers of Coldwater Township who are ably assisting in the maintenance of the high standard that Branch County has attained as a great and important agricultural region. He is a native of New York, born in Waterloo, Seneca County, Dec. 29, 1827. His father, James H. Hand, it is thought, was born in Massachusetts. He was a son of Abraham Hand, a Revolutionary soldier, who served through the war under Washington as a member of a Massachusetts regiment. After the war he moved fromn that State to New York State, and made his home there several years. In 1835 he removed to Ohio and spent his last years in Huron County, dying there in 1843. The father of our subject was young when his parents moved to the State of New York, where he grew to manhood. He married, in Seneca County, Margaret Packer, a native of that county, and a daughter of James Packer. They spent the first few years of their wedded life in Seneca County, but in 1828 went to Allegany County with their family, moving to their destination by means of oxteams. He bought land there and resided on it until 1835, when he sold his property there and in a wagon drawn by one pair of horses, started with his wife and six children for the State of Ohio, which was even then sparsely settled, as it embraced such a wide extent of territory, and in many parts of it the primeval forest had never rung to the ax of the pioneer. Mr. Hand settled in Huron County, becoming an early settler there. He bought timber land near Clarksfield, and built a hewed log house on the place, and later a large frame barn. HIe continued to live there until 1844, when he sold his farm and came to Branch County, making the removal to this State with a team. He bought a tract of timber land in Coldwater Township, and built a log house, in which he and his family lived a few months, but failing to get a clear title to his land he left the place and went to Berrien County, and there bought a tract of uncleared land, and, building a log cabin on the place, lived there about three years, when he disposed of his property in that county and returned to Ohio, to make his home with his son in Huron County the remaining years of his life, and there died. His wife died at the home of a son in Ottawa County, Mich. They were deserving people, whose lives were records of fidelity to their duties, industrious habits and strict integrity in the daily walks of life. The seven children born to them they reared to lives of sobriety, honesty and usefulness, thus fitting them to become good members of society. Cyrus Hand was the fifth child born to his parents, and was eight years old when he accompanied them to their new home in the wilderness of Ohio, yet he can remember much about the journey that is very interesting to listen to in these days, when a like journey is performed with ease in a few hours, where it then took days. He remembers when the dense forests that covered so much of Northern Ohio and Southern Michigan were haunted by deer, wild turkeys, and even wolves and bears were plentiful. Although, perhaps, the rude pioneer home in which he was reared was comparatively comfortable, yet it lacked many things that are to-day considered indispensable in the way of furniture and food. The mother used to cook the latter over the huge fireplace that formed so conspicuous a feature in the cabin of the pioneer, and doubtless, to the appetites sharpened by swinging the ax in the forests or in the hard labors of the farm, as conducted in those early days, it tasted much better than food does now, cooked over the modern range or cook stove. The good mother spun and wove all the clothing of the family, which was no light labor. Our subject received his education in the pioneer schools of Ohio and Michigan. He lived with his parents until he was seventeen years old, I I I I r E~ Alq I __ -1 4 V 4- I - H-WOMW L I~~~~~ ----- --- I~C I ~~~""U*~L~~~~ —3 ' i I k BRANCH COUNTY. 399 I except two years, 1842 and 1843, that he spent in the State of New York. At the age just mentioned our subject began life for himself as a - prairie round." He took jobs at different kinds of work. He was very smart, energetic and enterprising, and in harvest time contracted to cut 240 acres of wheat, which had to be reaped with a cradle. He promptly hired twelve men, and they accomplished the work in an incredibly short time. He was taken sick during the following summer and spent all his hard earnings. He had the ague very badly for nearly a year. After his recovery he returned to Michigan and engaged in the manufacture of potash with good success, conducting that lusiness in the township of Coldwater for five years. In 1856 he resolved to try farming in Iowa, and, accompanied by his family, started for his destination with a team. He bought a tract of land near Muscatine on his arrival, but soon after the accidental explosion of a percussion cap nearly destroyed his eyesight,and after living six months in Iowa he sold his property and came back to Coldwater. He bought a tract of forty acres on section 30 and immediately set about improving a farm. The land was partly cleared, but there were no buildings on it. He erected a substantial brick house and a frame barn, and continued to live there until 1871. He then sold that place and bought the one where he now resides. He has erected a fine brick house and good frame barns on this farm, which comprises eighty acres of well-tilled land, and ranks with the best in the township as regards improvements. Mr. Hand was married, Jan 13, 1849, to Miss Emma J. Fetterly, who was born in Madison County, N. Y., April 1, 1829, and is a daughter of George Fetterly. Her father was born in the same State and lived there until 1843, when he moved to Branch County, coming via water to Detroit, and with a team the rest of the way. He bought a tract of partly cleared land on which was a log house with a frame addition, located on section 20, Coldwater Township. At the expiration of two years he moved to Bronson, but after living there the same length of time he returned to Coldwater Township, and a few years later he bought a tract of land on section 30, and lived thereon until his death. I I I The maiden name of his wife was Mary Stan, also a native of New York, and a daughter of Lawrence and Mary Stan. She died at the home of a son in Coldwater Township. She was a notable housewife, and like all pioneer women, cooked her meals before the open fireplace, and to her incessant labors at the spinning-wheel and loom were her family indebted for the clothes that they wore. The marriage of our subject has been blessed by the birth of three children-Sarah Ann, Edward H. and Frank. The latter is a resident of Cheyenne County, Neb. Sarah, the wife of John A. Kelly, of Alpena, Mich., has four children-Morris, Edward, Frank and Florence E. Edward H. married Eva J. Cornell, and lives in Coldwater Township. Mr. and Mrs. Halnd are people of high standing in the social and religious circles of this community, and their kind hearts, genial dispositions, and ever ready sympathy and help extended to those in affliction have endeared them to a large circle of friends. They are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church and are devoted to its interests. Mr. Hand is a Republican in his political affiliatious, according his party his cordial support and using all his influence in the support of Republican principles. ETH C. YOUNG came to this county nearly fifty years ago, and located first in Bethel Township, where he purchased forty acres of land. Upon this he built a log house, felled the trees, and brought the soil to a good state of cultivation. lie also put up a frame barn. A few years later he sold out and purchased the forty acres which he occupies on section 20, in Bronson Township, where he proceeded as he had done before in bringing the soil to a productive condition. Here also he built a frame house, and has gradually added the other improvements which now make his home. Our subject was born in Cayuga County, N. Y., June 3, 1808, and is the son of Thomas and Catherine (Lester) Young, who were of Holland-Dutch I i i I i I p Y-6w i I U Il I 1 7*4~-xI_.,____________________ _____ ___ ________ _ C Us"lx;ru~ . ----. 1__11. ___ , I, t 400 BRANCH COUNTY. I ancestry. The father died in Cayuga County, N. Y., about 1848, and the mother, coming to Michigan, took up her residence with her son Seth C., where she passed away in 1858, when about sixty years of age. Mr. Young was first married in 1823, to Miss Nancy Humphreys, and there was born one child, Louisa, who married Benjamin Secor; he enlisted in 1862, was subsequently taken prisoner, and died near Columbia, Tenn. The mother died three months after the birth of her daughter Louisa. Our subject was a second time married, nineteen years later, in 1842, to Miss Rachel Smith, and to them there was born one child, who is now deceased. His second wife died in 1868. Mr. Young identified himself with the Masonic fraternity, in Memphis, Mo., about 1855, where he was engaged for nearly a year chopping cordwood. Until the temperance agitation he voted with the Democratic party, but is now a Prohibitionist. He has held the various local offices and stands well among his neigh bors. E NRY C. BAILEY, associate editor of the, Coldwater Sun, has been a resident of this county since 1852, and in the position which I he now occupies, is acquitting himself in a manner creditable to him as the exponent of public opinion, and with satisfaction to the community, which has long considered this journal one of its indispensable institutions. A native of Orleans County, N. Y., he was born in the town of Barre, Jan. 22, 1832, and is the son of Timothy Bailey, Jr., who was born in Whitestown, Oneida County, in 1801. Timothy Bailey, the paternal grandfather of our subject, was of New England birth and parentage, and in early life made his way to the Empire State, and took up his residence among the pioneers of Oneida County. Purchasing a tract of timber land, he improved a farm in the vicinity of which grew up the little hamlet of Whitestown, which in the comiron course of time developed into agood-sized village. There Timothy Bailey spent the remainder of his life, passing away about 1840. Grandmother Bailey was formerly a Miss Curtis, but further than this the record has not been preserved. Suffice it to say, that among their children was Timothy, Jr., the father of our subject, who was reared and married in his native county, where he resided until about 1820. That year he removed to Orleans County, making the journey with teams before the day of canals or railroads. He purchased a tract of timber land in Barre Township, where he first erected a log house, and in that humble dwelling the subject of this sketch was born. Timothy Bailey labored industriously to improve his land, in which he succeeded to a considerable extent, but in 1847 determined to lush farther westward, and, selling out, made his way to the new State of Micligan. This journey was made by way of canal and lake to Toledo, and thence by rail to Adrian, Lenawee County. Mr. Bailey purchased an improved farm in Medina Township, and there spent the remainder of his days, his death taking place in 1873. The father of our subject married in early life Miss Almira Parmelee, who was born in 1802, in Oneida County, N. Y., and who died in Barre, Orleans County, in 1839, leaving three children, of whom Henry C., our subject, was the eldest. Timothy Bailey was subsequently married to Miss Louisa Smith, a native of New Hampshire, who came with him to the West, and died at the farm in Medina Township, in 1848. Of this marriage there were born three children. Henry C., our subject, was a lad of fifteen years when he came to Michigan with his father and stepmother. He had attended the common schools of his native State, and completed his education after coming to Lenawee County. He remained a member of his father's household until 1848, then returning to New York State, spent one year amid the scenes of his childhood. At the expiration of this time, coming back to Michigan, he learned the trade of shoemaker in the little town of Medina, and in the fall of 1852 removed with his employer to Cold water, where he operated with him as foreman in the shoe factory of the latter, for a period of over six years. Having now accumulated a little property, Mr. abm-:"" -00.-"m i~ ag -~ —s I I~ — ~CI~C~~~~II-L-~~LP[Bb BRCANCH COUNTY. 401 B C C iI Bailey formed a partnership with his father-in-law and former employer, and engaged in the sale and manufacture of leather, in which they continued until 1876. Mr. Bailey then disposed of his interest in the business, and became traveling salesman for the firm of Smith & Simmons, of Toledo, Ohio. at which he occupied himself four years. He then rested upon his oars until 1882. In January of that year he made his way to New Mexico, and locating in the town of Cerrillos, operated a shoe5 store one year, then returned to Coldwater, and soon afterward became connected with the Sun, which relation he has retained until the present. Mr. Bailey was united in marriage, Nov. 26, 1857, with Miss Emmaline Smith, and they have become the parents of five children —Lewis S., Willis C., Ray R., Alice E. and Harry F. Mrs. Bailey was born Jan. 5, 1838, in Tecumseh, Mich., and is the j daughter of Gen. Davis and Laura (Chatfield) Smith, the former a native of Poughkeepsie, N. Y., and the latter born in Greene County, N. Y., in 1813. The maternal grandparents of Mrs. Bailey were Josiah and Olive (Tuttle) Chatfield, who spent their last years in Raisin, Lenawee Co., Mich. Her father came from New York State to Lenawee County, Mich., in 1829, locatingat Tecumseh, where he married in 1843, and not long afterward, removing to Medina, engaged in the manufacture of shoes and leather for a period of nine years. In 1852 he took up his residence in Cold water, carrying on the same business, and here his death occurred March 26, 1869. The mother survived her husband a period of fourteen years, passing away in Coldwater, Sept. 25, 1883. Upon becoming a voting citizen, Mr. Bailey cast his first ballot for James Buchanan, and has since continued a decided Democrat. He has frequently been the candidate of his party for the various local offices, but the Democracy being largely in the minority in this section, he has been defeated with the balance of his ticket, although effecting a decided increase in its support. He is a man strictly temperate, both in principle and practice, using neither liquor nor tobacco in any form, and the same can be said of his four sons, a fact which the parents refer to with pardonable pride. In his position as associate editor of a journal having (ue influence upon.....,............S...... the morals of the community, Mr. Bailey is enabled to disseminate his ideas to good effect, and which there is no doubt, have been the means of sowing good seed which will spring up and bear fruit. {- YLVANUS S. SCOVILL, a well-to-do farmer now retired from active labor, occupies a comfortable home in the city of Coldwater, and is surrounded by the good things of life which he has accumulated through years of industry an(l wise management. He is what may be properly termed a selfmade man, as he was thrown upon his own resources early in life, and has " paddled his own canoe" without assistance. His early experiences were to him an invaluable school where he learned that self-reliance and independence of character which have resulted in elevating him to a good position socially and financially among his fellowmen. Mr. Scovill was born in Trumbull County, Ohio, near the town of Vienna, Sept. 6, 1819, and was the fifth in a family of six children, the offspring of Joel and Lydia (Manville) Scovill. The father was a native of Connecticut, born Sept. 15, 1783, and was the eldest of the eight children of Amasa and Esther (Merrill) Scovill. Amasa Scovill was born Dec. 22, 1759, and followed the occupation of farmer and millwright. He was a descendant of Puritan stock, and of English ancestry. He served in the Revolutionary War and distinguished himself as a patriot and a valiant soldier. He emigrated to Ohio in 1818, and in the vicinity of Vienna spent the remainder of his days, his death taking place in 1846, after he had attained to the ripe age of ninety-five years. Grandmother Scovill was born April 1, 1764, and died in 1844. The father of our subject accompanied his parents to Ohio, and settled with them in Portage County, remaining with them on the homestead, but in the meantime he went back to Connecticut upon business, in the fall of 1826, and died the following spring at Newton, in Litchfield County. Iie u I VIP_-I — ~ —qI~L_ - -_ -Lb ~ L I — ~L — 4i ~I 4 -,- I- -9 - z-q. w A 402 BRANCH COUNTY. --- was a musician of considerable skill and the leader of a band. He assisted his father in building the first flouring-mill in Portage County, Ohio, which was located at Garrettsville, and also put up the second mill in the county, in Mantua, where he lived. Being a millwright he manufactured all the running-gear, bolts, etc., besides chairs and spinning-wheels for wool and flax. He was one of the earliest members of the Masonic fraternity, and attained to the Grand Lodge. The children of the parental family are recorded as follows: Lucius N., the eldest, was born March 18, 1806; Esther Eliza was born Dec. 9, 1809, and became the wife of Ralph Pinney, now deceased; Charles M. was born Oct. 14, 1814; Lydia Alvira, born Aug. 4, 1817, married Dudley Fox; Sylvanus S., our subject, was born Sept. 6, 1819, and Mary Ann, the youngest, was born Nov. 6, 1821, married Henry S. Hanchett, and died May 6, 1844. After the death of Joel Scovill the responsibility of rearing the family devolved upon the mother, and all her worldly possessions consisted of ten acres of land and a log house. Three years later the little home was sold for $125, and this was invested in twenty-three acres of land in Shalersville Township. In a few years this also was sold and the money invested in another home near by, where the mother lived until 1844. She then took up her abode with her son, Sylvanus S., and lived with him until her death, which took place Dec. 15, 1855, at his home in Franklin, Portage Co., Ohio. The early years of our subject were spent in Portage County, with the exception of three years in Euclid, about eight miles east of Cleveland. When ten years of age he became the active assistant of his mother in the support of the family, working out in the summer and acquiring his education by attending school a short term in the winter. To add whatever he could to their limited income, he used to get up early in the mornings and haul wood on a hand sled. By improving each moment of his leisure time he managed to pick up a good fund of general information which served him well in after years. Upon reaching his majority young Scovill engaged to operate the farm of Buell Peck, 200 acres in extent, where he and his mother lived and worked together until 1843. Then he commenced the manufacture of flour barrels, without having learned the trade, and continued thus employed nine years at Shalersville, while at the same time he cultivated fifty acres of land which he had purchased. In 1854 he sold out his coopering business, also his land, and purchased another fifty acres in Franklin Township, where he took up his residence and carried on farming until 1861. He then sold out and moved further westward, to Berrien County, this State, where he planted twenty-five acres to fruit, associated himself with a partner, and, in 1863, they sold out their business for $8,000. Our subject now came to Coldwater Township, this county, and invested a part of his capital in 120 acres, two and one-half miles west of the city, where in connection with farming he commenced buying and shipping stock, and in the fall of 1867 again sold out for $8,000, and took up his residence in the city. Here he purchased the home which he now occupies, and where he is surrounded with all that makes life desirable and pleasant. He has been quite prominent in township affairs, serving as Trustee, Justice of the Peace and Supervisor, representing his township in the latter office three consecutive years before his removal to the city. Two years later he was elected to the same office, serving two more terms. Socially, he belongs to the A. F. & A. M., Lodge No. 260, at Coldwater, and is a member of Franklin Chapter No. 21, in which he is at present H. P. He also belongs to Jacobs Commandery No. 10, and is a Past Eminent Commander. In religious matters Mr. Scovill belongs to the Christian Church, and politically, affiliates with the Republican party. From the winter of 1862-63 to 1869 he was engaged in the manufacture of carriages, in which he gave employment to a large number of men, and in the meantime sold 700 vehicles. A number of his carriages were on exhibition at the Centennial in 1876. More than forty-four years have passed since the marriage of our subject to Miss Eliza Shurtliff, which occurred at the home of the bride, in Shalersville, June 25, 1844. This lady is the daughter of Selah and Pruanna (Phillips) Shurtliff, whose family consisted of five children. Of these Mrs. Scovill was the fourth, and was born May 28, 1826. Ir I. B l I~- - Ze l -- 1111~ - ~LIC11 I ~ l -111 4)~- L~ i —Iw j i L BRANCH COUNTY. 403 - Her father was a native of Massachusetts, and spent his early days in the vicinity of Montgomery, where he learned cloth dressing, and his father assisted him to establish in business. He was successful in his undertaking and became owner of a factory at Russell, where he operated ten or twelve years. He then emigrated to Ohio, settling in what was then Franklin Mills, but is now Kent, purchased a tract of wild land and put up a log cabin in the wilderness. Here he lived a number of years, and until a good brick dwelling had replaced their former humble shelter. Finally he sold this farm and purchased a larger one at Shalersville, where he lived about fifteen years, then moved back to Franklin Mills, and purchasing a smaller farm, remained there until his death, which occurred in February, 1861. The father of Mrs. Scovill was one of the earliest pioneers of the Buckeye State, to which he made his way from New England overland by wagon, long before the era of canals or railroads. He was a high-minded and conscientious man, and before his removal to Ohio belonged to the Baptist Church, but later he became identified with the Christian Church. Politically, he sided with the Democratic party until 1850, but in 1856 cast his Presidential vote for John C. Fremont, and thereafter supported Republican principles. He was a man who made friends wherever he went, and involuntarily commanded the respect of his community. lie held the office of Justice of the Peace for several years. The Shurtliff family is of English ancestry, and was represented in this country prior to the Revolutionary War. Selah, the father of Mrs. Scovill, was the eldest in a family of five children. The others were named respectively: Ruel; Elizabeth, who married Horace Hatch, of Montgomery, Mass; Luman, and another unnamed. The mother was the second child in a family of six born to Benjamin and Lucy (Utley) Phillips. The eldest was Lydia. The others were: Mary; Fanny, Mrs. Brown; Benjamin; and Lucy, Mrs. Harvey Avery. The mother of Mrs. Scovill lived at home until her marriage, and afterward carried out in her daily life the impulses of a noble womanhood, doing good to those about her, devoting herself to the happiness of her family, and working in the interests of the Christian Church, of which she was a member for many years. In the pioneer days religious services were held at her house, which was also known as the home of the minister. This excellent lady died at Orange, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, May 10, 1853. The father was afterward married to Dorcas Burt. The early life of Mrs. Scovill was spent at home with her parents, who were well-to-do, and by whom she was given a fair education and the best social advantages. She was married in Shalersville, June 25, 1844, and like her mother before her, is a lady of many excellent qualities, and a member in good standing of the Christian Church. She takes an active interest in home and foreign missionary societies, and both herself and her husband contribute liberally of their means to the support of all good works. They have no children. I OBERT J. STEPHENS, editor and proi prietor of the Quincy 'Herald, purchased this paper in April, 1888, and thus far has conducted it in a manner that augurs well both for himself and the success of the enterprise. He is a gentleman in the prime of life, having been born July 19, 1862, and is a native of Ft. Wayne, Ind. Being orphaned when a lad of eleven years, he was taken to the home of his maternal grandmother, Mrs. Elvira Barlow, of Ypsilanti, where he received a good commonsschool education, and had the opportunity to indulge the rare musical taste which developed in him at an. early age. The parents of our subject, William and Frances May (Barlow) Stephens, were natives of Michigan, the father born in 1833, and the mother in 1843. Both are deceased, the mother dying in 1873. Mrs. Stephens was much given to literature, and articles from her pen were frequently published in Scribner's and Lippincott's Magazines, the Youth's Companion, and other periodicals to which she was a contributor for many years. At the age of seventeen Mr. Stephens, our sub II I OW -1 A - -. - I- - - - - 4 m I' — I 1 _i I I II II I i 404 BRANCH COUNTY. I ject, became Musical Director of the Open Orchestra at Ypsilanti, and gained an excellent musical education by practical work. For five years following he gave his attention largely to the profession, in his home town, on the lakes and in various parts of the country. His newspaper career began in 1880, as typo on the Quincy Times, and he afterward worked on various papers, both large and small, in (dfferent parts of the country. In 1884 he located at Quincy, and carried on the news business in the post-office building until the fall of 1887. He spent the winter following traveling through the Southern States and Cuba, and on his return, in April, 1888, purchased the Herald. The Quincy Herald was founded by Mr. C. V. R. Pond, in November, 1878, and was purchased by F. E. Kittredge, in June, 1884. It is an eightpage folio. 24x36 inches, and Republican in politics. The present proprietor is a very capable and enterprising young man, fully alive to the requirements of a journal of this kind, a clear and forcible writer, and one who gives due attention to the local happenings of this part of the county, which is the surest method by which to secure the patronage of its people. He is a courteous gentleman and has a large circle of friends. ILLIAM W. NIVISON is pleasantly located on section 30, Algansee Township, which has been his home since 1885, although his residence in the county dates from 1854. He is engaged in general farming on a well-cultivated tract of forty-three acres of land, and has an attractive home, giving evidence of culture and refinement. Mr. Nivison also farms rented land from which he realizes good returns. William W. Nivison was born in Seneca County, N. Y., June 15, 1842, and is the son of Nathan and Matilda (Kniffen) Nivison, of whom a sketch appears in the biographical notice of George Nivison, found elsewhere in this work. His childhood years were spent after the uneventful manner common to farmers' sons, alternating between the district school and the farm, and learning in both schools lessons which might be utilized in after years in securing a name among men for honesty and ability. Hoping to better their condition, and to find enlarged facilities for their clildren, the parents removed from their native State to this county, and settled in Algansee Township. In 1862 the subject of this sketch cheerfully responded to the call for troops to aid in suppressing the Rebellion, and enlisting in the army, was mustered into service with Company M, 5th Michigan Cavalry. With this company he served as long as their services were needed, and was mustered out of the service July 6, 1865. Mr. Nivison participated in several skirmishes, and experienced many of the horrors of war. On one occasion, in 1864, while on a long march, his horse dropped dead from fatigue, and he was obliged to walk a long distance, which so exhausted him that illness ensued, and he was confined to Lincoln Hospital for a period of eight months, being very sick during the entire time. He was in Washington at the time the assassin's bullet laid low our lamented President, and was one of the men detailed to assist in the capture of Booth. He acted as one of the guards who watched over the prisoners held for complicity in that dark deed, the memory of which lingers in the hearts of all nations. He is also one of the men who guarded Lincoln's funeral car after its return from Springfield, to prevent the car from being defaced by relic hunters. Upon the completion of his military duties, Mr. Nivison returned to Branch County and resumed the peaceful pursuits of agriculture, which he continued to follow until 1872. He then entered the service of the United States Express Company, at Cleveland, Ohio, where he remained two years, succeeded by seven years in the same service at Union City, Ind., and nearly three years at Youngstown, Ohio. IHe then removed to this county and settled upon his present farm. Our subject was united in marriage, Feb. 24, 1869, with Mary Olive, daughter of Gideon and Parmelia (Twist) Mason, and a native of Algansee Township, where she was born Feb. 18, 1852. Gideon Mason was a native of Ohio, and was married in that State, whence he subsequently came with his _j-A! `-*-~ -. ----. —.-.I —._._;-.....l...... l.....-."-......-"-....c;,...~ —,,-. — ~~~ ----~-~-~- ~-~-~ --- ----— ~ ---~ —~ —~ — ~~ ~~~~-~ — ~ ~~I ---~-~ —~ ----~ — ~I --------- — 1 - "I,-,-" 4 1 -I --- I? k ob-46 ---lb.-sllloI(Lo BRANCH COUNTY. -f family to Branch County. In 1852 he started for California across the plains, and was never heard from after leaving Council Bluffs, Iowa. His fate is shrouded in mystery, but it is supposed he was murdered by Indians or Mormons. He left two children: Eva I., who became the wife of W. H. Simpkins, and Mary O., wife of our subject. About 1857 the widow of Mr. Mason was united in marriage with Roswell D. Tift, by whom she had one child, Lizzie; Mrs. Tift died in 1866. Mr. and Mrs. Nivison have a family of three childrenVernon H., Raymond M. and Ruth V. X Mr. Nivison has a large share of inventive genius, which he has turned to good account in the invention of the " Badger post-hole augur," for which a patent has been applied, and together with his brother George he is manufacturing those machines and is meeting with good success. In politics our subject gives his adherence to the Republican party, and socially, he is a member of the I. O. O. F., both Subordinate and Encampment Lodges at Coldwater, and is also a member of Sedgwick Post No. 37, at Union City, Ind. His father, Nelson H. Saunders, was a native of Lewis County, that State, where he was reared to farming pursuits, and upon reaching manhood was married to Miss Harriet Reynolds, also a native of Niagara County. After their marriage they removed to Lewiston, where they lived until after the birth of all their children, three sons and four daughters, of whom Homer F., our subject, was the second child and son. The parents and all the children came to Michigan, most of them in the year 1854, and by 1856 the entire family was here. They located first in the vicinity of Cold water, but in the fall of 1864 removed to a farm on section 2, in Batavia Township, where the mother departed this life April 20, 1883, and the father followed on the 24th of June, 1885. The parents of our subject were most praiseworthy and excellent people, and consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The father in early life belonged to the old Whig party and was a strong anti-slavery man. He and William Childs were the first to distinguish themselves in Niagara by casting their vote in unmitigated opposition to the peculiar institution, supporting James G. Birney for President. During the after period of his long and useful life Nelson Saunders stoutly maintained his first principles, and, as may be supposed, great was his joy at the Emancipation Proclamation. The subject of this biography acquired a practical education in his township, remaining with his parents until his marriage. This event was celebrated at the home of the bride, Miss Katie E. Titus, in Niagara, Sept. 13, 1854. Mrs. Saunders was born in Wheatfield, Niagara Co., N. Y., Jan. 12, 1839, and is the daughter of Samuel and Phebe (Wilcox) Titus, who were natives respectively of Connecticut and Chenango County, N. Y. They were married in the latter county, whence they removed soon afterward to Niagara County, and thence, in 1865, they came to Michigan and took up their abode in Batavia Township, where the father died at the age of seventy-six years. The mother subsequently made her home with her son in Jackson, and passed away after reaching the advanced age of eighty-two. Our subject still has the letters written by father Titus to his intended bride, among * OMER F. SAUNDERS. The subject of this sketch may usually be found at his pleasant rural homestead, which comprises thirty acres of land on section 2, in Batavia Township. To this property he came in the fall of 1864, and now has a first-class set of farm buildings and his land in a high state of cultivation. In addition to general farming he is also an expert collector, having served in this capacity for a period of seventeen years, a part of the time with Hicks & Drew, of Tecumseh, Lenawee County, and was also for a time connected with the Premium Lightning Rod Company, of Coldwater. He seems peculiarly adapted to this business, being a close reader of human nature and having the faculty of dealing with all kinds of people. The first home of our subject was in Lewiston, Niagara Co., N. Y., within hearing of the roar of Niagara Falls, and where he was born May 7,1831. i^ ^ ---- _-^ _^ ^^^ f i I i i 1 i i I F I I 1Y~li~e~gkMwrr --- —-— ~ — — P11111- l-~-~ ---Y~ — ~PL&N o ilPc o - I 4 I I -r I r"c~l""lc~l"~ll~" —~"" --- —-------— — 7 I -1 - obII ~ i 406 BRANCH COUNTY. - them being the one in which he makes his declaration of love and proposes the date of their marriage. They were for a-number of years consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and Mr. Titus, politically, was a stanch Democrat. Mrs. Saunders received careful home training from her excellent parents and remained with them until after her marriage. Of her union with our subject there were born four children, the eldest of whom, Celia E., is the wife of Arthur Loomis, who is extensively engaged in the manufacture of step, fire, extension, and, in fact, all kinds of ladders, at Coldwater; Charles W. is engaged in the manufacture of cigars at Knoxville, Tenn.; Grace M. is the wife of Dean Simmons, also a manufacturer of cigars at Goshen, Ind.; Arthur remains at home and assists his father on the farm. Mr. Saunders, politically, is a solid Republican, and takes an active interest in local affairs. He has served twice as Township Treasurer, was at one time Drain Commissioner and has held the other minor offices. His estimable wife is a member in good standing of the Episcopal Church, at Coldwater. The farm is conducted after the most approved methods and with modern machinery, and yields to its owner a comfortable income. It presents a pleasing picture of quiet country life, which is delightful to the eye and illustrates the home of industry and the labors of one of Batavia's best citizens. ERENO BRADLEY. The spring of 1831 witnessed the advent of the subject of this ji sketch into the Territory of Michigan, to which he came with his parents when a child three years of age. The family passed the first season on a tract of land now occupied by the city of Adrian. On the 26th of November following they removed about eight miles northwest, to the present site of Rome Center, where the father purchased land which was covered with timber, and upon which he operated until 1837. Then, believing that in Branch County there was a more de sirable location, he came to Algansee Township and purchased 160 acres of land on section 25, where he built up a comfortable home, and with his excellent partner passed the remainder of his days. His death took place Jan. 13, 1853, and that of the mother Jan. 29, 1860. The subject of this sketch was born in Delaware County, N. Y., Jan. 2, 1828. Of his remote ancestors little is known, except that they were residents of New England for several generations. Peter Bradley, the paternal grandfather of our subject, was born in Connecticut, and reared a large family, among whom was Sturgis Lewis Bradley, the father of our subject, who was also born in the Nutmeg State, March 10, 1784. Three years later the family removed to Roxbury, Delaware Co., N. Y., which was then a timbered country, and the father worked in sawmills, finally becoming owner of one, and also rafted lumber down the Susquehanna River. He sought his wife among the maidens of Delaware County. being married to Miss Sally Farnham, who was also born in Connecticut, Sept. 11, 1791. The subsequent history of the parents has been already given. The boyhood and youth of Sereno Bradley were spent after the manner of the sons of pioneer farmers, but while engaged in agricultural pursuits he also learned carpentering, and resided with his parents until reaching his majority. In the spring of 1857 he took to himself a wife and helpmate, Miss Nancy E., daughter of Thomas and Alma (Woodard) Pratt, who was born near LeRoy, Seneca Co., N. Y., July 13, 1830. Thomas Pratt was a native of England, and came to the United States as a British soldier during the War of 1812, in which he served for a time, but near the close deserted and took up his residence in Genesee County, N. Y. There he was afterward married. His wife, Alma, was born in Rutland, Vt., and they lived in Genesee County, N. Y., until the fall of 1836, when they made their way to the Territory of Michigan, and settled on section 33, in Algansee Township, this county. Mr. Pratt entered eighty acres of land from the Government, which he improved and resided upon, until, on account of advancing age, he was compelled to abandon active labor. He then sold out, and thereafter, with his estimable wife, I I I i I i I i i I I Ii i i I I i i I —. ak I i --- -'q-YM L -I PLF)- mb"-C YQC~ I -— 4 I 'RF — - -- -- - -r_ 4 ^~ I A i'I -I-`-r- ~r. t~~: L~-'-"-: ~:~-~~~:1 ' ---;~-~."-.. ~~~~: -~ ~: -11,1:;_:~: —;:~::::: ~ ~-:~ —r~_:;;I:-:.:.:::.::- 1 -~r:::::.:-~.:-_-.~:i-: ~. ~-ill,~i3P I I. RESIDENCE or H. M. DOUBLEDAY,S EC'S. 9.c10.SHERWOOD TOWNSHIP. -y~s I I A I I A I i i i i I 1 i Ii ii c I I 3 -. i `II-` --- — f.J ---- -— a U - ~ --- L C- s I _ q BRANCH COUNTY. 409 A -1 -A " -- II' made his home among his children. Both died at the residence of their son-in-law, our subject, the mother at the age of sixty-eight years, and the father when seventy-four. Mr. and Mrs. Pratt were the parents of five children, the eldest of whom, Jerome B., resides near Nebraska City, Neb.; Nancy E., Mrs. Bradley, is the next to the eldest living; Ferendee is a resident of St. Joseph, Mo.; Ferdinand C. is a resident of San Jacinto, Cal.; Urseba is the wife of Gideon Fordham, of LeRoy, N. Y. Mr. and Mrs. Bradley after their marriage resided over the line in Hillsdale County a little over one year, and in the early part of tile winter of 1863 removed to their present farm-the old homestead of his father. Of this he owns sixty acres. He was at one time the owner of 260 acres on section 25, 180 acres of which he has given to his son Lewis D., and carried on agriculture quite extensively, keeping horses, cattle, sheep and swine, and raising the various kinds of grain which thrive best in the soil of Southern Michigan. Mr. Bradley in early life was a Whig, politically, and during the Civil War supported the Republican party until the close of the struggle, when, concluding that its chief mission was ended, he identified himself with the National Greenbackers. He has represented Algansee Township in the County Board of Supervisors three terms, and is an active member of the Patrons of Husbandry. His estimable wife belongs to the Presbyterian Church. They are the parents of three children, the eldest of whom is Lewis D.; the others are Edson P. and Morton L.; the latter (lied when a promising young man twenty-two years of age. Lewis D. and Edson P. continue at home with their parents. IT ARVEY M. DOUBLEDAY. President of the Ifl) Exchange Bank, at Sherwood, and promi17 nent among the agriculturists of Branch County, is numbered among the solid citizens of this locality, and with the exception of three years spent in Calfornia, has been a resident of Sherwood Township since a little lad nine years of age. Our subject is the son of one of'the earliest pioneers of Branch County, Hiram Doubleday, of whom a sketch appears elsewhere in this ALBUM. He was born in Italy, Yates Co., N. Y., July 7, 1828, where he lived until the spring of 1832, when his parents came to the Territory of Michigan and settled in the wilderness of Calhoun County. He was reared to farm pursuits and acquired a commonschool education, and, in common with the sons of the men of that time and place, was early in life taught to make himself useful in the building up of the primitive homestead. In the winter of 1851, there having been much excitement occasioned by the finding of gold in California, he repaired thither, making the trip by water, and was engaged in mining three years. Upon his return he resumed farming and met with most satisfactory results. He is now the owner of about 600 acres of land in Sherwood Township and 100 acres in Calhoun County. Upon the former he has erected a handsome and substantial set of farm buildings, has a choice assortment of live stock, and all the machinery necessary for the prosecution of agriculture after the best methods. Mr. Doubleday was married in Slerwood Township, July 4, 1858, to Miss Nancy L., dlaughter of Simeon and Eunice M. (Spencer) Blackman, natives respectively of Vermont and New York. They came to this county about 1842. and settled on a farm in Sherwood Township, after having been residents of Jackson County for a number of years. The father died at his home in Sherwood Townships April 17, 1882. The mother is still living at the old homestead. Their family included two sons and two daughters, namely: Simeon M., a resident of Jackson County; Nancy L., the wife of our subject; Asahel, of Sherwood, and Zerviah, of Calhoun County. Mrs. Doubleday was the eldest daughter of her parents, and was born in Concord, Jackson County, this State, May 16, 1841. Her union with our subject resulted in the birth of five children, of whom but two are living, viz.: Hiram S. and Ovid M. The three deceased are Alta N., Betty M., and one who died in infancy unnamed. 1 wpow. 1 7F L — ~~z ON i-md@ L -! Ir, ow -- I I"S ~ l I I~ I I 1 1 _ 19001-01-~ —qqoe~ll~l~~qS L oil 410 BRANCHC~ COUNTIY. m - -L Mr. Doubleday, in the spring of 1884, in company with D. R. Spencer, purchased the Excelsior Bank at Sherwo6d, of which our subject has been President since 1884. This has become one of the indispensable institutions of this pairt of Branch County and rests upon a solid foundation, receiving the patronage of the best citizens. Mr. Doubleday, although carefully refraining from assuming the responsibilities of office, keeps himself well posted upon current events, and is a stanch adherent of Democratic principles. The family residence is pleasantly located in the northwestern part of town, and forms a most attractive place for the many friends whom our subject and his estimable wife have gathered about them. The dwelling, a view of which is presented, is built in modern style, finished and furnished in a manner suitable to the means and tastes of its proprietor. Mr. Doubleday is a genial and companionable man, and a general favorite in his community. G EORGE P. BABCOCK. The name of the subject of this biography is prominent among those of the other pioneers of Branch County, who assisted in its early development, and to whose labors and sacrifices it is greatly indebted for its present honored position among the conmmunities of the Wolverine State. Mr. Babcock still lives at the homestead which he built up on section 24, in Quincy Township, and, surrounded by all the comforts of life, the time is long since past when arduous labor is necessary for his comfortable maintenance. Our subject came to Southern Michigan in 1835, and first purchased 160 acres of land in the northwest part of Quincy Township. This was covered with heavy timber, which he proceeded at once to clear away and prepare the soil for cultivation. Prosperity smiled upon his efforts, and thinking it wise to invest his surplus capital in additional lands, he purchased a half-section adjacent, which was also in the same condition as the first. This also he treated in the same manner, leaving only ten acres of timber standing for future use. In the meantime Mr. Babcock had erected the necessary buildings required for his convenience, but in 1849 sold the whole property, and purchased the land comprising his present farm. Later he added to it so that he had 404 acres. His farm comprises one of the finest estates in the county, and is embellished with a two-story brick residence, and ample barns and other buildings required by the modern farmer. About 1875 he sold over 200 acres to his son John, retaining 196, which is all that he cares to look after. Mr. Babcock was born in Camden, Oneida Co.. N. Y., Jan. 18, 1815, an(d is the son of Simeon and Polly (Page) Babcock, the former a native of Rhode Island, and the latter of English ancestry, and the daughter of parents who sailed for the United States about the time of her birth, which probably took place in England. The parents of our subject were married in New York State, and settled first in Oneida County, but afterward lived in several other counties there. The mother spent her last years in Orleans County, N. Y. Their family consisted of nine children, and Simeon P., after the death of his wife, came with his family to Michigan during its territorial days, in 1836. He resided in this county until 1865, then removed to Eaton County, where he spent his last years, his death taking place at the home of his son Willard, in the spring of 1874, when he was seventy-three years old. Calista, the elder sister of our subject, became the wife of Moses Trim, and they lived for a time in this county, then removed to Oregon, where the death of both took place several years ago. Francis, after his marriage, resided for a time in Branch County, then removed to his present residence in LaSalle County, Ill.; Nancy became the wife of Winslow O. Campbell, and coming to Michigan in 1835, lived for a time in Branch, then removed to Eaton County, where her death took place in 1886; Mary Ann, the wife of Thomas Campbell, also lived for a time in this county, then removed to Illinois, where she also died; George P. was the fifth in order of birth; Caroline, Mrs. Williams, is a resident- of Beatrice, Neb.; Ethan (lied near LaPorte, ON ~ 1 rI Tr-~- ''r.Ir~~-r I10 o ` YpIl ILIIIIII 0-4"111SllII1~ I ~-r ~~.:........._i .1 r AAAM.,sli l.; l I I 4 —' BRANCH COUNTY. 41 --- -- = Ind., about 1875; Vilona is the wife of I). 'inkham, of Coldwater, this county. Mr. Babcock, our subject, grew to manhood acquiring an intimate acquaintance witli the various employments of farm life, and in 1835 came from Orleans County, N. Y., to this State, settling in Branch County, and has remained here since. In 1846 he was married to Miss Elizabeth Craft, the wedding taking place November 29. MlIrs. Babcock was born in Steuben County, N. Y., March 31, 1825, and is the daughter of John and Caroline (Cameron) Craft, wllo were natives respectively of Dutchess County, N. Y., and Edinburgh, Scotland. They came to Michigan in 1838, settling in Quincy Township, this county, where they spent the remainder of their lives. Mrs. B. was the eldest of their ten children, seven of whom are living, and all residents of Branch County except one. To our sublject and his wife there were born eight children, four of whom died in childhood. Their eldest son, Joln, is farming near the old homestead; Mariette is the wife of Charles Houghtaling, of the town of Quincy; George DeWitt is written of elsewhere in this volume; Elise remains at home with her parents. Mr. Babcock has carefully refrained from mixing in public matters, although he has his decided views upon the various questions of the day, and uniformly votes the Democratic ticket. In all matters tending to advance tlhe best interests of the community Mr. Babcock has taken an interest, and is in all respects a worthy and honored citizen. EOHN D. IMBER. This gentleman occupies himself in general farming on section 2 in Batavia Township. Here lie has seventy-two / acres of choice land, which he has brought to a fine state of cultivation, giving to it his close attention for a period of thirty-five years. He came to this county in 1853 from Niagara County, N. Y., where he had located soon after his emigra I tion to this country. His native place was in Dorsetshire, England, and the date of his birth Nov. 24, 1815. James Iml)er, the father of our subject, was of pure English ancestry, and a native of Dorsetshire. He was there reared to manhood, learned the baker's trade, and was married to Miss Sarah Burt, who, it is believed, was a native of the same county as her husband. They settled subsequently in Shaftsbury, where they spent the remain(ler of their days, both livingo to the advanced age of eighty-five years. They were the p)arents of fifteen children, of whom Johnll D., our subject, was the youngest. He was reared and educated in S1laftslury, served an aplrenticesilip at coach building, and after crossino the Atlantic plied his trade in Niagara County, N. Y., a number of years. The voyage to America was long and tedious, during which they encountered severe storms, and at times it appeared as if the ship must go down. Mr. Itnber was married1 in Niagara County, N. Y., July 5, 1852, to Miss Juliet Sayles, who was born at Middlefield in Ontario County, that State, Jan. 7, 1825. Her parents, Orin and Camelia (Stocking) Sayles, were also natives of Ontario County, and of English ancestry. A few years after the birth of their daughter Juliet, they removed to Niagara County, where she was reared to womanhood. The fatlher followed his trade of carpenter several years, they making their hlome in Pekin, where thle mother died a little past middle life. Later Mr. Sayles joined his daughter in this county, and (lied at her home in Batavia Township, in October, 1873, when past seventy years of age. Mrs. Imber learned the trade of a milliner in her girlhood, which she followed until her marriage. After this event our subject and his wife lived for a time at Pekin, N. Y., removing thence, in 1853, to this county. MIr. Imber hias been very successful as a farmer, and tliey have a good home, being surrounded by all the comforts of life. They are people held in universal respect, being kindly, intelligent and hospitable, and have a family of four children, all of whom, with the exception of the youngest son, James O., have fled from the home nest. Sarah C. is the wife of John S. Crawford, a pump manufacturer of Wahoo, Saunders Co., Neb.; - I' I_ i m I _ Lf Ld I I 2 4o I F - -- I -e rr -—.. —.-I I1 - ~ _d0... R3.._ 4 1 — L, ------ I obo- a 040III~ i I ~~~ ~ -- - I- i ____ -CI -6~-$-~1~ I 412 BRANCH COUNTY. Theresa A., Mrs. George P. Martin, lives with her husband on a farm in Union Township, this county; Elizabeth S. is the wife of John Shoecraft, a painter by trade, and a resident of Coldwater. Mr. Imber votes the straight Republican ticket, and has been Justice of the Peace eight years in Batavia Township. Z RI BLODGETT, furniture dealer and undertaker, resides in ol(dwater, and is conducting successfully an extensive business in his line of industry. He was born at Gorham, Ontario Co., N. Y., March 27, 1821, and is the third in a family of eleven children born to William and Lydia (Mapes) Blodgett, and recorded as follows: Analine was born at Gorham, Oct. 8, 1816, and became the wife of Nathan Leisenring, of Varick, Seneca Co., N. Y.; Sarah was born at Gorham, Oct. 29, 1818, and married Cornelius Denham, of Ontario County, N. Y.; Uri, our subject; Jennett was born the 24th of August, 1822. and became the wife of George Orr; William F. was born Feb. 2, 1825; Emeline was born July 23, 1827, and became the wife of Amenzo Hoard; Eames was born Feb. 8, 1830 (see sketch of Eames Blodgett); Lydia E. was born Aug. 30, 1832, and became the wife of Peter Pitcher, of Gorham, N. Y.; Carlton was born Nov. 29, 1834, and died in childhood; Catherine was born May 28, 1837, and an infant died unnamed. Of these seven are still living. William Blodgett was born at Clinton, Oneida Co., N. Y., May 10, 1794, while his ancestors were natives of Massachusetts. The grandfather of our subject, Ludim Blodgett, removed to Oneida County at an early day, and reared a large family; he was a farmer by occupation, and subsequently removed to Ontario County, where he cleared a farm of 300 acres, and resided there until his decease. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and politically, a Whig, while religiously, lie was a member of the Presbyterian Church, and was a highly esteemed and respected citizen. The father of our subject resided at the homestead until about twenty years of age, when his father gave him and his brother fifty acres of land each, within a short distance of the homestead. He added to his share until he had 150 acres of land, which he had cleared from the wilderness, and resided there until his decease, in 1883. He served through the War of 1812, and was honorably discharged at its close. Although he was identified with no church, he was a man of unimpeachable character, frank and upright from convictions of conscience. His wife, who survived him one year, was born in Coxsackie, N. Y., in 1798, and was the fifth in a family of seven children born to Israel Mapes and his wife, whose record is as follows: Jason; Analine became the wife of Royal Stearns, and subsequently married Joshua Hicks; Keziah married Daniel Hoyt, and after his death became the wife of John Robson; Hiram; Lydia, the mother of our subject; Hannah married Ephraim Blodgett, brother of William Blodgett, the father of our subject; Harriet; Mercy was born of a second marriage of Israel Mapes, and became the wife of Heman Barnes. Our subject's grandfather died when his daughter Lydia was a small child, and she, with the remainder of the children, except Jason, went to live with her eldest sister, who had married Capt. Royal Stearns. Here they remained until they grew up and settled in life. Lydia Mapes obtained her education in the common schools, and was a lady of great energy and perseverance. After her marriage she was a hard-working woman, anll a woman more devoted to her husband and family never lived. Though she was not identified with the visible church, she was held in high esteem for her benevolent disposition and many Christian virtues. She died in Ontario County, N. Y., in 1884. Uri Blodgett was reared at his father's homestead until lie attained his majority, working on a farm in summer, and attending the common schools in winter. At the age of twenty-one he engaged to learn the trade of a cabinet-maker, hiring for three years with his uncle, Hiram Millard, at $40 per year. He was a natural mechanic, and at the end of six months his uncle released him from his contract, and recommended him to Mr. Beach, of Geneva, N. Y., where he could have greater facilities than his uncle could furnish him. Our subject worked for the first year at $50, besides board and - A e l - - -o I- -- -~ I mb I I --- — -- -- - -------- -- 060- I 11 i n-I N Id BRANCH 4 -- washing, and he then went to Canandaigua, N. Y., and engaged with Mr. Linnell at $10 per month. besides board and washing. After being thus employed two years, he went to Canada, where lie was employed for some time at Hamilton and Guelph. He then returned to Canandaigua, and spent about a year working for Mr. Linnell, and then started for the West, determined to try his fortune in Michigan. In 1846 he made his advent into Hudson, and engaging in the furniture business on a small scale, by industry and economy he made a success of the enterprise. In those days there was but little money in circulation, and he took in payment for his goods anything that could be utilized in his family. At the end of two years he returned to his father's homestead in Ontario County, taking with him his wife, whom he had married in 1846, and whose maiden name was Emeline Brightman. They remained with his father one year, and in the spring of 1849 they retraced their steps westward, and Mr. Blodgett commenced work at his trade in Coldwater. When he landed in this town he had a cash capital of $80, but he rented a shop and began business by making ordered work. During the second year of his settlement he erected a small house, and exchanged a house and lot in Hudson that lie bought previous to his return east for property at Coldwater, and used the house for a shop, while it was also used for the first postoffice in Coldwater. As his circumstances warranted, Mr. Blodgett increased his business, built an addition to his shop, put in an engine, and commenced to manufacture on a larger scale, and in 1852 he exchanged this property for a factory, and another building for a store. In 1863 he built the store which he now occupies on1 Monroe street, 84x24 feet, and three stories in height, with a basement. He alsp built a warehouse in the rear, 40x40 feet and two stories in height, for finishing, upholstering, etc. He carries more stock in his line of goods than any other house in the city, and his industry and good judgment have brought their legitimate reward, as he is now in possession of a handsome competency. His residence, situated on Hill street, is one of the most attractive in the city, and is the abode of comfort and happiness. Our subject was united in marriage, Oct. 15, COUNTY. 413 1846, with Miss Emeline Brightman, who was born at Fall River, Mass., Oct. 2, 1826, and was the sixth in a family of twelve children born to Samuel and Phebe (Marble) Brightman, the former also born in Fall River, Nov. 8, 1794, and the latter born August 26 of the same year. Samuel Brightman was a sea captain, and commanded a merchant sailing-vessel, named the "Crawford," that he built himself. It was launched at Fall River the day before our subject's wife was born, and was employed in the merchandise trade for Boston merchants, and between Boston and the West Indies. On the first voyage the captain became sick with yellow fever in the West Indies, and remained* there until he recovered. He then returned to his home, but his health was so impaired that he could not make the next voyage, and placed his brother Henry in charge of the vessel. Contrary to instructions, the captain allowed four Italians to board the vessel at the West Indies, and they raised a mutiny and killed all the crew except the first mate and the colored cook, the former of whom, whose name was Dobson, was an Italian, which fact saved his life. Making one of the mutineers captain of the vessel, they engaged in piracy, but soon afterward, while off the coast of North Carolina, the pirates were exposed by the first mate, and arrested, tried, and hung at Raleigh, in that State. This vessel was sold by Mr. Brightman shortly afterward. In 1820 he built the -"Constitution," and launched it at Fall River. He subsequently sailed in the "Hesperian" from Havana, in the West Indies, to Paris, France, and brought back a cargo of French goods. He.also circumnavigated the globe, spending two years on the voyage, and traded with nearly every nation existing thereon. When about seventeen years of age Samuel Brightman took a trip to the West Indies to study practical navigation with Capt. Wilson, of Fall River. On the return trip the captain became intoxicated, and the crew were taken sick, except the cabin boy, with a Southern epidemic, and Samuel Brightman and two boys brought the vessel into New York Harbor. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Blodgett resulted in the birth of three children-Isabelle, Katy and Starr. Isalelle was born June 28, 1848, and on A_ \ -q r ii 60 —mW - ~ I I~ ~ VW 1 L ---- avol — -1 i i I I 1 i i > - *'"'^^ — m In go I __ I I 111 '1 I 3 11-1 I I1 I I 1 I I I Bil NilObo 414 BRANCH COUNTY. I the 19th of January, 1870, was united in marriage with David Merrill, of Milwaukee, Wis. She was educated at the High School, and was graduate(d from the Coldwater Female Seminary. She has four children-Ralph, Lizzie and Lina (twins), and Frederick Starr. Katy was born April 17, 1852, and died in infancy, Aug. 16. 1854. Starr was born April 19, 1855, and was educated in the public schools of Coldwater; he is now engaged in business with his father, and the firn is known as Blodgett & Son. Starr was married, June 14, 1877, to Miss Minnie, the daughter of E. B. Lyman, of Coldwater, and a native of Vermont, where she 'was born, near Rutland, in 1858. At the age of twelve years she came to Cold water, where she received her education, and resi(led until her marriage. Of this union tlhere have been born two children: Ethel, June 6, 1878, and Katy, who died in infancy. In politics Mr. Blodgett affiliates with the Republican party, and in religion he and his estiinable partner are liberal, and are honored members of society, in which they occupy a prominent position. / /ILLARD T. ELLIS, (loing business as a general merchant in the town of California, is one of the pioneers of Branch County, as his residence dates back to 1844. Since that time Mr. Ellis has been actively identified with the development of this county, to which he has contributed his full quota, and takes just pride in the position which Michigan has secured among the States of the Union. The subject of this biographical notice was born in Geneseo, Livingston Co., N. Y., Aug. 16, 1830, and is a son of Hiram and Rebecca (Hubbard) Ellis, natives of the Empire State, and descended from New England ancestry. Hiram Ellis followed the occupation of a farmer and was married in Livingston County, N. Y., where he continued to reside until 1844. Resolving to take advantage of the increased agricultural advantages afforded in this State Mr. Ellis then set out for Michigan, and coming I I to Branch County, settled in California Township, where lie purchased 320 acres of unimproved land, located on section 16. He cleared off the timber and made good improvements on his farm, bringing the land to a good state of cultivation before his death, which occurred at his home in this township in 1872; his wife died in New York State in 1837. The parental family of our subject included five children, recorded as follows: Ruth became the wife of Henry Dunn; Harley is deceased; Maria is the wife of James Hawley; Erastus is deceased, and W. 'T. is he of whom we write. Hiram Ellis was a second time married in the Empire State, to Rebecca Merwin, but she (lied soon after coming to Michigan, leaving one child, Mary, who is now the wife of Thomas Winnard. Mr. Ellis was a third time married, choosing for his wife Mrs. Plumstead, and she survives her husband. Willard T. Ellis was a little lad of seven years when his mother died, and was fourteen years of age when he came with the family to Michigan. He was reared to farm pursuits, engaged in assisting his father in clearing his farm and attending at short intervals the district schools of that early day. During his boyhood he became inured to the hardships of life, anl learned those lessons of energy and frugality which militate to so great a degree to the success of a man, and at the age of twenty-one years he embarked in life on his own account. He followed the occupation to which he had been reared, and meeting with good success, at length became the owner of 318 acres of land; he still engaged in the cultivation of the soil. Twelve years ago Mr. Ellis established a general mercantile business, which lie has since successfully conducted, and by his straightforward habits, strict integrity and close attention to business, he has gained the esteem and respect of his patrons. He exercises good judgment in his selection of goods, and being an experienced bqyer, can retail goods at such figures as to secure a liberal patronage. Iie still owns 190 acres of his once large landed property. Mr. Ellis has been three times married. For his first wife he chose Miss Susan Lawrence, who died leaving one child, Clara B., now the wife of Virgil Gallup. His second wife, whose maiden name was I i i I I _i,rQ "P-1" v 9 I~ —I I ~ _~_ ~. ~il ~ LCI ~, ~ __ I __ I I A --- -- = E I &awards -1,1 1, ml I 90, vr W BRANCH COUNTY. 415 1 Mary Etta Butler, died leaving two children: Adelbert B., and Eva M., wife of Kent McNaughton. The third wife of Mr. Ellis was il her girlhood Sarah J. McNaughton. Politically. Mr. Ellis was formerly a Democrat, but being conscientiously opposed to the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquor as a beverage, he has left its ranks for those of the Prohibition party, and cast the first Prohibition vote polled in California. Recognizing and appreciating the good business qualifications of our subject, his townsmen have elected him to several of the local offices, including that of Township Supervisor, in which capacity he has served two terms, and discharged his duties to the satisfaction of all concerned. When he was elected for a second term lie received the entire vote of the township. He is at present Postmaster of California. In his religious belief Mr. Ellis belongs to the Presbyterian faith, and is an Elder in the church in California. IIe is liberal minded and progressive in his views, and is identified with every good measure calculated to advance the interests of the community, morally, socially and financially. NDERSON P. JOHNSON. The well conj ducted farm of this wide-awake citizen of i Batavia Township comprises eighty acres of fine land, pleasantly located on section 1, and to which he came in the fall of 1871. He migrated to Michigan from Huron County, Ohio, settling first in the township of Reading, Hillsdale County. lie first opened his eyes to the light in the Buckeye State, being born in Fitchville, Huron County, Oct. 28, 1835. Hezekiah Johnson, the father of our subject, was a native of New York State, and a farmer and carpenter by occupation. He was married in Catskill Township, Greene County, that State, to Miss Cornelia Frayer. She was also a native of that locality, and they lived there until after the birth of six children. Then, emigrating to Ohio, they settled on a farm in Pittsville Township, Huron County, and there the father reduced a portion of the unbroken forest to a productive condition, and operated as a farmer in connection with his trade until the removal to this county, in the spring of 1866. Anderson P. was the first child born to the family in Ohio, and was thirty-one years of age when coming to Michigan. Here the father labored as before, and lived to a ripe old age, passing away in the fall of 1877, when eighty-one years old. The elder Johnson was a man of decided views, a solid Democrat, politically, and a Methodist in religious belief. The wife and mother is still living and is now eighty-seven years of age. She, like her husband, united with the Methodist Episcopal Church many years ago, and notwithstanding her advanced age is remarkably strong and healthy and possessed of more than ordinary intelligence. She can tell many a tale of pioneer life, and has witnessed with interest the great changes in this country since her girlhood. (f these she often loves to speak, and never fails to find a ready listener. The early life of our subject was spent after the manner of most farmers' boys, attending the district school in winter and assisting in the labors of the farm the balance of the year. Upon reaching manhood he went back to Ohio for his wife, choosing one of the maidens of Huron County, Miss Sylvia Van Dusen, who was born near Clyde in that State, Nov. 28, 1835. Her parents were Jude atnd Eliza (Mead) Van Dusen, the former of whom is still living, making his home in Milan, Ohio, and is now past his fourscore years. He. is a hale and hearty old gentleman, active as many a younger man. The mother died in Cambria Township, Hillsdale County, this State, about 1876, and was also well advanced in years. Mr. Van Dusen is a Democrat, politically, and for years, with his estimable wife, was a member in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The wife of our subject was the eldest member of a family of six children, five of whom are now living. She acquired a common-school education, learned all the arts of housewifery, and by her union with our subject has become the mother of six children, one of whom, an infant, died unnamed, Ella May is the wife of Jerome Hawley, a pros r __ rLL-. WPO rn L I -4 vvgs. i (I II i tJ I oqo I I IN 11 I 1 I 'l ~ I 1.1 —'s 3 —. l l1 I I 01110 olooC 416 BRANCH COUNTY. perous farmer of Batavia Township, this county; Della, Kenneth W. and Melvin A. are at home with their parents. Mr. Johnson, politically, affiliates with the Greenback party. Socially, he belongs to the Masonic fraternity, being a member of the Blue Lodge and Chapter at Coldwater. In addition to his farming pursuits he is giving considerable attention to the breeding of fine horses, and is the owner of the well-known stallion, Col. Fry, by Royal Fearnot fronr-the famous Magna Charta. This animal, a magnificent specimen of the equine race, is five years old, and in color a jet black. He stands sixteen and one-half hands high, and has already a fine record as a roadster and general purpose horse. G- EORGE S. WALTER came to this county / first in 1854. and has one of the best reguAlated farms in Quincy Township, located on section 26. A native of Sangerfield, Onondaga Co., N. Y.,he was born April 19,1833, and is the son of Sheldon and Elizabeth (Bailey) Walter, who were of New England ancestry, and natives respectively of Vermont and Connecticut. They removed with their parents to New York State early in life and were married in Sangerfiell, where they resided, carrying on agricultural pursuits, until 1836. 'Thence they went to Huron County, Ohio, where Sheldon Walter purchased a tract of land in Lyme Township, and where he lived and labored, and with his estimable wife made it his home the remainder of his days. His death took place, however, in Mayville, Chautauqua Co., N. Y., while on a visit there in 1848. The mother survived her husband a period of fifteen years, dying at the homestead in Huron County, Ohio, in 1863. The parental household included eight children, the eldest of whom, a daughter, Marcelia, became the wife of M. P. Bemus, and lives in Mayville, N. Y.; Julia Ann, Mrs. John F. Phelps, is a resident of Mayville, N. Y.; Jane married R. B. Morey, and lives in Dakota; Edwin is married and a resident of Gratiot County, this State; William died in Huron County, Ohio, about 1874; Adelia is the wife of Z. G. Swan, of Pioneer, Ohio; George S., our subject, was the seventh child; Abishai, during the late war, joined the 1 23d Ohio Infantry, and was shot through the body at the battle of Williamsburg; he soon expired, and was laid to rest in a soldier's grave, but was subsequently taken to Lyme Township, Huron Co., Ohio. The subject of this biography was a little lad three years of age when his father's family removed to Ohio and settled on the prairie in Huron County. They were among the first settlers of that region, and for a long time there was not another house within sight of their home. The land which the father selected for his farm lay on the old Sandusky & Columbus turnpike, and when once begun the country was not long in settling up. George S. continued on the farm with his parents, acquiring his education like his brothers and sisters, in the pioneer schools. In 1854 he made his way to this county, and that same year was married to Miss Hannah M. Bennett, who was born in Lenawee County, this State, Oct. 7, 1837, and was consequently a maiden of seventeen at the time of her marriage. Her parents were Guy and Catherine (Clendennon) Bennett, who were residents of New York and are now deceased. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Walter resided in Branch County one year, then returning to Huron County, lived there also one year, and thence removed to' Erie County, where our subject became the owner of a farm, upon which he labored until 1865. Then returning to Southern Michigan, he established himself in Quincy Township, where he now lives. His land had been but slightly improved when he took possession, but he has labored with most excellent results, and now has eighty-seven acres in a fine and productive condition. Our subject and wife became the parents of eight children. The eldest, Charles Herbert, was born Sept. 5, 1855. Upon reaching manhood, having a taste for machinery, he became engineer on the St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railroad, and in September, 1886, was instantly killed, his engine running into an open switch, which resulted in the overturning of both the locomotive and tender, from which he was unable to escape. George E. is i I j i i I i i i I I i I Ii I I I I i i I i i hr 5. 4- - - I._d,& ~c L i _ —Ip-.... _a ~a~la,-, c 10 -f wvpl-, 9 i z BRANCH COUNTY. 417 married to Frankie Marks, and is a farmer in Quincy Township; Sarah is the wife of F. D. Culver, and resides in the village of Quincy; Guy died at the homestead, Dec. 20, 1887, at the age of twenty-five years; Clara, Mrs. Allen Stephens, is a resident of Allen Township, Hillsdale County; Abishai, Edwin and Louis are at home with their parents. Mr. Walter cast his first Presidential vote for Pierce, and for a number of years supported the Democracy, but has always been a warm friend of temperance and voted for its extension whenever there was an opportunity. He is now identified with the Prohibitionists. In religion he is a Baptist, belonging to the church at Quincy, where he has officiated as chorister and Superintendent of the Sabbath-school. I AJ. GEORGE II. TURNER, Register of Deeds for this county, resides in Cold water, and was elected to the office in 1877. He is a native of the Empire State, and was born at Cowlesville, Wyoming County, Nov. 23, 1 840, and the eldest of a family of four childrenGeorge H., Harris B., John F. and Josephine H. Tile latter married C. L. Hunter. Charles B. Turner, the father of these children, was born at Floyd Corners, Ofieida Co., N. Y., in 1811, and was the son of Abner T'urner, two of whose ancestors came from England, and one settled in New England and the other in the South. Mr. Turner was for many years a Captain in the New York State Militia, and was engaged in the occupation of a blacksmith. From Floyd Corners he removed to Cowlesville, where he married and remained a few years, after which he exchanged his residence for Mendon Center, Monroe Co., N. Y. In 1858 he finally removed to Coldwater, this State, which remained his home until his death, in 1884. He was very successful at his trade, accumulating a handsome fortune, although he lost heavily in the financial crisis of 1857. In politics he was identified with the Republican party, and was an ardent Abolitionist. The mother of our subject, whose maiden name was Caroline A. Dunson, was also a native of the Empire State, and lived with her parents at Bennington until the death of her mother, after which she went to live with friends. She was a woman of exemplary character, a devoted wife and mother, and a faithful friend, loved and respected by all who knew her. She departed this life in Coldwater in 1873. Our subject was an infant of two years when his parents settled in Mendon Center, and he received his education in the public schools at that place, Macedon Center and Genesee, and Wyoming Seminary, at Alexander, N. Y. He accompanied his parents to Coldwater, and engaging in the profession of school teaching, continued in that vocation for four years. He then enlisted as Second Lieutenant of Company I, 9th Michigan Cavalry, and was commissioned Nov. 3, 1862, and mustered into service Jan. 21, 1863. He was promoted to the rank of Captain March 12, 1864, and serving until the close of the struggle, was mustered out July 21, 1865, and honorably discharged. As a soldier Mr. Turner saw much active service and earned an enviable war record. Starting from Cincinnati, Ohio, May 18, 1863, he engaged in the pursuit of the rebel General, John Morgan, through Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio, and finally, July 26, succeeded in capturing him at Salineville, Ohio. He next went to Tennessee and took part in the siege of Knoxville and the capture of Cumberland Gap, after which he participated in the siege and capture of Atlanta. At this place the cavalry regiments that had been previously moving in detachments were organized into a cavalry corps under Gen. Kilpatrick, and marched with Sherman to the sea. The 9th Michigan Cavalry was the only regiment from this State that had the honor of participating in this famous march, and it also composed the escort of Gen. Kilpatrick when he opened communication between the army and the American fleet in St. Catherine's Sound on the coast of Georgia, and was present at the time that important and interesting dispatch was sent by Gen. Sherman to the War Department at Washington, dated Dec. 9, 1864. It reached its destination on the 13th of that month, and read: "We have had perfect success, and the army is in fine spirits." The 9th then marched with Sherman through North and South Carolina, and I Ii I I I I P0 —! u I k:1 - —:I 1-1-, I I 00404ho, 0 I _ A I 1 I ii I F R", I I * 418 BRANCH COUNTY. -- after capturing Raleigh they participated in the hotly-contested engagements at Averasboro, N. C., March 14 and 15, 1865, and Bentonville, in the same State, March 20 and 21, when there were over 1,000 killed in each battle on the Union side. The field service of this regiment was continuous, and its record bears favorable comparison with that of any other Michigan cavalry regiment. lMr. Turner participated in forty-seven recorded battles, and came out without a wound. He was mustered out at Jackson, Mich, and returned to Coldwater with his regiment. Upon assuming the peaceful vocations of life our subject engaged in the drug business in Coldwater, in pa'tnership with his brother Harris, under the firm name of Turner Bros., but at the end of two years he sold out his interest and engaged with the Atlantic Glass Company, of Pittsburgh, to represent them as a commercial traveler, his territory covering twenty-three States. In 1870 he was appointed Deputy Register of Deeds, and subsequently re. ceived an appointment as Railway Postal Clerk on the Michigan Southern Railroad between Chicago and Cleveland. For sixteen years he faithfully discharged the duties of this office and then resigned the position, and Jan. 1, 1887, was elected to his present office. Upon returning from the war our subject was commissioned Captain of the Coldwater Light Guards, and raised and recruited the first militia company organized in Coldwater after the war. He was commissioned Major of the 2d Regiment of State Troops July 6, 1874, but resigned his commission the following year on account of his inability to attend encampments, as it interfered with his work elsewhere. Maj. Turner was united in marriage, Feb. 27, 1866, with Miss Josephine M., (laughter of Isaac and Elizabeth (Chapman) Miller, and is the elder of two children, the other a brother, Charles, now deceased. Her parents were natives respectively of New York and England, and formerly lived in London, Canada, but had removed to St. Joseph, Mich., where her father died when she was but ten years of age. Her mother was subsequently united in marriage with Justice Buell, of Union City, and Josephine M. lived with her mother principally, and was educated in St. Joseph and Union City. Elizabeth (Chapman) Miller is a lineal descendant of John Chapman, a member of the English Parliament, and came to Canada with her parents at an early day; and she is also a niece of the Duke of York. But though a descendant of English nobility, she is thoroughly an American lady, and makes no claims to distinction because of this fact. She believes in the American idea that the greatest and noblest may come from humble parentage, and alludes to her high birth simply as a fact in her family genealogy, and rather with a feelinpg of reserve and delicacy. Mrs. Turner has taken an active interest in all that pertains to the intellectual and moral development of the community, and was connected with the Ladies' Library Association, of which she was President for a number of years. When the Free Public Library of Coldwater was organized, that association donated to it the library building, with all its books and fixtures. The State convention of the Women's Relief Corps, auxiliary to the G. A. R., while in session at Lansing, elected Mrs. Turner Chairman of the Board of Directors, and for two years she has also been Treasurer of the Women's Relief Corps. Two sons have come to brighten the home of Mr. and Mrs. Turner: George, who was born March 18, 1871, and Clarence, Sept. 30, 1875. Both are attending the High School at Coldwater, and are receiving the benefits of a good education, as Mr. Turner takes an active interest in the subject, and is at present a member of the Board of Education. HIe is Vestryman in St. Mark's Episcopal Church, and Mrs. Turner also belongs to the Episcopal Society. Maj. Turner is Regent of the Royal Arcanum, Financial Receiver of the Knights of Honor, Foreman in the A. 0. U. W., and Quartermaster in Butterworth Post No. 109, G. A. R. HOMAS EDWARDS is one of the oldest and most highly respected citizens of Branch County, and has been for many years an important factor in sustaining its great farming interests. He has a beautiful home on section 3, [-40 Slo - I i ll q'Iww OP~ 11 ~ I - I -- I -.-~-1-I1 — - Ll ~ ()P 1 -4v j 4 L r t " - - r-,- - - - - - - II_~ I 1- -, vs-~Q BRANCH COUNTY. 419! I Butler Township, where he also owns as fine a farm as can be found within a radius of many miles, the com modious d welling, ample barns, and other buildings, forming a conspicuous feature in the landscape. Mr. Edwards has been a hard-working man, and has toiled early and late for many years that he might place his family in independent circumstances. Well have his labors been rewarded, and now, as the evening of life approaches, he can rest in the enjoyment of the handsome income that he has secured by the energetic and wise management of his affairs, surrounded by devoted and affectionate friends, who do all that they can to render his last years pleasant and free from cares and annoyIance. Mr. Edwards is a native of the State of New York, born in Schoharie County, Jan. 22, 1813. His p.lrents, Ira and Phoebe Edwards, were likewise born in that county, and made their home there after marriage, Mr. Edwards being engaged in farming. In 1819 they removed with their children to Shelby, Orleans Co., N. Y., where the father (lied in 1825, while yet in life's prime, at the age of forty-five. His wife survived over a quarter of a century, dying in Shelby, in 1854, at the age of seventy-two. They had six children, four sons and two daughters, the subject of this sketch being the second child in order of birth. Their parents were worthy people, whose honesty, uprightness, thrifty habits and kindly manners won for them respect and esteem in full measure. Thomas Edwards was six years old when his parents took him to Orleans County to live, and there lie grew in strength and vigor to be an energetic and enterprising young man, capable and willing to work at anything that his hands found to do. His educational advantages were limited, but he managed to obtain schooling enough to enable him to transact business, being quite an apt scholar. When a very young man, in the year 1836, he was married to Miss Christina Letts, daughter of William and Clarissa Letts, natives of New Jersey. Mrs. Edwards was the third of five children born to her parents, and her birth took place in 1815. She received the usual educational advantages accorded by the schools of those days for an education. In October, 1840, after the birtl of two children, Mr. and Mrs. Edwards decided that their fortunes would be bettered and that they could do better for their children in Michigan than they could in their old home. Accordingly they embarked on Lake Erie for Toledo, Ohio, whence they came with a team to their destination, the place where Mr. Edwards now resides. They had a hard row to hoe, and lar(l work would be their lot for many years to come, but nothing daunted by the hardships and trials before them, they nobly put their shoulders to the wheel and labored with a will to accomplish what they desired. When they first settled here the township was quite sparsely inhabited. The tract of land that Mr. Edwards had purchased comprised 180 acres of very fertile soil, but it was timbered, and required many years of the most assiduous and patient toil to clear it, get it under cultivation, and improve it into the valuable farm that it is to-day. Mr. Edwards has given eighty acres of his land to his son Lucine, who also has charge of the homestead. In 1875 the family of our subject was deeply afflicted by the loss of the wife an(l mother. For nearly forty years she had devoted her life to the interests of her husband, and had greatly aided him in his undertakings; she was a tender mother and a true friend to her neighbors. Five children had blessed the union of herself and her husband, of whom the following is the record: Mary Ann married W. Rossman, of Litchfield, Hillsdale County, and they have one child, Minnie, now Mrs. H. Gerry, of Butler Township; Clarissa E. is deceased; Iucine married Mary Ann Corey, and they have one child-Myrtle; the fourth child was an infant who (died; Lillian died at the age of five years. Mr. Edwards has passed the seventy-fifth milestone of a life, which, though but briefly recorded in these pages, is shown to have been busy and useful in the highest degree. and that his long life has been characterized by honorable dealings and upright conduct is evinced by the high estimation in which he is held in the community where for so many years he has made his home. Our subject is a man of earnest convictions, particularly so as regards his political views. In his early manhood he was a D)emocrat, being a member of that party from 1833 until 1857, but in the latter year he I I I - I 4 % ---,- dm ----— ll --- —J L f i *ON I m ~ 1 01101 [! 420,m RRANJCH C'OUN~UTY. n-. 420 BRANCH COUNTY. joined the Republicans, as their principles were more in accordance with his sentiments in regard to some of the great problems that have agitated the public in the past and in the present, and he has ever since been a firm supporter of the party. (T NGELO DOBSON was brought by his parents to this county when a child three years of age, in 1835, and is consequently one of its oldest living pioneers, one of the comparatively few remaining who have watched the growth and development of Southern Michigan from a wilderness to its present flourishing and enlightened condition. A native of Lorain County, Ohio, he was born March 9, 1832, and is the son of Aaron and Mary (Urias) Dobson, who were born on the other side of the Atlantic in Yorkshire, England. Thele also they were reared to mature years, were married, and became the parents of one son, William, who is now dead. Aaron Dobson, Sr., the paternal grandfather of our subject, was of pure English ancestry and had five brothers, who were named, Moore, Moses, Isaac, Jacob and Noah. None of them came to the United States, all passing their entire lives upon their native soil. Aaron, Jr., came with his little family to America in 1827, and they took up their abode first in Cleveland, Ohio. The father of our subject had but half a dollar in money when landing among strangers, but his honest and intelligent countenance soon secured him friends and employment, and he prospered until enabled to purchase forty acres of land in Grafton Township, Lorain County, which he paid for and from which he partially cleared the timber. The returns, however, not being satisfactory, he disposed of this property, and going to Toledo was employed as a laborer one year, when that now flourishing city was but a small village. This was before the (lays of canals or railroads, when people were obliged to travel laboriously overland by ox or horse teams, the latter being a luxury. The father of our subject, in 1835, entered the Territory of Michigan, and purchased a piece of land in Batavia Township, this county, upon which he resided a number of years. Thence he removed to Kinderhook Township, and died in middle life at the age of forty-seven years. The mother is still living, and makes her home with our subject. She was born in 1806, and is thus eighty-two years old. They were the parents of nine children, of whom William, the eldest, during the late war served as a Union soldier in a Michigan regiment, and died in the service at Mobile, Ala.; Louisa is the wife of Silas Ent, of Kinderhook Township, this county; Angelo, our subject, was the third child; Elizabeth, the wife of William Doty, is a resident of Montcalm County; George lives in St. Clair County; Francina and Almina are twins, the former being the wife of Vincent Wilkinson, of Quincy, and the Jatter the wife of Mr. Smith, of Lakeview. Mary Ann married Richard McGowan, a resident of Van Buren County, and Albert, crossing the Mississippi to found a home for himself, is now a resident of Iowa. Our subject developed into manhood within the limits of this county, and has all his life followed farming pursuits. When twenty-three years of age, having laid his plans for the establishment of a future home, he secured a wife and helpmate in the person of Miss Frances Walter, to whom he was married Aug. 27, 1854, at the bride's home in Kinderhook. Mrs. Dobson is the daughter of Abraham and Charlotte (Miers) Walter, and was born in Northamptonshire, England, Jan. 4, 1827. The family came to the United States about June, 1830, settling first in New York, where the father engaged in farming, and whence they removed to the vicinity of Fremont, Steuben Co., Ind., about 1836. There the parents spent the remainder of their lives. Their family included eight children, all of whom lived to mature years and were married. Six are now surviving, and are residents of Michigan and Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Dobson after their marriage resided in Kinderhook Township for a few years, then took possession of their present homestead. This comprises 200 acres of good land, a substantial set of farm buildings, and everything required for modern convenience and comfort. Mr. Dobson when a boy commenced operating a threshing-machine and f slow I I — Ww- ---— "qqrqw -- - - - 4 I~ hm. F r I FI a I.A- h_ I 1 - -- O - m i "-ImLw - ~ 1- II — I I - - I R W r BRANCH COUNTY. 421 ' has followed this business during the summer seasons every,year since. In view of this experience there are few contrivances for separating the wheat from the chaff with which he is not familiar -from the old stationary machines to the present improved, steam-power separators. It is safe to make the assertion that he has threshed out more grain than any other man in this county. In his general farming pursuits he has been uniformly successful. The six children of Mr. and Mrs. Dobson are recorded as follows: Their eldest daughter, Etta L., is the wife of Thonmas Stafford, and resides in Quincy Township; Nellie is the wife of W. B. Potter, of Quincy Township; Charlotte, Gertrude, Walter and Orlo remain under the parental roof. Mr. Dobson was formerly a non-office-seeking Republican, but is now allied to the Prohibitionists. Socially, he is a member of the Patrons of Husbandry. The father of our subject brought the first mule, whose name was Peggy, into Branch County, that animal having been purchased in Coldwater, and cost over $1,000. She was first purchased for $75, which price was to be paid in hay. The Indians burned the hay, and then the debt ran along until with principal and interest it amounted to $500, when it was paid, but the mortgage was not cancelled, and after the death of his father our subject had to pay it over again. E BER HORACE BROUGHTON, a prominent general farmer and representative citizen of this county, resides on section 6, California Township. where he now owns 120 acres of well-improved land, together with fine improvements, which have become his as a reward for a life of industry and honesty. The subject of this biographical notice was born in Cherry Valley, Ashtabula Co., Ohio, Aug. 24, 1837, and is the son of Dr. Lester and Jerusha (Crosby) Broughton, natives respectively of Vermont and Ohio. When about thirteen years of age Lester Broughton left his native State, and mnigrat ing to the State of New York, there grew to manhood. He then went to Ohio, where he engaged in the occupation of farming and was married. About the year 1830 lie removed with his wife and children to Michigan, and settled near Quincy, whence he removed ten years later to California Township, and there the parents resided until their demise. They were engaged in agricultural pursuits and were familiar with the trials and vicissitudes with which most of the pioneers of Southern Michigan were well acquainted, hut they were cheerful and hopeful under all circumstances, laboring to give their children such education, and set them such an example, as would enable them to take their places as reputable members of society. Out of their struggle they evolved a triumph and reared a family of nine children, for whom they provided a respectable heritage, giving each a much better start in life than they themselves enjoyed. Their children are recorded as follows: Ezra L. is a physician and is engaged in the practice of his profession at St. John's, Mich.; Eri died in Branch County about 1 856; Mary Jane resides in California Township; Eber Horace; Emily is the wife of Lucius Waterhouse; Betsey is the wife of Girard Lucas, of Steuben County, Ind.; George W. is a resident of Cold water, Kan.; Thomas J. died in childhood, and Andrew J. resides in East Saginaw, Mich. The subject of this sketch is the fourth in order of birth of the parental family, and grew to manhood in Branch County, where he became inured to farm labor. On the 14th of February, 1859, lie was united in marriage, the lady of his choice being Charlotte, daughter of Peter and Sarah (Walters) Grice, for whose history see sketch of J. B. Tift. One year after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Broughton settled where they now reside on 120 acres of wild land, which by their united efforts and mutual support they have brought to its present state of improvement. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Broughton has been blessed by the birth of five children, only two of whom, however, are now living, and both live at home; their names are Judson and Lester. The deceased are: Mary L., Benjamin F. and Maggie L. The father of our subject was one of the pioneer physicians of Branch County, where he was engaged Il ----- -& Ed=' -1 1 — r — -. - r-.- ~ ---- — I ICIIC L~ ~1 1 C I wv! I! i --- I - - $00- JR- 40 I b 422 BRANCH COUNTY. in the practice of his profession for a period of forty years. While in New York he was a member of the State Militia, and during his residence in this county he held the office of Justice of the Peace. In early life he was identified with the Methodist Church, but he subsequently became a Spiritualist. Politically, our subject is a Democrat, but is not fettered by party ties, and votes for those whom he considers best qualified to discharge the duties of the office. He is a man of ability, as is evidenced by the fact that his townsmen have elected him to several of the local offices, but he does not seek political preferment and devotes his time and attention to his own private business. Mr. Broughton is a member of the Masonic fraternity. identified with Blue Lodge and Eastern Star. J OHN T. WEATHERWAX, one of the oldest living settlers of this county, took up his abode in Butler Township in 1838, and since that time has been identified with the interests of the people of this region, he having bought the land in 1836. The land around him at that time was heavily timbered, and he proceeded in true pioneer fashion to fell the trees and prepare the soil for cultivation. He cleared quite a large area, and subsequently purchased twenty acres on the south side of the road in Quincy Township, which he also cleared and where he erected his present residence. He is now the owner of 190 broad:icres, the greater part of which is under a good state of cultivation, and where he raises good grades of cattle, horses and sheep. His industry and economy yielded their legitimate reward, and now, sitting under his own vine and fig tree, he is retired from active labor and can review the past with a feeling of satisfaction at what he has accomplished. Our subject has more than passed his fourscore years, having been born April 24, 1806. His early home was in Rensselaer County, N. Y., twelve miles north of Albany, and his parents were Thomas and Mary (Ketchum) Weatherwax, who were also natives of Rensselaer County, the father of German extraction and the ancestors of the mother early settlers of New England. They took up their residence in Orleans County, N. Y., in 1818, where they spent their last years, the father dying Aug. 10, 1827, and the mother Nov. 19, 1829. The parental household of our subject included fourteen children, thirteen of whom lived to mature years. Of these five are surviving, three in Branch County, one in Barry County, and one in Canada. John T. was the third child of the family, and was a lad of thirteen years when they removed from Rensselaer to Orleans County. He received such education as the schools of that day afforded, and learned the secret of plowing, sowing and reaping, while at the same time he determined to follow agriculture through life like his father before him. Our subject when twenty years of age was married, Nov. 23, 1826, to Miss Sally Michael, who was born in Schoharie County, N. Y., in January, 1806, and whose parents were natives of Pennsylvania and New York respectively. The father died in York State and the mother in Indiana. John T. remained with his family in the Empire State for a period of ten years, then coming to the Territory of Michigan purchased from the Government 200 acres of land in Butler Township, 1 70 of which he still owns. In 1838 he was joined by his family, and during the winter put up a log house, of which they took possession in June, 1839. The privations and halrdships which he and his excellent partner fought and struggled with were similar to those endured by the people around him, and which have been faithfully delineated many times during the preparation of this volume. They labored incessantly, lived economically, and in due time found themselves upon a solid footing, with prosperity smiling upon them. In due time the household circle included five children, of whom the record is as follows: Mary M. is tie widow of Abram Smith, and resides in Quincy; Sarah C. married Samuel Simmons, who is also deceased; he was killed in the battle of luka, Miss., Sept. 19, 1862. Phebe C., who became the wife of Calvin Smith, died in Butler Township about 1857; John G. died at his home in Quincy, in June, 1883;Satira A. is the wife of Frederick Dunham, of Coldwater. The faithful wife and.. _bW4! i ~-~la ii — ~II -C ' ~ ~ — ONr I -o" - ob. I II f I I - - I - I Nlb BRANCH COUNTY. 423 mother departed this life at the homestead in June, 1886, mourned by her family and a large circle of friends. Mr. and Mrs. Weatherwax never identified themselves with any religious organization, but endeavored to shape their lives by the precepts of the Golden Rule, and do unto their neighbors as they would be done by. They were greatly respected in their community, and ever lent a helping hand to those in need, while at the same time encouraging the enterprises calculated for the general welfare of the community. Mr. Weatherwax cast his first Presidential vote for Andrew Jackson, and has continued a stanch adherent of Democratic principles. In his younger years he frequently held the local offices. DE RASTUS BRADLEY, of Algansee Township, ]] occupies a prominent position among the well-to-do farmers of his community, and has a fine body of land on sections 25 and 36. He was born in Delaware County, N. Y., April 14, 1824, and came with his parents to Michigan when a lad of seven years, they landing in the embryo city of Detroit June 16, 1831, thence moved to Lenawee County, and lived thereafter until 1837. and in the fall of that year came to this county. Sturgis L. and Sally (Farnham) Bradley, the parents of our subject, endured all the hardships and privations incident to pioneer life, putting up their log cabin in the wilderness, and laboring year after year in the buildilng up of the homestead for themselves and their children. They met with the legitimate reward of their labors, and passed their last days surrounded by all the comforts of life. The land gradually assumed farm-like proportions, and the cabin gave way, in 1852, to a neat frame residence, which, flanked by the barn and other outbuildings, compared favorably with the dwellings of the enterprising settlers around. The father of our subject departed this life Jan. 13, 1853, and the mother Jan. 29, 1860. They were the parents of two children. Erastus Bradley acquired his early education in the I BR N H C UNYI2 pioneer schools, supplemented by instruction from his parents at home, and being fond of reading and study, through his own efforts acquired a useful fund of information. He continued a member of the parental household until the spring of 1857, and on the 4th of March, that year, was united in marriage with Miss Mary A. Hall, who was born in Canandaigua Village, Livingston Co., N. Y., Dec. 25, 1824. Mrs. Bradley was the daughter of Israel R. and Mary (Lawrence) Hall, natives respectively of New Jersey and New York. The family came to Michigan Territory in August, 1836, settling in California Township, this county, upon land which Mr. Hall had previously entered. They resided here until December, 1866, when Mr. Hall, feeling the infirmities of age creeping on, sold out and retired to the home of his daughter, Mrs. Bradley, where he spent his declining years, passing away on the 17th of March, 1873. Mrs. Hall had died while a young woman, about 1839, leaving six children, namely: Henry L., Lucian B., Mary, Isabella, Fanny and Frederick. Lucian died when about forty-two years old, and Isabella when a child. Mr. Hall, after the death of his first wife, was married to Miss Alpha Carpenter, who is still living at Sturgis, in this State. Mr. Bradley, after his marriage, continued to reside on the homestead, 100 acres of which he now owns, and has 140 acres elsewhere. In 1884 he abandoned the frame dwelling heretofore spoken of and which had been in use for a period of thirty-two years, taking possession of his present commodious brick residence, which is the best of its kind in the township. He has been uniformly successful as a farmer and stock-raiser, and stands well among his neighbors, both as a business man and a member of the community. He cast his first Presidential vote for Clay, being a Whig early in life, and later was identified with the Republicans, until 1872. Since that time he has acted independently of party ties. He represented Algansee Township six years in the County Board of Supervisors, and has also officiated as Town Clerk, besides discharging the duties of other local offices. He was at one time a member of the Patrons of Husbandry, but aside from this has never belonged to any secret society. Mr. and Mrs. Bradley are the parents of two children: Henry i i I i I I C _4 I I _ r.lI r I -14w p ~ - - --- 2 I' _ - ___ — 44p, - -,- q III, - CIIC vo - 1- 0 —111-qg tg)~11 IIC-1~I - ICIIL-.e~ i 424 BRANCH H., born Jan. 14, 1858, and Mariame, Feb. 26, 1860. The homestead wears that solid and substantial appearance denoting the exercise of sound judgment and ample means, and is invariably the object of attention to the traveler through this region. O RIGEN S. BINGHAM, a resident of Coldwater, was born in Shellurne, Franklin Co., Mass., Jan. 24, 1824. His father, also Origen Binghain, was a native of Vermont, while his grandfather, Elias Bingham, was a farmer by occupation, and resided many years of his life in Vermont, where he died at a good old age. The father of our subject was reared in Vermont, and after some years settled in Shelburne. He learned the trade of clock and watch maker in New York City, and had also learned blacksmithing. He worked at his trade and continued to reside in Massachusetts until 1829, and then removed to New York State. He went by team to Albany and then by canal to Buffalo, where he again took a team to Allegany County, in which he purchased a tract of timber land. He at once erected a shop south of the Nunda Valley, and carried on blacksmithing there until 1836. In the autumn of that year he set out for the Territory of Michigan, bringing with him his wife and a family of five children. The journey was made overland with two yoke of oxen and a covered wagon, and after a wearisome march of five weeks they arrived in Branch County. At that time Branch was the county seat, and the most important place in the county. Mr. Bingham settled with his family in a log house which he found vacant, and soon purchased a tract of timber land in Bethel Township, on which he erected a log house and moved his family into it in early winter. This cabin was of the rudest description, with a huge chimney built of earth and sticks upon a stone foundation, and the cooking was done over an open fireplace. Mrs. Bingham rose to the occasion, however, and kept her children comfortably clad in homespun cloth, which she had spun, woven, and made into gar COUNTY. ments. Mr. Bingham during the first winter cleared a few acres of his land, and the next summer he raised a crop. He also worked away from home for a time, being employed in building two mills in Indiana. With that exception he devoted his time to the improvement of his farm until failing health compelled him to give up work, and he finally passed away in 1842. His wife, whose maiden name was Sarah Lufkin, was a native of New Hampshire, and after her husband's death she resided with our subject most of the time until her decease, which took place in Cold water in 1872. The parental family of our subject included five children, as follows: William settled in Aylmer, Ontario, Canada, and died there, while George settled in Elkhart, Ind., and is also deceased; Origen S. is the third in order of birth; Sarah is the widow of Eugene Cassidy, and lives in Coldwater; Charles lives in Aylmer, Canada. Lemuel, an uncle, settled in Coldwater Township among the early pioneers of 1833. He first located on seminary land, and made quite an improvement, but when it came into market two or three years later it sold at such a high price that he did not buy it, but in 1836 he entered Government land in Bethel T'ownship, and there spent the remainder of his life. Mr. Bingham was a little lad of five years when his parents removed to the Empire State, where he attended the district schools, and assisted in tlhe lighter duties of the farm until he had reached his twelfth year, at which time the family came to the Territory of Michigan. Having settled here when Branch County was hut a wilderness, our subject has witnessed the entire growth qnd development of this section of the country; indeed it may be said to have grown up around him. Deer, wild turkeys and other game, besides larger denizens of the forest, that have long since disappeared, were plentiful, and Indians were more numerous than white people. They were frequent callers at the pioneer cabin, and were always ready to trade the products of the chase for breadstuffs and vegetables. Mr. Bingham relates that one fall his father had a quantity of squashes, of which Indians are fond, and he traded them for meat as long as they lasted. The Indians always treated the family __ A 1w. m- 4 I r - u-C I F I 1,, F -49 q Osp — 1I I L m..... - 7 f 448.~[~ — — s-l__I __ I- — C --- II~ F- ~ --- BRANCH COUNTY. _ 425 kindly, and he therefore entertains a kindly feeling toward them. During the journey west from New York State he and a brother slept in the wagon every night, and they had with them two cows which supplied the family with milk and butter while on the road. The first school our subject ever attended was taught in a log dwelling, of which the teacher was the owner. The furniture consisted of slab benches with pins for legs, and desks of the same material, which were removed at night and placed outside in order to make room for the family. After the death of his father the care of tile farm devolved upon Mr. Bingham, but two years later he removed to Cold water and engaged to learn the trade of a carpenter. When he had attained tile necessary skill he followed his occupation in Coldwater until the end of the year 1849. In 1863 he purchased the farm he now owns and occupies on section 27, adjoining the city. His farm, which is very valuable, is well improved and furnished with a good set of frame buildings, neat and complete in their appointments, and making altogether one of the pleasantest homes in Branch County, and one which invariably attracts the attention of the traveier in its vicinity. Our subject was united in marriage, Nov. 30, 1851, with Miss Phebe Worden, and their union has been blessed by the birth of five children, as follows: Frank 0. was born in Coldwater; Ida J. is the wife of George Ferguson, of Coldwater; George W. resides at home; Charles E. was born June 26, 1863, and died March 10, 1888, and Mabel resides with her parents. Mrs. Bingham was born in Alexander, Delaware Co., N. Y., June 4, 1829, and her father, David Worden, was a native of the same county. His father, Amariah Worden, followed the occupation of a farmer, and with the exception of two years, which he spent in Illinois, he spent his whole life in the Empire State. His wife, the grandmother of Mrs. Bingham, was in her girlhood Rebecca Corbus, and a native of the same State. The father of Mrs. Bingham was reared and married in his native State, and resided there until 1835, when he started for the West to seek a home, accompanied by his wife and six children. They made the journey by the usual overland route, their conveyance consisting of a pair of I I horses and a wagon, and upon their arrival they settled in what is now Batavia Township, Branch County. occupying for the time a vacant logt house. At the end of the first winter they resumed their travels, passing through Chicago when it was a place of a few hundred people, and setting their faces westward, crossed the Rock River at Dixon's ferry, the present site of the beautiful city of Dixon, which was not then begun. They located a few miles west of that place, and entering a tract of Government land, built a house and engaged in the improvement of the farm. At the end of four years, however, he sold out, and returning to Michigan settled in Coldwater Township, where he purchased a farm that now joins the corporation on the north, and there he made his home until his decease, which occurred in February, 1842. His wife, whose maiden name was Huldah Hull, was a native of Kingston, N. Y., and passed away a few weeks before the death of her husband. Their family consisted of seven children: Rebecca L., Stephen, Phebe, Matilda, Amariah, Ephraim and Mary E. Mrs. Bingham was but six years old when she accompanied her parents to Illinois, but she remembers well many of the incidents of the long and tedious journey, and of pioneer life on the western prairie. She was but thirteen years of age when her parents died, and she then went to live with Mr. John Grove, with whom she remained four years. She then entered the family of Mathias Van Evary, where she remained until her marriage. Our subject affiliates, politically, with the Republican party, while in religion Mrs. Bingham is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and socially, they are worthy and honored members of society. 7 j OHN WRIGHT. While traveling tlrough 1 Branch County, the biographical writers of this ALBUM met but few active business men ( who were born in the county. The vast majority of those who to-day are tilling the soil and raising stock, or are engaged in business or com — q r I M 4 I I i k I *g I I i i i i I i i 4 1 I m 426 BRANCH COUNTY. pi -— % -- -, 0,ho I I mercial enterprises, were born without the borders of the county. To this class belongs the subject of this biographical sketch, who was born in the old Empire State, in Bloomfield, Ontario County, Aug. 9, 1822. He is now a prominent and highly respected citizen, located on section 33, Union Township, on a well-improved farm which he has brought to a high state of cultivation, and supplied with suitable buildings and apparatus for the successful prosecution of his calling. Mr. Wright had the misfortune, when he was yet but an infant, and unable to realize his loss, to lose his father by death, and he was taken by his mother to Orleans County, N. Y., when he was four years of age. He continued to make that place his home until 1852, when he removed to Huron County, Ohio, and resided until 1863. In the spring of that year he took his departure for the West, and in the following autumn he settled in Union Township, where he bought a tract of 160 acres of land, of which he cleared over 100 acres, chopping and removing the stumps from it alone. It was heavily timbered land, and the youth of to-day can hardly realize what it must have been to encounter nature under such circumstances. and what energy and perseverance must have characterized those pioneers who undertook to eliminate from such unfavorable elements a home for themselves, and a heritage for their children. That they accomplished their purpose, however, many broad acres of fertile land, yielding in luxuriance the products of this region, or thickly dotted with beautiful specimens of domestic animals, amply testify, and they are imperishable monuments to the stalwart pioneer arm which redeemed them from the wilderness. Mr. Wright has since sold eighty acres of his purchase, and is successfully employed in the cultivation of the remainder. Our subject was united in marriage, in Monroe County, N. Y., with Miss Mary Johnson, a native of that county, and their union has been blessed by the birth of six children-Frank, Delia, Fred, Ananda, Robert and Lena. Frank is a painter at Orland, Ind.; Delia became the wife of Albert H. Sprague, and is now a widow; Fred resides in Coldwater; Amanda is the wife of Alfonso Tyler, of Batavia Township; Robert resides in Union Town ship; and Lena lives at home with her parents. The fellow-townsmen of our subject have elected him to some important offices within their gift, he having been Highway Commissioner and Drain Commissioner, besides holding other offices. Mr. and Mrs. Wright are members of the Congregational Church, in which Mr. Wright has held several offices, among them that of Trustee. In politics the Republican party most nearly voices his sentiments, and he gives it his support on all imnportant occasions. — >> ---- *oo —S><~ --- —^,EORGE DEWITT BABCOCK, son of the well-known and prominent citizen, George P. Babcock, of Quincy Township, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume, was born in Quincy Township, Jan. 12, 1863. He is now pleasantly located adjacent to the old homestead of his parents, over whose farm he has the supervision, and relieves them of responsibility and care. Our subject acquired his education in the district school, and with the exception of a year spent in traveling over the South and West, has been a lifelong resident of Quincy Township. In his migrations he visited Arizona, Old and New Mexico, Colorado and Texas, and gained a rich fund of information and experience with which no amount of money would tempt him to part. He has inherited in a marked degree the business qualities of his honored father, is energetic and industrious, and although but twenty-five years of age is already making his mark in the community. As the son of one of Branch County's most solid citizens, and possessing the elements required to develop a worthy and useful manhood, he forms no unimportant factor in the agricultural and business interests of this part of the county. Mr. Babcock has had a thorough experience of farming pursuits, and early in life began the establishment of a home of his own, his marriage taking place Jan. 14, 1885, at the home of the bride in Goshen, Ind. The maiden of his choice, Miss Laura Widner, was born in Syracuse, Ind., Dec. 12, I J-406 _i ik 'L-1 b I. ". 1.... 1_6~ I IR 4 00 - I I i, i 1 I I I 4s.00 do L BRANCH COUNTY. 427 ~~ -- ~ 1862, and is the daughter of John and Maggie (Aston) Widner, who were natives of Indiana and Tennessee respectively, and are now residents of Millersburg, Ind. To our subject and his wife there were born two daughters: Inez, Feb. 3,1886, and an infant, born July 5, 1888. Mr. Babcock, following in the footsteps of his father, meddles very little in public affairs, but keeps himself well posted in regard to matters of general interest, and votes the Democratic ticket. ---— ^ ---— ^ LI WAKEMAN, proprietor of Wakeman's Mills, located on section 27 in Algansee /_ Township, was born in Tompkins County, N. Y., Aug. 17, 1821. He is of German ancestry, but the first representatives of the family crossed the Atlantic generations ago and but little is known of their history. John Wakeman, however, the father of our subject, was the son of John Wakeman, Sr., and was born in Connecticut, April 27, 1791. The father of our subject grew to manhood in his native State, where he served an apprenticeship at the carpenter's trade, and was married to Miss Ruth Adams, who was born Jan. 10, 1793, also in Connecticut. Some time after marriage they removed to New York State, settling in what was then Cayuga County, but after its division John Wakeman found himself a resident of the new county of Tompkins. His farm lay near the town of Hector, but hle worked at his trade mostly until the completion of the Erie Canal, then, turning ship carpenter, he built several boats, all of which he was fortunate in selling soon after their completion, but he reserved one for a time and made trips on the new thoroughfare on his own hook. He was thus occupied in farming, boating and carpentering until his boys became young men and desired a wider field of operations and better prospects than those afforded in the Empire State. John Wakeman now sold out and removed to Ohio, which was then the "far West." He settled in Huron County, ten miles south of what is now. the beautiful city of Norwalk, purchasing in 1833 450 acres of land; 100 acres of this had been cleared, but the remainder was covered with heavy timber. The father, with the aid of his sons, soon reduced the whole to a state of cultivation, and as the boys became of age he gave them, with the exception of one who preferred cash, 100 acres of land. This son took his money for educatiollal purposes, entering the medical college at Worthington, from which he was graduated with honors, and became a successful physician. The parents of our subject resided in Ohio until 1855, then coming to Michigan settled in Algansee Township, this county, where the father died at the home of his son Eli in 1859. The mother had passed away three years before, in 1856. Of their nine children seven grew to mature years: William H. was a miller by occupation, and died in Taney County, Mo., in April, 1888; John A., a physician, is located at Centralia, 111.; Shelrwood engaged as a farmer and miller in Fairfield, Ohio, and was for many years the partner of his brother, William H.; he (lied at Fairfield in 1881. Bradley, a youth of great promise, engaged in teaching, and died at the early age of eighteen years; Eli, our subject, was the fifth child; Harriet became the wife of Dr. Abram Bronson, and died in San Jose, Cal.; Miranda died in childhood at the age of nine years. Joln Wakeman was moderately successful in life, and he and his estimable wife while residents of New York State were connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church. They reared their children to habits of industry and economy, and they all became praiseworthy and reputable citizens. Eli, of our sketch, was a lad twelve years of age when the family removed to Ohio, where he completed his education in such schools as the country afforded; he occupied himself in a manner similar to the sons of pioneer farmers, and shortly after reaching his majority was married, Nov. 9, 1842, to Miss Louise Benson. who was also a native of New York State, and died at her home in this county in June, 1874, leaving two children-Mortimer B., and Elma L., now the wife of John Flaherty. Our subject, June 25, 1886, contracted a second matrimonial alliance, with Mrs. Helen M. (Ells) Wakeman, who was born in Harpersfield, Delaware i' i EL B-7 —.. 1, sop- 440 4 - < 1 -A I -~~IIa~ — I ---— ~I~~ 428 BRANCH COUNTY. I Co., N. Y., June 16, 1821. Her parents, Elihu and Sarah (Harper) Ells, were natives respectively of Connecticut and New York. The family removed to Huron County, Ohio, in 1841, where the parents died. leaving eleven children. Helen M., in 1847, was married to Sherwood Wakeman, by whom she became the mother of two children; Fred H. is a miller of Sparta, White Co., Tenn.; Clara Belle is the wife of Burton Cherry, of Huron County, Ohio. The others are all deceased. Eli Wakeman, our subject, in the spring of 1844, purchased, in company with his brother, John A., a foundry at Fairfield, Ohio, where he learned the trade of molder, and( was engaged in this business three years. Then, on account of failing health, he was obliged to abandon it, and removing to Seneca County, purchased a sawmill, which he operated until 1854. He then chartered a car, loaded thereon his household goods and mill machinery, and coming to this county settled in the woods of Algansee Township. Here he purchased eighty acres of wild land, which still forms his place of residence, and where he has established a comfortable home. He still operates the mill which he first planted. In 1878 he added the machinery of the gristmill, which is the only institution of its kind in the township. Mr. Wakeman cast his first Presidential vote for Gen. Harrison; he was a Whig and a Free-Soiler until the abandonment of the old pary, when he endorsed Republican principles, but he is now so strong a temperance man that he has wellnigh identified himself with the Prohibitionists. He has always declined becoming a candidate for office, although frequently urged to do so. Socially, he is a member in good standing of the I. 00.. F., belonging to California Lodge No. 283, in which he has passed all the Chairs. O RLO L. DOBSON. Upon becoming acquainted ) with the history of the subject of this sketch, now a resident of Quincy Village, one invariably pauses in admiration of the will-power which has brought him through more than ordinary diffi culties and dangers. Through much physical suffering he has attained to an admirable manhood. He is young in years, but has already established himself in an enviable position among his fellowcitizens. He possesses a fine mind, cultivated and thoughtful, and is fond of literature, in which field he has embarked to a considerable extent, and has written some very creditable articles, both of prose and poetry. He was the Class Poet of the Quincy High School, from which he was graduated in 1887. Mr. Dobson was born in Quincy Township, this county, March 12, 1867, and passed his boyhood after the manner of most farmers' sons, engaging in the lighter labors of the homestead, and pursuing his studies in the district school. During the fall of 1881 he assisted his father with the threshingmachine, which the latter was operating, his principal duty being to draw water for the engine. They were engaged, on tie 14tlh of September, threshing at the residence of Lucas Joseph, one mile south of town, and at the completion of this job Orlo was assisting to run the separator from the barn, and holding one wheel while going down the incline in front of the barn, when lie slipped, and fell in front of the hind wheel, which ran over his left hip, passed lengthwise along his body and over his head. The machine weighed nearly 4,000 pounds, and more than one-third of this weight passed directly over the body and head of Mr. Dobson while he was lying on the stone pavement. His left collar bone was broken, and the weight of the machine was so great as to cause a fracture of the skull, his head being scarcely more than three inches in thickness when he was picked up, and both his eyes pressed from their sockets. The sight of one was entirely destroyed. Blood poured from his ears, nose and mouth, and lie soon became unconscious, and knew nothing more for over a month. It was supposed at the time of the accident that he could live but a few minutes, and a week later the physicans gave him thirty-six hours to live in this world. He retained his breath, however, but for a period of three months his life was continuously despaired of. He had, however, the best of medical attendance and nursing, and with an iron constitution recovered as far as possible from an accident which necessarily will leave its Ii i i i i I i iI 4 I i I I_ L -II I ----- r I_ -. -- ~ - --.~- ----- F ---ww a -----— --- —— ----— -4 B J, I I - w-. IF! BRANCH COUNTY. 429 1 effect upon him as long as he lives. The nerves of the head were paralyzed, causing a probably incurable deafness, and a large portion of his head and face is also paralyzed. Upon recovering sufficiently to do so, Mr. Dobson entered the State Deaf School at Flint, but as only the primary branches were taught there, he returned home. and took up a course of study in the public school at Quincy, from which he was graduated with honors. When not in school lie assisted in the farm work, and also acted as agent for the Star Windmill for Branch County, besides selling well supplies, pumps, etc. On the 22d of December, 1887, he succeeded R. J. Stevens in the news depot and stationery business, which he now carries on in the post-office building. EACON HENRY LOCKWOOD, farmer, is the oldest pioneer in point of settlement now living in Ovid Township, and as such, besides being a stanch and honored citizen, loyal friend and kind neighbor, is in every way worthy of the high respect in which he is held through the county, and this biographical volume would be incomplete without a brief summary of his life record. He was born in New Paltz. Ulster Co., N. Y., Nov. 1, 1812. His paternal grandfather, who was a farmer, passed his last years in New Paltz, N. Y. He married Hannah, a daughter of Uriah Drake. Their son, Uriah Lockwood, father of our subject, was born July 24, 1789, in New Paltz, where he was reared, educated and married. He became a farmer and remained in Ulster County, engaged in agricultural pursuits, until 1836. The preceding year he had visited the Territory of Michigan with a view to establishing a home here for his wife and family. Selecting a good location, Mr. Lockwood bought and entered 640 acres of land in what is now Ovid and Sherwood Townships. Having secured the land he went back to New York, and disposing of his prop perty there, started in 1836, with his family, for their new home in the forests of this State. They came by way of the Hudson River and Erie Canal to Buffalo, thence by Lake Erie to Detroit. There Mr. Lockwood bought two pairs of oxen, a wagon, a horse, and with them finished the journey through the wilderness. There was a log house on the land, into which the family moved, and at once cornmenced the imlrovement of the land. The cabin, in which they lived for some years, was situated on section 6, but Mr. Lockwood afterward built a good frame house on section 7 of the same township, where he lived until his death, which occurred in September, 1865. The maiden name of his wife, mother of our subject, was Charity Terwilleger, a native of the Empire State, born May 1, 1796. She survived but a few years after coming to Branch County, and died on the old homestead, April 16, 1841. She bore her husband ten children, all of whom grew to maturity. The subject of our sketch was reared in his native town, where lie received a good common-school education, and remained under the parental roof until twenty-one years of age. That season he worked in a brickyard, and the ensuing year in Dutchess County, N. Y. The following year he returned to Ulster County, and worked at carpentering. In 1835 our subject came to Michigan with his father. Leaving home bright and early Monday morning, August 22, he sailed up the Hudson River to Albany. thence by rail to Schenectady, and from there to Buffalo by the Erie Canal, reaching the latter place the following Sunday night. From there to Sandusky the journey was made on the lake. After visiting for a short time in Tiffin, Ohio, he returned to Sandusky, and proceeded by Lake Erie to Detroit. From there our subject, accompanied by two companions, walked to Coldwater, thence to Ovid Township, looking for a favorable location. He remained in Ovid, boarding with a Mr. Bradley awhile, and worked at different employments until June following, when his father returned from New York with the remainder of the family. Our subject then commenced sowing wheat, and during the winter season chopped timber on the land and hunted. Deer, turkeys and other wild game were plentiful, and he kept his I A r L: I -- -, - I __~~__..___.__ --- -— ~.~.1 'I, I ---- ~-~ — --------— ~ -- ------- OWN Opp --- — --------- I C { - -L, 430 BRANCH COUNTY. mother's larder well supplied with meats. In 1838 his father gave him a tract of heavily timbered land, which is now included in his present farm, and he at once began clearing it. At the time of his marriage he settled on the land, and has resided here continuously ever since. His farm now consists of 157 acres of land, which he has cleared and furnished with substantial bulings, everything about the place indicating the thrift and good management of the owner. Mr. Lockwood has been three times married. The maiden name of his first wife, to whom lie was wedded July 7, 1839, was Laura Alice Davis. She was born in Oneida County, N. Y., June 19, 1817, and (lied Nov. 18, 1852, leaving one son, Charles H. The second marriage of our subject took place April 17. 1853, the maiden name of his wife being Lucy Otis, a native of St. Lawrence County, N. Y., born Sept. 2, 1834. Her married life was of short (luration, she dying Jan. 30, 1856, leaving one daughter, Laura A., who was born Sept. 7, 1855; she is the wife of Orville P. Rose, of Harbor Springs, Emmet Co., Mich. The marriage of Mr. Lockwood to Mrs. Lydia (Jordan) Fisher was solemnized Feb. 5, 1857. She was also a native of the Empire State, born in Wayne County, Nov. 8, 1828. Our subject was again bereaved, and his hearthstone left desolate, his wife dying Dec. 13, 1878. Of that union one son is now living, Edward C., born Dec. 12, 1857; he married Miss Mary E. Lockwood, and lives on the home farm. Deacon Lockwood is an energetic, public-spirited man, of high moral worth, and has always been prominently identified with all beneficial schemes for the advancement of the educational, moral and social status of the township. By his undeviating rectitude and upright conduct in life, lie has gained the esteem and confidence of the entire community, who unhesitatingly trust to his counsels and judgment. He has held vario'is offices in the township, having served as School Inspector and as Road Commissioner several years, and assisted in laying out many of the roads in the town. In politics, our subject was formerly a Democrat, but since the war has been a stanch Republican, steadfastly upholding the principles of that party. Religiously, Mr. Lockwood has been for more than forty-five years an active and valued member of the Baptist Church, and is a leader in all good works connected with that society, also showing his Christianity in his everyday life. A-_- ---. HIS ^ -- eIEORGE W. LINCOLN. The history of ( the early residents of this county is one in s which toil and sacrifice bore a prominent part, and the end has been almost uniformly the establishment of a good home and a worthy position, socially and financially, by those who, almost without exception, started out in life comparatively without means and dependent upon their own resources. The subject of this sketch is by no means behind his compeers in this respect. Indeed lie had much more to contend with than many others who settled in Southern Michigan during its pioneer days. In making a brief summary of the life of this estimable citizen, we commence at the beginning, and note that his birth occurred near Penn Yan, N. Y., Aug. 17, 1819. His father, Caleb Lincoln, Jr., was a native of Maine, and his grandfather, Caleb, Sr., it is supposed was also born in the Pine Tree State. The latter was a tailor by trade and left his native county when a young man, taking up his residence near the little town of Sherburne, Chenango Co., N. Y. It was the custom in those times for the tailor to go about from house to house, and make up the apparel of the men folks of the family for a year. He followed this custom for a time, but finally started a shop in Sherburne, and spent his last years in New York. His wife, grandmother Lincoln, was also a native of New England, and survived the death of her husband some years, spending her last days with her son in Union Township, this county. Caleb Lincoln, Jr., was but a child when his parents removed from Maine to New York State, where, following in the footsteps of his father, he learned the trade of tailor, and in the towns of Pitcher and Syracuse carried on business until 1836. That year he sought the Territory of Michigan, I ~l I *to-_ L o zb Qo { I -I Abbo. I ---- - I I.- -1- ------- -.d *,lllmmlmmmml.-.. 0 'll -I 11 1,11,01,11 OWD-0 - BRANCH COUNTY.. 431 B R A N C C purchasing a tract of timber land in Union Township, where he put up a plank house, and commenced to improve a farm, while he devoted a part of his time to the pursuance of his trade. A few years later he moved into Union City, established a shop, and resided there until his death, which occurred in November, 1884. after he had arrived at the advanced age of eighty-eight years. The father of our subject was twice married, his first wife being Miss Electa Greene, the mother of George W., who died when the latter was but five years old. His second wife was Mrs. Chloe (Evans) Waldo, who died in Union Township. Of the first marriage there were three children: George W., our subject; Lorenzo G., a resident of Union City, and Jerusha, who dtied young. Of the second marriage there were born two children, both living, namely: Oscar L. and Mrs. Elizabeth J. Race, also residents of Union City. George W. Lincoln acquired his education in the common schools, and as soon as old enough to be of service was employed by a neighboring farmer, who taught him the arts of plowing, sowing and reaping, and with whom he remained much of the time until a youth of sixteen years. He then coinmenced work in a shop, applying iron fittings to harness hames and saddle-trees, where he worked until 1838. He had purchased his time of his father, to whom he was to pay $220, and it took nearly all he could earn, so that upon coming to Michigan he had but $18 with which to begin life in a new country and among strangers. Our subject upon leaving his home in Syracuse, N. Y., on the 1st day of November, in the year mentioned, proceeded via the Erie Canal to Buffalo, and thence by the steamer "illinois" to Detroit, and from there on the railroad to Ypsilanti, which was then its western terminus. A team and stage conveyed him from that point to Coldwater, where during the winter following he was employed at chopping, and thus occupied himself about two years. At the expiration of this time he applied his hard-earned savings to the purchase of eighty acres of timber land in Batavia Township. This, however, he soon traded for another tract in Union Township, which he settled upon at the time of his mairiage, and where he lived ten years. Then sell ing out he purchased another farm in the same township, occupying this also ten years, then sold again and purchased his present farm. Mr. Lincoln was twice married. The maiden of his first choice was Amanda F. Sanders. Of this union there were born three sons and two daughters, who are recorded as follows: Electa J., now Mrs. C. Miller, resides in Emporia, Kan.; Curtis G., of Chicago; Hervey S. is in Chase County, Kan.; Frankie A., of Chicago, and Abraham, who died at the age of five years. The property of our subject now includes 100 acres of valuable land, forty of which lie within the limits of Coldwater, and the remainder just outside the corporation. Upon first coming to this county Branch was the county seat and Coldwater but a hamlet. Deer, wolves and wild turkeys were plentiful, and Indians still lingered in their old haunts. He has lived to see the country develop from a wilderness into a highly civilized community, and has contributed his full quota in bringing it to its present condition, by illustrating in his own life an example of industry and perseverance. Among the people who have known him so long little needs to be said in regard to his work as a citizen and his enterprise as an agriculturist. The second wife of our subject was in her girlhood Miss Jane Thompson, and the wedding took place in Tekonsha Township, June 19, 1884, at the home of the bride. Mrs. Lincoln was born on the other side of the Atlantic, in Forfarshire, Scotland, March 25, 1840, and is the daughter of William and Elspet Thompson, who were also of pure Scotch ancestry. Her paternal grandfather, Joseph Thompson, was the son of James Thompson, who was born in the Highlands, and was a farmer and sheep owner, spending his entire life upon his native soil. Grandfather Thompson, when a young man, took up his abode in the town of Forfar,' where he spent the remainder of his days and worked at his trade of shoemaker. His son William was reared, and also spent his entire life in his native place. He married in early life Miss Elspet Morrison, who was born not far from the childhood home of her husband, and who also died there. Mrs. Lincoln was the only member of the family who came to Amer —.g1m il I sV-! --- —— _"__ --- —-- ----------- - _ _ ~CeL3 III -Opp It-~~ll(l 40 - I 0, ~ --- I I I1110 * ~so., r 432 BRANCH COUNTY. ica. She was first married when twenty-two years old to Thomas Elder, a native of Perthshire, and came to America in 1866, and for a year thereafter lived in Montreal, where Mr. Elder died three months after his arrival. Later Mrs. Elder removed to Toledo, thence to Tekonsha, and finally to Coldwater. She was married the second time in 1872, to Reuben Dormer, a native of England, and who died in Tekonsha in 1879. Thereafter she was a resident of Tekonsha until her marriage with our subject. Of her first marriage there were born two children, the elder of whom, a son, James, dlied in Scotland when eleven days old; Thomas died in Montreal at the age of five years., HARLES UPSON was born in Connecticut, ( March 19, 1821, and was the son of Asel and Lydia (Webster) Upson, and the eighth of a family of nine sons. The father was also a native of Connecticut, a farmer by occupation, and a man of scrupulous honor. Both lie and his estimable wife belonged to the Presbyterian Church, and the mother was a talented woman of strong characteristics, to which her sons attribute in a large degree the honor and distinction they have achieved. Our subject spent the first thirteen years of his life at the homestead, attending as soon as he was able the district school, and at that age he entered a select school and studied diligently with a view to taking a college course. To replenish his funds he engaged in school teaching when sixteen years of age, receiving for his services $12.50 a month, and 'boarded around." He continued teaching at intervals until 1842, and then attended the Academy at Meriden, and devoted his time to classics, but finally, on account of his limited means, he abandoned the idea of a college course and resumed teaching. Soon afterward he borrowed a copy of Blackstone, and read it during his leisure moments on his father's farm in summer, and in 1844 he enrolled himself in the Law School at New Haven. At the end of a year he removed to Michigan and spent the winter at Constantine, teaching and reading law. He was thus engaged in the dual pursuits until 1847, when he was appointed Deputy County Clerk for St. Joseph County, and in the spring of that year was admitted to the bar. He opened a law business in connection with his office, and at the end of two years was elected County Clerk. In 1850 he was a candidate for District Attorney of the county, but was defeated, Ibut two years later he was elected to the same office and served two years. In 1854 he was elected State Senator by the Whig party, and served his time with distinction. In 1856 lHon. Charles Upson removed to Coldwater and formed a law partnership with Lieut. Gov. George A. Coe, and in 1860 lie was elected by the Republican party Attorney General of the'State, and two years later he was elected to Congress, and was re-elected three terms. In 1869 he was elected Circuit Judge of the Fifteenth Judicial District, but resigned three years later on account of insufficient salary. He was a member of the Constitutional Convention, and was twice elected Mayor of the city, and was tendered the position of Indian Commissioner, but declined it. In every public trust Judge Upson maintained his reputation as an able and incorruptible man, and was greatly beloved by his acquaintances and honored and revered by all who knew him. He died of apoplexy at his home on West Pearl street, leaving a wife and three children to mourn their loss. Judge Upson was united in marriage, Aug. 4, 1852, with Sophia (Montgomery) Upham, the ceremony taking place in New York. Mrs. Upson was reared and began her education in Hamilton, N. Y., but subsequently her parents removed to LeRoy, and she entered the Ingham University and remained two years. In 1851 she came to St. Joseph County, this State, and engaged in school teaching at Centerville, and here met her future husband. She proved in every way the helpmate of her husband, and their union was blessed by the birth of four children, as follows: Alonzo Sydney was born May 25, 1853, and is now teller of the Southern Michigan National Bank, having held the position ever since the bank was organized; he was educated in Coldwater, and received this important i i I i i i i i I i I I I I I I — 40l~i I I I 41 I C Il I -r I ~ rr ~ ~-rr I LIII)I ImIp-h — 4_1 L 4 *1 - Ajk. —U- 4 av," U * -* A L BRANCH COUNTY. 433 appointment at the age of eighteen years. Mary Webster was born April. 14, 1856, married J. F. Pratt, Aug. 4, 1885, and died March 18, 1886; Margaret Chamberlain was born May 25, 1858, and became the wife of Morris G. Clarke; Charles Hiram was born Aug. 25, 1862, and died February 12 of the next year. ON. DAVID J. EAS'TON, editor and publisher of the Union City Register, and Rep) resentative to the Michigan Legislature from the Second District of Branch County, has been a resident of Southern Michigan since a little lad four years of age, and when a young man was brought prominently before the people as being the possessor of more than ordinary abilities, and one qualified by nature to hold positions of trust and responsibility. The promises of his young manhood have been admira)ly fulfilled, as during his long acquaintance with the l)eople of this section he has conducted himself in such a manner as to gain their fullest confidence and esteem. The subject of our sketch was born in Castile, Wyoming Co., N. Y., June 5, 1842, and came with his parents in 1846 to this county, settling first in Algansee Township, where they lived until the fall of 1855. Thence they removed to the village of Coldwater, where the father, Slocum Easton, departed this life in 1864. The mother, Adelia M. (Silliman) Easton, survived her husband for a period of twenty years, and died in Union City, in January, 1884. The latter was a cousin of Prof. Silliman, of Yale College, and the daughter of a prominent New England family, noted for their intelligence and standing. Young Easton, in 1857, when a youth of fifteen years, entered the printing-office of Eddy & Gray, publishers of the Branch County Republican, where he continued until 1861, and during his apprenticeship of four years became well acquainted with the ' art preservative." At the expiration of this time, feeling competent to conduct an office of his own, lie purchased a half-interest in the Sturgis Journal, r of St. Joseph County. But his plans in connection with this were broken in upon by the coming on of the Civil War, and in July, 1862, he sold out and enlisted in a company then being formed for the 19th MAichigan Infantry. Upon its organization he was elected First Lieutenant, and served until after the close of the war, participating in all the engagements and marches of the command, through Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, North and South Carolina and Virginia, closing with the grand review of the entire army at Washington. In the engagement at Thompson's Station, Tenn., he was wounded in the shoulder, captured by the rebels and confined in Libby Prison. Subsequently, on the skirmish line in front of Atlanta, he was again woundled, and also at Dallas Woods, Ga. His confinement in Libby Prison lasted two months, and the terrors of that dreadful place have been recited too often to need repetition here. Suffice it to say, that they are all they have been pictured. Lieut. Enston was in due time given the commissions both of a Captain and Major, and his war record is one of which he has reason to be proud. After the close of the war Maj. Easton returned to his old haunts in this county, and in 1866 established the Coldwater Republican, which he conducted a year, then sold out. In 1867 he was elected City Clerk of Coldwater, and in 1869 drifted back to the printing business, establishing the Union City Register, which he still owns. For a period of seventeen years he has been connected with the village government of Union City continuously, and for ten years in succession has been Chairman of the Republican Central Committee. He is one of the stalwarts of his party, and has done it good service in this locality. He was elected to the Legislature in 1880, over his opponent on the Democratic and National tickets. In all his public career he has preserved that dignity of demeanor and conscious uprightness which have gained him the respect of his opponents as well as his friends. The marriage of Hon. David J. Easton and Miss Elvira Adelle Stowe was celebrated at the home of the bride in Coldwater, Nov. 17, 1869. Mrs. Easton was born April 15, 1848, in Ohio, and is the daughter of Granville and Katherine Stowe, who were natives of New York, and are now dead. To our subject and his wife there have been born the i i rIrb f-4.I M-III-~61 0 - 1.4 L~ A - UA,. - r * — f L 434 BRANCH COUNTY. W I following children: Ora C., Glenn S., Elva A., Lynn M. and Ina. The eldest is twelve years of age and the youngest three. They form a bright and intelligent group, of whom their parents have abundant reason to be proud. The family residence is pleasantly located on High street, and forms one of the most attractive resorts for a community of cultivated people. y ULIUS S. DUNKS is a prominent citizen and a progressive farmer and stock-raiser, residing on section 13, Sherwood Township, where he owns a fine farm of 220 acres on the St. Joseph River, and does a general farming business, while he also deals extensively in stock. As a result of well-applied effort, Mr. Dunks has met with a large measure of success in his life work, and can look back with pardonable pride on Jlis achievements. Nor has his been a success merely in the sense of accumulating a competency of this world's goods, but he has ever been guided by that higher law of humanity, to do to others as he would be done by, and has cheerfully contributed of his time and substance for the advancement of his community, morally and financially. A complete history of the trials and triumphs encountered or enjoyed by Mr. Dunks would afford material for thought, as showing what a man may accomplish by industry and frugality, coupled with tact and good judgment. The subject of this biographical notice was born on the 1st of August. 1846, his native place being Sherwood Township. He was educated in the common schools and at Olivet College, Mich., but was compelled to relinquish his studies before finishing the course, on account of duties at home. While attending the schools of his township his services had been utilized at intervals to help his father, and he had become so well acquainted with farm duties that on his return to his home he became the mainstay of the family. The life of our subject was passed uneventfully until the occasion of his marriage, which took place F in Sherwood, Branch County, on the 19th of Decem ber, 1877, the other contracting party being Miss Mary H. Bennett. Mrs. Dunks was born in the Buckeye State, March 4, 1854, and is the daughter of Eli and Grace Bennett, natives of the Empire State. She was born at Huntsburg, Geauga County, and removed to Lyons, N. Y., when she was nine years of age. She resided there ten years, and then removed to Michigan, where she continued to reside until her marriage. After their marriage the young couple began life for themselves, settling where they now reside, and which has been their home ever since. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Dunks has been blessed by the birth of two children, one son and one daughter-Fred S. and Grace R., who are bright and interesting little people. Mr. Dunks adheres to the principles promulgated by the Republican party, to which he has always given a cordial support, and has twice been a delegate to the convention. RUCE C. WILCOX, a son of one of the earliest pioneers of Southern Michigan, Newcomb Wilcox. who is widely and favorably known throughout this region, was born Sept. 15, 1840, at the old homestead in Sherwood Township, where he lived with his parents until reaching his majority. His first business thereafter, the war being in progress, was to enter the army as a Union soldier, which he did on the llth of August, 1862, enlisting in Company D, 25th Michigan Infantry. From a private he was advanced to the rank of Corporal, and served three years. Young Wilcox participated in all the engagements of his regiment, which included some of the most important battles of the war, and at the close of his three years' service came out without a scratch, and received his honorable discharge in July, 1865. He then went onto the farm with his father and worked two years. He was married, April 17, 1867, to Miss Mattie Wallis, and then assumed charge of the homestead, carrying on agriculture here three years. At the expiration of this time our subject moved I ~~how a_4 i I -1111ill 11-0 111 I, -1,.1,1 I,, I II, 11 I - -..,.0 ''I' I EN or, PM 4 BRANCH COUNTY. 435 -- I to Leonidas, St. Joseph County, this State. where he invested the proceeds of the farm which he had sold in a stock of groceries and was engaged in this trade seven months. He then purchased a farm near the town, upon which he operated three years, then selling out he returned to the old homestead, where he remained until the fall of 1873. Next he returned to the vicinity of Leonidas and purchased another farm, which he occupied nine years. Mr. Wilcox, in March, 1883, took up his residence at Colon, St. Joseph County, where he carried on a trade in groceries, provisions, boots and shoes for a period of four years. Thence he removed to Sherwood Village, in July, 1887, and is now established in partnership with his brother and carrying on a profitable trade. The wife of our subject was born at Athens, Calhoun County, Jan. 6, 1845, where she spent her early life, and was married to Mr. Wilcox at her home in Marshall, this State. Of this union there were born two children, the elder, Eva M., Oct. 15, 1873, and who died Oct. 16, 1877; the younger, Harry P., was born Oct. 23, 1879, and continues with his parents. Mr. and Mrs. Wilcox are prominently connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and are active workers in the Sundayschool. Our subject, politically, is a stanch Republican, and as an ex-soldier a member of the G. A. R., at Sherwood. The history of his father, who is still living, a resident of Sherwood Village and now well advanced in years, will be found elsewhere in this work. OR ORTIMER B. WAKEMAN, of Algansee I \ Township, is the son of Eli Wakeman, well known throughout this locality, and from his youth up has been a partner in the business of his father. Ite was born in North Fairfield, Huron Co., Ohio, Jan. 17, 1844, and came with the family to this county when a mere child. He pursued his first studies in the common schools, and later took a commercial course in the Eastman College, at Chicago. He early in life developed superior business talent, and was recognized as one of the rising young men of the community, where he has been prominent since his boyhood. He is now serving his fourth term as Supervisor of Algansee Township, of which he has also officiated as Treasurer. He has been Postmaster at this point six years, Notary Public several years, and is Secretary of the Building Committee of the Branch County Court-House. Politically, he votes the straight Republican ticket, and is a member in good standing of the First Congregational Church. Mortimer B. Wakeman, not long after reaching his majority, was married, May 5, 1868, to one of the most estimable young ladies of California Township, Miss Abbie M., daughter of Norman and Sally (Welsh) Melendy, who was born in California Township, this county, Jan. 28, 1848. They occupy a neat home in the southern part of town, and are the parents of two bright children, a son and daughter, Sherwood and Lorena. The parental history of our subject will be found on another page in this work. E NNIS J. LOCKWOOD worthily represents an early pioneer of Ovid Township, and is himself an honored citizen of this community, where he has for many years been prosperously engaged in agriculture. He was born in the town of New Paltz, Ulster Co., N. Y., May 14, 1834, being the fifth son and youngest child of Uriah and Charity Lockwood (for parental history see sketch of Henry Lockwood). He celebrated the second anniversary of his birth while his parents were en route to their Michigan home, so that from his earliest recollection he has lived in the town of Ovid. He grew up with the country, being an eye witness of the wonderful development and progress of Branch County since within his remembrance the tall old trees of the primeval forest formed a conspicuous feature in the landscape, settlements and clearings being few and farl between; Indians still lurked in their old haunts, and wild beasts and game were numerous. He relates that when he was a boy deer used to come to the small tracts of land that were cleared and feed upon ~1 _bh J _~~~ rl ---I V --- = -.%- - -- I M - I~lll~~II1I11-~1 -,BP~_~L - r - A 4 L I e - - bo-T 4- 'p 0 t; 436 BRANCH COUNTY. -- --- the wheat near the house. In the midst of these pioneer surroundings our subject grew into a strong, manly, active lad, and became of great assistance to his father in the labors of the farm. Nor was his education neglected, as he was early sent to school, and eagerly profited by such advantages as were afforded to the youth of that day. He attended the first school that was ever established in Ovid Township. it being conducted in a rude building of logs, with slab benches, and a huge fireplace graced one end of the room, being the only means of heating it. Our subject made his home with his father until he attained his majority. By that time he had gained an excellent practical knowledge of farming, and was ready to start out in life for himself. His father then gave him a tract of land now included in his present farm, and he has ever since made his home here. By careful and patient culture in the long years that have passed by since that time, he has improved that wild tract of land into a very tine farm, second to none in the neighborhood in fertility and productiveness; it is well stocked and provided with ample frame buildings, and everything about the place bears signs of the thrift and prosperity of the owner. On the 26th of December, 1858, our subject took unto his home and heart Miss Frances J. Strobeck, who was to him all that a faithful and devoted wife could be. She also came of a pioneer family, being a daughter of Oliver and Polly Strobeck, who were early settlers of Clinton, Lenawee County, and there their daughter was born May 8, 1839. She was carefully trained in all household duties, and was a model housekeeper. Her death was a sad blow, not only to her husband, but to a large circle of friends, to whom she was endeared by her kindness of heart, and the gentle purity and uprightness of her life. Mr. Lockwood was the second time married, May 23, 1888, the lady of his choice being Mrs. Hannah Strobeck, a native of New York State. This brief biography, which can but hastily sum up a few of the leading events in the life of oursubject, does him but scant justice, and gives us only a little insight into the character of the man and his position as a citizen. These quiet, uneventful lives led by the most of-our farmers are, however, those of men who are the bulwarks of the nation, and if they should be removed there would be a great blank in its history. We can truly say of our subject that he is an honest man and a good citizen, and that he has always honorably discharged his duties to his fellowmen. -- LLISTON WARNER, a well-to-do farmer of Branch County, resides on section 4, Quincy Township, where he owns a highly improved farm of sixty acres, on which he erected in 1886 one of the finest brick residences in the township. His farm is well supplied with neat and comfortable farm buildings and the various appliances for carrying on agriculture successfully, everything about the place denoting that he is a practical, wide-awake farmer. He comes from good old New England stock, and was born in Miami County, Ind., Dec. 28, 1846. His grandparents. and also his mother, were from New England, but his father, Orson Warner, was born in Ontario County, N. Y. He grew to maturity in his native county, and there married Miss Eliza J. Sanford, a native of Connecticut. After marriage they moved to Indiana and settled in Miami County, where they resided seven years, where Mr. Warner was actively engaged in his vocation as a farmer. They subsequently returned to New York State, where the father died in 1852. He was a man of good ability, of unswerving integrity of character, and was highly respected. His estimable wife now resides in Quincy Township, as do her three children-Maria L., Albert J. and Elliston. The latter, the subject of this sketch, was but two years of age when his parents returned to New York from Indiana, and there he grew to manhood, receiving a sound education in the common schools, which was supplemented by a good course of study at a seminary. The free and independent life of a farmer, which had been the business of his ancestors for many generations, had a strong attraction for him, and he chose it for his life work, although when he first came to Michigan, in 1866, when he L_ I m ask, Al 4z-.oq I V ~I-z s I I i BRANCH COUNTLY. 437 BU was twenty years of age, he pursued lumbering for awhile quite profitably in the northern part of the State. He then returned to his native State, and in 1868 his mother and family came with him to Michigan and settled on a farm in Quincy Township. Our subject was united in marriage to the wife who presides so ably and pleasantly over their happy household on Dec. 2, 1879. Mrs. W. was formerly Miss Mary L. Culver, a daughter of William and Lucina (Priest) Culver, natives respectively of Ontario and Jefferson Counties, N. Y.. now living in Quincy Township. To Mr. and Mrs. Warner have been born two children-Eliza P. and Orson C. Mrs. Warner was born in Clinton County, Mich., Feb. 14, 1847. After marriage our subject and his wife settled on the farm where they have continued to live, and which he had previously purchased. Mr. Warner is an important social factor in this township, and is deeply interested in aiding the other good citizens in their efforts to promote its highest welfare. He has served three years as Supervisor and has also been School Inspector. As an intelligent and progressive man he has done much for the advancement of agriculture in Branch County, besides being an influential member of the Patrons of Husbandry, and has very acceptably filled the office of Master of the local grange. In politics he is a stanch Republican. OLOMON PARSONS. Prominent among the pioneers and men of note in the northern part of Branch County is the subject of this biography, who, after a life of industry, has accumulated a fine property which he is enjoying in his later days at a handsome home in Union City. As one of the retired farmers and capitalists of Southern Michigan, he exercises due weight in the affairs of his community, of which he has long been considered a useful factor in its growth and development. The Parsons family have been prominent for generations throughout New England, and the father of our subject, John Parsons, was born in Enfield, Conn., about 1771. He married Miss Flavilla Billings, a native of Somers. that State, and they emigrated to New \ ork, taking up their abode in the township of Smyrna, Chenango County. There the father engaged in agricultural pursuits, built up a good farm from a wild tract of land, and there, with his estimable palrtner, spent the remainder of his (lays. To John and Flavilla Parsons there were born nine children, namely: Marvin, Ann, Billings, Orren, Flavilla, Solomon, Hancy, Alfred and Hiram. Two of these are living, namely: Solomon and Flavilla. The father passed away in 1841, and the mother in 1849. Solomon, of our sketch, was born at the homestead in Chenango County, N. Y., Oct. 15, 1810. He was early in life taught to make himself useful, and became familiar with the various employments incident to the settling up of a new country. When approaching manhood, however, with the natural desire of a youth for a change, he left the farm and( engaged as clerk in a general store near his home, and continued a resident of his native county until coming to Michigan, in September, 1836. Mr. Parsons spent the summer of 1832 in Newfoundland and Labrador, partly for his health, also pleasure-seeking and prospecting. This now wealthy and populous State was but a Territory when Mr. Parsons first set foot upon its soil. lie spent the first winter in the vicinity of what is now Union City, but which at that time gave little indication of ever being a town. Union Township was then called Sherwood. Our subject took up a tract of wild land and proceeded to cultivate the soil, from which he eliminated a good farm and where lie made his home for a period of sixteen years. In 1852 he plractically abandoned farming and moved to Union City, where he is living retired, and where, with the exception of three years spent on one of his farms in Calhoun County, he has since lived. M\r. Parsons early in life gave evidence of that energy which has proved the secret of his success. He was prosperous as a tiller of the soil, which yielded abundantly under his wise management, and from time to time he invested his surplus capital in additional land until he became the owner of nearly;I 0 —Iq111o RE -1- 1- r ~Iqg.- w -. -— '- - ~ -- - -- - -- _ I __ _ L r i __40 I WPP —l I I I I I./"3I — --- —. —-"-x^ll —1" —-.. i. 438 BRANCH COUNTY. 1,000 acres. He afterwardsold a portion of this, and owns at present about 300 acres, situated mostly in Union Township. There are few who can tell him anything new in regard to pioneer life. He had his full share of its difficulties and privations, and possessed the full amount of courage required by the men of those times. As late as 1847 he was obliged to pay $40 for four barrels of salt, which had to be transported across the country by team from Detroit. One barrel would have satisfied his present necessities, but for one barrel alone the price required was $11, so he took the four barrels as a matter of economy. The settlers of that time were obliged to go as far as Centerville, St. Joseph County, to mill, a distance of twenty-five miles, which usually occupied two days, and in those days the cost of grinding an ordinary grist was about $3. Upon one occasion Mr. Parsons and a neighbor started out with an oxteam and four pails and a barrel in quest of wild honey, which was quite plentiful. They were more than usually successful in their search, and when their honey was all strained it more than filled an ordinary barrel, which lasted the family three years. Wild game was also plentiful, and whatever else the pioneers may have lacked in the way of delicacies for the table, they were usually supplied with wild honey and wild meat, which it would seem to the people of this later day should have been esteemed rare luxuries. Our subject was first married in Sherburne, Chenango Co., N. Y., to Miss Ann Almyra Dart, who became the mother of one son, DeWitt C., who is now a resident of California. Mrs. Ann A. Parsons departed this life at her home in Union Township in the spring of 1841. Later Mr. Parsons returned to the vicinity of his old home in Chenango County, N. Y., and was a second time married, to Miss Nancy C. Young, and this union resulted in the birth of four children, of whom the record is as follows: Henry R., the eldest, is one of the successful farmers of Calhoun County, this State; George M. is farming in Union Township, this county; Leo S. is engaged in general merchandising in Union City; Lillias E. is teller of the Farmers' National Bank, in Union City. Mr. Parsons at the time of his coming here was recognized as a valued addition to the community on account of his evident enterprise, and it was not long before he was called upon to fill the various local offices, the duties of which he uniformly discharged with credit to himself and satisfaction to all concerned. Even before leaving his native county he had assumed various public duties, and was also considerably interested in military affairs, having been at one time Paymaster on the Colonel's staff in the old Flying Artillery of the Empire State, and still has the commission signed by E. T. Throop, then Governor of New York, in 1830. He cast his first Presidential vote for 'Andrew Jackson, and was a member of the old Democratic party until they fired on Ft. Sumter, then left the party and cordially endorsed Republican principles, and has loyally adhered to his party. He joined the Masonic fraternity at an early day and still continues a member in good standing. In Union Township during the early days he served as Collector, Assessor and Treasurer, has been a member of the Council in Union City, and was on the United States Jury at Detroit two different times. He is owner of a block at Irving Park, near Chicago, purchased before the present great metropolis gave evidence of its future importance. In the summer of 1871 he purchased property at Eaton Rapids, in this State, which he occupied one summer, but finally migrated back to Union Township, where he feels more at home than in any other place. Mr. Parsons was one of the very first Assessors of Union Township, being elected to this office on the 3d of April, 1837, the year after coming here. He was the first Collector of the township. Whenever he was nominated for any office his election followed uniformly, his name having never been erased when once presented. In reviewing the many events of a long and worthy career he has the satisfaction of knowing that he has dealt honestly and uprightly with all men, has been prompt in meeting his obligations, and was ever willing to make sacrifices in order to establish a principle. These qualities have been fully appreciated by his fellow-citizens, by whom he is held in the highest esteem, and who credit him with all the qualities of an honest man and a good citizen. Although Providence has blessed him with wealth, he is still I A 1-1) i t~~__. ~ ~ ___ ____~_~~~__ ~.....~.._.....~..-.-~..1.-x-...~. —.-.-. — ~~ -~ ---— ~ --- —-._ —. —]~ *BN —., ---- --- —- ---— --- --- —------— ~ --— --- —------------------— ----~- --------— ~r 1 __ Ahmk. Pr-""C"lq~llwl~1~ —~ —lll I-C BRANCI the same unassuming gentleman as of old, living in unpretentious style, caring little for the vain show of life, but learning much from his observation of men and things. As one of the most worthy pioneers of this region, he is accorded that tacit veneration and respect which are due those who made their way into a new country, assisting in bearing its burdens, and to whose enterprise and labors are due the present condition and reputation of Union Township. The name of Solomon Parsons will be held in grateful remembrance long after he has been gathered to his fathers. I COUNTY. 439 I ft\ J. BECK is an enterprising and well-to-do \ farmer and stock-raiser, residing on secI tion 9, Gilead Township, where he owns one of the best improved farms in this locality. He was born in Germany in 1841, and is. the eldest of the seven children of J. W. and Eva N. (Byriden) Beck. They emigrated to this country when our subject was quite young, and settled in Ohio, in the town of Akron, where the father, who was a skilled mason, carried on his trade for some years. They then moved onto a farm which he had purchased near Akron, and there the father died in 1846, in manhood's prime, aged forty-one years. He was a man of excellent repute, was faithful and true to his family, and was a good citizen, such as the community where he spent his last years could ill spare. His good wife is now living with her children on section 9, this township. Of their marriage seven children were born. Their son Christopher took part in the late war and died for his country; he enlisted at Akron, Ohio, Sept. 17, 1861, for a term of three years, or until the close of the war, and became a member of Company D, 29th Ohio Infantry, was mustered in at Camp Giddings, went directly to the front, and was in the battles of Winchester and Gettysburg; was with Sherman on the march to the sea; was wounded at Atlanta, being shot in the left leg on the 27th of July, 1864, and he was conveyed to the hospital at Kingston, Ga., where he had to suffer amputation; * -_ gangrene set in, causing his death Sept. 17, 1864. Previous to receiving his wound he had veteranized in the same company in which he first enlisted. The subject of this sketch passed the days of his boyhood and youth mostly on his father's homestead, and received the benefit of an education in the district school of his county. In the year 1860, by his energy and enterprise he had gained enough to establish a comfortable home even before he attained his majority. and in that year he was married to Lydia Weston, a native of Ohio. She was born in 1840, and was the youngest of the five children of Francis and Amanda (Hinman) Weston, natives respectively of Connecticut and New York. They were among the earliest settlers of the part of Ohio in which they made their home in 1815. They started for that State from Connecticut with teams in the year 1814, but were detained on the way in New York eighteen months, on account of the war. Mr. Weston improved a fine farm in Ohio, and died on his homestead at the venerable age of ninetythree, in the year 1882. His wife passed away in 1859, at the age of fifty-seven years. After marriage Mr. Beck continued to reside in Ohio, prosperously engaged in farming until 1863, when he removed to DeKalb County, Ind. After spending two years in that State he returned to Ohio, and resumed his farming operations there on his father-in-law's old homestead, remaining there for some fifteen years. In 1880 he came to Michigan and bought an improved farm of 100 acres on sections 4 and 9, which he still continues to own. He has been very successful in the management of it, and has much increased its value since it cane into his possession by his careful tillage and a judicious expenditure on improvements, having among other things built a fine barn. IIe has a good grade of horses, among which is a fine Morgan; his cattle are high-grade Durhams, and his sheep are of the Shropshire strain. Two children have been born to our subject and his wife-Frankie Ellsworth and Mae. The former died in infancy; the latter is now Mrs. Hoopengarner. and lives at home; she is well educated, having attended the graded school at Orland. Although our subject has been a resident of this township but a few years, his ability and integrity have gained d_ I I i1 I i i I i i i I I i I i i i II IF \ t _,} _L EL 0- - r~ I A --- - - - --- I --- -- — goo1 C _ t IJLCIC,~~t 1111111Lll IlllllllC~ CI~ll ~~-~I~ ~~e-~1~r ~F.~I I - -~S- l -- eLI I _ SION- JR-~~-r.04 440 BRANCH COUNTY. him the full confidence of his fellow-citizens, and given him an influential position among them. He takes an active part in political affairs, being an ardent supporter of the Republican party; he is also greatly interested in educational matters, and has assisted in building two school-houses in this township. When called upon to hol( public office he discharges its duties with a single eye to the benefit of the people, and he is now satisfactorily serving his fourth term as Higlway Commissioner. He is a prominent member of the Grange, and occupies the responsible position of Purchasing Agent. He and his amialle wife are highly respected members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and heartily cooperate in its good works for the elevation of society. OHN P. FOX has been successfully carrying Ion agriculture on section 1, Sherwood Town1 ship, for thelast six years. His farm property comprises 255 acres of valuable land. located two miles west of Union City, convenient to church and school, and where, in addition to general farming, he makes a specialty of fine sheep, dealing mostly in Shropshire and Southdowns, and Hambletonian and Percheron horses. He possesses all the elements required for the substantial and reliable citizen and,membner of the community, in whose welfare he has always taken a generous interest. In the building up of one of the most desirable homesteads of this region he has not only acquired a valuable property for himself, but has added to the taxable property of his township many hundreds of dollars. A man cannot do otherwise than influence his surroundings, and the land adjoininga valuable estate necessarily partakes of a portion of its importance. Our subject first opened his eyes to the light in Montour County, Pa., May 23, 1843, and is consequently a man in the prime of life. He came with his parents to Michigan when a lad eleven years of age, they settling first in the vicinity of Fredonia, Calhoun County, where they lived for a period of twenty-eight years. John P. in 1882 secured pos session of the land which he now owns and occupies. His parents were natives of Pennsylvania, and are now deceased. Mr. Fox, on the 23d of April, 1868, took to his heart and home one of the most engaging young ladies of Burlington Township, Calhoun County, Miss Catherine F. Green, who was born May 3, 1843, and who lived with her parents until her marriage. The latter were natives of New York, and are now living in Burlington, Calhoun County, this State. To our subject and his wife there have been born three children, one son and two daughters: Their eldest, Charles H., April 23, 1870; Eliza A. was born Dec. 16, 1871, and Lena M., Jan. 4, 1879. They are all at home with their parents, and form a bright and interesting group, of which the parents may well be proud. The farm, with its appurtenances, forms a most pleasant picture in the landscape of this region, and invariably attracts the eye of the passing traveler on account of its neat and substantial buildings, its well-kept stock, and the general appearance of thrift and comfort which is so pleasing to the eye, and which affects in no unimportant manner the general reputation of the community. ACOB ENSLEY, notable among the general farmers and stock-raisers of Batavia Township, is the proprietor of 180 acres of land on section 1, where he has good modern improvements, and the land in a highly productive condition. Mr. E. has been a resident of this township over fifty years, coming here in 1835. IHe secured possession of his present farm in 1870, and the improvements which are now seen are mostly the result of his own industry. The fences, buildings and live stock, also the machinery, denote the progressive agriculturist and a man who is bent upon keeping up with the times. Our subject was born in Lenawee County, this State, May 22, 1835, and is the son of John and Lydia (McClish) Ensley, who are natives of Ohio, and are still living, continuing to make their home.abm.- ) 6 - -VP-'....... 1 I Is I/ ^m^'^'v I:~i :~~-il~ i~; ap^ I i I I r t I - I44 -0 -IIIIII —4k~ ~ il - a L BRANCH COUNTY. 443 j -— = in Batavia Township, where they settled soon after coming to the Territory of Michigan. The first four months were spent in Lenawee County. Jacob was the second child of the family, and remained under the parental roof until reaching his majority. One of the leading ideas of the young men of fifty years ago was to establish a home of their own, and in bringing this about they must necessarily have a wife and helpmate. Our subject with this end in view was accordingly married a few months after he was twenty-seven years old, on the 31st of August, 1862, his bride being Miss Dora Robinson, and the wedding taking place at her home in Batavia Township. Mrs. Ensley was born near Spartansburg, Pa., Aug. 30, 1843, and was the younger daughter of Nahum and Betsy (Golden) Robinson, the former of whon died in Crawford County, Pa., and the latter in Panama, N. Y. Mr. Robinson was born in Massachusetts and his wife in Pennsylvania, the latter in Crawford County. To that section of country the father had removed when a young man, and they were there married. Mr. Robinson was a miller by trade, which he carried on both in Pennsylvania and New York State until after the death of his wife. After this he returned to Crawford County and spent his last days there. He had been uniformly successful and accumulated a good property, and was sixty-three years old at the time of his death. The mother died in middle life at the age of forty-four. She was a good woman, fulfilling her duties of wife, mother and neighbor, in a careful and conscientious manner, and was a devoted member of the Methodist Church. Their family consisted of four sons and seven daughters. Two of the sons are deceased, one having died in the army, and also two of the daughters. Nahum Robinson was a private in the War of 1812. He was orphaned at an early age, and but little is known of his family history. Mrs. Ensley was reared to womanhood under the parental roof, and was a young woman nineteen years old when coming to Michigan. Of her union with our subject there were born four children, of whom only one is living, a son, Homer, who is engaged in farming at home. The others were: Grant, who died at the age of fifteen years; Burt, who died when fifteen months old, and Bertha, who was i BRANCH~ CUT.44. taken from the household circle at the interesting age of five years. Mr. and Mrs. Ensley after their marriage settled on the old homestead, where they still remain. Our subject is independent in politics, but he and his excellent wife are warmly interested in whatever pertains to the welfare of their county. They hold membership in Batavia Grange No. 95, P. of H1. Mrs. Ensley is a lady who would be noticeable anywhere for her bright mind, quick perceptions and fine natural capacities. She has labored equally with her husband in establishing their position, both socially and financially. IRAM DOUBLEDAY, an aged citizen of Union Township, who has made his home in Union City for the last seventeen years, was ~, formerly one of the most enterprising and prosperous farmers of this section, to which he came during its pioneer (lays. He entered the Territory of Michigan as early as 1832, and settled first in Calhoun County, where he lived four years, and then removed to Sherwood Township, this county, at a time when it was nearly a wilderness. Here he battled with the elements of a new soil many years, and until he was admonished that it would be wise to retire from active labor. He consequently took up his residence in Union City, where he has since lived, and to whose people his form has been familiar, while at the same time they render him that veneration and respect which are due him as one of the adventurous spirits who pitched his tent in the wilderness and assisted in the development of a country which is now viewed with admiration both by the East and the West. Mr. Doubleday was horn in Ft. Ann, Washington Co., N. Y., Feb. 20, 1802, and was the ninth child of Elisha and Mercy (Bement) Doubleday, who were natives of Connecticut. They settled in their native State after their marriage, remaining only a short time, however, then removed to Vermont, and later to Washington County, N. Y. There the father carried on agriculture a number of r! I soap A 1 4 - I m --- I I I 0 &L - 77 — - pl- -.6 -4e * I F"" ~l-~-"l~U"~l~~-~~ - ~I-.-~~ *II ga - I -, 444 BRANCH COUN~TY. 4A O years, but made one more removal, into Onondaga County, where both parents spent the remainder of their lives. Elisha Doubleday was called hence when about sixty years of age. The mother survived her husband many years. and lived to the advanced age of ninety. Their family included ten children, of whom our subject is the only one now living. Hiram Doubleday set out from Yates County, N. Y., for the West with his little family, he having been married in Italy, that county, March 13, 1825, to Miss Betsy Wallace, daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Wallace, who spent their last years in New York. Mrs. Doubleday was born in Saratoga County, Feb. 26, 1802, the same year as her husband, and departed this life at her home in Sherwood Township, this county, Oct. 13, 1852. Of this union there were born six children: Harriet, the eldest, is the widow of Daniel D. Riley, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this volume; Harvey M., a resident of Sherwood, is also written of elsewhere; H-iram M. is carrying on farming in the northern part of the State; John M. is occupied at farming in Rochester, Minn.; Francis H. died in Union City, Feb. 27, 1883, when about fortysix years of age; George C. is occupied in farming in Calhoun County. Mr. Doubleday was prospered in his labors as a tiller of the soil, and at one time was the owner of 610 acres in Sherwood Township. He at one time also represented the township in the County Board of Supervisors, and held the other local offices. His portrait is presented on page 442. ^ ---- -^b-Edj --- —-— ^-cC of the farming community of this county, whose sound common sense, strictly honorable dealings, and able management of their affairs, have brought them well-merited success, our subject takes a high stand. He has for many years been prosperously following agricultural pursuits in the pleasant township of Ovid, and by constant devotion to his work and well-directed efforts, aided by the untiring assistance of a capable wife, he has gathered together considerable property, and is in possession of an ample income, so that he has been enabled to resign the charge of his farm on sections 21 and 22 to his son, while he and his wife are now living in retirement from the cares of a busy life. Mr. Kenyon was born Jan. 31, 1815, in that part of Montgomery County, N. Y., now embraced in Fulton County. His father, Job Kenyon, was a native of Rhode Island, as was also his father, who is thought to have spent his entire life there. Job Kenyonl was reared in his native State, and when a young man went out from his New England home to seek another in the wilds of New York, and settled in the town of Broadalbin, in what is now Fulton County. lie bought a tract of timber land, cleared a farm, and was a valued resident of that place until his death il 1838. The maiden name of his wife, who died several years later, was Sarah Van. a native of New York State. The subject of our sketch was reared to manhood on the homestead which had been the place of his birth, and after his father's death the management of the farm devolved upon him. He was industriously engaged in agricultural pursuits in his native State until 1855, when he came to Michigan and located in Branch County. A short time prior to coming to this State he had been married, Dec. 17, 1854, to Miss Mary Adams, arid nobly did she put her shoulder to the wheel and do her part in the hard work that lay before them in the upbuilding of a home. She has encouraged and strengthened her husband by her counsel and wisdom, and by her excellent management of the household affairs lightened their expenses, and thus hastened their financial prosperity. She was born May 13, 1830, in Broadalbin, Fulton Co., N. Y., her father, Samuel Adams, having been an early settler of that county, and where his last years were passed. Her mother, whose maiden name was Mary Eaton, also spent her last years in Fulton County. When Mr. Kenyon came to this county his means were limited, and he commenced life here by working land on shares, and in 1866 he and his wife had managed so prudently and had been so industrious, that he was enabled to buy a farm of 120 acres on sections 21 and 22. This farm, by i I J Orr I, C4 9 -,i t1 7'" -ccS1IZL: I obw-au I I iI i i I I r I \ 1 I114161 I I - BRANCH COUNTY. 445 I careful and wise tillage, he has brought to a fine state of cultivation, and it is one of the most highly productive in the whole county. He continued to make his residence on it until 1887, when he and his wife, leaving their son Walter in charge of the homestead, moved to their present cozy home across the street, on section 27, containing eleven acres. Mr. and Mrs. Kenyon have three children living -Fred, Walter and Lewis. Their pleasant wedded life has been saddened by the death of their only daughter, Alida, at the age of five, and their third child, Willie, at the age of seventeen months, both dying on the same day, in September, 1866. Their son Fred was born Oct. 21, 1858; he married Cora Thompson, of Ovid, and lives in Luther, Lake Co., Mich. Lewis, the youngest son, was born May 13, 1869. and lives with his parents. Walter, the second son, the mainstay of the family, was born Sept. 10, 1866. He was educated ih the district sclools, and always assisted in the labors on the farm, whichliie is now so ably carrying on, from the time he was large enough to do so. He married, Jan. 5, 1887, Cora Adell Quimby, of Ovid Township, the daughter of Hiram and Abigail Quimby; they have a daughter, Ara E. Mr. and Mrs. Kenyon have won the respect and warm friendship of the entire community in their many years sojourn here, as they have always shown themselves to be kind, sympathetic and helpful in their relations with their neighbors, and in their private life they are above reproach. \ETER I. MANN, a prominent and successful agriculturist residing on section 22, Girard Township, is engaged in mixed farming on a fine farm of 220 acres. In connection with this he makes a specialty of raising sheep and fitting them for market, and in this line of pastoral industry he has met with that success which the industry and perseverance of the Mann family merit. He now owns a total of 545 acres of land, all in this township, the remainder of which is operated by others and yields a good annual income. The father of our subject, Jacob W. Mann, was a native of Schoharie County, N. Y., and was born Feb. 13, 1789. He continued to reside in his native State until 1836, when he came to Girard Township, in this county, and purchased a farm, part of which he obtained from the Government. Here he spent the remainder of his life, engaged as were all the pioneers of that day, in building cabins, clearing and breaking land, and caring for the wants of his family until his decease, which took place Sept. 19, 1846. His wife, the mother of our subject, who in her girlhood was Polly Shannon, was the daughter of George and Mary Shannon, also natives of Schoharie County, N. Y. She was born on the 1st of March, 1798, and was married before coming to Michigan. They became the parents of eight children, six sons and two daughters, of whom our subject is now the only survivor. Peter I. Mann was born in the Empire State, in Schohlarie County. Feb. 27, 1815, and his youthful days were spent under the guidance of his parents, learning at home the practical lessons of life and in school receiving such education as the time and place afforded. His services were early utilized upon the farm, and he became inured to hard labor and grew to a vigorous manhood, developing good judgment and considerable ambition. He accompanied his parents when they removed to this county, and remained with them on the farm until twenty-six years of age. He underwent all the privations to which the pioneers of that early day were subjected. Few of the comforts of life were to be obtained, even if they had the money to purchase them, as the roads were almost impassable and trading-posts at long intervals. Wild game, such as deer and turkeys, was plentiful, and smaller game was to be had in abundance, which was a great advantage to the early settler, affording him a constant means of supplying his table with wholesome nmeat. Wolves and bears were disagreeably plentiful, and frequently made nocturnal incursions upon the farmer's hog-pens and farmyards. The Indian was still a familiar figure, lingering before the march of civilization, and whatever real danger there may have been in his proximity, the female members of the family naturally felt timorous when they were often a mile distant from any assistance. i_ I -."d A1 - r op" I ws li - --- -- - - - - m _.^. Qle -l f. rc-~..4~l I: sop o, qo -- 446 BRANCH COUNTY. On the 13th of January, 1842, our subject was united in marriage with Miss Lavina Grove, who was born in Madison County, N. Y., May 14, 1822, and is the daughter of Peter and Elizabeth Grove. Immediately after marriage the young couple settled upon the farm which they now own and occupy, and by their well-directed and united efforts soon carved out for themselves a home around which they might gather the comforts of life, and which they might leave as a goodly heritage to their children. They watched with great interest the development of this section of country through the rapid transformations which have taken place, and were ever ready to exert themselves and lend their influence to the advancement of any measure calculated to benefit their community. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Mann was blessed by the birth of eight clildren, four of whom are now living, two sons and two daughters. Mary married J. B. Williams, a farmer of Girard Township; Jacob W. is married, and is also engaged in farming in Girard Township; Linda married Richard Hurst, of Girard, while Mark H. resides at home and is also married. In politics, Mr. Mann is found identified with the Republican party, but he is no seeker after political preferment, preferring to devote his energies to his domestic duties. Socially, lie is a member of the Coldwater Commandery, K. T. "- NGELO R. BONNEY. Among the intelligent and well-educated young men of Li Gilead Township, who are active in the support of its farming and stock-raising interests, our subject occupies an honorable position. owning and successfully managing a good farm pleasantly located on section 20, about four miles from the town of Orland, Ind. Mr. Bonney is a native of Branch County, horn in the township of Batavia, April 26, 1858. being the eldest of the three children born to the Rev. John R. and Malvina A. (Hurd) Bonney, natives respectively of Ohio and New York. The paternal grandparents of our subject, Hezekiah and Marietta (Dewey) Bonney, were natives of Connecticut, and his maternal grandparents were natives of New York, whence they removed in an early day to Ohio, and were numbered among the first pioneers of Lorain County. The parents of our subject came to Michigan in 1857 or 1858, and settled in Batavia Township, where Mr. Bonney bought forty acres of heavily timbered land. lIe commenced its clearance and improvement, and later on purchased an additional forty acres, so that he now owns a fine farm of eighty acres of arable land. Soon after coming to Michigan he entered the ministry, and has now for many years been widely known throughout Branch and adjoining counties as an able expounder of the doctrines of the Congregational Church. He has married more couples than any other minister in Branch County, and has been known to marry two couples and preside at two funerals in the same day. On the 1st of March, 1887, he left his home in Bronson temporarily, and is at present preaching in DeSmet, Dak. He delivered his first sermon in the old brick school-house in Batavia Township. He organized the Congregational Church at Bronson, and has preached at nearly all the school-houses in Batavia, Bethel, Gilead and Bronson Townships. He is a man of earnest devotion, strong in his convictions, and forcible in his utterances. Both he and his wife are sincerely respected and beloved by the people among whom they have made their home for so many years. Angelo R. Bonney, of this sketch, received the preliminaries of his education in the public school of Bronson, which he attended a number of years, making good progress. In 1876 he entered the preparatory department in Oberlin College, and for six years was a student in that celebrated institution of learning, taking the regular classical course. Being gifted with musical talents of a high order, he also paid much attention to that branch of art, and became quite proficient in music. He belonged to the Oberlin Glee Club, consisting of sixteen young men, among whom were Prof. Chamberlain and the intimate friend of our subject, I). A. Bunker, who has been sent on rI obo-4 i '- I 000. -I-40lCIlClblllde ~~II PII9 -- ~-r prl ~~ I j' l _~__________~~._.,~- -- --— I M. I it's I I ~,~ II I I III, I I I 1 -1 IN -- - - I mm r t i i i I i I i i I i i I BRANCH COUNTY. 447 i -- I an educational mission to Corea. In the spring of 1882 the club made a professional tour, visiting Jacksonville, Champaign and Chicago, Ill., where they were tendered a reception by the Oberlin graduates at the Tremont House, and they also went to Janesville, Wis. They took a new departure in regard to the music that they rendered, and instead of singing the light melodies so popular, presented a higher grade of music, singing from the Arion. They were everywhere enthusiastically received by good audiences, and were very highly complimented. After leaving college, Mr. Bonney served as a clerk for one and one-half years in a general store at Bronson. After that he engaged in teaching, and was for two terms an instructor in the Orland public school, having charge of all the higher classes, and meeting with good success in his vocation, for which his temperament and superior education eminently fitted him. In 1883 our subject was united in marriage with Miss Mary E. Luce, a native of Steuben County, Ind., born in 1860. She is the younger of the two children of A. A. and Althea (Martin) Luce (see biography of A. A. Luce for parental history). After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Bonney settled in Bronson. He was subsequently engaged for six months teaching in Orland, and he then purchased his present farm, on which he has since resided. This farm comprises forty acres of land, rich and highly productive, and in a good state of tillage. It is well stocked with good grade Magna Charta horses, high-grade Shorthorn cattle, fine sheep of Merino and lShropshire strains, and Chester-White hogs. Although Mr. Bonney is still in the prime of early manhood, he has displayed excellent judgment and skill in the management of his agricultural interests, and has shown himself to possess steadiness and stability of character, good business talents, and sound common sense, which have already made him prominent in public, religious and social affairs in Gilead Township. He takes an active part in politics, and votes with the Republican party. He was Township Clerk in the year 1887, and is Notary Public at the present time. Both he and his wife are among the leading rmenbers of the Congregational Church at Gilead, and I he is Clerk of the church, and also organist of both the Congregational and Methodist Churches, having held those positions since coming to Gilead Township to reside. Our subject belongs to the Grange, and does all in his power to advance the agricultural interests of Branch County. The pleasant home circle of Mr. and Mrs. Bonney is completed by the presence of their son Egbert.!~ ICHARI WOODS, M. D. Prominent among ilf' the representative citizens of Branch County I[ \\ for many years stood the gentleman whose wQname heads this sketch, and although Dr. Woods has passed away to enjoy the recompense due his useful though short life, his memory still lives, and his honorable and successful career stands forth as a fitting example of what can be done by earnest and constant effort. Dr. Woods was born in Bradford County, Pa., April 24, 1835, and died in Quincy Township, this county, Dec. 4, 1880, in the midst of his successful career. The subject of this biographical sketch was the son of Samuel and Kareen Woods, and at the age of two years was taken by his parents, accompanied by an elder brother, James, to Trumbull County, Ohio, and a short time later they settled in the town of Deerfield, in the adjoining county of Portage. Here they continued to reside until Richard was seventeen years of age, and the family numbered seven children, four sons and three daughters. At this time a removal was made to Hardin County, in the same State, a sparsely settled section of country, and one year later the faithfulness and obedience of the son induced Mr. Woods to give Richard his freedom. The young miin at once began the work of securing an education, and by perseverance he was soon enabled to attend the High School at Finley, Ohio, defraying his expenses by book-keeping and teaching in district schools during vacations. He was ambitious, studious and intelligent, and made rapid progress in his studies, broadening and deepening his education by close observation and an extensive course of general ~ -1,_ IJ NI-:-4,. --- —------ I: I I — —.,mg I _ -. L -— -- i r _OW f — IL))-~~~ C ~ I CIIL~I CC~~CI LI ii.rr~ - -I I- Ir ~rr r I rd)lll r —m lllI a L 448 W-' BRANCH COUNTY. I reading. At the age of twenty-two he began the study of medicine in the office of Dr. Spaith, of Finley, and two years later he entered the State University, at Ann Arbor, Mich. In 1862 lie received a diploma from the medical department of that institution, and in the same year returned to his home and commenced the practice of his profession at Forest, Ohio. Subsequently he attended, in 1874, a course of lectures at Bellevue Hospital, N. Y. One year later, however, he removed to Quincy, Mich., where his brother was already located, and here he remained until his decease. During the seventeen years sojourn at Quincy of Dr. Woods, engaged in the duties of his profession, he gained a large and lucrative practice and made an extensive acquaintance. He was familiarly known as '"Dr. Dick," and there were but few families in the vicinity who were not acquainted with the genial disposition and quiet manners of tie successful practitioner, or lhad not received professional visits from him. His strict integrity and winning manners gained for him the entire confidence of the whole community, and while calm and firn in the hour of danger. he was always so kind in his manner and hopeful in his intercourse with his patients, that he inspired perfect confidence and made his hopefulness contagious. Although his success was phenomenal, he ever remained the quiet, self-possessed and unostentatious "Dr. Dick," and a prominent feature of his character was a disposition to speak well of his fellowmen. He never indulged in harmful criticism, and if he could not speak well of a person he remained silent. He realized to the fullest extent that, although to some degree we may estimate the effect of a course of conduct, we cannot tell the motive that inspired it. He felt like saying with Burnsn" ' natives of Pennsylvania, and.who removed with their respective families to Hardin County, Ohio, in which they were early pioneers, Grandfather Hueston being one of the first five settlers, and living there when their only neighbors were Indians. Here, while growing to maturity, they formed each other's acquaintance, and in due time were married. 'hey settled at the old homestead and reared a family of ten children, five of whom are still living, and are recorded as follows: Margaret is the wife of Robinson Tressler, and resides at the old homestead in Hardin County, Ohio; Mary L., the wife of our subject: James M. is a lawyer practicing in Toledo, Ohio; Alice F. is the wife of John Mahan, of Sante Fe, Kan.; Cornelia A. is the wife of Dr. A. Hagerman, of Dunkirk, Ohio. The parents are both deceased, the father being killed in a railroad collision at Dunkirk, Ohio, March 14. 1872, while the mother died Feb. 23, 1888. Dr. and Mrs. Woods had one son, Ralph H., who was born Jan. 29, 1876, and is the pride of his widowed mother. Mrs. Woods is an estimable lady, and was in every way the worthy helpmate of her devoted husband, a kind and sympathetic friend, a lady of culture and refinement, and an indulgent parent. Dr. Woods was a Republican in politics, but he devoted his whole time to the duties of his profession. Socially, he was a member of the Masonic fraternity. EWCOMB WILCOX. He who has no regard for the record of the past, no interest in the present and no anxiety for the future, is scarcely to be named a citizen of the world, and those who are indifferent as to their family history, esteeming it of no importance to their children whence the latter originated and to what class of people they owe their origin, are scarcely to be named among the people of this progressive age. In reviewing the history of the great West, including that of Southern Michigan, those who first pitched their tent in the wilderness and marked out a way for a later civilization are worthy of a more than passing notice. Among them is included the Then at the balance let's be mute, We never can adjust it; What's done we partly may compute, We know not what's resisted. The Doctor died of Bright's disease, complicated with hydrothorax and hypertrophy, And his death was mourned as a public calamity. On the 19th of June, 1859, Dr. Woods was united in marriage with Miss Mary L., (laughter of Thomas and Ann (liowey) Hueston, who were both I m A Rk I - I -&- -? - --- ----- 1 --- - I - W t; E- Ab &bp. —a~~ I~~4 ~ llI Clll~6 —40 Bi ----- ll.-II Io --- — 11 - I _-a- _ " ", -WI TO% A IEY OfI r BR1AN CH subject of this sketch, who is now spending his declining years in the village of Sherwood. We will begin at the very commencement of the career of Newcomb Wilcox, namely, his birth, which took place near the little town of Naples, Ontario Co., N. Y., Nov. 3, 1803. His parents were Charles and Sallie Wilcox, natives of Massachusetts, and who spent their last years in New York State. The father died when Newcomb was but a lad of thirteen years and the latter continued with his mother, whose family consisted of four sons and one dtaughter. It was necessary to increase the family income, and our subject worked first for a farmer and then three summers on the Erie Canal, going to school in the winter. Among his mates was Myron II. Clark, who afterward became Governor of New York, and his brother Stephen, who was the author of Clark's Grammar. Mr. Newcomb before reaching the twenty-second year of his age was united in marriage with a maiden of his own county, Miss Miranda Stearns, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride, Feb. 18, 1825. Soon afterward he and his older brother, Harry, purchased a farm of 100 acres, put up a sawmill, and were engaged in farming and lumbering until the early part of 1837. On the 9th of February, in the year mentioned, Mr. Newcomb having decided upon a change of location started with his wife and four children for Southern Michigan, which had just become a State. Their covered wagon was drawn by two yoke of oxen, two cows following behind. There was some snow upon the ground, and after a few days drifts began to appear and the wagon could proceed no further. A sled was purchased for $3, the wheels taken from the wagon and the runners put under it. Thus equipped they traveled until the bare ground appeared again, then substituted wheels for runners. Three or four men assisted in making the change and a treat settled the bill. Mr. Wilcox offered the sled to any man in the party who would stand another treat, but notwithstanding the fact that the -'straight article" was only three cents per glass, the sled was left by the wayside and the family proceeded on their journey. With the exception of the wagon rolling over into a snow bank and tipping its contents together COUNTY. 449 I in a promiscuous heap, nothing of importance occurred to our travelers until they reached the Black Swamp in Ohio. On account of the almost impassable roads here Mr. Newcomb decided to tarry awhile, and renting a house for his family lived in it five weeks while he employed himself in a sawmill. They then started on their journey again and proceeded in a very laborious manner, being at night scarcely out of sight of the place where they started in the morning. About the time the muddy road was reached again a German family came along, similarly equipped as our subject, but notwithstanding the efforts of Mr. Newcomb to be friendly they rejected all overtures of familiarity until they were hopelessly stuck in the mud. Then they began to be friendly and accepted the proffers of assistance from our subject, it being necessary to put the four yoke of oxen to one wagon to move it. In this way the two families turned about to help each other, drawing one wagon a short distance, then unhitching and going back for the other, and they were thus occupied nearly three days, making ten or twelve miles. Our travelers now struck the sandy road and crossed the Maumee River at Perrysburg on a ferry boat. Mr. Newcomb purchased ground feed which lasted until they arrived at Cold water. When the feed for the oxen and cows was all gone and it "was impossible to buy either hay, straw or grain, Mr. Wilcox started with his team for Union City, still accompanied by his family. About one and onehalf miles out, at the house of a widow lady he found a little rye straw and wheat bran and also shelter for the following night. In the morning the lady sold him two bundles of straw to take along, which by careful economy lasted them until arriving at Hodunk. Here not a mouthful of anything for the cattle could he buy. The two bundles of straw were divided among the six head of cattle, who ate it clean, not leaving a solitary straw. At night of the same day they reached Union City. The bridge across the Coldwater was gone, and the planks which had been placed on logs in its stead were but a trifle wider than the wagon, making it necessary to proceed very carefully to avoid rolling into the river. Here also no feed could be bought for the cattle. They had been I I I a 1 __m "FPP"IIW -~k RR IFV I~N~~ w mm1~a bo Al —ad *~, I = r — Wvp — P i i i r I q* rrrpll sk, I'll obprL ICI — 450 BRANCH COUNTY. living on quarter rations for three or four lays. Mr. Wilcox felt obliged to push on. as feed would not come by their tarrying. After diligent inquiry from the few persons he chanced to meet he found his friend, Phineas P. Lee, who was on the farm now owned by L. P. Wilcox, and arriving at night found them with only enough feed for their own animals. The yoke was taken off the oxen and they lay down faint and supperless, but in the morning Mr. Wilcox fed them a peck of potatoes which had been given him for seed, and they were hitched to the wagon and started on their weary journey. Edward K. Wilcox, the brother of our subject, was now about ten miles distant, and the latter hoped to reach him before his cattle were entirely famished. The poor beasts lay down a number of times, but were finally persuaded to go within three miles of where the brother lived, and then Mr. Wilcox, stopping at Michael Keith's, who lived on the farm now owned by M. Fimple, turned the cattle out on the marsh, and he and his family proceeded through the woods to their destination, which they finally reached with feelings of relief which can better be imagined than described. Here there was a house twelve feet square containing a loft, but in the latter a person could not stand upright. There were six in the family of our subject and five in that of his brother, but notwithstanding their close quarters, Edward K. persuaded Newcomb to stay with him until they could plow a piece of ground and put in some crops for their future use. Mr. Wilcox, our subject, had already secured his land, and on the 1st day of June, the corn and potatoes having been put in, proceeded to cut logs for a house. At the subsequent "' raising" all the men within four or five miles were invited and responded generously. The houses of the two brothers were now three miles apart, and it was desirable that Newcomb and his family should move over as soon as possible, on account of the travel involved in going back and forth to work, so he cut a hole for a door in the unfinished house, laid down some loose boards for a floor, put a pole across the top and boards slanting each way for a roof, moved in, and hung up a blanket at the doorway. Plenty of light was admitted through the cracks between the logs, and Mr. Wilcox had procured shingles to finish the roof, when he was invited to a "raising." to which he went, leaving his family in the new house. A heavy rain soon came on which continued until ten o'clock at night, and in the meantime Mr. Wilcox was very anxious about his family, as he knew that they were liable to be drowned out. The wife and children were obliged to leave their dwelling and proceed to the house of Uncle Mike Keith, a half mile away, the mother carrying one child and three following her. Mr. Wilcox also staid at Mr. Keith's that night, and they went home in the morning. The contents of the bureau were thoroughly wet, and the water was about eight inches deep in the place where they had been building the fire. Although it was Sunday morning Uncle Mike agreed with our subject that it would not be wicked to go to work and put on a more secure roof. This was constructed in true pioneer fashion, and Mr. Wilcox worked at his house until it grew into a very comfortable shelter. The next thing with which they had to contend was sickness. The children were taken down, two at a time, had spasms, and the parents were racked with fears that they would die. The wife and mother then succumbed, and having no neighbors who were well enough to come and assist, Mr. Wilcox was up both night and day, obtaining his sleep sitting in a chair by the bed. In time, however, they all got well and the children were spared to their anxious parents. In the course of a few years Mr. Wilcox found himself making good headway in the cultivation of his land and had built up for himself and family a comfortable homestead. He came here with four children and there were afterward added to the household four more. Desdemona, the eldest, became the wife of P. J. Clipfell, a well-to-do farmer of Sherwood Township; Euphemia married William B. Hemmcnway, and died at her home in St. Joseph County, April 14, 1864; Lormey P. is a member of the firm of Wilcox Bros., of Sherwood; Helen married A. J. Graham, who is carrying on farming in St. Joseph County; Maria, Mrs. William Wheeler, is the wife of a well-to-do resident of Genesee County, who is now living retired at Flint; i i o i i I I — d&l 9^i k 4. b fl It -L --- —-----— ~ -. --- — —. --- —-------—. - _____! -L~ 1 CI "- - - - -—, -, - - -, - " " - -,- - -, -, - - - - ---- -- -, - - -, — - -" -- - -, -, I - -, -.. - - - -. I-1- - ----- BRANCH COUNTY. 451 Bruce is junior member of the firm of Wilcox Bros.: Van occupies himself as a teacher at present in Ludington; Charles died when seven months old, and Frances when one year old, Jan. 16, 1836. Mr. Wilcox, notwithstanding his advanced age, still possesses much of his old-time energy and ambition, and conducted his farm until four years ago. Although not a member of any religious organization, he firmly believes in an over-ruling Providence, and has lived with a conscience void of offense. As one of tle earliest pioneers of Branch County and a man who has acted well his part in life, he is held in universal respect. His name will be remembered long after he has been gathered to his fathers. The wife of our subject was born on the St. Lawrence River in Northern New York, Jan. 14, 1808. She was his faithful friend and companion for a period of nearly sixty years, and departed this life at the old homestead, March 13, 1884. She bore heroically with her husband the hardships and privations of life in a new settlement, and was in all respects the true type of a pioneer wife and mother. J ACOB C. BOON. Among the pioneers of 1836 who took a conspicuous part in the development of Branch County, and were for many years numbered among its prominent citizens, the late George Boon, father of the gentleman whose name heads this sketch, occupied a leading position. In the year mentioned he settled on the Chicago road in Quincy Township, two miles east of the village, having purchased 160 acres of land, at $5 an acre; it was unimproved and covered with heavy timber, and though there was plenty of Government land joining it that he might have bought at $1.25 an acre, he preferred paying $5 an acre for the land that he selected, deeming the soil much richer and better adapted to agricultural purposes. He soon erected a house and commenced to clear his land, and eventually built up a pleasant home, which remained his place of abode the rest of his days. He subsequently bought more land, thus increasing the area of his farm to 280 acres, and was a large farmer for many years. When his children grew up lie gave some of his land to them. He used to raise from 1,000 to 2.500 bushels of wheat yearly and other crops in proportion. He also dealt extensively in live stock, and at one time drove 1,500 head to Vermont, and bought wool for speculation and sold it at an advance, and in all these various enterprises he was very much prospered and accumulated wealth. Mr. Boon was born in Philadelphia, July 2, 1802, and was a son of Jacob Boon, a native of Holland, who came to the United States when fourteen years old. He first made his home in the State of New York, and at West Point married, and then settled in Philadelphia, Pa., where the father of our subject was born. To him and his wife were born five sons and one daughter, namely: George, William, Rodney, Charles, James and Eliza Ann. The family subsequently returned to New York, when George was four years of age, and settled in West Point, where the father died in 1816. After his death his widow and children moved to Ontario County, N. Y. George Boon was fourteen years of age when his father died, and he being the eldest of the family was looked to as its main support, and faithfully and nobly did he lerform his part until his brothers and sister were old enough to perform their share in providing for the wants of the household. When he was released from his filial obligations Mr. Boon married Mary Craft, who was born in Steuben County, N. Y., and was a daughter of Thomas Craft. After marriage Mr. Boon continued to follow farming in Ontario County until 1836, when he migrated to the Territory of Michigan with his family, and as we have seen, built up a comfortable home for them in Quincy Township. In 1869 the happy wedded life of Mr. Boon, and his amiable wife, which had endured for about half a century, was brought to a close by the death of the latter. She had been, indeed, a true homemaker, and had faithfully assisted her husband to make life a success, and had been a devoted mother and an obliging neighbor. Of that marriage five children were born, of, whom the following is the record: Jacob C.; Jane, the wife of Barber Per P 0r r I e_ -I I C, I I II I I -I I ~ - -_4, _ ---— ~-L --- —--— L ---_ -LIIL- --- -------- --— ~111 - ____________________ _ __________________ F _ _-. - _- I 7 h__~ P i; i!! r r" 7-~11-Cl-I_-_^.~I. ~ --— 1-.~ 1-_ —._.~.~I. 1 sI. -__.._ _l.l~-. —._1.I. I.__ _ I___CII-~-1-_ X11_. ~._._.._ I~~I — ~-I-I — - -^ --- —-~ L 452 BRANCH COUNTY. I: I I kins, died in Coldwater;John (lied on the homestead; Harriet, the wife of J. C. Rogers, died in Quincy; Mary, wife of William Walcott, died in Quincy. Mr. Boon was a second time married. Mrs. Harriet Perkins, nee Zimmerman, becoming his wife. She is also dead, having departed this life before her husband. Mr. Boon died in May, 1884, having rounded out a long and useful life of nearly eighty-two years, forty-eight of which he passed in Quincy Township, honored and respected as a citizen and as a man. He took an active part in the administration of the public affairs of this township, and held several local and political offices. He belonged to the Democratic party, and was always a faithful supporter of its tenets. He was prominently identified with the Baptist Church, having helped to organize the society of that denomination at Quincy, and one of the first members of the church, of which he was an officer for many years. The gentleman whose name heads this sketch is the only living member of the family of the late George Boon. of whom we have written. He is very pleasantly situated on section 1, Quincy Township, where he is prosperously engaged in agricultural pursuits on one of the finest farms in this vicinity, which he has owned since 1873. It comprises eighty acres of well-tilled land, which produces large crops; it is well supplied with convenient farm buildings, and a commodious residence greatly adds to the attractiveness of the place. Mr. Boon was born in the town of Naples, Ontario Co., N. Y., Feb. 1. 1825, and was a lad of eleven years when he accompanied his parents to Michigan, and he grew to manhood amid the pioneer surroundings of the homestead in Quincy Township. He continued to live with his parents until he was twenty-seven years of age, greatly assisting his father in the management of his extensive interests. After marriage he and his young wife commenced their wedded life on the homestead, in the old log cabin that his father had erected in 1836. Three years later he purchased forty acres of land near by, and cultivated the same until the death of his wife. After that sad event he sold that place and soon afterward bought another farm of eighty acres near by, where he continued to reside until he pur chased his present farm. Mr. Boon is a wide-awake man, with good sound sense, and that he has prospered in his vocation is very evident from his surroundings. During the Civil War our subject was in the employ of the United States Government, in the construction corps, for eighteen months, discharging his duties with great efficiency and faithfulness. Mr. Boon has been twice married. His first wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Peter and Elizabeth Lampam, to whom he was married in 1852, died in 1854. She was a truly good woman, and was a cheerful helper and a wise counselor to her husband. Of their union one child was born, who died in childhood. Mrs. Boon was b)orn in Schoharie County, N. Y.. in 1826, and when young accompanied her parents to Michigan. Mr. Boon's second marriage, which took place April 4, 1866, was to Miss Ann E., (laughter of Aaron and Lucy Fay. She was born in Onondaga County, N. Y. Her pleasant wedded life with our subject ended, her death occurring July 19, 1887, they having been married twenty-one years, and Mr. Boon was once again made to feel the loss of a devoted companion. Mr. Boon is a worthy representative of his good father, inheriting many of the sterling qualities from him, and these have gained him the respect and esteem of all who know him. In politics he is a Democrat, though he by no means confines himself to party lines, always advocating the men and the measures which he thinks best qualified to fill the office, and in the case of the latter, most calculated to work the most good. 1 WILLIAM KING. This is a familiar name //throughout Coldwater Township and vicinity, he who bears it being one of the prominent and well-to-do residents. A native of Kent County, England, he was born May 15, 1829, and is the son of George and Martha King, natives of Kent, and who there spent their last days. The paternal grandfather of our subject, George King, Sr., also a native of County Kent, was a farmer by occupation, and spent his life upon his native soil. William, our subject, was the sixth of -1 i i i i I i I i ii i I Ii II i I i i Ii i i I I I l-qwX L._ i go l I m I - C il I Ir ~_ I I i _I ~ I~~~. a~~~ ~ r -r BC -— d_ 6 I * i. f - BRANCH COUNTY. 453 ten children, four sons and six daughters, all of whom lived to attain mature years. The sons all came to America. John settled first in Rochester, N. Y., later went to Missouri and the Indian Territory, and died in the latter place about 1876. George and Thomas are well-to-do residents of Syracuse, N. Y., where they have pleasant homes. The daughters are living mostly in Kent, England. Mr. King, our subject, took upon himself the cares of life at a very early age, going out to work when he was but six or seven years old, receiving but a penny a day. When fourteen to sixteen years old he earned about ~5 or a little less than $25 per year. He resided in his native county until twenty years of age, then resolving to seek his fortunes on another continent, embarked on a sailing-vessel at London, and seven weeks later landed in New York City. Thence he proceeded to Syracuse, where he arrived with about twenty shillings in his pocket. He at once found employment, however, and the following spring engaged to work on a farm adjacent to the city for $12 per month. The Empire State continued the home of our subject until 1854, then making his way to Southern Michigan he located in the little village of Coldwater, and entered the employ of Gen. Clinton B. Fisk, with whom he remained in town for a period of six years. Then, going onto the farm of the latter, he became manager of that, and was thus occupied until 1868. That year, with the capital which he had saved, he purchased the land which he now occulies. This is pleasantly located on a portion of section 2, and is supplied with good farm buildings. The land is in a high state of cultivation and is the source of a handsome income. Mrs. King, who was formerly Miss Kate O'Meara, became the wife of our subject on the 20th of August, 1858, the wedding being celebrated at the Fisk homestead. She was born near the city of Quebec, Canada, March 6, 1836, and is the daughter of Patrick and Mary (Bergen) O'Meara, the former a native of Kings County, Ireland. Of this union there are six children living: Mattie, Harvey, Mary, William, Charles and Fanny. Georgie died in infancy. The father of Mrs. King, when a youth of sixteen years left Ireland, and going over into England I I was employed as the body servant of a gentleman until he was twenty-five years old. He then embarked as a sailor and followed the sea a number of years. He finally settled in Canada and purchased 300 acres of land twelve miles southwest of London, where lie was one of the early pioneers. He brought a goodly amount of this to a state of cultivation and lived there until 1841. He then changed his residence to London, purchasing thirtyfive acres, which is now included in the city limits, but which he sold in 1845, and coming to Detroit resided there until 1849. Subsequently he lived in Coldwater for a time, but in 1854, bound to take in the whole of the continent, moved to California, overland, and engaged in mining the greater part of the time for four years. Then returning to Coldwater, he visited among his relatives and children a year or so, but starting on his return to California, via the Isthmus, died on the voyage and received an ocean burial. The mother of our subject was before her marriage Miss Mary Bergen, a native of Queens County, Ireland, and the dautghter of John and Mary Bergen. She was left an orphan when four years of age, and when a girl of eleven came to America with a cousin, and was married when fourteen years of age. She is still living, making her home in Coldwater, and is now seventy-three years old. Our subject and his wife, with five of their children, are members in good standing of the Episcopal Church, while their daughter Mattie finds religious consolation in the doctrines of the Close Communion Baptists. PHRAIM J. PADDOCK, of Girard Township, came to this county with his father in 1836, from Wayne County, N. Y., where he was born March 3, 1822. His father, Ira R. Paddock. was born in Dutchess County, Feb. 28, 17S8, and removed when a young man to Berkshire County, Mass., whence a few years later lie changed his residence to Wayne County, N. Y. Subsequently he lived in Monroe County ten years, and in 1836 came to the Territory of Michigan, and purchased i i i r I *O" -I Il 2 t-~ ----lCI - -- I I'r r ~ I ~..I I Io 7'1~1~1""3a F -1L~ 1 1111 PSPCI~- _ _____________________ ____ T I ;b)! C, --- —— ~ --- —- ----~ --- —----— ~ --- —~ — ~~ ---~~~-~ --- —— ~~ ----~-~- ---— ~-~~ ---~ — ~- - — ~ — ~~~~ --- —~~ ---~~ —~ I 1.-l-.l.-l --- —- --- I I -1,111...., I Nq 80 *be1111111111, 454 BRANCH COUNTY. = 320 acres of land in Coldwater Township, and a part of which is now occupied by the poor farm. The father of our subject retained possession of this property until his death, which occurred in Wayne County, N. Y., in 1841. He was married early in life to Miss Polly Bridges, of Berkshire County, Mass., and they became the parents of four children, two sons and two daughters, three of whom are deceased, and the only surviving child, a son, William Paddock, is now a retired farmer, and a resident of Coldwater. Ira R. Paddock, in 1820, contracted a second marriage, with Miss Minerva, daughter of Ephraim Seeley, of Berkshire County, Mass., and who died at her home in Coldwater in 1838. Of this marriage there were born four children, three sons and one daughter, only two of whom are now living. Eleanor became the wife of Edwin Beswick, of Racine, Wis., but is now a widow, and a resident of the latter place. Ephraim J., our subject, was a youth of sixteen years at the time of his mother's death, and thereafter made his home with an uncle in Wayne County, N. Y. In 1839, lie returned to Michigan, and began serving an app)renticeship at the carpenter's trade, being in the employ of Judge Warner, of Coldwater Township. With him he remained a year, and for two years later was employed by William Root, of Coldwater, at various kinds of work. March 14, 1844, our subject was united in marriage with Mliss Almira, daughter of Lyman and Mary A. (Schoecraft) Fox, of Girard Township. Mr. Fox was born in Monroe County, N. Y., April 29, 1788, and his wife, Mary A., in Saratoga County, July 19, 1795. They were the parents of ten children, of whom the wife of our subject was the fifth in order of birth. They came to this county in 1836, and Mr. Fox engaged in farming until his death, which took place Sept. 21, 1857. Mrs. Fox survived her husband a little over nine years, dying at her home in Girard Township, Nov. 8, 1866. Six of their children are living, and mostly residents of Michigan. Mrs. Almira Paddock was born Sept. 27, 1824, in Monroe County, N. Y., and came to Michigan with her parents in 1836. Of her union with our subject there were born five children, of whom I only one son and two daughters are living: Eveline, the eldest, was born Dec. 19, 1850; James L., July 13, 1853, and Stella B., Aug. 31, 1863. The son is married and the daughters continue at home with their parents. Mr. Paddock soon after his marriage purchased eighty acres of land which comprises his present farm on section 27. He cleared the entire tract from the wilderness, and added to it until his landed estate now comprises 145 acres of some of the best farming land in the county, and lying five miles from the city of Coldwater. As one of the pioneers of this section of the country, he has witnessed the marvelous changes which have taken place during a period of over fifty years, and as one of the most useful residents of his township has contributed his full quota toward its advancement. In his boyhood days he used to see ten Indians more frequently than one white man. He assisted in chopping out the road from Coldwater to his farm when he had Indians for his neighbors and deer for his meat supply. He cast his first Presidential vote for James K. Polk, and has all his life continued a stanch supporter of Democratic principles. J OHN ECHTINAW. There are many fine farms within the limits of Branch County, but none, we venture to say, is more beautifully located than that of our subject, lying as it does, on Morgan Island, on the bosom of Coldwater Lake, and its fertile, alluvial soil renders- it one of the richest and most productive farms in the country. Mr. Echtinaw was born in Beaver Township, Mahoning Co., Ohio, Nov. 13, 1835, and is a son of Peter and Rebecca (Snyder) Echtinaw, natives of Lancaster County, Pa., the father born June 4, 1808, and the mother Dec. 22, 1805. She was a (laughter of Philip Snyder, also a native of the Keystone State. The grandfather of our subject, on his father's side, was a native of Germany, and came from there to America when a young man, accompanied by two brothers, and settled in Lancaster County, Pa., i I i m * -i ' 6! __ t 141 - - 4, ' ILII I I I I Obb- I - AC -4 A I (W~PC~cri ---kll c-~ ----~ ~ I I - I ----~~- - u r I- II _F o~~n BRANCH ( I where lie bought a tract of land and spent the remainder of his life. The father of our subject was reared and married in his native county, and from there moved to Mahoning County, Ohio, in the spring of 1835, it taking two weeks to make the entire journey over the mountains with a team. They had their provisions, and cooked and camped by the way. Mr. Echtinaw bought twenty acres of land in Beaver Township, erected a log house on the place, which is still standing, and commenced to clear away the heavy timber with which the land was covered. He lived there a few years, then settled on a larger tract of land, which was owned by his brother. He lived thereon seven years, and at the expiration of that time, in the year 1854, came to Branch County, Mich., and bought eighty acres of land on section 1, Ovid Township. Three acres of the land were cleared, and a log house was standing on the place, into which the family moved, and there, in November of that year, his death occurred, while yet in life's prime. He was a man of sterling worth, and a good citizen was lost to the community. His good and faithful wife survived him many years, dying Dec. 27, 1 887. John Echltinaw was reared in his native county, his boyhood and youth being passed in attendance at the district school, and in doing farm work for his father. He was nineteen years old when he accompanied his parents to this county. After his father's death the family lived three years on the farm that he had purchased, and then leased the place, and our subject bought a tract of land on section 26, Ovid Township. There were no buildings on it, but five acres of the land were cleared. As part payment for that place Mr. Echtinaw traded a horse, and after building a house there, went out to work there by the month to earn money to pay for the rest of the land. He assisted some on the home farm, and the rest of the time found employment at other places, working out until his marriage, when he settled down where he now resides, on Morgan Island in Cold water Lake. He is a skillful farmer, employing the best methods of conducting agriculture, and has gained a comfortable competency by his persistent and energetic labors. Mr. Echtinaw gratefully acknowledges that he owes much of his good fortune to the amiable wife m,__ COUNTY. 455 who makes their home so pleasant and cozy. They were united in marriage Feb. 5, 1862. Her maiden name was Esther M. Morgan, and she is a daughter of Luther L. Morgan, the former proprietor of the island, which for many years has been her home. She was born in Noble, LaPorte Co., Ind., March 25, 1841, coming of Welsh ancestry, who settled in Connecticut in early Colonial times. Her father was born in Stonington, Conn., where his father, who owned a large farm there, spent his entire life. Mrs. Echtinaw's great-grand(father was born in Wales, and came to America with two brothers, and during the war of the Revolution did good service for his adopted country as Captain of a privateer, and while in action lost his life. The maiden name of the grandmother of our subject was Ora Stel)hens, an( she was a lifelong resident of Connecticut. The father of Mrs. Echtinaw left his old New England home at the age of twentyone, and went to New York State. where he learned the trades of carpenter and joiner, and of cooper. He married Betsey Hough, who was born in Cooperstown, Otsego Co., N. Y., Oct. 7, 1806, and was a daughter of Samuel and Lucy (Clark) Hough. Her father was a native of Massachusetts, moved from there to Connecticut, and thence to Otsego County, N. Y. He bought a farm on Metcalf Hill, built a frame house, and had improved a part of the land when some one came along who had a prior claim to the land, and Mr. Hough left it with all his improverents. He then migrated toG-enesee County, accompanied by his wife and five children, the journey being made with an ox-team, which also conveyed their household goods. He rented land for some years, then bought a tract of land in Wyoming County, where he passed the remaining years of his life. His daughter, Mrs. Morgan, received a good education, and was successfully engaged in district schools for several terms, and for two terms was a teacher in the Indian school at the Towanda reservation. She was expert with the needle, having learned the trades of milliner and tailoress, and she could also spin and weave. In 1837, while yet a single man, Mr. Morgan came to Branch County with a Mr. Northrup, the journey being made overland with a team through Canada to Detroit, and thence by stage to this I I mvpl"-mm_ l-P v NW -— I -lr~ -r'YI I - r I~ -rg F v I U;L 4 f I 456 BRANCH COUNTY. I county. Mr. Morgan worked at his trade in Ovid Township a few months, and then went to LaPorte County, Ind., where he was employed as a carpenter until 1845. He then returned to Branch County and settled in Ovid Township, buying eighty acres of land on section 3, which became his home until 1850, and during that time he was prosperously engaged at his trade. He then disposed of that farm and bought the island that now bears his name, and there spent his last years. It was a tract of heavily timbered land at that time, with no buildings, and he erected a block house and frame barn. He still continued carpentering the greater part of the time, but cleared about twenty-five acres of the land before death cut short his useful and honorable career. On the 14th of April, 1862, while he was rowing on the lake he was drowned. He was a man whose energetic character, sound principles and genial disposition caused him to be widely respected. His devoted companion and helpmate survived him until Sept. 16, 1881, when she too passed away. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Echtinaw has been blessed by the birth of six children, three of whom are living-Sarah and Martin E. (twins), and Lucy Pearl. Willie and Lillie (twins), the first born, died at the age of four months. Mr. Echtinaw is a sagacious, wide-awake man, whose strictly honorable dealings with his fellowmen have inspired the fullest confidence in him, and he and his estimable wife are held in the highest esteem by the community., — a — eEi DWARD FRISBIE DAVIS, who is a prominent farmer of Ovid Township, was born in his father's pioneer cabin on the homestead where he still resides, the date of his birth being July 15, 1846. His father, Stuart Davis, Esq., was an early settler of Branch County, and was widely known and honored throughout this section of tie country. He was born in the town of Steuben, Oneida Co., N. Y., Feb. 14, 1808. His father, Ichabod Davis, who passed the early years of his life in Columbia County, moved from there to Oneida County, and settling in the town of Steuben, bought a tract of land, erected a smithy, and followed his trade of blacksmith there for many years. He subsequently sold his property there, and in tie year 1836 came to the Territory of Michigan, entered forty acres of Government land, comprising the northeast part of the southeast quarter of section 8, Ovid Township, and thus became one of the original pioneers of this county. IIe built a log house and a blacksmith-shop, and at once resumed his calling, and besides improved a farm, on which he lived until his death, in September, 1849. He was a prominent Mason, becoming a member of that fraternity when quite a young man, assisting in the organization of the lodge at Coldwater, and his funeral was conducted under the auspices of that lodge. Thus, early in the annals of this county, passed away front the pioneer scenes in which he had been a conspicuous figure, one of the early settlers whose life of industry, frugality, and helpfulness to others, had been of great benefit to the community in which he resided. The maiden name of his wife was Mary Frisbie, and she was a native of Canaan, Columbia Co., N. Y. She returned to her native State in 1863 to visit her youngest son, and died there in October, 1864. To her and her husband had been born eleven children, ten of whom grew to maturity. The father of our subject passed his boyhood and the opening years of his manhood in Oneida County, N. Y., and was there married, Dec. 6, 1830, to Miss Laura Fowler, a native of that county, born in the town of Steuben, March 11, 1809. Her father, Levi Fowler, was born Nov. 16, 1770, in North Guilford, Conn,, and his father, Stephen Fowler, a farmer, was born in the same town, and was a lifelong resident of Connecticut. His son Levi was reared in his native town, and married to Beata Rockwell, who was born in North Guilford, Feb. 2, 1772. Her father, Zebulon Rockwell, was, it is thought, born in Middletown, Conn., moved to Jefferson County, N. Y., settled in Chapman Township, where he bought land, and spent his last years there. In 1799 Mrs. Davis' father moved to New York and settled in Steuben, Ontario County, being numbered among its earliest settlers. He bought a tract of timber land on which he erected a log house, that was the birthplace of his daughter, Mrs. Davis. IC-ll)a ii!,rl -~ -— C-I CI - I -- D — ~ _ _ - - - --. - - - - -. --- --- I ---- - - -~ --- — --- -.1 —, --- ---- -P - -.40 - -A I -lb- 0 - - - cap —Cl~~ll --- —--- "I ~* 9.P, -qw BRANCH COUNTY. 457 - --- He cleared a good farm there, which remained his home until death. The mother of Mrs. Davis came to Michigan and spent her last years with her son in Adrian. Mrs. Davis attended school quite constantly in her girlhood, and at the youthful age of sixteen was well qualified to enter the profession of teacher, and she taught three years prior to her marriage. She was quite an adept in the art of spinning and weaving, and after coming to Michigan used to spin wool and flax to make clothes for the family. In 1836 the father of our subject started for Michigan, accompanied by his wife and one child, coming by way of the Erie Canal and lake to Toledo. and from there with a team to Adrian, where he left his family with his brother and went in search of a suitable location. He visited various parts of the State. and finally selected the south half of the southeast quarter of section 8, Ovid Township, and then went to Kalamazoo to enter his land in the land-office there. From there he returned for his family, and buying a yoke of oxen and a wagon at Tecumseh, conveyed his wife and child to their future home. There were no buildings on his land and he moved into a vacant log shanty near by, and lived there until he had erected a log house on his own land, into which he moved on the 4th of December, 1836, and from that time was a resident of this place until his death, Sept. 4, 1881, when Ovid Township was deprived of one of its most valued citizens. When he first came here there were no railways in Michigan, and all supplies had to be drawn from the lake with teams. He had no horses for some years and did all his farm work, marketing and milling, with oxen. In 1837 he went to mill at Tecumseh with oxen, and the roads were so rough that two weeks were consumed in that trip. Hillsdale was for a time the farthest west reached by rail, and when he had more wheat than the home market (lemanded( he teamed it to Hillsdale and sold it for fifty-six cents a bushel. He lived to see the country well developed, and to improve a fine farm, on which he erected a good set of frame buildings to replace the original structures of log. He was a man whose sound, practical sense and genuine ability rendered him a great force in the new settlement, and his fellow-citizens looked to him for counsel and entrusted public affairs to his wise guidance. He served as Township Treasurer, Clerk and Collector, and was Justice of the Peace for many years. In politics he was one of the leading Democrats of Branchl County, and cast his first vote for Gen. Jackson. At the time of his death he and the good wife, who for many long years had been his devoted companion and helper, had passed the golden milestone that marked the fiftieth anniversary of their happy wedded life. She is still spared to comfort her children, of whom she has three now living, of whom the following is recorded: Theodore lives in Bellevue, Eaton County; Ellen is the wife of H. E. Burchard, and lives in Dayton, Rhea Co., Tenn., and Ed ward F., our subjet. Theodore enlisted in July, 1861, in Company E, 1st Michigan Infantry, and did gallant service on many a Southern battle-field. He was present at the battles of the Wilderness, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Chancellorsville, Antietarn and second Bull Run. He was captured during the battle of the Wilderness, in May, 1864, and was confined in Andersonville four months, then was sent to Florence, S. C., where he was finally exchanged, and the following December came home on a furlough, nearly starved to death, but by good care partially recovered, and still survives to tell the story of his sufferings. Mrs. Davis also nobly sent forth two other sons to the front, and one died for his country. Charles was born Jan. 6, 1836; he served in Complany H, 19th Michigan Infantry, having enlisted in September, 1862, was discharged from the army on account of disability, in January, 1863, and died nine days after his arrival at home. Edward Davis, the subject of this sketch, passed his boyhood on the old homestead where he was born, anid which has remained his home ever since, receiving his education in the district schools and affording his father much help on the farm. He had not yet attained manhood when the war broke out, and yet at the youthful age of seventeen he enlisted in the Loomis Battery, was sent with his company to Chattanooga, Tenn., and there did garrison duty the greater part of the time. He was discharged with his regiment in July, 1865, having with patriotic ardor faithfully discharged his duties to his country, and returned to his old home to quietly take up again the peaceful pursuits to which ' a__ I I- '- UCLIIY ---LI I -Tly~ rV C -— I — - L 4-. -I Ob. I I I I } r 140Op -p, A_ 458 BRANCH COUNTY. I he had been reared. The following year he took upon himself the cares and responsibilities of married life, and wa w wedded to Miss Della Searing on the 16th of December. She was born in Niagara County, N. Y., June 2, 1844. Her father, Henry Searing, was a native of the same State, born in Saratoga County, where he was reared and married, Miss Nancy McKinzie, of Eastern New York, becoming his wife. After marriage Mr. Searing went to Niagara County, whence, in 1846, he came to Michigan and was a pioneer of Ionia County. He bought a tract of wild land in the town of Lyons, improved a farm, and resided there until 1855, when he sold his place and moved to Missouri. He did not like the country there and returned to Michigan, and bought a farm in Gilead Township. Subsequently he resided in Ovid Township for three years, then moved to Batavia, invested in a farm in that township, and died there Jan. 271, 1879. Mr. and Mrs. Davis have one son living, Rollin Stewart Davis. Their first-born, Henry S., (lied at the age of two years. Mr. Davis well deserves the reputation that he has acquired as being a very skillful farmer and an able manager, and the fine condition of his farm is indicative of the care and pains that he bestows on its cultivation. It is well stocked and amply supplied with buildings for every purlose. As a citizen, our subject has ever been loyal to his country, and as a member of this community has used his influence to promote the highest interests of the township;as a man, his character is above reproach. He is prominent in social circles, belongs to Butterworth Post No. 109, G. A. R., and is identified with the Coldwater Grange. ETER MALLOW, a retired farmer in comfortable circumstances, has been numbered among the citizens of Branch County for a period of nearly fifty years, and has acquitted himself as one of her most useful and enterprising men. He looked on the face of the country in this section during its pioneer (lays, and labored with the courageous spirits about him in building up a home from the wilderness. His labors met with their legitimate reward, and( as the result of industry and frugality, he became the owner of 1,200 acres of land, thus providing against the day when, his youthful vigor past, he would be able to rest under his own vine and fig tree, and enjoy the fruits of his toil and sacrifices. Our subject was born on the other side of the Atlantic, Nov. 10, 1815, when his native Province of Alsace belonged wholly to France, and lived there until twenty-four years of age. Upon reaching his majority lie was married to a maiden of his own Province, Miss Margaret Peter, daughter of John Peter, who was also of French birth and ancestry. They set out for the New World in 1839, and after a safe voyage landed in New York City, whence they made their way to the young State of Michigan the following spring. Our subject pitched his tent in Bronson Township, where he purchased eiglity acres of timber land, put up a house in the wilderness, and began clearing the ground about him. After bringing this land to a good condition, and erecting the buildings most required, he purchased twenty acres adjoining, and after a time eighty acres more on section 8. He then took another forty on section 8, and in 1863 purchased 100 acres, later forty-five acres, winding up with an additional twenty. This latter purchase he finally sold, then going into Calhoun County, he purchased 400 acres for $16,000, and eighty acres adjoining for $4,000; next 120 acres on section 23, and thus kept on buying until he had accumulated 1,200 acres. In the meantime, with the increase of his property, the household circle of our subject had been completed by the birth of eight children, who, he is happy to say, are all living. They were named respectively: Peter, Jr., who married Miss Eliza Eggleston; William, who married Ella Boyer; Henry, who married Miss Hannah Foote; Christina, the wife of Reuben Snyder; Sarah, Mrs. John Greenwold; George, who married Miss Alice Lane; Mary, the wife of David Cline; John, who married Miss Malinda Parker. Mrs. Margaret Mallow departed this life at her home in Noble Township, -— ~-~ ----~ —~-~ --- —------- ----------- f K'.dI~ 1-4" I obw I a - L- - 9 h- - T - -- ~ I -II I I -I a -_Iqfq..................... I I VlORW ^ -" --- —---- la 1 a A la& 9 obb.~ — c — ~ ~ ~, ~ ~ - C-.C — ~ 4-~ —ll~ 4 tt I"'* m L i BRANCHE COUNTY. 459 BRANC CONY 4. July 17, 1884, at the age of sixty-five years, five months and eight days. She was a most estimable lady, and a member in good standing of the Lutheran Church, to which our subject also belongs. Mr. Mallow, since becoming a voting citizen, has been uniformly Democratic, and takes a lively interest in the success of his party. He has not lost his old-time interest in his farm operations, but while living at his ease, still has the general supervision of his farming interests. ------ -C-'3-3~3c S * l^^?-C'^ ---------- AVID H. DAVIS, dealer in books, stationery and( wall paper, at Cold water, established himself in business here in 1860, and is ill the enjoyment of a liberal patronage. He was born in Chautauqua County, N. Y., July 27, 1817, and is the eldest in a family of eight children, the offspring of Levi and Lorano (Hunt) Davis, whose home was at that time in the town of Carroll. The eldest daughter of the parental family, Abigail by name, was born July 3, 1819, and became the wife of Enoch Andrus; Lorana was born Jan. 19, 1821, and married Orren G. Pennell; Loretta S., Mrs. Curtis Britt, was born Feb. 27, 1823; Rhoba T. was born May 12, 1826, and married Levi L. Cushing; Susannah F. was bornNov. 9, 1828, and married George 1). Cramer; E. Eusebia was born Feb. 22, 1831, and married Charles Carswell; Josephine A., born Jan. 27, 1834, becamethe wife of Henry M. Johnson. The second, third, fifth and eighth children are deceased. Levi Davis was born at Wardsboro, Windham Co., Vt., Aug. 27, 1793, and was the fifth in a family of thirteen children born to Paul and Rachel (Chapin) Davis, all of whom grew to mature years. The paternal grandfather was a native of Massachusetts, born near the city of Boston, and carried a musket in the Revolutionary War. HIe held the rank of Sergeant, and at the close of the struggle his discharge was signed by Gen. Washington. Subsequently he became a minister of the Baptist Church, and departed this life about 1826. One of his sons erected a monument to his memory at what is now known as Kiantone, Chautauqua Co., N. Y. To this place Grandfather Davis had emigrated with his family from Massachusetts during the winter of 1816. They settled on a tract of land which he secured from the Holland Purchase, and where lie spent his last years. The Davis family originated in Wales. Grandmother Davis was born in Massachusetts, and passed away before the decease of her husband. in Chautauqua County, N. Y. She also was a member of the Baptist Church, and a woman noted for her amiable traits of character and her lovable disposition. The father of our subject resided with his parents in his native county until twelve years old, and then the family removed to the town of New Salem, Mass., where they lived until starting for Western New York. In the autumn of 1816 he was married, and a few months later secured a tract of land which lie occupied and cultivated for a time, then turned his attention to lumbering, and operated a sawmill, doing quite an extensive business for a period of six years. He then purchased land and resumed farming, but two years later changed his residence to Orleans County, where his death took place May 2, 1880. Levi Davis was a man of much force of character, and took a lively interest in the affairs of his neighborhood and town, being especially fond of military tactics, and was Captain of an independent rifle company, and was afterward appointed to the position of Major by the Governor of New York, which office he was obliged to resign on account of loss of hearing. He was also a member of the Masonic fraternity, and politically, first a Democrat, and later a Republican. He held the office of Justice of the Peace a number of years and was also Assessor and School Inspector. His early advantages had been quite limited, but he was a great reader, and through his own efforts secured an excellent education. In religious matters he inclined to the Universalist doctrines, and was a man of liberal views and generous to a fault. He gave of his means for the encouragement of worthy enterprises, and as a business man and citizen, was above reproach. The mother of our subject was born in New A~.. ~_! Ir _ F ) ~~~ — F-SS |f i S S * S s o I - P — -- IJIFII"'NI - l "W - — 09 0II —P-M -4*r"~Lr*' I —~~ LC.. ~ III-~~lill I~~_11~(1) "i *ON- A 1 1 4~ I- 0 WVIC 1~IIlb -~ TL3 — - eBd11SLPrre-l*/~ (I 460 BRANCH COUNTY. Salem. Mass., June 9, 1795, and was the third child of David and Abigail (Haskins) Hunt, whose family consisted of three sons and one daughter, namely: Samuel, Luther. Lorana and Horace. David Hunt and his estimable wife were both natives of Massachusetts, and lived to a ripe old age. The grandfather was a farmer by occupation, and both were members in good standing of the Baptist Church, together with all their children. They died at the old homestead in New Salen, and there their remains were laid to rest. Grandfather Hunt was a very benevolent man, of great industry and strict integrity, and by good management and frugal living acquired a comfortable property. David H. Davis, our subject, continued under the home roof until reaching his majority, acquiring a common-school education, and assisting his father in the various employments of farm life. Then, wishing to obtain a better education than the limited advantages afforded him in his native place, he became a student at Gaines Academy, in Orleans County, where he continued until the summer of 1842, dividing his time between studying and teaching, officiating as assistant in the academy. In the autumn of that year, accompanied by four or five young men of his acquaintance, he went into Todd County, Ky., where he taught school in the little church edifice called Ellis Chapel. When this contract was ended he entered the law office of Judge Underwood, at Bowling Green, Ky., and after applying himself closely to his studies for two years, was admitted to the bar. In order, however, to replenish his depleted exchequer, young Davis was obliged to resume teaching, and so became an instructor in the Wilson Collegiate Institute, in Niagara County, where he remained for a period of eleven years, and then sent in his resignation. A few weeks later, in the autumn of 1856, he came to this State, and became Principal of the city schools of Coldwater, which position he occupied until the 1st of January, 1860. In the April following he established his present business, in which he has since been successfully engaged. He has worked industriously, giving his personal attention to all the details of his business, and thus laid the foundation for a competency. Mr. Davis is a Ruling Elder in the Presbyterian Church, and politically, a solid Republican. While a resident of Wilson, N. Y., on the 17th of March, 1847, he was united in marriage with Miss Jane E. Wilson, of Cambria, Niagara Co., N. Y. This lady was the only child of Maverick and Catherine (Provost) Wilson, and was a well-educated and very intelligent lady, who looked well to the ways of her household and illustrated in all respects the model wife and mother. Of this union there were born three children: The eldest son, William V. W., was born Feb. 17, 1851, and is now pastor of the Union Congregational Church, at Worcester, Mass. He acquired his education in Amherst College and Andover Theological Seminary, and for a period of five years held the pastorate of Franklin Street Congregational Church, at Manchester, N. H. Thence he was called to the Euclid Avenue Presbyterian Church, in Cleveland, Ohio, where he remained four and one-half years, and from there went to his present charge. After being graduated from Amherst in 1873, he taught one year in Robert College, Constantinople, Turkey. Upon returning to the United States in 1874, he entered Andover Theological Seminary, remsilingr there two years, and was then married to the youngest daughter of William Augustus Stearne, President of the college, in July, 1876. Subsequently he was a tutor for a year at Amherst. The second child of our subject was Charlotte Eugenia, who was born May 27, 1853, was educated at the Coldwater High School, and married, May 9, 1877, to Dr. C. L. Chandler, at present of Richmond, Mich.; Horace Levi, who was born Oct. 17, 1861, died Dec. 6,1872. Mrs. Jane E. Davis departed this life at her home in Coldwater, March 25, 1862, and her remains were laid to rest in Oak Grove Cemetery. The present wife of our subject, to whom he was married July 29, 1862, was formerly Miss Minerva, daughter of John and Betsey (Loomis) Chandler, and was born in Sempronius, Cayuga Co., N. Y., Jan. 27, 1825. She came to Michigan with her parents in the spring of 1828, they settling near Ann Arbor, where Mrs. Davis lived until twentyfour years of age. She was occupied as a teacher in the city schools a number of years, in which profession she met with more than ordinary success, being a very efficient and popular teacher. She is MAN,_~ ~ m ~ r- -- I r r-I T- - -- -- — "RVr~Le~PIIIIIII ^ OPO. I i i I i i I I I I --- — t I ab-i )Ir (111111IIIIIIIIIII I C L CI -I — I CI ---.- 41-1~~ I BRANCH COUNTY. 461 A I) a member of the Presbyterian Church, and by her union with our subject has become the mother of two children: Jean Amanda, born March 14, 1864, and who was graduated from the High School, at Coldwater, in the class of '84, and Minerva Lorana, who was born Dec. 24, 1865, and died Jan. 6, 1866. The Davis family residence is pleasantly located on Hanchett street, in the northwestern part of the city, and is the resort of the cultivated people of Cold water. Mr. Davis carries a full line of Books, Stationery and Wall Paper, and the numberless other articles associated with this line of business. Both as a citizen and member of the business community Mr. Davis occupies an important position, and has filled worthily his niche in life, being a man of strict integrity, and one whose word is considered as good as his bond. OHN BABCOCK. The subject of this sketch is a son of one of the pioneers and one of the most prominent men of Branch County, namely, George P. Babcock, of whom a sketch appears elsewhere in this work. He was born in Quincy Township. this county, Nov. 16, 1850, and grew to manhood on the farm, acquiring his education in the district school. Our subject early in life was taught those habits of industry and economy which were the mainspring of his father's success, and upon reaching manhood prepared to establish a home of his own by his marriage with Miss Lucy Clark, which took place in Quincy Village, Jan. 19, 1873. This lady is the daughter of James and Elizabeth (Johnson) Clark, who were natives of Ireland and New York State respectively, and moved to Steuben County, Ind., during the time of its early settlement. There their daughter Lucy was born near the town of Otsego, Nov. 27, 1850, and remained with her parents until her marriage. Our subject and his wife commenced the journey of life together at the old Babcock homestead in Quincy Township, where they lived two years, then removed to their present farm on section 24. The father had given his son 112 acres of land, to which he has since added by the purchase of another 100, and also is the owner of a small farm in Butler Township. Upon taking possession of the land destined for his future home, he commenced in 1878 the erection of good buildings, and now has some of the finest to be seen in Quincy Township. In fact they are equaled by few in Southern Michigan. The residence is tasteful and commodious, and four large barns, besides other out-buildings, complete the conveniences for the successful prosecution of agriculture on an extensive scale. Mr. Babcock makes a specialty of live stock and has operated with marked success. To our subject and his wife there have been born four children, two sons and two daughters, but the little boys-FIrank and Howard-died of diphtheria in the spring of 1885. The daughters-Maude and Jennie-are brigllt little girls nine and two years of age. Mr. Babcock has never aspired to office, as his private business requires all his attention, and he refuses to be bound by party ties. He, however, inclines to Democratic principles and usually casts his vote in support of this party. George P. Babcock, the father of our subject, took up his residence here in 1836, at which time he entered a large tract of land in the northwest portion of Quincy Township, and operated for some time in company with his brother, Harry F. They subsequently divided up their assets, and Mr. Babcock began in earnest the improvement of his possessions, setting out orchards, and erecting buildings, and occupied it until 1849. Then selling out he purchased land on section 24, to which he added from time to time until lie became the owner of 404 acres. He carried on farming extensively and made a specialty of sheep growing. This place also he provided with first-class buildings, including a substantial two-story brick residence, ample barns and other out-buildings, and has one of the most noticeable homesteads in the township, with 192 acres of land, he having sold to his son John the larger portion of his first estate. The first work of George P. Babcock in Michigan was to assist in the construction of a section of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad from WPPO" F — - w- obl- Jo/ -d* ~ --- —--- --------- I ____ ___ ____ ___ -. b-. - - 0 *now m go*- -A"I (i i 462 BRANCH COUNTY. i I Toledo to Adrian, and which was then known as the Lake Erie & Kalamazoo Railroad. He is in all respects the selfmade man, one who commenced in life at the foot of the ladder, and arose by his own perseverance to a good position, socially and financially. He is the son of Simeon Babcock; he was born in Camden. Oneida Co., N. Y., Jan. 18, 1815, and had three brothers, Simeon, Harry F. and Ethan, of whom Ethan and Simeon are deceased. He never attended school after nine years of age. His father was a manufacturer of potash and in the pursuance of his calling was absent from home much of his time. His father came to Michigan about 1835, and lived to the age of eightythree years, passing his last days in Quincy Township. The marriage of George P. Babcock and Miss Elizabeth Craft took place at the home of the bride, Nov. 29, 1846. Mrs. B. was lorn in Ontario County, N. Y., and became the mother of eight children, only four of whom are living, namely: John, our subject; Marietta, the wife of Charles Houghtaling, of Quincy; George DeWitt, who manages the homestead and takes care of his parents, and Elsie, who remains with the latter. i-l LISHA BOWERMAN. This well-to-do resident of Quincy Township, whose property 1lies on section 27, like many of the thrifty and prosperous farmers about him, is a native of the Empire State, and was born in Schenectady County, Oct. 21. 1818. Little is known of his ancestry excel)t that they were of New England birth for several generations back, and his father, a native of Connecticut, was a farmer by occupation. The mother, who in her girlhood was Miss Anna Weldon, was born in Dutchess County, N. Y., and after their marriage the parents resided in Schenectady a number of years, where the mother died in 1828, when her son Elisha was a lad ten years of age. Silas Bowerman spent his last years in New York, dying at the age of seventy-three years. The nine children of the parental household all lived to mature years. James, the eldest, while fond of farming pursuits, in which he engaged considerably, also operated as a contractor and superintendent of the Miami Canal, and died in Lucas County, Ohio, about 1852, of cholera; Mary became the wife of Rodney Jarvis, and died while comparatively a young woman, in Schenectady County, N. Y.. where also Lydia inarried Jacob Pratt and died; Phebe, Mrs. Benjamin Palmer, died not far from the home of her sister, in Schenectady County; Delana married Allen Wilbur, and died about 1842; Eliza was the wife of John Sheldon; Ann, Mrs. John Lowder, is still living; Silas died in Ontario County, N. Y., and William, the youngest living, is a resident of Calhoun County, this State. Silas Bowerman, after the death of his first wife, was married a second time, but there were no children. The boyhood and youth of our subject were spent in a manner similar to that of most farmers' sons, and the first event of importance was his marriage, Jan. 19, 1843, with Miss Mary Hoag, who was born in the town of Charleston, Montgomery Co., N. Y., Feb. 10, 1824. Her parents, Francis and Mary (Gage) Hoag, were also natives of the Empire State, born in Dutchess County, and were Quakers in religious faith. Isaac Gage, her paternal grandfather, officiated as a minister of that denomination, and was a man held in high esteem by all who knew him. Mrs. Bowerman's father continued to live in Montgomery County until his death. Before his marriage to the mother of Mrs. Bowerman he was a widower with seven children, his first wife having been Miss Ruby Brirggs. Of his second marriage there were born eight children, the eldest of whom, a son, Isaac, is a resident of Cayuga County, N. Y.; Amanda, Mrs. Martin Walker, died in that county several years ago; Maria married Cornelius Brown, and died in Hudson, Lenawee County, this State; Lovina, Mrs. Ansel Cushman, died in Montgomery County, N. Y.; Amelia became the wife of Robert White, and died in Montgomery County; Caroline, the wife of Wakeman Brower, is a resident of Gloversville, N. Y. Mr. and Mrs. Bowerman after their marriage located on his father's farm in Schenectady County, N. Y., where they lived until Mr. B. was enabled to purchase land for himself. This he sold a few II I,. *1, 'I Ii r 1-* abl~ m - t' j drikb. wvp — OFe BRANCH COUNTY. 463 -- -I years later and took up his abode in Ontario County, whence he removed, in 1849, to Fulton County, Ohio, where lie operated on rented land for a number of years. He finally purchased a small farm, but in the spring of 1864 left the Buckeye State, anti coming to Calhoun County, Mich., located in Homer Township, where he also became owner of a farm, upon which he put up good buildings and operated successfully until 1865. Then finding something more desirable in this county, he sold out once more and purchased 160 acres in Quincy Township, eighty acres of which, in 1875, he sold to his son at a very low figure. Here he has a good set of farm buildings and all the other appliances of a complete country home. He was reared a Quaker and clings loyally to the faith of his forefathers. Politically, he votes the Democratic ticket, and while in Ohio was considerably interested in public affairs and held various local offices. Of the eight children born to our subject and his estimable wife the record is as follows; Ann Eliza, the eldest daughter, is the wife of Henry Burnes, of Butler Township; Isaac lives on his farm near the homestead, and Emma is a resident of Quincy; Arthur H. died in infancy; Henry H. is a resident of Holt County, Neb.; Francis E. is located in Manistee County, this State; Albert and Grandville H. are also residents of Quincy Township; Norah A. is the wife of Joseph Hait, of Quincy Township. The sons, like their father, have all taken kindly to farming pursuits, and are numbered among the best citizens of their respective localities. I ON. JUSTIN LAWYER. We will begin at the commencement of this gentleman's career-one which has been exceedingly )creditable-and note that he was born in Schoharie County, N. Y., in March, 1824, and was the sixth child of Adam and Catherine (Barney) Lawyer, whose family included four sons and three daughters, who were all born in the above county, near the town of Carlisle. Adam Lawyer, also a native of Schoharie County, N. Y., was a farmer by occulation and a man of means and influence. After laboring industriously until past middle life, he disposed of his farm property and purchased a home in Carlisle, where lie spent the remainder of his days. He was a quiet, unassuming man, and although of decided views and a solid Democrat in politics, never aspired to political office. A devout member of the Lutheran Church, he attended faithfully to his religious duties, and lived at peace among his neighbors, by whom he was universally respected. The mother was likewise born in Schoharie County, N. Y., and belonged to a family prominent in society and church matters. She, however, was eminently domestic in her tastes and devoted to her family. Religiously, she belonged to the Lutheran Church, and is remembered as a kind and affectionate wife and mother, possessing all the womanly virtues. The early days of our subject were spent under the home roof, attending the district school and assisting in the lighter labors of the farm. When fourteen years old he became a student of Schoharie Academy, and also attended the academy at Esperanec. His mind turning toward the legal profession, he commenced reading law in the office of his uncle, Gen. Thomas Lawyer, and I)emosthenes Lawyer, a cousin, going finally with the latter to Cobleskill, where he prosecuted his law studies until the fall of 1845, when lie was admitted to the bar. In the spring of 1846 Mr. Lawyer came to this State, and commenced the practice of his profession at Union City, this county. He made such good progress in the regard of the people, both as an attorney and a citizen, that in 1849 he was elected County Judge on the Democratic ticket, serving his term with credit to himself and satisfaction to all concerned. In the spring of 1851 he started for California, via the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans, thence to Vera Cruz, Mex., visiting all the places of interest on the route, aild proceeding overland from the city of Mexico, on horseback, to Acapulco on the Pacific Coast. He reached San Francisco by steamer, and finally took up his residence at Weaverville, in Trinity County, Cal., where he finally became Prosecuting Attorney for the county, and remained in that locality two years. Our subject, now desirous of returning home, set I it - __ __ ~~l-Gv — -up C Lf-_, 000. M -.40 Mo. 0II- I-II4YI0L I PI1~~ Illlllb III~ll 1113-3IC~ 1IILI-~ CII -- ()PPI"BLJ((h I!W w1 464 BRANCH out by the Nicaragua route, and spent the fall and winter of 1 853-54 in the city of Albany, N. Y. In the spring he returned to Coldwater, where he has since resided, and has become thoroughly identified with the various interests of this county. In 1854 -55 he put up an elegant residence on Pearl street, which, witih its surroundings, is one of the most attractive homes in the city. In connection with his law practice, he also engaged in abstract and real estate business, and in 1856 began the experiment of banking, which he continued successfully for a period of ten years. At the expiration of that time, disposing of his interest in the bank, he commenced the manufacture of linseed oil, and also engaged in kiln drying corn and oatmeal in large quantities. In the spring of 1 874 Mr. Lawyer returned to California, but a year later came back to Michigan, and commenced to improve the ground which he had purchased within the city limits, putting ul) houses which were quite in demand at that time, and from the nature of their construction did not long remain unoccupied. In 1864 and 1865 he was elected Mayor of the city, and again in 1870. Later lie held the office of City Treasurer. He has been a member of the Council and of the Board of Education, and one of the leading men in the enterprises calculated for the growth and development of a western city. Socially. he belongs to the Masonic fraternity. In his younger years he was a Democrat, politically, but during the war changed his support to the Republican party, voting for Lincoln and Grant, but is at present a supporter of Cleveland's administration and tariff reform. His religious views are broad and liberal, but he believes in the establishment and maintenance of churches, and contributes of his means to this purpose. Among the original incorporators of Oak Grove Cemetery, Mr. Lawyer held a prominent position, and platted the new addition to the cemetery. During war times he was active in obtaining recruits for the Union army. furnishing the building, charging nothing for the use of it, and spending half of his time, both by labor and influence, in upholding the Union sentiment and encouraging the enlistment of volunteers, and in every way possible contributing efficient service most needed at I COUNTY. < \ such a time. Upon the call of President Lincoln for 300,000 additional troops, he was visiting in Portland, Me., but speedily returned home and rendered efficient service in assisting to raise the quota. In this manner he materially assisted the Union cause. Labor was needed at home as well as in the field. and there was always work for the willing patriot. LFRED PADDOCK. The headquarters of | this gentleman are in Girard Township, on section 26, where he has a good farm of (e 1 120 acres, and makes a specialty of the breeding of fine roadsters and other choice horseflesh. He came to Michigan in 1853, and took possession of his land in 1854. He devotes the most of his time to his own affairs, and is one of those solid and reliable members of the community who serve to sustain its reputation and standing as a desirable place of residence. A native of Columbia County, N. Y., Mr. Paddock was born Dec. 16, 1823, and was the fifth cliild of Stephen and Mary (Snyder) Paddock, natives of the same county as their son, the father born in 1803, and the mother in about 1804. Forty years of the life of Stephen Paddock were spent in his native county, and lie then removed to Penfield, Mlonroe County, where he spent his last years, and where his death took place in 1868. Ile carrie(l on farming pursuits, and was a peaceable and law-abiding citizen who provided comfortably for his family, and who is kindly remembered by all who knew him. The mother died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Emington, in Ohio, in 1875. To Stephen and Mary Paddock there were born eleven children, but four of whom are living, three sons and one daughter. Of these Alfred, our subject, is the eldest; Stephen is a resident of Union City, and proprietor of the Paddock House there; Albert M., a blacksmith and farmer, lives in Ovid, this county; Betsey is the wife of Harry Emington, of LeRoy, Ohio. At the age of thirty years, Mr. Paddock, while a 4 go. -,me - l - m F ---- - - I -- - - - -W Vvr- *f w o --- - I - l ~,~~ gaCI*~ Bgt ---~~ ---~ --- -- Y ~IICIIIII --- —— ~,- CL~IIL~I~ IuLI Is w - BRANCH COUNTY. 465 4 BRNC OUT. 6 resident of this township, was united in marriage with Miss Mary Ann, daughter of Lyman and Mary (Shoecraft) Fox, of Monroe County, N. Y. Our subject had continued with his father on the farm in Columbia County, that State, until reaching his majority, then worked on the canal eight or nine years before taking up farming for himself. Mrs. P. came to Michigan about 1836, with her parents, when a child seven years of age, her birth having taken place in Monroe County, N. Y., Feb. 18, 1829. Mr. and Mrs. P., after their marriage, began the journey of life together in a modest home, where they now reside, and about 1880 our subject became interested in the breeding of horses, an industry to which he seems particularly adapted. He is building up an enviable reputation in this section, and in the training of this most useful and intelligent animal is acknowledged an expert. He has convenient stables, and everything else necessary for the successful prosecutioul of his calling, and is beginning to realize a handsome income. To our subject and his wife there were born two children, only one of whom is living: Fred R., born Sept. 17, 1869, and who remains at home, the partner of his father. Mr. Paddock meddles very little with political affairs, but has his own views upon matters in general, and keeps himself well posted upon current events. He has carefully refrained from the responsibilities of office, preferring to give his time and attention to his personal affairs. The home is comfortable in every respect, and forms a pleasing picture of quiet country life. / ILLIAM B. MASON came to Michigan \ /when a youth of seventeen, and since that Vt time has been a resident of this county, and closely identified with its agricultural and business interests. His boyhood home was in Penfield, Monroe Co., N. Y., where his birth took place Jan. 19, 1820. His father, Octavius Mason, was born in Cheshire, Berkshire Co., Mass., Sept. 8, 1795, which was also the birthplace of his paternal grandfather, Brooks Mason, Jr., while his great-grand father, Brooks Mason, Sr., was a native of Newport, R. I. The latter, in 1765, removed to Swansea, Mass., and thence, in 1770, to Cheshire, where it is presumed that he spent the remainder of his life. The first representative of this family in America was Sampson Mason, a native of England, who crossed the Atlantic about 1660 and settled in Rehobeth, Mass., where he resided until his death. He was one of the founders of the town of Swansea, although he never lived there. His character was closely allied to that of the Puritans, and he was a Baptist in religious belief. The grandfather of our subject was reared to manhood in Cheshire, and in 1801, accompanied by his family, started for the State of New York. The removal was made by teams through the wilderness, and they settled on what was subsequently the town site of Penfield, in the midst of the forest. Mr. Mason purchased a tract of timber land and erected a log house, and being in limited circumstances, his next business was to seek employment for the support of his family. There were at that time but a few settlers in Western New York, and money was scarce. Grandfather Mason walked forty miles to obtain work, and returned to his family Saturday night carrying a load of provisions on his back. His perseverance and industry, however, in the course of time bore their legitimate fruits, and he lived to improve a farm, upon which he resided until quite old. Then, leaving his son in charge of the homestead, he took up his residence in the village, where he spent his last years in ease and comfort. His wife was a daughter of William Clark. The father of our subject was a little lad six years of age when his parents removed from Massachusetts to New York State, where he developed into manhood. When starting out for himself he purchased forty acres of timber land near the old homestead, upon which he made some improvements, but times were hard and he found that he could not pay for his land, so he sold this and purchased another timber tract in the same locality, which he succeeded in clearing, and remained upon it until 1840. The young State of Michigan then began attracting the attention of the enterprising emigrant, and Octavius Mason determined to re 'DP —il- -- e I gg IIsI11. II ~ IIII-MI 1 I r~ - - F-, eppo. I i i i I I I Jlc —-~ —I ---' ---------- I i, M — - F I. J 11 2 III I III 0 1 III "I mu --- 1111ll I 1-* -s —l1 1 obo~ ~~- - ~C IILC 466 BRANCH COUNTY. I move hither. He settled first in Coldwater Township. He had purchased land in Girard Township when Michigan was a Territory, and this he now traded for that upon which he located, and here continued to reside until his death, which occurred Oct. 2, 1851. He had married in early manhood Miss Polly Anderson, who was a native of New York, and who survived her husband a period of twenty-seven years, her death taking place at the old homestead in Coldwater Township, in March, 1878. The parental household included four children, of whom William B.. our subject, was the eldest. The others were Amelia, Lydia J. and Hiram. William B. resided with his parents until reaching manhood, and in 1840 accompanied them to the West, the journey being made by canal and lake to Detroit, and thence by rail to Ypsilanti, the western terminus of the Michigan Southern & Lake Shore Road. From there a stage landed them in this county. Our subject had previously purchased sixty acres of land in Coldwater Township, and which, after making some improvements, lie sold, and purchased another tract one mile north of his present residence. A few months later his father's family joined him, and they traded for the land which he now occupies. The property of Mr. Mason includes 201 acres located on sections 25 and 26. His first dwelling was the stereotyped log house, but later he erected a commodious frame dwelling and the other buildings necessary for the convenience of the progressive farmer. He has now one of the finest estates in the township, and has reason to feel amply repaid for the labors and sacrifices of his younger years. The lady who has been the close friend and companion of our subject for nearly forty-eight years, was in her girlhood Miss Lucinda Cook, and became his wife on the 1st of June, 1841, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride in Webster Township, Monroe Co., N. Y. Of this union there were born three children only-Mary J., Almeron F. and Clara A. The second named married Miss Cornelia Bradford, and has two children-Florence and Hiram. Clara is the wife of Jason Gillett, and also the mother of two children-Jessie and Ralph. Mrs. Mason, like her husband, is also a native of I Penfield, Monroe Co., N. Y., and was born in that part of the town now included in Webster, Nov. 22, 1824. Her father, Asa B. Cook, was one of the earliest settlers of that region, going there when the present site of the city of Rochester was a blackash swamp, and when the land could be obtained for a few shillings per acre. That which he purchased was subsequently included in Webster, and there lie carried on farming until his death. He married Mary Benedict, and was her second Ihusband. She was born in Connecticut, and spent her last years at the old homestead in Webster. Mrs. Mason continued un(er the parental roof until her marriage, becoming familiar with all housewifely duties, learning to spin and knit, and in all respects acquitting herself as the daughter of a pioneer, and thus became well fitted for the wife of one. She has stood bravely by the side of her husband in his struggles with the elements of a new country, and with him, now surrounded by the comforts of life, is enjoying that to which she is amply entitled. They have one of the pleasantest homes in Coldwater Township, and enjoy the esteem and confidence of hosts of friends. J EROME B. TIFT is a farmer residing on section 29, Algansee Township, which is the old homestead of his father, David Tift, of whom a sketch appears elsewhere in this volume. Mr. Tift now owns 100 acres of land, well improved and contaiining a good residence, with suitable and convenient out-buildings for the shelter of his stock and the preservation of the products of the soil. The subject of this notice was born on the place he now owns, Oct. 30, 1838, and was reared to farm pursuits, obtaining such education as the district schools of that day afforded. He was early initiated into the duties of farm life, and passed his life in the manner common to pioneer sons until his marriage. This important event o.ccurred Nov. 18, 1860, when he led to the altar the maiden of i i I 0 L ~ -MIA& __S. *P.C 4 -1 -- -- I 1-~10 — --- * po, I [ tkjhbw-itCl mm 11. 1 'I, oil I I — — I,-~b~ 3-~~ Irr --- — -- ~ r 1 —of BRAN;CH COUNTY. 467 1 B C C his choice, Miss Frances A. Grice, who was born in this county, and is the daughter of Peter and Sarah Grice. The father of Mrs. Tift, Peter Grice, is a resident of California Township, settling in Branch County, Mich.. in 1837. His birth took place across the ocean, Jan. 25, 1816, in Yorkshire, England, and he is the son of Mathew and Ann Grice. The family emigrated to America in 1828, and settled in Canada, where the parents resided until their decease. Peter is the only one who came to the United States, which has been his home since he reached the age of nineteen, at which time he settled in the Empire State. In 1836 lie was united in marriage with Miss Sarah Walter, and one year later they migrated to Michigan to found a home in the West. The wearisome journey from Jefferson County, N. Y., was made in a sleigh in the winter season, and they have since resided in Branch County, with the exception of three years, which they spent in Indiana. Mr. Grice followed farming for many years, but he is now a veterinary surgeon. Mr. and Mrs. Grice have had six children cluster around their western home-Charlotte, Frances A., George W., Hannah, Mathew and Abraham. In religion Mr. and Mrs. Grice are identified with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and are prominent in every good work. In 1864 our subject bade good-by to his young wife and child, and enlisted in the service of his country to help subdue the Rebellion. He was mustered into the service with an independent company, and participated in the battle in front of Petersburg, besides in numerous other skirmishes. He was seized with illness and was obliged to go into the hospital, where he remained for three weeks. The company to which he belonged became known as the A. D. Michigan Sharpshooters, and was at last mustered out of the service in June, 1865. Mr. Tift at once returned to his home, and beating his sword into a plowshare, forgot the sanguinary scenes of the last year in the peaceful vocation of agriculture. Upon the death of his parents he purchased a part of the homestead, which increased his possessions to their present area, 100 acres. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Tift has been blessed by the birth of three children-Clara M., Dora A. and Horace J. In politics Mr. Tift is a stanch Republican, and has served as Justice of the Peace, performing the duties of the office in a businesslike manner. He is a prominent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he has been Class-Leader for about ten years, and is held in good repute as a man of integrity and honor wherever he is known. (OHN A. KUEBLER came to this country from a foreign shore while in the very prime of young manhood, poor indeed in pocket, but rich in the possession of health, strength, and a steady purpose, seeking here to build up a home and to make something more out of life than was permitted by the social restraints of his native land. By unceasing and well-directed labors his ambitious desires have found fruition, and their highest gratification in the pine farm that he owns in Ovid Township, comprising eighty acres. In all the country around there is no more beautiful sheet of water than Coldwater Lake, and with its enchanting views no more lovely spot than his residence, where fl )wers first shed their fragrance on the air in the springtime and linger latest in the autumn, and the breezes from tie grand old trees make cool and refreshing the hottest midsummer sun. Mr. Kuebler is a native of Wurtemberg, Germany, born May 7, 1822, to Christian and Elizabeth (Buirger) Kuebler, who were also natives of Wurtemberg. His grandfather, Christian Kuebler, also a native Wurtemberger, was a potter by trade, and passed his entire life in his native land. The father of our subject entered the army at the age of twenty-one, in accordance with the laws of his country, and he served under Napoleon in Russia, and fought under that great commander in the battle of Waterloo. In his youth he had acquired a knowledge of his father's trade, and after his retirement from the army pursued it in Wurtemberg until 1855, when he and his wife emigrated to America to join their sol, our subject, and made i i i i i i i I &bl.. 4- I ~1 111ft Al -.- -U ---~a --- -- L _ -IN -— d~~I F 0gt 4 f I *Do- m 4n U vP'- I 468 BRANCH COUNTY. I their home with him until death, the father departing this life in 1862, and the mother in 1882. Our subject had a sister and brother who came to America. He was reared in his native town, and received al excellent education in the German schools, which lie attended until he was fourteen. At that age he commenced to learn the trade of potter of his father, who was a skilled workman, and pursued that calling until 1846. From his good parents, whose native common sense, sober, industrious and honest habits, and high integrity, caused them to be generally respected, he inherited those traits that have made him a good and useful citizen. In the year just mentioned he resolved to cast in his lot with his countrymen who had left the Fatherland to seek their fortunes in this rich land of promise. Accordingly he made his way to England, and on the 1st day of April set sail from Plymouth in an American-bound vessel. He landed in New York City after a voyage of thirty-three days, and found himself in a strange country without money or friends. He could get no work at his trade, but a kind-hearted compatriot, learning of his plight, lent him $3 to pay his fare on the canal to Buffalo, and he sold his trunk for twenty-five cents to buy bread and milk to live on during the trip. He finally got a job near Buffalo to work on a farm through haying and harvesting, receiving $7 a month as payment. In the fall of the year he found employment as a potter in Williamsville, N. Y., and pursued his calling there until 1852. He was industrious and thrifty and saved his earnings, hoping thereby to be enabled to secure a home in the West, and in that year he came to Branch County, and boughta tract of timber land in Ovid Township, which is now included in his present farm. The old trees of the primeval forest still covered the land, and he had to fell them to make room and material for a log cabin to shelter his family; it was of the most primitive construction, with split shakes to cover the roof, and no road led to it. Soon after his removal to this humble dwelling he, having no team, carried a barrel of flour on his back from the highway to his dwelling, a distance of one mile. The first two years he did his work without either horses or oxen, and it was slow work improving his land without the aid of those useful animals, but at the end of that time he was enabled to buy a pair of oxen, with which he did all his farm work, milling and marketing, for some years. Since that time he has improved a farm, and erected an ample and substantial set of frame buildings, and the good judgment and skill that he has used in his farming operations have placed him among the most able and prosperous farmers of Ovid Township. Our subject has been twice married. To the wife of his earlier years, by whose faithful assistance he became successful, lie was united in marriage July 4, 1848. Her maiden name was Catherine Long, a native of Pennsylvania, and a daughter of William and Mary Long. For over a quarter of a century she worked side by side witl her husband, lightening his burdens and adding to his comforts. On Feb. 13, 1875, this good woman departed this life, sincerely mourned by all who knew her. Mr. Kuebler was married to his second wife July 4, 1877. Her maiden name was Abigail Hibner, and she was born in Monroe County, N. Y., Feb. 10, 1831. Her father, Allen Hibner, was born, it is thought, in the same county, and his father was a native of Germany. Hle came to America at the age of fourteen, and was an early settler of Monroe County, where he spent his last years. Mrs. Kuebler's father was reared and married in his native county, and resided there until 1837, when he migrated to Michigan with his family, and settled in Branch County. He entered forty acres of land on section 11, Ovid Township, but as his means were limited he did not settle there at once, building instead a log cabin in Cold water for the shelter of his family, and working there in a mill for about a year. He then located on his land, and at once commenced its improvement. He afterward added forty acres of land adjoining his farm, and made his home there until after the death of his wife, when he went to Kansas and passed the remaining years of his life. The maiden name of his wife was Philura Bronson; she was a native of New York, and spent her last years on the homestead in Ovid. Mrs. Kuebler was but six years old when she came with her parents to Branch County, therefore most of her girlhood was passed amid the pioneer surroundings peculiar to the first years of I i It Now 0 — 40 I eII- I-, I - -1 0- 000. - _- I- — ogww~ — ~IC~r --- i Mik.- - oil 1lrr1Irr' 1 lll e'* 1 IF I- opt — I_ Pb I BR~IANCH COUNTY. 469 1 I) BRANCH. CONY 469. Il I the settlement of this part of the country, and she remembers very distinctly many interesting incidents of that life. She grew up to be a smart, capable woman, who could cook a good meal before the fire in the huge, open fireplace, and was carefully trained by her good mother in the arts of spinning and weaving, so that after her marriage she spun and wove all the cloth used by her family. She was married at the early age of seventeen to Hiram Quimby, a native of the town of Marlboro, Ulster Co., N. Y., and a son of Fowler and Elizabeth Quimby. He died in 1875. By that marriage she became the mother of fifteen children, twelve of whom grew to maturity, namely: Adelbert A., Ennis A., H. Wesley, Lavinia F., Mary J., Alonzo, Ella, Ida D., Elizabeth, Cora, Charles and Emmett. Mary married Charles Hull, and died at the age of twenty-eight; Ida married McClellan Smiley, and died at the age of twenty-one. Mr. Kuehler is a man whose sturdy independence, true kindness of heart, practical ability and sound common sense, render him invaluable as a neighbor, and very desirable as a citizen. ( ENRY D. PESSELL, the present Postmaster of Quincy, has for severalyears been promY inently identified with the agricultural and other industrial interests of Branch County, anl lie still owns a fine farm in Quincy Township, which is adorned with good improvements and is in a high state of cultivation. In 1884 he moved into the village to engage in the business of evaporating fruit in partnership with Mr. Lyons, under the firm name of Pessell & Lyons, their establishment being one of the most extensive in Southern Michigan, and they continue to conduct a very large and flourishing business. Mr. Pessell also deals in wool, and his shrewd judgment and good financial ability enable him to take advantage of the markets, and to know when to buy and to sell profitably. Our subject was born in Devonshire, England, April 2, 1836, his parents being Thomas and Sarah (Davis) Pessell. The former died in England in 1842, and the latter came to the United States in 1853, and died near Quincy at the residence of our subject, in June, 1880. She was the second wife of the father of our subject, and by her marriage had three children, as follows: Maria, now Mrs. Jones, still lives in England; Sarah is now Mrs. Watkins, of Allen Township, Hillsdale County, and Henry D.. of whom we write. When he was in his fifteenth year Henry Pessell left the home of his birth to seek his fortune by emigration to the United States. After landing in this country he came directly to Michigan, and first stopped in Allen Township, Hillsdale County, where, though a stranger to all, he soon obtained employment as a farm hand, and continued in that capacity under the employ of one man for five years. At the expiration of that time, by his faithful and energetic performance of his duties, and by wisely saving up his money, he had obtained the means to buy 120 acres of land in Allen Township, and so became indelendent. He actively entered upon the improvement of his land, continuing to reside upon it until 1870, and when he sold it it was one of the best farms in that neighborhood. After disposing of his prolerty in the year just mentioned, Mr. Pessell, accompanied by his family (he had long before assumed domestic ties), came to Branch County, and purchased his present farm in Quincy Township, which lie ably and profitably managed himself until his removal to town in 1884. Mr. Pessell has been the architect of his own fortune, and owns besides his farm valuable property in the village. He received his appointment to the position as Postmaster June 28, 1887, and in July took possession of the office, whose business he has since conducted to the entire satisfaction of his fellowtownsmen, who concede that he is well qualified for the place. Our subject was united in marriage to Miss Susan E. Watkins, in Allen Township, in December, 1859. She was born in Nova Scotia, but was only six months old when her parents removed to Michigan, and settled in Hillsdale County, therefore she has known no other home than this State. She is a most excellent woman, a fine housewife, and has made home pleasant and attractive to her husband and u. - - m -- - I r -- - --- -VP *b- 1 ~ 0 r aI --- -A I i 4S - I 470 BRANCH COUNTY. children. Of the latter eight have been born to her and her husband, namely: George, Arthur, Sarah, John, Fred, Cora, J. and Lucy. The three eldest boys are in Los Angeles, Cal. That Mr. Pessell is held in the highest confidence and regard by his fellowmen is evinced by the honorable position that he occupies in the business, political, social and religious circles of Branch County. We have seen what his business relations are, and know that lie manages his interests on a sound basis and by the most honorable methods. In politics he is a leader among the Democrats of this county; he served as an Alternate Delegate to the National Convention in 1884; he has been a candidate for the State Legislature, both House and Senate, but has always been defeated, although he always runs ahead of his ticket, his party being in the minority. He has served creditably as Justice of the Peace. Socially, he is prominently identified with the Royal Arch Masons, being a charter member of Allen Lodge No. 266, A. F. & A. M., and was its Master four years; he is now a member of the Mt. Vernon Lodge No. 166, A. F. & A. M., has served as Master for four years, and has been Secretary of the Quincy Lodge, R. A. M.; he is President of the Michigan State Detective Society, was President of the Branch County Agricultural Society for three years, and held various minor offices; He was Master of the Hillsdale County Pomona Grange while a resident of that county, and held the same position for four years in regard to the Branch County Pomona Grange. Religiously, he is an active and influential member of the Episcopal Chuch, in which he holds the position of Warden. ^ --— ~ ~~o^~^^..o~o. --- PHRAIM A. KNOWLTON, an old and respected resident of this county, is spending X his declining years in an elegant home in Coldwater. This property, of which he obtained possession in 1884, consists of sixteen acres of land within the city limits, and the residence is on Chicago street, one mile east of the court-house. It is a handsome brick structure, complete in its ap pointments and surroundings, having a large lawn adorned with beautiful trees and shrubs, and altogether giving evidence of taste and refinement in its inmates. Mr. Knowlton was born at Cape Ann, Essex Co., Mass., on Christmas Day, 1813, and is the son of William Knowlton, who was born at Wenham, in the same State. His grandfather, Abraham Knowlton, was also a native of the same locality, and continued to reside there until a short time prior to his death, when he removed to Vermont, and lived there with his son. During his youth he learned the trade of a stonemason, and served seven years in the Revolutionary War. William Knowlton was reared in his native county, and upon reaching manhood he engaged in the manufacture of salt, which was made by evaporating sea water. During the War of 1812 his business was completely ruined, and in 1815 he started for Vermont with a pair of horses and wagon, and, accompanied by his wife and six children, accomplished the journey of 160 miles. Arriving in the Green Mountain State, he settled in Brandon, Rutland County, where he purchased sixty acres of land in the village, and engaged in tilling the soil. In 1832 he sold that property, and removing to Rutland, bought a place, where he resided four years. He finally removed to Ohio, and settling in Franklin (now Kent), Portage County, he made it his home until the completion of life's work, at eighty-four years of age. During his residence at Brandon, Vt., he united with the Baptist Church, and ever after was an earnest and conscientious worker, serving as Deacon in Vermont and Ohio a period of thirty years. He was a member of. the old Whig party, but joined in the natural transition to the Republican ranks, and filled numerous offices of trust. In 1823, as one of the Selectmen of Brandon. Mr. Knowlton was invited to examine a miniature steam engine and railroad on exhibition. After his return home he remarked that it was a very fine thing, but he did not think it would ever be of any practical use. He lived, however, to see the railroad in successful operation, and to realize the advantages derived from it. The mother of our subject, whose' maiden name was Betsy Andress, was also a native of Essex County, Mass., and after a long and useful life, dis /' [ A I L A I k I I f.L -m lb. loop i BRANCH COUNTY. 471 I - tinguished by charity and devotion to her family, she departed this life in Kent, Ohio, at the ripe old age of ninety-three years. Her union with William Knowlton was crowned by the birth of eleven children, all of whom reached the years of maturity, and became worthy members of society. Ephraim A. was but an infant when his parents removed to Vermont, and he there grew to manhood in attendance on the schools of that State, and assisting his father in farm duties. He learned the trade of a cabinet-maker with his brother, and followed that business in Vermont until he attained his twentyfirst year. He then removed to Ohio, and located at Franklin, Portage County, and engaging in sash and door making, remained thus employed until 1844. He then engaged with Merritt Sawyer, a contractor on the Ohio & Pennsylvania Canal, and superintended a gang of men about two years. He next engaged in agricultural pursuits in Portage County, but after a short time he made an unsuccessful venture in the manufacture of potash. At the end of two years he abandoned this business, and was employed for three years as I)acker in a glass factory. Finally, in 1856, he came to this county and settled in Cold water, where he purchased a lot on the corner of Clay and Harrison streets, and renting a building, established a planing-mill and sash and blind factory. It was the pioneer institution of its kind in this section, and he remained engaged in its successful conduct until 1864, when he sold the property, and a year later bought a small farm on Marshall street, one mile from the court-house. Here he remained engaged in farming until 1884, when lie sold out and bought his present property. Mr. Knowlton has been twice married, his first marriage occurring June 4, 1834, with Jane A. Alvard, who was born in Cornwall, Vt., Feb. 19,1816, and was the daughter of John and Olive (Gogswell) Alvard. Their union resulted in the birth of four children, recorded as follows: Emma was born in Kent, Ohio, and became the wife of F. D. Marsh; Charles H. was born May 13, 1838, and died Sept. 16, 1883, in Quincy, this county; Jane A. was born Dec. 10, 1840, and died Jan. 5, 1864; and Sarah Josephine was born Sept. 25, 1844, and died Aug. 9, 1845. The mother of these children died Sept. 14, 1862, and the second marriage of our subject occurred Dec. 24, 1865, the lady of his choice being Mahala (Halsted) Fisk, who was born in Fayette, Seneca Co., N. Y., March 6, 1824. Her father, Robert H. Halsted, was born in New Jersey, and his father, also Robert, was a native of the same State. He removed to Seneca County in its early settlement, before either railroads or canals were in operation, and the journey was made with teams. He settled in Waterloo, where he purchased a tract of land, and also established a tannery. which he operated in connection with his farm. His wife, whose maiden name was Eunice Ward, was a native of New Jersey, and died at Waterloo. The grandfather of Mrs. Knowlton served in the Revolutionary War, and his family were exposed to all the perils of that period. He had, however, always been kind to the Indians, and while he was in the army they repeatedly passed by without molesting his wife and children. On one occasion the wife was taken prisoner by a strange band, but a friendly Indian came along and rescued her, and restored all the plunder which had been taken from their home. The father of Mrs. Knowlton learned the trade of a shoemaker, and when a young man engaged in business at Waterloo, keeping a general.store, and also boots and shoes. He conducted this business for many years, and ended his life in that place. '1 he mother of Mrs. Knowlton, whose maiden name was Catherine Stout, was the daughter of a pioneer of Seneca County, and was a child of but four years of age when her mother died. Her father married again, and she was reared by her stepmother until 1836, in which year she came to Michigan, and resided with a sister at Cold water during the greater part of the time until her marriage. Her first marriage occurred in 1842, to Luther Fisk, to whom she bore four children: Calvin, who lives in Las Vegas, N. M.; Catherine, who (ie~d when at the age of two years; Franklin, who was accidentally killed by the falling of a tree, when he was twentytwo years old; and L. D., who lives in Coldwater. When Mrs. Knowlton first came to Cold water, Branch was the county seat, and Coldwater was a small and unpretentious place. Deer, wild turkeys and wolves were plentiful, and Indians still hovered around and were frequent visitors at the pioneer homes. The &hi ' 0 - - U I"- -_~Iqq - _ I1 ~~ CP __,I F -meI --- " - L v w i I I I I -I -1 A I -I~ -- ~..-l ~ xl-.,-, ~ ~,.~~-_..... ~.x~. _~c~._~. ~ Bobo., - 472 BRANCH COUNTY. --- great-grandfather of Mrs. Knowlton was by profession a physician, and his daughter, the grandmother of Mrs. Knowlton, studied medicine and practiced among her own family and neighbors, never demanding remuneration, but simply from her love for humanity. Mrs. Knowlton is a member of the Methodist Church, with which she became identified at the early age of fourteen years, and has lived a life becoming her profession, while Mr. Knowlton is a member of the Baptist Church, and his walk and conversation give evidence of his heartfelt acquaintance with those principles which he professes. In politics Mr. Knowlton affiliates with the Republica l)party. OHN PHILLIPS, one of the honored pioneers of Branch County, came to Southern Michigan in the fall of 1855, when a young man twenty-nine years old, and purchased 120 acres of land on section 24, in Union Township. This was in its wild state, but upon it he has since remained, and it has been transformed from a wilderness into one of the best conducted farms of this region. Mr. Phillips has never made any great pretensions to style, but has put up everything with an eye to comfort and convenience, having a good dwelling and all the necessary out-buildings for the shelter of stock and the storing of grain. The experience of our subject among the pioneers of Southern Michigan is one which may be of interest to all who give a thought to the time when the face of the country had been trodden but little by the feet of white men, and when deer and wild turkeys were plentiful, besides the more mischievous animals with which the settler, amid his other difficulties, had to contend. John Phillipsin nowise lacked the sturdy and courageous elements of character so necessary to the men of those times, but fought his way valiantly, subduing the soil, leveling the forest trees, and keeping pace with the advance of civilization around him. Ile now sits under his own vine and fig tree, the object of respect by his neighbors, and has abundant reason to feel that his long career has been useful, not only creditable to himself but one wherein he has been of service to his fellowmen. Jacob Phillips, the father of our subject, was a native of Dutchess County, N. Y., and married Miss Elizabeth Stratt, one of his childhood associates, and settling near their early home they there spent their entire lives, the father engaged in agricultural pursuits. The parental household included seven children, five sons and two daughters, two of whom are living, our subject and one who is a resident of New York. John, of our sketch, was the youngest of the family, and was born in Milan, Dutchess Co., N. Y., Feb. 9, 1826. He passed his boyhood and youth after the manner of most farmers' sons, acquiring his education in the district school, and continued a resident of his native county until coming to the West. Our subject, before leaving his native State to build up a home among the Western wilds, fortified himself with a wife and helpmate, having been married, on the 10th of May, 1855, to Miss Elmira E. Decker, daughter of John and Mary (Roe) Decker, who were natives also of the Empire State, the father born in Schoharie County and the mother in Columbia County, the latter June 16, 1807. The parents of Mrs. Phillips, whose property lay near the village of Red Hook. left their old home in the Empire State about 1865, and coming to this county located in Union Township, where the father followed agriculture as before, and where his death took place in August, 1876, at the age of seventysix years. The mother is still living, being now eighty-two years old, and makes her home with our subject. They were the parents of ten children, seven daughters and three sons, and Mrs. Phillips was the fifth child. She was born in Red Hook, N. Y., May 8, 1835, and remained under the home roof until her marriage. To Mr. and Mrs. Phillips there were born two children only, a daughter and son-Addah L. and Herbert J. The former is the wife of )elmer Haines, a well-to-do farmer of Union Township, and the mother of one child-Myra L. The son is at home. Both the parents and children are i i i1 Ii: I. I I i i I \ li —4B+ i F a-p ---- ---- -. --- 1111111 __ _._ ~ - I ~ - ~ --- -— e - - - - ------- -- - ~ -- - ____.14 LL i, m f I ffjlb"mF*I I S =ao!rEZ" NW BRANCH members in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church, our subject and his wife being Iparticularly active in religious matters. They are widely and favorably known to a large proportion of the people of Union Township, and their home, as one of its old landmarks, is the object of interested attention from all who have marked the growth and settlement of Branch County. EORGE TRIPP, who was an early pioneer of Branch County, is the oldest settler now living in Kinderhook Township. When our subject came to Michigan over half a century ago the face of the country presented a very different aspect from what it does to-day. Where are now populous cities, thriving villages and beautiful farms, stood the tall old trees of the forest primeval, stretching for miles in every direction, with now and then timbered openings, and here and there sunny prairies, or a vast, gloomy swamp; few and scattered were the settlements, and an occasional small clearing, betokening where the ax of the pioneer had begun to open the way for the coming civilization. Scarcely more than a quarter of a century before had the wise surveyors, sent out by the Government to survey bounty land for the soldiers, reported finding here only "tamarack swamps, bogs and sand barrens, with not one acre in a hundred tit for cultivation." It remained for the brave and dauntless pioneers, such as our subject, with nerves of iron and hearts of steel, to penetrate these wilds, prove the falsity of such a report, and reveal to the eyes of an astonished world the vast resources hidden in those silent forests and malarious swamps. Noting the comfortable surroundings, indicative of prosperity,and in many cases of wealth, of the survivors of those days of early settlement, we can scarcely realize all that they suffered and endured in the upbuilding of their homes, then so far from the centers of civilization, where but little more than the bare necessaries of life were procurable. Yet such was their faith in the future of the country, with its grand i, COUNTY. 473 possibilities, that they patiently and heroically bore trials and privations that a less hardy and resolute people would have sunk under, and the present generations cannot render too much reverence and honor to their representatives who walk among us, and from their own lips let fall the story of other days. _TB i\ _-q It gives us pleasure to record in these pages a brief record of the life of one of these, who has borne an important part in the development of Branch County. Mr. Tripp was born in Decatur, Otsego Co., N. Y., April 10, 1809. David Tripp, his father, was of New England birth and ancestry, born and reared in the State of Rhode Island. In early manhood he moved from there to New York, settling first in Rensselaer County, and then in Otsego County, becoming a pioneer of what is now Decatur Township; lie there bought a tract of timber land, partly cleared, on which stood a log cabin, which he soon replaced by a more commodious frame house. He was a man of decided character, superior ability, bold and vigorous in his measures, a wise and ready counselor, and one upon whom all men looked with trust and confidence, and lie soon became a leadingg citizen in that part of the country where lie made his home. He was the first Supervisor of Decatur Township, was twice sent to the New York Assembly by his admiring fellow-citizens, and he also took a prominent part in the proceedings of the convention called to revise the State Constitution. He made his home on his farm in Decatur until death closed his noble career. His amiable wife, whose maiden name was Mary Dickenson, also passed her closing years on the old homestead. The subject of our sketch was reared in his native town, and gleaned his education in the schools of the day, which were conducted on the rate or subscription plan, attending in the.winter season only. The remainder of the year he worked on the farm, thus gaining a thorough practical knowledge of agriculture that has since made him a successful farmer. He lived with his parents until lie was twenty-one. and then started in life for himself, finding employment on a farm at $9 a month. He continued working in that manner in Otsego and Saratoga Counties for four years, then went to Genesee r i `e I cPlt Y I- E-.3 - 4 _0 -I -do 4 - I I -' r II ~~-,~~ —_ ---- 1~ ~ _ —I_~ --- —-~ ----~ ob-.- I L 474 BRANCH COUNTY. County, where he worked by the month until 1835. He heard much of the Territory of Michigan, of the wonderful fertility of its land and of its many and varied resources, and in the fall of that year he determined to cast in his lot with the pioneers who were flocking hither from all parts of the East. He came by way of the Erie Canal and lake to Detroit, and there he found a teamster coming to Branch County, and putting his trunk on the wagon he rode a part of the way and walked the remainder to Coldwater. He had come West to seek a home, and wisely resolving to look about him carefully and see something of the country before settling down, he set out on foot to explore the surrounding region; he penetrated as far west as the present site of Kalamazoo, then called Bronson, but returned to Coldwater without locating. He then started out again and visited Northeastern Indiana and Northwestern Ohio, and finally returned to Branch County, and selecting the land which forms his present homestead, he entered 160 acres from the Government. In December of that year he made the first move toward improving that place by cutting trees to make room to build a log cabin, built, as was usual in those days, with a stick and mud chimney, and in this humble abode he and his bride commenced housekeeping in 1837. They lived under its sheltering roof for twenty years, when he replaced it by a more commodious and convenient frame house. Mr. Tripp was married, Oct. 10, 1837, to Miss Mary Winans, who was born in Rensselaerville, Albany Co., N. Y., Feb. 6, 1812. Her father, William Winans, was born in Dutchess County, N. Y., whence his father, the Rev. John Winans, a Baptist preacher, moved to Rensselaer County, where he leased a tract of land. He spent his last years with a daughter in Schoharie County. Mrs. Tripp's father was reared on a farm, and after marriage settled in Genesee, Monroe County, from there moving to Livingston County, whence he came to Michigan. He located in Quincy, where he bought a farm, lived there a few years, and then spent the remainder of his life with his children, dying in the home of Mrs. Tripp, his daughter, Sept. 7, 1854. His wife, whose maiden name was Lovisa 1Iumphrey, was born in Rensselaerville, N. Y., and was a ldaughter of Russell and Mary Humphrey. She spent her last years with her children, and died at the home of Mrs. Tripp in 1857. The two children born of the marriage of our subject and his wife are dead. Judson, born Sept. 5, 1838, died in August, 1857; George W., born Feb. 20, 1850. died April 17, 1852. This was a Ilitter loss to their parents, but they were sustained and comforted by their perfect trust in "Him who (oethl all things well." And to them More homelike seems the vast unknown Since they have entered there; To follow them were not so hard, Wherever they may fare; They cannot be where God is not, On any sea or shore. If the brief limits of this biography would permit we would gladly give the readers of this work a peep into the life of our subject and his wife from that October day so many years ago, when in that little log cabin they commenced their journey together, and tell of their struggles to overcome the obstacles that lay in their pathway. By patient industry and mutual helpfulness they overcame all these, and have not only built up for themselves a pleasant home, where they enjoy comforts and luxuries afforded to them by their ample income, but they materially assisted in making Branch County what it is to-day, one of the richest and most prosperous regions in all the State of Michigan. When they first settled in Kinderhook, the surrounding forests were the home of wolves, deer, wild turkeys, and various other kinds of game; the Indians had then not all been removed beyond the Mississippi, and were frequent callers at the cabin, and were always ready to trade wild game for breadstuff. There was no railway until the completion of the one from Toledo to Adrian. For a time Hillsdale was the nearest market, where our subject disposed of his wheat, and the roads were so bad that two days were required for each trip, which was made with ox-teams, and they also used to go to Fremont, Ind. Religious meetings were held in the cabin of some settler or in a schoolhouse. The first township meeting was held in Mr. Tripp's house in Ovid, now Kinderhook. The nearest gristmill was at White Pigeon. Mr. Tripp LI I I! F —Iqqnw t....... IIj tf r !t r z op-M Ob._-.rP!.1 BRAN~CH COUNTY. 477 A BRANC COUNTY did his farm work, milling and marketing, with oxen, being more fortunate than some of his fellowpioneers, in that he had two pairs of those useful animals. Mr. Tripp gratefully acknowledges his indebtedness to his good wife for much of his success, as in all of his labors she stood by his side ready and willing to assist him and to give him wise counsel. She is a most excellent housewife, and to her skillful cooking before the fire in the open fireplace (did he owe many a good meal in those early days, and her kindness and generosity alleviated the sufferings of many a poor settler, who through sickness or misfortune appealed to her ready sympathies. Mr. Tripp is a man of deep religious convictions, and his honorable life record shows him to be a sincere follower of the Master, and the good that he has done is worthy of emulation. He joined the Baptist Church in this county, and is a Trustee of that church. As an able and trustworthy man he has for many years taken a leading part in public affairs; has been Supervisor of the township, Justice of the Peace for twenty years, and has also been Township Clerk. It is unnecessary to speak further of him in this work, as his record speaks louder than words.. ---- - ------- RS. ELIZA (WHITNEY) JEFFERDS. The / beautiful suburban home occupied by this lady and her daughter is one of the finest in Branch County, and located on Chicago street, one and one-half miles east of the court-house in Coldwater. The residence is tasteful and imposing, surrounded by well-kept grounds and choice shrubbery, and within is handsomely finished and furnished, denoting the exercise of refined tastes and ample means. It has been the residence of the Jefferds family for over twenty years, and has become one of the landmarks in this section in which the entire community takes pride. The history of Mrs. Jefferds is that of the daughter of an excellent family who were widely and favorably known in New York State. Her father, Jesse Whitney, and her grandfather, Jeremiah, were born in Ulster County, and the latter resided near Poughkeepsie many years. Thence he removed to Orleans County, where he purchased a tract of land and carried on farming until his earthly labors were ended. He had married, in early manhood, Miss Elizabeth Underhill, who died at the home of her son, in Monroe County, before the death of her husband. Jesse Whitney, the father of Mrs. Jefferds, was reared in his native county, but in 1835 took up his residence in Perrinton Township, Monroe County, where he purchased a farm near the village of Fairport, and devoted his attention to agriculture until his death, which took place in August, 1876. The maiden name of the mother of Mrs. Jefferds was Eveline Simkins, also a native of the Empire State. The parental family included nine children, five of whom grew to mature years. These latter, four of whom are still living, are William, Lorenzo, Eliza (Mrs. Jefferds) and Albert. The subject of this sketch was born near New York City, July 2, 1826. She remained under the home roof until her marriage with Robert B. Jefferds, Dec: 24, 1844. Mr. J. was born in East Rush, Monroe Co., N. Y., Sept. 3, 1824, and was the son of Nathan Jefferds, who was also a native of that State, and one of the earliest settlers of Rush Township. He made his way to that locality before there was a road marked out, and when his only guide was here and there a blazed tree. He was a man of great perseverance and industry, and in the course of a few years improved a farmn from the wilderness, where he spent his last years in con fort, and where his death took place. One of his sisters is still a resident of Rush, and has now arrived at the advanced age of ninety-seven years. She is still hale and hearty, and corresponds with her friends. The mother of Mr. Jefferds was in her girlhood Miss Polly Green, also a native of New York State. Mr. Jefferds was reared in his native town, and when eleven years of age left the district school for the academy at Gates. Later he attended the collegiate institutes at both Brockport and Rochester, and when eighteen years old commenced the study of medicine under the instruction of Dr. Smith, of Rush. Subsequently he was in the office of Dr. Moore, of Rochester, and later attended medical lectures at Woodstock, Vt. From there he went to Pittsburgh, Pa., and was graduated from the Medi I 1 Ii L *pp f m A I -kI mb - u-.d 478 BRANCH COUNTY. cal College of that city. He commenced practice at East Rush, whence he subsequently removed, and practiced in various other places until coming to Michigan in 1853. After his arrival in this State Dr. Jefferds lived on a farm in Calhoun County three years, then removed to Lansing, where, in addition to his practice, he conducted a drug-store until the outbreak of the Civil War, when he laid aside his personal ambitions and interests, and proffered his services to assist in the defense of the Union. He enlisted in Company G, 3d Michigan Infantry, for three years, receiving a Lieutenant's commission, and later was promoted to the rank of Captain, this honor being conferred upon him on account of gallant services at the battle of Bull Run. Ile met the enemy thereafter in many of the important engagements of the war, including the battle of the Wilderness, Blackburn's Fort, Yorktown, Williamsburg and Seven Pines. He was for some time stationed with his regiment in front of Washington. Hardship and privation, however, in due time had their effect upon the constitution of Dr. Jeff erds, and he was compelled to resign in 1862 and return home. In January, 1865, he took up his residence in Coldwater, and here resided until his death, which occurred Oct. 23, 1886. His health was never restored from the time he left the army, and the last year of his life was spent in almost absolute retirement. Lie belonged to the Masonic fraternity, the I. 0. 0. F. and the G. A. R. To Dr. and Mrs. Jefferds there were born four children, two of whom died in infancy, and Bruce at the age of fifteen years; Molly is now the wife of Harlow E. Macary, and the mother of two children — Jesse Burt and Robert A. A portrait of Mr. Jefferds is presented in connection with thissketch. AVID PAUL is one of the substantial farmers and prominent residents of Branch County, where he has resided on section 16, California Township, since the spring of 1844. A biographical work of the leading men of Branch County that did not include a sketch of the life of Mr. Paul would be incomplete, therefore we take great pleasure in presenting a short sketch of his life work. David Paul was born in the Empire State, which has furnished so much of the best element of pioneer life in this section of the country, and he first saw the light April 16, 1819. He is a son of John and Jane (Allen) Paul, natives of Ireland, the former of whom was the only son in the parental family who grew to years of maturity. His parents lived and died in their native Ireland, and two of his sisters came to the United States. The maternal grandparents of our subject, John and Elizabeth Allen, came to the United States, and settled in Washington County, N. Y., where they reared a family of five children-Margaret, Elizabeth, Jane, James and John. The parents of our subject were married in Washington County, N. Y., and resided on a farm, engaged in the peaceful vocation of agriculture, and thus spent the remainder of their lives. The father died in 1828, and the mother subsequently married David Armstrong, and died in the seventy-sixth year of her age. The parental family of our subject included twelve children, ten of whom lived to become men and women, viz.: Elizabeth, Mary, Nancy, Thomas, Margaret, James, John, David, Samuel and Jane. David Paul was nine years old when his father died, and he resided with his mother until seventeen years of age, assisting as he could in the varied duties of farm life, while securing a common-school education. At seventeen years of age young Paul commenced the battle of life for himself, serving first by the month as a farm hand at $5, which increased as the value of his services became better known, until his remuneration was $26 per month. By economy in the management of his small income, Mr. Paul saw his way clear to assume new responsibilities, and he contracted a matrimonial alliance with the maiden of his choice, Miss Jane E., daughter of John and Jane (Allen) Hall (for whose history see sketch of Thomas Hall elsewhere in this volume). Mrs. Paul was born in Argyle, N. Y., and was reared under the parental roof, where she received from a careful and conscientious mother those practical lessons of life which have L w/ _.A j _ON -I 4 I I - - - -- --- -- --. - I- - I - - III- '-, C-ll 1r U - LY — P- -. --- - -TY ur - -.- r- -. ~~ r — ( - ---- -- B sed I b _- - _-. — _ --- _ -. - - _-. __.._.:__ f 71 p "B~31*-r xC"~~~e~11 - -31 1~ - _- _ _ _ P= --- —-~ I IC~ll I- Irr I ~ I I ~ I ~II 1- r~e Il-r d p BRANCH COUNTY. 479 A so amply qualified her to become a worthy helpmate for her industrious husband. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Paul continued residents of the Empire State for two years, and in 1844 they determined to try their fortune in the West, where the advantages offered to farmers appeared to be greater. They traveled by railroad to Buffalo, and thence by boat to Detroit, from which city they came across the country to Branch County, where Mr. Paul purchased eighty acres of school land on section 16. During his first winter's residence in this township he lived on section 15, and in the meantime he erected a small frame house on his own purchase, into which he soon afterward removed. HIe improved forty acres of his land, and then purchased eighty acres more, to which he has added from time to time, as opportunity offered, until he now owns 560 acres of land, 400 acres of which are in a good state of cultivation. He is the most extensive farmer in the township, and employs five tenants in the management of the estate, on which he raises grain principally. On this property he has erected four barns and three dwellings, and his farm is supplied with agricultural machinery sufficient for the expeditious cultivation and harvesting of crops. Mr. Paul also owns two houses and lots in the village of Ray, on the State line. Mr. and Mrs. Paul have become the parents of twelve children, ten of whom still survive, and are recorded as follows: John resides at Ray, Ind., near the State line; Elizabeth is the widow of George Quinby, and resides in Ovid Township; James is a resident of Washington Territory, where he is engaged in farming; David H. is a stockdealer at Ray; Albert is a resident of Washington Territory, where, in connection with the management of a farm, he is engaged in the profession of a school teacher; George and Wilson S. are residents of this township; Frank H. resides in Washington Territory; Emma became the wife of Andrew Vance, of this township, and Allen also resides in this township. Mr. Paul has accumulated all his valuable property by his own unaided industry and good judgment, and by fair and straightforward business habits. His word is considered as good as his I I bond, and he never signs any papers except those necessary for the transfer of real estate. For many years, in addition to farming, he worked at the carpenter's trade, putting up his own buildings, besides some for others, which was a great help to him at the start, as he could get a man and team to work for him a day for a day's work at his trade. He does not neglect his farm, but has lrought it to a high state of cultivation, as is shown by the fact that in 1887 he raised 1,460 bushels of wheat, 1,198 bushels of oats, 3,000 bushels of corn and 30 tons of hay. The only relaxation which Mr. Paul has had from his arduous labors- was in 1849, the winter of which lie spent in New York State visiting. In politics Mr. Paul is a stanch Republican, and is influential among the electors of his community. He has been elected to many of the local offices, and served as Township Supervisor a number of years, discharging the duties of the office without fear or favor. -- -- lF OSWELL D. TIFT, well known throughout i'f Algansee Township, is a native of this State,!\/ having been born in Washtenaw County, April 20, 1833. His father, David Tift, was a native of Allegany County, N. Y., where he grew to manhood and became thoroughly familiar with farm pursuits. When setting about the establishment of a home of his own he was married to Miss Mary Minier, a native of his own State, and they, in October, 1832, made their way to the Territory of Michigan and lived in Washtenaw County for five years following. The parents of our subject upon coming to this county, in 1837, settled first in Kinderhook Township, but a year later sold the land wlhich the father had entered from the Government and entered another tract of 160 acres, in Algansee Township, northeast. This was covered with timber, and after erecting his log cabin the father set about clearing his land and bringing the soil to a productive condition. The parents endured all the hardships and privations incident to life in a new if i - IFc C_ 3 0q o I — LI —.C-II _ __, - 4, 4 IL k I clJb-l \ I 1 --- ---- 1 -- - _ _ _- - - - --- - I! i 480 BRANCH COUNTY. I settlement. but in due time were rewarded in the possession of a comfortable homestead, a neat frame dwelling, and the various other buildings which grew up around them as their land developed and their means increased. Here they spent the renainder of their lives, the mother dying in November, 1858, and the father in February, 1859. Of the six children born to David and Mary Tift the record is as follows: Fanny E. became the wife of Martin Hiscock, and is a resident of Linn County, Iowa; Roswell D.. our subject, was the eldest son and second child;Albert J. and Jerome B. are farming in Algansee Township; Allison during the late war enlisted in the 11th Michigan Infantry, and died, from disease contracted in the service, at home in 1863; Horace N., also a Union soldier, enlisted ill the 5th Michigan Cavalry, and yielded up his life as a sacrifice to his country. in Andersonville Prison. The parents were members in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Roswell D. Tift was a little lad five years of age when his parents came to this county, where lie acquired a limited education and learned the whole secret of successful farming. His life passed in an uneventful manner until he was twenty-seven years of age, when he was united in marriage, March 1, 1860, to Miss Permelia Mason, who was born in Huron County, Ohio. Mrs. Tift was the daughter of Walter T. and Sarah Mason, who were native born Americans and spent their last years in Algansee Township. Our subject and his wife commenced life together in a modest dwelling in Algansee, where Mr. Tift still followed agriculture until 1864, in hopes that the war would soon come to a successful close, but there being no prospect of this in the near future he, with his brother Jerome B., enlisted in an independent company, which was subsequently consolidated with the 1st Michigan Sharpshooters, and being sent to City Point, Va., remained in the service until after the close of the war. Mr. Tift, after receiving his honorable discharge, resumed farming in Algansee Township, but one year later, in April, 1866, his home was made desolate by the death of his wife, who left a daughter, Eleanor Lizzie, four years of age. In 1870 Mr. Tift contracted a second marriage, with Miss Lucy R. Shumway, who was born in Lenawee County, Sept. 10, 1850, and is the daughter of Alfred and Nancy M. (Davis) Shumway, well-known residents of this part of the State, and a sketch of whom will be found in another part of this volume. To Roswell D. and Lucy R. Tift there have been born four children-Levi S., Eli D., Riley D. and Perry R. The eldest is sixteen years of age and the youngest eight years. The Tift homestead comprises 138 acres of land, the larger part of which is in a productive condition and yields in abundance the rich crops of Southern Michigan. The buildings are neat and substantial, and thoroughly adapted to the requirements of the modern agriculturist. Mr. Tlift during his early manhood worked considerably as a carpenter, and being able to put up his own buildings mostly, has thus saved an outlay of hundreds of (lollars, while at the same time they were completed in a most thorough and substantial manner. Mr. T. has been chiefly engaged with his own concerns, carefully avoiding the responsibilities of office, which his fellow-citizens would have been glad to have him assume, and has simply served as Township Clerk. He was in former times a Republican, but of late years has been strongly in sympathy with the National Greenbackers, while in religious matters he is a member in good standing of the Congregational Church. IHOMAS L. THOMPSON, now a prosperous member of the farming community of Branch County, owning a farm in Ovid Township, is particularly worthy of mention in this ALBUM as one of those who, during the late Civil War, nobly laid aside all personal ambitions and entered heart and soul into the struggle which was to save untarnished the honor of our country, and leave with not a star undimmed the glorious banner that floats over the home of the free. He is a native of Springfield, Summit Co., Ohio, born on June 9, 1844. His grandfather, James Thompson, was in his early years a resident of Pennsylvania, but reh A I_ lk _ t. I _ _.. I C IL0 m-r- PQC - ~- I~I rr r C~L -lY ~ — I elt~ a A]. I _w4" ( 1l r (1 [ 11,11 11-11,1111,1 1 —1, ~II C- ~a - i --- —— 1 "I SW orm --, L - - - — w 1l f I BRANCH COUNTY. 481 4 RNHCUNY 8 moved from there to Springfield, Ohio, where he purchased a tract of land from which he cleared a farm, on which he lived until his death. His son, Thomas A., father of our subject, was quite young when he moved with his parents to Ohio, where he was reared and educated. On reaching man's estate, he bought a farm adjoining his father's in Springfield, and lived there until 1864, when, in order to improve his financial condition, he removed with his family to Cass County, this State, and bought a farm in the town of Mason. A few years later he disposed of his property there, and removed to Elkhart, Ind., where his death occurred July 8, 1881. HIe was twice married. The maiden name of his first wife was Margaret Lance, who died at the early age of twenty-seven years, when our subject was only three years old, her death occurring on the homestead at Springfield, Ohio, and her body was laid to rest in the cemetery near by. The maiden name of his second wife was Eliza Larimore, who survived her husband, and is now living with her daughter near Elkhart. T. L. Thompson was reared in his native town, where he received a substantial education, and was well prepared to enter Hayesville College when the late Rebellion broke out. His patriotic enthusiasm could not be restrained, so, though only seventeen years of age, he enlisted Oct. 6, 1861, in Company G, 64th Ohio Infantry. He was mustered in as a private, but for brave conduct was promoted to the rank of Corporal, then through the different grades to the position of First Lieutenant, serving faithfully with his regiment until Jan. 3, 1866, when he was discharged at Victoria, Tex., and was afterward mustered out of service at Columbus, Ohio. He served with the Army of the Cumberland, taking an active part in the battles of Corinth, Stone River and Chickamauga. At the latter place our subject received a severe wound in his right leg, and for more than an hour lay on the field between the lines, with the shot and shell from each side whizzing over and around him. He was then assisted from the field by a comrade, and fortunately received a ride on a caisson wagon, thus escaping capture by the rebels. The second day after he was transferred to the hospital at Nashville, and f when able to travel received a few weeks' furlough. He rejoined his regiment in November, 1863, and participated in the battle of Mission Ridge, was subsequently with Sherman in his march to the sea, taking part in the raid on Atlanta, the battles of Jonesboro, Lovejoy's Station, Franklin and Nashville. After the latter battle he followed the rebels to Decatur, Ala., and from there started to Virginia. While in Knoxville, Tenn., he heard the news of Lee's surrender. When he was mustered out of service Lieut. Thompson went to Cass County, whither his father had removed, and on Oct. 18, 1866, was united in marriage to Miss Louise McCormick, also a native of Springfield, Ohio, born May 22, 1845; their marriage occurred in Coldwater, at the home of the bride. Hier paternal grandfather, James McCormick, was presumably a native of Pennsylvania, where he lived for many years, engaged in agricultural pursuits. He married Sallie Hall, whose entire life was spent in that State. After her death Mr. McCormick moved to Ohio, and from there to Iowa, where he spent his remaining years, dying in Lancaster, Keokuk County. His son James, father of Mrs. Thompson, was born in Westnoreland County, Pa., and was a youth in his teens when he moved with his father to Ohio. He became a tiller of the soil, and settled in Springfield Township, where lie married Miss Esther C. Meacham, who was born in Tallmadge, Summit Co., Ohio. Her parents, Seth and Sally (Weston) Meacham, were natives of Connecticut, who after their marriage removed to Tallmadge, Ohio, where they bought a tract of heavily timbered land, from which they improved a farm on which the remaining years of their life were spent. For a short time after their marriage our subject and his wife lived in Cass County, then in October, 1868, came to Branch County, and located in Quincy Township, where Mr. Thompson bought a farm, which, after they had lived on it six years, he sold and purchased another in the same township. In 1876 our subject removed to Ovid Township, and bought a farm on section 3, remaining thereon seven years. In the year 1883 ie disposed of that property, and bought the homestead on which he now resides on section 10. It contains seventy acres of valuable land, on which are substantial and convenient buildings, that, with the w0-= - a __ - 9 Vm _-...... _ - --— ~- -- -- -- -— 7- UI I p * -qw L , & o -..A- - w -.m BRANCH COUNTY. ---- r 482 BRANCHI COUNTY. I I iq good condition of the farm, indicate the thrift and good( management of the owner. Mr. Thompson takes much interest in local and general affairs, and has during his residence here won universal respect and esteem for his integrity of character and sterling worth. t_. j7.. e AVID J. PRESTIDGE, a general farmer and stock-raiser residing in this county, is pleasantly situated on section 20, Bethel Township, about five miles from Bronson. Mr. Prestidge is practically a selfmade man, having accumulated a good farm of ninety acres of fine, arable land by his own unaided efforts. He has accomllished this by sheer industry and frugality, characteristic of the people from whom he derives his origin, and this brief history of Mr. Prestidge furnishes to the rising generation an example of what may be accomplished by the exercise of similar virtues. The subject of this notice was born in Northamptonshire, England, in 1833, and is the fifth in order of birth of thirteen children included in the family of William and Iannah (Cook) Prestidge, natives of Warwickshire. The parents spent their entire lives in their native country, where the father departed this life in March, 1887, at the age of eighty-six years. The mother still survives, and has reached the age of eighty-three years. The father was a laborer, and was Secretary and sexton of the parish church fifty-three years. The following obituary notice is taken from the Advertiser, published in Warwickshire, England, and dated Sept. 10, 1887: "Fifty-three years ago Mr. Prestidge was appointed to the Clerkship of this parish, and during this long period he discharged the duties of the office to the entire satisfaction of all. He died lamented by all, on Saturday afternoon, March 27. Five members of the Muffled Ringing Society at St. Andrew's Church, Netherton, Worcestershire, assisted by Mr. W. Micklewright (Dudley) ascended the tower and rang a ' peal of plain bob minor, containing 720 changes in twenty-nine minutes. It was rung in respect for the late Mr. William Prestidge, of West Haddon, who was held in respect by the members of the above society at Netherton." The paternal grandparents of our subject, Thomas and Sarah Prestidge, and the maternal grandparents, Thomas and Sarah Cook, were all natives of England. Mr. Prestidge was reared to farm pursuits in his English home, and was educated in the free schools of that country, thus spending the first nineteen years of his life. Being of an ambitious nature, and seeing but little prospect of improving his condition in his native country, our subject, in company with three brotlers, resolved to try his fortune in the New World, and on the 5th of April, 1852, they embarked at Liverpool on the sailing-vessel ' New World." After a voyage of thirty-three days they landed at New York, and immediately proceeded to Cleveland, Ohio, which they reached at five o'clock at night, with only fifty cents in their pockets. Mr. Prestidge was not discouraged by the state of his exchequer, but immediately went to work to improve his circumstances, and after a short time removed to Portage County, where he worked one year in a store at Ravenna. In 1853 our subject made his advent into this State, and entered the employ of Jonathan Holmes, with whom he remained several years. Meanwhile, during the first year of his residence in the county, he purchased eighty acres of timberland on section 20, Bethel Township, and while working for Mr. Holmes paid his brother $200 to clear the farm. David J. Prestidge and Mary Bowen united their destinies at Bronson in 1860, and together began the work of building up a home in his adopted country. Mrs. Prestidge is a native of the Empire State, where she was born in 1840, and is the second in order of birth in a family of three children born to Anson and Polly Bowen, natives of the same State as their daughter. The parents are both deceased, the mother passing away about 1848, while the father survived until 1877, and died in Bronson, this State. After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Prestidge resided with Mr. Holmes one year, and then removed to their farm on section 20, and engaged in their life work. Our subject has since disposed of part of rev~LI I:i e 41 - I 0r4 t TIN, - 0 -40p- II I I d.1 1 ----1 W am - BRANCH COUNTY. 483 I his land, and at the present time owns ninety-four acres, all arable and under a high state of cultivation; indeed it is as fine a farm as can be found in the country, having a living stream of water running through it, which greatly enhances its value, particularly as pasture land. The farm is well stocked with superior high-grade Bluejay horses, some of which have shown as good speed as any in the country. His cattle are well-bred Durham, while his sheep are high-grade Merino and Cotswold. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Prestidge has been blessed by the birth of eight children, seven of whom are still living, and are named as follows: Lucius Henry, George Edwin, Emma Eliza, Clayton David, Ansil Kent, Florence May and Burt. Lucius H. is married, and resides in Bronson Township, and George Edwin is also married, and resides in Bethel. One child, Walter Lemont, (lied at the age of five months, March 14, 1864. Mr. Prestidge is not identified with either of the great political parties and does not take an active part in politics, but votes from principle with the Prohibition party. Though unostentatious and inclined to avoid publicity, he has been sought out by his fellow-tdwnsmen, and elected to the office of Pathmaster. Mr. and Mrs. Prestidge and all the children except two are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of Bronson, in which our subject is Trustee and Steward. He also takes quite an active part in Sabbath-school work, and has been a teacher of the Bible Class for the past eighteen years. They are worthy and reputable people, and are prominent in the promotion of every good work. Socially, Mr. Prestidge is a member of the G range. L ON. ALBERT CHANDLER. Among the business men and prominent citizens of Branch County, the subject of this biogra(,) phy is widely and favorably known as having materially assisted in the building up of its various interests. He has been prominent in public affairs, and possesses more than ordinary business capacity, together with the other qualities which have raised him to an enviable position among the leading men of Southern Michigan. He at present represents the wholesale carriage and saddlery hardware trade, which he established about 1870, and from which he realizes a handsome income. Prior to this he was engaged in the general hardware trade, and only sold out in the spring of 1888. Our subject was born Sept. 23, 1814, in Sempronius, N. Y., and was the second child of Daniel and Deborah (Parker) Chandler, whose family included two sons and one daughter, his brother and sister being Daniel and Mary. The latter was first married to a Mr. Jarvis, of Greene County, N. Y., who died, and she subsequently married Mr. Hanes, and became a widow the second time. Her third husband was Mr. Vanderberg, who only lived about two years after their marriage, and the fourth was a Mr. Ormsby. Daniel Chandler was born in Mason, N. H., Nov. 18, 1783, and was a very well-educated man, following the profession of a teacher. When seven years of age he was converted and joined the Baptist Church, and carried out in his subsequent life the principles which he professed. He was an extensive reader, a close Bible student, and a good man in the broadest sense of the term. He died when his son Albert was a child three years of age, and the mother passed away seven years later. The Chandler family was first represented in this country by one Roger Chandler, who was a native of England, and crossed the Atlantic with a party of twenty men, who secured a grant of land in Concord, Mass., about 1650. Of this amount 400 acres fell to the lot of Roger Chandler. He was then a young man about twenty-two years old. It is believed that after leaving England he lived for a short time in Holland before coming to America. The early records of Duxbury, Mass., show that Roger Chandler was "admitted freeman" there in 1637, and in i665 the courts made a grant of land to his children, he being deceased. Roger Chandler left three daughters and one son, and the latter was the father of four daughters and four sons, only two of the sons, Samuel and James, having issue. Among the descendants of the secZP'! -M U Will_ _ _ _ _ - I -vp~- WI J_ I I i —. 4 t Ah, —m.I I I I 1, I-~l ~-a, II1 aql ~~ lbl I I I~l 11-2 1I III~I*IIL(DQ~P 484 Iyw i ar BRANCH COUNTY. I ond Samuel was probably John, although his will mentions only Samuel, Jonas, Nathan and David. Nathan was a soldier in the French War, and died at the age of twenty-one years. John removed to Lexington, and with his son was at the battle of that place during the Revolutionary War. His descendants were citizens of prominence in Eastern Massachusetts, and particularly active in military, affairs. James Chandler, son of the first Samuel, was father of James, Joseph and Jonathan, who all became Deacons in their church. James, who lived in New Ipswich, N. H., had five sons and five daughters. His descendants are quite numerous in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania. Joseph remained in Concord, but none of the family are now in that town, Jonathan moved first to Vermont, then to Cayuga County, N. Y., and from there to Michigan. He was the parent of fifteen children, and Daniel, Sr., the father of our subject, was one of these. Thus Hon. Albert Chandler is of the sixth generation of his family in America. His mother was a native of New York State, a pious and devoted woman, belonging to the Baptist Church, and taking an active interest in all Christian work. She reared her children to habits of industry and principles of honor, and her name is held in affectionate remembrance. The family moved from Sempronius to Wayne County when our subject was quite young, and he was placed in a good home by his mother, where he lived until fourteen years old, and then chose for his guardian Jacob G. Crane, of Wayne County, N. Y., who was one of the leading men of his community, and admirably calculated to be the counselor of the orphan youth. Young Albert was bound out to a Mr. Baldwin as an apprentice at the shoemaker's trade, to continue until he was twentyone years old. Six months later, however, young Chandler became impatient of the monotony of this kind of life, and persuaded the old gentleman to let him go. He made his way to Palmyra on the towpath of the canal, arriving there penniless, but secured work with a book binder, with whom he remained six months, then went into a printingoffice, and contracted to remain a year, for which he was to have $25 and his board. The second year he was to have $30, the third $35, the fourth $40, the fifth $50 and the sixth $75. He served until his employer sold out, which released him from further service. Our subject had been a youth who kept his eyes open to what was goingon around him in the world, and now began to correspond with a Mr. Henry Gilbert, of White Pigeon, with whom he made arrangements to take a half-interest in his business, the firm to be Gilbert & Chandler, editors and proprietors of the Michigan Statesman, the first paper published in St. Joseph County, Mich. Kalamazoo was now becoming quite a town, and the people, desirous of an enterprising journalist to represent their interests, wrote to young Chandler, proposing that he come hither and establish a paper, a proposition to which he and his partner consented. Thus the Kalamazoo Gazette was established, and has held its name unchanged during various changes in proprietorship. At the end of seven months Mr. Chandler sold out his interest in this enterprise to his partner, and then turned his steps to Constantine, making arrangements to establish a paper in that enterprising place, forming a copartnership with a young attorney by the name of Edward A. King. This enterprise was backed by the leading men of Constantine and surrounding country, Gov. Barry among the number. Mr. King was to furnish the money to purchase the material, and Mr Chandler was to superintend the mechanical and business department of the enterprise. Our subject had turned over all the money he had to his partner, with the result which often transpires, that the latter acted dishonestly. Mr. Chandler was consequently left with no means in the city of Detroit, and after giving Mr. Lothrop, a Representative from Kalamazoo County in the first Legislature in the State of Michigan, a specimen of his handwriting, by request of the latter, he was made Recording Clerk of the House, which position he held through three subsequent sessions of the Legislature. His position at the capital gave our subject an opportunity to become acquainted with the representative men of the State, and of whom he made many warm and influential friends. Among these was his future fatler-in-law, Robert Abbott, who was first Auditor General of the State, and Mr. 60 000-0 -w e: -b Z- - * — i.- T L a_~ 1 I q tL-410l~lF C-11 III 1 1 I II —N-lill 11 ll ll C1 1 1 1, oii 3 loo —l III -_ C-~l BRANCH COUNTY. 485 Chandler proudly acknowledges that after fifty years of wedded life this daughter has proved the same excellent and lovable woman that she appeared at the time of their first acquaintance. Their wedding took place on the 14th of February, 1838, and Mr. Chandler soon afterward engaged in the hardware business at Constantine, where he remained until the following May. He then removed to Coldwater, taking with him his merchantable stock, and continued in the hardware trade until 1841. In the early part of the year mentioned, Mr. Chandler still having a weakness for newspaper work, plurchased the material of the Branch County Democrat, and with it established the Coldwater Sentinel, which he published for a period of seven and onehalf years. In 1848 he made another change, selling his paper, and returning to the hardware business, in company with D. J. Goff. A few months later he l)urchascd the interest of Mr. Goff in the business, and associated himself with Luther F. Hale. This partnership lasted twenty-one years. Mr. Chandler then purchased the interest of Mr. Hale, and since that time has conducted the business in company with his sons and son-in-law, it being his desire to establish his sons in business, and give them a start. The first public office held by our subject was given him unsought, and thereafter he studiously refrained from seeking the responsibilities of a like position. In 1851, however, he was prevailed upon to come out from his retirement, and subsequently officiated in various capacities, from School Director to City Treasurer and Marshal of the Census of Branch County. Later, in 1861, he was elected the first Mayor of Coldwater, serving three terms. His first election was by one majority, and his second election was almost without opposition, and that too when he was the Democratic nominee in a largely Republican city. Socially, he was at one time Master of the Lodge of the Sons of Temperance, and religiously, is identified with the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he has also held important offices, being at one time its delegate to the Annual Conference. In Masonry, after taking all the preceding degrees, he received the degree of Knight Templar. He was Treasurer of the Sir Knights for a number of years. During the late war Mr. Chandler took an active interest in the cause of the Union, and has always been a leading light in the enterprises calculated to build up his city and county. He subscribed $700 to the State Public School, and worked diligently to secure its location at Cold water. The wife of our subject was in her girlhood Miss Eliza F. Abbott, and was born at Detroit, Mich., Feb. 7, 1820. She is the twelfth child of a family of thirteen, the offspring of Robert and Eliza Frances (Audrain) Abbott, and spent her childhood and youth under the parental roof, acquiring a good education, and being subjected to careful home training. Mr. Chandler and Miss Abbott were married Feb. 14, 1838. The brothers and sisters of Mrs. C. were named respectively: James, Audrain, Robert, Augustus (who died in infancy), Samuel, Charles G., George C., Ephraim P., Vanburclow (who died in infancy), Lucretia Ann (the wife of Edward V. Cicott, who was for many years Sheriff of Wayne County, this State), Lewis, and Margaret, who died in infancy. Robert Abbott was born in February, 1772, and was the son of James Abbott, a native of Ireland, who upon coming over the seas settled first in Montreal, Canada, where he engaged in general merchandising. Subsequently he migrated westward, and spent his last days upon the present site of the City of the Straits, and of which he is accredited with being one of the first white settlers. Robert Abbott early in life acquired a thorough business education in Montreal, Canada, and also took a classical course, becoming master of the languages. He was his father's clerk for some time, and was subsequently taken into partnership. In the early days he traveled all over Southern Michigan and Northern Indiana with pack horses. selling dry-goods, and dealing in furs with the Indians and French. He also owned several lake vessels, and accumulated a fortune. 'Mr. Abbott, during the War of 1812, however, lost a large amount of property which was confiscated by the Government, especially quantities of provision which were taken to feed the troops. After his business was thus practically broken up, he was Territorial Treasurer, and served as Justice of the Peace in Detroit many years, and held other ofslqp I — Ip i! I qo I I111~ ~II ~ lllll~III C ~ — --- 11,11r II It 4 64. -1 60 - 1 J I 1r L f -4 - r a -'- I I --— ~ --- —------- o - ^ 486 BRANCH COUNTY. I positions of trust and responsibility. He was the first Auditor General of the State of Michigan, which office he held many years, until being compelled to resign on account of ill-health. His last years were spent in retirement. He (lied at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Chandler, in Coldwater, in 1853, and his remains were laid to rest in Oak Grove Cemetery. Socially, he was a Master Mason, belonging to a Detroit lodge. He was the first convert to Methodism in the State of Michigan, his change of heart taking place after he was of mature years. He subsequently lived a devoted Christian life, and bent his energies to build up the church of his choice, being instrumental in the erection of the first house of worship of that denomination in Michigan, which was a log building erected on the River Rouge, near Detroit. Politically, Mr. Abbott was a Jackson Democrat. The mother of Mrs. Chandler was born in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1784, and was the second in a family of five children, namely: James, Eliza F., Maria, Fanny and Peter. The given names of her grandparents were Peter and Eliza Audrain, but the record of her surname has not been preserved. The family took up their residence in Detroit during its first settlement, and Eliza F. was married to Robert Abbott when fourteen years old. She was a devoted wife and mother, living a consistent Christian life, and was identified with the Methodist Episcopal Church. Her death took place in Detroit, March 24, 1858, and her remains were brought to Coldwater, and placed by the side of her husband in Oak Grove Cemetery. To Mr. and Mrs. Chandler there have been born the following children: Robert G., Dec. 21, 1838; Albert F., Dec. 14, 1840; Mary Medora, Oct. 29, 1842; Virginia, May 26, 1846; Roland Root, April 5, 1848; Jay Millard, March 31, 1850; Alice Bernice, March 11, 1853; Harriet Lucretia, Aug. 11, 1855; and Ella Frances, Aug. 10, 1858. The second daughter, Virginia, was married to Albert P. Hawks, of Pittsburgh, Pa., and is the mother of two children -Roland Hamlet and Minnie; Harriet is the wife of James C. Jocelyn, son of George B. Jocelyn, late President of Albion College; they have had two daughters: Alma Virginia, who died in infancy, and Bernice. Robert G. married Miss Julia Tyler for his first wife, and Eliza J. Smith for his second; he has had born to him one son, Robert, and two daughters, Kate and Alice. Albert F. married Hattie F. Kibbe, and has one child, Ralph; Roland R. married and has one child, Robert; Jay Millard married Frank Campbell, and they have two children — Charles and Bernice. ~-V-7-~7 —vRA B. BUELL. The fine farm of 272 acres occupying a goodly portion of section 18 in \ Union Township, is always the object of attraction to the traveler through this part of the country, as being evidently the home of thrift and prosperity, and forming a picture of rural life which is remarkably pleasant to contemplate. Our subject has always made his home in Southern Michigan, having been born in Union Township, April 16, 1843. He is the second child of Chancy and Altnira (Blanchard) Buell, who were natives of New York State, and the former of whom died at his home in Union Township, April 4, 1881. The mother is still living, and a resident of Union City. Their five children were named respectively: William H.; Ira B., our subject; Angenett, Frences I. and Elnora. Of these four are living and residents of Michigan. Mr. Buell early in life became familiar with farm pursuits, and continued a member of his father's household until after the outbreak of the late Civil War. Although only a youth of nineteen years, he entered the ranks Sept. 17, 1862, as a member of Company D, 1st Michigan Light Artillery, and served until after the close of the struggle, receiving his honorable discharge Aug. 3, 1865. Then returning to his old home he resumed the pursuits of agriculture in Union Township until 1871, when he crossed the Mississippi, and going into Pottawatomie County, Kan., located in Wamego, where he was occupied in farming about two years. Thence he returned to Michigan, where he has since lived. In the early part of 1870 Mr. Buell was first married, to Miss Abi E. Wood, who was born in New York, and was the daughter of Julius and I p 4.~t I.& th t 90w 'I -ON - I... A a l-i F II \ mm~I)pC —. III II IIC~-~l ll- e IC - I a NJ I'm No I 1 L ---- -Lslr~1I~ llb~~~~~~~~-P~ LL -A — BRANCH COUNTY. 487 Amanda Wood, who spent their last years ill New York. She bore him one daughter, Emma A., and died in Kansas on the 2d of November, 1872. Mr. Buell, May 24. 1877, was married a second time, to Miss Addie M. Martin, who is a native of Pennsylvania, and was born July 15, 1845. Her parents, Justus and Celestia Martin, are natives of Pennsylvania, and are now residing in Michigan. Of this marriage of our subject there are two children, sons-Fraank J. and Ira A. Mr. Buell cast his first Presidential vote for Lincoln, and is a stanch adherent of the Republican party. He was elected Constable several times, but did not care enough about the office to qualify. He, however, served as Drain Commissioner at one time, and has taken quite an interest in society matters, being a member of Blue Lodge No. 28, A. F. & A. M., and is also connected with Corbin Post No. 88, G. A. R. He identified himself with the Union Grange about 1875, being a member of No. 97, in Union City. - NDREW I. FELLER came to this county with his wife and three children from New York State in the spring of 1854, andt lived the first year in Girard Township, thence he removed to Union, of which he has since been a resident. He owns a good farm of eighty acres, the most of which he cleared with his own hands, has a neat and substantial dwelling, a good barn, and the other structures and machinery required for the prosecution of agriculture in a profitable manner. He is a fair representative of the solid and substantial men of this county. The early recollections of our subject are of a modest home in Red Hook, Dutchess Co., N. Y., where his birth took place over seventy-one years ago, March 30, 1817. He knew no other life than that of a farmer's boy, and continued in his native township until a man thirty-two years of age. He then removed to Wayne County, of which he continued a resident until starting for the West. ie had been married in his native county, Nov. 26, 1838, to Miss Maria Snyder, who was born in Columbia County, that State, June 1, 1816, and whose parents spent their last years in Dutchess County, N. Y. Our subject and his wife first settled in Dutchess County, where Mr. Feller pursued his natural calling, agriculture, and which he has followed all his life. The household circle in due time included three children, two sons and a daughter, the eldest of whom, Edgar, died in Union Township, this county, Oct. 15, 1870, when over thirty years of age; Edwin operates a farm of his own not far from his father's homestead, in Union Township; Martha is the wife of Edward Knight, who also follows agriculture in this locality. Mr. and Mrs. Feller upon their arrival here were soon recognized as valued accessions to this community, on account of their inborn kindness of heart, their hospitality and good-will to all, and their strict religious and moral principles. They became identified with the Congregational Church as soon as possible after their arrival, and have been among its chief pillars, standing by it both in storm and sunshine, and contributing as they were able toward its maintenance and progress. They have pursued the even tenor of their lives, enjoying to the fullest extent the esteem and confidence of those around them, and none, when they have passed away, will be more sadly missed from the community than Andrew I. and Maria (Snyder) Feller. __. ~- -- K ARTIN F. FREDENBURGH. The pleasant country home of this gentleman and his family is finely located on section 5, in Sherwood Township, where, in addition to general farming, he conducts an apiary, and in his operations as a beekeeper has been very successful. He is of excellent birth and German ancestry, and his paternal grandfather settled in Columbia County, N. Y., in the early (lays, where his father, Martin Fredenburgh, was born. The latter upon reaching manhood married a lady of his own county,, F — I I "P [ -,% - ~Ir I r-p-Ar~r~DI~1~B Pl L I -^ -I 0 - i I 488 > 488 ~ Irrr ~ I -~I l~Ll~B IIIIIC il It1111i I-p~~I~s ~~r — IwjbL-) I I BRANCH COUNTY. I and they took up their residence in Wayne County, that State, where Martin F. was born Jan. 22, 1836. Our subject until a youth of nineteen years continued a resident of his native county, acquiring his education in the common schools and assisting his father in the labors of the farm. In 1853 he started for the West, settling first in Kalamazoo County, this State, whence he came thirteen years later to this county, of which he has since been a resident. He was married, Dec. 11, 1866, to Miss Lucia Sargent, who was born Oct. 10, 1837, at the farm where she now lives. Her parents, John and Lydia Sargent, were natives of Vermont and are now deceased. Of her union with our subject there are five sons and two daughters, all at home, namely: Jennie, Charles S., Willie F., Fred and Lilly, and Frank and Martin, deceased. Mr. Fredenburgh, politically, inclines to the principles of the Greenback party, and has served as School Director in his district two years. He and his estimable wife were among the first members of the Patrons of Husbandry, of Subordinate Grange, in this county, and are also members of the National Grange, whose headquarters are at Washington, D. C. Mr. F., in addition to his farming and beekeeping interests, is local agent for the firm of Aultman, Miller & Co., manufacturers of and dealers in farm machinery at Akron, Ohio; he also makes a specialty of the breeding of Clydesdale horses. His farm property includes 217 acres of land and substantial buildings, including a modern residence, good barns and other structures needed for his comfort and convenience. Ele has assisted materially in building up his township, and ranks among its most capable men. S YLVESTER FELLERS. Many of the prominent and independent citizens of Southern Michigan, who to-day are engaged in the leading lines of industry, were born in older States, and it is remarked that those who have been reared in the Empire State are almost invaria bly found competent to adapt themselves to the exigencies of any condition of life, and to make for themselves a name among their fellows. To this class belongs the gentleman whose name appears at the head of this sketch, and who is now pleasantly located, engaged in general farming on section 24, Union Township. Mr. Fellers was born in Red Hook, Dutchess Co., N. Y., March 29, 1827, and was there reared to maturity. He continued to make that place his home until 1854, when he removed to Wayne County, in the same State, and resided there until 1870. He then resolved to try his fortune in the West, and carrying out his resolution he set out for Michigan, where he arrived in this county and settled in Union Township. His lifetime has been devoted to agricultural pursuits, with the exception of three and one-half years, during which he was engaged as clerk in a store. His efforts have been rewarded, and he is now the owner of a fine farm of seventy-three acres of well-improved land, containing a good set of substantial and commodious buildings, comparing favorably with those of their class in this section of country. While in Dutchess County, N. Y., Mr. Fellers was united in marriage, Aug. 31, 1850, with Miss Cordelia Phillips, a native of Milan. that county, where she was born Nov. 3, 1829. They became the parents of four children, as follows: Agnes and Ellen died in Palmyra; Lewis resides in Batavia Township, and Erwin lives at the homestead. Mrs. Fellers died at the homestead in Union Township, March 19, 1888. She was an active and consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, exemplifying her profession in her daily walk and conversation. The parents of our subject were Isaac and Maria (Allendorf) Fellers, the former of whom died Jan. 16, 1831, while the latter still survives at an advanced age. The parents of Mrs. Fellers were Jacob and Susannab Phillips, and are both now deceased. Mr. Fellers, as were his wife and eldest son, is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is noted as a worthy and honored member of society, and as a gentleman whose religious life is not a mere profession, but one who carries his convictions into his social and business life, which is marked I i1 1 J t U * - qssssssssss~~~~~~~~~ t I f MOlC 1 M' — I ~l- c r I I -ll C- LCI m ~d 4 BRANCH COUNTY. 489 - ----— I by upright and honorable dealing. In politics the Republican party most nearly voices his opinion on the leading questions of the dlay, and he is always to be found in its ranks. YMAN BARTHOLOMEW. The name of this gentleman, who is in the prime of life and the midst of his usefulness, is favorably known throughout Algansee Township and vicinity as that of a citizen energetic and well-to-do, and who is carrying on one of the finest farms within its limits. This comprises 105 acres of land located on section 7, is devoted to general farming and stock-raising, and is the source of a handsome incone. Our subject has spent his entire life in this State, having been born in Jackson County, July 30, 1841, and reared at the homestead of his father, in Algansee Township, who was also a farmer by occupation. The latter, Jehial Bartholomew, was a native of Dryden, N. Y., and married Miss Susan Baldwin, also a native of the Empire State. They came to the Territory of Michigan in 1832, settling on a tract of land located about three miles from the present site of Jackson, and there they resided for a period of twelve years. Thence they came to Branch County, and the father purchased 140 acres of land, upon which stood a log cabin with a stick chimney, and a few acres only of which were cleared. Although the land which ou. subject now occupies is the same, such is the change which has been brought about in its condition, it would be by no means recognized by one not having watched the transformation. Here the father of our subject spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring in 1875. The mother is still living and a resident of Coldwater. The parents of our subject suffered all the trials and hardships peculiar to life in a new country, bearing up bravely under difficulties, trials and discouragements, and in due time reaped their reward in the possession of a good farm and a comfortable home. The log cabin in time gave place to a substantial frame dwelling, and the barn and other necessary structures arose gradually as needed. The father added eighty acres to his first purchase, and at the time of his death possessed an unincumbered estate for the benefit of his family. The household included four children, three of whom lived to mature years. Aurilla was first married to Edwin Gray, who died, and she was then married to Marcus Wakefield, and resides near Vinton, Iowa; Almand is a resident of Coldwater. The father of our subject was Republican in politics after the organization of the party, and a member in good standing of the United Brethren Church. Lyman Bartholomew was in the fourth year of his age when he settled in this county with his parents, and early in life was taught to make himself useful about the homestead. He assisted in clearing the farm and improving the land, and acquired a limited education in the common school. Upon reaching manhood the first important event of his life was his wedding, which occurred Jan. 25, 1865, at the home of the bride in Ovid Township, the maiden of his choice being Miss Augusta N. Galbreath, who was born in Trumbull County, Ohio, Sept. 16, 1846. Her parents, William and Martha (Hicok) Galbreath, were natives respectively of Ohio and New York State, and came to Michigan in 1859, settling in Ovid Township, this county, where they resided until 1870. Thence they removed to Newaygo, where they are still living. They have five children, of whom Augusta N., the wife of our subject, is the eldest; Sarah, Mrs. Henry Dudley, resides at New Carlisle, Ind.; Frank lives in Newaygo; Jennie is the wife of Newton Thompson, of Lake County, and Cassius lives with his parents. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Bartholomew resided at the homestead two years, and then our subject purchased fifty acres of land on section 17, in Algansee Township, where he lived until the death of his father. He then purclased theinterest of his mother and sisters in the homestead, where he has since resided, and is now the owner of 105 acres of land, with one of the best brick residences in the county, a good barn, and all other buildings required for the convenience and comfort of a pro R, -I-II ~ ~ ~ CI L:7~. l_ N,! i [ 490 BRANCH COUNTY. _...__ gressive agriculturist. His first frame residence, which he put up in 1876, was destroyed by fire four years later. Two children only were born to our subject and his wife: Nora F., a resident of Algansee Township, and Nellie S., who has not yet flown from the home nest. Our subject is a strong temperance advocate and favors prohibition. When casting his vote he uniformly supports Republican principles. He has served as a member of the School Board in his district, and takes a lively interest in those projects set on foot for the advancement of his community. In the earlier days he was a member of the Chain Lake Channel Company, which constructed the waterway from Quincy to Kinderhook Corners. For some years he owned and operated a sawmill. 'DANIEL HOYT, one of the most esteemed 1i citizens of Branch County, is a resident of fj^ Kinderhook Township, where he is prosperously engaged in agricultural pursuits. He was born in the town of Middlefield, Otsego Co., N. Y., Jan. 29, 1830, being a son of Jesse Hoyt, who was born March 28, 1794, in Montgomery County, N. Y. The grandfather of our subject was an early settler of that county, but he subsequently moved to Otsego County and became a pioneer of Cherry Valley. He improved a valuable farm there, which he occupied until his death in 1825. His wife survived him many years, dying in Otsego County in 1854, at the remarkable age of one hundred and one years and six months. The father of our subject was married, May 6, 1819, to Laney Haggabome, and after marriage he took his bride to the old homestead, where they lived for a time. They then removed to Middlefield and made their home there until 1854, when Mr. Hoyt sold his farm and came to Michigan with his wife, and they spent their declining years with their sons in Kinderhook, she dying in 1861, and he Oct. 13, 1879. They were people whose quiet, unostentatious lives were yet fraught with many good deeds and neighborly acts of kindness, which greatly endeared them to those about them, and they have left behind them pleasant memories. Six children were born to them, as follows: James served in the Florida War, and later in the Mexican War, and is supposed to have been killed at the battle of the City of Mexico; Hezekiah died at the age of five; Hannah Brown is living on a farm in Kinderhook Township; Henry lives in Kinderhook; Anna died at the age of sixteen; Daniel; John, a Methodist Episcopal minister, lives in Allen Township, Hillsdale County. The parents of our subject being in rather straightened circumstances when he was a boy, he commenced to earn his own living at the youthful age of ten years, he being then a bright, manly, active little lad. At the age of eleven he went to live with a Mr. Belknap until he should attain his majority, and in consideration for his labors he was to have his board, clothes, three months' schooling each year, and $100 when he was twenty-one. When he became of age he started out in the world with the aforementioned $100 as capital. He was well gifted both mentally and physically, and the determination to succeed in whatsoever he did in life was an assurance of the prosperity that is now his. He secured employment by the month in Springfield Township, Otsego County, until 1854. In the spring of that year he came to this State with his brother Henry, and they bought a tract of land on section 4, Kinderhook Township, twentyfive acres of which were improved. They farmed together for ten years, meeting with fine success, so that they were enabled to buy more land, and a tract on section 9, which now comprises the farm on which our subject lives, was added to their first purchase. They finally divided the property that they had accumulated by their united labors and wise management, and Mr. Hoyt then settled on this place. It is a fine farm, beautifully located on the shores of Silver Lake, and the improvements, which were meager when he settled here, now rank with the best in the township. To the mistress of this pleasant and cozy home, who graciously dispenses its charming hospitalities, and makes it attractive alike to friend and stranger, our subject was united in marriage Feb. 15, 1854. A ri * L Ir ---— ~ --- I-. —..Y. —'- -C^PII1Y ----~I^-~-....I- I*y- ---~~LC-.YCC~I —.. ---~ 71-1111 -----— ~~~~r-1- ~~, I — Y-lll__.lt ^I-~~IYYL-.I^_YIELdlqYYI~-lrl L~l I ~- ~ ~-_- -CIIP-6CI__% ~I~-1(F IIC -~ — - -- - --- - -- - -` I - ' /-T i 1 i it I it-. — * II BRANCH COUNTY. 491 ' -- -- She was formerly Miss Margaret, the daughter of David and Nancy (Shaver) Lawyer, and is a native of Schoharie County, N. Y. Her grandfather, Lambert Lawyer, was a native of the same county, and spent his entire life there, as did Mrs. Hoyt's parents, her father having been born in the town of Cobleskill. Mrs. Hoyt's maternal grandfather, Adam Shaver, was also a lifelong resident of the same county. The marriage of our subject and his wife has been blessed by the birth of four children, three sons andl one daughter, of whom but one is living, Edwin D., who was born May 12, 1865. He is a fine scholar and is fitting himself for the profession of teacher, being now far advanced in his studies at the Union School at Coldwater, where he is preparing to enter the State University at Ann Arbor. Mr. IHoyt has always been true in all the relations in which he has been placed. As a citizen, he is faithful and trustworthy; as a neighbor, he is always genial and helpful to those about him, and in his private life, he is irreproachable. He and his wife are consistent and devoted members of the Regular Baptist Church. In politics Mr. Hoyt has been a firm Republican since the formation of the party in the trying days before the war. OSEA B. TOWNSEND, M. D. In present) ing this biographical notice of the career of l<. one of the leading men of Branch County, and a gentleman who is thoroughly representative of its progressive element, we deem it our duty first to briefly advert to the life story of those from whom he derives his origin. Dr. Townsend was born in Attica, Genesee Co., N. Y., on the 19th of July, 1818, and belongs to an ancient family in England, whose record can be traced backward through more than eight centuries. The progenitor of the Townsend family in this country was named Martin, and came over from England at an early age and settled in Weston, near Boston, Mass. In 1668 he married Miss Abigail Train, or the same family from which is descended *. the eccentric George Francis Train. They became the parents of two sons and one daughter, of whom the elder son, Jonathan, made his home in Hebron, Conn., and became the ancestor of a numerous progeny. The second son, Martin, Jr., had a son named Obadiah, who about 1745 married Lady Anna, a daughter of Baron Trask, a political refugee from Ireland. Obadiah and Lady Anna are said to have lived long and happy lives in New Salem, Mass., where their sepulchres may be seen to this day. They became the parents of three children: Isaac, Sarah, and Obadiah Jr., who became a physician, and lived and died in his native town. About the year 1770 Isaac married Miss Rachel Crosby, and they became the parents of ten children, seven sons and three daughters. In the year 1800 Isaac left Massachusetts and migrated with his family to Oneida County, N. Y., which in 1808 he left for Attica, in Genesee County. Among the seven sons of Isaac Townsend was one nameld Martin, who served in the War of 1812. During the next year he married Miss Susan Sprout, a native of Massachusetts. and they became the parents of six children, one of whom is the subject of this sketch. H. B. Townsend spent his childhood years assisting, as soon as he was able, in the work on his father's farm, and attending the common schools of his native place. His later boyhood was passed in attendance at Sheldon Academy, after which he entered a drug-store, and subsequently read medicine in the office of Wells & Dorrance. In 1844 he was graduated fron Berkshire Medical College, in Pittsfield, Mass., and after practicing in his native county some fifteen years he came to this State, which has since been his home. In 1847 Dr. Townsend was united in marriage with Miss Mary J. Hudson, of Orleans County, N. Y., and of their family they have two children living: Cora and Frederick, both of whom are graduates in the classical course from the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor. Dr. Townsend has always been a great reader and a persevering student, keeping well abreast of the age on the current topics of the day, and in discoveries in science. Without the aid of teachers he has learned to read Latin, French, Spanish and I\ -.~IIIY.~II r ~ -1 -- —.. L-YX-~ —Ll~ — I — L, pl-_q I~lC~ -- r I -lyl ~_-*l o ~II — I Iqcl i L tI Akbb-. o ol I, I 1 I I I I - 9-, - 4 — -a-y 1 --- d 1, v t -, 'N9 ' 492 BRANCH COUNTY. Italian, and is an agreeable conversationalist. After nearly fifty years of service the Doctor has relinquished the active duties of his profession to give place to younger men, but retains the respect and esteem of the many families whose home he entered on his healing mission, and he will long be remembered with love and gratitude for his aid, his counsel and sympathy in the dark days of sickness and sorrow. During his long professional career of half a century, almost thirty years of which were spent in Coldwater, he had a fine opportunity to study human nature, and he has witnessed many affecting scenes. In his relations with his patients his character has been beyond reproach, and no confidence reposed in him has ever been betrayed. In his long professional career, during scenes of financial depression, the Doctor never attempted the collection of bills by legal process. He never was sued himself, and he never sued a man or put him to a dollar's expense. C HARLES W. OWEN, editor and publisher of the Bronson Journal, took up his residence in Bronson Aug. 5, 1885, when he purchased the Journal of D. D. Waggott, which he has since conducted in a profitable and praiseworthy manner. In February, 1886, the Journal and Independent were consolidated under the name of Independent Journal, conducted by the firm of Owen & Ruggles. In September following, our subject purchased the interest of his partner, and changed the name to the n t thBronson Journal, which is now the only paper in the village, and which has become an important factor in its business interests. Mr. Owen began his apprenticeship at the printer's trade in the office of the Commercial at Monroe, Mich., in 1862, where he remained until March, 1864, when he enlisted and went to the war. After the war closed he returned to Monroe and completed his apprenticeship. Afterward he worked on daily papers at Toledo, Sandusky, Cleveland and Detroit, and in the spring of 1874 moved to Lansing, where he worked nine years in the State printing-office, and before coming to Bronson published the Grass Lake News two and one-half years. He has a natural love for everything connected with the "art preservative," and has always taken readily to its various branches. He was born in Monroe County, this State, July 24, 1846, and is the son of Arminius Owen, who moved to Washtenaw County when Charles was a small boy. There the latter was brought up on a farm with a large family of children, his father and mother having been the parents of six sons and five daughters. Arminius Owen was born in Saratoga County, N. Y., in 1803, and was of Welsh extraction. The mother was of Irish ancestry, a native of Massachusetts, and departed this life at her home in Manchester, May 8, 1864. Five of their sons did good service in the Union army, among them the subject of this sketch.. Charles W. Owen, in March, 1864, joined the 1st Michigan Infantry, and served until the close of the war. He had the happiness of witnessing the surrender of Lee at Appomattox, and was in nearly all the important battles of the war, from that of the Wilderness until the conflict was ended, his regiment being in the 3d Brigade, 1st Division, 5th Corps, Army of the Potomac, and was one of the regiments that received the arms and flags from Lee's army after the surrender. Three of his brothers returned home in safety, but William came home with chronic diarrhoea in the fall of 1864, while his other brothers were yet in the service, and soon after died. George, who is also a practical printer, is now publisher of the Shiawassee American, at Owosso. The only death in the family since William died was that of the father, who died at his home in Holly, Mich., ill September, 1879. The wedded life of our subject began July 22, 1869, when he was married in the city of Detroit, at the home of the bride, to Miss Belle J. Allen, who was born Oct. 30, 1848, in Cleveland, Ohio, and is the daughter of J. J. and Harriet (Thompson) Allen. The latter died at her home in Detroit, in April, 1883, and Mr. Allen has resided most of the time since with his daughter, Mrs. Owen. Mr. Allen was born in County Longford, Ireland, and emigrated to America when a young man. He took up his residence first in New York City, later lived at Cleveland, and several other cities in Ohio, and v ii ii I i I. i I I w r"l lqqnw- *90-~~_- I- ------- - -~~I'~ — ey nlrrr ~ r-~u —~ - ~1 — 1 r ~ r - l 0.V a Ql, 4 I I A "I_ -.4 ~ ~... 1 i a A IF I ''I *- 7a -. BRANCH COUNTY. 493 finally moved to Detroit in 1868, and has followed carpentering most of his life. Mr. and Mrs. Owen began life together in a modest home at Toledo, Ohio, and are now the parents of three children, a daughter and two sons, namely: Gertrude May, born Aug. 18, 1870, at Toledo; Wilbur Allen, born June 30, 1873, at Detroit, and Charles Wesley, born June 29, 1877, at Lansing. Our subject, socially, belongs to the 1. 0. O. F., the G. A. R., the Royal Arcanum and the Knights of the Maccabees. He and his estimable wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and politically, he affiliates with the Republican party, although his paper is independent. The Journal has a generous circulation, especially in the western part of the county. Mr. Owen, at the battle of Laurel Hill, May 8, 1864, was captured by the rebels and held a prisoner about thirty-six hours. He was then recaptured with a portion of the rebel guards and about 300 other Union prisoners, while on the way to Richmond, at Beaver's Darn Station, Va., by Sheridan's cavalry, who were on a big raid at the time, and after being with the cavalry from Monday evening, May 8th, until the following Saturday, struck the Union lines again at Malvern Hill, from which place he was sent to Alexandria, and returned to his regiment at North Ann River, the 28th of May. Mr. Owen was just nineteen years old when he was mustered out of service in July, 1865. ~ OHN FLYNN, who is Supervisor of California Township, is associated with his brother James in the farming business, under the firm and style of Flynn Bros. They reside on section 4, California Township, owning 160 acres of land, where they have been engaged in agricultural pursuits for the last twelve years, and have made a specialty of breeding Poland-China hogs, from which line of industry they receive handsome returns. The father of our subject, Dennis Flynn, was born in County Clare, Ireland, and was reared to * _ _ farm life. He chose for his bride Johanna Hickey, and in 1845 came to the United States, and settled in Rutland County, Vt. Five years later he removed to Sandusky, Ohio, whence he subsequently came to this county, first settling in Kinderhook Township, in 1865. He purchased a farm of eighty acres, and engaged iln making for himself a home in his adopted country, but ten years later he removed to California Township. Here he spent the remainder of his life, his decease occurring April 15, 1880, while the mother survived her husband, and passed away April 27, 1888. The parental family of our subject included five children, three (laughters of whom were born in the Emerald Isle, and the others after the removal of the family to this country. Mary became the wife of Jason G. Terwilliger, and resides in Put-in-Bay, Ohio; Catherine became the wife of John Clark, of California, who is now deceased; Bridget, Mrs. Smith, and James and John complete the number. James was born ill Whitehall, N. Y., in 1846, and John in Rutland, Vt., March 1, 1848. They were reared to farm life, and acquired a commonschool education in the public schools of the neighborhood. They acconpanied the family to Branch County, and since engaging in business on their own account have residled together, neither being married. These gentlemen afford a good illustration of what may be accomplished by energetic, determine(d andl economical men. They have given the best efforts of their life to agricultural pursuits, and though young in years, as a reward for their industry have accumulated a property which compares favorably with that of many who started in life for themselves with more favorable environments. The troubles, trials and labors of one individual are but specimens of the efforts of the many who have to fight the battles of life and go down to their graves unchronicled. A perusal of the history of the Flynn brothers would teach the discouraged to hope under the most trying circumstances, and persevere, assured that labor and faith will ultimately conquer. Politically, the Flynn brothers are National Greenbackers, and formerly belonged to the Democratic party. They are prominent men in their section, where John has served five terms as Supervisor of I - — b - 4 -,1-7-1-7 rm i 4 ! - --- —-- I s3 U-, a 0. - a I I PM mI F - ' 494 BRANCH COUNTY. lI his township, and James has also served as Highway Commissioner and Drain Commissioner. In religion they belong to the Roman Catholic Church, and are worthy and respected citizens of this county. 8fp TEPHEN B. LEE, who was born in Bristol, Ontario Co., N. Y., Dec. 22, 1819, came to Michigan in December, 1851, and located on his present farm, which lies on section 22. He had, however, previously paid a flying visit to the State upon two or three occasions, and secured the first principles of a future homestead, namely, a tract of uncultivated land upon which lie purposed building up a good farm, and which determination he has carried out in the most admirable manner. He is now the owner of 172 acres, upon which he has erected substantial modern buildings, set out an orchard and the finer fruits, and has effected the other improvements naturally suggested to the enterprising and active agriculturist. His thrift and industry, his promptness in meeting his obligations, and his value as a member of the community, in the building up of which he has borne no unimportant part, have placed him in an enviable position among his fellow-citizens. The men who came to Michigan forty years ago or more were greeted with a very different picture from that which is now presented to the eye of the traveler through this region. Although at that time, it is true, there were many evidences of attempt at settlement, and the little towns here and there were struggling for recognition, a vast portion of the country had still been untilled, and the facilities for market and mill were meager, and involved frequently a day's journey or more. The men of those times probably did not realize themselves the amount of courage which they possessed, and the amount of labor which they really performed in the building up of their homesteads, and the development of their township. Nothing which can be said would probably give as full an idea of what they accomplished as to compare the state of the country at that time with its present condition. The people of to-day, living in comfortable and oftentimes beautiful homes, give too little thought to the manner in which these comforts and luxuries have become theirs. It is only the old pioneers who have a full realization of the hardships which were encountered and overcome, and their reward must, to a large extent, lie within their own breasts, although posterity is doing what it can to perpetuate their memories. Our subject came from a hardy and thrifty race of people, his father having been Benjamin Lee, of New England, wlo married Miss Rebecca Shepherd, and who after their marriage settled on a tract of land in Ontario County, N. Y., where the father went through the same process which became the portion of his son later in the more western country. In Ontario County the parents of our subject spent their entire lives, and died not far apart, the mother on the 15th of October, 1825, and Benjamin Lee on the 5th of December, 1827. They were the parents of ten children, three of whom are living and residents of Michigan. The subject of this sketch was the ninth child of the parental family, and came a single man to this State. On the 7th of December, 1851, he was united in marriage with Miss Eunice, daughter of Samuel and Ruth (Lindsay) White, who were also of New England ancestry, the father a native of Granby, Mass., and the mother of Peacham, Vt. Samuel White went into the Dominion of Canada when a young man twenty-one years of age, and his wife went there with her parents when a young girl twelve years old. They were there married, then returned to the States, and settled in Sparta, Livingston Co., N. Y., where they lived until starting for the Territory of Michigan, in 1833. They took up their abode then in Lenawee County, but two years later removed to Branch County, settling in Girard Township. Mr. White was one of the earliest pioneers of that region, and was a resident there for a period of thirty-nine years. After the death of his estimable wife, who passed away June 21, 1875, he took up his abode in Union Township, where his death occurred March 19, 1888, at the advanced age of ninety years. Samuel White and his wife were the parents of four sons and three daughters, and Mrs. Lee was - m I mikh,,,,,,, ~, _1, - - - I- ll ---- -T l I-^. - - -... i.,..... t r galp-$F i t I L ode IW~pp i ~ --- —--— ~-~ — -~~ --- —-- I I I BRANCH COUNTY. 495 ' I the third child. She was born in Sparta, N. Y., July 18, 1828, and was but a child five years of age when her parents came to Michigan. She remained with them until her marriage, acquiring a commonschool education, and careful home training from a most excellent mother. Of her union with our subject there were born three children, the eldest of whom, W. Milton, is a resident of Kalamazoo; S. Eugene is farming in Union Township, and Rosa M. continues at the homestead with her parents. Mr. Lee was particularly fortunate in his choice of a life companion, the lady who has borne his name now for thirty-seven years possessing all the qualities of the model wife and mother. She has upheld his hands during times of discouragement, and labored faithfully by his side for their mutual good and that of their children. Over her home she has presided with that thrifty care which has made it to her children the dearest spot on earth, and among her neighbors she is held in universal esteem. Both Mr. and Mrs. Lee are members in good standing of the Congregational Church, in Union City. Mr. Lee votes the Republican ticket, and has held the various school offices of his district. E WIS DEWEY holds an important position n Iamong the intelligent farmers of Ovid Township, as a man in the prime of life, capable and enterprising, who brings a keen, well balanced intellect to bear upon the agricultural problems of the day. From a New England ancestry he inherits many of those characteristics that have made him successful in his chosen career. The Dewey family is of Massachusetts origin, his father, Rowland Dewey, having been born Aug. 14, 1803, in the town of Westfield, Hampden County, that State, and his grandfather, Stephen E. Dewey, it is supposed, was also a native of the old Bay State. He moved from there, however, in about 1823, to the State of Ohio, the entire journey being performed with teams. He located in the county of Portage, becoming a pioneer of what is now known as the town of Kent, where he boulght a tract of timber land for $400, an(l there he made his home until death claimed him. He was a carpenter by trade, and he followed that business after his removal to Ohio, while his sons attended to the improvements of his land. The father of our subject was reared in his native State, and shortly before attaining his majority lie accomlpanied his parents to Ohio, where lie became actively engaged in agricultural pursuits, assisting his brothers in clearing and improving a farm from the land that their father bought, the old homestead subsequently becoming his, as he cared for his parents in their old age. In early manhood lie commenced to study medicine, attending the Medical College at Worthington. He, however, did not enter upon the practice of his profession, but resumed farming as more congenial to his tastes. He is now a respected resi(lent of the city of Cleveland. He is an intelligent, well-informed( man, with broad and enlightened views on all the questions of interest that are seriously considered today, notwithstanding his advanced age. He married Pruanna Shurtliff, a native of Portage County, Ohio, and a daughter of Selah Shurtliff, a native of New England, and a pioneer of Portage County. Nine children have been born of this union, seven of whom grew to maturity. Lewis Dewey was the fourth child born to his parents, his birth occurring in Kent, Portage Co., Ohio, April 20, 1847. He was reared in his nativc town, and received the advantages of a sound education in its district and graded schools. In 1861 his parents left their old home in Kent, and coming to Michigan settled in Coldwater, where our subject resided with themn until his marriage, May 21, 1868, to Mrs. Mary E. (Davis) Thompson, daughter of Emery and Susan Davis (of whom see sketch in this volume). She was born in Cayuga County, N. Y., Oct. 11, 1849. After marriage Mr. Dewey settled in Ovid Township, and managed his father's farm one season. He then removed to Coldwater Townslip. to a farm which his father-in-law had presented to his wife. After living there two years they sold that place and purchased the one where they now reside. This is a choice farm of 100 acres of well-improved land, and provided with a r )C Ir 1-_ Il. - 1 ~. l.~~'-.t';-;.~ C.";.'.-". ~'"..-..1~... 1.~~ - El. Vr A I 0_-4" *P. w j I I I I 4! l I --- --- --- 496 BRANCH COUNTY. good set of buildings, admirably adapted to the purposes for which they are intended. The farm is certainly one of the best managed in the neighborhood, and by his careful and systematic methods of culture Mr. Dewey has greatly increased its fertility and productiveness. Our subject is a man of fine business qualifications, sound principles, and stainless reputation, and he and his amiable and cultured wife are people of social prominence il this community, deserving the high respect in which they are held. Their household circle is completed by the presence of one son, Bertie E. Their pleasant and attractive home opens wide its doors to the many friends who enjoy its generous hospitality. Mr. Dewey is a prominent member of Coldwater Lodge No. 61, A. O. U.'W., and is a Select Knight. USTIN NOYES, a mason by trade, and a general farmer, residing on section 20, Batavia Township, owns 160 acres of good land, half of which is on section 17. He has been a resident of this place since September, 1844, at which time the land was still in a state of nature, and much of it covered with the " forest prinmeval." Mr. Noyes now has a large portion of it improved, and has a set of farm buildings which compare favorably with any to be found in the township. In September, 1886, he had the misfortune to lose a good barn by lightning, thus entailing heavy loss, but he has since replaced it and is well equipped for the prosecution of his calling. The subject of this biographical notice is a native of Preston Township, Chenango Co., N. Y., and was born Jan. 11, 1816. He is the youngest but one of a family of nine children, six sons and three daughters, born to Samuel P. and Cynthia (Gates) Noyes, natives respectively of Vermont and Massachusetts. Each being born near the State line, they were reared near together, and remained with their respective parents until their marriage. After that important event they located on the Vermont side of the line, and there resided until after the birth of their first child, when, about 1804, they removed to Preston, Chenango Co., N. Y., during its early settlement. The father had learned the trade of a mason while a young man in Vermont, and followed it in his new home, in connection with farming. In 1827 the family migrated to Perrinton, Monroe County, where the parents spent the remainder of their days, the father passing away at the ripe old age of eighty-seven years. while his wife had died many years previously, when fifty-seven years of age. The father was a prominent and influential citizen, a well-educated and intelligent man, and was known as an upright citizen. In his early years he utilized his education by engaging in the profession of school teaching; he was also prominent in local politics. In his early years he affiliated with the Democratic party, but later in life he joined the ranks of the Republicans, and (lied in the faith of that party. I-e at various times held several of the local offices, including that of Township Clerk in Preston Township, Chenango Co., N. Y., and discharged its duties for a period of twenty years. He and his wife were conscientious members of the Baptist Church, and Mr. Noyes was a brother of the minister of that name in the same church. Young Noyes was a lad of eleven years when the family removed to Monroe County, N. Y., and he attended the public schools at Perrinton, and subsequently at Rochester, while his education was still further broadened by contact with his intelligent father. He learned the trade of a mason from his father, and remained at the homestead until the date of his marriage, which occurred in the township of Victor, March 21, 1844, with Miss Mary E. Luce, who was born in Troy, N. Y., March 18, 1826, and is the daughter of Robert and Sarah (LaZell) Luce, both of whom are now deceased. The father died in Bristol, Ind., of typhoid fever, wlile still in middle life, while the mother had passed away some time before, in Oak Orchard Township, Orleans Co., N. Y. Mr. Luce had followed farming the greater part of his life, and he and his excellent wife were industrious and worthy people. Mrs. Noyes was the fourth in order of birth in the parental family of ten children, and had the misfortune to lose her parents while she was still in her childhood. She went to live with an aunt, with I I i i t I i I i t i i I i I Ii 1 —I *k^ r I I I -~I-I- LIII- ~T - - ~-. -__~,t- ~ rlr _w49 F` - --- -,,IL, milllllll 11 I II 1 -- I l — w-L11 I —c --- ME ---. - -~1111 —(~lL(41Q w- -qlw BRANCH COUNTY. 497 A i BRANH CONTY.497 whom she resided until her marriage, and received a good education. Of her union with our subject there have been born two children: Charles B., who took to wife Emma J. Taylor, and resides in the township of Batavia, engaged in farming, and Mary A., the widow of Charles H. Shoecraft, who died in 1881, leaving three children, who reside with their mother il Coldwater Township. The early education of our subject, both in school and under the parental roof, has pre-eminently fitted him to cope with public questions in an intelligent manner, and he is discreet in forming an opinion and able in maintaining it. He may be said to have been a student all his life, giving special attention to the subject of politics, in which his sympathies are with the Republican party, although lie does not yield any slavish obedience. H-s business ability has been recognized and appreciated by his fellow-townsmen, who have elected him to some of the most important offices within their gift, including those of Justice of the Peace and Highway Commissioner. Socially, he is a member of the Blue Lodge No. 28, F. & A. M., of Union City, and is respected by his large circle of friends and acquaintances for his many sterling qualities. ETER BLAZIER. This name is spelled in f two different ways by the numerous representatives of the family, who are largely scattered in different parts of the country, some preferring Blazer. Our subject, however, adopts the additional "i," which was also borne by his honored father, Henry Blazier, who was born in New Jersey, and who married Miss Mary A. Mingus, of Pennsylvania. The parents of our subject, after marriage, located first in Steuben County, N. Y., whence in the summer of 1835 they migrated to the Territory of Michigan, and located upon a tract of land in Union Township, where the father operated as a successful tiller of the soil, and obtained the first contract for carrying the mail overland between Union City and Coldwater, which were then mere hamlets, mostly of a few log houses. Henry Blazier, in the discharge of this duty. traveled on foot for some time back and forth until he could afford the luxury of a pony, and was thus in the employment of Uncle Sam for several years. The parents spent the remainder of their days in Union Township, passing away at the old homestead, which is now occupied by their son Peter. Besides they had but one other child, Jacob M., who was the elder, and who is now living on his farm in Union Township. The subject of this sketch was born in Lansing, Tompkins Co., N. Y., July 20, 1814. He came with his brother Jacob to the Territory of Michigan, in the spring of 1835, when the country was a wilderness, they making their stopping-place in Union Township, this county, which they concluded to be a good place to permanently locate. Leaving his brother here, Jacob M. returned to the Empire State after his parents. Peter in the meantime busied himself in putting up a log house for the reception of his parents when they should arrive. It was considered quite an undertaking, but he set about the task with the natural energy of his character, having, it must be understood, very indifferent tools to work with, and laboring under the difficulties of lifting alone the heavy timbers, one upon the other. He remembers to this day the smiling faces of his honored parents, as they drove up to the little dwelling in the wilderness, and taking possession, made themselves and their sons as comfortable as possible. The parents of our subject after a time adopted a little two-year-old girl, by the name of Eunice, who lived with them until a woman grown, and is now the widow of Walter Pelton, and resides with her daughter, Mrs. Rose Jones, in Titusville, Pa. Peter, of our sketch, continued under the parental roof until twenty-one years of age, and then took up 160 acres of Government land 6n section 15, Union Township, from which he began clearing the timler, and bringing the soil to a state of cultivation. He still occupies that same land, but to it has added ninety-six acres, so that he now has a fine farm, 256 acres in extent, with all modern improvements, including substantial and commodious buildings, and the other appurtenances required by L,j -~- * -Fc-iB Y - Sp ----- -~F - 11 ~~~ b 4 - WO-I I O -4 U k- — EF~ (1 ` 498 BRANCH COUNTY. the progressive agriculturist. The old log house, which was the scene of tender associations and many thrilling events, has long since crumbled away, but will be remembered, together with the goodness and worthiness of the parents, for whom it was principally erected. One of the most important events in the life of our subject, and which had much to (1o in shaping his future career, as that of an honored citizen, and one holding an enviable position in his community, was his marriage with Miss Susan White, which took place at the home of the bride in Girard Township, on the 17th of March, 1842, over forty-six years ago. Mrs. Blazier is the daughter of Samuel and Ruth (Lindsay) White, who came from Sparta, Livingston Co., N. Y., in 1833, and settled among the pioneers of Lenawee County, this State. They resided there three years, then took up their residence in Girard Township, this county, where they battled with the elements of a new soil in a new country, and where the mother passed to her final rest in June, 1872. Samuel White survived his estimable wife a number of years, and died at the hlome of his daughter, Mrs. Blazier, in Union Township, in March, 1888, when past ninety years of age. Mrs. Blazier was the eldest of seven children. four sons and three daughters, who comprised the family of her parents, and was born March 23, 1823. When a little child two years of age, her parents removed to New York State, settling in Livingston County, and left there when she was a child of ten years to cast their lot among the pioneers of Southern Michigan. They at once located in Branch County, of which they were residents for a period of fifty-six years. Our subject and his wife commenced the journey of life together on the farm which they now occupy, and there were born to them two children only, a son and daughter: Erie, thle former, is one of the Successful farmers of Union Township, and married Miss Charlotte Knight, of that township; Ida G. is the wife of Frank Clifford, also of Union Township. Mr. Blazier was for many years a member of the Republican party, but is now a Prohibitionist. He has never sought office, but no man has experienced greater satisfaction in viewing the progress and development of one of the greatest commonwealths of the West. Mrs. Blazier is a lady of great worth, and most excellent qualities of character, a woman who commands the respect and esteem of her neighbors, and who has fulfilled most admirably all her duties in life. EHOMAS B. KIRBY. This worthy citizen of Sherwood Township, with a snug farm of eighty acres pleasantly located on section 8, is carrying on farming and milling combined, and has met with fair success in his struggle with the world. Among his fellow-citizens he is honored and respected, because his life has been upright, and free from fraud, and he has striven to do by his neighbors as he would have them do by him. As a man with whom to do business, he is capable and reliable, and with his sons, who are energetic and active young men, carries on the leading sawmill and feedmill in this section. Our subject, a native of the Empire State, was born in Albany County, Feb. 9, 1830, and continued there until a youth of sixteen years. In 1847 lie came to St. Joseph County, this State, where he lived for a period of twenty-seven years, and in 1874 took up his residence in Sherwood Township, this county, and has since been numbered among its leading citizens. He has officiated as Justice of the Peace, and with his family, is a member and regular attendant of the Baptist Church. Politically, he supports Republican principles, and keeps himself well posted on current events. Our subject, while a resident of St. Joseph County, formed domestic and matrimonial ties, being united in marriage with Miss Mary Garman, in Kalamazoo County, this State, Dec. 11, 1862. The wife of our subject was born in Cambridgeshire, England, Oct. 19, 1838, and came to St. Joseph County, this State, in 1851. Of this union there were born four children, three sons and one daughter, of whom Joseph J., who was born in Flowerfield Township, Oct. 23, 1857, is now married, 1t i -A _.. l l I Sol" -_- I r Ir qp 6I — - — 0- St I II qrr -r k t I I'......,..- -- — --- —--------— — --- —------ * buse - --- I BRANCH COUNTY. 499 --- and continues a resident here; Charles W., born Dec. 19, 1860, is also married, and a resident of this township; Chester A. was born Sept. 16, 1866, and Phebe M., Aug. 31, 1876; they are both at home with their parents. Mr. Kirby became interested in the Patrons of Husbandry soon after the establishment of that order, and belongs to both the Subordinate and County Granges. The family residence is a neat and comfortable structure, and, with its surroundings, plainly indicative of the well-to-do and thrifty citizen. 7 ENRY FILLMORE HUYCK, a well-known farmer of Branch County, is prosperously engaged in his independent calling on section 11, Kinderhook Township, where lie has a good sized farm, well tilled and cultivated. Like so many of the brave pioneers of the southern part of Michigan, who early identified themselves with its agricultural interests, Mr. Huyck is a native of the Empire State, born in the town of Galway, Saratoga County, March 18, 1818. His grandfather, John Huyck, removed from Dutchess County, N. Y., to Saratoga County, soon after the Revolutionary War, and bought a tract of land in Galway, being one of its earliest settlers. He improved a farm and resided there permanently until his death. His son John, the father of our subject, who was born Sept. 8, 1790, during the residence of his parents in Dutchess County, was quite young when they removed to Saratoga County, where he was reared and educated. He was industrious and thrifty, and after becoming the owner of a farm in that county, established a home, taking a wife, a most estimable woman, Miss Lucretia Fillmore, who was born in Queensbury, N. Y., Feb. 18, 1794, and died in Palmyra, Nov. 4, 1853. Of their union eight children were born, the eldest being a daughtel, and the remaining seven sons. Though very comfortably situated on their homestead in New York, Mr. and Mrs. Huyck were not quite satisfied, and in 1835 Mr. Huyck visited the Territory of Michigan with a view of settlement here. Being __m much impressed with the face of the country and its possibilities as at agricultural region, he bought 160 acres of timber land in what is now Palmyra Township, Lenawee County, and commenced to build a log cabin. Before completing it, however, he returned to New York, where he settled up his affairs preparatory to his removal to this State, and on May 11, 1837, accompanie(d by his wife and eight children, started for their home in the Western wilderness, by the Erie Canal to Buffalo, thence by Lake Erie to Toledo. From there they traveled to Adrian by railway, which was a primitive affair, with wooden rails, on which the cars were drawn by horses. Starting from Toledo at four o'clock P. M., it took until midnight to accomplish the short distance between the two places. Adrian was at that time a small village with four stores and two hotels, the greater part of the land now occupied by the city being then a wilderness. After arriving on their farm, it took a week to finish the log cabin that Mr. Huyck had commenced on his previous visit; it was covered with shakes and built in a manner common to those days. He cleared quite a large tract of his land, and after two years erected a good set of frame buildings, remaining a resident of Palmyra Township until his death, which occurred April 11, 1868. The subject of this sketch was the eldest son of the family, and accompanied his parents to Michigan, living with them until his marriage three years later. On Nov. 7, 1840, he was wedded to Miss Polly Patterson, who was born in New York, being a daughter of Benjamin and Edith Patterson, early pioneers of Lenawee County. After their marriage our subject and his wife settled in Raisin, where they resided a short time. In 1844 they removed to Branch County and purchased forty acres of timber openings in the township of Kinderhook, four acres of which had been broken, and on which stood a log cabin. Deer and wild 'turkeys were abundant then, and as our subject had indulged in the pastime of hunting in his native State, he was quite expert in the use of the rifle and had no difficulty in keeping the larder well supplied with the choicest wild game. Three years later Mr. Huyck sold this place to the notorious thief, Silas Doty, and bought eighty-six acres on section 11, border -~1g I_ _,b. —s YPL %I_,q I -I I l 4c____________ _____________ — _~1....- -.-r-~-.. ----urrr-irr& —~l~-r*-rr. Iar --- —-r*^- -~ ---Y ---- ----.-. ----.. - -X ^ --__-_x_ ---_ _ _ —_ ---- -I —x^ --- — --- —C-~I*-UL --- —— L --- I I L 1 - __-q o s i i i i i i i I I i I i I I i i i I I ~3~~ LL —IL-rllSI ---~ ----- _L _IIC3-ll _L__ ~II_~~I._-ILL_ I — r - II --- — - 1 C n- I 500 BRANCH COUNTY. ing on Huyck Lake, where he has since resided. There was a log shanty on the place, but none of the land had been cleared. With characteristic energy our subject begaa improving a farm, and now has the land inl a fine state of cultivation. Substantial farm buildings have been erected, a convenientand tasty dwelling taking the place of the original log cabin. Shortly after settling here our subject was sadly bereaved by the death of the young wife, to whom he had been united in the halcyon days of youth, and whose wedded life had begun so auspiciously, she passing away in August, 1849. Mr. Huyck was a second time married, Nov. 18, 1854, being at that time united to Miss Mary J. Reynolds, a native of Middlesex, Gates Co., N. Y., where she was born March 10, 1836. Her father, Bentley Reynolds, a son of Jeremiah Reynolds, was a native of Ulster County, N. Y. He was reared and educated in his native State, and after attaining his majority he married Miss Mary S. Canwright, a native of the same State, being a daughter of John and Nancy Canwright. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds settled in the State of their nativity, where they lived until the spring of 1837, when, accompanied by eleven of the twelve children included in the family circle, they started to Michigan, traveling by water to Detroit, and from there came to Branch County with a team, having determined to locate in this place. Mr. Reynolds purchased a tract of land in Kinderhook Township, and was one of the earliest settlers of this place. The land was in its primitive wildness, and the dense forests were inhabited by Indians and wild beasts of all kinds, civilization not having yet invaded their haunts. Mr. Reynolds built a log house and at once commenced improving his land, living here continuously until his death in 1853. To our subject and his wife have been born three children, of whom the following is the record: Pamelia is the wife of Frank Benedict, of Fremont, Ind.; Adella, the wife of Josiah Dingman, lives in Oregon; Merritt, the only son, who was born July 8, 1863, died when three months old. Mr. Huyck is one of the most worthy of the many excellent citizens of Kinderhook. and is rich in the respect and esteem of his fellow-townsmen, who honor him, not only as a pioneer who faithfully aided the development and growth of the town from its original wildness to a prosperous agricultural region, but for his many noble qualities as a man and a citizen. _,^ --—.o^>-@^ -o fo ----3-oo' LBERT J. TIFT has for the last twenty-two years been comfortably located on his welljL ordered homestead, which lies on section 32 in Algansee Township, and where lie settled in May, 1866. A native of Washtenaw County, this State, he was born Sept. 11, 1835, and is the son of David and Mary Tift, who came to Michigan during its pioneer days, and made for themselves a good record among the people of this section. Our subject was but a year old when his parents removed with their family from Washtenaw to this county, locating in Algansee Township, where our subject was reared to manhood, and remained with his parents assisting in the development of the new farm until after the outbreak of the Rebellion. In August, 1862, he was constrained to proffer his services as a Union soldier, and enlisted in Company M, 5th Michigan Cavalry, in which he served until after the close of the war, being mustered out July 4, 1865. While on duty near Fairfax, Va., he was injured by the fall of a horse, from which he has never fully recovered. He participated in many of the important battles of the war, meeting the enemy at Winchester, where he received a gunshot wound in the left knee, and was also at Gettysburg. During the last six months of his services, being expert in the use of tools, he served as a blacksmith for the company. He had the inexpressible satisfaction of witnessing the surrender of Gen. Lee at Appomattox, and received his honorable discharge. Upon returning home Mr. Tift resumed farming and prepared to settle down in life. He was married, in February, 1867, to Miss Eveline H., daughter of Matthew Hungerford, and with his young wife settled down on the farm where he now resides. This then comprised but eighty acres, to which he afterward added, and has now 120 acres, i I I I I I,I i I 41 i I i i I [-. i SP w C w. - 4. A ~ ----L1-~IWI_-1 AUDI r. ir ^ ^ i.,. '1. ^^ --- — ~~~~~~ --- -^ - - - --.-.-.- -... —..^... -I BRANCH COUNTY. 501 I I with a good two-story brick residence, and other buildings to correspond. To our subject and his wife there were born five children, namely: Charles L., who was married before he was eighteen; Ina L., Lewis D., Vernie W. and Eva B. Mr. Tift was formerly a Republican, but although independent of party lines, is strongly in sympathy with the National Greenback party. Religiously, he finds consolation chiefly in the doctrines of the Regular Baptist Church. Matthew Hungerford, the father of Mrs. Tift, was a native of Genesee County, N. Y., and the son of Eliphalet, also a native of the Empire State. But little is known of the family history prior to the time of the latter. He came with his family to Michigan during its territorial days, and settled in Oakland County, where Matthew upon reaching manhood was married to Miss Sarah Burgess, who was also a native of New York, and came with her parents to Michigan in her youth. She was occupied for some time as a teacher in the pioneer schools, and after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. H., in 1856, came to this county, settling in Algansee Township. The father (leparted this life in 1875, and the mother followed in 1876. Their family consisted of five sons and five daughters, six of whom are living and residents of Michigan and Indiana. iEORGE KEYES, a farmer by occupation, and owner of 120 acres on section 16, Matteson Township, came to this locality in the spring of 1868, and has since been a resident of this township. His native place was Springfield, Mass., where he was born June 8, 1830, and came when a little lad seven years of age with his parents to Michigan. Eli Keyes, the father of our subject, was a substantial Massachusetts farmer, and a son of Josiah Keyes, who was of English descent, and sprang from a branch of that family especially noted for their sturdy and healthful frames, and lives of honest industry. Josiah Keyes was twice married, there being of the first union no children. Of the second I _ there was a large family, and Eli was one of the younger children. Grandfather Keyes was farmer and carpenter combined, and, with his estimable wife, spent his last days near the city of Springfield, Mass. Tlle father of our subject was reared to manhood in his native State, and there married Miss Melissa C. Howe, who was born in Connecticut, and was the daughter of a Methodist minister, who died when she was a small child six years of age. She was then bound out to a family by the name of Hall, with whom she remained until her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Keyes soon after this event located upon a farm in Ohio, where they remained until after the birth of three children-George, Horace and Albert. Then starting for the West, they lived first in Ohio for a year, then came to St. Joseph County, this State, locating in what was called the Oak Openings, in the valley of the River St. Joseph. The father only lived a few years, passing away in the winter of 1842, when but thirty-four years old. After leaving Massachusetts there was a daughter born to them, Melissa, who is now the wife of Mr. Butler, of Bangor. The mother was subsequently married to Mr. Friend Curtis, of Indiana. She spent her last days with her children in Nottawa Township, St. Joseph County, living to the advanced age of eighty-one years. Our subject, after the death of his father, was taken into the home of strangers, and had little opportunity to secure an education. He grew to manhood in St. Joseph County, and was there married to Miss Caroline Liddle, who was born in Onondaga Township, Ontario Co., N. Y., May 2, 1835, and is the daughter of John and Catherine (Acker) Liddle. Her parents were natives of York State, and the mother (lied when thirty-five years of age, in Bethel Township, this county. The father was subsequently twice married. He spent his last days in Colon Township, St. Joseph County,' and died in the fall of 1884, at the ripe old age of eighty-four years. His children were all by his first wife, and included two sons and four daughters. Mrs. Keyes was the sixth child, and came with her parents to the State of Michigan in 1837. After the death of her mother she became an inmate of the home of her uncle, Gilbert Liddle, of [] I I I i I i I I i i i I I i I i i I j 5-4d -"Rgv B I.R 1 — I, "A! b t - - I I '4_ l. I ~ ~'3~ 1 po p1-~~1. I I4 (i L 502 k BRANCH COUNTY. r m p, f02 BANCH OUNTY whose family our subject was also a member, and they grew up together. They are now the parents of three children: Katie A., the wife of Fletcher Tanner, who lives on a farm in Hand County, Dak., and is the mother of two children Gertie and George; Ely E., who married Miss Ella Gardener, and lives on a farm in Matteson Township, and Lilly J., who continues at home with her parents. Mr, Keyes, politically, votes the straight Republican ticket, and has served as Highway Commissioner in his township for a period of nine years. Both he and his wife are mnembers of the P. of H., belonging to Grange No. 215, in Colon Township, St. Joseph County. AMEN. JOHN G. PARKHURST, Secretary of ( the Coldwater Gas Company, and one of the best known men of Coldwater, is also engaged in agricultural pursuits, in which he has found profitable recreation for thirty years. Ile is much interested in and well informed on the subject of agriculture, and is at present a member of the Executive Board of the Agricultural Society, while he has also been closely allied with the order of Patrons of Husbandry. He has been Master of the Grange Order of Batavia Township, while he has also been Lecturer of the County Grange. The subject of this biographical sketch was born April 17, 1824, at Oneida Castle, N. Y., and his ancestors, who were of English and Scotch descent, were early settlers of the State of Massachusetts. His grandmother, Phoebe (Pierce) Parkhurst, was born in Plainfield, Conn., and died in Whitestown, Oneida Co., N. Y., in the year 1830. His father, her ninth son and thirteenth child. was born in the same place, Oct. 31, 1780, and married Sallie Gibson, the granddaughter of a Scotch sea captain, who died on one of the West India Islands. Gen. Parkhurst's mother died when he was but seven years old. leaving eight children, and he is indebted to his sisters for his moral and religious training. He remained at school until he was nineteen years of age, taking a classical course of six years in the Oneida Academy. Four years' study of law in the office of N. F. Graves fitted him for its practice, and he was admitted to the bar in 1847. After two years of successful practice in his native place he came to this county, and choosing Coldwater as his future home, he practiced there from 1849 to 1861, during part of the time in partnership with Lieut. Gov. Coe. In the year 1860 he was a delegate to and was made Secretary of the Charleston Democratic Convention, and on his return arranged the proceedings of that body for publication. While thus engaged he astonished a friend by declaring that the South intended having a Government of its own, and that the result would be war, and that his assistance would be required. Events soon proved the truth of his prediction, and after the firing upon Ft. Sumter, at the first war meeting held in Branch County, lie called upon all loyal citizens to prepare immediately to defend the Union, and repeated that call in Batavia. As soon as he could arrange his domestic and business matters, Mr. Parkhurst was appointed by Gov. Blair. Lieutenant Colonel of the 9th Michigan Infantry, and was mustered into service Sept. 10, 1861. In October he reported to Gen. Sherman in Kentucky, and in Felruary, 1862, his regiment was ordered to engage in the advance on Nashville. In the battle of Murfreesboro, in July, 1862, after holding his position eight hours against a force seven times as large, and losing one-third of his command in killed and wounded, he was taken prisoner and detained four months. He was exchanged in time to report to Gen. Thomas before the battle of Stone River, and owing to the reputation the 9th Michigan had achieved by its gallant fight at Murfreesboro, Gen. Thomas selected it as his provost guard, and appointed Col. Parkhurst Provost Marshal of the 14th Army Corps. From December, 1862, until the close of the war, he was on the staff of Gen. Thomas as Provost Marshal General, having the 9th Michigan, two other regiments, and a battery as provost guard under his command. In this capacity he engaged in all the battles of the Army of the Cumberland, and had the supervision of the prisoners and the conductors on the military railroads of the Department of the Cumberland, of all the prisoners of war, and all the Provost Mar I I I ~*.__ $DoI ~~ ~ _1 ___, L _-_ IIYPI-qoIb —Qtpl-. l ---~ I ml e -1 A I L BR~ANCH COUNTY. 503 - Ahakk.. -- --- -- = shals and their officers. For heroism and bravery in the battles of Stone River and Chickamauga, he was recommended by Gen. Thomas for the rank of Brigadier General of Volunteers. After leaving the service, in November, 1865, Gen. Parkhurst opened a law office in Nashville, Tenn., but being unwilling to identify himself with either the Radicals, Republicans or the Southerners, he abandoned the idea of remaining there, and returned to Coldwater in August, 1866. He was then appointed by President Johnson, United States Marshal of the district of Michigan, and held the position but about six months. When his name came before the Senate it was opposed by those who had signed his recommendations, because of his chance presence at the Philadelphia Soldiers' Convention, so adroitly captured by President Johnson. In 1868 he was nominated by the Soldiers' State Convention for Lieutenant Governor, in opposition to the Republican candidate. He was rejected by the Senate, but had the satisfaction of naming his successor, who held the office until 1869. In 1872 the General was nominated on the Liberal ticket for Congress for the Third District, and received the largest vote of all the Liberal candidates on that ticket. He was Prosecuting Attorney from 1852 to 1855, and special agent of the United States Treasury Department from 1867 to 1869, and in 1875 he was a Democratic candidate for State Treasurer, but was defeated. During two years, beginning with 1870, he spent most of his time assisting in building a north and south railroad through Coldwater, and had completed the road bed when the panic of 1873 defeated the enterprise. He also took an active part in securing the State School at Coldwater, and from his manifold labors has always spared time to assist and encourage any measures calculated to promote the interests of the community, intellectually as well as financially. Upon his return from the tented field Gen. Parkhurst devoted his time to agricultural pursuits and his private business affairs, reaping from the former handsome returns, besides the relaxation needed after those eventful years. His elegant and wellappointed residence, with all its environments, is suggestive of the enterprise and culture with which our subject is pre-eminently graced, and isan ornament to the county. He is a charter member of Butterworth Post No. 109, G. A. R., and is also Vice President of the National Union Veteran Association. He has been three times elected Senior Vice Commander of Michigan Commandery of the military order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, and was a member of the Congress of the Loyal Legion of the United States, held in Chicago in 1885. HIe was also one of the twelve honorary guests at the military reception given Gov. Russell A. Alger in 1885, and was also one of the invited guests at the celebration of the Centennial of the battle of Yorkshire in 1881. In 1852 the subject of this notice was united in marriage with Miss Amelia C., daughter of Samuel P. Noyes, but she departed this life July 26, 1861, leaving two children, both daughters. In 1863 Mr. Parkhurst married Miss Josie B. Reeves, of Murfreesboro, Tenn., who was the daughter of the late Nathan B. Reeves, of the same place. The second wife of our subject died June 20, 1871, and he was again united in marriage, in 1874, with Mrs. Josephine Fiske, daughter of the late Nathan Roberts, of Lennox, N. Y. In politics Gen. Parkhurst is an uncompromising Democrat, and is a man of decided ability, logical, discriminating and comprehensive. He is a deep thinker and a close reasoner, discreet in forming an opinion and modest in advancing it, but firm in maintaining it. From boyhood he has been a worthy member of the Protestant Episcopal Church, and his ideas of the duties and responsibilities of life are derived from no uncertain standard. The General was a delegate from the Third District to the St. Louis Convention, in 1888. that renominated Grover Cleveland for President, and was on the Committee of Credentials. He was seriously spoken of by many of the local and State papers for the Vice Presidency, but repudiating any attempts at advancing his name, he took with him a bandana handkerchief to wave for Thurman, of whom he was one of the strongest supporters. The handkerchief carried by the General to the convention is one given him by his father nearly fifty years ago, and is about four times the regular size. It is made of a better fabric than is found to-day in the Thur i i I I I I "D -1 lI-. - I 0 06, I "de I L I I I I C I F ls___. 1 504 BRANCH COUNTY. I man'bandanas, and is a relic and heirloom in the family. The General was one of the active workers for the renomination of Grover Cleveland, and has the satisfaction of seeing both his candidates in the field. Speaking of Gen. Parkhurst as a candidate for the nomination of Vice President, a Republican paper says: "Gen. John G. Parkhurst is a man about sixty years of age, and is a marked figure in any company. He has a fine military bearing, and no mal at the head of a line of soldiery could possibly show to better advantage. He is a lawyer by profession, and would make as dignified a presiding officer for the United States Senate as it has had in many a year. Gen. Parkhurst was a brave and( gallant soldier, and won his promotion under Gen. Thomas, than whomnlo man was braver, and who knew a good soldier when he saw him. There were incidents in the General's soldier life that would create enthusiasm, and assure the support of the soldiers everywhere throughout the Union. The Democracy could nowhere find a candidate for Vice President that would add more to the ' hurrah' part of a campaign than would the name of Gen. Parkhurst.", LBERT P. HAWKS, who is favorably known to the business community of ColdL water, has been for some time occupied as a traveling salesman for the firm of A. Chandler & Son, jobbers in saddlery and carriage hardware. He was born at Wolcott, Wayne Co., N. Y., Aug. 5, 1845, to Albert and Sarah C. (Watkins) Hawks. and was the third of their four children, the others being Edward W., William H. and Emma. The latter married C. Townsend, of Pittsburgh, Pa., and is now a resident of Leavenworth, Kan. The surviving brother is a member of the dry-goods firm of J. P. & W. H. Hawks, at Goshen, Ind. The paternal grandparents of our subject, Cephas and Calista Hawks, were also natives of the Empire State, whence they emigrated to Indiana at an early day, settling in what was afterward the town of Waterford in Elkhart County, and where Grandfather Hawks engaged in milling and general merchandising. Eventually he purchased a farm which he also carried on successsfully and attained to the ripe old age of eighty years. He was an old-line Whig politically, and a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In connection with his farm and mill he also operated a distillery, the only one in that section of country for many years. His wife survived him some years and died at the age of seventy-five, at the old homestead near Waterford. She was a most excellent lady and a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The first recollections of our subject are of his father's dry-goods store at Wolcott, N. Y., where the family remained until 1851, then removed to Waterford, Ind. Three years later they changed their residence to Goshen, and thence in the course of six or eight years to Leesburg, where the father in addition to merchandising operated a flouringmill, and where his death took place in 1864. He also was a Whig politically, and a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The parents were married at Wolcott, N. Y.. and the mother belonged to the Presbyterian Church. She died at Goshen, Ind., Aug. 9, 1887, and was buried by the side of her husband and eldest son. Mr. Hawks was a little lad six years of age when his parents removed to Indiana, where he later attended school, but completed his education in the Northwestern University, at Evanston, Ill., in which institution he was a student three years. His business career commenced at the expiration of this time, when he became salesman for the firm of J. H. Horn & Co., of Pittsburgh, Pa., with whom he continued two years. He next took up his residence in Detroit, to which place his brother William and his mother had removed, and engaged with the firm of Newcomb, Endicott & Co., remaining two years. He was next with Grosvenor & Co., of Jonesville, and in 1869 came to Coldwater, of which he has since been a resident, and in the employ of his father-in-law and his partners. One of the important events in the life of our subject was his marriage, Oct. 24, 1867, with Miss Virginia, eldest daughter of Albert and Eliza I rI 1 — __o-4 I i III~I I i i It ~ r - - -- ~ - - 1~1,, ~~r I ------- ~I'll~ x-rr ! -- - 1 Uoom y-Pir t BRANCH COUNTY. 505 I Chandler, and who was born in Coldwater, May 26, 1846, where she grew to womanhood and made her home with her parents until her marriage. Mrs. Hawks is a lady of excellent education, having completed her studies in Albion College, and of her union with our subject there have been born two children: Roland H., Nov. 27, 1869, and Minnie C., June 27, 1875. The son completed his education in the Coldwater High School, where the daughter is still attending. Mrs. Hawks is a lady held in universal respect by the people of her native city, and the family occupy a neat and pleasant home on West Pearl street, near the Chandler family residence. 1 ANIEL R. FORD is a substantial and well)) to-do farmer of Branch County, who, in t ithe early years of its settlement. was an important factor in developing its wonderful resources, and still does his share in maintaining its position as one of the finest agricultural regions in the State of Michigan. In the year 1836, in the very morn of early manhood, he came here and cast in his lot with the pioneers of Southern Michigan, and he may well be proud of what he and those other brave men accomplished in the short space of a lifetime, changing the almost impassable swamps and the desolate wilds of the primeval forests, where scarce the foot of man save that of the Indian had trod, into beautiful farms, pleasant towns and villages, and busy, populous cities. Many who stood shoulder to shoulder with him in those by-gone days are now quietly sleeping the last sleep, undisturbed by the sounds that they themselves evoked when they first broke the stillness of the grand old forests with the ringing of the pioneer's ax. But their memory is still cherished and revered by those who now enjoy the benefits of their life work. That our subject is still spared to bless us with his kindly presence, a living link connecting the early settlers of this county with the present generation, is a cause of gratulation to those who venerate the past, and see in him an embodiment, a true type, of the courageous, hardy I pioneers of over half a century ago, who cheerfully, and without a murmur at the sacrifice, abandoned comfortable homes in more civilized communities that they might assist in laying the foundation of this glorious commonwealth more securely, and obtain for their children a rich heritage. He has a pleasant, comfortable home on section 14, Butler Township, where he has improved the land that he took up fifty-two years ago into a valuable farm. Mr. Ford is of New England origin and ancestry, born amid the pleasant hills of Vermont, in Rutland County, Dec. 16, 1814. His parents, William and Laura (Rumsey) Ford, were natives of Vermont, and his paternal grandfather, William Ford, came from England. After marriage the father and mother of our subject settled in Rutland County, Vt., where the father was engaged in farming, but they subsequently removed to Genesee County, N. Y., where they died, he at the age of seventy, and she at the age of sixty. They were people whose habits and conduct in life were above reproach, and they were much esteemed by their neighbors and friends. To them were born seven children-Chancy, Betsey, Amarilla, William, Munson, Daniel R. and Adaline. Our subject was five years old when his parents left their old home under the shadows of the Green Mountains, and took up their abode in Genesee County, N. Y., where he erfjoyed the privileges of a good education. At the age of twenty-one lie married, and in 1836 came with his young wife to Michigan, staying for awhile in Calhoun County, but in the same year he took up the land in Branch County that forms his present farm. For many years thereafter his lot was hard work, but he was young, strong, and full of life, and ambitious to make a home, and he patiently endured the hardships of his pioneer life. He immediately set about clearing his land from tile tall old trees which for centuries had been growing there, and cut the first giant of the forest, and cleared nearly the whole of the 133 acres comprising his farm himself, erected substantial, commodious buildings, and made many other improvements. But these years of toil were not without their diversions. The early settlers would occasionally meet together for a frolic, and with merry games, songs, talk and laughter beguile.......... J ObL2 -1 —A _ f W- = _M=-L-4 400L-~ — -I-L -I ~ -_ I _ — p — ~ - y 4 om — rI -_ I kw w - - IL I ~ I L-II I II -rrrr — 5 -- ~-I I -4 i* 506 BRANCH COUNTY.. I the hours, and for awhile forget the cares that beset their daily path. In those days wild game abounded, and our subject, who was very fond of hunting and fishing, used to go on excursions to supply the family larder, and one fall he shot thirteen deer, and has killed fifty or sixty in all. Mr. Ford has been twice married. His first wife, Eunice Hodgis, a native of Genesee County, N. Y., (lied in 1850. She was in many respects a noble woman, and well qualified to fill the high offices of wife, mother, friend. By her death four children were left motherless, namely: Laura J., Albert, Alice and Orin. Laura is now Mrs. McGoosen, of Girard, and has two children-Chester and Louis. Albert, who lives in Litchfield Township, married Elizabeth Floyd, and they have two children-Clyde and Myrtle. Alice lives in Butler Township, and is the wife of H. McIntosh. Mr. Ford's second and present wife was formerly Laura Carver, a daughter of Robert Carver, and a native of Genesee County, N. Y. By this union they have one son, Charles R., who married Phelina Shipman. Mr. Ford has always taken an active interest in every good cause that would in any way promote the welfare of his township and county, and as School Director has zealously done his share in advancing the educational advantages enjoyed by the youth of Butler Township. In politics he is a firm Republican, and has been identified with that party since its birth. He has led a life of uprightness and probity, dealing justly with his fellowmen, and winning their respect and esteem. -:-. a -. State of Ohio, where he was born April 11, 1837. He now has a beautiful farm of 204 acres on section 19, Girard Township, and here successfully follows his calling as an agriculturist. With the exception of fifty acres this tract of land is all cleared and under a high state of cultivation. and produces in abundance the cereals of this latitude, to which a large acreage is devoted. Mr. Lyman also pays some attention to stock-raising, and has met in all his undertakings with the success which industry and energy, directed by his well balanced mind, almost invariably secure. The father of our subject, Orlando Lyman, was born in Connecticut, June 6, 1819, and at the age of nineteen years he removed to the Empire State, where he remained some time and then joined the procession marching to the undeveloped West. Choosing Michigan as the scene of his labors, he settled in Calhoun County, whence he afterward removed to Hillsdale County, and finally, in 1868, he came to this county, and after a long and wellspent life he passed away to his reward, Feb. 3, 1885. The mother of our subject, who in her girlhood was Miss Caroline Merritt, (lied in Ohio. Of her union with Orlando Lyman there were born two children, both sons, one of whom died when only fifteen years old. Mr. Orlando Lyman was twice married, his second wife being in her girlhood Esther J. Curran, a native of New York, where she was born in Tioga County. Mr. Lyman was reared at the home of his parents, and being the only surviving child remained under the home roof, working in company with his father until the death of the latter. He was an infant of less than two years when his mother died, and he was reared to manhood by his stepmother, who died in Girard Township, this county, April 9, 1888. He received such education as was obtainable in the public schools of his native place, and in the sterner school of experience, as the son and assistant of the pioneer, he learned those lessons of industry, firmness and self-denial which have constituted so manly and rugged a character. On the 30th of January, 1862, the subject of this biography was united in marriage with Miss Artemiissia, daughter of Daniel and Eliza (Bowen) Murray, of Hillsdale County, where Mrs. Lyman was - DSON LYMAN. While traveling through Branch County the biographical writers of this ALBUM met with but few active business men who are natives of the county. The vast majority of those who to-day are tilling the soil and raising stock, or engaged in business or commercial enterprises, or members of any of the professions, were born without the borders of the county. To this class belongs the gentleman whose name heads this sketch, his birthplace being the 1 __l I L._,. I - I -I —O-RCW~-. I~ I,~ -, — ~ r~ -~ ~~-L "1 -1 fig bol I f 1 I d:N I BRANCH COUNTY. 507 born Sept. 12, 1843. She lived at home with her parents until her marriage, receiving an education in the public schools, and contributing her share in the discharge of the domestic duties of the household, in which she had been instructed by a capable mother. This union has been blessed by the advent of seven children, as follows: Daniel M., married, and farming in Girard Township; Charles H., Caroline E., Lena G., George Franklin, Bessie May and Leebell. The qualities with which Mr. Lyman is endowed have been recognized and appreciated by his intelligent fellow-townsmen, who have elected him to the office of School Treasurer, and re-elected him for a number of years. In politics Mr. Lyman was formerly an exponent of Democratic principles, but his interest in the cause of temperance, and his conscientiousness in promoting what he believes to be right, have caused him to sever his connection with that party and attach himself to the Prohibitionists..- <-^ ^-S-. —_ - O SCAR L. LINCOLN, who has been a resident of this county and of Union Township since 1837, was brought by his parents to the Territory of Michigan when eleven years old. It has been his privilege to witness the remarkable changes of over fifty years passing like a panorama before his eyes, and in the bringing about of which he has himself borne no unimportant part. He became intimately acquainted in his boyhood with all the details of pioneer life, its hardships. its privations and its labors, and now, sitting under his own vine and fig tree, the owner of a beautiful farm, enjoying all the comforts of life, and many of its luxuries, he cannot otherwise than feel that he has been richly repaid for all that he has passed through. He owns 340 acres of finely cultivated land, with commodious and convenient modern buildings, and all the other appurtenances of the desirable country home. This farm he built up, as it were, from the primitive soil, and the good things of life of which he is to-day possessed are the result of his own industry, and for which he owes no man anything. The subject of this sketch is the eldest son of Caleb and Chloe (Evans) Lincoln, and was born in Pitcher, Chenango Co., N. Y., Sept. 15, 1826. His parents were natives of Bath, Me.. the father born in February, 1798. They were married in Chenango County, N. Y., and soon after settled in the Empire State, where they lived until 1837. and in the spring of that year set out for Michigan, settling in Union Township, this county. The father followed agricultural pursuits a number of years, then removed to Union City, which at that time was but a village, an(d where his death took place Nov. 20, 1885. The mother had preceded her husband to the silent land, her death taking place April 30, 1 83. Their household included five children: Oscar L., our sulject; Martha and Mary, who died when about ten years of age; Elizabeth, the wife of John Race, and a resident of Union City, and Lucy, deceased. Our subject grew to manhood under the parental roof, and when twenty-two years of age was married, in Union City, May 11, 1848, to Miss Clarissa M. Stanton, daughter of John and Susan (Waldron) Stanton, the former born in Onondaga County, N. Y., Dec. 10, 1798, and the latter in Rockland County. They settled in Onondaga County after their marriage, but later they removed to Michigan, in June, 1836. They took up their abode among the pioneers of Sherwood Township, where the father engaged in tilling the soil. and where his death took place Nov. 20, 1851. The mother subsequently made her home in Scipio Township, Hillsdale County, where her death occurred Jan. 6, 1868. They were the parents of ten children, one of whom died in infancy. The others were named respectively: Clarissa, Mary A., Lydia, John, Elizabeth, Loretta, Edward, Accelia and William Addison. Of these six are living, and all residents of Michigan. Mrs. Lincoln was born in Onondaga County, in the Empire State, Oct. 23, 1825. She acquired a common-school education, and continued with her parents until her marriage. Of her union with our subject there have been born five children, the eldest of whom, Harrison, died at the age of two years. John died when four years old; Caleb married i I I i I 1 i Ii i I i I i i i i i i i i I i i i i I I i I i I I I I I I I I i,I 1 —o a WPI" — 4 4 r6I Y - I --- - I - _ _ -- mb - __ _ - C I I:_@ ^ "~ 1 I - -- NOW. I Ll 4l l rl mmom~- asl I- I II wrP -Z 508 BRANCH COUNTY. I Mrs. Nanna Griswold, and is a resident of Union City; Edward died at the age of eleven years; Lucy is the wife of John Nesbit, of Union City. Mr. Lincoln, politically, is a solid Republican and a Prohibitionist. He has never been ambitious for office, but has taken an active interest in everything pertaining to the progress of his township, and has been especially zealous in religious matters. He and his estimable wife are members of the Congregational Church, in which Mr. Li-ncoln has officiated as Deacon for many years, and has given his support and encouragement to all measures for the good of the cause. O ON. ASAHEL BROWN was born in Staf)r ford, Monmouth Co., N. J., April 9, 1803, and when thirty years of age he came to (i) this State with his young wife, and first settled in Palmyra, Lenawee County, where he bought a farm consisting of forty acres. Six years later he came to Algansee Township, this county, where he l)urchased a farm and continued to make his home until his death. June 8, 1873, after a useful life of more than threescore and ten years. Abner Brown, the father of our subject, was a native of the same place as his son, and was born March 14, 1772. His wife, whose maiden name was Hlannah Birdsal, was born in the same place, Sept. 22, 1781. A few years after marriage, about 1806, they removed to Monroe County, il the same State, and settled in Penfield Township, where Abner followed the occupation of a farmer. They were among the early settlers of that part of the country, which was still heavily covered with timber, and they there passed the remainder of their days in building up for their family a home in the wilderness. They reared a family of seven children, of whom Asahel was the eldest, and all lived to mature years, viz: Asabel. Harriet, Rebecca, Abner, Jacob, Desiah and Mary. All are. now deceased except Jacob, who resides on the old homestead in Monroe County, and Desiah, who married Horace Thompson, and resides in Ovid Township. In religion the parents were Quakers. Mr. Brown enjoyed no educational privileges except an occasional term at the district school, and worked on his father's farm most of the time until he reached his thirtieth year, but he was at all times a student, and became a well-read, well-informed man. He was united in marriage with Deborah, daughter of Jesse Comstock, a prominent farmer of Monroe County, who also assisted in the construction of the lochs on the Erie Canal at Lockport. In 1833 our subject set out with his wife and family of four children, and what household effects he could put into a lumber wagon, and came to Michigan. His ambition had long been to own a farm, and at length his hopes were realized, as he settled on a tract of land in Palmyra Township, Lenawee County. He invested his limited means in forty acres of unimproved land, and erecting a log cabin, began the improvement of his purchase. IHe was unfortunate in the start, however; his wife was sick for many months, and on one occasion his horses strayed away many miles into Ohio, and he hunted them down on foot. He experienced his share of the vicissitudes incident to pioneer life, and he passed through many hardships, but he continued his labors until he became tired of tilling such loor soil as his farm appeared to be, and, accompanied by Nathan Austin, set out on foot to seek some other place of settlement. After a march of nine days, following Indian trails and being guided by blazed trees, weary and footsore they reached Coldwater. They soon met James Lawrence and William Beach, the oldest inhabitants of that section, and the next morning they started in search of land, and after traveling three miles through heavy timber came upon a beautiful, burroak plain. It was just the kind of land Mr. Brown wanted, anl there was plenty of it. He entered a large tract consisting of thirteen lots, going on foot to the land-office at Kalamazoo. He hired a man to put up a log cabin and break a few acres of land, and in the summer of 1836 he removed with his family to the new home, where they suffered all the hardships of pioneer life. Mr. Brown at once entered into the task of improving his farm and mak i: I 0 obo m f- e - 1dkk - - -— I..1 ~ -- - 0-.lI- l- r — I-I -. ---I-~..-f --- I-w-.. I CP I I A I i IA I I ii Ii I I ]..a i --- --— ----. I _P:b ~ -.4 BRANCH COUNTY. 509 ing himself useful, and became a leading citizen of that section of country. When the township was organized the meeting for that purpose was held in his house, near the old State road, six voters being present. He improved a fine farm and increased his possessions, until at the time of his death he owned 505 acres, provided with good buildings for farming purposes. In politics Asahel Brown was at first a Whig, but afterward became a Republican. His practical manner of dealing with public affairs, and his undoubted honesty, won the confidence of the people, who elected him to most of the important offices within their gift. For twenty-one consecutive years he was Supervisor, and he was Justice of the Peace for many years. In 1849 he was nominated on the Whig ticket as a candidate for the Legislature, but he was defeated, as the county was largely Democratic. In 1850 he was elected as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, and in the same year was elected State Senator, to which office lie was re-elected in 1858. In 1867 he was chosen a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, and served faithfully. He was much opposed to slavery, and was very decided in his opinions and always ready to express them, which he could do forcibly and clearly, and gain for them respect, though he did not claim to be a speech-maker. He was an effective worker on committees, and was rather retiring in his disposition, not seeking political preferment in any way. Mr. and Mrs. Brown had a family of eight children, as follows: J. Wesley; Emily, Mrs. Barnes; Hannah and Rachel, twins, both deceased; Othelia, Omar C., and two boys who are deceased. RANCIS E. FRENCH, of Sherwood Township, came to this county to live with his a. adopted parents, Mr. and Mrs. I. D. Beal, during its pioneer days, and had his home with the family, who are widely and favorably known in this region and to whom he was ever as an own son. He was born at Colon, St. Joseph County, this State, Nov. 11, 1847, and since the death of Mr. Beal has been carrying on the old farm of 190 acres on sections 19 and 30. I. D. Beal, a native of Rutland County, Vt., was born May 21, 1812, and lived there until twentyfive years of age. He was married May 10, 1837, at Ludlow, in his native State, and on the 24th of October following arrived in this county and secured the land upon which his widow now resides, and which his father had located in the spring of 1836. Mr. Beal possessed the true pioneer spirit and was amply armed to fight the battle of life in a new country. When they came here there were only four families in the neighborhood, and Indians still roamed over the country. Mr. Beal brought his land to a good state of cultivation and in due time erected modern and substantial buildings, while at the same time he provided himself with improved farm machinery and kept a goodly assortment of live stock. As a citizen he was honest and upright in all his dealings, and took an active interest in everything lertaining to the progress of his adopted county. He held nearly all the township offices and officiated as Justice of the Peace nearly from the time of coming here until his death, which took place at the home he had built up, Sept. 3, 1880. He was a member in good standing of the Masonic fraternity, and, with his estimable wife, a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mrs. Beal was born Aug. 20, 1812, in Windsor County, Vt.; her parents were natives of Rhode Island and Connecticut, and spent their last days in Vermont. Of her marriage with Mr. Beal there were born no children, but she proved a most faithful and affectionate mother to hei foster son, Francis E., who is now her chief counselor and support in her old age. The latter became a member of the Beal household when he was eleven years old. The marriage of Francis E. French and Miss Estella Naftzger took place at the home of the bride, Oct. 15, 1884, at Logansport, Ind. Mrs. French was born in Burbank, Wayne Co., Ohio, Oct. 12, 1858, and is the daughter of Ephraim and Kesiah Naftzger, who were natives of Ohio; the father is living, but the mother is deceased. Mr. French a. I I JI__ I I L i-~la~ar~ su~, - ~ I ll~Purrrr l~__ I-I-CY A *' 4k - — ~ - -~I~~ -~1 II I -, I~II1*P_- f - -- _I.!..l [ I ga wvP i I I I I I A i I I I i r m — 'I% ~I- - - * No-.14 jrtr,-^ I6 c~ --- -----— ~ --- — ---— I ---___ 510 BRANCH COUNTY. I was married twice previously, and had one child, Anna, who was born Feb. 3, 1875, and lives with her aunt in St. Josepll County. Of. his present union there is also one child, Clara, who was born Dec. 8, 1886, and lives with her parents. They are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. EVI FISH. As a great agricultural region Branch County is scarcely surpassed by any of her sister counties in the State of Michigan; the township of Quincy is most favorably located within her borders as regards the fertility and productiveness of its soil, and among the industrious and prosperous farmers who are carrying on their vocation here is the subject of this sketch, whose farm, on which he settled in March, 1869, is finely located on section 32. Mr. Fish is a native of Ohio, born in Cuyahoga County, July 31, 1821. His paternal grandparents, as well as his father, Moses Fish, were all natives of the good old New England State of Connecticut, and they descended from a highly respectable ancestry. In the early years of the history of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Moses Fish, when a young man, in company with his brother Ebenezer, migrated to that county and became one of its pioneers. He subsequently returned to his old home in Connecticut, to marry Miss Elizabeth Brainard, and afterward located on his land in Cuyahoga County, where his wife died in 1822, leaving five children, namely: Eunice, who married George Waters, died in Iowa; Bethuel, who died in Cuyahoga County; Oziah, who lives in Cuyahoga County; Daniel, who lives in Hudson, Mich., and Levi. The father married a second time, Harriet Chester becoming his wife, and of their union seven children were born, as follows: Elmira, the wife of Levi Waters, of Walla Walla, W. T.; Moses, who is deceased; Harriet, the wife of Edward Allen, is also deceased; Lorenzo lives in Cleveland, Ohio; William, Henry and George are all deceased. The father (lied in Brooklyn, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, having rounded out a useful and honorable life. Levi Fish was but eighteen months old when the I sad event of his mother's early death deprived him of her care. He was reared on his father's farm until he was seventeen years of age, at which time his father died, and lie then went to learn the trade of carpenter and joiner, having four brothers working at the same trade. He was an active, capable, energetic youth, soon gained the mastery of his calling, and in a few years had laid up money enough to become independent, when he married, in April, 1847, Miss Elizabeth Sawtell. She was born in England, and came with her parents to the United States, and they having a large family of children to support, she was adopted by a family of the name of Sawtell, by whom she was reared as their own. Her original name was Mosey. After marriage our subject was very profitably engaged in the pursuit of his trade in Ohio until 1869, when he came to Michigan and settled where he now resides, having determined to devote himself to the occupation to which he had been reared. His farm originally contained 156 acres, but he has disposed of a part of it, and so reduced its acreage to seventy-one acres of well-tilled land. He has a comfortable set of buildings, and everything in good shape for the successful management of his agricultural interests. He is a shrewd, keenwitted man, and has labored hard, and his good wife has ably seconded his efforts to secure a conpetency, so that they are enabled to spend their declining years in a pleasant home, surrounded by every comfort that heart could wish or money purchase. They have ever shown themselves to be true friends to their neighbors, are kind and charitable, and are consequently held in high esteem and confidence by all about them. Four children have been born of their marriage, one of whom died in infancy; those living are: Maria, who is the wife of DeWitt C. Luse; Frederic W.; Ida, wife of Hiram Carless. Our subject has a good war record. He enlisted April 18, 1861, for a term of three months, being among the very first of our country's brave defenders to step to the front and offer their services in her hour of need. Hle became a member of Company C, 1st Ohio Battery, and took part in one battle and some minor skirmishes. His regiment belonged to the State troops, and subsequently a new com i i i \ j i i i i 1 400 ~s _ __ __w_ _ A-_ _ * --- — i -,,qlv -1 1 1 i, I I r --— a, II 1 mqo -, m - IL__ —~ I I BRANCH COUNTY. 511 pany was organized, and our subject became a member of the 8th Ohio Battery for two months. In politics Mr. Fish is as firm a Republican as when he went forth to fight the battles Of his country. While living in Ohio he took an active part in local affairs, and held several responsible offices. Since becoming a citizen of Quincy he has served as School Director, and has also been a Director in the Branch County Fire Insurance Company. MERY DAVIS, an honored citizen of Ovid Township, is numbered among the practical, able farmers of Branch County, whose sagacity and enterprise have made them important factors in developing its resources and making it one of the greatest agricultural centers in this part of the country. He is one of the so-called "self-made men" of whom this Nation is so justly proud, as to them she almost owes her very existence. His was the poor man's "heritage" of which the poet sings: Stout muscles and a sinewy heart, A hardy frame, a hardier spirit. Thus well endowed, our subject began to make his own way in the world at a very youthful age, as his parents, who were worthy people, were too poor to support him, and he must do what he could to assist his father in the maintenance of the remaining members of the family. IHe was early trained to be industrious, honest and frugal, and being a spirited, relf-reliant lad, determined by the strength of those virtues to make his life a success. As he grew to manhood, he was fortunate in securing (as he says himself) a life partner, who was like him, industrious and l)ossessed of good judgment, and with her assistance he acquired a large property. He has generously furnished his children with homes near his own, in which he lives, like the patriarchs of old, surrounded by his children and children's children, with peace and plenty on every hand. Mr. Davis was born in )over, I)utchess Co., N. Y., June 6, 1817. Robert Davis, his father, is also supposed to have been a native of that county, and there lie was reared and married, Betsy Ward, a native of the State of Delaware, becoming his wife. They continued to live in Dutchess County until about 1822, when, with the four children who had been born to them there, they moved to Cayuga County, the journey being made by team to Greenbush, where they crossed the Hudson on a ferry boat, and from Albany they went to Port Byron, which was their destination. Mr. Davis being poor, sought employment as a laborer by the (lay or job, and continued to live there until he came to Michigan with his wife, where they made their home with their children in their declining years. They are now both lying side by side, sleeping quietly their last sleep in Lockwood Cemetery. They were people of strict integrity, whose kind hearts and sober, industrious lives won for them the affection and respect of all who knew them. Nine children, seven of whom grew to maturity, were born of their marriage. The subject of this sketch was the second child of that family, and he was about five years of age when his parents removed to Cayuga County, where he grew to manhood. As soon as lie was large enough, he commenced to work out that he might earn money to assist in supplying the family with tile necessaries of life. When lie was ten years old he went to live with Samuel Vincent until he was eighteen. Then he went to work out by the month in Cayuga County, being thus employed for some time. Before he was twenty years old lie had saved enough of his hardly-won earnings to buy fortynine acres of land in the town of Mentz, Cayuga County. He did not immediately locate on his land, but wisely decided to let it, while he continued industriously to work for others until his marriage. That important event in his life occurred while he was yet a resident of Cayuga County, Feb. 22, 1846, being the date of the wedding day, at which time he was united to Miss Susan A. Walling, who was horn in Cayuga County, N. Y., Jan. 13, 1818. After his marriage Mr. Iavis settled on his farm, and was prosperously engaged in farming until 1853, when he sold all his property in his native -I,i I -.d I -P" — I 71 - - ~- -1 - - - - I I- l-L -I - - -- — ~ i j ---- -- - - MI p -~ ~ i Irl -940 r i -* r l^ Lf.d OPP E:3 ob b 0 a li rl Im 512 BRANCH COUNTY. J State, and turned his face toward tie great farming region embraced in Southern Michigan. He located in Ovid Township, and in 1854 bought a large tract of land on section 20, comprising 400 acres, and went into farming on an extensive scale. He was very fortunate in his selection of his land, and it is now one of the finest and most productive farms in this section of the county, and has yielded him a liberal return for )is labor. His land was very heavily timbered at the time of purchase, and his first improvement was to cut trees to make room to build the house, which he soon had ready for occupancy, and he then proceeded to clear the rest of his farm. He has been a continuous resident here since that time, and has witnessed the transformation of the country, from the wilderness, wherein bears, deer, wild turkeys and other game abounded, to its present settled and prosperous condition. She who shared with him life's burdens in the heat of the day, and was for many years his counselor and comfort, has now passed away, her death occurring May 6, 1886. Many pleasant memories of her presence cling around the home that she adorned so long. We cannot think of her idle; She must be a home-maker still. And somewhere, yet, in the hilltops Of the country that hath no pain. She will watch in her beautiful doorway, To bid us welcome again. The marriage of our subject and his wife was blessed to them by the birth of six children, namely: Helen Estelle, Joseph E., Mary E., William E., Lois E. and Walling E. Helen Estelle, born in December, 1846, married, May 31. 1868, Charles M. Warren; they are the parents of two children-Mertie E., born Aug. 5, 1874, and died July 28, 1887, and Nina E., born Dec, 31, 1878. Mary E. married Lewis Dewey, of whom see sketch; Lois E. married M. F. Heisrodt. The greatest grief of the married life of Mr. and Mrs. Davis was the death of their three sons, bright, promising lads, two of them in September, 1862; Joseph, born March 25, 1848, died September 9; William, born July 24, 1851, died September 11, and Walling, born Dec. 25, 1857, died on the 25th of that month in 1859. It is not necessary for us to allude further to the char acter and standing of our subject, who is widely known and respected throughout the entire community, and this hasty review of his past life shows that both as a man and a citizen he has always acted the honorable part. ANIEL W. KENT, a prosperous member of the farming community of Sherwood Township, owns property on sections 19 and 20, comprising 275 acres of land, and a substantial set of frame buildings. Here he has operated since 1868, and is still occupying the land which he secured at that time. He was born in Coneaut, Aslltabula Co., Ohio, Feb. 3, 1836, and remained a resident of his native county until thirty-two years of age, then came directly to Southern Michigan, where he has since remained. In the meantime Mr. Kent was married in Coneaut, July 3, 1854, to Miss Drusil Hopkins, who was born Feb. 19, 1835, in Cortland County, N. Y. Her parents, in 1837, removed to Coneaut, Ohio, where she remained until her marriage. Of this union there were born four children, two sons and two daughters. The eldest, Clarence D., was born Feb. 19, 1856, and was married, Oct. 3, 1886, to Miss Nannie Graham; he is engaged in the grocery trade at Buchanan, Berrien County. Inez J. was born Oct. 3, 1860, and became the wife of Frederick Taylor, of Sherwood Township, this county; Arnold S. was born June 3, 1867, is a member of the firm of Wendeburgh & Kent, manufacturers of windmills and carrying on a foundry, and has his home at Colon, St. Joseph County; Maude was born Sept. 6, 1878, and continues at home with her parents. The life of Mr. Kent has been comparatively uneventful aside from his honest struggles with the world to attain to a good position socially and financially. In this lie has succeeded admirably, having a valuable and comfortable home, and a snug property for his decliningyears. He hasbeen more than ordinarily prosperous, and blessed with l, u~.ur -l -~- -,-~- - ~~ — — ~a~l - 9IsaP.- ~ ~ ~ --- ~ -- es-1P5 --- 7 Wr-_ R-1 ------ - ------ --- --- --- I $ -A ICXrc MI I. " ar, -- I- I JI'' JmllI~Cpgg II' l1IIPleb -~ 4lllll J —s'i - Sol" II1II I- IC lorwl~ BRANCH COUNTY. 513 1 -E good health, never having to employ a physician or to take any medicine. Mr. Kent has proved a useful member of his community, in that he has built up one of its most desirable homes, and socially, he belongs to the A. F. & A. M., in which he is a Knight Templar. ICERO J. HOLMES, a native of this county, was born in Bronson Township, Nov. 13, 1844, and is successfully engaged as a general farmer and stock-raiser on section 8, in Bronson Township. His parents, Jonathan and Mary (Taggart) Holmes, were natives of New Hampshire, the former of Hillsboro, and the latter of Dublin, and emigrated to the West in 1837. the father taking up a tract of 400 acres of Government land on section 17, in Bronson Township. Some of the deeds were signed by President Polk and others by Martin Van Buren. Jonathan Holmes was a resident of this county when the first Governor of Michigan was appointed, and first purchased forty acres of land of that official, McClelland, the deed of which bears the signature of James K. Polk, and the date, MIay 10, 1848. Jonathan Holmes was a true type of the hardy pioneer, thrifty as a tiller of the soil, and possessed the enterprise and public-spiritedness which caused him to take a lively interest in the growth and development of his adopted county. He was a Democrat politically, and held various offices of trust and responsibility, serving as Supervisor and Justice of the Peace, and in other ways making himself useful to the young community. After a long and well-spent life he passed to his final rest, Dec. 11, 1884. The mother, who was born in Dublin, N. H., Oct. 10, 1807, was the daughter of John and Hannah (Patterson) Taggart, and is now making her home with her daughter, Mrs. E. E. Beardsley. The subject of this sketch was reared to manhood under the parental roof and remained with his parents until thirty-eight years of age. Quite late in life he was married, April 11, 1883, to Mrs. Mary ALM_ A. (Straehley) Bronson, who is the daughter of David and Levina Straehley, and who by her union with our subject has become the mother of two children-Jennie and Cicero J., Jr. Mrs. Holmes was born May 9, 1849, in Berks County, Pa., and was the eldest of sixteen children, seven sons and nine daughters, who comprised the parental household. Of these, fifteen are living and all are residents of Michigan except one son, in Illinois. One son is deceased. Mr. Holmes made his first purchase of land in 1868, and which comprised eighty acres of the west half of the northeast quarter of section 8, whereon he has now a fine residence, a conmodious barn and all other necessary farm buildings. He has by degrees added to his first purchase, and is now the owner of 785 acres, which provides ample pasturage for his stock. He gives special attention to the breeding of fine sheep. and in this industry has obtained an enviable reputation. His large and constantly increasing farm interests prevent his taking much part in politics, but lie votes in support of Democratic principles. IIe is a member of the Masonic lodge at Bronson. EORGE BOND occupies a leading position among the well-to-do farmers of Sherwood Township, where he represents a good property and has distinguished himself as a skillful agriculturist and a man of more than ordinary ability. His birthplace was Baltimore County, Md., and the date thereof Sept. 18, 1812. He is consequently quite well advanced in years, although he has lost very little of the vigor of his prime, and looks after his business and farming affairs with his old-time energy and capability. Mr. Bond spent his school days in his native county and thereafter learned carriage-making, at which he worked for a period of twenty-five years, the greater part of this time in Smithfield, Jefferson Co., Ohio. He came to Michigan in 1856,and after ten years spent in farming in Park Township, St. Joseph County, came to Sherwood Township, this t f _-Id6 pl I m - _ ~f A (11101~~ —st-40 I 1 --- L — — 1, 1 I I I — ICIIII — ~- -- Ie~lll~ll~141~~lkl~ I 99 '-Nl 514 BRANCH COUNTY. I i I I county, in 1865, where he has since made his home. He is widely and favorably known to the people of this section, who hold him in universal respect. George Bond, Sr., the father of our subject, was born in Hartford County, Md., Aug. 1, 1771, but spent the greater part of his life in Baltimore County. He finally removed to Jefferson County, Ohio, and made his home with our subject, where his death took place June 11, 1852. The mother, Mrs. Elizabeth (Davis) Bond, a native of the same county as her husband, was born March 21, 1775, and departed this life at her horne in Jefferson County, Ohio, May 16, 1852, less than a month previous to the decease of her husband. Their family consisted of nine children, six sons and three daughters, of whom George, our subject, was the sixth child. Mr. Bond, while a resident of Baltimore County, Md., was married, July 9, 1835, to Miss Hannah Patten, who was born in York County, Pa., Feb. 27, 1816, and there spent the early years of her life. Her parents were also natives of the Keystone State, and spent their last years there. Mr. and Mrs. Bond were married in York, Pa., lived in Maryland a few years, and then moved to Ohio. Of their marriage there were born ten children, of whom four only are living. Lydia Ann, Mrs. Fox, is a resident of St. Joseph County; William Henry is engaged in the grocery trade at Union City; George Oscar is married, and engaged as traveling salesman for a firm at Detroit; John Irvine is also married, and a traveling salesman. The sons, like their father, are enterprising and energetic men and highly respected citizens. Kj/ ARCUS F. HIESRODT, an industrious, I skillful and progressive farmer of Ovid ID I Township, is a fine representative of the native-born agriculturists of the place, who, reared in Branch County, familiar with its soil, climate, and productive resources, have met with abundant success in their efforts toward making this section of their State the finest of farming regions. He was born in Ovid Township, Jan. 30, 1850, and is the eldest son of Edwin and Fanny (Armstrong) Hiesrodt, brave pioneers of Branch County (for parental history see sketch of Edwin Hiesrodt). At the time of the birth of our subject Ovid was a comparatively new town, nearly all the inhabitants being pioneers, courageous men and noble women, who had, many of them, renounced the comforts and perhaps, a few of them, the luxuries of life, to found for themselves and their families a new home in this western world. They built better than they knew, and ere two generations have passed away they have seen the forests, swamps and prairies developed into townships, villages and cities, where the busy farmer, mechanic and merchant, labor and thrive. The children born during the early days of the county's settlement became early inured to the hardships of life, and while growing to sturdy manhood and womanhood, were themselves no unimportant factors in aiding the development of their respective townships. Marcus F. Hiesrodt, of whom we write, was of the number. He was reared in his native town, where he attended the district school, and assisted in clearing a farm until he was fourteen years of age, when he went to Orleans County, N. Y., to live for a time with his grandparents. While there he attended the public schools, thus receiving a fair education. At the age of sixteen he returned home and began supporting himself by working as a farm laborer by the day or month, continuing thus engaged until a year before his marriage. Mr. Hiesrodt took charge of his father's farm, and proved himself to be a most able manager. Having accumulated sufficient property to warrant him in taking such a responsible step, our subject was married, April 2, 1871, to Miss Lois Eva Davis, a native of Ovid, born May 5, 1854, and a daughter of Emery and Susan Davis (for whose history see sketch of Emery Davis). After their marriage our subject and his young wife settled on a tract of land given Mrs. Hiesrodt by her father, containing 160 acres; it was located on section 21, where they lived five years. In 1876 Mr. Hiesrodt bought a farm of forty acres adjoining the above, that he now occupies, making 200 acres of rich and valuable land, a large portion of which he has under good cultivation. Ample and tasty buildings adorn MkI ~~ ~ ~ ~ -- ~ - 111i il1 -4 111l?* "- __ __ -VW- I A k f. --- —---- ---- --------— ~ --- —----------— -`-~ -— — I-s _-. —, --- L malb. =.40 ull- Ilm BRANCH COUNTY. 515 i I; I the place, and with the well-kept land surrounding them, are testimonials to the thrift and enterprise of the owner. Two daughters, Gertie and Gracie (twins), complete the pleasant household circle of our subject and his wife. Their eldest child, Edwin Emery, died in the sixth year of his age. Mr. Iliesrodt takes a leading position among the younger men of the community, where he is justly regarded as worthy of consideration and esteem. IHe has served his fellow-citizens as Township Treasurer, having been first elected to that office in 1876, and again in 1888, and in discharge of his duties has displayed marked ability and won the full confidence of his constituents. In politics he affiliates with the Republican party, and supports its principles by voice and vote. Both he and his amiable wife are social, genial people, universally respected in the neighborhood and town. 'ESSE MONROE, a prominent citizen and representative farmer of Bronson Township, is now, after a well-spent life of industry and integrity, spending his declining years in his pleasant home in the northern part of Bronson. He has a beautiful brick residence, commodious and convenient in its arrangements, and is now free from cares, again living over his life in watching the progress of his children and his children's children. The subject of this biographical notice was born in Cayuga County, N. Y., in March, 1821, and is the son of Alvin C. and Mary Ann (Rice) Monroe, natives of Vermont. His parents were among the early settlers of New York, where the father followed the occupation of a farmer, and resided until his decease, about 1825. Both Mr. and Mrs. Monroe were of Scotch descent, and Mr. M.'s father was a soldier of the Revolutionary War. Young Monroe was the youngest of a family of twelve children, and losing his father in childhood was early thrown upon his own resources, and worked in the neighborhood by the day until 1843. He then resolved to avail himself of the superior agricultural inducements held out in the West, and coming to this State and county, he bought a farm in Matteson Township. He secured a tract of land of about 500 acres and engaged in the laborious occupation of pioneer life. Having in a large neasure those vigorous qualities which characterized his New England ancestry, he succeeded beyond his expectations, and at the end of seventeen years he had improved 150 acres of his purchase. He then sold his property and bought 200 acres in the southeastern part of the township, where he erected a fine brick residence and made very material improvements; he has recently deeded this property to his son. In 1851 Mr. Monroe retraced his steps to his native State and county, and was united in marriage with Mrs. Hannah Mills, a native of the Empire State. Of this union there were born three children, Wallace, George and William, all of whom are married and comfortably settled in life. The mother of these children passed over to the silent land Feb. 12, 1887. She was a member of the Disciples' Church, and was a woman who was held in high esteem by all who knew her. Our subject was a second time united in marriage, March 27, 1888, the lady of his choice being Miss Alice, daughter of Jefferson and Jemima (Pierce) Ballou, of Matteson. A short survey of the life work of Mr. Monroe gives us a good idea of the meaning of the term "self-made." It has been customary to speak of men who have raised themselves to honorable stations in life, without the aid of wealth or influential friends, as self-made men, but there is much less significance in this expression than people who use it suppose. It would seem to imply that there are some men who are not self-made, that they were made by others, and that the qualities necessary to render the man successful in life nieed not be acquired, but might be conferred. Such is not the case, except so far as wealth is concerned. A man may inherit wealth and be able to retain it without those qualities that would be necessary to secure it, but in order to win and retain the respect and esteem of his associates, he must have these sterling qualities. the germs of which are found in every bosom, but.~, l ~F --- -~r-~~r ~ ~ rll '.I ------- IV-~ " l I rlr Do -1 As I I i i 44 1 1, - Obo I if -L4iEP9L LIlC~~IIIP~a _P- ~ -— e DI~ -IPIF~~ -,-rssa-1, — (ILP 516 BRANCH~ COUJNTY. I 51 B C which need and will not thrive without cultivation and exercise. There is, however, some foundation for the use of this expression, and it would appear that in its application it is only intended to destroy comparative difficulties encountered by men in their struggles for advancement. When we say that Mr. Monroe is a self-made man in the best sense of the term, we mean that he has not only attained remarkable success in life from a worldly point of view, but that his success has been even greater in developing those higher qualities of our nature, from which come all good impulses and which exert a healthful influence upon everything around us. Mr. Monroe is recognized as one of the leading men of Branch County, and has encouraged and promoted every good measure inaugurated within its borders. He has served his township as Treasurer, and has always taken an active interest in political matters, giving his vote and influence to the Republican party. The little education which he received in his youth he has broadened and deepened by an extensive course of reading, and is well informed on current topics. He has brought his agricultural operations to a high degree of perfection, and has established his five sons on good farms, each with a fine brick residence and other improvements indicative of this progressive age. iOHN D. MOORE, who is pursuing the even I tenor of his way, operating a good farm on section 3, in Bronson Township, came to this county in 1862, locating first in Matteson Township, where he lived five years. Then considering his present location more desirable, he secured the land which he now occupies and where he has since lived. It had been very indifferently cultivated at the time he took possession, and the improvements which the passing traveler observes to-day with interest, are the result of the labors of its present proprietor. Mr. Moore has good buildings on his farm and has given considerable attention to his orchard, the smaller fruits and also vegetables, thus providing his family with the luxuries of the seasons. In addition to general farming he gives considerable attention to stock-raising, keeping a good assortment of cattle, horses and swine. tie has distinguished himself as an industrious, thrifty and enterprising citizen, and holds a good position among the solid men of his community. Politically, he is a Republican, and in religious matters, a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Our subject was born in Feeny, County Londonderry, Ireland, March 3, 1830, and is the son of John and Martha (Montgomery) Moore, who were of Scotch origin, and who spent the last years of their lives in their native county in Ireland. When a youth of eighteen years he determined to emigrate to America, and accordingly, in the spring of 1848, embarked at Londonderry, on a sailing-vessel, and after a voyage of eight weeks landed at Wilmington, Del. From there he proceeded to Pittsburgh, Pa., and for two months afterward was employed on a farm south of the city. He then took up his line of march for the State of Ohio, and becoming a resident of Summit County, resided in that locality six or seven years. In 1862 he made his way to Michigan, settling in Matteson Township, this county, with his little family. Mr. Moore had been married, Nov. 15. 1854, to Lucinda White, who was born in 1836, in Summit County, Ohio, and who at the time of her marriage was a resident of that county. This union resulted in the birth of five children: Martha A. was born June 24,1 855, and is now at home; Emma Jane, who was born July 26, 1857, died at her home in Bronson Township in July, 1876, at the interesting age of nineteen years; David W. was born July 25, 1859, married Miss Nancy Maynard, of this county, and is now living in Calhoun County, Mich.; James M., born Dec. 27, 1860, resides in Matteson Township; Robert A., born April 13, 1863, is living in Matteson. Mrs. Lucinda Moore departed this life at her home in Bronson Township, April 24, 1864. She was a lady of many estimable qualities and a member in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Our subject contracted a second marriage, with Miss Lucy Clemens, of St. Joseph County, this State, in 1865. This lady was born in New York State, I i i i I i i i i i i i F~ I I — "R 000 - V. 0 0 —~ l~~ ----I~l-1-__-I~I —_ --- -'lq - 00 I I r pp a --- 1 -arr1a1 -r1 I, -L IIII1 Iow --— M c — -'L II IIqwq~~- ~ L BRANCH COUNTY. 517 l \ --- and died at the homestead in Bronson Township, May 15, 1884. She also belonged to the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Moore, besides his own children, reared a boy, Edwin J. Houston, but mostly known as Edwin J. Moore, who was the son of Joseph Houston, and who is now living at home. J nEROME MESSENGER, a substantial and widely respected citizen of Coldwater Township, is the owner of one of the beautiful farms for which this locality is celebrated; it is very pleasantly located on section 19, bordering on the shores of a small lake, two miles from the court-house. Mr. Messenger is derived of good New England stock, and is himself a native of the fine old State of Connecticut, born in Hartford County, March 21, 1807. His father, William Messenger, was born in the same county, and his grandfather, who was a farmer, spent his last years, it is supposed, in that State. The father of our sulject was reared in his native State, and there married Ruth Miller, likewise born in Connecticut, who was a daughter of Moses Miller. They continued to make their home in the place of their birth until 1814, and then moved to Ohio with a colony of six families, among whom were Mrs. Messenger's parents, who settled in Summit County, and there died. The entire journey from the old home in Connecticut to the new one in the forest wilds of Ohio was performed with teams. They were provided with cooking utensils and provisions, and cooked their own meals, and a part of the time camped out. The greater part of York State through which they traveled was a wilderness, and the journey was necessarily slow and tedious. On his arrival in Ohio Mr. Messenger was offered land that is now included in the city of Cleveland, the price being $6 an acre. He declined purchasing, as it was sandy and covered with grubs, and he thought it unfit for culture, so lie pushed on to that part of Portage County now known as Summit County, of which he became an early settler, and there bought timber land, built a log house, and at once commenced to clear a farm. Cleveland was the nearest market and depot for supplies, a distance of several miles over rough and almost impassable roads. The father of our subject did much toward developing the locality in which he settled, and spent the remainder of his years there, winning and retaining the respect and confidence of all who knew him by his upright and blameless conduct through a long and useful life. The mother of our subject, who fully shared the respect in which her husband was held, made her home with her children during her last years, dying at the advanced age of ninety years, in Ashtabula County, Ohio. There were eight sons and four daughters born of their marriage. Our subject was the second son of his parents, and was seven years of age when they left the home of his birth and went to Ohio to begin anew the struggle of building up a home. Although so young, he remembers distinctly the events of that momentous journey, which was considered a great undertaking in those days before the introduction of railways had made traveling easy. Amid the pioneer scenes of his early life in Portage County he grew in strength and vigor to an energetic and self-reliant manhood. Deer, wild turkeys and bears abounded in the wilderness, and as soon as old enough, he and his two brothers bought a rifle of a neighbor, for which they were to pay him in pelts. Our subject was quite successful in hunting, and killed not only deer and turkeys, but was enabled to show his prowess and courage by adding two bears to the list of his victims. He learned the trade of wheelwright, and worked at it for many years, at first being engaged for a long time in the manufacture of the wooden moldboard plow, which was the most approved make in those (lays. In 1830 our subject took upon himself matrimonial cares, and by his marriage to Miss Miranda Thomas, secured the earnest and hearty. co-operation of a good wife, who did much to aid him in building up the pleasant home where he is spending his declining years, freed from the cares of life by the competence gained by their united labors. For forty-two years they shared life's joys and sorrows together, and then she closed her eyes' to the scenes of earth in 1872, sincerely mourned by all who knew her. -P-15 - Ia — 1 I I- g- ss nr g er -b I ~I 4 cl~sl --- — ~1-1~~.~.-vLps/ L opow 'i~ 1 I -. - I FM -q -0 I O - -,I U4 518 BRANCH COUNTY. I ra a Xt Five children were born of their marriage, of whom but one is now living, Tersa, who married Harvey Parsons, and resides on the home farm. The eldest daughter, Esther, was the former wife of Harvey Parsons; she died Nov. 9, 1870, leaving one child, Fred. After his marriage Mr. Messenger continued to reside with his parents for one year, and then bought a tract of land half a mile from the old homestead, and as he was very skillful in the use of tools, he built a log house himself on his land. Besides managing his farm, he plied his trade in the town where he resided and in Hiram until 1864. He then sold his possessions in Ohio, and came to Branch County, where he invested in the place where he has ever since lived. His farm, owing to its fertile soil and its nearness to a thriving city with good markets, is quite valuable; it comprises seventy-three acres of land, and is well provided with good frame buildings. The many commendable traits in the character of our subject have won for him the esteem and trust of all who know him, and he is regarded as a good citizen and an honorable man in every respect, and all his dealings with his fellow-citizens are characterized by kindness and upright motives. He has been a lifelong Democrat, casting his first vote for John Quincy Adams, the sixth President of the United States. ILLIAM OLNEY. The esteemed citizen, the careful and conscientious business man, and the well-to-do farmer, are fully represented in the subject of this biography, who still occupies the farm upon which he took up his residence nearly forty years ago, in the spring of 1852. It then bore little semblance to its present condition, being practically a wild and uncultivated tract of land which it has required years of persevering industry to transform into the fertile and valuable farm which we now behold. Mr. Olney the greater part of this time has carried on general farming, but now makes a specialty of sheep-raising, mostly fine wool. His property embraces 220 acres of land situated nine miles from the city of Coldwater, on section 4, Girard Township. The early tramping-ground of our subject was near the town of Northumberland, Monroe Co., N. Y., where his birth took place April 7, 1820. During his boyhood days he worked on the farm and attended school. and when twenty-three years of age started out for himself, and thereafter worked by the month for a period of ten years. He was married, in 1853, to Miss Hannah Carter, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride in Girard Township. Mrs. Olney is the daughter of Vernon and Anna (Manfred) Carter, who were natives of Connecticut, and by her union with our subject became the mother of seven children, four sons and three daughters, all of whom are living: Edgar is a resident of Bronson, this township; Abby, Mrs. Thomas Potter, lives in Quincy; Henry lives in Girard; Barton in Pittsburg, Kan.; Byron in Girard; William in Marshall, Mich., and Rosa in Girard. The mother of these children departed this life at her home in Girard Township, March 7, 1864. Our subject contracted a second marriage, March 9, 1868, with Miss Mary J., daughter of John and Sophronia (Smith) Braydon, who were natives of Connecticut. They removed to Ohio, and thence to this county, in 1854, locating first in Butler Township, and from there removed to Algansee, where they now reside. Mr. Brayden was born June 10, 1813, and his wife, Sophronia, May 11, 1819. Of their seven children five are now living, and Mrs. Olney was the eldest of the family. Of this union there are no children. The father of our subject, Darius Olney by name, was born in Saratoga, N. Y., about 1795, and lived there until 1835. He then came to Calhoun County, this State, where he lived two years, then purchased eighty acres of land in Girard Township, this county, where he carried on farming, and continued until his death, in 1862. He had married, in his native State, Miss Abigal Maxwell, and they became the parents of three sons and five daughters, of whom the following are living: Sarah Reynolds, of Batavia Township; William, our subject; Lydia, i ______ i i i I I_! 0 -C - II - - __ —1 - ~r11 I -- I-P-q I Ib~a*P o _ i r _ 6 &b - )-a16 ------------— I~rr --- ~ lc- ----------— I I — ~-- r I- I I -rm ~1 ---- II~ —~1I -dL BRANCH COUNTY. 519 BRANCH COUNTY.519 the wife of James Spencer, of Dakota, and Maria, the wife of Jacob Jackell, of Butler County. Kan. Mr. Olney devotes most of his time and attention to his agricultural pursuits, having very little to do with politics, but uniformly votes the Republican ticket. He and his estimable wife are members in good standing of the Baptist Church, at Tekonsha. Their residence is comfortable and homelike, and they enjoy in a marked degree the confidence and respect of their neighbors. MITH WOOD, of Bronson, came to the township in 1860, and has since served as Justice of the Peace continuously with the exception of one year. He is still an incumbent of the office, and has three years yet to serve to finish out his present term. A native of Cortland County, N. Y., he was born June 9, 1815. He was a resident of Portage County, Ohio, six years, and engaged in farming. Thence he went into Huron County, from there to Paulding County, and from that region migrated to Southern Michigan, and has since been a resident of this county. On his arrival in Bronson he engaged in mercantile business for about eight years. Mr. Wood was elected to the office of Constable in his native State before he was twenty-one years old. He naturally inclined to the study of law, and this office gave him the desired opportunity to pursue the calling which he was convinced would most nearly accord with his tastes and his capacities. He has since given most of his time and attention to law business, collections and similar employments, although for a number of years he also engaged in merchandising in Bronson. Our subject, before leaving his native State, was married to one of the maidens of his own county, Miss Clarissa J. Williams, the wedding being celebrated at the home of the bride, in Wayne County, in 1840. Mrs. Wood was the daughter of Amos and Sarah Williams, who were natives of New York. The father died in Indiana, and the mother in Bronson, this county. Of her union with our subject there were born seven children, the eldest of whom, Timothy, (lied when a lad twelve years of age; Helen M. is the wife of Albert E. Robinson, of Nashville, Tenn.; Liona D. is the wife of James P. Keyes; they live in Atchison, Kan. Lucy married Franklin Keyes, and resides in Bronson; Eunice married George Canrike, and lives in Union City, this county; Clara is the wife of Thomas White, of Lakeview, Mich.; Isadora died in infancy. Mrs. Wood departed this life at her home in Bronson, in 1881. She was a most estimable lady, and a member in good standing of the Baptist Church, in which her husband was also a communicant many years. Socially, he belongs to the Masonic fraternity, being a member of Mystic Lodge No. 141, at Bronson. Politically, in early life he was a Democrat, but several years ago identified himself with the Greenback party. ARIUS D. BUELL, though only a young man just entering the arena of business life, has already won for himself by his integrity and manliness an honorable place in the society of his community, and we predict for him a bright and happy future. Mr. Buell is engaged in the occupation of a farmer, and is pleasantly located on section 30, Union Township. The subject of this notice was born Dec. 13, 1854, on the homestead of his father, Thomas B. Buell, in Union Township, and has made it his home ever since. He received the rudiments of an education in the common schools of his township, and at seventeen years of age he entered Olivet College, from which he was graduated in 1877. He received a good practical education, which his tact enables him to utilize in the walks of life in which he may be engaged, and eminently qualifies him as one of the rising generation, capable of wearing worthily the mantles that are fast falling from the pioneers who spent their lives in providing a heritage for their children. He is the son of Thomas B. Buell, President of the Farmers' Bank, of whom a sketch may be found elsewhere in this work, and I I i I kid& I-vI.04-0 IICbll III rr Illrll~rI 4 -ode I I I -1. qwp r 008-4? 520 BRANCH C'OUNTY.Y 2H I I owes to his father many of those practical lessons which have fitted him to cope successfully with the trials of life. His farm consists of 400 acres of fertile land, well equipped with buildings, and machinery adapted to the successful prosecution of his chosen calling, and he and his amiable partner enjoy the esteem and respect of all who have the pleasure of their acquaintance. On the 7th of April, 1879, Mr. Buell was united in marriage with Miss Estelle Strong, who was born in Burlington, Mich., and their union has been blessed by the birth of two bright children-Thomas T. B. and Adon D. Mr. Buell is at present Auditor of the Farmers' National Bank, of which his father is President, and in politics is a Republican, unswerving in the views and principles promulgated by that political organization, and in all the country there is no man of better impulses and stricter integrity than is Mr. Buell..- J t ^ of Chenango County, N. Y. They came to Michigan in the spring of 1867 and settled in Union Township, where the death of the mother took place Aug. 30, 1880. Mr. Buell, in the fall of 1886, removed to Otsego County, this State, where he now resides. Mrs. Bray was the eldest of their five children, and was born in Chenango County, N. Y., Feb. 23, 1863. She became an intelligent and accomplished young lady, and is a fitting helpmate for such a man as our subject. Amos Crandall Bray, the father of our subject, was born in Ontario County, N. Y., and married Miss Mary Jane Bush, also a native of the Empire State. They came to Michigan about 1851, settling first in Allen Township, Hillsdale County, where they lived five and one-half years, then returned to their native State, but two years later came back to Michigan and settled in Quincy Township, where they lived until 1868. Since that time they have been residents of Algansee Township. Their family includes seven children, four sons and three daughters, our subject being the eldest. He has made a fair start in life and possesses those qualities most desired in a citizen who is destined to exercise an influence in his community. Mr. Bray is one of the township Republican Committee, which sufficiently indicates his political bent, and has held the office of Constable. -EV. WILLIAM T. LOWRY, A. B. and A.;' M., Superintendent of the city schools of \ Coldwater, is a gentleman well fitted by nawture and acquirements for his present responsible position. His early life was spent in Wyoming, N. Y., where his birth took place March 3, 1840, at the modest home of his parents, James and Agnes (Richmond) Lowry. whose family included three children. The eldest daughter, Agnes, died in her young womanhood; Margaret, who was born in 1849, became the wife of Charles C. Beardsley, of Wyoming, N. Y., and is still living. She was the youngest child. James Lowry was of English ancestry, a farmer, YRON W. BRAY, an active young farmer of Union Township, is a native of this State, ( i< having been born in Allen Township, Hills|5 dale County, Aug. 31. 1856. With the exception of two years spent in New York State his life has been passed in the Wolverine State. He was reared to farm pursuits, acquired a common-school education, and remained under the parental roof until reaching his majority. He was then employed on a farm one season, and afterward engaged in selling ladders nearly two years. At the expiration of this time he entered the employ of Messrs. Buell & Spring, hardware merchants of Union City, with whom he continued one year, and then taking unto himself a wife, assumed charge of the farm of David L. Buell, a tract of land 300 acres in extent, and has since conducted it in a most praiseworthy and successful manner. The farm, by the way, belongs to his father-in-law, he having been married, Oct. 30, 1883, to Miss Nellie E. Buell, one of the most estimable young ladies of Union Township. Her father, David L., and her mother, formerly Miss Amelia Wood, are natives I -dL&9b A - VI AkikhqSI.L- to - ra II~sr ~ ~ ~ar ----- — ~I ---~p ------- -------- orppB X olp I 5-40 I~~lls~P~lllIIII*I- - -I I~PC-~I I —I -r11-~9 -1 ~~ — or I -W L BRANCH COUNTY. 521 by occupation, and a native of New York State. Beyond this his son knows little of him, as he died when William T. was a lad eight years of age. He was a member in good standing of the Baptist Church, and politically, a Whig and an Abolitionist, very strong in his views. He died at his old home in Wheatland, in September, 1848, leaving his wife and the three children. The mother was born near the city of Glasgow, in Scotland, and had one sister younger who came to the United States after her marriage. Mrs. Lowry later came to this country on a visit to this sister, and meeting her future husband, here remained, and was married to him in Geneva, N. Y. They took up their residence in Wheatland, where they lived until after the death of the father, and the mother then selling the farm removed to Wyoming, where she reared her little family without assistance, practicing the most rigid economy and industry. She also was a member of the Baptist Church, like her husband, and a sincere Christian lady, who was respected by the entire community. Her death took place at Wyoming in 1870. The early life of our subject was spent in his native place, and after the death of his father he assisted his mother in the maintenance of the family, and attended school as much as possible until twenty years old. He then began teaching in order to secure means with which to prosecute his studies, and in the fall of 1861 was enabled to enter Madison University, where he remained continuously for a period of seven years. He was graduated from the literary department in the class of '66, and from the theological department two years later. He received the titles of A. B. and A. M. at that time. His first call was to the First Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minn. He remained there about three years, then received the call to the First Baptist Church at Coldwater, and remained with that charge for a period of ten years. He was remarkably successful in his ministry, and during a period of one year alone received 140 members into his church. In 1881 Mr. Lowry retired from the active duties of the pastorate, and officiated at different times and places where his services were required. In September, 1886, he was appointed to his present BRNHCU NY.2 position, the duties of which he has discharged with rare ability and good judgment. He is a Republican in politics, and a member of the Masonic fraternity, being connected with the Jacobs Commandery and the Temple Chapter. In this also he has held the office of Chaplain. He was President of the Board of Education of the city of Coldwater a number of years, and takes genuine pride and delight in noting the progress and intelligence of the age. The marriage of Rev. William T. Lowry with Mrs. Mary Ella (Corey) Bates, took place at the home of the bride in Utica, N. Y., May 16, 1870. They first took up their residence in Minneapolis, Minn., but now have a pleasant home in Coldwater, which is the resort of hosts of friends. ^-~-~ —.^^ --- —_ CHHO MAS H. KEAGLE. The home of the subject of this sketch is pleasantly located on section 12 in Quincy Township, to which his parents came in 1843. He may consequently be properly numbered among the pioneers of this region, as at the time of his arrival here there were but few indications of the importance to which Southern Michigan was destined. He assisted in building up a homestead from the wilderness, and has contributed his full quota to the development and progress of Branch County. Our subject, a native of Devonshire, England, was born near the town of Plymouth, Feb. 3, 1836, His parents. William and Elizabeth (Hurrell) Keagle, were also of English birth and ancestry, and while their son Thomas H. was still an infant they emigrated to the United States, and settled in Toledo, Ohio. William Keagle was a cooper. by trade, at which he worked in Toledo, and was also engaged as a carpenter. In 1843, resolvingto push still further westward, they came to this county, and the father purchased forty acres of land, which is included in the present homestead, and where the parents spent the remainder of their days. The mother passed away Oct. 12, 1876, aged seventyeight years. William Keagle survived his wife but I i I I i i i i i i i i i I I i i i II I I -,'No I i - - 0 -! --- m -vp-, -.11- - -11- -I - 1, --- ——. --- — -1-11 —-111-.-,l-., --- —.- -.-, --- -----— I ---- -- --- -111, -- --- -1 - 1 — I I - -6. I - 1. I I I 1-1 —. I 11 111- I — -- -1-1 I.. - -1 - I — - - -l _ _w4 s2 - I/irrrrrrr r 14E I 94 -0 — 11-1_-,_11 0111Pi.-I~ I i ~ -. I ~~LL I1.2 I 522 BRANCH COUNTY. I two years, his death taking place March 4, 1878, after he had reached the advanced age of eightytwo. Both the parents of our subject were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and performed faithfully all their duties in life. Their household consisted of four sons and two daughters who, with one exception, were all born in England, and the one born here, Albert by name, died when eleven years of age. Hannah became the wife of Jacob Swits, and is a resident of Quincy Township; William is living in McPherscn County, Kan.; Jane married Hiram Hunt, and died in Allen Township, Hillsdale County; John is a resident of Osseo, this State. Thomas H. Keagle, our subject, is the youngest living child of the family, and was an infant of seven weeks when the family sailed from England. He was seven years old when they came to this county, and acquired his education in the common schools of Quincy Township. He went out to work at an early age, and grew to manhood with a practical knowledge of agricultural pursuits. When twentysix years old le was wedded to Miss Minerva Van Slyke, who was born in Perry, Wyoming Co., N. Y., May 13, 1838, and was the daughter of Henry and Hannah (Richards) Van Slyke. Her father was a native of New York State and the mother of Connecticut. They became residents of Wyoming County, N. Y., during the period of its early settlement, and built up a home in the wilderness, clearing a good farm, and surrounding themselves with the comforts of life. The mother died in Wyoming County, in 1867. The eldest of her nine children was Horace, who resides near Jackson, this State; Elizabeth, Mrs. Erwin Sanford, is a resident of Castile, N. Y.; Richard lives at Lake Mills, Wis.; Curtis is a resident of Houston, Mo.; Harmon and James are both residents of this State, the former living at Gaylord; George occupies himself as a teacher, having no settled location. Mr. Van Slyke died at the home of his son James about 1876. After his marriage Mr. Keagle resided with his parents about five years, then rented a tract of land in Quincy Township, and in February, 1874, settled upon his present homestead. He has forty acres of good land, and in 1885 put up one of the best residences in the township. His barn and other out buildings, the live stock and machinery, are in keeping with those of the enterprising farmers about him. He is essentially a self-made man, has acquired all his property through his own industry, assisted by his good wife, is out of debt, and has one of the pleasantest homes in this region. Politically, he votes the Republican ticket, but has steadily declined the responsibilities of office, although serving as School Director in his district. He takes a lively interest in all the enterprises set on foot for the advancement of his community. To Mr. and Mrs. Keagle there were born three children: Eva J. is the wife of Edwin Houghton, and resides at Stratton, Hitchcock Co., Neb.; Addie J. married George Stafford, of Allen Township, Hillsdale County, this State; Cora B. is at home with her parents. LBERT A. LUCE is successfully engaged in the peaceful vocation of a farmer, in i connection with which he makes a specialty of stock-raising, following his calling on a farm on section 17, Gilead Township. Mr. Luce is a native of the Buckeye State, where he was born in Windsor, Ashtabula County, in 1829, and is the fourth in a family of eight children, six sons and two daughters, born to Walter and Mary (Gray) Luce. The father of our subject was a native of Tolland County, Conn., while the mother was born in Lancaster County, Pa. The former was twenty-two years old when lie moved to Ohio, and the latter was taken there by her parents when she was four years of age. They subsequently, in 1820, settled in Ashtabula County, engaged in farming, remaining residents of that place until 1836, when they removed to Indiana and settled in Steuben County. They subsequently removed to a farm near Orland, on Crooked Creek, and resided there until the death of the father, which occurred in 1872. His devoted wife went to join her husband in the silent land about seven years after his decease. The father A 49. O"WI ~ ~I LI C I. I — ~-~-_ _1C — CLI I.1 I I I, —..... 11.11.11.1111111 — I --- 4 <-1 I 1 A I "-dt "` ---~~-" 1 ~ ~ 11' ~aholb-1 Il F —WraPll- ---- --- _ --- _ __ __slr -. —, I —~- — L_ ___.I_~ BRANCH of our subject took part in the War of 1812, and received as bounty forty acres of land situated in Gilead Township. this county. The paternal grandparents of our subject, Joshua and Mary (Stimson) Luce, were natives of Connecticut, while the maternal grandparents, Cyrus nd( Mary Gray, were natives respectively of Lancaster County, Pa., and Maryland. near Annapolis; the latter trace their ancestry back to 1650, and are of French origin. The subject of this biographical sketch was reared to farm life, but enjoying the advantages afforded in the good graded schools of Orland, Ind., he became ambitious to secure an education, and prepared himself for the second year's work in college. Unfortunately, however, just as he was about to enter college his eyesight failed, and for six months lhe was forced to relinquish his studies and was kept in a darkened room. Upon the return of that inestimable blessing, eyesight, lie purchased a farm, in the duties appertaining to which he was engaged during the summer months, while he varied his employment by teaching school in winter, and taught a total of between thirty and forty terms, at intervals between twenty and forty-eight years of age. His early studies, coupled with his long experience as a teacher, amply qualified Mr. Luce to discharge the duties of any educational officer, and this fact being fully appreciated by the intelligent electors of the county, he was elected Superintendent of the public schools in 1868, and served in that capacity successfully a period of six years. On the 21st of December, 1856, A. A. Luce and Allethea Martin were united in the holy bonds of matrimony, at Orland, Ind. Mrs. Luce is a native of Richland County, Ohio, where she was born in 1832, and is the fifth in order of birth in a family of seven children born to Thomas and Elizabeth (Rowland) Martin, natives respectively of Ohio and Pennsylvania. Removing to Ohio when quite young, they were among the pioneers of that State, where they remained a number of years engaged in agricultural pursuits. The parents came to Indiana in 1854, and settling in Millgrove Township, Steuben County, made it their home for two years, after which they came to this county and setttled in Bethel Township. But the sands of their useful r and happy lives were almost run, and the father - - _. __.......... [ COUNTY. 523 passed away in December, 1860, followed by his loving wife the succeeding February. The paternal grandparents of our subject, Isaac and Jane (Wylie) Martin, were natives of the Keystone State, and the grandfather took part in the war of the Revolution. The maternal grandparents, Thomas and Allethea (Murphy) Rowland, were also natives of Pennsylvania, and first settled in Virginia. After marriage they settled in Indiana and followed farming in that State about eight years. Mr. Luce was Principal of the public schools in Bronson at one time, and has also been Principal of the seminary at Orland, Ind. In the fall of 1864 he came to Michigan, and purchasing 120 acres of land on sections 16 and 17, of Gilead Township, this county, he devoted his time to pastoral pursuits. Soon afterward he sold that property, and in 1867 he purchased eighty acres of improved land on the same sections, to which he has since added as opportunity offered, until lie now owns 120 acres of fine, arable land, under a high state of cultivation; he has also recently given forty acres of land to his married daughter. Mr. Luce has been somewhat extensively engaged in the breeding of highgrade Short-horn cattle, and he has good breeds of Messenger and Morgan horses. To Mr. and Mrs. Luce there were born two children, the elder of whom died in infancy. Mary E., the other child, became the wife of A. R. Bonney, and resides near her parents. They also adopted a boy, who lived with them eight or nine years, and is now a young man, residing in Kansas. Mr. Luce has enlarged ideas on the subject of education, and during his administration lie advanced the schools of the county to a high standard of efficiency. He was also at one time Principal of the schools in Bronson, and has been School Inspector. Our subject takes an active part in politics, exerting his influence and casting his vote with the Republican party. At the hands of his townsmen, who appreciate his ability and integrity, Mr. Luce has received several of the offices within their gift, including those of Supervisor and Justice of the Peace. Mr. and Mrs. Luce take an active interest in every measure tending to promote the best interests of society, and are worthy and consistent i Ir L _. _ ___ - me. r_-9 lk i __ r —,~1vr F -b.-* I I I I,~~_____~~~___~ t 4 524 BRANCH COUNTY. I members and liberal supporters of the Congregational Church, at Gilead. Mr. Luce has been Deacon in his church since 1869, and was sent as delegate to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church at New York and Pittsburgh, when two schools united. He has also been Sabbath-school Superintendent almost constantly since he was twenty years of age, and has arisen from a sick bed in order to be present and engage in his labor of love. Mrs. Luce is the wise counselor and assistant of her devoted husband in every good work in which he is engaged, and is an estimable lady, whose practice is in accordance with her profession. In 1884 Mr. Luce met with a serious accident, a windmill derrick falling upon him, and was confined to the house for six months; from this injury he lhas never recovered his health and strength. He is preparing for the remainder of the journey, to what in his case must be a glorious sunset. He is a brother of Gov. Luce, and his beautiful farm is pleasantly situated about four miles from Orland and ten miles from Bronson. _ ~- _, —?..~ —..*- -~ e OL. THOMAS MOSLEY. The thrilling scenes through which the pioneer settlers passed in the settlement of this portion of the State miust ever awaken emotions of the warmest regard for them. To pave the way for those who followed, to make their settlement in the West a pleasure, these pioneers rolled back the flood-tide wave of barbarism, and enduring all manner of privations, lived to see the desire of their hearts accomplished. But few of these spirits now survive; they have passed away full of years and honors, leaving their children and children's children to succeed them, and enjoy the fruits of their toil and the results of their long and eventful lives. Life with them is o'er, their labors all are done, And others reap the harvest that they won. The subject of this notice belonged to that class, ' 'h 'ujc fti oiebeogdt htcas and was called to his reward Oct. 18, 1865, in the seventy-second year of his age. Mr. Mosley was born at Pittsfield, Mass., Aug. 17, 1794, and was reared in his native town with a view to commercial life. He served his country for a short time in the War of 1812, and in 1816 he migrated to St. Louis, Mo., but he was dissatisfied with the outlook, and retracing his steps, engaged in the mercantile trade at Manlius, N. Y. Here Mr. Mosley experienced religion, his serious and thoughtful consideration of the subject having been caused by the death of his father and youngest brother, who were buried on the same day. In the spring of 1828 he removed to New York City, and owing to his religious training, sought the society of active and devoted Christians, and was elected an Elder in the church of which the Rev. Joel Parker, D. D., was then Pastor. Mr. Mosley subsequently returned to Pittsfield, and in 1836 he came to Michigan; in 1839 he settled with his family in Ann Arbor, which became his home until 1841, when he came to Union City and spent the remainder of his life. Mr. Mosley was first married in Farmington, Conn., to Miss Mary A. Tillotson, and their union resulted in the birth of four children-Mary A., Sarah B., George T. and Clarissa. George T. is deceased. The mother died in Pittsfield. Our subject was a second time married, in New York City, to Maria A. Tillotson, a sister of his first wife, by whom he had six children-Augustus C., Martha, Caroline E., Louisa, Charles H. and Helen F. Col. Mosley was endowed with rare gifts, among which were great clearness of thought, a retentive memory, and intellectual ability of a high order, logical, discriminating and complrellensive. In social life he was intelligent and affable, and his hand was ever open for the alleviation of suffering and distress. He loved and sought the society of good and intelligent men, and was discreet in forming his opinions, wise in counsel, and energetic in action. Although many years have elapsed since his death, many of the older residents of this county pleasantly remember the tall and erect form of Col. Mosley, with his commanding and dignified appearance, as le passed to and fro through the village with a cheering word and a kindly rI I i i I 4 1 -- -.1w elp-Mp1 — ll l~l ~lr C ~~II~* C~~ w —lZ__ 4 ! I- - z Z- I4e: BRANCH COUNTY. 525 A I glance for all. In his death the church lost a devoted and influential member, society a generous and sympathetic friend, and the family the kindest of husbands and fathers. The memory of his life and actions will ever remain with those who knew him as the sweet fragrance of an ever-blooming flower. C ORRIS WILLSON, who has the honor of being the first settler of Quincy Township, is now one of its most substantial citizens, and after a life of industry and frugality, is passing the latter years of his life in a manner befitting one who has done good service among his fellowmen, not only making a good record for himself personally, but being of great service to those less fortunate. Our subject. who was born in the embryo city of Detroit, Aug 12, 1829, accounts for the strange orthography of his name by claiming that it was the Scotch method of spelling it, his family being of Scotch ancestry. His father, Horris Willson, Sr., was a native of Batavia, N. Y., and during the War of 1812 served with the New York State troops under Capt. Parrish. He was captured at the battle of Black Rock and held a prisoner of war at Montreal for a period of nine months. After the British were once more driven from American soil Horris Willson, Sr., took up his residence in the little town of Berlin, Ohio, where he lived until 1825, then came to Detroit. and in June, 1830, purchased 320 acres of land in Quiticy Township, this county, which was the first taken up in this section from the Government. This embraced a portion of three sections, and was contiguous to a broad Indian trail, afterward known as the Chicago turnpike. Mr. Willson was a carpenter by trade, and soon afterward, with the assistance of his hired man, constructed a small block house which was situated near the site of the present Andrews residence, on section 14. This was built of hewn logs, the corners nicely (lovetailed together. In his journey to the farther West, Horris Will son, Sr., was accompanied by his wife and two children, and after the completion of his house opened it to the public as a place of entertainment. The literal copy of the bond is still preserved with care by his descendants, said bond being in the shape of an agreement between himself and the U. S. A. to keep a well-ordered public house and break none of the laws then existing in reference to unlawful games, etc. Mr. Willson subsequently began the erection of a small frame dwelling, but his death, which was the first in the township, took place before its completion. His widow afterward married the late David W. Baker, and spent her last years in Brookfield, Mo. The great-grandfather, accompanied by two of his brothers, emigrated from Scotland and settled in Genesee County. State of New York, where they added one letter to their name in order to distinguish them from a large number of Wilsons. Horris Willson, Sr., was born in Genesee County, N. Y., where he developed into manhood and learned the trade of carpenter and joiner. Up n attaining his majority he made his way to the vicinity of Berlin, Erie Co., Ohio, where he formed the acquaintance of Miss Jerusha Burnham, and where their marriage took place in 1820. This lady was born in Hebron, Tolland Co., Conn., in 1804, and was the daughter of Joseph F. and Jerusha (Kellogg) Burnham. Soon after marriage the young couple took up their residence in Detroit, in 1820, when it was but a hamlet, and some time in the thirties changed their residence to this county, settling on a tract of land on section 1 3, in Quincy Township. Mr. Willson soon acquired 320 acres, which included a small area of prairie, where he was enabled to plant a little corn the first year. Like Robinson Crusoe, he was very nearly monarch of all he surveyed, as there was not a habitation within sight of his cabin home. But in time travelers here and there began to pass by, and in 1834 he judged that a "taverri" would be a matter of convenience to them and probably a source of profit to himself, and accordingly started for Detroit to purchase the necessary outfit. Before reaching his destination, however. he was taken ill, and died before his journey was completed. His remains were buried in the City of the Straits. There had been born two children only: Lydia A., rj F- Ib T-d. t -irr -Abb O b -A - -— Y 1 II I - l~ I - I --- — 1 — -- 1 1 -~lp"r 526 BRANCH COUNTY. who became the wife of Dr. Enos Berry, of Quincy, and who died about 1882, and Horris, the subject of this sketch. Mrs. Willson, after the death of her husband, returned with her little ones to her native State, where she remained two years, then returning to her western home proceeded to carry out the plans of her husband. keeping the tavern " until her marriage with David Baker. of Brookfield, Mo. They then crossed the Mississippi, and Mrs. Baker died in Brookfield. leaving two children by her second marriage. She was a lady of many excellent qualities and a member in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The subject of this sketch grew to manhood on the farm, and like his father before him learned the carpenter's trade. which he followed some years, and continued on the homestead which he now owns. This comprises eighty acres of land, and he also has valuable village property, comprising a very pleasant home. which he occupies during the winter. In the summer he returns to the farm. Mr. Willson has been three times married, his first wife having been Miss Mary Haynes. to whom he was wedded on the 12th of October, 1852. This lady1 was born in Penfield. N. Y.. and died at her home in Quincy Township. March 9. 1 856, leaving no children. Mr. Willson was the second time married, Jan. 20, 1857, to Miss Charlotte, daughter of William P. and Theresa Arnold. who were early settlers of Quincy Township. This lady became the mother of one child. and died at the homestead. Jan. 10, 1 868. Her daughter. May, is now the wife of Jesse Field. a resident of Quincy. The present wife of our subject. to whom he was married Feb. 24, 1869, was foimerly Miss Olive Briggs, who was born in Quincy Township. this county, Sept. 30, 1836, and is the daughter of Luther and Eveline (Amsden) Briggs, who were natives of Vermont and New York. and are now deceased. Mrs. Willson acquired a good education in the Quincy schools and taught in the village and country districts eighteen terms. Both our subject and his wife are membeis in good standing of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. W., politically, was in earlier years a Democrat. but is now a lively Prohibitionist. He has never had any desire for the I I responsibilities of office. preferring to give his time and attention to his farming interests. Socially, he belongs to the Patrons of Husbandry and also the Masonic fraternity. being a member of the Quincy Lodge No. 166, at Quincy. Mrs. Willson owns 140 acres of land located on section 26 in Quincy Township, and with the exception of twenty acres, it is all in a productive condition and with good improvements. ON. JOHN H. JONES. Among the early or late settlers of Branch County. no one is more worthy of mention in its history than he of whom we write, and it gives us great pleasure to place a brief record of his life before the readers of this volume. He is well and favorably known throughout Southern Michigan, where he has lived since 1854, having always maintained an enviable reputation for integrity, sound judgment, practical business talents and a high moral character. He was born in Hopewell. Ontario Co., N. Y., April 27, 1828. being of Welsh origin, although his ancestors have been residents of the United States for more than two centuries. The early records of the family contain the names of three brothers who, leaving Wales, crossed the Atlantic and came to this country, two of them settling in Maryland, and one of them in Rhode Island. Our subject is descended from one of those who settled in the former State, andl who became a prosperous and influential citizen. His great-grandfather built one of the first brick residences ever erected in Maryland. the bricks, six by twelve inches in size, being imported from England. The grandfather of our sulbject, Richard Jones, was born in Maryland, and served as a soldier in the Revolution, being subsequently one of the pensioners of the United States. In 1803 he removed with his family to Genesee County, N. Y., and settled in what is now Ontario County, being one of the original settlers of that part of New York. lie improved a farm and remained there until his death, which occurred in 1823. His chil v 1I I_ I - -- I- -—. - 11 11 - - --- — c-E-. — I do-, t I 9e1f m ^ ----- - -------------------------------------------------- lA^-H -^^ I - I i BRANCH COUNTY. 527 dren numbered four, three sons and one daughter, of whom the second son, named Amos, was the father of our subject. Amos Jones was born in Maryland, May 19, 1793, aud was therefore ten years of age when he removed with his parents to New York. His early life was passed in attending school, and in assisting his father in clearing his farm from the wilderness. After attaining maturity he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Shekell, a native of Frederick County, Md., born in 1796. Her father, John Shekell, was of German extraction, and removed to the Empire State about the same time that the Jones family did. After his marriage Mr. Jones continued to reside on the old homestead, and made a successful farmer, realizing a goodly income from his labors. He was a highly respected citizen, much honored for his many manly virtues, and having attained the ripe old age of ninety-three years, passed quietly away in 1886, leaving behind him an unsullied life record. He had been for many years a widower, his wife having died in 1851. To them had been born a family of ten children, three sons and seven daughters, all of whom grew to maturity, and seven of them are still living, five in the State of New York, one daughter in Denver, Col., and our subject in Michigan. They are all successfully.engaged in agricultural pursuits, and have been highly prospered in life. John H. Jones, of tis sketch, is the second of the three sons born to his parents. He was educated in the common schools of his native State and at Wesleyan Academy, at Lima, N. Y. After completing his studies our subject taught school a few years, but was not satisfied with that profession, the acme of his ambition being to succeed well as a farmer, and with this end in view he applied all his energies to agricultural pursuits. His most important step toward founding a permanent home, and obtaining a firm foothold in life, was his union, March 9, 1854, in Canandaigua, Ontario Co., N. Y., with Miss Susan C. Warfield, a daughter of William and Lucinda (Knapp) Warfield, both natives of Maryland. She was also born in the Empire State, having been a native of the same town as Mr. Jones, her birth having taken place June 5, 1832. Soon after their marriage Mr. Jones and his young bride left their many friends in the East, and the comforts of their early home, and emigrated to Michigan, where he purchased 160 acres of land on section 9, Quincy Township. His farm was then in its primitive condition, but with characteristic energy, wise judgment and skill, he succeeded in bringing it into a high state of cultivation, it now being one of the most productive farms in the vicinity, and with its neat, comfortable dwelling and farm buildings reflects crediton its owner. For many years Mr. Jones' attention was devoted principally to the care of his farm, but in 1884 he removed to the village of Quincy, though he still retains possession of his homestead. Since his removal he has been engaged in the produce business, and is also carrying on an extensive trade in live stock and wool. One great grief fell upon the household of Mr. Jones, when death crossed the threshold, and removed the loving wife and tender mother, whose presence had for so many years been a beneficent blessing to its inmates. Nov. 3, 1886, that most estimable woman passed on to the higher life, leaving an aching void in the hearts of her family, who tenderly and lovingly cherish her memory. Her death was sincerely mourned by the community in which she had lived so many years, beloved and esteemed by all for the true womanliness of her heart and character, and all extended their sympathy to her husband. whose highest pleasure during their entire married life had been to minister to her comfort and happiness, and to the children who had ever found in her a wise and devoted mother. To her and her husband had been born four children, of whom the following is the record: Clinton W. is a hardware merchant of Quincy; he married Camilla Knickerbocker, of Allen Township, Hillsdale County. Addie E. is at home: Herbert M. married Minnie Rathbun, of Quincy, and is a resident of Los Angeles, Cal.; Clarence is at home. It will be seen from this record that Mr. Jones has three sons, and it is a strange coincidence that his father, grandfather and great-grandfather had a like number in their families, and each one'was the second of the three sons born to their parents. Our subject has ever been prominently identified with the public interests of his township, always a t, I c~I~Yl(l I - 13arr~r. ~ —II lfY. slop rl --- --- ~bt-lYIIT - r~- w -— r ~ I l A i 528 BRANCH COUNTY. willing to take upon himself the responsibilities of the many offices to which he has been called. serving with ability and satisfaction to his constituents in every case. Mr. Jones is one of the stockholders of the First National Bank, of Quincy, and has been its Vice President since its organization. For the past six years he has also been President of the Fire Insurance Company, of Branch County, and he has served as Justice of the Peace for eight years, and for several terms was Supervisor of his township. Our subject also worthily represented his county in the Legislature for four years, and his district in the Senate for four years. While in the Legislature he served as Chairman of the Comimittee on State Affairs in both House and Senate, one term in each, also one term on the Committee on the State Prison, which they located at Ionia. Mr. Jones was first elected to the Legislature in 1864, and while there vigorously supported all war measures that favored the soldiers. Our subject has also served as County Superintendent of the Poor, of Branch County, and as President of the Village Board several terms. He has also taken great interest in educational matters, and for many years has been a member of the School Board. In politics he is a stanch supporter of the principles of the Republican party, having voted with it since its organization. Socially, he is a member of Mt. Vernon Lodge No. 166, A. F. & A. M. The preceding record of our subject well shows the confidence and trust reposed in him by his fellow-citizens, and speaks more certainly of the high esteem and respect in which he is held than can any words of ours. dJ AMIES MURPHY, retired from active labor, is now spending his declining years in the enjoyment of those comforts which a life of industry and frugality has accumulated around him, and is a resi(lent of Coldwater Township, where he has a nice location with a well-appointed set of buildings. Mr. Murphy is a native of the Empire State, and was born in Victory, Cayuga County, March 4, 1819. He is of Irish descent, and his father, John Murphy, was born in County Armagh, Ireland, while his grandfather, Patrick Murphy, was also a native of Ireland. About 1810 he emigrated to America, accompanied by his wife and three chiltlren, and settled in Cayuga County, N. Y., where he bought a tract of timber land in the town of Victory. HIe improved a farm and there resided until his death, which occurred Sept. 19, 1831. He was reared in the Protestant faith, to which he adhered throughout his life. The maiden name of his wife, the grandmother of our subject, was Isabelle Martin, who proved to him an affectionate wife and valuable helpmate. She was a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and died in Victory, Cayuga Co., N. Y. Three of the children, the offspring of this marriage, grew to maturity: Eliza married Peer Tuller. and (lied in the town of Ira, Cayuga County; Jane became the wife of Thomas Wilkes, and died in the town of Sterling in the same county. The father of our sulject was the only son who reached maturity. He was a lad of nine years when he came to America with his parents, and grew to manhood and married in Cayuga County, taking his bride to the old homestead. His life was devoted to agricultural pursuits, and ended on the homestead in Victory, Feb. 19, 1866. The mother of our subject, whose maiden name was Rebecca Clay, was born near Canajoharie, N. Y.. and was the daughter of James Clay, who was a native of England. When a young man he came to America, and selecting for his field of labor the Empire State, settled in Butler, Wayne County, and there passed the remainder of his life. The mother of Mr. Murphy died March 15, 1856. The subject of this notice is the second child and eldest son in the parental family of ten children, who all grew to years of maturity, viz.: Sally, James, Patrick, Betsy, Rebecca, Jane, John, Samuel, Mary and Adeline. James was leared to farm life in his native town and as soon as he was old enough he attended the common schools of that place. He was thus engaged until 1843, and then, accompanied by his wife and one child, lie came to this State. The entire journey was made overland, their means of conveyance being a pair of horses and a wagon, and they were accompanied by another family. - i v I I Obw I II0 _ --- —-- I- - - =I IMO t I 11 - M ~, I I l - aU LI wvl m Po BRANCH COUNTY. 529 i They brought with them their cooking utensils, and having a good supply of provisions, they cooked by the wayside and slept in their wagons, thus passing their time during the wearisome journey of twenty-one days. Adrian was then the western terminus of the railroad, and Coldwater was a mere hamlet and had only two stores and two hotels. When our subject and his family settled in this State, much of this section was in a state of nature and largely covered with the forest primeval. Deer, wild turkeys and smaller game were abundant, while the wolf and bear were yet disagreeably plentiful, and the wild Indian roamed over his original domains, lingering before the march of empire. When Mr. Murphy reached Batavia Township his cash capital consisted of a five franc piece, and this, with his team and wagon, was his entire earthly possessions. Mr. Parker, an old settler of Batavia, kindly invited them to share his home until he secured a suitable location. He soon secured seventy acres of land on section 23, Batavia Township, giving as part payment the team of horses with which he had made his journey. He at once erected the regulation pioneer log cabin, which, however, he adorned with a floor made of boards for which he had exchanged a carpet. The lower part of the chimney was built of stone and the remainder of earth and sticks. After a short time he traded a bed and a nice coverlid for a yoke of oxen, with which he did most of his farm work and all his marketing and milling for eight years, and the unique spectacle common enough in those times might have seen, of the family being drawn to church in a cumbrous vehicle by a yoke of oxen. In his efforts to subdue nature, Mr. Murphy found abundant scope for all his energies, and none but men inured to hard labor could have overcome the obstacles that lay in the path of the pioneer. He has often spent the day grubbing stumps, after which he would yoke his cattle and plow during a part of the night. He persevered until he had improved about sixty acres of the land and erected more commodious frame buildings. As prosperity began'to dawn upon him he increased his acreage from time to time, buying land adjoining his own, until he owned a large tract, 140 acres of which are included in his present farm, besides 100 acres m which he owns on section 36 of the same township. In 1870 he bought the home where he now resides, located on section 19, Coldwater Township, onehalf mile outside of the corporation line, and is here enjoying the fruits of a life of toil, the history of which, if given in full, would read like a romance. Our subject was united in marriage, July 11, 1839, with Miss Mary Field, who was born in the Green Mountain State, March 6, 1821. and is the daughter of Silas and Lurinda Field. Mrs. Murphy died in February, 1884, and the second marriage of Mr. Murphy took place Oct. 29, 1885, the maiden name of his second wife being Jane Searle. Mrs. Murphy was born in Moravia, Cayuga Co., N. Y., and is the daughter of Thomas Searle, who was born in Stephentown, Rensselaer County, in the same State, while his father, Benona Searle, was, it is supposed. a native of England, He followed the calling of a farmer, and died in Stephentown, N. Y. The father of Mr. Murphy went to Cayuga County, N. Y., when a young man, and there married Nancy Taylor, who was born in Candor, Tioga County, that State, May 23, 1808, and was the daughter of William and Catherine Taylor, natives respectively of New York and New Jersey. In 1854 the parents came to this State and settled in Barre County. where Mr. Taylor bought 160 acres of land in Barre Township, upon which he resided until his death, June 13, 1844. His wife survived him many years, dying at a good old age in 1875. DELBERT MILLS, one of the well-to-do farmers of Batavia Township, owns a beautiful country homestead on section 30, one of the chief features of which is a handsome and substantial brick residence, and which, with its surroundings, forms a pleasant and inviting picture of rural life. His farm comprises but sixty acres of land, yet it has been so thoroughly cultivated that it is the source of a comfortable income. Mr. Mills located on this place in 1874, having removed to this locality from Matteson Township. The year 1847 was signalized by the arrival of m 1`1-4 111 III —M' I 11qlsmb1 1I1C - - I __ ______ — rlI~F 1 o / -1 I i 580 BRANCH COUNTY. our subject in this county, who came with his father, Isaac Mills, who died in Matteson Township, on the 10th of January, 1851. Isaac Mills, it is supposed, was a native of New York State, and it is known that he was there married to Mrs. Hannah (Merritt) Gorham, in Wayne County. The latter was born and reared in that county, and after marriage the parents located on a farm there, and remained residents of the Empire State until after the birth of their son Adelbert, which took place Oct. 5, 1845. He was accordingly a very young child when the family emigrated West. His mother was the third time married, to Jesse Monroe, and died at the farm in Bronson Township, on the 12th of February, 1887. Mr. Monroe is a resident of Bronson. The mother of our subject was born in 1818 and died on her sixty-ninth birthday. She was a member of the Christian Church. By her first marriage, with Mr. Gorhanm, she was the mother of one child, a daughter. who is now Mrs. Mary E. Anderson, of Johnson. Of her marriage with Mr. Mills there were born three children, one of whom died in infancy. Adolphus, the other son, married Miss Matilda Fuller, and is farming in Matteson Township, this county. Of her marriage to Jesse Monroe there were also born three children —Wallace, George and William, all married and residents of Bronson Township. Our subject acquired his education in the common school, and being an attentive pupil made the most of his opportunities. He lived with Mr. Monroe and employed himself at farming until his marriage, Dec. 1, 1867, with Miss Mary Wing, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride in Batavia Township. Mrs. Mills was born in Bronson, Feb. 22, 1848, and is the daughter of David and Louisa (Weller) Wing, tle latter of whom died in Batavia Township, in middle life, about 1879. Mr. Wing is now living in DeKalb County, Ill. To Mr. and Mrs. Mills there have been born three children, one of whom, a little daughter, Maude, died in early childhood. Hattie is the wife of Robert Gorball, and lives with her husband on the home farm; Pearl continues a member of the parental household. Mr. and Mrs Mills after their marriage settled first on a farm in Matteson Township, where they resided until moving to their present place. Mr. Mills has very little to do with public affairs, but keeps himself well posted upon matters of general interest, and is a stanch supporter of the Republican party. Both he and his estimable wife are prominently connected with the Baptist Church, and enjoy the friendship of the best people in this part of the county. ILLIAM A. COOMBS. The business interests of Coldwater and vicinity find in this gentleman a most energetic and worthy representative, he being the proprietor of three large flouring-mills, besides dealing in all kinds of grain and field seed. He may be usually found at his business house, which is located on Monroe street, opposite the post-office, and familiarly known as the Board of Trade. The mills owned by Mr. Coombs are designated as A, B and C; the first and last mentioned are operated by both steam and water power, while the mill 'B" is run exclusively by steam. Our subject has operated the first mentioned for a period of eleven years, having traded a farm for it in April, 1877. "B" and "C" became his within the last two years. He transacts the most extensive business in this line in this part of the State, manufacturing by the Roller process and selling directly to the trade through traveling salesmen. He receives orders from Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia, and all of the New England States. He expects in the near future to extend his trade to the other side of the Atlantic. The aggregate capacity of his mills is 700 barrels per diem, and the product compares favorably with the best flour manufactured in Michigan or any of the winter wheat States. Mr. Coombs came to this county in 1867 from Rolling Prairie, Ind., where he had been in general trade for about three and one-half years, and bought a stock of dry-goods of James Wells in the city of Cold water. He carried on this business for a little over two years; during this time he was considered very hot competition by the other dry t — 4 * 1. J. 11 ''I I I 'I, 1, - ", M,1 I 11 on, 11,11 111 -11,11, I II, w- III 1II C~ 'll.llb p. - Ij I Ii I i i I I I I I i I I I I -~aL i 4 Ij I i I I i i I I I I I i I I I I 140 I k *6 -k b im r4 4 I ~ _ ~I — I - -~-~~l~~~rr-~rr, 13~ I _~ -1- Sp =~ m j BRANCH I I goods merchants, but his health failing him he traded his stock of dry-goods for a farm in Bi:tavia Township. this county. For the next seven years he was engaged in selling general nursery stock in the States of Michigan and Indiana, selling all kinds of fruit and ornamental trees, shrubbery, etc., working from ten to fifteen men on the road constantly; many of the finest bearing orchards in this State at the present day are trees sold by Mr. Coombs. This experience qualified him for doing business with all kinds of men. Probably his rare adaptability to this department of commerce, and his tact in dealing with the peculiarities of those with whom he comes in contact, have been no unimportant factor in establishing his success. His birthplace was on the rugged New England Coast, in Knox County, Me., where he first opened his eyes to the light Aug. 21,1840. When a lad twelve years of age his parents migrated to LaPorte County, Ind., settling in the wilds of Galena Township, where the father cleared.a farm and remained a number of years. William A. Coombs acquired a practical education in the common schools of Galena Township, LaPorte Co., Ind., and commenced his business career as a clerk in a Rolling Prairie store. After selling out his store in R,)lling Prairie, Ind., he turned his attention to real estate, and purchased 1,000 acres of land in Butler County, Neb., but before he had taken possession he made a visit to Michigan, and finally decided to exchange his land for a stock of dry-goods and carpets, and thus established in Coldwater the "Banner Store," which he operated, as before stated, two years. Archibald Coombs, the father of our subject. was also a native of the Pine Tree State, and the son of George Coombs, who was the son of Joseph Coombs, the founder of South Thomaston, in that State. The two latter men were extensive millers and dealt largely in flour and lumber, besides real estate extensively. They represented a large amount of property, and spent their entire lives in New England. The subject of this sketch has a black granite horse block and a hitching post, which in their natural state grew on the farm of his grandfather in Maine. Col. George Coombs married a Miss Mann, who came of an old and respected family, her father, Dr. Mann, a surgeon in the army of the War COUNTY. 531 of 1812, having been a resident of (JCstine, Me., and his hoise was at one time occupie(l by British officers in that wtir. After tihe cli,:tl of G(eorge Coombs his wife was married again, and spent her last days in Thomaston. Me. The father of our subject was in early life employed as Chief Line Inspaetor, a calling which in that day involved large responsibilities. He also followed the sea for a time. He was married, in South Thomaston, to Miss Harriet N. Ktlloch, who was a descendant of the Hon. Nicholas Snow, the progenitor of the family in America, who landed at Plymouth Rock from the British ship "Annie," in July, 1623. He married Miss Constance Hopkins, who came over in the iMayflower" in 1626, and Stephen Hopkins, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, was a direct descendant of this branch of the Hopkins family. Mr. Coombs, oursubject, is of the tenth generation. His mother was born in South Thomaston, Me.. and was one of a large family who were prominent in New England, representing its wealth and respectability. The parents of our subject after their m:arriage and the birth of three children, William A., Oscar D. and Mingerson, migrated to Indiana, and settled in Galena Township, LaPorte County, where two more children were added to the parental householdLucy H. and Harry L. The family constitutes a circle still unbroken by death. The parents and four of the children are now residents of Valley County, Neb., where the father and sons own a large amount of re l estate, and are c rrying on farming successfully. Archibald G. Coombs and his wife are still active and intelligent, although approaching the decline of life. Their son Mingerson is married and is a resident of Ord, the county seat of Valley County, Neb., where he is extensively interested in real estate. The other three are at home with their parents. The subject of this biography was the eldest of the five children born to his parents, and upon reaching manhood and preparing to establish a home of his own, was married, March 8, 1866, to Miss Clara A. Webster, who was born in Ripley, N. Y., March 11, 1840, and is a daughter of W. H. H. Webster, the son of Judge Elizer Webster, the founder of Warsaw, N. Y. He had migrated from L iiI I I -.1 w —~ V — - W. *01 - -A A1mkL. I 0 -- 1.A- l*~- i~,,~~ 1 — ~- I I~"I t -- — U —'-as —~~-~-~~~L~ 532 BR~ANCH COUNTY. ~~~32~ BRNHCONY Vermont, and took up his residence in Wyoming County, N. Y., when the county was a wilderness, and where he lived and labored many years. Subsequently he sold out and went to live in Ripley, where he is the owner of a fine property. He was married, in Ripley, N. Y., to Miss Mary E. Dixon, who came of a good family and is yet living. Mrs. Coombs is a well-educated lady, having completed her studies in the Female Seminary, at Willoughby, Ohio. She made her home with her parents until her marriage, and is now the mother of five children, namely: Edith A., Anna M., Susan Snow, C. Lizzie and William A., all living. Mr. Coombs was Postmaster at Rolling Prairie two years under the administration of President Johnson, and since coming to this county has also been prominent in local affairs, representing the Second Ward in the County Board of Supervisors, and in the city representing the Second Ward in the Common Council. He is a man who has always taken a lively interest in State and National affairs, frequently attending the National Republican Conventions, including the one which nominated Grant in 1868, Hayes in 1876, Garfield in 1880, and the one at Chicago which nominated Blaine. At the latter he was one of the Alternate Delegates, and this year (1 888) was made a delegate from the Third Congressional District to the Republican Convention at Chicago, which nominated Harrison, June 25. He had always been an ardent Blaine man until there was a prospect of the nomination of Alger, of Michigan, when he felt bound to support the representative from his own State. J ACOB WALSH. This gentleman became a resident of Quincy Township in the pioneer days, and after occupying himself as a successful tiller of the soil, accumulated a competency, and retired from active labor in 1885. He is now a resident of the village, where he has valuable property, and enjoys the friendship and society of a large circle of acquaintances. The subject of this sketch was born in County Wexford, Ireland, Feb. 4, 1831, and is the son of Michael and Alice (Murphy) Walsh, who were also of Irish birth and ancestry, and the father a ship carpenter by trade. Michael Walsh in early life worked on the dry dock at Liverpool, but after his marriage followed farming, and in 1835, with his family, including five sons and one daughter, emigrated to the United States. Soon after landing in New York City, July 4, they set out at once for the Territory of Michigan, and settled first in Allen Township, Hillsdale County. The country was then a wilderness, with very few white settlers. The father of our subject at once entered over 200 acres of Government land, and by purchase from speculators increased his real estate until he became the owner of over 300 acres. This was all heavily timbered, and his first business was to erect a shelter for his family He put up a log cabin, and began clearing the ground around him, laboring industriously, and laying many plans for the future. He only lived, however, five years, his death taking place in 1840. The mother survived her husband a period of thirty-one years, remaining a widow, and passing away at the old homestead in Allen Township, in 1871, at the advanced age of eightyfive years. The parental family of our subject included seven children, but one daughter (lied in Ireland, before the removal to the United States. William tI. continued on the homestead until his decease, which took place in Coldwater, about 1883; Mary, Joseph D., John and Henry, all died at the homestead in Allen Township, the latter when a youth of seventeen years; Jacob, our subject, was the youngest of the family, and is its only immediate living representative. Mr. Walsh was a little lad four years of age when he crossed the Atlantic with his parents, and was but nine years old when his father died. The family all lived together upon the land which the father had secured from the Government. and in due time had cleared a large portion of the heavy timber, and brought the soil to a productive condition. They also erected good buildings, and Jacob lived at home until the spring of 1868. Our subject, now desirous of establishing domestic ties of his own, was married, June 24, 1868, to 1 —OAA 1 19ow L 'NM rotr I _ 1 h h [ ------- -I ra31~lr ' C4~e ar 'I I Ir ob I-1 I --- A BRANCH COUNTY. 533 Miss Barbara. daughter of Morris and Charity (Brooks) Crater, who was born in Quincy Township, this county, and whose parents were natives of New York; the father is living, and the mother deceased. Soon after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Walsh took up their residence in Linn County, Mo., where our subject purchased 167 acres of land, and carried on farming for a period of fourteen years. Mrs. Barbara Walsh (lied April 28, 1876. and her remains were brought to Quincy for burial. She left no children. Mr. Walsh carried on his farm in Missouri until 1882, then returning to Michigan, took up his residence with the remaining members of the family on the old homestead. On the 22d of June, 1885, he was again married, to Miss Ella E., (laughter of James and Elizabeth (Robertson) Cocker, who was born in Cleveland, Ohio, Feb. 14, 1853. Her parents were natives of Lancashire, England, and the father came to the United States with his parents when a lad nine years of age. The paternal grandparents of Mrs. Walsh were Henry and Elizabeth Cocker. The mother of Mrs. Walsh was but four years old when her family came to America. Her father, Joseph Robertson, was an iron worker by trade, and mostly connected with ship building. He constructed the "Ironsides" of Cleveland, Ohio. He was a native of Scotland, and his wife, whose maiden name was Ann Crear, was born on the Isle of Man. They were married in Cleveland, Ohio, whence they removed to Ypsilanti, this State, and in 1867 went to Brookfield, Mo., where they lived until 1879. Their next removal was to Crawford County, Kan.. just across the State line, where they conducted a country store, and the post-office there. He was also owner of a farm in Benton County, near by. Hle died in 1875, and was buried near the old homestead, in Barton County. The mother is still living, and a resident of Brookfield, Mo. The seven children of the parental household were: Ella E., the wife of our subject; Ada A., Mrs. A. K. Lane, of Brookfield, Mo., Joseph H., who died at the age of twenty years; Jennie B.; William E.; Flora, and George R., who died when an infant. Our subject, after this last marriage, took up his residence in Qluincy, where he has since lived. He owns property in Linn County, Mo., and besides his village property in Quincy, has one of the pleasantest homes within its limits. Politically, he is a solid Democrat. He was reared in the faith of the Episcopal Church, of which his parents were members, but has not identified himself with any religious denomination. The maternal grandlparents of Mrs. Walsh, Joseph and Ann Robertson, lived to a ripe oll age, the grandmother (lying in Brookfield, Mo., in 1887, when eighty-seven years old. Joseph Robertson died at his home in Carondalet, near St. Louis, Mo., about 1863. E ZRA J. AYRES, M. D., is a worthy and talented representative of the medical profession at California, where he located in June, 1871. He is a disciple of the Allopathic School, and has an extensive and lucrative practice, while in 1882, in connection with his son, he establisled a business in drugs, which they have since conducted. The subject of this biographical sketch was born Oct. 17, 1839, in.Jay Township, Essex Co., N. Y., and is the son of John S. and Cyrena (Sumner) Ayres, natives of New York State, and of New England descent, their ancestors having lived in New England for several generations. The father of our subject was a farmer, and spent the greater portion of his life in Essex County, where he also married. In 1841 the family removed to Williams County, Ohio, where the father passed the few remaining years of his life, dying in the prime of manhood at the age of thirty-seven years. The mother of our subject was six years younger than her husband, and died at the age of forty-five years. Their family consisted of six children, who are recorded as follows: Lydia C. is the wife of Dr. Joseph L. Hagerty; Sarah A. became the wife of Rev. Osbon J. Britton, of Neopolis. Ohio; Ezra J., our subject; Mary L. is the wife of T. G. Elliott, of Amboy, Mich.; Uri S. died at the age of thirty-one I I i Ii I j i i I i I rI - ' U: I I,_1$ A A lb.._! - - I I \ } I -- --- -- K4. 534 *0- I rI I BRANCH COUNTY. years, in Bridgewater, Ohio, where he was engaged in farming; John L. enlisted in the army when only sixteen years of age, as a member of Company K, 27th Michigan Infantry, and was killed at the battle of Spottsylvania. Our subject was but seven years of age when his father died, and he continued to reside with the family on the farm and attend the common schools until he attained his majority. Hle was a bright, ambitious boy, and though his early educational advantages were limited, he was a close observer and of studious habits, and at the age of twenty-one lie had a more extensive education than many young men surrounded with much more favorable environments. At the age of twenty-one Mr. Ayres started in life on his own account, and coining to Michigan located in Amboy, Hillsdale County, where he soon afterward chose for his partner in life Miss Alwilda J. Elliott. Mrs. Ayres was born in Stark County, Ohio, Jan. 19, 1844, and is the daughter of Benjamin and Sarah (Grewell) Elliott, natives of Pennsylvania and West Virginia respectively. They came to Ohio with their parents in early life and settled in Stark County, where they grew up in the Quaker faith and were married. Some years after this event they removed to Hillsdale County, Mich., and settling in Amboy there spent the remainder of their lives. They had a family of six children, who grew to maturity and are recorded as follows: William, Mayhew F., Margaret (Mrs. Isaac Hagerman), Timothy G. and Cyrus W., all residents of Amboy. Alwilda J. is the wife of our subject. After marriage Mr. Ayres engaged in tie study of medicine, reading with his father-in-law, Dr. Elliott, and during the Civil War he commenced the practice of his profession. In 1869 he entered the Eclectic Medical College at Philadelphia, from which he was graduated in 1871, and he afterward located at California. He is a close student, keeping well abreast of the times in the important discoveries in the science of medicine., Dr. and Mrs. Ayres became the parents of two children: Alva C. and John L., the latter now deceased. He was born in Amboy, Hillsdale Co., Mich., and was married, July 27, 1884, to Miss Eva L., daughter of David and Mary E. (Wickert) Sherer. He died in California at the age of twentyone years, six months and twenty-nine days. Alva C., the surviving son of our subject, was born in Am boy, Hillsdale County, Oct. 18, 1861, and received the rudiments of an education in the common schools of his native place. He has also read medicine with his father, and is now a registered pharmacist and a partner with his father in the drug business. He was married, May 1, 1887, to Miss Ella M. Bickford, who was born in Algansee, Jan. 30, 1868, and is the daughter of Ira P. and Mary E. (Craig) Bickford, of Algansee Township. Mr. and Mrs. Ayres have an infant daughter named Bernice. In politics Mr. Ayres adheres to the Democratic party. Unlike his son, Dr. Ayres, politically, is a Republican, and cast his first ballot for Abraham Lincoln. He does not busy himself, however, with the details of thie party, not caring for political preferment, but prefers to devote his time and attention to his profession. ~ -~ __.. "+ --- —j^ —^ — r CICHAEL GROSS, of Bronson Township, i1 came to this county in 1875, and first located where he now lives on section 18. and where he has since occupied himself in the cultivation of the soil, and the building up of a comfortable homestead. His efforts have met with a reasonable amount of success, and he occupies a good position among his neighbors. A native of Muncie Township, Lycoming Co., Pa., our subject was born Dec. 27, 1817, and is the son of Abram and Eva (Snyder) Gross, who were also native of the Keystone State, and where the father spent his entire life engaged in agricultural pursuits. The mother, after the death of her husband, joined her son in Michigan, her death taking place at the home of Michael, in Bronson Township, Feb. 28, 1883. Our subject when a lad nine years of age went to Erie County, N. Y., with his parents, where he developed into manhood, and was married, in April, 1848, to Miss Florinda Phillips, who was a native 900w j I 1 IL I 0 ma I I~- ~ w 1 — 1410- -:1lllllllIIO1Jq I,.- _ A I I L r I. L —4* --- I III w11Ill I I BRANCH COUNTY. 535 A 4 I I of the Empire State, and born May 17, 1829. She became the mother of two children, and died at her home in Erie County, N. Y., in March, 1853. Mr. Gross in 1859 was again married, to Miss Mary Ann Gilbert, who was born in 1828 in England. became the mother of five children, and departed this life at her home in Bronson Township, Jan. 16, 1881. The present wife of our subject was formerly Miss Rosina Plegman, a native of Germany, and who was born Jan. 1, 1837. Of this union there are no children. All the children of our subject were boys. All but one are living, and residents of Michigan except one who lives in Illinois. Mr. Gross in 1850 made his way to the Pacific Slope, spending two years in California, and returning to Erie in 1852. He returned by steamer to Panama, and then crossed the Isthmus, and took a steamship for the Island of Jamaica; thence by steamer to Norfolk, Va., thence to Baltimore, and then to New York, and by rail home. He uniformly supports the Democratic ticket, and has held the various offices of his school district. Mrs. Gross is a member of the Lutheran Church. ~r " ICHABOD P. MORRILL, Supervisor, and a worthy representative of the solid element of Noble Township, came to this county with his parents in 1852. They located first in Gilead Township, where the father purchased a tract of land upon which he operated until called from his earthly labors. The subject of this sketch was born in Green Creek Township, Sandusky Co., Ohio, March 18, 1836, and is the son of James and Electa (Fuller) Morrill, who were natives respectively of Vermont and Massachusetts. The father was of Irish descent, and served as a soldier in the War of 1812. He was a man of considerable force of character, and served as Justice of the Peace in both Ohio and Michigan. He departed hence in the month of January, 1856, at the homestead which he had built up in Gilead Township. The mother survived her husband for a period of twenty-seven years, and died near Mound Valley, in Labette County, Kan., Dec. 27, 1883. The parental family of nine children included five sons and four daughters, all of whom lived to mature years. and six are now surviving. Ichabod P. continued with his brothers and sisters under the home roof, acquiring a common-school education and those habits of industry which have been the basis of his success in life. When a little more than twentyone years of age he was married, July 3, 1857, to Miss Mary E. Keeslar, of Gilead Township, and who is the daughter of Peter and Ursula Keeslar, natives of New York State. They emigrated to Michigan during its territorial days, in May, 1836, thus being numbered among the early pioneers of this county. Mr. Keeslar was also the father of nine children, he having been twice married. Of these eight are now living. The mother of Mrs. Morrill is still living, 'and the father died in October, 1887. The wife of our subject was born Sept 23, 1841, in Gilead Township, and continued a member of the parental household until her marriage. Her union with our subject resulted in the birth of two children, the elder of whom, a daughter, Ella E., became the wife of E L. Cutler, of Lagrange County, Ind.; she died Dec. 27, 1884, leaving one child. The son, Clinton P., married Miss Laura Penix, of Noble Township, and is living at the homestead of Mr. Morrill. The first purchase in this township of real estate made by Mr. Morrill was fifty-five acres on section 22 in Noble Township, and which was mostly improved land. He has since added to the original purchase thirty-two acres in the same township, and sixteen acres in Lagrange County, Ind. After marriage he went north to Allegan County, and in Dorr Township purchased a new farm, which he improved and lived upon five years, then selling out conducted a hotel one year at Grand'Rapids, which experience in that line sufficed him, and he then concluded to return to farming pursuits. He next purchased a farm near Bronson, which he operated two years, and in 1866 secured possession of his present property. Mr. Morrill acquired his education in the common schools of this county, and since becoming a voter ) - V- —. -. II~I~ L ---~-~~ I --- C-~- II P l - I 4 obs- M age IIIC~I II -,,.-b- I Md WVF- 9 A! i L 536 BRANCH COUNTY. has been a warm supporter of Republican principles. He stands well among his fellow-citizens, and is serving his second term as Supervisor of Noble Township. Socially, he belongs to the Masonic fraternity, and is identified with the Patrons of Husbandry. In religious views he coincides with the Spiritualists. ILLIAM H. WEBSTER. Among the citizens of Branch County who are engaged in agricultural pursuits, no one occupies a higher position as a business-like and successful farmer than the gentleman whose name heads this sketch. He owns a valuable farm of 160 acres, finely located just outside of the corporation of the city of Coldwater. Mr. Webster is a worthy representative of a good old New England family, although he is himself a native of New York, having been born in the town of Warsaw, Wyoming County, Dec. 11, 1813. His grandfather, who was a farmer by occupation, was born in Connecticut, and, so far as known, spent his entire life in that State. Elizur Webster, the father of our subject, was born near Hartford, Conn., in 1767, and in after life became famous, not only as a pioneer of Wyoming County, N. Y., being the very first settler of the town of Warsaw, but also as a statesman of no mean ability, taking a conspicuous part in local government and in the affairs of the State. He was a man whose keen intellect, versatile talent, sound judgment and probity of character, were scarcely excelled, or even equaled, by any in the part of the country in which he settled, and he naturally took a leading position among his fellow-citizens. When he was quite young his father died, and his mother, with her children, abandoned the old home in Connecticut and removed to Washington County, N. Y., where he grew to manhood and married, the maiden name of his wife being Elizabeth Warren, and she was born in that county in 1774. After marriage Mr. Webster settled in Genesee County, in that part of it now included in Wyoming County, making his home in the dense forests that then covered the present site of the town of Warsaw, and from a history of that town, written by Andrew W. Young, we extract the following in reference to his settlement: "The settlement of this town was commenced by Elizur Webster, of Hamilton, Washington County, in 1803. Having duly traversed the township with a view to the selection of a situation, he concluded to settle within its limits. The internal survey and division of lots had not yet been made, and he, wishing to find the center of the township, made a line of elm and basswood bark, starting from the south line of No. 10, equi-distant from the southeast and southwest corners, and run by a compass due south three miles, and, it is said, with such accuracy as to vary but a few rods when the actual survey was made. He then went to the land-office and asked Mr. Ellicott, the agent, to have the land surveyed. He refused, saying that there was already sufficient land surveyed from which to select. After finding that Mr. Webster had $1,000 cash and that he would pay one-half of it,or more, down, he concluded to have the land surveyed. After that was done Mr. Webster bought 640 acres of land, and also contracted for nearly 3,000 acres more, paying but little money down and reserving the right to transfer the contracts, some of which he soon sold at a good profit. Mr. Ellicott disposed of the land to him without ever having seen it, and when he did visit the place he found that Mr. Webster had contracted the very best land at the lowest price, and he then gave him a clear title to 800 acres of land to release his contracts. As soon as the land came into his possession Mr. Webster immediately commenced to clear a spot to make room to build a cabin. There was not a settler at that time nearer than Wright's Corners, ten miles distant. The house was one of the rudest of its kind, and, as usual, the fireplace was without jambs, and the aperture for smoke was large enough to light the cabin from above. In October he returned for his family, whom he conveyed to their future home witl horse and ox teams. In 1808, at the first township meeting, he was elected Supervisor, serving some years, and was Justice of the Peace for many years. In 1813 he was appointed Associate Judge of the County Court; in 1816-17 was a member of the Assembly, and in 1821 was a member of _ra.! i! l4?~~ *b h - _-.qlw flo - &bo-k - - -- h. -1l l 6 — I oq e — - I —, I~ I BRANCH'C COUNTY. 537 BRANCH COUNTY. 537 the State Constitutional Convention. In 1836 Mr. Webster sold his land in Warsaw, and in the winter of 1837 moved to Ripley, Chautauqua County, and died there in March, 1854." By this brief record we see that the many years of his long life were filled with honor to himself and to those who bore his name, and with usefulness to his fellowmen. His wife, who had been his faithful supporter and encourager in all his work for more than fifty years, departed this life in December, 1848. Twelve children had been the product of their union, of whom our subject was the eleventh in order of birth. William H. Webster was reared in his native town and attended school as opportunity afforded in his youth, and continued to live with his parents the most of the time until his marriage. This important event in his life occurred in 1840, when he was united to Miss Mary E. Dickson. She was born in North East, Erie Co., Pa., Feb. 20, 1819. Her father, John Dickson, was born in Westmoreland County, Pa., in 1790, and was a son of Capt. James Dickson, an officer in the Revolutionary War, who was, it is thought, born in Cherry Valley, N. Y. His mother, the great-grandmother of the wife of our subject, was murdered by the Indians. At the time of the Revolution Capt. Dickson was but eighteen years old, but he enlisted and did gallant service, notwithstanding his youth. At the close of the war he went to Westmoreland County, Pa., to settle, and later moved to Erie County, where he died. The father of Mrs. Webster was quite young when his parents moved to the town of North East, Erie Co.,Pa., where he grew to manhood. He was married in the adjoining town of Ripley, N. Y., to Miss Asenath Adams, who, it is thought, was born in Cherry Valley, N. Y. She was a daughter of Jonathan Adams, of Connecticut, who was a farmer and spent his last years on a farm in Ripley, N. Y., dying there at the age of forty-two, his wife dying nine years later. Mrs. Webster was quite young when her father died, and after that event she went to live with her uncle, Moses Adams, in the town of Ripley, N. Y., and made her home with him until her marriage. After his marriage Mr. Webster purchased a farm in the town of Ripley, N. Y., and there he and his wife began their wedded life, continuing to reside there until 1865. He then sold his property, but continued to live in that township until 1867, when he came to Coldwater and bought his present farm. He has worked with untiring zeal and perseverance to put his land into its highly cultivated condition, and under his skillful management his farm may justly be considered as good as any in this locality, and its proximity to the thriving and busy city of Coldwater, making it readily accessible to good markets, of course greatly increases its value. Mr. and Mrs. Webster have had four children, two of whom are living. Clarissa narried William A. Coombs, and is the mother of five children; Adelaide, formerly the wife of Howard Broadhead, died in 1880, leaving four children; Alistine, who, after her sister's death. married Mr. Broadhead, has one child; Anna died in 1862, aged twelve years. In his residence of more than twenty years in Coldwater, Mr. Webster has shown himself to be a mal of principle and unimpeachable integrity; in his dealings with others he is ever kind and upright, and is entitled to the confidence and respect of his fellow-citizens. rr AMES BLODGETT. There are few places in Branch County more attractive than the l- home of the subject of this sketch, which is pleasantly located in the central part of Coldwater Township, a mile and a quarter from the courthouse. The dwelling is neat and commodious, surrounded with evergreens and choice shrubbery, and all the buildings adjacent, together with the live stock and other appurtenances of the suburban home, are in keeping with the tastes and means of this intelligent and well-to-do citizen. Nothing more clearly indicates the character knd habits of a man than his home surroundings, and the Blodgett farm, with its appurtenances, reflects great credit upon the proprietor. The first recollections of our subject are of a modest home in Gorham, Ontario Co., N. Y., where his birth took place Feb. 8, 1830. He was the third son and seventh child of William and Lydia E _^ I._ A t - -- r —I- -I -~ --- 1 i I~. - ---- - -- - -- -c --- --- a-MN1bbmp 0 c~ 7LI7 - -I-.wE[ __ mj - ~m Wm ppI II I F -q -0P III1111 ~ ~,__ 41A~L~~~-~ 1-~ l~l~CI I ~ - rb 538... BRANCH COUNTY. I - --- (Mapes) Blodgett, a sketch of whom will be found in the biography of Uri Blodgett on another page in this volume. He was reared in his native town and acquired his early education in the common school, also attending a select school at Rushville. He remained with his parents until 1856, then coming to this county became associated in business with his brother Uri, and they operated together three and one-half years. Our subject at the expiration of this time returned to the old farm in Ontario County, N. Y., and became the assistant of his father on the homestead, residing there until 1865. The year previously, however, he had purchased the farm which he now owns and occupies, and in 1865 took up his residence here, where lie has since remained, with the exception of two years spent in the furniture business in Geneva, N. Y. Here he has remodeled the old buildings and put up new, has planted hedges and shrubs, and in 1887 invented a machine for fence building, spending about eight months working out his ideas. Upon this he secured a patent March 8, 1888, and is now engaged in the manufacture of these machines, which obtain a ready sale. The marriage of our subject and Miss Sarah J. Smith was celebrated at the home of the bride, in Yates County, N. Y., Nov. 14. 1865. Mrs. Blodgett was born in Jerusalem, Yates County, Aug. 23, 1838, and is the daughter of David W. Smith, a native of Milo, that county. Her paternal grandfather, Col. Avery Smith, and her great-grandfather Smith, were natives of Connecticut. the latter a follower of Jeminma Wilkinson, the Quakeress, and with others accompanied her to Yates County, N. Y., settling in New Jerusalem. He took up a tract of land and resided there until his death, carrying on farming. He put up the first gristmill in that county. Grandfather Avery Smith was reared in his native State, whence he removed to Yates County, N. Y., where he lived many years. He spent his last days with a daughter near Geneva, but his remains were laid to rest in the cemetery at Penn Yan. He obtained his military title as leader of a regiment in the War of 1812, and at home was a man prominent in local affairs, and at one time a member of the State Legislature. His wife was Miss Lament Wagner, whose people removed from Pennsylvania at an early day, and were among the earliest pioneers of Yates County, N. Y. David W. Smith, the father of Mrs. Blodgett, was born and reared in his native county, where he still resides. He now makes his home with a daughter near Penn Yan. He is a Methodist in religious belief. The maiden name of the mother was Sarah A. Hazard. She was the daughter of George V. Hazard, a native of Rhode Island, and a pioneer of Yates County. She was born in the latter about 1812. Grandmother Smith was in her girlhood Miss Marian Potter, a native of Rhode Island, and died in Milo Township, Yates County. The mother of Mrs. Blodgett (lied in Yates County, N. Y., in 1876. Grandfather Smith assisted in the survey of Yates County, and was a very capable and intelligent man, and a responsible and well-to-do citizen. — _ ^^ i i i a. a ~la f L i i;l K e p t -4d 8 YLVANUS S. SCOVILL, a well-to-do farmer now retired from active labor, occupies a comfortable home in the city of Coldwater, and is surrounded by the good things of life which he has accumulated through years of industry and wise management. He is what may be properly termed a self-made man, as he was thrown upon his own resources early in life, and has " paddled his own canoe" without assistance. His early experiences were to him an invaluable school where he learned that self-reliance and independence of character which have resulted in elevating him to a good position socially and financially among his fellowmen. Mr. Scovill was born in Trumbull County, Ohio, in the town of Vienna, Sept. 6, 1819, and was the fifth in a family of six children, the offspring of Joel and Lydia (Manville) Scovill. The father was a native of Connecticut, born Sept. 15, 1783, and was the eldest of the eight children of Amasa and Esther (Merrill) Scovill. Amasa Scovill was born Dec. 22, 1759, and followed the occupation of farmer and millwright. He was a descendant of Puritan stock, and of English ancestry. He served *^ I CI Lr14 1 —~. -- I --- mr ~rcYl~C I I1IIII-`~. II — I~~er F - - p-, V — Mqqv t L --- — -................... ahmpy --- fl t BRANCH COUNTY. vow -- I i in the Revolutionary War and distinguished himself as a patriot and a valiant soldier. He emigrated to Ohio in 1818, and in Vienna spent the remainder of his days, his death taking place in 1846, after he had attained to the ripe age of ninetyfive years. Grandmother Scovill was born April 1, 1764, and died in 1844. The father of our subject accompanied his parents to Ohio, and settled with them in Portage County, remaining until the fall of 1825. when he went back to Connecticut upon business, and died the following spring at Newton, in Litchtield County. He was a musician of considerable skill and the leader of a band. Hec assisted his father in building the first flouring-mill in Portage County, Ohio, which was located at Garrettsville, and also put up the second mill in the county, in Mantua, where he lived. Being a millwright he manufactured all the running-gear, bolts, etc.. besides chairs and spinning-wheels for wool and flax. He was one of the earliest members of the Masonic fraternity, and attained to the Grand Lodge. The children of the parental family are recorded as follows: Lucius N., the eldest, was born March 18, 1806; Esther Eliza was born Dec. 9. 1809. and became the wife of Ralph Pinney, now deceased; Charles M. was born Oct. 14, 1814; Lydia Alvira, born Aug. 4, 1817, married Dudley Fox; Sylvanus S.. our subject, was born Sept. 6, 1819, and Mary Ann, the youngest, was born Nov. 6, 1821, married Henry S. Hanchett, and died May 16, 1844. After the death of Joel Scovill the responsibility of rearing the family devolved upon the mother, and all her worldly possessions consisted of ten acres of land and a log house. Three years later the little home was sold for $125, and this was invested in twenty-three acres of land in Shalersville Township. In a few years this also was sold and the money invested in another home near by, where the mother lived until 1844. She then took up her abode with her son, Sylvanus S., and lived with him until her death, which took place Dec. 15, 1855, at his home in Franklin, Portage Co., Ohio. The early years of our subject were spent in Portage County, with the exception of three years in Euclid, about eight miles east of Cleveland. When ten years of age he became the active assist ant of his mother in the support of the family, working out in the summer and acquiring his education by attending school a short term in the winter. To add whatever he could to their limited income, he used to get up early in the mornings and haul wood on a hand sled. By improving each moment of his leisure time he managed to pick up a good fund of general information which served him well in after years. Upon reaching his majority young Scovill engaged to operate the farm of Buell Peck, 200 acres in extent, where he and his mother lived and worked together until 1843. Then he commenced the manufacture of flour barrels, without having learned the trade, and( continued thus employed nine years at Shalersville, while at the same time he cultivated fifty acres of land which he had purchased. In 1854 he sold out his coopering business, also his land. and l)urchased another fifty acres in Franklin Township, where he took up his residence and carried on farming until 1861. He then sold out and moved further westward, to Berrien County, this State, where he planted twenty-five acres to fruit, associated himself with a partner, and, in 1863, they sold out their business for $8,000. Our subject now came to Coldwater Township, this county, and invested a part of his capital in 1 20 acres, two and one-half miles west of the city, where in connection with farming he commenced buying and shipping stock, and in the fall of 1867 again sold out for $8,000, and took up his residence in the city. Here he purchased the home which he now occupies, and where he is surrounded with all that makes life desirable and pleasant. He has been quite prominent in township affairs, serving as Trustee of his township in Ohio, and since coming to Michigan has served as Justice of the Peace and Supervisor, representing his township in the latter office three consecutive years before his removal to the city. Two years later he was elected to the same office, serving two more terms. Socially, he belongs to the A. F. & A. M., Lodge No. 260, at Coldwater, and is a member of Temple Chapter No. 21, in which he is at present H. P. Ie also belongs to Jacobs Commandery No. 10, and is a Past Eminent Commander. In religious matters Mr. Scovill belongs to the Christian Church, and politically, _ _ _ _f T I I WB - E -.NdM. - -- a - U.- - - - - I I. 40, I_~~~ I.-m I I I I I I i,_ t i 104011 11~ 1e c-l I, ob o —I,I*L I L 540 BRANCH COUNTY. i affiliates with the Republican party. From the winter of 1862-63 to 1869 he was engaged in the manufacture of carriages, in which he gave employment to a large number of men, and( in the meantime sold 700 vehicles. A number of his carriages were on exhibition at the Centennial in 1876. More than forty-four years have passed since the marriage of our subject to Miss Eliza Shurtliff, which occurred at the home of the bride, in Shalersville, June 25, 1844. This lady is the daughter of Selah and Pruanna (Phillips) Shurtliff, whose family consisted of five children. Of these Mrs. Scovill was the fourth, and was born May 28, 1826. Her father was a native of Massachusetts, and spent his early days in the vicinity of Montgomery, where he learned cloth dressing, and his father assisted him to establish in business. He was successful in his undertaking and became owner of a factory at Russell, where he operated ten or twelve years. He then emigrated to Ohio, settling in what was then Franklin Mills, but is now Kent, purchased a tract of wild land and put up a log cabin in the wilderness. Here he lived a number of years, and until a good brick dwelling had replaced their former humble shelter. Finally he sold this farm and purchased a larger one at Shalersville, where he lived about fifteen years, then moved back to Franklin Mills, and purchasing a smaller farm, remained there until his death, which occurred in February, 1861. The father of Mrs. Scovill was one of the earliest pioneers of the Buckeye State, to which he made his way from New England overland by wagon, long before the era of canals or railroads. He was a high-minded and conscientious man, and before his removal to Ohio belonged to the Baptist Church, but later he became identified with the Christian Church. Politically, he sided with the Democratic party until 1850, but in 1856 cast his Presidential vote for John C. Fremont, and thereafter supported Republican principles. He was a man who made friends wherever he went, and involuntarily commanded the respect of his community. He held the office of Justice of the Peace for several years. The Shurtliff family is of English ancestry, and was represented in this country prior to the Revo lutionary War. Selah, the father of Mrs. Scovill, was the eldest in a family of five children born to Noah and Lydia (Brown) Shurtliff. The others were named respectively: Ruel; Elizabeth, who married Horace Hatch, of Montgomery, Mass; Luman and Wales. The mother was the second child in a family of six born to Benjamin and Lucy (Utley) Phillips. The eldest was Lydia. The others were: Mary; Fanny, Mrs. Brown; Benjamin; and Lucy, Mrs. Harvey Avery. The mother of Mrs. Scovill lived at home until her marriage, and afterward carried out in her daily life the impulses of a noble womanhood, doing good to those about her, devoting herself to the happiness of her family, and working in the interests of the Christian Church, of which she was a member for many years. In the pioneer days religious services were held at her house, which was also known as the home of the minister. This excellent lady died at Orange, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, May 16, 1853. 'The father was afterward married to Dorcas Burt. I r- DSON BLACKMAN, M. D., holds a leading position among the practicing physicians of Quincy Township, where lie located twelve years ago, in the fall of 187 6. He has spent nearly his entire life in this State, having been born in Morenci, Lenawee County, Nov. 22, 1839. His ancestors were from England, the first representative of that name, Rev. Adam Blackman, a graduate of Oxford University, having emigrated to the United States about 1630. He settled in Connecticut, and, together with a large number of his descendants, gave his attention to agricultural pursuits. Some of them did good service in behalf of the Colonists during the Revolutionary War. Eli W. Blackman, the father of our subject, was born in Connecticut, where he grew to manhood and married Miss Jerusha Shepherd, a native of the same State. She also was of English descent on her father's side, but her maternal ancestors were French. Her paternal great-grandfather, a native i i I f I Ii i i i i i I i i iI j A I fo.-i I k-lde 000-A~IrI. ~~- I _ — 4 6.. r-~ i i I I i I i I i i I i r / --- — -. - 11 BR~ANCH COUNcTY. 541 B R N C C N.4 1 of England, came to the United States early in life, and engaged in merchandising. The father of our subject followed agriculture in his native State until 1835, then cutting loose from old friends and associations made his way to the Territory of Michigan, and established himself among the pioneers of what was afterward Morenci, in Lenawee County. IHe purchased and cleared a tract of timber land, a portion of which he laid out into a village which now bears the above name, Morenci. Finally he removed to Allen Township, in Hillsdale County, where he spent the remainder of his life, and passed away in 1866. He was a man of strong convictions, and a stanch supporter of the 1)emocratic party. He studiously refrained, however, from entering upon the responsibilities of office, and though elected at various times to official positions, refused to qualify and would not serve. In his religious belief the father of our subject inclined to the Universalist doctrine. The mother. who was a woman of many excellent qualities of mind and heart, survived her husband a period of eleven years, and died at her home in Allen Township in 1877. Their household included three children only, the eldest of whom, a son, John, was accidentally killed when a promising young man twenty years of age. He possessed more than ordinary intellectual capacities, was pious and devoted in life, and preparing himself for the ministry. Sarah M. became the wife of George Marshall, a well-to-do farmer of Allen Township, Hillsdale County. Edson, our subject, was the youngest of the family. Dr. Blackman when a boy improved his time at the common schools, and later entered Hillsdale College, where lie spent four terms and subsequently engaged at teaching at different times. He had already chosen his future calling, and was determined upon becoming a member of the medical profession. With this in view he, in 1864, repaired to Cincinnati, and after a full term at the Eclectic Medical College, was graduated therefrom with honors in 1866. He began the practice of his profession at White Pigeon, this State, where he remained until 1876, then visited the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia, and in the fall of that year took up his residence in Quincy, this county, where lie is the only representative of the Eclectic School. To the duties of his profession he has given his sincere and earnest attention, and has built up a large and lucrative patronage. The marriage of Dr. Blackman and Miss Melinda Moorehouse was celebrated at the home of the bride in Saratoga, N. Y., in March, 1866. Mrs. Blackman is the daughter of James and Mary Ann (Tourtelott) Moorehouse, and was born in Saratoga County, N. Y., in April, 1845. She is an intelligent and accomplished lady, and by her union with our subject became the mother of five children, one of whom, Jesse E., (lied when a promising youth of seventeen. The others-Mary G., J. Moorehouse, Cora May and Arthur Wescott-are at home with their parents. Politically, Dr. Blackman affiliates with the Democratic party, but is not a Radical. He has frequently been sent to the State Conventions as a delegate. and in his townlship has officiated as Clerk, Supervisor, and member of the School Board nany years. He always runs ahead of his ticket, which fact indicates his popularity, although his party is largely in the minority in this section. Socially, he is a Royal Arch Mason, being an old and worthy member of the fraternity. His neat and pleasant home is situated in the eastern part of the town, and is the resort of hosts of friends both of him and his excellent wife. -T DOLPHUS MILLS. While too much honor cannot be awarded to the pioneer, who, I forsaking all the ties of home and kindred, the comforts and refinements of civilization, and shouldering his ax, forced his way into unknown wilds that he might secure a home for his family which should be their heritage at his death, we must not forget him who worthily wears the mantle descended from those pioneer veterans. To this class belongs the subject of this sketch, who was born in Matteson Township, this county, Feb. 20, 1848, and is now living in a pleasant home on a good farm of fifty-three acres of land, on section -1II A I I_-A A_1 I J-ll rbl -i -r -! L r Odes - l ~ I -~ I I --- —--— 1^- -. IJ rTY. I Il 542 BRANCH COUN 35 of this township. His farm is under an excellent state of cultivation, and is well adapted to the growth of all kinds of grain, while there is flowing through it a living stream of water, which, besides adding to the beauty of the landscape, very materially enhances its value as pasture land. Mr. Mills has resided on his present farm since March, 1873, and many of the improvements which now mark it as one of the finest little farms in this county have sprung up under his skillful management. In the midst of a beautiful grove of shade trees stands his elegant brick residence, comfortable and well appointed in all its details, and contributing to make this homestead one of the most attractive in the township. In the history of the parents of our subject we might read the history of Branch County. for they have been closely interwoven since its earliest settlement. They came to Michigan from York State, and settling in Matteson Township, this county, made it their home until their decease. The father was born April 1, 1810, and died Jan. 10, 1858, while the mother, whose maiden name was Hannah Merritt, was born Feb. 12, 1819, and died Feb. 12, 1887. They came to this county when nature held undisputed sway, untouched by the hand of civilization. The wild beasts of the forest roamed unmolested, while the equally untamed Indian was the only human occupant. M1r. and Mrs. Mills became important factors in the subjugation of the wilderness, and lived to see smiling fields of grain where once reigned the forest primeval, and wellbuilt villages taking the place of the Indian wigwam. The subject of this sketch was one of the youngest in the parental family of eight children, and was reared to manhood in his native township, dividing his time and attention between attendance at the common schools and the more active duties of farm life. He passed his life uneventfully until he reached manhood, and was then united in marriage in his native township, Feb. 20, 1870, the maiden of his choice being Miss Matilda S. Fuller. Mrs. Mills was born in Franklin Township, Lenawee Co., Mich., Dec. 6. 1852, and is the fourth daughter of Jarvis and Sallie (Knight) Fuller. The mother died when her daughter Matilda was a small child, her death taking place in Tecumseh, May 2, 1856, when forty-three years of age. while the father, surviving until Oct. 9, 1879, passed away in Dundee, Monroe County. at the age of seventy-one years. They had early migrated to Lenawee County, this State, from the Empire State, and were married in Franklin Township. Upon the death of her mother Mrs. Mills came to Matteson Township, to live with her sister, Mrs. Malina Grey, and was educated and reared to womanhood in this place. Of her union with our subject there have been born two children: Lydia A., an intelligent young lady residing at home, and Fay L., a bright and promising boy. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Mills began life for themselves as farmers, locating in Matteson Township, which they subsequently exchanged for Bronson Township, where they remained for two years engaged in the same calling. They finally returned to Matteson Township, and settled on their present farm. Mr. and Mrs. Mills are intelligent and well-informed people, keeping abreast of the age in many lines of thought, and from the mass of reading matter which this century places before us, eliminate and assimilate such as makes them educated people, who are capable of grasping an idea and deducing their own conclusions. They are close reasoners, and may truly be said to have been students all their lives. Politically, Mr. Mills finds his principles most nearly embodied in the Republican platform, and gives to the party his cordial support on all important occasions. S. H. AUSTIN, a prominent and well-known farmer and stock-raiser of Branch County, is very pleasantly located on section 27, Bethel Township, seven miles from Bronson and thirteen miles from Coldwater. He was born in Herkimer County, N. Y., in 1833, coming of good Massachusetts and Connecticut stock. lie was the seventh child in order of birth of the nine children born to William S. and Lucy (Barnes) Austin, natives of Massachusetts. When they were yo3ung they went to New York to live, and there married k x I. - -1 --- - — MR I ^ "., : 1,m I * -b L BRANCH COUNTY. 543 i and settled on a farm, which they improved, continuing to reside in their adopted State until death. The father d'ed in the town of Salisbury, March 14, 1854, at the age of sixty-one years. His good wife survived him some years, dying Oct. 9, 1876, at the age of seventy-nine. The father of our subject took part in the War of 1812, but never received a pen. sion therefor. The paternal grandparents of our subject were natives respectively of Massachusetts and Connecticut, and his maternal grandparents, Luther and Lucy Barnes, were natives of Massachusetts. The subject of this sketch was reared on a farm, and received a good practical training in the labors pertaining to the care of it. His education was conducted in the district schools of his native State, and after leaving school he began life as a farm laborer, working at that employment for five years. He then obtained work on the Erie Canal for two seasons. Subsequently he worked at home for a year. He then went to Kendall County, Ill., and was employed by his brother-in-law. He there met, and in 1859 married. Elizabeth Kuney, who was born in that county in 1840, and was the eighth child in the family of nine of Daniel and Rebecca (Foutz) Kuney. They were natives of Pennsylvania, and in a very early day left their native State, and moved to Ohio, where they remained a few years. In 1836 they removed to Kendall County, Ill., being numbered among its pioneers. They spent'the remainder of their years there, the father dying in 1869, and the mother in 1866. After marriage our subject and his wife settled on a farm in Kendall County, where he was for some years actively engaged in agricultural pursuits. In 1865 he removed with his family into Iowa, and bought a partly improved farm of 120 acres in Marshall County, but after farming there one year he sold out, and coming to Michigan in the fall of 1865, bought eighty acres of timber land on section 34, Bethel Township. In the following spring he erected a comfortable and commodious dwelling, in which he still resides. Since coming here he has met with marked success in his farming operations, has cleared his land, and has added to its area by further purchase, until it now contains 120 acres of fine, arable land, in a good state of cultivation. He has paid great attention to stockraising, devoting about sixty acres of his farm solely to that purpose, and has some fine Percheron and Messenger horses, is well stocked with highgrade l)urham cattle. Merino sheep and PolandChina hogs. To our subject an(l his wife have been born eight children, four of whom are living, and their record is as follows: Ida J., now Mrs. Foy, lives in Dakota; Alma, now Mrs. Luther, lives in New York; William S., a promising young man, died Sept. 20, 1884, aged twenty years and three months, just in the bloom of early manhood; Emma died in 1868, at the age of nearly two years; Eugene died in 1871, at the age of two years and six months; Frank died in 1872, at the age of nine months; Adell and Mary live at home; the latter is attending school. Our subject and his amiable wife occupy a good social position in this community, by whose people they are much esteemed and respected. Mr. Austin is all intelligent man with strong convictions, and takes a prominent part in politics; is an active member of the Union Labor party, is very zealous in promulgating its principles, and served as a delegate to the convention of that party in 1886. He held the office of Pathmaster very acceptably a number of times. He is an influential member of the Knights of Labor organization at Bethel. He has always shown a deep interest in educational matters, and has done much to secure good schools for this township. 8 ETH MONROE made his advent into this county over thirty years ago, in 1852, establishing himself in the lumber business, and also engaging in agricultural pursuits. He settled on a tract of land in Bronson, and was thus occupied for a period of twenty-five years, and also operated a sawmill, when he disposed of his milling interests, and removed to the village of Bronson, though retaining his farm. As farmer and i t.4 a I I '-I — I- obo-4rs~urrurP Y-.iLI —~IIIIIICI — 1 — ~ IL I -.d f' A I ~ 1- I I. [:4.% - _ __ _ - _ - -- ---- - - - - - 7 -A -.I BRANCH COUNTY. -- miller combined he was very successful, and accumulated a handsome property. Mr. Monroe since a resident of Bronson has mingled largely in public affairs. serving as Justice of the Peace for a period of eight years, and in the spring of 1888 was elected for four years more. He officiated as Superintendent of the county poor five years, was a member of the Village Board four terms, and for a number of terms connected with the Union School Board. Socially, he belongs to Lodge No. 227, I. O. O. F., and possesses those elements of character which constitute him a genial and companionable citizen, obliging in his manner, and a general favorite in his community. Our subject was born in Cayuga County. N. Y., Aug. 4, 1827, and is the son of Darius and Parley (Hooker) Monroe, who were of New England parentage, natives respectively of Massachusetts and Maine, and of English and Scotch ancestry. Darius Monroe left his boyhood home in Williams County, Mass., and migrating to New York State as early as 1809, located among the pioneers of Cayuga County. He was married there in 1823, and although it is believed he had been reared to farming pursuits, his tastes inclined him to seek other occupations in the line of scholarship and law. He was a keen observer of human nature, an extensive reader and student, and in 1840 was elected to represent his county in the New York Legislature. He continued from that time on as the-incumbent of some office, and upon' coming to Michigan was elected, in 1856, to the Lower House of the State Legislature. He also served one term in the Senate, and was subsequently appointed by Gov. Crapo Railroad Commissioner, which office he held until his death, in 1879, after having arrived at the advanced age of eighty-three years. The subject of this sketch was married, March 1 1854, to Miss Mary A. Gray, who became the mother of one child, a daughter, also Mary A., and (lied at her home in November, 1855. The daughter is now the wife of William Rampton, and resides in Traverse City, this State. The present wife of our subject, to whom he was married April 14, 1869, was formerly Miss Myraett, daughter of Harmon and Ardilla (Stockwell) Timerson, who were natives of New York State. Her mother is deceased. Her father lives in Sterling, Cayuga Co., N. Y. Of this union there were born two children: Mabel Ardelle and Walter Scott, both at home with their parents. Mr. Monroe, politically, affiliates with the Greenback party. His early opportunities for obtaining an education were exceedingly limited, but through his own efforts he has acquired a good fund of general information, and is a man of unusual intelligence and breadth of thought. He numbers his friends by the score in this county, and ranks among its representative men. ENRY KINYON, one of the most substantial and prominent farmers of Branch County, resides on section 24 of Quincy Township, his residence in this county dating from 1863. He was born in Onondaga, Onondaga Co., N. Y., Jan. 23, 1818, and is a descendant of an old English family, some of whose members came to this country in Colonial times and settled in Rhode Island. His parents, Israel and Lydia (Strong) Kinyon, were natives respectively of New York and Connecticut. Mr. Kinyon was a farmer by occupation, and was thus actively engaged in his native State for many years until his death, in Onondaga County. He was a stalwart, capable man, and was honored in the community where he dwelt for his geniality and other social qualities. lie was twice married, and by his first marriage he had four children, of whom our subject is the only survivor; one died in infancy; Louis and Ephraim grew to manhood, and died in Onondaga County when young men. Mr. Kinyon married for his second wife Miss Demis Strong, a sister of his first wife, and they had six children, namely: Emily, Clarissa, Celestia, Curtis, Israel and Merritt; the two latter are deceased. Our subject was reared on his father's homestead, receiving such education as the common schools afforded. He early acquired a good knowledge of agriculture, which occupation he has ever since f! 1 * I i I 4^ I. -cl — I, IC' ~... II I*.Y-.-~rrr I~L- III1.1II CL~I~ —C1~III~I~-~I)I~..W I L ___~ _ --- I I t 000M - V.&,' otU 40 -~ up vpp — a i C BRANCH COUNTY. i) pursued, possessing in a marked degree the good business habits, sound judgment and practical ability so necessary to conduct farming successfully and profitably. In 1843 he was married to Miss Lovisa A. Fay, who was born in Onondaga County, N. Y., Aug. 21, 1821. She was a daughter of Samuel and Nancy (Mathewson) Fay, who were natives respectively of Vermont and Rhode Island. The mother died in Onondaga County, leaving six children, whose record is as follows: Samuel H.; Lovisa A.; Bethiah, wife of George Jerome; Caroline, wife of Merritt Howlett; Nancy J. was twice married, her first husband having been Watson Cady, and her second husband Stephen North; and Samuel. The father married a second time, taking for a wife Mrs. Calista Baldwin, nee Wilcox. Mr. Fay died in Mishawaka. Ind. After marriage Mr. Kinyon continued to farm in his native county quite extensively until the spring of 1861. He then sold all his property in New York and migrated to Michigan, having been very fortunate in his undertakings in his native State, and wishing to invest some of the money that he had there made in the rich farming lands of this State. He staid one winter in Adrian, and the following summer in Jonesville. He then, in the spring, came to Quincy, where he purchased 210 acres of land, which lie improved and cultivated for three years. He then disposed of his property here and moved to Burr Oak, and bought an 80 -acre farm there, upon which he remained two years. At the expiration of that time, the earnest solicitation of some friends in De Kalb County, Ill., to settle near them, in what they considered the finest farming region in the world, caused him to make a move still further west with his family. But the seasons seemed to have been very unpropitious, for the winter that they spent in the locality was one of unusual severity, and the deep mud in the spring did not at all please our subject, and we soon find him again in Michigan. He bought 300 acres of fine farming land in Quincy Township, eighty acres of fruit land in Hillsdale County, and added twenty acres to his homestead. He at once entered largely into the business of farming, raising grain, and going quite extensively into the raising of cattle and sheep. He had reduced the acreage of his land by giving over 200 acres to his children, and his farm now comprises 105 acres, in an excellent condition, and a large woodlot. The many fine improvements that he has made on his place since he became the possessor of it have made it one of the most valuable farms in this region, where fine farms abound. To Mr. Kinyon and his wife have been born five children, namely: Elmer H., a merchant in Quincy; Francis S., Israel H. and Judson L., all farmers in Quincy Township; Carrie L., wife of Fred L. Drury, of Coldwater. Mr. and Mrs. Kinyon have the satisfaction of knowing that they have trained their children to good and useful lives, so that they are an honor to their parents and to the communities in which they are settled; they are all well supplied with this world's goods, and are ranked among the representative citizens of Branch County. Mr. Kinyon is a man of sterling principles, unblemished reputation, and marked ability, and, with his good wife, holds an honored position in the society of Branch County. In politics he affiliates with the Democrats, zealously using his influence to secure the victory in every political campaign to his party. B. GRAVES, a well-known and respected C citizen of Coldwater, has for many years been identified with its industrial interests as a manufacturer of brick and a farmer. He was born in Hartford, Conn.. on the 3d of June, 1824, and is a son of William and Sarah (Wright) Graves, natives of Oneida County, N. Y., where his father was born Nov. 18, 1789. The grandfather of our subject, Joseph Graves, was a German by birth and antecedents. and his parents. like all of their ancestors as far back as the family is traced, were lifelong residents of Germany. He emigrated friom the fatherland in Colonial times, and did brave service in the interests of the Colonists in the Revolution that freed them from the mother country. He finally removed from his old home in Connecticut to the State of New York, and was an early settler of Oneida County, whence he removed seven -P-, -Nt I I~ ~ 3~111 -1~p II~b GNPI ~ I~ - i7 L l _m,. mm w (4 I r......... — ~- -- - -- ~ --- -- ~ ---~ —~-~ —~~ --- —, - ---— ~ — ~ —~ ----. -.-.l. --- —- ------- - — ' - -- -- -' —,- ` I — ~1'~~~~" "~~~''~~ ^I~- ~ ~ -11 ~~"I 1-40 a - I. 1 III 1. 1 11 1 -— 1 —1 "o-A, 546 BRANCH~LZ COUNTY. 5A O years later to Ontario County, where he eventually died. The father of our subject was reared and married in Oneida County, N. Y., and afterward moved to Ontario County and bought a home in Geneva. He was a cooper by trade and pursued his calling there for a time. He subsequently turned his attention to farming, and taking up his abode in Seneca County bought a tract of heavily timbered land in the town of Waterloo, and cleared a fine farm, on which he resided until his death, in December, 1871. His good wife preceded him to the world beyond the grave, (ying on the old homestead in 1868. They were a worthy couple, and ill the many years comprising more than half a century that they traveled life's road together they were respected and looked up to by those about them for the soberness, industry and honesty that characterized their conduct. Ten sons and five daughters were born of their marriage, of whom our subject was the eighth in order of birth. Being a member of so large a family Mr. Graves, with his brothers and sisters, was trained to make himself useful, and early began to earn his own living, starting out in the world at the age of fifteen, his first experience being in a brickyard, driving oxen to tread the clay to get it into condition to mold by hand. At seventeen years of age he commenced to mold bricks in that manner. and being small of his age was obliged to stand on a box in order to reach the table. In 1846 Mr. Graves started in business for himself, first establishing himself as a brickmaker in Buffalo, N. Y., and two years later removed his business to Dunkirk, where he resided for three years, engaging in his trade with good success. At the expiration of that time he returned again to Buffalo, where he worked at his calling until December, 1853. In the meantime, Mr. Graves had by his activity and industry become so prosperous that he was enabled to establish a comfortable home, and on the 12th of May, 1850, he was united in marriage 'to Miss Mary J. Mallon, who has been to him that which, next to a good mother, constitutes the chief blessing of a man's life-agood wife. She was born in County Mayo, Ireland, and came to America with her parents when she was twenty years old. The family lived in Canada for a time, and then returned to Ireland, where the parents subsequently (lied. Mrs. Graves made her home in New York after her parents' return to their native land. To her and her husband have been born seven children, five of whom are living-Sarah, William, George W., Lillian and Melissa. Rachel died in infancy, and Alice Elizabeth at the age of seven and onehalf years. In December, 1853, Mr. Graves came with his family to Michigan, and settled three miles southwest of Coldwater, where he established a brickyard. and there carried on his business for two years. He then rented a farm for the two following years, and at the expiration of that time he opened his present brickyard, which he has operated with good financial results ever since. Our subject has not confined his attention exclusively to the manufacture of bricks, but he has also found much time to attend to the management of his farm, from which he derives a good income. It conTprises fiftyone acres of land under file tillage, and lie has erected a neat and conveniently arranged set of frame buildings well adapted to their uses. Mr. and Mrs. Graves have won the respect of those about them by their faithful performance of the duties that lie before them, aimingto give proof of Christian principles by Christian words and deeds. They are influential members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and do much to help along its good work. In nothing does Mr. Graves show his firmness of character more strongly than in the tenacity with which he clings to his political opinions, having been for many years a strong Democrat, and he cast his first vote for James K. Polk. ~ --- -tf --- —---— ^ ORATIO N. BIDELMAN, who is operating a livery and sale stable at Coldwater, was born to Abraham and Lucinda (Michael) Bidelman, July 4, 1837, in the town of Shelby, Orleans Co., N. Y. He was the fifth of a family of seven children, who were named respectively: Samuel; Louisa, who married Arthur John -9 w I 1S! i' r e4 I -ads -- I!1 dA Ls L.1-1- ----- -. ~ A r r-qq f I Ll - 4-4 0 - - I IC- I 1L,1 1210 1, I, 0.- I ---—, I'm......I v- 1L 11 I i: i BRANCH COUNTY. 547 I son; Julia Ann, the wife of Wallace Acer; Jane, Mrs. Roderick McDaniels; Horatio N., our subject; Clara, the wife of Henry Williams, and Lorenzo. Of these six are living and residents of New York and Michigan. Abraham Bidelman, the father of our subject, was horn March 10, 1800, at Little Falls, Herkimer Co., N. Y., and was the son of Henry and Catherine (Becker) Bidelman, who were natives of Germany. They emigrated to the United States at an early day, settling in Herkimer County, N. Y., where their son Abraham lived until he was a youth of eighteen years. The family all then remove(d to Orleans County, settling on the Holland Purchase, near the town of Shelby, in 1818. Abraham remained with the family until the following spring, then started out for himself, being employed by the month by a farmer named Fuller, with whom he continued for a period of four years. Eighteen months later he purchased a piece of land in the vicinity of Shelby, which he occupied one year, then sold, and purchased eighty acres located elsewhere in the township. Here he spent the remainder of his days, his death taking place in 1868. He was a man of much force of character, fond of his home and his family, strictly temperate, and in politics a decided Democrat. He had been identified with the Christian Church many years, and wus noted for his honesty and uprightness in his business transactions. The mother of our subject was also a native of New York State, and is remembered in her home and among her children as possessing all the womanly virtues. She, like her husband, belonged to the Christian Church, and adorned her profession in her daily life. To her children she was the best of mothers, aiid in all the relations of life fulfilled her duties in that careful and conscientious manner whicl left its impress upon all around her. She departed hence one and one-half years after the death of her husband, and was laid to rest in the buryingground at West Shelby. The early life of our subject was spent under the home roof until he was a youth of eighteen years, he in the meantime acquiring his education in the common school. In January, 1855, he set out for the West, and coming to this county commenced chopping wood at twenty-five cents a cord and his board. He was employed at this during the winter, and in the spring engaged as a farm laborer for the summer. In the fall he returned tohis native State, and remained there one year. He returned to this county in 1857, and employed himself at whatever he could find to do until the spring of 1861. The next most important event in the life of our subject was his marriage, which occurred in Quincy Township, this county, Feb. 14, 1861, with Miss Ann Eliza Williams. The young people commenced life together on a farm which our subject worked on shares, and wlere they remained two years. He then purchased fifty acres on section 18, Quincy Township, where he labored as before until paying for it, in the meantime working his land as he had opportunity. When he could call this property his own lie commenced buying and selling stock, and invested a part of the surplus capital in ten or more acres of land. This ten acres he sold at a good profit by the end of the year, and leaving the farm took up his residence in Quincy Village and engaged in the livery business. A year and a half later he sold out. and returning to the farm remained there until 1880. In the meantime he put up a modern residence, and purchased more land, namely, thirty adjoining the first fifty, and twenty in Coldwater Township. On the 18th of December, 1880, in company witl Harlow Williams, he purchased the Peterson livery barn, and two years later had secured the interest of his partner in the business. He continued sole proprietor until 1883, then gave his son a half-interest in the rolling stock. Mr. Bidelman, in 1882, sold his twenty acres of land in Coldwater, and two years later disposed of the old homestead to E. G. Fuller. The same year he purchased a farm of Judge Fuller, embracing seventy acres in Coldwater Township, and which he still owns. In 1882 he purchased his'city property on Marshall street, where he now resides. His stable is equipped with first-class stock and vehicles, among the former several high-bred horses of great speed and endurance. The business is conducted ill that systematic manner which always brings success. Mr. Bidelman votes the straight Demo-' cratic ticket, and socially, belongs to the A. O. U. W. The marriage of our subject with Miss Ann I -:# --- 1 u ^ ____ __ __,..rr~- -r llr I I LI1 — f t, = 1 *O J i II II I I i c i I ii i i I i I -.a i -a- l~-~ ----"1"1~1;- RNW I I ---Iill ----X0IIUIII-l_ — ~-I- - 1-. ~-._.- ( ---1.(- tl.1i —~00 — -.~~~^~ — ~ ~I~-~LI- L~_-! 548 BRANUCH COUNTY. 48 BRANC C Eliza Williams was celebrated at the home of the bride in Quincy Township, Feb. 14, 1861. Mrs. Bidelman was the youngest of seven children who comprised the family of Alpheus and Sylvia (McLain) Williams, and was born Dec. 20, 1840, at Quincy, this State. Her brothers were named respectively: Daniel, George, John, Henry, Edward and Monroe. The father was born il New Hampshire in August, 1801. He followed farming all his life, and was one of the early settlers of Branch County, coming to Michigan Territory with his family in 1836, overland through the State of Ohio, through tie Maumce swamps. Alpheus Williams removed from New Hampshire to Niagara County, N. Y., where he resided until 1836, then sold out, and with his wife and six children started for the Territory of Michigan. The entire journey was made overland. They settled in the wilds of Quincy Township, this county, being among the earliest pioneers of this region. The father purchased a tract of timber land, where he first erected a log house, and then commenced clearing the land around him. Here he lived and labored many years, and succeeded in surrounding himself with the comforts of life. He erected good buildings, and lived to see the country around him settled up with an intelligent and enterprising class of people. He departed hence in 1878, mourned by the entire community. Mr. and Mrs. Bidelman have one child only, a son, Emmet A., who married Miss Ida Weaver, of Marshall, Mich., and they also have one child, a daughter, Irene. Emmet is the associate of his father in the livery business. ILLIAM ROSEBERRY, a progressive general farmer and stock-raiser, following his peaceful vocation on section 4 of Matteson Township, has a farm of eighty-one acres, nearly all of which is well improved and provided with convenient and commodious farm buildings. Mr. Roseberry has lived in the township since 1865, and settled on his present farm in 1869, since which his practical and progressive spirit, together with his thrift and industry and general good qualities, have won for him the respect and esteem of his large circle of friends and acquaintances. The subject of this biographical sketch was born in Sharon Township, Medina Co., Ohio, April 6, 1839, and is the son of Jacob Roseberry, a native of Pennsylvania, as was also his father, William Roseberry, a farmer, who in his latter years removed to Ohio, and died there in Ashland County at the age of eighty-four years. For his wife he chose a Pennsylvania lady, whose name is not known to our subject, and she died when well advanced in years, in the township of Ashland, Ashland County. Jacob Roseberry, the father of our subject, was the eldest son in a family of five sons and four daughters, and was reared to manhood and married, in his native State. to Rebecca Gearhard, of Pennsylvania, where she had settled with her parents, who followed agricultural pursuits. After the birth of one child the family of Jacob Roseberry removel from Pennsylvania to Ohio, and purchasing a farm in Sharon Township, Medina County. resided there engaged in its improvement until after their son William had settled in this State. They then came to Michigan, which they made their home until their decease, that of the mother occurring July 1, 1867, at the age of fifty-five years, while the father died Feb. 3, 1885, in his seventy-ninth year. They cast in their lot with the Methodist denomination, and were worthy and upright members of society, while politically, Mr. Roseberry was a Democrat. William Roseberry was the third child in order of birth in the parental family of five sons, three of whom still survive, and was reared and educated in the township and county of his nativity. He was united in marriage, in Summit County, Ohio, with Miss Mary M. Phillips, who was born in Holmes County in that State, but was reared in Summit County. She is the daughter of Sylvester and Elizabeth (Arnold) Phillips, natives of Pennsylvania. The mother died in Ohio, aged fifty years, while the father still survives, at the age of eightyfour years, and makes his home with his daughter in Virginia. Mrs. Roseberry received the benefits of a good education, and better still, of a good home training, and is a refined, intelligent lady. Of her i i i I II,I i Ii I I I~ sopC -I IIC ' I, ~I ~ ~ I Ir. I r - ~ 1.. ~..I..1-.. .. _: - T.. ----- ~- - -~ — ~J - 9r"*l~)al~rUL~~~IIL~L -III~__LILI -L — 1I — 1L -_LI L1I/L 4 i i i i i I i j BRAN~CH COUNTY. 549 BRNC COUNTY..54 union with our subject there have been born two children: Sarah M., the wife of J. L. Jackson, telegraph operator at Lemert, Crawford Co., Ohio, and Nellie M., who resides at the homestead with her parents. After paying the clergyman for performing the marriage ceremony Mr. Roseberry had left the sum of $1.50, and thus equipped pecuniarily engaged in the battle of life on his own account. He had, however, in a liberal'degree, those pioneer qualities which money cannot purchase, but which laugh at impossibilities, and know no such word as fail. Success crowned his efforts, and as he grew able he invested his money in land, until at the time he came to Michigan he had already established his reputation as a leading practical farmer. He takes an active interest in educational matters, and, in order to promote the cause has frequently served in some capacity connected with the school system, while in politics he gives his cordial support to the Democratic party, whose policy he believes to be the most conducive to the best interests of the masses. AVID BOVEE, a prominent and respected resident of this county, is now retired from an active and successful business career, and is pleasantly located in the city of Coldwater. Our subject was born in Hartford, Washington Co., N. Y., Nov. 11, 1819, and is the eldest in a family of five children born to Jonathan and Lucy (Smith) Bovee, natives of the same place. The other four children are recorded as follows: Eli W., a farmer, who resides at St. Joseph, this State; Hannah, who was first married to R. J. Miller, and afterward became the wife of J. M. Rodenbaugh, of Rochester, N. Y.; Caleb D. is deceased, and Clark, a successful farmer of this county. The father of our subject wasborn Oct. 12, 1796. He was by occupation a farmer, and was ordinarily successful in his business enterprises. When a young man he united with the Baptist Church, and was respected and honored by all who knew him. He served in a number of local offices, including that of Justice of the Peace, and in politics was a stanch Democrat. In 1838.Jonathan Bovee, accompanied by his entire family, came to this county, and purchasing eighty acres of land in Algansee Township, began the work of making a home from the wilderness. Clearing sufficient space for a site, he erected the regulation log cabin and engaged heartily in his work. But a great affliction he sustained in the death of his wife, which occurred in October, 1859, discouraged him, and a few years later he went to live with his sons, first with Eli W., and later with Clark, where he spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring in 1881. The mother of our subject was born July 3, 1800, and was the daughter of Elias and Hannah (Hicks) Smith. She remained under the rooftree until her marlriage, and was a worthy member of the Baptist Church, and a devoted wife and mother. Our subject spent the early years of his life on the farm of his parents, and was educated in the common schools. At nineteen years of age he accompanied his parents to this county, and remained with them in their new home until he was twentytwo years of age. As a step toward the establishment of a home of his own he was then united in marriage with Miss Cynthia A., (laughter of Thomas and Roxie (Upson) Goodman. Mrs. Bovee is a native of New York, and came with her parents to Lenawee County in 1833, and remained with them until her marriage. She acquired a good education, principally in Lenawee County, and prior to her marriage assisted her mother in her household duties and school teaching. She was born in Bainbridge, N. Y., Nov. 24, 1821, and was the sixth in a family of nine children, two of whom died in infancy unnamed; the others are recorded as follows: Sophia became the wife of Solomon Wilber; Cleophas T; Mary B. became the wife of James H. Lawrence, and Emma married Peter Rowe; George P.; Lovisa R. became tie wife of Robert Nivison. Thomas Goodman, the father of Mrs. Bovee, was born at South Hadley, Mass., Aug. 22, 1790, and was the son of Enos Goodman. who settled in New York at an early day, when Thomas was a young I. i i 5al t _ww -u 11 " rl Ilo rI~II 1, _ I ~ _d L --- A I i _f —.... —... -—.. o - I 46 --— BRANCH COUNT —.Y. BRANCH COUNTY. A f 550 I man. The latter was a farmer by occupation, and when his daughter Cynthia was a child of five years he removed from Bainbridge, Chenango Co., N. Y., to Masonville, Delaware County, where he remained about five years. He then took his departure for this State, coming via the Erie Canal from Utica to Buffalo, thence by steamer to Detroit, and thence by teams to Rome Township, Lenawee County, requiring seventeen days to complete the journey. His advent into this State occurred in the spring of 1833, and he bought a tract of eighty acres of wild land, upon which he erected a log house and began the laudable attempt of carving out a home from the forest. At the end of about five years, however, he sold out his improvements, and coming to Algansee Township, this county, purchased another farm of eighty acres of timber land, and repeated his pioneer experience. He continued engaged in its improvement until his decease, which occurred March 28, 1848. He was a member of the Presbyterian Church, while in politics he was identified with the Whig party, and was an honored and respected citizen. The mother of Mrs. Bovee was born at Waterbury, Conn., Dec. 30, 1788. and was the daughter of Ezekiel and Mary (Bronson) Upson. Her father was a personal friend of George Washington, and served all through the Revolutionary War. He migrated to New York when the mother of Mrs. Bovee was a young lady, and she continued to reside there until her marriage. She was a member of the Presbyterian Church, and a quiet, cultivated woman, of great perseverance, and an affectionate mother and devoted wife. She died Dec. 6, 1875, at her home in Algansee, after living a widow twenty-seven years, and rearing and educating her youngest children, assisted by her eldest son until his marriage, after which she spent the remainder of her days with her youngest son, George P. After marriage our subject removed to Litchfield, Hillsdale County, and rented a farm, which he operated until 1851. While thus employed. by industry and economy he accumulated enough capital to start in business as a merchant, and removing to Coldwater he opened a grocery store, which he continued to conduct until he retired from active business in 1867. During this period he was burned out three times, each time suffering considerable loss, but his indomitable spirit triumphed over all reverses, and abundant success ultimately crowned his efforts. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Bovee has been crowned by the birth of five children, recorded as follows: Helen S. was born April 6, 1843, and became the wife of G. M. Dumond; Edward R. was born Aug. 14, 1848, and enlisting in the lith Michigan Cavalry, was mustered into the United States service Dec. 10, 1863. He served gallantly and actively, participating in all the battles in which his regiment took part, until before Anderson Court House, when he, in company with a comrade, wandered away from their regiment on a foraging expedition, and were never heard from after; it is supposed they were killed by guerrillas. Eva A. was born April 16, 1850, and was first married to Eugene Vaughn, and subsequently to Frank J. Dart; George W. was born in 1853, and is deceased; Charles HI. was born July 14, 1861, and is at present Depot Passenger Agent on the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad, and is located at Chicago, Ill. Mr. Bovee is one of the pioneers of Branch County, and a gentleman of high standing in the community, where he is honored and respected for his sterling virtues. He is a member of Tyre Lodge No. 18, F. & A. M., in which he received the degrees, that of Master Mason being conferred Nov. 18. 1856. He was elected Secretary of his lodge in December. 1857, and served as such two years, when he was elected Junior Warden, and held that office five years. In December, 1864, he was elected Worshipful Master, and served his lodge in that capacity until December, 1887, having held that office for twenty-three years in succession. The other Masonic institutions to which Mr. Bovee belongs are Temple Chapter No. 21, R. A. M.; Mount Moriah Council No. 6, R. & S. M., and Jacobs Commandery No. 10, K. T. He was exalted to the degree of Royal Arch Mason, in Temple Chapter, June 22, 1859, from which time he has been prominently identified with the order and frequently elected to fill some important station. He has served the Chapter altogether eleven years as High Priest, being first elected in November, I' 1 - I I-I I I ~ ~~~, rr ~ 1II, - I-,~~~c i ~ r M --- — I 1'..1 --- c- ----- - II ~ Id- -~ I -~ —~- -- --- I I I, - I - lp, I.040!n mbdh BRANCH COUNTY. 551 j.51 I 1863, and served one year. In December, 1865 he was again elected, and served five years, when he retired from the office until December, 1879, when he was again induced to accept the office, and was elected and presided over the Chapter until December, 1884. He now holds the office of Scribe. The Grand Cliapter elected him to the office of 1st Vail, and after to the 2d and 3d, passing him in line of promotion to Grand Captain of the Hosts. The degrees of Royal and;elect Master were conferred on him Dec. 9, 1859, in Mount Moriah Council, and in 1864 he was elected to the office of Thrice Illustrious Master; which he held two years. In December, 1879, he was again elected to the same office, which he held until December, 1881. In the Grand Council of the State he has filled several important stations, and has been honored with the highest office of the order, having been elected Most Illustrious Grand Master, June 7, 1865, and served one year, during which time the Ritual of the order now in use was by him revised, exemplified in Grand Council, and adopted. He now holds the office of Recorder of Mount Moriah Council, which he has filled for several years. The orders of Knighthood were conferred upon Mr. B. by Jacobs Commandery No. 10, K. T., May 25, 1860, in which he has frequently been elected to fill some responsible station, including that of Eminent Commander, to which position he was chosen April 7, 1871, and presided four years. He is still an active member and Recorder of the Commandery. His career and prominence in the Grand Commandery of Knights Templars of the State we record as follows: He was electe(l Grand Junior Warden in June, 1866, re-elected in 1867; Grand Senior Warden in 1868; Grand Generalissimo in 1869, and Deputy Grand Commander in 1870. In all the Masonic bodies with which he has been connected for all these years he shirks no duty that he can perform, is a good ritualist, doing his work in a commendable manner. He helped to organize the order of Eastern Star, of adoptive Masonry, in the city where he resides, in 1866 was its first Vice President or Patron, and was elected the first Grand Patron of the order at its organization as a grand body in this State. In politics Mr. Bovee has been a lifelong Demo cratl, and has been favored by his party by electing him to minor offices, including Justice of the Peace. Mrs. Bovee is a member in good standing of the Baptist Church, and is a worthy, capable lady, adorning her place in the temple of society. - -.?.___ UMAN B. GIBBS, City Marshal of Coldwater, is a man of more than ordinary exec-. utive ability, and is peculiarly adapted to the position he occupies. He leads an exemplary life, and is an honored and respected citizen, but he is a, man of large experience with various shades of human nature, and is broad and liberal in his views and charitable to the faults and imperfections of his brother man. Mr. Gibbs was born in Pulaski, Jackson Co., Mich., April 9, 1840, and is the son of Luman and Lydia (Beach) Gibbs, natives respectively of Scotland and Connecticut. The father was born in 1791, and was brought to this country in 1802, and settled in Connecticut. whence he subsequently removed to Seneca Falls, N. Y., and followed agricultural pursuits, remaining twenty years, serving two terms as Sheriff of Seneca County. In 1838, accompanied by his family, with the exception of three sons who remained at Seneca Falls, lie came to Michigan, and settled at Pulaski, Jackson County, where he entered a farm from the Government and engaged in the improvement of his property. In 1842 he came to this county, and settled in Kinderhook Township, on a farm that he had received in exchange for his Pulaski property, and he resided here until his decease in 1848. He held several township offices, and as the taxes were required to be paid in specie, and there was no bank in the neighborhood, he kept his money secreted under his bed in his log cabin. He was an energetic member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and took a great interest in all that pertained to the moral welfare of the community. He participated in the War of 1812, and in politics was a stanch Democrat and a public-spirited and progressive man. The mother of our subject was born about 1796, -ffl 4*~ qz ii-V -q ----— p *_ <4 i IIf, C II r II sI I I I _ Ib ---IllIl --- ---- - II L I _- - — _~ I -~ ----a~-llI6II if r 552 IBRANCHH COUJNTY. Ir 5A O and resided with her parents until her marriage, dividing her time between attendance at public schools and in assisting in domestic duties. She survived her husband, and was married a second time, to James Downing, and died in 1875. She was also a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, a modest and retiring woman, and devoted to her family. The parental family of our subject included eleven children, of whom Luman B. was tenth in order of birth, as follows: Raphael S., Ansel C., Lucius S., Aldro C.; Lydia Ann, who became the wife of Dolphin Knight; Louisa, who married Marvin Scott; Lucinda, Mrs. Appolus Lampbson; Jane, Mrs. Judy Dake; James E.; Luman B., and Edessa, who became the wife of Aaron Van Antwerp. Luman B. remained with his parents until lie was thirteen years of age, receiving such education as could be obtained in the common schools, and then hired out to work on a farm in summer, while in winter he worked for his board and attended school. He was thus employed until eighteen years of age, and then went to learn the harness trade with Thomas Wood, serving an apprenticeship of three years. He continued thus engaged until the war broke out, and then enlisted in the famous Loomis Battery, or the 1st Michigan Light Artillery, and was with that battery in all its engagements for a period of three years. He participated in the battle of Rich Mountain, the first engagement of the war in which the Union forces were victorious, and was at his post at Greenbrier, Green River, Decatur, Ala., Nashville, Stone River, Perryville, Chickamauga and Mission Ridge. and was honorably discharged June 13, 1864, at Chattanooga, Tenn. He served under Gen. McClellan in West Virginia, and subsequently under Gens. Mitchell, Buell, Rosecrans and Grant, and earned an enviable war record. Upon his discharge from the army our subject returned to Coldwater, and resuming his trade, resided there until 1868. In that year he was seized with the Western fever, and setting out on his journey, he reached Montana, and remained there until July, 1870, engaged in mining. He established a claim in Confederate Gulch, about three miles from Diamond City, and the outlook became so promising that he was offered $35,000 for a one sixth interest in it. He refused the liberal offer, however, and soon after all his bright prospects were washed away by a flood. Returning to his old haunts in this county, he engaged in the harness and saddlery business on his own account, and up to 1883 experienced his share of the vicissitudes of business life. Since that date he has met with uniform success, and has continued in the business ever since. The 14th of April, 1865, witnessed the ceremony which united the lives of our subject and Miss Laura Willets, of Ovid, Mich. Mrs. Gibbs was born in Ovid, and was the youngest of a family of three children born to Benjamin and Maria (Whitehead) Willets, natives of the Empire State. Her father was by occupation a farmer, and coming to Michigan in 1836, settled in Ovid Township, and made it his home until 1865, when he sold out, and removed to Coldwater. The mother of Mrs. Gibbs died in 1876. after a life well spent; she was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and a good Christian woman. The children born of this union were: Lewis, William and the wife of our subject. Mrs. Gibbs resided at the homestead until her marriage, and received the rudiments of an education at the common schools, and subsequently attended the High School at Coldwater. She is also a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and is an intelligent and accomplished woman, beloved and respected by a large circle of friends and acquaintances. Of her union with our subject there has been born one child only, Mat, who was educated at Coldwater. and resides at the homestead. Mr. Gibbs was first elected Marshal in 1887, and re-elected the following year, and in virtue of his office is Chief of Police and Collector of the city, State, county and school tax, all of which duties he has discharged with credit to himself and the satisfaction of the citizens. He is a member of the I. O. 0. F., Coldwater Lodge No. 31, and Coldwater Encampment No. 1866, and has served in all the elective offices of his lodge, while he has also been elected twice to the Grand Encampment of the State of Michigan. He united with the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1883, and is a member of the Official Board and Class-Leader in the church. In politics he is a Republican and a I,I 1 uc-.M k v a ------ A —`-11111^-` ---XI_~~-lll-_l~ q4_f BRANCH I Prohibitionist, and is earnest in his advocacy of all measures introduced for the suppression of the vice of intemperance. The month of April has been an eventful month in the history of the life of our subject. He was born in April, and in that month he began to learn his trade, enlisted in the army, started three times in business, was married, set out for the Rocky Mountains, joined the church, and was twice elected Marshal, and all without any previous planning. OHN MORRISON, an able and successful farmer of Butler Township, is a gentleman of more than the average intelligence, industry, and integrity of character. Although foreign born he has the interests of the American nation at heart quite as much as any of her nativeborn sons, and is in every respect a thoroughly good and wise citizen. Mr. Morrison was born Aug. 31, 1816. in County Fermanagh, Ireland, which was also the birthplace of his parents, Andrew and Phoebe (Morrison) Morrison. His father was a farmer and in well-to-do circumstances, and he and his good wife were greatly esteemed by their neighbors for their kind hearts, benevolent acts. and sterling uprightness of character. The father lived to an advanced age, being eighty-eight years old when he died; his wife died at the age of sixty-five. They had three children, all boys, of whom our subject was the eldest. Mr. Morrison being well off he was enabled to give his sons a good education, and our subject attended a private or select school. He was full of life and ambition, and wished to make a good home for himself, and accordingly he left the parental roof March 4, 1841, and all alone set forth on the weary journey to this promised land. Ile set sail from Liverpool, England, about April 1, on board the vessel "Tyrone," and after being tossed upon the ocean seven weeks and three days, landed in New York about the last of May. He remained seven weeks in the city, obtaining employment as a clerk, but he had always been used to the free life of the country, — ' — J-L --- —~ —L -- ll-*p COUNTY. 553 1 with its fresh air and beautiful sights and sounds, and city life savored strongly to him of a prison. He longed for a sight of green fields and trees, and other rural scenes, and he went to Dutchess County, where he worked on a farm the ensuing ten years. He then went to Warren County, in the vicinity of Lake George, where he bought a farm. He became quite prominent in local affairs, and was elected a school officer, and while an incumbent of that office he made the acquaintance of Miss Fidelia H. Jenkins, daughter of Cary and Huldah Jenkins, who had charge of one of the schools over which he had supervision. Their pleasant acquaintance ripened into a warm friendship, and finally resulted in marriage. She was born in 1820, the fourth of the five children who completed the household of her parents. She was very well educated. and had engaged in the lrofession of teaching some time prior to her zn Ir IL~ IIV VLV marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Morrison continued to reside in Warren County the first ten or twelve years of their wedded life. They then came to Michigan, and in Homer Townshipl Mr. Morrison purchased a farm, on which he and his family continued to live for several years. There the pleasant home circle was broken by death in 1865, and the amiable wife who had nobly devoted herself to his welfare, the tender and wise mother of his children, was taken from them. Six children had been born to their union, five of them in their New York home, and the following is the family record: Angela, the eldest born, died when eighteen months old; Angela (2d), Phoebe, Christabel, Clendon and Henry. Angela, Christabel and Henry live with their father, Angela having charge of the household since the mother's death; Christabel has taught scliool occasionally; Phoebe married S. Sperry, who is a farmer in Otsego County, and they have one child, John; Clendon works in a nail factory in Chicago; he is married, and has one child, Claude. Mr. Morrison was a second time married, Miss Needham, the amiable and accomplished daughter of the Rev. Mr. Needham, of Butler Township, becoming his wife. In 1881 he was again called to mourn the loss of a faithful companion, one who was in every respect a good and true-hearted woman. Our subject purchased his present farm in June, I i I i i i I I' I I Ah - - -- --- - ---- - --- --. - - --- -- -- - - - - A.I -I i — ~, Mb -.A- -1 M1- rS I;. I 554 BRANCH COUNTY. A -- 1885. It comprises 100 acres of exceedingly fertile land, and under his skillful management it is fast becoming one of the best farms in the township. He is a man of advanced ideas and thoughts, and is always on the side of progress and reform; he is a great admirer of the institutions of this country, and ever since becoming an American citizen, having taken out his naturalization papers in Poughkeepsie, N. Y., he has faithfully supported this Government by every means in his power, and is always found on the side of law and order. He was a strong Whig at the time that the pro-slavery party was trying to sever the bonds of our union. He was a Lincoln man during the war, and now since the temperance question has been agitating the public has become a stanch Prohibitionist, and was a delegate to the State Prohibition Convention at Lansing in 1886, when Gen. Dickey was nominated for Governor. In allthe relations of life our subject has shown himself to he guided by the highest principles, and this is especially true in his home life; he has been kind and considerate as a husband, and as a father he has been devoted to the best interests of his children. and takes great pride in their intelligence and education, as he has given them every possible advantage, and his sons, Clendon and Henry, are both graduates of the Albion Union School. He has now attained the ripe old age of seventy-two, and can look back with satisfaction upon his useful and honorable career in life. -------.C —~-^r,~~~~i^^~ t - ^ ---- E ZRA RICHARDS ROSECRANTZ. Among the well-to-do farmers of Branch County the gentleman whose name stands at the head of this sketch is well deserving of mention in this biographical work. He has for many years owned and occupied his present farm on section 2, Butler Township, Branch County, and the neat buildings and carefully tilled and productive harvest fields are ample proof that lie has been very successful in his agricultural pursuits. He is a native of Rochester, N. Y., born July 11, 1817, and was the first child and eldest son of Jacob and Clarissa (Richards) Rosecrantz. who were natives respectively of New England and New York City. They were married in Rochester, and there spent several years of their wedded life. The father served in the War of 1812, doing valiant work in the cause of his country. He was a lumberman, rafted lumber, etc., and was very prosperous in that business, engaging in it in both Genesee and Orleans Counties. In 1835 he left New York, and coming to Michigan with his family, settled on Cook's Prairie, Calhoun County, where he took up 1,760 acres of land. For nearly a quarter of a century he was quite extensively engaged in agricultural pursuits, and improved a large farm. He died in Clarendon Township, Calhoun County, in August, 1859, at the age of seventy-five. His wife survived him many years, dying in 1887, at the venerable age of ninety-four. They were people of strong character, excellent principles, and enjoyed in a large measure the respect of all with whom they were acquainted. Eight children blessed their union, namely: Betsey, Harriet, Clarissa, Ezra R., William, Benjamin, Edwin and Erastus. The subject of this sketch had not attained manhood when lie accompanied his parents to this State. His education was obtained in the common schools until his father met with an accident. and he was obliged to leave school at an early age to attend to his father's business. But he was a bright, intelligent youth, and learned more from observation and experience than many a student by poring over books. Hle remained at home with his parents until he was twenty-five, but in that year he married Miss Irene Hayes, daughter of Clark and Lura (Barker) Hayes, the marriage taking place March 2, 1842, and she ably assisted him in establishing a home. She was a native of New York, born in 1822, and in the forty-six years of their wedded life she has proved an invaluable helpmate to him in his work, nobly encouraging and assisting him in all his endeavors to gain a competency. Three children have been born of their wedded life-Clarissa, Orissa and Ransom. Clarissa is the wife of R. Drinkwater. of Clarendon, Calhoun Co., Mich., and they have two children-Merle and Elmer. Orissa is the wife of H. H. Bowers, of Butler Township (see sketch of H. H. Bowers); Ransom, a farmer -- P I I U 1 mp-_.. _ ~ ~~ --- —-----— ~ --- ~~~ -~~ ---~ ---~ --- —-— ~ —~ --- —-- --- mahm I!. -A - - -I A- - - l T 00 I - -- ~ ~ Im I C wp I Ie ~ BRANCH COUNTY. 555t in Butler Township, married Miss Linda Dickinson, and they have three children-Richards, Bertha and Vena. Mr. Rosecrantz came to Michigan Sept. 18, 1835, in territorial days. He embarked on a steamer at Buffalo and was carried across Lake Erie to Toledo, Ohio, from whence he walked to his destination, Cook's Prairie, in Calhoun County. He took up a tract of land, and put in eight acres of wheat in the fall. and exchanged work to get it harvested as he had no team. He reaped 400 bushels of wheat from that piece of land, and if he had desired might have sold it at $4 a bushel. He continued in Michigan until he went to Chicago in 1840, remaining there one year, and then came back to Michigan to settle down for some years. In 1852 Mr. Rosecrantz had a severe attack of the 1" western fever," and he started overland for Oregon in company with Charles and Alonzo Hayes, his brother Erastus and E. Thompson, going by the way of Chicago, Iowa City. Cainesville, and westward on the north side of the Platte. On his arrival in Portland our subject engaged in the sawmill business, and in the following summer and fall ran a threshing-machine. His principal business for some years was operating reapers in the harvest seasons and in buying and selling horses, and by his enterprise and able management he cleared $3,000 yearly. He took up a homestead on Puget Sound and erected a sawmill on his land, and was very prosperously engaged in the lumber business for some years, increasing his funds from $200 to $10,000. Notwithstanding his success on the Pacific Coast Mr. Rosecrantz turned with longing toward his old home, and settling up his affairs in Oregon, recrossed the Rocky Mountains, and once more found himself in Michigan among his old friends. He took up his present land in June, 1856, and soon after struck the first blow to clear it, and entered upon the improvements which, since settling upon it, he has steadily carried forward, until he has a fine and well cultivated farm of which he may well be proud. He has felled trees and cleared the stumps from 200 acres of land, although his real estate comprises but ninety acres at this time. Mr. Rosecrantz is highly respected by his neighin bors; he is a man of marked common sense, of a keen, resolute, uncompromising nature. is broad and liberal minded in his views, and his integrity is undoubted. He is not at present identified with any religious organization. although he was Deacon of the Free-Will Baptist Church for several years. Politically, he has stanchly supported the Republican party from the very hour of its birth, casting a ballot for its first candidate, John C. Fremont. — ~ --- *.4o. ~-~.@..O^. --- —~; RANCIS REYNOLDS. The subject of this notice may usually be found at his well/ - ordered homestead on section 1 in Matteson Township. Here he has a beautiful farm of eighty acres, the greater part of which is under cultivation, and a fine brick residence, flanked with a good barn, and the other out-buildings required for the successful prosecution of his calling. A welldeveloped orchard and an assortment of fruit trees add not only to the comfort of the household, but the general appearance of the premises. Mr. Reynolds has been a resident of Matteson Township for over forty years, coming here in 1844, two years after the purchase of his land. He made his way to this section of country from Medina County, overland with an ox-team, bringing with him his family and his earthly possessions, the latter consisting of a small load of household goods. The first dwelling of the family in the new settlement was a small log house in which a full-grown person could barely stand upright. They. however, were situated very much like their neighbors around them, and consequently their lack of style and comfort formed no serious drawback to their happiness. They had come to stay, and expected to work in order to build up a home and obtain something for a rainy day. Our subject was born in Cazenovia Township, Jefferson Co., N. Y., April 10, 1822, and is the son of Col. and Phoebe Reynolds, the former of Rhode Island. His paternal grandfather, Francis Reynolds, Sr., is believed to have been born in New England, and sprang from Quaker stock. He continued in I 0 _^. l i -_r -'-I 1 I N Iqgwm - --- r P -- 0-94.L k I vV r I 040 I- ~ ~ - ~ - I-I lIll &11 - I~3, IPLL ~~ 556 13RAN~rCH COUTNTY. -5C his native State until after his marriage and the birth of all his children. His wife was in her girlhood Miss Martha Tibbetts. During the latter years of their lives they made their home with their son, Col. Reynolds, passing away after reaching their threescore years and ten. The father of our subject when a youth of eighteen left Rhode Island, and took up his residence in Onondaga County, N. Y.. where he learned the trade of carpenter with his brother-in-law, Browning Nicholas. He served his three years' apprenticeship and worked for some time afterward in Onondaga County. There also he met and married Miss Phoebe Avery, who was born and reared in that county, and was the daughter of Ponderson and Lovina (Barnes) Avery, who were of New England ancestry, and probably natives of Connecticut. They spent their last years in Onondaga County, N. Y. Grandfather Avery came from a family of inventors, and Mr. Reynolds, our subject, seems to have inherited in this respect the qualities of his ancestor. He is more than ordinarily expert with tools. and saves many dollars in the course of a year by being able to repair his own machinery and buildings. Mr. and Mrs. Avery were Universalists in religious belief. Mr. A. abandoned his trade after the course of a few years, and carried on agriculture in Madison County, N. Y. Both he and his wife spent their last days at the homestead in Cazenovia Township, surrounded with comfort and plenty. Grandfather Avery in his earlier years was a Democrat, politically, but died a Republican. His amiable wife was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The subject of this sketch was the eldest son and fifth child of the nine daughters and three sons born to the parents. He was reared and educated in his native township, and when twenty-two years old made his way to Medina County, Ohio, and in the township of Liverpool subsequently met and married Miss Lovisa Robinson, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride, March 1, 1846. Mrs. Reynolds was born in that township, Feb. 1, 1822, and is the daughter of Asaph and Isabinda (Cossett) Robinson, who were natives of Connecticut and Massachusetts respectively. The latter removed with their parents to Ohio when young, and were also married in Liverpool Township. Mr. Robinson was a farmer by occupation, and (lied at the age of forty-two years, leaving his wife with five children, one son and four daughters. Of these Mrs. R. was the youngest but one, and was ten years old at the time of her father's death. She acquired a common-school education, and remained with her mother until her marriage. To Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds there was born one child only, a son, William T., who died at his home in Matteson Township, this county, April 26, 1888, in the forty-second year of his age. He had married Miss Mary Cranson, of Union City. who, with their only child, is still living. This child, a son, Clarence, is a bright boy ten years of age. William P Reynolds was a man greatly respected in his community, anal his death was a sore affliction to his parents, in which they have the heartfelt sympathies of the people about them. Francis Reynolds is in all respects one of the representative men of a very intelligent community, and although having very little to do with political affairs, keeps himself well posted upon current events, and gives his support to Republican principles. e-^^g^X^^C —:., ILVESTER E. HUBBARD is an energetic and successful farmer and stock-raiser, having a beautiful farm of 200 acres of land, most of which is well improved and stocked with good grades of domestic animals. Mr. Hubbard has been one of the hard-working men of the township, and has cleared a total of 200 acres of land. He possesses the physique that made the back adapted to the burden, and for day after day he has cut four cords of wood as his (lay's work. Mr. Hubbard was born in Alexandria Township, Jefferson Co., N. Y., July 2, 1832, but coming to this State in infancy he has been a resident of this place about fifty years. The father of our subject, Horatio N. Hubbard, was born in Chenango County, N. Y., and was the son of a merchant of that State, who died from a disease contracted in the army during the War of 1812. Horatio N. was the eldest son of the family, - l.:. )g C 0.,., L. 0: V..::.,. V l i..., s k f. f l: $,,.. l. a { al S.. l,.. \. K, l g.! |;. / _i i. b..... - - - - - I --- -—. - - -. —, --- -, - Y-'~ C' Y L" — III --- —-- -Y~-P-P -. IY r --, - - I - - -- I -— YI - D L C -- -- --- - C 1 1/-24712111 -M. L -- I " -- ~ -- l C —IF ~Icl~p-r~~~~ 3.-~r i L BRANCH COUNTY. 557 7 I and he was reared and educated in his native county, which he made his home until he was twenty-one years of age. About this time he removed to Jefferson County, and at the age of thirty years he met and married Miss Phebe Robin, who was born in Vermont, and was the daughter of William Robin, a farmer of that State. Mr. Robin married Miss Ballard, also a Vermont lady, and when their daughter Phebe was eight years old they removed to Jefferson County, where her parents spent their remaining years and died at a good old age. After marriage Horatio N. Hubbard and wife engaged in farming in Jefferson County, but being lissatisfied with their prospects, as the land was not fertile, they sought better opportunities by turning their faces toward the setting sun. With their family of four children th they came to Michigan, via the lake to Detroit, and thence across the new country to Batavia Township in this county, where they made their advent in July, 1838. They located on forty acres of Government land, while the county was still sparsely settled and much of it heavily timbered. After a brave pioneer struggle, which at length yielded good returns, Mr. Hubbard added to his real estate by the purchase of another 40-acre tract of land, and continued engaged in its cultivation until his death, which occurred June 1, 1882, in the eighty-fifth year of his age, while his wife still survives, at the age of seventy-eight years, and is kindly cared for by our subject. Mr. Hubbard was a man of influence in his neighborhood and held several of the local offices. In politics he was found in the ranks of the Democratic party, which lie supported and assisted as opportunity offered. He was for many years a member of the Baptist Church, in which faith Mrs. Hubbard spent the greater part of her life. Silvester E. Hubbard is the second son and the second in order of birth in a family of five children, and was a little lad of six years when he was brought by his father to Michigan. He received his education in the pioneer schools, and when he became of suitable age his services were utilized on the farm during the busy season. He thus spent his days until his marriage, which occurred in Batavia Township, with Miss Lucy Davis, a native of the Empire State, where slie was born in Monroe County, Sept. 27, 1836, and is the daughter of James and Maria (Rawson) Davis. The parents left their home in Monroe County about 1843, and coming to this State located in St. Joseph County. A short time later, however, they came to Batavia Township in this county, and finally removed to Slierwood, which became their home until the decease of Mrs. Davis, which took place when site was fortynine years of age. Mr. Davis still survives, and is residing in Sherwood Township with his second wife. Mrs. Hubbard was but a child when she came with her parents to this county, and remained at home passing her life uneventfully until her marriage. Her union with our subject has been blessed by the birth of eight children, six of whom still survive. The deceased are one who died in infancy unnamed, and Jay A., who married Jennie Moon, and died in Denver, Col., Jan. 25, 1887; his widow now resides with our subject. The surviving members of the family are recorded as follows: Orcena received a liberal education at Union City and Coldwater, and became the wife of C. J. Conolly,a printer of Rochester, Monroe Co., N. Y; Leroy also received a good education, and is engaged in agricultural pursuits; Geraldine is at home with her father; Lulu is attenlilng school at Rochester, N. Y., while Vet is at home and Ralph S. is in Rochester. The mother of these children passed away in the midst of her usefulness, dying of heart disease in 1878, at the age of forty-two years. Mr. Hiibbard, by a life of industry and integrity, has won for himself the confidence an(l esteem of his neighbors, and is a worthy and reputable member of society. Socially, lie is a member of Blue Lodge, F. & A. M., of Union City, while in politics he supports the principles promulgated by the Republican party. J OHN F. GILTNER. Few of the aged representative men of this county were born within its borders; nearly all of them have come from other countries or are natives of the older settled States. Such is the case with the gentleman whose name stands at the head of this! I I i IC-I Il ~ -a.a1ll1 '-'''''''''''''''''''''' l i i q -4 O I! f I 11l4 0 - robrr I10 -~.- a -j t L 558 BRANCH COUNTY. -- sketch, who is a native of the Keystone State, and was born in Lehigh County, Aug. 13, 1834. We have pleasure in presenting this biographical notice of the career of one of the leading men of Branch County, and a gentleman who is thoroughly representative of its progressive element. The father of our subject was also a native of Pennsylvania, and was born Oct. 25, 1798. He remained a resident of that State until 1836, when, growing enthusiastic over the inducements held out to farmers by the new-born State of Michigan, he bade good-by to his childhood home and. accompanied by his wife and family, set out for the West. Upon his arrival in this county he settled in Sherwood Township, where the hand of man had not yet begun the struggle that was so rapidly to transform the wilderness into fields that would be found fertile as gardens, while it should be dotted over with towns and villages, and made alive with beautiful herds of domestic animals. Mr. Giltner came well equipped physically for the work before him, and after a long life of eighty-six years, during which he had seen his sanguine dreams more than realized, he rested from his labors, and was gathered to his fathers March 30, 1886. The mother of our subject was a native of the same State as her husband, and was born Aug. 6, 1800. She passed away some years previous to the death of her husband, Oct. 1, 1879. The parental family of our subject included eight children, of whom John F. was the seventh in order of birth. He was an infant of two years when the family undertook their journey to this State, and since his arrival in Branch County he has been a continuous resident of the same, except three years which he spent in California. While acquiring an elementary education in the primitive schools he learned in the school of experience on his father's farm to develop those qualities which underlie a strong and worthy manhood. He passed his life following his peaceful vocation, until he had secured the necessary equipments to found a home of his own, and he was then united in marriage, the lady of his choice being Miss Catherine L. Wells, who was born in Michigan on the 5th of February, 1845. Of this union there were four children, all daughters: Nettie E. was born May 4, 1864, and died Oct. S, 1881; Nora M. was born July 14, 1866, and (lied Dec. 10, 1869; Nellie T. was born Feb. 3, 1868, and Sept. 18, 1886, she became the wife of Charles Wells, a farmer of Calhoun County: M. Pearl was born Jan. 25, 1873, and died May 8, 1880. The mother of these children died Nov. 28, 1880, and our subject was a second time united in marriage, with Miss Lara A. Eddy, who was born in Huron County, Ohio, Oct. 18, 1859. She is the daughter of John R. and A. M. Eddy, who were also natives of Huron County, and came to Michigan in 1870, where they settled in Branch County. The marriage was solemnized on the 18th of May, 1882, and they at once settled on the old homestead of our subject. Mr. and Mrs. Giltner are members of the P. of H., both of Subordinate and State Granges. He is one of a party of four representative pioneers, who regularly on the 13th of August celebrate the anniversary of their birth. From their appearance they all have a prospect of many returns of the auspicious day. In politics our subject is identified with tle Republican party. L. GRAHAM, who is a leading farmer and stock-raiser of Gilead Township, is very A pleasantly located on section 17, about four miles distant from Orland, Ind. He was born in St. Joseph, this State, in 1838, and is the youngest of a family of ten children of L. L. and Hannah (Wright) Graham, both natives of New York. They were married in that State, and went to Ohio in an early day of its settlement, and remained there several years. In 1828 they came to Michigan, when it still formed a part of the great Northwestern Territory, and made a settlement in what is now St. Joseph County. It was then scarcely inhabited. and Mr. Graham had to wrest his farm from its primeval forest-covered state. He remained there a number of years, actively engaged in agricultural pursuits. In 1843 he removed with his family to Branch County, and purchased the place on section 17 where our subject now resides. It was mostly I U_ & J @te i i i i i I I. ad,& < r $I~~lslllPDIIIII~llllllll~r"mrB -~q -I - -r --— ~ I ~ CI -i- - I - -C BRANCH COUNTY. i - 559 A covered with timber, and he again bravely began the pioneer task of clearing and improving a farm, but his useful career was closed by his death in 1845, when an honest, industrious and thoroughly upright citizen was removed from this community. His excellent wife survived him many years. dying at a venerable age in 1885. Mr. Graham had an honorable record as a soldier in the War of 1812. The subject of this sketch was reared on his father's homestead, and received his education mostly in Branch County, and attended the graded school at Sturgis for five years, thus obtaining an excellent education. After leaving school he at once entered upon the vocation to which he had been reared, preferring that to any other for his life work, and that he has made an assured success of it is evinced by the appearance of his fine farm, with its broad and highly cultivated fields, embracing 160 acres of rich and fertile land, on which are neat and commodious buildings, well adapted to the various wants of a farmer. ile has paid much attention to raising stock, and his farm is well supplied with fine Norman horses, cattle of good grades, a large number of Merino sheep, and swine of the Poland-China breed. Mr. Graham was married in Branch County, in May, 1871, to Miss Lucy Foster, a native of this County, where she was born in 1847, being the third child in a family of six children. Her parents were James and Lovicia (Hancock) Foster, natives respectively of New York and Lorain County, Ohio. Her paternal grandparents, John and Eliza: beth Foster, were natives of England, and her grandfather followed a seafaring life for a number of years. At one time, while on a long voyage, he was captured in China and remained a prisoner two or three years. After receiving his freedom he returned to the United States, where his death occurred. Mrs. Graham's maternal grandparents, Smith and Orrilla (Holcomb) Hancock, were natives of Connecticut. Mrs. Grahamn's parents came to Branch County in pioneer days, and are still living here, at the present time making their home in Batavia Township. As a hard-working farmer Mr. Foster has faithfully performed his share in developing this rich agricultural region. Mrs. Graham received a liberal education, and for fifteen terms was successfully engaged in teaching in Branch County, and also taught two terms in Iowa. Her pleasant wedded life with our subject has been blessed by the birth of two children, Ethelbert and Arthur, both of whom are at home and attending school. The intelligence and culture of our subject and his amiable wife render them very desirable members of tis community, in which they occupy a high social position. Mr. Graham is influential in the councils of his township, and has served as Supervisor for one year, and has taken an active part in securing good educational advantages for the youth of this community. He is an earnest worker, a strong and clear thinker, is free from bad habits, and his life is guided by the highest principles of honor and integrity. In politics he votes with the Prohibitionists, although he does not take an active part in political life. He belongs to the Grange society here, which is a strong organization with a membership of nearly 150, holding their meetings in their fine Grange Hall, which cost about $2,500. N. GROVE. The maternal grandfather of our subject came to Michigan about 1835, and purchased 800 acres of Government land on sections 4 and 9, in Noble Township. Two years later he was joined by his son-in-law, the father of our subject, who brought with them F. N., then a ch;ld three years of age. There were then but a few log houses scattered here and there. the owners of which were just beginning to make their impression upon the soil of the western part of this county. John and Mary (Rippey) Grove,'the parents of our subject, entered upon the task before them of building up a home in the wilderness with all the energy and perseverance which they had inherited from their substantial German ancestry, and in due time realized the reward of their toil. Grandfather Rippey likewise labored as an agriculturist, and living to a ripe old age, was called hence in 1858. ^ I W% '1 A I _ 4. I _ _ _- -- --. _ _ — - - - - - - I — - - - 6._.... - _.I q b "Or c I '/ C I N C 4 I 4 - I-b0 I 060 CIIlb~I IICICII1~ I 1"" -, - is 560 BRANCH COUNTY. The parents of our subject lived to see the country around them develop into a civilized community, and contriluted their full share toward its progress and welfare. The subject of this sketch was born in Allegany County, N. Y., May 6, 1834. His great-grandparents on both sides of the house came from Germany in the Colonial days, an(l settling in Pennsylvania, occupied themselves as tillers of the soil. F. N. was the third child of his parents, whose family included five sons and three daughters. Three only of these lived to mature years. Our subject began his first studies il the pioneer school nearest his home, but his education has been acquired largely by his own habit of reading and observation. Upon reaching manhood his ambition was to procure a home of his own, and his first realestate purchase was 115 acres of land on section 9 in Noble Township. Here he improved a good farm. put up a neat residence and substantial outbuildings, and subsequently invested his surplus capital in 120 acres additional, about thirty of which was improved. This lies on section 3. It is all now in productive condition and yields bountifully the rich products of Southern Michigan. Mr. Grove keeps excellent grades of horses and cattle, and of late years has turned his attention largely to the breeding of fine sheep. The lady who twenty-seven years ago became the partner of the joys and sorrows of our subject, and to whom he was married in 1861, was Miss Sarah C. Hartz, of Noble Township, who was born in Union County, Pa., Aug. 10, 1837. Her parents, George and Ann (Fry) Hartz, were of German descent, and the father a carpenter by trade. He came with his wife and family from their native State of Pennsylvania in the year 1844, settling first at Three Rivers, in this State, where he followed his trade and also fulfilled contracts at Colon and Burr Oak. He died in February, 1886, at Burr Oak. Six of the eight children comprising the parental household lived to mature years. Mrs. Grove was the second born, and, like her brothers and sisters, acquired a good education in the common school. She remained under the home roof until her marriage, and is the mother of two sons and four daughters, all living and at home with their parents. They were named respectively: William H., Mary E., Charles F., Annie Adell, Lilly May and Sarah F. Our subject cast his first Presidential vote for Fremont, but of late years has been a zealous supporter of the principles advocated by the Greenback party. He is a man decided in his views and one whose opinions his neighbors hold in high respect: While busily employed in developing his farm and attending to the needs of his family, he has uniformly kept in view the welfare and progress of his township, and has done what he could toward its general advancement, morally and financially. He is rated among its solid men and most reliable citizens. ' Y YRON BENTON, general farmer and stockraiser, is also an extensive apiarist, and has at this time about 150 colonies of Italian bees; he is pleasantly located on an excellent farm of 200 acres of well-improved land on section 25, Matteson Township. This beautiful farm is adorned by a handsome and commodious set of frame buildings, together with a fine young orchard of a great variety of fruit trees, and all the improvements which make it an object of attraction to the passers-by are the result of the thrift and enterprise of its present owner. When Mr. Benton took possession of the farm in 1876, it had been owned by a non-resident, I. Sawing, of York State, and was still unbroken by the plowshare and in its wild state, wholly covered by timber. Mr. Benton has been a resident of this township since 1864, and was engaged in farming on other sections until he located on his present farm. Mr. Benton claims for the land of his birth that State which has furnished so much of the most progressive element of Southern Michigan, having been born in Claverack Townshi), Columbia Co., N. Y., July 24, 1824. His father, Ezra E. Benton, was a native of Pittsfield, Mass., and received a good education in the public schools of that section, while he also learned the trade of a clockmaker. A,= A-_^ sw L _...4..2__.* / _43(w I 9% f L I BRANCH COUNTY. 561 BRANCHCOUNT..56 He came of New England parentage and was the eldest of a large family. In his native State he engaged in the profession of a school teacher, and after his removal to the Empire State he continued his vocation until his marriage, near Hudson, with Christina Lant, who came of an old and respectable Dutch family, from which President Van Buren was descended. She was reared to womanhood in her native State, receiving a good education, and after her marriage with Ezra Benton they located in Columbia County, where Mr. Benton engaged at his trade of clockmaker, and was also occupied for some time in his profession of school teaching. Ezra Benton was remarkably liked for his industry and his genius, and all his life was an extensive reader and a clear thinker. He was a close reasoner in many lines of thought, and contributed largely to the press his poetic productions. He was a poet of some local distinction, as is evidenced by his ode to the elm tree that stood in the public square of the town of his nativity, and which fell to the ground about the time of the outbreak of the Rebellion. The poem was written in 1821, when Mr. Benton was visiting the land of his boyhood, and he was then about twenty-three years of age. The last stanza will serve to illustrate the style as well as the philosophic and prophetic character of the ode. Majestic Elm 1 may many a flower of virtue, genius, round thee rise; Thy favored country blessings shower while freeman's sons their freedom prize. Yes, noble tree, long may'st thou tower, long be thy country's heroes free, But should they bow to tyrant's power, then fall thyself and cease to be. Other poems have been written by Mr. Benton, which elicited favorable notices from the press. The subject of this sketch is the eldest son and the second in order of birth of the three children included in the parental family. His sister, Mrs. Maria Clapper, resides in the township of her nativity, in Columbia County, N. Y., while his brother Lawrence is a resident of Greene County in the same State. Lawrence spent fourteen years in the militia of the United States, and was wounded in the battle of Gettysburg, Pa. When our subject was but a child of three years the parental family was broken up by disagreement, and he was afterward reared by strangers until eighteen years of age. At the separation of his father and mother, Byron was under the care of his father, and was placed with strangers while his father was on the road repairing clocks, and not settling for the care of our subject, he was taken to the County Poor House at about the age of seven years, and became a public charge for the space of four or five months. He was bound by the county to a man who owned a cotton factory. His grandfather Lant learning where he was went and took him home with him, our subject remaining there until about nine years of age, when he went to live with a farmer by the name of William Chidister, his father binding him until he was twenty-one years of age to learn farming. At the age of fifteen, his mother learning his employer had broken the contract, advised our subject to leave, which he did. From that date our subject provided for his own wants, and was his own boss, having sued for his clearance and being successful in obtaining it. At the age of eighteen he started out to learn the trade of carding and cloth-dressing with an uncle in Medina County, Ohio. Being naturally brilliant, he had secured a good practical education, while at the same time earning his own livelihood, and eventually engaging as a teacher, followed that occupation for some years. Mr. Benton was first married, in Medina County, Ohio, to Miss Clarissa Phelps, who was born and reared in that county, and was the daughter of Timothy and Mary (Hulbert) Phelps, both of whom are now deceased. The mother of Mrs. Benton passed away when her daughter was quite young. Mrs. Benton passed away- in less than a year after her marriage. For his second wife Mr. Benton chose a sister of his first partner, Adelia M. Phelps, who was also born and reared in Medina County. They began their married life as poor people, engaging in farm work and other kinds of labor, and were thus employed until their removal to this State. By untiring application, directed by good judgment and economy, they overcame obstacles that would have appalled hearts less stout than theirs, and at length found themselves on the highway to a competency. But just as they were pre r! -Ip —5I -. 1 d 6 - ^ 000. - II --— ^~I I ~ ~~1 ---1~ --- I _ ----l —~_-xl.~ ( ---I._Il.-__I —ll-lt-~- ~ l-l l~ ~I-~1I-C-lt11-_-_~~ ~- ~_~ ) —~~B~~ - 11~~-~ 1 -~CII 1 I1I~~II CC e~~- --— ~ ---~- ~rr~ - I —L~rIIII k 562 BRANCH COUNTY. -- pared for the enjoyment of the ease and comfort to which their laborious lives had justly entitled them, Mrs. Benton was called to her final reward, and passed away at her home May 24, 1887, when fifty-four years of age. Of her union with our subject there were born eleven children, three of whom are now deceased, viz: Cynthia E., Lyman B. and Mary. Mary died in infancy, and the other two were aged respectively twenty-seven and twenty-one years. The surviving members are recorded as follows: Clara A. is the wife of Washington Smith, of Owosso, Mich.; Herbert E. is a farmer in Matteson Township; Byron, Jr., is by trade a carlenter, and resides in Kansas; Lester II. lives in Denver, Col.; Perry is a master of the art of pennanship, and is at present engaged in teaching that branch in the commercial college in Iowa City; Azor is attending school in Iowa City, and makes penmanship a special study, while Lemuel B. and Lawrence reside at the homestead. All these children while acquiring a school education, learned in the school of experience, to which they were of necessity subjected, many valuable practical lessons, and are noted examples of what this course of study will accomplish. They possess rare intelligence and early in life became self-supporting, while they are now remarkable for their industry and enterprise, integrity and good habits. In Matteson Township our subject was united in marriage with his present wife, who was formerly Mrs. Olive (Ballou) Lewes, and was born in Portage County, Ohio. She is the daughter of Jefferson and Jemima (Pierce) Ballon, the former of whom was a native of Ohio and a cousin of President Garfield. He was a carpenter by trade, and becoming anl early settler of Matteson Township, followed his calling in connection with agricultural pursuits, and resided in the township until his decease. Mrs. Ballou still survives, at the age of seventy-four years, and makes her home in Bronson. Mrs Olive Benton came to this county when a child, and received her education in the public schools of Matteson Township. She was twice married prior to her union with our subject, her first husband being John McKinney, who was a native of Vermont, a graduate of Oberlin College, Ohio, and a mason by trade. He died in Coldwater, leaving four children: Nellie, at present a teacher, has been a copyist at Cleveland, Ohio, in the employment of the Government; Harry L. is a baker by trade, and resides in Lansing; Edith E. and Alice L. Her second marriage was with Dr. Roland Lewes, a native of Japan, and a graduate in medicine of his native country, where he was reared to manhood. IIe then came to this country and became connected with Bellevue Hospital, N. Y., and subsequently was a professor in the Michigan Medical College, at Detroit. While engaged at this work his future wife was a student at the hospital, and completing the course became a professional nurse, and has since engaged in that work to a considerable extent. Dr. Lewes was finally bitten by a rabid dog in New York City, and died of hydrophobia. Mrs. Olive Benton is an active member of the Baptist Church, at Bronson. and is a woman of rare intelligence and culture. She is one of those good women who never grow old, and her genial and sunny temperament, together with her good habits, have preserved the freshness of youth, and she is a remarkably beautiful woman. Mr. Benton affiliates with the Republican party in politics, but is not an office-seeker in any sense of the term, preferring to devote his attention to more domestic concerns. J OHN COWARD, successfully engaged in general or mixed farming on sections 14 and 15, Matteson Township, is the proprietor of a tract of land comprising eighty acres, nearly all of which is well improved, and contains a fine residence and substantial and commodious outbuildings for the storage of the bountiful products of his soil and the shelter of good grades of domestic animals. Mr. Coward has lived on this farm since 1872, through he has been a resident of the township since 1865, and lived in Bronson Township eighteen months before he came here. Mr. Coward is a native of that country which has furnished a liberal quota of the pioneer element of Southern Michigan, having been born in Cam m i Ii I I I I I i I I I I L a4d" F-qaw I 1 -1 JO. i r14 - -1 11 ~ --- WRBEW I ~IIL I — Omqlv -- -- ~- -- ----- I I - rrl-A-4. - - III I I -IP- m -4" 11 BRANCH COUNTY. 563 4 I I I bridgeshire, England, March 5, 1833, while his father, also John Coward, was a native of Lancashire, and came of pure English ancestry. He followed the occupation of a shoemaker in his native Isle, and was there united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth Bates, a native of the same shire, and of the same ancestry. When young Coward was seventeen years of age the family came to the United States, and locating in Byron, Genesee Co., N. Y., made it their home until 1863. They then migrated to this State, and choosing Matteson Township, this county, settled on a farm, which became their home for fifteen years. They finally removed to Bronson Township, and still survive at the remarkable ages of ninety and eighty-two years, respectively. John Coward was the third child in order of birth in the parental family, and after his advent into this State he was engaged in farm work until his marriage. This interesting event in the life of our subject took place July 3, 1862, in Clarendon, Orleans Co., N. Y., when he led to the altar the maiden of his choice, Miss Elizabeth A. Benton, who is a native of that State, and was born in Byron, Jan. 29, 1840. Mrs. Coward is the (aughter of Thomas and Sarah (Ship) Benton, who were natives of England, and came to the United States after marriage. The father died in Clarendon Township, Orleans Co., N. Y., Feb. 23, 1887, while the mother still survives, at the great age of ninety years, and resides with her daughter, Mrs. Mary J. Brown. Mrs. Coward pursued her studies in the common schools in Orleans County, and assisted in domestic duties, learning from her excellent mother those lessons which have been of incalculable value in the conduct of her own hone. Of her union with our subject there have been born two children: Nellie A., the wife of Bert Cline, a farmer in Calhoun County, and Benton J., who took to wife Miss Effie E. Hawn, and is enlgaged in farming in Matteson Township. Mr. and Mrs. Coward are members of the Free Methodist Church, and theirs is not an idle profession, but is exemplified in all their relations, business or social. They are thoroughly in sympathy with Republican principles, and are progressive public-spirited citizens, always ready to encourage and assist in any movement looking toward the im provement of the community in any manner. Mr. Coward is an ardent worker in the cause of temperance, and is entirely in sympathy with the Prohibition movement, having been the Chairman of the committee of that body in the township for four years, and votes, as may be expected of a man whose practice is in accordance with his profession, with the Prohibition party. \- DWARD S. WHEAT, a son of Benjamin F. Wheat, of Quincy, this county, was born in Lenawee County, Mich., July 31, 1841, and lived with his parents until after the outbreak of the war. Early in 1861, although but a youth of nineteen years, he was one of the first to respond to the call for volunteers, enlisting with the three-months men in the celebrated Loomis Battery at Coldwater. At the expiration of his term of enlistment, during which time the battery had been stationed at Detroit, there seeming no immediate prospect of a cessation of hostilities, young Wheat promptly reenlisted, and assisted in the organization of the 4th Michigan Battery, of which he became Lieutenant, and with which he remained during the war, serving a portion of the time as Chief of Ordnance on the staff of Gen. Van Cleve. Lieut. Wheat participated in many of the hardfought battles of the war, among which were Shiloh, Perryville, Stone River, Chickamnauga, Murfreesboro, and many others, in all of which he proved himself a hero. While stationed at Murfreesboro, Tenn., he became acquainted with Miss Emma, daughter of Hon. William Spence, of that place, to whom he was married at the close of the war, and settled on a plantation near Murfreesboro. Soon afterward, however, he was appointed Revenue Assessor, and accordingly abandoned the plantation, and took up his residence at Murfreesboro, and held it for a term, after which he was appointed United States Marshal for the Middle District of Tennessee. He then took up his residence at Nashville; he had previously held the office of Deputy Marshal for four years, under his father-in-law, Mr. Spence, I rI I — C-~C~- Ue -— 3 ---,~- 1, IW-I CII 3 I, ~ i A ~~____~ ___I L ~k"5Pc i p.40.., I. 1, I lob$ lb1b II-bl l i"ICC- III~I~~L-llII ~LI~lL 564 BRANCH COUNTY. after which he was twice appointed to the Marshalship, which office he held nearly eight years, at the end of which time he resigned for the purpose of entering into the wholesale dry-goods business at Nashville, in which he continued until his death, which he met by being shot on the streets of Nashville, March 11, 1884. He was in the prime of life, and possessed marked business capabilities. He was one of the stockholders of the First National Bank, at Quincy, of which his father was President until resigning. His widow and surviving son still reside at Nashville. ILLIAM HURST, Justice of the Peace in Coldwater, and one of its solid citizens, was born in the town of Lisbon, St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., Aug. 1, 1841, and was the second in a family of nine children, the offspring of Richard and Jane (Lyons) Hurst, who were all born under one roof. tion in the common school, continuing with his parents and coming with them to this State. The summer after their arrival here he worked out on a farm by the month, and attended school in the winter. He was fond of his books, and ambitious to learn, and improved his leisure time, going finally to a select school, where he completed his studies. In the spring of 1859 he began an apprenticeship in the harness-shop of Tyler M. Parish, in Coldwater, with whom he remained until August, 1862. On the 6th of that month, the Civil War being in progress, he enlisted in Coldwater, in Battery G, 1st Michigan Light Artillery, and went with his regiment to Louisville, Ky., to join the battery which had been there about three months. Mr. Hurst served three years in the Union army, and was finally mustered out by general order at Jackson, Mich. He participated in some of the most important battles of the war, and also met the enemy in many minor engagements and skirmishes. During his army career Mr. Hurst participated in the siege and capture of Vicksburg, and then crossed the Mississippi River at Grand Gulf, running the blockade on the 29th of April. On the 2d of May following he, with his regiment, engaged in the bloody battle of Ft. Gibson, which was continued to July 4. In the meantime Mr. Hurst was captured twenty miles in the rear of Vicksburg, and taken to Libby Prison, being on a sixteen days march, and did not rejoin his regiment until December following, at New Orleans. There lie was exchanged, and about that time Gen. Kilpatrick made a raid upon the city, succeeded in getting within the limits, and then retreated. The intention had been to blow up the prison. After rejoining his battery Mr. Hurst went to Texas, and there participated in the battle at Ft. Esparanza, thence returned to Mobile, Ala., and was present at the surrender of that city. This was now near the close of the war, and not long afterward he proceeded via New Orleans up the river to Cairo, 111., where he received his honorable discharge. On the 15th of November, 1866, Mr. Hurst was married to Harriet M. Wilson, second daughter of John and Phoebe Wilson, who were old pioneers of the county. Mrs. Wilson (lied in 1851, when Harriet M. was but five years old, leaving her without, I I I I II i i i r — 4d&P Tile parents of our subject were natives of Ireland, and came to the United States soon after their marriage, accompanied by the paternal grandparents. The father carried on farming until within three years of his death, which occurred in September, 1874. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, a Republican in politics, and an honest, upright man, who made a record of which his children can never be ashamed. The mother survived her husband twelve years, and died at Coldwater, in the summer of 1887. She also belonged to the Metlodist Episcopal Church, and was a faithful and kind woman, devoted to her husband and children, and always ready to do a favor for her neighbors. They came to Michigan in 1857, and settled on a farm near Tekonsha, in Calhoun County, where they lived two years, then came to Coldwater Township, where the father operated a farm about two miles east of the city, until the fall of 1863. He then purchased a house and lot in the city, to which he removed, and spent the remainder of his life. William Hurst, our subject, acquired his educa I I ___ 1 A I0 --- sipI~II1111 r --- ' rI rrs rIIIrl. 1 C — w I __,. 1 I I I Im -. BRANCH COUNTY. 565 a mother, and she found a home with the family of James M. Hawks, this being her mother's wish before she died, and remained in their home until she was married, securing a good common-school education. Of this marriage two children have been born: Ida May, Feb. 19, 1870, and Nina V., March 30, 1879, both living, and lovely children. Upon returning home, Mr. Hurst resumed work at his trade, and a year later established in business for himself. This he continued successfully until 1885, when, on account of failing health, he was obliged to retire. He is now serving his second year as Justice of the Peace. He has always voted the Republican ticket, and socially, belongs to the I. O. O. F., in which he has held a number of the important offices, and is a member of Butterworth Post No. 109, G. A. R. /Ma YRON H. ALDRICH, a general farmer and stock-raiser, resides on section 21, Gilead Township, where he owns thirty-five acres of fine, well-improved land, besides eleven acres adjoining in the State of Indiana. He has brought his land to a fine state of cultivation, and has it well stocked with good grades of domestic animals, receiving from a small farm well tilled, net profits more than result from a large farm partially neglected. Mr. Aldrich is a native of this county, and was born in Girard Township in 1845. He is the younger of two children born to Harris H. and Lucinda (Harris) Aldrich, natives of New York, who came to Michigan among the earliest pioneers, and settled near Adrian, Lenawee County, where they resided some time, and improved a farm. Thence they subsequently came to this county, and settling in Girard Township, again faced the trials of pioneer life. They overcame all opposing elements, however, and improving a farm made it their home for some years. Subsequently Mr. Aldrich became a boatman on the canal in Northern Ohio, and was thus engaged for a period of seventeen years. He removed to Iowa in 1862, and remained there until his decease, which occurred in 1880, at the age of sixty-three years. The mother of our subject had passed away some years before, when Myron H. was an infant of two years. Our subject was reared to farm life, but became well acquainted with milling and lumbering, and also learned the trade of a stonemason. He received such education as could be obtained at odd intervals in the district schools of Branch County at that day, and thus passed his morning of life until he reached his seventeenth year. The patriotism which has made this country famous was a strong characteristic of young Aldrich. and responding to the cry of his bleeding country he enlisted in the army at Burr Oak, March 26, 1862, for a period of three years or during the war. He was a member of Company A, 15th Michigan Infantry, and was mustered into service at Monroe, Mich., whence he started immediately for St. Louis, and from there directly to the front, where he participated in the battles of Shiloh and Corinth, and also in the siege of Vicksburg; he took part in the battles around Atlanta, and was a color guard the day Gen. McPherson was killed, and brought the colors off the ground. He was with Sherman on that memorable march to the sea, and in the Carolina campaign. Our young hero participated in seventeen battles and escaped without a wound, though he was at one time knocked down by a shell which exploded near where he was standing. He took part in the final grand review at Washington, D. C., and was mustered out at Little Rock, Ark., and honorably discharged at Detroit, Sept. 18, 1865. Mr. Aldrich re-enlisted in the same company after his three years' service, which ended in March, 1865, as a veteranized volunteer. At the close of the war he returned to Michigan, but after a short visit of two weeks he went to Iowa and made that State his home for eighteen months. Immediately after the close of the war our subject was united in marriage with "the girl he left behind him" when he went to the front, Miss Amelia Cure, a native of the Empire State, where she was born in 1845, and was the eldest in a family of three children born to Lyman and Margaret (Plumley) Cure, also natives of that State. They were among the early settlers of Lenawec County,, I 4, w! 'q"J _-: - a- I 1 1-40 L t. _ I. _ I tt 566 BRANCH COUNTY. I Mich., but afterward came to Branch County, where the marriage of their daughter with our subject was celebrated. The father died in Bethel Township in 1884, at the age of seventy-three years, while the mother still survives, and is a resident of this county. After marriage the young couple removed to Iowa, but soon returned to Branch County, where they have since resided. To Mr. and Mrs. Aldrich there have been born two children: Ernest H., who is employed in Coldwater, Mich., and Bertha, who resides at home with her parents. These children have enjoyed the advantages of a good education, and are fitted to act well their part in whatever sphere they may be called upon to labor. Our subject and his wife and their daughter are members of the Congregational Church, and are worthy and consistent members of society. Mr. Aldrich takes an active part in politics, and is a stanch supporter of the Republican party, which course he pursues purely from principle, as he does not covet the emoluments of office. He is a member of the Grange Building. Mr. Aldrich earned an enviable war record. Going into the army at so young an age and enlisting as a private, lie passed through the different grades of promotion and came out, at the age of twenty years, with the rank of Second Lieutenant. Besides enlisting at so tender an age he was also a cripple, having lost two fingers during childhood. |Mf ARTIN F. BUELL, Agent of the Michigan Central Railroad, at Union City, is an off1 spring of a substantial old family of Connecticut ancestry, and the son of Justus and Eineline (Blakeman) Buell, who were natives of New York State, and spent their last years in Union City, the father dying in June, 1869, and the mother a number of years before. They were the parents of eight children, four of whom lived to mature years, namely: Judson W., Martin F., David B. and Jasper D. The latter died in California. Our subject was born in Union City, Oct. 6, 1841, at a time when the present town gave little indication of its future prosperity. He pursued his first studies in the district school, and later attended Eastman College, at Poughkeepsie, N. Y., from which he was graduated, and then returning to his native town, remained with his parents until the death of the father, and was then appointed administrator of the estate. About that time he entered the employ of the Michigan Central Railroad as Station Agent, which position he has occupied since the 18th of January, 1871. He has discharged his duties in a faithful and conscientious manner, gaining the good-will both of the great corporation which employs him and the citizens whom he has uniformly treated in a most courteous and obliging manner. Mr. Buell, soon after the outbreak of the late Rebellion, was one of the first to respond to the call for volunteers, enlisting April 18, 1861, in Company A, Loomis Michigan Battery, in which lie served three years and three months. His regiment was assigned to the Army of the Cumberland, and he took part in the battles of Stone River, Chickamauga, Perryville, Middle Fork Bridge, Hoover's Gap, Green River, Mission Ridge, and also met the enemy in many other minor engagements and skirmishes. He acquitted himself valiantly as a soldier, receiving the approval of his superior officers, and amid the vicissitudes of war gained a rich experience with which he would not willingly part. Although experiencing many hairbreadth escapes, he was fortunate in neither being wounded nor captured, and after the surrender of Lee at Appomattox was permitted to return to his home in safety. After leaving the army, Mr. Buell supplemented his early education by a course of study in Union City. When ready to establish a home of his own, he was united in marriage with Miss Mary J. Perry, Jan. 6, 1869, at the home of the bride in Union City. Mrs. Buell was born in Burlington, Calhoun County, this State, April 7, 1846, and is the daughter of Edwin and Eliza (Spencer) Perry, who are still living, and residents of Union City. Mr. and Mrs. Buell began the journey of life together at a modest home in Union City, and became the parents of five children, one of whom, Bonnie B., the I is a Ahak ~ ~.- to I- - 1IIIIC I'll -II-4,-P~ * J < I -1-1- ------ --- mb- 0 r~-~S-~O - I RI-4 Il01 I-II-a~-~-C3 I — ~ BRANCH COUNUTY. 567 1 Ai BRANC COUNY. 56 I third child, died when an interesting little girl three years of age. Their eldest was named Perry J.; the others are Daisy E., Glynne G., and anll infant unnamed. Mr. Buell is a zealous supporter of Republican principles. Ile has held the various minor offices, represented Union Township in the County Board of Supervisors one term, and has been Chairman of the School Board of Union City a number of years. He has (lone good service for the party in this county, and socially, belongs to Corbin Post No. 88, G. A. R., also Lodge No. 28, A. F. & A. M., and Chapter No. 53. He also belongs to the Knights of Maccabee. IHis pleasant home is located in the southern part of the town, and he and his estimable wife number hosts of friends among its best people. Besides his village property, he owns a good farm of eighty acres in Union Township, and other desirable real estate. 7 OHN RUMSEY. The pioneers of this county I still living remember the advent into the county of this, one of its best citizens, who cast his lot with the early settlers of Matteson Township in 1846. He took up his residence then to stay, and has carried out his first idea in the establishment of a homestead, and surrounding himself and family with all the comforts of life. The first purchase of our subject after coming to Southern Michigan was a tract of land on section 26 in Matteson Township, which he improved and lived upon for a period of twenty years. Then selling out, he purchased his present farm on section 14 in Noble Township. This comprises eighty acres, which he has built up from the primitive soil into one of the best farms of this region, mostly by his own unaided industry. He has a neat and substantial dwelling, suitable barns and outhouses, and one of the finest orchards in the township. He has been no unimportant factor in sustaining the reputation of Noble Trownshil as a desirable place of residence. John Rumsey was born in Marion County, Ohio, March 8, 1822. and is the son of Nathaniel and Elizabeth (Rider) Rumsey, who were natives of the State of New York, and of English ancestry. The father many years ago left the Empire State for Ohio, and died in Marion County, about 1838. The mother subsequently married Benjamin Stebbins, and when our subject was a lad of thirteen years came with her husband to Michigan and located in St. Joseph County, where both spent the remainder of their lives. To Nathaniel and Elizabeth Rumsey there were born thirteen children, three of whom are living. Our subject upon reaching manhood was married first, in Matteson Township, to Miss Maria Staley, and became the mother of six children, namely: George, Luana, Jane, Margaret, Susan and John. Susan died at the age of thirteen years. The others are all living, married, and settled in comfortable homes of their own. Mrs. Maria Rumsey was the daughter of John and Margaret Staley, who spent their last years in Michigan. She departed this life at her home in Noble Township in 1868. In June, 1880, Mr. Rumsey was married to Mrs. Mary E. Imhoff. of Noble Township. This lady was the widow of Jacob Imhoff, of this township, by whom she became the mother of eight children, namely: Lizzie, Sarah Ann, Catherine, Mary, Peter, John, Samuel and Annetta. They are all living in Michigan. To our subject and his present wife there has been born one child, a son, Ernest, in April 1883. Both Mr. and Mrs. Rumsey are members in good standing of the Mennonite Church, and our subject, politically, affiliates with the Democratic party. He keeps himself well posted upon matters of general interest, and contributes as he has opportunity to those projects tending to the general welfare of the community. He occupies a good position among the intelligent men of the county. — sc --- —----— 2 ONATHAN T. RUSSELL, a son of one of the earliest pioneers of this county, was born in Sherwood Township, Sept. 15, 1836, and has followed its growth and development from first principles to its present condition. With the exception of three years spent in the State I.I 4:I -- qeA L 1 — i Ie OINP ~ ii ~- ~ we *, i -~ _ L 568 BRANCH COUNTY. f I of New York, he has been a continuous resident of Sherwood Township, and engaged chiefly in agricultural pursuits. He remembers the time when the first humble dwelling in the forest was frequently approached by Indians, tomahawk in hand, who demanded the surrender of some one of their enemies, whom they imagined was harbored by the white man. Over the ground once trodden by the savages a great change has passed, and the farm of our subject has been eliminated from the wilderness largely by his own personal efforts and labors. Joseph Russell, the father of our subject, was born in Vermont, May 19, 1803, and came to the Territory of Michigan in 1834. He redeemed a portion of the wilderness and was engaged as a tiller of the soil until his death, which occurred in the spring of 1861. The mother, Arabella (Gorton) Russell, was born in New York State, and passed away before the decease of her husband, on the 6th of September, 1850. Their family consisted of three sons and three daughters, only two of whom are living, namely: Our subject and his sister Hannah, the latter a resident of York State. Our subject continued under the parental roof until reaching manhood, and was married first to Miss Sarah A., daughter of Austin Parks, of New York State. Of this union there were born three daughters, all of whom are living, namely: Mary A., Mrs. Lockwood, of Wexford County, this State; Frances M., Mrs. Boylen, of Union City, and an unmarried daughter, Hannali J., who is now engaged as a teacher in the public schools. His second wife was a half-sister of the first, Miss Caroline Fulton, daughter of Cornelius Fulton, a native of New York State, who died in Iowa in 1860. The mother of these ladies, Mary S. (Chase) Fulton, was a native of New York State, and born April 7, 1809, in Teverton County. She passed away at her home in New York State, May 7, 1857. Mr. Russell purchased his present farm about 1866, and besides carrying on agriculture successfully, served as Justice of the Peace, and has been prominently identified with the Masonic fraternity, officiating as Master of the lodge at Athens, and has occupied the same position five years with the Patrons of Husbandry, still holding the office. His farming operations have been conducted in a system atic and praiseworthy manher, while his home is complete with modern comforts and conveniences. Among the men with whom he has grown up from his boyhood he is considered as a responsible and reliable citizen, and one who has contributed his full quota to the welfare and progress of his township. c440cE WILLIAM WILLIS. In the spring of 1863, more than twenty-five years ago, the subject of this sketch located on his present homestead, which comprises sixty-five acres of land on section 17, and where through a course of industry and perseverance he has built up one of the most desirable country homes in Batavia Township. He also owns eighty acres on section 9, and has accumulated sufficiently of this world's goods to provide comfortably for him during the rest of his life. Our subject, a native of Ohio, was born in Deerfield Township, Portage County, Sept. 18, 1823, and is the son of William Willis, Sr., who was born and reared in the North of Ireland. The latter crossed the Atlantic when a young man, and located in Allegheny County, Pa., where he was in due time married to Miss Elizabeth Alfred, a native of Connecticut, and of English parentage. The maternal grandparents of our subject emigrated to Allegheny County, Pa., while their daughter, the mother of our subject. was yet a girl. Later she was married there to William Willis, four of their children being born there. Later in life they moved to Portage County, Ohio, where they established a home, the father (lying there when a little past middle life; the mother survived her husband many years, and spent her last days at the home of her son William, in Portage County, Ohio, where she died in March, 1859, at the age of seventy-five years. Mr. Willis, our subject, grew to manhood in his native county, and shortly afterward migrated to Summit County adjoining, where he met his future wife, Miss Amanda E. Norton, who was born there Feb. 13,1827, and was the daughter of Lester A. and I a 4Ut as -h A ------- J J. 'I wvp --- - - - r I ' -l I"- I I 569 ' BRANCH COUNTY. B C O Susan (Johnson) Norton,who were located in Springfield Township. There the father died at the homestead in July, 1881. after he had spanned his fourscore years. The mother still survives, and although eighty-seven years old, retains her strength of body and minrd in a remarkable degree. Mr. Norton carried on farming all his life. He was born in New York State, and went to Ohio when a young man, where he met his future wife, and they were married in Summit County, where he spent the remainder of his days. Mr. N. was in the early days a member of the old Whig party, but later, upon its abandenment, identified himself with the Republicans. The mother has been for many years a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. She was, with her husband, one of the earliest pioneers of Summit County, and watched its development with that warm interest which only those can feel who have experienced the hardships and privations of life in a new settlement. The wife of our subject was born in Springfield Township, Summit Co., Ohio, Feb. 13, 1827. She was reared and educated in her native township, and remained a member of her father's household until her marriage. Of her union with our subject there is one child only, a (aughter, Gertrude E., who was educated in the public schools of Batavia Township, and continues at home with her parents. Mr. Willis. was thoroughly drilled in Republican principles by his honored father, and uniformly gives his support to the party representing them. - LONZO B. ALLEN, a representative and I reputable farmer of this county, is pleas/ antly located in Cold water Township, where he owns a fine farm of 240 acres, the greater part of which is improved. Mr. Allen was born in Pittsford, Vt., July 11, 1829, and has all the sterling qualities which so largely characterize the people of the New England States, to whom Southern Michigan is so much indebted for its progressive element. The subject of this biographical sketch is the son of John and Esther (Blackman) Allen, of whom a sketch appears elsewhere in this ALBUM. He was in his third year when his parents removed to the Empire State, and so remembers nothing of his native place. As soon as old enough he began an attendance upon the common schools of York State, and pursued his studies, besides assisting in the duties of the farm, until he reached the age of fourteen years, at which time the family came to Michigan and settled in Branch County. He continued his studies in the public schools at Coldwater and supplemented the education he thus obtained by an attendance at Hillsdale College. At the age of twenty-two years he engaged in tile profession of a teacher, which he followed several terms, engaged in the school-room in winter, while the rest of the year was spent in farm work. In 1852 he purchased a tract of land lying on sections 35 and 26, Coldwater '1 ownship, and which is included in his present farm. At the time of purchase fifteen acres of the land were partially improved and contained a log house and a stable of the same material. Mr. Allen was then unmarried and did not settle on the land at once, but resumed teaching until his marriage, after whicli he settled on the place and has been a resident continuously ever since. He first erected a building for a waRgon-house and lived in that until he could put up a frame house. When Mr. Allen reached a position in life that warranted incurring the additional responsibility, he was united in marriaoe with Miss Hannah Mary Barnes, the ceremony taking place Dec. 13, 1860. Mrs. Allen was born at Saratoga Springs, N. Y., Dec. 28, 1836, while her father, Smith Barnes, was also a native of that State. Orphaned at an early age, Mr. Barnes went to reside with an uncle in Saratoga County, and remained there until about 1851, and then came to Branch County and settled in Coldwater Township, where lie purchased eighty acres of land on section 27, on which he continued to reside until his decease. The mother of Mrs. Allen was in her girlhood Luentha Morehouse, a native of the Empire State, and the daughter of Aaron and Delora Morehouse. To Mr. and Mrs. Allen have been born four children, two of whom are living, Smith B. and Nellie L., the former of whom married Katy Brown and resides on a farm i I r^ f — qw I! - _ l k 4- qlq - - -- 1 —~1 - II' I I - y- - - -1 -- 1-. VO" -c _~ ___ I I - - - Whm m m- K Me 5 I i -. l _Ok. L 570 -P- am -.q" BRANCH COUNTY. adjoining the homestead. Esther M. was born March 8, 1864, and died Sept. 27, 1868; Mary was born Sept. 27, 1868, and died Aug. 3, 1887. The maternal grandfather of our subject, Asa Blackman, was born in New Hampshire, and was an early setties of Brandon. He improved a farm which he sold in 1834, and removed to another farm in the vicinity, where he spent the remainder of his life. His wife was also born in the Granite State, and died at the homestead previous to the death of her husband. Mr. Allen was for many years a Democrat, and cast his first vote for President for Stephen A. Douglas, but having become convinced that that party had proved itself unable to stem the tide of abuses with which this country was afflicted, had the courage to cut loose from the old party, believing that lie could labor better for the general good in the ranks of the Greenback party, where he took his place in 1876. lie still keenly appreciates the demand of the country for constant watchfulness and protection against the frequent endeavors of the money powers to control legislation, remembering the maxim of Thomas Jefferson, "Where the money of the country is lodged, there will be its political influence." Mr. Allen has at various times been an officer in his school district, and has represented his town three terms on the Board of Supervisors. G YRUS HILLS is one of the most enterprising and progressive citizens of Branch County, and takes a leading position among the farmers of Butler Townshilp, owning on section 36 one of the best farms in this locality. He comes from fine old New England stock, although he is himself a native of the Empire State, born in Bristol Township, Ontario County, March 4, 1830. His parents, Cyrus and Sarah (Nicholls) Hills, were natives respectively of Rutland County, Vt., and Connecticut. His paternal grandfather, Erastus Hills, became a soldier during the Revolution, enlisting at the age of eighteen, and serving for six years, until the close of the war. After marriage the parents of our subject settled in Bristol Township, Ontario Co., N. Y., where the father became very prosperous, was an extensive farmer, and the owner of 300 acres of valuable land. In 1852 he was attacked and gored to death by an angry bull, he being then fifty-seven years old. His death was esteemed a great calamity to the township where he had made his home for so many years, as by his wisdom and sound judgment he had been often looked to for advice and counsel, both in private affairs and public matters, and he had efficiently served as Supervisor of the township. In his political affiliations he was a Whig. The good mother of our subject departed this life in 1867, at the age of sixty-five years. To her and her husband had been born ten children, eight of whom grew to maturity, four boys and four girls, of whom our subject was the third child and first son in order of birth. Our subject was reared in his native town. receiving his education in the common schools, his attendance in the halls of learning being limited to the winter terms after he was ten years old, as at that age. like all farmers' boys of that day, lie was considered old enough to make himself useful on the farm. He thus gained a thorough, practical knowledge of the calling that he afterwtard adopted as best shited to his tastes. On the 15th of January, 1850, our subject was united in marriage to Miss Mary, daughter of John E. and Mehitable (Olmstead) Leete. Her parents were born in Vermont and New York respectively, and locating in West Bloomfield, Ontario Co., N. Y., lived there until 1847, the father being engaged in his calling as a blacksmith. In the year just mentioned he removed with his family to Bristol Township, and became a neighbor of Mr. Hills. He bought a farm of sixty acres and managed it successfully until his death in 1863, at the age of sixty-three years. The mother subsequently' came to Michigan, and made her home with her daughter and our subject, dying in 1886, at the age of eighty-six years. She and her husband were the parents of four sons and four daughters, of whom Mrs. Hills was the fifth child in order of birth. She was born June 14, 1832, in West Bloomfield, Ontario Co., N. Y., and was educated in the village school. Mr. Hills worked at lumbering in New York for I v i L — upp-MI ~11 -! 4:! I...._ ---------------— ~ --- —---— --- — i ! bkm- I bo i " U I a- I -Rw BRANCH COUNTY. 571 several years, having an interest in sawmill property in South Bristol. He was fo tunate while working for himself and made money, but through an employer's failure sustained a loss of $3,000, and practically had to begin life again at thirtyseven. He then concluded to turn his attention again to the calling to which he had been reared, and desiring to purchase a farm in the rich agricultural region embraced in what was formerly the great Northwestern Territory, he came to Michigan in 1867, and in the winter went to Illinois to explore the rich farming lands of tlat State. Not liking the prairie country, he returned to Michigan, and bought sixty acres of land, which is now included in his farm on section 36, Butler Township. He has since purchased twenty acres more land, and by his excellent methods of cultivation has rendered his farm very valuable and productive. He has built a commodious dwelling and has also erected a good barn, and made various other improvements. He has paid much attention to the raising of sheep, and now has a fine drove of ninety-six high-grade Merinos, with a thoroughbred buck at the head of the drove. Mr. Hills and his amiable wife are hligh-minded people, whose benevolence, kindness, and genial manners, have won for them a warm place in the hearts of their fellow-citizens, and their beautiful home is the scene of much generous and pleasant hospitality, as they both believe in enjoying the fruits of their labors, instead of hoarding their money. Mr. Hills is an intelligent and well-informed man, of decidedly independent views on all subjects, and in politics he is tied to no party, but votes for men of principle. ANIEL D. WAGGOTT, a lawyer residing in Bronson, is a collector, a real-estate agent, and transacts a general law business. He made his advent into Bronson in 1881, and was for four years editor and proprietor of the Bronson Journal. Previous to this he had been editor and proprietor of the Coldwater Press, pub lished at Coldwater, and was thus engaged five years. Before going to the latter place he established the Oxford Journal, which he edited and published for about three years. Mr. Waggott learned the printing business with E. D. Allen, manager of the Michigan Christian Advocate, of Detroit, and his first venture on his own account was as publisher of the Morenci Times, of Lenawee County. D. D. Waggott was born in Clinton, Lenawee County, March 31, 1853, and is the son of George W. and Julia S. (Ellis) Waggott, natives of England and New York respectively. Mr. Waggott was united in marriage, May 5, 1878, with Mrs. Frances Ramsdill, of Coldwater, and the daughter of Leander and Fanny Hamilton, of Butler Township. In 1872 Mr. Waggott began the study of law with S. T. Fenn, of Oxford, and with Lawyer Treat. of the same place. He then engaged in the practice of his profession, continuing at the same time to edit the Journal. until the year 1t85, when, in August of that year, he sold his interest in the paper to the present editor and proprietor, C. W. Owen. Since this Mr. Wnggott has given his whole attention to the practice of law, and has built up a large and lucrative business, being classed among the leading legal representatives of the county. His long and familiar connection with the newspaper business gave him a good insight into human nature, and an enviable prestige throughout the State. He was known indeed throughout the United States, and has a record enjoyed by few men. Nature endowed Mr. Waggott with a large share of her best gifts, including intellectual ability of a high order, logical, discriminating and comprehensive. He is a close reasoner, an impressive and eloquent speaker, and has acquired a good reputation at the bar. Though still a young man, his varied experience with men and thinlgs has given him ripeness of judgment beyond his years, and the future holds out to him bright prospects. While in the editorial chair Mr. Waggott advocated the tenets of the Greenback party, but being convinced that that party was pursuing a policy that must result disastrously to the great business interests of the country, he had the courage to cut loose from its ranks, believing that he could labor ' - — FM* - lr-"" ~ C k I -,doY 1 k - _ ^I I _ L I I i I II 1) I I r, 572 BRANCH COUNTY. — it I - ---- ~ - _ better for the general good of the country with the Democratic party. He still keenly appreciates the demand of the country for constant watchfulness and care, and takes an active interest in political matters, while he is recognized as authority on the vital questions of the day. Socially, Mr. Waggott is a member of the I. O. 0. F., of Anchor Lodge No. 281, at Oxford, Oakland Co., Mich. ANSING M. GRAY, dealer in horses and ice at Cold water, holds a good position among its leading business men, and is full worthy of representation in a work of this kind. His early years were spent in Black River, Pa., where his tirth took llace Oct. 14, 1833. His parents, Newell and Sabra Gray, were natives of Pennsylvania, and their family included six children, namely: Lansing M., who is the eldest; Susan, Mrs. Clark Fuller; Amos; Sarah Jane, the wife of Seth Monroe; Isaac, who died in early manhood, and Mary, who died when ten years of age. The father of our subject was a blacksmith by trade, and emigrated to New York, settling near the city of Rochester, where he carried on business for himself and remained about five years. Thence he went to West Bergen, lived there eight years, and then leaving the Empire State, came to the western part of this county, and settled in Matteson Township about 1856. Here he followed his trade as before until the close of his life. He was a Republican, politically, and although not a member of any church, was fairly entitled to be called a Christian man, as he made it the rule of his life to follow the precepts set down in the Scriptures. The mother is still living, making her home with her eldest daughter, Susan, at Bronson. She has admirably fulfilled all her duties in life, being devoted to her family and possessed of all the womanly virtues. Our subject when a lad twelve years of age commenced working out, his only schooling thereafter being conducted in the winter season. He made his home with his parents until twenty years old, coning west with his father's family and working by the month. He was the employe of Stephen Rose, of Bronson, for six or seven years, then buying a team embarked in business for himself, hauling goods, etc. At the expiration of this time he purchased a patent pump, of which article he became the manufacturer, at the same time selling, and continued in this business until elected Constable of Cold water Township. This office Mr. Gray held eight years, and in the meantime was also Deputy Sheriff two years. To the office of Sheriff he was nominated and elected without his knowledge or any previous intimation of such an honor-not even knowing that he had been chosen for the office until he was asked to qualify. In connection with his other business, he had also purchased a sprinkler, which received a good patronage from the city residents of Coldwater, and which he retained until meeting with an accident and suffering a broken leg. He now commenced buying and selling horses, shipping by the carload each month to Eastern cities. and dealing largely in the interests of F. E. Benham, of Waterbury, Conn. Socially, Mr. Gray belongs to the I. O. O. F. and the A. O. U. W., among whose circles he is popular as well as in the business community. He is now in the enjoyment of a fine business and a good property, which is wholly the result of his own industry and perseverance. He was first married to Miss Clarinda Bailey, of Coldwater, who (lied without children in 1868. His present wife, Miss Martha Jane Hudson, to whom he was wedded on the 8th of May, 1872, was born on the St. Lawrence River, in Upper Canada, Nov. 29, 1849. Mrs. Gray is the daughter of James and Mary (Smithers) Hudson, and was the sixth in a family of seven children. The eldest, Joseph S., was born June 21, 1840; Thomas H., in October, 1841; William H., May 8, 1843; Mary E., Jan. 22, 1845; James A., Nov. 7, 1847, and Richard B., Nov. 16, 1853. James Hudson, the father of Mrs. Gray, was born in London, England, July 26, 1809, and came to America with his parents when a young man twentytwo years of age. They settled in Upper Canada, and engaged in farming. Mr. Hudson, in 1855, removed to DeKalb County, Ill., where he rented a w _w., i. I 5:::,:::::; f.:: i.. d S I l -.w * b -i t I r I ~... r 000 II-,, -7Ar, eC 1 V i — 4 I L l sSof 1i I r / --- —--— --- —- --- —--- W - I~ — rsnr I~I --- -- -,~r --- -e ~ r~ BRANCH COUNTY. 573 farm, and later purchased a house and lot in the town of DeKalb, where he is still living. He is a straightforward, upright citizen, affiliates with the Republican party, and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. His wife, Mary, was the daughter of Joseph and Mary Smithers, and was born Dec. 17, 1811, in Liverpool, England. Slie was married to Mr. Hudson in Canada, Feb. 4, 1838. She had crossed the Atlantic with her parents when a young woman of nineteen years, they settlingin New York State. She also was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, a lady of very lovely disposition, and possessed the warm friendship of a large circle of acquaintances. She departed this life at her home in DeKalb County, Ill., in September. 1886. To Mr. and Mrs. Gray there have been born four children, of whom there is only one living. Charles, the eldest, was born April 6, 1873; Len, May 22, 1877; Goldie M., Jan. 8, 1879, and Glenn, Dec. 11, 1886. The latter died March 10, 1887, and the two first mentioned also died in infancy. EHOMAS F. ROBINSON, junior member of the firm of Rand all & Rolinson, editors and proprietors of the Union City Local, the Sherwood Press, the Tekonsha 2News and the Burlington Echo, needs little beyond this simple statement to indicate him as a very enterprising business man. one thoroughly alive to the needs of the times, and ready to avail himself of every opportunity for advancement, not only in the interests of the people about him, but at the same time keeping a sensible look-out on his own behalf. IMr. Robinson is quite a young man, is mainly self-made and self-educated, possesses more than ordinary business capacities, and has entered upon a career which promises well for the future. Next to the contemplation of a man's career, the mind involuntarily reverts to his progenitors. Rev. Thomas Robinson, the father of our subject, is a native of Leicestershire, England, and is still living, being located as pastor of the First Baptist Church at Chelsea, tis State. The mother, who in her girlhood was Miss Mary Fitchett, died at her home in Tekonslia, in 1865. They were the parents of six children, of whom Thomas F., our subject, was the third in order of birth. -le first opened his eyes to the light in Flint. Genesee County, this State, July 17. 1860, where his parents lived until he was about four years of age, then removing to Flushing, from there to Detroit, and from the City of the Straits, in 1879, Thomas F. came to Tekonsha. He acquired a common-school education, and learned the printer's trade at Lyons. This completed, he established himself at Tekonsha, where he became the proprietor of thle News, of that place, and conducted the paper, in connection with its job office, for four or five years. In 1885 Messrs. Randall & Robinson entered into partnership), and established themselves at Union City in the summer of that year. They at once began the publication of tile Union City Local, and have made it one of the indispensable institutions of this part of the county. The Local is a lively, newsy sheet, fearless in the expression of its opinions, taking a lively interest in township affairs, and in its editorial columns indicating the push and enterprise which have made the young firm one of the most popular in this region. All their papers have an excellent circulation, indeed more than the average country newspaper. In connection with tile Local is a finely equipped job office, which is liberally patronized by the people of tis section, who take a real interest and pride in the success of the little journal, which seems bound to succeed in a field where so many fail. The Sherwood Press was started in 1887, and Mr. Robinson established the Burlington Echo in 1883, while conducting the Tekonsha News. Hie is a general favorite in social circles in this part of the county, and has hosts of friends who wish him all the success possible. Arthur G. Randall, senior member of the firm, was born in Tekonsha about 1850, and after leaving the primary scllools entered Hillsdale College, from which he was graduated with honors and engaged( as teacher. He is still Principal of the schools in Tekonsha. He is the son of Harvey and Rhoda Randall, who were natives of New York iL i U \ -_-A B... B -F~ e ~ 11, a llaa- _ I --- - - ~T — - -" ---I~~- - - -. —.1-1- -CC 14 ~L 0 r I H, - - I - i - If ow m 04 _~ 90 --— sL-l --- — C ---L_ Lq~ a~ — ~ I - I 574 BRANCH COUNTY. N State. His early life was spent, when not at school, in Tekonsha. Hle was married in the latter place, in 1876, to Miss Mary F. Robinson, a sister of his partner, who was born in Leicestershire, England, June 20, 1856, and came to America with her parents when four years old. They have three interesting children-Alice, Lois and Frederick, and occupy a snug home in Tekonsha. Mr. Randall is also a first-class business man, full of energy. and well fitted to occupy his position as head of the enterprising young firm. He attends mainly to the Tekonsha office, while Mr. Robinson has charge of the main office at Union City. E ON. JOHN H. BENNETT, M. D. A bio) graphical work of the prominent and representative citizens of Branch County that lid not include the name of Mr. Bennett would be incomplete, and we therefore are gratified to present the following brief sketch of his life: The subject of this notice was born at Chenango, Boone Co., N. Y., Dec. 6, 1826, and is the third in order of birth in a family of four children born to Jacob and Leah (Conkling) Bennett. The other children are: Elijah; Esther, who became the wife of Ephraim B. Bushnell, and Peter B. Jacob Bennett was born in Sussex County, N. J., in July, 1800, and was the son of Henry and Elizabeth (Taney) Bennett, the former also a native of New Jersey. Henry Bennett, who was of Dutch descent, his father having come from Holland, and settled in New Jersey at an early day, served in the French and Indian War, and also in the war of the Revolution. The father of our subject followed the trade of a carpenter and joiner in addition to farming, and owned at different times several farms in and around Boone County. In July, 1833, he removed to Licking County, Ohio, but remaining only until the following March, he came to Lenawee County, and settled near Adrian, where he purchased a tract of land of the Government, and engaged in farming. In 1839 lie came to this county, and settled in the township of Quincy, on a tract of land bought of the Government, and in that vicinity he resided until his death, in June, 1876. He was a member of the State Militia in New York, holding the rank of Captain, and at various times held many of the township offices. He was; very ingenious man, and possessed a remarkable memory and reasoning power, although his education was limited. In politics he was first a Whig and later in life a Republican. The mother of our subject was a native of Ulster County, N. Y., and a daughter of John and Susan (Conkilng) Conkling. She was a good Christian woman, and (lied in July, 1835, of cancer of the breast, beloved and honored by all who had the pleasure of her acquaintance. The early life of our subject was spent with his father, assisting in clearing land, hunting and trapping bears, wolves, etc., and hie attended school only nine weeks up the age of nineteen years. He learned to read and write at home with the aid of his sister, and at nineteen years of age he came to Coldwater, and hiring with Dr. W. H. Hanchett by the month, remained in his employ two years, at $10 for the first month, and $12 a month for the remainder of the time. He then began the study of medicine in connection with his work, and by studious application made rapid progress. But his eyes failed under the long hours of study, inflammation set in, and for a time he had to relinquish his much loved study. At length, in October, 1851, he went to New York, where he remained until January of the next year, and regaining his eyesight, returned, and resumed reading medicine, this time with William )orr, M. D., at Chenango Forks. While thus engaged he obtained the appointment of Division Engineer on the Binghamton & Syracuse Railroad, now a part of the Delaware & Lackawanna. Our subject had obtained his knowledge of mathematics and surveying by taking private instructions, and in a select school, and has always been a great student, spending his leisure moments on practical subjects. Even at present, at the age of sixtytwo years, lie is engaged in the study of Greek, and is already considered a good Greek scholar. In 1854 our subject was graduated from Berkshire Medical College, at Pittsfield, Mass., and also from the Syracuse Medical College, and then went to Boston and engaged in the City Hospital for the Am I 1 - iL, 960. is1 - op-711WTI.l~"lllrl~- -r ll~lllllC ~ -r~-1 III IYI)I~LL/lBI -~q...... L -'a. — JUL BRANCH COUNTY. 575 sake of the clinical experience. He defrayed his college expenses by working for the railroad company, and after a residence in Boston of five months, he returned to Michigan, in October, 1854, at the request of his father, who was not expected to live. He commenced the practice of his profession in Algansee Township, which lie continued there ten years, and came to Coldwater May 10, 1864, where he has since continued to practice medicine, except during the time spent in the State Legislature. In 1 880 Dr. Bennett was elected to the Legislature, and was re-elected two years later, and has also held the office of County Commissioner several terms. He has been County Grain Commissioner, and is now serving his fourth tern as County Surveyor. He never accepts any office more than two consecutive terms, but has held the office of County Surgeon since coming to the city continuously, except four years. He was appointed State Examining Surgeon by Gov. Blair, in 1862, and has also held the office of Assistant Geologist, obtaining his knowledge of geology by private study, and claims that with the facilities of the present day there is no excuse for ignorance. He cast his first vote for Zachary Taylor, and on the dissolution of the Whig party became a Republican, and is a very active and influential member of the party. He has never sustained a defeat at the polls, and has invariably discharged the onerous duties of the various offices faithfully and fearlessly. Hon. John H. Bennett came to this State when nature reigned almost undisturbed, except by the denizens of the forest. Many a (lay has he spent hunting with the Indian chiefs, Muckie Mode and Copiewas, and has watched with undisguised admiration the transformation of the wilderness into blooming fields and industrious and thriving cities. He is a man of recognized ability, of irreproachable character, and his many sterling virtues entitle him to a high place in the esteem and confidence of the community. Our subject was united in marriage, Dec. 24, 1856, with Hannah M. Thompson, who was born in California Township, Branch County, March 27, 1838, and is the youngest daughter and the eighth child in order of birth in a family of eleven children born to William and Betsy (Reed) Thompson. Her father came to Branch County about the time of the admission of Michigan into the Union, and here spent the remaining years of his life, passing away in August, 1856. He was a cooper by trade, which he followed in connection with farming, and was a lifelong member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In politics he affiliated with the Whig party, and upon its dissolution joined the ranks of the Republicans. The mother of our subject's wife was the granddaughter of Gen. Joseph Reed, of Revolutionary fame, he whom the British tried to bribe. Gen. Johnson offered him a large annuity and the best office in the colony if he would lend his influence to the British cause, but Mr. Reed answered: "I am not worth purchasing, but such as I am, the King of Great Britain has not gold enough to buy me." The youthful days of Mrs. Bennett were spent under the parental roof, and she received an education in the common schools of her native place. She is a noble woman, a devoted wife and mother, and a very active member and Class-Leader in the Methodist Episcopal Church. Of her union with Dr. Bennett there have been born three children, who are recorded as follows: Ida M. (lied in 1875, at the age of fifteen years; William E. died March 26, 1870; George H. was born Jan. 25, 1864, and was educated for the ministry at Evanston, Ill., completing his theological course in May, 1888; he gives evidence of adaptability for his noble calling. 0- AVID GIBBS has been a resident of Mat) teson Township for the last twenty years, and owns a snug little farm of eighty acres pleasantly located on section 32. His land is mostly improved, and the buildings erected by himself reflect due credit upon his industry and good judgment. Mr. Gibbs came to this county from the vicinity of LaPorte, Ind., about 1868, to which he had removed from his native State of New York after his marriage. Cayuga County, N. Y., was the early tramping 1_4 I C — ~I_~YP I~RY~~Y~I(~^._U4. III- -- -~ ~ - ir- ~.-PP-^Cm~~~s_~ 40(00 i~ I 4 1 -4 S Sao" a I I, — ~C tl ~, — ~1~4111IL 911 -~11~ II~j~ ---.l wvp-~- I A 4I 576 BRANCH COUNTY. — I ground of our subject, his birth having taken place in Victory Township, June 3, 1837. His father, Darius Gibbs, a native of Vermont. was of New England parentage, and was reared and married in his native State. The mother, formerly Miss Hannah Jones, was a native of the same State as her husband, and soon after marriage they migrated to Cayuga County, N. Y., settling on a farm, where they lived until the birth of their nine children. These included five sons and four daughters. of whom David, owr subject, was the youngest. The parents spent their entire lives where they first settled in Victory Township, the mother dying when about sixty-five years old, and the father after reaching his threescore years and ten. They remained through life il limited circumstances, but were most excellent and worthy people, held in the highest respect by all who knew them. The mother was a member of the Free-Will Baptist Church. David Gibbs, our subject, was reared and educated in his native township, and was there married to Miss Sarah J. Drew. Mrs. Gibbs was born Dec. 22, 1838, and is the daughter of John and Jane (Vanwee) Drew, the former of whom died in LaPorte County, Ind., in 1883, when about seventy years of age. He was a native of England, and emigrated to the United States when a young man, and was married in New York State. The wife and mother is still living, making her home with her sons in Battle Creek, St. Joseph County, this State, being now well advanced in years. Mrs. Gibbs remained under the home roof until her marriage, acquiring a common-school education. Of her union with our subject there have been born six children, namely: Cora A., Ernest E., Darius, Raymon, Gertrude and Harlow, all at home with their parents. After the outbreak of the Civil War, and while a resident of Victory Township, Mr. Gibbs enlisted as a Union soldier, in August, 1862, in Company C, l11th New York Infantry, which was assigned to the Army of the Potomac under the immediate command of Gen. Grant. lHe saw much of the dangers and hardships of war, and at the battle of Harper's Ferry was taken prisoner, after being run over by the rebel cavalry, having three ribs broken and otherwise being greatly injured internally. They had intended to send him with others to Chicago, Ill., but he was finally left at LaPorte, Ind.,and not long afterward released on parol. Upon recovering his health, however, he immediately rejoined his regiment, which wasthen in Centerville, Va., and participated with it in the second battle of Bull Run, and was subsequently in the fight at Gettysburg. Thence the regiment was detailed to Fredericksburg, Va., where Mr. Gibbs fought in the battle of the Wilderness, and received three gunshot wounds besides a serious saber cut across the thigh. One shot went through the right leg below the knee, one through the groin, and a minie ball passed over his left eye, entering his head very near the brain, and remaining there just above and back of the left ear. It broke the left upper jaw, destroyed the sense of touch, and nearly ruined the optic nerve of the left eye. This missile of the enemy he has never been able to get rid of, and it is hardly necessary to say he was disabled for several months, during which time he lay in the hospital at Alexandria, and was finally given his honorable discharge. Our subject upon returning home was joined by his wife at LaPorte, Ind., and they settled there and remained for three years following. Upon removing they took up their residence upon the farm where they now live. The parents and all the children are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, at Bronson, and Mr. Gibbs, politically, uniformly supports Republican principles. In his church he is a Trustee, and among local affairs has officiated as Justice of the Peace for a period of twelve years. Socially, he belongs to the I. 0. O. F., has passed all the Chairs in Lodge No. 227, at Bronson, and is now Chaplain. In the G. A. R. he is Vice Conmander of Hackett Post No. 186. ^ ---. —^^ — - ( LEXANDER R. GREEN, a representative and progressive farmer, pleasantly located f on section 16, Gilead Township, owns a fine and well-improved farm, and is well equipped for the successful prosecution of his calling. In connection with agricultural pursuits he! Lof a _O lllrlll —qq- I 1- q WWP-...... f < --.h is -— 40 -.Elm l"lw U 2Z VP; M 69 I4 l BRANCH COUNTY. 577 J I makes a specialty of stock-raising, and has his farm well stocked with superior high-grade Tom Hunter and Morgan Short-horn cattle. Merino sheep and Poland-China and Chester-White hogs. He has met with that success which this branch of industry prosecuted with good judgment invariably brings, and takes a pardonable pride in the care and management of these fine domestic animals. Mr. Green is a native of that State which has furnished so much of the best and most rugged element of Southern Michigan, having been born in Ellicott, N. Y., in the year 1835. He is the sixth in a family of nine children born to David and Mary Mirenda (Chalker) Green, natives also of the Empire State. They emigrated to Ohio in 1839, and settling in Portage County, remained there two years, after which they came to this county and settled in Gilead Township, near the present residence of our subject. The land was what was called oak openings, and the father of our subject at once erected a frame house, and then set about the improvement of his purchase. He was successful in the enterprise, but after bringing his farm to compare favorably with contiguous homesteads he removed to Coldwater, where he continued to reside until his demise in October, 1886. His excellent wife still survives, and resides at Oakland, Ind. Grandfather Green took part in the war of the Revolution, serving as drum major. Mr. Green was reared to farm life, early becoming inured to the duties attendant thereon, and laid the foundation of an education in the district schools of Branch County. He subsequently attended school at Coldwater, and upon the completion of his studies he engaged in farm pursuits. In 1862, in Gilead Township, the subject of this notice was united in marriage with Miss Esther Gray, a native of the Empire State, where she was born in 1841, and is the second in order of birth in the family of three children born to William and Maria (Ferguson) Green, who were natives of the same State as their daughter. They came to Michigan when Esther was a young girl, and settled in Bethel Township, this county, where the father had bought a farm of eighty acres in the dense wilderness, through which lie had to cut a road in order to reach his purchase. He built a small log house, into which he removed his family, and energetically engaging in the removal of the forest and the cultivation of the soil, he overcame all obstacles, and adding to his real estate from time to time, at length found himself in possession of 240 acres of highly cultivated land, provided with a fine residence and good barns. The father ended his life work in October, 1885, while his excellent wife still survives, and resides on the old homestead with her son. After his marriage our subject settled on the farm where he now resides, and fin'illy bought eighty acres of the heirs to the father's estate. He has erected an elegant farm residence, which has no superior in this part of the county, and in its architecture and adaptability to the wants of a cultured family of this progressive age, it stands as a monument to the taste and thrift of its projectors. He has also erected a commodious barn, and is cultivating a fine orchard. He has added forty acres of land to his original purchase, and is now amply equipped to carry on his peaceful vocation successfully. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Green consists of four children-Nellie M., Gertie B., Clark A. and Leon R. Gertie B., Mrs. Newman, resides at Sturgis, in this State, where her husband is engaged in handling a general line of agricultural implements, while the rest of the children are at home. For obtaining a good education there has been afforded them an excellent opportunity, of which they did not fail to avail themselves, and they left the shelter of the home tree well fitted to take their position as worthy members of society. Mr. Green is practically a self-made man, having begun life without capital and with no influential friends to secure his preferment. What he owns is the result of his own labors, guided by discretion. His farm is situated about four miles from Orland, Jnd., and ten miles from 'Bronson, this county. His tact and practical common sense have been appreciated by his townsmen, who have elected him to some of the most important offices within their gift. He has served acceptably as Town Treasurer three years, and assisted in organizing the school district in his township, since which he has frequently been School Director, and takes an 6I I - 1 I U I m i i= *ON. -1 I j I p --- —---— ~ —~ --- —-----------------— ~ --— ~ --- —------- ----— ~ —~~-~ -------------- — ~ —~-.~ F-40 I I L 'Il-811-I Idp~l_- _Il I LI~b Illlll I welo., 578 BRANCH COUNTY. active interest in securing good schools in his district. Mr. Green, though not actively interested in the subject of politics, casts his ballot for the Republican party, while socially, he is a member of the Grange, and was one of the charter members. IEUT. COL. ABRAHAM V. HUNT was born on Chambers street, in the city of New York, July 23, 1796, and is the vounger of two children born to Moses and Hannah (Morgan) Hunt. His brother James married, and died about 1837, leaving a widow and one child, whom our subject haa spent much time and money in an unsuccessful attempt to discover. Moses Hunt was also born in New York City, and when our subject was six years old he went to sea in the schooner " Harvard," and with two others was left on a desolate island in the South Pacific Ocean. Little of his subsequent history is known, except the fact that he and one of his companions died on the island. Thle grandfather of our subject, Col. Benjamin Hunt, was a native of England and came to the United States before the Revolution as a Colonel in the regular British army. He took part in that war against the Colonies, and the British Government gave him a tract of land one mile square, the present site of the city of Mt. Vernon. At the close of the war his property was confiscated and he withdrew to Novia Scotia, first settling at Shelburne, and he afterward bought the land upon which Annapolis Royal is built. He was accidentally ldrowned in Annapolis River while transferring a scow load of cattle for his farm. After the death of Moses Hunt his widow became the wife of James Smith, a sea captain, the ceremony taking place when our subject was thirteen years old, and in the spring of the following year they removed to the township of Howell, Monmouth Co., N. J., where they remained engaged in farming until their death, that of the mother occurring in 1821. Young Hunt accompanied his mother to Howell, and at the end of a year he went to learn the trade of a gunsmith with Joseph Finch, of New York City. I I The work (lone was of the highest grade, as they manufactured no gun to sell for less than $100, but at the end of three years Abraham V. returned to his mother on account of ill-health, which threatened to prove fatal. After a short time at home, however, his health was considerably improved, and he bound himself with George McKay to learn the tailor's trade until he should attain his majority. At the end of six montlls, however, the business was broken up, and he returned to Howell in 1814. The War of 1812 was still in progress, and our subject was drafted and immediately mustered into service, and served in an infantry regiment under Col. John Frelinghuysen, afterward a member of the United States Senate. Our subject marched to the Highlands of Navesink. N. J., and remained about two weeks, after which he went to Sandy Hook, where he was promoted to Lieutenant, and taking charge of the troops stationed at Sandy Hook Block House, directed his artillery on the British Navy. Sandy Hook, the key to New York City, was strongly fortified by numerous forts and fifty gunboats, but at the end of four months Lieut. Hunt was sent to Powler's Hlook, now New Jersey. Here lie was taken sick and was removed to New York City, where he recovered his health at the home of an aunt, and was discharged from the service. Our subject was united in marriage, Jan. 23,1818, with Margaret Neafie, whose ancestors came from Holland at an early day and settled at Hackensack, N. J. After his marriage our subject returned to Howell, and, purchasing a site, erected a hotel, and for three years acted in the capacity of "mine host." He was then appointed by the underwriters of New York to take charge of wrecked vessels insured by them, and was thus engaged about four years. In the autumn of 1833 he determined to try his fortune in the West, and taking his departure from Barnegat Light House, N. J., he came via New York, Hudson River, Erie Canal and lake to Detroit. The Captain of the steamer "Enterprise," on which Mr. Hunt sailed, tried to engage him to assist in raising the British vessels that Perry sunk in Lake Erie, but he considered it too perilous an undertaking and refused, thereby offending Capt. Hansel. He landed in Detroit Oct. 9, 1833, and i [ -"do i I i _Ps i r L I -Iq qo~ - I I _, _ ~ ~ I-,-w~ r! -- -~ -~ — -I _ _~~ _ __ ~_ ~ — am =t BRANCH COUNTY. 579 I taking a team the same day landed at Macon, Lenawee County, three days later, where he found only five families living, those of John Pennington, Dr. Howell, Capt. Merritt, Peter Sones and a Mr. Hendershot. Our subject entered eighty acres of Government land, and erecting a log house moved into it with his family, but he sold out his improvements in the spring and then took up another eighty acres, to which he added eighty acres more by purchase, and improved the whole tract. The years 1837 and 1838 he spent in Toledo, engaged in building, but with the exception of this time our subject lived at Macon from his advent into this State until 1864. In connection with his agricultural work he engaged in house building, erecting the first church, the Dutch Reformed, at Macon, and completing the Methodist Episcopal Church, which had been begun some time before. In 1864 he sold his property, which consisted of a well-improved farm with fine buildings, and came to Coldwater, where he engaged in building, and has remained ever since. His connection with the New York underwriters had given him considerable experience among wrecked vessels, and A. B. Ward, a prominent ship owner, of Detroit, tried to engage him to raise the steamer "Atlantic" that was sunk at Long Point, Lake Erie, and contained a large amount of treasure; but the Boston company claimed the safe, having anchored a schooner in the vicinity of the wreck. Mr. Hunt made the molds that cast the first sixteen-ounce balls for our Government in the War of 1812, first making the machinery necessary to do the work. In the same war Gov. Tomkins, of New York, organized a company known as the City Cadets, of which our subject was a member, and in that way gained a knowledge of military affairs. He was Adjutant of the 3d Regiment of the Monmouth Brigade at the time he lived in New Jersey, and when the battle of Monmouth was fought over again, June 28, 1828, Mr. Hunt had charge of the sham battle in which over 5,000 troops were 'engaged, Brigade Major Peter Brenderhopf and Gen. James Tenike assisting. Of the union of our subject with Margaret Neafie there were born seven children, as follows: Garrett Neafie was born May 20, 1819; James Smith, June 3, 1821; John Garrison, July 8, 1825; Jacob M Haring was born Feb. 10,1827, and died in infancy; Henrietta Leach Ann was born Feb. 10, 1830, and became the wife of Leroy Munger; Abraham D. was born Sept. 24, 1833, and William Henry, Nov. 14, 1836. Although Col. Hunt has reached an age far beyond that allotted to man, time has dealt kindly with him and he is still, to a large extent, in the enjoyment of his faculties, mental and physical. His has been a more varied experience than falls to the lot of most men, as in addition to the pioneer life of this State, which he has aided in transforming from a dreary waste to its present high state of development, he lived half a lifetime in the older States, and became thoroughly acquainted with the practical side of life, both on land and water. In politics he has supported the Democratic party, and is in religion, Liberal. AFFERD W. CORSON. This gentleman represents property in Matteson Township to the extent of 200 acres, eighty of which, comprising his homestead, are pleasantly located on section 13. On section 7 in Batavia Township he has 120 acres, and in connection with general farming makes a specialty of stock-raising. Mr. Corson has been a resident of this county for a period of fifty-two years, coming here wheni Michigan was a Territory, in September, 1836. He was born in Hopewell Township, Ontario Co., N. Y., April 23, 1822, and is the son of John Corson, a native of Pennsylvania. His paternal grandfather, Derick Corson, was of Holland-Dutch descent, and for a number of years carried on farming in the State of Pennsylvania. When quite well advanced in years he came to Michigan and spent his last days among his children, dying in Green Oak Township, Livingston County, at the age of seventyseven years. His wife was a Pennsylvania lady, who died in New York State when past middle age. John Corson, the father of our subject, removed with his parents from Pennsylvania to New York when a young man, they settling in the wilderness of Hopewell Township, Ontario County. There not long afterward he married Miss Nancy Bradt, I I!I Si I /_ I - - 41 L 0 - V L _I R-114" i L I r 00 —N II, III I - s*1-ba c-_- kP~ l B" -~ --- —--— n IIII ~ ______ytk~jlll~~~~ I( - 80 BRANCH COUNTY. who was born in Oneida County, N. Y., and was of ancestry similar to that of her husband. She removed with her parents when a young woman to Ontario County, and at the time of her marriage was unable to speak any English. Her father had died when she was quite young, and her mother some years later. The parents of our subject soon after their wedding settled on a farm in Ontario County, N. Y., where their family of five sons and two daughters were born. Of these L. W., our subject, was the second son and child. In making their way to the West, they were conveyed by a lake vessel from Buffalo to Toledo, and thence by horse-teams across the country over very bad roads to the western part of this county, where the father took up 200 acres of Government land on section 24, in Matteson Township. This township then contained less than a half-dozen families, and the Corsons experienced all the hardships and privations incident to pioneer life. They labored industriously to cultivate the soil, and in the course of a few years found themselves in possession of a comfortable home. Here the father die(d in the fall of 1855, having about reached his threescore years. He was an honest, upright man, and an active member of the Presbyterian Church. The mother continued to live upon the old homestead, and passed away in September, 1884. She belonged to the same church as her husband, and was in all respects his worthy and faithful helpmate. John Corson, politically, was an old-line Whig, and a man who took a lively interest in the welfare and progress of his adopted township. IIe held the various local offices, and was a man universally looked up to and respected. Lafferd W. was fourteen years old when the family came to Michigan, and contributed his share toward the improvement of a new farm, a part of which he now owns and occupies. To this he brought a bride in the spring of 1847, having been married, March 10 of that year, to Miss Sarah A. Culver, a native of his own county in New York State, but born in Victor Township, March 10, 1826. Her parents, Abiathar and Lydia A. (Baker) Culver, were also natives of the Empire State, and were reared and married in Ontario County. They emigrated to the Territory of Michigan in 1835, and located on a tract of Government land in Matteson Township, being the second family to settle here. The father secured 600 acres, which he lived to see transformed from the wilderness into a series of cultivated fields, and passed away, after making for himself a good record, in November, 1871, in the eighty-second year of his age. The mother died in 1873, and was a few years younger than her husband. Mrs. Corson was the second child of her father's second marriage, and was nine years old when the family came to Michigan. She continued under the home roof until her marriage when twenty-one years old, acquiring a common-school education, and becoming familiar with all household duties. Her union with our subject resulted in the birth of five children, of whom John and Alice died in early childhood. The survivors, Aden, Allen and Joseph, continue at home with their parents. The latter is a machinist by trade, and a mechanic of no ordinary skill. The family are intelligent and greatly respected in their community. Mrs. Corson is a member in good standing of the Congregational Church, with which she united when eighteen years old. Mr. C., politically, uniformly supports Republican principles, although carefully avoiding taking upon himself the responsibilities of office. He has been successful in his farming operations, and holds a good position among the agriculturists of Matteson Township. ZRA E. BEARDSLEY. Bronson Township and Branch County have a reputation for E- their farming and stock-raising interests, and justly so, and among those who have largely aided in establishing the same is the gentleman whose life it will be here endeavored succinctly to outline, whose excellent farm is situated on section 16 of the above township, and who, whether as a man, farmer or stock-raiser, is justly worthy the name representative. His specialty lies in the raising of high-grade and blooded stock, but more especially horses, and those of the favorite Hambletonian breed. of international renown. Our subject is recognized as a leader in this particular Li "lo a 'I' --- I~ o-o I Ir IO bo I I- lrQ I, 2 W...-. -p- = .RESIDENCEOF E.E.BEARDS5LEY,SEC.16.BRONSONToWNSNIP. I 4 1 - I A I i qi Ii i j i F-14"~ - rprrll~~ ar~ l~, 1 -~ ----~ ---q L -~ ICI~l - ~ p ~~ I p BRANCH COUNTY. 583 - - - branch of industry in Branch County. There is nothing upon his farm that is not of established reputation, or of high grade; many of the animals are registered thoroughbreds, and among the most valuable in the country, and to him the source of a splendid income. Mr. Beardsley was born upon the 31st of August, 1839, in Monroe, Fairfield Co., Conn., and is the son of Elisha E. and Laura A. (Burroughs) Beardsley, natives likewise of "c the Nutmeg State," where they made their home for the greater part of their lives, and also finished the race of life to enter into their last rest. The father of our subject was by occupation a farmer, but was also extensively engaged in the lumber trade. He gave to our subject the opportunity of laying a broad foundation for the experience of life by giving hin a good education, and with his school duties were judiciously intermingled various tasks connected with the farm, by which he was gradually trained, not simply in the book lore of the school-house, but the more practical knowledge of the affairs of life. Upon starting out in life for himself our subject removed to Yonkers, which, it will be remembered, is situated upon the banks of the beautiful Hudson River, not far from New York City. Here for about six years he was engaged in the business of hat manufacturing. As he became better acquainted with the world and his business, he was dissatisfied with the circumscribed, limited opportunities, and not altogether promising outlook. Believing that in a less thickly settled and a newer State this would be largely remedied, he in 1871 left the Empire State and came to this county, where he bought a tract of land which comprises part of his landed estate. His first purchase included 650 acres, but since that time his former prophetic calculations have been so far fulfilled, and the success he had looked forward to while in New York State come to him, that to-day he is the owner of 1,100 acres of most excellent land for agricultural and pastoral purposes. Possessed of an excellent physique and that manly independence, vigorous, energetic activity, and large intellect characteristic of the New England er, coupled with-thanks to his earlier farm training-an intimate acquaintance with the mi nutia and technique of farming and stock-raising, our subject was well fitted to take his part in the development of the resources with which nature has so bountifully and with such lavish hand endowed this section of country. To this and the innate resources and powers of the man must be attributed largely the success that has crowned his life in this State, of which it is only fitting and lawful he should be proud. The property of Mr. Beardsley occupies one of the most eligible sites in Southern Michigan, and upon it he has recently erected a house that can hardly be surpassed by any country residence in the State. In architectural design, in beauty of outline, in elegance of finish, in perfection of appointments, in harmony of artistic color and decoration, it is a monlument to the correct judgment and taste of its projectors, and cost our subject not less than $10,000. The interior is finished in a variety of hard woods which are allowed to retain their natural colors. The artist in furnishing and upholstering has supplemented by the riches of adornment at his command the work of his brother artists, who had so well performed their parts, the whole bespeaking a refined sensibility, cultivated taste, and accuracy of judgment, that reflects the greatest praise upon our subject and his family. In internal arrangement and convenience it is perfection, being supplied with numerous modern ingenious contrivances, designs and inventions calculated to make life bright, easy, elegant, happy and healthful. In Mr. Beardsley's stables may be seen at all times not less than fifty horses of very high grade, and bred principally with a view to speed. He is a lover of the equine, and besides the profit derived from the profession, our subject takes pride and pleasure in caring for them, and watching their growth and development, and there are few, if any, who are more particular of their treatment of the horse, or who more thoroughly understand this noble and, to man, most necessary creature. Mr. Beardsley was married, on the 21st of October, 1874, to Miss Florence A. Holmes, of Bronson, the daughlter of Jonathan and Mary (Taggart) Holmes, also of this county. Miss Holmes was educated at Hillsdale College, and has, since leaving, i i r_ '"BB L ~ firl~,, a rs~a 11111 I13C-Il~II 3PIILI 111111 I~LII~L ~ III1- I ICI r — - - -VPA I I I f I W -I mei 584 BRANCH COUNTY. that institution, realized the abundance of opportunity in life for the utilization of every part and particle of education obtainable. The home of our subject has opened its portals to welcome two children, who have been born of this union. Their son, Walton H., was born upon the 18th of September, 1875, and their daughter, Jessie G., upon the 2d of May, 1877. They are both bright, active, intelligent young people, and it is the pleasurable delight of Mr. and Mrs. Beardsley to afford them the most complete opportunities for obtaining a thorough and liberal education, in order that they may be fully equipped and in every way prepared to take their places as worthy members of the community, and at the same time, when the cares and responsibilities of domestic life are theirs, in that department, also, they may not be found wanting. Our subject and wife are members of the Episcopal Church, in which communion their sterling worth is fully recognized. They are very hospitable, benevolent, and cordially urbane, unusually well informed upon all matters of general interest, and fully abreast with the times in that which pertains to modern literature and art; whether in the church or without the sacred pale, they are at all times found in the front ranks of those who are ready to enter into and prosecute to the end any enterprise or project which promises to be of use to the community, society, or needy individual. In political matters, our subject is a stanch Republican, and active in the support of his party, both by giving his own vote, and as far as is legitimately proper, influencing others to the same end. He is also socially connected with the Masonic fraternity, and brings to bear upon his life and character the truths learned within the privacy and secrecy of its asylum. Before closing this sketch, we would refer the interested reader to a view of the elegant residence of Mr. Beardsley, above described, which will be found on an adjoining page. Ad ANIEL D. RILEY. The full biography of ) the subject of this sketch, could space be given for its details, would but once more prove that truth is stranger than fiction. I Inasmuch as it would be pregnant with the illustra tions of that courage and will-power which compel circumstances to shape themselves to events, it would show the ambitious youth of to-day that, notwithstanding poverty and the misfortune of a neglected education, or of being orphaned when young, or bound to a hard taskmaster, by application, honesty and a steadfast purpose, a boy born with however poor a pewter spoon in his mouth, can rise as high as his ambition will carry him, that there are chances to turn the spoon to a golden one, and that this has been accomplished by many who have been as unfortunate as he. In presenting the career of an individual holding a position among the leading men of this county, and who is thoroughly representative of its progressive element, we deem it our duty to first briefly advert to those from whom he drew his origin. The progenitors of Daniel D. Riley are supposed to have been natives of Maryland, as were also his parents. The latter illustrated in their lives the steady-going and substantial element of society which ever forms a part of its most solid foundation. They spent a large portion of their lives in the Empire State, mostly in Lyons, Wayne County, where they died. Their son Daniel D. was born at Lyons, April 4, 1818, and early in life removed to Homer, Calhoun Co., Mich. Mr. Riley then took up his residence in Sherwood, this county, where he carried on farming pursuits and became owner of 700 acres of land. As a man of much force of character and intelligence, he was prominent in township affairs, holding its various offices and enjoying in a marked degree the confidence and esteem of its citizens. He was careful and conscientious in the discharge of his duties, and though quiet and unobtrusive in manner and modest in his tastes, still wielded an influence in the community in his quiet manner which was uniformly for good. He passed away at his home in Union City, on the 25th of April, 1881, mourned by his family and regretted by the community at large. Mr. Riley chose for his wife one of the most estimal)le young ladies of Sherwood Township, Miss Harriet Doubleday, to whom he was married at the home of the bride, Feb. 3, 1859. They began the journey of life together in Sherwood Township. am -qNY d Il a4! i la li Oft I I IL - 11*-,IP_ —1m —r —l~,,a~LPLLf I I - 4 A WSW-,7 ' vppl! BRANCH COUNTY. 585 { I Mrs. Riley was born in Italy, Yates Co., N. Y., Oct. 29, 1825, and came with her parents to Michigan in 1832, her father being one of the earliest pioneers of Branch County. A sketch of the life of Hiram Doubleday will be found on another page in this volume. ORENZO A. ROSE, Postmaster at Bronson, has been a resident of this county for over fifty-three years, having arrived here on the 19th of September, 1835. Previous to this all the years of his life had been spent in Niagara County, N. Y., where his birth took place Oct. 25, 1822. The town of Cambria contained his early home, and his parents were Elias L. and Sarah (Davis) Rose, who were also natives of the Empire State, and of Scotch and English ancestry. Elias Rose was one of the earliest pioneers of Niagara County, N.Y., where he occupied himself as a millwright, but upon coming to this county began keeping hotel, which business he followed the remainder of his life. He did not live to be an aged man, however, his death taking place Nov. 4, 1841. He was a man of great energy, and a general favorite in his community, where he was widely known for his integrity of character, and his genial and companionable disposition. The mother also died while a comparatively young woman, in 1834, and both parents were members in good standing of the Christian Church. Our subject attended school at Ontario, Ind. about three months, which was about all the regular instruction he ever received so far as books were concerned. He was, however, very fond of reading, and also an expert mathematician, and these qualities combined served both to supply him with a good fund of information, and to enable him to transact business in a thorough and correct manner. He has always kept his eyes open to what was going on around him in the world, making the most of his opportunities for gaining useful knowledge, and is more than ordinarily an intelligent man. The marriage of our subject and Miss Amanda 03 1 V ~ VI-JV ~li~L~~V -II LL\ C Weatherby, of Jackson, this State, was celebrated at the home of the bride on the 10th of June, 1847. Mrs. Rose became the mother of two sons: Eugene, who died at the age of five years, and Perry, who married Miss Mina Cook, of Petoskey, and who is now a resident of the latter place, engaged in mercantile business. Mrs. Rose was the daughter of Willard and Phebe Weatherby, who were natives of New York and residents of Michigan, and spent their last days in Jackson County. The first wife of our subject died at her home in Bronson, in December, 1860. The present wife of Mr. Rose, to whom he was married Nov. 15, 1861, was formerly Miss Mattie, daughter of John and Electa D. (Sherwin) Dovendorff, who were natives of New York and Pennsylvania respectively. The father is dead and the mother lives in Kansas. She was born July 8, 1843, in Warren, Ohio, and of her union with our subject there are four children: Lorenzo E. married Miss Ella Tyler, of Petoskey, and is carrying on a mercantile business in that place; Maude is the wife of Byron Rich, of Matteson, Mich.; Grace and Eddie are at home with their parents. Mr. Rose, in 1849, entered the employ of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad, with which he remained eight years, and in the meantime he ballasted nearly the whole of the road from Sturgis to Cold water. He was subsequently conductor on a construction train from Elkhart to Jonesville, and in 1853 entered into a contract with the Government to deliver thirty-six head of cattle from Bronson, via Grand Rapids to Northport and Little Traverse, for the use of the Chippewa and Ottawa Indians. Much of this road lay through a tine forest, in which he and two other men traveled thirteen days, fording the Manistee River with the cattle and landing them safely at their destination. This trip, which was accomplished in about six weeks, netted Mr. Rose the snug sum of $1,000, but it was an undertaking full of danger and difficulty. As a railroad contractor Mr. Rose has also been a success, building several important lines, namely: In 1872, a section of the G. I. & R. from Walton to Traverse City, and the year following he fulfilled a contract with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company a r-I I -- 1 — "- 111 I~- 1 I 1 1 r m =...... V __~l b I ~ in r- - -~g _Iqo 0-1110, -- 7 —3.Ib: 9CI,akr.. 9J$B -A~~~ - t 586 BRANCH COUNTY.! for a track from Monteith to Gull Corners. He next built an extension from Petoskey to Long and Crooked Lakes, and next a line from Cadillac to Long Lake, and also a line from Petoskey to Mackinaw. Since then he has turned his attention mostly to farming and stock-raising. He has served as Postmaster at Bronson three different times, first under President Martin Van Buren, then under Buchanan, and now as the appointee of President Cleveland. This statement sufficiently indicates his politics. He has held a number of the township offices, and was Deputy Sheriff of Branch County one term. He has always been careful and conscientious in the discharge of his official duties and in meeting his obligations, and occupies an enviable position among the reliable men of his community. Socially, Mr. Rose belongs to the Masonic fraternity, and with his estimable wife, is a member in good standing of the Baptist Church. The business of the post-office is transacted mostly by Mrs. Rose and her daughter Grace, Mr. Rose thus having opportunity to give his attention to his agricultural pulsuits. He takes much pride in his fine stock and has some choice blooded animals. The family residence is a handsome frame structure, which was put up in 1863, and which, with its finishings, furnishings and surroundings, forms one of the most attractive homes in the village. uILLIAM H. MOTT, an extensive farmer of Branch County, is very prosperously pursuing his vocation in the township of Ovid, where he owns a large farm. He was born in Tompkins County, N. Y., Sept. 10, 1842, and his father was born in that State, May 24,1811. There is a tradition in the family that the paternal greatgrandfather of our subject was a native of Ireland, but nothing definite is known of his history. William Mott, the grandfather of our subject, was a shoemaker by trade, and he also owned a small farm in Tompkins County, where he spent his last years. The father of our subject grew to manhood in the State of his birth, and there married Miss Dulana Scutt, also a native of New York, born Sept. 20, 1814. In 1843 they abandoned their home in New Y ork State, and started for Michigan, traveling with a team to Buffalo, thence by lake to Toledo, whence they once again took a team to convey them to Branch County. Mr. Mott rented a house near Fremont, Ind., for a short time, and meanwhile visited California Township, and entered a tract of Government land, and erected thereon a small frame house, in accordance with his means. He soon took possession of it with his family, and lived in it for five or six years. At the end of that time, having made some improvements on the place, lie sold it, and moved to Steuben County, Ind., where he resided until 1855, when he returned to Branch County, and bought a farm in Gilead Township. He lived there until the last year of the war. and then sold it, and bought land in Ovid Township. He worked his farm there a few years, and then sold it, and after that made two or three moves ere he settled down in Matteson Township, where he spent his declining years. His wife died in Butler Township. They were intelligent, hardworking people, with unblemished reputations, and were justly held in esteem by all who knew them. Of the seven children who blessed their marriage, five grew to maturity: Milo H., who is a very influential Methodist minister; Melissa, Charles, William and Samantha A. Charles served in the late Civil War as a member of Company C, 4th Michigan Infantry, and while bravely fighting for the defense of the Union in the battle before Richmond, in July, 1862, he received a mortal wound, and died on the 17th day of the same month. William Mott was but an infant when his parents brought him to Michigan, and his boyhood and youth were passed in this State and Indiana. In those days this part of the country had by no means emerged wholly from its original wild state, and our subject can remember when deer, wild turkeys, and an abundance of other wild game, still haunted the primeval forests that had not fallen beneath the ax of the pioneers. His education was conducted in the primitive log school-house of the times, with rude furniture of home manufacture. He resided with his parents, with the exception of one year, until he was twenty-four years of age. April 25, 'W 4 k 1 L --- r~- I-~lr - ---- Ir~~~-~lll I ur I - Il I * 111I~ -I L - - C~~r I -- II ~1 141 BRANI;CH COUNTY. 587 I BU 1867, he was united in marriage to Miss Harriet A. Brown, who was born in Ovid Township, Branch County, and is a daughter of Charles I). and Hannah (Hoyt) Brown, of whom see sketch on another page of this volume. Of this union three children have been born, namely: May Belle, Berdella and George W. Mrs. Mott has been an invaluable assistant to her husband in the upbuilding of the pleasant and comfortable home that they now enjoy. At the time of his marriage Mr. Mott bought sixty acres of land, which is included in his present farm. By the exercise of good business talents, enterprise, and incessant industry, he has greatly increased the area of his landed possessions, and his farm, which is one of the most desirable in point of fertility and location in this part of the county, now comprises 320 acres in a body, eighty acres lying in Algansee Township. There was no house on the place at the time of purchase, but he has since erected a substantial dwelling and other needed farm buildings, besides many other valuable improvements. In the discharge of the duties devolving upon him in the various relations of life-as son, husband, father, neighbor, citizen-our subject has always shown himself to be a man of honor, true courtesy, and a faithful adherent of whatever he believed to be right. In his politics he is a sound Republican, using all his influence to promote the best interests of his party. Both Mr. and Mrs. Mott are zealous workers in the church, he being a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and she of the Baptist.,~ TEPHEN AND GEORGE BREWSTER, who are numbered among the well-to-do farmers of Girard Township, where they own a fine property on section 19, trace their ancestry back to the passengers on the "Mayflower," which landed at Plymouth Rock in the fall of 1620, and among whom was one who bore the above patronymic, and from whom descended the Brewster family of the United States. This Puritan Brewster took up his residence at Plymouth, Mass., where he carried on farming and reared an only son, who also followed agricultural pursuits. This latter also became the father of a son, Benjamin by name, who followed the sea, and the issue of whose marriage was three sons and one daughter. The eldest, Joseph, was the paternal grandfather of Stepfien and George, whose names head this sketch. He was born in Connecticut, Nov. 25, 1750, which remained his home until after the close of the Revolutionary War, in which he served from its beginning to its close. Later he took up his residence at Stonington, Conn., and from there, in 1790, removed to Saratoga, N. Y., where his death took place in 1850, when lie was ninety-nine years and eight months old. The paternal grandmother of our subject was in her girlhood Miss Sarah Geer, and was born at Stonington, Conn., in 1754. Of her union with Joseph Brewster there were born six children, four sons and two daughters, and their son Joseph, Jr., was the father of Stephen and George. The other children were named respectively: Isaac, Stephen, John, Sarah and Betsy. Joseph Brewster, Jr., was also born in Stonington. Conn., in November, 1780, whence his parents removed to Saratoga, N. Y., in his childhood, and where he spent most of his early life. He assisted his father in carrying on the farm, but finally developed into a school teacher, and during the War of 1812 served as Lieutenant in a New York regiment two years. Subsequently he engaged in farming, which lie followed until tile fatal illness which resulted in his death, Aug. 19, 1846. and which took place at his home in Saratoga County, N. Y. Joseph Brewster, Jr., in 1810, was united in marriage with Miss Catherine, daughter of Charles and Hanna Van Austram, and who was born in Derby, Conn., Aug. 10, 1790. She removed from her native State when a child five years of age. Of her union with the father of our subject there were ten children, six sons and four daughters, of whom four are deceased. Of the living the record is as follows: Joseph was born Dec. 14, 1813, and is a resident of Harper, N. Y.; Stephen, of our sketch, was born June 22, 1820; Miranda, the widow of Richard Lansing, was born March 4, 1824, and is living in Fulton County, N. Y.; Caroline was born qm -w- wC- --- — qq r - p I I I i 1 4 1 I1 I1 A i:4:- -- -M — & L 588 BRANCH COUNTY. Aug. 14, 1826, and is the wife of Rous Eggleston, of Atlanta. Ga.; George, of our sketch. was born July 29, 1829; Hannah was born Sept. 7, 1831, is the wife of William Cavert, and a resident of Saratoga, N. Y. Stephen Brewster, of this sketch, worked on a farm and attended school until eighteen years of age, then going to Saratoga he learned the trade of carpenter, at which he worked for a period of fourteen years. In 1850 he sought the Pacific Slope, going by way of the Isthmus, and was a resident of California thirty-four years, during which time he was employed in the mines, and subsequently visited Colorado, Nevada and Montana, and in fact roamed over a large portion of the Great West. At the expiration of three years he returned home on a visit, but in a few weeks went back to the Golden State. In all he has spent thirty-four years in California, and during that time made four visits to New York and Michigan. HTe has never married. In 1884 he took up his residence in Girard Township, this county, where he purposes to remain. George Brewster, when a youth of fifteen years, was placed in charge of his father's estate, the latter being deceased. He continued on the same farm until twenty-seven years old, and in 1856 joined his brother in California, going by way of the Isthmus, and remaining there for a period of thirteen years. He was engaged similarly as his brother Stephen. In 1869 he returned eastward as far as this county, and purchased first 192 acres of land in Girard Township, subsequently adding eighty acres, and has now 272 acres of highly cultivated land with fine buildings. On the 10th of July, 1872, occurred the marriage of George Brewster with Marietta, daughter of Wells Ryan, who was a native of Ohio, and is now deceased. Mrs. Brewster was born April 20, 1845, in Erie County, Ohio, and came to Michigan in December, 1867. Of her union with our subject there have been born five children, three sons and two daughters, namely: Stephen, Kate, Charles, Benjamin and Myra. Mrs. Brewster, by a former marriage, had two children: Alma, now Mrs. Carle, of Girard, and William H. HI. Wadworth, of Ottawa Lake.. The Brewster brothers are energetic and enter -A - I prising men, successful as farmers and popular as members of the community. They have reaped a rich experience from their extensive travels, and know all about the privations and hardships of life in the West. They are now in the enjoyment of a handsome competence, and are numbered among the representative men of Branch County. -----— ***..*_@__<^ o ~.. --- J OSEPH A. WEATHERWAX, farmer, residing on section 31, Butler Township, has long been identified with the agricultural ] IOSEPH A. WEATHERWAX, fal'me', 'einterests of Branch County, and while actively assisting in its development, has. by his shrewd management and skillful and well-directed labors, laid up a comfortable competency for himself and family, so that now as the shadows are lengthening along life's highway, he can rest free from the cares and burdens that beset him at noontide in the pleasant home that he has built. Mr. Weatherwax traces his ancestry through several generations back to Germany, his forefathers emigrating from that country to this in Colonial times (see sketch of John T. Weatherwax). His parents were Thomas and Mary (Ketcham) Weatherwax, and they settled in Schoharie County, N. Y., where the father was engaged as a farmer. He took part in the War of 1812, doing efficient service for his country as a brave and patriotic soldier. During some period of his married life he and his wife moved to Orleans County and located in the town of Shelby, where he was very much prospered and became a large land-owner. He died there Aug. 10, 1827, aged forty-five years. Thus in the very prime of life a good and competent citizen was removed from his useful sphere, and he was greatly missed as a wise counselor and a true friend by the people among whom he had made his home. His amiable wife survived him scarcely more than two years, dying Nov. 19, 1829, at the age of sixty-two years. Fourteen children were born to them, and thirteen of them grew to maturity, of whom eight were boys. Joseph Weatherwax was the twelfth child and the "a" "r t i i i t i 1 I 1 r 40 I -..- ~ ~C- ll`-l —q, —~C —. r y ~ —~ --- ~-. *Po-. -r l -lj I, - I ,r II I' ad I- ~ — I = 7Fp a w BRANCH COUNTY. 589 1 youngest son born to his parents, his birth taking place July 5, 1822, in Shelby Township, Orleans Co., N. Y. He was five years old when his father died, and eight years old when his mother's death occurred, and when he was thus so sadly bereaved of both father and mother, he was bound out in his native town to his guardian, Mr. McCargney, and for awhile worked on his farm. Subsequently that gentleman bound him out to Mr. Henry Ryan, under whose roof he remained until he attained his majority. His education was limited to three months' schooling during the winter terms of seven years, but by close study he managed to acquire considerable knowledge in that time. At the age of twenty-one he started out in the world to make his own way by the strength of his muscle in any honorable way that might present itself, and the succeeding four years he worked out by the month. At the end of that time he had employed his time to such good purpose that, having prudently saved his earnings, he was enabled to marry and make a comfortable home for the woman lie had asked to share his life. -Ie was then twenty-five years of age, and his union with Miss Rachel M. Veeder took place in 1847, in Ridgeway, Orleans Co., N. Y. She was the daughter of Abraham and Lydia (Lansing) Veeder. Her father was a soldier in the War of 1812, and her grandfather served in the Revolutionary War. Her ancestors came from Holland in early Colonial times and settled in New York. Her parents lived and died in Fonda Township, Montgomery Co., N. Y., her father having been a farmer. His death occurred Feb. 7, 1839, at the age of fifty-one years; his wife survived him until Sept. 25, 1846, dying at the age of sixty years. They were the parents of nine children, seven of whom grew to maturity. Mrs. Weatherwax was the fifth child, and she was born Aug. 21, 1819, in Fonda Township, Montgomery Co., N. Y. She was educated in the common schools of her native town, and the household cares devolving on her when she was quite young, she became a skillful housewife. She learned dressmaking and tailoring, and was thus employed for two years prior to her marriage. To her and her husband one child has been born, Elizabeth Jane, who was married in 1877 to Mr. Jason Nichols. Both she and her mother are ladies of rare qualities, and are much respected and esteemed by all who know them. In 1850, Mr. and Mrs. W. came to Michigan and settled in Butler Township, Branch County, on the eighty acres of land that he had previously bought on sections 31 and 32, which constitutes a part of his present landed estate, he having forty acres more land in Barry County. His farm is classed as one of the best and most profitable in the township, and it is under the most careful management; it is well supplied with the necessary buildings and machinery, and everything about the place betokens thrift and prosperity. Mr. Weatherwax has endeared himself to his neighbors and associates of many years standing, by his kind and obliging manners, and his steadfast integrity has won the confidence of all in the community. In his political views in early life he was a Whig, but he has now for many years been a stanch Republican. Our subject can look back upon a long life spent in usefulness and well-doing, and may well be proud of what he has accomplished by his persevering toil. OBIAS SHURTZ. For the last eighteen years the subject of this sketch has been in d' possession of what is familiarly known as the New York Farm, and which consists of 275 acres located on section 33, in Batavia Township. The land has been devoted to general farming and stock-raising, and the homestead furnishes the picture of the model country estate, the abode of peace and plenty, with its broad fields and well-filled granaries, giving ample evidence of the thrift and industry of the proprietor. The township of Limestone, Columbia Co., Pa., contained the early home of our subject, and there his birth took place Feb. 27, 1812. His father, Tobias Shurtz, Sr., was a native of the same State, and the son of Abraham Shurtz, who spent his entire life in the Keystone State. The family is of Pennsylvania origin, possessing the characteristic traits IL_ _ -._ -- C-v-p L_-_ _ L-I_ ~ fr, -M SD, = 24 0 I -C- u9S — "A - - fo 590 BRANCH COUNTY. i I of their nationality. They were mostly agriculturists, which occupation the father of our subject also followed closely, spending the greater part of his life in the county which was then Columbia, but is now Montour. He was born and reared in Northampton County, and there married Miss Mary Hower, a native of the same State. After their marriage they settled in Limestone Township, Columbia County, where they built up a good homestead, and where the father died. Later the mother came to the home of her daughter in St. Joseph County, this State. and died in Montville Township, at the age of seventy-five years. Mr. Shurtz, our subject, was the fifth child of his parents, whose family consisted of eight sons and one daughter. He was reared and educated in his native county, and upon reaching manhood was married, ini Limestone Township, near the place of his birth, to Miss Sophia Hause. Mrs. Shurtz was born in tile city of Philadelphia, Pa., and reared in Columbia County. Of her union with our subject there were born five children, the eldest of whom, a daqughter, Mary, is the wife of Thomas Smith, and resides on a farm in Montville Township, St. Joseph County, this State; Abram married Miss Rosa Shenneman, and( in connection with farming, in Batavia Township, this county, is also engaged in the breeding of heavy draft horses; Frederick L. took to wife Miss Mary Paine, and they live on a farm in Bethel Township; Emma is at home with her parents; John D. is a breeder of roadsters and trotters, and owner of two well-known registered horses. Corsica, No. 5114, was sired by the Mighty Sultan, No. 1513. He has a record that excels in many particulars his sire, and his dam is one of the choicest animals in this State, coming from some of its best stock. He was foaled March 27, 1885, is in color a dark bay, and stands sixteen and one-half hands high. Brightmont, No. 4040, the other horse, comes from a long and choice line of Hambletonian trotters, his sire being Montague, and has already made for himself a good record, carrying off the blue ribbons at the State exhibitions three times, and making a fine show among the younger horses. John Shurtz is interested principally in Mambrino stock. His favorite has a record of 2:17; he is now owned by Mr. Gordon, of Cleveland, and val ued at not less, and probably more, than 815,000. Sle was trained and driven in her first race by Mr. Shurtz. Mrs. Shurtz was born in Chester County, Pa., Aug. 24, 1816, and five years later her parents removed to the city of Philadelphia. There she acquired her education in the city schools, and later attended the Ladies' Seminary at Milton, where she was a classmate of the wife of Gov. Pollock. While she was at Milton her parents removed to Limestone Township, Columbia County, where she joined them after leaving school, and there met her present husband. They were married in November, 1847, and went immediately to their home in Limestone Township, where they lived until coming to this State, in 1866. Our subject and his wife settled first in White Pigeon, whence three years later they removed to their present home. They are proud in the possession of nine grandchildren. Their eldest daughter, Mrs. Smith, has six children, namely: Lizzie, Clara, Gertrude, Birdie, John and Roscoe Rush. Their son, Abram H., has a son an(d daughter-Frederick and Lona May. Frederick is the father of a boy, named Louis Dentler. Abram W. Hause, the father of Mrs. Shurtz, was born in Chester County, Pa., about 1790, where he spent his early days, excepting when he was attending school in Philadelphia. He was given a fair education, his father being a man of means. Upon leaving school he turned his attention to milling in his native place, purchasing a mill, and operating it until 1821, then removing to the Quaker City, he engaged in mercantile pursuits. Before leaving Chester County he had married Miss Mary Keely, daughter of Jacob Keely, of that county. The two children of the family, Mrs. Shurtz and her sister Eliza, were born in Philadelphia, and after their removal from that city there were added to the family Mary, Lewis and Martha Matilda. After several years of successful business in Philadelphia, Mr. Hause traded his city property for 500 acres of land in Columbia County, Pa., to which he removed with his family, and resided there until his death, which occurred after he had arrived at the ripe old age of seventy-one years. He was of French and English descent. His wife, 91` I Ii L. ml 1 _ ^ pw -- V. 4 a,* — I I -1 I I I ii ii ii I I - I- 1111,11-111.1-1 1.11 I - ---, - 11 1-11 - - -, - -—, ... --- ------ -- - -, I - -11 —l-I - ---- - -------- - ---- -. - I - 1. - - I' — I I I I - -- - - -- -..- - I -- 11 I I - I- I - - -1 - I- 1... I I 11 I I- - 1-1- -,-. -- - -.1-1-1-1 — -, ---..................... -, Is -M..- - I BRANCH COUNTY. 591 Mary, was born in Chester County, Pa., in 1798, and was one of a family of nine children, six daughters and three sons. Mrs. Shultz was for many years a member of the Presbyterian Church, with which she united thirtyeight years ago. After leaving St. Joseph County, there being no Presbyterian Church at Bronson, she united by letter with the Congregationalists. She is a very intelligent lady, and holds a good position in society. The wife of John Wanamaker, a prominent merchant of Philadelphia, is a cousin of Mrs. Shultz. Mr. Shultz politically, votes with the Democratic party. AMIES ANDERSON, a prominent and sul)stantial business man of irreproachable character, is a resident of Coldwater, where lie conducts the Marble and Granite Steam Works, and has met with much success in his business. Mr. Anderson came from the land of granite, as lie is a native of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and is the son of John and Isabella (Watson) Anderson, also natives of the "land of tlie heather." The subject of this biographical narrative is the fifth in the parental family of seven children, and was born March 18, 1817. The others are recorded as follows: Isabella was born March 4, 1810, and became the wife of James Canse, of Brooklyn, N. Y.; she (lied in August, 1880. Ann was born Aug. 14, 1811, and is the wife of John Thomson, of Brooklyn, N. Y., now living in Wilmington, Ill.; Elizabeth was born Aug. 21, 1813, and died in Brooklyn in June, 1838; William was born Nov. 12, 1814; Jane was born March 3, 1819, and died in the old country at seven years of age; Mary was born March 4, 1820, and became the wife of William Kelso, of Gilead, Mich.; she died in February, 1876. John Anderson, the father of our subject, was born at Buchan, Aberdeenshire, the son of Robert Anderson, and grandson of a gentleman of the same name, all natives of the same shire. John Anderson was a carpenter by trade, and followed his calling in his native country until 1835, when lie decided to emigrate to the New World as holding out larger possibilities for the middle classes with large families. Accordingly in March of that year he embarked at the city of Aberdeen on a sailing-vessel named the "Arkwright," and with all his family except our subject and his brother William, landed at New York on the 10th of May, 1835. The father secured employment with the United States Government on Governor's Island, and remained in the service working at his trade until 1837. Wishing to secure a piece of property that he might call his own, and make for his family a home, he then started for the young State of Michigan, and coming to Gilead Township, in this county, with his wife and youngest daughter, took up a piece of Government land and engaged in its improvement. In connection with his farming he continued to work at his trade, and remained in this township until his death, which occurred Feb. 12, 1852. In religion he was a member of the Presbyterian Church. and in politics a Whig. He was a man of confessed probity and honor, cautious and discreet in forming an opinion, modest in advancing it, and firm in maintaining it. The mother of our subject was born in the same neighborhood in Scotland as her husband, and was second in order of birth in a family of four children-James, Isabella, Jane and Elizabeth-included in the parental family. She was educated 'at her home and lived with her larents until tier marriage. Like her husband, she was a member of the Presbyterian Church, a devoted Christian, and a very charitable and affectionate woman. She possessed those sterling qualities for which the people of her native land are noted, and in her household her word was law. She died in Gilead, this county, in September, 1838, and after her death a daughter took charge of the home until her marriage in 1841, when the eldest sister, who was already a widow, returned to her home, and taking charge of her father's house, remained with him until his death. The early days of our subject up to sixteen years of age were spent principally in the city of Aberdeen, attending school, and learning the trade of a printer, to which he was appenticed three years, beginning at the age of thirteen. Upon the completion of his i i i i i 1 4 A_1 I I - -ft —. - ---. ~ C —P W..- r u c-l L *1 Y-I- I -~~- b —.- -.... -_p....... _ -. I r i elp. a e - iA 1 -4 i II I 592 I BRANCH COUNTY. -- term of apprenticeship, Mr. Anderson left his native Scotland, and coming to this country soon reached New York, and engaged at his trade in the office of the New York Herald. He had the reputation of being an expert at his trade, while in his own country to have completed the work he would have had to remain four years longer and pay a bonus besides. He came to the United States sailing in the same vessel thatcarried the remainder of the family across during the following year. His brother had preceded him on the ocean voyage, coming across in 1832, and settling in Brooklyn, N. Y. Young Anderson had made the acquaintance of the Captain of the sailing-vessel, who gave him an introduction to James Gordon Bennett, proprietor of the New York Herald, who at that time had his office in a basement on Pearl street. He remained in the employment of Mr. Bennett about five months, and then went to work for James Clark, of Brooklyn, to learn the marble trade. After an apprenticeship at this business of nearly four years, our subject went to the city of Baltimore. and commenced business for himself on a capital that he had saved during his apprenticeship. He remained thus engaged until the autumn of 1842, when he sold out his business and removed to the town of Noble, Branch County, a name given by Mr. Noble to what was originally a part of Bronson Township, Mr. Anderson bought sixty-five acres of land, and enogaging in agricultural pursuits was thus employed until the fall of 1848. He then sold his farm property and removed to Coldwater, where he has continued to reside ever since. He at once established his present business, which has assumed gigantic dimensions, being the largest of its kind anywhere in Southern Michigan. On the llth of April, 1839, James Anderson was united in marriage, the lady of his choice being Miss Mary Mulligan, who was the eldest in a family of four children-Mary, Helen, Daniel and Thomas-born to Michael and Mary Mulligan. Her parents emigrated from Dublin, Ireland, about 1816, and coming to the United States, settled in Boston, where the wife of our subject was born in 1822. The family subsequently removed to New York City, where she resided until her marriage. She departed this life April 25, 1881, deeply regretted I....... by all who knew the noble woman, the true friend, and the affectionate wife and mother. Their union was blessed by the birth of four children, of whom the record is as follows: Mary was born Feb. 12, 1840, and married Chauncy Declute; William w'ts born Oct. 3, 1841; Isabella was born Nov. 15, 1843, and became the wife of Milton Bartells, while Elizabeth, who was born Jan. 12, 1850, is the wife of Jesse Swap. The children all obtained a good education in the city schools of Coldwater, and are at present residents of Iola, Kan. In politics our subject was formerly an old-line Whig, and upon the dissolution of that party he entered the Democratic ranks, and is stanch in his allegiance to the progressive principles of that party. In 1869 lie was elected to the City Council on the Democratic ticket when that party was considerably in the minority, and he was the only Democrat elected on the ticket. Our subject became identified with the I. 0. 0. F. in 1872, and is a member of the Coldwater Lodge No. 51, in which lie has held all the offices within the gift of his brethren, including that of DD. D. G. M., which he held for seven consecutive years. He also belongs to the Coldwater Encampment No. 86, and has held the office of Treasurer for several years. Though Mr. Anderson is not identified with any church organization, he is a man of undoubted integrity, and just in all his dealings, whether of a public or private nature. M YRON L. MITCHELL, one of the successful general farmers and representative citi) zens of the township of Batavia, owns a fine and pleasantly located home of 177 acres of land on section 6, the most of which he has brought to a high state of cultivation. Mr. Mitchell bought this land in 1863, and has resided on it for a period of twenty years, with the exception of six years, beginning in 1876, (luring which lie was engaged in farming in Saaline County, Kan., on 160 acres of land which he homesteaded, and of which he brought 100 acres under the plow, and I - - 0 dwftk.- ---- -I~ --- —: —~ — U~ -u-.,,-,......-~._Ll__- ~r- I I --- — I -1 -n l- -3e~-_ar -I~- - OPOW-VI~*IL4~-bF _ ---~ t I i -.0 _ _, t I - - 6-v Il-l-~rr- -.11-lsllllrr~ l IIIII i BRANCH COUNTY. 593 made a specialty of raising sheep. In 1882, however, he sold out his interests in that State, and returning to his old farm, has since given it his time and attention. He has been industrious and energetic in his chosen vocation, and these qualities have been rewarded with the usual lhappy results which follow their application. Our subject is a native of the township of Union, and first saw the light at his father's old homestead on section 32, Oct. 13, 1837. The former, Archibald M. Mitchell, was a native of Jefferson County, N. Y., and was there reared to manhood and initiated into the duties of farm life, while receiving his education in tile common schools of his township. Mr. Mitchell subsequently migrated to Niagara County, and was there united in marriage with Miss Sol)hronia Hawley, who was a native of that county, and came of Welsh ancestry. while Mr. Mitchell's people, as the name implies, were Scotch. After their union the young couple settled in Michigan, at once taking up a tract of land from Uncle Sam on section 32, Union Township. They made their advent into this State in July, 1836, and began their pioneer life with the birth of the State of Michigan, by erecting a primitive log house, of which they took possession, and then turned their attention to their forest-covered acres. Mr. Mitchell first chopped an opening upon which they might raise sufficient sulpplies for their most pressing wants, while the nearest mill was at Constantine on the St. Joseph River. many miles distant. Upon this the father labored industriously during the remainder of his days, but lie passed away when only forty-seven years of age, in July, 1847. Although he had seen little results from his years of toil, his practical mind foresaw to some extent the great future of this section of country, and though he experienced to their fullest extent all the self-denials and privations of pioneer life, he bore them cheerfully for the sake of those who should reap the reward. He was an intelligent man, and was elected Justice of the Peace in his township soon after he came to the county, and held the office continuously until his death. He was formerly an old-line Wlig and was one of the original Abolitionists of this part of the State, where at that time the principles had considerable party following. He was nomi nated by his party for Sheriff of the county, and it is probable lie was the only candidate ever honored with a nomination by that party. The wife of Mr. Mitcliell still survives, residing on the old homestead in Union Township, and has attained tile age of seventy-four years. She is a well-preserved, intelligent woman, and successfully manages the farm operations. She is a member in good standing of the Congregational Church, in Union City, as was also her husband. Byron L. Mitclell was the first born in the parental family of five children, three sons and two daughters, of whom one son, Solon by name, passed away when twenty years of age. Martha M. is the wife of Daniel Hurford, a farmer of Saline County, Kan.; Newton took to wife Sarah Tyler, and is also a farmer in Saline County, while Charlotte became the wife of Henry Kate, a farmer of Union Township. Byron L. was reared and educated in Union Township, and after the death of his father he cared for his mother and the rest of the family until he was twenty-seven years of age. At this time he was first married, in Batavia Township, to Miss Demerista Sprague, a native of that township, but she died at her home in 1868, three years after her marriage, leaving a daughter, Myrtie. Mr. Mitchell was subsequently married, choosing for his wife Miss Mary J. Whitley, who was born in Rochester, N. Y., and came with her father, Henry Whitley, to Michigan in 1865, and located in Union Township, this county. The mother died while they were residents of Rochester, and the father died in Union Township, in 1881, where he had been following the trade of a stonemason, and was but little past middle life. After the death of her mother Mrs. Mary J. Mitchell was reared by her father, and received her education in the public schools. Her union with our subject has resulted in the birth of five children, two of whom, Archibald and an infant, are deceased. The survivors, Ida, Lola and Bertha, have received the advantages of a good education and still reside under the home roof. Mr. Mitchell has taken an active part in local politics, and is an advocate of and votes with the temperance party. He is influential among his townsmen, and for two terms he has been Supervisor of Union Township, _-40 i; i I *low IWCP t )r I - i90 - I I ' I - a 594 BRANCH COUNTY. A --- -------------- discharging the duties of the office with that ability which characterizes all his business transactions, public or private. When the last call came for troops to aid in suppressing the Rebellion our subject enlisted, Oct. 13, 1864, in Battery D, 1st Michigan Artillery, under Capt. Fuller, and was assigned to the Army of the Cumberland. He was with his battery at the defense of Murfreesboro, Tenn., and was honorably discharged at Jackson, Mich., July 22, 1865. lie is now a member of theG. A. R.. CorburnPost, at Union City. 6 HOMAS ALFRED HILTON, engaged in the grocery business at Coldwater, is a native of i Albion," where he was born at Smethwick, on the 12th of April, 1855, and is the only child who grew to maturity of Thomas and Esther (Goodwin) Hilton. Mr. Hilton has been engaged in business at his present location since 1884, but previous to this he had a large experience in his line of industry, and is well qualified to cater to the most epicurean tastes of Coldwater. The father of our subject was a native of Tamworth, England, and his ancestors for many years were residents of that vicinity. lie spent his early days on the home farm, and in starting out for himself he engaged in merchandising. He afterward engaged in an iron works, as manager, which involved a thorough knowledge of iron manuf.acturing, and followed this vocation until his death at Moxley, England, which occurred May 20, 1871. He was a very industrious and successful business man, of unquestioned integrity, and respected and honored by his many acquaintances. He was an extensive traveler on the continent, and took an active interest in politics, affiliating with the Whig party. He was an active memberof the Methodist Episcopal Church, and had a prominent standing in the I. O. O. F. The mother of our subject was born in Montgomeryshire, Wales, Feb. 11, 1831, and spent her last years in Smethwick, Staffordshire, where her death occurred Jan. 15, 1857, three years after her marriage, which occurred Feb. 11. 1854. She was a member of the Episcopal Church, and was called to her reward in the midst of her usefulness. Of her union with the father of our subject there were born two children-Thomas A., and Esther Agnes; the latter was born Jan 12, 1857, and (lying eight days later, was buried with her mother at Smethwick. Our subject lived at his home in the town of Moxley until 1871, and he received his education in the Episcopal schools of that place. By associating with his father he gained a knowledge of his business, and was able to discharge the duties of the office during his father's illness. He became so expert in all details that though but a lad at the time of his father's death, he was considered competent to assume the responsible position his father had held with the firm. In 1871 he abandoned that business to come to the United States, and embarking at Liverpool on the steamer i Nevada" July 26 of that year, he landed at New York on the 7th of the following month. One week after his arrival he set out for Cold water, and upon arriving here he engaged as a clerk in a grocery store with Thomas Johnson, and remained in his employ about twelve months. He then took a thorough business course in college, after which he went to Fremont, Ind., and took charge of the railroad station at that place. Failing health, however, compelled him to resign his position, and before a year expired he returned to Cold water, and engaging with Henry Milnes in his grocery store, remained with him a number of years. He next spent four years in the clothing business with L. D. -Halsted, as book-keeper and salesman, and eventually had the general supervision of the business. He next formed a partnership, and under the firm name of Milnes Bros. & Hilton, conducted a store devoted to groceries and meats, the first double market in Coldwater. The partnership was limited to four years, and at the end of that time Mr. Hilton withdrew from the firm and established a similar business on Monroe street, together with the curing of meats and rendering of lard, which he has continued to conduct since June, 1884. Mr. Hilton was united in marriage with Della E. Stotts, in Ripley Township, Huron Co., Ohio, who. I DbP4 I r II - I Ir I. ~ -~I ~ ii r rl ~r4- I _ -q I.... -F -- 1 It ~L)L~ull-r l~ll)~P Ic-le ~I — ~ II 1-1 g I~~'............... lIBL-C.q —I — I Ir,El w BRANCH COUNTY. 595 N: -- I was born April 11, 1860, in the same house, and was the second in order of birth in a family of four children born to Abraham and Marietta (Boughton) Stotts. Their union has been blessed by the birth of two children: Flora E., who was born Dec. 10, 1879, and Alfred White, Dec. 6, 1886. Politically, our subject is identified with the Republican party, and is a man of influence in the ranks, cautious in forming an opinion, discreet in presenting it, and firm in maintaining it. In 1888 he was elected Alderman of the Fourth Ward, and the duties of that office will doubtless be discharged with his usual ability and good judgment. He is a member in good standing of the Baptist Church, and socially, is identified with Tyre Lodge No. 18, A. F. & A. M., and is also a member of Temple Chapter and of the Jacobs Commandery, K. T. He has filled nearly all of the offices in the Blue Lodge Commandery, and now holds the position of Generalissimo of the Commandery, and has also taken the first degree of the I. O. O. F. L ON. ROLAND ROOT, who departed this life at his home in Coldwater on the 11th! of August, 1885, was a prominent figure in k( the early history of this county, to which he came as early as 1835, when a young man twenty-two years of age. Fourteen years later, in 1849, he was elected to the State Legislature, in which he served acceptably two terms, and after the outbreak of the Rebellion was one of the first to offer his services in assisting to maintain the Union. He was a man particularly unselfish in his character, always taking a lively interest in the affairs of his community and the public at large, using his influence in support of every worthy enterprise, and his more substantial means whenever possible. The church and school found in him an unwavering friend, and he was of that peculiar social temperament which served to attract to himself warm friends wherever he went. Although a man of decided views, he had the good judgment which seldom led him to give offense to those around him, and his opinions, even by those who differed with him, were held in unqualified respect. The subject of this sketch was born Dec. 25, 1813. His parents were Edward and Sally (Cole) Root, who had a family of eight children, Roland being the fourth in order of birth. Further facts connected with the parental history will be found in the sketch of John Root on another page in this work. Roland, as the son of a farmer, was given only a common-school education, and continued with his parents until reaching his majority. Notwithstanding his limited advantages, he had picked up considerable book learning otherwise, and now going into Huron County, Ohio, engaged in teaching at Norwalk. He also engaged as clerk in a dry-goods store there, and at that place met and married Aliss Harriet Chapin, of Canandaigua, N. Y. Mr. Root came to Michigan when Cold water was but an Indian hamlet, and engaged in general merchandising. Later he purchased a mill at Hodunk, which lie operated in connection with his store until it was destroyed by fire, in 1847. He then turned his attention to farming, which he carried on with fair success until the outbreak of the Rebellion. He had in the meantime, in addition to serving as a Legislator, been on the Grand Jury many times at Detroit, and was otherwise prominently identified with the interests of the yet undeveloped county. During the first year of the war Mr. Root volunteered his services as a Union soldier, and was made First Lieutenant of the famous Loomis Battery, which was assigned to the Army of the Cumberland. The first cannon shot which went whizzing across the Big Barren at the time Gen. Mitchell attacked Bowling Green, Ky., in 1862, was fired by Lieut. Roland Root, of the 1st Michigan Battery. Subsequently he was in the battles of Cheat Mountain in West Virginia, and Stone River, but at the expiration of two years was compelled to resign on account of failing health, and left the ranks Nov. 17, 1862. Lieut. Root now returned to his farm adjacent to the city of Coldwater, and not long afterward was elected Justice of the Peace, which office he held about thirteen years. Most of this time he suffered considerably physically, but did not aban MO.- = -.A - ~ -. -m- an1'1LIIC I -qe --- f \_ -A - -.,m.-.M 0 -, -4NF IIIpff-11 i I, i 596 BRANCH COUNTY. don active labor until about two years before his death. He had been married, in 1841, to Miss Irene Alden, and there were born to them nine children, of whom the record is as follows: Amelia M. became the wife of F. E. Hale, of Seneca Falls, N.Y.; Matilda married Capt. Sherman A. Johnson, of the United States volunteer army, and who was for a number of years connected with the United States Treasury Department; they are now living in Washington. Harriet Chapin is the wife of William S. Fielding, of New York City; Edward died in infancy, and the next son was named Edward Roland; Flora for the last seven years has been connected with the Treasury Department at Washington. Jennie Fisk is the wife of Charles A. Minocks, editor and publisher of the Minneapolis Star; Frederick H. lives in Los Angeles, Cal., and Lizzie J. The wife of our subject is the daughter of Hiram and Melita (Huntley) Alden, and a cousin of Mrs. Lydia (Huntley) Sigourney, the poetess. Her father was a lineal descendant of John Alden and the Puritain maiden Priscilla, whose romantic history has been perpetuated in verse by the poet Longfellow, and which as an episode of Puritan times is not excelled by anything in the annals of that time. Hiram Alden was born at Ashfield, Mass., Oct. 28, 1792, and was educated as a physician and surgeon. He was married at Rome, N. Y., Jan. 28, 1816, and settled in Camden, that State, whence later he removed to Maysville, now in Chautauqua County. From there they went to Ripley, and thence came to Michigan Territory in September, 1824, locating upon the present site of Coldwater. Hiram Alden, like his noble ancestor, was a man of much force of character, and very capable in public affairs, and was elected to the last Territorial Legislature, which had its sessions in Detroit, and gave the vote which transformed Michigan from a Territory into a State. In the General Assembly he served two terms, and later held the office of Commissioner of Internal Improvements, which position he occupied at the time of his death. Under his administration the first railroad was built in the State, which is now known as the Michigan Central. Mr. Alden was a Democrat, politically, and a member of the Baptist Church, in which he was prominent and active, and assisted in the organization of the first society of this denomination in Coldwater. He died, honored and respected, on the 26th of November, 1838, at Detroit. His wife, the mother of Mrs. Root, was a native of New Jersey, and died in Coldwater in August, 1849, eleven years after the decease of her husband. in Coldwater, is a native of the Empire State, where he was born at Waverly, Tioga County, June 10, 1834. He is the second in a family of six children born to Erastus and Sarah A. (Smith) Wolcott, natives respectively of Cooperstown, Otsego Co., N. Y., and Connecticut, near Hartford. The other members of the parental family are recorded as follows: George B. was born March 9, 1833. and died April 10, 1888; Helen was born in 1837, and became the wife of Prof. Loomis, of Philadelphia; Wallace W. was born in 1839, and resides at Athens, Pa.; Alva E. is now living at Silver City, N. M., while Erastus died in infancy. The father of our subject was born Nov. 7, 1794, in New York, whither his parents had migrated at an early day from Connecticut, and settled in Otsego County. He spent his early years at the homestead in attendance at the public schools, and, choosing the profession of law, he engaged in its study and was admitted to the bar. He also engaged as a lumber merchant at Waverly, N. Y., and at Athens, Pa., dying in the latter place about 1860, but was buried in Waverly. He was of a genial, benevolent disposition, acquired an easy competency, and made many friends. He was a leader in the Whig party, a man of great firmness of character, and always acted in harmony with his convictions; he was a fluent speaker, and often stumped the country in the interests of his party, who elected him to many of the local offices. He was a Government (mploye, and was in the War of I. i dI-.1 II. I~r - - ---—.,-,L --- -Iwvp- ~. -ll F g r~__~ ---------— _ _~~ _ __ 5 :l1 r I L m.-A -d~P ---~ " -~ ----a III ~a- L ---~~I ---l - - BRANCH COUNTY. 597 ' 1812. The parents of the mother of our subject, Daniel and Harriet Smith, settled at Athens, Pa., at an early day, and there Mrs. Wolcott was born Dec. 7, 1797, and was the eldest in the parental family. Her sisters are recorded as follows: Betsy, Elizabeth and Maria, the latter of whom became the wife of John Bagley, a tanner by trade, and her son, John J., became Gov. Bagley, of Detroit, Mich. After the death of her husband the mother of our subject lived at Athens, until the spring of 1874, and then went to live with her son George, at Smithboro, N. Y., where her death took place three years later. She was a very active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and a devout Christian woman. Our subject was reared to manhood in Athens, and in 1856 commenced business for himself as a lumber merchant, and remained thus engaged until 1859, when he went to Northumberland, Pa., and engaged in general merchandising. In 1865 he made his advent into Coldwater and engaged in the produce business, which he has since conducted with such success as to place him among the prominent business men of the city. In 1868 he was elected City Marshal, and ten years later he was a successful candidate for a seat in the City Council. In 1865 Mr. Wolcott was united in marriage with Miss Harriet Owen, who was born at Berwick, Columbia Co., Pa., in 1844, and was the second in a family of eight children born to Hudson and Harriet (Jackson) Owen, natives respectively of Orange County, N. Y., and Pennsylvania. The brothers and sisters of Mrs. Wolcott are recorded as follows: Fanny became the wife of Robert Gilroy; Sally, of J. S. McMurtrie; Nellie, of Hoobly Albright; William; Kate, the wife of A. E. Shoeman; George and Annie. The father of Mrs. Wolcott was born in 1811, and has been superintendent of the Pennsylvania Canal for over fifty years, having had charge of t rn it during its construction, while it was still owned by the State, which subsequently sold it to the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. He is a genial, whole-souled man, taking great interest in innocent amusements, and is a favorite with all classes. In politics he is loyal to the Democratic party, and' takes an active interest in its deliberations, while in religion le is identi fied with the Episcopal Church, and socially, belongs to the A. F. & A. M. In politics Mr. Wolcott has always voted the Republican ticket, except in the Presidential election of 1884, and socially, he is a charter member of the A. 0. U. W., of Coldwater.: I i i RANCIS GRANGER, SR., one of the oldest and most highly respected residents of Coldwater Township, traces his ancestry back to New England, where he was himself born in Hampshire County, Mass., Oct. 18, 1806. His father, Benajah Holcomb Granger, was a native of Suffield, Conn., where lie was reared to manhood and learned the trade of blacksmith. Going to Massachusetts early in life he occupied himself at his trade there until 1823, then made his way to New York State, joining al elder son who had settled in Manchester Township, Ontario County. This journey the father of our subject made on foot, but subsequently returned East, and securing a team moved with his family to the Empire State, and lived in Palmyra for a period of seven years. The spirit of emigration, however, had seized him, and at the expiration of this time he started westward once more, settling this time in Ashtabula County, Ohio, where he spent the remainder of his life. His wife, Mrs. Sarah (Peashot) Granger, was born in Massachusetts, and was of French ancestry. After the death of her husband she removed to Auburn. Ohio. where her death took place. The maternal grandfather of our subject was a farmer by occupation, and died at Pelham, in his native State of Massachusetts. He was the son of a native of Cape Breton, who was a fisherman by occupation and owned a fleet of vessels for this purpose. He left a large property which, however, his posterity never received the benefit of, it going to the Government. Francis Granger, our subject, was seventeen years of age when his father removed to New York State, which was then a new country. In Massachusetts he had become master of the broommaker's trade, and followed this a part w _ Y Is -RN --.I- _ln____- ~ __1 —~. ~ _ _c.~..'~~ ___. --- —- _...._...._ r-. m_ m 7w,- / i I u L I 598 -BRANCH COUNTY. i I of the time after taking up his residence in Western New York. When not employed at this he assisted his father on the farm. Young Granger removed with his father to Ohio, in 1830, and shortly afterward purchased thirty acres of partially improved land, upon which stood a log house. In that humble dwelling he and his parents lived together three years, then selling out purchased 100 acres of land on time, in Auburn Township, Geauga County. This consisted of heavy timber, to which they were obliged to cut a road before being able to reach it. They put up a log house and commenced the building up of a homestead in the wilderness. Deer, wild turkeys and other game roamed at will through the forest, and their neighbors were few and far between. Whatever the family lacked otherwise in their pioneer home, they were always supplied with an abundance of wild meat. In 1837 the Grangers sold out their property in Geauga County, and took up their residence in Perry, Lake County, on a tract of partially improved land, although there were no buildings. They put up a frame house, and our subject worked at his trade and on the land until 1840, then, seized with a desire for a change of location, he made his way to St. Catherine's, Canada, where he contracted to manufacture 10,000 brooms. This took him nearly a year, at the end of which time he returned to the farm, and in 1842 purchased a half-interest in a crop of broom corn, and shipped it to London, Canada. Then going there himself he made up his material into brooms, and leaving them to be sold, he returned to the Buckeye State. His brooms were destroyed by fire at Dundas, and consequently an entire loss. From that time he continued a resident of Perry Township until 1851, when he sold out once more and prepared to leave the Buckeye State. Mr. Granger, in 1852, came to this county and purchased eighty acres of land in Coldwater Township, five acres of which had been partly cleared and upon which stood a log house. For the third time he started to build a home from the wilderness, and has here made his residence up to the present. He was successful in subduing the soil, which yielded generously to the hand of industry, and added to his real estate until he was at one time the owner of 218 acres. Of this he has improved the greater part, and also erected a good set of frame buildings. He now sits under his own vine and fig tree, surrounded with all the comforts of life and hosts of friends. The lady who began the journey of life with our subject over fifty years ago, they being wedded Sept. 29, 1835, was in her girlhood Miss Harriet Newell Brown, and their union has been blessed by the birth of four children: Laura Victorine is now the wife of John Williams, of Coldwater; Francis; John H. and Ann Maria areat home with their parents. John Brown, the father of Mrs. Granger, and a native of Ontario County, N. Y., was born in the town of Gorham, and was the son of Abner Brown, who spent his last years in Brownville, Jefferson County. John Brown grew to manhood in his native township, and while a single man settled in Palmyra Townsllip, where he carried on farming until the early part of 1817. He then removed to Geauga County, Ohio, and settled among the pioneers of Newbury Township. He purchased a tract of timber land, put up a log house, and moved in before the roof was completed. The removal from Western New York had been made with an ox-team, the journey occupying three weeks. In 1824 he removed from Newbury to Auburn, and purchased eighty acres of timber, putting up another log house and going through much the same process as before. Here he remained until his death, which took place about 1871. The father of Mrs. Granger, it is supposed, was married in Palmyra, N. Y., and his daughter Harriet was born there Sept. 24, 1816. Her mother was in her girlhood Miss Polly Hayden, a native of Northampton, Mass., and the daughter of Jonathan Hayden, who removed from Massachusetts to Ontario County, N. Y., where he spent his last days. Hle had married Miss Lavina Ensign, whom it is believed was also a native of the Bay State, and who, surviving her husband a number of years, died in the town of Gaines, Orleans County. The father of Mrs. Granger served as a soldier in the War of 1812, and was at Sackett's Harbor under Gen. Brown. The wife of our subject continued under the OM- -_ -C1I II I I I ~ I-r.I 111II I~PI0I~*11b ll~lb I bLL.t — 4~ -r - _ i 9b I i R ---,"* mmew"I I -I~ II BRANCH COUNPUTY. 599 BRANC CU watchful care of her parents until reaching womanhood, in the meantime learning to spin and weave, and was married under the home roof. The morning after the wedding she and her husband set out on foot for their future home one mile away, carrying a basket of crockery with which to commence housekeeping. They have now spent together fiftythree years of married life, and celebrated their golden wedding in the fall of 1885. Upon this happy occasion there were assembled about 150 guests, including neighbors and relatives, who sat down to a bounteous repast, and in the meantime recalled many a reminiscence of the olden days and made many a comparison between the past and the present. Mr. and Mrs. Granger, notwithstanding they labored early and late during their younger years to establish a comfortable home, are still hale and hearty, and strong both physically and mentally. They have made a good record for themselves, and occupy an enviable place among the other honored pioneers of this county. I1OMfAS B. BUELL, President of the Farmers' National Bank, of Union City, has been a resident of this city since 1879. During his first years in this State he was engaged in agricultural operations, and accumulated property until at one time he had about 2,000 acres of land. He has since disposed of a part of his estate, and now has about 1,500 acres, 800 of which are in this county. This bank, of which Mr. Buell is President, has been a great benefit to the business public, and is one of the solid institutions of the village, while it is recognized as one of the substantial banking houses of the State. Its managers are numbered among the most capable of business men, and their reputation is a sufficient guarantee that the affairs of the institution are managed with that skill and business integrity which inspire trust and ensure success. Starting in business in the latter years of the financial embarrassment throughout the countlry, the Farmers' National Bank has from that period pursued an unbroken career of prosper__A ity, with a steady and substantial increase in business. It stands high in the estimation of the people, and well deserves the prominent position it occupies among the solid institutions of Southern Michigan. The establishment is located on the west side of Broadway, in a building erected especially for the purpose for which it is used. It is among the most handsome blocks on the street, and is fitted with all the modern banking facilities, strong vaults, time locks and excellent fixtures. The father of our subject, whose name was Darius Buell, was born in New Hampshire in 1784, while his mother, whose maiden name was Sally Crawe, was a native of Connecticut. They first settled in Lebanon, Madison Co., N. Y., and soon afterward removed to Sherburne, Chenango County, where they continued to reside until their death. They became the parents of fifteen children, eleven of whom grew to mature years, and are named as follows: Loren, David, Darius, Sophrina, Chauncy, Justus, Thomas B., Morris 0., Roxa, Lucretia and Jerusha. Four of these came to Michigan, namely: Darius, Chauncy, Justus and Thomas B., of whom our subject is the only one now living, and is the only surviving male member of the family. Thomas B. Buell was born in Sherburne, Chenango Co., N. Y., April 5, 1815, and comes of a good family of English extraction. At the age of ten years he went to live with his uncle, Chauncy Buell, with whom he remained four years, and our subject attributes much of his success to the lessons taught him by his energetic and prudent uncle. Educationally, he had the advantages usually afforded to farmers' sons, attending school about two months during each winter. This, however, he supplemented by an attendance at the Sherburne Academy, and returning to his home at fourteen years of age, was variously employed until he reached the age of twenty years, when he started out in life for himself. He first found employment on the Chenango Canal, where he spent about one year, and was afterward variously employed until October, 1836, when he resolved to try his fortune in the Territory of Michigan. He accordingly put his resolve into execution, and coming to Michigan in company with his brothers, Chauncy and Justus, was engaged in different occupations for a I 5 _ll 1,t" -. i a111- -— 9 IrIII. —g 1. - 1 rr~II I I I I~a~L- - I1~ - I - I I I I i i I i I i i I I ii i i 11 F m -A 600 BRANCH COUNTY. -1000 —..., -A.-I r short time, after which he settled on section 30, Union Township, where he had purchased 320 acres of land in connection with his brother Chauncy. Three years later they divided their property, and Thomas B. continued to reside on his farm until his removal to Union City in 1879, as before stated. Mr. Buell was united in marriage in Union City, April 21, 1840, with Miss Mary E., daughter of David W. and Polly (Allen) Blakeman, natives of the States of Connecticut and New Hampshire re. spectively. They came from Otsego County, N. Y., to this county in 1838, and settled in Union Township, where the father died in Union City, in 1848, and the mother several years later, in 1862. Their family included seven children, of whom Mrs. Buell was the second in order of birth, and first saw the light in Burlington, Otsego Co., N. Y., March 20, 1814. Mr. and Mrs. Buell have had blorn to them five children-Sarah E., John Q. A., Adelia A., Darius D. and Bingham T. Sarah E. became the wife of Wallace Case, of Batavia, this county, and is now a widow; John Q. A. married Miss Mary Tyler, and died in Union Township about 1876; Adelia also (lied in Union Township, in 1865; Darius married Estelle Strong, and resides inl Union Township, while Bingham T. died in California in the autumn of 1885. Mr. Buell was elected President of the Farmers' National Bank upon its organization, Oct. 12, 1877, and has held the position continuously ever since. He has also held the office of Justice of the Peace for twenty-four years, and was a member of the Council of Union City for several years, besides holding several of the minor offices in the township. Owing doubtless to Mr. Buell's exemplary habits, he has reached his threescore years and ten, showing very little of the ravages of time, and one would suppose him to be much younger than he is. He is a worthy, public-spirited and genial gentleman, honored and respected by all with whom his extensive relations, business and social, have brought him into contact, and can look forward to a hale old age in the enjoyment of those creature comforts he has so richly earned, and surrounded by the friends who have known him so long and favorably. In politics he affiliates with the Republican I party, to which he gives his support on all important occasions. Mrs. Buell is an active and consistent member of the Congregational Church, and by her walk and conversation adorns her profession, and is eminently qualified to fill that niche in the social edifice in which a lifetime of integrity has placed her. ISAAC ALDEN, a descendant of "John Alden and Priscilla," of historic fame, sought the j Western country during his early manhood, and for forty-one years has been numbered among the solid and substantial citizens of this county. He located in Coldwater Township about 1847, and for twenty-five years successfully conducted a grist and flouring mill, which was long ago recognized as one of the indispensable institutions of this region. We give the main points in the history of our subject as follows: Mr. Alden was born in Williamstown, Oswego Co., N. Y., Jan. 8, 1813, and was the first child of Pliny and Anna (Upson) Alden, whose family comprised four sons and three daughters. The second son, Henry, died in boyhood. The eldest daughter Nancy Irene, married Horace Hill, and is living in Coldwater Township; Alma became the wife of Horace French, and resides in Floyd, Oneida Co., N. Y.; Philomela married Allen Cook, and resides in Coldwater Township; Lyman P., a man of more than ordinary ability and fine literary attainments, at present has charge of the Rose Orphan Home, at Terre Haute, Ind. Two died in infancy. Pliny Alden, a native of Ashfield, Mass., was born Feb. 28, 1787, and was the fourth in a family of eleven children born to Isaac and Irene (Smith) Alden. Isaac Alden was of the sixth generation from John Alden, of the "Mayflower," who came with the Puritans to this country in 1620, landing at Plymouth Rock. Pliny Alden was a farmer by occupation, and enlisted as a soldier in the War of 1812, but his services not being required, received his discharge, and returned home to Williamstown, Oswego Co., N. Y. He was a reputable and indus- i IN 0 i: L If - _ a i -- II~ --- lpW' — 1 —4 IN I..M- -- -- — ~ --- - iff -40 1,111 I I - = 4\..q@ BRANCH COUNTY. 601!1 --- I trious citizen, and although having had but limited opportunities for education, acquired by his own efforts a liberal knowledge of past and current events, being an extensive reader. He was a member of the Congregational Church, and in politics, a decided Democrat. In connection with his farming operations he was also engaged in the building of mills, putting up the first sawmill in Williamstown, Oswego County. Thence he went to Camden and finally to Floyd, where he spent his last days, his death taking place Nov. 14, 1834. The mother of our subject was born Feb. 26, 1787. and was the daughter of Ashbel and Anna (Munson) Upson, and was married to Pliny Alden, in Camden, N. Y., March 17, 1812. Slle was a lady of strong intellect and inflexible devotion to duty, looking after her family and household affairs after the manner of the women of Scripture, and in all things fulfilling the idea of the noble Christian matron. Isaac Alden, our subject, claims that it is owing to the excellent teachings and watchful care of his mother that he occupies his present social and financial position among his fellowmen. She taught him habits of industry and principles of honor, and instilled into him those lessons which he has never forgotten. This excellent mother survived her first husband a period of twenty-eight years, her death taking place in Rome, N. Y., April 1, 1862. In the meantime she was married to Pliny Darrow, of that place. The subject of this sketch spent his boyhood and youth under the parental roof, with very limited opportunities for an education, but like his father before him, with a fondness for reading and study, became exceedingly well informed upon matters of general interest. When a youth of eighteen years he took a small bundle of clothing and started out to look for a position.. He made his way first to Rome, N. Y., and engaged to work for Jacob Tibbetts on a farm at $10 per month. He gave his employer such good satisfaction that he was soon placed in charge of the hands, and remained with this gentleman nearly two years. In December, 1833, an order was received at the arsenal in Rome, N. Y., from Maj. Whistler, in charge of Ft. Mackinaw, for a ton of powder and a quantity of soldier's clothing. The individual selected to take charge of this expedition was our subject, then about twenty-one years of age. His employer had taken the contract upon condition that young Alden should perform the journey, and our subject was consequently fitted out with a sleigh and team, and his goods loaded together with his rations of pork and beans, and the requisite supply of blankets to protect him from the weather. He left Rome in the latter part of December and started on his perilous journey, his only protection a flintlock musket and a dog. Capt. Mallory assured the young man that he could take the ridge road to Lewiston, and thence through Canada to Detroit, and from there to Mackinaw. He did not, however, choose this route, as it would have been at the peril of lhaving his goods confiscated and himself put in prison. He wisely consulted the Custom House officers on the other side of the river, taking the precaution to leave his goods where they would be safe until he should determine how to proceed, and for this exhibition of forethought received the undisguised admiration of these officials. Armed with the required information our subject proceeded on his journey on the south side of the lakes, and was four weeks in reaching Detroit. Much of his way lay through an untrodden wilderness and there was not the remotest sign of the present flourishing city of Toledo. He crossed the river on the ice at Perrysburg, six or eight miles south of Toledo. Detroit was a small hamlet of a few houses, and from here there was no road leading to Mackinaw, so he was obliged to put his goods into the United States Magazine and wait until navigation opened, so he could proceed up the lake by boat. Instead of doing as many would have done under the circumstances-lying around at his employer's expense-he placed his valuables in good care, and going out into the country engaged in teaming, saving the money thus earned and carrying it back to his employer in due time. Such an exhibition of honesty was well worthy the descendant of John Alden and Priscilla. In the spring when navigation opened our subject placed his goods on board the schooner "Austerlitz," and after a two-weeks journey landed them at Mackinaw, in the hands of Maj. Whistler. He was obliged to remain at Mackinaw two weeks be WPL~(~ ~C~II ---I~ -- I q ~- — n -, I .OI. - i r i \i (I 602 BRANCH COUNTY. I WiF fore he could catch a vessel to return upon, and after an absence of five months finally arrived safely at Rome, N Y., with all the money belonging to his employer, including that obtained by selling the team and wagon in Detroit, which he did when he put his goods on board the vessel. Mr. Jacob Tibbetts was to receive $250 for the round trip. Our subject's expenses were about $75, and he earned over half enough to pay these by teaming, as state(l. The experience of Mr. Alden in connection with this adventure had the effect to make him desirous of settling in the West, and accordingly in the latter part of October, 1834, he made his way again to this region, by way of steamer from Buffalo to Detroit, and thence walked twenty-five miles to Pon iac. He first employed himself as a farm laborer at $14 per month, and next engaged with the miller, H. N. Howard, with whom he continued two years, and with the capital thus acquired purchased eighty acres of land in the vicinity of Plymouth. Upon this he made some improvements, but in 1838 joined a company going to Shelbyville, Ill., to build a mill. At that day there was no machinery for boating, packing, etc., everything of the kind being done by hand. Young Alden remained only a year at Shelbyville, then returning employed himself for a time in a mill at Plymouth, and selling his farm purchased eighty acres near Jonesville, Hlillsdale County. Here he also employed himself in a mill, while at the same time carrying on the improvement of his land as rapidly as possible, and was thus occupied until 1847. In 1850 he traded his property in Scipio Township for eighty acres of the now valuable land which lies adjacent to the city of Cold water, and which he subsequently doubled in amount. The farm of Mr. Alden is now in a high state of cultivation, with first-class buildings, a fine orchard and an abundance of the smaller fruit trees. After taking up his residence in this locality, Mr. Alden became the employe of Asa Parish at a salary of $1 per day, and continued with him in his mill until his death, then continued with his successor until 1862. Mr. A. then rented a mill at Quincy two years, then purchased the Parish Mills, where he had previously been employed at $1 per day. In the fall of 1871 the mill with its equipments was destroyed by fire, and Mr. Alden went again to Quincy, renting a mill there. Ten months later he was seized with rheumatism which refused to yield to treatment, and he then retired from active business. Since that time he has wisely been taking life in the most easy manner. One of the most important events in the life of our subject was his marriage, which occurred March 18, 1845, at Jonesville, the maiden of his choice being Miss Mary A., daughter of David and Abigail (Crane) Hopkins, and who were the parents of ten children. Mr. Hopkins was born in Hebron, Washington Co., N. Y., Aug. 15, 1784, and was of Scotch-Irish ancestry. The latter came to the United States in the seventeenth century. l)avid Hopkins was reared to farm pursuits and did good service in the War of 1812. He was a Whig, politically, and religiously, a member of the Presbyterian Church. He spent his last days in Erie County, Pa., his death taking place near Cranesville, in 1844. He was a man noted for his integrity of character, a zealous advocate of temperance, and a Christian in the truest sense of the word. The mother of Mrs. Alden was a lady in every respect well fitted for the wife of such a man as her husband. She was born in Ashford, Conn., Sept. 14. 1786, and was the daughter of Roger and Sarah (Whiting) Crane, who took up their residence in Groton, Tompkins Co., N. Y., about 1793. She remained with her parents until her marriage, being then twenty-seven years of age. She was a grand type of the Christian wife and mother, and ended a most useful and worthy life in 1832. The wife of our subject was born Nov. 11, 1819, also at Groton, N. Y., was reared by her parents, acquired a good education which she finished at Austinburg, Ashtabula Co., Ohio, this school being a branch of Oberlin College, and commenced teaching at the age of sixteen years. This she followed until twenty-five years old, in the meantime being Principal of one of the first Union Schools at Jonesville, this State, for one year, at the close of which she was married to Mr. Alden. During the forty-three years of their pilgrimage together she has proved his most efficient helpmate, inciting him to all good deeds, and assisting him to his present,._~d N ow 's -~ - i ' ~~ r --- i-I I L, NPII1Db~~-Pr~q. II BRANCH COUNTY. 603 enviable position among his fellowmen. She is an active member of the Presbyterian Church, and has taught the infant class in the Sabbath-school for thirty-seven years. As a token of her services, a beautiful life-size portrait of herself, presented by her class, has hung in her room in the Sabbathschool for many years. In addition to her intelligence and capacities as a teacher, Mrs. Alden possesses literary talents of a high order, and has contributed both prose articles and poems to the various leading newspapers of this section. She left her home in Elk Creek, Pa., in 1844, going to Erie by stage, thence by boat to Detroit, and overland to this State, where she commenced her duties as a teacher, and has since built up for herself an enviable record among the people of this section. We subjoin a few lines written on the thirty-fifth anniversary of her marriage: To-day 'tis five and thirty years, Since we our fragile bark launched forth With fluttering sails, all set and trimmed, On matrimony's flattering sea. Its placid face, with deptlhs untried, Reflecting bright shores on either side, And siren voice, then lured us on To flowry isles, with sunny shores, And mossy banks and singing birds, With plumage bright and gentle wing, And the humming of bees as they honey bring, When labor is sweet if done for love, And where homes on earth are like that above. By bearing with faults as they came to the light, We've passed safely the rocks on which many have wrecked; We're most through the breakers, the shore's just in sight, Let us bear and forbear and love on to the last. We've bravely determined to outride the storms And enter the haven safe sheltered by love; Our compass and chart, the sure Word of God, And for pilot, His spirit, which points us above. To Mr. and Mrs. Alden there were born the children whose record is as follows: Marian Adelaide, born July 23, 1846, is now the wife of David S. Harris, of Coldwater; the next child, a daughter, died in infancy, March 23, 1852; Willis Hopkins was born Aug. 11, 1856, and is color bearer in Company A, 2d Michigan Infantry; his height is six feet and six inches; he was educated in Coldwater, and is now engaged here in business. Annie L. was born Jan. 23, 1859, and is the wife of Edwin J. Sampson, of Concordia, Kan. Our subject has now numbered his threescore and fifteen years, forty-one of which have been spent in this county. Such have been the rules of his life that he is honored and respected by all. He looks back to the golden days of youth and exclaims: Tile morn of life is past, and evening conies at last And brings me the dream of a once happy day, Of youthful forms I've seen upon the village green, Sporting with my old dog Tray. This was the name of the dog which accompanied Mr. Alden on his journey to Mackinaw. For six generations the descendants of John Alden and Priscilla have lived to the average age of seventythree years. It is probable that Capt. Nathan Alden, the great-uncle of our subject, fired the first gun in the Revolutionary War. It was on Sunday and he was at church in Bridgewater. A young girl gave the alarm that the British were at Weymouth. The minister was in the midst of a long prayer, but it was brought to an abrupt termination by Capt. Alden stepping to the platform and warning his company to meet that afternoon with provisions for three days. They marched to Weymouth and dispersed the British, and this was the first engagement of that memorable conflict. lThe late Admiral Alden was the only American naval officer who ever dined with Queen Victoria. Her Majesty extended the invitation because of his gallantry in firing a salute in her honor at the Isle of Wight. ORACE P. JEFFREY. The farm belonging to this gentleman, comprising 230 acres, most of which is in a highly productive condition, is finely located on section 5 in Noble Township, and has been the property of our subject for a period of thirty-four years. Upon coming to this township he first purchased a quar f "P-~l t 4 ----- - - - - - - -- 11- - - I c -- - - - - -- ---- - ~~-p 1-w_ "0 — II I I A A 4 i i I I i I i I I I I.I = do-1 ~ I- -IILI- - C~~~RI -~ I~L~~ 1 ~ sslI~ —V L -,to 604 BRANCH COUNTY. ter-section of land, to which he later added seventy acres, and the larger share of the labor of improvement has been performed by his own hands. He has a neat and substantial residence, a good barn, and all the other buildings required for his convenience and the comfort of all concerned. As a citizen he is reliable and trustworthy, and has contributed in no small degree to the building up of the reputation of this county as a desirable place of residence for an intelligent and thrifty class of people. The county of Oswego, in New York State, contained the early home of our subject, where he was born June 24, 1827. To that region his father, Gurdon Jeffrey, a native of Connecticut, had come when a young man with his newly married wife, who was formerly Miss Esther Butts. After the fashion of the early pioneers the elder Jeffrey occupied himself as a tiller of the soil, and was greatly assisted by his economical and industrious helpmate. They spent their entire lives in the Empire State, becoming the parents of six children. The mother died in 1831. and Mr. Jeffrey was married a second time, and of his last union there was born one child. His death occurred in the city of Rochester, N. Y., in 1873. The parents of our subject were of English ancestry. Young Jeffrey acquired his education in the common school, completing his studies in the city of Rochester, and at an early age was taught to make himself useful among the various employments of the farm. Upon reaching manhood he was first married, in September, 1853, to Miss Mariette Clark, of Yates County, N. Y.. who (lied in less than one year thereafter. Jan. 27, 1858, our subject contracted a second marriage, with Miss Laura A. Coulter, of Rochester, who was born in Mill Port, Chemung Co., N. Y., Dec. 26, 1836, and is the daughter of John and Miranda (Rawson) Coulter, who were natives of New York. Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey commenced life together in Noble Township, and became the parents of six children, the eldest of whom, John M., married Miss Mary Finney, of Burr Oak, and lives in Noble Township; Elda J. is the wife of Luther Russell, of Bronson; Emma S. Mrs. David Coler, lives in Florence, Williams Co., Ohio; Orelia M. is the wife I I f of A. O. Smitl, of Noble Township, and they are now residents of Brown County, Neb.; Gurdon S. and Leona E. are at home with their parents. Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey have reared their family in a manner which has fitted them to become good and useful citizens. They are all self-supporting and doing well. Mrs. Jeffrey is a member in good standing of the Christian Church. Our subject was at one time identified with the Grangers; in his political affiliations he is principally Democratic, although he now sympathizes strongly with the Union Labor party, of whose principles he is a most earnest advocate. He has been prominent in township affairs, and for a period of ten years represented Noble Township in the County Board of Supervisors, and has filled creditably other positions of trust and responsibility. The Jeffrey homestead comprises 280 acres of fine land, where everything is kept in good order, the buildings neat and substantial, and the cattle, horses and swine, graded stock, in which Mr. Jeffrey takes considerable pride, and to which he gives much attention. ILLIS C. BAILEY, son of Henry C. Bailey, and proprietor of the Coldwater Sun, is a native of this city and was born July 12, 1862. His early education was acquired in the public schools, and at the age of fifteen years he entered the office of the Cold water Republican, and there commenced learning the "art p)reservative," his duties being at first to sweep the floors, attend the fires, carry the coal in a bushel basket, and set type the balance of the time. From that he became assistant proof reader, and in about two years' time he was given a case. In order to facilitate his progress as a compositor, Mr. Bailey purchased type and case and practiced at home evenings. This strict confinement to business undermined his health, and he was obliged to resign and go to New Mexico to recuperate. He "roughed it" for a time and dug for silver in the locality known as Hungry Gulch, about twenty vU I i L ow-A, - ^tllMM I^^^^^^^i^M^ ^M^MIL - -,- - * -- I l w -- U A/ -:o W-1 F ___ _ ____ _ I f i -do - 0- W L- i~I~ -C~r~ r 'I - rr.~ -- l-~ ~ 1_0 BRANCH COUN TY. 605 = miles from Santa Fe. In a few months he sought that city and took a case in the office of the Santa Fe Daily Democrat, where he remained three months and was offered the position of foreman; this, however, he declined, and in the spring of 1882 we find him in Denver, Col., where he remained until fall. Then, on returning to Coldwater, he became foreman of the office of the Sun. In July, 1883, he purchased a one-half interest in the office, became manager of the business, and in 1888 became sole proprietor. When Mr. Bailey entered the Sun office as foreman the circulation was small and the amount of job work very light indeed. It is now equipped with modern presses and the other machinery required for a prosperous business, and the circulation of the paper has increased in a like ratio. It is independent in politics, and the friend of temperance and all other reforms. His line of advertising is of that choice description which excludes all objectionable matter, even patent medicines. The moral tone of such a paper can be guessed at once. The marriage of Mr. Bailey was celebrated at the home of the bride, Miss Dora L. Drawbaugh, Oct. 15, 1885. Mrs. B. was born Nov. 25, 1862, and is the daughter of William and Martha Drawbaugh. John Drawbaugh, the grandfather of Mrs. Bailey, was born in Pennsylvania in 1800, and in 1822 married Miss Polly Stuart, a native of Montgomery County, Ohio, where she was born in 1804. He died in 1854, and his wife in 1860. Their home after their marriage was in Ohio. Eight children were born to them, William being next to the youngest. He was born Nov. 17, 1836, and spent his earlier years in and near Dayton, Ohio. On the 12th of April, 1860, he married MAiss Martha Sayles, of Kokomo, Ind., to which place he had removed in 1856. In the fall of 1864 they removed to Coldwater, Mich., where they continued to reside until the fall of 1887, when Mrs. Drawbaugh's health necessitated a removal to California. Their children were: Corwin M., Dora L., Edwin and Lena M. Mr. Drawbaugh is a mason and architect, and had the entire oversight of the brick work upon the State Public School, a large State institution in Coldwater. Warren Sayles, the father of Mrs. Drawbaugh, was born March 3, 1819, in Locke, Cayuga Co., N. Y., where he lived most of the time until he was married, in December, 1840, to Lucinda Porter, of Leicester, N. Y. They had three children, but only Martha, now Mrs. Drawbaugh, lived beyond infancy; she was born June 12, 1841. Mrs. Sayles died in 1844, and in 1853 Mr. Sayles married Emily L. Norton, of Greenfield, Ind. He died June 22, 1886. Mr. Bailey became identified with the A. O. U. W., in 1885, and is now serving his third term as Recorder of the lodge. Both he and his estimable wife are members in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which Mr. Bailey is active and useful, and has served as Secretary of the Sunday-school. He is a charter member of the Collwater Y. M. C. A., and has since served continuously as Trustee and a portion of the time as Treasurer. (For parental history of our subject see sketch of Henry C. Bailey.) G ^" EORGE A. RUSSELL is successfully engaged in agricultural pursuits on a fine farm of 192 acres on section 13, Girard Township. Iere, in addition to general farming, he is somewhat extensively engaged in raising stock of a high grade, and has some fine specimens of Hereford cattle, fine wool sheep and Magna Clarta horses. The substantial and well-appointed residence, with its conmodious out-buildings for sheltering his fine stock and for the storage of the bountiful crops which the farm produces, indicate the home of taste and culture. The father of our subject, George Russell, was born Oct. 9, 1805, in Claremont, N. H., and resided there until he attained his majority.. He then removed to Utica, N. Y., but after about a year he went to Livingston County in the same State, which he made his home ten years. The mother of our subject, whose maiden name was Caroline Faxon, was born Sept. 27, 1801, at Conway, Mass., and is the daughter of Thomas Faxon. Her mother was the daughter of Thomas and Deborah (Taby) I U"-1 I t: -bL - Y __-o" m L I A r obo.II WV i: I = -a --- — -11 — 1 ~ -- —, 1-V I f - 1 606 -- - i BRANCH COUNTY. = Faxon, and settled with her parents in Livingston County, N. Y., where she resided until her marriage, which took place at York, that county, in 1829. In 1838 the young people started for the infant State of Michigan, and settling in Adrian made it their home for six years. In his youth the husband had learned the trade of a cooper, at which he worked for half a century, and which he utilized to good advantage during his pioneer experience in this State. In 1844 he settled in this county, and two years later he took up his residence in Girard Township, where he continued working at his trade and superintending the farm work, which was done by his boys. The parental family of our subject included seven children, three sons and four daughters, as follows: Minnie E., George Alonzo, Adeline S., Thomas B., Mary C., Lewis C. and Caroline J. George A. Russell was born May 12, 1836, in Livingston County, N. Y., and always lived at home. He received such education as was usually obtained by farmers' sons of that age, and grew up to manhood rugged and energetic. Our subject enlisted in thearmy in 1862, becoming a member of Company C, 19th Michigan Infantry, and for his soldier-like qualities evinced in many hard-fought battles, was promoted successively as follows: Corporal, Sept. 5, 1862; Sergeant Major, March 9,1864; First Lieutenant, Nov. 15, 1864, and Captain, May 8, 1865. Mr. Russell participated in every engagment in which his regiment took part, and was never absent from it for a single day. With his comrades he was taken prisoner and confined in Libby Prison about twentyeight days after their capture at Thomson's Station, March 5, 1863. Mr. Russell was honorably discharged from the army about the last of June, 1865, and laying aside the weapons of warfare engaged in the peaceful pursuits of farm life with his old-time vigor. He had left his plow in the furrow to go forth at the call of his country, and though three years had elapsed of a life calculated to unfit a man for industrial pursuits, he returned to his home and took up his work where it had been interrupted. Mr. Russell has been twice married. His first wife was in her girlhood Isadore Vashti Brown, a native of Centreville, Mich., and the daughter of I I I. I William Reilly and Samantha B. (Osgood) Brown. Mrs. Russell was born July 1, 1843, and died Jan. 9, 1880. His second wife, whose maiden name was Armeda Day, is the daughter of Elisha and Roxa Day, of Butler Township, this county. She was born March 17, 1848, and was united in marriage with our subject on New Year's Day, 1883. Mr. Russell is a man of good judgment, and is much respected in his public capacity as Justice of the Peace, the duties of which office he has discharged for a period of sixteen years without fear or favor. Politically, he affiliates with the Republican party, and socially, he is what one would expect a soldier to be, a member of the G. A. R., Post No. 109, at Coldwater. -^2 --- —- ^~~ -— F I UCAS JOSEPH, a prominent farmer and ( business man of Branch County, is a leading citizen of Quincy Township, of which he was an early pioneer, settling on section 22 in MIarch, 1839, and he is the only man residing here who owns land in the township which was entered directly from the Government. He was born in Northampton County, near Easton, Pa., Oct. 14, 1817. His parents, Mathias and Mary Joseph, were born near Strasburg, Germany, and came to the United States with their family in June, 1817, landing in Philadelphia. They were also accompanied by Sylvester, a brother of Mr. Joseph, but after their arrival in Pennsylvania, he was lost track of, and nothing is known of his descendants. The father of our subject was a shoemaker by trade, as he was crilppled by a fever sore on one of his legs, which disabled him and did not permit him to engage in more active labor. He first settled with his wife and children near Easton, Pa., but later moved to Tompkins County, N. Y., and thence he afterward went to Chili, Monroe Co., N. Y., where he (lied in June, 1850; his widow subsequently died in Rochester, N. Y., in 1864. Mathias Joseph was an honest man and a good citizen, highly industrious and capable, and although he was crippled, he did j more work than many an able-bodied man. He and I I i I I I i I I)(BL~1 -_____ --- —— _ ---------------------- _ ^ _ _ - 1' _ T -40 abo I t I i i i i i i i I ------ M Re 00, i BRtANCH COUNTY.'~ 607 B his wife were devout meml)ers of the Catholic Church. They were the parents of ten children, of whom the following is the record: Two of their four eldest children who were born in Germany died on the passage to this counltry; Rosanna died in Rochester, N. Y., at the age of seventy-two, never having married; in early life she worked for a Quaker family for seventy-five cents a week, living with them six years, and only visiting home once a year; Martha married a man named Goldsmith, and died leaving no children; Mary Ann is unmarried, and lives in Rochester, N. Y.; Elizabeth married George Myers, and they have reared a large family of children, and all are living in Rochester, N. Y.; Lucas is our subject; Lawrence is a prominent farmer of Branch County, residing in Quincy Township; William married, and( was a successful farmer and carpenter; he (lied in Quincy. (For further parental history see sketch of Lawrence Joseph, brother of our subject.) Lucas Joseph lived with the family until they settled in Monroe County, N. Y., when he went out to work as a farm hand in tile employ of various people, his father receiving his wages, but keeping his son well clothed. When he was nineteen years of age his father gave him his time. and lie came to Michigan and worked for two years as a farm laborer near Adrian, and when he was twenty-one years of age, he had been so prudent and diligent that he had eighty acres of his present land paid for. He at once settled on the same, and kept bachelor's hall for a time. Ile was admirably equipped for the pioneer task that lay before him, as he was a stalwart youth, full of energy, enterprise, and manly courage, which enabled him to overcome all the obstacles that lay in the path to success. In 1844 he erected a part of his present commodious residence, which was the first frame house built soutl of the Chicago road in Quincy Township, and in 1847 he married Phoebe F., daughter of Isaac and Jael (Parker) Coon, to share its comforts with him, and they were united in marriage Oct. 20, 1847. Her parents were natives of New York, and she was also born in that State, in Hamburg, Erie County, Aug. 10, 1831, being the date of her birth. In 1845 her father and mother came to Michigan with their children, and settled in Quincy Township on a farm, where tle mother died in 1849, leaving four children, namely: Phoebe F.; Henry, deceased; Emma is the wife of Miller Olmstead, and they live in Nebraska; Ellen is the wife of Converse Pierce, and they live in Richland County, Wis. To Mr. and Mrs. Joseph have been born ten children, four of whom (ied in childhood. The record of those living is as follows: Francis lives in Sherman, Mich.; Eugenia is the wife of Amos Gould, of Cleveland, Tenn.; l)ella is the wife of Melvin Segur, of Quincy; Maude, Iva and Clinton are at home with their parents. For several years Mr. Joseph bought Government land and sold it again at a profit. He has deeded 450 acres of land to-his children, and still owns over 300 acres of very valuable and highly productive land. He has followed mixed husbandry, and has engaged very extensively in the nursery business. In tile year 1840 lie planted the first grafted orchard in tihe county; it contained 200 trees of choice varieties of fruit. From that orchard in 1845 lie sold 100 bushels of apples at $1 a bushel, and the following year sold 125 bushels at seventy-five cents a bushel, and also had peaches, plums, pears, etc. In lI,40, with C. H. Hagerman, formerly of Rochester, N. Y., he planted the first grafted nursery, consisting of 10,000 trees. He has also established nurseries in Indiana, Ohio and Missouri, and has shipped stock to Colorado. He carried on the nursery established in 1840 twentyone years in various places, meeting with fine success and deriving a good income from the proceeds of his business. Mr. Joseplh has also dealt largely in live stock, which he took to New York City. He has been active outside of farming, the nursery business, etc., and at one time dealt in wheat, and built the first warehouse at Quincy. Mr. Joseph's life record will show that he is a man of more than ordinary ability, enterprise and business talent, and that he has greatly aided in bringing about the material prosperity of Branch County, and has been a most important factor in promoting the growth of Quincy 'ownship. In politics our subject is associated with the Democratic party, and during the war was a stanch Union man, a Douglas Democrat. He is quite popular, and when []. ^ I de -r —l 3-10 -- - C4I - C-Y0Pll -^-CL~p-~ ~LI~ IU~-iEr-i I. a -qq- - 1- 1 — - - -.- - - - - -- 1I _ m I ~ C ~ A 040 - 'I -- 0 1 -- a * —, 608 BRANCH COUNTY. he has been a candidate for office he has always run ahead of his ticket. He served as Drain Commissioner five years, and as Highway Commissioner for seven years. He occupies the honorable position of Vice President of the Branch County Pioneer Society, and President of the Quincy Pioneer Society. K: _ TOR, J OSEPIt MILLER is a prominent farmer of I Kinderhook Township. Among the well-todo, practical and solid men of Branch County, who are actively engaged in agricultural pursuits, no one is more deserving of the success that he has met in his calling than the gentleman whose name heads this sketch. He is a native of Highland County, Ohio, born May 1, 1830. and is of Pennsylvania ancestry, his father, Jacob Miller, also his grandfather, Daniel Miller, it is supposed, were born in that State. His grandfather was a farmer, and engaged in that occupation there until his death. The father of our subject was reared in his native State, and was there married to Elizabeth Protius, likewise a Pennsylvanian. After marriage they removed to Ohio, crossing the Alleghany Mountains, and making the entire journey with ox-teams, and became pioneers of Highland County, where they remained until 1830. In the fall of that year they once again began the march for a frontier settlement, and, accompanied by their ten children, removed to Indiana with horses and wagons, taking cooking utensils along and camping and cooking by the way. It was getting late before Mr. Miller could select a suitable location, so they wintered at White Pigeon. which was at that time a very small place, with but one store, blacksmith-shop, and a few log houses, and one of these being vacant the family moved into it. During the winter Mr. Miller went out prospecting for land, and visiting Lagrange County, and being pleased with the lay of the country, selected a tract of land in Pretty Prairie, now Greenfield Township, and entered it from the Government. He soon afterward removed with his wife and children to the spot that he had chosen, and became one of the first settlers of that township. He first erected a log house to shelter his family, covering it with shakes, making a puncheon floor, and a mud and stick chimney on the outside of the house, in whose huge fireplace Mrs. Miller used to do the cooking. She was an adept in all the old-fashioned household arts known to our grandmothers in the past, and to her skill in weaving flax and tow were her family indebted for the clothes that they wore. On the 13th of May, 1838, the head of the household was removed by death, and the faithful wife, who had cheerfully borne the hardships and privations of their pioneer life, and had ably co-operated with him in his work, was left to provide for their large family of children, but with the help of the older ones she performed her duties well. Both she and her husband were hardworking people, ambitious to get along well in the world and give their children a good start in life. None knew them but to respect and esteem them for their many good qualities. The mother made her home on the old homestead after her husband's death, and died there Aug. 16, 1869. at an advanced age. She had twelve children who grew to maturity; she lived to see them all married and in good homes of their own, and when she passed away she was the grandmother of sixty-five children. Joseph Miller was an infant when his parents moved to Indiana, and his education was obtained in the primitive pioneer schools of Pretty Prairie, the first school-house where he went to glean an insight into the mysteries of the alphabet being rudely constructed of logs, and supplied with homemade furniture. The country surrounding his early home was at that time in a very wild condition, and (leer, wild turkeys and wolves were plentiful. He was but eight years old when his father's death occurred, but he continued to live with his mother until he was fourteen years of age, then, being a stout, manly, relf-reliant boy, commenced to work his own way, and found employment at the rate of $10 a month. At the age of twenty-one he had been so industrious, prudent and thrifty, that he was enabled to establish a home, and was accordingly married to Caroline Eliza Norton, who was born in the town of Fawn River, St. Joseph A "jd r 4- LT- r 4 top i -Ii i t r — 4 = 4II(El2 -— IN - - _, % IIII __ I sh — BRANCH COUNTY. 609 Co., Mich.. and was a daughter of Trumbull and Lois (Alger) Norton. After marriage Mr. Miller bought forty acres of land in Pretty Prairie and built a log house, in which he and his bride commenced housekeeping. In 1853 he sold out there, 'and, accompanied by his wife and one child, started with a pair of horses and wagon across the country to Iowa, thus entering upon a pioneer's life as his parents had done before him. They started on the 24th of August, and cooking an d camping by the way, they journeyed to their destination slowly, arriving in Boone County, Iowa, October 12. lie entered a tract of Government land in Perry Township, of which he was one of the first settlers. He erected the typical pioneer log cabin, with a chimney of mud and sticks, and immediately set about improving a farm. He made his home there until 1857, when he retraced his steps to the East, and coming to Michigan, settled in Kinderhook Township, where he rented land for one year. He then bought eighty acres of land on section 11, twenty-five of which were cleared at the time. IHe improved the greater part of that tract and lived on it until 1877, when he sold and bought where he now resides. There was but little of the land improved and the only building on the place was a partly built frame house. He now has the greater part of the 120 acres embraced in this farm cleared aud under good cultivation, and has erected a substantial set of frame buildings that are admirably adapted to the uses for which they are intended. Besides this estate our subject owns a valuable piece of landed property, comprising eighty acres in Tuscola County. August 3, 1884, the household of our subject was saddened by tie death of the amiable woman who had been its presiding genius, and had made the home pleasant and comfortable, not only to her own, but to the many friends whom they had gathered around them, and who were always sure of a warm welcome from her kindly lips. To her and her husband had been born the following children: Clarence A.; Josephine, the wife of John Bordt; Lois A., wife of D. W. Babl; Arminda, wife of John Ball; Oscar E. and Frank. Mr. Miller was a second time married, Nov. 10, 1885, Miss Hattie McNall becoming his wife. She I was born in Kinderhook Township, June 8, 1849, and is a daughlter of lHiram McNall, who was born in Avon, Livingston Co., N. Y., July 13, 1809. His father, Alexander McNall, was a native of Connecticut, whence he removed to New York, and while a resident of that State he served in the War of 1812. About the year 1845 he came to Michigan and took up land on section 31, Ovid Township, under the provisions of the warrant that he had received in payment for his services as a soldier. He partly improved a farm, and remained a resident of this county until his death. Mr. MeNall, Mrs. Miller's father, married Harriet Barnes, daughter of Samuel and Miranda Barnes. She was born in the Mohawk Valley, N. Y., Dec. 13, 1822, and was of German descent.. After marriage they lived in Henrietta, Monroe Co., N. Y., for a time, and then came to Michigan in the spring of 1813, coming via land and lake to Detroit, and thence in a one-horse wagon to Clinton County, where they staid awhile. In the fall of the same year they came to Branch County, where Mr. McNall bought forty acres of land on section 11, this township, and remained a resident here until his death, Oct. 28, 1870. He was very successful, and added to his land until at the time of his death his farm consisted of 272 acres of arable land, on sections 11 and 14, and amply provided with good framne buildings. His wife departed this life in 1851. Mr. and Mrs. Miller are people of high worth and integrity; they are benevolent and kindly in their relations with their neighbors, and are sincerely respected by all in the community. -_^=E - _^ i I I _~* LVA JONES. Conspicuous for his sound common sense and his practical ability as a farmer, our subject occupies a high position among the agriculturists of Kinderhook Township, and not many have been more successful in that line than he. Born Dec. 12, 1827, in Genesee County, N. Y., he is descended from a sturdy, vigorous race, who for many years were identified I -w —I 7 I - - - IIDIIl-llll-I~rw. —q- -I0 rlh.iiYl ----l - -r- - — ICIL I -40 I ~, f obo. 1 Id-O 11 - - -0000 M —,*! Ii L 610 BRANCHCI COUNTIY. r 6C with the industrial interests of the Empire State, and who, while seeking to carve out their own fortunes, were instrumental in developing portions of the country where they settled from a wilderness to beautiful farms. Levi Jones, the father of our subject, was born in the town of Pompey, Onondnga Co., N. Y.. July 6, 1801, and his father, also named Levi, was a native of the same State, born Sept. 2, 1757. After resi(ling in the town of Pompey for a number of years he moved to Genesee County in 1811, the removal being made with teams. He bought a tract of land in the town of Darien, which was very heavily timbered, and there being no road to it, he was obliged to cut one for half a mile. He built a log house and stable, with rived shakes for roof and a stick and mud chimney, the huge fireplace taking up the greater part of one end of the house; it was in that humble dwelling that our sulject first saw the light of day. The grandfather of our subject died in 1812, leaving a widow and eleven children, most of whom were old enough to care for themselves. The maiden name of his wife was Mary Frisbee; she was born Nov. 3, 1764, and died on the old homestead in September, 1844. The father of our subject was the ninth child born to his parents, and he was twelve years of age when his father died. By his father's will he inherited eighty acres of the farm, and he still makes his home on that old homestead, being now eightyseven years old. This good and venerable man is honored and respected by all in the community where lie has made his home for so many years, in that his busy and useful life has always been marked by kindness to his neighbors, and a strict regard for the rights of others. He married Sally Chase, who was born in Otsego County, N. Y. Her father, John Chase, was also a native of New York, and in 1824 he moved with his family to Genesee County, and buying a partly cleared farm in Pembroke Township, passed his remaining years there. Mrs. Jones, the mother of our subject, died in 1848. She was in every respect a good woman, and nobly did she fulfill the duties devolving on her as a wife and mother. To her and her husband were born five children, four of whom grew to maturity; the following is their record: Harley died in Kinder hook; Ezra N. lives in Darien, N. Y.; Lucy A. married Harvey Phelps, and lives in Pembroke, N. Y.; our subject, was the first-born. Alva Jones was reared in his native town, and his boyhood was passed in attendance at the district school and in assisting in the farm work. He lived with his parents until he was twenty-one and then started in life for himself, finding employment for which he received $10.50 a month for the first year, and the next year he worked for the same man at $1 1 a month. remaining in New York thus employed until he was twenty-three years old. He then went to Pennsylvania, and invested his earnings in a tract of heavily timbered land lying in Crawford County. The first winter that he spent in that State he taught school, and in the following summer lie worked on a farm by the month until July, when he settled on his father-in-law's farm, where he resided until 1864. During that tine lie had cleared thirty acres of his land, and had erected a set of frame buildings. In 1864 he sold his property in the Keystone State and came to Michigan, and bought the farm that he now owns and occupies, finely located on section 6, Kinderhook.Township; 100 acres are included within its limits, the greater part of which is improved and under the best of cultivation, and it is well provided with good farm buildings for all necessary purposes. Mr. Jones was married, July 22, 1852, to Miss Patience Kinney, who was born Dec. 17, 1832, in Kinsman Township, Trumbull Co., Ohio. Her father, Hutchins Kinney, was born Aug. 9, 1789, in Massachusetts, and after attaining manhood in his native State, removed with a brother to Pennsylvania and settled in Crawford County. A few years later he left there and made his home in Kinsman 'Township, Trumbull Co., Ohio, buying a farm and living there until 1847, when he returned to Pennsylvania, and purchased a farm in Troy Township, Crawford County, where he passed the remainder of his life. He was naturally a strong and robust man, but he had served in the War of 1812, and his health became impaired, and he never fully recovered from his former vigor. The maiden name of his wife was Rone Leonard. She was born in Massachusetts, and her father, Levi Leonard, it is supposed, was also a native of that State. In -I ~ II x I -- I 1. - - - __i.............. 0-* ---—..... w7 w w I i BRANCH COUNTY. 611 tL I 1814 he removed to Ohio, the entire journey being made with ox-teams, and he became one of the early settlers of Ashtabula County. where he bought a large tract of land in Williamsfield, and was for many years an extensive farmer there, passing away at the age of seventy. The mother of Mrs. Jones lived with her parents until her marriage, and was carefully trained in all the household accomplishments that then formed an essential part of every young girl's education, and for many years she spun and wove the cloth used in making the clothes for the family. She died on the home farm in Crawford County, Pa., Feb. 27, 1860. The union of our subject and his wife has been blessed by the birth of four children, as follows: Levi H., who lives in Coldwater; Sherman, who lives in Kinderhook; Dora E., wife of Amos Barrett, of Kinderhook, and Ida R., who lives with her parents. Mr. Jones is a man of cool head, earnest and intelligent convictions, and rare stability of character, one in whom his fellow-citizens have perfect confidence. He is influential in public affairs, and when called upon to fill some office discharges its duties with signal success and fidelity. In him the Republican party has had a strong champion ever since its organization. _. ---.o.. -~~..oo. ---- ~EWIS W. LEWIS is a representative citizen and general farmer, pleasantly situated on section 3. Bronson Townshilp, and came to this county in 1843. His first purchase of real estate consisted of forty acres of land where he now lives, and in 1862 he purchased another forty acres, to which he added five and a half acres in the year 1882. He has the whole farm under a fine state of cultivation, and provided with a commodious and substantial residence and good farm buildings, with agricultural implements suitable for the successful prosecution of his peaceful calling. The subject of this biographical notice was born in Perrysburg, Wood Co., Ohio, May 5, 1834, and is the son of Thomas and Mary (Haslet) Lewis, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania, and of _. _ German and Irish origin respectively. They removed to Ohio at an early day, where Mr. Lewis engaged in farming, and resided there until his death, which occurred when our subject was a child of two years, by a sand bank falling upon him. Their family comprised nine children, of whom Lewis W. was the youngest, and all lived to years of maturity and were married before the death of the mother, which occurred Dec. 13, 1855. Joseph, the eldest brother of our subject, resided about one mile from Bronson, and met his death Aug. 3, 1879, t)y having his leg cut off by a mowing-machine. Mary Ann became the wife of A. B. Thomson, who kept a hotel in Bronson, and died in September, 1886; Henry is living in Wisconsin; Ruth married a Mr. Sampson, and died in Toledo; Elizabeth married William Clowse, and died in Bronson; John died in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Catherine lives in California. Our subject was united in marriage, Dec. 2,1855, with Miss Fanny Anderson, of Bronson, but she died in about two months after their union. He was a second time married, Nov. 16, 1856, to Miss Caroline C. Miner, also of Bronson. Mrs. Lewis was born in Steuben County, N. Y., June 17, 1839, and is the daughter of Jedediah and Esther M. (Marshall) Miner, natives of Connecticut and New York respectively. Their family consisted of five children, all but one of whom lived to maturity. The father died July 20, 1886, at the age of eighty-six years, while the mother had preceded her husband to the silent land, dying Nov. 15, 1866, at fiftyeight years of age. Mrs. Lewis is the youngest of the family. The union of our subject with Miss Miner was blessed by the birth of six children, who were born as follows: Ida M. was born March 16, 1858, and died Aug. 20, 1873; Mary E. was born March 16, 1861; Elmer J., June.25,'1862; Arminta E. was born Aug. 18, 1865, and married Charles Nichols, of Bronson; George W. was born Oct. 21, 1871, and Reina A., April 11, 1875. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis are members of the Baptist Church, and are prominent in the support of all measures introduced.for the benefit of their community. Mr. Lewis is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and politically, he affiliates with the Re I1 i q 1 I.4 "I au -I - I e I --- b- a -o a I s i ' — I a i Ii i I" r;: --- 11-1 --- —----—, —. ---",-.,,-.-,-,--. ---.-. —.,-.- mhbkl. r 612 BRANCH COUNTY. f publican party, though he has not given much time to the consideration of political matters, finding more congenial occupation in those domestic relations which a fanily and the care of a large farm entail. ENJAMIN F. WHEAT. This well-known resident of Quincy Township has been a citizen of this county since 1852, but came first to Michigan in its territorial (lays, settling in Lenawee County in 1836. His early ancestors were from England and France, and upon crossing the Atlantic settled in Massachusetts, where Benjamin Wheat, the grandfather of our subject, was born prob)ally late in the eighteenth century, and whence he migrated when a young married man to Ontario County, N. Y., during the period of its earliest settlement. Grandfather Wheat, in New England, married a Miss Wright, and there were born to them three sons-John, Benjamin and Joseph-and also three daughters-Betsy, Grace and Polly. The second son, Benjamin, Sr., the father of our subject, was born in Conway, Mass., and was but a lad when he removed with his parents to New York State. He developed into manhood in Ontario County, and married Miss Luany Sprague, whose birthplace was near the Hudson River, and whose father was of French descent. The young people lived for a time near the town of Phelps, in Ontario County, where Benjamin Wheat, Sr., followed agricultural pursuits, and became owner of a good farm of 150 acres, which lie cleared from the wilderness, and which is now owned by a great-grandson. The father of our subject was also master of the carpenter's trade, and occupied himself considerably as a contractor and builder. After a long and praiseworthy career he rested from his earthly labors, in 1845. The mother survived her husband many years, her death taking place at Geneva, N. Y., in 1859, at the residence of her son Corydon. The parental household included eight children, all of whom grew to mature years. The eldest daughter, Submit, was married, and died in Adrian, Lenawee Co., Mich., about 1850; Julia Ann, the wife of Horace Rice, died at her home in Dover Township, Lenawee County; Sydney inherited the old homestead in Ontario County, N. Y., where his death took place in 1886; Louisa is the wife of John H. Ferguson, of Canandaigua; Benjamin F., of our sketch, was the next in order of birth; Jane was twice married, her last husband being a Mr. Chapin, and died at her home in Quincy Township, this county, in 1887; Charlotte was married, and died while a young woman; Corydon is a successful business man of Geneva, N. Y. Benjamin F. Wheat, our subject, was born in Phelps Township, Ontario Co., N. Y., Aug. 18, 1817, and spent his boyhood and youth at his father's farm, where he became familiar with agricultural pursuits, and also operated considerably with his father as a builder. He received a practical education, and at an early age gave evidence of the business capacities which have been the secret of his later success. In 1836, when a youth of nineteen years, he started for the Territory of Michigan, where two sisters had preceded him, and worked first as a carpenter, but later decided to confine his attention to agriculture. While a resident of Lenawee County, he was united in marriage with Miss Mary D., (laughter of Joseph and Abigail (Turner) Hermance, who was born in Chautauqua County, N. Y., Dec. 8, 1819, and whose parents were early settlers of that region. After his marriage Mr. Wheat cleared up a new farm in Seneca Township, where he resided until 1846, then moving to Adrian, purchased an interest in a steam sawmill, and became lumberman, contractor and builder combined, with which business he was occupied most of the time for a period of six years. In 1852 Mr. Wheat came to Quincy Township, this county, and invested a portion of his capital in a stock of general merchandise, and carried on a successful trade therein, dealing also extensively in produce, grain and wool, for a period of twenty years and more. He had now accumulated a competency for his old age, and in 1879 wisely concluded to retire from active business. His mind, however, which had been vigorously employed for 'so many years, would not allow him to be entirely quiet, and a I j I I i i j i i I I I I i i U I I I *P.-, -I i 04 0 -. -- ---, - 9 1 - ar?0 I I ~ a I -Is *>> "v j" * L t I Ab b BRANCH COUNTY. 613 1 in 1881 he was induced to assist in the organization of the First National Bank, of Quincy, and was its President for over two years, when he resigned the cares and responsibilities of this office, and has since found sufficient occupation in looking after the moneyed interests involved in the control of his own property and that of others of which he is custodian. Mr. Wheat in starting out for himself received $1,200 from his father's estate, but aside from that his accumulations have been the result of his own industry and good judgment. He has been quite prominent in local affairs, serving as Postmaster at Quincy over eight years prior to Lincoln's administration, which fact indicates sufficiently his political bent. Since that time he has been frequently the candidate of his party for office, but was defeated, as was expected, with the balance of his ticket, which was greatly in the minority. The fact that he was selected for the office of County Treasurer and Judge of the Probate Court, is sufficient evidence of his standing among his fellow-citizens. In religious matters Mr. Wheat is liberal, and has never been connected with any church organization. Socially, he belongs to the Masonic fraternity. To our subject and his wife there were born two children: Luany is the wife of Thomas H. Smith, and resides at Los Angeles, Cal.; Edward S. came to his death by violence in the streets of Nashville, Tenn., on the 11th of March, 1884. He possessed in a marked degree the business qualifications and the energy of his father, and( resigned the position of United States Marshal, to engage with five others in a jobbing trade at Nashville. A sketch of him is given elsewhere..... V@E - omy and good management, he has improved his land until now his fine farm of ninety-four acres, seventy of which are under a high state of culture, is one of the richest and most productive in this part of Branch County. He has erected substantial farm buildings, has a neat and commodious dwelling, and an ample supply of machines and other implements for facilitating the labors of farming. He not only raises grain, fruit and vegetables, but has paid attention to raising stock with good results. Mr. Joseph was born in the town of Ulysses, Tompkins Co., N. Y., April 27, 1825, and is a son of Mathias and Mary Ann (Gerbar) Joseph. They were natives of Germany, where they were reared and married, and after the birth of four children, they emigrated to this country in 1817, accompanied by his brother Sylvester, from whom they afterward separated in Pennsylvania. While they were crossing the waters to found for themselves a home in this, to them, strange land, the tragic event of the death of two of their little children in midocean occurred to sadden their hearts so soon after leaving the dear fatherland and old friends and associations. After their arrival in this country they settled in Bucks County, Pa., but subsequently removed from there to Tompkins County, N. Y., and later to Monroe County, in the same State. The fatlier was a shoemaker by trade, was honest and upright in his daily walk, and, with his worthy wife, was respected and esteemed by those who knew him. He died in Chili, N. Y., and she in Rochester, that State. They had six children born to them after coming to the United States, namely: Lucas, Mary Ann, John; Elizabeth, wife of George Myers, of Rochester, N. Y.; Lawrence and William; the latter died in Quincy. The two children who came with their parents from Germany are dead; the elder, Rosanna, was unmarried; Martha married and died, but left no family. (For further parental history see sketch of Lucas Joseph.) Our subject was only a small child when the family removed to Monroe County, in New York State, where he grew to manhood. He learned the cooper's trade, and followed that diligently in New York for some years, and having accumulated some money, tie determined to abandon the pursuit of -hV - AWRENCE JOSEPH is a prosperous citizen of Quincy Township, where he has suc_ cessfully conducted mixed farming for nearly forty years, settling here in 1851. He had previously, in 1849, purchased his present farm, of which but twenty acres were then cleared. By his energetic and persistent labors, coupled with wise econ U r w p. —,I. m - -, - I --- L I F -- arm,, - -1 (A I I — -, — -, - -- --- ~ --- —-- -: — - I, —, ---- - - -- - ----- I -l- - ----- - '- — 1`-'-' - - - ~~I "l I- ~ I""- - -— _. -l_ -_I -- i _l - —.d - I I M~~a~ 8 I I, 1 1 III I M 1 '` 614 BRANCH COUNTY. =. his trade and devote himself to agriculture. With that end in view, he visited the State of Michigan, and being pleased with the beautiful region embraced in Branch County, he resolved to settle here, purchased his present farm, and two years later returned from his old home in New York and located on it, and has ever since been a valued member of this community. In 1855 Mr. Joseph took unto himself a wife in the person of Miss Eliza Wilmarth. She is a daughter of Alfred Wilmarth, and was born in Pennsylvania. In every sense of the word she has proved a helpmate and companion to her husband. They have one son, Herbert. In his religious views Mr. Joseph is decidedly liberal; he was married by a Baptist minister, but is not identified with any religious society. Politically, he cast his first ballot with the Democrats, and acted with that party until recently, but he is now independent of party ties. Mr. Joseph was the first man to give his support toward the organization of the Branch County Insurance Company, and he took out the first policy ever issued by that company. lie is in every way a good citizen, is public-spirited, progressive, and always willing to aid any scheme that will benefit this township or county. f AVID COOPER POWERS, M. D., was a ))resident of Coldwater, where for thirty years he practiced his profession, and discharged its arduous duties in a manner that won at once the confidence and esteem of his patients. He died Nov. 4, 1887, at the age of sixtyfive years. As a physician, Dr. Powers was patient, constant and sympathetic, while in the hour of extremity he was calm and courageous, thus inspiring the sick and distressed with feelings of safe conduct through the scenes of impending danger. David Cooper Powers was born in Croyden, N. H., June 30, 1822, and was the sixth in order of birth in a family of eight children born to Peter and Lois Sawyer (Cooper) Powers, the record of whose children is as follows: Mary married Nathaniel Leavitt; Orlando; Matilda first married her deceased sister's husband, )r. Leavitt, and her second husband was M. Huntington; Samantha married Dr. Daniel Fry; Josiah Woodworth: David Cooper; Peter Van Ness died in youth, and Jacob Haven. The father of Dr. Powers was born at Croyden, N. H., Feb. 27, 1787, and was reared to the occupation of a farmer. He removed to New York at an early day, when our subject was a little lad of six years, and made that State his home until his death. He was a stanch Abolitionist, and was the only man in the precinct who voted for the nominee of that party when it nominated its first candidate, James G. Birney. In religion he was a Congregationalist, and was a man of moral worth, who fearlessly followed the dictates of his conscience. He was a lineal descendant of Walter Powers, who was born in 1639, and settled on a tract of land near Concord, Mass., now in the town of Littleton, and adjoiining the Indian town of Nashobe. Peter Powers died at Pultneyville, Wayne Co., N. Y., in 1845. Many of the Powers were soldiers in the Revolutionary War, and also in the War of 1812, and several of them were promoted to the offices of Major, Captain, etc. They were characterized by great physical strength and vigorous intellects. Lois S. Cooper, the mother of Dr. Powers, was a native of New Hampshire, and a lineal descendant of John Cooper, who was born in 1725, and married Mary Sherman, of Grafton, Mass., in 1848, and settled the same year at Hardwick, in the same State. Her ancestors served in the Revolutionary War, and as a family, were distinguished for honesty and their respect for religion, while many of them of each generation were distinguished for their literary attainments, and others became celebrated professional men. Dr. Powers spent his boyhood (lays at thle homestead, and was educated at the Cayuga Academy, at Aurora, N. Y. After leaving school he entered the office of his brother-in-law, Dr. Leavitt, at the age of twenty-two, and commenced the study of medicine. After a period of four years, which included three courses of lectures, he was graduated from Berkshire Medical College, Pittsfield, Mass., in 1848. The next year he spent in California, but he returned the following year, and in June, 1850, was united in marriage with Margaret Cuyler Ledyard, i I t i i i i i 11* F l 3p. 1 Jr I- r I, I &yl.- ad-~ ~-v I ~I~~x~~rl~B~ I —I - - ~- I — '- -L L - - — ILI LIII~~I- I -sw up -A I J FM 4i BRANCHC COUNTY. 615 4 BRNC CONY 1 of Pultneyville, N. Y., a niece of H. H. Childs, President of Berkshire Medical College, and with his young bride he located in Auburn, N. Y. In January, 1853, he again set out for the Pacific Coast, but after a residence there of two years he returned in the fall of 1855, and established himself in Coldwater, Mich. Here he remained combating the ills that flesh is heir to, and acquired a large lucrative practice during his career of over thirty years. Dr. Powers was an ardent supporter of the War of the Union, and for three years was engaged in active service in the field, as the efficient surgeon of the famous Loomis Battery, or in charge of hospitals in the Army of the Cumberland. He was twice Mayor of the city, and took an active interest in everything that related to its welfare. For seven years he was physician to the State Public School, of Coldwater, and many were the touching tributes of condolence and esteem whicl came from that institution during his last illness, and at his funeral. As a physician, he was tenderly loved by the families to whom he gave his skillful care and untiring sympathies. Hiis integrity was beyond question, and he left a competency to his family, the well-earned remuneration of his professional labors. He was a scholarly man, and watched with deep interest every discovery in the field of science and progress. He was a man of elevated mind and noble character, loving those things which are pure and good, and eschewing those which are mean and vicious. He was a member of and at his death Senior Warden of St. Mark's Church, and an earnest supporter of every good work. Before the organization of the Republican party Dr. Powers was a Whig in politics, but upon the dissolution of that party he affiliated with the Republicans, and was ever afterward a prominent and active member of that party. So in the ripe autumn of his life, and of the year, he passed away, ere the winter of existence had chilled the kindly, loving heart, or clouded his intellect. The impressive funeral services were conducted by Rev. Henry Hughes, who was assisted by the Rev. Herbert J. Cook, of Dayton, Ohio. The place of interment had been so tenderly cared for by loving hands that the casket seemed to repose upon a couch of living green with walls of the same, starred with pure white flowers, and when the low descending sun shed its last golden rays upon the beautiful city of the dead, the inanimate form of the beloved physician was committed to mother earth. The wife of Dr. Powers was the seventh in order of birth in a famil5y of eight children, who were born to Samuel and Sophia (Childs) Ledyard. The names of the children are: Rachel Childs, who nlarried Lysander Wilcox; Benjamin, Samuel Foreman, Timothy Childs, John Henry, Thomas Scott, Margaret Cuyler and Glenn Cuyler. The ancestor of the Ledyards in America came from Bristol, England, and settled in Hartford, Conn., when a young man. Samuel Ledyard, the father of Mrs. Powers, was the fourth child of Benjamin and Catherine (Forman) Ledyard, and was born in New Jersey in 1792. His father's family removed to Cayuga County, N. Y., when he was a small boy, and settled at Aurora. For a number of years he was engaged in a mercantile life, but in the later years of his life he retired from business. He was a member of the Presbyterian Church, and in politics affiliated with the Democrats. lie died at Pultneyville, N. Y., in 1866. The mother, Sophia Childs, was a native of Pittsfield, Mass., where she was born Oct. 4, 1789, and married Samuel Ledyard in 1816. She was the daughter of Dr. Timothy Childs and Rachel Easton; the latter was the daughter of Col. James Easton, of Pittsfield, Mass., who commanded the troops under Ethan Allen in the storming of Ticonderoga. Mrs. Ledyard was a devoted, religious woman, of culture and refinement. She died in Pultneyville, N. Y., in 1885, at the ripe age of ninety-five years, and was borne to her last resting-place from the home she entered a bride seventy years before. The Ledyard family, of which Mrs. Powers is a descendant, is indissolubly connected with the history of our country, by the tragic fate of Col. William Ledyard. The following is a copy of the inscription on his tombstone: "Sacred to the memory of William Ledyard, Esq., Col. Commandant of the garrison post of New London and Groton, who, after a gallant defense, was with a part of the brave garrison, inhumanly massacred by British troops in Ft. Griswold, Sept. 6, 1781. Etatis suce 43. By a judicious and faithful discharge of the various.-.. 4..a a _4m-.m B ",w% I RRW1 L- I I WVP- I I ii i~ i ff -. - akh- I -.A-a IWP II L 616 BRANCH COUNTY. F I -—. duties of this station, he rendered most essential service to his country, and stood confessed the unshaken patriot and intrepid hero. He lived the pattern of magnanimity, courtesy and humanity. He fell the victim of ungenerous rage and cruelty." A full account of the noted massacre at Ft. Griswold, and a history of the Ledyard family, of which Mrs. Powers is a lineal descendant, is given in the magazine of "American History" for September, 1881. Hon. Horatio Seymour is a descendant of this family. The wife of Dr. Powers was born June 14, 1830, and was educated at Pittsfield, Mass., in the Pittsfield Young Ladies' Institute. The union of Dr. and Mrs. Powers was blessed by the birth of three children, as follows: Mary Ledyard died in early childhood; Helen Ledyard, who on Jan. 3, 1883, became the wife of Charles E. Field, of Chicago, who is a native of Greenfield, Mass.; to them has been born one daughter, Margaret Powers. Sophia Lois, the third daughter, died in infancy. The name Childs has been variously spelled in this country for years, sometimes taking on the terminal ';e," and more often the terminal "s." For the first two generations in this country the name was written Child, and this name is traced back in English history for several centuries, and Mrs. Powers' mother is a lineal descendant of this famous family. Morgan, in his "England under the Normans," page 135, says, that tbhere are several names in Domesday Book having the surname or title of Child." The Domesday Book is a very ancient record made in the time of William the Conqueror, and is now in the Exchequer in London. It is in two volumes, which were begun in 1081, and finished in 1086 by five Justices, and contained the original survey of all the lands in the counties of England. Ephraim Child was born in England in 1593, and came to America in 1630, and was the first representative of that family in this country. Ile married Mrs. Elizabeth Palmer, at Mayland, Suffolk County, England, Feb. 8, 1625, and it is believed he left no descendants to bear his name or transmit his honors. IHe was a personal friend of Gov. John Winthrop, of Massachusetts, and died Feb. 13, 1663. Benjamin Child, a nephew of Ephraim, came to this ( country, it is thought, with his uncle, and became the head of the large number of families of that name on this side of the Atlantic. He was the father of twelve children, and resided at Roxbury, Conn., at the time of his death, which occurred Oct. 14, 1678. The first promissory note payable to bearer, issued in England, was issued by Sir Francis Child, of Temple Bar, 160 years ago, who three years afterward became Lord Mayor of London. Many of this name have participated in every war in which the United States has been engaged, while many have been graduated from Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, and indeed all the leading colleges in the United States, and all the professions have found able exponents in the Childs family. AiAN IEL FAUST, who is comfortably located on section 22 in Noble Township, the southwestern township of this county, arrived in Southern Michigan in the spring of 1836, and located first on the west line of Bronson Township with his father. There they improved a farm; the death of the father occurred in 1842. Our subject was born in Columbia County, Pa., June 27, 1819, and is the son of Jacob and Mary Magdalene (Hinebauch) Faust, who are natives also of the Keystone State and of Swiss and German ancestry. The paternal grandparents were early settlers of that region, and John Faust was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. His son Jacob was drafted, but the war closed before he reached the front. To Jacob and Mary Faust there were born three children, all of whom are living. Daniel Faust, our subject, was married to Miss Ruth M. Nichols, of Chautauqua County, N. Y., and who was the daughter of William Nichols. Of this union there were born two children, both of whom are deceased. The wife and mother departed this life at her home, Sept. 27, 1857. Our subject contracted a second marriage, with Mrs. Lydia (Boyles) Swikart, of Burr Oak, this county. This lady was the daughter of William Boyles and the widow of Andrew Swikart, by whom she had two children: Huldah Karene, who is living in Illinois, L 0 -_., U __ I, j - - BRANCH COUNTY. 617 and Iattie, a resident of Indiana. Of this marriage of our subject there were born six children, five of whom are now living: Mary E., the eldest, is the wife of Daniel Garlett, of Lagrange County, Ind.; Julia married Henry Seller, of Noble Township, this county; Elvira, Mrs. William Rover,lives on a farm in Noble Township; Daniel and Melvin are the two remaining members of the family, Minnie having died when eleven years of age. Mr. Faust, in politics, is a Democrat. He has made for himself a good record, laboring industriously as a pioneer, and is held in respect among his neighbors. ENRY C. LEWIS. The career of this gen) tleman, late a resident of Coldwater, and whose decease occurred in August, 1884, was similar to that of most self-made men who started out early in life dependent upon their own resources. The adverse circumstances of his younger years formed within him the habits of selfreliance, which proved the surest foundation for a solid and substantial character. They also gave him a good insight into human nature and the ways of the world,and his habits of reading and observation taught him that the path was open to the youth who would climb, but that success could only be achieved by untiring energy and perseverance. He happily passed the stage of struggle and exertion, and came to be numbered among the capitalists and independent men of the West, having a fortune at his command and being most essentially its architect. Mr. Lewis was born near Albion, Orleans Co., N. Y., May 5, 1820, and was the youngest in a family of eight children who comprised the family of William and Sarah Lewis. With the exception of two whose names are not recalled and who are deceased. they were named respectively: Chancy, William, Frederick, George, Henry C. and Sarah. The early years of Mr. Lewis were spent in his native State, and when a youth of fourteen he made his way to Milwaukee, Wis., where he became connected with a grocery house, and was there similarly engaged for a number of years. Thence he came to this county, and for a period of ten years thereafter was engaged in the dry-goods trade at Coldwater. Then selling out he embarked in banking with Clinton B. Fisk, with whom, however, he only remained a short time, eventually securing control of the business. Later, he admitted as partners Alonzo F. Bidwell and Ives G. Myers. The firm next became Lewis & Kellogg, and then Lewis & Starr. Mr. Lewis finally sold out his interest to Edwin R. Clark, and engaged in buying horses for the Government, at which he occupied himself about two years, after which the banking firm of Lewis & Starr was organized, and Mr. Lewis was made President of the new institution, which was known as the Cold water National 13ank. Of this George Starr was Cashier and a Director, and these gentlemen continued in business together until the death of Mr. Lewis. He began his career in life a poor boy, and at his death left an estate valued at between $400,000 and $500,000. Mr. Lewis when starting out in business for himself commenced on borrowed capital and with the difficulties of a limited education. His father had died when he was a child six years of age, leaving the mother with a large family. He learned to make the best use of his opportunities, and naturally possessed the moral principles which kept him from going astray and enabled him to build up a record among his fellowmen which gained him their confidence and respect. He united with the Baptist Church in 1865, and although starting out, politically, with the Democratic party, he felt that he had occasion to change his views, and died a stanch Republican. After the war he spent some time traveling in Europe, going through Great Britain, Ireland, Spain, Russia and France. In this journey he was accompanied by his wife, although she remained in Paris when lie investigated the colder regions of the Russian Empire. In 1873 he was appointed a Commissioner to the Vienna Exposition, and spent three months abroad at that point. In 1878 he again crossed the Atlantic, visiting Palestine, and again taking with him his wife, who remained in Italy while he was in Egypt. There are few important cities in the Old World which lie did not visit, and both he and his wife were in Italy -. I.I ~O. I -1 40:1 I 9 7_~~____Z~T~ ___S_1~ZS;a mmmmwmw ~ 0 l bA4 0 F- ~I' --- —~ — ----— ~ ---~~ -- 0, A 0 --- - - 618 BRANCH COUNTY. I during the great eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, in 1867. Rome, Naples, Genoa and Florence yielded to Mr. Lewis of their stores of art, and as a lover of paintings and statuary, he collected these in large numbers and those which were of great value. He probably had the largest private art gallery west of New York City. The marriage of Mr. Lewis with Miss Alma Alden took place at the home of the bride in Coldwater, Feb. 10, 1846. Hiram Alden, M. D., the father of Mrs. Lewis, was the sixth in a family of eleven children born to Isaac and Irene (Smith) Alden, at Ashfield, Mass., and was of the seventh generation from John Alden, one of the Plymouth Pilgrims, and the last male survivor of those who came over in the "i Mayflower" and signed the compact of union in her cabin, in 1620. John Alden was born in England in 1599. The story of John Alden and the Puritan maiden Priscilla is more beautifully written of in Longfellow's "Courtship of Miles Standish" than any version which we can give of it, and to which we refer our readers. Hiram Alden came to this county in 1835, and entered a tract of Government land near the then future site of Coldwater, and which at that time gave no evidence of a future city. He was one of the pioneer physicians and surgeons an r on of the county, and being a man of more than ordinary ability in general, became prominent in politics and was elected to the Territorial Legislature. Subsequently he was appointed Railroad Commissioner for the State, serving about two years, and until his career was cut short by the fell destroyer, Death. His last days were spent in Detroit, which was just taking upon itself the semblance of a city. Politically, he was a decided Democrat, and religiously, a member of the Baptist Church. His wife was formerly Melita Huntley. Mrs. Lewis, the wife of our subject, was born in Ashville, Chautauqua Co., N. Y., June 5, 1826, and came with her parents to the Territory of Michigan, where she has since resided. Of this union there were no'children, but Mr. and Mrs. L. adopted one boy and two girls. The elder girl, Eva L., continued with her foster parents until her marriage with Samuel Androus, of Flint, this State. Mrs. Lewis was the warm sympathizer of her husband in his tastes and inclinations, and enjoyed equally with him their trip to the Old World. To make a note of all they saw, all they experienced, the cities they visited and the different races of people they looked upon, together with the works of art, the paintings, the statuary, and above all, the wonders and beauties of nature of Switzerland, France and Italy, would easily fill a volume. The eruption of Vesuvius Mrs. Lewis describes as a grand and awful sight, where rocks as large as ordinary buildings were thrown into the air and exploded like the roar of heavy artillery. There was snow upon one side of the mountain and streams of burning lava running down the other. They remained in the vicinity of Vesuvius for a period of two weeks, and spent three months visiting places of interest in the city of Rome. Napoleon III. at that time was making excavations in the palace of the Caesars and Pompeii, having purchased a portion of the ground. They visited the Vatican at Rome, and Venice, the queen of the Adriatic. One of their purchases, secured at great trouble and expense, was a beautiful cabinet formerly belonging to Pauline Bonaparte, the beautiful sister of the first Napoleon. The second tour of Europe by Mr. and Mrs. Lewis was made in the summer of 1873. While in London they saw the Shah of Persia and his suite, the Prince of Wales and the Queen's bodyguard. Their next objective point was Paris, which was but just recovering from the ravages of the FrancoPrussian War. Next they traveled 1,000 miles through the most beautiful country in the world, visiting Strasburg, Munich, and other cities of the German Empire, and returning to France took in its art palaces, its cathedrals, palaces and royal tombs, beautiful beyond description, and next the Vienna Exposition; in fact they visited every place of note described by both historian and traveler. In 1878 Mr. and Mrs. Lewis again crossed the Atlantic, visiting the Paris Exposition. The voyage was exceedingly stormy and the sea shipped from 100 to 150 barrels of water at every roll of the vessel. Many of the passengers were injured, but our travelers arrived in safety at their destination, and after "'doing" the Exposition left for Italy through the Mt. Cenis tunnel, seven and one _w I I -- ~ ~I 11r~ ~ ~I r I l larr lrn IA~- *P-II Ell ~.11 11111IBDs-" A. UF, - dZ L- - - "I- l I w 619 l BRANCH COUNTY. --- half miles long, visited Turin and Milan, their art p)alaces, and other objects of interest, and then started up the Nile. They reached Corfu,.in Greece, Iby steamer, viewed its surroundings of Scriptural interest, and thence sailed for Alexandria, Africa, visited mosques, museums and pyramids, next reached Cairo, ascended the Nile, still visiting places of interest, and finally returned to Florence. Italy, where Mrs. Lewis remained during her husband's further tour through Egypt and Palestine. f T ENRY B. GEORGE, of Ovid Township, a native of the State of Michigan, is an enterprising citizen of Branch County, and is () actively identified with its industrial interests. He is one of the most extensive and successful manufacturers of cane molasses in the State. He commenced the business in 1883, and it increased from year to year, until in 1886 he made about 2,000 gallons. In 1885 he commenced the manufacture of apple jelly, and in 1887 still further extended his business, so as to include the manufacture of apple butter. His establishment is well equipped with the most approved modern machinery for the manufacture of these articles, and his engine is eight-horse power, and boiler thirty-horse power. Mr. George does not confine himself exclusively to this business, as he is also engaged in farming, in which pursuit the same good success has attended his efforts as in other directions, as is shown by the fine appearance of the beautiful, well-tilled farm whereon he resides, on section 5, Ovid Township. The subject of our sketch was born in Lenawee County, Oct. 9, 1838, and was but a few weeks old when his parents came to Ovid Township. His earliest recollections of his present home are of the dense forests that surrounded it, in which wild beasts roamed at will, (leer and other game being plentiful, and sometimes the stillness of the night would be broken by the savage howls of wolves. His father, Henry George, one of the pioneers of Branch County, and one of the earliest settlers of Ovid Township, was born in the town of Remsen, Oneida Co., N. Y., Oct. 26, 1809. His father, Evan George. was a native of Wales, where he was born June 1, 1771, in the Parish of Llandygund, Cardiganshire, came to America with his family in 1798, and settled in the town of Remsen, Oneida Co., N. Y., and there passed the remainder of his life, living to be over ninety years of age. Mr. George grew to manhood in his native county, being reared to the life of a farmer. When twenty-one years of age he went to Lewis County, and lived with an elder brother for a time, earning his living by doing jobs of chopping wood and clearing land. From there he went to Jefferson County, and was there married to Miss Harriet Newell Burt. She was born in Adams, Jefferson Co., N. Y., June 30, 1817, and was a daughter of Rodney Burt, of Brattleboro, Vt. Ithamer Burt, her paternal grandfather, for many years a resident of Brattleboro, moved from there to Jefferson County, and passed the closing years of his life there. Mrs. George's father was reared in Vermont until he was seventeen years old, and he then went to Connecticut and engaged as a sailor in the merchant service, and visited the principal ports of the world. He retired from the sea at thirty years of age, and settled in Jefferson County, buying a farm in Adams Township, on which he lived until 1838, when lie removed with his family to Meadville, Pa., and died in that town. The maiden name of his wife was Nancy Morris, and she was born in East Haven, Conn.. and -pent her last years in Meadville. Directly after marriage Mr. George started with his bride for Michigan, coniing by the way of Lake Ontario to the Genesee River, from Rochester to Buffalo on the Erie Canal, thence by Lake Erie to Toledo, and from there by rail to Adrian, the western terminus of the only railway in Michigan at that time, the cars being drawn by horses. lie then located on a farm six miles south of Adrian, which he had bought previous to his removal. There was a log house on the place, in which the newly marriel couple commenced housekeeping. Mr. George sold his land to the man of whom he purchased it at the expiration of a year, and came to Branch County and bought a tract of land on section 8, Ovid Township. He cleared a part of the land, and after living on the place three years disposed L — ow- m -A-LI- - - I I GOP — rr -- - II- I L r — R qI -,rw i ~r t 1 o f — i p. 0I ~ L ' - ^^ 620 aar g i;' BRANCH COUNTY. ' --- —-- -1 of it, and then bought a tract of timber land on section 5 of what is now Ovid Township, the same on which our subject makes his home to-day. His first improvement was to cut trees to make room for log buildings, which he erected at once. lie cleared the greater part of his land and developed it into a valuable farm, and the original log structures gave place to a substantial set of frame buildings. He was a shrewd, practical man, whose stability and energy of character made him a desirable citizen, and his death, April 14, 1860, was much deplored in this community. He had been a prominent factor in developing the agricultural interests of Ovid Township, and so of Branch County, and lived to see the advancement of this part of the State of Michigan from a wilderness to a populous and wealthy country. His wife, who patiently bore with him the hardships and privations of the first few years of their pioneer life, and to whose helpfulness he owed much of his prosperity, is living on the old homestead, beloved allnd respected for her many goodly qualities by all who know her. When a young girl she attended the church of which Col. R. G. Ingersoll's father was pastor, and was converted under his eloquent preaching, and joined the Presbyterian Church. After marriage she joined the Baptist Church with her husband, who was a devoted and consistent Christian, and always retained his connection with that denomination, as does Mrs. George. She has two children living, our subject, and Anna J., who married Dr.. C. Ives, of Coldwater. Henry George, of whom we write, obtained his education in the pioneer schools of Branch County, the first school to which he was sent being built of logs and furnished with slab benches, with wooden pegs for legs. As soon as large enough he commenced to assist his father on the farm, and after the latter's death the management of the farm d]evolved on him. He has been three times married. His first marriage, Sept. 17, 1863, was to Miss Fannie A. Treat, a native of Ovid Township and a daughter of Samuel M. Treat. Their happy married life was destined to be brief, as Mrs. George died March 31, 1867. The marriage of our subject to his second wife, formerly Miss Ann E. Rising, took place Sept. 3, --— J ---- ---- -~ ----0 1868. Slle died March 1, 1886, mourned by all who knew her. She was born in Reading, IHillsdale County, an(l was a daughter of Asahel and Ann (Mowrey) Rising. Mr. and Mrs. George had one son, Rodney R. They were cordially liked and respected by everyone who had the pleasure of their acquaintance, and whoever crossed the threshold of their cheery, hospitable home was sure of a hearty welcome from the kind host and hostess. Mr. George was married again, June 14, 1888, to Miss Emma Bartholomew, of Ovid Township. She is a lady of irrel)roachable character and highly esteemed by a host of friends. In his private life Mr. George is irreproachable, a sincere and manly Christian, and a valuable member of the Baptist Church. In his political views he was formerly a Republican, but finding the principles promulgated by the Greenback party more in accordance with his ideas of finance, he now lends his influence to promote the advancement of that party. V >ILLIAM JOSEPH, formerly a prominent and respected resident of this county, was a native of the Empire State, where lie was born at Ulysses, Tompkins County, June 26, 1828, and was the son of Matthias and Mary Joseph, of whom a sketch appears in this work in connection with that of Luke Joseph. He died in Quincy, this county, April 30, 1880, respected and beloved by all who knew him for his many manly and Christian virtues. He was reared to manhood in his native State, where, in addition to receiving an education in the district schools, he also learned the trade of a carpenter. Upon attaining his majority he resolved to try his fortune in the West, and accordingly, bidding good-by to the Empire State, he started from Rochester for Michigan. He first located at Quincy, but his first purchase of real estate consisted of a lot in Coldwater, upon which he erected a house. After a time he sold this property, and invested in 185 acres of land in Quincy Township, known as the CedarPointFarm. Giving full play to his energy and love of pastoral life, he 1 1 VW- I l I,.A.40 -- - - - 11 11 —~ 1 00 --- AP71 6-Iqg~i I. la 4$" — v 1 I! 1 I i F " --- -- - ---— e - - C — I --- " L__. IL__I-* BRANCH COUNTY. 621 = soon had a beautiful farm with fine young orchards, annd erected a set of commodious and substantial farm buildings. He followed his calling with good success until 1877, when he removed to Quincy Village, and erected an elegant brick residence, now the home of B. F. Wheat. He subsequently sold that fine property, and built another pleasant home in Quincy, upon which he spent the remainder of his life, which was terminated suddenly, the cause of his death being heart disease. In addition to farming Mr. Joseph was engaged in the sale of agricultural impilements, and had a very large acquaintance throughout the county. ile was of a genial, quiet dispositlon, unostentatious and obliging, and was a man who was held in high esteem by all who had the pleasure of his acquaintance. Mr. Joseph was united in marriage, Dec. 11, 1855, with Miss Fanny L., daughter of John and Laura (Rockwood) Ferguson. Mrs. Joseph was born in Niagara County, N. Y., Oct. 15, 1832, while her parents were natives of Orleans County in the same State. Their union was blessed by the birth of two children-Charles W. and L. S. -t --- —-sM^~ --- —"(L. AMUEL CRAIG was born in County Armagh, Ireland, Feb. 22, 1795, and emigrating to America in 1820, settled at Morristown. St. Lawrence Co., N. Y. He married Eliza, daughter of Daniel and Elizabeth Downs, who was born May 25, 1795, in Ireland, and, accompanied by her brother and a nephew, sailed for America in 1821, and settled in Utica. N. Y. Samuel Craig and Eliza Downs were school children together in their native country, but each came to America ignorant of the locality of the other, and meeting accidentally in St. Lawrence County, N. Y., were married Dec. 2, 1823. On the 28th of March, 1831, they came to Michigan, and located in Girard Township. They experienced all the vicissitudes of pioneer life, both in their journey to their new home and after their settlement. The same year the parents and their four children were all taken sick, and continued so during the I entire fall. Mr. Craig, however, was not discouraged, but battling with circumstances, he finally began to reap the reward of his labors, and increased his wealth until at the time of his death, March 2, 1847, he owned about 300 acres of land. His wife departed this life Dec. 22, 1878, and was buried by the side of her husband in Girard Cemetery. The family of our subject included six children, four of whom weie sons, and are recorded as follows: Mary J. was born in Morristown, St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., Oct. 28, 1824; James was born in the same place, June 27, 1826, and died Aug. 28, 1811; David also was born in Morristown, Nov. 15, 1827, and now resides in Grant County, Kan.; Daniel was born April 10, 1830, in Hillsdale County, and died Aug. 28, 1841; Samuel was born Sept. 4, 1831, the first white child born in Girard Township, and died Jan. 2, 1856, at Eureka, Cal.; Eliza was born June 29, 1836. Upon the death of our subject the property was divided among the children, and Eliza received for her share the eighty acres that her father bought from the Government in 1831, and on which the house stands. This has been her home since she was two years of age, and she has had entire control of the farm of 257 acres since her father's death. Mary J. Craig has always lived with her sister, and she also has a farm, which she has given over to the management of her sister, and also holds a half-interest in a tract of 100 acres which they have bought together. Their large farm is well improved and is operated by hired men. These ladies are prominent and worthy members of society, and are honored and( respected as pioneers of Branch County. i e LFRED SHUMWAY, who departed this life at his home, April 26, 1874, was an esteemed i citizen, and his death, which was caused by an accident, was sincerely mourned by the entire community. After a long and useful career, during which the predominating traits of his character were great energy and industry, his life was sud I _-045 I "IPM -4 1 0I~C - - --, - -r — ~ — rI - -- -~- - - - --- -- ~ -1 +- - *lb.. i 6 A Is e-t 622 BRANCH COUNTY., I I t denly cut short, he being caught in a buzz saw, and before he could be extricated was fatally injured. The history of the Shumway family is one of more than ordinary interest. 'lhey are descendants of the French Huguenots who nearly 200 years ago were obliged to flee from their native country on account of religious persecution. In the year 1695 a vessel arrived at Boston, Mass., and landed Peter Shumway, Peter Faneuil, the Sigourneys and others. Shumway was one of the most devoted of his band, and in company with others of his own people founded a colony at Oxford, where is yet standing the remains of a fort they built for defense against the Indians. It is believed that Peter Shumway, after arriving in this country, assumed a name different from that of his ancestors, as nowhere can this be found among the French. He married a Miss Smith, an English lady, and they became the parents of seven sons. From this family, it is believed, descended all the Shumways of the United States. Oliver Shumway, a son of Peter, and one of the progenitors of our subject, married and became the father of a son, Levi, whose son, Peter, was born at Oxford, Mass., April 8, 1827. Hle settled in Belcher, an(d there was born to him a son, Isaac W.,Oct. 12, 1761. Isaac, in 1778, when a youtl of seventeen years, volunteered in the American army and served until 1782, and, among other thrilling scenes of that period, was present at tie execution of Maj. Andre and at the surrender of Cornwallis. He was married to Miss Patience Pratt, Dec. 18, 1785. Levi Shumway, son of the above, and the father of our subject, was born in Belcher, Hampshire Co., Mass., June 11, 1788. In 1804, when a youth of sixteen years, he emigrated to Macedon, Wayne Co., N. Y., where, on the 16th of September, 1817, he was married to Miss Abigail Smith. They came to the Territory of Michigan in 1829, settling in Lenawee County, and Levi Shumway died there, Aug. 3, 1834, at the age of fifty-nine years. Alfred Shumway, tie subject of this sketch, was born in Macedon, Wayne Co., N. Y., July 12, 1818, and was a lad of eleven years when he came with his parents to Michigan. It is stated that there were then but two log houses where now stands the flourishing city of Adrian. The boy assisted his parents in building up the pioneer homestead, and, after reaching man's estate, was married, Jan. 22, 1845, to Miss Nancy M. Davis, and they lived in Lenawee County until 1849, when they changed their residence to this county ccompleting the removal on the 19th of February. Mrs. Shumway, a native of the same county in New York as her husband, was born at Palmyra, July 24, 1823, and was the daughter of Charles and Polly Davis, whose family consisted of seven children. They came to Michigan in July, 1836, and here spent the remainder of their days. To Alfred and Nancy M. Shumway there were born three children, all il Lenawee County, the two eldest in Madison and the youngest in Palmyra. Mary E. was born Feb. 19, 1846; Levi A., Oct. 25, 1847, and Lucy R., Sept. 10, 1850. The son, Levi, married Miss Annie M. Gallup: Lucy R. is the wife of Roswell D. Tift, and is a resident of Algansee Township. A sketch of Mr. Tift will be found elsewhere in this voliume. Alfred Shum way, by the early death of his father, was left at the head of a large family, and most faithfully did he discharge the trust committed to his care. He proved the able assistant of his mother in the management of the homestead, and was a wise and kind guardian to the younger children. He was an Adventist in religion, a Republican in politics, and, as a man and a citizen, enjoyed the esteem and confidence of the entire community. His first crop of corn in his Michigan home was entirely destroyed by wild game. He possessed all the elements needed most by the men of that time and place, and has left a name untarnished by an ignoble (leed. rT DWIN HIE;SRODT. More than forty years ago our subject came to Michigan and loL cated on his present farm in -Ovid Township, and has since been associated with the sturdy, enterprising men who placed Branch County in the front ranks among the great agricultural counties of this great and powerful State; men, many of whom are still active members of its farming community. I '~ mb~~ - m -- - - r I. —~ - - w- - I ~. - - 1cl r_ I or I i i I i I f I f I i I i i i i Ir,_ -1 * -Me I - -M BRANCH COUNTY. 623 f Mr. Hiesrodt is a native of New York, born in the town of Ridgeway, Orleans County, Oct. 30, 1821. His father, Martin Hiesrodt. was born near Kinderhook, N. Y., was there reared and married, Elizabeth Vickery, of Vermont, becoming his wife. Ichabod Vickery, her father, was an early settler of Orleans County, and there spent his last years. In about 1812 Mr. Hiesrodt moved to Orleans County with oxen and a wagon, the greater part of the journey being through a wilderness. He bought a tract of land of the Holland Purchase Company in the town of Ridgeway, which was mostly surrounded by woods, in which bears, deer and wolves roamed at will. For some time he was obliged to go to Caledonia to mill, nearly sixty miles distant, it taking several days to traverse the rough roads, as he went with oxen, which he used for some years to do all his farm work, marketing and milling. After awhile a mill was built near by, which, though it was so small as to be called a "' pocket mill," was a great convenience to the early settlers in that vicinity. Mr. Hiesrodt improved a good farm, erected frame buildings, and during his many years' residence there he became quite prosperous. He finally retired from the active duties of life to Knowlesville, where he spent the remaining years of his life. Previous to that time his wife's death had occurred on the old homrestead in Ridgeway. They were people of unblemished repute. kind, careful and considerate in their dealings with others, and were held inl high esteem by all who knew them. Of their marriage eight children were born, five of whom grew to maturity, our subject being the fourth child in order of birth. Edwin was reared in his native townshipl, and lived with his parents, with the exception of six months, until 1844. I-e had been reared to farming pursuits, and resolving to devote his life to agriculture, deemed that the virgin soil of the then young State of Michigan would afford him better opportunities for gaining a competency in his chosen calling. Accordingly, full of ambition and hope, he came to this township, and bought the land which now forms the farm where he resides. There were four acres partly cleared, and he took possession of the log cabin which stood on the clearing, and spent the winter beneath its sheltering roof, but in the follow ing spring he returned to New York on account of ill-health. In the fall of 1845 he came back to his land in Ovid, the,ourney botl times being made with a pair of horses and a wagon, and he then permanently located here. Prior to his coming to Branch County Mr. Hiesrodt had been united in mariage, Aug. 13, 1844, to Miss Fanny Armstrong, and in these forty-four years that they have walked together hand in hand she has, indeed, been to him all that a true and devoted wife could be. Willingly leaving home and friends to share his fortunes in a newly settled country, where many of the comforts and most of the luxuries of life must be dispensed with, sle endured the privations and hardships of their pioneer life without a murmur, and by her helpfulness and cheerfulness sustained and encouraged her husband in his labors. She was born in Camillus, Onondaga Co., N. Y., Jan. 28, 1823. ter father, Jolln Armstrong, was born in Orange County, N. Y., was there reared, and( when a young man went to Onondaga County, and located in Camillus, where lie bought a tract of timber land and improved a farm, which he then sold, and bought another near by. In 1833 he sold that one, and moved to Ridgeway, Orleans County, bought an improved farm, and spent the remainder of his life there. His wife, whose maiden name was Philinda Wood, was a native of Saratoga County, N. Y., and her father, Nathan Wood, is also supposed to have been a native of that county. He finally moved to Onondaga County, and was an early settler of Camillus, where lie spent his last years. Mrs. Hiesrodt's mother spent her closing years in Ridgeway. To our subject and his wife three children have been born, two living —Marcus F. (of whom see sketch), and Eugene W. The latter, the younger son, was born on the homestead in Ovid, Oct. 2, 1853, and has always remained a resident of this township. He married, Jan. 1, 1878, Miss Jennie Bussing, who is a native of Coldwater, and is a daughter of Oliver and Clarissa (Van Hyning) Bussing. Two children have been born of this marriage: Harry B. and a twin brother, Hugh, who died in infancy. Ella F. Hiesrodt was born March 17, 1851, and died May 17, 1867. When our subject returned to Ovid Township -1 j K)r _ i I __. r - Mad"geiyur-I~~ — ~- ~IjI-~- ~-* -- _~L~_ —~ ~ I- ---- -I —._ ~-1_ 'L — `I -- - L --- - L - - - lit~_1_1 _-~I 1 -1__1I II iftw 1 1_ -c C! I 24I ------ - ak.-%4 624 BRANCH COUNTY. the second time, he at once commenced to clear his land. Even at that time, although the first settlers had established their homes here more than a decade before that, the country was still in a very wild condition, wilderness and swamps predominating, and game was plentiful in the forests near the settlements, and his wais the pioneer task to fell trees and uproot stumps to make tie land fit for tillage. They were some distance from mills and markets, and for some time Hillsdale was the nearest railway station. Mr. Hiesrodt continued clearing and tilling the soil until sometime during the fifties, when he went to Coldwater as agent for Seeley's stage and livery business, continuing in that capacity for three years, when he returned to the farm, and has ever since devoted himself exclusively to agricultural pursuits. He has the greater part of his land cleared and under good tillage, and has erected substantial frame buildings. That our subject is a skillful farmer, and well understands how to till the soil, is evidenced by the success that lie has met, and the respect and esteem which are accorded to him by all are sufficient proof that he is an honorable and upright man. _ ENRY PIERCE, a retired farmer, spending the declining years of a long and useful life, has been a prominent figure in this section of the country for almost half a century. Coming to Michigan when it had but three years' record as a State, he and his young wife settled in Branch County, and have witnessed transformations in the face of nature in Southern Michigan which seem to their descendants of to-day like the tales of ancient Oriental travelers. Three years ago they celebrated their golden wedding, and now, hand in hand, are descending the hill of life, waiting with hope and resignation for that summons which shall call them to receive the reward of their labors, and to join their children, all of whom have preceded them to the better land. Nathaniel Pierce, the father of our subject, was a native of St. Johnsbury, Vt., and removed to I Orleans County, that State, about 1816, where he spent the remainder of his life. The mother of our subject was also a native of the Green Mountain State, and( here also the young people were married, and spent the early years of their lives. They subsequently migrated to the West, where Mrs. Pierce (ied in Tekonsha, Calhoun County. They became the parents of ten children, seven sons and three daughters, of whom four still survive, and the other three are recorded as follows: Lemuel lives in Jackson, Mich.; Irwin J., at Sherwood, in this county, and Julia Bigford, at Alabama, N. Y. Henry was born Dec. 5, 1808, at St. Johnsbury, Vt. He spent his early years at the homestead, and accompanied his parents in their removal to New York, the journey being effected in a lumber wagon. He acquired the education within reach of farmers' sons at that early day, and passed his life uneventfully until his marriage, at Clarendon, Orleans Co., N. Y., Nov. 9, 1834, the lady of his choice being Miss Betsy, daughter of Silas and Lavinia Beebe, of Connecticut. Mrs. Pierce is a native of the Green Mountain State, where she was born at Wells, Rutland County, April 20, 1810, and continued to reside until she was fourteen years of age. She then removed to Avon, Livingston County, and resided there some years, after which she went to Orleans County, in the same State. There the family resided until the death of the father, while the mother subsequently came to Michigan, and died at Tekonsha, Calhoun County, March 12, 1884, at the ripe old age of ninety-four years. In 1839 our subject and his wife took their departure for the West, and coming to this county, settled in Girard Township, where they purchased forty acres of land, and began their work of building up a home in the wilderness. For a residence they had a shanty twelve feet square, with the chimney on the outside, and their furniture consisted of a bedstead made of poles fastened to the walls in such a way that they could be removed in the daytime in order to give more room, while the other furniture was of similar construction. At the end of two years our subject built a house with a loose floor both above and below, sided on the outside and unplastered, and in this i R _^-, -1,i,, I b —mI [ m k I ll1. ^1. I -4 04t1 - Ir I 1 i f i m _ _ ----" -— * I o(Iqs --- ~.1 m",, I I 1-LL 1 1 u I I 1 1-1 1~ 11 I I -,4 BRANCH COUNTY. 625 small apology for a house lie and his wife had probably as much true enjoyment as have the present generation in their homes of affluence. Their wants were few and simple, and feeling sure, even at that distant day, that Southern Michigan had in store great possibilities, they kept in view the goal of their ambition, until hope merged into full fruition. Mr. Pierce had not even a team with which to do the heavier part of the farm work, and cleared twenty acres of his land entirely by hand. When they bought their first cow they did not have sufficient money to pay the purchase price, $25, and they sold feathers from their bed in order to secure the coveted bovine. The noble qualities of the wife are beautifully illustrated in the means that they employed to secure their first yoke of oven. Mr. Pierce exchanged a rifle for a threeyear-old steer, and Mrs. Pierce spun and wove wool with which they bought a heifer, which they exchanged for another steer to complete their yoke. On one occasion Mr. Pierce took a half-bushel of eggs to Cold water, in exchange for which lie received three dozen peaches, and returning to his home, he planted the pits of this fruit, and( raised trees which have produced hundreds of bushels of fine peaches. Mr. Pierce added to his farm until he became the owner of 105 acres, which lie sold in 1869, an(l he and his wife came to the village of Girard to spend their last (lays. They have no children to cheer them in their old age and cherish them in return for the devotion lavished upon a family, as all their offspring (lied in infancy. Mr. Pierce cast his first ballot for President for Gen. Ja-kson, and has continued a thorough Democrat. T