Rook 'hl&PR f -r<-fi n : <-:[i [iv)T- niii^M-i^k^ T- X ^ ^"^ "^ ,/!,,'■. c. f liirii^^t 5 ,, OF ^INEWi^YCO COUNTY, WIICl^. re I' i COKTAINING gOI^TI^AITS AND BlOGr^APHIGAL Sl^E^GHES OF pi^oniiiient and I^epre^eritatiiVe Citizeq^ of i-fje Counti}, rOdETHER WITH PORTli AITS A\/> lllOdl! M'll I ES OF ALL THE liOV EliXOHS OF MKIIldA.: AND OF THE PFES/DEXTS Oh THE VXITEl) STATES. ALSO CONTAINING A COMPLKTE IIISIOJJV ■ il I U I-. l^ ifci^^^^ ^^N^^^^^ r2^^ 6-7<^tlI]:^nn^>rr? :^^^ ^^c^vl (h 1) S3 i \ ^ ^^ i'®^^^t4)l^®#- / TZ;^^/^^^ V® C': / ^ I ^ -S^€S!^ .<;;::^ A<^fl!]^niif>^ — ^^^ -^^ fj^fj ■:^^^^ ^^ yiffl^iXS'' -^^^i^M h^ffm^mm x^-:«).>..r^ . „.^ « n AVING (:oin|)letcd our labors in writing and compiling ihe PoRruAir ani> BiDGRAPHiCAU Album ov Nf.wavuo C'duntv. we wish, in presenting it to its patrons, to speak briefly of the importance of local works of this nature. It is certainly the duty of the present to commemorate the past, to perpetuate the names of the pioneers, to furnish a record of their early settlement, and to relate the story of their progress. The civilization of our day, the enlightenment of the age, and this solemn duty which men of the present time owe to their ancestors, to themselves and to their posterity, demand that a record of their lives and deeds should be made. In local history is found a iwwer to instruct man by precedent, to enliven the mental faculties, and to waft dow'n the river «f time a safe vessel in which the names and actions of the people who contributed to raise this region from its primitive state may be preserved. Surely and rapidly the noble men who in their prime entered the wild forests of Newaygo and claimed the virgin soil as their heritage, are passing to their graves. The number remaining who can relate the history of the first days of settlement is becoming small indeed, so that an actual necessity exists for the collection and preservation of historical matter without delay, before tlie settlers of the wilderness are cut down by time. Not only is it of ^ ) the greatest importance to render history of pioneer time fciU and accurate, but it is also essential that the history of the county, frdm its settlement lo the present day, should be treated through its various phases, so that a record, comi)lete and impartial, may be handed down to the future. The present, the age of progress, IS reviewed, standing out in bold relief over the quiel, unostentatious olden times; it is a brilliant record, which is destined to live in the future; the good works of men, their magnificent enterprises, their lives, whether commercial or military, do not sink into olilivion, but, on the contrary, grow brighter with age, and contriljute to build up a record which carries with it precedents and principles that will be advanced and observed when the acts of soulless men will be forgotten, and their very names hidde.i in t'l In the preparation of the personal sketches contained in this volume, unusual care and pains were taken to have them accurate, even in the smallest detail. Indeed, nothing was passed lightly over or treated indifferently in the entire book, and we flatter ourselves tliat it is one of the most accurate works of its nature ever published. As one of the most interesting features of this work, we present tiie portraits of numerous repre- sentative citizens. It has been our aim to have the prominent men of lo-day, as well as the pioneers, ^ represented in this department; and we congratulate ourselves on the uniformly high character of the 1 gentlemen whose portraits we present. They are in the strictest sense representative men, and are .X, selected from all the callings and professions worthy to be represented. There are others, it is true, fa who claim eciual prominence with those presented, but of course it was impossible for vis to give por- 0/ traits of all the leading men and jjioneers of the county. i^ CllAI'M.W IIKOIIIKKS. V, Chicago, February, 1884. I A ¥. i ^<^D!i:<>lltlr>^- ^;^.;^, -^m^ — i^v<^liP:^:(iD>->T- ^, f ^ vi > :>: -J A ^ r.l .2^??i^e: ^^'-K ^D D >: n tl^>>'^ C?. ( 4* ii- ■■J V ^:<««- I- \j f- ■^M^^ ?T-T <^lll]>:illiv>^ i , ) V M "% 1 ^ 1^ A Abel, My re II 406 Adams, John 23 Adams, Johi Qtiincy 3g Alger, CM 365 Alvord, Charles N 187 Anderson, Robert 263 Anderson, Wm A 19? Andriis, A 43^ Angevine, A H 418 Armstrong, A. F 247 Armstrong, Hon. S. .^ 265 Arthur, Chester A 99 A vary. Henry vaq B Backart, C'eorge 335 Hackart, J. B 38^ Bagley. John J 157 Bailey, John 212 Bailey, Wm. H 244 Haillargeon, J 259 Baldwin, Henry P 153 Harbour. Frank W 185 Bardan, Ricliard 319 Harder, Joseph 301 Harks, John 278 Harlow, I. H ... 440 Barnhard, S. P 223 Barnes, CM 412 Barnhard, Jacob 222 Barnhard, John 308 Barniim, S. D 256 Barn urn, Urben 243 Barry, John S 113 Bartlett, (leo. U' 19 j Barton, Henry 378 Barton, Hon- James 293 Barton, Mark 298 Barton, Wm 394 Basford, Frank A . 456 Beaton, Duncan 412 Hcgole, Josiah W 169 Bennett, John N 279 Bigelow, (leo. L.... 212 Bigelow, Phebe E 209 Bingham, Kinsley S 137 BIOGI^fl^r^Kgfl Li. Bisard, Asahel 278 Bisard, Benj 325 Bisard, Mrs. S 267 Bitely, Stephen 391 Blair, Austin 145 Blair, Henry M 183 Blood, Charles 195 Bonner, S. D 445 Botsfoid, J . A. 333 Bowman, F. M 437 Hoyd, Richard 298 Boyd, Wm. A 300 Brace, H. I 251 Breckon, (ieo R.. M. !> ..- -40^ Bromley, Henrj' 203 Brooki-, Samuel F, 407 Hroilierton , J ohn 302 Brown, J. O 185 Buc!ianan. James 75 Bull, M. D 399 Hurril, E. S 249 Bush. Russell 285 c Campbell, A 196 Cander, Benj 411 Canovan, J. H 203 Carlisle, Mrs. C. C 204 Carlisle, Jacob 418 Cai penter, Asa P 306 Carpenter, Benj 359 Carpenter, J. R 369 Carpenter, J. W 754 Carpenter, Wm F 419 Carrington, tieorge 238 Cavender, L. L 348 Chapman, Justice 297 Childs, J G 30fJ Churchill, H .32c Clark, Henry D 213 Coburn,S. I J 249 Cole. John 276 Collins, David :394 Cook, Asa 315 Cook, Joel G 343 Cook, Joseph W 354 Cook, Nelson P 306 Cootbaugh. B H 461 Coon, Ezra 28*' Cope, Wm. H 307 Cornet, John A 198 Corsaut, James 455 Courlrighl, W 467 Crabtree, James 3C1 Cram, Uavid 259 Cram, Wm 324 Crandall, John V 393 Crapo, Henry H 149 Crawford, H. W 215 Croswell, Charles M 161 D Dake, Aruna 457 Daly, Peter 216 l)arliiig, Henry 225 Darling, J . H 45^ Darling, Wm 188 Davenport, Warren 257 Davenport, Wm . M 355 Davenport, Wm . H 32^ Davis, r)anicl 226 Davis, Martin 269 Davis, Wm 196 Day, Alberto 208 Dean, James M ...185 Dean .John T 207 Degroot, A. A., M. D 195 Delong, Jesse P 44^ Dickinson, Wm 18S Dingman, J 4'4 Dobson. F. 204 Dobson, Hiram 34^' Docherly, J 334 Doud, S. E 223 Dragoo, Tucker 211 Dubois, W'm H 288 iHiffy, James 369 E Edgecomb, Silas • 308 Edwards, Edward 444 Edwards, Timothj 400 ElwcM, F.lias 3"5 English, Geo. W 319 Evans, John F 213 Evarts, F. E 379 Evens, Samuel T 205 Evcrington, T 202 I c F Felch, Alpheus 117 Fellows, H. H 283 Fillmore, Millard 67 Fisher, Robert 286 Flora, D. W , M . D 303 Fowler, H . E 207 Fox, Irwin C 232 Franklin, J. A 319 Franklin, Marshall R. ... . 476 French, Mrs. S. E jss Frey, Theo. S aos Fuller, Wm. D 179 G CJanson, Fred A .234 Gaid, Squire 321 ( larfieid. James A 95 Gauweilcr. J . F 326 Gerber, Andrew 216 Gerbcr, Joseph 417 Gibbs, J. M 360 Giddings, A. H 474 Giddings, B 432 r.ifford, Fred 247 Giles, Gustiis .282 Gleason, Edwin 440 Gowell, John D 299 Craccy, Alex 455 Grant, Ulysses S 87 (iray, Edgar L 452 Graham, J. H 431 Graham, Wm 368 Grant, J. A 228 Graves, Peter 465 Grawn, John 243 Green, Jesse R 369 Greenly, William 1 121 Grovesteen, J M 473 Grow, Gilbert 38' G.rundy, T C 225 H liaiK^t, Ambrose 356 Haighl, E. R 468 Hill. F. F 334 A Ky ^ ( m^y> Jx-ca. r^ -z^S^ TT INDEX. ■5£^^^^ -4^^^C(®V^i V A i<^5 v > 1 I Hall. Jotham W 287 Harrison, P. A 917 Harrison, Wm. H 51 H;irt, James F 279 Hartt, Samuel 366 Haskins, James H 408 Hatch, David C 262 Hatfield, J. K 222 Hawlcy. H. C, M. i) 205 Hayes, Rutherford B gi Headlcy, H. A 268 Hcadley,Orvin 219 Hert/er, E. H 283 Hertzer, e;. A. H.,M. n....345 Hcweti, J. W 284 Hindcs,J. A 251 Hirdning, John 238 Hoag, Abram J 186 Hoag, Wm. H 240 Hoffman, P. P 201 Homes, Henry 458 Hopper. John W 25C Horning, Wm. H 261 Hyde. J. H 248 Ish. Bcnj . J Jackson, .-Vndrew 4^ Jakeway, Ami J 194 J arse, Mrs. Julia 207 Jay, Wm 324 Jefferson, Thomas 27 Jenne, H. C 338 Jernstadt, John 281 Jerome, David H 165 JcwelI,J. K 347 Jewell, Wm. J... 296 Johnson, Andr'^w 83 Johnson, Arnold 251 Jonc-., E. N 208 Jones, Geo. B 284 Jones, Hiram 103 Joslin,D. R 210 Kaufman, C 332 Keefe, Charles K. , 305 Kempf, Chri'iopher 209 Kctchum, John B 195 KimbcU, Wm 259 Kinch,T. C 325 King, Levi W* 282 KinK. Wm. C 269 Knowles. .Mfred 433 Knowles, T- J 432 Kriger, J, R 333 Krit^cr, Conrad 228 Krit/cr, Henry 385 I.amtison, A. W 353 l.areva, John 264 Lawrence. Alex 234 Lawrence, Silas 332 Le Baron. Wm 316 I^cni7, George 356 Leonard, Jackson 232 Lewis, Hiram 332 Lewis, Samuel 439 Lewis, Wm. A 387 Lincoln, Abraham 79 Lordon, Dennis 255 Luce, Elea7cr 314 Luton, George 465 M Macumbcr, N. D 267 Madison, James . 31 Mallcry.J. B 336 Mallory, Freeman 446 Manning, J. H 242 Marshall, Fred 277 ^Ll^ti^, Geo. F 426 Martin, Wm 365 .^!ason, Stevens T 105 Mathews, Frank 321 Maynartl, F J 467 Maynard. Henry T 187 Maynard.J. F 4^5 Maze, Jesso 266 McClelland, Robert 129 McCool, Michael 264 McCowen.J. C 432 McCullon , Xeil 205 McDonald, Nelson §05 McDnnell. Thos 348 McFarland, John 297 McKec, J. H 262 McKie, Charles 258 McKinley, Alex 274 McLellan, Peter -..433 M c I ,cod , J a mcs 336 McNabb, Orlando 197 McXabb, J, W., M. D ...467 McXutt, George 273 Mead, A. G 476 Meeker, L. R 377 Meier, John 357 Merrill,!. D ^..451 Merrill, W. S 250 Meyers, Lewis 307 Millard. D 22; Miller, Dennis 211 Miller, George 206 Miller, Jacob .230 Miller, John 279 Millis, George H 210 Millis, Silas 295 Mills, Geo. A 227 Mills, L. E 242 Misner, E 381 Misner, R. K... 321 Monroe, Charles 283 Monroe, James -^5 Monroe, P 437 Moon, Cyrus 360 Mootc, John 323 Morgan, L. C 322 Morton, B. E 318 Moses, Michael 241 Mudge, .\ndiew 434 Miidget, A. T 342 Mnlder,K 381 Mundy, A . J . 246 Mundy, Jasper 414 Mnndy. John A 995 Murphy. S. j., Jr 458 Murphy, Wm. L .288 Myers, James 276 N NafcGco. W., M. D 270 Nelson, J . E 250" Neville, Patrick 304 Ncwburg, M . . .. ; 402 North, E. S 461 Norihway, A. H 275 Norton. L. E., M. D 455 Norton, Wm. H — 214 o Odell. James K 443 Odell, Salmon P 191 Ohrenbergcr, J . W 357 Gsburn. John 408 Oslrom, Wm H 286 Overly, Geo. D 215 Packard, Geo. W 79 Painter, John 439 Parmcter, J. F 248 Parnieter, L. 1 328 Parsons, .A.ndrew 133 Pawling, F 263 Peacock, Richard 230 Peacock , Wm . J 364 Pects, Charles W 348 Persons. Wellington 382 Peters, George H 475 Peterson, F. H 314 Peterson , N 263 Peterson, S.W 280 Pfeiflc, C 393 Pickett. L. W 377 Pierce, Franklin 70 Pierson, W'm . M 191 Pike, Francis .M . " 407 Pittwood, John 468 Plait, Jonailian 338 Piatt, W. S 238 Polk, James K 59 Pollard, George 357 Pond, Gny C 206 Powers, David 474 Preston , S 226 Price, T.L.,Jr. . 300 Q (^>uackenbush, R. ■3=S R Raci;, W..iii:r M ... ^^6 Raider. J. P. A 391 Randall, J. H 287 Randall, Lcroy 276 Randolph, C. T 265 Ranney, Edwin J 192 Ransom, Epaphroditus 152 Rathbun, C I 240 Read, H. M 264 Reed, H. T.. M. D 405 Reed, Joseph , 260 Reed, Sylvanus 282 Reinoldt, Louis ■. .333 Reynclds, Floyd 184 Riblct, S. K 380 Rice, James R... 345 Richardson, E 298 Rocdel, Phil . M 420 Rogers, Benj 367 Rogers, Robert .315 Rooke, John 197 Rose, Sam 423 Rossiter, Jeremiah 2;zi Rull. George W 986 Rupp, George 347 Russell, John 341 Rutherford. R.W 339 Schanck, 'Ihcrcn C 184 Schroeder, John F 302 Scott, M . W 277 Seaman, W 214 Seelcy, Alex. M 344 .Seeley. A. S 438 Selby, F. C 426 Sharp, Monroe L «. 452 Shaw, E. O .. 370 Shepherd, George 274 Shick, Isaac 260- Simpson, Parker 407 Sidler, Wm. C 208 Simcoc, James 388 Skinner, A. S 426 Slocum, George B 413 Slocum, S. K 433 Smeltzer, Joseph 326 Smith. Barlow 212 Smith, C. G 316 Smith, Daniel D .-318 Smith, O. L 277 Smith, Simon P. .'. 345 -Smith, Tyson, M . D . .' 402 Snyder, A- H 197 Spencer, James 306 Squicr,A. T 364 Squicr, David W 227 Squier, R J 369 Siacey, Seth S 388 Standish, Col. J. H 462 Stearns, C E , 374 Stevens, S. R. B 387 Stirling, Walter 356 Stockton, J . E 343 Stone, Hon . Charles W 341 Stone, H. C 246 .Stuart, 'i" - H 316 Stuart, Richard 358 Surplice, Richard 358 Suiliff, A. E 335 Sntliff, C . A 337 Swain, D. T 336 Sweet, .-Monzo 193 Swest, John 338 i T Taite. i-'tco. W. 196 Tanncwitz, J., Jr 367 Taylor, Alanson. 334 Taylor, George E 363 Taylor, Zachary 61 Thayer, Alonzo 221 (^ ( f^, -ss^^iK^ ^^A<>D g % W^^ ^^€^»^ zi^^^ ^?-T<>DH>:ilOs>r (h H Thomas, E, O 224 Tibbitts, B. E 25a I" ibbitts, M argaret E 220 lift, I.eroy 255 'I'oncr, John 320 Town, Elias 261 Town, J. A 258 Townsend, J . C 37" Train, Mrs. L 246 Trask, R. S.,M.D 45» Iraver, I). C 387 Trciber, j . F... 343 Trumbley, J 231 Trumbiili. J. W 261 Tucker, J. W 323 Tiircotie, Michael 44"^ Turner, Charles - ■ -233 Turner. Hezekiah '93 Turner, Wni • ■ 1S7 Tyler, John ... 55 u Vpton, A. K ^?2 INDEX. UtIey.C. W •■••377 Utiey, Ephraim 4^' Ulley, llcorge 4'4 Uticy, Will. S l8i VanBurcn, M.irtin 47 \*ancier water. Lewi*; 344 w \Vade,CJeo.N 296 Walker, S. V.. 457 Wallace, R. C 231 Warren, Horace 359 Washington, George ly Waters, L 250 Waters, Merrick 249 Waters, T. L 198 Watroivs, S. S 33^ Weaver, Daniel 412 Weaver. P. H 466 Webster, G. D 420 Webber. Win. A 250 Webster, Ceo. K 302 Webster. H . K . . y^o Webster, I>r. James 373 Webster, John K -^f^i, Webster, Wni . K 311 Wcitbrook, K. A 280 Wheeler, Wm. M 240 Whipple, D. J 367 Whipple, Luther 323 Whipple, Walter L 3'7 White, Augustine 202 White, W T 734 Whitehead. Joseph 198 Whitman, Wm .265 Whitney, Frank 285 Wilbur IS. R 211 Wilcox, Charles 439 Wilcox, I). W 204 Willius, Maitin 244 Wisner, Moses 141 i:ii ^ Wonch.JohnR 360 Wood, Benj. F 296 Wood, Jack T 245 Wood, John F ,Sr 35* Woodard, C. M 186 Woodbridgc, Wm 109 Wof.il*, Tho.; I' . .194 Vales •'Monzo 458 Young, Clark N 337 ^'oun^;, John 978 Youngs, Hcnj .157 Zerlaut, Henry 245 Zerlaiil, I K 270 /other. Frank 413 I ^ V I Adams, John 22 Adams, John Quincy 38 Arthur, Chester A 98 ^ liagley, John J 156 *)JaIdwin, Henry P 152 ^^arry, John S 112 '^iiarton, James 290 ' Haiton, Mrs. J 291 •^Hegolc. Josiah W 168 V Ifinghain, Kinsley S 136 ** Ritely, Stephen 390 '•Hlair, -Austin 144 '' Howman, F." M 436 * Buchanan, James. 74 I' Bull, M. I) 396 ''Bull, Mrs. M. I) 397 ^ Collins, David 394 *^CooIbaugh, B.H 460 » Crapo, Henry H ... .148 ' Croswell, Charles M 160 V Fclch, Alpheus . 116 * Fillmore. Millard 66 ''Fuller. Wm. D 178 ''Garfield, James A 04 * Gerber, Joseph 416 '^Graham, J. H 429 ''Graham, Mrs. J. H 428 ^ Grant, Ulysses S 86 *''Greenly. William 1 120 iGrovcstcen, J . M 470 /'Grovcsrccn, Mrs. J. M 471 ' Harrison, VVm. H.... 50 ' Hayes, Rutherford B qo ' Headley, Orvin 218 * Hoffman, Philip 200 . Jackson, Andrew 42 * Jefferson, 'Thomas 26 V Jerome, David H 164 • Johnson, .Andrew 82 ^Kritzer, Herfry 384 ►'l,ambson, A. W 350 ^ I.ambson, Mrs. A . W 351 Lincoln, Abraham 78 ^ Madison James 30 " Mason, Stevens 'T 104 ^' McClelland. Robert 128 * McNutt, George 272 *' Monroe, James 34 *^MiiIdcr, Kornelis 281 '-- Odell, James R 442 *■'' Parsons, Andrew 132 I Pierce, Franklin [70 " Picrson, Wm. M ...188 "■pierson, Mrs. W. M '189 » Polk, lames K 58 i Ransom, Kpaphroditiis 124 / Rerd. H. T 4^4 Kosc, Samuel 422 Stone, Hon. Charles W .340 Sutliff, C. .A 235 tSutliff, Mrs. C. A 336 'Taylor. George E 36a ' 'I'aylor, Zachary 62 * Tift, Lcroy 254 'Tr,ask, R. S., M. D 448 'I'rask, Mrs. R. S 449 * 'Tyler, John 54 * Ulley, F.phraim 410 1 VanBurcn, Martin 46 ' Washington, tJeorge 18 /Watroiis, Seth S 330 ' Webster. James, M D 372 ^ Webster. M rs. J 373 ' Webster. Wm . R 310 ■ Webster, Mrs. Pbcl«: A 311 ' Wisner, Moses 140 V Woodbridce, William 108 ^ ^^^'^^ ^mxM^> ^ '^^' -4^^C<®>^ i T=rvC^IlII>:llII^>T-e ^J^^a INDEX. ^-r- y^ s5 r / a V "'^'^^^^.^: f?l)^#^tf<5) INTKODrt'TOHV 47!) PI1YSI(;AL FEATl KES 481 Geology 482 Botanical 483 INDIANS 484 Indian Lite 485 Tlic Indian Di-ad 4S(; KARLY SET'l'I.K.MKN r 4S,s How Our Fatlicrs Lived 4'.«) MrXKlI-Al, 401 '•KusspH County" 496 Supervisors 497 TIIK BAR 500 XKWAYGOS I'AIM' IN IHE WAR 50(! Ttie Beginning 507 Enrollment and Eidi^tnient ."rflH Hrafts 50H The End 508 'J'lie fJlosn 509 THE •• I NDl AX W A K • 5(19 SOLDIERS- AND SAILORS- REUNION' 51(1 POLITICAL -,11 Election ReturM> 511 THE PRESS 519 1 8^ Newaygo Repuljlican Newaygo Tribune Fremont Times Fremont Indicator Hcsjicrian Hes])eiian Investigator <;ieaner Leader News EDICATIONAL MATERIAL INTERESTS Navigation Railii)ad> Lmnber lnt^ ^-r^^m^ ^^^^ — ev<^iiii^(iii>>.r^^ — ^^^ t K^ V s ) 26^ (gN t ^ -Si^^^ <^n!l^DD;>i^ .^^^^ T <^llll:o;IIDr> yv ^ >t^-c^ if (»; ^ \^ A :^ V > ' ) t I ^@<^«^ -2<^I]!)r^IlD;> ^ '-«#^ ^ -2^K Sr-i-<:llll;*:llllr>r^i^ 3S©c ^'^^'M f ) ^ /N V ^ ^.•iv„-Ui..t»ti,.-ii.A,A,.t .t./^"' /^ ^^.+.,;lt;.i.i,.t„t„iv.tJi-„.Y./tV-^'7< ^ t. ^^JaN^^^>^MK•--^ - ' ■■■■ i: ■ •■■ ■^uLf'' e (' g ^ ^ I mA'^^^^r^ -^^^ — ^-^<-^ll!l:o:iltIv> J ^.^ rrv<^Da:o:DIl^>T■T- 5^. tir"'^ ^^^^^(s\m. f v^ ) :^ v ) ^5 w» ^ ^^ A ^■1^2^ •^M\m^^ iS-r.:--4 -^^€»"=^ — ^y^m'M'^^^ .5n^3^ ^ ^ V^' V<^DIl^li|]r>V ■^a*€^ter FIRST F RESIDENT. ■9 *N ^ ' ) > ^ .»>-0^ ^^^ 3:=^.. '■:^^'-;;t.t^t^'^ii;s<'i;ji'^i'.;j^j£i^v^i^£i^^a \ 'i ; '■ •, ■iV'i'V'.v'tgr.'(ggi>(g>'tasi'tgJi'>^ ,| HE Father of our Country was 's^ liorii in ^ Westmorland Co., Va., Feb. 22, 1732. His [larents were Augustine and Mary (Ball) Washington. The family to which he belonged has not been satisfactorily traced in England. His great-grand- father, John Washington, em- igrated to Virginia about 1657, and became a prosperous planter. He had two sons, Lawrence and John. The former married Mildred Warner and had three children, John. Augustine and Mildred. Augus- tine, the father of George, first married Jane Butler, who bore him four children, two of whom, Lawrence and Augustine, reached maturity. Of si.K 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 1743, 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 i)arental 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 A m mathematics. His spelling v/as rather defective. Remarkable stories are told of his great physical strength and development at an early age. He was an acknowledged le;ider among his companions, and was early noted for that nobleness of character, fair- ness and veracity which characterized his whole life. When George wan 1 4 years old he had a desire to go to sea, and a midshipman's warrant was secured for liim, but through the ojiposition of iiis 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 175 i, though only 19 years of age, he was apiK)inted 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 Lieuten- ant-Governor of Virginia, in 1752, the militia was reorganized, and the province divided into four mili- tary districts, of which the northern was assigned to Washington as adjutant general. Shortly after this ^ a very perilous mission was assigned him and ac- 1 cepted, which others had refused. This was to pro- ceed to the French post near Lake Erie in North- western Pennsylvania. The distance to be traversed was between 500 and 600 miles. Winter was at hand, and the journey was to be made without military escort, through a territory occupied by Indians. The BD^^A 4>^^f*>^; t t ^))«^r#» TZi^a^ A >: •I -S > -^rrv<^iiii;^;nns>v— GEORGE WASHINGTON. "^EKixST'S^ -4^«^5«®VI^ ^ trip was a perilous one, and several limes he came near losing his life, yet he returned in safety and furnished a full and useful reixirt of his expedition. A regiment of 300 men was raised in Virginia and put in com- mand of Col. Joshua Fry, and Major Washington was connnissioned lieutenant-colonel. Active war was tlien begun against the French and Indians, in which Washington took a most imixirtant part. In the memorable event of July 9, 1755, known as Brad- dock'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 levcliu" my companions on every side.'" An Indian sliar[)shooter said he was not born to be killed l)y a bullet, for he had taken direct aim at him seventeen times, and failed to hit him. After having been five years in tiie 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, to resign his commission. Soon after he entered the Legislature, where, although not a leader, he look an active and imjjortant part. January 17, 1759, he married Mrs. Martha (Dandridge) Custis, the wealthy widow of John Parke Custis. When the British Parliament had closed the i>ort of 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 Con- gress of all the colonies was called to meet at Piiila- delphia.Sept. 5, 1774, to secure their common liberties, peaceably if ixjssible. To this Congress Col. Wash- ington 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 Con- cord and Lexington had been fought. .Among the first acts of this Congress was the election of a com- mander-in-chief of the colonial forces. This high and res|x)nsible office was conferred w\)on Washington, who was still a member of the Congress. He accepted it on June 19, but ujion the express condition that he receive no salarj'. He would keep an exact account of expenses and expect Congress lo 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 lo to the Continental Congress sitting al Annajxjlis. He retired immediately to Mount Vernon and resumed his occupation as a farmer and planter, shunning all connection with public life. In February, 1 7 89, Washington was unanimously elected President. In his presidential career he wa^ sul)ject 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 wiiile perhaps this alone kept our government from sinking at the veiy 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 unani- mously 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 expiralon of his second term as Presi- dent, he returned to his home, hoping to pass there his few remaining years free from the annoyances of l)ul)lic life. Later in the year, however, his repose seemed likely to be interrupted by war with France. .\t the prospect of such a war he was again urged to take command of the armies. He chose his sub- ordinate officers and left to them the charge of mat- ters 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 necessar)'. In the midst of these preparations his life was suddenly cut off. December 12, he took a severe cold from a ride in the rain, which, settling in h^s throat, produced inflammation, and terminated fatally on the night of the fourteenth. On the eigh- teenth 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 ad- miration. 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 tal- ent and character, which have been able lo challenge the reverence of all parties, and principles, and na- tions, 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 tall, erect and well projxjrtioned. 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. t ^ ^v jL<;0!l:i^^^ ^^^^^ -M r Ml rf I •^K/^'^)^<|— g-^'iJ^'^^ yA.t.,t. t..t..t.4.t^A4^*.-t«.t .4.tA.t..t..^^ ■^m^^ — :r-7<^tia>:illl^>v SECOND PRESIDENT. 23 J /m JBP/cm. OHN ADAMS, the second resident and the first Vice- resident of the United States, was born in Hraintree ( now Quincy ),Mass., and about ten miles from Boston, Oct. 19, 1735. His great-grandfather, Henry Adams, emigrated from England about 1640, with a family of eight sons, and settled at Braiatree. The parents of John were John and Susannah (Boylston) Adams. His^ father was a farmer of limited means, to whicli he added the bits- iness of shoemaking. He gave his eldest son, John, a classical educa- tion at Harvard College. John graduated in 1755, and at once took charge of the school in ^Vorcester, 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 purjxjse he placed himself under the tuition of the only lawyer in the town. He had thought seriously of tlie clerical profession but seems to have been turned from this by what he termed " the frightful engines of ecclesiastical coun- cils, of dialjolical malice, and Calvanistic good nature,'' of tlic 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 (|uick percep- 1 tive jKiwers. He gradually gained practice, and in .%.-i •7''4 married .\bigail Smith, a daughter of a minister, and a lady of superior intelligence. Shortly after his marriage, (1765), the attempt of Parliamentary taxa- tion turned him from law to jwlitics. He took initial 'i steps toward holding a town meeting, and the resolu tions he offered on the subject became very ixijuilar throughout the Provnice, and were adopted word for word by over forty different towns. He moved to Bos- ton 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 Leg- lislature) in 1770. Mr. Adams was chosen one of the fust 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 ad- vocated the movement for independence against the majority of the members. In May, 1776, 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 11, to prepare a declaration of inde- pendence. This article was drawn by Jefferson, but on .^dams devolved the task of battling it through Congress in a tliree days debate. On the day after the Declaration of Independence was passed, while his soul was yet warm with the glow of excited feeling, lie wrote a letter to his wife, which, as we read it now, seems to Jiave been dictated by the spirit of projihecy. " \'esterday," 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 witliout one dissenting colony, ' that these United States are, and of right ought to be, free and inde- pendent states.' 'I"he 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 celelirated by succeeding generations, as thtj great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to .Mmighty God. It ought to be solemnized with i)onip, shows» W I V. r « m ^))^^ 24 /OJIJV ADAMS. -.a^ i?^5((^Xii^f) f V ^ 1 •) 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 raj's 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 froin the French Government. 'I'his was a severe trial to his patriotism, as it separated him from his home, compelled him to cross the ocean in winter, and ex- [XDsed him to great peril of capture by the British cruis- ers, 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 readi- ness to negotiate a treaty of peace and of commerce with Great Britian, as soon as the British Cabinet might ije found willing to listen to such pvoposels. He sailed for France in November, from there he went to Holland, where he negotiated inii)ortant 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 con- tinued fever and becoming feeble and emaciated he was advised to go to England to drink the waters of Bath. While in England, still drooping anddes[X)nd- ing, 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 horseliack and foot,hemade the tri]). Fel)ruary 24, 1 7 CS5, Congress apiKjinted Mr. Adams envoy to the Court of St. James. Here he met face to face the King of England, who had so long re- garded him as a traitor. As England did not condescend to apix)int a minister to the United States, and as Mr. Adams felt that he was accom- plishing but little, he sought permission to return to his own country, where he arrived in June, 1788. 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 179'), Wash- ington retired from iniblic 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 u'tteriy abhored the class of atheist philosophers who he claimed caused it. On the other hand Jefferson's sympathies were strongly enlisted in behalf of the French peoi^le. Hence or- iginated the alienation between these distinguished men, and two jx)werful parties were thus soon organ- ized, Adams at the head of the one whose symjwthies 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 veneralile form, and think of what he had done and suffered, and how he had given uj) 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 supix)rting. In 1824, his cup of happiness was filled to the l)rim, 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 Inde- pendence, 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 [lilgrimage, 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 recpiested to name a toast for the customary celebration of the day, he exclaimed " In- dependence 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 glor- ious fourth of July — God bless it — God bless you all." In the course of the day he said, "Tt is a great and glorious day." The last words he uttered were, "Jefferson survives." Tint he had, at one o'clock, re- signed his spirit into the hands of his God. The ])ersonal appearance and manners of Mr. Adams were not particularly prepossessing. His face, as his jjortrait nianifests,was intellectual and exjires- sive, 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. (> A $^, r>, I vm ^?>3«g^^-»-. j^^,. <^Da>: L ^«>^ ■^ '7 I THIRD PRESIDENT. ^7s V s ^ 27 <^^ t r77rnT77P^ \S JEFFEESOKa I HOMAS JE;FFERS0N was l)orn April 2, 1743, at Shad- ^pwell, Albermarle county, Va. His [larents were Peter and Jane ( Randolph) Jefferson, the former a native of Wales, and the latter born in Lon- don. 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, hav- lecn kept diligently at scliool from the time he was five years of age. In 1760 he entered William and Mary College. Williamsburg was then the seat of the Colonial Court, and it was the obode of fashion a.id 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 irreproacha- ai)le ill his morals. It is strange, however, under sucli influences, that he was not ruined. In the sec- ond year of his college course, moved by some un- explained inward impulse, he discarded his horses, society, and even his favorite violin, to which he had [ireviously given much time. He often devoted fifteen hours a day to hard study, allowing himself for ex- ercise only a run in the evening twilight of a mile out of the city and back again. He thus attained very higii intellectual culture, alike excellence in philoso- l)hy and the languages. The most difficult Latin and ireek authors he read with facility. A more finished ir has seldom gone forth from college halls; and iS^i^a,. ^^-y^'^ ^^DD^ W.,'» V A :< ( there was not to be found, perhaps, in all Virginia, a more pureminded, upright, gentlemanly young man. Immediately ujxjn leaving college he began the study of law. For the short time he continued in the practice of his profession he rose rapidly and distin- guished 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 lie was chosen a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. In 1772 he married Mrs. Martha Skelton, a very beauti- ful, wealthy and highly accom|)lished young widow. Upon Mr. Jefferson's large estate at Shadwell, there was a majestic swell of land, called Monticello, which commanded 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 draw- ing up of a declaration of independence. This com- mittee consisted of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston. Jefferson, as chairman, was appointed 1 to draw u[) the [xiper. Franklin and .'\dams suggested ^':?' a few verbal changes before it was submitted to Con- [fj gress. On June 28, a few slight changes were made ^ in it by Congress, and it was passed and signed July (""n 4, 1776. What must have been the feelings of that ^ r ••^^^^w V I *^^^ rs > 28 r^ -^-r<^Il[l>:DI]>->^— THOMAS JEFFERSON. Wk man — what the emotions that swelled his breast — who was charged with the preparation of that Dec- laration, 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 re- markable i)apers ever written ; and did no other effort of the mind of its authcjr exist, that alone would be sufficient to stamp his name witli immoitality. In 1779 Mr. Jefferson was elected successor to Patrick Henry, as (rovernor of Virginia. At one time the British officer, Tarleton, sent a secret expedition to Monticello, to capture the Governor. Scarcely five minutes elajised after tlie hurried escape of Mr. Jef- ferson and his family, ere his mansion was in posses- sion 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 yeirs later he was appointed Minister Plenipo- tentiary to France. Returning to the United States in September, 1789, he became Secretary of State in Washington's cabinet. Tliis position he resigned Jan. T, 1794. In 1797, he was chosen Vice Presi- dent, and four years later was elected President over Mr. Adams, with Aaron Burr as Vice President. In 1804 he was re-elected with wonderful unanimity, and George Clinton, Vice President. The early part of Mr. Jefferson's second adminstra- tion was disturbed by an event which threatened the tranijuilily and peace of the Union ; this was the con- spiracy 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. In 1809, at the expiration of the second term for which Mr. Jefferson had lieen elected, he determined to retire from political life. For a period of nearly forty years, he had been continually before the pub- lic, and all that time had been em[)loyed in offices of the greatest trust and respoiisiliility. Having thus de- voted the best part of his life to the service of his country, he now felt desirous of that rest which his declining years recpiired, and u[)on the organization of the new administration, in March, 1809, he bid fare- well 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, hoys 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, 182^), being the fiftieth annivcr- 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 tlie few surviving signers of the Declara- tion, to particii)ate in their festivities. But an ill- ness, 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 hinv, 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 expres.;ed the earnest wisii that he might be permitted to breathe the air of the fiftieth anniversary. His ])rayer was heard — that day, whose dawn was hailed with such rapture througli our land, burst upon his eyes, and then they were closed for- ever. 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 liis 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 kin- dred spirit of the venerable Adams, as if to bear hipt company, left the scene of liis earthly honors. Hand in hand they had stood forth, the champions of freedom; hand in hand, during the dark and desper- ate struggle of the Revolution, they had cheered and animated their desiwnding 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 fore- head broad, and his whole countenance intelligent and thoughtful. He ix)ssessed great fortitude of mind as well as personal courage ; and his command of tem- per 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 un- affected, and his hospitality was so unbounded that all found at his house a ready welcome. In conver- sation he was fluent, eloquent and enthusiastic; and his language was remarkably jnire and correct. He was a finished classical scholar, and in his writings is discernalile the care with whi( h he formed his style upon the best models of .inticpiity. J t v|) A s^ • r '^^\§^^(^k ^drnM^^ '-Q ' "^^ S^^ ^^^1^^-7^^^ Qfi) / iHe-c^-^t^^ 'i-'^iiu.y^'^iif t>'\^ ^^i^/^D^e^^ z<^[lD:r FOURTH PRESIDENT. ^X WW& n]:aDisoi]. AMES MADISON, "Father B) of the Constitution," and fourth |,f President ot 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 con- nected with most of the im[wrtant events in that lieroic period of our country during which the founda- tions of this great repubUc were laid. He was the last of the founders of the Constitution of the United States to be called to his eternal reward. The Madison family were among the early emigrants to the New World, landing upon the shores of the Chesa- jjeake but 15 years after the settle- ment of Jamestown. The father of James Madison was an opulent planter, residing upon a very fine es- tate called "Montpelier," Orange Co., Va. The mansion was situated in the midst of scenery highly pictur- esque and romantic, on the west side of South-west Mountain, at the foot of Hlue Ridge. It was but 25 miles from the home of Jefferson at Monticello. The closest jjersonal and l)olitical 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 1 8 he was sent to Princeton College, in New Jersey. Here he applied himself to study with the most im- prudent zeal; allowing himsel/, 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- (|uent career. Returning to Virginia, he commenced the study of law and a course of e.xtensive and systematic reading. This educational course, the spirit of the times in which he lived, and the society with which he asso- ciated, 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 atten- tion 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 ne.\t year (1777), he was a candidate for the General Assembly. He refused to treat the whisky-lovir.g voters, and consctpiently lost his election ; but those who had witnessed tlie talent, energy and public s|)irit of the modest young man, enlisted themselves in his behalf, and he was appointed to tlie Executive Council. Both Patrick Henry ami Thomas Jefferson were Governors of Virginia while Mr. Madison remained member of the Council ; and their appreciation of his v.. n A k 'p ktlSga V^MO 3; l^p^. r^^ ^ (J A M >: n n^:>T -:2^^S^ -*4^^^ J A V ') 1 4. >^ 3^ JAMES MADISON. intellectual, social and moral worth, contributed not a little to his subsenuent eminence. In the year 1780, 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 JSIr. Madison continued in Con- gress, one of its most active and influential members. In the year 1784, his term having expired, he was elected a member of the Virginia Legislature. No man felt more dee[)ly than Mr. Madison the utter inefficiency of the old confederacy, with no na- tional government, with no power to form treaties which would be binding, or to enforce law. There was not any State more iirominent 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 commis- sioners 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, 1787, to draft a Coustituuon 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, (ieorge Washington was chosen president of the convention ; and the present Consti- tution of the United States was then and there formed. There was, perhaps, no mind and no pen more ac- tive in framing this immortal document than the mind and the pen of James Madison. The Constitution, adopted by a vote 81 to 79, was to be presented to the several States for acceptance. Hut 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 conven- tion to draw uj) 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 Repre- sentatives in the first Congress, and soon became the avowed leader of tlie Republican party. While in New York attending Congress, he met Mrs, Todd, a young widow of remarkable [wwer of fascination, wlioni he married. She was in person and character (|ueenly, 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 nnder Jefferson, and at the close of his administration was chosen President. At this time the encroach- ments of England had brought us to the verge of war. British orders in council destioyed our commerce, and our flag was exijosed 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, ujjon 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 nonchal- ance 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 gun- deck of his man-of-war, to fight, by compulsion, the battles of England. This right of search and im- pressment, no efforts of our Government could induce the British cabinet to relin »?,'- )m^ ^^^^^^ — ^^ ^D a >: tii]^>^ ^^^^^ ^4^^^ / ''■^ \^ >\j a J^'/->^T-<>^ /-^^ <^li!i:^IiDf>v -:2i'^^^ 4>^?f >^ V (^ FIFTH PRESIDENT. ^ % PIIQES n]01]ItOE. \MES MONROE, the fifth resident of The United States, was born in Westmoreland Co., \'a., April 28, 1758. His early life was passed at the place of \^iu.^' niany years resided in the prov- I ince in which he was born. When, at 1 7 years of age, in the process of completing his education at ^Villiam and Mary College, the Co- lonial Congress assembled at Phila- delphia to deliberate upon the un- just and manifold opi)ressions of (ireat Britian, declared the separa- tion of the Colonies, and promul- gated the Declaration of Indepen- dence. 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 liope- less and gloomy. The number of deserters increased from day to day. The invading armies came [wuring 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 con- tending 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 ix)litical 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 V^ A ( for liberty. I'inuly yet sadly he shared in the mel- ancholy retreat from Harleam Heights and White Plains, and accomiianied the dispirited army as it fled before its foes througli New Jersey. In four months after the Declaration of Independence, the patriots ( ^ had been beaten in seven battles. At the battle of k, Trenton he led the vanguard, and, in the act of charg- ing upon the enemy he received a wound in tlie left shoulder. As a reward for his bravery, Mr. Monroe was ])ro- moted a captain of infantry; and, having recovered from his wound, he rejoined the army. He, however, receded from tlie line of promotion, by becoming an officer in the staff of Lord Sterling. During the cam- paigns of 1777 and 1778, in the actions of Brandy- wine, Germanlown and Monmouth, he continued aid-de-camp; but becoming desirous to regain his position in the army, he e.\erted himself to collect a regiment for the Virginia line. Tliis scheme failed owing to the exhausted condition of tlie .State, l^ijon 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 volun- teer, during the two years of his legal pursuits. In 1782, he was elected from King George county, a member of the Leglislature of Virginia, and by that body he was elevated to a seat in the Kxecutive Council. He was thus honored with the confidence of liis fellow citizens at 23 years of age ; and having at this early period disi)layed some of that ability g^ and aptitude for legislation, which were afterwards (j)\ employed with unremitting energ)- for the public good, ^ k r I 4 a -5i. -K^^nn^tntif^^'-^^^ — ^^^^ ■-^^^f:®>^= '^^ tt^* ^ ') A i« V ) a I JAMES MONROE. -#i^^(5jvSi; 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 re- tained the esteem of his friends who were its warm supporters, and who, notwithstanding his opposition secured its adoption. In 1789, lie became a member of the United States Senate ; which office he held for four years. Every month the line of distinction be- tween the two great i)arties which divided the nation, the J-'ederal and the Republican, was growing more distinct. The two jirominent ideas which now sep- arated them w^ere, 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 sym[)athized with England, and were in favor of a liberal construction of the Con- stitution, wjiich would give as much ])ower 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 u|) this majestic nation, which is destined to eclipse alKirecian and Assyrian greatness, the com- bination of their antagonism was needed to create the light ecpiilibrium. And yet each in his day was de- nounced as almost a demon. Washington was tlien President. England had es- poused the cause of the Bourbons against the princi- ples of the French Revolution. All Eurojje was drawn into the conflict. We were feeble and far away. Washington issued a proclamation of neutrality be- tween these contending jjowers. France had heljied us in the struggle for our liberties. All the despotisms of Europe were now coml)inedto prevent the French from es(a])ing from a tyranny a thousand-fold worse than that which we had endured. Col. Monroe, more magnanimous than prudent, was anxious that, at wl'iatever hazard, we should help our old allies in their extremity. It was the impulse of a generous and noble nature. He violently opposed tlie Pres- ident's jjroclamation 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 de- nouncing 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 entluisiastic demonstrations. Shortly after his return to this country, Mr. Mon- roe 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 ob- tained from Spain. Their united efforts were suc- cessful. For the comparatively small simi 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 ob- tain from that country some recognition of our rights as neutrals, and to remonstrate against those odious impressments of our seamen. But Eng- land was unrelenting. He agaui returned to Eng- land 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 trj'ing times, the duties of the N\'ar Department were also put upon him. He was truly the armor- bearer of President Madison, and the most efficient business man in his cabinet. Upon the return of peace he resigned the Department of War, but con- tinued in the office of Secretary of State until the ex- piration of Mr. Madison's adminstration. At the elec- tion held the previous autumn Mr. Monroe liimself had been chosen President with but little opposition, and upon March 4, 1817, was inaugurated. Four years later he was elected for a second term. Among the imjiortant 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 1823. At that time the United States had recognized the independ- ence of the South American states, and did not ^\ish to have European powers longer attempting to sub- due 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 sys- tem to any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety," and "that we could rot view any interposition for the purpose of oppressing or controlling American governments or provinces in any other light than as a manifestation by European l)owers 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 fecond term Mr. Monroe retired to his home in Virginia, where he lived unlil 1830, when he went to New York to live with his son-in- law. In that city he died, on the 4th of July, 1834. A r Wli a^.f;.,^_. ■A< ^n n :^: nov >>^u=i — ^^^r- 4 t// oZ/. c>M.M/7yx^ •■'-"■""■ BmOE .%»^>/®))^#-- -r<-|]Il>:llDs>-r- >i(^ SIXTH PRESIDENT. 39 (f^ I OHN QUINCY ADAMS, the sixtli President of the United pStates, was born in the rural lionie of his honored fatlier, John Adams, in Quincy, Mass., on the I ith cf July, 1767. His mother, a woman of exalted worth, watched over his childhood during the almost constant ab- sence of his father. ' When but eight years of age, he stood with his mother on an eminence, listen- ing to the booming of the great bat- tle on Bunjver's Hill, and gazing on upon the smoke and flames billow- ing ui) from the conflagration of Ciiarlestown. When but eleven years old he took a tearful adieu of his mother, to sail with his father for Europe, fleet of hostile British cruisers. The bright, l)oy spent a year and a half in I'aris, where liis 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 countr)% in 1779, ere he was again sent abroad. Again John Quincy accompanied his father. At Paris he applied Jiimself with great diligence, for si.x 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 tiiis time, in 1781, when the manly boy was but fourteen years of age, he was selected by Mr. Dana, our min- ister to the Russian court, as his i)rivate secretary. In this school of incessant labor .ind of enoi)ling culture he spent fourteen months, and then returned to Holland through Sweden, Denmark, Haml)urg 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, .Tt Hague. Them e. I in the spring of 1782, he accompanied liis 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 witli 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. 'l"o a brilliant young man of eighteen, who had seen much of the world, and who was familiar with the eti(|uette of courts, a residence with his father in London, under such cir- cumstances, must have been extremely attractive; but vvitli judgment very rare in one of his age, he pre- ferred to return to America to comi)lete 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 support. Upon leaving Harvard College, at the age of twenty, he studied law for three years. In June, 1794, be- ing then but twenty-seven years of age, he was ap- pointed by Washington, resident minister at the Netlierlands. Sailing from Boston in July, he reached London in October, where he was immediately admit- ted to the deliberations of Messrs. Jay and Pinckney, assisting them in negotiating a commercial treaty with Great Hrilian. After thus sjiending a fortnight in London, he proceeded to the Hague. In July, 1797, he left the Hague logo 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 ))reviously en- gaged, — Miss Louisa Catherine Johnson, daughter of Mr. Joshua Johnson, American consul in London; a lady endownd with that beauty and those accom- jilishment which eminently fitted her to move in the elevated sphere for which she was destined. > r \ ma J ^(^*|. U^^i-^ <-^P!i:A.^^ ^^^ ^ ^ •)^ri- -2^^ r-r<:Qli:>r -#t^( V was poured in one uninterrupted stream, upon this ^ high-minded, upright, patriotic man. There neverwas ':' an administration more pure in principles, more con- scientiously devoted to the best interests of the coun- try, than that of John Quincy Adams; and never, per- haps, was there an administration more unscrupu- lously and outrageously assailed. Mr. Adams was, to a very remarkable degree, ab- stemious 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 Presi- dent. The slavery question now began to assume [xjrlentous magnitude. Mr. Adams returned to Quincy and to his studies, which he pursued with un- abated zeal. But he was not long permitted to re- main in retirement. In November, 1830, he was elected representative to Congress. For seventeen years, until his death, he occupied the post as repre- sentative, 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 him- self 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 tlie 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 Us 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 lie slept, the pra)er which his mother taught him in his infant years. On the 2 1 St of February, 1848, he rose on the floor of Congress, with a paper in his hand, to address the speaker. Suddenly he fell, again stricken by ]>afaly- sis, and was caught in the arms of those around him. For a lime he was senseless, as he was conveyed to the sofa in the rotunda. With reviving conscious- ness, he opened his eyes, looked calmly around and said " This is the end of earth ."then after a moment's pause he added, ^'I am eonteiil." These were the last words of the grand "Old Man Elotjuent." A J -. i •) ^ #' .^sjt^^fjr:- <^Da^iinr>^ .>S|;^^ •vjW <^ V s '^ — -r<:l]ll^(iDr>? SEVENTH PRESIDENT. "^'•^i^fK^^^PF^ V iVDREW JACKSON, the sevcntli President of the United States, was born in Waxhaw settlement,' N. C., March 15, 1767, a few days after his father's death. His parents were poor emigrants from Irehmd, and took up their abode in Waxhaw set- tlement, where they lived in deepest poverty. Andrew, or Andy, as he was universally called, grew up a very rough, rude, turbulent boy. His features were coarse, his form un- gainly; and there was but very little in his character, made visible, which was at- tractive. When only thirteen years old he joined the volun- teers of Carolina against the British invasion. In 1781, he and his brother Robert were captured and imprisoned for a time at Camden. A British officer ordered him to brush his mud-spattered boots. " I am a prisoner of war, not your servant," was the reply of the dauntless boy. The brute drew his sword, and aimed a desperate blow at the head of the helpless young prisoner. Andrew raised his hand, and thus received two fear- ful gashes, — one on the hand and the other upon the head. The officer then turned to his brother Robert with the same demand. He also refused, and re- ceived a blow from the keen-edged sai)re, which (juite diiabled him, and which probably soon after caused his death. They suffered ipuchother ill-treatment, and were finally stricken with the small-pox. Their mother was successful in obtaining their exchange. ^ A (5))«§i)f|* '•!-r/L. ^ <-ni]:^ and took her sick boys home. After a long illness ^ .\ndrew recovered, and the death of his mother soon left him entirely friendless. Andrew supported himself in various ways, such as working at the saddler's trade, teaching school and clerking in a general store, unril 1784, when he entered a law office at Salisbury, N. C. He, however, gave more attention to the wild amusements of the times than to his studies. In 1788, he was apix)inted solicitor for the western district of North Carolina, of which Tennessee was then a part. This involved f^ many long and tedious journeys amid dangers of ^^ every kind, but Andrew Jackson never knew fear, = and the Indians had no desire to repeat a skirmish V* with the Sharp Knife. In 179 1, Mr. Jackson was married to a woman who supposed herself divorced from her former husband. Great was the surprise of both parties, two years later, to find that the conditions of the divorce had just been definitely settled by the first husband. The marriage ceremony was performed a second time, but the occur- rence was often used by his enemies to bring Mr. Jackson into disfavor. During these years he worked hard at his [jiofes- F sion, and frecpiently had one or more duels on hand, one of which, when he killed nickenson,_was espec- ially disgraceful. In January, 1796, the Territory of Tennessee then containing neariy eighty thousand inhabitants, the people met in convention at Knoxville to frame a con- O stitution. Five were sent from each of the eleven \ counties. Andrew Jackson was one of the delegates. ^'■ The new State was entitled to but one member in ^$. the National House of Representatives. Andrew Jack- iL son was chosen that member. Mounting his horse he ®) rode to Philedelphin, where Congress then held its '^ i V ■ ^ • V I ANDRE W JACKSON. (^ sessions, — a distance of about eight hundred miles. Jackson was an earnest advocate of the Demo- cratic pirty. Jefferson was his idol. He admired Bonaparte, loved France and hated England. .VsMr. Jackson took his seat. Gen. Washington, whose second term of office was then expiring, delivered his last speech to Congress. A committee drew up a complimentary address in reply. Andrew Jackson did not api)rove of the address, and was one of the twelve wlio voted against it. He was not willing to say that Gen. Washington's adminstralion had l)een " wise, firm and patriotic." Mr. Jackson was elected to the United States Senate in 1797, but soon resigned and returned home. Soon after he was chosen Judge of the Supreme Court of his State, which position he held fjr six years. When the war of 181 2 with Great Britian com- menced, Madison occupied the Presidential chair. Aaron Burr sent word to the President that there was an unknown man in the West, Andrew Jackson, who would do credit to a commission if one were con- ferred \ipon him. Just at that time Gen. Jackson offered his services and tliose of twenty-five hundred volunteers. His offer was accepted, and the troops were assembled at Nashville. As the British were hourly expected to make an at- tack upon New Orleans, where (len. Wilkinson was in command, he was ordered to descend the river with fifteen hundred trooi)s to aid Wilkinson. The expedition reached Natchez; and after a delay of sev- eral weeks there, without accomplishing anjthing, the men were ordered back to their homes. But the energy (Jen. Jackson had displayed, and his entire devotion to the comrfort of his soldiers, won hinr golden opinions; and he became the most popular man in the State. It was in this expedition that his toughness gave him the nickname of " Old Hickory." Soon after this, while attempting to horsewhip Col. Thomas H. Benton, for a remark that gentleman made about his taking a part as second in a duel, in which a younger brother of Benton's was engaged, he received two severe pistol wounds. While he was lingering iijxjn a bed of suffering news came that the Indians, who had comlnned under Tecumseli from Florida to the Lakes, to exterminate the white set- tlers, were committing the. most awful ravages. De- cisive action became necessary, (ien. Jackson, with his fractured bone just beginning to heal, his arm in a sling, and unable to mount his horse without assis- tance, gave his amazing energies to the raising of an army to rendezvous at Fayettesville, .'Alabama. The Creek Indians had established a strong fort on one of the i)endsoftiie Tallapoosa River, near the cen- ter of Alabama, ai)out fifty miles below Fort Slrotlier. With an army of two thousand men, Gen. Jackson traversed the pathless wilderness in a march of eleven days. He readied their fort, called 'i'oho])eka or Horse-shoe, on the 27th of March. 1814. The bend -= (iV of the river enclosed nearly one hundred acres of tangled forest and wild ravine. Across the narrow neck the Indians had constructed a formidable breast- work of logs and brush. Here nine hundred warriors, with an ample suplyof arms were assembled. The fort was stormed. The fight was utterly des- perate. Not an Indian would acce[)t of quarter. \Vhen bleeding and dying, they would fight tliose who en- deavored to spare their lives. l'"roni ten in the morn- ing until dark, the battle raged. The carnage was awful and revolting. Some threw themselves into the river; but the unerring bullet struck their heads as they swam. Nearly everyone of the nine hundred war- rios were killed A few probably, in the night, swam the river and escaped. This ended the war. The [XDwer of the Creeks was broken forever. This bold plunge into the wilderness, with its terriffic slaughter, so ajipalled the savages, that the haggard remnants of the bands caine to the camp, begging for peace. This closing of the Creek war enabled us to con- centrate all our militia upon the British, who were the allies of the Indians No man of less resolute will than <;en. Jackson could have conducted this Indian campaign to so successful an issue Immediately lie was appointed major-general. Late in August, with an army of two thousand men, on a rushing march, Gen. Jackson came to Mobile. A British fleet came from Pensacola, landed a force upon the lieach, anchored near the little fort, and from botli shi]) and shore commenced a furious assault. The battle was long and doubtful. At length one of the ships was blown up and the rest retired. Garrisoning Mobile, where he had taken liis little army, he moved his troops to New Orleans, And the battle of New Orleans which soon ensued, was in reality a very arduous campaign. This won for Gen. Jackson an imperishable name. Here his troops, which numbered about four thousand men, won a signal victory over the British army of about nine thousand. His loss was but thirteen, while the loss of the British was two thousand six hundred. The name of Gen. Jackson soon began to be men- tioned ill connection with the Presidency, but, in 1824, he was defeated liy Mr. Adams. He was, however, successful in the election of 1828, and was re-elected for a second term in 1832. In 1829, just before he assumed*the reins of the government, he met with the most terrible affliction of his life in the death of his wife, whom he had loved with a devotion which has perhaps never been surpassed. P'rom the shock of her death he never recovered. His administration was one of the most memoralile in the annals of our countr)'; ajijilauded by one party, condemned by the other. No man had more hitter enemies or warmer friends. .'\t the expiration of his two terms of office he retired to the Hermitage, where he died June 8, 1845. The last years of Mr. Jack- son's life were that of a devoted C'hristian man. ^' :A A -<>■' If o ^-9»- U^i-J K .'>A^ "f-ress m liT O 7 T^^f^ e.^t^^ Ut-&*<-^ -cr V<^nil^IiDr>v -3«^^&r EIGHTH PRESIDENT. -#^f®vii 47 6 V s o» £)KiK® ARTIN VAN BUREN, the L-iyhth President of the United States, was born at Kinderhook, N. Y., Dec. 5, 1782. He died at the same place, July 24, 1862. His body rests in the cemetery at Kinderhook. Above it is .1 plain granite shaft fifteen feet high, bearing a simple inscription about halt way up on one face. ™ The lot is unfenced, unbordered or unbounded by shrub or flower. There is but little in the life of Martin Van Buren of romantic interest. He fought no battles, engaged in no wild adventures. Though his life was stormy in |X3litical and intellectual conflicts, and he gained many signal victories, his days passed uneventful in those incidents which give zest to biography. His an- cestors, as his name indicates, were of Dutch origin, and were among the earliest emigrants from Holland to the banks of the Hudson. His father was a farmer, residing in the old town of Kinderhook. His mother, also of Dutch lineage, was a woman of superior intel- ligence and exemplary piety. He was decidedly a precocious boy, developing un- usual activity, vigor and strength of mind. At the age of fourteen, he had finished liis academic studies in his native village, and commenced the study of law. As he had not a collegiate education, seven years of study in a law-office were required of him l)efore he could be admitted to the i)ar. Inspired with a lofty ambition, and conscious of his powers, he [)ur- sued his studies with in'defatigable industry. After spending six years in an office in his native village. A he went to the city of New York, and prosecuted his studies for the seventh year. In 1803, Mr. Van Buren, then twenty-one years of age, commenced the i)ractice of law in his native vil- lage. The great conflict between the Federal and Republican party was then at its height. Mr. Van Buren was from tile ))eginning a politician. He had, perhaps, imbibed that spirit while listening to the many discussions which had been carried on in his = father's hotel. He was in cordial sympatliy with «"^« Jefferson, and earnestly and eloquently espoused the == cause of State Rights; though at that time the Fed- S^ eral party held the supremacy both in his town '' and State. His success and increasing ruputation led him, after six years of practice, to remove to Hudson, the county seat of his county. Here he sjient seven years, constantly gaining strength by contending in the courts with some of the ablest men who have adorned the bar of his State. Just before leaving Kinderhook for Hudson, Mr. Van Buren married a lady alike distinguished for beauty and accomplishments. After twelve short years she sank into the grave, the victim of consump- tion, leaving her husband and four sons to weep over her loss. For twenty-five years, Mr. Van Buren was an earnest, successful, assidtious lawyer. The record of those years is barren in items of public interest, f" In 181 2, when thirty years of age, he was chosen to the State Senate, and gave his strenuous sui>|)ort to Mr. Madison's adminstration. In 18 15, lie was ap- pointed -Xttorney-Oeneral, and the ne.xt year moved to Albany, the cai)ital of the State. While he was acknowledged as one of the most prominent leaders of the Democratic party, he had <^Dii:<^:nii;.> ^ ^^^^ € ;fl^« rrv' <^uy^m> V 48 MARTIN VAN BUREN. 6 A V :) ^ 1 >< the moral courage to avow that true democracy did not require that " Liniversal suffrage" which admits the vile, the degraded, the ignorant, to the right of governing the State. In true consistency with his democratic principles, he contended that, while the path leading to the privilege of voting should be open to every man without distinction, no one sliould be invested with that sacred prerogative, unless he were in some degree qualified for it by intelligence, virtue and some property interests in the welfare of the State. In 182 I he was elected a member of the United States Senate; and in the same year, he took a seat in the convention to revise the constitution of his native State. His course \\\ this convention secured the approval of men of all parties. No one could doubt the singleness of his endeavors to promote the interests of all classes in the community. In the Senate of the United States, he rose at once to a conspicuous position as an active and useful legislator. In 1827, John Quincy Adams being then in the Presidential chair, Mr. Van Buren was re-elected to the Senate. He had been from tlie beginning a de- termined opposer of the Administration, adopting the "State Rights" view in opposition to what was deemed the Federal proclivities of Mr. Adams. Soon after this, in 1828, he was chosen Governorof the State of New York, and accordingly resigned his seat in the Senate. Proljably no one in the United States contributed so much towards ejecting John (). Adams from the Presidential chair, and placing in it Andrew Jackson, as did Martin Van Buren. Whether entitled to the reputation or not, he certainly was re- garded throughout the United States as one of the most skillful, sagacious and cunning of politicians. It was supposed that no one knew so well as he how to touch the secret spiings of action; how to pull all the wires to put his machinery in motion; and how to organize a political army which would, secretly and stealthily accomplish the most gigantic results. By these powers it is said that he outv.'itted Mr. Adams, Mr. Clay, Mr. Webster, and secured results which few tliought then could be accomplished. When .'Vndrew Jackson was elected President he apjKiinted Mr. Van Buren Secretary of State. This ]X)sition lie resigned in 1831, and was immediately aiipointed Minister to England, where he went the same autumn. Tlie Senate, however, wlien it met, refused to ratify the nomination, and he returned home, apparently untroubled ; was nominated Vice President in the place of Calhoun, at the re-election of President Jackson; and with smiles for all and frowns for none, he took his place at the head of that Senate which had refused to confirm his nomination as ambassador. His rejection by the Senate roused all the zeal of President Jackson in behalf of his repudiated favor- ite ; and this, probably more tlian any other cause, secured his elevation to the chair of the Chief Execu- tive. On the 20th of May, 1836, Mr. Van Buren re- ceived the Democratic nomination to succeed Gen. Jackson as President of the United States. He was elected by a handsome majority, to the delight of the retiring President. " Leaving New York out of the canvass," says Mr. Parton, "the election of Mr. Van Buren to the Presidency was as much the act of Gen. Jackson as though the Constitution had conferred upon liim the power to appoint a successor." His administration was filled with exciting events. The insurrection in Canada, which threatened to in • volve this country in war with England, the agitation of the slavery question, and finally the great commer- cial panic which spread over the country, all were trials to his wisdom. The financial distress was at- tributed to the management of tlic Democratic party, and brought the President into such disfavor tliat lie failed of re-election. With the exception of being nominated for tlie Presidency by the "Free Soil" Democrats, in 1.S48, Mr. Van Buren lived qnietlv u|)on his estate until his death. He had ever been a prudent man, of frugal habits, and living within his income, had now fortunately a competence for his declining years. His unblemished character, his commanding abilities, his umiuestioned patriotism, and the distinguished positions which he had occupied in the government of our country, se- cured to him not only the homage of his party, but the respect ot the whole community. It was on the 4th of March, 1841, that Mr. Van Buren retired from the presidency. From his fine estate at Lindenwald^ he still exerted a powerful influence upon the politics of the country. From this time until his death, on the 24tli of July, 1862, at the age of eighty years, he resided at Lindenwald, a gentleman of leisure, of culture and of wealth; enjoying in a healthy old age, probably far more liap|iiness than he had before experienced amid the stormy scenes of his active life. f A >: 0'' r %.,, ^ y^//f^Cl^t^'t^^<^>^ ^ ) ^7s y^ ^«sj^^ -^a«^^- > NINTH PRESIDENT. -3*^S^ -«^?f^JC WMiiiyLM SENRT m4ER^(i>j;. S-8-^ g ^>>' I ILLIAM HENRY HARRI- SON, the ninth President of the United States, was born at Berkeley, Va., Feb. 9, 1773. His father, Benjamin Harri- son, was in comparatively op- ulent circumstances, and was one of the most distinguished men of his day. He was an intimate friend of George Washington, \\ as early elected a member of the Continental Congress, and was conspicuous among the patriots of Virginia in resisting the encroachments of the British crown. In the celebrated Congress of 1775, Benjamin Har- rison and John Hancock were both candidates for the office of speaker. Mr Harrison was subsequently chosen Governor of Virginia, and was twice re-elected. His son, i William Henry, of course enjoyed in childhood all the advantages which wealth and intellectual and cultivated society could give. Hav- ing received a thorough common-school education, he entered Hampden Sidney College, where he graduated with honor soon after the death of his father. He then repaired to Philadelphia to study medicine under the instructions of Dr. Rush and the guardianshij) of I Robert Morris, both of whom were, with his father, v> signers of the Declaration of Independence. %' Upon the outbreak of the Indian troubles, and not- !« withstanding the remonstrances of his friends, he . abandoned his medical studies and entered the army, having obtained a commission of Ensign from Presi- ^ dent Wasiiington. He was then but ig years old. From that time he passed gradually upward in rank until he became aid to General Wayne, after whose death he resigned his commission. He was then ap- pointed Secretary of the North-western Territory. This Territory was then entitled to but one member in Congress and Capt. Harrison was chosen to fill that position. In the spring of 1800 the North-western Territory was divided by Congress into two portions. The eastern portion, comprising the region now embraced in the State of Ohio, was called " Tiie Territory north-west of the Ohio." Tlic western portion, which includeil what is now called Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin, was called the "Indiana Territory." Wil- liam Henry Harrison, then 27 years of age, was ap- pointed by John Adams, Governor of the Indiana Territory, and immediately after, also Governor of Upper Louisiana. He was thus ruler over almost as extensive a realm as any sovereign upon the.globe. He was Superintendent of Indian Affairs, and was in- vested with powers nearly dictatorial over the now rapidly increasing white population. The ability and fidelity with which he discliarged these responsible duties may be inferred from the fact that he was four times appointed to this office — first by John Adams, twice by Thtjmas Jefferson and afterwards by Presi- dent Madison. When he began his adminstration there were but three white settlements in that almost boundless region, now crowded with cities and resounding with all the tumult of wealth and traffic. One of these settlements was on the Ohio, nearly opixjsite Louisville; one at Vincennes, on the Wabash, and the third a French settlement. The vast wilderness over which Gov. Harrison reigned was filled with many tribes of Indians. About y^ K \^ V A % ^^It^ t7 w;uu.®.HH:y'^ WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON. mi^ ^?@ f A *^ V t the year 1806, two extraordinary men, twin brothers, of the Shawnese tribe, rose among them. One of these was called Tecumseh, or " The Crouching Panther;" the other, Olliwacheca, or " 'I'he Prophet." Tecumseh was not only an Indian warrior, but a man of great sagacity, far-reaching foresight and indomit- able perseverance in any enterprise in which he might engage. He was inspired with the highest enthusiasm, and had long regarded with dread and with hatred the encroachment of the whites upon the hunting- grounds of his fathers. His brother, the Prophet, was anorator, who could sway the feelings of the untutored Indian as the gale tossed the tree-tops beneath which they dwelt. But the Prophet was not merely an orator: he was, in the superstitious minds of the Indians, invested with the superhuman dignity of a medicine-man or a magician. With an enthusiasm unsurpassed by Peter the Hermit rousing Europe to the crusades, he went from tribe to tribe, assuming that he was specially sent by the Great Spirit. Gov. Harrison made many attempts to conciliate the Indians, but at last the war came, and at Tippe- canoe the Indians were routed with great slaughter. October 28, 1812, his army began its march. When near the Prophet's town three Indians of rank made their appearance and inquired why Gov. Harrison was approaching tliem in so hostile an attitude. After a short conference, arrangements were made for a meet- ing the next day, to agree upon terms of peace. But Gov. Harrison was too well acquainted with the Indian character to be deceived by such protes- tations. Selecting a favorable spot for his night's en- campment, he took gvery precaution against surprise. His troops were posted in a hollow square, and slept upon their arms. The troops threw themselves upon the ground for rest; but every man had his accourtrements on, his loaded musket by his side, and his bayonet fixed. The wakeful Governor, between three and four o'clock in the morning, had risen, and was sitting in conversa- tion with his aids by the embers of a waning fire. It was a chill, cloudy morning with a drizzling rain. In the darkness, the Indians had crept as near as possi- ble, and just then, with a savage yell, rushed, with all the desperation which superstition and passion most highly inflamed could give, upon the left flank of the little army. The savages had been amply provided with guns and ammunition by the English. Their war-whoop was accompained by a shower of bullets. The camp-fires were instantly extinguished, as the light aided the Indians in their aim. With hide- ous yells, the Indian bands rushed on, not doubting a speedy and an entire victory. But Gen. Harrison's troops stood as immovable as the rocks around them until day dawned : they then made a simultaneous charge with the bayonet, and swept every thing be- fore them, and completely routing the foe. Gov. Harrison now had all his energies tasked to the utmost. The British descending I'rom theCan- adas, were of themselves a very formidable force ; but with their savage allies, rushing like wolves I'rom the forest, searching out every remote farm-house, burn- ing, plundering, scalping, torturing, the wide frontier was plunged into a state of consternation which even the most vivid imagination can but faintly conceive. The war-whoop was resounding everywhere in the forest. The horizon was illuminated with the conflagra- tion of the cabins of the settlers. Gen Hull had made the ignominious surrender of his forces at Detroit. Under these despairing circumstances. Gov. Harrison was appointed by President Madison commander-in- chief of the North-western army, with orders to retake Detroit, and to protect the frontiers. It would be diflicult to place a man in a situation demanding more energy, sagacity and courage; but General Harrison was found equal to the position, and nobly and triumphantly did he meet all tiie re- sponsibilities. He won the love of his soldiers by always sharing with them their fatigue. His whole baggage, while pursuing the foe up the Thames, was carried in a valise; and his bedding consisted of a single blanket lashed over his saddle. Thirty-five British officers, his prisoners of war, sapped with him after the battle. The only fare he could give them was beef roasted before the fire, without bread or salt. In i8i6. Gen. Harrison was cliosen a member of the National House of Representatives, to represent the District of Ohio. In Congress he proved an active member; and whenever he spoke, it was with force of reason and power of eloquence, which arrested the attention of all the members. In 1819, Harrison was elected to the Senate of Ohio; and in 1824, as one of the jiresidential electors of that State, he gave his vote for Henry Clay. The same year he was chosen to the United States Senate. In 1836, the friends of Gen. Harrison brought him forward as a candidate for the Presidency against Van Buren, but he was defeated. At the close of Mr. Van Buren's term, he was re-nominated by his party, and Mr. Harrison was unanimously nominated by the Whigs, with John Tyler for the Vice Presidency. The contest was very animated. Gen. Jackson gave all his influence to prevent Harrison's election ; but his triumph was signal. The cabinet which he formed, with Daniel Webster at its head as Secretary of State, was one of the most brilliant with which any President had ever been surrounded. Never were the prospects of an admin- istration more flattering, or the hopes of the country more sanguine. In the midst of these bright and joyous prospects. Gen. Harrison was seized by a pleurisy-fever and after a few days of violent sick- ness, died on the 4th of April ; just one month after his inauguration as President of the United Stales. (- ®> )^^ t| -^^€^^ ^ <^D!l>:^nDr>V o nim. ) 4 I OHN TYLER, the- tenth 'residentof the United States. He was born in Charles-city Co., Va., March 29, 1790. He was the favored child of af- fluence and high social po- sition. At the early age of twelve, John entered William and Mary College and grad- uated with much honor when but seventeen years old. .'\fter graduating, he devoted him- self with great assiduity to the study of law, partly with his father and partly with Edmund Randolph, one of the most distin- guished lawyers of Virginia. At nineteen years of age, ne commenced the practice of law. His success was rapid and aston- ishing. It is said that three months had not elapsed ere there was scarcely a case on the dock- i et of the court in which he was not retained. When hut twenty-one years of age, he was almost vmanimousiy elected to a seat in the State Legislature. He connected himself with the Demo- cratic party, and warmly advocated the measures of Jefferson and Madison. For five successive years he was elected to the Legislature, receiving nearly the unanimous vote or his county. When but twenty-six years of age, he was elected a member of Congress. Here he acted earnestly and ably with the Democratic party, opposing a national bank, internal improvements by tlie General Govern- ment, a protective tariff, and advocating a strict con- struction of the Constitution, and the most careful vigilance over Stale rights. His labors in Congress were so arduous that before the close of his second term he found it necessary to resign and retire to his estate in Charles-city Co., to recruit his health. He, however, soon after consented to take his seat in the State Legislature, where his influence was powerful in promoting public works of great utility. With a reputation thus canstantly increasing, he was chosen by a very large majority of votes. Governor of his native State. His administration was signally a suc- cessful one. His popularity secured his re-election. John Randolph, a brilliant, erratic, half-crazed man, then represented Virginia in the Senate of the United States. A jiortion of tiie Democratic party was displeased with Mr. Randolph's wayward course, and brought forward John Tyler as his opponent, considering him the only man in Virginia of sufificient popularity to succeed against the renowned orator of Roanoke. Mr. Tyler was the victor. In accordance with his professions, upon taking his seat in the Senate, he joined the ranks of the opposi- tion. He opixjsed the tariff; he spoke against and voted against the bank as unconstitutional; he stren- uously opposed all restrictions upon slavery, resist- ing all projects of internal improvements by the Gen- eral Government, and avowed his sympathy with Mr. Calhoun's view of nullification ; he declared tliat Gen. Jackson, by his oi)position to tiie nullifiers, had abandoned the principles of tlie Democratic party. Such was Mr. Tyler's record in Congress, — a record in perfect accordance with the principles which he had always avowed. Returning to Virgima, lie resumetl the practice of liis profession. There was a split in tlie Democratic »•■■'■ ft >a„g^r- ^ Kim^my- -^■':-,^" •.e^^^ J ^ .< 56 yOZTiV TYLER. party. His friends still regarded him as a true Jef- fersonian, gave him a dinner, and showered compli- ments upon him. He had now attained the age of forty-si.x. His career had been very brilliant. In con- sequence of his devotion to public business, his pri- vate affairs had fallen into some disorder; and it was not without satisfaction that he resumed the practice of law, and devoted himself to tlie culture of his plan- tation. Soon after this he removed to Williamsburg, for the better education of his children ; and he again took his seat in the Legislature of Virginia. By the Southern Whigs, he was sent to the national convention at Harrisburg to nominate a President in 1839. The majority of votes were given to Gen. Har- rison, a genuine Whig, much to the disappointment of the South, who wished for Henry Clay. To concili- ate the Southern Whigs and to secure their vote, the convention then nominated John Tyler for Vice Pres- ident. It was well known that he was not in sympa- thy with the Whig party in the North: but the Vice President has but very little power in the Govern- ment, his main and almost only duty being to pre- side over the meetings of the Senate. Thus it hap- pened that a Whig President, and, in reality, a Democratic Vice President were chosen. In 1841, Mr. Tyler was inaugurated Vice Presi- dent of the United States. In one short month from that time. President Harrison died, and Mr. Tyler thus found himself, to his own surprise and that of the whole Nation, an occupant of the Presidential chair. This was a new test of the stability of our institutions, as it was the first time in the history of our country that such an event had occured. Mr. Tyler was at home in Williamsburg when he received the unexpected tidings of the death of President Harri- son. He hastened to Washington, and on the 6th of April was inaugurated to the high and responsible office. He was placed in a jxisition of e.\ceeding delicacy and diffic:ulty. All his longlife he had been opposed to the main jirinciples of the party which had brought him into power. He had ever been a con- sistent, honest man, with an unblemished record, (ien. Harrison had selected a Whig cabinet. Should he retain them, and thus surround himself with coun- sellors whose views were antagonistic to his own? or, on the other hand, should he turn against the party which had elected him and select a cabinet in har- mony with himself, and which would oppose all those views which the Whigs deemed essential to the pub- lic welfare? This was his fearful dilemma. He in- vited the cabinet which President Harrison had selected to retain their seats. He reccommended a day of fasting and prayer, that God would guide and bless us. The Whigs carried through Congress a bill for the incorixiration of a fiscal bank of the United States. The President, after ten days' delay, returned it with his veto. He suggested, however, that he would approve of a bill drawn up upon such a plan as he proposed. Such a bill was accordingly prepared, and privately submitted to him. He gave it his approval. It was passed without alteration, and he sent it back with his veto. Here conmienced the open rupture. It is said that Mr. Tyler was provoked to this meas- ure by a published letter from the Hon. John M. Botts, a distinguished Virginia Whig, who severely touched the pride of the President. The opposition now exultingly received the Presi- dent into their arms. The party which elected him denounced him bittedy. All the members of his cabinet, e.xcepting Mr. Webster, resigned. The Whigs of Congress, both the Senate and the House, held a meeting and issued an address to the people of the United States, proclaiming that all political alliance between the Whigs and President Tyler were at an end. Still the President attempted to conciliate. He appointed a new cabmet of distinguished Whigs and Conservatives, carefully leaving out all strong party men. Mr. Webster soon found it necessary to resign, forced out by the pressure of his Whig friends. Thus the four years of Mr. Tyler's unfortunate administra- tion passed sadly away. No one was satisfied. The land was filled with murmurs and vituperation. Whigs and Democrats alike assailed him. More and more, however, he brought himself into sympathy with his old friends, the Democrats, until at the close of his term, he gave his whole influence to the support of Mr. Polk, the Democratie candidate for his successor. On the 4th of March, 1845, he retired from the harassments of office, to the regret of neither party, and probably to his own unspeakable relief. His first wife, Miss Letitia Christian, died in Washington, in 1842; and in June, 1844, President Tyler was again married, at New York, to Miss Julia Gardiner, a young lady of many personal and intellectual accomplishments. The remainder of his days Mr. Tyler passed mainly in retirement at his beautiful home, — Sherwood For- est, Charles-city Co., Va. A polished gentleman in his manners, richly furnished with information from books and experience in the world, and jxjssessing brilliant powers of conversation, his family circle was the scene of unusual attractions. \Vith sufficient means for the exercise of a generous hospitality, he might have enjoyed a serene old age with the few friends who gathered around him, were it not for the storms of civil war which his own principles and policy had helped to introduce. When the great Rebellion rose, which the State- rights and nullifying doctrines of Mr. John C. Cal- houn had inaugurated, President Tyler renounced his allegiance to the United States, and joined the Confed- erates. He was chosen a member of their Congress; and while engaged in active measures to deslroy, by force of arms, the Government over which he had once presided, he was taken sick and soon died. I \A' A ^ -^^D!i^nn>^ -^^ 'JjJ!^ ^Iw^. :2!^;sr rrrr r-^ ^^ ELEVENTH PRESIDENT. I AMES K.POLK, the eleventh ^a,President of the United States, was born in Mecklenburg Co., N. C.,Nov. 2, 1795. His par- - ., ,,, ents were Samuel and Tane ■ (Kno.\) Polk, the former a son of Col. Thomas Polk, who located at the above place, as one of the first pioneers, in 1735. In the year 1S06, with his wife> and children, and soon after fol- lowed by most of the members of the Polk farnly, Samuel Polk emi- grated some two or three hundred miles farther west, to the rich valley of the Duck River. Here in the midst of the wilderness, in a region which was subsequently called Mau- ry Co., they reared their log huts, and established their homes. In the hard toil of a new farm in the wil- derness, James K. Polk spent the early years of his childhood and youth. His father, adding the pur- suit of a surveyor to that of a farmer, gradually increased in wealth until he became one of the leading men of the region. His mother was a superior woman, of strong common '*^ sense and earnest piety. Very early in life, James developed a taste for treading and expressed the strongest desire to obtain a liberal education. His mother's training had made C'/ him methodical in his habits, had taught him punct- ^ uality and industry, and had inspired him with lofty (® principles of morality. His health was frail ; and his ^^ father, fearing that he might not be able to endure a sedentary life, got a situation for him behind the counter, hoping to fit him for conmiercial pursuits. This was to James a bitter disappointment. He had no taste for these duties, and his daily tasks were irksome in the e-xtreme. He remained in this uncongenial occujiation but a few weeks, when at his earnest solicitation his father removed him, and made arrangements for him to prosecute his studies. Soon after he sent him to Murfreesboro Academy. ^Vith ardor which could scarcely be surpassed, he pressed forward in his studies, and in less than two and a half years, in the autumn of 1815, entered the sophomore class in the University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill. Here he was one of the most exemplary of scholars, punctual in every exercise, never allowing himself to be absent from a recitation or a religious service. He graduated in 1818, witli the highest honors, be- ing deemed the best scholar of his class, both in mathematics and the classics. He was then twenty- three years of age. Mr. Polk's health was at tliis time mtich impaired by tlie assiduity with whicii he had prosecuted his studies. After a short season of relaxation he went to Nashville, and entered tlie office of Felix Grundy, to study law. Here Mr. Polk renewed his acquaintance with .Andrew Jackson, who resided on his plantation, the Hermitage, but a few miles from Nashville. They had probably been slightly acquainted before. Mr. Polk's father was a Jeffersonian Republican, and James K. Polk ever adhered to the same j)oliti- cal faith. He was a popular jniblic speaker, and was constantly called \ipon to address the meetings of his party friends. His skill as a speaker was such that he was popularly called the Napoleon of the stump. He was a iVian of unblemished morals, genial and ^^ 1 Vs. !o' ( --^^Il!]^IlDf> ^ r r * ws^ 'm-r^^^^ Tai€^te: ^V4iIlI]>:nils>T- -#^((i^' 60 A O :J \* ^ I JAMES K. POLK. ^ ^t courteous in his bearing, and witli that sympathetic 'x. nature in the jo) s and griefs of others which ever gave ;V^ him troops of friends. In 1823, Mr. Polk was elected I to the Legislature of Tennessee. Here he gave his strong influence towards the election of his friend, Mr. Jackson, to the Presidency of the United States. In January, 1824, Mr. Polk married Miss Sarah' Childress, of Rutherford Co., Tenn. His bride was altogether worthy of him, — a lady of beauty and cul- ture. In the fall of 1825, Mr. Polk was chosen a member of Congress. The satisfaction which he gave to his constituents may be inferred from the fact, that for fourteen successive years, until 1839, he was con- tinued in that office. He then vohmtarily withdrew, only that he might accept the Gubernatorial chair of Tennessee. In Congress he was a laborious member, a frequent and a popular speaker. He was always in his seat, always courteous ; and whenever lie spoke it was always to the point, and witliout any ambitious rhetorical display. During five sessions of Congress, Mr. Polk was Speaker of the House Strong passions were roused, T— T and stormy scenes were witnessed ; but Mr. Polk per- ^ formed his arduous duties to a very general satisfac- S tion, and a unanimous vote of thanks to him was passed by the House as he withdrew on the 4th of March, 1839. In accordance with Southern usage, Mr. Polk, as a candidate for (lovernor, canvassed the .State. He was elected by a large majority, and on the 14th of Octo- ber, 1839, took the oath of office at Nashville. In 1841, his term of office expired, and he was again the can- didate of the Democratic party, but was defeated. On the 4th of March, 1845, Mr. Polk was inaugur- ated President of the United States. The verdict pf the countryin favor of the annexation of Texas, exerted its influence upon Congress ; and the last act of the administration of President Tyler was to affi.x his sig- nature to a joint resolution of Congress, passed on the 3d of March, approving of the annexation of Texas to the American Union. As Mexico still claimed Texas as one of her provinces, the Mexican minister, Almonte, immediately demanded his passports and left the country, declaring the act of the annexation to lie an act hostile to Mexico. In his first message, President Polk urged that Texas should immediately, by act of Congress, be re- _ ceived into the Ihiion on the same footing with the ^ other States. In the meantime, (ien. Tayloi- was sent % ^^^*^e 2^.'. T■ rr TIVELFTH PRESIDENT. ^' ACHARY TAYLOR, iwcUth ^ President of the United States, i,v*\vas born on the 24th of Nov., 784, in Orange Co., Va. His ^^ father, Colonel Taylor, was a Virginian of note, and a dis- tinguished patriot and soldier of the Revolution. When Zachary was an infant, his father with his wife and two children, emigrated to Kentucky, where he settled in the pathless wilderness, a few miles from Louisville. In this front- ier home, away from civilization and all its refinements, young Zachary could enjoy but few social and educational advan- tages. When six years of age he attended a common school, and was then regarded as a bright, active boy, rather remarkable for bluntness and decision of char- acter He was strong, fearless and self-reliant, and manifested a strong desire to enter tiie army to fight the Lidians who were ravaging the frontiers. There is little to be recorded of the uneventful years of his childhood on his father's large but lonely plantation. In 1808, his father succeeded in obtaining for him the commission of lieutenant in the United States army ; and he joined the troops which were stationed at New Orleans under Gen. Wilkinson. Soon after this he married Miss Margaret Smith, a young lady from one of the first families of Maryland. Immediately after the declaration of war with Eng- land, in 1 8 12, Capt. Taylor (for he had then been promoted to that rank) was put in command of Fort Harrison, on the Wabash, about fifty miles above Vincennes. This fort had been built in the wilder- ness by Gen. Harrison, on his march to Tippecanoe. It was one of the first points of attack by the Indians, led by Tecumseh. Its garrison consisted of a broken Jf company of infantry numbering fifty men, many of whom were sick. Early in the autumn of 1S12, the Indians, stealthily, and in large numbers, moved uixDn the fort. Their approach was first indicated by the murder of two soldiers just outside of the stockade. Capt. Taylor made every possible [jrciiaralion to meet the antici- pated assault. On the 4th of September, a band of forty painted and plumed savages came to the fort, waving a white flag, and informed Capt. Taylor that in the morning their chief would come to have a talk with him. It was evident that their object was merely to ascertain the state of things at the fort, and Capt. Taylor, well versed in the wiles of the savages, kept them at a distance. The sun went down; the savages disappeared, the garrison slept upon their arms. One hour before midnight the war-whoop burst from a thousand lips in the forest around, followed by the discharge of musketry, and the rush of the foe. Every man, sick and well, sprang to his post. Every man knew that defeat was not merely death, but in the case of cap- ture, death by the most agonizing and prolonged tor- ture. No pen can describe, no immagination can conceive the scenes which ensued. The savages suc- ceeded in setting fire to one of the block-houses- Until six o'clock in the morning, this awful conflict continued. The savages then, baffled at every point, and gnashing their teeth with rage, retired. Capt. Taylor, for this gallant defence, was promoted to the rank of major by brevet. Until the close of the war, MajorTaylor was i)laced in such situations that he saw but little more of active service. He was sent far away into the depths of the wilderness, to Fort Crawford, on Fox River, w^hich empties into Green Bay. Here there was but little to be done but to wear away the tedious hours as one best could. There were no books, no society, no in- S A V ( ■^7K^iDll'^IDD^>V^ T I % A V s A ^ ^ '^ i. 64 I f ■-=r-7<:IlD:rrr- ZACHARY TAYLOR. "7^^ -*#^5(^i)V(^ ^ m. tellectual stimulus. Thus with him the uneventful years rolled on Gradually he rose to the rank of colonel. In the Black-Hawk war, which resulted in the capture of that renowned chieftain, Col Taylor took a subordinate but a brave and efficient part. For twenty-four years Col. Taylor was engaged in the defence of the frontiers, in scenes so remote, and in employments so obscure, that his name was unknown beyond the limits of his own immediate acquaintance. In the year 1836, he was sent to Florida to comiael the Seminole Indians to vacate that region and re- tire beyond the .Mississippi, as their chiefs by treaty, had [jrouiised they should do. Tlie services rendered here secured for Col. Taylor the high appreciation of the Government ; and as a reward, he was elevated to the rank of brigadier-general by brevet ; and soon after, in May, 1838, was appointed to the chief com- mand of the United States troops in Florida. After two years of such wearisome employment amidst the everglades of the peninsula. Gen. Taylor obtained, at his own request, a change of command, and was stationed over the Department of the South- west, This field embraced Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. Establishing his headquarters at Fort Jessup, in Louisiana, he removed his family to a plantation which he purchased, near Baton Rogue. Here he remained for five years, buried, as it were, from tlie world, but faithfully discharging every duty imposed upon him. In 1846, Gen. Taylor was sent to guard the land between the Nueces and Rio Grande, the latter river being tlie boundary of Texas, which was then claimed by the United States. Soon the war with Mexico was i)rought on, and at Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma, Gen. Taylor won lirilliant victories over the Mexicans. The rank of major-general by Ijrevet was then conferred upon (ien. Taylor, and his name was received with enthusiasm almost everywhere in the Nation. Then came the battles of Monterey and Buena Vista in which he won signal victories over forces much larger than he commanded. His careless habits of dress and his unaffected simplicity, secured for Gen. Taylor among his troops, \k\t sobriquet of "Old Rough and Ready.' The tidings of the brilliant victory of Buena Vista spread the wildest enthusiasm over the country. The name of Gen. Taylor was on every one's li|is. The Whig party decided to take advantage of tiiis wonder- ful popularity in bringing forward the impolished, un- lettered, honest soldier as their candidate for the Presidency. Gen. Taylor was astonished at the an- nouncement, and for a time would not listen to it; de- claring that he was not at all qualified for such an office. So little interest had he taken in politics that, for forty years, he iiad not cast a vote. It was not without chagrin that several distinguished statesmen who had l)een long years in tlie public service found their claims set aside in behalf of one whose name had never been heard of, save in connection with Palo Alto, Resaca de la Palma, Monterey and Buena Vista. It is said that Daniel Webster, in his haste re- marked, " It is a nomination not fit to be made." Gen. Taylor was not an eloquent speaker nor a fine wnter His friends took possession of him, and pre- pared such few communications as it was needful should be presented to the public. The popularity of the successful warrior swept the land. He was tri- umphantly elected over two opposing candidates, — Gen. Cass and E.\-President Martin Van Buren. Though he selected an excellent cabinet, the good old man found himself in a very uncongenial position, and was, at times, sorely per[)le.\ed and harassed. His mental sufferings were very severe, and probably tended to hasten his death. The pro-slavery party was pushing its claims with tireless energy , expedi- tions were fitting out to capture Cuba ; California was pleading for admission to the Union, while slavery stood at the door to bar her out. Gen. Taylor found the political conflicts in Washington to be far more trying to the nerves than battles with Mexicans or Indians. In the midst of all these troubles, Gen. Taylor, after he had occupied the Presidential chair but little over a year, took cold, and after a brief sickness of but little over five days, died on the 9th of July, 1850. His last words were, " I am not afraid to die. I am ready. I have endeavored to do my duty." He died universally respected and beloved. An honest, un- pretending man, he had been steadily growing in the affections of the people ; and the Nation bitterly la- mented his death. Gen. Scott, who was thoroughly acquainted with Gen. Taylor, gave the following graphic and truthful description of his character: — " With a good store of common sense, Gen. Taylor's mind had not been en- larged and refreshed by reading, or much converse with the world. Rigidity of ideas was the conse- quence. The frontiers and small military ]josts had been his home. Hence he was quite ignorant for his rank, and quite bigoted in his ignorance. His sim- plicity was child-like, and with innumerable preju- dices, amusing and incorrigible, well suited to the tender age. Thus, if a man, however respectable, chanced to wear a coat of an unusual color, or his hat a little on one side of his head ; or an officer to leave a corner of his handkerchief dangling from an out- side pocket, — in any such case, this critic held the offender to be a coxcomb (perhaps something worse), whom he would not, to use his oft repeated phrase, ' touch with a pair of tongs.' ".•\ny allusion to literature beyond good old Dil- worth's spelling-book, on the part of one wearing a sword, was evidence, with the same judge, of utter unfitness for heavy marchings and combats. In short, few men have ever had a more comfortable, labor- saving contempt for learning of every kind." i I KS m^ ^■'^■y^ A/«; <.;|)I]5i>.:(](|.>A.c ^^''^^ THIRTEENTH PRESIDENT. Hi 67 -^ ^^-Hr If. ■>.%■ » ». ■v^•'^ *. -^^' ^^ w. ^M ^^ .if. v> ' n^,a. v/^ -».--" o.». vN">-.tt^ *^'^ilfc*^"-*ilti "-"^ lift '^"'* ■gt'^"'-' Jh*^*^ A^'^^rih ^^'^ijfc MILLftRn FILLMnRE.' '4^;;;$H|^;ig.,|^;:;$,S^;!g^$;!;$«|,^;K5-*$;:;$«^;:;$*$;::$«**^^^ -^^ 4^ '-■J *^ j^ i ILLARn FILLMORE, thir- teenth President of the United States, was born at Summer Hill, Cayuga Co., N. Y ., on the 7th of January, 1800. His father was a farmer, and ow- ing to misfortune, in humble cir- cumstances. Of his mother, the daughter of Dr. Abiathar Millard, % of Pittsfield, Mass., it has been said that she possessed an intellect of very high order, united with much personal loveliness, sweetness of dis- position, graceful manners and ex- quisite sensibilities. She died in 1831 ; having lived to see her son a yoimg man of distinguished prom- ise, though she was not permitted to witness the high dignity which he finally attained. In conse(juence of the secluded home and limited means of his father, Millard enjoyed but slender ad- vantages for education in his early years. The com- mon schools, which he occasionally attended were very imperfect institutions; and books were scarce and expensive. There was nothing then in his char- acter to indicate the brilliant career upon which he was about to enter. He was a plain farmer's boy ; intelligent, good-looking, kind-hearted. The sacred influences of home had taught him to revere the Bible, and had laid the foundations of an upright character. When fourteen years of age, his father sent him some hundred miles from home, to the then wilds of Livingston County, to learn the trade of a clothier. Neai- the mill there was a small villiage, where some enterprising man had commenced the collection of a village library. This proved an inestimable blessing to young Fillmore. His evenings were spent in read- ing. Soon every leisure moment was occupied with books. His thirst for knowledge became insatiate; and the selections which he made were continually more elevating and instructive. He read history, biography, oratory, and thus gradually there was en- kindled in his heart a desire to be something more than a mere worker witli his hands; and he was be- coming, almost unknown to himself, a well-informed, educated man. The young clothier had now attained the age of nineteen years, and was of fine personal appearance and of gentlemanly demeanor. It so hapjjcned that there was a gentleman in the neighborhood of ample pecuniary means and of benevolence, — Judge Walter Wood, — who was struck with the prepossessing ap- pearance of young Fillmore. He made his acquaint- ance, and was so much impressed with his ability and attainments that he advised him to nbandon his trade and devote himself to the study of the law. The young man replied, that he had no means of his own, r.o friends to help him and that his previous educa- tion had been very.imperfect. But Judge Wood had so much confidence in him tliat he kindly oflTercd to take him into his own office, and to loan him such money as he needed. Most gratefully the generous offer was accepted. There is in many minds a strange delusion about a collegiate education. .'\ young man is supposed to be liberally educated if he has graduated at some col- lege. But many a boy loiters through university halls and then enters a law office, who is by no means as . ^ . 3=3 V DD^t^ f - «»^:DD^:> "TB- k (^///^y^U^ '^v<^iiii>;nD->v 4^^f ?^ A 1 FOURTEENTH PRESIDENT 3=5<-- t^afl^ktv^is ■' '"'^ - ^FRMKLIN PIEHCE.'^ -^., .,,, ;^. «^^-^4^;^+^^fc£**»M**5!5l RANKLIN PIERCE, the fourteenth President of the l^'" United States, was born in Hillsborough, N. H., Nov. 23, 1804. His father was a Revolutionary soldier, who, with his own strong arm, hewed out a home in the wilderness. He was a man of inflexible integrity; of strong, though uncultivated mind, and an uncompromis- ing Democrat. The mother of Franklin Pierce was all that a son could desire, — an intelligent, pru- dent, affectionate, Christian wom- an. Franklin was the sixth of eight children. Franklin was a very bright and handsome boy, gen- erous, warm-hearted and brave. He won alike the love of old and young. The boys on the play ground loved him. His teachers loved him. The neighbors looked upon him with pride and affection. He was by instinct a gentleman; always speaking kind words, doing kind deeds, with a peculiar unstudied tact which taught him what was agreeable. Witliout de- veloping any precocity of genius, or any unnatural (o\ devotion to books, he was a good scholar; in body, I in mind, in affections, a finely-developed boy. •^ When sixteen years of age, in the year 1820, he entered Bowdoin College, at Brunswick, Me. He was one of the most jwpular young men in the college. The purity of his moral character, the unvarying courtesy of his demeanor, his rank as a scholar, and genial nature, rendered him a universal favorite. There was something very peculiarly winning in his address, and it was evidently not in the slightest de- gree studied : it was the simple outgushing of his own magnanimous and loving nature. Upon graduating, in the year 1824, Franklin Pierce commenced the-study of law in the office of Judge Woodbury, one of the most distinguished lawyers of the State, and a man of great private worth. The eminent social qualities of the young lawyer, his father's prominence as a public man, and tlie brilliant [wlitical career into which Judge Woodbury was en- tering, all tended to entice Mr. Pierce into the faci- nating yet perilous path of political life. With all the ardor of his nature he espoused the cause of Gen. Jackson for the Presidency. He commenced the practice of law in Hillsborough, and was soon elected to represent the town in the State Legislature. Here he served for four yeais. The last two years he was chosen speaker of the house by a very large vote. In 1833, at the age of twenty-nine, he was elected a member of Congress. Without taking an active part in debates, he was faithful and laborious in duty, and ever rising in the estimation of those with whom he was associatad. In 1837, being then Iiut thirty-three years of age, he was elected to the Senate of the United States; taking his seat just as Mr. Van Buren commenced his administration. He was the youngest member in the Senate. In the year 1834, he married Miss Jane Means Appleton, a lady of rare beauty and accom- plishments, and one admirably fitted to adorn every station with wliich her husband was honoied. Of tlie <^ A c^: >:DDi> t I miii ^K/^l))(^<|* FRANKLIN PIERCE. -T^Sr^S, «|4^jf ^ >: 1 A ^ % %^ three sons who were bom to them, all now sleep with their parents in the grave. In the year 1838, Mr. Pierce, with growing fame and increasing business as a lawyer, took up his residence in Concord, the capital of New Hampshire. President Polk, upon his accession to office, appointed Mr. Pierce attorney-general of the United States ; but the offer was declined, in consequence of numerous professional engagements at home, and the precariuos state of Mrs. Pierce's health. He also, about the same time declined the nomination for governor by the Democratic party. The war with Mexico called Mr. Pierce in the army. Receiving the appointment of brigadier-general, he embarked, with a portion of his troops, at Newport, R. I., on the 27th of May, 1847. He took an imixjrtant part in this war, proving him- self a brave and true soldier. When Gen. Pierce reached his home in his native State, he was received enthusiastically by the advo- cates of the Mexican war, and coldly by his oppo- nents. He resumed the practice of his profession, very frequently taking an active part in political ques- tions, giving his cordial support to the pro-slavery wing of the Democratic party. The compromise measures met cordially with his approval ; and he strenuously advocated the enforcement of the 'infa- mous fugitive-slave law, which so shocked the religious sensibilities of the North. He thus became distin- guished as a "Northern man with Southern principles.'' The strong partisans of slavery in the South conse- quently regarded him as a man whom they could safely trust in office to carry out their [ilans. On the I 2th of June, 1852, the J)emocratic conven- tion met in Baltimore to nominate a candidate for the Presidency. For four days they continued in session, and in thirty-five ballotings no one had obtained a two-thirds vote. Not a vote thus far had been thrown for Gen. Pierce. Then the Virginia delegation brought forward his name. There were fourteen more ballotings, during which Gen. Pierce constantly gained strength, until, at the forty-ninth ballot, he received two hundred and eighty-two votes, and all other candidates eleven. Gen. Winfield Scott was the Whig candidate. Gen. Pierce was chosen with great unanimity. Only four States — Vermont, Mas- sachusetts, Kentucky and Tennessee — cast their electoral votes against him Gen. Franklin Pierce was therefore inaugurated President of the United States on the 4th of March, 1853. His administration proved one of the most stormy our country had ever experienced. The controversy be- tween slavery and freedom was then approaching its culminating point. It became evident that there was an " irrepressible conflict" between them, and that this Nation could not long exist '" half slave and half free." President Pierce, during the whole of his ad- ministration, did every thing he could to conciliate the South ; but it was all in vain. The conflict every year grew more violent, and threats of the dissolution of the Union were borne to the North on every South- ern breeze. Such was the condition of affairs when President Pierce approached the close of his four-years' term of office. The North had become thoroughly alien- ated from him. The anti-slaver)' sentiment, goaded by great outrages, had been rapidly increasing; all the intellectual ability and social worth of President Pierce were forgotten in deep reprehension of his ad- ministrative acts. The slaveholders of the South, also, unmindful of the fidelity with which he had advo- cated those measures of Government which they ap- proved, and perhaps, also, feeling that he had rendered himself so unpopular as no longer to be able acceptably to serve them, ungratefully dropped him, and nominated James Buchanan to succeed him. On the 4th of March, 1857, President Pierce re- tired to his home in Concord. Of three children, two had died, and his only surviving child had been killed before his eyes by a railroad accident ; and his wife, one of the most estimable and accomplished of ladies, was rapidly sinking in consumption. The hour of dreadful gloom soon came, and he was left alone in tlie world, without wife or child. When the terrible Rebellion burst forth, which di- vided our country into two parties, and two only, Mr. Pierce remained steadfast in the principles which he had always cherished, and gave his sympathies to that pro-slavery party with which he had ever been allied. He declined to do anything, either by voice or pen, to strengthen the hand of the National Gov- ernment. He continued to reside in Concord until the time of his death, which occurred in October, 1869. He was one of the most genial and social of men, an honored communicant of the Episcoi)al Church, and one of the kindest of neighbors. Gen- erous to a fault, he contributed liberally for the al- leviation of suffering and want, and many of his towns- people were often gladened by his material bounty. I O O ^: 4 r^ ?«<^ A<^I1 fl jtentir^A-^^ ^^^f^ 11 Si ^^%^llll>:iltls> V i'lFTEENTH PRESIDENT. ">4t'lij! I?^. i£^^ 71 »>» ^^'^t^'^^'^ rjtS; AMES BUCHANAN, the fif- .leenth President of the United States, was born in a small frontier town, at the foot of the eastern ridge of the Allegha- nies, in Franklin Co., Fenn.,on the 23d of April, 17 91. The ;.>lace where the humble cabin of his father stood was called Stony Batter. It was a wild and ro- mantic spot in a gorge of the moun- tains, with towering summits rising grandly all around. His father was a native of the north of Ireland ; a poor man, who had emigrated in 1783, with little property save his own strong arms. Five years afterwards he married Elizabeth Spear, the daughter of a respectable farmer, and, with his young bride, plunged into the wilder- ness, staked his claim, reared his log-hut, opened a clearing with his axe, and settled down there to per- form his obscure part in the drama of life. In this se- cluded home, where James was born, he remained for eight years, enjoying but few social or intellectual advantages. When James was eight years of age, his father removed to the village of Mercersljurg, where 'j* his son was placed at school, and commenced a I course of study in English, Latin and Creek. His i--^ progress was ra[)id, and at the age of fourteen, he entered Dickinson College, at Carlisle. Here he de- veloped remarkable talent, and took his stand among '(*) the first scholars in the institution. His api)lication to study was intense, and yet his native powers en abled him to master the most abstruse subjects with facility. In the year 1809, he graduated with the highest honors of his class. He was then eighteen years of age; tall and graceful, vigorous in health, fond of athletic sport, an unerring shot, and enlivened with an exuberant flow of animal spirits. He immediately commenced the study of hnv in the city of Lancaster, and was admitted to the bar in 1812, when he was but twenty-one years of age. Very rapidly he rose in his profession, and at once took undisputed stand with the ablest lawyers of the State. When but twenty-si.x years of age, unaided by counsel, he suc- cessfully defended before the State Senate one of the judges of the State, who was tried upon articles of impeachment. At the age of thirty it was generally admitted that he stood at the head of the bar; and there was no lawyer in the State who had a more lu- crative practice. In 1820, he reluctantly consented to run as a candidate for Congress. He was elected, and for ten years he remained a member of the Lower House. During the vacations of Congress, he occasionally tried some important case. In 1831, he retired altogether from the toils of his (jrofession, having ac- quired an ample fortune. Gen. Jackson, upon his elevation Uillic Presidency, appointed Mr. Buchanan minister to Russia. The duties of his mission he performed with ability, which gave satisfaction to all parties. L'pon his return, in 1833, he was elected to a seat in the United States Senate. He there met, as his associates, Webster, Clay, Wright and Calhoun. He advocated the meas- ures proposed by President Jackson, of making repri- *i.v' '^ ( r I -4^^^ M^r^^^m^ ^^7<^W^M^>r^~ 76 JAMES BUCHANAN. '^ J sals against France, to enforce the payment of our claims against that country; and defended the course of the President in his unprecedented and wholesale - removal from oftice of those who were not the sup- 1 porters of his administration. Upon this question he was brought into direct collision with Henry Clay. He also, with voice and vote, advocated ex[)ungtng from the journal of the Senate the vote of censure against Gen. Jackson for removing the deposits. Earnestly he opposed the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia, and urged the prohibition of the circulation of anti-slavery documents by the United States mails. As to petitions on the subject of slavery, he advo- cated that they should be respectfully received; and that the reply should be returned, that Congress had no power to legislate upon the subject. " Congress," said he, " might as well undertake to interfere with slavery under a foreign government as in any of the States where it now exists." Upon Mr. Polk's accession to the Presidency, Mr. Buchanan became Secretary of State, and as such, took his share of the responsibility in the conduct of the Mexican War. Mr. Polk assumed that crossing the Nueces by the American trooiis into the disputed /\ territory was not wrong, but for the Mexicans to cross ==i the Rio Grande into that territory was a declaration of war. No candid man can read with pleasure the account of the course our Government pursued in that movement. Mr. Buchanan identified himself thoroughly with K the party devoted to the pi;rpetuation and extension f\^ of slavery, and brought all tlie energies of his mind to bear against the W'ilmot Proviso. He gave his cordial approval to the compromise measures of 1S50, which included the fugitive-slave law, Mr. Pierce, upon his election to the {'residency, honored Mr. Buchanan with the mission to England. In the year 1856, a national Democratic conven- tion nominated Mr. Buchanan for the Presidency. The political conflict was one of the most severe in which our country has ever engaged. All the friends of slavery were on one side; all the advocates of its re- striction and final abolition, on the other. Mr. Fre- mont, the candidate of the enemies of slavery, re- ceived 1 14 electoral votes. Mr. Buchanan received 174, and was elected. The popular vote stood 1,340,618, for Fremont, 1,224,750 for liuchanan. On March 4th, 1857, Mr. Buchanan was inaugurated. Mr. Buchanan was far advanced in life. Only four years were wanting to fill up his threescore years and ten. His own friends, those with whom he had been allied in political |)rinciples and action for years, were seeking the destruction of the Government, that they might rear upon the ruins of our free institutions a nation whose corner-stone should be human slavery. In this emergency, Mr. Buchanan was hopelessly be- wildered. He could not, with his long-avowed prin- :5«^€'^ ciiiles, consistently oppose the State-rights [larty in their assumptions. As President of the United States, bound by his oath faitlifully to administer the laws, he could not, without perjury of the grossest kind, unite with those endeavoring to overthrow the repub- lic. He therefore did nothing. The opponents of Mr. Buchanan's administration nominated Abraham Lmcoln as their standard bearer in the next Presidential canvass. The pro-slavery party declared, that if he were elected, and the con- trol of the tiovernment were thus taken from their hands, they would secede from the Union, taking with them, as they retired, the National Capitol at Washington, and the lion's share of the territory of the United States. Mr. Buchanan's sympathy with the pro-slavery party was such, that he had been willing to offer them far more than they had ventured to claim. All the South had professed to ask of the North was non- intervention upon the subject of slavery. Mr. Bu- chanan had been ready to offer them the active co- operation of the (Government to defend and extend the institution. As the storm increased in violence, the slaveholders claiming the right to secede, and Mr. Buchanan avow- ing that Congress had no power to jtrevent it, one of tlie most pitiable exhibitions of governmental im- becility was exhibited the world has ever seen. He declared that Congress had no power to enforce its laws in any .State which had withdrawn, or which was attempting to withdraw from the Union. Tliis was not the doctrine of Andrew Jackson, when, with his hand upon his sword-hilt, he exclaimed, " The Union must and sliall be preserved.'" South Carolina seceded in December, 1S60; nearly three months before the inauguration of President Lincoln. Mr. Buchanan looked on in listless despair. The rebel flag was raised in Charleston: Fort Sumjjter was besieged ; our forts, navy-yards and arsenals were seized ; our depots of military stores were plim- dered; and. our custom-houses and post-oftices were appropriated by the rebels. The energy of the rebels, and llie imbecility of our Executive, were alike marvelous. The Nation looked on in agony, waiting for the slow weeks to glide away, and close the administration, so terrible in its weak- ness At length the long-iooked-for hour of deliver- ance came, when Abraham Lincoln was to receive the scepter. The administration of President Buchanan was certainly the most calamitous our country has ex- perienced. His best friends cannot recall it with l)leasure. And still more deplorable it is for his fame, that in that dreailful conflict which rolled its billows of fiame and blood over our whole land, no word came from his lips to indicate his wish that our country's banner should triumph over the Hag of the rebellion. He died at his Wheatland retreat, June 1, 18C8. f J3E, idggsiri. -^^D!i:A:Dni>^ L :2«^^te: er-7<4Dn:^nfl>>v rr Titf^^ SIXTEEISTTH PK^SWEiVT. ') ^ V -i^kiafefc;-. •V.-v .^^ I < ABRAHAM !> ^||>*i-<# < LINCOLN. > | BRAHAM LINCOLN, the sixteenth President of tlie f#United States, was born in Hardin Co., Ky., Feb. 12, 1809. About the year 17 So, a t'^ man by the name of Abraham ^- Lincohi left Virginia with his family and moved into the tlien wilds of Kentucky. Only two j-ears after this emigration, still a young man, while working one day in a field, was stealthily approached by an Indian and shot dead. His widow was left in extreme poverty with five little children, three boys and two girls. Thomas, the youngest of the boys, was four years of age at his father's death. This Thomas was the father of Abraham Lincohi, the President of the United States whose name must henceforth forever be enrolled with the most prominent in the annals of our work4. Of course no record has been kept of the life of one so lowly as Thomas Lincoln. He was among the poorest of the |)Oor. His home was a wretched log-cabin; his food the coarsest and the meanest. Education he had none ; he could never either read or write. As soon as he was able to do anything for himself, he was compelled to leave the cabin of his starving mother, and push out into the world, a friend- less, wandering boy, seeking work. He hired him- self out, and thus spent the whole of his youth as a laborer in the fields of others. When twenty-eight years of age he buill a log- cabin of his own, and married Nancy Hanks, the daughter of another family of poor Kentucky emi- grants, who had also come from Virginia. Their second child was Abraham Lincoln, the subject of this sketch. The mother of Abraham was a noble woman, gentle, loving, pensive, created to adorn a palace, doomed to toil and pine, and die in a hovel. " .All that I am, or hope to be," exclaims the grate- ful son " I owe to my angel-mother. When he was eight years of age, his father sold his cabin and small farm, and moved to Indiana. Where two years later his mother died. Abraham soon liecame the scrii)e of the uneducated community around him. He could not iiave had a better school than this to teach him to \m\. tlioughts into words. He also became an eager reader. The books he could obtain were few ; but these he read and re-read until they were almost committed to memory. As the years rolled on, the lot of this lowly family was the usual lot of humanity. There were joys and griefs, weddings and funerals. Abraham's sister Sarah, to whom he was tenderly attached, was mar- ried when a child of but fourteen years of age, and soon died. The family was gradually scattered. Mr. Thomas Lincoln sold out his squatter's claim in 1S30, and emigrated to Macon Co., 111. Abraham Lincoln was then twenty-one years of age. With vigorous hands he aided his father in rearing another log-cabin. Abraham w-orked diligently at this until he saw the family comfortably settled, and their small lot of enclosed prairie planted with corn, when he announced to his father his intention to leave home, and to go out into the world and seek his for- tune. Little did he or his friends imagine how bril- liant that fortune was to be. He saw the value of education, and was intensely earnest to improve his mind to the utmost of his power. He saw the ruin which ardent spirits were causing, and became strictly temperate; refusing to allow a dro|) of intoxi- cating licpior to [)ass his lips. And he had read in (jod's word, " Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain ;" and a profane ex[iression he was never heard to utter. Religion he revered. His morals were pure, and he was uncontaminated by a single vice. Young Abraham wotked for a time as a hired laborer among the farmers. Then he went to Springfield, where he was emi)loyed in building a large flat-boat. In this he took a herd of swine, floated them down the Sangamon to the Illinois, and thence by the Mis- sissippi to New Orleans. ^Vhatever Abraham Lin- coln undertook, he performed so faithfully as to give great satisfaction to his employers. In this advcn- A V V ( ^ A<>D D^ DDf^^V;^^ ^Hg^^ -4)^§5f? # W' ® Jt^«^- <>Bll>:ilD>>r ^ 80 I ^ V V s f*fe -s -J / ^ ABRAHAM LINCOLN. ">^xi-j ^^ ture his employers were so well pleased, that upon his return they placed a store and mill under his care. In 1832, at the outbreak of the Black Hawk war, he enlisted and was chosen captain of a company. He returned to Sangamon County, and althougli only 23 years of age, was a candidate for the Legislature, but was defeated. He soon after received from Andrew Jackson the appointment of Postmaster of New Salem, His only post-office was his hat. All the letters he received he carried there ready to deliver to those he chanced to meet. He studied surveying, and soon made this his business. In 1834 he again became a candidate for the Legislature, and was elected Mr. Stuart, of Springfield, advised him to study law. He walked from New Salem to Springfield, borrowed of Mr. Stuart a load of books, carried them back and began his legal studies. When the Legislature as- sembled he trudged on foot with his pack on his back one hundred miles to Vandalia, then the capital. In 1836 he was re-elected to the Legislature. Here it was he first met Stephen A. Douglas. In 1839 he re- moved to Springfield and began the practice of law. His success with the jury was so great that he was soon engaged in almost every noted case in the circuit. In 1854 the great discussion began between Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Douglas, on the slavery ([uestion. In the organization of the Republican party in Illinois, in 1856, he took an active part, and at once became one of the leaders in that party. Mr. Lincoln's s])eechesin opposition to Senator Douglas in the con- test in 1 85 8 for a seat in tlie Senate, form a most notable part of his history. The issue T»ras on the slavery question, and he took the broad ground of the Declaration of Independence, that all men are created equal. Mr. Lincoln was defeated in this con- test, but won a far higher prize. The great Republican Convention met at Chicago on the r6th of June, i860. The delegates and strangers who crowded the city amounted to twenty- five thousand. An immense building called "The Wigwam," was reared to accommodate the Conven- tion. There were eleven candidates for whom votes were thrown. William H. Seward, a man whose fame as a statesman had long filled the land, was the most prominent. It was generally su[)posed he would be the nominee. Abraham Lincoln, however, received liie nomination on the third ballot. Little did he then dream of the weary years of toil and care, and the bloody death, to which that nomination doomed him: and aslittledid he dream tliat he was to render services to his country, which would fix upon him the eyes of the whole i-ivilized world, and which would give him aplaceinthe affections of his countrymen, second only, if second, to that of Washington. Election day came and Mr. Lincoln received 180 electoral votes out of 203 cast, and was, therefore, constitutionally elected President of the United States. The tirade of abuse that was poured upon this good and merciful man, especially by the slaveholders, was greater than upon any other man ever elected to this higli position. In Februar}', 1861, Mr. Lincoln started for Washington, stopping in all the large cities on his way making speeches. The whole journey wqsfrought with much danger. Many of the Southern States had already seceded, and several attempts at assassination were afterwards brought to light. A gang in Balti- more had arranged, upon his arrival to" get up a row," and in the confusion to make sure of his death with revolvers and hand-grenades. A detective uiiravelled the plot. A secret and special train was provided to take him from HarrisL'urg, through Baltimore, at an une.xpected hour of the night. The train started at half-past ten ; and to prevent any possible communi- cation on the part ot the Secessionists with their Con- federate gang in Baltimore, as soon as the train had started the telegraph-wires were cut. Mr. Lincoln reached Washington in safety and was inaugurated, althougli great an.xiety was felt by all loyal people. In the selection of his cabinet Mr. Lincoln gave to Mr. Seward the Department of State, and to other prominent opponents before the convention he gave imixjrtant positions. During no otlier administration have the duties devolving ui)on the President been so manifold, and the responsibilities so great, as those which fell to the lot of President Lincoln. Knowing this, and feeling his own weakness and inability to meet, and in his own strength to cope with, the difficulties, he learned early to seek Divine wisdom and guidance in determining his plans, and Divine comfort in all his trials, bo'h |)ersonal and national. Contrary to his own estimate of himself, Mr. Lincoln was one of the most courageous of men. He went directly into the rebel capital just as the retreating foe was leaving, with no guard but a few sailors. From the time he had left Springfield, in 1861, however, planshadbeen made for his assassination, and he at last fell a victim to one of them. April 14, 1865, he, with Gen. Crant, was urgently invited to attend Fords' Theater. It was announced that they would be present. (len. (irant, however, left the city. President Lincoln, feel- ing, witli his characteristic kindliness of heart, that it would be a disappointment if he should fail them, very reluctantly consented to go. While listening to the play an actor by the name of John Wilkes Booth entered the box where the President and family were seated, and fired a b\illet into his brains. He died the next morning at seven o'clock. Never before, in the history of the world was a nation l)lunged into such deep grief by the death of its ruler. Strong men met in the streets and wept in speechless anguish. It is not too much to say that a nation was in tears. His was a life which wilt fitly become a model. His name as the savior of his country \vill live with that of ^\''ashington's, its father; hiscountr}'- men being unable to decide whicli is the greater. V© (' i (■' t K''' f VDK^^. ^^^tf^ j:l. -K^^(ia:^:tins>v^ ■'^ry i^?ve-C'<^^ Sii^^^^z^- ^ m ((?) I -r<-^IIIl>:ii|]r^ ^^ -85^ |?^5f (0 I f ^ i "■^ ((i>) W SE VEN TEEN Til PRESIDENT. NDREW JOHNSON, seven- teenth President of the United Slates. The early life of Andrew Johnson contains but the record of poverty, destitu- tion and friendlessness. He was born December 29, i8o8, in Raleigh, N. C. His parents, belonging to the class of tlie "poor whites " of the Soutii, were in such circumstances, that they could not confer even the slight- est advantages of education upon their child. When Andrew was five years of age, his father accidentally lost his life while herorically endeavoring to save a friend from drowning. Until ten years of age, .\ndrew was a ragged boy about the streets, sup[)orted by the labor of his mother, who obtained her living with her own hands. He then, having never attended a school one day, and being unable either to read or write, was ap- prenticed to a tailor in his native town. A gentleman was in the habit of going to the tailor's shop occasion- ally, and reading to the boys at work there. He often read from the speeches of distinguished British states- men. Andrew, who was endowed with a mind of more than ordinary native ability, became much interested in these speeches ; his ambition was roused, and he was inspired with a strong desire to learn to read. He accordingly applied himself to the alphabet, and with the assistance of some of his fellow-workmen, learned his letters. He then called upon the gentle- man to borrow the book of speeches. The owner. V^ 1853, he was elected Oovernor of Tennessee, and was re-elected in iS^s. In all these resiionsible posi- tions, he discharged his duties with distinguished abil- ( A '*>.* v-^. V < pleased with his zeal, not only gave him the book, but assisted him in learning to combine the letters into words. Under such difficulties he pressed on- ward laboriously, spending usually ten or twelve hours at work in the shop, and then robbing himself of rest and recreation to devote such time as he could to reading. He went to Tennessee in 1826, and located at Greenville, where he married a young lady who pos- sessed some education. Under her instructions he learned to write and cipher. He became prominent in the village debating society, and a favorite with the students of Greenville College. In 1828, he or- ganized a working man's party, which elected him alderman, and in 1830 elected him mayor, which position he held three years. He now began to take a lively interest in political affairs; identifying himself with the working-classes, to which he belonged. In 1835, he was elected a member of the House of Representatives of Tennes- see. He was then just twenty-seven years of age. He became a very active member of the legislature, gave his adhesion to the Democratic party, and in 1840 "stumped the State," advocating Martin Van Buren's claims to the Presidency, in opposition to those of Gen. Harrison. In this campaign he acquired much readiness as a speaker, and extended and increased his reputation. In 1 84 1, he was elected State Senator; in 1843, he ^ was elected a member of Congress, and by successive ^t elections, held that important post for ten years. In (% ( \ ^ r> -^^ r^ .r. '■•'V-iJi. ^<;(|(]>>:|f||^4i ^^^^ -f^f^'^^ 84 w^- ■^^v<^nn^^iin^>T [^\\ ^ ANDRK IV JOHNSON. ^ A 1 ^ I ity, and proved himself the warm friend of the work- ing classes. In 1857, Mr. Johnson was elected United States Senator. Years before, in 1845, he had warmly advocated the annexation of Texas, stating however, as his reason, that he thought this annexation would prob- ably prove " to be the gateway out of which the sable sons of Africa are to pass from bondage to freedom, and become merged in a population congenial to themselves." In 1850, he also supported the com- promise measures, the two essential features of which were, that the white people of the Territories should be permitted to decide for themselves whether they would enslave the colored people or not, and that the free States of the North should return to the South persons who attempted to escape from slavery. Mr. Johnson was never ashamed of his lowly origin: o« the contrary, he often took pride in avowing that he owed his distinction to his own exertions. "Sir," said he on the floor of the Senate, " I do not forget that I am a mechanic ; neither do I forget that Adam was a tailor and sewed fig-leaves, and that our Sav- ior was the son of a carpenter." In the Charleston- Baltimore convention of i860, he was the choice of the Tennessee Democrats for the Presidency. In 1861, when the purpose of the South- ern Democracy became apparent, he took a decided stand in favor of the Union, and held that " slavery must be held subordinate to the Union at whatever cost." He returned to Tennessee, and repeatedly imperiled his own life to protect the Unionists of Tennesee. Tennessee having seceded from the Union, President Lincoln, on March 4th, 1862, ap- pointed him Military Governor of the State, and he established the most stringent military rule. His numerous proclamations attracted wide attention. In 1864, he was elected Vice-President of the United States, and upon the death of Mr. Lmcoln, April 15, 1865, became President. In a speech two days later he said, " The American people must be taught, if they do not already feel, that treason is a crime and must be punished; that the Government will not always bear with its enemies ; that it is strong not only to protect, but to punish. * * Tlie people must understand that it (treason) is the blackest of crimes, and will surely be punished." Yet his whole administration, the history of which is so well known, was in utter inconsistency with, and the most violent opposition to, the principles laid down in that sj^ech. In his loose ix)licy of reconstruction and general amnesty, he was opposed by Congress ; and he char- acterized Congress as a new rebellion, and lawlessly defied it, in everything ix)ssible, to the utmost. In the beginnirig of 1868, on account of "high crimes and misdemeanors," the principal of which was the removal of Secretary Stanton, in violation of the Ten- ure of Office Act, articles of impeachment were pre- ferred against him, and the trial began March 23. It was very tedious, continuing for nearly three months. A test article of the impeachment was at length submitted to the court for its action. It was certain that as the court voted upon that article so would it vote upon all. Thirty-four voices pronounced the President guilty. As a two-thirds vote was neces- sary to his condemnation, he was pronounced ac- quitted, notwithstanding the great majority against him. The change of one vote from the not guilty side would have sustained the impeachment. The President, for the remainder of his term, was but little regarded. He continued, though impotently, his conflict with Congress. His own party did not think it expedient to renominate him for the Presi- dency. The Nation rallied, witli cntliusiasm unpar- alleled since the days of Washington, around the name of Gen. Grant. Andrew Johnson was forgotten. The bullet of the assassin introduced him to the President's chair. Notwithstanding this, never was there presented to a man a better opportunity to im- mortalize his name, and to win the gratitude of a nation. He failed utterly. He retired to his home in Greenville, Tenn., taking no very active part in politics until 1875. On Jan. 26, after an exciting struggle, he was chosen by the Legislature of Ten- nessee, United States Senator in the forty-fourth Con- gress, and took his seat in that body, at the special session convened by President Grant, on the 5th of March. On the 27th of July, 1875, the ex-President made a visit to his daughter's home, near Carter Station, Tenn. When he started on his journey, he was apparently in his usual vigorous health, but on reach- ing the residence of his child the following day, was stricken with paralysis, rendering him unconscious. He rallied occasionally, but finally passed away at 2 A.M., July 31, aged sixty-seven years. His fun- eral was attended at Geenville, on the 3d of August, with every demonstration of respect. ^ A r (? ivy "%A<^D!i:<^ -2s€^^5^ ^r-r<:M >: H Il^ > 87 ^ V s / LYSSES S. GRANT, the eighteenth President of the »j United States, was born on the 29th of April, 1822, of Christian parents, in a humble home, at Point Pleasant, on the banks of the Ohio. Shortly after his father moved to George- town, Brown Co., O. In this re- mote frontier hamlet, Ulysses received a common-school edu- cation. At the age of seven- teen, in the year 1S39, he entered the Military Academy at West Point. Here he was regarded as a solid, sensible young man of fair abilities, and of sturdy, honest character. He took respectable rank as a scholar. In June, 1843, he graduated, about the middle in his class, and was sent as lieutenant of in- fantry to one of the distant military posts in the Mis- souri Territory. Two years he past in these dreary solitudes, watching the vagabond and exasperating Indians. The war with Mexico came. Lieut. Grant was sent with his regiment to Corpus Christi. His first battle was at Palo Alto. There was no chance here for the exhibition of either skill or heroism, nor at Resaca de la Palma, his second battle. At the battle of Monterey, his third engagetnent, it is said that he performed a signal service of daring and skillful horsemanship. His brigade had exhausted its am- munition. A messenger must be sent for more, along a route exposed to the ballets of the foe. Lieut. Grant, adopting an expedient learned of the Indians, grasped the mane of his horse, and hanging ujx)n one side uf the animal, ran the gauntlet in entire safety. From Monterey he was sent, with the fourth infantry, to aid Gen. Scott, at the siege of Vera Cruz. In preparation for the march to the city of Mexico, he was appointed quartermaster of his regiment. At the battle of Molino del Rey, he was promoted to a first lieutenancy, and was brevetted captain at Cha- pultepec. At the close of the Mexican War, Capt. Grant re- turned with his regiment to New York, and was again sent to one of the military posts on the frontier. The discovery of gold in California causing an immense tide of emigration to flow to the Pacific shores, Capt. Grant was sent with a battalion to Fort Dallas, in Oregon, for the protection of the interests of the im- migrants. Life was wearisome in those wilds. Capt. Grant resigned his commission and returned to the States; and having married, entered upon the cultiva- tion of a small farm near St. Louis, Mo. He had but little skill as a farmer. ■ Finding his toil not re- munerative, he turned to mercantile life, entering into the leather business, with a younger brother, at Ga- lena, 111. This was in the year i860. As the tidings of the rebels firing on Fort Sumpter reached the ears of Capt. Grant in his counting-room, he said, — "Uncle Sam has educated me for the army; though I have served him through one war, I do not feel that I have yet repaid the debt. I am still ready todischarge my obligations. I shall therefore buckle on my sword and see Uncle Sam through tliis war too." He went into the streets, raised a company of vol- unteers, and led them as their captain to Springfield, the capital of the State, where their services were offered to Gov. Yates. The Governor, impressed by the zeal and straightfonvard executive ability of Capt. Grant, gave him a desk in his office, to assist in the volunteer organization that was being formed in the Stale ill lieli:ilf of the Government. On the 15th of t % ^ I' r :o:ilDr> z— ^. ■^^^^r^ 4J^K^^XilS^ V ^ 88 -:2^&sr l/ZVSSES S. GRANT. -^^^ ■^ T Si /O. V June, 1 86 1, Capt. Grant received a commission as Colonel of the Twenty-first Regiment of Illinois Vol- unteers. His merits as a West Point graduate, who had served for 15 years in the regular army, were such that he was soon promoted to the rank of Brigadier- General and was placed in command at Cairo. The rebels raised their banner at Paducah, near the mouth of the Tennessee River. Scarcely had its folds ap- peared in the breeze ere Gen. Grant was there. The rebels fled. Their banner fell, and the stars and stripes were unfurled in its stead. ' He entered the service with great determination and immediately began active duty. This was the be- ginning, and until the surrender of Lee at Richmond, he was ever pushing the enemy with great vigor and effectiveness. At Belmont, a few days later, he sur- prised and routed the rebels, then at Fort Henry won another victory. Then came the brilliant fight at Fort Donelson. The nation was electrified by the victory, and the brave leader of the boys in blue "was immediately made a Major-General, and the military district of Tennessee was assigned to him. Like all great captains, Gen. Grant knew well how to secure the results of victory. He immediately pushed on to the enemies' lines. Then came the terrible battles of Pittsburg Landing, Corinth, and the siege of Vicksburg, where Gen. Pemberton made an unconditional surrender of the city with over thirty thousand men and one-hundred and seventy-two can- non. The fall of Vicksburg was by far the most severe blow which the rebels had thus far encountered, and opened up the Mississippi from Cairo to the Gulf. Gen. Grant was next ordered to co-operate with Gen. Banks in a movement upon Texas, and pro- ceeded to New Orleans, where he was thrown from his horse, and received severe injuries, from which he was laid up for months. He then rushed to the aid of Gens. Rosecrans and Thomas at Chattanooga, and by a wonderful series of strategic and tactical meas- ures put the Union army in fighting condition. Then followed the bloody battles at Chattanooga, Tx)okout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, in which the rebels were routed with great loss. This won for him un- bounded praise in the North. On the 4th of Febru- ary, I S64, Congress revived the grade of lieutenant- general, and the rank was conferred on Gen. Grant. He rei)aired to Wasliington to receive his credentials and enter upon the duties of his new office. 1 I Gen. Grant decided as soon as he took charge of the army to concentrate the widely-dispersed National i4' troops for an attack upon Richmond, the nominal , capital of the Rebellion, and endeavor there to de- I stroy the rebel armies which would be promptly as- V^ sembled from all quarters for its defence. The whole continent seemed to tremble under the tramp of these majestic armies, rushing to the decisive battle field. Steamers were crowded with troops. Railway trains were burdened with closely packed thousands. His plans were comprehensive and involved a series of campaigns, which were executed with remarkable en- ergy and ability, and were consummated at the sur- render of Lee, April 9, 1865. The war was ended. The Union was saved. The almost unanimous voice of the Nation declared Gen. Grant to be the most prominent instrument in its sal- vation. The eminent services he had thus rendered the country brought him conspicuously forward as the f > Republican candidate for the Presidential chair. At the Republican Convention held at Chicago, /K^ May 21, 1868, he was unanimously nominated for the a Presidency, and at the autumn election received a majority of the popular vote, and 214 out of 294 electoral votes. The National Convention of the Republican party which met at Philadelphia on the 5 th of June, 1872, placed Gen. Grant in nomination for a second temi by a unanimous vote. The selection was emphati- cally indorsed by the people five months later, 292 electoral votes being cast for him. Soon after the close of his second term. Gen. Grant started upon his famous trip around the world. He visited almost every country of the civilized world, and was everywhere received with such ovations and demonstrations of respect and honor, private as well as public and official, as were never before bestowed upon any citizen of the United States. It is not too much to say that his modest, courteous, and dignified demeanor in the presence of the most dis- tinguished men in the different nations in the world, reflected honor upon the Republic which he so long f^, and so faithfully served. The country felt a great pride in his reception. Upon his arrival in San Fran- cisco, Sept. 20, 1879, the city authorities gave him a fine reception. After lingering in the Golden State for a while, he began his tour throvigh the .States, which extended North and South, evorywliere mark- ed by great acclamation and splendid ovations. sy ^ S;^^ J^ <>il!i:o:iiiiv> jj. ^^Ifif^ k® -r¥ ;#?* g9» r^^^^K- ^>\imm>T ^ V ^ ^ NINETEENTH PRESIDENT. '^'^^'^^^^^^^^m^^^^^^'^^ »% UTHERFORD B. HAYES, the nineteenth President of the United States, was bori\in Delaware, O., Oct. 4, 1822, al- most three months after the /■O death of his father, Rutherford Hayes. His ancestry on both the paternal and maternal sides, was of the most honorable char- acter. It can be traced, it is said, as far back as 1280, when Hayes and Rutherford were two Scottish chief- tains, 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. Misfor- tune overtaking the family, George Hayes left Scot- land in 1680, and settled in Windsor, Conn. His son George was born in Windsor, and remained there during his life. Daniel Hayes, son of the latter, mar- ried Sarah Lee, and lived from the time of his mar- riage until his death in Simsbury, Conn. Ezekiel, son of Daniel, was liorn in 1724, and was a manufac- turer of scythes at Bradford, Conn. Rutherford Hayes, son of Ezekiel and grandfather of President Hayes, was born in New Haven, in August, r756. 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 Ruth- erford Hayes, the father of President Hayes, was <^titfr^^tiii^> born. He was married, in September, t8i3, to Sophia Birchard, of Wilmington, Vt., whose ancestors emi- (^ grated tliither from Connecticut, they having been ^ among the wealthiest and best famlies of Norwich. /S Her ancestry on the male side are traced back to =t 1635, to John Birchard, one of the principal founders ^ of Norwich. Both of her grandfathers were soldiers i=i 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 stock- ing, 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 con- ducted his business on Christian principles. After the close of the war of i8t2, 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 deter- mined to move to Delaware, where the family arrived in tSiy. 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 be- reavement, found the support she so much needed in her brotlier Sardis, who had been a member of the household from the day of its departure from Ver- mont, 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 j3^>>%r: .=#i^?^: ^ ysf iP r \ f^ .-- V r % rs V 92 — ^^-r<^III]»:[iIl>:>T RUTHERFORD B. HAYES. \ '% 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 in- (lairing 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 liim, 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." " Vou need not laugh," said jNIrs. 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 1825, 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 gendeness of dispo- sition, and that delicate consideration for the feelings of others, which are marked traits of his character. His uncle Sardis Birchard took the deepest interest in his education ; and as the boy's health had im- proved, and he was making good progress in his studies, he proposed to send him to college. His pre- paration commenced with a tutor at home; but he was afterwards sent for one year to a professor in the Wcsleyan University, in Middletown, Conn. He en- tered Kenyon College in 1838, at the age of sixteen, and was graduated at the head of his class in 1842. 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 re- mained two years. In 1 845, after graduatmg at the Law School, he was admitted to the bar at Marietta, Ohio, and shortly afterward went into practice as an attorney-at-law wiili Ralph P. Buckland, of Fremont. Here he re- mained three years, acquiring but a limited practice, .111(1 apparently unambitious of distinction in his pro- fession. In 1849 he moved to Cincinnati, where his ambi- tion found a new stimulus. For several years, how- ever, his i)rogress was slow. Two events, occurring at this period, had a ])0werful influence upon his subse- quent 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 Cin- cinnati Literary Club, a body embracing among its members such men as Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase, Gen. John Pope, Gov. Edward F. others hardly less distinguished marriage was a fortunate one in everybody knows. Not one of all Noyes, and in after life. every respect, as the wives of our many The I Presidents was more universally admired, reverenced and beloved than was Mrs. Hayes, and no one did more than she to reflect honor upon American woman- hood. The Literary Club brought Mr. Hayes into constant association with young men of high cliar- acter and noble aims, and lured him to display the qualities so long hidden by his bashfulness and modesty. In 1856 he was nominated to the office of Judge of the Court of Common Pleas; but he declined to ac- cept the nomination. Two years later, the office of city solicitor becoming vacant, the City Council elected him for the unexpired term. In 1861, 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, 1861, 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, I'Msher'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 1864, 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 Dem- ocratic. He was not present during the campaign, and after his election was imjiortuned to resign his commission in the army; but he finally declared, " 1 shall never come to Washington until I can come liy the way of Richmond." He was re-elected in 1S66. In 1867, Gen Hayes was elected Governor of Ohio, over Hon. .Mien G. 'I'hurman, a popular Democrat. In 1869 was re-elected over George H. Pendleton. He was elected Governor for the third term in 1875. i In 1876 he was the standard bearer of the Repub- «£' lican Party in the Presidential contest, and after a ( ;. hard long contest was chosen President, and was in ^j^ augurated Monday, March 5, 1875. He served hi full term, not, hcwever, with satisfaction to his party, ^ but his administration was an average one c A c " \ V k^ ^ @) _L <^l3li:A^ f^^^ ^ ^ ^7 ^^m^^^ :-'W> ^> ^)^^^^ TIVENTIETH PRESIDENT. ^^^f^vH 95 ^ |^;s*g;g ^Iv* ^X* r, , 1-^ '2' ^/i ,-^ *) i?np-^tv>.^ ;5^-?;;:c'ie;::^*^>;;;^^jK;;:^4^;:;^4^;;s-'f ?i« Mi^ii ^, GARFIELD. :'"i^WZ^P V V ^ V ((*.) C;" i -4>^5((2^^ :)«^rf 6 ,0 > ;^ V ^ 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 sig- nificance 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 unsec- larian charity for all 'who loveour Lord in sincerity.'" Mr. Garfield was united in marriage with Miss Lucretia Rudol[)h, Nov. 1 1, 1858, 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. (iarfieldmade his first political speeches in 1856, in Hiram and the neighboring villages, and three years later he began to speak at county mass-meet- ings, and became the favorite speaker wherever he was. During tliis year he was elected to the Ohio Senate. He also began to study law at Cleveland, and in 1S61 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 re- ceived his commission as Lieut. -Colonel of the Forty- second Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Aug. 14, 1861. He was inmiediately put into active ser- vice, 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 witli 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 speed- ily accomplislied, although against great odds. Pres- ident Lincoln, on his success commissioned him Brigadier-General, Jan. 10, 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. Fit/.- John Porter. He was then ordered to report to Gen. Rose- crans, and was assigned to tlie "C"hief of Staff." The military history of Gen. Garfield closed with his brilliant services at Chickamauga, where he won the stars of the Major-General. Witliout an effort on his part Gen. Garfield was elected to Congress in the fall of 1862 from the Nineteenth District of Ohio. This section of Ohio had been represented in Congress for sixty years mainly by two men — Elisha M'hittlesey and Joshua R. Giddings. It was not without a struggle that he resigned his place in the army. At the time he en- tered Congress he was the youngest member in that body. There he remained by successive re- elections until he was elected President in 1880. Of his labors in Congress Senator Hoar says : " Since the year 1864 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 mstruction, the argu- ment 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 i)y Mr. Garfield." Ui»n Jan. 14, 1880, Gen. Garfield was elected to the U. S. Senate, and on the eighth of June, of llie same year, was nominated as the candidate of his party for President at the great Cliicago Convention. He was elected in the following November, and on March 4, 1881, was inaugurated. Probably no ad- ministration 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 pre- liminary work of his administration and was prepar- ing to leave the city to meet his friends at Williams College. While on his way and at the depot, in com- pany 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, l)ut inflicting no further 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 oc- curred which so nearly froze the blood of the people for the moment, as this awful deed. He was smit- ten 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 liis 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 surpass- ingly great in death. He passed serenely away Sept. 19, 1883, at Elberon, N. J., on the very bank of the ocean, where he had been taken shortly ]irevious. 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 exe- cuted, in one year after he committed the foul deed. f ~ V <• ^D !1 >: W: •>^-^ ^»€»^ mm ii II mmmtmem^-w L:.'^% JM^>^*Mpm 3ti« JfWt'TiMW I f A •^^ <) 4 TWENTY-FIRST PRESIDENT zM:^— 99 "^^ i#. ^— I >^ HESTER A. ARTHUR, P twenty-first President of the &"' United States, was born m ,^ Franklin C'ount), Vermont, on ^id's thelil'thof October, 1830, andis r^ the oldest of a family of two sons and five daughters. His father was the Rev. Dr. William Arthur, a Baptist clergyman, who emigrated to this country from the county Antrim, Ireland, in 8th year, and died in 1875, in Newtonville, near Albany, after a ong and successful ministry. Young Arthur was educated at Union College, Schenectady, where he excelled in all his studies. Af- ter his graduation he taught school 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 being admitted to the bar he formed a partnership with his intimate friend and room-mate, (5^ Henry I). 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 *if hung out their shingle, and entered iii)on a success- /i«^ ful career almost from the start. General Arthur ^ soon afterward married 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 occa- sion. 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 1856. Lizzie Jennings, a respectable colored woman, was put off a Fourth Avenue car with violence after she had paid her Aire. General Arthur sued on her behalf, and secured a verdict of $500 damages. The next day the comi)a- ny issued an order to admit colored persons to ride on their cars, and the other car companies quickly S^ V^ A h (^ W Gm t*TC r.-v^ 'M. ^ covery of the noble, the good President. The remark- ',^: able patience that he manifested during those hours .'*'. and weeks, and even months, of the most terrible suf- fering man has often been called upon to endure, was seemingly more than human. It was certainly God- like. During all tliis 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 auspi- ciously begun. Not a selfish feeling was manifested in deed or look of this man, even though the most honored i»sition in the world was at any moment likely lo fall to him. At last God in his mercy relieved President Gar- field 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, ^l Sept. 20, i88r. 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 se- ==i lect 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 liim; 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 has hap])ily surprised the Nation, acting so justly, so wisely, so well, tliai but few have criticised ^ his administration. Should he continue during the remainder of his term to pursue the wise policy lie has followed thus far, we lielieve President Arthur's administration will go down in history as one of the wisest and most satisfactory our country has ever enjoyed. His highest ambition seems to be to do his ^^ duty to the whole Nation, even to the sacrifice of his i warmest personal friends, With the good of the «^'; ])eople at heart, and guided by tlie wisdom already (j^ displayed, he will surpiise his opponents, gratify his ^ friends, and bless the American Re|niblic, during (•'! the years he occupies the Presidential chair. "^ -^^^ — crv<>DIi:<^:ilDv> ■>£f=c -^0^i^j\4m I i k ()'; i r^ «^.'-' ■^^^ .^^^ <• ?D !1 >: DD> .>i^-^;^ ^si^pc iw^^^^^- -r7^v^mHMi>^ '=>^ rr (^ ^ O 0) t t V ■^»®«= — T^-^:-nDSDii->'-*- f-»i3;?»5&^ &•*<«•- -^^ ^ (j. mrMh^'T rMi d;. ^ A >^ V A ^: .-9 ^mxM^> 1 a- ^^(^ti^ r^^ ^^v<>D0>:ilIl^>V^^^5 :^€^^ -4?^5((s^^^' ^ ^ <:>« 1:3 v^ '^ r^ ISS^ »\§))$^#- ^^^g^r^ -^>D!l^^Dtlr>A ^^^ aBmmiifSKia99KW \ >*-*. ->^: j^^tA^a^uS ^A a4Mi^. 9> I d; .T^'^'T ^myM>>T -#^C^^'^ GOVERNORS OF MICHIGAN. V -m '^^ijk-ysJlSlii;®^-'^'^^'^ ■^w. ,.i w- o».^.g);Z7jrrjv.| ■•\ijs/"' TEPHEN T. MASON, the first Governor of Michigan, was s^* a son of Gen. John T. Mason, of Kentucky, but was born in Virginia, in 1812. At the age ' *^ of 19 he was appointed Secre- tary of Michigan Territory, and served in that capacity during the administration of Gov. George B. Porter. Upon the death of Gov. Porter, which occurred on the 6th of July, 1834, Mr. Mason became Act- ing Governor. In October, 1835, he was elected Governor under the St ate organization, and immediately en- tered ujxjn 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 witli credit to himself and to the advantage of the State. He died Jan. 4, 1S43. The princijial 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 ix)int 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 13 States, and the territory northwest of the Ohio; and, by the suc- cession 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 ^ A other. Michigan, therefore, claimed it under the iirior grant, or assignation of boundary. Ohio, on the other hand, claimed that the ordinance luid l)een superseded by the Constitution of the United States, and that Congress had a right to regu- late the boundary. It was also claimed tliat the Constitution of the State of Ohio having described a ( " different line, and Congress having admitted the State under that Constitution, witliout mentioning the sub- ject of the line in dispute, Congress had thereby given its consent to the line as laid down by the Constitu- tion of Ohio. This claim was urged by Ohio at some periods of the controversy, but at others she ap- peared to regard the question unsettled, by the fact that she insisted upon Congress taking action in re- gard to the boundary. Accordingly, we find that, in i8i2, 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 tSi8. In 1820, the (juestion 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 l)y Mr. Woodliridge, 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 gov- ernment. 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 north- ern 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," (c" ^ J*^*.t^*- -^<^D!]>:Dtl^->^ 'i^/^^^^m^ -^^ ^ o v ^ ";2»Ni,^Ai^ mm io6 STEPHEN T. MASON. ^ i z=z V 1 from the names of the surveyors. The territory was vahiable for its rich agricultural lands; but the chief value consisted in the fact that the harbor on the Mauniee 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, 1835, 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 com- missioners to survey and re-mark the Harris line ; and named the first of April as tlie 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, appris- ing it of Governor Lucas' message, and advised imme- diate action by that body to anticipate and counteract the proceedings of Ohio. Accordingly, on the 12th of February, the council passed an act making it a crimmal offence, punishable by a heavy fine, or im- prisonment, for any one to attempt to exercise any official functions, or accept any office within the juris- diction of Michigan, under or by virture of any au- thority not derived from the Territory, or the United .States. On the gth 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 31st 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. Tliis was soon accomplislied, 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 Con- stantine, Quartermaster; William E. Broadman, of Detroit, and Alpheus Felch,of Monroe, Aids-de- camp. When Governor Lucas observed tlie deter- mined bearing of the -Micliigan braves, and took note c of their number, he found it convenient to content himself for a time with " watching over the border." Several days were passed in this exjiilarating employ- ment, and just as Governor Lucas had made up his mind to do something rash, two commissioners ar- rived 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 per- sisted in his attempt to gain possession of the disputed territory by force. After several conferences with bolh governors, the commissioners submitted projxjsi- tions for tlieir consideration. Governor Lucas at once accepted the jiropositions, 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 Gov- ernor Lucus disbanded his forces, however, Governor Mason partially followed suit, but still held himself in readiness to meet any emergency that might arise. (iovernor Lucus now supposed that his way was "^ clear, and that he could re-mark the Harris line with- ^i'. out being molested, and ordered the commissioners to proceed with their work. in the meantime. Governor Mason ke[)t a watch- ful eye upon the proceedings. General Brown sent scouts through the woods to watch their movements, and report when operations were commenced. When ( tlie surveying party got within the county of Lena- wee, the under-sheriff of that county, armed with a warrant, and accompanied by a posse, suddenly made his appearance, and succeeded m arresting a portion of the party. The rest, including the commissioners, took to their heels, and were soon beyond the dis- puted territory. They reached Perrysburgh the fol- lowing day in a highly demoralized condition, and reported they had been attacked by an overwhelm- ing force of Michigan malitia, under command of (reneral Brown. This summary breaking up of the surveying party produced the most tremendous excitement throughout Ohio. Governor L\icas called an extra session of the f*^ Legislature. But little remains to lie said in reference to the " war." The question continued for sometime 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 Oliio the disputed territory, and accept in return the Northern Peninsula, which she did. O) I [ll];>> \a - s^f^ 4^^^^ ^^/^>r^ rsjiij^ Z^-^ii* SECOND GO VERNOR OF MICHIGAN. 109 t A- V s "^M -— ^^IIjLIAM ^oodbi^idge.^^ — ■ ».'i!.~v.?»*-55^5)/;7Zr2i»\» IX*?^ ILLIAM WOODBRIDGE, rksecond Governor of Michigan, was born at Norwich, Conn., Aug. 20, 1780, and died at '^^^fif Detroit Oct. 20, 1861. He was of a family of three brothers and two sisters. His father, Dudley Woodbridge, removed to Marietta, Qhio, about 1790. The life of Wm. Woodbridge, by Chas. Lauman, from which this sketch , is largely compiled, mentions noth- ing concerning his early educatidn beyond the fact that it was such as was afibrded by the average school of the time, e.xcept a year with the French colonists at Gallipolis, where he acquired a knowledge of tl 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 lieljjed to make our National history. Mr. Woodbridge studied law at Marietta, having as a fellow student an intimate personal friend, a young man sul)seipiently 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 1806. In June, 1806, he married, at Hartford, ("on- necticut, Juleanna, daughter of John Trumbell, a distinguished author and judge ; and author of ihi' 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, ig, i860. 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. en- joyed 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 chaiacter. She was a natural poet, and wrote quite a large number of fine verses, some of which arc 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 mafters 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 jwrtion of her life, but was patient and cheerful to the end. In 1807, Mr. W. was chosen a representative to the General .\sseml)ly of Ohio, and in (S09 was elected to the Senate, continuing a memiier by re-election until his removal from the State. He also held, by aiv pointment, during the time the office of Prosecuting Attorney for his county. He took a leading part in the Legislature, and in i.Si 2 drew up a declaration and rr-.solutions, whicii passed tlu' two hiiusesunaminously vb K- 8B"Vg^«§^- r :o:nilr.> -'{^•-^^5^(1^1 ^t#«^ ^ 3i) f V ■^ t i WILLIAM WOODBRIDGE. »#^N<^A^1^'! and attracted great attention, endorsing, in strongest and most emphatic terms, the war measures of Presi- dent Madison. Daring the period from 1804 to 1814 the two law students, Woodbridge and Cass, had be- come 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 jxisition was, in 18 1 4, without solicitation on his part, tendered to Mr. W. He accepted the position with some hesita- tion, 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 coUectorof customs at the pori 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 \ hider the administration of "Gov- ernor and Judges," which the people of the Territory preferred for economical reasons, to continue some time after their numbers entitled them to a more popular representative system, they were allowed no delegate in Congress. Mr. W., as a sort of informal agent of the ))eople, by corresjxjndence 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 19 authorizing one tobe chosen. Under tliis act Mr. W. was elected by the concurrence of all ])arties. His first action in Congress 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 open- ing a means of land transit between Ohio and Mich- igan. 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 ex- pedition for the exploration of the country around Lake Superior and in the valley of the Upper Mis- sissippi, projected liy Governor Cass, was set on foot by means of representations made to the liead of the department by Mr. W. While in Congress he stren- uously maintained the right of Michigan to the strip of territory now forming the northern boundary of Ohio, which formed tlie suljject of such grave dispute between Ohio and Michigan at the time of the ad- mission of the latter into the Union. He served but one term as delegate to Congress, de- clining 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 1824, he was apjxjinted one of a board of commissioners for adjusting private land claims in the Territory, and was engaged also in the practice of his profession, having the best law library in the Ter- ritory. In 1828, upon the recommendation of the Governor, Judges and others, he was appointed by the President, J. Q. Adams, to succeed Hon. James With- erell, who had resigned as a Judge of what is conven- tionally called the "Supreme Court" of the Territory. This court was apparently a continuation of the Terri- torial Court, under the "frrst grade" or "Governor and Judges" system. .Mthougli it was supreme in its ju- dicial functions within the Territor}', its powers and duties were of a very general character. In 1832, the term of his appointment as Judge ex- piring, President Jackson appointed a successor, it is supix)sed on polirical grounds, much to the disappoint- ment of the public and the bxr of the Territory. The partisan feeling of the time extended into the Terri- tory, and its jieople began to think of assuming the dignity of a State government. Party lines becom- ing very sharply drawn, he identified himself with the Whigs and was elected a member of the Conven- tion of 1835, which formed the first State Constitution. In 1837 he was elected a member of tVe State 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 his- tory of the State, and the development of its jwliti- cal system. Since the organization of the State Gov- ernment 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 Gov- ernor in 1839, under a popular impression that the affairs of the State had not been prudently adminis- tered by the Democrats. He ser\'ed 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 polit- ical life, although he was strongly urged by many prominent men for the Whig nomination for Vice President in T848. Soon after his apiwintment as Judge in 1828, Gov- ernor W. took up his residence on a tract of land which he owned in the township of Spring Wells, a short distance below what v/as then the corporate lim- its of Detroit, where he resided during the remainder of his life. Both in his public papers and private communications, Ciovernor \\ . shows himself a mas- ter of language; he is fruitful in simile and illustra- tion, logical in arrangement, happy in the choice and treatment of topics, and terse and vigorous in expres- sion. Judge W. was a Congrcgationalist. His opinions on all subjects were decided ; he was earnest and energetic, courteous and dignified, and at times ex- hibited a vein of fine humor that was the more at- tractive 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. A (g^, i|-V5))C^^ J^. ^^^^-^ JL <^D!]>:iii]s> A -1^ ■^iu 5<^!Dl]>:ilDi> GOVERNORS OF MICHIGAN. -^^((®V<|y "3 ^ ^ ) S W V^ Ji^j. ^^JlS -^»J^ ^r xJOHN S. BARRY -*«« ►-• 1 OHN STEWARD BARRY, Governor of Michigan from Jan. 3, 1842, to Jan. 5, 1846, and from Jan. 7, 1850, to Jan. I, 1852, was born at Amherst, N. H., Jan. 29, 1802. His par- !^ ents, John and Ellen (Steward) Rarry, early removed to Rocking- ham, Vt., where he remained until '> he became of age, working on his lather's farm, and pursuing his studies at the same time. He mar- ried Mary Kidder, of Grafton, Vt., and in 1824 went to Georgia, Vt„ where he had charge of an academy for two years, meanwhile studying aw. He afterward practiced law in that State. While he was in Georgia he was for some lime 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 1831 he removed to Michigan, and settled at White Pigeon, where he engaged in mercantile business with I. W. WiUard. Four years after, 1834, Mr. ]5arry removed to Con- h A ( stantine and continued his mercantile pursuits. He became Justice of the Peace at White Pigeon, Mich., in 1831, and held the office until the year 1835. Mr. Barry's first public office was that of a member of the first constitutional convention, which assembled and flamed 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 him as a party leader, and that he should head the State ticket at the following election. Accordingly he re- ceived the nomination for Governor at the hands of his party assembled in convention. He was elected, and so jwpular was his administration that, in 1842, he was again elected. During these years ' Michigan was embarrassed by great financial diffi- culties, and it was through his wisdom and sound judg- ment 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 'S\ :~:-Z'o!?^ 2^ >^ • -■ ^' -4yi^l>^=^; m^ i|S/^l>)«^^' ^ ^ 114 JOHN STEWARD BARRY. % 2 V VT ^ <^ '1 tt 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 1S43, 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 tax- able property of the State was fovmd to be over Iwenty-eiglit millions of dollars, the tax being at the rate of two mills 011 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 lime 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. Bariy's sec- ond term ex|)ired, the population of the State was more than th'-ee hundred thousand. The constitution of the State forbade more than two consecutive terms, but he was called upon to fill the ]X)sition again in 1850 — the only instance of the kind in the history of the State. He was a member of the Territorial Legislature, of the Constitutional Conven- tion, and afterward of the State House of Represent- atives. During Mr. Barry's third term as Governor the Nor- mal 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 con- stitution 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 dejxit at Detroit, in 1850. At a setting of the grand jury of Wayne County, April 24, 185 I, 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 Rail- road Company employed ten eminent lawyers, in- cluding David Stuart, John Van Arnian, James \. Van Dyke, Jacob M. Howard, Alex. D. Fraser, I^an- iel Goodwin and William Gray. The defendants were represented by six meuibers of the State bar, led by William H. Seward, of New York. The trial occupied four months, during which time the plaintiffs exam- ined 246 witnesses in 27 days, and the defendants 249 ill 40 days. Mr. Van Dyke addressed the jury for the prosecution; William H. Seward for tlic defense. The great lawyer was convinced of the innocence 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 I. On the 26th the prisoners were put forward to receive sentence, when many of them protested their entire innocence, after which the pre- siding judge condemned 12 of the number to the fol- lowing 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; W'llliam 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 1840, Gov. Barry became deeply interested in the cultivation of the sugar I>eet, and vjsited Euroi)e 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 incorrujjtible integrity. His opinions, whicli he reached by the most thorough investigation, he held tenaciously. His strong con- victions and outspoken jionesty 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, char- acterized his oratory, which is described as argument- ative and instructive, but cold, hard, and entirely wanting in rhetorical ornament. He was never elo- quent, seldom humorous or sarcastic, and in manner rather awkward. .Mthough Mr. Barry's educational advantages were so limited, he was a life-long student. He mastered Ijoth ancient and modern languages, and acquired a thorough knowledge of history. No man owed less to political intrigue as a means of gaining posi- tion. He was a true statesman, and gained public es- teem by his solid worth. His political connections were always willi the Democratic party, and his opin- ions were usually extreme. Mr. Barry retired to [jrivate life after the beginning of the ascendency of the Republican party, and car- ried 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. v^ f> K r»<'ii!i:*:»J!>''^'?' — s>^§c- M ■!=rv\: <:nii:->r GOVERNORS OF MICHIGAN. — ^ s ■^ V I A:^//r\y> ;^^ .1 f(« LPHEUS FELCH, the third Governor of Michigan, wtis born in Limerick, Maine, Sep- tember 28, 1806. His grand- father, Abijah Felch, was a sol- dier in the Revolution ; and when a young man, having with others obtained a grant of land be- tween the Great and Little Ossipee Rivers, in Maine, moved to tliat re- gion 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 his death. The death of the father, 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 re- mained until his death. Mr Felch received his early education in the district school and a neighboring academy. In 182 1 he became a student at Phillips Exter Academy, and, subsecpiently, entered ISowdoin 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 impaired 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 recovered 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 Michi- gan. He first began to practice in this State at Mon- roe, where he continued until 1S43, wlien he removed to Ann Arbor. He was elected to the State Legisla- ture in I S35, 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 enact- ed, and went into operation. After mature delibera- tion, 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 embarrass- ment. 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 brancli of the Legisla- ture, raised a dissenting voice, and but two voted with him in opposition to the bill. Early in 1S38, lie was appointed one of the Bank Commissioners of the State, and held that office for moie than a year. Dur- ing this time, the new banking law had given birth lo that numerous progeny known as "wild-cat" banks. Almost every village had its bank. The country was flooded with depressed "wild-cat" money. The ex- aminations of the Bank Commissioners brought to light frauds at every point, which were fearlessly rc- V^' 9 A C< ( \ f ;@*«?-»- ^, -K-^iii]>:niiv> m. > ii8 -2^^- TT-T <^tltl>^Illl>> T"^ (^ i A "^ V > ALPHEUS FELCH. ported to the Legislature, and were followed by crim- inal prosecutions of the guilty parties, and the closing of many of their institutions. The duties of the of- fice were most laborious, and in 1839 Mr. Felch re- ^ signed. The chartered right of almost every bank liad, 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 com- missioned by the Governor as one of the Judges of the Supreme Court, to fill a vacancy caused by the resig- natioa of Judge Fletcher. In January, 1843, he was elected to the United States Senate for an unexpired term. In 1845 he was elected Governor of Michigan, and entered upon his duties at the commencement of '' the ne.\l year. In 1847 he was elected a Senator in Congress for six years; and at once retired from the office of Governor, Ijy resignation, which took effect March 4, 1847, when his Senatorial term com- menced. 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 Ss°o.ooo- The exports of the State amounted in 1846 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 18,528 tons, the whole giving em- ])loyment to 18,000 seamen. In 1847, there were 39 <^ counties in the State, containing 435 townships ; and I 275 of these townships were supplied with goodlibra- % ries, containing an aggregate of 37,000 volumes. At the close of his Senatorial term, in March, 1853, Mr. Felch was apix)inted, 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 Commis- sion.- The duties of this office were of the most im- portant and delicate character. The interest of the new State, and the fortunes of many of its citizens, both the native Me.xican 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 Com- mission. In March, 1856, their labors were broujrht to a close by the final disposition of all the claims wliich were presented. The record of their proceed- ings, — 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 smce been engaged piinci- r= p.iUy in legal business. Since his return he has been nominated for Governor .uid also for U. S. Sen- ator, 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 elec- tion. In 1873 he withdrew from the active practice of law, and, with the exception of a tour in Europe, in 1875 has since led a life of retirement at his home in Ann Arbor. In 1877 the University of Michigan g conferred upon him the degree of LL. D. For f. many years he was one of the Regents of Michigan University, and in the spring of 1879 was appointed Tajjpan Professor of Law in the same. Mr. Felcli is the oldest surviving member of the Legislature from Monroe Co., tlie oldest and only surviving Bank Com- f^ missioner of the State, the oldest surviving Auditor J General of the State, the oldest surviving Governor of ^j-' the State, the oldest surviving Judge of the Supreme M/ Court of Michigan, and the oldest surviving United (g- States Senator from the State of Miihigan. /S ®\ f^ V 0^% V s v<^llll>;>r- GO VERNORS. nr J f +s;sf*T?;s*-s-^*«s>«'-g;s-*'^;g-*-ss«'«S'5'-s-g«^;s^s;s-«^i3J;g*$;.:g*^;::ij*$;:;es«gK*$:;S*7;:g^ e&» ■} B I i IIJJAM L. GREENLY i^Ciovernor of iMicliigan for the year 1847, was horn at Hamil- ton, Madison Co , N. Y., Sept. '^''^'^■^{§f 18,1813. He graduated at Un- "• I . xtiiiii-' ~ ^ ion College, Schenectady, in I V 1 73 1, studied law and was ad- ^/^*^^ niitted to the bar in 1834. In 1836, having removed to Michi- gan, he settled in Adrian, whcr<-* he has since resided. The year following his arrival in Michigan he was elected State Senator and served in that cai)acity until 1839. In 1845 he was elected Lieut. Gov- ernor and became acting Governor by the resignation of Gov. Felch, who was elected to the L'nitcd States Senate. i The war with Mexico was brought to a successful termination during Gov. Grecnley's administration. We regret to say tiiat 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. Tiie soldiers of this State deserve much of the credit of the memorable achievements of Co. K, 3d ^ Dragoons, and Cos. A, K, and G of the U. S. Inf. rS The two former of these companies, recruited in this 1 — , State, were reduced to one-third their original num- A ber. In May, 1846 the Governor of Michigan was noti- fied by the War Department of the United States to enroll a regiment of volunteers, to be held in readi- ness for service wherever demanded. At his sum- muns 13 independent volunteer companies, 1 1 of infantry and two of cavalry, at once fell into line. Of the infantry four companies were from Detroit, bear- ing the honored names of Montgomery, Lafayette, e,', Scott and Brady upon their banners. Of the re- mainder Monroe tendeietl two, Lenawee County three, St. Clair, IJerrien and Hillsdale each one, and Wayne County an additional company. Of these alone the veteran Hradys were accciited and ordered into ser- vice. In addition to them ten companies, making the First Regiment of Micliigan Volunteers, springing 'y from various parts of the State, but embodying to a ^ great deare the material of which the fust volunteers ^c " - , ( was formed, were not called for until October follow- ''1^ ing. This regiment was soon in readiness and pro- (^^\ ceeded' by orders from Government to the seat of war. ^ JL <-|]D>:Dlli> J, -^d<^ T<^my.m> -^^^ — . /^^ ^:i^\m J ^ C A 1 ^^ _v <-^D[!»:ilI!s> ■^5^€^^ V§) j^iC.Gi'^t^t.^if-Xr-*^ r:,i-^ T "T^I^^r^ GO VEJiNORS. '25 ■>\ 1^ ^/^W t EP^PI}RODI'mS pi]soii]. I Vii^ HE HON. EPAPHRODI- rUS RAXSOM, the Seventh Governor of Michii;an, was a native of Massachusetts. In that State he received a col- legiate education, studied law, and was admitted to the bar. V .|1%xU Removing to Michigan about "^ rT 7) 1 {j^g ixme of its admission to the ^^ Union, he took up his residence at Kalamazoo. Mr. Ransom served with marked ability for a number of years in the State Legislature, and in 1837 he was api)oiiited .As- sociate Justice of the Supreme Court. In 1843 he was promoted to Chief Justice, which office he re- tained until 1845, when he resigned. Siiortly afterwards he became deeply interested in the l)uildnig of plank roads in the western jwrtion 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 1847, 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 jxjsition he displayed the same ability that shone forth so ])rominently in his acts as Governor. He held the office of Regent of the Michigan Univer- sity several times, and ever advocated a liberal {Xilicy in its management. Subsequently he was apjwinted receiver of the land office in one of the districts in Kansas, by Pres- ident Buchanan, to which State he had removed, and where he died l)efore the expiration of his term of office. We sum up the events and affairs of the State un- der 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 |l8i.,5oo. On the first of March, 1848, the first telegraph line was com- l)leted from New York to Detroit, and the first dis- patch transmitted on that day. The following figures show the progress in agriculture : The land rejwrted 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 ; cat- tle, 210,268; swine, 152,541; sheep, 610,534; while the flour mills numbered 228, and the lumber mills amounted to 730. 1S47, an act was passed removing the Legislature from Detroit to Lansing, and tempo- rary buildings for the use of the Legislature were im- mediately erected, at a cost of $12,450. c A r 4 kV^^? A <-D!l: :V- '>->^^ U # -rTT <^0I]glll|i1>^ ^ rr -;^^i ■•:^ -*^^5^^^ |)^(^ ^ ■^ > 1=3 t C>: 'J A I V v^Vl^^ ^^ ■^-^^^[lO^lltly^^ — ^^^ -i^^^5«®>g|| ^'IwL^ GOVERNORS OF MICHIGAN. 129 *N — r^^r-^^^v-MJact^^ j^j^Sij^^r4-"r+*»-P¥'-f"+''4f"+"T'r^^ -s 4 OBERT McClelland, |jj.Ciovernor of Michigan from "' Jan. I, 1852, to March 8,1853, wasbornat Grceiicastle,Frank- ,^ lin Co., Penn., Aug. i, 1807. Among his ancestors were several officers of rank in the Revolution- ary war, and some of his family con- nections were distinguished in the war of 1812, and that with Mexico. His father was an eminent physician and surgeon who studied under Dr. Benj. Rush, of Philadelphia, and jjracticed his profession successfully ^ until si.x months before his death, at I the age of 84 years. Although Mr. McClelland's family had been in good circum- stances, wlien he was 17 years old he was thrown uix)n his own resources. After taking the usual pre- liminary 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 1829. He then resumed teacliing, and liaving completed the course of study for the legal profession, was admitted to the bar at Chambersburg, Penn., in 1831. Soon afterward he removed to tlie city of Pittsburgh, where he practiced for almost a year. In 1833, Mr. McClelland removed to Monroe, in the Territory of Michigan, where, after a severe ex- amination, he became a member of the bar of Michi- gan, and engaged in practice with bright prospect of success. In 1835, 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 apixjinted 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 elected to the State Legislature, in which he soon became distinguished as the head of several imjx)rtant committees. Speaker />ro tempore, and as an active, zealous and efficient member. In 1840, Gen. Harrison, as a candidate for the Presidency, swept the country with an overwhelm- ing majority, and at the same time the State of Miclii- gan was carried by the Whigs under the popular crj- 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 mem!)crof the State House of Re[)resenta- tives, and wiili others adopted a plan to regain a lost authority and prestige. This party soon came again into jxiwer in t lie Slate, and having been returned to the State Legislature Mr. McClelland's leadership was acknowledged by his election as Speaker of the House of Reiuesentatives \^ A • > ■ (9 t % i<<-s®- ^ mVMm^ "r^' ^k^^ -s«^?^^vi y^ r- 130 5«. rs^'i^TS^ v<-^[lll»:iiD>.>- ^ •/ 1:3 E3 V s ^ ROBERT McClelland. -^'^^-^-ii in 1843. Down to this time Michigan had consti- tuted one congressional distrit t. Tlie l;ite Hon. Jacob M. Howard luid been elected against Hon. Alpheiis l'"elcli by a strong majority ; but, in 1 843, so thoroughly had tlie DeuuK ratio party recovered from its defeat of 1840 that Mr. McClelland, as a candidate for Con- gress, carried Detroit district by a majority of about 2,500. Mr. McClelland soon took a prominent posi- lion in Congress among the veterans of that body I )uring his first term he was placed on Coumiittee on Commerce, and organized and carried through wliat were known as the " Hadior bills.' 'l"he 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 parlimcniarian that his name was mentioned for Speaker of the Houseof Rep- resentatives. He declined the offer in favor of J. \V Davis, of Indiana, who was elected. During tiiis term he became Chairman of C'ommittee on t'ommcrce, 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 es- teem 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 hiliors in Congress. In 1847, Mr. McClelland was re-elected to Con- gress, and at the oi>ening of the 30th Congress be- came a member of the Committee on Foreign Rela- tions. While acting in this capacity , what was known as the " French Si)oliation Bill" came under his spe- cial charge, and his management of the same was such as to command universal approliation. 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 i)resented in the juoper manner. This he re- garded as the citizens'constitutioual right which should not be impaired by any doctrines of temporary e.xpe- diency. He also voted for the adoption of Mr. Gid- dings's bill for the abolisliing of slavery in the District of Columbia. Mr McClelland was one of the few Democrats associated with David Wilmot, of Penn- sylvania, in bringing forward the celebrated ''Wilmot Proviso,' with a view to prevent further extension of slaveiy in new territory which might be acquired by the United States. He and Mr. Wilmot were to- gether at the time in Washington, and on intimate and confidential terms. Mr. McClelland was in sev er.al National conventions and in the Baltimore con- vention, which nominated Vj:iiii;> <7^: I ■II ^^^111 ■ ^>^<;^^-t-t.^^ ■ %,"■■■ ^'< ■:.. yC-r^ <^lltl>:tltiv>^ T GO VERNORS OF MICHIGAN. rasf^^s 133 V* Y 1' >^ V ) ^ lrf ^^ ANDREW P^RiONi. NDREW PARSONS, Gover- p nor of Michigan from March 8, 1853 to Jan. 3, 1855, was born in the town of Hoosick, s 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 years. He was the son of John Parsons, born at Newbury port, Mass., Oct. 2, 1782, and who was the son of Andrew Parsons, a Revolutionary soldier, wlio was the son of Phineas Parsons, the son of Samuel Parsons, a descendant of Walter Parsons, born in Ireland in 1290. Of this name and family, some one hundred and thirty years ago, Bishop Gilson remarked in his edi- tion of Camden's Kritannia: "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 1 481, was Mayor of Hereford; Robert Parsons, born in 1546, lived near Hridgewater, England. He was educated at Hallial College, Ox- ford, and was a noted writer and defender of the Romish faith. He established an F.nglish College at Rome and another at Valladolia. Frances Parsons, born in 1556, was Vicar of Rothwell, in Notingham; Hartliolomew Parsons, born in 1618, was another noted member of tlie family. In 1634, Thomas Parsons was knighted by Charles i. Joseph and Benjamin, ^ brothers, were born in Great Torrington, England, and accompanied their father and others to New England about 1630. Samuel Parsons, born at Salis- bury, Mass., in 1707, graduated at Harvard College in r73o, ordained at Rye, N. H.,Xov. 3, 1736, married Mary Jones, daughter of Samuel Jones, of Boston, Oct. 9, 1739, died Jan. 4, 1789, at the age of 82, in the 53rd year of his ministry. The grandfather of Mary Jones was Capt. John .'Vdams, of Boston, grandson of Henry, of Braintree, who was among the first set- tlers of Massachusetts, and from whom a numerous race of the name are descended, including two Presi- dents of the United States. The Parsons have be- come 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 1835, at the age of 17 years, and spent the first summer at Lower Ann Arbor, where for a few months he taught school which lie was compelled to abandon from ill health He was one of the large number of men of sterling worth, who came from the l*'.ast 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 proud- est States of the Union. These brave men came to Michigan with nothing to aid them in the con(iuest of the wilderness save courageous hearts and strong and willing hands. They gloriously conquered, how- ever, 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. f I A C^ r .^—^ (iW^M^-y^ 134 <^nD:^UU>>r ANDREW PARSONS "^^H^'i^ ) 1 In the fall of 1835, he explored the (Irand 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 Shia- wasseCounty,then with Clinton County, and an almost unbroken wilderness and constituting one organized township. In 1837 this territory was organized into a county and, at the age of only 19 years, he (An- drew) was elected County Clerk. In 1840, he was elected Register of Deeds, re-elected in 1842, and also in 1844. In 1846, he was elected to the State Senate, was appointed Prosecuting Attorney in 1848, and elected Regent of the University in 1851, and Lieutenant Governor, and became acting Governor, in 1853, 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 accjuantances. He was always true to his trust, and the whole world could not persuade nor drive him to do what he con- ceived to be wrong. When Governor, a most power- ful railroad influence was brought to bear upon him, to induce him to call an e.xtra session of the Legisla- ture. 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 l)eyond measure. Fearing that all tliese influences might fail to induce liim to call tlie e.xtra session, a large sum of money was sent him, and liberal offers ten- dered him if lie would gratify the railroad interest of the State and call tlie extra session, but, immovable, he returned the money and refused to receive any favors, whether from any party who would at- tempt 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 "e.xtraordinary," 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 lionesty of purpose. He at all times sought to perform his duties in strict accordance, with the dictates of his conscience, and the behests ofhisoath." The following eulogium from a politcal op- ponent is just in its conception and creditable to its author: " Gov. Parsons was a politician of the Dem- ocratic 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 ex- ecutive officer firm, constant and reliable." The highest conunendations we can pay the deceased is to give his just record, — that of being an honest man. In the spring of 1854, 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 e.xcitenient pre- v'ailed at this time, occasioned by the settling of Kansas, and the issue thereby brought u]), whether slavery should exist there. For the jnirposeof permit- ting slavery there, the " .Missouri compromise " (which limited slavery to the south of 36° 30') was re- repealed, 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 rejjcal measure were in short called "anti-Nebraska" men. The epithets, "Ne- braska" and "anti-Nebraska," were temporally em- jiloyed to designate the slavery and anti-slavery parties, jiending the desolution of the old Democratic and Whig parties and the organization of the new Democratic and Republican parties of the present. TziC ^ G.. <--[lD>:D(l>->r ^y'CK-r^ GO VEKNORS OF MICHIGAN. ^■^^ V^ '37 "S f ® KlNSLElY ©. BlNOHAM. %\ A V (^ I -«^-2^ ; INSLEY S. lilNGHAM, Governor of Michigan from 1855 to 1859, and United States Senator, was born in '-^'^ CamilUis, Onondaga County, N. v., Dec. 16, 1S08. His father was a farmer, and his own early Hfe was consequently de- voted to agricultural pursuits, but notwithstanding the disadvan- tages related to the accjuisition of knowledge in the life of a farmer he managed to secure a good aca- demic education in his native State and studied law in the office of Gen. James R. Lawrence, now of Syracuse, N. Y. In the spring of 1 833, he married an estimable lady who had recently arrived from Scot- land, and obeying the impulse of a naturally enterprising disposition, he emigrated to Michigan and [jurchased a new farm in company with his brother-in-law, Mr. Robert Worden, in Green Oak, Livingston County. Here, on the border of civilization, buried in the primeval for- est, our late student commenced the arduous ta.sk of preparing a future home, clearing and fencing, put- ting up buildings, etc., at such :i rate that the land SiA^>)«§^" s -■•...-.rlX -^<^D!i: chosen was soon reduced to a high stale of cultivation. Becoming deservedly prominent, Mr. Bingham was elected to the office of Justice of the. Peace and Post- master 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. Rep- resentative 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 " wliich he completely prevented. He was re- elected to Congress in 1S48, 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 1856. 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 1859, Governor Bingham was elected Senator in Congress and took an active part in the stormy cam- paign in the election of Abraham Lincoln. He wit- c Si/ ( o ^ r^..' i > V s ^ •38 KINSLEY S. BINGHAM. -IS nessed the commencement of the civil war while a member of the United States Senate. After a com- paratively short life of remarkable promise and pub- lic activity he was attacked with appoplexy and died suddenly at his residence, in(]reen Oak, Oct. 5, 1861. The most noticable event in Governor Bingham's first term was the completion of the ship canal, at the Falls of Si. Mary. In 1852, ."^ngust 26, an act of Congress was aijproved, granting to the State of Mich- igan seven hundred and fifty thousand acres of land for the purpose of constructing a ship canal between Lakes Huron and Superior. In 1853, tlie Legislature accepted the grant, and provided lor the appointment of commissioners to select the donated lands, and to arrange for building the canal. A company of enter- jtrising 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, ma- chinery, 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, dejjth twelve feet and it has two locks of solid nuisonary. In May, 1855, the work was com- |)leted, 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 as- signed 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 Ui)per Peninsula. There were several educational, charitable and re- formatory institutions inaugurated and opened during Gov. Bingham's administrations. The Michigan .\g- ricultural College owes its establishment to a provision of tlie State Constitution of 1850. Article 13 says, " The Legislature shall, as soon as practicable, pro- vide'for the establishment of an agricultural school." For the purpose of carying into practice this provision, legislation was conniienc-ed in 1S55, and the act re- ipiired that the school should l)e within ten miles of Lansing, and that not more than $[5 an acre should l)e paid for the farm and college grounds. The col- lege was opened to students in May, 1857, the first of existing argricultural colleges in the Unite: of Agriculture, which was created for that purjXJSe. In its essential features, of combining study and labor, and of uniting general and professional studies in its course, the college has remained virtually un- changed 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 me- chanical inventions, another of vegetable products, extensive barns, piggeries, etc., etc., in fine trim for the purposes designed. The farm consists of 676 acres, of whicli 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 accom- modating about 225 students. Attendance in 1875 was 179; total number of graduates for previous year, 121 ; ten professors and teachers are euj ployed. Ex- clusive of the endowment fund ($80,000), the assets of the institution, including grounds, buildings, furni- ture, apparatus, musical instruments, outlying lands, etc., amount to more than $137,000. Hillsdale College was established in 1855 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 comprses 25 acres, beautifully situated on an eminence in the western part of the city of Hillsdale. The large and imjxjs- ing building first erected was nearly destroyed by fire in 1874, 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. So by 80, 48 by 72, 48 by 72, 80 by 60,52 by 72, and they con- tain one-half more room than the original buildmg. The State Reform School. This was established at Lansing in iS55,in the northeastern jwrtionof the city, as the House of Correction for Juvenile Of- fenders, having about it many of the features of a prison. In 1859 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 his- tory. No bolts, bars or guards are employed. The inmates are necessarily kept under the surveillance of officers, but the attempts at escape are much fewer than under the more rigid regime of former days. llii;>j_^ — :: -^i^x- ^ e r <^ \ ^^^^Uf^ ^iH^^ V OSES WISNER. Governor of j^-, Michigan from 1 85 9 to 1861, '^was born in Springport, Cayu- ga Co., N Y., June 3, rSis. ^Sji His early education was only /"''^ what could be obtained at a common school. Agricultural labor and frugality of his parents gave him a physical constitution of unus- ^- ual strength and endurance, which was ever preserved by temperate hab- its. In 1837 he emigrated to Michi- ^ gan and purchased a farm in Lapeer ?V7 County It was new land and he at once set to work to clear it and ijlant W . . . Y crops. He labored diligently at his task for two years, when he gave up the idea of uemg 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 1841 he was admitted to the bar and established himself in his new vocation at the village of Lapeer. While there he was apjipointed by Gov. Woodbridge Prosecuting Attorney for that county, in which capacity he acipiitted himself well and gave promise of that eminence he afterward at- '^ tained in the profession. He remained at Lapeer but I a short time, removing to Pontiac, where he became ^h, a member of a firm and entered fully ajxin the ^ practice. ^ In politics he was like his talented brother, a Whig - of the Henry Clay stamp, but with a decided anti- Ni, slaverj bias. His practice becoming extensive, he (^\S)i^^ took little part in politics until after the election of Mr. Pierce to the Presidency in 1852, 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 ad- vocate he had few equals. When fully aroused by the merits of his subject his eloquence was at once grace- ful and powerful. His fancies supplied the most original, the most [xjinted illustrations, and his logic became a battling giant under whose heavy blows the adversary shrank and withered. Nature had be- stowed 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 1854, 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, 1854, which was the fnsi formal Republican Conven- tion held in the United States. At this meeting the name " Re[)ublican " was adopted as a designation of the new party consisting of Anti-slaver\', Whigs, Liberty men, I'ree Soil Democrats and all others op- l)Osed to tlie extension of slavery and favorable to its expulsion from tlie Territories and the District of Columbia. At this convention Mr. W. was urged to accept the nomination for Attorney General of the A •o • V. r V ■r-cr -^^K<^^; ^ :<$ V 142 MOSES WISNKR. State, but declined. An entire State ticket was nom- inated and at the annual election in November was elected by an average majority of nearly 10,000. 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 slave- holders would have to be overthrown l)efore quiet could be secured to the country. In the Presidential canvass of 1856 he supported the Fremont, or Re- publican, ticket. At the session of the Legislature of 1857 he was a candidate for United States Senator, and as such received a very handsome support. In 1858, he was nominated for Governor of the State by the Repulilican convention that met at De- troit, 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, 1859, to Jan. I, 1861. His first message to the Legislature was an able and statesman-like production, and was read with tisual favor. It showed that he was awake to all the interests of the State and set forth an en- lightened State policy, that had its view of the rapid settlement of our uncultivated lands and the devel- ' ) opment of our immense agricultural and mineral re- sources. It was a document that reflected the highest credit upon the author. His term having expired Jan. i, 1861, he returned to his home in Pontiac, and to the practice of his profession. There were those in the State wlio coiniselled the sending of delegates to the jieace con- ference at Washington, but Mr. VV. was opposed to all such temporizing expedients. His counsel was to send no delegate, but to prepare to figlit. After Congress had met and passed tlie necessary legislation he resolved to take part in the war. In the spring and summer of 1862 he set to work to raise a regiment of infantry, chiefly in Oakland 'c^ County, where he resided. His regiment, the 22d Michigan, was armed and equipped and ready to march in September, a regiment whose solid iiuali- ties were afterwards proven on many a bloody field. >/ Col. W's. connnission liore the date of Sept. 8, 1862. Before parting with his family he made his will. His regiment was sent to Kentucky and cpiartered at Camp Wallace. He had at the breaking out of the war turned his attention tu military studies and be- came 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 disci- pline was rigid. He possessed in an eminent degree the spirit of command, and had he lived he would no doubt have distinguislied himself as a good ofificer. 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 difTerent from the one he had been leading, and his incessant labors, coupled with that impatience which was so natural and so general among the vol- unteers 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 jiand of friendship could bestow was rendered him. In the delirious wanderings of his mind he was dis- ciplining his men and urging tliem to be prepared for an encounter with the enemy, enlarging upon the jus- tice of their cause and the necessity of their crush- ing the Rebellion. But the source of his most poig- nant gnet 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 tlie enemy it woulil cover itself with glory, — a distinction it afterward obtained, but not until Col. W. was no more. The malady baffled all medical treat- ment, 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 i)y the side of the brave Gen. Richardson, who re- ceived his mortal wound at tlie battle of Antietam. Col. ^\^ was no adventurer, although he was doubtless ambitious of military renown and would have striven for it with characteristic energy. He went to tlie war to defend and tq)hold 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, gen- erous and brave, and like thousands of others he sleeps the sleep of the martyr for his country. A ■a' (^ >:niii>^^ — ^^"^^ GO VERNORS OF MtCHIGAN. ■jv'^t- , '■'W;m mUSTIH BLAIR, .a%a|;^^^;*~ USTIN BLAIR, Governor of Michigan from Jan. 2, 1S61, to Jan, 4, 1865, and kown as the War (iovernor, is and illustration of the benifi- =p|y cent influence of republican in- ^sL^^MJ' stitutions, having inherited neith- er fortune nor fame. He was born in a log cabin at Caroline, Tomp- kins Co., N. Y., Feb. 8, 18 18. His ancestors came from Scot- land in the time of George I, and for many generations followed the pursuit of agriculture. His father, George Blair, settled in Tompkins County in 1S09, and felled the trees and erected the first cabin in the county. The last 60 of the four- score years of his life were spent on that spot. He married Rhoda Beackman, who now sleeps with him in tiie 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 firm. He then spent a year and a half in Cazenovia Seminary pre- paring for college ; entered Hamilton College, in Clinton, prosecuted his studies until the middle of the junior year, when, attracted by the fame of I )r. Nott, he changed to Union College, from which he graduated in the class of 1839. Upon leaving col- lege Mr. Blair read law two years in the office of Sweet & Davis, Oswego, N. Y., and was admitted to practice in 1841, 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 Reinesenlative to the Legislature in 1845, at which session, as a member of the Judiciary Committee, he rendered valuable service in the revision of the gen- eral statutes ; also made an able sup[)ort in favor of abolishing the color distinction in relation to the elec- tive franchise, and at the same session was active in securing the abolition of capital punishment. In 1848 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 1854, 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 Re- publican administration of 1855, 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 re- elected in 1862, faithfully and honorably discharging the arduous duties of the office during that most mo- V^ n V/ ©5«^l#- :s>^f^ «i_i<^;[|t]>:f1f1i^^:-^ ^^*^^ <«|y . ?> >> j^T r % 1 ■r^r<^nii>:nD>> A USTJN BLAIR. 4^^5(<®\^^ >: s ) ^m mentous and stormy period of the Nation's life. Gov. Blair possessed a dear 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 charac- terized his gubernatorial career. Never perhaps in the history of a nation has a brighter example been laid down, or a greater sacri- fice been made, than that which distinguished Mich- igan during the civil war. All, from the " War Gov- ernor," down to the poorest citizen of the State, were animated with a patriotic ardor at once magnificiently sublime and wisely directed. Very early in 1861 the coming stniggle cast its shadow over the Nation. Governor Blair, in his mes- sage 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 in- terests 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 Govern- ment, we are deeply interested. The people of Mich- igan are loyal to that Government — faithful to its con- stitution 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 glo- rious 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 para- graph being : " I recommend you at an early day to make mani- 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 purix)se. 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 88,111 men during the war. Money, men, clothing and food were freely and abun- dantly 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 Pen- insula 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. (tOv. Blair was elected Representative to the Fortieth Congress, and twice re-elected, to the Forty- first and Forty-second Congress, from the Third Dis- trict of Michigan. WJiile 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, 1868, was a clear and convincing argument. Since his retirement from Con- gress, Mr. Blair has been busily occupied with liis ex- tensive law practice. Mr. Blair married Sarah L. Ford, of Seneca County N. Y., in February, 1849. Tlieir family consists of 4 sons — George H., a law jiartner of A. J. (^lOuld ; 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 1S83, Gov. Blair was nominated for Justice of the Supreme Court of the State by the Republican party, but was defeated. >:ilils>'-^ — ^^^ -f^^^^(^>^ r^^^Tl^^^ M ^aJz. -r<-^llli:<':tlllv>^ >:$ s> V') ^ \ Ct? VERNORS OF MICHIGAN. t49 t I ^ ■-^ ^-tr HENRY H. CRAPO. U7^ ENRY HOWLANI) CRAPO, Governor of Michitran from iii' 1S65 to 1869, was horn May 24, 1804, at Dartinoutli, Bris- tol Co., Mass., and died at Flint, Mich., July 22, 1869. He was the eldest son of Jesse and Phoebe (Rowland) Crapo. His father was of French descent and was very poor, sustaining his ^family by the cultivation of a farnt in Dartmouth township, wliich yielded 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 in- cessant toil for a mere subsistence upon a compara- tively 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 hardshi[)s 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 carry- ing on his studies were exceedingly limited. He sorely feltthe 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 I looks wliich came into his liands, 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 liisrary 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 com- piled cpiite an extensive dictionary in manuscript which is believed to be still in existence. Ever in pursuit of knowledge, he obtained posses- sion 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 him- self for teaching, and took charge of the village school at Dartmouth. When, in the course of time and un- der the pressure of law, a high school was to be opened, he passed a successful examination for its principalship and received the a[)pointment. 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 con- cluding his day's labor of teaching, he traveled on foot to New Bedford, some seven or eight miles, called upon the prei eptor of Friend's .Academy and passed V^ :^' Si r '^^'''" ^^^^ — ^-K?llli::>^-^ M ,''%-'*- > f • ) A ^ -J 'S' HENRY HOWL AND CHaPO. -^'-'^s^"^ T 4) '^ a severe examination. Receiving a certificate that lie was qualified, he walked back to his home the same night, highly elated in being possessed of the acqviirements and requirements of a master of the high school. In 1832, at the age of 28 years, lie left his native town and went to reside at New Bedford, where he followed tiie occupation of land surveyor, and oc- casionally acted as an auctioneer. Soon after becom- ing 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 Cliairman of Council Committee on Education, and as sucli prepared a report uiwn 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 es- tablished, however, soon afterwards. While a resident in New Bedford, he was much interested in horticul- ture, 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 regular contributorto the New England Horticultural Journal, a position he filled as long as he lived in iVIassachusetts. As an indica- tion 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 1869. During his resi- dence in New Bedford, Mr. Crapo was also engaged in the whaling business. A fine banpie built at Dart- inoulh, of which he was part owner, was named the "11. H. Crapo" in com|>liment 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 Secretar)' of the Bedford Commercial Insurance Company in New Piedford; and while an officer of the municipal gov- ernmenthecompiled and published, between the years 1856 and 1845, five numbers of the New liedford Directory, the first work of the kind ever published there. Mr. C. removed to Michigan in 1S56, having been induced to do so by investments made iirincipally in ,- pine lands, first in 1837 and subsequently in 185C. ^' He took up his residence in ihe city of Flint, and en- gaged largely in the manufacture and sale of lumber at Flint, Fentonville, Holly and Detroit, hecoming 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 uniil its consolidation with the Flint eV 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 1864 he received the nomination on the Re|)ublican ticket for Covernor of the State, and was elected by a large majority. He was re-elected in 1866, holding the office two terms, and retiring in Januar)', 1869, having given the greatest satisfaction to all parties. \\'hile 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 in- tense suflerer, yet often while in great pain gave his attention to public matters. A few weeks previous to his death a successful surgical operation was ])er- formed which seemed rapidly to restore him, but he overestimated his strength, and by too much exertion in business matters and State affairs suffered a relapse from which there was no rebound, and he died July .33. 1869. In the earl)- part of his life, Cov. Crapo aftiliated with the ^\'hig party in politics, but became an active member of the Rei»ul)lican party after its organization. He was a memlier of the Christian (sometimes called the Disciples') Church, and took great interest in its welfare and prosperity. Mr. C. married, June 9, 1825, Mary A. Slocum, of Dartmouth. His marriage took jilace soon after he had attained his majority, and before his struggles with fortune had lieen rewarded with any great meas- ure of success. l?ut his wife was a woman of great strength of character and possessed of courage, hope- fulness and devotion, iiualities 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 sec his family, returning on Sunday in order to be ready for school Mondav morning. .\s 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 ])erforming what he regarded as a duty. His wife was none the less consci- entious in her sphere, and with added resjionsibilities and increasing requirements she labored faithfully in the ptrfo-'mance of all her duties. They had ten children, one son and nine daughters. His son, Hon. \\m. W. Crapo, of New Bedford, is now an honored Rejiresentative to Congress from the First f ongressional District of Massachusetts. I I A 1 >:t]i];t>^=-^ — "^"^^ <^ fj^jfi ^W^ ^ c^C^^^^i^C^'-^ GO VKRNORS OF MICHIGAN. ) :- ) % ^ 1 (Si ?i«5i-W-iv^^ — ^«€^^ '^'■t¥^._^ 1& ■•*s=*^ ■^^^^:: T-rdM >: \ih>T "^)\r.aT •; 1 4 /" ^ >: -) ^ '54 HENRY P. BALDWIN. success that has attended his efforts in all relations of life. The same industry and accuracy that dis- tinguished 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 with 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 Legislat- ure. During his administration marked improve- ments were made in the charitable, penal and reforma- tory 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 1873. 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 per- mit a more equitable compensation to State officers and judges. Thelavvof 1869, and prior also, permitting municipalities to vote aid toward the construc- tion of railroads was, in 1870, declared unconstitu- tional by the Supreme Court. Many of the munici- palities 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 T>egislatureto propose the submission to the peojjle a constitutional amendment, authorizing the payment of such bonds as were already in the hands of bona- fide 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 repu- diation of either legal or moral obligations." A spe- cial 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, and as an evidence of the Governor's la- borious and thouglitful care for the financial condition of the State, a series of tables was prepared and sub- mitted by him showing, in detail, estimates of receipts, expenditures and appropriations for the years 1872 to 1878, inclusive. Memorable of Governor B.'s admin- istration were the devastating fires which swept over many portions of the Northwest in the fall of 1871. A large part of the city of Chicago having been re- duced to ashes, Governor B. promptly issued a proc- lamation 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 suf- fering people of Michigan. The contributions for these objects were prompt and most liberal, more than |!7 00,000 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 grate- ful 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 pas- senger on tlic Steamer Arill, which was captured and bonded in the Carribean Sea, in December, 1862, by Capt. Semnies, and wrote a full and interesting ac- count 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 adminis- tration 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 i)ractical capacity, Henr)' P. Baldwin has shown himself to be the peer of any or all of them. The State has been un- usually 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." ^: t (^> ^f>)f§«#' <-^ii!1:^:di1v> z. e|l:?*5^r»- I 1 GOVERNORS OF MICHIGAN. ■57 ®) ^ ) 1 ^ -^ c-1 JOIIM J, IBA©1 ■ ^4^ i • it DHN JUDSON BAGLEY, , . v/ovcrnor of Michiiran from i^iS . ty '^^7 3 'o '■''77' "''1* '^o""" '" 4 Medina, Orleans Co., N. V., [illy 24, 1S32. His father, John IJagley, was a native of New fLimpsliire, his motlier, Mary M. liagley, of Connecticut. He at- tended the district school of Lock- port, N. Y., until he was eight years old, at which time his father moved to Constantinc, Mich., and he at- tended 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 ^\'est. His father being in very i)Oor circum- •[I 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 Constan- tine as clerk. His father then re- moved toOwosso, Micli.,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. Li 1 85 3, he began business for himself in the man- ufacturing of tobacco. His establishment has become vb J A ( one of the largest of the kind in the West. Mr. B. has also been greatly interested in other manufactur- ing enterprises, as well as in mining, banking and in- surance corixjrations. He was President of the Detroit Safe Company for several years. He was one ( J of the organizers of the Michigan Mutual Life Insur- ance Company of Detroit, and was its President from 1867 to 1872. He was a director of the Amer- ican National Bank for many years, and a stock- holder 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 1865 he was appointed by (Gover- nor CrajjO one of the first commissioners of the Metropolitian police force of the city of Detroit, serv- ing six years. In November, 1872, he was elected Governor of Michigan, and two years later was re- elected to the same office, retiring in January, 1877. 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 itmay come, but was not bound by any religious creed or formula. He held in respect all religious opinions, believing that no one can be injured by a firm adherence to a faith or de- nomination. He was married at Dubuciue, Iowa, Jan. i 16, 1855, to Frances E. Newberry, daughter of Rev. ^^ Samuel Newberry, a pioneer missionary of Michigan, rf- who took an active ])art in the early educational mat- x^ ters of the State and in the establishment of its ex- @\ cellent system of education. It was principally -^ n TasC^^s: ^^^^?IlIl>:Dn^•>r -4^^5C(®VM: /0//JV J. BAGLEY. f 5$ ^ through his exertions that the State University was founded. Mr. B.'s family consists of seven children. As Governor his administration was charac- terized by several important features, chief among which were his efforts to improve and make popular the educational agencies of the State by increasing the faculty of the University for more thorough in- struction in technical studies,by strengthening the hold of the Agricultural College uiion 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 estab- lishing of the system of dealing with juvenile offend- ers through county agents, which has proved of great good in turning the young back from crime and plac- ing the State in the attitude of a moral agent ; in se- curing for the militia the first time in the history of Michigan a systematized organization upon a service- able 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 jiroved 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 adminis- tration. 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 rep- resents his employer, and as the Executive of the State he was her "attorney in fact." And his intelli- gent, thoughtful care will long continue the pride of the peojjle he so much loved. He was ambitious — ambitious for place and power, as every noble mind is ambitious, because these give opportunity. How- ever strong the mind and powerful the will, if tliere be no ambition, life is a failure. He was not blind to the fact that the more we have the more is reciuired 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, lie 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, busi- ness-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. Liter- ally, to him it was " more blessed to give than to receive." His greatest enjoyment was in witnessing the com- fort and happiness of others. Not a tithe of his char- ities were known to his most intimate friends, or even to his family. Many a needy one has been the recipi- ent of aid at an opportune moment, who never knew the hand that gave. At one time a friend had witnessed his ready re- sponse 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 1 have this." This expressed his idea of charity, that the giving should al all times be free and spontaneous. During his leasure hours from early life, and espe- cially during the last fevv years, he devoted nuich time to becoming acquainted with the best authors. Biog- rajihy was his delight; the last he read was the "Life and ^\'olk of John Adams," in ten volumes. , h\ 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 coirtnined. 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 w.as 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." V ' v/ ^ S;i^3,.»-. .J^ ■A<-ii a >: B^>^ — 25,^3>n. I &''^i^yi) V <:^I1D>:I1D^> GO VERNORS OF MICHIGAN. ^) i?*a.. CHARLES M. CROSWELL. !ga» .sj2,~k.s>«®i-S^Z'2^!ra\» gd"!,?!. HARLES M. CROSWELL, ,. Governor of Michigan from 1,^' Jan. 3, I1S77 to Jan. i, 1881, jj//i3 was born at Newburg, Orange County, N. Y., C)ct. 31, 1825. He is the only son of John and Sallie (Hicks) Croswell. His 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 Knicker- bocker descent. The Croswell family may be found connected with prominent events, in New York and Connecticut, in the early exis- tence of the Republic. Harry Cros- well, during the administration of President Jefferson, published a pa- per called the Balance, and was prosecuted for libeling the President under the obnoxious Sedition Law. He was defended by the celebrated Alexander Hamilton, and the decis- ion of 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 fam- ous 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 preced- ing 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 1S37, emigrated with him to Adrain, Michigan. At sixteen years of age, he commenced to learn the car- penter's trade, and worked at it very diligently for four years, maintaining himself, and devoting his spare time to reading and tlie accpiirement of knowledge. In 1846, he began the study of law, and was ap- pointed 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 1852. In 1854, he took part in the first movements for tlie formation of the -ReiJublican party, and was a member and Secretary of the convetion held at Jack- son in that year, which put in the field the first Re- publican State ticket in Michigan. In 1855, he formed a law partnership with the present Chief-Jus- tice 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 rei)resent Lenawee County in the State Senate. He was re-elected to the Senate in 1864, and again in 1866, during each term filling the jxisi- tions above mentioned. Among various reports made by him, one adverse to the rc-establishment of the death penalty, and another against a proposition to pay tlie 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 aholishmcnt of slavery, it being the first amendment to the instrument ratified by Michigan. In 1863, from his seat in the State Senate, he de- livered an elaborate speech in favor of the Proclama- Vii/ A PfVS^«^i#- ^'^^ --^^DIlr>^ .^' -«v§> CHARLES M. CROSWELL. ^4^<^^(<5^' ^ tion of Emancipation issued by President Lincoln, fk\ and of his general policy in the prosecution of the ■ '},. war. This, at the request of his Republican associ- I ates, was afterwards puljlished. In 1867, he was i<^ 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 pop- ular vote, it was always conceded tliat the constitu- tion they proposed had been prepared with great care and skill. In 1868, Mr. Croswell was chosen an Elector on the Republican Presidential ticket; in 1872, 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, na and the fairness of his rulings were freely and form- •^ ally acknowledged by his associates ; and he was pre- sented with a superb collection of their portraits handsomely framed. He was, also, for several years. Secretary of the State Board for the general supervis- ion of the charitable and i)enal institutions of Michi- gan ; in wliich position, his propositions for the amel- ioration of the condition of the unfortunate, and the reformation of the criminal classes, signalize the be- nevolence of his nature, and the practical character of his mind. In 1876, the general voice of the Republicans of the State indicted Mr. Croswell as their choice for (lOve/nor; 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 wliich he had been nominated, by a very large majority over all opiX)sing candidates. His inaugural message was received with general favor; and his career as Governor was marked with the same (pialitics of head and heart that have ever distinguished him, both as a citizen and statesman. V Governor Groswell has always prepared his ad- dresses with care ; and, as his diction is terse, clear, and strong, without excess of ornament, and his de- liver)' 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 for years 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, 1S69, 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 suc- cessful and useful. In February, 1852, he was mar- ried to a daughter of Morton Eddy, Lucy M. Eddy, a lady of many amiable and sunny qualities. She suddenly died, March 19, 1868, leaving two daugh- ters and a son. Governor Croswell is not a member of any religious body, but generally attends the Pres- byterian Church. He pursues the profession of law, but of late has been occupied mainly in the care of liis own interests, and the ipiiet duties of advice in business difficulties, for which liis unfailing pru- dence and sound judgment eminently fit him. Gov- ernor Croswell is truly [lOpular, 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 keei) within tlie limit of ap- propriations; laws enacted to provide more effectually for the punishment of corruption and bribrery in elec- tions; 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 pre- side 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. (> A i. ^ ^ y^ JL <^D!l>:iitli> ^..j^ T :DD>:>v t^ y-^ > 0^% V > ^ GO VERNORS OF MfCHIGAN. DAVID H. JEROME, Gover- ft'jjiior of from Jan. i, i88i, to Jan. I, 1883, was born at De- troit, iMich., Nov. 17, 1829. 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 off- 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 ster- ling 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 acijuisition of tlie funda- mental 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 fb assist his widowed mother. The heavy labor of the farm was carried on by his two I ( ^ A 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 attend- ing there he lived with Marcus H. Miles, now de- ceased, doing chores for his board, and the following winter performed the same service for James Ogdeu, also deceased. The next summer Mrs. Jerome moved into the village of St. Clair, for the purpose of continuing her son in school. AVhilc attending said academy one of his associate students was Sena- tor Thomas W. Palmer, of Detroit, a rival candidate before the gubernatorial convention in 1880. He completed his education in the fall of his i6th year, and the following winter assisted his brother Timothy m hauling logs in the pine woods. The next summer he rafted logs down the St. Clair River to Algonac. In iS47,M. II. Miles being Clerk in St. Clair ('oun- ty, 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 1 849- '50, he abandoned office work, and for the proper development of his physical system spent several months hauling logs. In the spring of 1S50, his brother "Tiff" and himself chartered the steamer (^ "Chautauqua," and "Young Dave" became her mas- ^ ter. A portion of the season the boat was engaged « in the passenger and freight traffic between Port ^/ Huron and Detroit, but during the Letter i)art 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 ^>^-^. -^^|]P:<^:nili>^ .:s^f^— 4ig^>3fv^f^" V > ^ 1 66 C ^ f vessels could carry only about 10,000 bushels of grain. Mr. Jerome conceived the idea of towing vessels .'Vs from one lake to the other, and put his plan into j 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 sum- mer'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 185 I, he was clerk and acting master of the steamers "Franklin Moore" and "Ruby," plying be- tween Detroit and Port Huron and Goderich. The following year he was clerk of the jjropeller "Prince- ton," running between Detroit and Buffalo. In January, 1853, Mr. Jerome went to California, by way of the Isthmus, and enjoyed extraordinary success in selling goods in a new place of his selec- tion, among the mountains near Marysville He re- mained 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 tlie fall of 1853, and in December sailed from San Francisco for New York, arriving at his home in St. Clair C'ounty, about a year after his departure. During his absence his brother "Tiff" had located at Saginaw, and in 1854 Mr. Jerome joined him in his lumber operations in the valley. In 1855 the brothers Ixsught Black- mer & Eaton's hardware and general supply stores, al Saginaw, and David H. assumed the management of the business. From 1855 to 1873 he was also ex- tensively 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 1 ward was largely Democratic, but Mr. Jerome was .•■f elected by a handsome majority. When the Repub- lican 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 coni- >w missioned by Gov. Austin Blair to raise one of the m DA VI D H. JEROME. -5<€^ %^ -4 % r six regiments apportioned to the State of Michigan, i** Mr. Jerome immediately went to work and held ;{ meetings at various points. The zeal and enthusiasm «v' displayed by this advocate of the Union awakened a I feeling of patriotic interest in the breasts of many vi* 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 bril- liant 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 op- ponent. The contest was very exciting, and resulted in tlie triumphant election of Mr. Jerome. He was twice renominated and elected both times by in- creased majorities, defeating George Lord, of Bay City, and Dr. Chesenian, of Gratiot County. On tak- ing his seat in the Senate, he was appointed Chair- man of the Committee on State Affairs, and was ac- tive 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 1865 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 prei)are a new State Constitution, and was Chairman of the Committee on Finance. In 1875, Mr. Jerome was appointed a memberof the Board of Indian Commissioners. In I876 he was Chairman of a commission to visit Chief Joseph, the Nez Perce Indian, to arrange an amicable settlement V 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 Repujjlican State Convention, convened al Jackson in August, 1880, Mr. Jerome was placed in the field for nomination, and on the 5th day of the montii received the highest honor the convention could confer on any one. His opiX)nent was Freder- ick M. Holloway, of Hillsdale County, who was sup- iwrted 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 D:ivj(l H. Jerome had l)een selected by the voters of the Wolverine State to occuijy the highest position within their glfl. A V sy ^ .' n i ^€S^ ■^<^Dli>:tlli;>V5 — ^^^^^ ^^^^^^J^^ t^^> m v:>r GOVF.RXORS OF MfCIflGAN 169 0^ mmm w, ^mmM ^^^E5£5££EliS5^^S S; t • >• V *^* V I ^ X m OSIAH W. liEGOLE, the present (1883), ("rovernor of Michigan w;is born in Living- ston, County, N. Y., Jan. 20, 1815. His ancestors were of French descent, and settled at an early period in the State of Maiyland. His grandfather, Capt. Bolles, of that State, was an offi- cer in the American army during u__ the war of tiie Revolution. About the beginning of the present cent- ury both his grandparents, having become dissatisfied with the insti- tution of slavery, although slave- holders themselves, emigrated to Livingston County, N. Y., then J a new country, taking with them a ' P number of their former slaves, who volunteered to accompany them. S^ His father was an officer in the g]|) American army, and served during the war of 181 2. Mr. 15. received his early education in a log sciiool- house, and subsequently attended the Temple Hill .\cademy, at Geneseo, N. Y. Being the eldest of a family of ten children, whose parents were in moder- ate though comfortable circumstances, he was early . taught habits of industry, and when 2 r years of age, being ambitious to better his condition in life, he re- solved to seek his fortune in the far West, as it was then called. In August, 1S36, he left the parental roof to seek a home in the Territory of Miciiigau tlien an almost unliroken 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 1S39 he married Miss Harriet A. Miles. The marriage jiroved a most fortunate one, and to the faithful wife of his youth, who lives to en- joy with him the comforts of an honestly earned com- petence, Mr. Begole ascribes largely his success in life. Immediately after his marriage he commenced work on an unimjjroved farm, where, by his perse- verance and energy, lie 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. liegole being an anti-slavery man, became a member of the Republican party at its organization. He served his townsmen in various offices, and was t in 1856, elected County Treasurer, which office he lield for eight years. At the breaking out of tlie 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 .\tlanta, Ga., by a Confed- rate bullet, in 1S64, was the greatest sorrow of his life. When a few years later he was a member in Congress A c^: V ( c g^VD)e^ -1^ <^llll>:illls> z. '#t$^. 4m ■:^^^ /OS/All IV. BEGOLE. :j A V s ^ 1 4 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 noniinated by acclama- tion for the office of State Senator, and elected by a large majority. In that body he served on the Com- mittees of Finance and Railroads, and was Chairman of the Committee on the Institute for the Deaf and Dumb and Blind. He took a liberal and public- spirited view of the importance of a new capitol building worthy of the State, and was an active mem- ber of the Committee that drafted the bill for the same He was a delegate to the National Republi- •can Convention held at Philadelphia in 1S72, 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 can- didate for the nomination of member to the 43d Con- gress, in which he was successful, after competing for the nomination with several of the most worthy, able and experienced men in the Sixth Congressional Dis- trict, 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 ap- pointed by that committee to draft the most impor- tant report made by that committee, and ujwn 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 jwlicy 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 Dem- ocratic parties, and was elected by a vote of 154,269, the Republican candidate, Hon. David H. Jerome, 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 jxip- ular. The very best indications of what a man is, is what his own townsmen think of him. We give the fol- lowing extract from the Flint Globe, the leading Re- publican 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 ster- ling 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 pur- pose nobody who knows him entertains a doubt. He is incapable of bearing malice, even against his bit- terest ix)litical 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 signif- icant of a man's- character than words. There are many scores of men 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 Demo- crats 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 1881 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 quarrehng over the distribution of funds, Mr. Begole wrote to an agent in the "[burnt 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. »^ /^ V ^^f^^ ■^^^n!i>:Dtir:>^ ■^^^r- 9). r J ^^-T<^iin;^iinr->v ^ A V -S *''%i^^ ir/fS^\,i^€^ ^^ ^%i>a^^S^lf^ ■3^ X X'\""V''^ar '-■# ^- ^^-^— ■ ■ ^ll ^ 9 micr)iDj\D. I (F 1 >S!!qg^)K_ <^ ^ < >[1 >: nn^>^--=" — ^tk^:^ I Af^ %p:^ — e'-^'illD>:DI]^>T^- 2^^c^ t ) > A ; 4 il^HA (.)1 -^^-2<^IlD?i^:DD;> -i^^^^jKi- 4^^^*fiLAm, 5) TV <^DD>:DOr.>r -^^^isr f.-i'^'S!* ^ K^ ) /> -^ -^<' ,&^^^' a-. V ^^\^^^^ ^^^^^ i^ ^-DDt*:tinf^ A^u ; A s>: V i I i>)€^^* .''s:: CT V<^:llll^BIly>:-^ I t i ) A >: V '0 c A ^. ? ^ ^^'"# JVEWAYGO COUNTY. 175 V^ M int"roduct:"ory. I ^ S)Egata§i'^'ggi'..' ■' ; i' .•- 1' : i' ; ^' ,1 ■. I ' ,1 1. :, -.h •..'■ -. 'i •. 'r.'i •. '■ •. 'i'. 'I'^.'t^'t^i^i^i^^t'ja' ('^^f^i:-" ;^ ^ A HE strength of the history of . J#;i section of country hes in the biographical recoids of its set- tlers and later residents. The t^ annals of the one class delin- <^ eate its pioneer period ; those of I the other represent its progress J and the status of the generation whose experiences constitute the period closed by the era of its collated records. Newaygo County is fortunate in its day. Its wonderful pioneer era laps on its present period and the regis- Tf^i tration is complete. Many of those mh whose efforts gave the county its earliest impetus may still be seen in its thoroughfares. Many of the characters in the day of its first things are still on the stage and watch with keen-eyed alertness the manipulating of the present, still jealous for the repute of Newaygo, ' and eagerly solicitous for her sub- stantial and permanent progress. The projectors of these records strive to establish but one claim for its biographical integrity. It is pre- pared from the stand-point of no man's prejudice or biased opinion. To demonstrate the exact relation of every individual represented to the generations of the past and present is its full scope in personal record. Succeeding ages sweep away the debris of human errors and perpetuate the real greatness of a com- munity. Character stands out statues.que and events cluster about individuals forming the grandest and truest historical structure of which any age is capable. Only biography can fitly represent the foundation, progress and rcltimainm of local history and portray with perfect justice the precise attitude and relation of men to events and to circumstances. Newaygo County is justly proud of her pioneer record, and, so far as possible, the compilers of the biographical sketches have striven to honor the rep- resentatives of that period as well as those of to-day. Labor and struggle, performed in the light of hope and the earnestness of honest endeavor, established the county on a permanent basis, and is rounding up a period of glorious completeness. Her villages are creditable and her agricultural community is com- posed of the best grades of humanity. In the following sketches but one purpose has been kept in view — to collect floating threads of personal record, through which the enterprise of decades to follow may complete a perfect and continuous his- torical line from the earliest settlement of the county. (> A >:tlll^.>^r^-^ — -Cr^ .c*>. r \ V^J-.j- -:2s€^?2sr <^iid:<|]|1v> "5SSjD^'< ^ A :<^ ) ^^ 1 ^!lll^>-^^^^ ^"^C^^ K^a( yrc/lc.,^..^.o(iz^ n r^ :2»^"t^ ^ fcl^-'" ^ j t *5>:&#S:S**:;:$*$::;$#^::S<»S:gH^::;$#^i?^-gffe#g;g*$;!;$*gig-#s;S^g!^^^ .IPM^CGAlUa iV^ ^pa 179 ♦.€♦^5^ ^-^ ^ > ] I i:iS3l*.»E ILLIAM D. rULLEE, Pros- eciiiing Attorney of Newaygo County, and editor and pro- prietor of the Newaygo Trtl>- iiiii', was born in Chardon, Geauga Co., Ohio, Sept. 3, 1840. He is the third son of Edson and CeUra (Canfield) Fuller. Edson Fuller was a pioneer of Northern Michigan and settled , in Mecosta Co inty in 1859. In that year he established the fir>t general f tore in that county, which was located at Big Rajjids. Of the history of the latter place he is D'l inseparably part and parcel, from the date of his settlement therein and his connection with the found- ation of its pioneer business re- lations. The career of Mr. Fuller was that of the typical early set- tler. He was born at Cazenovia, N. Y., in 1809, attained to the period of his legal freedom in his native State, and, possessed of the spirit which the customs and progress of the Empire State instilled into so many of her sons, he went, in the first flush of his healthful, ambitious manhood, to seek advancement in the then land of promise — Ohio. There, in 1830. he was married to Celira Canfield, and resided until 1845, when he collected together his earthly effects and, accompa- nied by his family, consisting of his wife, four sons and two daughters, proceeded to Grand Rapids, Mich., to avail himself of the resources which have given such splendid results as are manifest in that marvelous city. Until 1855, the career of Mr. F. was one continuous record of successes, and he went to Mishawaka, Ind., wliere his ample means found its Waterloo two years later, when the crisis of the finan- cial world drew his resources into a ruinous vortex. Falling back on the guiding p'inciple of his life, he availed himself of the pioneer privilege of seeking primeval territory where others similarly situated had congregated to wrest success from untested resources. He pursued his mercantile venture some years, and retired to a farm in Green Township in the same county. In 1877, he returned to Big Rapids and, in April, 1879, while on a visit to his son at Des Moines, Iowa, he was seized with fatal illness and died. The record of Celira (Canfield) Fuller is one that verifies the law of natural heritage, and in the careers; of her four sons and surviving daughter her womanly worth and super-eminent intellectual qualities are perpetuated. Her earliest recorded ancestors were Huguenots, a fact which largely accounts for much of her personal annals. Her family name had its origin in the events which characterized the com- mingled history of England and France in the 14th century. A Huguenot family of Normandy, named Dephilo, received from the British crown a grant of land lying contiguous to the river Cam in England. The bestowal was for meritorious services, and such was the appreciation of the honor bestowed with it ^. r. p-^^ji^^^' .■•r^'^^fZl ^rK->D!i:-^:illlr> .3i ^^^ •f^^f i. ^ s/i )«^#" -:^^^ 4«^sr T<-^tin>:iii]v>v ,-«^ , K^-^^^ "W:^ r % i ';<$ :) - ^ ^ 1 80 NEWAYGO COUNTY. that the event was made memorable by abnegation of the old family cognomen, and the compounding of a new one which should perpetuate the memory of the act of the English Government to the remotest gen- eration. Cam and Dephilo became Camphield, and the ortliography remained unchanged until the death of Thomas Camphield, in the i6th century, when the name was spelled Camfield, remaining thus until 1720, when it became Canfield. Matthew Camfield came from England to New Haven, Ct., in 1639. When that province made haste to secure the favor of tlie British Government in the early days of the restored monarchy, the charter which the " scholarly young Winslow, the best and truest man " in all her borders carried to King Charles, bor» the name of " Matthew Camfield " as one of the petitioners for a royal patent. Winthrop's tact and sagacity secured for the colony '' the most liberal and ample " charter ever granted by an English monarch, and upon the people of Connecticut was conferred power to govern tliemselves, and this without ([ualification or restric- tion. Under the provision of this charter "Gold, Sher- man and Camfield"were appointed Judges and vested with power to hold court at Fairfield, opening April I, 1669. Mr. Camfield afterward went with part of his family to Newark, N. J., wliere he died and where his name is perpetuated by numerous descendants. The distinction of his name and position is also marked by the fact that his son Samuel (first) was a member of the General Assembly of Connecticut in 1669. Samuel Camfield (second) was born atNorwalk, Ct., in 1672, and married .\bigail Austin, of Stamford, Ct., Aug. I, 1709. Samuel Camfield (third) was born June 4, 17 10, at New Marlborough, Mass. His estate is yet in the possession of his descendants. Thomas Canfield, son of tlie last named, was born at New Marlborough, and married a lady named Burr. Oliver Canfield, son of Tliomas, married Sally Sherman in 1782, and of this marriage was horn at Tyringham, Mass., July 7, 1810, Celira, the mother of \V. D. Fuller. Her father died when she was in infancy, and lier mother re-married and went to Ciiardon, Geauga Co., Ohio, where she grew to womanhood. She married Edson Fuller, Feb. 4, 1830. Her home in Ohio was with that of the pioneer element, and she had but little technical education, as she had the advantage of but ten weeks of school in her life. But she was ever a student. The profession of medicine afforded deep interest to her alert mental organization and, within her scope, she pursued its practice both in Indiana and at Big Rapids, being signally successful in her efforts to alleviate suffering and baffle disease. She was ever prominent in educational, moral and religious movements. In 1850, '51 and '52 she was in charge of the primary department of the union school at Grand Rapids, Mich, ^he organized the first Sunday-school at Big Rapids, whose sessions were held in the old red school-house. In moral avenues her influence was sensibly felt among the pioneers of the village and vicinity, and extended through the latter years of her life, when Big Rapids had become a city incorporate and her population had increased to thousands. Her religious ideas were in keeping with the sim- plicity and majesty of the Center of the New Testa- ment, and she fashioned them into articles for the press, which were fraught with her own ardor and *;.;■« C, a ^y strength. After the death of her husband she re- > sided with her children. In November, 1S82, she _i7 went to Des Moines to pass the remainder of her ^ life, and during its closing months her intellectual ac- ^ tivity seemed to culminate. She was ever keenly ^ sensitive to any real or implied attack upon the Christian religion and hastened 10 give conscientious and earnest sup[)ort to the principles whose vitality she had proved. The following quotation is from an article from her pen published in reply to one who caviled at some of the methods of public religious worship as misleading and inconsistent with e.\isting facts : Most men have learned something of the Bible, but comparatively few have studied it carefully in or- der to understand its teachings and live according to its requirements. They listen to (juotations from its pages and remember them, but do not know to whom the words were addressed, or the occasion which called them forth. More men have been driven to infidelity by the wrong api)lication of Scripture and the divisions among Christians than by all other forces combined. Many people have very unwisely given over their spiritual interests to the keeping of the clergy. They pay liberally toward building churches and supporting a preacher who is supposed to understand his business; attend church and are very well satisfied with their ])Osition. But there are shrewd thinkers among them, men who thmk inde- pendently, and after listening to the preacher for a time, begin to question his doctrine. They attend church some fine morning and the congregation is -^^Da^DD^^^ •4^t?^^- r ?s^* A t NEWAYGO COUNTY composed of those classed among the best members of society. Much wealth is represented by the wor- shipers. Silks, laces and jewels adorn the persons of the women, proclaiming at least a competency of this world's goods. The minister arises in his place. His dress is faultless — the bluest of broadcloth, with the whitest of shirt-fronts, with studs and cuff but- tons that glitter like diamonds set in gold. This is all very well. We will not question the right of those peoi>le to wear what they please, but we do ques- tion their right to sing, at the request of this richly dressed minister, — •■ Tin but ;i >lr;uij;fr liore, Heaven i.- niy lionie; Eai-th !.•; a desert ihear, Heaven is my home. Danger and sorrow stand Round me, on every hand; Heaven is my fatherland, Heaven is my home." Neither has he a right to say dunng his weak-worded prayer, " We confess that we are strangers and pil- grims on the earth; that we have no continuing city, but seek one to come." Some of his hearers are disgusted and denounce the whole thing as a farce. They say "that preacher don't believe what he says. If he does, why did lie buy that corner lot when he already had a splendid home.'" And so the word of the Lord is dishonored, for these are genuine quo- tations. Let us try and learn about these pilgrims and strangers. Paul, in his letter to the Hebrews, in order to strengthen their faith and encourage them in their afflictions, refers them to the ancient worthies whose deeds of faith were recorded in their own Scriptures. Also to the promise made to Abraham, "In thee and in thy seed (which was Christ) shall all the families of the earth be blessed. " He recounts at some length the names of the men of faith and says " they had trials of cruel mockings and scourg- ing, bonds and imprisonments : they were stoned, sawn asunder, tempted, slain with the sword; they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, desti- tute, afflicted, tormented. They wandered about in deserts and mountains and in dens and caves of the earth. These all died in faith, not receiving the promised inheritance, but believed the promises afar off, were persuaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." No one could object to these men calling themselves pilgrims or strangers. There is one more quotation from Paul often used, not applicable to the people of our day, which he must explain himself He says, I think, " that God has set forth us the Apostles last, as it were appointed unto death. Even unto this present hour we both hunger and thirst, are naked and are buffeted and have no certain dwelling place." Again, in Hebrews, he says, "Let us go forth bearing His reproach, for here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come." 1. If a lawyer should make as many mistakes in ex- plaining the meaning of our human law to a jury as do some ministers in trying to teach the people the way into the kingdom of heaven, they would lose practice; but the people would never say, "We will put the law aside and be a law unto ourselves." Let us all look more carefully into the perfect law of liberty and be not void of understanding. She commenced the preparation of a series of lay sermons for the Newaygo Tribune, the first of which reached its publishers July 9, 1883, and appeared July 25, in the same issue which contained the notice of her death. That event occurred July 12, three days after her communication reached its destination. Her five surviving children watched the closing hours of her life and placed her in her pale sleep by the husband at whose side she walked in wifely dig- nity, in maternal beauty, in Christian consistency, for nearly half a century. In her children her earthly record yet lives ; her sons are all in honorable walks of life, and her daughter, Mrs. Elma L. Hutchinson, of Des Moines, is a physician in regular practice and standing, representing the one characteristic of the mother, as the sons typify the race from which she == sprung in sterling merit, honorable record and inflex- ^ ible courage. Corydon E. Fuller, eldest son, resides at ^ Des Moines, Iowa, and has held his present respons- ^ ible incumbency of Treasurer of the Iowa Loan & Trust Company 12 years. Hon. Ceylon C. Fuller, Judge of the Twenty-seventh Judicial Circuit, is a resident of Big Rapids, Mecosta Co., Mich. Orrin T. Fuller, resident at Des Moines, Iowa, is the Inter- est Clerk in the office of the Iowa Loan & Trust Company. Ellen J. M. Fuller died at Grand Rap- ids, in 1850, aged si.xteen. In her memory, parents, brothers and sister kept youth alive, and the oldest and youngest await the restoration of the household band in its entirety in the realms of perpetual morning. William D. Fuller was a lad of five years when his parents went to Grand Rapids, where he was a pupil in the common schools until he was 16 years old. He went to Indiana with his father's family and returned with them to Michigan. In the reversed fortunes to which they were subjected he never flinched from the hardships which fell on all who were able to bear a burden. He shrunk from no labor, however menial, that promised proportionate remuneration, and in the spring of 1858 went to Big Rapids, then a village containing three houses and a saw-mill. When his father's store was opened I -^xy X -23^S^ •rrv mVMh>Trr- y^^^ -4^^^«®V:^ r. 182 I /Os >: ^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. and the first load of goods delivered a road was cut to convey them to the building where they were placed on sale. Mr. Fuller acted as the teamster, hauling the goods to supply the demand from Grand Rapids, a distance of 65 miles, over roads which were so far from imaginable that they cannot now be brought within the scope of fancy. In the fall and spring nearly a week was required for the trip, and among the well remembered experiences were the lying out nights beside the wagon, unloading goods to make it possible for the horses to draw the remainder up hills, or over mud-holes, etc. The ar- duous labors of those days developed all varieties of human weakness, and the drinking habit was almost universal. Mr. Fuller possessed a rugged Saxon temperament, capable of almost any hard task if managed judiciously, and he performed all his labors without the aid of the stimulus of spirits or tobacco. He had only to recuperate from weariness, and he passed this most laborious period of his life without ^ permanent injury, sustaining the reputation of being one of the most useful members of tlie teaming fra- ternity. In the spring of 1861, he went to Hiram, Ohio, to attend school. The Rebellion of the Southern States aroused the patriotic soul of the immortal Garfield, then at the head of the school, and it was disbanded to aid in the re-establishment of the Union. Mr. Fuller resumed his wonted occupation at Big Rapids. In the winter of 1861-2, he went to Geneva, Ohio, where he took a course of penmanship under the personal instruction of Prof. P. R. Spencer, received his credentials and taught one term in Rochester, Fulton Co., Ind. The calling not proving attractive, he went home and, not long after, came to Newaygo and read law in the office of Col. J. H. Standish. Later on he went back to Big Rapids and entered into a contract to build a State road. Mr. Fuller was married Jan. i, 1863, to Georgiette H., eldest daughter of Col. Standish, and entered soon after into one of the departments of lumbering and " put in " saw logs (about 100,000 feet), banking them on the Muskegon River. He afterward sold the same to Sextus N. Wilcox, whose name is syn- onymous with the lumber trade of Northern Michi- gan. In the spring of 1863, Mr. Fuller engaged in commercial business at Berlin, Ottawa Co., Mich., associated with his youngest brother. The venture proved disastrous and Mr. Fuller retreated in the following December, bearing with him as trophies of his prowess in the undertaking the vouchers for an indebtedness of $1,000, his assets being represented by his wife, one child and a modest collection of personal effects. Mr. Fuller had decided to enroll himself a member of the legal fraternity of Northern Michigan, and re- moved to Newaygo in order to take charge of the office of his father-in-law. Col. Standish, who was winning distinction at the front during the war. He established himself therein and, urged by necessity and press of business, made immediate acquaintance with hard work, reading law and practicing in the justice court. He was entirely without guidance, and at the time the Bar of Newaygo County was in the foremost ranks in point of learning and expe- rience, a fact which, while it added greatly to Mr. Fuller's sense of inexperience and the responsibility of his undertaking, spurred him to effort and quick- ened his apprehension of details, indispensable to his chosen profession and the importance of the du- ties he had undertaken. Retrospection shows that the opportunity was a rare one, and its difficulties fade into nothingness beside its real advantage to the struggling, hard-beset young advocate. Judge Barton was then in his prime. W. T. Howell, an ex- perienced practitioner (afterwards Judge of Arizona), A. H. Giddings, whose name is inseparably connected with the Judiciary of Newaygo County, and E. L. Gray, a lawyer of acknowledged ability as an advo- cate, were prominent contestants in the judicial arena. This array was strengthened by accessions from the forensic talent of Grand Rapids, and to it Mr. Fuller was deeply indebted for much kind con- sideration. A substantial friend appeared in the person of Sullivan Armstrong, of Ashland Town- ship. He was then County Treasurer, the possessor of abundant resources and immoderately fond of checker-playing, in which he loved to indulge in the long summer days at the Brooks House, and the daily dollar wliich he paid to Mr. Fuller to secure the leisure he could afford, was a godsend to that in- dividual, and secured from him a gratitude which has never wavered. On the first of September, 1864, two years before the twenty-fourth recurrence of his birthday, Mr. Fuller was admitted to the Bar of Newaygo County, Hon. F. J. Litllejohn presiding, and proceeded with active practice as an attorney. Among the impor- \A' < A ^ n 3; 'W irs^i "CTT v<:DD^Ii|]>>v rrr NEWAYGO COUNTY. u V 1 tant relations he has sustained as a practitioner, is his connection with the legal affiairs of Sextus N. Wilcox, and the lumber firm of which he was the lead- ing factor. Mr. Fuller had for some years prior to his death been in sole charge of his extensive legal affairs relating to his lumber interests and those of the S. N. Wilcox Lumber Company, and is now at- torney for his estate and the company. In November, 1868, he was elected Prosecuting Attorney of Newaygo County and held the office four years. He served as Supervisor of Brooks Township in 1867, '69-71, and in 187 i, when D. P. Clay commenced his operations to establish a rail- road from Grand Rapids to Newaygo, he interested himself in the enterprise, contributed $1,000 toward its consummation and subscribed another $1,000 to the same end. The terrible realities of the year 1873, which wrought such financial havoc in North- ern Michigan, swept away all the accumulations of his years of labor, and he found himself stranded, losing his home with the rest. In September of that year of disaster, he entered into partnership with Col. Standish, who had established his business at Grand Rapids, and conducted an office there until Sept. 15, 1880, when he re-established himself at Newaygo. On the first of October, 1879, associated with Timothy Edwards, Mr. Fuller assumed control of the Newaygo Tribune. The relation closed Jan. i, 1881, after which the paper was under his sole manage- ment until Oct. I, 1883, when the eldest son of Mr. Fuller, having attained to the age of 18 years, became associate editor and proprietor by gift from his father, the style now being W. D. & E. S. Fuller. The pa- per is devoted in its political affiliations to the inter- ests of the National party, and has a satisfactory subscription list in Newaygo County. Mr. Fuller cast his first Presidential vote for Abra- ham Lincoln, and regards that act as the crowning privilege of his public career. Reclaims adherence to the fundamental principles which the Republican -^ party was created to perpetuate, and clung to its tenets j until the fall of 1878, when he became identified * with the National Greenback party. He was aware that it v/as a forlorn hope, but he fearlessly adopted the principles enunciated in the platform of tlie Chicago Convention of 1880, and has since been their cham- pion. He has been honored by the organization, and at the Michigan State Convention held in September, % 1882, was unanimously elected Chairman of the State Central Committee. In November, 1882, he was elected Prosecuting Attorney of Newaygo County, by a fair majority over the two opposing candidates, carrying the townships of Brooks and Garfield by 160 votes. In January, 1883, he was appointed State Swamp Land Road Commissioner, and in the summer and fall of that year traveled over 3,000 miles in the discharge of the duties pertaining to the office. More than 600 miles of the distance was traveled by team. Mr. Fuller is a temperance man practically and theoretically. He believes in the perpetuity of the Republic from its innate tendencies. The lessons he has learned from the march of events have con- vinced him of the deathless character of truth and the inevitable triumph of right. The family of Mr. Fuller includes five children, born in the following order: Jennie E., Oct. 16, 1863; Earnest S., Sept. 20, 1865; Hettie C, Nov. 19, 1867 ; Alice F., Nov. 4, 1869; John E., Nov. 12, 1872. As a prominent county official and -a representative of the element which distinguishes him by its sup- port, we have the pleasure of presenting the portrait of Mr. Fuller to the citizens of Newaygo County. ^'S^t^m'^'^ ^t /^^^ '^*^ enry M. Blair, farmer, section 35, Sheridan ^■i.; j,.o» Township, was born in Portage Co., Ohio, ^K^ June 17, 1828. His parents, Alfred and Julia (Miller) Blair, were najtives respectively of Mas- sachusetts and New Hampshire, and in early life became residents of the same county where they were married. Mr. Blair grew to manhood in the Buckeye State and at the age of 20 years came to Michigan. He established himself in the grocery and provision trade at Niles and continued to conduct the same until the spring of 185 1, when he returned home to secure o])portunity to complete an invention which had engaged his attention for some time. It was a machine designed to use double circular saws, con- structed for the purpose of sawing staves, heading and other prepared lumber. He succeeded in the accomplishment of his purix)se, and after securing his i)atcnt went to Three Oaks, Mich., where he op- erated with his machine extensively and successfully until the fall of 1855, when he engaged in agricul- ^:linS^DIl>>:- ^-'^ .^-.^^v^ «^ i # ■^' ^ 184 -^^■^ e^^^Dti:^llD^>TH= :2J^s -*f?^Cntracted a pul- monary disease which compelled his return to his farm and, despairing of recovery, he prepared for a journey to California, but changed his intention and came to Newaygo, where he fixed his residence and passed three years in out-door active life engaged as a book canvasser. In 1869 he settled upon a farm in Sheridan Township. It contained 80 acres of land, and he has increased its dimensions to 160 acres, a good proportion of which is under improve- ment. Mr. Blair was married in Berrien County, in 1855, to Statira R., daughter of Gardner K. and Rebecca (Loop) James. The parents were born, lesjiectively, in Rhode Island and New York. Mrs. Blair was born in Clay, Onondaga Co., N. Y., April 5, 1845. When she was six years old her parents located in Oakland County and afterwards in Berrien County. Seven of eight children born to Mr. and Mrs. Blair are living : Alfred H., James C, Alice, Ellen, Frank P., Edwin E. and Merritt W. Julia C, the eldest child, is deceased. ^€^-<^ iloyd Reynolds, farmer, section 7, Good- H|£ well Township, was born in Steuben Co., N. Y., April 2, 1836. His parents, John and Naomi (Cole) Reynolds, were born in the the State of New York. Before marriage his father was engaged as a teacher and preacher: after that event he passed the remaining years of his life as a farmer. Mr. Reynolds came to Michigan with his parents when he was but 16 years old, and located in Cook Co., 111., in 185 1, where he resided until 1856. In that year he came to Muskegon County, where he engaged in lumbering and in the manufacture of shingles. In 1875 ^^ came to Newaygo County and settled in (then) Big Pine Township, where he bought 140 acres of land. He has since purchased 180 acres additional, making his farm aggregate 320 acres, of which he has placed 40 acres under improvement. He is a Democrat in political principle and has held various townshij) and school offices. He was mar- ried in 1857 to Susan, daughter of Silas and Eliza- beth (Roberts) Belden, the former a native of Ohio, the latter of Virginia. Mrs. Reynolds was born June 2, 1839, in the Old Dominion, and is the mother of five children : Jefferson D., Carrie B., Addie M. Oscar Rex and Claude A. .i^ ^m heron C. Schanek, farmer, section i , Bridge- ton Townsliip, was born June 6, 1835, in Livingston Co., N. Y. He is a son of Henry and Rachel (Harriott) Schanek, natives of New Jersey and of Holland-Dutch descent. The father was a saddler by trade, which he followed in his native State some time previous to his removal to the State of New York. The mother died when her son was but a few days old, and he was taken in charge by a family named Robinson, in the town of Springwater, Livingston County, by whom he was reared and educated. His foster-parents removed to Michigan previous to his arrival at man's estate, and he resided with them four years in Richmond Township, Macomb County, un- til the fall of 1856, when he established himself in the business of stave-making in St. Clair County, afterwards removing to Sanilac County, where, and at other points, he continued to conduct the same enter- prise until 1864, when he engaged in rafting on the Mississippi River. He made a brief tour through Canada and afterwards returned to Michigan, where he again engaged in the lumber trade and rafting logs on the Muskegon River, until the summer of 1870, when he made a permanent settlement on the farm whereon he now resides, and which he pur- chased from the United States Government. He has made some improvements, but has devoted him- self chiefly to the river service, pursuing the lumber business. Mr. Schanek was married at Wales, St. Clair County, March 17, i860, to Barbara A., daughter of Richard and Catherine (Blackader) Kilgour. The parents were natives of Scotland, where the daughter was born, Dec. 2, 184 1, in the vicinity of Glasgow. Her parents came to the United States when she was four years old and located on Lake Isrie, afterwards going to New London, Ontario, and thence to Port Sarnia, where they resided three .years and removed to St. Clair Co., Mich. Following is the record of Cs-; V^ A (. t NEWAYGO COUNTY. 185 A> :^ V ) ;< t the children of Mr. and Mrs. Schanck : Amelia A. was born Dec. 12, 1861 ; Mary C, Nov. 8, 1863; William H., Feb. 2, 1866 (died Aug. 30, 1867) ; Or- lando S,, Nov. 4, 1870; Richard C, June 19, 1873; John H., Oct. 2, 1876. The eldest daughter is a popular and successful teacher. The parents are devoted adherents to the doctrines of the Second Ad- vent Church. Mr. Schanck is a Republican and has held the office of Assessor for the School District. 'ames M. Dean, farmer, section 9, Sheridan I,- Township, is a son of Francis and Marga- ret (De Long) Dean, the former a native of Connecticut and the latter of Delaware. He was born in Tompkins Co., N. Y., April 7, 183 r. At the age of 2 1 he left New York and came to Newaygo County, where he has since resided. In the spring of 1879 he purchased 60 acres of partly improved land in Sheridan Township, where he is now living, and has 35 acres under cultivation. He was married in Bridgeton Township, Aug. 5, 1855, to Amanda, daughter of Benjamin and Betsey Whitman, all natives of Vermont. Mr. and Mrs. Dean have had five children, four surviving: Frank E., Alma J., Willard E. and Gertie R. Arthur died when five years old. In politics Mr. Dean is a Nat- ional, and himself and wife are members of the Bap- tist Church. #^ -5— rank W. Barbour, farmer, section 25, Hjin Norwich Township, was born at Pontiac, "'' Oakland Co., Mich., Nov. 20, 1840. He is a son of Theron W. and Abigail (Gates) 7^ Barbour, the former a native of Rutland, Vt., and tTie latter born in Shoreham, Addison Co., Vt. The father came to Michigan in May, 1830, and located at Pontiac, where the family resided for 20 years, then removing to Farmington in the same county. In 1869 they removed to Big Rapids, where the mother died, April 21, 1881. Mr. Barbour obtained his education at the com- mon schools and academy at Novi Plains, attending the latter three years. After leaving school he was variously engaged for a time until he went to study dentistry under the supervision of Dr. J. A. Jackson, with whom he remained one year, going thence to 4*^- ^""^^ ^m Mount Clemens, Macomb Co., Mich., where he re- sided four years. He was then engaged as foreman and general manager of the Detroit & Lansing Plank Road, and after a service of eight years went to operate in the same capacity on the Detroit & Saline Plank Road. There he remained 1 1 years, after which he came to Newaygo County and bought 80 acres of land, all in heavy timber, which he began without delay to improve, and has now a fair propor- tion of his place in good cultivation. Mr. Barbour was married Aug. 29, 1863, to Hattie D., daughter of George and Hannah M. (Bowles) Matthews. Her father was born in Connecticut, April 17, 1799, and died April 20, 187 i ; her mother was born Jan. 8, rSii, and died June 17, 1881. Mrs. Barbour was born in Mason, Ingham County, Dec. II, 1846. Subjoined is the record of the seven children born to the household : Arthur, born Dec. 24, 1865; Maud, March 30, 1866; Frank R., Oct. 12, 1S69; Nellie J., Dec. 28, 1871; Albert W., June 7, 1875; Robert F., Feb. 17, 1879; Stephen S. W., Dec. 15, 1881. Mr. Barbour is brother-in-law of S. S. Wilco.\, hardware merchant at Big Rapids. O. Brown, proprietor of the Forest House, Hesperia, was born in Cortland Co., N. Y., Dec. 9, 1843. His parents, Jesse and Mary m}} (Ostrander) Brown, were natives of New Eng- land, and of German and Welsh English and Irish descent. John was educated in the town of Scott, Cortland County, and when 18 years of age, Aug. 9, 1862, enlisted in Co. D, 157th N. Y. Vol. Inf., under command of W. O. Dunbar, and was confined to the Army of the Potomac, acting as drummer boy. He was afterward transferred to the Department of the South, where he played the cym- bal in the cornet band till the close of the war. During all the engagements in which the regiment was called into action, this band was detailed to the dangerous post of "stretcher bearer." At the battle of Gettysburg he was captured while on duty; was held four days; was re-capturcd by the Union forces and placed in a hospital, wliere he served four months as nurse, and was afterward again placed in the ranks as musician. He was honorably discharged v^ C f^ I I f ^t§" :) A <^ ^ ■;> 1 86 NEWAYGO COUNTY. "5Ht«rv July lo, 1865, and returned to his home in New York. Soon after, he purchased a farm upon vvliich he worked for a time, then sold out and followed the vacation of teaching, in the common schools of his county. In 1867 he came to Michigan and located in Pontiac, Oakland Co., and commenced to travel as salesman for Seymore Miller, of Cortland Co., N. Y. He was afterward in the employ of a Chicago house for a while, then abandoned that vocation and taught school again, this time in the vicinity of his home in Oakland County. About this time Mr. Brown became acquainted with Miss Dorothy A. Patch, and they were afterward married. Her parents were Anson B. and Emily (Sutherland) Patch, natives of New England, and she was born Oct. 31, 1849, in Macomb Co., Mich. When she was very young her parents moved to Oak- land County, and she remained there until her mar- riage. Mr. Brown then engaged in the sewing-ma- chine business, which he has since followed until February, 1882, when he became owner and proprie- tor of tlie Forest House in Hesperia, this county. Mr. and Mrs. Brown have four children: Ida M., born May 9, 187 i ; Eda B., Oct. 3, 1872 ; Jessie A., Oct. 16, 1874; Newton E., Sept. 9, 1877. In politics Mr. Brown is a Republican. *H|;bram J. Hoag, farmer, section 33, Nor- ^ wich Township, was born near Cape Town, Can., July 13, 1847, and is a son of John H. and Isabella (Spankey) Hoag. The father was a native of England, and the mother of Scotland. They settled in Oxford Co., Can., where the elder Hoag died and where the mother still re- sides with a part of her children. When a boy of ir years he left home and obtained employ as a day laborer on a farm, aftenvard engag- ing to work by the month. He came to Jackson Co., Mich., in 1862, where he followed the same [jursuit. He was there married. May 8, 1872, to Kitty J., daughter of Joseph and Fannie (Walton) Longdon, born in England, Jan. 28, 1847. A year after his marriage he located in Norwich Townshi]), Newaygo County, where he bought 80 acres of land, to which he afterwards added 40 acres more, and of the entire tract 50 acres are under cultivation. In {xjlitical sentiment he is a Republican, and has officiated as Constable; is a member of the Free Methodist Cluirch. The family includes one child — Elizabeth May, born Dec. 24, 1878. ^ ijassius M. Woodard, merchant at Grant Station, Ashland Township, was born n{^ Sept. 21, 1856, near the city of Grand Rapids jlj Kent County. His parents, Amos and Ruth ' ^ (Congdon) Woodard, were early residents of that county, and were there married. They removed with their family to Muskegon County in i860, and engaged in agriculture in Moreland Town- ship. Three years later they returned to Kent County, went again to Muskegon County (Casnovia), and afterwards to Cedar Creek Township in that county. Mr. Woodard obtained a good practical education during the seven years he remained in Cedar Creek Township, and at 18 years of age became a teacher in the common schools of Newaygo, where he labored four years. In 1878 he went to the Commercial College at Valparaiso, Ind., where he completed a full course of study according to the curriculum of the institution. He then went to Grand Rapids, where he embarked in the grocery business. In 1880 he established himself in trade in general merchan- dise in Bridgeton, transferring his interests later to Ashland Center. He made a permanent settlement at Grant Station in October, 1882, where he has since operated prosperously, and is gradually extending his radius of business relations. His stock includes all varieties of merchandise, to meet the local demand, representing a cash value of $5,000, with annual transactions aggregating $1 2,000. In addition he has established a tin shop, the trade therein requiring two assistants. In political sentiment Mr. Woodard is a Republi- can, and has always been active in local politics. He has been Superintendent of the public schools and Justice of the Peace for some time. He is connected wiih the Masonic fraternity at Newaygo and with Lodge No. 362, I. O. O. F., at .Ashland Center. Mr. Woodard was married in Grand Rapids, Sept. 24, 1879, to Mattie, daughter of Calvin and Emily 1 t i 1^^ ii:.>)$>sj^#'»^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. "!2Np(ir''-sr' 187 S f(Woodard) Sutliff. (See sketch.) She was born in Bridgeton, May 6, 1859, and received her education •■#' in her native township. She was an industrious f student, working with a purpose, and at 15 years of (^ of age she commenced teaching, in which profession she proved herself capable, efficient and successful. The household includes two children, born as fol- lows: Claude M., March 20, iSSr, and Dennis E., Aug. 31, 1882. ) A V ^ c. ijj'.eiiry T. Maynard, farmer, section 27, Den- h ver Township, son of John and Lois (Cam- '^^' ber) Maynard, was born Dec. 12, i860. O His parents were natives of Clinton County, f Eng., and after coming to this country lived in I New York two years, where his father was en- gaged as a miller. They then moved to this State and settled in Newaygo County on section 27, being among the first settlers here. After a useful and well-spent life in preparing a home for a large family, they both died, leaving a vast circle of friends ^to mourn their loss. Although a young man, Henry has had all the experiences of a pioneer. He secured a fair educa- tion in the district schools of his township, and the remainder of his time has been spent in cultivating his farm of 80 acres. He is a hard worker, and has inherited the good qualities of his honest parents. In ]X)litics he is an active Republican. illiam Turner, farmer, section 27, Nor- wich Township, was born in Cayuga Co., '^r> N. Y., March 20, 1832. His father, John Tur- ner, was born in New York, and in his native Slate was a "renter." Later in life he moved to Oxford Co., Can., and there engaged a number of years in farming, removing thence to Laporte Co., Ind., to a farm near Valparaiso, Ind., where he spent the remainder of his life. He left a large family of children, wCFh whom the mother, Sy- rena (Smedley) Turner, returned to Canada, where they were reared and contributed to maintaining and holding the household together. Mrs. Turner after- ward married Joseph Smith. The family lived remote from schools and their circumstances prevented the children from ol)taining much education ; but their e.xperience and observa- tion supplied a large degree of this deficiency. Mr. Turner remained at home assisting his mother in her cares until he was 22 years of age. He was then married, Sept. 18, 1858, to Hannah, daughter of Christopher and Jane (Smith) Stockdale, natives of England. Mrs. Turner was born in Lower Canada, Fell. 7, 1830, and of her marriage to Mr. Turner two children were born, as follows: Delilah, Sept. 6, 1862, and Lydia, May 17, 1868. The latter died July 21, 1882. After marriage Mr. Turner continued to labor as a farm hand. He managed a place owned by Homer Ranney and devoted to dairy purposes, and after remaining in his employ eight years he resolved on turning his energies to his own account. He came to Michigan, arriving in the woods of Newaygo County Sept. 9, 1874, and bought 40 acres of land, which he proceeded to improve. He cut the forest trees and destroyed them by fire to obtain a field for a crop, built a log house and has expended years of hard labor in preparing a home for his family. He has now 80 acres of land, with 25 acres improved. ^«HJl-*$s i-feharles N. Alvord, carpenter, builder and Ifjis^ farmer, section 27, Ashland Township, was -5^ born March 5, 1831, in Allegany Co., N. Y. filj His parents, Elias and Cynthia (Price) Alvord, were born in Cortland Co., N. Y., where they were married and resided some years, remov- ing thence to Allegany County. The father of Mr. Alvord was a builder by profession and the son grad- ually acquired the details of the same calling, at which he worked under his father's instructions until he was 23 years old. Soon after he had reached that age he went to McKean Co., Pa., where he was mar- ried, Dec. 25, 1853, to Mary E., daughter of Elister and Margaret (Culp) Hargrave. The father was born in England, the mother in New England. Their re- spective families settled in McKean Co., Pa., where they were married, and the daughter was born, Feb. f K $>: C r $ m)\r> m^^^^fCm 1 88 -7 v^^iiii>:ddv>v ^^4 ^ '<$ 1^ 1 MEWAYGO COUNTY. 14,1832. She received a substantial education and when 17 years old began teaching in tlie common schools of her native county, continuing five years in that employ, when she was married. Mrs. Alvord is a lady of fine intellectual attainments and worthy traits of womanly character. The year following their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Alvord located in Kalamazoo Co., Mich., and after working a year at his trade Mr. A. worked as a farmer in the townships of Prairie Ronde and Texas in that county, until the spring of 1863, when they came to Newaygo village, where Mr. Alvord established a meat-market and grocery, which he continued to con- duct until 1867. He built a sash and door factory, where he carried on an extensive a^id prosperous business, selling out a year later. In September, 1869, he settled on an improved farm, in Ashland Township, containing 80 acres, most of which is now in a state of advanced cultivation. He has recently erected handsome and substantial farm buildings, at an expenditure of $2,000, and his hew residence, just completed, cost about $3,000. He has further im- proved his farm by setting out an orchard of 200 choice varieties of fiuit-trees, and, altogether, has ar- ranged his place and farming interests with good judgment and sound sense. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Alvord, — Chester L., April 4, 1856; James Walter, Jan. 31, 1858; Nancy E., March 24, i860; Everett N., June 23, 1862. Mr. Alvord is a decided adherent to the tenets of the National party, and has held various township and school offices. The famil) attend the M. E. Church. 1 illiam Dickinson, farmer, section 36, Den- opBiaaKajic, ver 'I'ownship, is a son of Philip and fc'^ti^ " Phebe (Hutchinson) Dickinson, natives of Ji' Connecticut and of Welsh-English ancestry. ^^ "■ He was born in Litchfield Co., Conn., ' Nov. 29, i8ig. When he was ten years old his parents moved to Trumbull Co., Ohio, where he worked on a farm for 11 years. He then returned to his native county and married Miss Caroline Hart, after which he engaged for seve^^l years in the manufacture of charcoal. He then returned to Trumbull County and settled on a farm, where his wife subsequently died. His second wife was Miss Sarah Barnes, to whom he was married Nov. 5, 1858 Her parents, Elijah and Diantha (Drake) Barnes, were natives of New York, where they were married and subsequently moved to Fowler, Trumbull Co., Ohio. Mrs. Dickinson was born at the last named place, Oct. 24, 1848. Mr. and Mrs. Dickinson moved to this county in the spring of 1863, settling in Denver Township, where Mr. D. purchased 80 acres of land on section 36. He afterward purchased 120 acres more, and has 60 under improvement. Aug. 23, 1861, Mr. Dickinson enlisted in Co. A, 41st Ohio Inf., and served in the Army of the Cum- berland, commanded by Gens. Buell and Nelson. He was in the battle of Corinth, and came home on leave of absence July 24, 1862. He has] held the office of Highway Commissioner several years, and in politics is a Greenbacker. Their children are : Ida M., born June 8, 1859; George O., Aug. 11, 1863 ; Frank, July 23, 1866; Gertrude, Feb. 14, 1869; Alice, Sept. 4, icS7i; John, Jan. 20, 1873; Willie, Sept. I, 1875 ; Orley, Sept. i, 1877 ; Philip, July 12, 1879; Chester, born Sept. 16, i85o, died June 22, 1876; Willie,, born Sept. 16, 1858, died July 22, 1862; Sherman, born March 14, 1865, died Aug. 13 1866. 9 ^' ii I Cliy illiam Darling, the son of James and Mar- ^^^TTcj£ garet (Misner) Darling, was born in J^p Tompkins Co., N. Y., May 19, 1822. His .^iCn f'ltlier was a native of Scotland and mother of Germany. They came to Americti in an eady day and settled in the State of New York, where they passed the remainder of their lives. William remained at home until about 30 years of age, working on his father's farm. He came to Mich- igan in the fall of 1858, and purchased 160 acres of land, to which he has since added 40 acres of pine land and has about 90 acres in good cultivation where he now resides. He was married in the State of New York, Aug. 31, 1852, to Mary .*.., daughter of Jonathan and Susan Purdun, of F'rench descent. Mr. and Mrs. Darling have had six children, viz. : Alice D., Lafayette, Ddfc A., and William Darling, Jr. ; Mary J. and Dora Ann are deceased. Mr. Darling affiliates with the Republican party. m>^ — ^<^^ ^ •;!« ®) ■s,/^^ ^r|« T2i€^^K — e-v^iiii^nii>>v -TT NEWAYGO COUNTY. ■>ii*€^>ar -^ 191 ^ > A V > 4 I i He held the office of Justice of the Peace, Dayton 'I'ownshiii, whicli position lie resigned after serving two jears. He was a charter menilicr of the Fre- mont Grange, No. 495, 1*. of H. illiam M. Pierson, farmt-r, section 35, Ashland Township, was born July 2, 1828, Wi^^o" '" Steuben Co., N. Y. His parents were ^' Moses L. and Lydia (Fluent) Pierson. The •^'^1^ name represents old English stock which is traced back to the original settlers of the American Continent. The parents emigrated to Portage Co., Ohio, in 1838, and three years later, in the fall of 1841, to De Kalb Co., Ind. Mr. Pierson was a member of his father's house- hold until he was 21 years of age, and obtained all the education possible in a new country, working in the meanwhile on his father's farm. After attaining his majority he pursued the career of a common laborer at various places until he came to Michigan, in the fall of 1852. He came to Casnovia, Muske- gon County, and found employment as a farm assist- ant until 1859, when he became a pioneer settler of Ashland Township, where he was one of the fust to put his shoulder to the wheel of local government. He was present at the first town meeting, and was elected to the post of Constable, but. disliking the situation, he did not qualify. (The spring follow- ing his arrival in Muskegon County he assisted at the organization of the township of Casnovia.) He built the " palace of the pioneer '' on his tract of land and has placed 105 acres under improvement, withcredit- able and suitable farm buildings. He is a typical Michigan farmer, and takes a just pride in what he has accomplished by the united efforts of hands and head, figurative of strength and judgment. He persistently declines office to which he has been re- peatedly elected, and enjoys the esteem and respect of his townsmen for the uprightness and integrity of his daily life and bearing toward his generation. Mr. Pierson enlisted Sept. 9, 1861, in the Second Mich. C"av., Co. E. His regiment was attached to the Western Division under General Halleck, and after some active service Mr. Pierson was discharged on his surgeon's certificate of disability, his papers l)ear- ing date of Feb. 17, 1862. Mr. Pierson was married March 18, 18 — , in Cas- novia Township, to Harriet, daughter of Drayton and Zilpha S. (I^oomis) Moore, natives of New England, of genuine Yankee stock. Mrs. Pierson was born in PortageCo., Ohio, May 7, 1836. Soon afterward her parents went to Medina County, Ohio, and in the autumn of 1844 to De Kalb Co., Ind. She was 17 when her family settled in what is now Mus- kegon Co., Mich., where she was married. Mr. and Mrs. Pierson have eight children, born as follows: Drayton H., Feb. 5, 1856; Louisa C, May 22,1857; Milon C, March 11, 1859; Rachel W., Feb. 26, 1861 ; Lewis B., July 19, 1864; Dennis V., July 14, 1868; William W.,Se|)t. 15, 1872; Julius A., Oct. 6, 1875. The happy family circle is as yet in- tact, the dark-winged destroyer iiaving never cast his gloomy shade over the brightness of paternal and fraternal love and hope; and long may he with hold his blighting visitation. The parents are de- voted adlierents to the United Brethren Ciuircli. Mr. Pierson is an unmistakable Republican. As pioneers eminently worthy the place, we insert in this volume, in connection with this sketch, the portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Pierson. ?Cy|" almon P. Odell was born in Reading, ^If" Hillsdale Co., Mich., May 6, 1846. H'e Vj, ^ * lived at home most of the time until 20 'it^ years of age, attending school until 17 years old, then working at carpentering. In the 1 spring of 1863 he first came to Newaygo County, remaining only a short time, then returned to Hillsdale County. In the fall of 1864 he enlisted in the 30th Mich. Inf , served nearly six months and received an iwnorable discharge at Jackson, Mich., June 17, 1865. This regiment was raised for Stale duty, and, although mustered into the U. S. service, was not called into the field. He again came to Newaygo County in the spring of 1867, and purchased 40 acres of wild land in Sheridan Township. He built a board house and cleared only a portion of the land, when he sold his i)roperty to the Railroad Com- pany and moved into the village of Fremont, engag- ing in business with his brother, J. R. Odell, dealer in drugs and groceries. He afterward took the stock v^ A ^ X ^^^a— ■^'^^ — 'M^^n 3 :^: m^^y^^ ^^-v^- ^m )$f^#*-- i ^ ^ > s 192 -^r-7<:llI]>:ilDv>;— NEWAYGO COUNTY. ^^m\^: of groceries, and for a short time carried on the bus- iness alone. He then sold out his stock, and after a short service with the Chicago & West Michigan Railroad Company, entered the employ of his brother, where he still continues. Mr. Odell was married in what was then Sherman Township., but now Garfield, at the residence of, and by, Benjamin Alton, Esij., to Adelaide M., daughter of Elijah and Fidelia Fox, a native of Trumbull Co. Ohio. They have one child, Maurice, born June 9, 1871. Mr. Odell has held the office of Township Clerk one year, and Deputy Marshal about three terms. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., and has passed the chairs ; he is also a member of Henry Dobson Post, G. A. R., and the Order of Chosen Friends. In politics he is neutral. ^3^ Ji—A. T~r J^Jl. T~T ES- , '(• «ll^ iiiiam A. Anderson, farmer and miller. •?ls^5wJ? section 36, Denver Township, is a son of Vi^^P James F. and Catherine (Forbes) Anderson, natives of Ontario, Can., and was born Dec. t2, '40, in Wellington County, in that dominion. He was educated in the select schools of his na- tive county, and during the summer seasons worked on his father's farm, principally, until 20 years of age, when he entered the employ of Dr. C. Beadle, of St. Catherines, as retail agent, serving six months, then as collector for the same firm, in the nursery business, until 1863. His travel was extended over various portions of the Province. Mr. Anderson then came to this county and set- tled in Denver Township, where he was very extens- ively engaged in lumbering, disposing of many thousand feet of Uimber annually, until 1878, when he turned his attention to farming. He has 80 acres of fine land, of which 40 arc improved. Dec. 25, 1864, he was married in Denver village, to Mrs. Pliebe (Stone) Barnhard, daughter of Aaron and Amanda (Dickson) Stone, natives of Connecticut. She was born in Litchfield County, Sept. 10, 1840. When she was 13 years old her parents moved to De Kalb Co., Ind., and lived three years, thence to this State, locating in Denver Township, where she lived until lier marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson have had six children: Delos G., born Feb. 10, 1867; Carrie, Feb. 19, 1869; Nellie, Nov. 15, 1872; Addie, Jan. 3, 1874; Willie B., born March 12, 1878, died Nov. 16, 1881 ; Albert G., June 22, 1880. Mrs. A. had one child by a former marriage : Ocelia, born Aug. 19, 1 860, and died April 3, 1863. Mr. .Ander- son is a member of the Masonic Lodge, No. 180, Fremont, and is devoted to the Republican party. .dwin J. Eanney, farmer, section 26, Nor- wich Township, was born in Rensselaer Co., N. Y., Dec. 11, 1843. He is the son ^^ of Edwin and Eliza C. (Button) Ranney. The father was born in Massachusetts, the mother in Pittstown, N. V., and died in 1868. The former wai a cooper by occupation and came to Michigan in 1854, locatingin Kent County, removing later to Ionia County, where he now resides. Mr. Ranney received a common-school education in Ionia County, where he was reared and bred to the pursuit of agriculture. In 1871 became to Newaygo County, and in the fall of that year homesteaded 80 acres of land. In politics he is a Republican and has held the offices of Township Clerk, Township Treasurer and Road Commissioner. — {- ^-# -5— iKfauonzo Sweet, saddler, Dayton Township, U^^^g was born in Walpole, Haldimand Co.,Can., Ss^ Oct. 28, 1853. His father, Alonzo Sweet, was l^r a native of the State of New York, and died ' in 1869, in Canada. His mother, Sophia (Sil- verthorne) Sweet, was born in Canada, and died in Dayton, this county, March 2, 1878. At the age of 17 Alonzo left home and was apprenticed to learn the saddler's trade, where he served three years. He tlien worked at his trade nearly two years, when he, in company with his iirother, opened a store and commenced business for themselves. At the end of two years he sold out his interest, and in the spring of 1876 came to this county and settled in Fremont. He purchased a shop, which he removed to its pres- ent location and which he now occupies and carries % ^^- -^i^^^K- ■v /> ^ n' V > ^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. ■-♦s-^ ^ 193 ^ on the leading business, in his line, of the town of Fremont. Mr. Sweet was married in Muskegon, Mich., April 14, 1879, to Julia A., daughter of Andrew and Ann Stone, natives of France and Ireland, respectively, who was a native of Canada, and lived at home until her marriage. They have one child, Blanche, born Dec. 14, 1882. Mr. Sweet has held the office of Justice of the Peace two years in Dayton Township, is a member of the I. O. O. F., and in politics is a Republican. ||jf?ezekiah Turner, farmer, section 27, Nor- wich Township, was born in Cayuga Co., N. Y., Feb. 25, 1830. His parents, John and Syrena (Smedley) Turner, were natives of New York. The father died leaving a large family of children dependent on their own and their mother's exertions for a livelihood; consequently Mr. T. grew to manhood with but few educational advan- tages save such as acquired by necessity and observa- tion, a kind that fits a man to do noble pioneer ser- vice, and fill as honorable a position in the world as though he were trained under more favorable influ- ences. Mr. Turner was married in i860, to Matilda J. Turner, a native of New Brunswick, by whom he has had eight children : Charles W., Syrena E., Octavia E., Alice R., Ida L., Ada B., Lucretia A. and John C. The two latter are deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Turner remained in Canada four years after their marriage, when they moved to Michigan, bought a farm in Ingham County, and devoted themselves to its im- provement. In 1875 they sold it and bought a farm in Newaygo County, containing 80 acres, with 35 acres now improved. (See sketch of William Turner.) K ■' HS^ eorge W. Bartlett, merchant and Post- jj!,y;;^4 master at .•\shland Center, was born Aug. fi^ 12, 1850, in Saline Township, Washtenaw Co., J^ Mich. His parents, Phineas and Mary A. (Roys) Bartlett, were natives of New York, where tkey were married, and shortly after tliat event removed to Michigan. They settled for a time at Bridgewater, Washtenaw County, and re- moved later to Saline. Mr. Bartlett spent the years previous to the age of 18 in obtaining his education and assisting his father. Arriving at that age he became manager of the family homestead and operated in that capacity until the fall of 1876, when he made a transfer to Bridgeton in Newaygo County, and pursued agriculture until the springof 1883. In 1 880 he founded a mercantile bus- iness, which he managed in connection with his farm until the above named date, when he disposed of both and located at Ashland Center, where he estab- lished the business he has since conducted at that point. His stock in trade represents a cash value of about $5,000, and his yearly transactions cover an ap- proximate amount of $9,000. His business is widen- ing in its extent and popularity, and he is increasing his store facilities to accommodate the growing de- mands of his patronage. He was appointed Post- master July I, 1883. Mr. Bartlett was married Jan. i, 187 i, in Alpine, Kent County, to Statira, daughter of Peter S. and Cordelia (Joslin) Smith, natives of the State of New York. Mrs. Bartlett was born in Plainfield, Kent County, Feb. 2. 1848. Her parents removed in her youth to Alpine, where she grew to womanhood and obtained a fair education. Mr. Bartlett is a Repub- lican in political affiliation, and both himself and wife are members of a temperance organization and of the Patrons of Husbandry, located at Ashland Center. Four children have been born to them, as follows: Chades E., March 8, 1872; Maurice, Sept. 15, 1881; Clyde, Oct. 14, 1876 (died March 15, 1880); Arthur, Jan. 16, 1879 (died March 17, 1880). Sfnram Jones was born in the State of New pj|';>r"* York, Jan. i6, 1833. His parents, Sullivan ^ and Phebe (Billings) Jones, were natives of Massachusetts and settled in the State of New York, where the father died in 1880. The mother resides in Tioga County on a farm owned by her son, Hiram. The latter lived at home until 19 years of age, when he went to Pennsylvania and engaged in shingle-making, an occupation he followed for ten years. In the spring of 1863 he came to Ne- waygo. He first worked for a man by the name of / A v< & r TT v<-?DD^DIlf^:^ A :<$ V ) J?? ^ ^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. ^_ Blake, and was afterward employed by the Newaygo Lumber ("ompiny, remaining with them seven years. _.' He then engaged in business for himself, speculating in lumber, etc., until the fall of 1872, when he came t; to Fremont and engaged in lumbering and farming. He bought 320 acres of partly improved land, 220 acres being located in Sheridan Township. He then engaged in the manufacture of broom-handles and cant-hooks, and is still following that occupation. He is general real-estate agent for the Empire Com- pany of Muskegon. In 1883 Mr. Jones formed a partnership with J H. Keith, under the firm name of J. H. Keith & Co in the wine and lii[uor business in the village of Fremont. He was married in Grand Rapids, Aug. 19, 1873, to Mrs. Ann (Cotely) Valiet, a native of New York. He has held the office of Village Coun- cilman two years ; has often been urged to accept different offices, but invariably declines. In politics, he is a Democrat. -^-•<-^-4^>#>^>" ilESfflirni J. Jakeway, superintendent of yards H^^^ and lumber at Hungerford, was born Dec. ^Jij^M 15, 1842, in Herkimer Co., N. Y., and is the "^gr son of James and Catherine (Werrels) Jake- .■' way, who were also natives of the Empire State, and who inoved to Michigan in 1852. The former is deceased. Mr. Jakeway was approaching manhood when the civil war broke out and, Aug. g, 1862, he enlisted in the 25th Mich. Vol. Inf., serving in defense of the Union until January, 1865. He was in the battles at Perryville, Ky., Bowling (Ireen and Knoxville. At the latter place he was captured and finally sent to the stockade prison at Andersonville, where his experiences, though the same in detail with thousands of others, are no less replete with horror and suffering. On receiving his discharge he came to Michigan and engaged in lumbering in the employ of Messrs. Hood & Gale, of Big Rapids, in 1867, with whom he remained five years. He then entered the service of Messrs. Blodgett & Brumon, where he operated in a similar capacity eight years. He came to Hunger- ford Sept. 14, 1882, and assumed the dvities ptrtain- ing to his present (wsition. Mr. Jakeway was married in Kent County, in 1867, to Bridget Burke, who was born in 1847, in Canada. Her parents were Michael and Ellen (Dorey) Burke. Mr. Jakeway 's family includes seven children : Mag- gie, Katie, Alice, Nellie M., Mary E., Lena L. and James R. homas T. Woods, furniture dealer, Fre- mont, was born in Mercer Co., Pa., Oct. 26, 1842. His parents were narives of Penn- sylvania, and of English and Irish ancestry; the father died in Pennsylvania in 1857, and the mother resides in Youngstown, Ohio. Thomas left home when 13 years of age, and for two years was employed on the Ohio River as deck- hand. He then went to Niles, Ohio, where he worked a year and a half, thence to the Oil Regions of Penn- sylvania, remaining three months. He enlisted in the 1 2th Pa. Cav., and served three years. He was in the second battle of Bull Run, Antietam, and Winchester, under Milroy, in 1862. At the place last named he was taken prisoner, June 15, and was confined seven months at Belle Island and Libby prison. At the former place he was very sick and came near losing his life. After being paroled, he was honorably discharged at Washington, D. C, May 24, 1864. .\fter a time he re-enlisted in the 8th Mich. Inf., and served till the close of the war — nine months. He was in the engagement before Petersburg, Va., under Gen. Burnside, .^pril 3, 1865. Upon his return from the army he settled in Detroit, Mich., where he was employed in the car works of that city for nearly two years, and soon after went to Chicago, and worked in a sash and l)lind factory neariy two years. He then returned to Detroit, re- maining two years, and was then employed by the Detroit, Milwaukee & Grand Haven Railroad Com- l)any about nine years in bridge building, having in his employ from 10 to 40 men. In the spring of 1874 Mr. Woods settled in Fre- mont, Newaygo County, and purchased the furniture stock of Benjamin Alton. He still carries on the business, and, with a stock of $2,000, has the leading trade of this kind in the i)lace. During the past nine years he lias lieen largely engaged in building, having erected a large number of llie buildings in Fremont. He was married at Grand Rapids, Mich., ^ V^ A v^: ( .Lik. -^^i]!]:^:tl(lv>^ «4)*®5^f^ I m /NEWAYGO COUNTY. -^4^^Jf Dec. 15, 1873, to Viola C, daughter of Ephraini and Susan (Redfield) Richmond, natives of Xew \ork, where their daughter was born Feb. 8, 1856. Mr. Woods has held the office of Village Marshall one year, was a member of the Council six years. Deputy Sheriff six years, Under-Sheriff two years, and Treas- urer of Sheridan Township eight years. He is a member of the Masonic Order, and practically be- longs to the Greenback party. ^/V^^I-I^S-l/vv-T- ^Imont A. Degroot, M. D., physician and _^ surgeon, resident of Hungerford, was born Sj|j»^ in Owego, Tioga Co., N. Y., June 23, 1832, '"™ and is a son of David and Jane (Farnjiam) ) Degroot, who were also natives of the State of New York; the former died Oct. 21, 1883. Dr. Degroot received a primary common- school ed- ucation, and at 18 years of age began the study of medicine, reading three years witli Dr. J. 15. Druui- niond, of New York. He began the practice of liis profession in Pennsylvania and came to Michigan in the spring of 1865. He discharged the duties of a medical practitioner in Mecosta and Montcalm Counties six years, then went to Southern Michigan and practiced his profession three years in P-aton and Calhoun Counties. He came to Newaygo County in 1S79, and lias since been in successful business at Hungerford. He was married in March, 1850, to Nancy I. Cady, a native of Steuben Co., N. Y. She died leaving four children : David R., Lucy A., Charles \V. and Wal lace G. Dr. Degroot was a second time married in i860, to Lovinia A. Reynolds, who was born in Tioga Co., Pa., in 1830. He owns 80 acres of land in Mecosta, and is health officer of Norwich Town- ship; is a member of the United Brethren Cliurch. yl-t'ohn B. Ketchum, a son of Thaddeus 11. [^g,: and Pheljc I,. (Lawson) Ketchum, natives I-j:?''- ^ Qf Njj^y York, was born in Canada, Nov. 24, 1845. He lived at home, attending school ^r and assisting his father on the farm until 20 years of age, and then opened a resl.niiant, which he operated nearly two years, when he sold |)'Vg>$^- A ( n a<^dd:^pds>a j:^ -'. •) m V I t ;^«^ raC ^ o X ^llD:<>:^(l^^>r PEi^;;? "5s^r ^ 196 NEWAYGO COUNTY. fixtures give manifest evidence to the average ob- server of his industry and sound judgment. His handsome residence is an ornament to his farm and a credit to the township. He is a Republican in po- litical sentiment, and connected with the Masonic Order, Lodge No. 131, at Newaygo, in which body he has officiated as Treasurer two years. Himself and wife are members of the Order of Patrons of Hus- bandry, Lodge No. 545, at Ashland Center. Mr. and Mrs. Blood are the parents of eight children, all of whom survive and were born as follows : Lula L., April 29, 1863 : Alice L., May 5, 1865 ; Irene, Aug. 31, 1868; Jennie, April 27, 1870; Nellie, July 25, 1872; C.Albert, July 25, 1874; \Vilber, Dec. 10 1879; Kittie E., Nov. 17, 1881. I illiam Davis, farmer, section 20, Sherman Township, was born in Tucarawas Co., jpS^'p Ohio, Oct. 3, 1847. He came with his par- Ir^ ents to De Kalb Co., Ind., where he lived imtil the fall of 1880, when became to Neway- go County and settled on 60 acres of land he had previously purchased, in Sherman Township. He has 15 acres under cultivation. He was married in De Kalb Co., Ind., to Martha Rodarmer, a native of Ohio. She was finely educated and taught school 26 terms. Mr. and Mrs. Davis have two children, Nellie and Harry D. Mr. Davis was elected School Inspector in the spring of 1882, and is now an in- cumbent of that office ; is also Treasurer of School District No. 3, Sherman Township. He is a Repub- lican, and his wife is a memljer of the United Breth- ren Church. — ^^^i-i^S'vv J- eorge W. Taite was born in Jefferson Co., jirrngscp: N. V., June 23, 1 83S. His parents, George ^^W. and Jeanette (Kearns) Taite, were natives of Scotland, and came to America about 1833. They first settled in New York, and afterward moved to Wisconsin and remained there as long as they lived. Ceorge was eight years of age when his parents moved to Wisconsin. He lived kegon, Mich., where he was engaged in farming and lumbering until the summer of 1883, when, in com- pany with Henry Orton, he engaged to take charge of the County Poor Farm of Newaygo County. This farm consists of 140 acres, 96 of which are un- der cultivation. In June, 1875. Mr. Taite purchased 60 acres of land in Sherman Township, and culti- vated it until the spring of 1882, when he sold to Byron Waters. He was first married July i, 1866, at Newaygo, to Florence Joslin, daughter of Daniel Joslin, of the same place, and they had one child, George, born April 9, 187 1. He was again married, Feb. 13, 1S83, to Rhoda, daughter of Ansel and Roseltha Steel, the former a native of New York and the latter of Ohio; they settled in Michigan in an early day. For the last 15 years Mr. Taite has been foreman of large lumbering companies, being three years with Kelly, Wood & Co., of Muskegon, five years with O. W. Squires, etc. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. and of the G. A. R. In politics he is a National. June 12, 186 1, he enlisted in the 3d Mich. Inf, and served till October, 1862. He was then discharged on account of disability, having received a gunshot wound in the left hand at the battle of Malvern Hill. He was in the first battle of Bull Run, when, with 160 men, he was detailed as advance skirmisher. He was in the Peninsular campaign with McClellan, at Fair Oaks, siege of Yorktown, Williamsburg and several others. Mi. Taite receives a pension, which he greatly deserves. V^=A=! E>- ^*S4H'?^ m there until the death of his mother, then came to Mus I >.j p^ Scotland. He is a son of Malcom and Mary '■ilaT (McArthur) Campbell, natives of Scotland, 1^' who emigrated to Canada in 1850, and there passed the remainder of their lives. Mr. t'ampbell, Sr., died when Archibald was in early childhood, and he was taken in charge by his uncle, Hugh Campbell, with whom he resided until he had attained the age of 13 years, when he went to live with his brother John. He attended the district schools most of the time until he was 17 years old. He then set himself to carve out his career and wen c o fir (•J r ^ 1 1 rchibald Campbell, merchant, at Lumber- ^^^ ton, was born Aug. i, 1847, in Argyleshire, t €■^''9 -»|^^ ■■^)s/^-)(^t|^ -2>€^J ■t:nr<^Iltl>:tlD>:> V ■^t^'i'-' NEWAYGO COUNTY. 197 first to Buffalo, where he entered the lake service as a sailor. The year following (1865) he came to Michigan and located at Muskegon, where he ob- tained employ as a lumberman. He followed that occupation until the fall of 1882, when, associated with Fred Ganson, he established his present busi- ness, which he is prosecuting with satisfactory results. Mr. Campbell was married at Big Rapids, Mecosta County, May 28, 1874, to Katie, daughter of ThiliiJ and Julia (O'Neil) Haslani, both of whom were na- tives of Ireland. She was born in Hudson, Mich., May 23, 1853. Her mother is deceased and her father resides in Mecosta County. Mr. Campbell is a member of the Masonic Order. V .'■V rlando McNabb, Village Attorney, Fremont, was born in Tuscarawas Co., Ohio, Jan. 20, 1846. His parents, James J. and Eliza (McKine) McNabb, were natives of Ohio, and of Scotch-Irish descent. He attended school >intil 18 years of age, and Feb. 7, 1864, en- listed in Co. A, i5Sth Ind. Reg., serving one year,' and was honorably discharged at Dover, Del., in September, 1865. After his return from the army he commenced the study of medicine with Hector & Hill, of Rochester,- Ind. He continued his studies four years, attending one course of lectures at the Michigan University. In May, 1869, he came to Hesperia, this county, and commenced the practice of his profession. In 1873 he abandoned his pro- fession and went to Chicago, where he gave his at- tention to the study of law until 1876, then went to Peru, Ind., and practiced his profession three years. Jan. 6, i88r, he settled in Fremont, this county, where he has since followed his calling. In the spring of 1883 he was elected Village Attorne)-, which office he now fills. ohn Rooke, son of William and Sarah •" Rooke, natives of England, was born Oct. 28, 1 8 14. His education was limited; was employed eight years in a (louring mill, in his native country ; when 23 years of age he came to America, and worked one year in a flouring s^ mill in Canada ; in the s|iring of 1837 he came to *■> Michigan and was employed four and a half years in a mill in Oakland County, and thirteen years in Crand Rapids. In the summer of 1855 he bought a grist-mill in Denver Township, this county, which he operated until the fall of 1882, and moved his family to Dayton Township, upon 100 acres of land, which he had bought in 1856, at $1.25 an acre. About 50 acres are im|)roved. Mr. Rooke was married in Ada, Kent Co., Mich., Oct. 23, 1854, to Jane M., daughter of Caleb and Maria Wilcox, natives of New York, where Mrs. R. was born, April 23, 1833. The following are the dates of birth and names of their children: Ella I., born Aug. 27, 1855; Mary Jessie, Nov. 4, 1856; William C, July 24, 1858; John I., Feb. 25, i860; Daniel W. L., July 25, 1861 ; Maria J., Jan. i, 1863; Sarah J., March 14, 1864; Clara M., Dec. 4, 1865; Ida M., Nov. 25, 1867; Arthur A., Sept. 4, 1869; Lizzie A., Dec. 6, 1870; Ralph C, June 30, 1872; Almy G., Feb. 27, 1874. All these thirteen children are now living. Mr. R. was formerly an Odd Fellow, in Canada ; has always been a hard-working man, being obliged to work late at night. He commenced with no cap- ital, but by his industry and economy he has gained a competency. He crossed the Atlantic in a sailing vessel, being 43 days on the journey, and suffered much from sea-sickness. In political matters Mr. R. is a Republican. "uiacfl'©^'^— ►/! ►Sf-S^ZIOTtv 5' rf §"\rkoses H. Snyder, farmer, section i8, Sher- ;i tiiksia!'-, idan Township, is a son of George J. and Avj^''^ Mary E. Snyder, natives of New York ,V/r^ and Massachusetts respectively, and was )orn in Oneida Co., N. Y., Nov. 12, 1838. He ived in his native State until 17 years of age, I i^ I then came to Muskegon Co., Mich., and was em- ployed in the woods for three winters. In the fall of 1859 he pre-empted 160 acres of land in Muskegon County, and afterward ascertained that his claim was not valid, as it belonged to the Indians; Mr. S. wa.s therefore a loser to the extent of $100. In the sprint; of 1S60 he came to Newaygo County and bought 83 acres of good land for 50 cents an acre, where he now resides. He has about 60 acres under cultivation, m r ^; ( r %^^M^W^^^' 5<,g3>(K- -4^^^ > 198 TC^llti>:Dll>->T- i ) > > 1 TT NEWAYGO COUNTY. r^sr -^•4'^^fS^''''-' with good buildings. In 1864 he was drafted into the army and paid $.500 for a substitute. Mr. Snyder was married Aug. 10, 1863, by Elder Raskins, a Baptist preacher, to Josephine McGill. They were married in Hesperia, which then consisted of only one building. Mrs. Snyder's parents were John and Sarah Mc ('lill, natives of New York. Mr. and Mrs. Snyder have luui eight children, six of whom are living: Josephine, Enieline M., Sarah E.,Georgi- ana, Frank H. and Waitie (?) A.; two died in infancy. Mr. Snyder was one of the organizers of the town- ship of Cedar Creek, Muskegon County, and held the offlce of Constable in that township one year. He also assisted in the organization of Sheridan Town- ship, and held the office of Justice of the Peace four years, and was a school officer several years. He is a member of Holton Lodge No. 2,050, K. of H., and in politics is a Rei>ul)lican. -» _i_Ju K- *-<^ ^i^S^oseph Whitehead, farmer, section 2, Day- == ,!'^^'f,f ton Townshii), is a son of Aaron and Es- ther (Searies) Whitehead, and was born in \^ Canada East, June 3, 1834. His father was a ir native of New York and his mother of Ver- I) mont. After marriage they fust settled in Can- ada, but afterward moved to Oiiio and thence to Michigan ; they both died in Dayton 'I'ownship. Joseph was three years of age when his i)arents moved to Ohio. After coming to Michigan he made a home for them as long as they lived. He came to Newaygo County in the sjiring of 1858, and (lur- chased 80 acres of wild land in Dayton Township, on section 2. He has since lived on this farm, and now has 50 acres in a good state of cultivation. He was married in Dayton Townshii), Jidy 4, 1861, to Emma J., daughter of Clark and Mary B. Hender- son, natives of New York, where Mrs. W . was born, in 1846. Her father died in Berrien Co., Mich., and her mother makes her home with her children. Mr. and Mrs. Whitehead have had eiglit children, only one, John Albert, surviving. Mr. Whitehead was drafted in tlie f.dl of 1864, and was assigned to the 13th Mich. Inf., and joined his regiment at Chattanooga, Tenn , and was with Sherman in his march to the sea. He was with his command until the army marched to Washington and was discharged in June, 1S65. .\t one time Mr. W. was reported to be among the missing; but it proved to be a mistake. He was very ill while in the army, for three weeks, in consequence of which his health was considerably impaired. Mr. Whitehead has never held an office, although freipiently importuned to do so. In politics he is a Republican. He was the fourth settler in Dayton Township. ? D-^— 5- ^44>!^3k,,io «\tajec©'i@^ ./gl-a/zraaj*' 1 ohn A. Cornet, farmer, section 36, Den- ver Townsliip, son of Robert and Susanna •p " ■■ (Smith) Cornet, natives of Ontario, Can., %h was born in the Township of Hope, Canada, ^r Sept. 19, 1859. His father died when he was \ an infant, and he was left to his own resources at a very eariy age. At the age of eight he engaged on a farm in the neighborhood until the fall of 1877, with the exception of one year that he was engaged in a woolen factory. He then came to this State and located in Whitehall, Muskegon County, where he was engaged in lumbering one year, then came to Fremont and went to lumbering on White River. April 5, 1882, at Hesi)eria, he was married to Miss Laura Miller, daughter of Jacob and Eliza (Zigler) Miller, natives of New York city, who was born Nov. 12, 1862, in Denver Township, where she was reared and educated. After her marriage, herself and hus- band settled upon her father's farm, where they still reside. They have had two children, twins, born April 19, 1883; Frank E. survives; Fanny B. died Aug. 25, 1883. Mr. C. is a member of the Orange- men's Association, of Ontario, Can. In politics he is a Republican. I ^ 1 -^€^*^ ■^7^>II!1:a- haddeus L. Waters was born in New ^ York, June 29, 1835. His parents, Harvey and Sarah (Dunning) Waters, were also natives of New York, where tliey were married ^ and immediately went to Ohio. After living jpj? in that State for nearly 18 years, they moved to (^i Hillsdale Co., Mich., where they passed the re- ^ my>^^ — ^^ ^-^^mj^ -f^< (^^f^^/^^i^^^ m T2i€^^? 6V<^Dt]^lln^>r rr -lai^ 4^^f (Vi (^ ■<) A :«' V s A ^ NEIVAYGO COUNTY. mainder of llieir lives. Thaddcus spent his boy- hood days ill Ohio, attending the common schools of that State, and at the age of i8 years came with his parents to Michigan. He taught school tlie last year he lived in Ohio and for two years after he came to Michigan. In the spring of 18515 he came to Fremont, this county, purchased 40 acres of wild land, and at once commenced to clear it and build a log house. He spent most of his time in locating lands, and nearly all of the old settlers were con- ducted through the vast forest, there being no roads leading to the north and west. Mr. Waters was married in Fremont, this county, May 27, 1855, to Laura J., only daughter of Daniel and Emily A. (.Salisbury) Weaver, the former a native of Massachusetts and the latter of New York. They were married in the latter State and went at once to Michigan, then a Territory, settling in Adri- an. In 1855 they canne to Newaygo County, where Mr. Weaver built the first log house of Fremont, which was used as a hotel, store and postoffice; it was also used as a school-house, and the first couple ever married in Fremont was married in this same log house, the couple being Mr. and Mrs. T. L. Waters. The house was built on the lot nearly op- posite the new brick school-house on Main Street. Mr. Weaver also built the first frame house in the town, wiiicli now stands directly opposite the brick school- house, and the first frame barn, which stood on the spot where the brick school-house now stands. Mrs. Weaver died in Hesperia, this county, Dec. 22, 1879; Mr. Weaver still resides in Hesperia. Mr. and Mrs. Waters have had five children; Al- pha F., born Jan. 20, 1857 ; Theron D., May i, 185 3; Albert J., July 4, i860; Frankie E., Aug. 3, 1868, and Hiram J., March 30, 1878. Mr. Waters enlisted Aug. 15, 1862, in Co. G, 2d Mich. Cav., and served nearly three years. He was in the battle of I'erry- viUe, Ky., Thompson's Station, Tenn., and the battle of Chickamauga. At the last named battle, Sept. 20, 1863, he was taken prisoner, and was retained until the close of the war, being confined at Richmond, Va., two months, Danville, Va., six months, and ten months in that terrible prison at Andersonville, where so many of our brave soldiers were sacrificed; he was in the last sijuad of men that passed out of that dismal den of horrors. He received a bayonet wound in the hip by a rebel guard, while in Danville. He now receives a pension, which he justly deserves. Mr. Waters has been engaged in surveying since 1S67. He surveyed and laid out the town of Hes- peria, this county. He has held the office of Town- ship Clerk three years, and is now Drain Commis- sioner of Sheridan Township. Mr. and Mrs. Waters are members of the Seventh-Day Advent Church. In politics Mr. Waters is a prominent member of the Greenback party. •otacc'®^^ 5?^>f^®^nn;^.i-^. ^^^^ V J 1 ^ -2J^^^a^ — ^^ ^n D >: n Dr >r ":^'-^^ liome for the bride whose promise he had won, and to whose yjrecincts she would soon l)ring the grace and beauty which in his sight was pre-eminent to that of all others of her sex in the world. Hut she was also fair to the angels of God, and shortly before the date ap- pointed for her marriage she was called hence to an undying youth and a life of fadeless promise in the realms of eternal beauty. Ix>yal to the love of his young, hoj^eful manhood, Mr. Hoffman has passed his years in the sacred observance of the vows to which he considers himself bound by the early death of his promised wife, and, after he had reconciled him- self to an occupation of the place which once meant so much to him, he devoted his succeeding years to rendering it beautiful and attractive. He is living in quiet, reserved retirement, hoping for reunion and the fulfillment of his delayed happiness and companion- ship. In political sentiment he is a Republican. The portrait of Mr. Hoffman appears on another page in this volume. i heodore S. Frey, Treasurer of Newaygo County, resident at Newaygo, was born in Crawford Co., Pa., Jan. 26, 1835. He is ason of Simeon and Mary (Lewis) Frey. His father is of German descent, and was born June 15, 1813, on the same farm he now occupies, in Crawford Co., Pa. The mother was born in the same county, of Welsh parentage. At the age of 22, Mr. Frey bought a farm of 50 acres in Ashtabula Co., Ohio, where he resided until 1867, when he removed to Ensley Township, Ne- waygo County, and located on a farm which he had obtained in exchange for the property named. He remained a resident of Ensley until January, 1883, when he was elected County Treasurer. He removed to Newaygo in April, 1883, and bought the residence he now occupies. I Ic was married at Lineville, Pa., .\pvil 2, 1857, to Rachel V., daughter of .Smith and Mary Line, born in Lineville, Aug. 23, 1836. Of their marriage four children have been born : Alton .S., Simeon U'ilber, Mary L. and Flora Adella. At the age of 18 Mr. Frey attended the Allegheny College in Pennsylvania and took a course of theo- logical study. After completing his preparation for the ministry he was ordained at Youngstown, Ohio, and has continued the labors of a preacher, either local or circuit, ever since, in addition to his duties as a farmer and in his public capacities. After coming to Ensley he was received into the M. E. Conference, with which he was connected six years. He has been engaged in ministerial work most of the time since he came to Newaygo. ^^^ gustine White, farmer, section 22, is a son ofThomas and Elizabeth White, natives of Ireland and Pennsylvania respectively, and •ajiborn in the latter State Dec. 7,1849. At the age of seven years he came with his par- ents to Cass Co., Mich., where he lived most of the time until the spring of 1878,- when he came to Newaygo County and purchased 80 acres of wild land on section 23, Sheridan Township ; he purchased an additional 80 in 1883, and has 60 acres, on which he now resides, under improvement. He was mar ried in St Joseph Co., Mich., to Isabella Stevens, daughter of Charles and Harriet Stevens, natives of Ohio and. residents of Sheridan Township. They have three children : May H., Lou E. and Charles T. Mr. and Mrs. A\'hite are members of the Advent Church, and in politics he is a Greenbacker. Mr. White owns altogether 240 acres of land in Sheridan Township. -.4.JL <^ll!I imothy Everington, farmer, section 16, Dayton Township, son of Joseph and Ann (Pacy) Everington, was born in England June 12, 1833. He remained in his native country until 21 years of age, when he came to ,\merica, first settling in Canada, where he lived about 8 years, then came to Newaygo County, this State. He was employed about three years in chopping and lumbering, then purchased So acres of wild land on section 16, Dayton Township, where he < A ^: fc- t Ml :ss^^^ <:DIi:^:C[ls>r I J 0^\ V ) ^ iV^PT^yGO COUNTY. ^m 203 now resides, and has 40 acres under good cultivation. Mr. E. is a charter member of the local grange of Patrons of Husbandry, and in politics is a Republi- can. 'acob Miller, farmer, Denver Township, is a jte- son of Jacob and Catherine Miller, natives "^^^ of France, and was born in that country '^Aug. 25, 1831. He came to America when 19 years of age, and lived in Erie County, N. Y., \ four years. In the winter of 1855 he came to Newaygo County and took up 40 acres of Govern- ment land in Denver Township. He has since added 120 acres to his farm, and has 100 under cul- tivation. Mr. Miller was married Dec. 24, 1854, to Eliza Sigler, a native of New York city. Her par- ents died when she was seven years old, and she went to iive with an aunt until 17 years old, then lived in Cattaraugus County until her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have had five children, three of whom are living : Laura A., George L. and Willie G. ; John died in infancy, and Frank died at the age of 11 years. Mr. Miller has held the office of Highway Commissioner one year, and School Di- rector three years. In politics he is a Republican. In the fall of 1882 he rented his farm in Denver Township, and now resides on the farm of his brother, George Miller. ^«SHJH*^ tohn H. Canovan was born in (ireene Co., N. Y., June 27, 1842. His parents, John and Maria (Plank) Canovan, lived in New York 15 years; father was a native of Ireland and mother of New York. They came to Mich- igan in 1854 and settled in Kalamazoo (bounty, where they still reside. 4 John H. came to this State with his parents when he was 12 years of age, and remained at home until he was 21. He was engaged in various occu])ations for eight years, and since that time has been engaged , *-* in farming. He is now manager of the farm of Crei)in, ^ Murphy & Son, in Sherman Township. Oct. j8, 1874, he was married, in Newaygo County, to Re- becca E., daughter of Willis and Mary Covell, who was born in New York Sept. 30, 1853. Her parents were natives of that State, and came to Michigan in 1855, first settling in Kent County, and afterwards removed to Newaygo, where Mrs. Covell died, in 1872. Mr. Covell still lives in Newaygo. Mrs. Cano- van was but two years of age when her parents came to this State, and remained at home until her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. C. have one child, James IF., born June 27, 1875. Aug. 28, 1864, Mr. Canovan enlisted in the 1st Regt. Mich. Eng. & Mech., and served ten months, receiving iiis honorable discharge at Washington, D. C. After his return from the army he resumed his farm labor. The farm of which he is now sole man- ager contains about 400 acres, and seven men are constantly employed. Mr. C. is a Democrat. Ts^^l V' *^ V, A c^: fe penry Bromley, merchant, and farmer on (-Jj, sec. 27, Denver Tp., was born in Sandusky '«(■«?' Co., Ohio, Jan. i, 1847. His parents, George M ^^* '^"'^ Magdalena (Kasamoer) Bromley, were of English and German descent, and natives of New England. In 1856 they moved to Steuben County, Ind., where their son Henry was educated in the district schools. When the latter was 16 years of age he enlisted, Nov. 21, 1863, in the 129th Ind. Vol. Inf., Co. A, of the Army of the Cumberland, commanded by W. H. Cole. He particii)ated in six heavy battles : Resaca, Kenesaw Mountain, Atlanta, Franklin, Nashville and Kingston, N. C. He escaped itT* without injury or imprisonment, and was honorably discharged Aug. 29, 1865. He returned home to Steuben County and purchased 20 acres of land in Scott Township, and then alternated between farm work and attending school until the fall of 1868, when he came to Michigan and settled in Kinder- hook 'i'ownship, Branch County. Jan. 6, 1876, he was married in Grand Rapids, to Miss Eliza Quincy, daughter of Joseph and Julia (McCarty) Quincy, natives of New York, who was born in the city of Rochester, March 11, 1855. He then returned to Indiana and worked on his land three years, after which he came to Newaygo County and settled on a >^ W>^ ^^^ '^^^ * y^l0 (? i 1 'J I f -J 4 A V ) i 204 ■^:r-T<^llIl^:nDf>T^tr- NEWAYGO COUNTY. farm in Denver Township. He purchased 45 acres of timljered land and has it all improved. In 187 1-2 he owned and operated a saw-mill in Montcalm County, this State. In the spring of i88r, Mr. Bromley engaged in the mercantile business, and has a fast increasing trade. They have one child. Bertha, born July 10, 1879. Mr. B. is now Postmaster at Denver, and has been in Government employ for some time. In pol- itics he is a Republican. -=¥% i?^-i-> tt^-1-^ ;i-? W. Wilcox was born Branch Co.. jj, Mich., Dec. 3, 1844; jiis parents, Calelj and Maria Wilcox, were natives of New j^ York, who came to Michigan about 1835, first W settling in Jackson County, tlien in Branch County, then Kent, and finally in Newaygo County, where they died. Mr. W., the subject of this sketch, has lived at home most of his life, and in company with his sisters, Caroline and Irene, owns 40 acres of land, all in good cultivation. He has held the offices of Overseer of Highway and Con- stable. In political affairs he is a National. Aug. 20, 1861, he enlisted in the 8th Mich. Inf, and after serving three years was honorably dis- charged, at Petersburg. Va. He was in the battles of Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Antietam, Sharpsburg and a score of other battles. He was slightly wounded in the hand by a minie ball in a skirmish near Savannah, Ga. ^««H{h-*4 ^gig^benezer Dobson, shoemaker, and farmer Sfs« on section 34, Denver Township, is a son T of James and Esther (Bull) Dobson, natives of Orange County, N. Y.; was born in that county Aug. 22, 181 7. Soon after this event, his father moved to Bradford County, Pa., and lo- cated upon a farm, where he lived until his death, which occurred when Ebenezer was four years old. The latter assisted his brothers in taking care of their widowed mother until he was 13 years old, when he went to work for a neighbor. He remained with him one year and then returned home. After a few months he went to work for a farmer, where he enjoyed some school privileges and a good deal of hard labor. In the summer of 1836 he apprenticed himself to Mr. .Alva Cooley, of the town of Wysox, to learn the shoemaker's trade. At the exjiiration of two years he commenced to work for the proprietor, and was the principal manager for several months. He then spent some time in school, worked on a farm for a brief period, and in the fall of 1 840, came to Michigan, Jackson County, where he worked at his trade about three years. He then went to Oak- land County, where he was treated by a physician two months for a sciatic and spinal affection. In September, 186 1, he came to Newaygo County and settled in Denver Township, where he has since re- sided. Mr. Dobson held the office of Township Clerk six terms, when Dayton Townsht^) extended nine miles from east to west and 2 i miles from north to south. He was Postmaster at Panama in this county nine years. He is a member of the M. E. Church, a strong advocate of temperance principles, and in politics a Republican. ,rs. Cynthia C. Carlisle, Hesperia, was born in Cattaraugus Co., N. Y.. March 4, 1850. She is a daughter of Reuben and Anna E. (White) Dake, natives of New York. Mrs. Carlisle attended the common schools of Cattaraugus and Allegany Counties, and lived at home with her parents until the fall of 1870, when she came with them to the State of Michigan, locating in Denver Township, this County. Here she was married, Sept. 25, 1870, to Mr. J. L., son of Jacob and Hannah (Simmons) Carlisle. Mr. Carl- isle was born in Oakland County, this State, May 14, 1843, and remained with his parents until he was 19 years old, when he began to learn the mason's trade. He soon (ompleted his scholarshi[), and was known and acknowledged as a skillful workman. In June, 1862, he enlisted in Co. E, 21st Mich. Vol. Inf., and participated in many hard-fought bat- tles. In one of these numerous engagements he was disabled for duty, and on application received an vi A ^ < t K '■^d '®) «^i=i=^'i ) ^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. -3tf^^?^ -*4^^f honorable discharge and returned home. Here he soon recuperated, and again enlisted in the defense of his country. Again he met with an accident, and this time it left him a cripple for life. While being transferred from Nashville to Chattanooga the train was wrecked, and Mr. C. was among the unfortu- nates. His thigh was so badly crushed he was com- pelled to have the limb amputated. After he was discharged he returned home, and after a long spell of illness he sufficiently recuperated to resume again his trade, which he worked at until 1874, when he became stage-driver between Hesperia and Fremont. This position he held until July i, 1883, and on Aug. 10 of the same year was drowned in White Piver. Mr. Carlisle left four children to the care of his beloved wife, all living, and born as follows : Edith M., Sept. 14, 1871; Charles I., May i, 1873; Min- nie, Dec. 13, 1876; John, June 3, 1878. Mrs. Carlisle is an active worker and member of the M. E. Church. -5- »-{3^ ^- f F'(^\l^^ eil McCuUom, farmer, section 6, Dayton iLlji^^" I'ownship, was born in Scotland, Oct. 10, T|f^)= 1841. His parents, Duncan and Isabella "^'w (C'ampbell) McCulloni, were natives of Scot- ■ IG land, and came to America in the fall of 1856, settling in Oceana County, Mich., where they passed the remainder of their lives. Mr. McCullom lived at home until 22 years of age, then rented a farm of his brother in Dayton Township, upon which he lived most of the time for three years. In the spring of 1865 he bought 122 acres of land in the above named township, to which he has since added 50 acres, and has about 120 acres in a fair state of cul- tivation, where he now resides. He was married in what is now Denver Township, Dec. 24, 1864, to Sarah A., eldest daughter of Isaac H. and Susan A. (Sheldon) Cogswell, who were na- tives of New York, and came to Michigan in 1852. They afterward came to this county, settling in Den- ver Township, on section 28. Mr. Cogswell was one of the oldest settlers of Newaygo County, and filled many prominent positions in the county and town- ship, being Probate Judge six yeais, and Supervisor of Dayton Township several years. He afterward moved to Oceana County, where he lived until his death. Mrs. Cogswell is a resident of Lansing, Mich. Mrs. McCullom was born in New York, June 20, 1843 and came to Michigan with her parents, and remained at home until her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. McCullom have had seven children, viz: Maria, Archibald, Isabella, Henry and Duncan C. are living, Mary and Annie are deceased. Mr. McCul- lom is a member of the Masonic lodge ; was a char- ter member of Hesj)erian Grange, No. 495, P. of H., and in politics belongs to the National party. Him- self and wife are members of the Presbyterian Church. -;3-.:-^^:.~^. ^5Uk isa Alamuel T. Evens, son of Samuel H. and ^C Keturah (Lippincott) Evens, was born Dec. 13, 1843. His parents were natives l\\^ of New Jersey, and were living there about the time William Penn settled in Pennsylvania. The mother is deceased and the father resides with his oldest daughter. Samuel remained at home with his father until he was 20 years of age, then went to Indiana for a few months, and afterward came to Michigan, where he purchased 55 acres of wild land on section 28. He afterward exchanged this land for 179 acres, with 100 acres under cultiva- tion, where he now resides. Mr. Evens was married in 1868, in Niles, Mich., to Mary C, daughter of Uel and Jane (Barnhouse) Dragoo, natives of Virginia, who came to Michigan in an early day. Mrs. Evens was born in Berrien Co., Mich., in 1854. Children are : Lilly B., Nel. B., Keturah M. and Clyde L. Mr. and Mrs. Evens are members of the Church known as the " Baptized Believers." Mr. E. is a Republican. I 1 C''! '^'H'y C. Hawley, physician and surgeon, jj llcs|)eria, was born in Rensselaer Co., N. Y., ''§0^"'*' Aug. II, 1830. His parents were natives of New York, where they married and lived un- til 1857, when they moved to Indiana, and both I lived to an advanced age. He attended school at the Academy in Saratoga, and assisted his father in the millwright trade until he was 20 years old. 4- ■^^Da5^:Dii>.>VH- V vs A ^: v/ ^ \ -,♦.■ 4 ^ <■ / s ^ 206 NEWAYGO COUNTY. -«# then apprenticed himself to learn the pattern-mak- ing profession and served three years. June 6, 1850, he was married, in Rensselaer County, to Miss Clarissa McGill, daughter of John and Sarah Jane (Ilermonce) McGitl, natives of New York, who was born in that State May 30, 1833. She was edu- cated at Troy, and remained at home until her mar- riage. They moved to Aurora, Ind., in the fall of 1852, where he followed his trade for a short time, thence to Louisville, Ky., where he remained three years. He then moved to Seymour, Ind., thence to Hardinburg, where, in 1858, he commenced to study medicine, under Dr. Alfred Force, of that place. He remained here until the spring of 1861, when, owing to the ill health of his wife, he came North and settled in the vicinity of Hesperia, this county. Here he began to practice his profession. The country being new, he was compelled to visit his pa- tients by following a trail through the woods on foot ; many times he has been obliged to creep through the woods where a horse could not go. Mr. and Mrs. Hawley have had 14 children, 1 1 of whom are living. There were five girls and nine boys; one of the former and two of the latter are deceased ; of the living, three are married — two daughters and one son. Mr. H. is a member of the Masonic Lodge No. 346, of Hesperia, of the Newaygo Chapter, R. A. M., of Newaygo, and the Muskegon Commandery, K. T., No. 22, of Muskegon; also a member of the L O. O. F., 334, of Hesperia, and the L O. G. T. He has been Justice of the Peace 18 consecutive years, Su- pervisor 10 years, and County Surveyor six years. In politics he is an active and an influential Republican. ames Spencer, farmer, section 2, Dayton Wm^ Townshij), was lorn in Scotland, Dec. 13, "P^ ^ 1832. His parents, James and Jane (Christian) Spencer, were natives of that coun- try, where the father died ; the mother subse- quently came to America, and now resides with a son in Sherman Township. James was 22 years of age when he came to America. He lived in Canada four years, and came to Michigan in the fall of 1858. ?Ie spent four years in St. Clair County, and in the fall of r862 came to Newaygo County and purchased 80 acres of partly improved land,, where he now re- sides; 70 acres are in a fair state of cultivation. In January, 1859, he was married, in St. Clair County, to Ruth A., daughter of John C. and Anna Ostrander, and they have had eight children : James, Edward O., Edith M., Jolm, Alexis, Charles F. and an infant. One child died in infancy. Mr. Spencer in politics is a Republican. '^^ eorge Miller was Imrn in France, March 3, 1837, a son of Jacob Miller, a native of the same country, who died there. He emigrated to America in the fall of 1866, and purchased 120 acres of land in Dayton Town- ship, this County, where he now lives and has about 40 acres under cultivation. I'olitically, Mr. M. is a Republican. 4 (^>a"j uy C. Pond, merchant, .i^tna village, was ^■ ^^g^ born in Onondaga Co., N. Y., July 4, 1812. "^\r^ His parents, were Levi and Samantha j^ (Lawrence) Pond, natives of xVew England, who ^ moved to New York in a very early day. He ' was brought by his parents to this State, and they located at Brockpjrt, Livingston County, where he was reared and educated. \\'hen 16 years old he was apprenticed to Mr. Mitchell C. Gardner, of that place, to learn the blacksmith trade, where he re- mained three and a half years. After this he estab- lished a general blacksmith shop of his own in the town where he liad learned his trade, and at the same time gained a reputation as a skilled workman. He worked at his trade 15 years, then moved to Detroit and ojiened a grocery, and afterward, to Capac, St. Clair County, where he carried on a general store on an extensive scale for over three years, -when he had the misfortune to lose his whole stock and store by fire. He then moved to Cedar Creek, Muskegon County, and followed farming nearly four years. In January, 1S69, he moved to /litna, where he worked at his trade until 1882, and then ojjened a store of general merchandise. ca: :n| m r:^^^^ rrv r "5il!)fJ^P2r'*^ (^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. 207 r:;;;:-:' 'T» .^ .- March 15, 1S43. His parents, James and H^^'^ Mary (Melier) Dean, were natives of Eng- d,^ land, and came to America about 1842, lived ]L 12 years in Pennsylvania, and since that time \ in Berrien County, this State. He was 12 years of age when the family came to Michigan, and when 18 he went to McLean Co., III., and worked as a farm hand two years. He then enlisted in the 5th III. Vol. Inf., for three years, but was honorably discharged at the end of a year on account of disability. He returned to Berrien County a few months, and then came to Newaygo County, in 1864, buying 40 acres of wild land in Dayton Township, on section 16, where he now resides ; he has bought 80 acres more, and now has a farm of 120 acres, 92 of which is cul- tivated. Mr. Dean was married in Dayton Township, this couniy, June 21, 1870, to Emma, daughter of Warren and Alvina Broadway, natives of New England. She was born at Hillsdale, Mich., July 26, 1853. Their children are: Mary T,., Eula C, Coral A., John O., Clara A. Charles S. died in infancy. Mr. D. is a Republican. ( C< V r i:^ (^ ^T?«^ -23€^ rr-T <^^DO:r ""23^ff''i -•^ t?^K^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. ">BSi^6v ^m^ 209 <. t r he was 17 years of age. In the spring of 1855 he came to Michigan, spent a few montlis in Allegan County, and in November following came to Dayton Township and located 40 acres of good land, pay- ing $1.25 per acre. He tiien returned to St. Law- ■^ rence County, N. Y., where he was married Marcli 27, 1856, to Elizabeth W., second daughter of Dex- ter and Mary (Wood) Glazier, natives of Massachu- setts ; she was born in Worcester County, Mass., Feb. 4, 1837. When five years old she went to St. Lawrence, N. Y., with her parents, and remained with them until her marriage. After this event Mr. and Mrs. Jones returned to their new home in Day- ton Township, where they now reside. In the spring of 1856 Mr. Jones pre-empted 80 acres of land ad- joining his original purchase. In September, 1866, he purchased 60 acres more, and he now owns one of the finest farms in Michigan; 180 acres all in one body, with 140 acres in good cultivation, and fine buildings. Mr. and Mrs. Jones are the parents of eight chil- ^ dren, all of whom are living, viz : Ida M., born Aug. ° 25, 1857; Dexter M., Oct. 21, 1859; George W. *-<^ Aug. 12, 1861 ; Judson E., Nov. 13, 1863 ; Clark A. = Aug. 25, 1866; EffieM., Oct. 2, 1868 ; Elda A., April 15, 1870; Mary S., April 3, 1878. In June, 1882, Mr. Jones purchased 420 acres of timbered land on section 32, Troy Township, with a grist and saw mill on the same. In June, 1883, he sold the mill, and at the same time purchased 100 acres more of partly improved land in the same township. He now owns over 500 acres of land in this county, a portion of which is well improved. When Mr. Jones commenced life he had nothing but willing hands and a good constitution ; but by hard labor and persevering industry he now enjoys a fine home, surrounded by an intelligent family and all that tends to make life enjoyable. He has given his son Dexter 80 acres of fine land in Den- ver Township, where he now resides, 4a acres of which are well improved. He introduced the first blooded stock of Durham cattle into the county, in 1873, whicli he purchased in Oakland County, Mich., and has just taken the four first premiums for blooded stock in the fair, in which Newaygo, Oceana and Muskegon Counties coni[)ele. This is known as the " Hesperian Agricultural Society." Mr. Jones built i(*) the first frame barn in Dayton Township, in 1858. V, He bought and operated the first eight-horse-power V \ ^ separator, and also put up the first windmill in the township. Wlien lie first came into tiiis county he was obliged to chop trees in order to make a road, all being a dense forest. He has seen these forests converted to beautiful farms, tiic log cabins give way to modern structures, and scliool-houses built with all modern improvements : truly he is a pioneer. Mr. Jones held the office of Constable one year in Dayton Township. He used to be identified with the Rei)ublican party, but now affiliates with the National party. ■^^ A h £^ (," r jhristopher Kempf, farmer, section 32, ^|'i v--v5^ Sheridan Township, is a native of Germany ^1^ and came to America when 20 years of age. f)\^ He first settled in Muskegon, this State, and '^ lived ihei-e about nine years. In the fall of i860 he came to Newaygo County and bought 80 acres of wild land in Sheridan Township. He has since purchased 540 acres more and has 130 under cultivation. He was married in Muskegon to Catherine Kopf, who was born in Strasburg, Germany, in 1825, and they are the parents of three children : Robert, Gustaf and Emiel. Mr. K. has held the office of School Director nine years, and in the spring of 1883 he was elected Highway Commissioner. Mr. and Mrs. Kempf are members of the Lutheran Church. In politics Mr. K. is indeiiendent. ~\tl2££/!S-^«— fe| *^^S>/V?nnr<^ '^^^ ^ ^ -■♦v ^ |,iW;hebe E. Bigelow, daughter of Daniel L. I'^i'i-, and Klmira (fuller) IJigelow, natives of Jll^ Vermont, was born in that State March 26, jj?' J 1823. She came with her parents to the State 7I\ of New York, and they afterward moved to Ohio, where they remained about 19 years, and finally moved to Micliigan, settling in Newaygo County, where they passed the remainder of their lives. Miss Bigelow remained at home until after her moth- er's death, then left her father's home, and for 16 years lived in the township of Everett, this county. In the fall of 1880 she purchased 40 acres of land r: i rt §^i^m-^ ■^^-^M >' ntiitV^^^ — ^k^f^ ^;^^:ij j?sr T<>nP:«ODf>r ^i^m\^i^} NEWAYGO COUNTY. of A. P. Bigelow in Dayton Township, where she now resides. About 20 acres of this land is well improved. A 0; ^ ^ eorge H. Millis, farmer, section 26, Den- l_^ ver Township, is a son of John and Lois ~^W' (Porter) Millis, natives of New England, ^ and was born in P2rie Co., N. Y., Junes, 1828. He was engaged upon his father's farm and in attending the district school until 21 years of age, then came to Monroe County, this State, via Lake Erie, taking passage on the propeller Detroit. During the voyage, which lasted ten days, he experi- enced that terrible storm of October, 1850, in which the fine boat, Henry Clay, was sunk, the Detroit be- ing only one-half mile from the ill-fated vessel. He remained in Monroe County one year, during which time he was married, in the township of Dundee, to Miss Philena NVeatherljy, daughter of Reuben and Catharine (Harmin) Weatherby, natives of Saratoga Co., N. v., who was born in Alonroe County, this State, March j\, 1834. She was educated in her native county, and remained at home until her marriage. In October, 1851, Mr. Millis moved to Van Buren County, where he was engaged in various kinds of labor until the fall of 1S56, when he came to this county and settled upon a farm of 120 acres in Den- ver Township,. At that time it was a wild, unbroken forest, and many privations were endured before the land could be made productive. Bat Mr. Millis stemmed the tide, and now has 45 acres under the plow and in good farming condition. Owing to the many hardships and severe labor consequent ui)on being obliged to provide for a large family under so many difficulties, he contracted a disease of the liver, and has for many years been an invalid. But notwithstanding all this he has been able to secure a good home for his children. Mrs. Millis, an ambitious lady of remarkable physical powers, has been of great assistance, both at home and abroad; being always ready to aid the needy :ind nurse the sick at a moment's warning. She en- dured, with great fortitude, the trials of their pioneer life. Many times their children were obliged to go barefoot all winter, through rough, cold, stormy weather and deep snows. Mr. Millis is a member of the L O. G. T. at Den- ver, and has held the office of Justice of the Peace four years. In [xilitics he is a staunch Republican, and himself and wife are identified with the Second- Advent Church. They have had nine children, four of whom are living: Ella M., born April 7, 1864; Melvin J., July 17, 1867 ; Ortha, Aug. 17, 1871 ; Lois, May 23, 1880; Albert, born Feb. 20, 1854, died Nov. 20, T879; .Sarah, born May 23, 1857, died Sept. 25, 1863; Gilbert, born March 17, 1878, died Oct. 23, 1879; George, born Jan. 22, i860, died Dec. 22 1862 ; one died in infancy. j^^aniel R. Joslin, resident at Newaygo, is E^^aJl supposed to be the second oldest pioneer •Jj'iijjv settler in Newaygo County. He was born J^ Sept. I, 1816, in Madison County, N. Y., and 'h is a son of Daniel and Martha (Jenks) Joslin. I Before he was a year old his parents removed to Cohocton, Steuben Co., N. Y., where he remained until 1836. Meanwhile his brother, John J. Joslin, had located at Utica, Macomb Co., Mich., and he went thither when he was 20 years old and remained a year. In 1837 he came to Grand Haven, where he obtained employ as a sawyer and acted in that capacity two seasons, operating as a lumberman in the succeeding winters. In 1839 he went to -Mus- kegon, where he found ready employ because of his skilled ability in the management of mill machinery. In 1843 he went to Croton, Newaygo County, where he rented a mill of Joachim & Bone, which he stocked and operated one year, shipping the products to Chicago. The next year (1844) he went to Alle- gan, Michigan, and after a residence of three years he went to Saugatuck and opened a grocery, which he managed one year. In 1848 he went to Manistee and engaged in his former occupation in a mill, con- tinuing two years. In 1850 he returned to Newaygo County and purchased 320 acres of land in the (now) township of Fremont, becoming with his family the first permanent settler in the township. He retained the ownership of the property until 1853, when he disposed of it by exchange, receiving as part payment a house and lot in what is now the village of Newaygo, where he has since been a resident and variously ft! \A' ^ V (7^ I ^»«*=^ «-^-IIDSDn3>A*)- '^ ■7^^^ ■cnr ^ ^A^ i^Sd NEWAYGO COUNTY. ] V employed in different mills. He owns considerable property at Newaygo. Mr. Joslin was married in Allegan, to Sarah A. Yeldom, a native of England, born near I,ondon, in 1826. Of eight children born to them Daniel (ist) and David are deceased. Daniel D. is the manager of Squier's Mills, located six miles south of Newaygo. Ellis is the wife of James Odell, druggist at Fre- mont. Franklin resides at Newaygo. Fleety A. is the second daughter. Fremont Jackson was the first white child born in Fremont Township and was named therefor, the town having been named a few days before his birth. Byron is a job printer at Ne- waygo. The wife and mother died Dec. 2, i860. ueker Dragoo is a son of Uel and Jane (Iiarnhouse) Dragoo, natives of Virginia, and was born in that State July g, 1842 ; he came with his parents to Berrien Co., Mich.) when three years of age and lived there 24 years engaged in farming. In the spring of 1869 he came to Newaygo County and bought 80 acres of wild land in Dayton Township, where he now resides, and has 55 acres under cultivation. He was married Jan. 22, 1865, to Sarah Kirkendall, a native of Ohio, who was born Dec. 25, 1841, a daughter of Samuel and Margaret Kirkendall. They have three children : Adelbert J., Lawrence V. and Ida M. Mr. D. is a National in politics. 4-<^(4^>^>.- ilamuel R. Wilbur, blacksmith, Hesperia, is a son of Job and Alice (Everts) Wilbur natives of New York, and was born in Bel- Vj fast, Allegany County, that State, Sept. 25, 1835. He attended school until 14 years of age, wlien his parents moved to Cattaraugus County. When he was in his 17th year he returned to his native county and learned the blacksinitli's iW trade, under tlie instruction of Harrison Noble, of * the town of Rushford. After serving three years' ap- C_prenticeship he went tu Smithville, Chenango County, and established a large custom shop, where he was quite successful. He afterward returned to Cattar- augus County, where he was employed in various places until Sept. 25, 1862, when he enlisted in Co. K, 1 1 2th Reg. N. Y. Vol. Inf., Army of the Potomac, loth Division. He participated in the battles of Cold Harbor, Juries' Bluff, and many other minor battles. He was honorably discharged June 15, 1865. Returning to Cattaraugus County, he worked at his trade until his marriage to Miss Esther A. Booth, who was born in East Bloomfield, Livingston Co., M. Y., Dec. 25, 1843. Her parents, Thomas and Harriet (Hunt) Booth, were natives of New York, and of German ancestry. Esther attended school in her native town. After marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur moved to Michigan, and located in Hesperia, this county, where he established his bus- iness, and he is known far and near as a skilled work- man. They liave had four children : Maud E., born Nov. 23, 1873; Lena M., Aug. 6, 1874; two died in infancy. Mr. W. is a member of the G. A. R , of Hesperia, also of the A. O. U. W. He has held the office of Deputy Sheriff four years, and Constable two years. Politically his sympathies arc with the Greenback party. ■jMi&feSij I feennis Miller, farmer, section 28, Sheridan ^>S-g ''J, Township, was born in Paris, France, Jan. » *<_ t A ( 12, 1846. His parents, Ignatius and T)iv Teresa Miller, were natives of Germany. They ^ came to America when Dennis was a year old f and settled in Detroit, afterward moved to St. Clair Co., Mich., where the mother died in 1854. The father still resides there. Dennis lived with his parents until he was ten years old. After the death of his mother he went to live with a man named Joel Hart, with whom he remained nearly nine years. He then worked on the farm by the month until 2 1 years of age. In the fall of 1865 he came to Newaygo County and bought 160 acres of land in Sheridan Township, where he now resides, and has 140 acres cleared. He married in Macomb Co., Mich., Oct. 3, 1865, Rhoda S., daughter of David and Lydia Crawford, who was a native of Macomb Co., Mich. Her par- \ c ■4 < • < ■:24«- CC" -t^ v<^ilD^PDf> -^'^ ->^^^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. '^ V o ] ^ ents were natives of New York, and came to Michi- gan in an early day, settling in Macomb County. Mr. and Mrs. Miller are the parents of nine children : Charles J., Fannie M., Louise H., Egbert R., Frank D., Allison I., Lewis H., Chauncy O. and Eva G. Mr. Miller has held the office of Constable about seven years, and Highway Commissioner six years, and in politics is a Republican. eorge L. Bigelow, farmer, section 9, Day- ton Township, is a son of Daniel L. and 'M' Almira (Pratt) Bigelow, natives of Mary- land, and was born in Vermont, March 30, 1827 ; he came to Michigan in the fall of 1858, first settling about two miles north of Newaygo, where he lived about three years, and in the spring of 1861 purchased 80 acres of wild land, and now has 50 acres under cultivation. Nov. 4, 1850, in Ohio, he married Betsey A. Ames, daughter of Lemuel H. and Hannah (Chamberlin) Ames, natives of the State of New York, born in Seneca Co., Ohio, Oct. 19, 1832, and their children since born are: Pryntha J., Hannah A., Edwin L. (died when seven years of age), Edwin D., George N. and Phebe L. Mr. and Mrs. B. are members of the Wesleyan Methodist Church. Mr. B. was once chosen Con- stable, but declined to serve. Politically, he is a Republican. -5-^'wvf ■f^S-v^^-- ^ |^3|parlow Smith, farmer, section 11, Dayton ||j? 'i'ownship, is a son of Elias and Mary E. (Yates) Smith, the former a native of Ger- many and the latter of New Jersey. He was born in Crawford Co., Pa., May 8, 1844. He lived in his native State until 13 years of age, when his parents came to Steuben Co., Ind., where they lived two years, then to Branch Co., Mich. He remained at home with his parents until he w 18 years old. He then enlisted in the Ninth Mich. Inf., and was in the service 49 months. He was in the battle fif .Murfreesboro, Tenn., where he was aken prisoner, but held only a short time, then pa- roled. He participated in the battle of Stone River, ^ Chickamauga, siege of Atlanta, and numerous smaller ^ engagements. He was mustered out of the service at Nashville, Tenn., then returned to Branch County a short time, and in the fall of 1865 came to Neway- go County and purchased 90 acres of wild land in what is now the township of Sheridan. He lived here about two years, then sold out and bought 80 acres in Dayton Township. This he afterwards sold and took up 40 acres of Government land, where he now resides, and has 25 acres under improvement. He was married in Quincy, Branch Co., Mich., Sept. 6, 1862, to Minerva Kirby, a native of New York, and they had one child, Marietta L., born Sept 25, 1868. Mrs. Smith died April 25, 1879. Mr. Smith is a Republican, and a member of Henry Dob- son Post, No. 182, G. A. R. ( A t'ohn Bailey, of Newaygo, was born at Ver- '^ gennes, Vt., Dec. 8, 1848, and is a son of ™ John and Julia (LeMay) Bailey. His ^ father died at Vergennes in 1850, and his = mother was married again in 1853, to David Jarsc, of Glens Falls, N. Y., who two years later removed with his wife and her children to Ne- waygo. The pleasant, promising village was then al- most in a state of nature ; Main street was a thor- oughfare of stumps, and civilization was represented by the energetic prosecutors of the lumber interests, which almost wholly attracted hither and held the jiopulation. Mr. Bailey found his first employ at Newaygo in the shingle-mill of Fairchilds, and afterwards in that of George H. Hess and others, where he spent some years. In May, 1876, the year after the death of his stepfather, he rented the Jarse House of his mother and conducted it as a hotel one year. In 1877 he began to manage a saloon business on Main street, where he operated successfully until April, 1883, when the fire destroyed his business and two build- ings where he was located. He sustained a loss of 4 $3,000, with no insurance. He at once entered upon ^ the work of re -construction, and has erected on the w sanie site an elegant building of the same variety of "»i white brick used in the edifices on Main street that ( t are rapidly replacing those destroyed in the " big fire ' ^ (s)$«^^-*' ^ ">> I NEWAYGO COUNTY. whicli, ruinous as it was, paved the way for the grow- ing and substantial beauty of the chief street in Ne- waygo. The block erected by Mr. Bailey is a double front, 50 X 75 feet in dimensions and two stories high. Mr. Bailey occupies one front and rents the other. Besides his village property he owns 40 acres on section 2 in Grant Townshi[). Jn addition to his regular business he operates as a loan broker quite extensively. Mr. Bailey was married at Newaygo, June 20, 1874, to Sarah E., daughter of Silas and Aurelia Benient, a native of Centerville, Crawford Co., Pa., born Jan. 29, 1855. March 15, 1875, Lola and Lulu, twin daughters, were born to Mr. and Mrs. Bailey ; also, June 21, 1877, John, and Dec. 26, 1882, Harry. The latter died Sept. 22, 1883. Lulu died Sept. 25, 1876. K'ohn r. Evans, fiirmer, section 20, Dayton Township, is a son of William and Ann (Biddle) Evans, natives of England, and was born in that country Sept. 8, 1815. He came to America in the fall of 1831, and lived in the city of New York one year, then went to Niagara County, where he lived until 1855. In the fall of that year he came with his family to Oceana Co., Mich., and purchased 160 acres of land. He afterward took up 40 acres adjoining, and had 100 acres under cultivation. He also owned 80 acres near by. He gave his three children 40 acres apiece, in Oceana County, and then sold the remainder of his land and came to Newaygo County in the spring of 1882, and traded for 40 acres of land where he now resides. He was first married in Niagara Co., N. Y., to Mar- garet Tonks, a native of Erie Co., N. Y., and of Eng- lish parentage. 'I'hey had 13 children, five only surviving, having lost by death four at one time and three at another. The names of the living are : Ann M., Charles, Franklin, Margaret E. and Rosa- belle; the deceased are Charlotte L., Sarali L., John F., Margaret E., William FL, Mary, Joseph and Ed- win. Mrs. Evans died in March, 1880, and in July, 1880, Mr. Evans married Amanda .A. Dutton, widow of David R. Dutton, who died in March, 1872, leav- ing five children ; Frank P., Florence E., Florene M., Eugene W. and Emigene D. (twins). Leslie M. died when six years old. Mr. E. has held the office of Supervisor in Oceana County, and lias been Justice of the Peace, Highway Commissioner and held various other offices. In politics he is a Democrat. ^f^^-i^S-v/v^- '9iy ^SiK^^ ^ m ^m ^lipy, enry D. Clark, son of John and Dorcas I Mpajj^ (Sweet) Clark, was born in Lodi, Seneca ■j,(^ Co., N. Y., April 18, 1822. His parents (^ were natives of New York, and moved from I Seneca to Wayne County, where they lived six I years, and where the father died ; the mother then moved to Ohio, where she is still a resident. Henry D. left home when 12 years of age and went to live with John De Mott, who was a Brigadier General in the war of 1S12. He remained vvitli him four years, going to scliool and doing chores, then went to the town of Lyons, Wayne County, and worked for his uncle on a farm during the summer season and attended school during the winter. He remained with his uncle four years, then went to Sen- eca Co., Ohio, with a cousin, for whom he worked two and a half years, clearing land, then went to \\ yandot Co., Ohio, where he married Elmira Dunn, a native of Ohio. They lived here nearly three years, when Mrs. Clark died, leaving two children, Orral and Olive; the latter died when six months old. Two years subsequently, Mr. Clark married Barbara, daughter of Nicholas and Barbara Isli, all natives of Germany. After his second marriage, Mr. Clark moved to Hillsdale Co., Mich., and purchased 80 acres of land, which he partly cleared and occupied five years, then sold out and went to Oceana C"ounty in September, 1855, his wife following him the next December. In the meantime he had built a good log house and had it in readiness when his wife came. The nearest railroad station was at Kalamazoo, and Mr. Clark was obliged to get his provisions at Newaygo and Wjiite Lake. He built the first house in Greenwood '{"ownship. In the fall of 1857 he returned to Ohio with his family, and rentetl a farm for « hit h lie paid $200 a year. His object in making tins change was to obtain better school privileges. In fact, there v^ A ^, r I ■''^^^ ■■f*®-v'^((?^. iils?, ^^^*-^c TC^Dn:t:DD>:>rr^ — >^-^ m~s>Mi NEWAYGO COUNTY. V ^ o* / ■«^^ S ^ was hardly a school-house in this section of the county at that time. Mr. Clark remained in Ohio eight years, and in the fall of 1865 again came to Oceana Co., Mich., and occupied the old log house he had built ten years previous. He lived in this house two years, then built a good frame house, which he now occupies. Two years afterward he built a fine barn, being at that lime the largest barn in the State. Although Mr. and Mrs. Clark have no children of their own, they have reared five that were without homes. Their names are : Alice Ish, Milford Hitchne, Mary Nelson, Minnie B. McCormick and Willard Greene. Minnie is their adopted daughter. Mr. Clark is a Democrat. He never aspired to county or town offices, but takes a deep interest in educational matters and in all the reforms of the day. When he first came to this county the nearest voting place was 32 miles distant. He cut ten acres of wood where Ihe town of Fremont now stands. He now owns 350 acres all in one body, and has 200 acres improved. He keeps over 30 head of Short- horn cattle, nine horses and a herd of sheej), and from 30 to 40 head of swine. Srf^Sj' illiam H. Norton, farmer, section i, Sher- "'^'^-"^U idan Township, was born in Maine, Sept. r 3, 1834. His parents were Samuel and Charlotte (Waugh) Norton, who were natives ' of Maine, where they still reside. At the age of 21 he enlisted in the Regular Army, serv- ing five years. When the war of the Rebellion broke out he was in San Francisco, Cal.; and in August, 1861, he enlisted in the ist Reg. Cal. Vol. Inf, and served over three years. While stationed at Fort Yuma, Cal., he was injured in the back while on guard duty, which laid him up six months. His reg- iment was engaged most of the lime in figlitiiig Indians. After his discharge he returned to the East, and in April, 1865, came to Newaygo County. The follow- ing May he came to Sheridan Township and pur- chased 73 acres of land, mostly wild, where he now resides: about 30 acres are under cultivation. He was married in Fremont Oct. 24, 1867, to Rose Ann Pitman, of Dayton Township, and they have two children : Lincoln G. and Bradford S. Mrs. Norton died in February, 1874, and April i, 1876, in Sheri- dan Township, he married Cornelia Knowlton, widow of William Douglas, who died in 1872, leaving five children: Ida M., Alice S., Marj' S., Nettie B. and Ora D. Mr. Norton is a member of Henry Dobson Post, No. 182, G. A. R., at Fremont, and in politics is a National. ashington Seaman, farmer, section 15, Ashland Township, was born in Cattarau- jtjox gus Co., N. Y., May r6, 1834. His par- )|^' ents, John and Lucretia (Willis) Seaman, ■A z,f\ were natives of New York and Massachusetts, of English and German descent. They came in r842 to Hillsdale Co., Mich., where the father managed a farm ten years, during which time the son devoted all his spare moments to obtaining such education as the times and circumstances permitted. His parents again decided to change their location and fixed on Casnovia as a desirable point, where they went in the fall of 1852. Mr. Seaman remained with his parents until 1854, when he went to Mecosta County and located on a farm containing 80 acres in the vicinity where now stands tlie beautiful city of Big Rapids, en- gaged in farming and extensive prosecution of lum- ber interests. In the spring of 1867, he returned to Casnovia and operated there until the summer of 1870, wjien he came to Newaygo County. He lo- cated on 80 acres of heavily timbered land, where he has since devoted his time and energies to clearing and otherwise improving a home. His place is finely located and his recently constructed house cost about St, 5 00. He was married Aug. 30, 1856, in Casnovia, to Sarah M., daughter of Drayton and Sophronia (Loomis) Moore, natives of Ohio. The daughter was born, Aug. 25, 1840, in Portage Co., Ohio. Her par- ents removed to l)e Kalb Co., Ind., when she was six years old, removing eight years later to Casnovia, where she continued her efforts to secure an educa- tion in the connnon schools until she was married. Mr. and Mrs. Seaman are held in high esteem in (> s ^ Si/ m^ pitf^*-- T^m :< U^^-r-^ :2^&hs- NEJVAYGO COUNTY. 2'5 f their community as energetic, enterprising, valuable members of society. Hoth are members of the Bap- tist Church in full and regular standing. Their seven children are all living, born as follows : Arthur E., Dec. 29, 185S ; Julia C, Aug. 30, 1S60; EUaN., July 26, 1863; Martin L., April 5, 1867; Frank R., Feb. 4,1871; Milton M., Nov. 18, 1S72; Effie D., April II, 1S80. Mr. Seaman is an adherent of the Republican party and a fearless advocate of the prohibition movement. He is present Township Clerk, and has held the position of Supervisor and other offices. He belongs to Grange No. 545. P. of H., at Ashland Center. A Pi V ^ M 3-V>— ^ Iff oily W. Crawford, farmer, section 3i,Sher- ^^^^_^ idan Township, is a native of Macomb Co., ^^ Mich., and was born June 24, 1837. His ^^ parents, David and Lydia (Farr) Crawford, were t natives of New York, and settled in Macomb ' County in a very early day. They afterwards" moved to Oakland County, where the father died, and the mother came to Fremont, this county, and afterward died. Holly \V. was 12 years old when his parents removed to Oakland County. He lived there three years and then returned to Macomb County, where he lived until he obtained his majority, then went to Illinois and remained about three years. In June, 1861, he enlisted in the nth 111. Inf. and served three years. He was wounded in the hand and shoulder in the battle of Fort Donelson, and re- ceived a furlough of two months. He was honorably discharged at Springfield, 111., and returned to Ma- comb County, where he lived one year, and August, 1865, he came to Newaygo County and purchased 80 acres of wild land in Sheridan, in what was then Bridgeton Township, where he now lives, and has 50 acres under cultivation. He was married in Sheri- dan Township, in 1869, to Luclla A., daughter of John and Sarah Nelson, natives of Ontario, Canada, and New York, respectively. She is a naliveof On- tario, Canada, where she was born Feb. 16, 1852. Mr. and Mrs. Crawford are the parents of seven children : Rilla M., John C, Reuben E., Perrin H., Guy VV., Lydia A. and Geo. N. Mr. Crawford has held the office of Township ^-^ Clerk two years. Justice of the Peace 17 years and Supervisor one year. He was appointed Postmaster at Sitka in 1S68, under P. M. Gen. Randall, and has since held that office. He is a staunch Republican. :ff v«al eorge D. Overly, car[ienterand joiner, and ■ji l^^^fe City Marshal, Hesperia, was born in yM' Wayne Co., Ohio, Sept. 29, 1844. His ^^ parents were Daniel and Mary A. (Glacon) '■': Overly, natives of Pennsylvania, and of Ger- man-Scotch ancestry. When he was two and a half years old his parents moved to Wabash Co., Ind., and settled on a farm in Chester Township; and in 1856 they went to Miami County, same State, where George attended school. When the civil war broke out he enlisted, Sept. 13, 1861, in Co. D, 29th Reg. Ind. Inf., and joined the Army of the Cumber- land, commanded by Gen. Buell. He was in the battles of Shiloh, Stone River, Chickamauga, and sev- eral minor ones, without receiving even a scratch, and was honorably discharged Oct. 11, 1864. He immediately returned home, and Feb. i, 1865, he again enlisted in Co. A, issth Reg. Ind. Inf., and joined the Eastern army ; but before he was called into action the war closed, and he was discharged at In- dianapolis, Aug. 12, 1865. Again returning home, he went to learn the car[)enter's trade, under the instruc- tions of David Coopier, where he remained one year, then commenced to work for Jacob Harman, remain- ing two years. In Oct., 1870, he came to Michigan and settled in Hesperia, working at his trade, initil 1877, then engaged in milling two years; after this he became proprietor of the Hesperian Hotel, which he has operated until (luite recently ; he left the hotel to attend to his duties as City Marshal. Sept. 14, 1873, Mr. Overly was married to Mary E. Gre\son, daughter of Martin and Mary (Font) Grey- son, natives of North Carolina; they moved to In- diana, where her father finally died. She was born in Indiana, March 27, 185 i. Mr. and Mrs. Overly have had three children: (ieorge, born Sept. 12, 1874; Maggie, Nov. 25, 1876; Nellie, born Oct. 3, 1878, died May t, 1880. Mr. O. is a staunch Re- Vi;, i< r ;^ '^ '1 ^ ^ "^^^^ «|4^^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. ^1 ^ J publican; is City Marshal, an office he fills very ac- ceptably, and is a meniljer of tlis I. O. (i. T., and Odd Fellows. m^i,! eter Daly, farmer, section 20, Denver Town- ship, is a son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Agen) Daly, natives of Ireland and of Irish j\|i('^ descent. He was born in the town of Gal- '1^ loway, Ireland, June 16, 1S38. At the tender age of eight years, he and a younger sister came by themselves to America, landing at New York, June 28, 1844. Shortly afterward he went to Long Island to work on a farm for nine months, thence to Sara- toga County for a year, thence to New York city, where he engaged himself as cabin boy on a steamer. He remained here some time, and then, in company with Ills brother, came to Michigan and settled on a farm of timber land in what is now known as Climax Prairie, Kalamazoo County. Tliey succeded in cul- tivating a farm that took the first premium at the Stale fair for five consecutive years. Mr. Daly then removed to Grand Rapids, where he was emijloyed on the steamboat Empire, as steersman, on Grand River, vmtil 1856, when he sailed on Lake Michigan one year. While on the lake he was accidentally thrown overboard one midnight in November, and almost miraculously rode the waves for 12 hours on a part of a bale of shingles, when he was finally picked up by a passing vessel. After this he came to White Lake, Muskegon County, where he has since been engaged as ])ilot during the summer season, and winters en- gaged as foreman in the camps of the pineries of this and Oceana Counties. In 1867 Mr. Daly purchased 80 acres of land in Denver Township, which he has partly improved, and has since bought 90 acres more, partly under cultivation. Dec. 26, 1868, he was married, at M'hiie- hall, to Miss Annie L. Rossiter, daughter of Jere- miah and Bridget (Fortune) Rossiter, natives of Wex- ford, Ireland, where Anna was born, March 4, 1S50. When 18 months old her parents emigrated to Lower Canada, and after three years came to I'ort Huron, Mich. Here she received her education, and afterwards came to Denver Township, where she has since resided. Mr. and Mrs. Daly are the par- ents of seven children: Maggie, born April 25, 1869; Katie, June 30, 1871; Nellie, Sept. 17, 1873; Anna S., May 24, 1876; John, April 11, 1878; Jennie, Aug. 15, 1881 ; Bessie M., born Jan. 20, 1868, died April 3, 1868. They are active members of the Roman Catholic Church. Mr. D. has held the office of School Director and Postmaster for 13 years, and in politics is a Republican. ndrew Gerber, tanner, Fremont, was born H in Valparaiso, Ind., Aug. 6, 1856. His !}|||^ parents, Daniel and Rebecca (Comfort) Ger- 'h^ ber, were natives of Pennsylvania, and came X to Michigan about the year 1863, settling in Douglas, Allegan County, where they now reside. Andrew attended the Presbyterian and Methodist Colleges at Valparaiso, and afterward attended the High School at Douglas. He remained at home un- til he was of age, then came to Fremont, and was admitted into the firm of D. Gerber & Sons, tanners, having previously had charge of his father's tannery about three years. Mr. Gerber was married in Fre- mont, May 13, 1883, to Sarah Mallery. He is a member of the F. & A. M., K. of H., and Order of Chosen -Friends. In politics he is independent. homas H. Stuart, farmer, section 6, Gar- field Township, was born in Washington, Macomb Co., Mich., Sept. 26. 1829, and is the son of Wilkes L. and Frances (Hopkins) Stuart. When he was 12 years old his father went to Tyrone, Livingston County, and took charge of 1,000 acres of timber land belonging to John A. Wells, Cashier of the Farmers &: Mechanics' ]5ank, of Detroit, where the family resided seven years, clearing 100 acres. In 1845, Mr. W. L. Stuart bought 100 acres of wild land in Hartland Township in the same county, and lying adjacent. He retained the place but a short time and went to Cambria, Hillsdale County, where he bought 40 acres of land, and by additional k I A >^ (^ k ^K§^i^^ ^^^>^ ;J^^ ' V J 4 \ ^ IV E IV AY GO COUNTY. 219 purchases increased his farm to 160 acres. In 1856 he sold out and came to Newaygo County, ac- companied by his son, Thomas H., where, in com- pany with Daniel Weaver, he bought 320 acres of hind on the present site of Fremont Center and east of that village. Under the regulations of the Home- stead Act they could not hold the land in partnership, and it was conseciuently divided, Mr. Weaver taking the portion now constituting the village site. The entire tract was wild and covered with the primeval forest. Mr. Stuart and his companion made their -sC way from Newaygo through unbroken woods, cutting their road as they advanced. On arrival they cleared a small space and built a cabin of logs, 18 x 24 feet in dimensions, on the present site of the residence of William Webber. The structure was occupied the succeeding winter by James B. Mallory and wife, Mrs. Stringham, Samuel and Henry Shupe and Philip Weaver, who kept open house for all new comers. Mr. Mallory built his house in the spring. Mr. Stuart, his son and Mr. Weaver returned to Hillsdale County for the winter. In the spring Mr. Stuart removed his family, consisting of his wife and three sons, to the new home. On arrival in Newaygo County, Thomas H. Stuart bought 160 acres of land adjoining the farm where he >» now resides, located on the southeast quarter of sec- tion 36 of town 13, range 14 west, where he built a house and resided about two years. In 1858 he went back to Hillsdale and passed one year, returning afterwards to his farm, where he cleared 50 acres, and resided until 1865, when he exchanged his farm for the Mateva Hotel at Newaygo. He managed the house about i8 months, when he again exchanged his jjroperty with his father for 80 acres of land where he is now located. Only ten acres of this was under improvement at tliat time, but he now has 60 acres under cultivation with good residence, barns, orchards, etc., upon it. Mr. Stuart has accepted his share of the respons- ibilities of public life in the county. He was Su- pervisor of the old township of Fremont one year, served 12 years as Justice of the Peace in Sherman : Township, and filled the same position in Garfield ' .' 'I'ownship after its re-organization. He has been y Township Clerk several times and is at present High- ^ way Commissioner, which office he has filled several years. He was one of the organizers of the Grange, No. 494 at Fremont, in which he has held all the important offices. He was also one of the organi- zers of Pomona Grange, No. 1 1, at Newaygo, where he is an active worker in the interests of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry. Mr. Stuart was married in Reading. Hillsdale C'o., Mich., to Sarah A., daughter of Matthew and Sarah Mallory, and a native of the State of New York. Their two children, Wilkes C. and Mary A., were born on the first farm in (now) Dayton Township. The son married Mary Du Bois and resides at home. The daughter has been a teacher since she was 1 6 years old, and is now a student in the Literary De- partment of the Normal School of Michigan. fvl: '■^i'l Headley, farmer, section 35, Ashland .^iiidl , Township, was born in Trumbull Co., Ohio, j^> Dec. 5, 1 83 1, and is the son of John and 5)' Celia (Coburn) Headley. His parents were ■5 natives respectively of Pennsylvania and New York. They were of German descent, and when the son was in his sixth year they removed to De Kalb Co., Ind. The father there engaged in farming and educated his children in accordance with his means and the facilities afforded by the locality and period. Mr. Headley was married June 12, 1853, in De Kalb Co., Ind., to Julia A., daughter of Drayton and Sophronia (Loomis) Moore. Her parents were born in Massachusetts and New York and were of Puri- tan lineage. Mrs. Headley was born Jan. 7, 1834, in Portage Co., Ohio, and while she was yet an in- fant her parents removed to Medina Co., Ohio, and from there to I >e Kail) County. She secured a good education and was engaged a number of years in teaching in Indiana, and continued to follow the pro- fession for two years after coming to .Mi( higan. The family includes an adopted daughter, Minta A. Co- burn, born July 4, 1869. Her parents were Orson and .Ann (Headley) Coburn. Mr. and Mrs. Headley belong to the religious denomination known as Christians and hold their membership at Bailey. In 1854, Mr. Headley came to Michigan. He moved his entire earthly outfit, consisting of his wife, household effects and farm stock. The locomotive power consisted of an ox-teani and the journey con- r ^ C-<< c f>5«^#- >s^^^ri -^<^! •A' .>.^-^ ^ 220 -2J%L^i5^ I1 ii T -i v s-v: s ^ V XEit-iVGO cou.yj y. -^-^'^'t:: ^5r sumed 12 days. (He has since made the entire trip ' between "sun and sun.") He settled first in Mus- .':, ke.i^on County, occupying the cabin which had been the home of Dr. Tatman, a name well-known in Ne- waygo County. During the first year he was en- gaged at chopinng in the woods, and his wife taught school. He bought a farm under the Graduation Act. (This statutory provision related to (Govern- ment lands which had been in market for various periods with reference to which it had been con- structed. The prices for such lands varied in accord- ance with the time ; those longest in market were offered at twenty-five cents an acre, and they were graded upwards to one dollar and twenty-five cents an acre.) Mr. Headley arranged for the purchase of a tract of 40 acres in Ashland, at 75 cents per acre. This land was situated in so dense a wilderness that he was obliged to cut a road thereto. He cleared a piece of land of brush whereon to set his house, and devoted all the time he could spare to the improve- ment of his place, his leisure for that purjwse being regulated by the question of supplying the necessaries of life. He was in vigorous health, with a disposition to work, and found his resources in plentiful demand among neighbors who had more money than available strength ; and he worked at clearing land until he had sufficiently improved his own property to sustain his family. The prosperity of Newaygo County is no mystery to an observer who considers what the ne- cessities of its early settlers really were and all the privation and hardship they entailed, and the class of men who brought victory from such conditions. The generation of to-day would stand appalled if one simple condition of that period prevailed — that of obtaining supplies from remote points — even with the present facilities. The contrast proves the value of time and strength in the development of a new country, and that money may not always be a necessary means. Probably the most supreme mo- ment of disgust experienced by Alexander Selkirk was that in which he discovered the nugget of gold and realized its intrinsic worthlessness. It is a sig- nificant fact that they who were compelled to carry supplies from Cirand Rapids until their land became sufficiently productive to be made sustaining, feel so well compensated by their achievements that those days of effort have sunk to comparative nothingness, and it is certain that their cheerful, even joyous, re- cital of their experiences convey no impression of f suffering or struggle. To his original purchase, Mr. Headley has added 60 acres, and has 40 acres under fine improvement. Mr. Headley is a Republican in political belief and action. He ranks high in the esteem of his towns- men and has accepted the duties and resiwnsibililies of many official positions. He has been Township Treasurer 13 succeeding years and is holding his sec- ond incumbency as Supervisor; is also .Vssessor and Treasurer of his school district, a position he has held 1 2 years. He belongs to the Order of Good Templars and is connected with Lodge No. 369, of Ashland, in which body he occupies the position of Lodge Deputy. As a representative pioneer agriculturist of Ne- waygo County, the jxjrtrait of Mr. Headley is pre- sented in this work. #-^ argaret E. Tibbitts, resident on section 28, Denver Township, was born in De Kalb Co., Ind., March 9, 1845. Her par- ents, John and Mary (Warren) Milliman. were natives of New England. They lived in Cleveland, Ohio, several years, and afterward moved to Indiana. Margaret was educated in her native State, and remained at home until her mar- riage, Oct. 4, 1864, to James Brownlee. Just pre- vious to this event Mr. Brownlee had been in the army. While there, he contracted the measles, which terminated in the quick consumption, from which he died May 14, 1865, at Nashville, Tenn. He belonged to Co. A, gth Ind. Inf., but was not in any battle, owing to disability. Sept. 4, 1868, Mrs. Brownlee married Shepard Tibbitts, of Fremont, this county. He was a son of Arxa and Adaline (Shattuck) Tibbitts, natives of Brown Co., Ont., where he was born, April 8, 1825. He came to this State in 1851, after having spent some time in Vermont and New York. Very soon after marriage they settled on a farm of 160 acres of timbered land in Denver Township. This land is now in a good state of cultivation, with a residence a\ion it, built at a cost of $1,500. Mr. Tibbitts died at his home March 3, 1 88 2, leaving four children and a large circle of friends to mourn his loss. He had yw; A sy <■ 'M^> > ■-: *-?i3t: f^ /> t ♦ I J -7(i^mmh>T V \ V V I ■cr NEWAYGO COUNTY. — We^*^ ^-^# led an honest, active life and was highly respected by all who knew him. He was buried with Masonic iionors. Mr. and Mrs. Tibbitts had six children: Jennie, born July i6, 1869; Willard, Nov. 12, 187 1 ; Hcrtha A.. March 28, 1876; John A., Oct. 17, 1877 ; Bertie, born Aug. 19, 1873, died Sept. 24, 1873 ; an- other child also died in infancy. Mr. Tibbitts held various township offices. He had for sDuie time l)een a member of the Masonic Order: was a strong advocate of the temperance cause, and in politics a Republican. Both himself and wife were charter members of the Grange. Mrs. Tibbitts lost her sight in 1879, and since that lime has been unable to recognize any one. A severe cold was the cause of this sad calamity. '"tacfi'©^'*'— S§^ |?4— x'^-S'OTzw- 'eremiah Rossiter, farmer, section 17, Den- Ifi-''/! ver Township, was born in Wexford Co., p ' Ireland, June 4, 1829, and is a son of Jo- seph and Stacia (Fourlong) Rossiter, natives of that country. He attended the public schools of that place and worked on his father's farm until 21 years of age. March 4, 1848, he married Miss Bridget Fortune, daughter of Nicholas and May (O'Coner) Fortune, natives also of Wexford County. Mrs. Rossiter was born June 18, 1835, and died in Denver Township, June 18, 1880. They worked on the old homestead in Wexford County until the spring of 1850, when they emigrated to Ot- tawa, Can., where Mr. R. was engaged in lumbering until 1857. He then removed to Toronto, Can., and a year later came to F'ort Sariiia, on Lake Huron, where he was engaged one year in a saw-mill. In the spring of 1859 he moved to Port Huron, Mich., where he sawed fqr some time, and in the fall of 1S60 moved upon liis present farm of 80 a( res, which was then wild and uncultivated. He has add- ed 40 acres to his original purchase, and 80 of the r20 acres are well improved. Mr. and Mrs. Rossiter had six children, four of whom are living : Anna C, Nicholas, John and Mary; James and Nicholas are deceased. Mr. R. member of the Catholic Church, and is a mem- aymond E. Misner, son of Ephraim and ^' Marietta (Darling) Misner, natives of New York, was born in that State, April 14, }\^ 1850, and at the age of 16 years came to Michigan and settled in Newaygo County, where he was employed in a saw-mill for nearly ten years; was also employed about two years by the Chicago & West Michigan Railroad Company. Jan. I, 1880, he formed a partnership with R. W. Rutherford, for the purpose of carrying on the gro- cery, boot and shoe, flour and feed, and provision trade, under the firm name of Rutherford & Misner, in Fremont. They carry a stock of about $2,000. Mr. Misner was married, in Fremont, Dec. 25, 1869, to Sophia J., daughter of Cornelius and Chris- tina Addison, natives of Holland. She came to America with her parents, and remained at home un- til her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Misner have two children ; Stella M., born Dec. 25, 1870, and James E., born June 27, 1875. Mr. M. was ap{X)inted Special Policeman the first year the village was in- corporated and still retains that position. In poli- tics, he is identified with the Republican party. I^lonzo Thayer, mechanic and engineer, sec- f-r-i^y^H tion 27, Ashland Township, was born in J^ Washtenaw Co., Mich., Oct. 12, 1828. He is '^lieT the son of John G. and Hannah (Pangborn) j Thayer, natives of New England, who settled in Michigan previous to their marriage, which event took place in the city of Detroit, June 30, 1813. The father was in the service of the United States during the entire period of the war of 181 2, with the rank of Captain. After their marriage they became residents of Washtenaw County, and in 1840 went to Kent County, where the father died, in 1848. In 1849, Mr. Thayer attained his legal freedom, and in April previous to his reaching that period he > ber in good standing of the I. O. O. F., Lodge No. x;^ 334, at Hesperia. In politics he is a National Green- ' backer. V_ y A V r .i '> -i<^|]ll^t^tllli>^ -»ir;!^ V ') ,4 f A'/i \VA YGO CO UNT J '. -«^?^^^^en- ^ ver Township, was born in Fairfield Co., Ohio, Sept. 29, 1809. When he was very young his parents left that locality, and after living some time in Pickaway County moved to Sandusky Count\ . Here Jacob lived and worked on his father's farm until 22 years of age, when, in March, 1832, he married Miss Sarah Hi- land, daughter of Edward and Mary Hiland, all na- tives of Ohio. Mrs. Barnhard died in 1836, at her home in Sandusky, leaving two children. June 21, 1840, Mr. Barnhard married Miss Lu- cinda Reed, of Seneca Co., Ohio, and daughter of James and Nancy (Rowley) Reed, natives of that State. She was born in Huron Co., Ohio, Feb. 24, 1820. Mr. and Mrs. Barnhard settled on a farm in Sandusky County, where they lived till the spring of 1848, when they moved to Chicago, III.; from there they came to Muskegon, this State, where Mr. B. carried the chain to lay out the town. Finally they moved to this county and settled in Croton Town- shij). Here Mr. B. located on a farm, where he lived until 1855, when he removed to Daylon Town- ship, and built the first " shanty " in that township. V^' /N t i ^V^?^«§^' ■^<^[lfl>:DD^>- i>4f® .VEPl^AYGO COUNTY. I t V ) ^ I He labored hard and earnestly until he improved 80 acres of heavily timbered land. He has now grown to be an old man, and has always been highly es- teemed as a citizen, and recognized as one of the leading men of the community in which he has lived. He has held the offices of Township Clerk, Director, Supervisor, School Inspector, and at one time was Probate Judge. In politics, he sympathizes with the Republican party. March 15, 1883, Mr. Barnhard moved into Denver Township. Mr. and Mrs. Barnhard have had seven children : Sarah A., Nancy J-, Simon P., Thomas, Sylvanus, Margaret and Jonathan ; two are deceased. They are members of the M. E. Church. ^eymour E. Doud, farmer, sec. 29, Sherman Township, is a son of John and Amanda A. (Silliman) Doud, natives of Connecticut and Massachusetts respectively, and was born in Trumbull Co., Ohio, July 13, 1854. He lived in his native State until 14 years of age, and March 3, 1869, he came to Newaygo County and purchased 80 acres of partly improved land in Sher- man Township, where he now resides, and has 45 acres under tillage. He was married at Lansing. Mich., Oct. 23, 1875, to Lillian L., eldest daughter of Mark and Lorinda Alton, natives of Ohio; she was horn July 13, 1858. They have three children : Ernest L., Eugene A. and Berniss A. Mr. D. has held the office of Highway Commissioner three years, and ivas also on the Board of Review one year. In politics he is a Republican. ".rw^^^^^*^ Millard, merchant, Newaygo, was born 1 March 5, r832, in Allegany Co., N. V.,;uid -/^^^ is a son of John and Polly (Doud) Millard. W^v The father was a carpenter and joiner, and ^ taught his son the details of the trade. The « latter pursued the business during summers and engaged in lumbering winters until he came to Mich- igan, which was in the fall of 1857. On coming to this State our subject settled in Clinton County and was occupied there until i860 in farming. He then came to Newaygo and engaged as a sawyer in the mill of the Newaygo Lumber Company, where he remained until 1863, when he began to operate as a contractor, putting in pine timber. He bought 80 acres of pine land and oper- ated on his own account for a time. In 1866 he opened a meat market, which branch of trade he operated eight years, when he added a grocery and provision department, and afterwards ready-made clothing and gentlemen's furnishing goods. His stock is valued at $1,500 and he transacts an annual business of about $7,000. He owns his store build- ing and residence. He has served as Township Clerk two years and Under-Sheriff two years. Mr. Millard was married in Allegany Co., N. Y., Nov. 3, 1854, to Phebe E., daughter of Dewitt C. and Mary A. Hyde, a native of Allegany County. •MIs'sriaL jjjjQj^ p Barnhard, merchant, Fremont, , was born in Ottawa Co., Ohio, Nov. g, 1844. His parents, Jacob and Lucinda i\\ (Reed) Barnhard, were natives of that State. When Simon was four years of age they moved to Illinois, where they remained but six months, and came to the mouth of the Muskegon River, in Michigan, where they lived a short time, then re- moved farther north into what is now Newaygo County, which was then a wilderness. Simon re- mained at home until 17 years of age, when he en- listed in Co. K, 3d Mich. Inf., and served two years and four months in the war of the Rebellion. He was then honorably discharged on account of wounds received at the battle of the Wilderness. He par- ticipated in the battles of Chancellorsville, Fredericks- burg and numerous smaller engagements. At Chan- cellorsville he was wounded in the leg and left on the field, where he was taken prisoner, but was paroled in 13 liays. About si.x months afterward he was free to enter the service again, where he remained until his discharge. He then returned to this county, where he attended school nearly a year, and taught school for about four years. In the meantime he bought 40 acres of land at one lime, and 40 at an- V r i ®)5€^^- -K>Da:=^^ r ■ ■ ■ • .^ m r^- ■>i^^ ■7<^nil>:ilO>>r^=^ :2^^^^ ^^^^^^\4$§) X 224 t o i A : COUNTY. other, of partly improved land. He lived on this farm 11 years, then sold in the winter of 1882, after clearini; over 50 acres and putting up good frame buildings. He afterward moved to the village of Fremont, ivhere he was employed by tlie Patrons' Co-operative Co., as manager, and remained in that position until the following April, when he purchased the goods of the company, which consisted of gen- eral merchandise, and now carries a stock of $5,000 to $7,000. Mr. Barnhard has the confidence of his fellow townsmen ananiel and Sarah A. (Johnson) Tindall, natives of Ohio and Indiana respectively, and she was born April 15, 1852. Their three chil- dren arc Mary E., born Oct. 30, 1874; Charles H., Jan. 20, 1876; Freddie, April 22,1881. Mr. Thomas C r t ts/'i r,^;^^i^_^ -3%^^^ <^ll!I^tlll^>-^ ^J^;^ -4^^^ ih/^^^^ ^m'Mh> V "> ^ I T5- NE IV AY GO COUNTY. -ZJ^'^ was elected Justice of the Peace in 1871, and has held that office ever since; has been a member of the Masonic Order since 1S56; is a strong temper- ance man, and in politics is a Repuljlican. slbert E. SutliflF, of the firm of Keefe, Sut- ^ liff & Co., liverymen, Newaygo, wras born in Bndgeton Township, Newaygo Co., Mich., March 18, 1S61. His father, Calvin A. Sutliff, was Ijorn Jan. 27, 1828, in New York, of Eng- lish and German extraction, and is a pioneer settler of Bridgeton Township, where he is a heavy land- holder. The mother, Emily H. (Woodward) Sutlifif, is a native of New York, and was born Ajjril 13, 1839. Their farm comprises 272 acres, 100 acres of which is under improvement. Mr. Sutliff was brought up as a pioneer's son and shared in the labors and hardships of clearing the homestead and placing it in its present valuable con^ dition. Sept. 18, 1883, associated with his brother, Solon D. Sutliff, and Charles F. Keefe, he opened^ a livery stable in Newaygo on the site of the establish- ment of J. M. Allen, whose building was destroyed in the fire of April 29, 1883. The firm is in a pros- perous condition and its establishment is well stocked with excellent horses, carriages and all other fixtures necessary to meet the local demand. Mr. Sutliff is a member of Jericho Lodge, Order of Good Tem- plars, located at West Ashland. 1 homas C. Grundy, farmer, section 6, Day- ton Township, is the son of James and Ann (Pickles) Grundy, natives of England, and was born June 20, 1839. He lived with his parents until about i6 years of age, and was then ai)prenticed, for seven years, to learn the trade of carpenter and joiner. After the expira- tion of his ap|)renticeship he turned his attention to the ministry, which engaged him for five years, in the meantime being licensed to preach, but was not or- dained until he came to America. He left his native country in the summer of 1867, and settled in Cold- water, Branch Co., Mich., where he followed his trade a part of the time and occasionally jjreached ■ the gospel. He remained at Coldwater but a few months, when he went to Burr Oak, where he re- mained for a year, thence to Reading, Hillsdale County, where he was ordained a minister of the M. E. Church. After preaching one year at Reading, he moved to Osseo, in the same county, and at the exi)iration of his engagement there came to Fre- mont, this county, where he preached one year, after which he left the Conference. In the spring of 1874, Mr. Grundy returned to England, and after spending a few months in his na- tive country, came back to Newaygo County and pur- chased 162 acres of partly improved land, where he now resides. He was married in England, August, 1864, to Ann, daughter of Rev. Thomas and Eliza- beth (Cartwright) Eckersley, also natives of England, and where their daughter Ann was born, and lived until her marriage with Mr. Grundy. In politics, Mr. G. sympathizes with tlie National paity. - 000 - "oSo" — a? V Sfeenry Darling, farmer, section 6, Garfield J.jM^i Township, was born in Ulster Co., N. Y. x|^ March 8, 181 1, and is the son of James and Margaret (Misner) Darling. His father was a native of Scotland and was born July 23, 1774, in Prestonpans, and died in Schuyler Co., N. Y., at the venerable age of 92 years. The mother was born Feb. 29, 1780, in Canada, of German an- cestry, and died March 22, 1865, at the ripe of age of 85 years. They were the parents of 14 children, nine of whom are still living. During the war of 1 81 2, the family lived in Canada, the father wishing to remain neutral in the issue between the British (Government and the United States. Mr. Darling came to Newaygo in 1858, and in 1859 bought a saw-mill, which was burned in 1863, with a loss of $1,200, not being insured. He was married Dec. 22, 1861, to Eydia J., daughter of Henry and Cynthia Upton, born at Adrian, Aug. 18, 1841. They passed the four years following their marriage in Schuyler Co., N. Y., where their two children, Henry Tavern and Duane, were born, the eldest K. ^ r -^mm%^ ■^^f^ « M K-y^'jy ii^i^ii t JL )K/^'^(^r#^ 226 z* ^ :il|]r.>-r- ^^H'.^KGO COUNTY ■y^^^ July II, 1863, the younger, Sept. 22, 1865. In the spring of 1864, Mt. Darling returned to Newaygo County and bought 320 acres of land in (then) Day- ton Township. The place is known as the Fremont Lake Farm, and is in what is now Sheridan Township. In the same year he built a saw-mill, which was i)urned in 1870, involving a loss of $5,000. In De- cember, 1870, Mr. Darling went to Kansas and en- tered a claim of 160 acres of land. He remained there until the spring of 1 871, when he returned lo Xewaygo County and purchased the farm of which he is the present proprietor. It contains 50~acres, with one half under improvement. The owner has made additional clearings, built a substantial resi- dence, set out an orchard and put the'^place in a fine state of cultivation. He has officiated four years as Justice of the Peace and in several other positions of trust. Mr. Darling is a descendant, on both sides of liis parentage, of ancestors remarkable for tenacity of life. His maternal grandfather lived to be 104 years old. Every tooth was perfectly sound and bodily fLiculties comparatively unimpaired at the time of his death. vv^S»-i^S'i'~^-r- """l^aniel Davis, farmer, section 32, Sherman \L Township, is a son of Joel and Mary A. w \ 'A (McConnell) Davis, the father a native of Pennsylvania, and mother of Ireland ; they first settled in Ohio, but now reside in Indiana. Daniel was born in Tuscarawas Co., Ohio, March 28, 1845, and was the seventh son of a family of 14 children. He remained at home until 17 years of age. At that time he enlisted in the 51st Ohio Vol. Inf , and servetl 21 months, receiving an honorable discharge at the close of the war, at Indianapolis, Ind. Owing to severe exposure, he was taken sick near Atlanta, Cia., and was confined to the hospital nearly (wt. months. After receiving his discharge he returned to Ohio and lived at home a year, then went to I)e Kalb Co., Ind., where he lived two years, and in the fall of 1868 came to Newaygo County and bought 40 acres of wild land in Ashland Township. He continued to improve this land for eight years, then sold it and purchased 60 acres in Sherman Township, where he now resides. He has about 25 acres under tillage. Aug. 30, 1866, he was married in Tuscarawas Co., Ohio, to Mary E., daughter of Zedekiah and Isabelle (Connell) Lewis, natives of Virginia and Ohio re- spectively. Mrs. Davis was born in Tuscarawas Co., Ohio, April 14, 'S45. Their four children are Isabelle, Chades .\., Lewis C. and Ora J. Politically, Mr. Davis is a radical Kepublican. V^ l^hinar Preston is a son of William and Margaret (Barnhard) Preston, and was fe"^' born in Ohio Aug. 15, 1839. His father ^ was a native of Vermont and mother of Ohio. They first settled in Ohio, and remained there until his father's death. His mother now lives in Kent Co., Mich., with one of her children. Mr. Preston lived in Ohio until he was 11 years of age, then came to Michigan with his mother, with whom he made his home till 22 years of age. March 12, 1862, he enlisted in the 3d Mich. Inf., and served three years, taking part in many important battles. Among them were those of Gettysburg, battle of the Wilderness, Williamsburg (Va.), Mine Run, Locust Grove and siege of Yorktown. He was honorably discharged at Elmira, N. V., in March, 1865, and at once returned to Newaygo County, where his mother was then living. Previous to his enlistment he had made a purchase of 120 acres of land, about five of which were im- proved. He settled on this land and began at once to make improvements. He has since added to his estate at different times, until he now owns 360 acres, 200 of which are being well cultivated. He was married in Dayton Township, March 17, 1862, to Eugenia, daughter of Frederick and Keziah (Hop- kins) Dickison, who was born in New York, March 2, 1846. Her parents were natives of Connecticut and New York respectively, and came to Michigan about the year 1859, settling in Dayton Township. Mr. and Mrs. Preston have had ten children : Reno S., Nellie L., Lester P., Nettie E., Kearney N., Mary O., Frank C. and William F. Two children died in infancy. Pohtically, Mr. Preston is a Republican. He ha^ .'^■V.jir' .:::lJ^ <^|]a:-»:iiDit>-^- '^yy'' •4)^5f ^. /^ i^sferf**- <>tltl^tlllr> cr-T /VEIVAVGO COUNTY. T- •^0^-'^ ~®*'-'^T^2b^ 227 held the office of Highway Commissioner, School Inspector and Justice of the Peace; lias also been a member of Fremont C'.range, No. 494, Patrons of Husbandry. 4f WT OM'^'.avid W. Squier, farmer and lumberman, f:'ISis£ir section 17, Bridgeton Township, was born y^'Sif'^^ in Ft. Edward, Washington Co., N. Y., ''t "m'^ March 15, 1822. His parents, John and *^' f^ Mar)' (Lampman) Squier, were natives of the J same county and were of English and Hol- land Dutch lineage. Mr. Squier grew up on the homestead of his father, under whose care he re- mained until he was 18 years old, when he fulfilled a long cherished desire to devote his attention and en- ergies to lumbering, which he has made the pursuit of his life, and in it has achieved a large degree of success. He traces this inclination to the days of his boyhood when, more as a recreation than as labor, he assisted in rafting logs down the Hudson and Susquehanna Rivers. He afterwards engaged in the same employment on Lake Champlain. In the years of 1844 and 1845 he operated as a contractor in Monroe Co., N. Y., getting out timber to construct the schooner " Genesee Chief " and brig " Venice " for Lake Erie service, working in the heavily timbered region traversed by the Genesee River. Mr. Squier was married Dec. 18, 1846, to Sarah, daughter of Idas and Paulina (French) Dayton. The parents were natives of Washington Co., N. Y. Mrs. Squier was reared and educated in Penfield, Monroe Co., N. Y., where she was born, Jan. 23, 1829, and where she was married. The event of marriage changed Mr. Squier's plans to some extent for tlie time being, and he engaged in agricultural pursuits in his native State until the fall of 1848, when he located in the vicinity of Coldwater, Mich., and again pursued farming, interesting himself also in buying horses for the Eastern market. In the fall of 185 I, he went twice personally to Rochester, N. Y., with a fine lot of animals for that market. He re- mained in Monroe County until May, 1856, when he again came to Michigan and settled in Eggleston Township, Muskegon County, on the river, where he managed a hotel and engaged in lumbering for a A V ) <^ 1 time. In the spring of 1858, he settled permanently in Newaygo County. During that season he bought r4o acres of partly improved land, where he kept hotel 12 years and has been constantly and iieavily interested in lumbering, " running in " from two to seven million feet of logs each winter. He has been one of the most extensive operators in pine and farm- ing lands in Northern Michigan, and is now in pos- session of 8,000 acres. One half of this immense territory is improved and cultivated, its management being under his own personal supervision. His farm buildings are on the most extensive scale, and his private residence, built at a cost of $r 6,000, is re- puted to be the finest farm house in Newaygo County. In political sentiment Mr. Squier is a Democrat. He is no wire-puller nor office-seeker, and has per- sistently declined all proffered positions. The children of Mr. Squier were born as follows : Frank W., Oct. 17, 1853; Eva L., Dec. 5, 1855; these two alone survive. E. D., born May 16, 1849, died June r2, 1868; Nellie, born March 24, r86o, died Oct. 8, i860; David W., born June 19, 1864, died Oct. 5, 1864. Frank W. Squier has attained a fine position as civil engineer. •"^ ••<-^-^4^^>" eorge A. Mills, farmer, section 20, Sher- ■ ;i , ^- n man Townshii), is a son of Stillman and i ©)«^^- .^55^y^ (t, \ NEWAYGO COUNTY. ~Zi^p: T J acres of partly im|)roved land in Sherman Township, where he now resides, and has about 45 acres under the plow. Mr. Mills was married in Auburn, N. Y., Aug. 20, 1867, to Esther A., daughter of George C. and Esther (Wilkins) Hayward, the former a native of New Hampshire and the latter of Massachusetts, and she was born in Mendon, Monroe Co., N. Y., Dec. 17, 1845. IMr. and Mrs. Mills are the parents of one child, Burton H., born Oct. 15, 1873. In politics Mr. M. is a Republican. V J 4 \ ~r-TS %^^m¥- M3 S{pi-|3onrad Kritzer, farmer, section 10, Ash- gjl fe^ S land Township, was born in Germany ^JP Jan. 26, 1838, and is a son of Henry and f{^ Elizabeth (Moll) Kritzer, also natives of Ger- ,1 many. He was educated in his native land, ^ and when 17 years old came to the United States 3 and found employ as a farm laborer in Lisbon, Otta- y\ wa County. Two years later he \yent to Illinois, and ° after a delay there of some months' duration he re- turned to Michigan, and in 1865 located on 80 acres of finely timbered land, most of which he has already placed under good improvements, with unusually good farm buildings. He enlisted June 10, i86i,in the 3d Mich. Inf. The regiment was assigned to the command of Gen. Sigel, Corps commander of the Army of the Poto- mac. Mr. Kritzer was a participant in the first bat- tle of Bull's Run, Fredericksburg and Fair Oaks, where he was captured, held some time and was fin- ally exchanged. He was in the fights at Yorktown and at Chancellorsville. At the latter engagement he was injured by a fall from the breastworks and was transferred to the " Invalid Corps, " to which he was attached until June 20, 1864, when he was discharged. He was married June 4, 1868, in the city of Grand X Rapids, to Elizabeth, daughter of Valentine and ^ Catherine (Ritz) Shafer. She was born in Germany : April 15, 1846. She grew up and was educated in ' .-' Neiderstoll, and at 20 years of age set out alone to V the United States and became an inmate of the fam- xi\ ily of her uncle at Lowell, Mich. She remained • there two years, when she came to Grand Rapids and 7" resided until her marriage. All the children, five in '11 I number, born to Mr. and Mrs. Kritzer, are living. They are, Matilda, born March 25, 1867 ; John, Feb. 12, 1870; Charles H., April 12, 1873; Mary E., Jan. 12, 1876; Maggie, March 28, 1879. Both parents belong to the P. of H., Lodge No. 545, Ashland Cen- ter. Mr. Kritzer is a member of Lodge No. 331, I. O. O. F., at Ashland Center, and is a Republican. >^^>;-o — i»-5<- — • ohn Sweet, farmer, section 18, Dayton ^jlit" Township, was born in Thorold, Ont., July ^^ 10, 1835. His parents were .\lonzo and ,Z Sophia (Silverthorn) Sweet, the latter a native ^C of Canada. John lived in Canada until the fall of 1865, when he came to Michigan and re- sided at Bow's Corners, in the eastern part of the State, and engaged two years in farming. In the spring of 1867 he came to Newaygo County and bought 80 acres of wild land on section 18, Dayton Township. He has since resided here and has 60 acres under good cultivation. He was first married in Port Huron, June 11, 1856, to Rebecca Burdett, a native of Canada. To them were born eight chil- dren, viz.: \Vm. Henry, born July 19, 1857; Helena M., March 4, 1859; John D., Nov. 23, i860; Eliza- beth M., March 25, 1863; .'Vlphonso L., Jan. 8, 1866; Herman E., Jan. 16, 1868; Arthur, Feb. 17, 1869. John D. died Sept. 26, 1861, and one died in infancy. Mrs. Sweet died June 28, 1870, and Mr. S. subsequently married Emily Dandford, who was born in England, Aug. 9, 1 846. Mr. S. is a member of Dayton Lodge, No. 412, I. O. G. T. In politics he is a Republican. f ohn A. Grant, farmer, section 18, Garfield 'f Township, was born in Glengarry Co., Can., Dec. 13, 1S43. He is the son of Alexan- der and .'\nn (.McKillop) Grant. His father was born in Scotland and died when the son was in early youth. The mother was also a native of that country and is now residing in Corn- wall, Ontario. Mr. Grant came to Michigan when he was 19 years old and found employment at Muskegon, VS' C A •r • r^ I .€: 5--?J^^!7^ ^ <^ii!i: «))$>^«J^ Tai^^ e-7<^[lD ^^ C Dr >7- -:i^&^ -**^T€i; J^E WA YGO CO UNT Y. 239 J 4 where he engaged in lumbering on the North Branch of the White Cloud River for Pingra & Sanford. The next spring he engaged as a farm laborer with David Squier, for whom he worked one season, afterwards engaging in lumbering. In 1869, he purchased his farm of So acres, nearly all of which was at that time in primeval forest, and by his industrious ap- plication he has placed 50 acres under good impvove- ment. He also owns 40 acres of land on section 7, adjoining his farm, which was bought in June, 1883 Mr. Grant was married in Muskegon, May 24, 1871,10 Maggie, daughter of William and Honora (Togan) Donahue, a native of Ireland. Three chil- dren have been born of this marriage, as follows : William A., Dec. 9, 1872; Delia M., May 5, 1877, and John R., Dec. 31, 1878. 4 |V=cnry Avary, farmer, section 20, Ashland Township, was born in Wayne Co., Penn., *4W Aiiril ro, 1839. His parents, Lewis and Nancy (Avary) Avary, were natives of Pennsylvania, born respectively of French and English par- entage. He was orphaned when five years old, and soon after\vard was taken to bring up by a man named Horace W. Gager, of Lebanon Township, with whom he remained, operating as a farmer's assistant, until he was 17 years old; then, determined to do something for himself, he went to Sullivan, N. Y., and learned the trade of painter from his uncle, Isaac Newton. In the summer of 1859 he located at Carbondale, Lawrence Co., Pa., and there pursued his profession. In the autumn of i860 he went to Lisbon, Ottawa Co., Mich., where he applied himself with energy to the work of acquiring an edu- cation. He studied a year and June 9, 1861, en- listed in Co. H, First Mich. Inf. His command was assigned to the Army of the Potomac, where he was a i)articipant in 16 active engagements and ten unimijortant skirmishes. He was in action in the Seven Days' Battles before Richmond, at Fredericks- burg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Culpepper and the battles of the Wilderness, lie was captured at Malvern Hill and held prisoner of war, two months ['^ and seven days, in the pens at Libby. He was wounded twice in the Wilderness, receiving two bul- ^ ^ r -SW' -Or lets in his left arm. A niinie ball jiassed entirely through the arm and at almost the same instant a bursting shell buried a fragment directly on the elbow .' joint, shattering it covnpletely. He refused inflexibly to have it amputated, and now has a stiff arm. In ^ July, 1864, he was promoted to the rank of Ser- geant, which he Ik-UI until his discharge May i3> 1865, his service having continued nearly four years' On returning to Michigan he lingered some time in \\'ashlena\v and Ingham Counties, going thence to Bluffton, Muskegon Co., and engaged as an assistant in the lumber mills of Wilcox & Co. He remained until November, 1873, when he came to Newaygo County and purchased 80 acres of land in Ashland Township. He disposed of a portion of his first purchase and added another tract 40 acres in ex- tent, making a convenient farm of 95 acres, which he has placed under good improvements with commo- dious and suitable accessory farm buildings. Mr. Avary was married in November, 1864, to Esther Wykoff, who was born in Washtenaw Co., Mich., in 1842, and died in Muskegon County, in August, 1870. Mr. Avary contracted marriage a second rime Feb. 27, 1872, with Minnie, daughter of William and Sarah D. (Wegg) Buckett. The parents were natives of England and the mother, aged 7 i years, resides with her daughter. Mrs. Avary was born in the city of London, Eng., June 13, i84i,and accompanied her parents to the United States when she was eight years of age. They resided for a time in New York city, next in New Orleans, La., then they returned to New York, where Mrs. Avary obtained her education. Her parents transferred their residence successively to Pennsylvania, New York, Wisconsin and back again to the Keystone State, making a per- manent settlement at last in Muskegon Co., Mich., in the fall of 1869. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Avary: Ella G., Nov. 13, 1872; Charles C, Jan. 16, 1875 ; Frank C, Sept. 5, 1876. Mr. Avary is a decided Republican, and has of- ficiated in most of the positions of trust of the township government. He is a member of the Odd Fellows fraternity, Lodge No 362, at Ashland Cen- ter, in which body he has passed all the chairs, and is now Past Crrand. Mrs. Avary belongs to the Daughters of Rebekah in the same order. Both are members of the Patrons of Husbandry, and Mr. Avary is present Master of Grange No. 545. -:^^^- «^^?^ ' • J^^^p ( s A C< I r I ^=^llli:^.nDv>^-^ :;^)-v/^')$^rg**- ^ -^m?^ erv<:Illli?iBDv>? ^ A >^ ) o 4 230 rrr NEWAYGO COUNTY. ichard Peacock, farmer, section 32, Gar- field Towiisliip, was born at Kirton Lind- say, in Lincolnshire, England (situated 20 miles from Hull on the River Trent), March t5, 1822. His parents, Richard B'. and Eliza- beth (Stowe) Peacock, were born respectively at Kirton and Scotton, England, and came to the New World in 1844, settling in Dunham, Canada, where the mother is still living. She was born May 19, 1 81 2. The father died when he was 74 years old. When he was 12 years old, Mr. Peacock entered tlie employ of a man named Thomas Brown, who was in the service of the British Government, buying horses for the batteries of artillery. In this position he remained five years, traveling through England, Ireland and Scotland. He next engaged as a plow- man on the estate of Lord Thomas Hudson, where he served two years. He has in his possession four medals awarded him by the agricultural societies of his own and three other counties of his native coun- try, attesting his superiority in his calling. He came to Canada with his parents and engaged for a time as a day laborer, and during the first year ijurchased 200 acres of farming land of a fine grade, for which he paid by the accumulations from his labors as a farm hand. He gave his parents a life lease of the place, and after seeing them established m comfort he went to the State of New York and engaged as a lumberman in Essex County several successive win- ters, and operating as a farm assistant in Bridgeport, Vt., in the alternate summers. While thus engaged he obtained his credentials of citizenship and exer- cised the freeman's privilege for the first time, in vot- ing for James K. Polk. He returned to Canada and was married Sept. 22, 1847, to Martha M., daughter of William and Marian (Hare) Lavery, born at St. Armour Tower, Canada, May 9, 1824. Of this marriage seven children were born: William J., George R, David J., Thomas N., Martha E,, Ann J. and Stephen Robert. All have grown to maturity and are settled in life. Mr. Pea- cock transferred his family and interests to Michigan, in August, 1863. He worked through the harvest season of that year, in Branch County, where he left his family, and came to Newaygo County to operate as a lumberman during the succeeding winter. His family joined him in September, 1863, when he en- tered the service of Samuel R. Sanford, and worked for him in lumbering 12 years. The firm with which Mr. Sanforo ras connected failed, owing Mr. Pea- cock a large sum of money which he never received. In 1875 he purchased the farm where he now resides, which was then in a state of nature. He bought 40 acres and now owns by later purchase 160 acres, with 40 acres under improvement. He has a comfortable house, convenient barns and other creditable farm fixtures. He also owns 40 acres of unimproved land on section 33. Politically Mr. P. is a Republican *'»*222'®^*^~fe •^^ifStrmKr ^y:Dilv>A J^. % !#»-' t ] t-, I NEWAYGO COUNTY. 4^^^ 231 ) educated in her native country, and spent some years as a teacher. After marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Merrill lived on the farm in Bridgeton two years, and in 1877 located in Ashland Township, on 80 acres of stump land. Be- sides the fulfillment of his obligations as teacher and surveyor, Mr. Merrill has thoroughly improved 30 acres of his farm. Mr. and Mrs. M. have one child, — Karl G., who was born Nov. 9, 1882. Mr. Merrill is a zealous and influential adherent to the princi- ples of the Republican party, and has held the of- fices of Supervisor of the township, acted as School Superintendent two years, and has also served as School Inspector. He is a member of Blue Lodge No. 131, at Newaygo, and himself and wife are con- nected with Grange No. 545, at Ashland Center, of which he is Secretary. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Baptist Church, and was County Surveyor two terms — from 1S72 to 1S74, and from 1880 to 1882. Ji.ir^!5« I'oseph Trumbley, farmer, section 16, Gar- Mllirr field Town.ship, was born Oct. 8, 1848, in ,.,g. Canada, and is a son of Edward and So- ^^ phia (Gyatt) Trumbley. His parents are both ^L^ natives of the Dominion and of French de- scent. The father was born in 1830, the mother in 1832, and both are jet living. Mr. Trumbley left the paternal home when he was only 13 years old and engaged in tlie capacity of a waiter on a Lake Champlain steamer, where he re- mained one season. After this he went to North Adams, Mass., and worked about 18 months on the Hoosac Tunnel. He next went West with a com- panion named Peter Blake, and traveled about two months, returning in June to Duck Lake, Muskegon Co., Mich., where they worked six months in a saw- mill, and for a considerable time thereafter as lum- bermen in th;U vicinity. He then came to Newaygo County, and has since spent the winters in lumbering, operating the last few years as a contractor. In 1S76 Mr. Trumbley bought 80 acres of wild land, in what was then .Sherman Township, one-half lying res|)ectively on sections r6 and 17. He has cleared and otherwise improved 50 acres, clearly showing what can be accomplished by industry and well directed effort. He belongs to the Patrons of Husbandry and has served his township in various official capacities. Our subject was married in Hesperia, Oceana Co., Mich., July 7, 1870, to Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas and Hannah O'Brien, who was born Oct. 11, 1846, in Indiana. They have four children, — Edward L., Joseph L., Georgie L. and Lena B. ^t i I V- W^i '■^r®3' obert C. Wallace, farmer, section 33, Ash- land Township, was born in the city of y^i'"' Toronto, Can., April ri, 1844. His par- x^ ents, William G. and Ann Wallace, were na- 'y tives respectively of Scotland and Ireland, came to Canada in early life and were mar- ried in Toronto. Mr. Wallace had the best educational advantages until he was 13 years of age, but the bent of his in- clinations was toward the career of a mechanic, and he became an engineer in the machine shop of Alfred Metcalf in his native city. He afterward went to Hamilton, Ontario, where he engaged in a meat market, associated with an uncle, and there operated until the spring of i860, when he became a farmer in Haldimand Co., Ont. He remained there until the fall of 1864, when he came to Michigan and located in Mecosta County, engaging in lumber- ing on the Muskegon River, spending the winter of 1864-5 in that occupation. He entered the employ of Alex. Blake of Newaygo, in the summer of 1865, where he continued some time, as a laborer in the common departments of the lumber business, and at a later period was made foreman of the entire lum- ber interest of Mr. Blake. In the fall of 1S76 he became foreman for the lumber firm of Wyman, Buswell (*vr Co., of Grand Haven, operating in their behalf until the fall of 187S, when he settled upon a partly improved farm on section ^^t„ .\shland Town- ship, where he has since exjiended his time and ener- gies, with the exception of one winter. Mr. Wallace was married July 18, 1876, to Mary Jane, daughter of John and Nancy (.\ustin) Mcll- veen. i'he parents and daughter are natives of Ire^ land, where the latter was born, in the city of Belfast, A a<^dd:^,(1II^>a.^^ — ^^^^^ i^^/^:^«^#^ ^■■'■■j <^iip:t:Dii!> O 232 iVElVAYGO COUNTY. ">fr^i- i^^^f^-iM^ :<^: May 12, 1841. They came to the United States in 1852, and after landing at New York proceeded west- ward until they reached Ottawa Co., Mich., where Mrs. Wallace resided until her marriage. Mr. Wallace is a decided Republican, and is now (1884) filling his second term as Township Treasurer. He is a prominent member of the Order of Odd Fellows and belongs to the subordinate Lodge, No. 362, at Ashland Center, and to the Encampment, No. 82, at Newaygo. He holds the position of C. P. in the latter named body and that of M. W. G. P. in the former. ['fH-al' . ilas Lawrence, farmer, section 27, Norwich >- ' ' ' Township, was born Sept. 4, 1835, in Upper Canada, and is the son of Samuel and Susanna (Kipp) Lawrence. He was but five years old when his father died, and he was placed in the care of John Kipp, with whom he remained until he was 2 i years of age. He was mar- ried in 1868, to Ellen McKeage, who was born in New Castle Co., Can., June 3, 1841. She is a daughter of William and Elizabeth (Coles) McKeage, the former a native of Canada, the latter of Ireland. By the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence seven children have been born: Mary E., William E., Martha E., Samuel H., Anna L., Carrie B. and George M. Mr. Lawrence resided in Canada until Dec. 14, 1876, when he came to Newaygo County, and where he resides, owning 40 acres of land, in Norwich Township. I'ackson Leonard, farmer, section 20, Ash- land Township, was born in Erie Co., N. Y., Sept. 27, 1834, and is a son of Orrin and Harriet (Richardson) Leonard. His par- ents were born in the State of New York, of Scotch descent. They went to Chautauipia N. Y., in 1 838, where tiie son obtained his edu- cation and worked on his father's farm until he was 18 years old. In 1852, Mr. Leonard went to Marion Co., Ind., going thence to Illinois. He came to Michigan in the fall of 1857, and in 1859 went to Wisconsin, where he operated as a lumberman two years, re- turning to Michigan for a permanent settlement. In 1869 he located on section 20, where he bought 80 acres of land, all heavily timbered. Of this he has placed 45 acres under improvements, and erected suitable and substantial farm buildings. He was married Feb. 7, r866, in Muskegon County, to Susan A., daughter of Jabez Carter. She was born in Os- wego Co., N. Y., and came to the county where her marriage look place, when she was 17 years old. Mr. Leonard belongs to the Masonic fraternity and is a member of Blue Lodge No. 331, of Newaygo. Himself and wife are members of Grange No. 545, of Ashland Center, of which he is and has been Treasurer. He is a decided and active Republican and has held various township offices. rwin C. Fox, son of Frederick and Susan (Kelsey) Fo.x, natives of Massachusetts 'i^ T and Connecticut, respectively, was born in ^{\f Oswego Co., N. Y., June 18, 1844. When he was about 13 years old his parents moved to Elkhart, Ind., and in 1866 came to this county, settling in Dayton Township. When Mr. Fox was 17 years old he enlisted in tlie 9lh Reg. Ind. Vol., and served one year, when he was honorably dis- charged on account of sickness, which was brought on by e,\posurc. He returned to Indiana, where he remained about one year, then went to the Stale of New York, and attended the Commercial College at Oswego, and in 1S64 again returned to Indiana. The great re!>ellion had not yet been crushed, and once more his patriotic soul prompted him to again offer his services to his country. Accordingly the following July he re-enlisted, this time in the r52d Ind. Vol. Inf; at this time he served nearly eight months, and was mustered out of the service in September, 1S65. He was in the battle of Pittsburg Landing, ('amp Allegheny, W. Va., and several smaller engagements. In the spring of 1866, he came to Newaygo County and took up 160 acres of land on section 30, under the Homestead Act, and ^ i C;' (c^ ^^» JSt^^^L. .^ ■K^^n!]:A:nar->=-^ — #i^5f®y^ '*:>)^t^- -^JSiayX -^ '•/ :DIIr>r '~>^ixr' '^w^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. ,< \ A' 1 20 acres on section 25, Greenwood Township, Oce- ana County. The following spring he went to Indi- ana for the purpose of bringing his father's family to Michigan, and they have since resided on this farm. He has 65 acres under cultivation, and has added 80 acres to his original farm in Dayton Township. Mr. Fox was married in Dayton Township, May 13, 1873, to Miriam E., eldest daughter of James and Sarah Toles. Her parents were natives of the State of New York, and after marriage removed to Can- ada. Mr. and Mrs. Fox have had four children — Nellie S., Bertha M., Edward G. and William C. Mr. Fo.x has held the office of Supervisor six years, Justice of the Peace four years, Highway Commis- sioner six years, Town Treasurer five years. He was County Superintendent of the Poor six months, and resigned to accept the office of Supervisor. He is a member of the Masonic Order, and of Henry Dob- son Post, at Fremont. In politics he is a Republi- can. Mr. Fox has been on the county ticket three successive campaigns for County Treasurer, also for County Clerk, and was defeated by only a small ma- jority. Charles Turner, farmer, section 33, Nor- ^ wich Township, was born in Oxford Co., Can., Sei)t. 16, 1839. He is a son of John ^ 4 and Syrena (Smedley) Turner, natives of the State of New York. They moved thence to Oxford Co., Can., and afterward to Laporte Co., Ind., where the father died. The mother returned with her family to Canada. Mr. Turner attended the common schools during the winter months only, and remained with his mother until he was 18 years old, when he set out for himself in life, obtaining employment as a farm hand. He was married in 1865 to Martha, daughter of Christopher and Jane (Smith) Stockdale, who was born Jan. 2, 1843, in Oxford Co., Can. Her parents were natives of England. Of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Turner, George D. and Nettie are living; Mary and LaFayette are deceased. Mr. Turner re- sided in the Dominion one year after his marriage, re- moving thence to Ingham Co , Mich., where he bought 30 acres of land, which he improved and occupied as a homestead six years. In the spring of 187 1 he moved to Newaygo County, and bought the farm he now owns in Norwich Township, containing 80 acres of land, and at once entered upon the labor of its im- provement ; 40 acres is now well improved — all accomplished by his own hard labor. In politics Mr. Turner is a Republican, and has held the position of Highway Commissioner. -J- #^ ouis Reinoldt, farmer, section 1 6, Ashland Township, was born Aug. 28, 1827, in the city of Hamm, Prussia. His parents, John H. and Clarissa (Heinunk) Reinoldt, were na- tives of the same place, where the father was a brewer. He worked under the directions of his father until he was 14 years old, when he engaged with a man in the distillery business in his native place, with whom he remained two years. In 1843 he set out to travel through Europe, to visit the leading establishments on the continent of a similar character and to perfect his knowledge of the busi- ness of a brewer. He visited many of the principal cities and took thorough instructions in the details of his calling. He returned in Februar)-, 1S47, and be- came foreman in his father's distillery, which position he retained until August, 1S48. In that year he em- igrated to the United States and located on a fami in the vicinity of Rochester, N. Y. Later he made a trip to Detroit, Milwaukee and Cincinnati, returning to Rochester, where he entered upon an engagement in a brewery and later in the wholesale liquor estab- lishment of J. H. Martin. He finally resorted to the occupation of farmer, and was married Nov. 18, 1852, in Monroe County, N. Y., to Polly, daughter of Louis and Catherine (Byer) Baker, the former a na- tive of Germany and the latter of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Reinoldt was born Aug. i, 1835, in Greece, Monroe County, where she grew to womanhood and was married. Mr. Reinoldt pursued agriculture there until the fall of 1855, when he came to Michi- gan and managed a farm in the vicinity of Detroit three years, coming thence to Newaygo County. He purchased 40 acres of unimproved land, to which he has added 80 acres by subsequent purchase, and has cleared and otherwise improved 95 acres, placing it ^ \ ( r I in a highly creditable condition, with handsome ^ ^f^# ^^^^^ ^^K='D!I>:Dllr> (^>/l.-)f^#^« '-T '7T -'sr 234 NEWAYGO COUNTY. \^ house and barn. The family includes eight childrLMi: 'W John H., Frank, Harvey L., Moritz, Fred., Peter, George and Mary ; Sophia is deceased. Mr. Reinoldt lends his influence to the Greenback party, and is an active member of the Order of Pat- rons of Husbandry, Grange No. 545, at Ashland Center. He was its first Master and has been an of- ficer since its institution. He also belongs to the Order of Good Templars. % t A :^ V ^ I (lexander Lawrence, farmer, section 28, 1^^^ Norwich Township, was born in Oxford Co., %^ Can., July 22, 1836, and is the son of Samuel '"^l^ and Susanna (Kipp) Lawrence, both of whom '\ were natives of the Dominion. Mr. Lawrence obtained his education at the common schools of his native county, and was trained by his father to the calling of farmer. At 20 years of age he found him- self at liberty to engage in active life on his own ac- count, and entered upon the pursuit of coojier, for 15 years. He was married Aug. 9, 1S65, to Charlotte Hoag, and of their union four children have been born : Myrtie E., Anna M., Nora L and Harris A. The family located in Newaygo County in 1867, settling in Norwich Township when it contained but three permanent resident householders. He entered a claim under the Homestead Act, consrsting of 120 acres of land, of which he still retains possession. In political tendencies he is a Republican, and has held the office of Township Treasurer four years. 4-<^4<4#*>" j^a^ji jCred A. Ganson, merchant, at Lumberton, Jp wa; born at Jackson, Mich., April 25, 1856, 4s^ and is the son of James H. and Polly t (Roberts) Ganson, natives of the State of New York. His father was a pioneer of Jackson, and T resided there until 1856, when the family re- moved to Allegan County, where they now reside. One of the longest streets in Jackson has tlie family name. Mr. Ganson acquired his education at the com- mon schools and seminary at Allegan, and spent the years of his minority under the guidance of his father, attending school until he had reached 21 years of age. He went to Oakland, Clinton Co., Ohio, to acijuire the art of telegraphy, and made that his pursuit for three years. He first had charge of the office at Hamilton, on the C. &. W. M. R. R. (then the Grand Haven road); from there he went to Fillmore, on the same route, and thence to Hol- land. He stayed at the latter place nine months, and was then attached to the extra force of the same company. In September, 1881, he came to Lumber- ton and officiated as operator until December, 1882, when he embarked in his present business enterprise, in company with Archibald Campbell. He is en- gaged in keeping a general store and is doing a prosperous business. Mr. Ganson was married in 18 — , to Ida E., daughter of Joseph and Charlotte Cook, born in 1857, in Allegan County. He has held the office of Township Clerk of Norwich, and is now Deputy Postmaster. ilbei' T. White, farmer, section 21, Ash- land Township, was born March 20, 1846, 'p in Walker Tp., Kent Co., Mich. His par- ents, Milo and Mercy (Ford) White, were born in New York and Vermont respectively. In eaily life they went to Ontario, Can., where they were married, and immediately after that event they loca- ted in Walker Township. It was about the year 1832, when (rrand Rapids consisted of two Indian trading posts, and Mr. \Vhite built the first saw-mill north of the present site of the city. He was promi- nent in social and official circles, and operated ex- tensively in lumber and as an agriculturist in Kent County until 1864, when he came to Newaygo County and purchased 160 acres of land on section 21, in Ashland Township, whither he removed his family af- ter preparing for them a comfortable and suitable home. Here he spent the balance of a useful, honor- able and well-ordered life, occupying positions of prominence and influence in Church and society until his death, Feb. 24, 1873. He left a memory that is still cherished by those who knew him, and *ii^ ^ I A < (c^ 2^ mmw'^^ -Si-f'"'^ 1- ^ #>/^l^ .^^ r^^^^sr ^ "M: NEWAYGO COUNTY. ^ A V s ) "^ ^ 237 "S honored and brightened by the four children who survive him. Mercy (Ford) White, his wife, died Nov. 19, 1865, after a long and distressing illness, which made her an invalid during many years, and called for the exercise of patience and endurance, such as characterized the wives and mothers of the pioneer class to which she worthily belonged. Mr. White passed the early years of his life as a laborer on his father's farm and obtaining his edu- cation. He accompanied his parents to Ashland Township in 1865, and on his father's death succeeded to the proprietorship of 80 acres of the homestead, where he is engaged in prosperous and practical farm- ing. He was married Feb. 23, 1874, in Newaygo to Eva A., daughter of William and Polly (Bigsby) Whittington, natives of New York. Mrs. White was born in Eaton Co., Mich., May 17, 1854. Her par- ents removed to Casnovia, Muskegon County, when she was four years old. She was an eager student and made the best use of her educational opportunities, entering the profession of teaching at 15 years of age and continuing to follow it until her marriage. The two children of Mr. and Mrs. White were bom as follows: Elsie A., May 15, 1875, and Bertha L., March 10, 1877. Mr. White is an active Republican and has officiated in the local offices of his township. He is Secretary of Lodge No. 362, I. O. O. F., at Ashland Center. rWlvin A. SutlifT, farmer, section i2,Bridge- ^ ton Township, was born in Monroe Co., N. Y., Jan. 29, 1828, and is a son of Rans- ley and Catherine (Barnhart) Sutliff. His parents were of New England origin and of mingled Scotch and Dutch lineage. His fa- ther was a soldier of the war of 1812, and is now drawing a pension for services rendered his country at that period. When he was three years old they re- moved to Erie Co., Pa., and soon afterwards, in the spring of 1833, came to Michigan, and after a stay of one year in Lenawee County went to Hillsdale County and settled on a farm in Reading Townshi[). Mr. SutlifT was reared and educated in that place, attending the schools there until 1843, when his [jar- ents made another remove, this time going to Clinton I t County. They are now living in Isabella County, and enjoying good health, aged 87 and 80 respect- ively. Mr. Sutliff remained with his parents until he was 22 years of age, when he decided on his course of life, and in the fall of 1849 initiated his struggle with the world by setting out for Newaygo, then in the depths of an almost .unbroken forest. He spent two years in various employments in the vicinity, and in 1 85 7 established his residence on the farm which has since been his homestead. He entered a claim of 320 acres of timbered land and immediately brought every energy to bear upon its improvement. The apparent results show what a persevering deter- mination strong hands and zeal may achieve. His homestead now includes 270 acres, 100 acres of which are under the best possible improvements, with fine farm buildings and attractive surroundings. He also owns 240 acres of land on sections 2 and 1 1 in Bridgeton Township, which are yet in a compara- tively unimproved state. Mr. Sutliff has been a man of exceptionally vig- orous physical ability, which has been his best capi- tal in the new country to which he removed before its municipal prerogatives had been regulated. He assisted at the township organization, was elected Townshif) Treasurer and has served 13 terms in that capacity. He has ever been keenly alive to every enterprise that seemed to justify reasonable attention, and has made an impression on his day and genera- tion that will outlive him. He is an inflexible Re- publican, and a member of the Blue Lodge, No. 131, of Newaygo. Mr. Sutliff was married May 27, 1855, to Emily ^ H., daughter of S. M. and Lucina (Caswell) Wood- ward, both of whom were natives of New York. The daughter was born April 13, 1839, in Allegany County, and five years after her birth the parents settled in Kane Co., 111., where she attended school until the fall of 1852, when the family came to Mich- igan and settled in Bridgeton Township. Both par- ents have recently deceased, the mother at the age of 67, the father at 70 years of age. They were meiubers of the Methodist Church, of which Mrs. Sutliff is at present a member. Her father and motlier were also members of the Methodist Ciuirch. Thirteen children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Sutliff, ten of whom survive : Matiie E. was born May 6, 1859; Albert E., March 18, 1861 ; Flora E., (■ Si, .( C u -'*-K"^D!l>'nnv>>-i-T5-" -M^ rnr^^M >: D ll^>rr: 2s^s- NEWAYGO COUNTY. ^ ^ Dec. 24, 1862; Solon D., Oct. 16, 1864; Frank A., jto Aug. 29, 1868; Lotta G., June 21, 1870; Nellie M., '■% Sept. 5, 1871; Jessie E., Aug. 29, 1873; Milan R., June 19, 1876; Charles A., Dec. 14, 1880; Ellen E., May 28, 1856 (died Nov. 20, 1857); Nettie, Aug. 4, i866, died Sept. 23, 1880); Libbie E., Feb. i, 1874 (died Nov. 8, 1874). Mr. Sutliff has been quite extensively engaged as a lumberman ever since he became a resident of Newaygo County. As a type of his operations it ^ may be stated that in the winter of 1864 and for the next seven years following he put in on an average _ one million feet of logs annually. With eminent satisfaction, the publishers present the portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Sutliff as types of the agricultural community of Newaygo County. They belong to one of the classes referred to in the para- graphs which introduce the biographical dejiartment of this work, — the pioneers, whose stability of char- acter, inflexible integrity and fi.xedness of purpose placed their generation in the foremost ranks of the element which has given this section of the Peninsular State a basis destined at no distant day to yield sub- stantial evidence of its real prosperity. A >: V ^ ^ 'i 'W^«.— ^ iwifill alter S. Piatt, editor of I'Jn- Jihlicaior, ' fi^Ea h Fremont, was born in Mansfield, Ohio^ f' luly 24, 1846. His i)arents, Thomas and "> Ann Piatt, were natives of New Jersey. He left home at 14 years of age, proceeded .0 Angola, Ind., and remained a little over a year, learning the printer's trade. He tlien en- listed in the glh Ohio Cavalry and served about 18 months. After his return he went to Kendallville, ind., wliere he remained about five years in a print- ing office. In 1S70 he came to Pentwater, Mich., where he resided two and a half years, and was afterward editor of the I'entwater Times about nine months. He then came to Fremont, this county, and in the spring of 1874 establislied 'J'ln- Iiulicalor, which he still edits. He was married at Kendallville, Ind., April 25, 1868, to Laura A. Bates, a native of Indiana, and they have two children, Jennie and Pauline. Mr. I'latt was appointed Postmaster of Fremont in 1875, and held the office about eight years, when he re- signed. He is a member of the Masonic Order, and is Adjutant of Henry Dobson Post, 182, Grand Army of the Republic. Politically, he is a radical Republi- can. ^T=4 Jl_J. TT E^ olin Hirdning, farmer, section 27, Garfield fc' 'i'ownship, was born in the city of Phila- delphia, April 4, 1836, and is son of George and Catherine Hirdning. His mother died ir when he was two years old. His father mar- I ried again and in 1839 removed his family to Sandusky, Ohio, whiclr was tiien in its incijiiency. The senior Hirdning remained there until 1S54, when he went to Australia. Mr. Hirdning was married May 20, 1858, to Har- riet Reitz, a native of Pennsylvania, who was born Sept. 7, 1839. Of II children born of this marriage nine are living: Charles E., George, Rosa E. (wife of Henry Shady), Emma 15., Chester N., Wallace ()., Hattie M. and Mary G. John F. and an unnamed infant are deceased. Soon after marriage Mr. Hird- ning came to St. Joseph Co., Mich., where he rented a farm fur a time, afterwards becoming owner of one, u[)on which he resided 11 years. In 1872 he came to Newaygo, where he was variously occupied and also bought some land, on section 22, which two years later he took possession of and remained a resi- dent until the fall of 1878, when he bought his pres- ent estate, consisting of 120 acres, all in heavy timber. He has now 34 acres under cultivation. -xjZJZfi'©^-^— t^'^ j^%imvi^ eorge Carrington, merchant at Trent, Muskegon Co., Mich, (and also farmer, sections 2>7> ^""^1 34i Ashland Township), was born in I^eicestershire, England, April 6, 1831, and is the son of John and Mary (Abe- shaw) Carrington, and of unmixed English lineage. His parents emigrated to the United States in 1840, and located in the town of Marcelhis, Onon- daga Co., N. Y., three years later removing to Greece T .VS' A '^ :^:nii;>-^ )et«^ <:IlD^;li|]r>-r ^ I V ■) NEWAYGO COUNTY. ->*^^^sr Monroe Co., N. Y., where Mr. Carrington grew to man's estate. Our subject was jiossessed of an active, amliitious temperament and a desire to take advantage of the privileges and possibilities accorded to ever)' man un- _} dcr the institutions of the American (lovernmcnt. He could not but contrast the improvement in the conditions of his family in a land of social and jiolit- ical equality with their state in the land they had left ; and his ambition was fired to make an honest attempt to place himself on the grade accorded to successful effort, incited by a laudable desire to attain heights reached by men of no greater worth or capacity. On reaching his majority he went to California and engaged in gold-mining, at which he was occupied three years with satisfactory results. He then sold his claims and returned to his parents' home in tlie State of New York. He fixed upon Michigan as a favorable point for a location and in the spring of 1858 settled in Ashland Township. He bought 160 acres of land, to which he has since added by pur- chase 26 acres. Of this tract he has put 70 acres in first-class condition for farming, with all necessary buildings and a suitable residence. In 1870, Mr. Carrington desired to e.xtend his bus- iness connections, and in November he suspended ag- ricultural pursuits and founded a mercantile business at Trent. His initial stock represented a cash value of $700. The correctness of his judgment in the selection of a business and locality is substantiated by the fact that he is at present carrying a stock worth about $6,000, and doing an annual business of $15,000, with every prospect of a further pro|)ortion- ate increase of trade. But he has never lost his love for agricultural pursuits, and when his commercial affairs reach a status assuring their safe management by delegated parties, he contemplates a return to his first love, for the purpose of placing his home in at- tractive and satisfactory condition to pass his sur.set of life and to experiment in scientific farming. Mr. Carrington was married Dec. 16, 1857, in Greece, N. Y., to Sarah, daughter of Tlionias and Mary (Davis) Mitchell. She was l)orn in the vicinity of Hastings, England, Jan. 12, 1837, and lier parents were also natives of that country. They came to the United States in her infancy and settled in Monroe County. To Mr. and Mrs. Carrington three children have been born, as follows; Libby, Sej)t. 28, 1858; 1 i(i. Jennie, May 31, i86g; and Anna, born Nov. 4, 1869, died in infancy. The mother is a lady of gentle, af- fable cliaracter, alive to the necessities t)f those about her, kind, sympathetic and charitable, forming opinions in the law of love and e.xercising toward all the spirit of lovely benignity she acquired in its full- ness during a trial of almost unexampled acuteness, having been during 17 years an invalid and suffering the distress attendant iqjon active disease. She has to a certain degree recovered her health and devotes her renewed strength to the l)enefit of those with whom she is associated. • Mr. Carrington is a thorough type of his national- ity and an essential American, adopting the charac- teristics of the people of whom he is one by assimi- lation and retaining his British traits of gayety and good fellowship. He is bluff and hearty, considerate and energetic, and public-spirited to the last degree. He is a true gentleman in the best acceptance of the term, and liolds an elevated position in the estimation of those with whom he is brought in contact in busi- ness or society. He is an adherent to the principles of the Republican |)arty and belongs to the Order of Masonry. One of his connections in the latter is with the Blue Lodge, No. 131, at Newaygo, and the other with the Royal Arch Chapter of Sparta, Kent County. He is also actively connected witli the Order of Odd Fellows, Lodge No. 302, at Trent. — 5- -N3- ^- -{— ^ "^ V A ^: Obert W. Rutherford, of" the firm of Ruth- erford iV' Misner, Fremont, is a son of Walker ^i^j^ and Teanette (Wrathie) Rutlierford, natives of !rj Scotland, and was horn in that country Jan. r 1 4, 1850. When only four years of age he came to .America with liis parents, remained with them until he wis 20 years of age, and then entered the employ of J. H. Darling as clerk, where he remained six years. He afterward engaged in the lumber trade one season, and was then employed as clerk by the "Patrons' Co-operative C'o.," and remained with them about three years. Jan. i, 1880, he formed a partnerslii|) with R. E. Misner, for the purpose of carrying on the grocery and provision, and boot and shoe trade, under the firm name of Rutherford & Misner, and still continues in that business. 'I'hey ^mm^'^ z. •4>^^'»'>Ny ^j]Tt.:j - 240 zzf^s^ ^^^:DD^:DBr->THc 5tf€^ ^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. ^ I f have a good trade and enjoy the confidence of the community. Mr. Rutlierford was married in Fremont, Feb. 20, 1872, to'Mcdora, daughter of Ephraim and Mariette Misner, natives of New York, where Mrs. R. was born, and lived with her parents until her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Rutherford have had one child, Will- iam E., born April 14, 1875. Mr. R. has been Township Clerk of Dayton Township two terms, and is now a member of the City Council. In politics he is a Republican. ^1 : V illiam H. Hoag, farmer, sec. 4, Goodwell Townshij), was born July 13, 1847, in Canada, and is the son of Henry H. and Isabella (Sparks) Hoag. The father was born in England and the m'other in Scot- Mr. Hoag was reared on a farm and educated in his native place. He was married Sept. 4, 1873, to Alice, daughter of Joseph and Abigail (Reed) Bat- terson, born May 28, 1850. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Hoag: Hattie M., Charles H., Alice P. and Mertie E. Mr. Hoag came to Michigan in 18 — and settled in Jackson County, where he resided until 1874, when he settled on 40 acres of land now constituting his homestead. He is present Township Treasurer of Goodwell, and himself and wife are members of the United Brethren C'liurch. I illiam M. Wheeler, farmer and mechanic, section 29, Grant township, was born in ,-^ Fleet, Province of Quebec, Dec. 14,1835. ^' His parents, Henry and Eliza (Williams) Wheeler, were of English and French de- scent, and natives of New York. In 1839 they removed to Elyria, Ohio, and six years after to Grand Rapids, Mich. Mr. Wheeler enlisted at Grand Rapids, Aug. 9, 1 86 1. His command was assigned to the Army of the Potomac, and he was in the service of the United States until Jan. 21, 1862, when he was honorably discharged on account of disability. In May, 1863, he went to Albion College, where he devoted two years to the study of such branches as were best adapted to the foundation of a solid education. He continued to jjursue his course of advanced study until the spring of 187 i, when he returned to Grand Rapids. He was married Oct. 5, 1873, to Emma R., daughter of Elisha and Mahala (Wilkinson) Mutch- ler. The parents and daughter were born in Penn- sylvania, the birth of the latter occurring May 31, 1856. Her father died when she was an infant, and her mother moved with her family to Wisconsin, and five years later to Grand Rapids, where she died in 1869, and where the daughter resided until her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler remained in the latter city three years, when they went to Alpine, Kent County, and soon after came to Grant, Newaygo County. They located in November, 1877, on 40 acres of wild land, to which they have added ten acres by subseipient purchase, and have 17 acres improved. To them have been born two children : Francis L., Nov. 9, 1876, and Henry W., July 31, 1873- Mr. Wheeler gives his support to the Greenback party, and is the present Clerk of Grant ; has held other important local offices. ^^Mil" Mi'^^ % A < ( jl-harles I. Rathbun, jeweler, Fremont, was ^1^^^ born in Adrian, Mich., Sept. 20, 1841. %]P His parents, Thomas R. and Hannah E. fjl? (Davis) Rathbun, were natives of New York and came to Michigan in an early day, set- tling first in Lenawee County, and afterward remov- ing to Branch County, where they now reside. His father was one of the most prominent business men of Adrian. Charles I. attended the common schools and afterward Adrian College. Wlien the civil war broke out he enlisted in the ist Regt. Mich. Inf , Co. K, for three months. This company was known as the Adrian Cadets, and the regiment was the first from Michigan to respond to the President's call for troops. Being small of stature, Mr. R. was made the " right general guide" of the regiment. He was in the engagement when Alexandria, Va., was taken, and <^ ^ :^ -3<^ ^ o v C>DD'^:y(ir->r TT NEWAYGO COUNTY. Tasw^sr ) also at the first battle of Bull Run. He has several mementoes of the battle of Alexandria ; i)rominent among them is a jnece of the rebel flag which floated over the Mansion House; also three of the buck shot that were fired at Col. Ellsworth, which he dug out of the casing of the door, and a piece of the oil-cloth which was covered with his blood. He was slightly wounded at the battle of lUill Run. At the expiration of his term of enlistment he went to New York and re-enlisted in the iiith Regt., Co. E. as Sergeant, and served three years, receiving an honorable dis- charge. He was in the battle of Harper's Ferry when Miles surrendered'und his entire regiment were taken prisoners; in three months they were ex- changed, and were again in the field. He was in the battle of Gettysburg, where he was severely wounded in the foot with * grape-shot, and was in the hos- pital at Fort Schuyler, N. Y., 1 1 months. He was in the battle of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, and the siege of Petersburg when Lee surrendered; he was slightly wounded in the battle of the Wilderness. After his discharge Mr. Rathbun came to Adrian, Mich., remained a short time, then went to Buff'alo, N. v., where he worked two years at his trade (jeweler), which he had previously learned. He then went to Elkton, Ky., where he lived si.\ years, then came with his family to I'entwater, Mich, where he opened a store and operated about one year. In the summer of 1874 he settled in Fremont, where he now resides and follows the occupation of watch- maker and jeweler. He is the leading merchant, in this line, in Fremont. While living in Kentucky, Mr. R. was burned out by the Ku Klux, and lost all his household effects, tools, etc. He was married in Bufl!"alo, N. Y., Sept. 24, 1868, to Ida, daughter of Thomas and Artemisia (Sherman) De Lancy, the former a native of England and the latter of New York. They have one child, Clark, born Oct. 29, 187 i. Mr. R. has held the office of Justice of the Peace four years; Township Clerk, four years; and Village Clerk, five years. He is a mem- ber of the Masonic Order, of the Odd Fellows fra- ternity, and is the Senior Vice Commander of Post Henry Dobson, No. 182, Orand Army of the Republic. In politics he is a Republican. He was a member of the fire department while in Adrian, holding offices in the same, and while in Kentucky was Postmaster, under Grant, and agent for Adams' Express Company. ohn Russell, farmer, section 4, Goodwell Townsliip, was born in Oxford Co., Dur- ham Township, Can., Nov. 14, 1829. His parents, James and Annie (Mail) Russell were both natives of England. They settled in Oxford County in 1828, and there passed the remaining years of their lives. Mr. Russell was ten years old at the time of his father's death, and was 23 years old when his mother passed away. He was married to Harriet, daughter of Christo- pher and Jane (Smith) Stockdale, born in Canada, June 6, 1834. In 1869 Mr. Russell removed to Newaygo County and settled in wiiat was then the township of Big Prairie, and bought 160 acres of of land, to which he has added by purchase until he he has 200 acres of fine land in Goodwell Township. Mr. Russell is neutral in politics, and has held the various school offices in the township. In 1882 he was elected Supervisor and held the office two years. The children of Mr. Russell's household are Hannah S., George and James C. ichael Moses, farmer, section 23, Garfield Township, was born in Germany, May '*^ 29, 1844. He is a son of Joseph and Mary A. (Tray) Moses, who came to Quebec, Canada, with their family in 1855. The par- ents were German by biith, and the father died in Norwich, Oxford Co., Can., Dec. 22, 1879, aged 75 years and six months. The mother is still a resident of that place. Mr. Moses went to Batavia, Genesee Co., N. Y., in 1859, and was variously occupied there until he enlisted as a soldier of the civil war. He enrolled Oct. 17, 1861, in Co. K, i2lh N. Y. Vol. Inf, Capt. A. Root, and remained in the service until Sept. 9, 1862, when lie was discharged because of disability. He was in the action at Fairfax Court-House and in several minor engagements. He returned to the Province of Ontario and engaged in agricultural pur- suits until 1866, when he came to Tuscola Co., V- A ^: r f % ^ Lj^§3 ■^^€^^ ^:;On$?DD;.>i^ "zi^^-isr" r-'T ^?nI]>:Dl)^>r 242 NEWAYGO COUNTY. -^»Q^'is:r % v* ^ 1 4 Mich., and interested himself several successive winters in lumbering, combining farming with his labors in the woods. Mr. Moses was married at Clio, Genesee Co., Mich., March 22, 1867, to Adaline, daughter of James B. and Rhoda A. Sigsby, a native of New York, born May 14, 1847. Of their marriage six children have been born, Adaline, Mary A., Martha, Teresa, Michael and Frederick. In 1868 Mr. Moses bought 40 acres of land in Birch Run Township, Saginaw County, which he re- tained until the fall of 1870, when he disposed of the place, and with his family and effects drove through to Newaygo County. He at once purchased 40 acres of land where he now resides, and took possession. He has since purchased an additional 40 which, like his first investment, was all heavily timbered. He has 65 acres in a first-class condition and improved with good buildings, orchards and all fixtures common with well-to-do farmers. Henry Manning, farmer, section 27, Grant f Township, was born Aug. 23, 1847, in St. Lawrence Co., N. Y. His parents, William and Rachel (Russell) Manning, were of English lineage and belonged all their lives to the farming community. They emigrated in 1849 to IvOrain Co., Ohio, where the father died in 1867, aged 67 years. The mother is still residing there, 72 years old. After he was 12 years of age, Mr. Manning was engaged in agricultural labors almost incessantly. He. married Sept. 28, 1870, in Penfield, Lorain Co., Ohio, Sarah J., daughter of George W. and Thalia (Shaw) Allen. The parents were natives of New England, and during the youthful period of their lives their parents settled in Medina Co., Ohio, where they were married. Mrs. Manning was born April 16, 1849, in Hinkley Township, that county, and was educated there. She went to Lorain County at 17, and engaged in leaching, in which calling she made marked success. Two years after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Manning came to Mi( liigan and settled on 60 acres of land in Grant Township, situated in a dense, un- broken forest. The township was almost whoIJy unsettled, and Mr. Manning has toiled manfully in his pioneer capacity until he has placed 40 acres of his estate under fair improvements. He is a Democrat in politics, and has held the l»sition of Clerk of Grant Township five years. The family includes the following children ; Rowena M., born July 21,1871; Percy R., Oct. 15, 1874; Thalia, March 29, 1S79; Willie, born Aug. 19, 1872, died Feb. 18, 1875. sj, i^j t ueius E. Mills, farmer, section 31, Garfield '' L&J jl Township, and Postmaster of Brooks (post- Pi^^r office), was born March 28, 1823, in Chit- 6i(j tenden Co., Vt., and is a son of Daniel C. and /S, Dolly (Farrand) Mills. His parents removed \^ to Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, when he was 1 1 years old and settled at Cleveland, where the family re- sided eight years and the father was employed as a carpenter. The son acquired a knowledge of that branch of mechanics and pursued it as a vocation, in company with his father. The family removed to Branch Co., Mich., in 1843, where they settled on a farm of 40 acres. Mr. Mills remained in Branch County until 1835, working at his trade, when he went to Gibson Co., Tenn., and established a carriage and wagon factory in the village of Yorkville. He was doing business there at the period when the Rebellion made itself known and felt in all its hideous proportions, and Mr. Mills, who regarded the whole infamous scheme and proceedings with all the aversion he had inher- ited from his ancestors, and cherished under the in- fluences which had molded his opinions, abandoned his property in Tennessee and made his escape to a region of security and immunity from the threats and venom of rebels. His father was a soldier of 1812, and his paternal grandfather was a participant in the French and Indian war. The southern anar- chists found no tolerance in a man of his lineage, and he made no compromise with them for any ad- vantage whatever. He bought iio acres of land in Casnovia, Muskegon County, in 1S61, where he was engaged in agriculture until the civil war had as- sumed formidable proixartions, and he determined to enlist, which he did Oct. 4, 1864, at Grand Rapids, i i I / C t t -S: '^^^ <^0!l>^Illlr>A. * :£))(^#»- -s^t^is: ^r^r: H llv>r -^fi-^i^^ -«^ jveivaygo county. 243 t A ^ V enrolling in Co. K, 16th Mich. Vol. Inf. He par- ticipated in the battle of Five Forks and in numer- ous minor engagements until the close of the war, when he enjoyed the culminating scene of the Southern Rebellion in ihc surrender of Gen. Lee at .'\l)|)omatlox Court-House. He received honorable discliarge at Jeffersonville, Ind., in July, 1865. He returned to his farm in Casnovia, where he was resident until 1877, in which year he came to Gar- field Township, where he owns 200 acres of land, besides 150 acres adjoining in .Ashland Township Mr. Mills is a successful and thrifty farmer, re|)resent- ing the industrious frugality of the people of New England, of whom he is a worthy type. He has proved his capacity for useful.iess in public life by the manner in which he has discharged the duties of the various incumbencies to which he has been sum- moned by his fellow citizens in Casnovia and Gar- field. He was twice elected Justice of the I'eace in the former place, besides to minor offices, and has been elected Superintendent of Schools one term in tlie latter. Mr. Mills was married in Casnovia, Dec. 31, 1861,. to Mrs. Helen M. Thomas, a native of New York, by whom he has two children, Jesse E. and Lincoln D. The family includes Lafayette Eugene, a son of Mr. Mills by a former marriage, and Myron Q. and George Henry, two sons of his wife by her fi^st hus- band. Mr. Mills is a member of the Masonic Order, in which he has taken ten degrees, and of the Knights Templar. [t ohn Grawn, sawyer and filer, Newaygo, was born in Sweden, Dec. 20, 185 i, and is a son of Andrew and Christine (Rose) Grawn. His parents belonged to the agricul- tural community in their native country, and emigrated to llie United States in 1855. 'I'he father was also a shoemaker by trade, and after lo- cating at Salem, Washtenaw Co., Mich., where he bought a small landed property, he found [ilenty of employ at his bench. The family removed to Sparta, Kent County, in 1861, where the parents are still resident, on a farm of 60 acres. Mr. Grawn passed the seasons of his early years alternately in farm labor and school studies, and in 1870 came to Newaygo and engaged in rafting for the Newaygo Lumber Company. Not long after the transfer of tlieir interests to D. P. Clay, Mr. Grawn was employed in his saw-mill as a setter,and a short time after succeeded to the [wsition of sawyer. He has since had entire charge of the mill, which has a producmg capacity of 30,000 feet of lumber per day. Mr. Grawn is a member of the Order of Good Templars, and owns considerable village [iroperty. He was married in Big Praiiie Township, June 3, 1877, to Alice, daughter of Seth Hubbard, born Jan. 30, i860, in t'irandville, Kent County. One child, Philorus, was born of this marriage, and is now deceased. '1---7..+ rben Barnum, farmer, section },t,, Ashland Township, was born in 'i'ompkins Co., N. 'jfes' v., Dec. 22, 1832. His parents. Czar and 'ji^j Margaret (German) Barnum, were natives re- 1' spectively of Connecticut and New York. In 1839 they removed to Lenawee Co., Mich., and the son remained at home aiding in the labors on the farm until he reached the age of 13, when he was engaged in the same capacity with a neighboring farmer, his father judging that the proceeds of his labors would further his own interests to belter pur- pose than to retain him at home. When he was 19 years of age, associated with one of his brothers, Mr. Barnum took a farm in Hillsdale County, which remained under their joint manage- ment three years, where he acipiired a practical knowledge of all the details of successful agriculture and an understanding of its responsibilities in an in- dependent sphere. To this purpose he purchased a farm of 80 acres in .\shland, Newaygo County. Mr. Barnum was married Dec. 23, 1856, in Hills- dale County, to Susan, daughter of Nicholas and Barl)ara (Voat) Ish. 'I'he parents were born in Switzerland, and after their marriage came to the United States, locating in Stark Co., Ohio, where the daughter was born, Oct. 15, 1832, and resided until she was 16 years old, when she came to Hills- dale County and lived until her marriage. .About a year after that event Mr. Barnum settled on his farm in Newaygo C'ounty, which he had purchased asmen- »^^ ^ S,!/ < r f '^^ i:^Dllv>^-^ fz 244 t -2^^^^ — ^^^-ioa^Kon^^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. ^^^^. ^ J A V -s M tioned. It was situated in the inidst of unbroken forest, with no neighbors in sight ; but himself and wile entered cheerfully and hopefully into the work of the " regulation " [)ioneer, encountering privation with hardihood, gra|)pling courageously with toil and baf- fling circumstances, and emerging from all their con- flicts witJi victory on their banners. The character of the spirit in which they have accomplished their life work is fully attested by the temper of their most prominent remembrance of those early days. Its fairest features and those which afforded relief and relaxation from cares are upiiermost in thought and word, and their recitals are filled with interesting anecdotes and reminiscences of times when small opfwrtunities were eagerly seized ujxjn to secure a brief tenure upon social ties ; and a ride five miles with an ox team over a forest trail to enjoy the fes- tivities of a dance or the excitements of a revival meeting had attractions in no sense outdone by the more elegant accompaniments of a more perfect civ- ilization. Mr. Barnum's farm now contains 200 acres, three-fourths of which is in a state of advanced and highly creditable cullivati^ — ^^^^ I I A ^ ^ ^ii> itl* ■e-v4illll;-^tlll^>v NEWAYGO COUNTY. 245 ^y • after their marriage came to this country. They set- tled in Muskegon, where their daughter was born, May 29, 1848. In 1862 they removed to _Bridgeton. Mrs. Willius died Jan. 9, 1882, leaving three surviv- ing children, born as follows: Anna E., May 4, 1868; Mary T., July 20, 1870 ; Emma J., July 7, 1872. Three children preceded the mother to the better land of the hereafter. John W. was born March 10, 1867, and died 17 days afterward; Fallen M. was born July 4, 1874, and died Nov. 17, 1881 ; Ida M. was born May 12, 1876, and died Jan. 9^ 1882. Mr. Willius is a zealous Republican. He has ■ been Assessor seven years and School Director three years. ) Tack T. Wood, farmer, section 17, Brooks '^ WM ■ " Township, was born Oct. 11, 1857, in Vo- ^'>'~'' linia, Cass Co., Mich., and is a son of Henry H. and Catherine (Gant) Wood. His father was born Oct. 15, 1822, in the State of New York. He was a farmer and also en- y gaged to a considerable extent in the management Y of saw-mills. In 1849 h^ went to California, where he operated in gold-mining two years, and in 1S51 came back to Michigan. In 1858 he made another trip to the land of golden promise, remaining seven years. He died in Newaygo County, March 26, 1880. The mother was born Dec. 13, 1822, and is still living, in VanBuren Co., Mich. Mr. Wood was engaged in the callings of farmer and sawyer with his father during his minority, and attended school winters. He is almost exclusively engaged in farming, and owns 160 acres of land on sections 16 and 17 of Brooks Township. Of tliis, 50 acres is cleared and well improved, having good farm buildings and other creditable farm fixtures. He is a Republican in ix)litical affinity. Mr. Wood was married July 12, 1882, to Cynthia H. Wilson. She was born in the Province of Que- bec, Canada, Aug. 12, 1863, and is the daughter of Thomas P. and Emily Wilson, both of whom are ,^ living in Newaygo County. They became residents ^ of Michigan in 1864, when the daughter was six !• months old. Mr. and Mrs. Wood have one child, ^ Loyd A., born June 3, 1883. 1 L Kenry Zerlaut, firmer, section 5, Bridgeton 1^ Townsliip, was born March 11, 1843, in f"^ Bavaria, CernKiny. His parents, Josepli and Elizabeth (Steiner) Zerlaut, were also natives of 1 Germany. They came to the United States in 1852 and located at Providence, R. I., and in that place Mr. Zerlaut was a pupil for five years at the public schools. In the spring of 1856 he went to Wauregan Mills, Windham Co., Conn., and two years after removed to Moosup in the same county, where he entered upon an apprenticeship to acquire the trade of weaver of cassimeres, with a man named Dalebarr. He worked at the bsiness at that point four years, and went thence to Pittsfield, Mass., where he remained until October, 1861, engaged a part of the time in prepar- ing to follow the trade of barber, and at the date named he came to Muskegon, where he finished learning the trade. He worked five years for a man named Joseph Lasser, afterwards founding a similar busi- ness for himself in that city, which he conducted until the fall of 1874, when the fire which effected such disaster to Muskegon destroyed his trade and he came to Bridgeton. He located a farm of 80 acres on which he has since been engaged in successful and creditable agriculture, and has nearly the entire body of his land under improvement. Mr. Zerlaut was married Feb. 4, 1865, to Adelia E., daughter of Guernsey and Lydia (Smith) Hall, natives of Ohio. Mrs. Zerlaut was born in Medina County, in the Buckeye State, Feb. 4, 1846. Her parents re- moved to Hillsdale Co., Mich., when she was nine years old, and came thence to Muskegon, where she was chiefly educated. In the spring of 1863 she came to Sheridan Township, where she remained un- til her marriage. A month after that event, March 14, 1865, Mr. Zerlaut enlisted, but was discharged three months later without having seen actual military service, as the war was ended. Seven chil- dren have been born to Mr. and Mrs Zerlaut: Edmund G., Nov. 16, 1867 ; Grace G., July 26, 1870 ; Jessie H., Nov. s, 1872; Frederick B., May 3, i88o; Earl v., Aug 23, 1883; Roy S., Sept. 16, 1875 (died Nov. V^ r7» ^''^^^ — ^■^■^(l!]^^:^t1^.>^ .^5^ ,^5^ 4^^^y r i ii ~2>%.j-l»'sr T<^tl(l/:^llllv>r *^^5(<®\-' 7^ !li jveivavgo county. 1 f 15, 1877); Ermina C, Aug. 13, 1877; died in No- vember, 1 87 9. Mr. Zerlaut is a Republican, has held Ihe office of School Director, and was elected Justice of the Peace at the last election. ) V > ) SBjlexander J. Mundy, farmer and luniber- man. Brooks Township, section 13, was born March 18, 1851, in Morrow Co., Ohio- His father, Elinus Mundy, is of Scotch de- scent, and was born Feb. 15, 1821, in New Jersey. His mother, E.xperience Patience (Peters) Mundy, was born of Welsh ancestors, Feb. 24, 1822, in New York, and died March 28, 1S76, in Brooks Township. John D. Mundy, father of Eli- nus, was born in New Jersey June 30, 1788, and died Aug. 8, 1855. Elizabeth (Ballou) Mundy, his mother, was of French parentage, born Jan. 16, 1797, and died Nov. 26, i860. In 1862 Mr. Mundy of this sketch came to Ne- waygo with his parents. His father bought 80 acres of land, and afterwards 166 acres more. The son owns 67 acres of this and carries on lumbering o[)er- ations thereon. He adds to his calling the trade of blacksmith, which he acquired in the shop of his father, for whom he worked six years. He spent four years in wagon-making, and served an apprentice- ship of four years in learning the trade of builder. He possesses energy and the inclination to meet all demands on his varied qualifications, and is a valua- ble accessory to a pioneer community. He is a^Dem- ocrat in political sentiment. (See sketch of John A. Mundy.) jjtenry C. Stone, farmer, section 5, Sheridan ii^^^^ Township, is a son of Aaron and Amanda 4k (Dickinson) Stone, and was born in Olaston- bury. Conn., Aug. 12, 1834. His parents were natives of Litchfield Co., Conn. His father died in Michigan ; the mother resides in Dayton Township, this county. Henry C. lived in Con- necticut till 18 years of age, then went to De Kalb Co., Ind., where he lived three years, and in January, 1 855, came to Newaygo County and bought 160 acres of wild land in partnership with his oldest brother, on section 26, Dayton Township. He lived on this farm and continued to improve it for eight years, when he sold and bought 120 acres in Sheridan Township, on sections 5 and 6, where he now re- sides; he has 70 acres under cultivation. Mr. Stone was married in Dayton Township, June 23. 1859, to Ellen, daughter of Eleazer and Sarah Smith, who was born in Hillsdale County, this State, and came to Newaygo County with her parents, and lived at home until her marriage. Children : Alma, Franklin, Freddie, Oscar, Stella, Ella and Burt. Mr. S. has held the office of Township Treasurer five years. Supervisor three years. School Director and several minor offices. Five of his family are members of the I. O. G. T. He belongs to the National Greenback party. I I ^rs. Lurana (Allen) Train, resident on section 28, Grant Township, was born in tn^i^^'"^ Pavilion, Genesee Co., N. Y., Feb. 7, Ix^^ 1829, and is the daughter of Amasa and Sophia (Kentfield) Allen. Her parents were members of the farming fraternity all their lives, and descended respectively from English and Scotch parentage. They were natives of New Eng- land, and in 1834 removed to Medina Co., Ohio, where they settled, in Hinkley Township. The daughter was married Dec. 31, 1854, to Sam- uel Train, now deceased. He was born March 2, 1833, in Massachusetts. His parents, .Samuel and Mary (Burch) Train, removed in his youth to Hink- ley Township, above mentioned, where he grew to manhood, and was married, at 22 years of age. He was occupied in farming until he enlisted as a soldier for the Union in 1S62. He enrolled in the Fifth Regt. Ohio Sharpshooters, Co. A. The regiment was first assigned to the command of Gen. Rosecransand afterwards to that of Gen Thomas. Mr. Train was in much active and perilous duty. Being brave and skilled in rifle practice, he was frequently detailed for imiwrtant and perilous service. He was in the battle of Chickahominy and afterwards was ill with A ^^«^|* -^^^r- — %-^c>ii n '^M^y^ ^ NTT^y-'t"" *e? ■?^^ \ Mi m -:^^^- NEWAYGO COUNTY. -J V -^^-mj^\% 247 camp diarrhea. May g, 1865, while recovering from a serious attack of tlie disease named, he was ex- jX)sed to small-pox, of which he died after six days' illness. His death occurred May 15, 1865, in the hospital at Nashville, Tenn., and lie was buried in the Second Army Cemetery in the city where he died. Mrs. Train came to Michigan in the summer of 1855 and entered a homestead claim in Grant Town- ship, where she has since resided. Her first purchase consisted of 120 acres of timber land. Of this 20 acres were afterward sold and purchase made of 60 acres, and the farm now includes 160 acres. At the time she made her location the township was not or- ganized, the postofifice was ten miles distant and the nearest mill 16 miles away. She came with her two sons to clear and improve a home for the father and husband, who was earning the best right to home and country by exix)sing his life for their preservation. He died in a better cause than they who encountered the same peril to found an independence on a shameful and mad principle ; and the home for which he hoped, and the land for which he yielded up wife, children and life, abide, the fixed monuments of his devoted, unflinching patriotism. He left two sons, one of whom is yet living, John B., born April 8, 1 86 1. Willie was born Nov. 13, 1858, and died Aug. 15, 1873. He was the first born and too young to realize the loss of his fatlier. In his death the mother suffered anew the loss of the husband of her youth. John B. Train was married Aug. 3, 1879, to Sarah V. Baker, born in Ohio Dec. 9. 1856. Leona E., only child, was born July 22, 1880. ■^ — ^^^Sf-^^S-v^^-J- red Giflford, farmer, Brooks Township, C section 11, was born in Parma Township, '■* Jackson County, Mich., Jan. i, 1858, and A 'e^ is a son of Walter C. and Margaret (Spoor) tr' ^'''^'"'i- The mother was born of German \ parentage, in 1S31, and the father of Scotch ancestry, in 1829. Both were natives of the State ''J. of New YorkantI are still living, in Newaygo County, ^^ whither they came in 1865. ((^ Mr. Gifford lived at home with his parents until V, he was 20 years old, when he entered the employ of I .Aaron Courtwright, of Newaygo. A year afterward he went to Muskegon, where he continued four years, operating summers as a saw-mill hand and spending the waiters as a lumberman. He is now a landholder, owning 1 60 acres, on which he is indus- triously pursuing liis chosen vocation of farming. Mr. Gifford was married at Muskegon, July 4, 1883, to Sarah L., daughter of Klinus and Experi- ence Patience (Peters) Mundy. She was born May 7, 1863, in Newaygo County. Mr. Mundy was born of Scotch parentage, Feb. 15, 1821, in New Jersey. The mother was a native of New York and of Welsh descent, born Feb. 24, 1822, and died March 28, 1876, in Brooks Township. Mr. Gifford belongs to the National party in politi- cal affinity. fcf [lUfred F. Armstrong, firmer and cari)enter, -^• ~^ - 1 section 1 5, Ashland Township, was born in r •^ V, A <>: ^ ^ ^ i.\t^ -Monroe Co., N. Y., Aug. 13, 1823. His par- '■jis^ ents, Bela and Mary (Palmer) Armstrong, were 'p natives of Connecticut. They settled in the Empire State, and in 1826 came to Oakland Co., Mich. The father died soon after and the mother went back to the State of New York with her children. She returned in 1836 to Walled Lake Oakland County, where she died Oct. 7, 1840. Mr. Armstrong returned to New York after he death and worked as a farm laborer until the fall o 1843, when he again came to Michigan. He inter- ested himself in lumbering on the Grand River and followed that business about two and a half years He passed some years in various employments, and '? in the fall of 1852 pre-empted a portion of section 15 in Ashland Township, where he has since resided and operated as a farmer. He was the third perma- nent settler, and is identified with the pioneer history of Ashland Township and the development of Ne- waygo County. He owns 80 acres of land, and has improved 45 acres. Mr. Armstrong was married July 3, 1844, in Kent Co., Mich., to Sarah Jane, daughter of William and Deborah (Denton) Anderson. 'l"he parents were born in Ontario, Can., of which place the daughter was also a native. She died in Kent County, .April 20, 1848, leaving one daughter, Mary Jane. Mr. Arm- r i r\ * -»• '4. ■^asCP"^ -cT-T<>IlB^;llD>>rHc :2?:^^ -#t§5fs^-^; I A ::i]iiv>A^- «#?^ \i^i ^ X :^ V ) >< ^ ^)$€^(|* NEWAYGO COUNTY. ■^tf^a -4^^|j$ Orlando and Mary M. (Mrs. M. H. Britlon, of Ash- land). Marcellus and one other are deceased. Mr. Parmeter is an adherent of the principles and issues of the National party, and has acted as Jus- tice of tlie Peace four years. "«ej2£r©^^ ^^S^OTJJv errick Waters, farmer, section Sher- man Township, >vas born in Warrick Co., Ind., April 7, 1847, and is the fifth child ^ \ of a family of seven children. His parents ■■'I* were Jonas and Lucinda (Bartholomew) Waters, the former a native of Ohio, and resides with his son in Sherman Township ; his mother died in Indiana. When Merrick was seven years of age he went with his father to Minnesota, but remained only a short time, then came to St. Joseph Co., Mich., living there two years, and in January, 1855, they came to Newaygo County. He lived at home until 21 years of age, when his father gave him 50 acres of land in Sherman Township, where he now resides. He was married in Sherman Township, July 12, 1868, to Henriette, daughter of Samuel D. and Ann Coburn, natives of De Kalb Co., Ind. ; the mother died in Indiana and the father removed to Newaygo County. Mr. and Mrs. Waters have one child, Val- leria C, born Oct. 2, 1877. In politics he is a Nat- ional. -^3=4=4 A h T~T Cl- l^amuel D. Cobxirn, fanner, section 29, Sher- man Township, was born in New York, j[V? March 2, 1825. His parents, Girden and Cynthia (Phillips) Cobujrn, were natives of Vermont. They first settled in Genesee Co. N. Y., and afterward removed to Ohio, where they lived 17 years, then went to De Kalb Co., Ind., where the mother died ; the father then came to Michigan and lived in Muskegon County until his death. Samuel remained at home until 22 years of age. He first purchased a farm in Allen Co., Ind., which he lived on two years, then moved to La Grange County, same State, and worked at coopering five years. He then returned to De Kalb County and remained until 1865, and in the winter of that year came to Newaygo County and bought 80 acres of wild land. He has since sold this land, and pur- chased 120 acres where he now resides. He has 40 acres under tillage. He was married in De Kalb Co., Ind., to Annie Perry, a native of Ohio, who died five years after her marriage. Mr. Coburn then married Ann Der- molt, of De Kalb Co., Ind., who died in 1863, leav- ing five children: Henrietta, Franklin W., Charles F., Ella S. and Carrie. For a third wife Mr. C. mar- ried Sarah E. (Walkley), widow of Rufiis W. Seaman, and daughter of Oliver and Partliena (Smith) Walkley. Mr. and Mrs. Coburn have three children : Viola L., Oliver L. and Parthena D. Mr. C. has held the office of Highway Commissioner ; was elected Justice of the Peace, but did not serve; was School Director five years. He was elected Treas- urer of Sherman Township in the spring of 1883, and is the present incumbent. In jiolitics he is a Republican, and himself and wife are members of Fremont Grange, No. 494, P. of H.; they are also members of the Disciples' Church. '^\^^m^^ -^^^p-. If li^^rastus S. Burril, merchant druggist, at Grant Station, Ashland Township, was born at Casnovia, Muskegon County, Nov. 22, 1850, and enjoys the distinction of being the first white child born in the township. His parents, Ezra and Eliza (Fellows) Burril, were natives of Ohio, and after their marriage settled in Kent Co., Mich., removing later to Casnovia. In 185 1 Ihey located on a tract of land lying on sec- tions 12 and 13, the " pioneer palace " being erected on the latter. It became a historic structure from the fact of its being the place of birth of John E. Burril, the first white child born in the township of Ashland. When Mr. Burril was ten years old his mother died, an event that severed the family, and m.ide his self-sustenance a matter of necessity. He early re- alized the importance of an education, and, in addi- tion to the work of self-support, he managed to obtain such schooling as the facilities of the times ^: n ■A<^Dl]r<^:Dll^:>A^ ri >^ <^(ltl>:tlD>> A' r % / A <^^ -^ 250 NEWAYGO COUNTY. >^ ii- -^ afforded. His health became impaired, and he went to California to recruit, and to obtain a fair idea of the resources of the Great West. He fixed a tempo- rary residence at Santa Cruz, remaining there until the fall of 1875, when he came back to Michigan. He was married Oct. r4, 1875, to Josephine, daugh- ter of Andrew and Clara (Holbrook) Baker. The parents were natives of New York, where they were married, and they eventually settled in Ashland Township, where the daughter was born Sept. 22, 1857. Mr. and Mrs. Burril, soon after their mar- riage, removed to a farm on section 11, and there remained until the spring of 1878, when Mr. Burril founded a mercantile business where he is now located, which he prosecuted until 1881, when he sold out his general stock, and established himself in the drug trade, Avith a stock valued at $2,500. His business is prosperous and increasing. He is a zeal- ous Republican, and has held various local offices. He is a member of the Order of Odd Fellows, and belongs to Lodge No. 362, at Ashland Center. To Mr. and Mrs. Burril have been born four children, namely: Ella M., Sept. 24, 1876; Melvin E., June 17, 1878; Joseph E., Aug. 15, 1880; Lysle, Feb. 25, 1883. % \l^t ^f^ystte Waters, farmer, section 30, Sher- Ji LasJ-f "lan Township, son of Jonas and Lucinda 5>t'*?^' (Bartholomew) Waters, was born in War- ylv "^^l^ Co-> I"'^' Feb. n, 1843. When 10 years of age he went with his father to Minnesota, remaining only a short time, when they came to St. Joseph Co., Mich., and lived nearly two years. In the winter of 1855 he came with his father to Ne- waygo County and settled in Sherman Township, where they have made their home ever since. His father first took up 160 acres of wild land, and after- ward bought 40 acres in Dayton Township. His mother died while they were living in Indiana, and since that time he has made his home with his father. They have about 75 acres under improvement. The subject of this sketch was married in Sheridan Township, March 17, 1867, to Polly A., daughter of John and Elizabeth Nichols, natives of Ohio and .Massacluisetls, respectively. They have had six children, five surviving: James L., Myron L., Carle- -5- ^^ -5- i^ft m5 illiam A. Webber, banker, at Fremont, was _pj||^aj|g born in Steuben Co., N. Y., May 27, 1853. His parents, Samuel W. and Mariette (Bowen) Webber, were natives of Vermont and New York, respectively. They first settled in Steuben Co., N. Y., where Mr. Webber, Sr., was engaged in farming. They came to Michi- gan in the spring of 1856 and settled in Portland, Ionia County, where the father now resides; the mother is deceased. In early youth, William A. at- tended the common schools, and during the winter of 1869-70 attended Olivet College, in Eaton Co., ton W., Edith A. and Ceylon L. William W. died Aug. 21, 1876, being three years and three months old. He has held the office of Constable one year. Township Treasurer eight years. Supervisor four years, and in politics his sympathies are with the National party. -^-^^ 'ohn E. Nelson, farmer, section 31, Sheridan "^ Township, is a native of Canada, and was born Nov. 9, 1850. His parents, John and Sarah (Sherman) Nelson, were natives of ir Canada and New York, and lived there until 1855. In the fall of that year they came to Oceana Co., Mich., where his father died in 1859. His mother then moved to Ionia County with her family of six children, where they lived until 1862, and in the fall of that year came to Newaygo County and settled in Sheridan, then Bridgeton Township, where she has since resided. In the fall of 1862, the subject of this sketch went to Calhoun Co., Mich., to live with an uncle, with whom he remained until the spring of 1865, and then came to this county. Since that time he has made several changes, but is now a resident of Sheridan Township. In the fall of 1873 he was married in Wisconsin, to Annie M. Larue, a native of that State, and they have had two children : Flor- ence and Willie M., both of whom are deceased. Mr. Nelson is very active in the temperance reform, and in politics is a Republican. ^ c ^ 1 t }^M^>^ -^•^^^ m I t -:,^^ er-T<^^DIl>:il[l^>r ■:2Hi^^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. 25' «• / /0^ i '^ Mich. Soon after graduating he entered the hanking house of S. W. Webber cS: Company, in Muir, Ionia County, as book-keeper, where he remained neariy three years. His house owned a conlrolling interest in the First National Bank, and soon closed their private bank, and William entered the former as book-keeper. He continued there but a short time, when he left the bank and engaged in farming for about two years, then entered tlie banking house of Webber, Just iS: Com pan)- as cashier, and re- mained two years. May 15, 1SS2, he came to lliis county and settled in Fremont, wliere he opened tlic bank of Webber. Hewitt & Company. He was married in Lyons, Ionia County, Sept. 7 1873, to Abbey B., daughter of Gabriel and Mary Trefry, natives of Nova Scotia, who came to Mich- igan about 1852 and settled in Lyons, where they now reside. Mrs. Webber was born in Ingham Co., Mich., March 7, 1855. Mr. and Mrs. Webber have two children: Murdo J., born Oct. 22, 1877, and John M., Feb. 14, 1883. Mr. W. is a Republican in politics. ^^J -°sSi"-*- -f««- onathan A. Hindes, farmer, section 32, Sherman Township, was born in Canada, Dec. 10, 1844. His father, Moses Hindes, was a native of Vermont, and his mother, Jo-, anna (.Austin) Hindes, was born in Canada. They lived in Canada until the fall of 1855, then came to Michigan and settled in what is now Sheridan Township about six months. They then rented a farm in Dayton Township, upon which they lived a short time, and then moved on 40 acres of land in Sherman Township, where the fatiier died, in the fall of 1880. The venerable mother resides on on the homestead with the subject of tiiis sketch. Mr. Hindes owns 80 acres of land, and aliout 70 acres are improved. He was married in this county Nov. 6, 1867, to Malinda J., daughter of William and Lydia Sours, the former a native of Germany and the latter of New York. Mr. and Mrs. Hindes have had eight children, six of whom are living: William M., Charlotte H., Mary M., Frederick J., Catherine A. and Frank A. ; Lydia J. and James A. are deceased. Mr. H. has held the office of Consta- ble one year. School Director four years, — was re- elected in 1883. In politics he is a Republican, and himself and wife are members of Fremont Grange, No. 494, P. of H. K^ _ -t A'i A A A A a'aa A WAf--^\;^ ^1^ r f^^' rnold Johnson, farmer, sections 33 and 28, ^'^ Sheridan Township, is a son of Kurnel and f^i® Gertrude Johnson, natives of Germany, and 'JjI^ was born in that country Aug. 14, 1827. At '% the age of 25 years he left his native land ' and came to America. He came directly to the Western country, and, after sjiendinga short time in Wisconsin, settled in Muskegon, where he lived most of the time until 1861. He then came to Ne- waygo County and purchased 80 acres of wild land in Sheridan Township, where he now resides, and has about 50 acres under cultivation. Mr. Johnson was married in Milwaukee, Sept. 26, 1 861, to Josepliine Gross, who was born in Paris, France, Sept. 27, 1844. They have had nine chil- dren, seven of whom are living: Christian E., Adelia G., Arnold J., Philip S , John J., Herman S. and Henry W.; Jennie E. died when 19 years of age, and Gertrude died at the age of eight months. Mr. John- son is a Republican, and liimself and wife are mem- bers of the Catholic Cluirch. l'\"r^\[ iram L. Brace, farmer, section 21, .\shland ^^vj, Townshii), was born in Steuben Co., N. Y., June 6, 1833. He is a son of Hiram L. and .5 Jane (Vroom) Brace, of New England origin and English and Dutch descent. Mr. Brace I withdrew from the protection of the parental roof on attaining his majority, and came to Coldwater, Mich., in the capacity of collector for the Pharos Lightning-Rod Company, where he had his head- quarters for four years. Severing his relations with his employers, he became associated in partnership with the Vulcan Lightning-Rod Company, wliich con- nection continued until Dec. 17, 1861, when he enlisted in defense of the integrity of the Union. He enrolled in Battery G, First Mich. Light Artillery, ®))€^<|- ]:^^-^ — '^^^^ c< so r ,^^r%^ 252 NEIVAYGO COUNTY. i r A V :^ his command being assigned to the corps of Gen. Buell, and joined the Army of the Cumberland. He was under fire at Chickasaw Bayou, Fort Hinman and Caney Bottoms, besides several unimportant skirmishes, escaping without suffering any of the ex- treme exigencies of war. He received an honorable discliarge, Jan. 23, 1S65. Mr. Brace married, near Coldwater, Mich., March 15, 1865, Bernetta, daughter of William and Mary (Martin) Skinner. She was born in Jefferson Co., N. Y., Dec. 3r, 1844, and when seven years of age came to Branch County with her parents. She was edu- cated chiefly at Colon, St. Joseph Co., Mich., and became a successful and popular teacher. In the winter of 1866, a year and a half after their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Brace located on 80 acres of land, on section 21, Ashland Township, and devoted them- selves to the preparation of a suitable home for the establishment of their family interests. They remained residents until 1870, when Mr. Brace established himself in mercantile business at Cedar Springs, Kent County, and prosecuted his interests in that direction three years, when he embarked in the manufacture of heads and staves, continuing tliat pursuit three years. In 1876 he again settled u[ion his farm. Mr. Brace is an active and influential member of the Republican party. He has officiated in the positions of Justice of the Peace, School Inspector, Treasurer, etc., and is still a member of the local government of the township. He belongs to the Order of Odd Fellows, Lodge No. 362, at Ashland Center, and is a member of the Blue Lodge, No. 131, at Newaygo. Botli himself and wife are warmly es- teemed as valuable memljers of the social element to which they belong. "iri^^l^ ^ > enjamin E. Tibbitts, farmer, section 81 Sheridan Township, was born in Shefford Co., Can., Jan 24, 1839. His parents, Arza and Adaline (Shattuck) Tibbitts, were natives of Vermont. He left home when 16 years of age, and came direct to Fremont Center, in the spring of 1855. He lived there one year, then bought 80 acres of wild land in Sheridan Township, where he now lives and has 35 acres un- der tillage. He was married in Fremont March 3, 1867, to Lucinda, daughter of John and Catherine Slater, all natives of Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Tibbitts are the parents of seven children : Adaline L., Willard A., Ida A., Agnes C, John F., Myrtle E. and Harriet A. Mr. T. has held the office of Justice of the Peace four years, and Dram Commissioner two years. In politics he is a Republican, and liini- self and wife are members of tlie M. E. Church. -l-~^~T-^£Bp'-f^S'^'^^- [idonijah E. Upton was born in Adrian, yp's^ Mich., Nov. 29, 1837. His parents were Jt^ Henry and Cynthia (Weaver) Upton, the ikr former a native of Massachusetts and the 1'' latter of New York. They first settled in North Adams, Mass., and afterward came to Adrian, where they lived 26 years. In 1855 they came to Newaygo County, where the father died, in r866; the mother is still living, in this county. Mr. Upton came to this county with his parents, where he still remains a resident, and is older in busi- ness than any other man in Fremont. He has dealt largely in real estate and still continues that business. He is also engaged extensively in farming and lum- bering. He was married in Dayton Township, July r, 1867, to Helen L., daughter of William and Lovilla B. Morton, residents of Dayton, who was born in New York, April 23, 1845, and they are the parents of four children : Ada L., Ralph E., Mary B. and William H. Mr. LTpton has held the office of Treasurer of the old town of Fremont two years. Clerk one year, and has been Notary Public nearly all the time since 1859. He was formerly third Master of Pilgrim Lodge, No. 180, F. & A. M., and was the first Secre- tary of the Lodge, two years. He represented this county in the Grange Convention held at the new capitol, at Lansing; was County Surveyor eight years. He was agent of the F-mpire Land Company five years, commencing when the population of Fremont was 150. In 1870 he was a partner with S. C. Hall, of Muskegon, in building a section of the Ionia & Mackinaw State Road, but, owing to the ill- ness of Mr. Hall, Mr. Upton managed the business alone for several months. He built the bridge at tlie crossing of the Muskegon river, and a little town has 't>l 4 i A f^ ^(^^ ■^^;^^ •^mm\^>^ •^ i^^ijf ss2 .^-^^jit- th/^ m 0l^/^-^^^i^>^ t NEWAYGO COUNTY. ^ sprung up at this point which bears the name Upton. ^ He surveyed the village of Reed City, and many ■'i* other village and city additions. He has been I School Director six years, and a member of the ^ School Board four years. He was largely interested in the organization of the Patrons' Mutual Fire Insurance Company, and was its Secretary four years. The company had at risk over $7 00,000 wlien it went out of his hands. He was an active worker in or- ganizing tlie Patrons' Co-operative Company, was made its Vice-President and manager, and a large and successful business was done so long as he had charge of its affairs. Mr. Upton is emphatically a man of Inisiness and a business man. His mind is comprehensive in its range, yet grasps the minutest details. He persistently inquires until the whole sub- ject is open before him, and then adjusts his plans. Himself and wife are attendants at the Disciples' Church, of which Mrs. Upton is a devoted member. He was also a Trustee of the M. E. Church about six years. Politically, he was formerly a Republican, but lately has voted with the National party. A ^^ V t 4 % ^-S^Hlfil)*-?*^! "1S; ;' i { ,^ ^Jjjjennis Lordon, son of Thomas and An- H^^^j_ nastia (McNamara) Lordon, natives of IvV Ireland, was boru in that country March 4, pK< 1845, and came with his parents to America when four years of age. They settled in New York State and remained there four years, and in 1853 came to Grand Rapids. Dennis was the third son of a family of five children. He attended the common schools of Grand Rapids, and in 1862 came with his parents to Newaygo County, where his father took up 160 acres of land, in Slieridan Township, wliich they managed together. He was married in Muskegon, Oct. iS, 1867, to Mary, daughter of Rob- ert and Mary Meighen, natives of Ireland. Mr. and Mrs. Lordon have four children: Frank, Mary, George and Nellie. After his marriage Mr. L. set- tled on a tract of land adjoining his father, and they still carry on farming together. In 1880 he fitted up a restaurant in the fine block recently built by Hart and Bowman, in Fremont, which he manages to the satisfaction of Jiis patrons. In politics, lie has hereto- fore acted with the Democratic party, but now be- longs to the National party. When Mr. Lordon was eight years of age he at- tempted to jump from a train of cars in motion, on the N. Y. & L. E. R. R. He lost his footing and the re- sult was the loss of his right leg, just below the knee. The parents of Mr. L. reside on section 4, and are quite advanced in years. They are among tlie pioneers of the county. |JFra|;^ eroy Tift, farmer on sections 8 and 11, i Croton Township, and resident at Croton |l^^ village, was born in Delaware Co., N. Y., May 9, 1832. He is the son of Martin and 2'^ Elizabeth (Hunter) Tift, both of whom were ■^ born in the State of New York and of English ancestry. The birth of the former occurred Dec. 15, 1807, and his death April 2, i88r,on Stearns' Prairie Newaygo County. The latter was born in 1805 and died June 11, 1858, in the same place where her husband's demise occurred 23 years later. The parents of Mr. Tift came to Michigan in the fall of 1835, when the State was in its territorial days, and settled in what is now Kalamazoo County. In March, 1853, they again sought pioneer life in Newaygo County. The son was 18 years of age when he became a resident of Croton, and he made his first start in life on his own responsibility in the capacity of a lumberman on the Muskegon River. He has made a fine record in his quiet, persistent, energetic efforts, and his admirable judgment is plainly manifest by his achievements, for which he makes but modest claims. He owns 5045^ acres of land in the township of Croton and four lots in the village of Croton. His farm includes 106 acres under advanced cultivation. He is somewhat prominent as a mem- ber of the Masonic Order and belongs to the Valley City Lodge, No. 86, at Grand Rapids, and in 1865 connected himself with Newaygo Lodge, No. 131. In politics he is a Republican. Mr. Tift has been married twice. His first wife, Elizabeth (Ferguson) Tift, to whom he was married April 6, 1856, was born in the Province of Ontario, Sept. 18, 1838, the daughter of Duncan and Mary (McCall) Ferguson, both of whom were born in the State of New York, and of Scotch ancestors. V A •f ( r <^(lfl>'nn;^-^:-S" 4,.^,7J- t >/ ^ > 1 A 2s6 -2J^^^r <>IlP>:DO^>r ■2J^ :2'-t4)^c T^^H^yirCO COUNTY The wife of Mr. Tift died Sept. 13, 1862, leaving one daughter, Mary Isabel. Mary Estelle, the first born child, died before the mother. Mr. Tift married Bessie Trask, June 29, 1869, in Kalamazoo Co., Mich, .'^he was the daughter of Oliver and Margaret Trask, natives of Maine and both deceased. Mrs. Tift died Aug. 30, 1874, at Grand Rapids, leaving three children — Libbie, Leroy (Jr.) and Martin O. In view of his double representative character as a pioneer of the State of Michigan and county of Newaygo, the portrait of Mr. Tift, wliic h appears on another page, has a two-told value. •-*-^ ohn W. Hopper, merchant, Fremont, was born in the State of New York, Dec. 7, -^..^ i860, and attended the common schools |!^ of New York, Michigan and Illinois. On W leaving school he was employed in the grocery \ store of R. N. Lloyd for three years, and was afterward employed as clerk in the store of M. B. Franklin six years. In 1881, he formed a partner- ship with C. C. Mericle, for the purpose of opening business in dry-goods, boots and shoes, and clotliing, under the firm name of Mericle & Hoi)i)ei-. This enterprise has been very successful. Mr. H. is a young man of industrious habits, is energetic, and has the reputation of being a shrewd business manager. In politics, he is a National. Ij? alter Stirling, tanner, section iS, (iar- 'a field I'ounshiii, was born Sept. 11, 1S24, 'ir^^O in L.LUCaster, (ilengarry Co., fan., and is a 4Vn ^°" °^ James and Agnes (Irving) Stirling. il VViien lie was twelve years old his |)arents changed their location to Beauharnais County, where the father bought a farm of 100 acres. On this the parents passed the remainder of their lives, the father dying Aug. 21, 184 1. He was born .'\iiril 7, 1S53, of Scotch descent. 'l"he mother was the child of Irish parents and was born on the sea. Mr. Stirling remained on the farm as his father's assistant until the death of the latter, when he went to learn the shoemaker's trade, which was chiefly his business until 1861, when he purchased the farm he now occupies. He was married July 5, 1849, to Ann McLaughlin, a native of Ireland. They have a family of five children: Agnes, Elizabeth M., James H., Mary |. and John D. Mr. Stirling came with his family to Newaygo in September, 1855, and dur- ing the winter of that year he worked in the lumber woods. During the succeeding years he followed his trade, finding his accustomed labor more profitable as well as more to his taste than the hardshi|)s and exposure of a lumberman's life. He took posses- sion of his farm in 1862. .\t the time of the i)ur- chase it consisted of 80 acres of land in a wild state, 35 acres of which are now substantially im- proved. Mr. Stirling has been Supervisor of the township two years spector. ind is at present a School "^^^^tephen D '■■"^^^p Ashland -^r: Sclnryler Co., N. V Barnum, farmer, section 33, t)\\n>.hip, was born in Hector, 9, 1S29. His -K:DD^DIlr>A 4\ parents, Czar and Margaret (German) Bariium ly^j were natives respectively of Connecticut and New York, and were of mi.xed Scotch, French and German ancestry. In 1839 they located on a farm in Lenawee Co., Mich., where Stephen at- tained to the age of 19 years, attending the district school and working on his father's farm. Mr. Barnum early resolved to obtain as good a de- gree of education as was in his power". In 1848 he set out to accomplish his plans and engaged as a farm laborer. He was industrious and economical, saving his earnings to secure his education, and attended the High .School at Tecirmseh, Lenawee County, where he studied two years. He put his stock of learning to practical use in teaching, whieii pr'ofession he followed until 1S55. The conlinemeni of the school-rooni shattered his health, and he was conr- pelled to abandon his favorite jnirsuit and seek the woods of Northern Michigan. He came to Newaygo Countx and located on 80 acres of land in .\shland Township. The |)lace was in its original state, and since he has been its proprietor he has devoted his best energies to its improvement, and has placed 50 y^ (^ "rr ^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. -^^^^ acres in the best condition for successful farming. Mr. Bnrnuni was married ^■^ll^. 19, 1855, in Mus- kegon County, to Rohy A., daughter of Micliael and Hannah ((.'arpenter) Kriger, natives of Massachusetts and New York respeclivel)-. The daugliter was born in Angola, Ind., July 16, 1S40. Her parents settled in Hillsdale Co , Mich., when she was in infancy, and afterward removed to Casnovia, Muskegon County, where she resided until her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. lUunum ha\e been the parents of six children, two only of whom survive; Ai, born April I I, 18^7, and .Adelln, March 23, 1869. Adelsia was liorn April 16, 1S60, and died Nov. 29, in tlie same year: Almond, born Dec. 6, 1862, died March 25, 1863; .\rthur, born July 1 1, 187 i, died .Sept. 21,1873; Decatur, born Aug. 18, 1873, died March 6, 1874. Mr. Barnuni is a zealous and active Democrat. He has been .School Inspector ten years. Justice of tlie Peace, 12 years, .md Superintendent of Schools several terms. He is also Clerk of the Baptist So- ciety, of which Church himself and wife are mem- bers. ^i!HjH»^ arren Davenport, farmer, section 14, Bar- ton Township, was born in Whitley Co., Ind., May 5, 1846. His father, \Villiam )avenport, was a son of Jesse Davenport; e former was born Sept. 24, 1824, in Wayne Co., Ind.; was married Jidy 31, 1842, to Jemima Stanley, of Richmond, Ind.; in 1845, he went to Co- unbia, Whitley t'ounty, where he embarked in a suc- cessful mercantile enterprise, and three years later came to Newaygo County, and engaged in the busi- ness of millwright ; settled in Barton Township in [856, where he has since resided. Warren Davenport is the oldest of six i hildren born to his parents. He received a fair educa- tion in the common schools of Indiana, and was bred to the calling of farmer, which he has [lursued '^ almost exclusively in Barton Townshi[). He owns a 1 line farm of 214 acres, and is cultivating 120 acres, o''/r which he has cleared and placed under most credit- fa' able improvements. He was married Sept. 12, >|^ 1863, to Eliza, daugeter of William C. and Lucinda 1^ (Lord) Bliss. P{er father was born in New York >^ and her mother in Pennsylvania, of which State she is a native, born in 1S46. Mr. and Mrs. Davenport V'f have eight children ; Jessie I,., Waller, William !•'., ^ Frank F., Rosa J., Oeorge W., Addie E. ar.d Fred. C. " .Mr. Davenport is a Republican in respect to na- tional issues. He has served his townshipas Justice ' of the Peace eight years. c< eorge Pollard, deceased, was born in \ ^ Yorkshire, England, Jan. j. 1822. His \. ^ parents, Joseph and P.etsey (Hilhngsworlh) f Pollard, were born, and [lassed llic entire period of their lives, in England. Mr. Pollard worked in the woolen mills of Bradford, in his native country, until the age of 30. In 1852, he emigrated to the United States, and located in Philadelphia, where he was employed in a flour and feed store two years. In 1854, he re- turned to his native land, and worked at his trade of /?S weaver and wool-dresser until the spring of 1857, when he again crossed the ocean and came to Mich- igan. He was employed at various points until 1859, and finally settled in Newaygo County. He pre- empted So acres in Ashland Townshi|j, his claim being the last secured in the township under the law governing pre-emption territory. In 1869 Mr. Pollard became disabled from dys- pepsia and a kidney disease, which continued several years. When their violence abated he found himself to be afflicted with cancer of the stomach, of which he died. May 9, 1875, after a long period of unmiti- gated suffering, which terminated in literal starva- tion. This continued three months before death brought a merciful release. He was endowed with a fine mind and was an extensive reader, possessing the ability to assimilate and make [jractically usefid the knowledge he acquired. He was engaged iluruig all his active life in the best interests of Chun h, society and all movements for moral reform. He ad- hered to the tenets of the Rei)ublican party, and held the post of Treasurer of his School District nine years I'efore his death. He belonged to the Baptist Church, was the Treasurer of the society and was an outspoken and zealous advocate of temperance. Mrs. Elizabeth (Houlding) Pollard was born in the ( ity of Leeds, Yorkshire, Eng., June, 1S24. Her > W^: ®>5f§ j^ v <^tlD>:iinn>-'^ «4^@^'.*>Ai?: i^r-^^-J JV£lV.4yG0 COUNTY. -"^ T ) .^ V ■) ^ inolher died when she was 20 years old, and upon her devolved the care of six younger brothers and sisters. This duty she continued to discharge, and also worked in the woolen factories of Leeds un- til 1857, when she came to the United States, and, after a short residence in I'hiladeljjhia, joined her brothers in Ashland Township. She was married March 25, 1859, to Vix. Pollard, when death left her a widow with three children. Albert was born Nov. 10, 1859, and died Sept. 14, 1864. Those liv- ing were born in the following order: Alfred L., Nov. 10, 1859 (twin brother of Albert); C>eorge A., Dec. 3, 1862; Joseph W., March 6, 1866. Mrs. Pollard is passing a peaceful, consistent, christian, sunny old age among her children on the homestead, situated on section 9, Ashland Township. .ames A. Town, farmer, sec. i8, Sherman '^ I'ownship, is a son of Elias and Almira (Lewis) Town, the former a native of Ver- mont and the latter of New York. He was born in Pittsford, Hillsdale Co., Mich., Oct- 27, 1849. He came with his parents to Ne- waygo Co., and lived at home until 1872. Dec. 8, of that year, he was married to Miss Belle Hall, daugh- ter of Obed and Njmcy (Brown) Hall, who was a na- tive of Muskegon Co., Mich., born in 1855, and their four living children are, James A., Leota B., Lula K. and Leo G. ; one is deceased. Mr. Town purchased 40 acres of wild land in the winter of 1873, and lived on it till the spring of 1S80, when he sold out and bought 80 acres on section 18, where he now resides, and has 15 acres under cultivation. In politics, Mr. Town is independent. Charles McKie, farmer, section 18, Bridge- ^ ton Township, was born near the St. Law- rence River, 50 miles west of Montreal, Feb. CT 26, 1825, and is a son of James and Elizabeth I (Campbell) McKie, both of whom were of Canadian birth and respectively of French and Scotch descent. His parents went to Glengarry, Can., when he was five years old, where he remained until he had reached the age of 23 years. He had been reared as a farm laborer, and in 1848 went to Si. Lawrence Co., N. Y., where he found employ- ment for some time as a millwright, afterwards en- gaging in farming. He remained there until ihe fall of 1854, when he came to Michigan and settled in Newaygo County, at the jwint known as the "Plain," where he entered Ujion the business of raft- ing on the Muskegon River and otherwise interesting himself in the lumber business. In ^Larch, 1856, he secured a tract of land of the Government in (now) Bridgeton Township, by making a deposit with a condition attached giving him 30 days' grace. His fellow lumbermen made a bee on Easter Sunday of that year and built his house. No time could be afforded during the week, and the near expiration of the marginal time made the erection of the building on that day necessary. The Indians located in the neighborhood urged him to avail himself of their hospitable invitations, to place his wife and two little children under the shelter of their tents ; and he wishes to record his appreciation of the liberal kindness he and his family received at their hands. He remained over night in their care, and the next day he set himself vigorously at work to render his rude hut suitable for the accommodation of his family. A nice residence, built at a cost of $1,000, replaces the pioneer home, and 65 acres of the then unbroken forest are cleared and otherwise ini- . proved. Mr. McKie was married April 7, 1850, at Bur- lington, Vt., to Anna, daughter of James and Mary (Ragen) Shehan. Parents and daughter are natives of Limerick, Ireland, where the latter was born June I, 1832. The father and mother came to the United States in her infancy and located at Quebec. They went thence to Montreal and later to Lancaster, Glengarry County, Ont., where the daughter re- mained until the fall (./f 1849, when she went to Burlington, Vermont, and resided there until she was married. She has become the mother of nine children, born in the following order: Charles J., Feb. 17, 1851; James F,., Nov. 16, 1853 (died May 5,1854); William P., March 25, 1854; John A., March 25, i860; Elizabeth A., Aug. 25, 1865 ; Alice M., April 8, 1867; Mary A., July 12, 1869 (died ^ A f •V* '%^^m^- '-•( ^ _ _ ^ J^ <>D!1>:dDv> -i*xi. -Si.'f^^p^ 4>^^^' N^EWAYGO COUNTY. ^■J^^^V^ April, 1870); Georgie A., April, 1870 (died April 15, 1871); Robert H., Dec. 22, 1871. Mr. McKie is a Democrat in political sentiment, and has held most of the local offices in the town- ship. ^avid Cram, farmer, section 5, Good well Hi, Township, was born Tan. 18, 1833, in ^KiXf Canada, near Turkey Point, and is the son "vjiv of William and Margaret (Hadley) L'ram. ^ The father was a native of Scotland and the > mother of Engl.ind. He liad the rearing common to tlie sons of farm- ers, and at a very early age was brought to face the ne- cessity of carving out his own fortune. He spent some years working as an assistant in the saw-mills and as a lumberman, after which he came to Newaygo -* County and began to improve a tract of 120 acres of land, on which he remained some years ; next, he re- sided for a time in Kent County, and finally returned ° to his original location, of which he has since retained f^ possession. S Mr. Cram has been twice married. His first wife <^ was Sarah, rice Hall, by whom he had three children. namely : Mary, James and an infant deceased. In ") 1880 Mr. C. married Isabella Sharp, who was born Oct. 25, 1862, in Howell, Livingston Co., Mich., a daughter of Richard and Lydia (Howell) Sharp. oseph Baillargeon, farmer, section S, If Sheridan Township, was born in Canada Oct. 14, 1843. His parents, Peter and Angeline (Moxin) Baillargeon, were also natives of Canada. They removed to Muskegon, this .State, and afterward returned to Canada, where the mother died, in the fall of 1881 ; the father still resides there. Josepli left Canada at tlie age of 20 years, and went to Massachusetts, where he followed the trade of machinist, whicli he liad formerly learned. He remained in that State about 10 months. Dec. 18, 1863, he enlisted in the 2d Reg't. Heavy Artillery of Mass. Vol., Battery A., Capt. Kimball ; this company was afterward transferred to the Light .Artillery. Early in September, 1865, he was mustered ^ out of the service at SmithviUc, N. C. He was in the battle of Plymouth, N. C, where two companies of his regiment were taken prisoners. After his discharge, Mr. B. went to Canada and soon after came to Muskegon, Mich., where he resid- ed until 1875, engaged in millwrighting, engineering and lumber surveying. In tlie spring of 1875 he went to St. Louis, Mo., and took charge of the Star Rolling Mill, of that city, and in the fall of the same year he came to Newaygo County and bouglit So acres of wild land in Sheridan Township, section 5. He improved 40 acres, and in the summer of 1883 sold out and removec to section 8, same township, built a house and barn, and still resides there. In the fall of 1S82 he built a steam hoop mill, for the manufacture of patent coil hoops. He removed this mill to section 8, and still carries on the business, manufacturing from 7,000 to 10,000 hoops per day, and employing about nine men. Aug. II, 1866, he was married to Artimise Secord, a native of Canada, and they have had nine chil- dren : Sarah A., Lea, Joseph E., Edith, Angeline and Harriet A. ; Sarah Josepliine and Rosamond died in infancy. Mr. Baillargeon has held the office of Highway Commissioner one year, Overseer of Highway two years, and in politics is a Reiiublican V A (' "Fiijilliam Kimbell, Sheriff of Newaygo Coun- JteHtl k) ty, resident at Newaygo, was born in Bed- jfev^, ford, Cuyahoga Co., O., April 8. 1837. He is a son of William and Amanda (West Drook) Kimbell, and was reared on a farm, ob- taining his education at winter terms of school. From the age of 15 years he was variously engaged until he settled in Newaygo in 1853. In 1843 his parents transferred their family to Kalamazoo Co., Mich., where his father was a farmer. On coming to Newaygo, Mr. Kimbell interested him- self in the pursuit which in some of its varied branches was that of nearly all men in active life in this portion of Michigan, namely, lumbering. Soon aftenvard he began taking contracts, engaging first with the Newaygo Lumber Company and successively with Kellv, Wood \- Co., of Chicago, and Lyman I I £:nD>> V >6'^-'-^ '#^^^^ C ^ '<-:•■ n/ 60 NEWAYGO COUNTY. ^ T. Kinney, of (jrand Rapids. He i ommonly em- f^ ployed a workinsj! force of about 50 men. '^ In 1864 Mr. Kimbell was drafted and assigned to i Co. A, 13th Reg't. Mich. Vol. Inf. He served nine months and participated in the battle of Benton- ville, besides doing duty in a number of skirmishes. On receiving his discharge he returned to Newaygo and resumed lumbering. He continued his ojiera- tions in that pursuit until February, 1881, when he rented the White Cloud House at White Cloud. The hotel was under his management until December, 1881, wlien he was elected to his present official position and transferred his residence to Newaygo. Mr. Kimbell was married in Newaygo, Sept. 3, 1856, to Sarah B., daughter of John and Matilda Hathley, a native of Canada, born April 12, 1839. Of eight children born to them six are living: Ida I., .\lice M., Ruey, Sarah, Jessie and Eddie. Martha .\., eld- est daugiiter, and Edward are deceased. Mr. Kimbell came to Newaygo in its pioneer days and has been a witness to its varied steps of progress. Two or three shanties constituted its mu- nicipality and the adjacent woods were the delight of hunters and trappers. Mr. Kimbell was one to whom the abundance of wild game was a great source of satisfaction, and his exploits as one of the Ninirods S of this region are full of interest. Deer and liears abounded, and one of Mr. K's accounts reiords the slaughter, on one occasion, of four of the latter in the evening after sup[)erl AtacfiT©^-* ->»-SfScZ'OT>v. loseph Reed, farmer, section 29, Sheridan ^' Township, was born in Canada, May 15, 1846. His father. Nelson Reed, was a native of Scotland, and his mother, Josette ^t (Thibberl) Reed, was born in Krance. At the age of 18 he left home and for two years lived in Vermont. He then went to Illinois for a short lime, then to Muskegon, .Michigan, where he re- mained until the fall of 1872, then came to Neway- go County and bought 80 acres of wild land in Sheridan Township, where he now resides. He has since added 40 acres to his farm, and has about 60 aires under imprcjvement. lie was married i Muskegon, June tj, 1868, to Margaret Malett, a n^itive of Canada. In [wlitics he is a Republican, and himself and wife are members of the Baptist Church. i saae Shick, farmer, Brooks Township, sec- tion 10, was born March S, 1831, in Port- age Co., Ohio. He is the son of Jacob and Barbara (Swineliart) Shick. His father was born March 8, 1808, in Berks Co., Pa, and died May 4, 1863, in Elkhart Co., Ind. He was of German descent, as was his wife, who was born Jan. 21, 181 2, in the same county in the Key- stone State, and who is still living, in Elkhart Co., Ind. They settled soon after marriage in l'ort,ige Co., Ohio. ?vlr. Shii:k remained in his native State initil he was 14 years of age, when his i)arents went to Indi- ana. He ir.terested himself in acquiring a good ed- ucation, and as he designed to fit himself for teach- ing he became signally proficient as a student. Dur- ing his last term of school he was called on to take the place of his teacher, who was suffering from a temporary illness, and officiated in the capacitv of a school-teacher, for the short space of one month. The exi)erience wholly exterminated his aspiration to make teacliing the business of his life. He is characterized by the clannish instini:ts of the nation- ality from wlii( h lie has descended, and lived with his parents until he was 1,- years old. He was one of t4 children, all of whom survived their parents, the youngest being eight years old when tiie father died. The father's death occurred soon afterward. Mr. Shick was married in the course of a few days thereafter, and continued to pursue agriculture in that State for ten years, when he came to Michigan. He settled on 240 acres of land in Brooks Township. He sold 80 acres of this, and has by his inherited thrift and good management cleared and put in first- class condition the remaining 160 acres. The place is of increased value and made attractive by gootl farm buildings and a small orchard. Mr. Shick is a Democrat and has served his generation as Justice of the Peace, Highway Connnissioner and School Director. He is a member of the F. & A. M. frater- nity and belongs to Newaygo Lodge, No. 131. (^ ^ Si/ ^WM^^y^ "^^^ -:2^'i NEWAYGO COUNTY. i6i ^ A V ^ «-^ ^ He was married in Si)ringfield, Ohio, May i, 1863, to Sarah, daughter of Samuel and Catherine (Wey- .'^^^ rick) Garl. both of whom were horn in Pennsylvania. I Mrs. Shick was born Dec. 10, 1840, in Summit Co., '■,, Ohio. Samuel Garl was born in Portage Co., Ohio, July 22, 1818. He died March 29, 1873. His wife, Catlierine. was born Aug. 27, 1819, in Mercer Co., I'a., anil is still livinu, in Ohio. i^ll^lias Town farmer, section 18, Sherman l^^gb Township, was born in X'ermont Dec. 29, -^^^^ 1826. His parents were Ira and Ruby (Prouty) Town, the former a native of New Hampshire and the latter of New York. They first settled in New York, then removed to Ver- mont, thence to Michigan in the spring of 1845, and settled in Hillsdale County, where they passed the remainder of tlieir life. In early life, P>lias was en- gaged mostly in farming. He came with his par- ents to Hillsdale County, where he was principally engaged in carpentry for 22 years. In the spring of 1869 he came to Newa) go County and bought""4o acres of wild land in Sherman Township, where he now resides, and has 32 acres under cultivation. He was married in Hillsdale County, in 1848, to Almira Lewis, a native of New York, where she was born July 9, 1S28, and they have six children : Ari, Ida A., Alphonce J., Alfred J., Mayne A. and Nettie M. Mr. and Mrs. T. are members of the Advent Cliurrli, and in politics he is a Republican. -4 — ■^^^^^^m-^^ — J- illiam H. Homing, lumberman, located i|g on section 23, Monroe Township, was born jt'^',: " in Bradford Co., Pa., Feb. 28, 1849, and is '!r^ a son of James and Harriet A. (Barfield) Horning. His [)arents were both natives of the State of New York, and are deceased- The father died in 1853, and the mother 'removed with her family to DeKalb Co., 111., where the son attended district school. When he reached the age of ten years he took upon himself the burden of his own support, working on a farm till he was 1 7 years of age, when, in Feb., 1865, he enlisted in Co. C, Ninth 111. Cav. He served until the close of the war. and on his discharge went to Pennsylvania, wheit: he attended Mansfield College one year. He then went to Wisconsin and engaged in lumbering, woik- ing a short time in the woods, after which he went to California, Oregon and Washington Territory, spend- ing a year on the trip. He returned East and located at Sand Lake, Kent Comity, where he engaged in the manufacture of lumber and shingles. After a resi- dence there of eight years he came, in 187 1, to Newaygo County, wliere he engaged in lumbering, in connection with Samuel Hart. Mr. Horning was married at Sand Lake, Kent County, in 1873, to Harriet, daughter of James and Harriet Kinney. She was born in Michigan in 1852. Three children liave been I'orn of this marriage: Angeline, Evaline and Arthur. The last named died in 1881. The first saw mill erected by Mr. Horning and his partner cost about $2,000, and was destroyed by fire in 1S81. They immediately re-built; and u]) to the present writing (1S83) have manufactured in the ag- gregate 30,000,000 feet of pine lumber. Their present product is about 30,000 feet of lumber daily. Mr. Horning has officiated as Township Treasurer of Monroe, and is a member of the I. O. O. F. of Sand Lake, Kent County. "■^3- ^".,?.a t. J-: r-.V- ames W. Trumbull, farmer, section 6, Bridgeton Townshij), was born in W'ayne .,3 Co., Mich., Sept. 3, 1S41. His father, Squire if. Trumbull, was a native of Vermont, and a de- scendant of the 'Trumbull tamily, of Colonial fame. 'The mother, Hannah (Crouse) 'Trum- bull, was born in New York, of English lineage. The families of tlie parents came to Michigan at an early period. Mr. Trumbull s[)ent his early life assisting his father on the farm and acquiring his education, until the year following his majority, when lie yielded to the influence which filled the entire North and be- came a defender of the integrity of the Union. He enlisted April 28, 1862, in the i8th United States Infantry, Co. H, under the command of Henry R Misner. The regiment was assigned to the •C^ :< < ( r I ^°€ ^ 0./* c^n g ;^jii^>^ — ^^€^^ -4^^>f ^^^ <-I]0>:DIIv> V i) f 2J ) A >; ) 262 .VEIVAYGO COUNTY. of the Cumberland, and during his period of service Mr. 1 runil)ull was in action at Hoover's Gap, Chick- amauga, Missionary Ridge, Buzzard's Roost, Resaca, siege of Atlanta, Jonesboro and other battles of minor importance. He escaped without injury except a slight gunshot wound in the wrist, and received honor- able discharge April 28, 1865. He returned to his iiome and resumed farming. Mr. T. was married Nov. 1 6, '65 , to Ellen L., daugh- ter of Silas andElvira (\\'ard) Winchester. Her fa- ther's family was known to financial fame through its oi)erations in England, and their descendants settled in Massachusetts. Mrs. T.'s parents settled near Detroit in 1838, where she was born, March i, 1846. Her mother was a native of Vermont. After his marriage, Mr. Trumbull continued the pursuit of agriculture near the home of his youth two years, going in 1867 to Saginaw, where he interested him- self in lumbering. In 187 1 he went to Oakland Couiitv, and there once more engaged in farming. In the spring of 1874 he came to Bridgeton and located on 79 acres of heavily timbered land. Nearly half of his place has been put under a fine state of improvement through the personal effort of the proprietor. Hattie L., only surviving child of Mr. and and Mrs. Trumbull, was born June 28, 1869. Francis A., born April 2, 1867, died Nov. 26, 1880. Mr. Trumbull is a Democrat in political sentiment, has been Justice of the Peace and is at present School Inspector (1884). He is a member of the Masonic Order and belongs to /ion Lodge. No. i, at Detroit. ; H^^^tavid C III! \-l><' I r^^ Hatch, farmer, section 4, Barton Township, was born July 12, 1850, in On- tario Co., Can. His father, David VV. Hatch, was born Feb. 22, 1806, and his T)'^ Hatch, was l)orn l*eb. 22, 180O, and nis /p mother, Eleanor (Bowes) Hatch, May 4. 1810, * in Pennsylvania, of English ancestry. They reside in and belong to the agricultural community of Canada. Mr. Hatch received the training of a farmer's son, and at the age of 20 years, in 1870, located in the township of Big Rapids, in Mecosta Co., Mich. He V^ then applied himself to the acquirement of the J^ builder's trade, which he pursued five years. In ii, 1875 he came to Barton 'I'ownship and bought 80 *>'. acres of land, which he has increased by subsequent purchase to 120 acres, with 50 acres now under im- ])rovements. Mr, Hatch is a Repulilican in political affiliation. He was married July 27, 1873, to Nora E., daugh- ter of Albert and Louisa Wightman, born July 3, 1854, in the State of New V'ork. Her parents were natives of the Empire State, and in 1870 located in Greene Township, Mecosta County, coming thence to Newaygo County, where they now reside. Three children have heen born to Mr and Mrs. Hatch: Ella S., April i, 1876; Eari H., Oct. 12, 1879; Elmer A., June 3, 1881. I, ames H. MeKee, i)hotographer at Newaygo, '^ was born at Kingston, Ont., Oct. 8, 1842, and is a son of James H. and Eleanor (McCorniick) McKee. The parents were na- tives of Ireland, born of Scotch parentage. They emigrated to Canada, where the father ^ I A ^: :fy. [Hirsued his business as a merchant tailor, settling about 1844 in Toronto, where he died in 1859, aged 46 years. The mother died at the age of 42 years at the same place. Mr. McKee spent the years of his minority in and about Toronto, attending school, clerking in a store and working as a farm assistant. In 1864 he came to Michigan and found emi)loyment in a saw-mill in Croton, Newaygo Co. A year later he came to Ne- waygo village and worked some time with the Ne- waygo Lumber Company. His first independent business venture was the purchase of a steam saw- mill, and in this transaction he was associated with R. D. L^avis. They continued its management three years, when Mr. McKee again entered the service of the Newaygo Lumber Company, acting in various capacities. In 18- — he was appointed Deputy County Clerk under Sanford Brown, and served 18 months. In 18 — he became Under-Sheriff with George Utley, and in 18 — succeeded to the post of Village Marshal of Newaygo. In October, 1874, he established himself in the mercantile business, locat- ing opposite the old Brooks House, and operated i\ t ^V^i^f^^ -:^'^f^ "^'r^'iD D :< llDr >^ r-"^^ ^S/l^f^tf" :2i€^Kr <--inp:tcilli^> T-^ t J V NEWAYGO COUNTY. -«§, 26.? .^ there until 1878, when he transferred his stock to the opposite side of the street. He closed his commer- cial affairs, and in 1881 founded the business in which he is at present engaged. He bought the building where he operates and added the necessary fixtures for the prosecution of his art. Mr. McKee was married at Newaygo, Jan. 13, 1876, to Jessie E., daughter of Elijah S. and Har- riet Bennett, born in Portage, Livingston Co., Mich. One child, Grace E., is living. James H. and C. Irving are deceased. Mr. McKee is a member of the Masonic Order. He owns, besides his place of busi- ness, other property within the village corpora- tion. I elson Peterson, Postmaster and druggist, at Woodville, was born in Denmark, Dec. 24, 1850. He is the son of Mads and Chris- ' j-jrr tina (Swartz) Peterson, also natives of Den- mark. In his native country Mr. Peterson was a member of the farming community, to which his parents belonged, and when he was 20 years old he came to the United States and settled at Big Rapids, in 1870. In 1876 he came to Woodville and estab- lished himself in the drug trade, which he has since prosecuted. He is a Republican, and was appointed Postmaster m 1878. In 1873 he was married to Christina Benson, by whom he has three children, — Maggie, Peter and Mabel. •nii£SJ2y®^^^—0i ..^^annn^ "W^^ Ji obert Anderson, farmer, section 25, Bar- ton Township, was born on the Atlantic ^(^y Ocean, July 4, 1832. His father, John ^:BIl>>r TT" ■zn^is- ^ :-<^ V ^ C rr- IVEWAYGO COUNTY. . ^ 26s > the school at Blackberry, Kane Co., 111. He was then 20 year; old, and began his preparatory medical reading with Dr. O. L. Pelton, at Blackberry, where he remained one year, going thence to the University at Ann Arbor, Mich. He studied there one year and during 1881 practiced under Dr. W. A. Hendryx, of Big Rapids. The year next succeeding he attended Rush Medical College, in Chicago. On the first of March, 1883, he came to his present location, where he has since been engaged in the practice of medicine. -.-ct!' — m illiam Whitman, proprietor of the Ne- .qJ^^^L waygo House, at Newaygo, was born %P June 28, 1840, at Brandon, Franklin Co., N. Y. He is a son of Chauncey Whitman, and was reared on a farm. His mother died in 1842, and in 185 1 his father transferred his family to Muskegon Co., Mich. In 1863 they came to Garfield Tp., Newaygo Co , where the father and son bought 120 acres of land in joint partnership and engaged in lumbering. Mr. Whitman came to Ne- waygo in 1867 and spent two seasons lumbering in the woods. In 1869 he bought the hotel, which he has since continued to manage. The establishment has accommodations for 25 guests, and is doing a good business. He was married July 4, 1864, in Muskegon Co., to Susan, daughter of Charles and Sarah Carr, who was born in Steuben Co., N. Y., Aug. 20,1848. Kdward and Charles are the children born of this marriage. 4-<-^-4^>^>--^-^ rfharles T. Randolph, farmer, section t,t„ *p?2^ Denver 'I'ownship, was born on the is- te; land of Matinicus (.') in the Atlantic Ocean, w ■7iJ »ji? Nov. 27, 1818. His parents were Walter and \' Joanna (Hall) Randolph ; father was liorn in London, England, and mother in .Maine, where ihey resided until their death. When Charles was three months old lie was bought t(j the main land, and lived at home, in Montvilte. Waldo Co., .Me., until he was 14 years old, when his father moved to has ohn Penobscot County. Here he remained until his 21st year, then entered school. After completing his ed- ucation he engaged in the lumbering business on the Penobscot River, remaining until the summer of 1843, when he returned home and purchased . " 200 acres of land in the town of . Ktna, upon wliich he built a house. Dec. 17, 1844, he married Miss Elizabeth C. Moore, daughter of John and Hannah (Chapman) Moore, natives of Maine, who was horn in Edgecomb, Lincoln Co., Maine, Nov. 13, 1818. Mr. and Mrs. Kandolijh settled on the new farm, v where they lived until 1849, then moved to Lu/.erne r.-> Co., Pa., where Mr. R. was engaged in lumbering a until 1855. They then returned to their former home, where Mrs. Randolph tarried for one year, and her husband came to Newaygp, this county, and worked in the mills for a few months. The follow- ing year his wife came, and they went to keeping house in Newaygo. In February, i86o, they moved upon a farm af 80 acres, where he now resides, and which at that time was a dense forest. Mr. ! since added 40 acres to his original ])urchase. Mr. and Mrs. Randolph have two children : W. and S. Augusta. A >: s^ ^ \ on. Sullivan .\rmstrong, farmer, section 22, Ashland Township, was born in Monroe Co., N. Y., March 3, 182 i. His parents were Bealy and Mary (Palmer) Armstrong; father was born in Connecticut and njother in Rhode Island. Soon after marriage they settled in the State of New York, and when their son was (w^ years old they came to Michigan and fi.\ed their place of residence at Walled Lake, Oakland County, where the father died, in t827. In the fall of the same year Mr. .Armstrong returned with his mother to New York. In the spring of 1S28 he went to Wyoming County, in that State, and became the em- JL ployee of a farmer named Burt, with whom he remained until he was 18 years oUi. In 1839 he came to Walled Lake once more, where he remained two years. In the fall of 1841 he came to ^\■alker 'I'ownship, Kent Co., .Mich. .Mr. Armstrong was married Dec. 4, 1844, to Mary 'j C, daughter of George and Sarah M. (Davis) \ 1 ^ z66 "rr v^^Oli:^:!^^^^ ■>£?^-x: .V^'W^^FGO COUNTY. ') t A V ) / ^ -7* Sheldon. The parents are of straight Puritan an- cestry, born respectively in New York and Maine. Mr. Armstrong turned his attention energetically to farming and remained in Kent County until 1852. In the autumn of that year he decided to seek a permanent home in another part of Michigan, and in company with his brother set out as "land look- ers." They lixed upon Newaygo County as a desirable quarter to locate, and Mr. Armstrong pre- empted 120 acres of land in Ashland Township. Through the assistance of John Ball, of Grand 'i Rapids, he was enabled to establish himself on the -TH?- place which has since been his homestead. As soon as practicable he erected tlie usual pioneer cabin, and took possession of his farm, with his wife and four children. The place and its fixtures make a credit- able exhibit of the efforts and energy of the owner for the past 30 years. In addition to his farming inter- ests he has extensively engaged in traffic in real estate, and during the winters of the past 25 years he has been occupied in heavy lumber transactions, put- ting in some seasons 3,000,000 feetof logs. His land operations have included over 1,000 acres, and he has added 40 acres to his home farm. Besides fine and e.xpensive farm buildings, he has erected a residence at an expense of $4,000. In public life Mr. Armstrong is one of the most prominent citizens of Newaygo County, and has been identified with all its permanent interests. He has been actively, alive to whatever promised to enhance the advantages of his township, and from the date of his setdement in the county has main- tained the confidence and esteem of its citizens. He lias been a Republican of decided principles, and in i860 was elected County Treasurer, and has served in that capacity three terms. In the fall of 1872 he was elected to the position of Representative to the State Legislature, which post he occupied two terms. He has officiated as Supervisor of liis town- ship 14 years, and, at various times, has filled most of the minor offices. On the organization of the National party he adopted its principles and issues, and so wide-spread was the repute of his influence and character that in the fall of 1880 he was placed in nomination by the National (Greenback Convention at Jackson, Mich., as candidate for the post of Lieutenant Governor. The party was in its early youth and its nominations were defeated by small ma- orilies. Mr. .\rmstrong was not premoiiislied of the purposes of the Convention nor in any way made aware of the projected action. Of II children born to Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong, eight are deceased. Those living were born as follows : Sarah A., Dec. 28, 1845 '■> ^^^ ^^i J^Iarch 22, 1856; Herbert, Nov. 24, 1861. The sorrowful record of the early lost is as follows : Ellen, horn Sept. 28, 1847, died April 26, 1873; Amy A., Aug. 3, 1849, died Jan. 27, 1878; Sanford, Dec. 22, 1851, died Feb. i, 1868; Fanny G., July 22, 1853, died July 2, 1880; Arthur, May 22, 1858, died March 31, i860; Willis, Sept. 25, 1863, died Nov. 10, 1863; Eugene, June 6, 1865, died Aug. 5, 1865; Mabel, Jan. 9, 1868, died Sept. S, 1868. ^*^n esse Maze, miller and farmer, section \a Denver Township, is a son of Lancelot •' and Maiy Maze, natives of Ireland and Pennsylvania, respectively, the former of Irish jL and the latter of Scotch descent ; and he was \ born in Summit Co., Ohio, May 30, 181 1. When he was three years old his parents moved to Madison Co., Ohio, and located on a farm, and thence to Delaware County, afterwards to Union County, both in the same State, where his father died, when he was in his 13th year. He was thus, at that early age, left to take care of his widowed mother, who soon after moved to Delaware County, where they lived four years, and finally removed to Medina County, where, April i, 1833, he married Miss Lydia Davis. She was a native of Ohio, and was born Sept. 22, 1813, and died Feb. 16, 1S52, in Dc Kalb Co., Ind., having seven children, four girls and three boys. In the meantime Mr. Maze was engaged in milling through various portions of the country, and in 1848 moved to Indiana, where he still followed his trade. April 2, 1856, he married, for a second wife, Mrs. Mary D. (Brown) Peck, daughter of Herman and Mary A. (Gaylord) Brown, who was born in Summit Co., Ohio, Aug. 25, 1824. They have by this union one child, Willie H., born Feb. 18, 1857. In May, 1S60, Mr. Maze moved to Newaygo County, this State, where he operated saw and grist mills until 1864, then returned to Ohio, and in 1858 removed to Illinois, where he lived until 1878, when ||^^?^)«§i#' v^ A t I A <^[i3>:niiit>^ -:^^ ^ O v <.Mmh>^^ 71^^^^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. he again came to this county, settling in Denver Township, where he is now leading a quiet life on 40 acres of land. In politics he is a zealous Repub- lican, and himself and wife belong to the Free Meth- i odist Church. ) A V > •5 -^-#' ^ ames Corsant, foreman of the Western \r Michigan Saw-mill, located at Woodville, was born in London, Can., June 11, 1838, and is a son of James and Millicent (Farrar) Corsant. He remained under the supervision and instruction of his father until he was 1 8 years old, at which aije he came to Michigan and re- sided in Hillsdale County a short time. He then went to the city of New York and engaged as a sea- man ill the coast-sailing service, where he was em- ployed three years. At the end of that time he lo- cated in Livingston County, where he married Miss Martha H., daughter of Elijah and Sarai Bisbee, born in London, Can. He followed farming for two years thereafter, when he turned his attention to lunil)ering one year, then again purchased a farm; but, not finding agriculture a congenial pursuit, he embarked in his present business, taking charge of the mill Jan. 8, 1879, since which time he has been actively engaged in furthering the interests of tiie proprietors. The family circle includes the following children : Florence A., Charles D., William D., Mabel \V. and Rnbie M. :-'^/c rs. Samantha Bisard, resident on section 26, Ashland Tciwnship, was born in Spencer, Medina Co., Ohio, Nov. 6, 1846, and is the daugh'.tr of Asahel and Emily ^ (Salisbury) Bisard, natives respectively of Ohio and Orange Co., Vt. Her parents came to Grand Rapids when she wms five years old, and four years later they removed to .\shland Township. She remained a member of the household until her marriage, Nov. 6, 1862, to Orson, son of David and Rebecca (Huse) Bisard, natives of New England. Orson Bisard was born Sept. 27, 1835, in Spencer, Ohio, and died Aug. 8, 1877, at his home in Dorr, Allegan County, leaving two children. He was a de- voted husband and father, and his loss can never be compensated to the wife and children who still feel it as in the time of his removal. The widow re- moved with her fatherless ones to the protection of her father's home, where she supplies the place of both father and mother to her daughters, in < aie and self-sacrifice. Mr. Bisard was connected with the Orders of Odd Fellows and Freemasons. He was buried with the forms and ceremonies of the latter named body. In l)olitical faith and action he was a Democrat. His daughters were born as follows: Anna C"., Ma\' ly, 1S71, and Tina D., June i, 1877. ^SdS;l<^IS3Sl&- . ;:PVf||'^ athaniel D. Macumber, farmer, section 27, ,|^^^^|- Denver townshij), was born in Bristol, On- A tario Co., N. Y.,Feb. 6, 181 7. His parents were Nathaniel and Mary (Clark) Macumber, 1(3 natives of Massachusetts, and of Scotch descent. Soon after their marriage they moved upon a farm in Bristol, N. Y., and in 1827 emigrated to the then Territory of Michigan, and settled in Oakland County, upon a farm of 80 acres in the township of Novi, near the present site of Novi village. In one month after their arrival in Michigan his father died, leaving a wife and five children. What is quite remarkable, these children are all living and are residents of this State; and, although the parents were weakly, there is not an invalid among the children, and all have acquired a competemy. Their names are : Hannah, Jason, Mary, Nathaniel D. and John C After the death of his father, Nathaniel was "bound out," and suffered more hardshijis and privations than usually fall to the lot of so young a man. ,\fler serving three years he so\ight his liberty, not In way of " coaxing off," but by suddenly breaking the bonds of lyranuN that were crushing out his manhood. Accompanied l)y another young man, he started out to encounter the vicissitudes of life free from all restraint. He earned his first dollar b\ digging po- tatoes four days; and with this little sum he set out for Monroe County, which he reached in due season V^ A n ^I:fl* .y^^^ — -*^;oii:^^nii;.>A^ •4*(^*'9ff^, ^ 268 'r^wmm> t T NEWAYGO COUNTY. ";3*^^^ 4^^C^ i A ) A '■vi:^!^ Here he engaged as errand boy for a man named Baten, with whom he remained for some time. His industry and fidelity won for him the love of his em- ployer, and he always reverts to those days as an oasis in life's desert. \5\yo\\ leaving Mr. Baten, lie went to Cleveland, Ohio, with a broom peddler; but the season being dull he found it difficult to find work. He finally accepted a place in a blacksmith shop anil learned the trade, working at it during the winter season, and spending the summer on the toe-path of the Ohio canal, for three years, \\lien 17 years old he re- turned to his old home in Oakland County, where he worked on a farm until 21 years of age. He saved $100, with which he purchased So acres of land in Clinton County, where he built a shanty and began to improve his farm. Feb. 17, 1840, he married .Amorette Higbee, daughter of Girard and Electa (Isham) Higbee, natives of Vermont, who was born in that .State in 1817. They immediately settled upon the farm, which by severe toil was soon all improved. In 1853, in company with an experienced "land looker," Mr. Macumber took a tour through the nortiiern portion of Michigan. They explored va- rious portions of the country, finding no living object to attract attention, e.xcept occasionally a limid deer; but they found an unbroken forest, eni- liellished with beautiful, fragrant wild flowers. They finally located the X. W. '/ of section 27, in the present township of Denver, Newaygo County, it being the first land that was taken in the township; this does not include the pine lands, however, a por- tion of them having been previously taken. In March, the following year, Mr. M. built a board shanty. Mr. Daniel Weaver had established a saw- mill at Fremont, and offered a reward to the person that would open a road from that town to ^V'hite River, a distance of 13 miles. Mr. M. accomplished this work with a yoke of oxen, and secured the re- ward. .\fter completing his little shanty, 14 x 24, he went for his fair.ily, which then consisted of his wife and seven children, and moved them to his new home, arriving on a very cold day in March. His shanty had only three sides enclosed, and con- seipiently there were 24 feet of doorway; but being well sujjplied with wood they were able to keej) warm by hanging blankets around the stove, in- side of this little enclosure his family slept, while he kept up the fire. The next day he closed the ex- tensive aperture in his dwelling, and from that time forward they were very comfortable for pioneers. At the close of the second day he found that his ready cash amounted to $2.50. With this meagre sum, he started out to make a home in a dense forest and rear a large family of children. In order to obtain seed wheat for his first crop, he had to drive a cow to Newaygo, kill her and peddle the beef. And thus, step by step, he has pursued his arduous undertaking to make a nice home, and suf- ficent means to maintain himself during his last days. He has been successful ; and from a primi- tive forest of 160 acres, he has produced a mag- nificent farm, which now consists of 220 acres, well improved. To perform tliis arduous task he has had but little aid excei)t that of his own .son. Upon this farm he has recently built an elegant resi- dence, costing $5,000. Mr. .Macumber is a man of remarkable physical development ; is intellectual, and very influential among his townsmen. Feb. 6, 1874, his wife died of dropsy, leaving eight children and hosts of friends to mourn her loss. She was a kind and indulgent mother, an affectionate wife and a warm friend, — ready at all times to lend a helping hand wherever needed. Her husband attributes a great part of his success in life to her timely efforts. Jan. 18, 1880, Mr. M. married Mrs. Nancy ((^iven) Cunningham, daughter of William and Sarah (Lowrey) Civen, natives of Ireland, who was born Jan. i, 1S54. Her parents came to this country when she was an in- fant, and located in Ontario, Can., where her mother died. Her father afterward moved to jMonroe Co., X. v., where his daughter lived and was ed- ucated, in the schools at Rochester. After com[)let- ing her education she married Mr. Cunningham, and being a skillful seamstress, followed her voca- tion iHitil she moved to Grand Rapids, where her husband died. They had six children, four of whom are living: William, Edward, Anna and Charles; Mary and George are deceased. Mr. Macumber was Highway Commissiont several years, during which time he laid out, and helped to lay out, most of the main roads in the township. He took an active part in the first jx)- litical meeting in the town, and is an active Re- publican. ^ '1 ,^A5^)f^^ 269 _«<22_ €5— ^-,_, illfJfiiflR illiam C. King, larmcr, section ii,r>arton _j^i 'I'ounship, was born in Wayne Co., Mich., <^^'y^ Dec. 16, 1854, and is a son of Milton C. )i A :« vf) -•--• •-' --j-T - -■■ - ^> and Edmund (Beals) King. His fatlier is a native of the State of New York, his mother of Knijland. They came to Lake County, Mich., in 1865, where they resided some years, and finally established a permanent residence in Mecosta County, where they still reside. Mr. King remained at home in training for his calling as a farmer until he was 20 years of age. He was married March 15, 1874, to Lina, daughter of Eli and Sarepta (Nicholas) Hathaway, .'^he was born Aug. 18. 1856, in Barry Co., Mich. Her father was a native of New York and her mother was born in Ohio. They located in Barry County in 1843. Mr. King spent the year following his marriage on the homestead of his parents, and in the spring of 1875 purchased his property in Barton Township, where he has since resided. Following is the record of his children : Emma S., born April 2, 187, ; Lula E., June 3, 1879; Edna I., Nov., 23, 1881. \Villiam (.'., born Feb. 20, 1877, died .\ug. 16, 1879. y^lpSp ansom J. Squier, farmer, section 6,Bridge- 1^^- ton Township, was born Feb. 28, 1838, in ^ Vf j-». Washington Co., N. Y., where his parents, iv^ John and Polly (Lampman) Squier, were born y and whence they removed to Rochester, N. ' I V. Af'.er a brief residence in that city they came to Coldwater, Branch Co., Mich. Some years later they moved to Noble Co., Ind., and in the win- ter of 1855 removed again to Michigan, locating in Muskegon County. 3 Mr. Sipiier remained with his parents, olitaining i his education and engaged in farming, until the 1 spring of i860, when he pre-empted 160 acres of un- ■^'* broken forest land in Bridgeton Township, on which he immediately settled and began to make improve- ments. ii»y Mr. Squier was married in July, 1863, to Orella, ^ daughter of John and Sarah (Sherman) Nelson. Her parents were natives of England and New York, and went after their marriage to Norfolk Co., Onta- rio, Canada, where the daughter was born, Sept. 18, 1847. When she was eight years old she came with her parents to Claybanks, Oceana Co., Mich. Her father died there in 1851, and the family removed to Lyons, Ionia Countv, where she attended school four years and then came to Newaygo County, where she was soon after married. The husband and wit'e lo- cated on the farm which has since been their home, and devoted every energy and effort to its improve- ment. Tiiey own 240 acres of land, with 75 acres under cultivation. Following is the record of seven children born to .Mr. and Mrs. .Squier : Emily M., born Aug. 8, 1864; Franklin B., Dec. 8 1S66 ; Pearlie L., .•\pril 28, 1872; Cracie O., July 11, 1S77 ; Effie D., 21, 1880; Almon R., March 29, 1869 (died May 8, 1871); an infant child, June i, 1873, died June 15, following. Mr. Squier is a Democrat in political persuasion. He is a veterinary surgeon, which profession he has followed for years, and is considered one of the best in Northern Michigan. ►^^-^.^i- ,85, artin Davis, tanner, section, 3, Barton Township, was born March 9, 1840, in Jackson Co., Mich., and is a son of .'\sa ^^^'^ B. and Caroline R. (Harrington) Davis. His f father was a native of Canada and spent his life in the pursuit of lumbering: he died in The mother was born in Vermont, and after the death of her first husband married a man named Elliot Cheney and returned to Kent County ; she was widowed a second lime in Paris, Mecosta Co., Mich., in 1S71. She is now a resident of Bar- ton Township, Newaygo County. Ai 17 years of age Mr. Davis entered the family of Thomas Skinner, of Kent County, with whom he remained until he attained the estate of legal man- hood. He enlisted under the first call for troops after the assault u[>on the United States flag at Fort Sumter, enrolling in .April, 1861, in Co., A, Sixth Mich., Cav., and was in the service until July 4, 1863, when he was severely wounded in the left thigh by a ball and released from active duty. He 'A. K;. c ^: so i: -'-M^ .A-&. <^ll!l>:illll^> j.^.^ "^^€^^ -«f^^^((®>/^ >^e^# z^^^ <:lltl>:DDs>r I ,9- ■ -A* f J ) 1 270 — =r-r VEIVAYGO COUNTY. was transferred to the hospital at Little York, Pa., where he remained until April 27, 1865, when he was finally discharged and returned home. He came at once to Mecosta County and settled in the township of Greene, where he was a resident until 187 1. In that year he purchased his home- stead in Mecosta County, where he resided until 1873, giving his time and attention to its improve- ment and cultivation. Mr. Davis married June 3, 1865, in Kent County, Phehe .\., daughter of William and Hannah (Morgan) Haynes. 'I"he parents were born in England and came to the United States in 1840. Mrs. Davis was born in Cayuga Co., N. Y., Sept. 14, 1847. William E., only child of Mr. and Mrs. Davis, was born April 9, 187 i, in Mecosta County. Mr. Davis is a Republican and has held the office of School Inspector and Justice of the Peace in his township. 'W^rt.— ^ eorge W. Nafe, M. D., Fremont, is a son of John and Mary M. (Stewart) Nafe, na- tives of Maryland and Pennsylvania, re- spectively, and was born in Ohio June 19, 1848. He lived with his parents until about 22 years of age, attending the common schools, and afterward the High School at Rochester, Ind. He early gave his attention to the study of medicine, and attended the Pennsylvania University, at Philadel- phia, Pa., two years, and was graduated in 187 1. He had previously studied in the office of Dr. Hec- tor at Rochester, Ind. Upon leaving college he commenced the practice of his profession in Cass Co., Ind., where he remained si,x and a half years. In the summer of 1877 became to Fremont, where he has since followed his profession, with gratifying success. Dr. Nafe has held the office of Village Trustee three years. President of the village two years, mem- ber of the School Board four years, and Director two years. In the fall of 7882 he was the Democratic candidate for Representative, but was defeated by Charles W. Stone, the (ireenback candidate, who had the plurality, but of less than 100 votes. He is a member of the Fremont Lodge, 741, K. of H., and in politics is a Democrat. The Doctor was married in Rochester, Ind., April 6, 1872, to Cordelia, daughter of Christopher and Julia A. Ernsperger, who was born in Ohio, Aug, 15, 1847. They have had three children: John C, born March 13, 1875 ; Julia M.,born April 2, 1881 ; Nellie L., born Jan. 9, 1873, died June 24, 1883. % 1. i oseph A. Zerlaut, farmer, Bridgeton Town- ship, section 5, was born in Bavaria, Germany, Dec. 15, 1839. His parents, Joseph and Elizabeth (Steiner) Zerlaut, were also born in Bavaria, and in 1853 he accom- panied his mother to America, his father hav- ing died five years before. They located at Hope- villc, R. I., and afterward went to Centerville, in that State. Mr. Zerlaut went in 1856 to Wauregan Mills, Conn., and found employment in a woolen factory, remaining two years. In the summer of 1856 he went to Moosup, in Windham County, and there pursued his trade until 1858, when he came to Mus- kegon. He worked some time in a saw-mill, and at length, in company with an uncle, came to Newaygo County, in quest of land whereon to establish homes. He located 120 acres in Bridgeton Township, and remained until the spring following, making improve- ments. He returned to Muskegon, and not long after to the " land of steady habits," and in Novem- ber, 1861, brought his mother and the remaining members of the family to his |)lace in Bridgeton, where they established a home. Mr. Zerlaut enlisted Sept. 27, 1862, in the Sixth Mich. Cav., Co. H. The regiment was attached to the .\rmy of the Potomac, under Sheridan, and Mr. Zedaut was in all the actions in which tliat division of the army participated, excepting those of the Pennsylvania campaign. He was at Buckland Mills, Va., Oct. 19, 1863, where he received a bullet wound just above tlie left knee, the shot passing upwards and coming out at the hip joint. He escaped all other mishaps of war and received an honorable dis- charge Dec. 5, 1865. Mr. Zerlaut was married Feb. 17, 1866, to Anna, daughter of Conrad and Catherine (Hedric) Bing, of Muskegon. She was born in Hesse-Darmstadt, A >^ (^ g))€^#" -K-^n!]>:iiDi>^ A. -^^^ ■'JSr^ 7 '» (6 ■TitfC^i.;^ — ^v<>ilii:^iin>>T- jMsr NEII^AVGO COUNTY. •273 '^ Germany, and remained in her native country until she was 17 years old, when she came to the United ;^» States and fixed upon Muskegon as a place of resi- T dence, where she engaged as a domestic until her marriage. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Zerlaut, nine in number, were born as follows : Henry, May I, 1867; Joseph, Dec. 16, 1868; George, June 20, 1872; Frank J., May 19, 1874; Anna, March 28, 1877 ; Fanny, Aug. 25, 1880; Martin, Nov, 5, 1882; Elizabeth, May 9. 1876 (died Nov. 14, same year); Frank, Oct. 18, 1870 (died Nov. 9, following). Mr. Zerlaut has made the record of a successful and progressive farmer on his land, and has placed 65 acres under advanced improvements. He is a Republican in politics, and has held the positions of School Inspector and Drain Commissioner. <^ %^ eorge McNutt, one of the Directors of the Darling Mill Co., Fremont, was born in Mahoning Co., Ohio, Nov. 12, 1841. His V^ parents, Alexander and Frances (Shellenber- ger) McNutt, were natives of Ohio; they first settled in Mahoning County, where they lived for about 30 years, then moved to Ashtabula County, where they remained until their death. George received a good common-school education in his native State, and when only 21 years old the Southern Rebellion broke out in all its horrors. The first shot at Fort Sumter sent an electric thrill through every loyal heart in the North, and immedi- ately, irrespective of p;irty, the cry went up for ven- geance. They abandoned the field of argument and ceased to discuss measures and plans for the peace- able restoration of the National authority in the re- volted States, and with singular unanimity and de- termination accepted the issues of war as the only means left to save and perpetuate the National exist- ence, and the priceless liberties so long enjoyed. It was to preserve the flag which Washington loved, and which Jackson, Scott and Taylor with so many glorious triumphs defended, that the question "Who can go?" arose instead of "Who will go?" Acts of true patriotism were to be seen on all sides, where men left mother, father, wife and children, and their business interests to keep the flag a union flag. 7 Those brave men were stirred with this patriotism which, wherever it prevails in its genuine vigor and extent, swallows up all sordid and selfish regards, conquers the love of ease, power, pleasure and wealth : and when the partialities of friendship, grati- tude and ev«;n family ties come in competition with it, it prompts a sacrifice of all in order to maintain the rights and promote the honor and happiness of our country. The true sentiments of patriotism are within their breasts to-day as when they left mother, father, wife and family for the front. Wherever they are found, in all questions of National or State import it springs forth. It is not spasmodic in its action, blazing forth only as in a comet's erratic course, in times of public trials- or danger, upon great occasions and upon great incentive, but it is a rule of conduct, con- stant, equable, incorruptible and enduring. Wealth cannot bribe it. Power cannot seduce it. Ambition cannot blind it. Friendship cannot swerve it from justice. Fear cannot intimidate it nor injustice swerve it, nor bribery corrupt or enervate it. We speak only of those men who volunteered from the inspiration of patriotism, as tieorge McNutt did. To such brave, true-hearted men too much honor can never be given. He enlisted Aug. 19, 1861, in the 29th Ohio Inf., and served until the close of the war, — over four years, and received an honorable dis- charge at Cleveland, Ohio. He participated in 14 heavy battles, besides numerous smaller ones ; among them was the battle of Winchester. He was wounded in the arm and side at the battle of Fort Repulilic, and was wounded in the side at Dallas, Ga. He was in the hospital only three days during his service in the army, but was unfit for duty nearly three months. After his discharge he engaged in the saw-milling business at Berlin, Ohio, for nearly a year, and in the fall of 1866 came to Michigan, first settling in Alle- gan County, where he was employed by H. F. Marsh Jr., of Allegan, six years, in the lumber business. He was then employed by the Chicago & West Mich- igan Railroad Company, as bill clerk, at Pentwater, where he remained for nearly a year and a half, and was then appointed station agent at Fremont, which position he filled about two years, after which he was appointed passenger conductor on the same road, filling the position for seven years, constantly on one * train. He was then promoted Division Superintend- ^ (^ A C IvV^- -4^*^5^'VM^; m. -;2J%:il(ls>r 'f ) >; s :) ^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. -^^^ ^^C(^^M^ ent, which position he resigned in the spring of 1883, to engage in the milling business. He is now a part- ner in the Darling Milling Company. He was married in Pierpont, Ashtabula Co.. Ohio, July 2, 1865, to Eunicia, daughter of Paul and Sarah Rowland, a native of Ashtabula Co., Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. McNutt have had three children : (Ger- trude E. and Maud E. George is deceased. Mr. McN. is a member of the Blue Lodge, No. 180, F. & A. M., of Fremont, and of Pilgrim Cominandery No. 23, of Big Rapids. In politics he is a staunch Republican. We give his [wrtrait in this work. -^tiiac-SiS" ^^4_-»„®|,S/3OT*x~ ^(■i|3hester E. Stearns, dealer ii\ furniture, •Jl^^^fe Fremont, is a son of Daniel and .Sallie (Cobnrn) Stearns, and was born May 28, fK 1824; his father was a native of Brattleboro, \ \'t., and his mother of Massachusetts. They settled in New York. Chester E. attended the com- mon semis, (laughter of Benjamin and Marilla Beiuis, and they had one child, Henry Iv Mrs. S. died on Nov. 19, i,Sc6, in Newaygo. .Mr. S. married Anna (Bezent) Hammond, a native of England. The children by this marriage are : Lettie E., Libbie L., Lafore C. and Olive I., (ieorge died in infancy Mr. S. has been Highway Commissioner eight years, Township Clerk nearly eight years, and Justice of the Peace six years. He is a Freemason, and in jwlitics js neutral, but svmpathizes rather with the Republican party. V^ eorge Shepherd, farmer, section 25, Bav- I ion Township, was born in Batluirst, Perth Co., Can., Oct. 8, 1835, and is a son of Simpson and Sarah Shepherd. His father was born in England, his mother in Ireland. The occupation of the former was for many years that of a farmer, and he now resides in Plymp- ton, Lambton County, where he is a merchant and Postmaster. Mr. Shepherd remained on his father's farm until he was 25 years old. He was married in i860, to Laura, daughter of William and Anna (Newett) Hoskins, born in England Jan. 4, 1839. In 1872 Mr. Shepherd disposed of his farm in the Dominion and came to Michigan. He bought 160 acres of land in Barton Township, has placed one-half of it under im- provement, and has good and suitable farm buildings. Mr. Shepherd is a Republican in politics, and himself and faniily belong to the M. E. Church. Children: Oeorge W., born Dec. 3, 1861 ; .Martha J., Sept. 7, 1863; Richard E., Aug. 18, 1865. I'jlexander McKinley, farmer, section 15, '^fi^^Sii Ashland Township, son of Robert and S'll^S' Christina (151ack) McKinley, was born in Hun- '"liir ter, Ontario, Feb. 10, 1850. The parents were born and married in Scotland, and afterward came to Canada, where they now are living. Mr. McKinley spent his youth under the super- vision of his father, and in the fall of 1869 left the family liome and i ame to Michigan. He spent two years in the Upper Peninsula, working on a farm in Marquette County during the summers, and in the lumber woods dining winters. In September, 1851, he returned to his native place in Canada, but after a brief delay he came to Michigan and purchased 80 acres of land, which he has increased to 120 acres by later purchase. His farm is well improved (; A ^■'d:^ -t^^t^^ Kmm\^>^^ r I "^ V r ra«^^^ *^ ^-■•' m^ I ^ lYElVAYGO COUNTY. 275 and located in one of the best portions in the town- ship. He has devoted his energies and money to put the place in as good condition as possible, and to so beautify and improve it as to render it attract- ive and valuable. His residence cost $1,500, and the other farm buildings swell the aggregate of ex- penditure to $3,500. Mr. McKinley was married Jan. 2, 1879, in Ash- land Township, to Julia, daughter of Washington and Sarah (Moore) Seaman. (See sketch). Slie was born in the city of Big Rapids, Aug. 30, i Jw. r i. 'k Wn^^^^^ 2/6 ^ ) A >J V ) 7V£'fF^KGC> COUNTY. -*4^^^^fs^\^ business and in farming. They remained there until (an. 1 3, 1 87 7 , when they both died, under the following sad circumstances : Mrs. Fish retired at night as usual. During the night she awakened her hus- band and asked him to build afire, as she was having a chill. He at once complied with the request, and while engaged in building the fire he, too, was taken \yith a chill, and they were both prostrated. In one week from that day they both died, one about 3 o'clock P. .M., and the other about 8 o'clock p. m., same day. They were buried in one grave. Mr. and Mrs. Northway have one child, Claude, born Jan. 17, 1871. Mr. N. was elected Presi- dent of the village in the spring of 1883, which of- fice he still holds. He generally declines offices. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and in politics a Republican. t Mr. Myers was married June 9, 1866, to Sarah, daughter of Edmund L. and Jane (Tanner) Hub- bard, a native of Canada. Six of eight children born to Mr. and Mrs. Myers are living: Edmund J., Imogen N., William M., May B., Myrtie V. and Ida L. Those deceased are Albert and Eliza J. Mr. Myers is a decided adherent of the Greenback party and has held positions of trust in his township. VA' "WM tames Myers, farmer, section 23, Barton Township, was born in Monroe Co., N. Y., '<.W^ July 12, 1846. His father, William Myers, was born in England, and his mother, Eliza Ann (Davis) Myers, was a native of New York. The parents came to Adrian, Lenawee Co., Mich., in t834, afterwards removed to Hastings, Barry County, and in r879 made a permanent settle- ment in Newaygo County. Mr. Myers continued under tlie supervision of his father until he was 18 years old. When the civil war broke out he was but 15 years of age and was in every way ]jrecluded from adding his young strength and enthusiasm to the tide that flowed toward the scenes of conflict. But the war continued to drag its weary and painful length along until the summer of 1864, when he enrolled in defense of the Union flag. He enlisted Aug. 10, 1864, in Co. E. 3d Mich. Vol. Inf , and served until his regiment was mustered out, Sept. 19, 1865. He was in the corps commanded by den. Thomas, and was in the actions at Decatur, Franklin and Stone River. He returned to his father's home and again became a farmer. In 1867 he came to Newaygo County and established him- self on 40 acres of land, where he has since ex- pended his time and energies to good purix)se, ill putting his farm under substantial improvements. ohn Cole, Postmaster at Fremont, was born in Hillsdale Co., Mich., Feb. 23, 1849. His parents, John and Anna (Searles) Cole, were natives of New York and Pennsylvania, ^C^ respectively. They moved to Hillsdale, where " they still reside. The subject of this sketch at- tended the common schools until iS years of age, then came to Newaygo County, settling in Hesperia, where he built a saw-mill and operated it one year. He exhanged his mill for a farm, which he carried on for three years, and in 1872 sold it and opened a hardware store in Fremont. He carries a stock of about $6,000, and is doing a heavy business. Mr Cole was married in Fremont, April 23, 1871, to Hannah, daughter of James D. Barks, and they have one child, Frank, born April 10, 1882. Mr. Cole was appointed Postmaster of Fremont Feb. 23, 1883: has held the office of Township and Village Treasurer several years; is a member of the Masonic Order, and in politics is a Republican. #^ 2!j|3|tt eroy Randall, - . farmer, section 11, Barton (^ ^')^^- >li L!gJ £ Township, was born in Wisconsin, Sept. 16, iJp^T 1 85 2. His father. Earl D. Randall, was t)i(j born in Vermont and died while in the service A, of the United States during the war of the Re- [ be'lion. His mother, Charlotte (Strong) Ran- \^ dall, was a native of Nova Scotia. "S^ Mr. Randall came to Michigan with his parents in 1853. They resided for a time in Lamont, Ottawa County, removing in i860 to Newaygo County. The son was reared principally on a farm and has made I ^>c>- ) > ^ N-EIVAYGO COUNTY. -^ ^)^^ agriculture the business of his life. His homestead contains 44^ acres, and is a fair sample of a farm in Northern Michigan. Mr. Randall was married in 1875, to Alvira, dauglitet of (irantson L. and Nancy (Barber) Hall. Her parents were born in Connecti- cut. Mrs. Randall was born Sept. 2, 1855. The three children of the family were born as follows: Earl Grantson, Sept. 14, 1876; Ina Bell, Feb. 11, 1878; and Oakley R., July 4, 1881. ^SlMJh*^ ^red Marshall, merchant, Fremont, is a son "Uli Ji of Alfred and Orelena (Wade) Marshall, ^'^ of Scotch and Irish nativity, and was born in Maine, Nov. ii, 1850. He lived in Maine -^v^ and New Brunswick until 20 years of age, then I came to Oceana Co., Midi., where he was employed in various mills and in lumbering till 1878, when he came to Fremont, this county, and estab- lished himself in general merchandise. His stock consists of groceries, provisions, boots and shoes, and crockery, and he is doing a business of about $15,000 annually. He was married Jan. 3, 1S78, in Shelby, Oceana County, to Mary, daughter of Robert and Margaret Cole, who were natives of England and Ireland respectively. They came to Canada in an early day, where tlieir daughter Mary was born. Mr. and Mrs. Marshall have had two children: Frank, born March 8, 1882; Ivin Letta, born Nov. 9, 1880, died Oct. 7, 1882. Mr. Marshall is a mem- l)er of the Order of Chosen Friends, and in politics is a National. : rville L. Smith, faruicr, section 12, Barton y|| Township, was born .Vug. 6, 1849, in Madi- !^'^ son Co., N. Y. Hi: parents, Daniel 1). and Sylvia I,. (Chappell) Smith, were also natives of that county, and resided tliere until the month of April, 1865, vvlu-n they removed to Michigan and fixed their residence at Crand Rapids for a time. In the winter of 1867 they came to Ne- waygo County, where they are still residing. Mr. Smith obtained his education at the common schools of Madison and Kent Counties, and was bred to the calling of a farmer. He accompanied his parents to this county and continued as an assistant on the home farm until he was 22 years old. He was married Jan. 8, 187 i, to Lura, daughter of Nelson and Areanda (Bissell) Phelps, born in the State of New Vork, July 23, 1853. Her parents were also natives of the Empire State and settled in Michigan in the spring of 1867. Her father is yet living; her mother died Feb. i, 1875. Mr. and Mrs, Smith have four children, born in the following order : Orville A., Jan. 19, 1S73; Daniel 1)., June 3, 1S75; I.ura M., Jan. 23, 1877 ; Bertha I , Nov. 18, 1880. Mr. Smith is a Prohibitionist in political attitude; himself and wife belong to the M. E. Church. He is the proprietor of 40 acres of land, tnider fair improve- ments. Vk -5— ^'VV^^Ph-^^^-V> }~ fl'B'^f^ elviu W. Scott, section 6, Dayton 'lowii- ':,-i£3hj.-' ship, is a son of Samuel and Rhoda (Judd) 'M1&3'-- '^ Scott, and was born in T^eroy, Genesee ' '^A Co., N. y., June 16, 1829. His parents "i'^ were natives of Berkshire Co., Mass., were married in that State, and removed to Genesee Co., N. Y., in 18 14. His father was a tailor by trade and followed this occupation during his life. He died in Hartford, Conn., whither he had gone for his health. His wife removed to Oakland Co., Mich., and lived with her children until her deatii. Melvin VV. attended the common schools of iiis native State until 18 years of age. He then worked on a farm by the month until he was 21 years of age, when he came to Michigan and lived in Oakland County, where he was engaged in farming and teach- ing school about three years. He then removed to Ottawa County and purchased 80 acres of \vild land. This he imjiroved during the summer season and tauglit school winters for three years. In the sjjring of 1856 he sold his farm and located t6o acres of land on section 6, Dayton Township, tliis county, un- der the Graduation Act. The season following he moved his family to Newaygo, and in the spring of 1857 settled upon his new farm, where he still re- sides. Mr. Scott was married in i'ontiac, Oaklanil (.'o., A V/ • e I ^*f^- -^^^ — ^A<^op:^:iiD>.>^-^ >^<^i T r r^^-^i-i ^ A <^ ^ 278 NEWAYGO COUNTY. Mich , Nov. 3, 1852, to Martha M., daughter of Na- thaniel and Mary Collins, natives of Massachusetts and New York, respectively, and she was born in Rochester. N. Y., Nov. 9, 1829. Mr. and Mrs. Scott have had four children. He has formerly been iden- tified with the Republican party, but of late years sympathizes with the National party. .ohn Barks, farmer, section _^2, Dayton 1^^ Township, is a son of John D. and Sophia C. (Cool) Barks, and was born in Marion Co., Ohio, July 20, 1843. His parents were IL natives of Oiiio, and moved to La Grange Co., \ Ind., when John was but two years old, and lived there until they came to Michigan. John Barks, the subject of this sketch, came to Muskegon in 1865, and worked there and at other places for three years. In 1867 he moved upon his farm of 80 acres, which he had previously pur- chased, and now has 60 acres in good cultivation. In the winter of 1872 he married Emeline Palmer, who died Sept. 20, 1876; in 1878 he married Helen, second daughter of Smith and Mary (Ellsworth) Mc- Donald, a native of Canada. Their two children are Americus and Camalena. In August, 1862, Mr. B. enlisted in the looth Ind. Vol. Inf. and sefved nearly three years, in the 4th Division of the t^th .Vmiy Corps, under Sherman, participating in the engagements at Vicksburg, .Atlanta, Chattanooga and in the marcli to the sea; and was present at the capture of Ri< hmond. He was in a great many engagements, liut never received even the slightest wound. c M ^sahel Bisard, farmer, section 26, .Ashland Township, was born iu Medina Co., Ohio. A[)ril 5, 1825, and is a son of Philip and Bet- sey (Rush) Bisard. The parents were natives of Pennsylvania, of Dutch extraction. Mr. Bisard was chiefly employed upon his lather's farm until he was 16 years old. On arriving at that age he went to Green Co., Pa., and ap- prenticed himself to his uncle, Daniel Rush,tolearn the mason's trade. On the completion of his time of service he returned to his native county, where he found plenty of occupation in the various de])art- ments of his trade. He was married Oct. 10, 1845, to Emily, daughter of Joseph and Mar)- (Jones) Sal- isbury, born Sept. 15, 1825, in Orange Co., Vt. Her parents removed in 1833 to Winstead, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, and later to Medina Co., Ohio, where she grew to womanhood. After his marriage Mr. Bisard engaged a year in a cabinet shop, after which he went to Erie County in the Buckeye State, and engaged in farming until the summer of 1S51, when they located in Grand Rap- ids. Mr. Bisard there pursued the business of mason for four years. In the spring of 1855 he settled on 80 acres in Ashland Township. It was in its orig- inal condition, and he has now placed it in a very fine state of cultivation, with a substantial farm res- idence in process of constructioUi The other farm buildings are proportionately good, and among other improvements he takes a just pride in his orchard of 200 trees of choice selection of fruit. Mr. Bisard is a radical Democrat, and lioth him- self and wife belong to the M. E. Church. Their six children were born as follows: Saniantha (see sketch), Nov. 6, 1846; Franklin, Dec. 25, t847 ; Polly, July 22, 1850: Charles L., Jan. 14, 1855; Orson, Aug. 27, 1862; and John, Jan. 27, 1864. -<^-=4#=^.. I 4 S^b^ If ohn Young, farmer, section 32, Sheridan Township, is a son of Brancrats and Bar- bara (Classer) Young, natives of Germany ; the former is deceased and the latter is living in Bridgeton Township, this county. He was )orn in Germany, Nov. 6, 1833, and at 18 years of age came to America. He first lived at Muskegon for about six years, and in the fall of 1857 came to Sheridan Township, this county, and pur- chased 40 acres of wild land. He has since added to his farm and now owns 240 acres, with over 100 acres under cultivation. He was married in Mus- kegon, in 1853, to Barbara, daughter of John and Barbara (Hooper) John, natives of .Austria, where she also was born in 1S31. .Mr. and Mrs. Young have had eight children, five surviving, namely : Caroline I,., Frederick, Mary E., John and \\illiam .A. In jwlitics, Mr. Young is a Republican. < i ^s/^«>)«^rt- -2(^^^ ■€r-Xiiin:>K— ■ NEWAYGO COUNTY. ■>ONi> 279 OOP A 'ohn N. Bennett, farmer, section 2S, Shcri- 'if dan 'l\)\vnshi|), was born in New N'ork, June 15, 1842, and is a son of Elias and Annie M. (Vanderlioof) Bennett, natives also ^r of New Vor'K. 'I'liey settled in that State and I afterward moved to IJranch Co., Mich., where Mrs. li. died; her luisband lives with his son John. The sid)ject of this notice came to Michigan when 21 years of age, and was engaged in fanning in Branch County nine years. In the spring of 1872 he came to Newaygo County and bought 160 acres of wild land in .Sheridan Township, where he now resides and has about 50 acres under cultivation. He was married in Branch County, Feb. 22, 1872, to Mary E. From, a native of Pennsylvania, and they are the parents of five children: Anna M., Ida K., Martha A., Jonathan E. and Julia E. In politics Mr. Bennett is a Republican. ^V rC«Pt«^ClXi AAA ***.**** ^?!-Jr- .(;^ames F. Hart, Fremont, was born in Allen - Co., Ind., May 1, 1S40. His parents were Stephen and Hannah ((iillett) Hart, the former a native of Massachusetts and the latter of New York. Soon after their marriage V they settled in Ohio, and then went to Allen County, Ind., where they passed the remainder of their days. J. F. lived at home until 22 years of age, and then came to Muskegon. Mich., where he lived 12 years, engaged in lumbering. He then worked one year in Holton, same county, and in the spring of 1S76 came to Newaygo County. He first located at Worcester Station, where he lived abo.ut seven months, and in the following fall came to Fre- mont and engaged in the licpior business for (ieorge Schweitzer one and a half years. He then went to , Croton, where he was engaged in the same business •;"« about eight months, and then returned to I'lemont '"^. and formed a partnership with Franklin M. Bowman, ^1^ under the name of Hart & Bowman, for the pur- • ix)se of carrying on the li(iuor trade. Two' years ^ later they added the livery business, and still ^ carry them on together. In the spring of 1883 they began the erection of a fine block, known as Music Hall, on North Division street, which is already completed. When .Mr. Hart connnenced business he had very little means; but by industry and frugality, and close attention to business, he has acquired a nice property. He was married in Allen Co., Ind., to Catharine Cope, a native of Pennsylvania, and they have had seven children, six of whom are living : Joseph Y.. Frank, Willie, Bertie, Jack and Mortimer ; Eugene died when 9 months old. Politically, Mr. Hart is a Democrat. =e*- -^f,'. ohn Miller, farmer, section 21, Sheridan Township, is a son of Peter Miller, a native -" of Sweden, and was born in that country in June, 1837. He came to America in 1864 and '^L went directly to Illinois, where he lived two \ and a half years engaged in farming, then came to Muskegon, Michigan and worked in mills and on the railroad till the fall of 1876. He then came to Newaygo County and purchased 120 acres of land, to which he has since added 40 more, and now has about 50 acres under tillage. He was married in Sweden, Dec. 31, 1859, to Ida Peterson, a native of that country. They have had nine children, seven of whom are living: Peter M., Charles J., Otto A., Ida D., Jennie O., Hilma M. and Emily E. In politics he is a Republican. v-eorge W. Packard, larmcr, section 27, ^, . j^ Dayton Township, was born in New York,. glir* Oct. 15, I S3 1. His parents, Alanson and t'h .Abigail (Oraham) Packard, were residents ol I that State for a number of years. The mother died there, and the father afterward moved to Ohio for a few years, then came to .Michigan, first settling in Wayne CouiUy and subseiiuently in Hillsdale, where he died. George passed the first ten years of his life in his native State, and came to Ohio with his father, where he. attended school and k^ ( $>: r f -^o^^ — ^HK^^D!l:>:Dtls> •rr ^^DI1>>CDD^> .XE WA Y GO CO UXT Y. f ) A V worked on a farm. In the fall of 1849 he left Huron County and walked to Detroit, this State, taking five days for the journey. He remained in Wayne County the following winter, engaged in chopping and logging, and in the spring of 1850 walked to Hillsdale County. Here he worked on a farm till the spring of 1866, when he came with his family to this county and purchased 80 acres of wild land in Dayton Township, and built a frame house which he now occupies. He afterward added 80 acres to his original purchase, then sold half of his farm, so that he now owns So acres, 40 of which are under cultivation. In Litchfield, Hillsdale County, Aug. 27, 1856, .Mr. Packard married Mary, eldest daughter of C. C. and Cornelia (Smitii) Waldo, the former a native of New York, and the latter of Vermont ; they moved to Litchfield, where the mother died ; the father still resides there. Mr. and Mrs. Packard have had eight children: Carrie E., born May 21, 1857 ; Her- bert E., April 10, i860; Dora A., June 12, 1863; Lillie A., Aug. 27, 1864; Mertie E., April 22, 1869; .\nnie A., March 27, 187 i ; Frank W., born April 20, 1858, died April 28, 1859 ; May ('., born .Sept. 12, 1867, died in March, 1868. Mr. Packard was Commissioner of Highways for Dayton Township two years, and School Director two years. Himself and wife are active members of tiie M. E. Church, and he is a Republican. \f I (3) f,^ A. Westbrook, farmer, section 16, Day- ton Township, is a son of Peter and Fan- ny (Marble) Westbrook, and was born in ^^ Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, March 29, 1837. His parents were natives of New Jersey and New Yo'k, respectively. They came to Michigan in an early day and settled in Kalamazoo County, where they were engaged in farming, and where they died. Mr. Westbrook was only one year old when his parents came to Michigan. He remained at home until the death of his father, since which time he has been obliged to care for himself He came from Kalamazoo County to Newaygo County in the fall of 1867 and bought 80 acres of school land on section 16, Dayton Township, where he has since lived and now has 50 acres in cultivation. Dec. 31, 1865, in Kalamazoo, he married Cinder- ella J., daughter of Myron and Rachel Harrington, who was born in Kalamazoo County, Nov. 7, 1843. Her parents were natives of the State of New York and came to Kalamazoo County in the fall of 1843. Mr. Westbrook enlisted Oct. 10, 1861, in the 13th Mich. Inf , and served until the close of the war. He was in the batdes of Shiloh, Stone River, Corinth, Chickamauga, Bentonville, N. C, and numerous others. He was wounded in the arm at the battle ol Chickamauga, and again in the thigh at the battle of Bentonville. On account of his first wound he was unal)le to do service for tliree months, and was laid up four months by reason of the second wound. He was honorably discharged at Detroit, Mich. Since that time he has followed farming, excepting two years, when he was engaged in teaming. He re- ceives a pension. Politically he is a Republican. His children, by his present wife, are: James W., born Dec. 8, 1869; Amanda L., April 6, 1875 ; Laura M., Dec. 12, 1876; Mabel A., April 12, 1882. Myron D. died at the age of 18 months. Mr. Westbrook had one child by a previous marriage, William P., born March 14, 1S60. V^ *-^['^amuel W. Peterson, Justice of the Peace ^JlC and farmer, section 27, Ashland Township, {vt-;' ''' ' was born Sept. 5, 1834, in Prince Edward V^ Co., Prov. of Ont., and is a son of Col. Sam- ' uel and Margaret (Loyst) Peterson. His par- ents were natives of the Dominion of Canada, where his father was a citizen of distinction. He was for 30 years a Magistrate, under the Provincial law that required a subject to be worth 500 pounds sterling in order to be eligible to the appointment, and in 1856 he was appointed Colonel of the Cana- dian militia and held the post as long as he lived. Mr. Peterson remained in Canada, associated with his father, 30 years. He was educated principally at Victoria College, Coburg, Ont., and afterward studied one term at the Provincial Normal School at Toron- to, to fit himself for teaching in the public schools, which profession he has followed for 12 years. In 1856 he was appointed Adjutant, under his father, and discharged the duties of the position four years. A r I V \'-y ^^C^^^lt:^^.:..^ 7 f ^ A V s I NEIVAYGO COUNTY. 28 I In the summer of 1864 he came to Michigan and located on section 27 of Ashland Township, where he liurcliased 25 acres of land for a homestead. On coming to the ( ount)- of Newaygo, he engaged two terms in teaching, since which lie has devoted himself to farming, and the business pertaining to his ap- iwintment as Agent of the State Board of Correction and Charities at Lansing and Coldwater. He was appointed by the Government as C'ens\is Enumera- tor for the township of Ashland in 18S0, and made out his returns according to law. Mr. Peterson was married July 22. 1864, to Sa- mantha J., daughter of John and Eunice Redick, of Ashland Township. The parents were natives of New York, and early in life removed to Ontario, Can., where the daughter was born, and resided with her parents until she was 23 years of age, when her family settled in Ashland Township. Mr. and Mrs. Peterson have had four children ; all are living and were born as follows ; George, April r3, 1865 ; Walter S., July i 2, i8fi6 ; Carrie and Harty (twins), July 22, 1868. Mr. Peterson is a Re- publican in politics, and in 1871 was appointed Post- master of Lake. Mrs. Peterson died April 3, 1S73, and Mr. Peterson again contracted marriage July 17, 1873, with Mrs. Irene Applegarth, widow of the late Dr. Applegarth. She was born Aug. 7, 1S28, near London, Middlesex Co., Ont. -r?«— ■'•-..v ohn Jernstadt, dealer in dry goods, gro- ceries, provisions, flour, feed, etc., at Wood- ' ville, was born in Sweden, Aug. 29, 1S47, and is the son of Phar Jansen and Christina (Olsen) Jernstadt, both natives of Sweden and belonging to the agricultural class of that country. Mr. Jernstadt came to the United States in 1871, and went to Chicago, coming thence to Grand Haven. He next went to Allegan County, where he worked on the railroad. His next remove was to Grand Rapids, to enter the employ of the G. R. & L R. R. Co., where he remained but a short time. He passed a year in the service of the Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad, and then came to Woodville and established himself as at present. He founded his business at this point in 1878, and was the first to engage in the trade, in which he is obtaining satisfactory results. He was married in April, 1883, to Anna C. Benson, a native of Denmark. She was born in Denmark in 1S5S, a daughter of P.enjamin and Christina Nelson. [j^ornelis Mulder, proprietor of saw-null, Fre- :L^' mont, was born in Holland, July 30, 1826. •*"" His parents. Jacobus and Tryntje (EUenga) v^ Mulder, were also natives of Holland, where the motlier died; the father then came to this country to live with his children, and died at the advanced age of 85 years. Mr. Mulder left his native country at the age of 21, in comiiany with an elder brother, and came to America. They landed in New York and came immediately to Grand Haven, Mich., spending the first winter at Perrysburg. He lived several years at Mill Point, now known as Spring Lake, where he was employed in and about a saw-mill. He then lived with his brother nearly two years, when he returned to Spring Lake and was en- gaged in carpentry one season, then went to Mus- kegon. In the spring of 1855 he went to the Northern Peninsula and hel|)e:■ -^ l^ylvanus Reed, deceased, was a native of Ohio, and a son of James and Nancy Ann Reed. He came to Michigan in 1849, and settled in Newaygo County, where he pur- chased 40 acres of land, and afterward added 120 acres, besides a tract of pine land. This land he sold, and bought 280 acres. He sold a por- tion of this, and at the time of his decease owned 160 acres of land, in Dayton Township, over a 100 acres being improved. He was married in this county June 3, 1849, to Harriet Barnhard, who was a native of Sandusky Co., Ohio, and they have had 13 children, viz.: Emily, Francis W., Louisa J., Mary E., Sarah F., Susan M., Oliver E., Olive L., Ida M., Stephen S. and Carrie B.; David F. and Lucy are deceased. Mr. Reed was Township Treasurer for several years. He died Sept. 7, 1881. Mrs. Reed still re- sides on the farm, a portion of which she cultivates. ft^^ evi W. King, Attorney and Justice of the f^Jit Peace, Hesperia, was born in Orange Co., '["1* Vermont, Feb. 28, 1833. His parents were Nathaniel and Almira (Bean) King, natives of New England, who moved to Ionia Co., Mich., where they died at the advanced ages of 84 and 76, respectively. When he was three years of age his parents moved to Washington, Orange Co., Vt., where he received a fair education in the common schools ; also attended Barrie Acad- emy. At the age of 21 he commenced life for him- self. He first came to St. Joseph County, this State, and settled at Three Rivers, where he followed his trade, thnt of cabinet-maker, which he had jireviously learned in Chelsea, Vermont, where he had been ap- prenticed to a Mr, Cross. June I, 1857, he married Mary E. Finch, and they settled in Jones Co., Iowa, where he worked on a farm and taught school. Hethen moved to Hastings, Mich., and worked at his trade until 1863, thence to Kent County, remaining a short time, thence to Mecosta County, where he worked on a farm till 1874, then moved to Hesperia, this county, where he has since resided. They have had six children : Ada A., born Sept. 20, 1S58; Frank W., Sept. 26, 1863; Archie V., Sept. 8, 1873; Henry H., born in August, i860, died in October, 1862 ; El- mer E., born April 14, 1862 ; died in Octo- ber, 1S62; Fannie, born in August, 1868, died in December, 1869. Mr. King is a member of the I. O. G. T. ; is Justice of the Peace and Notary Pub- lic. In jiolitics he is a Prohibitionist. ustus Giles, farmer, section 16, Ashland Township, was born in Essex Co., N. Y., ^M^ Feb. 8, 1845, and is a son of John and Cynthia (Finch) Giles. The father was of English de- scent, the mother of a line of ancestors directly traceable to the C'olonial Puritans, and was a daughter of a captain in the war of the Revolution. The parents of Mr. Giles removed in his boyhood to St. Joseph Co., Ind., where he was reared and ed- ucated. He came to Michigan in the summer of i860 and engaged as a lumberman. In 1861 he lo- cated in Bridgeton Township, this county, remaining until Feb., 1866. He was married in Bridgeton, Nov. 8, 1863, to Elizabeth J., daughter of William and Polly (Bigsby) Wl.ictington. Her parents are of mixed Scotch-Irish and English descent, and are living in Muskegon County. Mrs. Giles was born April i, 1847, in Niagara Co., N. Y., and came to Eaton Co., Mich., when she was eight years old, and soon after to Kent County, where she received her education. Later she came to Bridgeton. In the month of February, 1865, Mr. Giles entered into a contract with the United States Government to manage a supfily train at St. Joseph, Mo., which position he filled until July following. He had previously purchased his present farm, consisting of 40 acres of land, and at the date last mentioned he located thereon. He has put nearly the entire tract ^ (> V r ^ ''^■^mnm^>^^^ 4^^^ T<:DIl^Dllr>T ■^i<^^fesr -«*^^re-; XEWAYGO COUNTY. ^^^->^ ^ =S3 ^ under improvements and erected good and substan- tial farm buildings. Mr. Giles is a Democrat in iwlitical faith, but is not of the demagogue order. He belongs to the Order of Odd Fellows, being con- nected with Lodge No. 362, at Ashland Center. The children are: Frank, born Aug. 13, 1H64; Lizzie, May S, 1S66; Ettie, Jan. 31, 1873. ) > V ) Aiajzia^s^-^ 5?4— >-/®S^l/^|^r^r^v• jharles Monroe, farmer, section 3, Dayton Township, is a son of Philetus and Mary A. (Larkins) Monroe, and was born in Sum- mit Co., Ohio, January 26, 1847. His par- ents moved to the State of New York, and afterward to Michigan. In the spring of 1864, his father purchased 160 acres of land, which Charles assisted in cultivating. This farm is now owned by T. C. Grundy. In Dayton Township, Nov. 9, 1S73, he married Kate, daughter of Lyman and Mary Britton. Their children are: Charles B,, \Villie R., Georgie F. and Ora B. Mr. Monroe is a Republican. E dward H. Goodwell nationality, Hertzer, fanner, section 34, Township, is a Prussian in being born in the province of Sa.\ony. Feb. 26, 1836. His parents, John Godfrey and Caroline (Hall) Hertzer, were both natives of Saxony. VVlien he was 15 years of age Mr. Hertzer can\e to the United States, landing at the port of New York and residing five months on Long Island. He proceeded at the end of that time to Pennsylvania, and two years later returned to the Empire State, ^ locating in Erie County, about one mile east of the city of Buffolo. Eight months afterward he came to Livingston Co., Mich., where he resided until 1S72, in which year he settled on section 34, Big Prairie, (now Goodwell) Township. He entered a claim ^ under the Homestead .Act, of 120 acres of land, all X, in a state (jf nature, and within si.x years placed 75 acres in first-class agricultural condition, with good buildings and other creditable improvements. He is a cooper by trade and naturally apt in the use of tools. He is a Protestant in religious belief and practically neutral in political proclivities. Mr. Hertzer was married in Livingston Co., Mich., in .\ugust, 1863, to Barbara Thumser. She was born in Germany, March 22, 1836, and was the daughter of Nicholas and Catherine Thumser, both Gernaans by nativity. Of six children born of this marriage five are living. Following are the names of all : Hannah, Edward, John, Charlie, Emma, Louie. The mother died April 25, 1874, leaving her six children, the oldest of whom was 14 years old and the youngest eight months. The eldest daugh- ter has since deceased, inflicting another irreparable loss. m ^ Tlipft? enry H. Fellows, farmer, section 24, Ash- : i'lvj; land Township, was born in Allegany Co., '^[^ "^ N. Y., Dec. 16, 1840. His parents, Erastus (h and Ruth (Smith) Fellows, were natives of > New York and New Jersey, and came West to I Ohio when the son was in infancy, locating in Seneca County. The father died in 1846, and the son soon after became master of his own fortunes. and passed his earliest years in employment suitable to his tender age. At 14 he engaged as a farm laborer by the month, and continued thus to operate until the fall of i860, when he came to Michigan, and a year later secured 80 acres of Government land, which has since been in his possession. He enhsted March 31, 1864, in the 27th Mich. Vol. Inf , Co. E., and was attached to the army of the Potomac, under Col. Fox. He was in every engage- ment from that at Spottsylvania to the surrender of Lee's army. In August, 1864, he was attached to the command of the forces engaged in the destruction of the VVeldon railroad, and was struck in the left side by a minie ball, which passed entirely through a song book in a pocket opportunely placed, and imbedded itself midway in a copy of the New Testament, which he also carried. He sustained no injury beyond the shock of concussion and a cracked rib. He was honorably discharged Aug. 9, 1861;. He returned to .Ashland Township and busied him- c s ■ A <>; ^\§^^^^ -rr:^ M-Wi^.W^ -i-^ r r -»- I J -;^V<>D[l>:illlv>r-= XEIVAYGO COUNTY xV self in improving his property, being the first man to TiJ cut timber on the section where he is located. He • •- passed the summers in farm labors and during the i winters engaged in the lumber woods. He has also i operated extensively in real estate, holding for spec- ulative purposes a comparatively large acreage. He is a skillful and successful apiarist, having been en- gaged in bee-culture three \ ears. He was married in Ashland, in 18O2, to Melissa, daughter of ApoHos and Lucinda (Gibbs) Lambson. She was horn in Coldwater, Mich., and came to Ne- waygo County with her parents. The children of .\Ir. and Mrs. Fellows arc seven in number: Oramel H., born May 5, 1864; Allen, June 29, 1866; Ancil, July 15, 1868; Minnie M., May 21, 1870; Paulina M., March 4, 1872; Aiwllos M., June 8, 1875; Ethel L., Dec. II, 1882. Mr. Fellows is a decided Repub- lican and himself and wife belong to tlie First-Day Adventists. ] 4. Prairie 814, in lij^zra Coon, farmer, section 7, Big Township, was born June 30, Malta, Saratoga Co., N. Y. His father, ..^1^ Jeremiah Coon, was of English lineage and was born in the town of Half Moon, Saratoga Co., N. Y., Aug. 31, 1785, and his mother, Sally (Talmage) Coon, was a native of Malta, born about i79i,of English parentage. Mr. Coon came to Michigan in 1833 and stayed one year at Trenton, Wayne County. Then he re- turned to his native State and remained until 1837, when he again came to Michigan and prepared for a permanent settlement, by the inirchase of So acres of land at Gibraltar, Wayne County, where he was interested in farming until 1847, when he sold his farm and removed to Piraiich County. He was a resident of Coldwater, al)OUt 30 years, and in 187S came to Newaygo County. He bought his honie- 'y^ stead of 87 \^ acres of land and has since given his # time and energies to its cultivation and improvement. He is an adherent of the principles and issues of the National party. Caroline (Parks) Cofju was born at Chatham, (.0- lumbia, Co., N. Y., Jan. 2, 1824. She is the daughter of Jame H. and Sally (Rowland) Parks, both of whom were natives of New York. The father was born in 1793 and died Aug. lo, 1865. The mother was born about 1803, and died Sept. 19, 1876, in Lyons, Wayne Co., N. Y., where her husband died a few years earlier. Mr. and Mrs. Coon were married June 28, 1843, in Lyons, and have been the parents of four children. They are James T., Frank P. and Willis Fitch, living. .\da AV., only daughter and tliird child, is deceased. ohn W. Hewett, butcher and dealer in , groceries and provisions, at Woodville, was /& " '^"^"^^ ''^ Cayuga Co., N. Y., Feb. 16, 1837, %>i. and is the son of George W . and Mary (Farley) yi Hewett, natives of the State of New York. \ Mr. Hewett was educated in the common schools and was principally reared on a farm, hi 1880 he came to Newaygo County and entered into his present occupation at Woodville. His business has grown extensive and profitable, including a large section of the surrounding country, where he supplies the numerous lumiier camijs. He was married in 1 85 7, to Hannah C, daughter of .Stephen G. and Esther (Cone) March. She was born in Ontario Co., N. Y., and of her marriage to Mr. Hewett five children have been born: Ralph W., Flora, Charles, Etta and Mary. Leslie and Geroula are deceased. In political affairs Mr. Hewett is a Republican. ntasisi/®^^ .^^iiusmv. eorge B. Jones, farmer, section 15, liarloii Township, was born in Tioga Co., N. Y., Nov. 5, 1S45, and is a son of James and Sophronia (Stanton) Jones. His father was born Oct. 15, 1805, in Broome Co., N. Y., and was, by calling, a wagon-maker. In 1857 he located in Big Rapids, Mecosta County, and there followed his occupation until his death, which occur- red May 8, 1881. The mother was a native of Tioga Co., N. Y., and died Feb. 14, 1857. The I ^' A ( I ^ *!^. -K-^D!]>:dd->-:-^ — ^'^^^ -?^^-^5f^X^ -:^^^^ erKv^D n >; li U> >r NEWAYGO COUNTY. "Zi^^^i:^ 4^^^ A >5 V s ) family were among the early settlers of Mecosta County. Mr. Jones obtained his elementary education at the common schools, and was afterward a student at Williams College. He came to Mecosta County June 14, 1858, and for several years was variously engaged. He enlisted at Newaygo, Feb. 22, 1862, in the Third Mich. Cav., Co. E, Col. John K. Mis- ner, and was in the service until Marcli 22, 1866. Among the many actions in which he i)articipated were Farmington, Corinth, Hendersonville, Broom- ville. Bay Springs, Oxford, Coffeeville, Tallahatchie River, Panola, Jackson, Tenn., where the rebels were routed and 300 stands of arms and 250 prisoners captured. At the close of the war Mr. Jones re- turned to Michigan, engaging as a land prospector. In 1869 he built a livery barn at Big Rapids, man- aged the business one year, and sold to Joseph Cook. He resumed his former pursuit of "land-looker," which has been his occupation since that period. He became a resident of Barton Township in 1873. Mr. Jones was mariied May 10, 1871, at Grand Rapids, to Mary, daughter of Francis and Mary (Carrigan) Tower, a native of Toronto, Can., where she was born April 3, 1847. Following are the names of the five children of Mr. and Mrs. Jones: James F., Mary S., William }>., Jolin E. and Char- lotte. Mr. Jones is an adherent to the tenets of the Republican party. %>•%-»<- ;|i ^t^ >*T-»^ rank Whitney, meat market, Hcsperia, was born in Muskegon County, this .State, May 19, 1858. He is a son of Orin and tMary E. (Cook) Whitney, natives of Ohio, ^j who emigrated to Kent County and then(e to t Muskegon County, this State. Mr. Whitney lived at home and assisted his father on the farm, also attending school, until 1881. April, '^'^ 19 of that year, he was married to Miss Addie, "I daughter of Robert and Anna (Hoffman) Robinson, ,*,. natives of Scotland and Ohio respectively, and came to Muskegon County, this State, where Addie was born Oct. 6, 1862, and where she received the ad- vantages of a common-school education. .\fter his marriage, Mr. Whitney went to farming for f:,' ~vo^. 3^> Denver Township, is a son of John and ,i\-'*) Lydia (Amies) Bush, who were natives of l„T'' Massachusetts, and direct descendants, on y I' both sides, of the ancient Puritan families. He was born in Greenfield, Mass., April 2, 1803; and when he was eight years old his parents moved to '^ Addison Co., Vermont, and settled on a farm, where he went to school until his i6th year, when he was rs apprenticed to Saxton Warner, a tanner in the town of v^ Bristol, and served four years, or until the day he s= was 21 years old. He then left Bristol and worked at his trade three years, when he emigrated to On- tario, Can., locating in Beamsville, where he estab- lished a bark tannery, which he operated five years. He afterward entered a tannery and saw-mill in the vicinity of Toronto, which was destroyed by the over- flowing of the river on which it was situated. Be- coming discouraged at his loss, he removed to the village of Jordan, in the spring of 1842, near the town of St. Catharines, where he built a larger tan- nery than any of the preceding ones, and carried on a more extensive business. He remained here until 1849, then returned to his old location, then known as Port Credit, in the vicinity of Toronto, where he conducted a large hotel until 1856. In the winter of that year he came to Eaton County, this State, settling in the township of Vermontville, where he ^ worked a farm 14 years. In June, 1870, he came to this county and settled in Hesperia, and established a hardware store, in which he was engaged until 1880. He then moved upon a farm of 80 acres in Denver Township, which he had previously purchased, and where he is now living a retired life. <^ ^ '"X. 286 ":25^§^ I t NEWAYGO COUNTY. ^^~ -C A Sept. I, 1 83 1, in Canada, Mr. Bush was married to Miss Mary Stillwell, daughter of David and Nancy (Lucas) Stillwell, natives of England, who was born in New York city, Jan. 11, 181 1, and died July 14, 1883, leaving an aged husband and three children to mourn her loss. She was a woman of powerful intellect, kind and genial, and had won a large circle of friends. Their children are : William S., born July 28, 1832 ; Lewis, Oct. 10, 1834 ; Harmon K., Sept. 6, 1836. In politics Mr. Bush is a Repub- lican. eorge "W. Bull, farmer, section 14, Ashland ,j. Township, was born in Washtenaw Co , Mich., Jan. 9, 1833, and is a son of Daniel D. and Catherine (Church) Rull, natives of New York. Mr. Rull came to Michigan in the fall of 1 85 I and located in the village of Newaygo, where he interested himself in the business of lum- bering, in which he has operated to a considerable ex- tent to the present date. He was engaged seven years with the celebrated lumber firm of Wilcox & Company, of Chicago, acting as a "scaler." In 1867 he purchased 80 acres of land in Ashland Township, all in heavy timber. He has devoted his efforts to clearing and improving it since 1879, and now has 63 acres under cultivatioiv, with handsome residence and substantial farm buildings. Mr. Rull is a Republican in politics, belongs to Lodge No. 254, I. O. O. F., at Newaygo, and rejoices in affording to the observation of the public a fine sample of the genus "bachelor." -5 ^^S|"|^S'> iSlBJai obert Fisher, farmer, section i-^ illiam H. Ostrom, farmer, Brooks Town- ship, section 15, was born March 25, 1837, t^.'U ' in Lima, N. Y. He is a son of Abram ^^^ and Jerusha (Porter) Ostrom. The father ^loH was born in 1794, of German origin, in the State of New York, and died in 1838. The mother was also a native of the Empire State, born of English parentage in 1799, and died in 1873. Mr. Ostrom was an infant of nine months when his father died, and remained under the management and care of his mother until he was 1 1 years old, when he was confided to the control of a man named Nelson Wcllman, with whom he was to reside until he was i S years old. The contract was terminated two years earlier, and, after working a season by the month in his native .State, he came to Michigan, in [854, being 17 years of age. He made a location in Lansing and operated there as a farm laborer until one year liefore the oiitbreak of the Southern Rebel- lion, when he went to Conway, Livingston Co., Mich. He bei aine imbued with the si)irit which imi)elled tiie Noitli to contend with the clement that iiad y^- C Si/ (. I # ^^;^- Ji. <^iia^^nn^> JLU^ .^^i:^^^ • « | » @g^ «^ «^S^-£r^ >i3%.vr-Gu: rrr^ :iinv>r XEWAYGO COUNTY. A >$ determined to force disruption at all costs, and in September, 1861, he enlisted in Co. K, Nintli Mich. Vol. Inf., for three years or during the war. On the requisition for veterans being made, he res[X)nded, and was discharged to re-enlist in December, 1863. He received his final discharge in September, 1865, at Jackson, Mich., and went to I-ansing and engaged in farming. He bought his farm in Brooks Township in 1879. It consisted of 80 acres of unimproved land, of which 35 acres are now under cultivation. He lias erected substantial farm buildings, and set out a well selected assortment of fruit-trees. In political relations Mr. Ostrom is a Republican, and he belongs to Post " Samuel Judd," G. \. R., at Newaygo. Mr. Ostrom was married Aug. 2, i860, at Lansing, to Mary, daughter of Moses and Ruth R. (Wood) Gidley. She was born Aug. 2, 1844, in Ohio. Her parents were born in the State of New York, hev father being of French descent and born Nov. 23, 1815, and died Dec. 10, 1866. Her mother is still living, at Grand Ledge, Mich. Clara B., Ida M., Charlie P. and William H., Jr., the four children born to Mr. and Mrs. Ostrom, are all living. ^ lotham J. Hall, farmer and lumberman, !&■ section 25, Goodwell Township, was born July 25, 1842, in Grand Rapids. His father, Jothani Hall, was born in Vermont in and died in Big Prairie, in 1861. Dian- tha (Garrett) Hall was born in 1807 in the State of New York and survives her husband. Mr. Hall came witli his father's family from Kent to Newaygo County in 1S53. He was 20 years of age when his father died and remained on the home farm until he attained his majority. The winter after he became legally free to pursue his own inter- ests, he engaged in lumbering, which he has followed winters since. He united his business interests with those of his brother-in-law, Joseph Graham, and they prosecuted the various departments of lumbering together five years, and also owned land together. Mr. Hall eventually sold his landed interest to Mr. Graham and bought 40 acres in Newaygo and 80 acres in Mecosta Counties. The two bodies of land are adjoining and about 30 acres are under improve- ments. In political relations Mr. Hall is a Republi- can, has been Justice of the Peace and held otiier minor offices. He was married Oct. 3, 1872, to P>mma, daughter of William and Permelia (Hancock) Jay. (See sketch.) Mr. and Mrs. Hall have five children, vi/,.: Florence I., Antoinette, Ambrose L., Bessie May and Rebina. ^^ 'v^ ohn H. Randall, farmer, section n. Bar- ton Township, was born March 13, 1854, ,,5^ in Ottawa Co., Mich., and is a son of Earl -mf Douglass and Charlotte (Strong) Randall. His father was born in New York and.followed the pursuit of a carpenter most of the years of his life. He located with his family near Grand Rapids, Mich., and was a resident there a number of years. Li 1857- lie came to Newaygo County and entered a homestead claim of land in Barton Town- ship, when it was in a wild condition and no resi- dents north of the point where Mr. Randall selected his farm. After locating his claim he went to Raven- na, Muskegon County, and engaged as a builder there until 1859, when he returned to his farm. He became a soldier of the war of the Southern Rebell- ion, enlisting in Co. A, 13th Mich. Vol. Inf., and was under Sherman while that general, with his daunt- less soldiers, was marching through to Georgia. At Savannah he was seized with the dreadful camp diarrhea and died Dec. 21, 1864. His wife is a na- tive of Pennsylvania and now resides at Paris, Me- costa County. Mr. Randall of this sketch obtained a good ele- mentary education in the common schools of Otta- wa County, and afterward went to the union school at Lamont. He was engaged one term in teaching and then spent a year in study at the Agricultural Col- lege at Lansing. He again engaged in teaching, in which employment he spent seven terms in the ag- gregate. In 1874 himself and a brother returned to the farm and entered upon the work of clearing and improving. Mr. Randall was married April 15, 1877, to Mary Louisa, daughter of Grantson and Nancy (Barber) s A ■>: r '4 ^^^^^ — ^^:na^:iii]r> ^A *!r)- -f^^^ Mi 'Ti I t J- ^^^^ffy»- '<:/if^Sr -r<^llIl>:DIlv>v -2S€^2 88 NEWAYGO COUNTY i \ ) '<^ ) "Pv \ Hall. Their children were born as follows : Charles A., Jan. 12, 1878; Ehiier, Oct. 20, 1880; Edith Al- ma, Jan. 31, 1883. Mr. Randall has adopted the platform and issues of the National Greenback party, and is prominent in his generation in political action. He has held the post of Township Clerk three years. illiam L. Murphy, farmer, section 9, Big Prairie Township, was born in Hastings '«s-Vp Co _ Canada West, and is the son of Wil- liam and Betsy (O'Bryan) Murphy. The father was born in Ireland, 12 miles from the city of Dublin, about the year 1800. The mother was l>orn at Hastings about 1820. They were the parents of three children, of wlioni Mr. Murphy of this sketch is the eldest. He came to Michigan in the fall of 1865, first stopping at Grand Rapids, and until the year 1874 was exclusively occupied in lumbering, plying his vocation the entire length of the Big Muskegon River. He resided nine years at Big Rapids. In 1874 he purchased his farm of 120 acres on whicli he has since resided and has 80 acres under cultivation, with good buildings and improvements. He is a Democrat in ix)litical principles. Mr. Muri)hy was married .Sej)!. 2, 1867, to Mrs. Loretta (Haight) Doyle. One daughter, Sarah Eliz- abeth, was born of their marriage Nov. 8, 1868, and died Oct. 31, 1878. Mrs. Murphy is the daughter of Hiram and Sarah (Swaine) Haight, and was liorn Oct. 15, 1832, in Bradford Co., Pa. .She was married March 13, 1854, to William Doyle. He was born of Irish parentage March 13, 1829, in Canada. He became a citizen of the United States and accepted the responsibili- ties of his adopted nationality by enlisting in defense of its imperiled flag. He enrolled Aug. 10, 1862, in Co. K, Third Mich. Vol. Inf., was wounded at Fred- ericksburg May 2, 1863, and died Oct. 15, 1863, in Lincoln Hospital, Washington, from the consetiuence of his injury. Mr. and Mrs. Doyle became the par- ents of six children, three of whom are living, as follows : William Edwin, Lillie Loretta and Stephen Douglas. Mrs. Murphy "s mother was born Nov. 8, 1804, in Plymouth, Chenango Co., N. Y., and died March 18, 1877. ^arvey A. Headley, farmer, section 35, Ash- land Townsliip, was born Oct. 6, 1840, in 'y^ De Kalli Co., Ind., and is a son of John and Celia (Coburn) Headley, both of whom were natives of New England. When the son was 1 6 years of age they removed from De Kalb County to Michigan and settled on 60 acres of land in Ashland Township, where they have since resided. Mr. Headley was the assistant of his father ujxjn the farm until his marriage. He was married in Casnovia Township, Muskegon Co., Mich., Dec. 23. 1863, to Elnora, daughter of Dayton and Sophronia (Loomis) Moore. The parents were natives respect- ively of Massachusetts and New York, removing after their marriage to Ohio and finalh settling in Medina County, where the oaughtcr was born Sept. 1 1, 1846. When she was six months old they went to De Kalb Co., Ind., and in 1854 made another remove to Mus- kegon Co., Mich. After his marriage Mr. Headley purchased the family homestead, and continued the improvements begun by his father, adding considerably to the cleared acreage, and has erected good buildings. He is a Republican in political principle and himself and wife are members of the Christian Church. The family includes an adojited daughter, Mary E. Childs, born March 25, 1875. The brother of the last mentioned, Julius A. Childs, was born Sept. 8, 1868, and has lived with the family since he was seven years of age. ^^Sf-f^S'^/^'' — I- iVi^di^ illiam H. Dubois, farmer, sei o. Barton 13 Tp., was born March 22, 1840, in \\'hite jj^^i^'^ Oak, Ingham Co., Micl . and is a son of Conrad M. and Susan (Spear) Dubois. The father was born in New Yc.k and the mother in New Jersey. After their marriage they came to Michigan and settled in Lodi, Washtenaw County, whence they moved to Ingham C junty. The father died there, and the mother died in Mecosta County. Mr. Dubois came to Mecosta County in 18 — , and I < r^ '^^^^ &»- -^^^^ — ^^-i<^ii!i: JL ->^^ 'k' \ !;^ik». "^ '^y'ye^ /y?t>^^/^^'{ ^^y^^^y^'^i't:^ t^-^'Xo^ T^tL^ 4iiiii:t:nnv>r^ ^ = ') f dwelt there until 1867, when he entered a home- stead claim of 80 acres in liarton Township. On this place lie has since been a resident, lias placed it under good improvements and a fair state ol culti- vation. He was married .May 14, 185S, to I.ucy E., daughter of Cados and Phebe Ann (Palmer) Marsh. Her parents were natives of the Slate of New Vork. They came to Michigan in its infant days and located in Monroe County, residing there until 1S56, when they came to Newaygo County. The father died in 1 87 2 and the mother is still living, in Osceola Countv. Mrs. Dubois was born in Monroe County, April 19, 1844. To her and her husband one child, William A., was born, .Sept. 14, 186 1. When Mr. Dubois came to Newaygo County the township where he settled was in its original wild condition, and he has devoted his best energies to its advancement and progress. He is a Republican in political action and belief and has held most of the local offices. NEWAYGO COUNTY. (^ jfeon. James Barton, Probate Judge of Ne- waygo ('ount\, resident on section 8, Big 'Jjjf Prairie Township, was born June 4, 181 2, in t% County Tyrone, Ireland. His parents, William \ and Susannah (Culton) Barton, belonged to the sturdy, upright and uncompromising race in the nortli of Ireland known as Scotch-Irish, and were members of the Presbyterian element peculiar to the upper counties of the Emerald Isle. William Barton was born in County Tyrone, in 1775, and died in Ionia Co., Mich., in 1848. The mother of Judge Barton was a native of the same county, and was born in 1777, and died in 1824, in Quebec, Can., on the very night of the arrival of the family in that cit\. .\fter a brief tarry, the bereaved husband and motherless children proceeded to Lyons, Wayne Co., N. Y., where they remained until October, 1829, when they came to Bloomfield, Oakland ("o.. Mich., and settled on a farm. Later on, this property was sold, and they came to Otisco, Ionia County. Judge Barton was a boy of 12 when his parents removed their family to the New World, and he re- mained a member of the household band until he ttained to man's estate, and put on the dignity of a ^ fli)^v®^^#« ^, benedict in 1832. He was 17 years old when his father came to Michigan, and, two years after coming lo Bloomfield, lie spent the alternating winters and summers in teaching and farming. He obtained his education in a desultory manner. He received li\e years' regular instruction in hi-- native countr)', and picked up fragmentary learning in the common schools of Lyons. I>ut his good sense and correct judgment stood him in better stead than crude school |)rivileges and instructions. He studied as his understanding dictated, and he chose judiciously in reading, which he recognized as of more practical benefit than the curriculum of such schools as those to which he had access. In .\ugust, 1833, he re- moved to White Pigeon, where he resided for two years. John S. Barry, third (Governor of Michigan, was then an obscure provision merchant at White Pigeon, and Judge Barton was one of his constituents in the first public office he ever held — that of Mem- ber of the first Constitutional Convention which framed the Constitution upon which Michigan was admitted into the Union in 1837. The ability, wis- dom and judgment, and im orrnptible integrity dis- played by Mr. Barry, whose course in the Convention, and afterwards as (Governor, was studiously watched by Judge Barton, undoubtedly exercised a great influence over his own public career, and, in addition to the peculiar traits of his own inherited character, undoubtedly colored all his after life. Judge Barton went, in 1835, '" Thornton, Cook Co., 111., where he spent ten years in agricultural pursuits, and during the time officiated four years as a Justice of the Peace. In the spring of 1845, he returned to Michigan and settled on a farm in Berlin, Ionia County. He was there a resident two years, engaged in farming, and in 1846 was elected Super- visor of Berlin. In January, 1847, 'i*^ bought a farm in Otisco, in the same county, and continued to manage his agricultural interests there until his re- moval to Newaygo County, in February, 1850. He prospected through the unsettled, unorganized town- ships and bought 200 acres of land in township 13, range 1 1 (now Big Prairie), designated as State or .\syluni land. The specific name of this land was Salt Spring land, and referred to the appropriation, by the Oovernment of Michigan, of tracts of land for the purpose of furthering the development of the saline resources of the State. A few years later, a re-ap- '^v <>ii!i^iia>>^ r^ -Sli':^' r> ■ras^^^^ iVElVAVGO COUNTY. % i ^ ^ propriation, for the benefit of the Deaf, Dumb and liUnd Asylum, was made of the same tracts, and they are still " Asylum" lands. The Judge's purchase was wholly prairie, and was all put under the plow during the first yearof his res- idence there. He is still a successf.il farmer in the township with which he identified his interests more than thirty years ago. He has been a factor in every progressive step of Big Prairie, from its days of incipiency to the present period. He aided in the organization of the county in 1851, and his name and position are perpetuated in the name of its northeastern township. At the meeting for arrang- ing the municipal regulations of Newaygo County, Judge Barton and Isaac D. Merrill, who died Dec. 14, 1883 (current year), were elected its two Super- visors. The former has held the incumbency, with- out intermission, ever since, and is one of the oldest continuous officials in the position of Supervisor on record, having acted in that capacity an aggregate of 32 years, and has been Chairman of the Board every year, with one exception. In Oct., 1852 he was elected County Judge to fill a vacancy, and was selected for the same position at the regular election, in the fall of 1853. He was elected the first Probate Judge of the county, and served six years. In 1863 he was elected Prosecuting Attorney, and discharged the duties of that position five years. In 1S70, he was appointed by Gov. Henry P. Baldwin to fill the office of Pro- bate Judge, the vacancy having been created by the resignation of the Hon. A. H. Giddings (who had been elected Circuit Judge), and filled three years of the term of his predecessor. He has held the same position, by regular election, ever since. Judge Bar- ton has also been Circuit Court Commissioner six years. When he came to Newaygo County it had no attorney, and he applied himself to the study of law and was admitted to the Bar in 1858. In 1852, Judge Barton was put in nomination to represent his district in thejLegislature of Michigan; was, accord- ing to the general understanding, elected, and pro- ceeded to Lansing with his credentials. On arrival there he found " King Strang,' the Mormon chief of Beaver Island, ready to occupy the seat to whicli ludge Barton supposed himself the sole and legiti- mate claimant. Mutual ignorance of the other as candidate had prevailed, and on investigation it ap- peared that Strang was within the district ; though 14 miles from the mainland, Beaver Island belonged to Emmet County, and on comparing numbers Strang exhibited a proportion of 30 votes in his own favor to one for Judge Barton. The length, breadth and thickness of the matter were too stui)endous for any adequate arrangement under the circumstances, and Judge Barton quietly beat a retreat. Mrs Bar- ton received him on his return with wide-eyed amazement, and in(|uired as to the "wherefores." " Mrs. Barton," said the Judge in his phenomenal chest-tones, and with an assumption of all his offi- cial dignity, " I have but one wife, and King Strang has four." The response is one of the best reminis- cences of Judge Barton that can be recorded. It shows that he has the keen, satiric wit which charac- terizes his nation, and his ready aptness on occasion. The spurious character of James Strang's claims to the seat he held in the Legislature of Michigan were afterward proven. When George \\'. Peck ran for Congress he was assisted materially by 600 votes furnished by James Strang as the result of the elec- tion on Beaver Island within his dominion. Strang was shot within the year, and his subjects betook themselves to other fields. The aggregate of men, women and children who emigrated from the island made an exhibit of 150 persons. Judge Barton was married March 25, 1832, in Oakland Co., Mich., to Reliance, daughter of Lettes and Fear (Swift) Jenne. Her father was born in 1762, in Rochester, Plymouth Co., Mass. His ances- tors were born in Holland, and belonged to the Quakers who were banished from that country for their religious belief, and settled in Massachusetts. Mr. Jenne went to Lyons, Wayne Co., N. Y., in 1814, and finding no Quaker society there he united with the Methodist Ciuirch, of which his wife was a member. He died at .Sodus, Wayne County, in 1828. Mrs. Jenne was born Aug. 12, 1770, in Massachu- setts, and died at Lyons. N. Y., April 10, 1825. Mrs. Barton is a member of the Disciples' or Chris- tian Church. She is one of eight children born to her parents — five sons and three daughters. Her- self and one sister, now residing in Farmington, Oakland Co., Mich , are the only survivors. The sons and daughters of Judge; Barton and his wife were boVn as follows: Charles, born March 25, 1833, died at Bald Hills, Humboldt County, Cali- fornia, January 30, 1875 ; Kmily, born May 10. 1835 (died July 27, 1861); Mary, March 7, 1837 (died June it, 1841); Henry, June 2, 1839 (see "^ k f A C^ ( tlD;D>-^ fpTi 'r^m^u^mii ^^}r^/^^&^^^0^ -:2?€^ r<>IlIl^Illl^> T ■T^^^^S -^^<- ?§ A':£'^F.Vy6^6' COUNTY. 29s ^ sketch) ; Mary E., June 6, 1842 (see sketch of Robert Fisher); Mark, Aug. 14, 1844 (see sketch) ; Ellen, ^ (Jet. 10, 1846 (died May 2 ■:^i:f^ ^m ing and lumbering; — and has also worked with his i> father, as opportunity served, at tlie callings of builder and blacksmith. He is the owner of 60 ' . ■ acres of land lying on the river, to which he has 1 added 80 acres by recent purchase. In iiolitical \^ adherence he is a Democrat. ^^f, P'^^-M ilas Minis, farmer, sec. 26, Denver Tp., was Ijornin F2rie Co., N. Y., Oct. 15, 1827. His .,, j^ ^ liarents, John and Lois (Porter) Millis, were /iv^j natives of New England and Scotch and Ger- man descent. They moved to New Vork in an early day and settled upon a farm. Having received a good common-school education, Silas, at the age of 19, started out to do for himself. Farm- ing being his chosen occupation, he went vigorously to work in that direction for one year, and then, for a time, worked in a saw-mill. Jidy 2, 1847, he was married, in his native county, to Miss Mary A. Ida, daughter of Oliver and Caroline Ide, natives of New York, who was born, reared and educated in that State, in the vicinity of Rochester. Two years after the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Millis, they moved to another locality, in Erie County, where Mr. Mil- lis farmed two years, and in the summer of 1854 they came to this State, settling ne.^r Grand Rapids. In the fall of 1856 they moved to this county and settled in Denver Township, where he has since resid- ed. His first purchase of land was 120 acres, to which he has since added 40 acres, and now he owns a quarter section of fine land, with 120 acres im- proved. Oct. 4, 1872, Mrs. Millis died, leaving nine children; their names are as follows : Caroline R., Junius A., Silas ¥,., Emery E., Eber O., Amherst L., Oliver K., .\rlhur .\. and Frances Fl ; Mary A. and Irvin N. are deceased. Dec. 25, 1872, Mr. Millis married for a second wife Miss Margaret Johnson, daughter of l-'.lijah .\. and Veslie (Doud) Johnson, natives of Canada and New York, respect- ively, who was born in the vicinity of Detroit, Oct. 24, 1848. She spent eight years in her birth-place, six years in Hillsdale Co., Mich., and 1 1 years in California. Sjie then came to this county and re- A ^ r I 296 'I/ i :^0 ^5 <^ c) "^ V NEIVAYGO COUNTY. -4^^C- li illiam J. Jewell, farmer, section 17, l)a\-- jaJju ton Township, is a son of Ezekiel and l&'p' " Loretta (Brown) Jewell, is a native of New "^ ■ York .'^tate. and remained with his parents until he was 17 years of age, attending the immon schools and working on the farm. .\t the age mentioned he commenced lo learn the trade (jf carpenter and joiner with his eldest brother. At the expiration of three years he came to Eaton Co., Mich., where he worked at his trade most of th? time for two years, then bought 40 acres of wild land in that county, which he began to improve. After clearing a portion of it, he exchanged it in the sum- mer of 1859 for 160 acres of wild land in Newaygo County, Dayton Township, section 17. In the winter of 18C1 he moved his family to this county and set- tled on his farm, where he now resides. He h.as since sold 80 acres and has 60 acres under good cultiva- tion. Mr. Jewell was married in Eaton Co., Mich., Nov. 24, 1850, to .Angeline, daughter of Darius and Malona (Foster) Tallman, who was born in Onondaga Co., N. \'., Jan. 17, 1828. Her parents were natives of Ver- mont, and subseipiently settled in .New York. Mr. Jewell has held the office of Commissioner of High- ways for si.\ years. School Inspector six years and Justice of the Peace seven years. He is independ- ent in politics, a member of the 1. O. G.T., and him- self and wife are both members of Hesperia Grange, No. 495. They have five children: Charles M., born July 17, 1851 ; Albert S., Se|)t. 1 i, 1853; Viola M., F'eb. 15, 1856; Zernah J., Feb. 24, 1863; and I^elos. .\ug. 20, I 869. »*^- y^ () % enjamin F. Wood, tarmer, section 14, Brooks 'i'ownship, was born in tienesee Co., N. Y., March 5, 1831, and is a son of Jonathan and Martha (Reynolds) Wood. The former was born in New York, in 1791, of English lineage, and died in 1870. The latter was also a native of the Empire State, born in 1787 and died in 1S76. When .Mr. Wood was six years old his parents transferred their family and interests to Ohio, where he grew to manhood and followed the trade of car- penter, which he accpiired from his father. He came to Newaygo County, and after a stay of one year went to Lansing, .Mich., where he operated four /^ years, returning thence to Ohio. He worked at his trade four years, and in 1861 he enlisted in Co. I, ^^ Third f)hio Vol. Inf , under the t all for three-months men. He received honorable discharge at the ex- piration of his term, and soon after re-enlisted for three years, in Co. C, 15th Ohio Vol. Inf. He became disabled, and after nine months' service was_^^ )i^^ '»>. -l^^f®^.t^ t /7S discharged. He came to Lansing and settled upon a farm of 30 acres, of which he became proprietor during his first stay at that place. Seven years afterward he went to Harrison Co., Iowa, where he stayed about rS months, and returned for another residence of seven years' duration on his farm at Lansing. In the spring of 1S78 he came to Newaygo County again and bought 50 acres of land, whereon lie has lived and labored since. He has cleared and put in good farming condition 27 acres, with good buildings and otiier imiirovemeuts. In political connection Mr. Wood is a Republican. He was married Dec. iS=; in Morrow Co., Ohio, to Marilla, daughter of Luther and Syljil (Webster) Vining. She was liorn Sept. 27, 1831, in Delaware Co., Ohio, and her parents were natives of New York, of English lineage. Of this marriage five children have been born : Charles, Arvilla, Francis H., Ansel E. and Josephine R. The family attend the M. E. Church. :>J 'ohn McFarland, farmer, section 13, Bar- ton Township, was born in Kenlire, Scot- land, in 1825. His parents, Andrew and Margaret (Gray) McFarland, were also natives of Scotland. They emigrated to Canada when the son was hut a child. They belonged to the agricultural community and pursued the same calling in Canada. The father is deceased and the mother, now 90 years of age, resides in Mecosta County. Mr. McFarland was brought up as a farmer's son, and in 1852 came to .Michigan and spent three years operating as a lumberman near Big Prairie, Newaygo County. He went tlien^ ^4Z^ -4^ ] ^: ( r ^ ■^^ V <^illt]>:illls> V -^^ M /N V s %^ iVEWAYGO COUNTY George \V. was born Aug. 31, 1855, and was married Jan. 17, 1880, to Ada Eva Corbett, a native of Farm- ington, Me., born June 21, i860. One child has been born tu them. Mr. Chapman is now the owner of 160 acres of land in Monroe Township and 80 acres in Norwich Township. He has trained his sons in the moral and ix)litical principles which have proved his best capital in business, and they are active, zealous Re- publicans. 'ir«^^^^4^t>rt-f^ i-'-M^>a Sheridan and Jane ; iehard Boyd, farmer, section .s WWs^- Township, is a son of ^Villiam Boyd, natives of Ireland, and was born in that country in 1S14. .^t the age of 13 years he emigrated to Lx)wer Canada, and lived there seven years, then lived in Ohio about 19 years, and in 1853 came to Hillsdale Co., Mich.; finally, in 1872, he came to Newaygo County and purchased 80 acres of land where he now resides. Mr. and Mrs. Boyd have had the following children : William A., John, Richard, Charles, George, .Samuel and Jane. In [xjlitics he is a Republican. ■■<^'4«i*^>- ark Barton, farmer and lumberman, sec- tion 30, Big Prairie Township, was born '^ Aug. 14, 1844, in Cook Co., 111. He is the si.xth child and fourth son of the Hon. '^ James Barton, Probate Judge of Newaygo County. (See sketch.) The parents of Mr. Barton broLighl him to the Peninsular State when he was but six months old and to Newaygo County when he was si.x years uf age. He was brought up as were the sons of the earliest pioneers of Newaygo County, trained in the pursuits common to Northern Michigan and received a fair education. He passed the winter after he reached the age of 20 years in the lumber woods, and in the following spring enlisted in Co. F, 15th Mich, inf, as a soldier of the war for the I'nion. He received his discharge Sept. 9, 1S65, and on his return to Big Prairie resumed his occupation as lumberman, which he has followed since, alternating the labors of that calling with those of farming. He has twice ex- changed his property in real estate, and now owns 60 acres of land in Big Prairie Township, 40 acres in Everett Township, situated across the highway, and 40 acres in Everett, located one and a half miles south, making 140 acres in the aggregate. Mr. Bar- ton has 97 acres of land in fine farming condition, with good buildings. He is a Republican in political connection and has been Town Treasurer four years. Mr. Barton was married Dec. 16, 1864, in Neway- go, to Martha M. Krusen. She was born July 22, 1845, in Licking Co., Ohio, and is the daughter of John and Eunice (Goff) Krusen. The former was born March 16, 1820, in New Jersey, the latter Jan. 27. 1824, in Licking Co., Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. B. have one child, Albert Barton, born May 8, 1868. -*^^>->3S^- wffi^l^benezer Richardson, farmer, section 5, ifW^rf!) J Denviir Township, was born in Madison Co., N. Y., Aug. 30, 1824. His father, '.^pk Ebenezer Richardson, was a native of Massa- I chusetts and died in Ohio; his mother, Sybil j (Eaton) Richardson, was a native of New York and died in that State. The subject of this sketch at- tended school in his native county, and when 12 years of age went to Lake Co., Ohio, where he com- pleted his education, and worked on his father's farm until 17 years of age. He then commenced life for himself, and worked on a farm until he was 35 years old. During tiiis time he came to this county and located a farm in Dayton Township, which is his present home. He then returned to Ohio, and Feb. 22, 1865, he married Miss Ellen Devine, daughter of John and Mary (Buck) Devine, natives of New York, who was born in (^ueensbury, Washington Co.,N. Y., May 17, 1821. \\'hen she was cpiite young she was t.aken by her parents to Wyoming County, that .State, where she was reared and educated in the common schools of thai place, and in 1850 they moved lo Painesville, ( )hio. In the spring of 1866 Mr. R. returned to this Stale and settled \\\)on iiis farm of 160 acres in Dayton Township, and now owns So acres, and has 35 acres % y^ Pf VX r, r ^ I Mh^^^^^^^ -:2^^K ^V< ^B tl >: M^>T^ ^^^K- NF.IVAYGO COUNTY 299 "N^ n a high state of cultivation. In jiolitics he is a very zealous Republican, and himself and wife are con- sistent members of the First Baptist ("hurch nt Hesperia. 9«-HJKK<^ A" V ) iTohn D. Gowell, farmer, section 16, r)en\er Township, was born in Kennebec Co., Me., May ir, 1845. His parents, Lewis and Caroline (Berry) Gowell, were also natives of Maine, and of English and Scotch ancestry. They were married in Sagadahoc County, after- ward moving to Kennebec County. In 1849, when the gold fever was at its height, they moved to Cali- fornia, where his father established a large ([uartz mill and built a hotel. While living at this place, he was attacked with bilious fever and died, in the spring of 185 i. John was the seventh child; and being obliged to assist in the care of his mother, his educational advantages were limited. But being full of determination and perseverance, he improved his leisure time in study, even when out of school ; in the army his book was his constant companion. When 15 years of age he engaged himself to an agent of the Boston Navy Yard, to go to Northumber- land Co., Va., to secure lumber for ship-building. While there the war (piestion was agitated, and the State passed an ordinance to preveiit all Northern men from leaving the State, for any cause whatever. But Mr. Gowells symifathies being decidedly with the North, he, with 25 others, sei/.ed upon an oyster sloop that was then lying in a small harljor (iff the Chesapeake Bay, called Cockle's Creek, and, securing the officers of the boat, they set out for the bay, and finally reached Baltimore, just after the riot, having just $1 in money. They were greeted with applause, and borne through the streets with jMrnp and glory, reaching their respective homes in due season. Pos- sessing a never-dying love for their country, thev ;ill enlisted in her defense. Mr. (iowell enrolled in Co. F, 19th Me. Vol. Inf., July 3, 1862, ist Brigade, Second Division and Second Army Corps, commanded by Gen. Hancock. He had previously enlisted three times; but, being only 17 years of age, his mother forbade his joining the army; this time he was per- mitted to go. He jiarticipated in 17 battles, and was — ^^<-^n!i in Grant's cam])aign of the Wilderness 60 consecutive days, when the general was going to " fight it out on that line if it took all summer." He was in the second Battle of Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chanccllorsville, Gettysburg, Falling Water, Peters- burg, and at the surrender of Lee's army at Apjx)- mattox Court-House. He was in Libby prison eight days, and was wounded three times: at Cold Harbor, in the back of the head, by a minie ball ; at Hatcher's Run, in the left knee, by the fragment of a shell; and at (Gettysburg, in the left arm, by a ball passing through U. He was at one time made a spy, and was very suc- cessful, having caused the capture of a regiment with a large amount of artillery. He was honorably dis- charged May 31, 1865, at Washington, \). C. He then returned home, where he remained a short time, then took a tour through Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois, and ret\irned to Michigan and lo- cated 200 acres of wild land in Troy Township, this county. He also took up 400 acres in Oceana County. He was engaged in lumbering in various parts of the county for Mr. Heald, working nine months without losing but a day and a half, and drew just $1.50. Oct. 25, 1867, he was married, in Pentwater, Mich., to Miss Florella A., daughter of Calvin and Susan (Smith) Woodworth, natives of Ohio, who was born in Ashtabula County, that State, Jul\ 5, [849. She received such educiition as the district schools fur- nished in her native town, and at the age of 15 came to this State and settled in Colfax, Oceana County, where she remained until her marriage. They locat- ed in Otto Township, that county, where Mr. G. took a contract for logging for Ferry, Doling & Co., and afterward with .\ J. Covil, contractor to move 9,000,000 logs annually. In the meantime he pur- chased 700 acres of pine land on the north branch of White River ; but, owing to sickness in his family, sold out to his partner, Mr. Covil, and in the fall of 1869 he moved to this county, settling in Denver Township. He purchased 160 acres of land, and afterward added another 160, and now has 200 acres under tillage, upon which he has built very beautiful farm buildings, and a magnificent residence, at a cost of $4,000. Since living here he went to Kansas, made a large purchase and erected extensive build- ings, but soon returned to this State, having made a profitable sale. Mr. Ciowell is a member of the Masonic Lodge, v^ i' ^ \^ > r m 300 t2j€^^c ^7^?DD>;iiBr>v iVElVAYGO COUNTY. No. 346, at Hesperia, and is Secretary of the, order. He is also a member of the (1. A. K., of the J. A. IMx Post. He is a strong advocate of the temperance cause, and verj' liberal in his jwlitical and religious views, inclining to the Advent Church. Mr. and Mrs. CI. have one child, Caroline, born Sept. 13, 1875. A '^ ' illiam A. Boyd, farmer, section 8, son of Richard Boyd, was born in Ohio, Dec. 27, %P 1848. At the age of five years he came with his parents to Hillsdale Co., Mich., where he lived until he came to Newaygo County ; here he engaged in farming. In the fall of 1882 he built a steam saw-mill in Sheri- dan Township, which has a capacity of 12,000 feet per day. He is a member of the Order of Good Templars, and in politics is a National. Herbert F. Webster, farmer and lumber- man, section 21, Big Prairie Township, was born Feb. 7, 1856, in Newaygo County, and is the son of William Rila and Phebe Ann (Moore) Webster. (See sketch.) Mr. Webster was reared to manhood in his nati\e county and has chiefly followed the callings of farmer and lumberman; he has also been engaged as an estimator of pine and pine lands and likewise as a " scaler." He is the owner of 80 acres of unim- l)roved land on section 15, 80 acres on section 21 and 40 acres on section 16, of Big Prairie Township. He was married April 27, 1879, in the village of Newaygo, to Kittie C. Reed, Rev. J. N. Hicks offi- ciating. Mrs. Webster was born in Elk River Town- ship, Sanilac Co., Mich., Aug. 11, 1859, and is a daughter of Elias S. and Elizabeth (Gaffney) Reed, both of whom are natives of Zora, Dominion of Canada, where the one was born in 1832 and the other in 1838. To Mr. and Mrs. Webster three children have been born, namely : Freddie H., the eldest born, is deceased; Bertha Pearl was born May 22, 1881. An infant son, George, was born Dec. 6, 1883. Mr. Webster is an adherent of the National Greenback Labor party, and in religious views adopts the tenets of the Wesleyan Methodist Chunli. Mr. Webster, tiiough a young man, has a very creditable record as a. Nimrod. In the course of two weeks in 1873 he captured 14 deer and two bears, and the aggregate product of his skill wilh his rifle is about 50 deer and three bears. One of the ex- periences of which he retains a vital remembrance was a long season continuing from September, 1870, to April, 187 I, in the woods on the Pentwater River. He is of social, genial temperament, kind to the poor and sympathetic with the suffering, aiding such with all the generosity of his nature. He is specially fond of mvisii and an expert violinist. -»=^^ homas L. Price, Jr., farmer, section 36, Goodwell Township, was born Dec. 28, 1843, in Wyoming Co., N. Y., and is the son of Thomas L. and Eliza (Betts) Price. The father was born at Saratoga Springs, N. Y. ; the latter at Ballston Springs, N. Y. The father of Mr. Price died in 1845, when his son was but two years old, and the latter remained under the care of his mother until he was ten years age, when he found the necessity of earning his live- lihood resting upon his own shoulders. He obtained employ as he best could, and before he was 19 years old had become quite a teacher. At that age he re- turned to his native State and remained at home a year. His first business venture was renting a hotel at Newberg, Ohio, which enterprise he pursued a year, and during the three years next following was variously engaged. In 1866 he came to Saginaw Co., Mich., where he resided until 1882, when he bought 80 a( res in Goodwell Township. Of this, 25 acres are under cultivation. He acts with the National Greenback party, to whose principles he is an adherent. Mr. Price was married in Newberg, Ohio, June 2, 1862, to Florence E., daughter of Thomas and Eliza Moore, of Cleveland, Ohio, and four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs." Price, all living, namely: Charles F., Cora E., William S. and Rena M. y^ A ^: sy -; /f <^ I j«^si s-*^ ^^'^^^ — ^?^^D!]r^^niis>^^ ■v>o-'- r,i£^ ^K/^^i^l^^^i A'EWAYGO COUiVTY. 301 > A > 1 oro "? in Maine, and is a son of Richard A. and Mary (Giggey) Crabtree. The former was born Nov. 30, 1789, in the State of New York and was a son of John Crabtree, a native of London, England, who emigrated to America in its earliest days. Himself and brother were residents of the city of New York when it was an insignificant " Dutch seaport town." The mother was born Nov. 2, 1788, in Virginia, and was the daughter of parents who were natives of the Lowlands of Scotland. Mr. Crabtree remained with his parents in his native State until their removal to New Brunswick in 1818, where he resided during the remainder of ^ the years of his minority. Mr. Crabtree records one ri') memorable day when about 20 years old. A school >«» was started in tlie vicinity of his home, and he at- tended its lessons one day, the only experience of the kind in his whole life. He passed all his early life assisting his father, and at the age of 21 found himself for the first time at liberty to operate in his own behalf. He obtained an engagement as fore- man of a lumber-cami), in which occupation he had been engaged four years previously. After two years he (|uit lumbering and became a sailor. He was " before the mast" six years, when he was made Cap- tain of a vessel, and two years later was a ship owner. He was at sea with his vessel, the "Mont- gomery," four years, and during the time sailed roinid the world. He was in the Gulf of Mexico when the Mexican war broke out, and he " tied up ' to the wliarf in tlie city of New Orleans, went ashore and in 48 hours raised a company of 1 1 2 volunteers for the United States service. Feeling incomjjetent to take command, he went out with the company as Sergeant and remained in the army until the close of the war, serving one year under Gen. Taylor and the remainder of the time attached to the command of Gen. Scott. He was at the head of his company during the last year. He was in the closing fight at the city of Mexico, and brought home the national colors. After the end of the war he spent some time in travel and visited the principal cities of the United States. This accomplished, he felt a desire to visit his friends from whom he had not heard for 13 years. He returned to New Brunswick, and after a year there came to Chicago, 111., where he resided two years. His next removal was to Amboy, III, where he conducted a saw-mill six years. In 1857 he came to Muskegon and resided four years, whence he came to Croton, and six months later to Big Prairie, where he now owns 1 40 acres of land, with 40 acres cleared, well improved and placed under advanced cultivation, with good buildings and other creditable farm fixtiires. Mr. Crabtree was a soldier in the civil war. He enlisted in Co. .-\, Tenth Mich. Cav., in 1864, and was discharged at the close of the war in Memphis, Tenn. His command was in all the active campaign service of the last year of the war, and, amid other active duty, he was in the detail of soldiers sent into North Carolina to cut oflf the communications of Lee with the railroad. He was in Stoneman's raid, and tlie last battles in which he participated were those of Salisbury and Lexington, or High Points. He sustained a sun-stroke at Sweet Water, Tenn., from [ c A I '^^'^^C^' 4 'i :ail>:(ll|v-> r^i":^ VBIVAYGO COUNTY which he has become blind, being able only to distinguish liglit with one eye. Mr. Crabtree was married Aug. 9, 1849, in St. John, 1^. B., to Mar)- Jane Darragh. She was born March 11, 1829, in County Tyrone, Ireland, and is a daughter of George and Isabella (Hawthorne) Dar- ragh. Her parents were born in Ireland near the city of Dublin. Her father was born in 1799 and is still living. Her mother was born in 180: and died in 1873, in New Brunswick. Nine children have been bom to Mr. and Mrs. Crabtree, seven of whom are living: Their names are, George R., Mary I., Eliza J., James E. (dec), Charles L., Wm. Ellsworth, Abraham F., Joseph F. (dec.) and Franklin I. Politically Mr. C. is a radical Republican. ohn F. Schroeder, farmer, section i, Bar- ton Township, was born in Germany, March :6, 1840, and is the son of Freder- ick and Mary Schroeder. He was reared and ^r educated in his native country, and came to the United States when 26 years old. He settled at Grand Rapids, where he remained 14 years engaged in blacksmithing. In 1874, he came to Newaygo County and purchased 40 acres of land in Barton Township, where he has since occu- pied his time in improving and cultivating his land. He was married in his native country, in 1866, to Dorothea, daughter of Frederick and Dorothea (Po- dine) Walter, natives of Germany. The family in- cludes four children : John C, Frederick M., Minnie F. and Mary C. eorge R. Webster, formerly a farmer and Ij ^TgT! ]^ lumberman, resident on section 21, Big ^f'^ Prairie Township, has been engaged since v|- 1 88 1 as agent for the Cascade Commercial I Nursery of Kent County. He was born in Denham Township, Upper Canada, Aug. 14, 1851, and is the son of Wm. R. and Phebe A. Webster. (See sketch.) He came to Newaygo County with his parents in I 1853, and has been an inmate of the parental home most of his life thus far. His views of wedded bliss are still in the anticipatory state, and his numerous ^5 friends rely on his calm judgment and sound sense as a basis for their hopes of his future happiness. He is generally esteemed for his character of sobriety, veracity, integrity and his unwavering consideration for the rights and privileges of others. His fur.da- mental principle in social matters is, that only in showing himself to be friendly can a man win friends, and he recognizes the full force of the injunction, "Do unto others as ye would that they should do unto you." Mr. Webster is the proprietor of 80 acres of land on section 16, and 94 acres on section 21, of Big Prairie Township. He has been a successful sports- man, his coolness and self-control making him an exceptional marksman; and he had at one time few superiors in his knowledge of the habits of game in Northern Michigan. Politically he is a Republican, and is a zealous adherent to the tenets of the Wesleyan Methodist Church. ( -^ h h -r~T ^ A T^r €>- ^: ohn Brotherton, farmer, section 32, Dayton Township, was born in Ohio, July 15, 1826. His parents were Abel and Clara (Griffin) Brotherton, the former a native of New York and the latter of Connecticut. They first set- tled in New York and afterward moved to Ohio. When John came to Michigan he first settled in Lenawee County, and came to Newaygo County in the winter of 1854, when he took up 160 acres of good land on sections 32 and 33, where he now resides; 75 acres are under improvement. He has since purchased 40 acres more, and now owns 200 acres of land. Mr. Brotherton was married in Lenawee Co., Mich., in 1847, to Helen, daughter of Weston and Sophia Tenney, the father a native of Massachusetts, and the mother of New York. They first settled in the latter State and afterward moved to Lenawee Co., Mich. Mrs. Brotherton was the youngest of three children and was lx)rn in New York, Aug. 17, 1830. Mr. and Mrs. B. have two children, Ophelia and May. ( r I -=^^^ — =»-^^D!i^iins>^ r<^DII/>CCD^>r ->*^^isr Mr. B. has been Supervisor, Highway Commissioner, and was County Superintendent of the Poor six years. In politics he is a Greenbacker. Mr. and ^[rs. Brotherton are charter members of Fremont Grange, No. 494, P. of H. NEWAYGO COUNTY. ^ ^' I C' ^.kavid W. Flora, M. U., physician and sur- w v'Af eon, at Newaygo, was born at Cincinnati, Ohio, Nov 20, 1828. He is a son of George W. and Margaret (Sloop) Flora, and was reared to manhood after the method common the training of farmers' sons of that period. He obtained his elementary education at the common schools and found the curriculum of study open to him under the metropolitan school regulations to be only incentives to the investigation of the wide fields of knowledge to which the higher institutions of learning furnished the "oijcn sesame." He supplemented his primary studies by two years' attendance as a student in the literary department of the college at Augusta, Ky. He was df'eply im- pressed with the exhaustive and concise character of the text-books with which he became familiar, and S^ learned from them the lesson designed by discrim- nating instructors, — that they could only serve a ) specific purpose in designating the route to the possi- bilities lying in the great field of scientific research beyond our mental horizon. To join the already mighty army of authors and investigators, became his highest ambition, and, in casting about for a profes- sion which afforded the widest scope for the con- summation of his desires, he fixed upon that of medicine. His idea was not that of limiting himself to the study of drugs, or their effects \\\K>n the human system, or in any sense restricted by the scope of a practitioner devoted to the one purpose of ameliora- ting human suffering, but in the broadest sense pos- sible, and including anatom) , comparative anatomy, physiology and botany, — the whole field included ^ within the limits of natural* history. [ .\fter leaving Augusta he became a teacher, and ,A. devoted seven years to that profession, preparatory to ^ entering upon the course prescribed by custom for j/ such as contemplated the practice of medicine. In ^1857, he entered the office of Dr. .\. G. Boynton, ;'*) 3°3 of Columbus, Ind., and read under his supervision He afterwards attended lectures at the Ohio Medical College located at Cincinnati, and also at the Ken- tucky School of Medicine, at Louisville, and later at the Chicago Medical College. He spent one term at each of the institutions named. While thus engaged, the mighty question of country or no country was forced to an issue by the rebellious South, and in succeeding events Dr. Flora found duty and opportunity closely linked. In all that this may mean, a passing tribute is due to the influence wielded by the schools and instructors of the period between the settlement of this country and the ad- vent of civil war. The spirit of patriotism engen- dered by the struggle for independence had been thereby kept alive, and the fair green plant suddenly burst into marvelous bloom and bore a glorious fruit- age, solving the problem of the rise and fall of na- tions and demonstrating that the inherent principles of liberty are synonymous with those of truth and are as eternal ; also that they foster in the American people impulses which render the National institu- tions as imperishable as are the ties of home and kindred. Dr. Flora was in the ardor of youth and the flush of ambitious hopes to rise in his profession. He foresaw through the vista of advancement the acme of his aspirations ; and, recognizing the stability of small things for a foundation, he made haste to re- spond to the second call for troops after the disaster at Bull's Run, and entered the service as a private, enlisting in August, 1861, in C». F, 39th Ind. Vol. Inf., and was made Hospital Steward of the regiment. He was soon placed in charge of the regimental hospital, and made himself active in the care and treatment of the men and officers. His faithful, conscientious labors and the efficiency of his sanitar)' measures came to be understood at headquarters, and he was detailed to organize a general hospital for the army corps. He was informed that an oi)por- tunity was open to him to appear before an examin- ing board of regular army surgeons, under whose dictum he was mustered out by special order of the Secretary of War, preliminary to his apixsintment as Assistant Surgeon, U. S. A. He was assigned to the transportation service and assumed charge of a train conveying sick and wounded soldiers to the general hospital at Louisville, Ky. This duty involved the bringing in of the sick and wounded from outlying posts, and when it was comiilcted he was placed in »^ > A ;<>: 1. ,1 •*^' m i H!^^ ■:=^^ TK^^ntll^DDr^ -^a«€^^ -4^^^9(^' 1 ^ :<$ s ^ M 304 ^V^'W^^FGC COUNTY. charge of the convalescent barracks in the city, which post he Tilled from May t, 1862, to April 1, 1863. His next charge was Hospital No. 9, in I^oiiisville, where he remained until September of the year last named, when he was ordered to Camp Nelson, Ky., to care for 1,000 sick soldiers left by (len. Burnside, when he marched on Knoxville, Tenn. The attend- ant difficulties in this service rivaled the details in some of the rebel hospitals. Dr. Flora had but two assistants to aid him in the care and management of 1 .000 disabled soldiers and 1,000 contrabands and laborers, and in less than six weeks himself and fel- low surgeons succumbed to the severity of the situa- tion and were prostrated by typho-malarial fever and dysentery. His comrades went home to die, but he soon recovered his health, and on the first of October he resumed duty at the (General Hosiiital at Madi- son, Ind. While there he inaugurated a series of original investigations to discover the nature ot a certain class of obscure ailments which caused the victims to be classed as "malingerers," "hospital bummers," etc. This class of patients commonly became per- manent appendages to the hospitals, and if dis- charged "cured" and sent to the front, invariably returned and in time became the "opprobrium medicorum " of the profession. By the aid of the microscope and chemical tests. Dr. Flora succeeded in diagnosing and 'placing under proper treatment this class of patients. The incurable were discharged and the other " ilk " were sent to their commands, so described that they returned no more. While in charge of one of the divisions of the gen- eral hospital, Dr Flora devoted a portion of his time to morbid anatoni) , histology and natural history, especially in the department of entomology. During his microscopic investigations of embryology in in- sect life, he conceived the idea of photogra])hing magnified objects, and, aided by a photographer, he succeeded in obtaining what he supposed to be the first jiholographs of that character. It afterwards transpired that he had a contemporary in the work, — ■ Dr. Dean, of Washington, who was engaged at the same time (1865) in pliotographing sections of the spinal cord. Micro-photography has now reached amazing proportions, but Dr. Flora claims originality if not priority in the discovery. Fn addition to his duties and researches, he made important contribu- tions to the medical, literary and scientific magazines. On receiving his discharge from the army, Dr. Flora established his jjractice in Chicago, and while there became favorably known to a wide circle of miscellaneous readers by articles on current sanitary topics, one of which at least was exigent and oppor- tune. Many will remember the able and exhaustive [laper on Trichinae i)ul)lished by the Chicago Times ^ and cojiied by hundreds of journals of lesser pre- tensions. It was then becoming the subject of much interest to scientific thinkers, and alarm to other classes. In 1868, the Doctor came to Denver, Newaygo County, and not long afterward to Newaygo. His business here has been extensive and satisfactory. His intellectual grade in his profession is understood and appreciated, and he takes precedence of his com- peers as the oldest resident practitioner. He has been medical adviser among the poor a large proportion of the time since he settled here, and he has served many years as a local liealth officer. He is at present Justice of the Peace. In 1872, Dr Flora perfected and patented a safety mask for the purpose of protecting the respiratory organs from dust in mining and dry-grinding, by cot- ton films charged with antiseptics, forming a perfect safeguard against germs of infection in contagious diseases. Dr. Flora was married in .Seymour, Jackson Co., Ind., April 7, 1857, to Sarah C, daughter of Charles and Harriet Hanley. She was born alCohoes, N. Y., May 10, 1835. Charles A., elder child, was born in Bartholomew Co., Ind., and is a printer by trade. Daisy, only daughter, was lioni in Newaygo, Oct 7, 1869. Ijiffip; atrick Neville, deceased, was born March ifj, 14, 1824, in County Wexford. *^ % < A 'V ( l''^ ')^/^®^^^^ -^i^^ er-T<>n D >: P h>T ra^i ■isr -4^^^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. ® T ) > A V ^ Ronan. She was born and reared in the same place in County Wexford, and is the daughter of Matthew and Bridget (O'Donahue) Ronan. Her father was born in 1801, and her mother in 1802, both in Ire- land, in which country they also both died, in 1853. Mr. and Mrs. Neville sailed for the United States, April 15, 1853, and arrived in New York on the 2d day of Jane following. They reached the city of Philadeljjhia, where they remained three months. They started for Michigan in September and arrived in Newaygo County on the loth of that month. They passed the following winter at Powers' Corners, in Everett Township, and ill March 1854, bought 160 acres of land in Big Prairie, where they founded their home. Mr. Neville died March 19, 1865. Of seven children born to him and Mrs. Neville six are living. Following are their names in the order of their birth : Mary B., John J., William P., Mary Jane (dec), Catherine E., Matthew G. and Patrick P. When the father died the eldest child was but 1 1 years old, but the two eldest sons, aged ten and nine years, with their mother's aid, have placed the farm in fine con- dition. They at once, upon being left alone, contin- ued the work begun by the father, and could drive the oxen, although too small to adjust the ox yoke, which was done with the mother's assistance. The farm now comprises 105 acres, cleared, cultivated and improved with fine buildings. elson McDonald, farmer, section 1 1, Sheri- dan Township, was born in Upper Canada, March 23, 1826. He is a son of Peter and Amanda (Smith) McDonald, the former a native of Canada, where he now resides, at the advanced age of 95 years; the latter of Connecticut, and died in 1874. He lived in Canada until 1855, when he came to Newaygo County and purchased 240 acres of wild land in Sheridan Town- ship, where he now resides. He owns 210 acres, having given his sons 150 acres. He has 120 acres under cultivation. He was married in Upper Can- ada, April II, 1848, to Amanda E., eldest daughter of Moses S. and Joanna (Austin) Hindes, the former a native of New York and the latter of Upper Can- ada ; they moved to Newaygo County, where the father died, in the fall of 1880, and the mother re- sides in (iarfield Towi^ship. Mrs. McDonald was born in Upper Canada, Nov. 10, 1828. Mr. and Mrs. McDonald are the parents of 11 children : Melvin, Peter, Franklin, Cylicia V., Ar- minta, .\mos. Anion, Ida, Eda; Horatio died at the age of 22, and one died in infancy. Mr. McDonald has held the office of Highway Commissioner nearly every year since he settled in this township. Him- self and wife are members of Fremont Grange, P. of H. In politics he is a National Greenbacker. -<^'##=^- Charles F. Keefe, senior member of the firm of Keefe, Sutliff & Company, livery- [?* men, resident at Newaygo, was born July 11, (^ 1856, in Solon, Somerset Co., Me. His father, *• Michael Keefe, was born at St. John, N. B., May 4, 1818, of English and Scotch ancestry His mother, Louise (Waugh) Keefe, was born in De cember, 1824, in Maine, of English lineage. They removed to Lincoln, Penobscot County, in 1859, where they resided nearly 17 years. In the winter of 1875 they came to Howard City, Montcalm Co., Mich., whence they removed in December, 1882, to Canton, St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., where they are yet living. Mr. Keefe became a telegraph of)erator at the age of 15, and followed that pursuit about two and a halt years, and then engaged as a salesman in a drug store. He came West in 1874 and located at How- ard City, where he sijent three years in various occu- pations. In 1877 he entered upon the duties of book-keeper for the Muskegon Boom Company, where he was employed two years, acting also as foreman on the drive, and scaling logs during the winters until he came to Newaygo. On the i8th of September, 1883, associated with Albert E. and Solon D. Sutliff, he established a livery stable on the site of a similar enterprise managed by J. M. Allen, which was destroyed by fire, April 29, 1883. The firm are doing a profitable business, keeping ten horses and all fixtures common to such establishments. V i ^ - (• f^ % I-^-s. m^mjb^^ 'Si>ar'> t t A / '^ Mr. Keefe was married at Newaygo, Feb. 14, 1881, to Flora, daughter of Calvin A. and Emily Sutliff, born in Bridgeton, Dec. 24, 1863. Ethel, only child, was born in Bridgeton, Nov. 38, 1881. Mr. Keefe is a member of the Masonic fraternity. oshua G. Childs, farmer, section 26, Mon- roe Township, was born April 29, 1849, in Niagara Co., N. Y., and is a son of Sanford and Elizabeth (McGregor) Childs. The father is a native of New York, and the mother was born in Scotland. Both are yet living and re- side in Eaton Co., Mich. Mr. Childs obtained his education chiefly at the common schools of his native county and finished his career as a student in books by one term of study at Lewiston. He became " his own man " at the age of 17 years and spent some time in travel in the States of Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana. He com- = menced his career as a farmer in Newaygo County, .>^ in 1870, by entering a homestead claim in Monroe ^ Township, where he has since made the best possible application of his strength and judgment in clearing and otherwise improving his farm. He was married in Monroe Township to Harriet C, daughter of Abraham and Mary E. (Beaden) Al- ger. She was born in Coldwater, Mich., Nov. 10, 1856. Her parents were natives of Ireland. Mr. and Mrs. Childs have had five children, born as follows : Mary E., Nov. 18, 187 I ; Minnie M., April 11, 1875 ; Alden S., May 9, 1877; George A., April 6, 1879. James, born July 7, 1883, died Sept. 13, .1883. Mr. Childs is a Republican, and has held the of- fices of Supervisor and Deputy Clerk of the township. .;£3..cf-. elson P. Cook, farmer, section 2, Big Prairie Township, was born April 8, 1841, Jjr.gp"- ^ in Marion, Wayne Co., N. Y. His parents, •^'^ Asahel and Louisa (Dumond) Cook, were IG both natives of the State of New York, where the father was born about the year 1815: he died Nov. 7, 1S80, in .Mlegan County. Mr. Cook came to Michigan with his parents when he was 13 years old. They settled in Arlington, Van Buren County, and he continued an inmate of his father's household until he was 27 years of age, when he was married and began life as a family man. He passed a number of years in various employments, including farming, lumbering and operating threshing- machines. He came to Newaygo County in 1872, and Feb. 28 entered a homestead claim of 160 acres of land. He has cleared and improved 30 acres of land, placed it under good cultivation and erected suitable and convenient farm buildings. His place is well stocked with horses, cattle, sheep and swine. In political relations he is a Democrat. Mr. Cook was married Oct. 5, 1868, in Arlington, to Hannah, daughter of Hiram and Jane (Wilson) Lewis. She was born in Greenbush, Albany Co., N. Y-, April 9, 1850. Her parents were natives of the Empire State, born respectively in i8r8 and 1819. Mr. and Mrs. Cook have been the parents of two children: Margaret, born June 28, 1869, is the sole surviving child. sa P. Carpenter, retired farmer and teacher, ; resident on section 6, Croton Township, was born in Waterford, Caledonia Co., Vt., Sept. 2, 1802, and is the son of Asa and Erepta (Grow) I Carpenter. His father was born in 1770, in Ashford, Conn., and died Sept. 10, 1826; he was a son of Jonah Carpenter, who came to America soon after the Pilgrims made their first settlement in Massachusetts. The mother of Mr. Carpenter was born in 1780, in Hartland, Vt., and died in 1862. The father of Mr. Carpenter was a Congregational minister and gave his son a good available education. He commenced the vocation of teaching at the age of 18 years. He taught his first school in the town of Victor, Ontario Co., N. Y., in 1820. In 1824 lie went to Canada. He was married Oct. 3, 1 824, in Lewiston, Niagara Co., N. Y.,toMargaret, daughter of John and Catherine (Huff) Ulman. She was born April 27, 1798. Her father was born in 1754, in Lancaster, Pa., and died in 1833. Her mother was born about 17O4, in Canajoharie, N. Y., and died in 1835. Nine »v ^ t ^>-V«^(^§#— <^I1!1>:DD^:> JL. ■^«€^«^ I t ■^.^^i^^c^ — e^>titl>:tliiv>v .^tfTJlQP' tlfe^ -«*^ \ A ;^ ^O (^ I >s NEWAYGO COUNTY. of twelve rhildren born to Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter are living. Following arc all their names in the order of birth : Joseph Warren, Alethia, John Grow, Henry Ulnian (died of a wound in the army, and is buried at Alexandria, Va.), Margaret Ann, Asa and Erepta (twins), Benjamin, Charles Carrol (died by drowning) Elizabeth Catherine and Mary Jane. The latter were twins and Mary Jane is deceased. Mr. Carpenter was exclusively occupied in teach- ing until 1853, when he came to Michigan. He bought 40 acres of land in Croton, Newaygo County, and has added by purchase So acres more, where himself and wife now reside. The children have all scattered away to homes and interests of their own, except the son Benjaimn, who lives upon a part of the homestead. Mr. Carpenter has always been actively interested in ix)litics, and records himself as an inflexible Re- publican. He has held the office of Town Clerk six years. Superintendent of the Poor seven years, has been Coroner of the county and Justice of the Peace 12 years, and has officiated as School Inspector most of the time since he settled in Croton. He has taken the New York Tribune 40 years. Himself and wife belong to the Congregational Church. -V>— f- illiam H. Cope, farmer, section 14, Gar- field Township, was born in Beverley, Can., ip Nov. 8, 1827. He is a son of William and IIV^- Rhoda (Tucker) Cope, and was reared on a farm under tlie supervision of his father to the age of 20 years, when he left home and went to Waterloo, Can. In October, 1848, he was married to Fannie Smifh, who was born April 25, 1827, in Vermont. Of tlieir marriage six children were born, namely : Eliza J., wife of William Monroe, farmer, of (iarfield Town- ship; John, Alice, Emma, Elnora and William. Soon after the event of his marriage, Mr. Cope returned to Beverley and managed a saw-mill belonging to John Howard, one year. In 1849 he came to Decatur, Van Buren Co., Mich., and"there pursued agriculture. He had a long and prostrating illness, which con- tinued a year and exhausted his little savings. On ^ ;j. v.^ recovery, in 1851, he came to Croton, Newaygo County, and one year later made arrangements for the purchase of the farm where he now resides, of William Loomis, containing 80 acres of land, ex- changing therefor the labor of three years and two yokes of cattle. His farm now consists of 50 acres of cleared and well improved land, and 30 acres in heavy timber. Mr. Cope is in a prosperous condition financially, and has the satisfaction of knowing that he has won his way over obstacles that would have thrown men of less resolution into hopeless dis- couragement. ^.«SHJH» ewis S. Meyers, farmer, section 36, Big Prairie, was born in France about 30 hours, or 90 miles, from Strasbourg, on the river ( Main. The date of his birth was July 23 ^ 1 83 1. His father, Jacob Meyers, was born /O about 1783, in Schelestadt, and died in 1868. i= was an attache of an officer on the staff of v Napoleon Bonaparte. Jacob Meyers, the paternal = grandfather, belonged to the farming community of ■* France, and Ijy vocation was a dairyman. Mary Ann (Phillips) Meyers, the mother of Mr. Meyers of this sketch, was born in 1801, in Minster, France, in Lower Alsace. She died about 1857. The parents came to the United States in 1832, and located in Stark Co , Ohio. The son was about nine months old, and they lived there until he was 12 years of age, when they removed to Allen Co., Ind. Mr. Meyers remained at home until his first marriage in 1856, when he became the husband of Elizabeth McDowell. Two children were born of this marriage, namely : Viola, row Mrs. Weaver and residing in Indiana; and Leander, who lives in Ft. Wayne, Ind. The mother died in 1864. After the death of his wife Mr. Meyers enlisted in Co. A, 21st Mich. Vol. Inf., enrolling Sept. i, 1864. His com- mand was attached to the army corps of Gen. Sherman, and he served in all the actions during the memorable march to the sea. On the close of the war Mr. Meyers came to Croton, where he worked one year in a saw-mill, and then turned his attention to carpentry, and became foreman in the lumber interests of Robert Mitchell. c ®>)f^: 011^ >^-^ ^»^^ -4>^^ ■:i> ) < V^ ^» -^i^&K ^^-tK'^D D >: D Dv>^ -•Hf ^^xl^ f A o M NEWAYGO COUNTY. ^ Mr. Meyers was married in Croton, Newaygo ('ounty, May 13, 1869, to Katherine Maier. She was born July 22, 1838, in Baden, a Prussian province, and is a daughter of Batel and Margaret Maria (Kohler) Maier, natives of the same place in Prussia where their daughter was born. Both were Germans and born approximately in 1805 and 1807. About the date of his second marriage Mr. Meyers bought 80 acres of land in Big Prairie, where he established his home. He has 30 acres cleared, with good improvements. He has passed his time farm- ing and working as a lumberman. He is a great sportsman and has an interesting record. His list includes 300 deer, 194 of which he killed in Indiana. He has killed but one wolf, and but one bear. The latter weighed 327 pounds. Mr. Meyers is a Democrat in ])olitics, and Roman Catholic in religion. — ^^^^p-i^S-^'^ s- lohn Barnhard, farmer, section 3, Dayton Township, is a son of Jacob and Sarah (Hyland) Barnhard, and was born in San- dusky Co., Ohio, Nov. 18, 1836. When he was ten years old he came to this county with his parents. He lived under the parental roof until he was 20 years of age, and was then employed by the month on a farm for one year. In the fall of 1 858 he purchased 80 acres of wild land, on which he built a log house, and has since added 60 acres to his original purchase; 100 acres are under good cultiva- tion. In 1875 he erected a fine frame house where he now resides. He was married in Dayton Township, Nov. 24, i860, to Maryette, daughter of Aaron and Amanda Stone, natives of Connecticut, and they have two children: (iilbert L. and Herbert A. Mr. B. has held the oflfice of Township Clerk, Highway Com- missioner, School Inspector and Constable. He was elected Justice of the Peace but declined to qualify ; he was also Township Treasurer four years. March 12, 1862, he enlisted in the 3d Mich. Inf; served nearly three years and was honorably dis- charged, on account of a severe wound in the arm, at Spottsylvania Court-House. He was in the battle of the Wilderness and also that of Mine Run ; much of the time he was on detached service. He now re- ceives a pension. Himself and wife are members of Hesperian Lodge, No. 495, P. of H., and in ix)litics he is a Republican. m M^ •'^tsjmM^r^—^Mi *-^^irtW5Sv ^ ( *iyW*!^@T^"'" -^:DD>:I1D^:>^ |I%ilas Edgecomb, farmer, section 21, Big |l Prairie Township, was born Nov. 24, 1826, in the State of New York, and is the son of Asel and Sarah M. (Sears) Edgecomb. Both parents were of German descent and were born in the Empire Stale, the former about 1804 (died in in 1877), the latter in 1806 (died in 1827). Mr. Edgecomb became a resident of Michigan in (I 1826, when his parents settled in St. Clair County. ^^ He was married in Brockway, St. Clair County, /\ March 20, 1848, to Anna Freeman. She was born June 19, 1831, near St. Thomas, Canada West, and is the daughter of Curtis and Cynthia (Arms) Free- man. Her father was born Feb. 18, 1795, in Lower Canada, and died Jan. 9, 1866, in Brockway. The mother was born May 20, 1800, in the Dominion, and is still living. Following are the names of the chil- dren born to Mr. and Mrs. Edgecomb: C. Maria (dec), Nelson (dec), John W., Mary Jane (dec), Charles S., Alvaretta, Arthur (killed in 1881 on a log rollway on the Muskegon River), Annie and Thomas. Mr. Edgecomb was a resident of St. Clair County about ten years, when he removed to the State of Iowa. He went thence, 18 months later, to Wiscon- sin, where he resided one year at Prairie Du Chien, and two years in Grant County. He came to Ne- waygo County, Jan. 9, i860, and entered the employ of Henry Loomis, for whom he kept a boarding-house about five months, located two miles from Newaygo village. He went in the summer of i860 to Gaines- ville, Kent County, where he bought 40 acres of land, with about 25 acres improved, where he lived three years, selling out at the expiration of that time and removing to Croton. After a year's residence there he moved to section 26, where he logged one winter. The following spring he bought 120 acres of land on (^ section 25, on which he resided one year and sold f ^-1>/^ o&^ '^.^^^_,^,^i^^ ►fesS! NEWAYGO COUNTY. -5*€*^^ 'ij^" 4?^jf 313 tout. His next purchase was 160 acres, which is now his liomestead. This became his properly in iiS7o, and was partly improved. On this he has since f resided with the exception of several winters he has -§ spent in the hnnber woods. In political belief Mr. ^^ Edgecomb is a Democrat, and in religions tendency inclines to the Presbyterian faith. J>vyiJ^ ^^ (^ ^ illiam Hila Webster, deceased, was born Oct. 29, iSio, in .Stanstead, "Canada East." His earliest traditionary ancestor was his grandfather twice removed, — other- wise his great-great-grandfather, — who was an Englishman and came from Norfolk to the United States and settled in New Hampshire, where all his intermediate paternal ancestors were born. His father, John Webster, was born in 1787 and re- moved to Vermont with his family in 1792. He was married in 1809, to Marcia Eastman, and soon after that event went to Stanstead. The wife was born April 10, 1790, in New Hampshire. She was of Welsh ancestry, and died in Big Prairie, Dec. 23, 1863. John Webster died Feb. 15, 1819, in Stan- stead, Canada East. Mr. Webster came to Michigan in June, 1853, and selected Newaygo County as a place of residence. In the spring of 1854 he settled on section 21, Big Prairie Township, where he bought 600 acres of land. On this he wrought out his life work as a pioneer, a husband and father, and citizen. Mr. Webster was married at Port Hope, Ontario, Oct. 12, 1836, to Phebe Ann Moore. Slie was born in that place April 8, 1822. and is the daughter of James and Azubah (Soule) Moore. Her father was born in the State of New York, in 1792, of Scotch and Irish lineage, and one remove from such ancestry. Azu- bah (Soule) Moore was born in 1796, and was the daughter of Wilson Soule, and of German de- scent. Wilson Soule married Polly Curtis, who was a native of New York and of English ancestry. Their marriage occurred in 1792, and about the year 1808 they removed to Ontario, near C!oburg. Wil- son Soule died in Clarke, Ontario, May 7, 1837; his wife died in Brantford, Ontario, in January, 1857. James Moore and Azubah Soule were married in 181 1. The latter died Sept. 19, 1843, in Clarke; the latter in Haldimand, Ontario, Jan. 18, 1865. Their children were born as follows: Azubah Fi- delia, July 3, 1814; Emily Rosetta, March r6, 1816; Calvin Wilson, May 23, 18 18; Polly Lavi- nia. May 22, 1820; Phebe Ann (as given); Hosea Lysander, July 23, 1824, died July 21, 1826. The following are the records of the children liorn to Mr. and Mrs. Webster: James M. H. (see sketch); Charles Wesley, July 28, 1845 (died Sept. 16, fol- lowing); John Emory (see sketch); Sophronia Ade- laide, Aug. 7, 1850 (died Oct. 6, same year) ; George Rila (see sketch); Herbert Fremont (see sketch); Chester Calvin, July 31, 1858 (died .Spril 13, 187 i) ; Phebe Adela, Aug. 10, 1861 ; Leslie Allison, July 20, 1863. The daughter last named is remarkable for an unusual mental organization. She attracted much notice in her early childhood for precociousness, and it became the purpose of her parents to give her an education commensurate with her abilities. At a suitable age she was sent away to school, but it soon became necessary to remove her to the quiet and tranquillity of her home. Her studies developed her reflective faculties so rapidly that her physical powers utterly failed to keep pace, and her health became endangered. She is a young lady of lovely Christian character and is the endeared companion of her widowed mother. Leslie, the youngest son, has a marvelous g#nius for music, and is able to manipu- late any instrument that comes within his reach. He plays the violin and all keyed instruments with taste and skill. He was married Jan. 8, 1884, to Jessie, daughter of J. F. A. Raider, of Newaygo. William Rila Webster's grandfather was the lirother of the same paternal ancestor of the representative statesman and orator of America — Daniel \\'ebster. It is a singular circumstance that the generation be- fore them married into families of similar name but no kin. The similarity of many traits in different Imes of descent in the Webster family is a well establislied fact, and is discernible in the character of him whose earthly career this sketch commemorates, as in his younger brothers — Francis Webster, resid- ing at Fairbanks, Buchanan Co., Iowa; John Webster, m 1" A :-«m->'-* — so^ ~^i»^ '''"" 314 ^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. -^ -^:^^^m\M. •A" f ^ >: ) ^ t. ^ who died in Michigan, in 1877 ; and West Webster, a citizen of Minnesota. He was of powerful physique, large brain, strong mind and wonderful self-poise, and possessed a phenomenal memory, seeming never to forget anything he read peitaining to his duties as a man and citizen. Mr. Webster was a natural mechanic, and from his childhood was distinguished for his love of architect- ure. He employed all his leisure in studying, plan- ning, drawing and designing buildings for himself and others, and, had he devoted his life to architecture as a calling, would have acquired distinction in that art. All his lifelong he was a believer in a Supreme Being, and insisted on his entire household observing the ordinance of the Sabbath. In March preced- ing his death he made professioft of religion, and when the moment of his dissolution came he passed to the silent mystery of the world beyond in the tri- umph of a living faith. With his last breath he strove to impress upon his children and others the precepts Y of religion and the iiiijierative necessity of temper- • '■ ance and morality. Mr. Webster died May 21, 1882. His portrait with that of his surviving wife may be found on other pages of this volume. The character of the one is indelibly impressed upon those who knew him as a man of sterling traits and such charac- teristics as built Newaygo County to her present com- pleteness and position. Five surviving sons and one daughter are living testimonials to what he was as a father. Mrs. Webster is such a woman as experience and self-sacrifice develop from the stock of earlier generations — such a woman as under the impulse of later civilization would have taken front rank in the work of the world. She is [assessed of most ^, strongly marked personal traits of character. No "a one has larger sympathies or more heartfelt interest n the well being of others. " Bear ye one another's burdens," is her law of life. She has followed it in sweet patience, unfaltering courage and with a pur- pose and spirit wholly exempt from any personal end or motive. She has been, since the death of her husband, the mainspring in all the family and bus- '' iness matters relating to the settlement of his estate, and prosecutes her affairs with all calmness and wisdom of judgment. Who will say, when Ne- ^ waygo County reaches its height of promised achieve- >^ ment, what part the jMoneer mothers had in the consummation } iiKViE^f^ coo L-S^^cvK rancis H. Peterson, farmer and lumber- JC man on section 23, Croton Township, was ^^">^ born in Hastings County, Canada West, Oct. 24, 1850, and is a son of Hazlett and ^j^ Susannah M. (Purcells) Peterson. The former was born in Kingston, Canada, in 1812, and died in Croton Township, Oct. 22, 1882. The mother was born in 1822 and is still alive. Both parents were of German extraction. The family came to Newaygo County in 1866, when the son was 16 years old. He remained at home two years longer, and set out in life on his own responsibility. He engaged as an assistant in a shingle-niill and followed that business nine years. In 1879 he bought 80 acres of land, of which he has cleared but a small proportion, occupying his time chiefly in lumbering. He is a Prohibitionist and has lield the various township offices. Edith E., wife of Francis H. Peterson, was born in Everett Township, Newaygo County, Dec. 7, 1855, and is the daughter of James and Sarah (Bamhart) Berry. Her father was a farmer and born of Irish extraction, in tlie State of Massachusetts, June 16, i8ri; died March 29, 1862. Sarah, his wife, was born Feb. 7, 1818, in Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Peterson were married Dec. 6, 1874, in Newaygo, and are the parents of three cliildren : Robert H., Arthur E. and Mabel V. -^*^gM-«- .leazer "Luce, farmer, section 6, Barton Township, was born Aug. 10, 1814, in Tompkins Co., N. Y., and is a son of ivid and Sophia (Raynord) Luce. His par- its were born on Long Island and are both deceased. The son was " bound " to a farmer named Thomas George, and was under his management until he was 19 years old, receiving a fair degree of education. Mr. Luce was married in 1837, to Mrs. Sarah (Edwards) Moore, a native of Steuben Co., N. born March 30, 1S17, and daughter of Stephen Nancy (Johnson) Edwards. Her father was bor < A ^ ?f5«^ kiTS?ia -^^^^^ ■^^ii!i:^iiii;>A^ — ^"^^f^ «* ^t^ H »/®))ex^^^' NEWAYGO COUNTY. ■^an^^^W r•■ii:^^ ^^^^\^l \ 3'5 Connecticut, her mother in Orange Co., N. Y. Mr. Moore died in 1837 and left one child, Loretta. Five children born to Mr. and Mrs. Luce are living, namely: Eliza J., Andrew J., Eleazer S., Eleanor I,, and Sarah Unica. Five are deceased. Mr. Luce i)assed a number of years on a farm in Steuben County and went thence to Pennsylvania, where he followed tlie same pursuit three years. In the fall of 1856 he set out for Michigan and slopped in Ohio to spend the winter. Li February, 1867, he arrived in Newaygo County, where he exchanged his team, wagon, harness, etc., for 80 acres of land on section 6, Barton Township. The title proved worthless and he caine very near losing it, and lie entered the claim as stipulated under the provisions of the Homestead Law. The deed of conveyance bears the signature of U. S. Grant, then Chief Ex- ecutive of the United States. The land was a wil- derness of heavy timber, and its proprietor has placed it under fine improvements. He is a Repub- lican and warmly esteemed by his fellow townsmen. ^*-^»^ lias Elwell, farmer, section 36, Monroe Township, was born in Bennington Co., ■^^'"^ Vt., March 5, 1828, and is the son of !eivi. Harrington and Rhoda (Benton) Elwell. The J. father was a native of Vermont, and the mother J of Germany ; both are deceased. At the age of 13 years Mr. Elwell was thrown up- on his own resources to secure a maintenance for himself, and he engaged as a chore boy and at- tended a district school the first winter. For some years afterward he was variously employed. He was married in 1849, in New York, to Sarah, daughter of Jonathan and Eunice (Putney) Bennett, born in Warren Co., N. Y.. May 4, 1832. The parents were natives of the Empire State. He pursued farming ^^for some years in the State of New York, and in 1853 < transferred his family and interests to Hillsdale Co., <|> Mich., removing successively to Barry and .Mlegan ^Counties. In 1866 he entered a homestead claim in 'Tewaygo County, of which he took possession larch II, 186S, and has put his place under good r* improvements and profitable cullivation. Of 13 /Children born to Mr. and Mrs. h'^hvell, five are living, namely: Orlando J., Clarinda J., Hiland W., Edgar ^, L. and Calvin B. The deceased were Francis E., David D., Lavinia Annie, Mary A., Eunice E., Charles D. and one in infancy. ; Mr. Elwell is a Republican in politics. ^ V.J,;, i'l'iiyi,:: obert Rogers, farmer ai ^j'Ukip-' dent on section 2i,Bif and lumberman, resi- Big Prairie Township, was born April 7, 1850, in Kent Co. Mich., ,^ and is son of Benjamin and Betsy (Reynolds) Rogers. (See sketch.) Mr. Rogers continued to remain under his father's management until he was 21 years of age, when he began to interest himself in the two-fold calling which now occupies his attention and to which he has since devoted his energies without in- termission. He has become the owner of 80 acres of land, of which he has cleared nine acres the present year (1S83). He is a Democrat in political adherence. Mr. Rogers was married Dec. 26, 187 1, in Ne- waygo County, to Delia Dingman. She was born Dec. 25, 1852, in Noble Co., Ind., and is the daugh- ter of Jared and Miranda (Spurbeck) Dingman, both of whom were of German descent and are yet livipg in Newaygo County. The five children born >o Mr and Mrs. Rogers are all living. They are named Myrtie, Maud, Meda, Benjamin and Jared. |-vv~%— 4- A :< r ;@^V^i/$i«^ -K^^Illl .^lEiaDsa Cook, farmer, section 11, Barton Town- m^'?h ship, was born April i, 1835, in Richland '^!to ^'°'' ^^'°- ^'^ parents, Asa and Cynthia ijeA (UpdegrafT) Cook, were natives of Oliio. Tlie j father died when his son was Init ten years of age; the mother in 1859. Mr. Cook spent the years of his early life in ob- taining an education and in farm labor, until 1862, when he responded to the call of his country for men to aid in her hour of trial. He enlisted and ^^^\^^^y^ ^^»€^- " ^V^l... I J r^'ii^? tr ) >5 V > ) 3 ^ .< /^ 316 ^p =.=^ - = ^ was in the service until June, 1865, when he received f his discharge. Among the prominent engagements '~' in which he participated were Crab Orchard, Stone J River, Atlanta, Peach Tree Creek and the campaign "§1 of Sherman through Georgia. In October following his discharge from the army he located in Newaygo Co., Mich., and bought 80 acres of land in Barton Township, then in a comparatively unsettled condi- tion. He was married in i860 to Eliza Jane, daughter of John and Elizabeth (Doll) Forsyth. The parents were natives of Pennsylvania. Mrs. C. was born in Ohio, Nov. 3, 1841. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Cook inckides three children, viz.: May M., Francis M. and Nellie A. Mr. Cook is a Republican in political belief, and has served his township in several official capacities. V<^llll^'IlDf>T^^^ 5*€^^ 4^^f NEWAYGO COUNTY. onrad G. Smith, farmer, section 16, Ash- ^^ land Township, is the son of Josiah and Rachel (Clemens) Smith, natives of Maine. They were married in the Pine-Tree State and removed to Seneca Co., Ohio, where the son was born, Oct. 20, 1834, and resided in that county until 1845. Mr. Smith had reached the age of 1 1 years when his parents went to Noble Co., Ind. He worked on the farm of his f;Uher until the death of the latter in the fall of 185 I, which event brought him face to face with the realities of actual life so far as the world goes. He gave his attention heartily to the first op- portunities . that presented to earn a comfortable, creditable livehhood. He was married July i, 181; 8, at Elkhart, Ind., to Arcenoah, a daughter of Elisha and Sophia (McQueen) Hager. She was born in Oswego Co., N. Y., March 25, 1842, and died in Or- ange, Noble Co., Ind., March 27, 1861, leaving one child, Eugene V., born Sept. 4, 1859. She fell a victim to diphtheria. Mr. Smith found in the civil war a field for his ef- forts, and he became a soldier. He enlisted Aug. 25, 1 86 1, in Co. M, Second Ind. Cav. His regiment joined the Army of the Cumbedand, Gen. Buell in command. Mr. Smith underwent the oft-recited ex- periences of the encounters of the Morgan raid, and was in the action between the noted guerrilla chief and Gen. Johnson, at Gallatin, Tenn. The Union force was repulsed on the third charge, and while making the onset Mr. Smith received a shot across the right eye, and another in the left leg. A pursuit followed, and after riding seven miles he was captured. He was finally paroled and rejoined his command at Louisville, was sent thence to Indianapolis, where he was discharged as disabled, Dec. 20, 1862. He returned to Noble County, and in the spring of 1863 he went to Newaygo County and purchased the tract of land where he is now established. He delayed entering upon the work of improving, as the facilities for lumber operations seemed to offer paramount at- tractions, and he availed himself of their advantages until he was ready to settle in life. He was married June 23, 1867, to Sarah L., daughter of David and Lucretia Law. She was born Sept. 13, 1847, in Noble Co., Ind. Her father was born in Ohio and her mother in New York. Mr. and Mrs. Smith took ixjssession of the farm, 60 acres of which are under good improvements, and in a fine state of cultivation, showing the industry, effort and judgment of its proprietor. Mr. Smith owns in ad- dition one-fourth of section 20, in Ashland Township. To him and his wife the following children have been born: Claude D., Feb. 3, 1871, and Ann, Feb. 13, 1873. Mr. Smith belongs to the Greenback party in politics, and is a member of Blue Lodge, No. 131, F. & A. M., at Newaygo. svi-;..»- Prairie, was liorn in Genesee Co., N. Y., ,' i-^ ':> April 8, 1836, and is the son of John and J^J^^^' Jane (McCollum) LeBaron. The father was 'j.lj' born in Killingworth, Conn., about 1803, \j and was of French ancestry. He died Nov. 20, 1878, in Olive, Clinton Co., Mich. The mother was born about 1808, in Cherry Valley, N. Y. Mr. LeBaron was three years old when his parents came to Michigan. They settled at Saline, Calhoun County, in 1839, where they resided until 1845, when they removed to a farm in Wayne County ; theme they removed to Farmington, Oakland County, five years later. The family resided there f A ( i; illiam LeBaron, farmer, section 22, Big r^ m v '^ :) > A V ) -^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. rr -4^^Jf on a rented farm until 1855, when they removed to Clinton County. The son acted as assistant to his father previous to that time, and obtained a good common-school education, with the intention of going to a higher institution of learning, but changed his plans and enlisted in the regular army of the United States. He enrolled at Detroit, April 8, 1858, in Co. A, Second U. S. Light Artillery, and served five years, receiving his discharge in April, 1863. He returned to Olive, Clinton County, and worked his father's farm until his marriage, when he bought 80 acres of land in the same township. After a short residence there he bought a farm in Alpine, Kent County, where he pursued agriculture until the fall of 1873, when he came to Newaygo County and entered a claim of 74 acres of land under the Home- stead Act. As his circumstances warranted he has continued adding to this until he now owns 250 acres. Mr. LeBaron has made a great achievement by unremitting labor. He has 50 acres of land cleared and improved, all by his own unaided efforts; has worked at lumbering and harvesting, and prac- ticed every economy to jilace himself and family in comfort and independence. Mr. LeHaron was married Feb. 21, 1867, to Cor- nelia, daughter of Eddy and Ann (Burtcli) ISuitch. She was born at Newport, Province of Ontario, .\ug. 27, 1844, and her [jarents were natives of Mt. Pleas- ant, Ontario, Canada. 'I'hey were of English and German descent, born respectively in iSigand 1S24. Tlie father died in 1S57 and the mother married Julius Rouse, and is now living at Lowell, Kent County. The children of Mr. and Mrs. LeBaron are: Arthur F., Charles, Edith and Eddy. The two last named are twins. I alter L. Whipple, farmer, section 12, Monroe Township, was born Feb. g, 1835, in Genesee Co., N. Y., and is a son of Wil- ,, ., liain M. and Sarah A. (Thompson) Whipple, vy the former a native of Pennsylvania, the latter ^ of New York. Mr. Whipple was bred to the vocation of farmer, and in 1864 came to Michigan with iiis father, locating in Ingham County. He enlisted iit the late war in 1861, in the 5lh Reg. N. Y. Vol. Inf. Co. E, and served nine months; was discharged in conse- quence of disability. After receiving his discharge from the service of the United States he went to Lansing, Mich., and studied dentistry with Dr. Lanterman some years, but finally abandoned his purpose of making that his business in life, and in the autumn of 1869 purchased 80 acres of land in Monroe Township, on which he practiced amateur farming and has gradually in- creased his landed estate until he now owns 600 acres, all situated in the township of Monroe. Mr. Whipple was married in Ingham County, June 14, 1869, to Alice E., daughter of Randolph W. and Claramon (Harmon) Whipple, natives of the State of New York. Mr. Wliipple is a Republican in political affiliation, and has served his townsmen as Treasurer and Jus- tice of the Peace. ^' ''^m^f' "tO'lhilip A. Harrison, surveyor, resident at ly^? Cr _____ Croton, was born June 23, 1824, in Steuben j|i,^i<'^ Co., N. Y., and was a son of James and tUJ Elizabeth (Ennis) Harrison. 'I'he father was •'/ ^ of English extraction and was born in April, '* 1791, in New York. He died in 1878, in Seneca Co., Ohio. Tlie mother was a descendant of Scotch ancestors, and was l)orn in 1803 in New Jersey. She died in April, 1848. Mr. Harrison was trained for his contest in life under the supervision of his parents, and remained with them a year after his marriage, when he com- menced an independent career: He bought 80 acres of land in Reed, Seneca Co., Ohio, and conducted in that place his agricultural operations until 1850, when he sold his estate there and came to Ottawa Co., Mich., in company with his father. He pur- chased a farm, whereon he operated two and a half years, sold out and went to Casnovia Township, where he bought 80 acres of land. After 18 months he again disposed of his property, and in 1855 came to Croton Township for a permanent settlement. He bought a farm containing 240 acres, situated on sections 22 and 23, whore he operated successfidly. In October, 1865, he retired from active agricultural life, and resides upon his properly in Croton village. ■«;■ A ( mh>^'^ — ^^^ MC- «#^-.W'.^ t I m.j ■ys^. ^^Si8 T^^^"^ -— 7<•?lID>:llIl^>^— 7^^^;^^F— !- ^aniel D. Smith, farmer, section 12, Barton \ Township, was born July 15, 1820, in Nel- son, Madison Co., N. Y., and is the son of James and Sarah (Dike) Smith, the former a native of Columbia ("o., N. Y., the latter born near Woodstock, Windham Co., Vt. They died in Madison County. Mr. Smith passed the years of his minority with his parents, and was married Dec. 30, 1845, '° Sylvia, daughter of James and Margaret (Hogoboom) Chap- pell, born in Eaton, Madison Co., N. Y., Dec. 18, 1824. Her father was born in Wateitown, N. Y.; ^ her mother in Manchester, Vt. After the event of I his marriage Mr. Smith continued the occupation of farmer in his native county on the same place, where he operated 16 years. At the end of that time he sold the property and located in Kent Co., Mich., where he followed agriculture two years. In Janu- ary, 1867, he came to Newaygo County and pur- chased 120 acres of farm land in Barton Township, wliere he has toiled and cleared 69 acres. His place is a credit lo his exertions and judgment, and bids fair to hold proportionate rank with others in the county. One of nine children born to Mr. and Mrs. Smith is deceased, namely, James. The others are, Sarah A. (Mrs. Andrew Forsyth), Orville L., Ann E. (Mrs. S. B. Schermerhorn), Willis L., Flora M. (Mrs. Charles Bryant), Estella C. (Mrs. Pedey Hall), Min- nie O. (Mrs. George Millard), and Franz Sigel. Mr. Smith is a Democrat in political belief, and has discharged the duties of the most im])ortant township offices. jbernard E. Morton, carpenter and joinen S resident in Big Prairie Township, was born Dec. 4, 1820, in Plymouth, Chenango W Co., N. Y. His father, Elijah Morton, was "• born in 177 i, in Hatfield, Mass., and was the grandson of one of the Pilgrims who came to America in r62o, in the Mayflower. He died in 1845, in Shiawassee Co., Mich. The mother, Han- nah (Ransom) Morton, was born in r78o, in Wood- stock, Conn. She was of mixed Scotch and Welsh extraction, and died in r867, in Big Prairie. Elijah Morton came to Shiawassee with his family in 1834. Mrs. Morton was the widow Swaine when she becaiiie the wife of Mr. Morton, and had sevei'al children. Aaron Swaine, one of her sons, came to this State in 1833 and first located in Shiawassee County, afterwards, in 1850, coming to Big Prairie, where he Iniilt the second house erected in the town- ship, located in section 7. Bernard Morton accompanied his half-brother to Michigan, and, after the removal of the latter to Ne- waygo County, alternated between here and the home of his mother in Shiawassee County, until 1856, when he came to what is now Dayton Town- I I 3 <-na>:iiiis>^ -•-^^"«®/^ -at^^i V^ :>-r ">*-4(!r- NEWAYGO COUNTY. 3'9 i) ^ ^ ^ ship and pre-empted 40 acres of land, on which be settled and at once entered upon the work of estab- lishing his home. He was married Feb. 22, 1857, in Big Prairie, to Nancy Gibson. She was born in Mercer Co., Pa., Feb. 23, 1828, and died in Dayton, June II, 1880, leaving four children, born as follows: Corena v., Aug. 9, 1859; Amelia A., April 24, 1861; Manila M., Nov. 14, 1862; A. Ogilva, May 27, 1866. Mr. Morton is a Republican in political principles. He served nine months in the war of the Rebellion, belonging to Company G, Eighth Mich. Vol. Inf , and was discharged at Detroit, Aug. 7, 1865. After his discharge he returned to his family in Dayton Township, where he worked on his farm until the death of his wife and the severing of his house- hold, when he became an inmate of the family of his niece, the wife of William L. Murphy, of Big Prairie. Coseph A. Franklin, farmer, section 36, Big Ug- Prairie Township, was born in Leonidas,~ ^'^^ St. Joseph Co., Mich., March 13, 1845, and is a son of Allan and Lydia Ann (Stevens) Franklin. His father was born in 18 10, in Westmoreland, Vt., and died about 1849. The mother was born May 22, 1S16, in Steuben Co., N. Y., and is living on the homestead in Leonidas, and is the wife of A. M. Covey. Mr. Franklin enlisted at the age of 18 years in Company A, Eleventh Mich. Vol. Inf. The date of his enrollment was Dec. 15, 1863, and he was mus- tered out of service Sept. 16, 1865. After leaving the army he returned home and worked as a farm laborer three years. He came to Newaygo County in April, 187 1, and entered a claim of i6o acres Government land under the provisions of the Home- stead Act, on which he has since resided. He has sold 80 acres, and cleared 26 acres, on which he has erected good farm buildings. He is a Republican in political relations, and has been Constable one year. He was elected to the same office in 1883, but de- clined to qualify for the position. Mr. Franklin was married in 1872, in Fredonia, Calhoun County, to Sarah Ann, daugiiter of Stephen and Jane (Pryor) Saunders. She was born in New York, May 29, 1837. Her father was born May 18, T795, in England, and died Aug. 26, 1862. Her mother was also a native of England, born Jan. 21, 1813, and resides in Albion, Calhoun Co., Mich. The family belong to the denomination known as Second Adventists. m i ichard Bardan, farmer, section 30, Barton ■:^ Township, was born in Elgin Co., Out., • i,^'^ June 7, 1833. His parents, Albert and Nancy ' ^Vn (Gibbs) Bardan, were natives of the Dominion, and there passed their lives. The circumstances of his family prevented Mr. Bardan from obtaining much education. They were situated remote from schools, and it was neces- sary for each member to contribute toward the com- mon maintenance. He remained at home until he was 22 years of age, when he went to Benton Co., Iowa, and was there engaged in farming five years. In i860 he came- to Mecosta Co., Mich., and 1 1 years later settled in Newaygo County, where he located 40 acres of land in Barton Township and established his homestead. His political faith assimilates with the principles of the National party. Mr. Bardan was married in 1857, to Sarah A., daugh- ter of Lewis V? and Paulina (Wheeler) Keller. The parents were natives of Pennsylvania and New York. Mrs. Bardan was born April 16, 1843. She is the mother of seven children, born as follows: Susan F., born Oct. 3, 1859; Annie L., Jan. 31, 1861; Alpha J., Jan. 27, 1865 ; Cora E., May 10, 1868; Ida M., Sept. 27, 1876; John O., Jan 29, 1881. <"s«-<(i»H«>o — ^^-f<- \ eorge W. English, resident on section 7, .,^^^^ Croton Township, was born Jan. 4, 1837, 13 1^^ in Crawford Co., Ohio. His jiarents, rmrs Abiaham and Sarah (McKee) English, were born in Pennsylvania, respectively of English and Irish descent. The father was born in 1800, and died in May, 1882. Tiie mother was born in 1807 and died in 1875. Mr. English has worked most of his active business life as a carpenter and builder, and caliinet-maker, to which trade he was a|)prenticed at 16 years of age. ©^*- .ii;^'f;%!K_ .a^^ mmm>^ ■"ft ^jtf^ > »■ I t ■■X'l f 2j #- -^^€ ^ ^jv C:iia;rT — -.^^ «i^^fs^v^^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. M > A V > He pursued it as a vocation in his native county until 1861, when he went to Williams Co., Ohio, and engaged in cabinet-making. He enlisted in the civil war in September, 1862, enrolling in Co. H, Ninth Ohio Cav., for three years. The war closed before his period of enlistment had expired, and he received his discharge at Columbus, Ohio. He was in active service during the entire time, and among the important campaigns of which he was a part was that of Sherman's grand march to the sea. His wife and three children went to Crawford County while he was in the Union service, and on the termination of the war he returned to Ohio, and they went to Wood County, returning two years later to Williams County. In 1873 they came to Hillsdale Co., Mich., and resided there two years. In 1875 they removed to Isabella County, where they continued to reside until July, 1882, when they made a permanent settle- ment in Newaygo County. In 1867 Mr. English began his labors as a minister in the interests of the denomination of First-Day Adventists, and at the date named he came to this county to take charge of the circuit of Big Prairie^ Croton village and Snowtown, in Croton Township, where he is still discharging the duties of the position. He is a Republican in principle, but is in no sense active in politics. Mr. English was married in Crawford Co., Oiiio, Oct. 8, 1857, to Nancy, daughter of Robert and Jane (Doney) George. Her parents were born in Penn- sylvania, respectively in i8i2 and 1815. Her father died in 1855, in Williams County, where her mother now resides. Following are the names of the eight children born of this marriage: Emma Jane, Abraham Lincoln, Frank Ellsworth, Ida Belle, Sarah Ellen, Charles Grafton, George Edward and Herbert (deceased). ohn Toner, farmer, section 10, Barton Township, was born in the city of Toronto, Can., in September, 1S41. He is a son of Francis and Mary (Carrigan) Toner, who were natives of Ireland, and emigrated to the Do- minion of Canada in 1840. They came thence to Newaygo Co., Mich., in 1867, where the father died, April i, 1880, and the mother is still living. Mr. Toner received the training of a farmer's son, and in 1867 bought a homestead right in Newaygo County, which he again entered under the regula- tions of the Homestead Act. His farm now includes 160 acres of land, with 60 under improvement and in a fair state of cultivation. He was married June 27, 1 88 1, to Margaret E., daughter of Daniel and Catherine (Pratt) Hanley. Her father was born in Ireland and her mother in Oneida Co., N. Y. Mrs. Toner was born Jan. 30, 1858, in Topeka, Kansas. To her and her husband one child, Mary C, was born Jan. 5, 1882. In political tendency Mr. Toner is neutral, liut he is a decided foe to local monopoly and has devoted liis energies to its disruption. !artwell Churchill, instructor, resident on ^.w^^irrA section 34, Ashland Township, was born i^ Feb. 2, 1845, •'■' Somerset Co., Maine, and be- longs to the Churchill family of England, one of the oldest and best sustained in the list of the better classes in that country. His father dying when lie (Hartwell) was between three and four years old, he remained under the care of his mother until the age Of six years, when he was placed under the management of John Peirce, of Embden, in his native country, with whom he continued to reside until he was about 13 years old. He then became a farm laborer, devoting himself to his work in the sum- mers and to stuSy winters, thereby securing a good education, which enabled him to commence teaching at the age of 19 years. He was economical and pru- dent, and saved sufficient of his earnings to purchase 100 acres of land, where he established his mother and her children in a home, and turned his attention to farming. After eight years he experienced finan- cial reverses to such an extent that he resumed his profession, combining the lalwrs of a teacher with those of a minister of the gospel in the interests of the Free-Will Bai)list Church. In 1879 he became connected with the United Brethren Church, and was a successful revivalist preacher. His views conflict- ing with the stern discipline of that denominational body in relation to secret societies, he returned to the ministry of the Church to which he originally be t V^ '■I A Si/ < ^. -^m :< DDr>^ ^"^^^ •4^^^ ^iiD>>T- ■^ir-i^r,^ ^i< NEWAYGO COUNTY. ^long, i, and devotes the intervals between his terms ^' of school lo active ministerial effort. He came to Michigan in the fall of 1872 and at first located in Kent County, and soon after came to Newaygo County, where he has since been engaged V'in tlie duties and labors of teacher, and is rated fairly and justly as a leader in his profession. He was married Jan. 13, 1870, at Skovvhegan. Somerset Co., iMe., to Lydia E., daughter of Noah and Lydia (Eaton) Pratt, a native of Somerset County, and born Oct. 3, 1837. Her parents were # born respectively in Massachusetts and Maine. Five # children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Churchill, as follows: Bertha L., June 20, 187 1; Lydia M., Nov. 6, 1873; Lula A., March 28, 1879; Lillian P., Oct. s, 1881 ; and an infant yet unnamed, born Nov. 11,1883. Mr. Churchill is a decided Republican in political faith. > A 321 s. '• ^tk^^-4': '10. quire Gard, farmer, section 6, Barton Town- -0 ship, was born in L^nion Co., Ind., Jan. 26, = vii-' ' 1825, and is a son of Benjamin and Eliza \y < )i\t^ (Adams) Gard, both of whom were natives of .) Pennsylvania and resided there for a consid- erable number of years. They removed to Indiana, where the father died in 1841 and the mother in 1863. Mr. Gard was the sixth child of 14 born to his parents, and spent his childhood and youth on his father's farm, obtaining a fair degree of education at the common schools. On first starting in life he went to Ohio and engaged as a farm assistant with a man named William Lybrook, and after the termin- ation of his engagement with him rented a farm, which he managed one year. He ne.xt went into farm service by tlic year. During the time, he was married (1848) to Margaret M., dauglrter of Samuel and Mary (Yeryan) Feather. The former was born {o\ in Pennsylvania, the latter in Tennessee. Mrs. Gard was born in Union Co., Ind., July 30, 1829. he family circle includes six children: Samuel, fjohn, Mary E., Martha E., Daniel and Phebe. Mr. Gard carried on the pursuit of agriculture :-^\ about 20 years in Ohio and Indiana, and in 1868 \1 entered a homestead claim of 80 acres of land. where he has since pursued his calling, and now has 40 acres of land fairly improved and under cultiva- tion. Mr. Gard unites with the Republican party in his political action. -eSA' ilbert Grow, farmer and lumberman, sec- tion i7,Croton Township, was born April II, 1847, in Jackson Co., Mich. His r^ father, David Grow, was born in 1803, in New Hampshire, and died in 1878; the mother, Sarah (Barney) Grow, was born in 1812, in Pennsylvania. Mr. Grow was reared to the age of manhood by his parents, received a common-school education and learned the trade of a wagon-maker of his father. He was eight years old when his parents came to Croton Township, and on coming to manhood he engaged in farming and lumbering, besides following his trade as opportunity offered, and has continued to combine the three occupations. He owns 80 acres of land, fairly improved and supplied with good buildings. He is a Democrat in political affinity. Elma B. Hutton, who became the wife of Mr. Grow, was born Nov. 25, 1856, and is the daughter of George W. and Nancy (Buck) Hutton. The former was born of English parentage, in Adams Co., Penn., Jan. 22, 1822. The latter was born in Hunt- ington Co., Penn., Nov. 17, 1826, and descended from Dutch ancestors. Mr. and Mrs. Grow were married Nov. 3, 1878, in Howard City, Montcalm County, and are the parents of two children, Laura E. and Sarah Ina. Lrank Mathews, farmer, section 6, Bridge- |L ton Township, was born in Burke, Ontario, April 10, 1830. His parents, Fred and ^ ..- .»j^... . — , ...j_. J — , _ — ^1^ Mary Mathews, were of French descent and •^i^ natives of Ontario. When he was 14 years old { Mr. Mathews left home to engage as a boat- man on the Mississippi River, where he was occupied five years. In 1849 he came to Muskegon County and found employment at various points in lumber- m T^^ii-- -^^^^^f^ — %-^my^M^^ ft^^c VL A s^ ^ c <' jf,v^ -«4^^ ^^v:^^ ■cr v<:(in^|jD^>r r- NEWAYGO COUNTY. <* 323 He was, during his early life, under the sole guid- ance of his father, and since attaining to a suitable age has been connected with him in business. Since I 1 883 he has been officiating in his present capacity. He inherits the political tendencies of his father, and ^ held the position of Postmaster two years, under President (Jrant. He has held tlie position of Notary Public two years, and, on tlie incorporation of the village of White Cloud, was elected Trustee, and dis- charged the duties of the situation two years. He has served one year as agent of the American Ex- press Company, and was elected Township Treasurer but never qualified. 30, Barton 1S33, in Wel- I'ohn Moote, farmer, section Township, was born Sept. 5, lington Co., Can., and is the son of Joseph and Christina (McArthur) Moote, the former a native of Canada and the latter of Scotland. The father died in his native place, Sept. 4, 1863; the mother is still a resident of the Dominion. == At the" age of 16 years Mr. Moote began to labor as S^ a farm hand, and continued to fill that position at various places until his marriage. That event oc- ) curred Feb. 28, r853, when he became the husband of Sarah S.,daughter of John and Margaret (Greiggs) Foreman. Her father was English by birth and her mother was a native of Canada, where Mrs. Moote was born Jan. 28, 1833. Mr. Moote remained a resident of Canada until 1868, engaged in farming, and in that year he came to Newaygo County, where he entered a claim of 80 acres of land in accordance with the regulations of the Homestead Act, and in tlie aulumn following took possession of liis property. His good sense, management and industry here enabled him to in- crease his estate to 200 acres, of which he has cleared and improved 85 acres. He is a member of . uther Whipple, fanner, section 24, Monroe Townsiiip, was born Sept. 29, 1846, in Liv- ingston Co., N. Y., and is the son of Wil- t)i(?^ liam M. and Sarah A. (Thompson) Whipple, natives of the State of New York. T!ie first lal)or in which he engaged independ- ently was on the Genesee & Erie Canal. In 1867 he came to Lansing, Mich., where he was variously employed until 1870, when he came to Newaygo County and entered a claim of 80 acres of land under the regulations of the Homestead Act. This has since been his home and the scene of his exer- tions to establish himself and family in comfort and to enjoy the fruits of timely and well-directed effort. He was married April 8, 1874, to Eunice T., daughter of Randolph W. and Claramon (Harmon) Whipple, natives of Herkimer Co., N. Y. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Whipple: Alice, April 22, 1878; Randolph, Sept. 3, 1880, and Addie, Oct. 3, r882. Mr. Whipple is a Republican in his political views and has held several local offices. 5'*-^le^ ^ ohn W. Tucker, farmer, section 34, Big Prairie, was born at Hamilton, Ontario, ',i^- Aug. 26, 1819, and is tlie son of Joseph C. .^ and Sarah (Cady) Tucker. The father is a na- tive of New York and was liorn about 1783, and died in 1853. The mother was born in New York about the same year as her husband, and died in 1838. Both were of English extraction. Mr. Tucker remained at home until he was 12 years old, and in 1831 came to Lapeer Co., Mich. He stayed there two years and returned to the Do- minion. Two years afterward he came back to Michigan, stayed a year and again returned to Cana- da, where he resided eight years. In 1855 he came to Decatur, Van Buren County, where he stayed two years, and then bought 120 acres of land in Big Prairie, where he has made a permanent settleiiient. ^ 1^: A :< ^ r i -^^^^f^ ^^K^Ilt!^.tltlf^ ^ii^^if^ '4 i ''V ■ t A. y ) 324 .V£ IVA YGO CO UNT Y. The tract of land of which he became the proprietor was in its original condition, untouched by the hand of man. He has made good use of his time and energies, and has placed 40 acres under good im- provements and advanced cultivation. In political affiliation he is a Republican. Mr. Tucker was first married in Waterloo, Ont., in 1840, to Harriet Smith. She died Sept. 20, 1880, on the farm in Big Prairie. Mr. Tucker was married a second time in January, 1881, to Mrs. Jane Mc- Micken. There is no child by either marriage. Of her former marriage, Mrs. Tucker has five children, as follows : William John, James, Ellen, Samuel and Maggie Jane. 'vfc£C£r©^.«— {&; .-^^l»~ illiam Jay, farmer, section 24, Goodwell Township, was born March 24, 1817, at Binghamton, N. Y. His father, Peter Jay, was born in the State of New York some time about the year 1782. He was of Eng- lish parentage and died in 1840. The mother, Ruth (Hall) Jay, was born near the year 1784, in Masschusetts, and died in 1838. Mr. Jay went away from home as his " own man " when 17 years old. He went to Missouri and passed four years in that State and in Fort Leaven- worth, in (then) Kansas Territory. He was in the employment of the United States Government, and worked as an assistant in getting out and preparing the timber to build the fort. In 1838 he came to Michigan and joined his brother in Oakland County, where he remained until the fall of 1839. In that year he went to f)hio, where he was married, in February, 1841, to Permelia Hancock. She was the daughter of Abner and Miranda (White) Hancock, both of whom were born in Vermont, resi)ectively in 1798 and 1796. They were of English parentage and died in 1856 and 1880. Mrs. Jay died April 6, 1879, leaving five children, all of wliom yet survive, namely : Delia Ann, Amelia A., Ruth .A., Frank and Emma. Mr, Jay remained a resident of the Buckeye State until February, 1852, when he souglit the land of golden promise on the Pacific slope, leaving his family in Ohio. He followed miniTig in California until the life of the Nation was put in peril through the imbecility and headlong recklessness of the South. He enlisted in 1861, in Co. A, Second Cal. Vol. Cav., for three years. He was in the service under that enrollment the three years, and was dis- charged at Camp Douglas, near Salt Lake City, Utah. He returned to Ohio and re-enlisted in Co. F, United States Cavalry, regular service, for three years. He was discharged at Fort Laramie in 1868, came back to Ohio, and in company with his family pro- ceeded to Mecosta County. Two years later he came to Newaygo County and secured a claim of 80 acres of land under the Homestead Act, where he has since expended his labor and time to the best possible advantage, having placed 40 acres of land under improvement and advanced culture, with fair farm buildings. Mr. Jay is a Republican in politi- cal affinity. He was a second time married Feb. 8, 1882, to Sarah P. Ehle. She was born in Oswego, N. Y., Aug. 5, 1825. Her father, Adam Ehle, was born near the Mohawk River, and was (juite a young lad while the war of the Revolution was in progress. He was German in national descent, and died near the year 1863. The mother, Mary (Sternberg) Ehle, was born in nearly the same period as her husband, and died about 12 years since. A #^ -5— illiam Cram, farmer, section 28, Croton ^jj Township, was born Dec. 28, 1834, in W&f? Upper Canada. William Cram, his father, Iv^ was of French descent, and was born in Tune, 1800, in Nova Scotia. He died in 1861. His mother, Margaret (Hardy) Cram, was born in f8o8, in England, and resides at Grand Rapids. Mr. Cram was four years of age when his parents ' came, in 1838, to Lowell, Kent Co., Mich. He remained there until he 14 years old, when he came' to C'roton and obtained emjjloy in a lumber mill. He yfj was occupied in that and kindred ix)sitions until he t^ reached the age of 18 years. His father had a claim ?, on 80 acres of land in Cannon Township, Kent ^ nDr:>^r ^^^ .^^^^^^> ■ ^^ (*)$f^ -^aJ^ ■isr ^§^^f ^ ) :^ > ^ t NEWAYGO COUNTY. County; but, through physical incapacity and a disease of the eyes, wliich made him nearly blind, his little property was likely to slip from his hold, and the son contributed all he was able to spare from his earning;. Tiie homestead was saved, and an ad- ditional 80 acres purchased. In 1852 Mr. Cram went to Iowa with a surveying corps, who were sent for the parjwse of sectionizing the State, and was absent ten months. On his return he stopfied in Cannon Township, and worked a season upon the improvements on the homestead farm, after which he made a permanent settlement in Croton. He bought 160 acres of land, situated upon the side of the road opixjsite to his present holding. He cleared 40 acres and set out an orchard. He sold out in 1862 and moved to Croton village; where he remained a year and a half, and bought 80 acres of land, which now constitutes his homestead ; and he has labored with industry and judgment until he has cleared 60 acres of land from its original condition, has a fine barn, well assorted orchard, and a con- siderable herd of good stock. In politics Mr. Cram is a Republican, and belongs also to the Patrons of Husbandry, Croton Lodge, No. 11. Ann Eliza (Davis) Cram was born Aug. 1, 1838, in Wales, and is a daughter of James and Martha (Harris) Davis. They were natives of Wales, the former born in 1813, and the latter in i8ro. Both are yet living in Mecosta County. The marriage of William Cram and Ann Eliza Davis occurred April 5, i860, in Croton Township, Elder Wm. Kelley officiating. They are the parents of one child, Lelia Eveline, born July 17, 1874. 3-^>— 5- — • ^-|homas C. Kinch, farmer, section i. Barton 3B Township, was born in Leicestersliire, Eng., Oct. 3, 1838, and is a son of John and Sarah (Freeman) Kinch. The parents were natives of England, and are both deceased. Mr. Kinch set out in life with no aid but the patent necessity of securing a livelihood. At the age of seven years he was employed in gardening, and, true to the habits of his class and country, re- mained in that employ until he was 14 years of age. He then learned the baker's trade, and followed it in the city of Leicestershire 13 months, when he was apprenticed to a butcher and served two years. After that he was variously employed until 1856, ^-^ when he came to the United States, and first found employment in Connecticut. He came thence to Ohio, where he was married. May 4, 1868, to Rhoda IL, daughter of James and Jane (deed) Lewis. .She was born May 4, 1842. Mr. and Mrs. Kinch have two children: John L., born J:in. 27, iS6g; and Fred, April 23, 187 i. Mr. Kinch is the owner of 2S0 acres of land, with 45 acres improved. He is a Republican in jwlitics. -J3=f4 h A £k- A \y T~7" ilP" jiJenjamin Bisard, bhuksniith, sectum 27, ^J|S Ashland Township, was born in Madison W^ Co., Ohio, March 28, 1821. He is a son of Philip and Elizabeth (Rush) Hisard, na- tives of Pennsylvania, where they resided most of their lives, removing to Madison Couniy in 1820. ^\'hen he was four years old his parents went to Medina Co., Ohio, and there he as- sisted on the farm until he was within one year of ^ his majority. In 1841 he entered upon an appren- ticeship with Frederick Rice, of Lodi, Medina Co., Ohio, to accpiire the craft of blacksmith. Aftercon- cluding his term of contract with Mr. Rice he estab- lished his business at Chatham, Ohio, and afterwards at Spencer, where he was associated in blacksmith- ing with his brother-in-law. Later he went to Pen- field, Loram Co., Ohio, and there followed the same vocation from the spring of 1846 to that of 1853, when he returned to Medina County, and worked as a blacksmith until the fall of 1863. At that date he came to Newaygo County. He settled on section 27, where later he bought 40 acres of land, of which he is still the proprietor. It was all in dense forest, just as nature had adorned it after her own plan and pat- tern. Mr. Bisard has dearcd and otherwise improved 25 acres. In addition to his farm he conducts a good business in his shop, in which he is accounted a skillful and relial)le artisan. Mr. Bisard was married May jr, 1840, to Mary, daughter of Abraham and Elizabeth (Taylor) Oak- 'S ley, of Chatham, Ohio. Her parents were natives ^•^ s^^y-. ?K^^O(l:-»:oll^>A^* — ^C^^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. ^-^^i- New Jersey. After marriage they removed to Wayne Co., Ohio, where the daughter was born, June 26, ^ 1823. Her mother died when she was five years 'V" old, and she was placed in the care of her grand- J parents, witli whom she remained until her mar- ^ riage. Six children have been horn to Mr. and Mrs. Hisard, as follows: Randall I) , June 12, 1.S45 ; James J., July 16, 1S47 ; I'hilip, May 16, 1852; Abel \V., March 17, i860; Joseph, born Ajiril 9, 1849, died July 22, 1866; John J., May 12, 1856, died April 2, 1859. Mr. Bisard is a Democrat, and has held various township offices. Mrs. Bisard is an active member of the M. E. Church. I <^: oseph Smeltzer, farmer, section 32, Big Prairie Township, was born July 17, 1839, in Germany. His father, Michael Smeltzer, ^ as born in 181 1, in Werlf, a town of Germany, r on the River Rhine. His mother, Catherine \ (Palmers) Smeltzer, was born in the same place I in t8i8. Both parents are still living, in Milwaukee, ^ Wis., whither they emigrated in 1846. * Mr. Smeltzer was 17 years old when his family ) left the " Fatherland," where he had received a good German education. On reaching the city of Mil- waukee he had no difficulty in finding plenty of re- munerative labor, and he engaged with the foreman of a railroad construction cori)s, with whom he re- mained seven years. When he was 24 years old he came to Newaygo County and went to work for Jerry Ryan, and was in his eniijloyment between three and four years. All the earnings of his first eight years of labor he gave to his parents, and at the age of 25 years he commenced to lay the foundation of his own career as an American citizen. In 18 — he went to Morley, Mecosta County, where he worked 14 successive winters for Nelson Higbee, as a lumber- '-^ man. The alternating summers he worked at farm- ^ ing. He owns 135 acres of land in Big Prairie. Of x^ this, 100 acres are well improved and cultivated, and ■f the farm is supplied with substantial buildings. 'j( Mr. Smeltzer was married in Grand Rapids, in f^ 1865, to Susan McKenney. She was born March ^ 14, 1837, in Canada East, and is a daughter of Pat- rick and Hannah (Flinn) McKenney, the one a native of County Tyrone, Ireland, the other born in County Cork. Peter, Charles and Mary are the three chil- dren of Mr. and Mrs. Smeltzer. -^-^■r^^^^y- I l|rTal;i illiam H. Davenport, farmer, section 14, '""'Ita^iu Barton Township, was born in Wayne Co., J§^n Ind., May 20, 1848. William and Jemima Iv^ (Stanley) Davenport, his parents, were also natives of Indiana and came to Michican in .856. Mr. Davenport was brought up to the pursuit of agriculture, and is the owner of a fine farm of 120 acres, well improved and under a fair state of culti- vation. He is a Republican in political sentiment and action. He was married in 1870, to Alice (Jwen, and by this marriage became the parent of one child, Arthur, born June 10, 1873. His wife died in 1872. Mr. Davenport was a second time married, in 1877, to Tilda, daughter of William and Angeline (Crofoot) Smith, born April 6, 185 i, in Mendon, St. Joseph Co., Mich. v\4a££;©>^^— iH .^^i/Zizrjrav ohn F. Gauweiler, retired farmer, resident at Croton village, was born Dec. 2, 1824, i^*^ . . . . m Bavaria, (Germany, of which province his parents were both natives. His father, George Gauweiler, was a farmer, and was born in 1799, died in Croton in 1850. His mother, Catherine (Bopp) Gauweiler, was born in 1798 and is living in Ohio. In 1S42 the family came to the United States, and the son remained under the con- trol of his father until the end of the period pre- scribed by law. Mr. Gauweiler received a good education under the judicious school system of his native country, which compels the attendance of children at school until they are 14 years old. He worked in a brick yard summers after he reached the age of eleven years, and fulfilled the time required by law at scliool in winter. At 15 he was apprenticed to learn the $«^(f "^iR^^" JL. <^ii!i>:niiv>^ -crvf^v "^^^ ^|^§5$^' C 0^* I ^ ^vSv®^** ' <^mi>:Dtls>r-T ^^&^ t > A >^' V ^ ^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. -m^. ^^5f^^:^ business of cabinet-making, at which lie woiked until 1 8 years old. On coming to America his ])arents located in Warren Co., Ohio, and, on the arrival of the period of his legal freedom, he went to New Orleans and there found employ at his trade six months. He came to Chicago, spent a montli there, and, June 24, 1846, came to Croton, where he engaged as a mill-hand with Ceorge VV. Walton, making lath. An associate, Christopher Kaufman, and himself labored one year and received but $20 each, as remuneration. At the end of that time they both took the mill for jxayment. An individual of unsavory memory, named Daniel Hammond, ar- ranged to i)urchase the half interest of Kaufman, representing he had money in Chicago, whither he proposed going to ])rocure both that and needed pro- visions. The honest German acceded to the propo- sition, and, moreover, confided to him their aggre- gated $40, to make some purchases of clothing for them. This probal)ly proved a fortunate investment, for he was never heard of; and it is hoped, if this record ever comes to his knowledge, that he will ex- tract the proper degree of comfort from this perma- nent recognition of his merits. The young men thus defrauded of their hard-earned savings found a friend in John F. Stearns and managed to pass the winter in comfort. Mr. Gauweiler has operated extensively as a lum- berman and farmer. When he first came to Ne- waygo County it was in the most primitive state of nature. The roads were all Indian trails, provisions were brought from Muskegon on the backs of men or in canoes or flat-boats, of which latter there were two on the Muskegon River. Mr. Gauweiler fre(iuently performed this service, which required three days for atrip. The landing point was Indian Village, and transportation thence to Croton was made by ox teams. His mail was directed to C'hi- cago, and was brought thence by the captains of sail-boats in the lake service to Muskegon and from there i)y raftmen. An incident related by Mr. Gauweiler is interest- ing as a reminiscence of the early date of his settle- ment in Croton Township. In 1847 the supply of provisions was so low that they found themselves a day late in their calculations, and to relieve the pressure of hunger, collected the abraded meal that scattered from their " corn-cracker " and transformed it into cakes; but it proved worthless from the mix- ture of sand and dirt. A council decided on the or- ganization of an expedition in search of game, and six of the party set out to hunt and fish. The first spoils were two pigeons, which were left in Mr. Gau- weiler's charge, and he built a fire and cooked the birds in accordance with his instructions. On re- flection, he decided that the requirements of his com- rades had fallen below the exigencies of the case, and when the culinary process was completed he perfected the whole arrangement by eating the pigeons, and complacently awaiting the return of the expedition. His comi)anions appeared empty-handed and announced that the party would dine off the pigeons. Mr. Gauweiler stated the facts in the case with Teutonic politeness and consideration, but the depraved natures of the others failed to appreciate his forbearance, and they proceeded to inform him without ceremony that he was the kind of Dutchman described by a dash and two d's, and deserved shooting. The fact that he was sustained by the pigeons enabled him to refrain from malice, and he silently accorded to them his full and free pardon for their lack of sympathy. They went supperless to bed, and the following day the opportune arrival of two barrels of flour put an end to the famine. Mr. Gauweiler owns 480 acres of land and his dwelling at Croton, besides another building in that village, occupied as a store and hotel. Among his other business enterprises was the building of the Washington House. He was a Democrat previous to the organization of the National party, since which time he has affiliated with the Greenback element. He is prominent in the Order of Masonry, and has officiated as Master of the Lodge at Croton. He is now a member of Newaygo Lodge, No. 131, of the Newaygo Royal Arch Chapter, No. 35, of Big Rapids Council, and De Molay Conmiandery, No. 5, at Grand Rapids. Mr. Gauweiler was first married in 1849, in Ohio, to Mary Ann Miller. She was born in Ohio in 1830, and was a daughter of Andrew and Julia (Sauers) Miller, natives of Pennsylvania, of German extrac- tion. Margaret, John F. and Mary, three children, constituted the issue of this marriage. The eldest daughter survives, and is the wife of John W. Cars- kadon, of Muskegon. The wife and mother died in 1857- Mmerva (Bennett) Gauweiler, the jiresent wife of W ^>; Si r I ^ Mh>^'^—^^'^^ '^J^ ^(^rl® <:t]D/KDDv> 328 NEWAYGO COUNTY. -*«4? f t 2j Mr. Gauweiler, was bom Jan. 12, 1836. She is a daughter of Isaac H. and Sally (Cassidy) Bennett, the former born in the State of New Jersey, April 23, 1800, and still alive. He is a descendant of ances- tors born in Holland. The mother was of Scotch- Irish e.xtraction, born in New York in 1802, and died in 1877 The daughter's marriage to J. F. Gauweiler occurred Jan. 21, 1858, in Croton. Their six chil- dren all survive. They are Mary C, George F., Martin VanBuren, Alfred R., Seymour B. and Ros- antha. uther L. Parmeter, farmer, section 20, Bar ton Township, was born March 5, 1812, in n Orange, Franklin Co., Mass. His parents, athaniel and Hannah (Chaney) Parmeter, "Jki were also natives of the Bay State, where the father was a farmer and lumberman. Tliey re- /^ moved thence to St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., when the Q son was seven years old. ^ He remained in the home of his parents until he ^ was 1 9 years of age, when he became interested in ™ that branch of lumbering known as " rafting," which "Y* he pursued as an occupation two years. He was f' married in 1839, to Emily Freeman, a native of St. J Lawrence Co., N. Y., who was born in 1822. Mr. Parmeter removed to Michigan in July, 1865, and located on 80 acres of land in Barton Township, where he has since carried on the business of farming and operated as a lumberman, as opportunity has afforded. He enhsted in the nth N. Y. Cav., in ^ 1861, and was discharged for disability after one ^ year's service. Mrs. Parmeter died July 3, 1881, ^ leaving five children : Helen (Mrs. Sylvester Healey), Lucian, Earl, Maud (Mrs. Andrew Ewing), and Fred ; two children are deceased. Mr. Parmeter was a second time married June 19, 1883, to Mrs. Martha (Lewis) Shannon. Siie was born in Malone, Franklin Co., N. Y., and is the '*^ daughter of William H. and Orissa (Scely) Lewis. 1 Her lirst husband, William Shannon, died in 1874, ,x.% and left two children: Nelson A. and Marie Antoinette. ;-, Mr. Parmeter is an adherent to the Republican x/ faith, and has held the position of Justice of the ,1 Peace 12 years, and has officiated 111 otiier nnportant local offices. m I onathan Piatt, farmer, Brooks Township, section 14, was born Jan. 30, 1855, in Mor- row Co., Ohio. Eli Piatt, his father, was born ill 1814, in Clinton Co., N. Y., and was the son of Eli and Eleanor (Winchell) Piatt, the former being the son of Eli Piatt (ist). Elizabeth (Wood) Piatt, mother of the central figure of this record, was born June 3, 1819, in Jefferson Co., N. Y., and is a daughter of Jonathan and Mar- tha (Reynolds) Wood, both of whom died in Ingliam Co., Mich. Mr. Plait was but liiree years of age when he was broght to Michigan by his father, who bought a fine tract of land of the Government, now the property of his son by deed. It consists of 174 acres of land, 90 acres of which have been placed in a finely im- proved condition. The farm buildings are of a good style and substantial, and the value of the place is greatly increased by well selected orchard. Mr. Piatt coincides with the Republican element in polit- ical affinity, and has acted in the capacity of School Director. He was married Jan. 21, 1883, in Newaygo County, to Achsah Mila, daughter of Enoch and Hannah I. (Kimball) Doty. The father was of Welsh parent- age, born in New York, in 1837, and died in 1872. The mother was born in the Empire State in 1845, and is yet living, in Newaygo County. Mrs. Platl was born July 7, 1865, in Clinton Co., Mich. She and her husband belong to the Congregational Church. ■ obert Quaekenbush, farmer, section iS, % Crolou Township, was born Feb. 3, 1S40. . i<^t) Peter (Quaekenbush, his father, was born of ^^ German ancestors, in 1798, in Monmouth, N. ]., and died in 1862. His mother, Maria (Morgan) Quaekenbush, was of the same nationality and born in 1819, in the same place as her husband. The latter became a soldier in the Union army, en- listing in the State of New York. He was taken sick v^ I A >: ^ d r -^^^^ .^L^ <^D!1^I1D>>^ ■- <■ if-U^-r-D / J^ ^^0 //OyC^-^^^^ '^ '^M -ryy ATE WAY GO COUNTY. ^ &S I and died in the hospital, leaving a wife and six chil- dren. Mr. Quackeiibush died Jan. i, 1884. Mr. Qiiackenbush was the eldest child, and on his father's demise assumed his place in the manage- ment and maintenance of tlic family. The home place was but small, and in addition to the duties of farming he worked two years as a saw-mill hand, and at the end of the third year sold the farm and came to Michigan. The family settled in Croton Township, on a farm the son purchased, and Mr. Quackenbush worked two years at harness-making at Croton village. He settled down to agricultural life in 1866, and has devoted the summer seasons to farming, and engaged in lumbering winters. He now owns 135 acres of land, of which 25 acres are cleared and under culti- vation. Mr. Quackenbush is an adherent to the tenets of the Democratic party. ll^eth S. Watrous, Clerk of Newaygo County, was born in Norwalk, Huron Co., O., May 11,1847. His parents, Sears and Emily (Barber) Watrous, belonged to the agricultural community, and he was reared as a farmer's son, obtaining his education at the terms of winter school. The civil war broke out when he was 14 years old, and the influences that pervaded the entire commu- nity, varying in intensity as the months rolled on and the rebellion assumed proportions more and more formidable, had their effect on him and he re- solved to enroll in his country's defense at the earliest possible moment. Shortly after passing his sixteenth birthday he was enabled to fulfill his resolve. He enlisted June 6, 1863, in the 2d Ohio Battery, and was in the United States service two years and nine months. He was in the battle at Franklin, Tenn., and in several fights of minor imijortance, in one of which he was severely wounded, receiving a minie ball in the pit of the stomach, which passed through his body to the right hip, where it is still imbedded, baffling the skill of the physicians. He was in Cum- berland hospital at Nashville six months, and rejoined his battery to be mustered out one month later, when he returned home and entered Eastman's Business ^^>^^ — *^rK>D(l: College at Poughkeepsie, N. Y., where he was graduated in February, 1866. Meanwhile he had come into possession of 30 acres of land and de- voted about two years to amateur farming. He sold the property and came to Michigan and settled at Sturgis, where he became proprietor of a restaurant by purchase, and four months later his establishment was destroyed by fire, involving a loss of $1,900. He went thence to Holland and for a time kept a barber shop, and eventually found employment as a painter in a carriage and wagon shop. The company failed four months afterward and thereby lie ex- perienced another loss. In the summer of 1869 he engaged with the Engineer Corps of the Chicago & Michigan Lake Shore Railroad, where he was em- ployed until the spring of 1870, when he joined a construction corps and operated until 1872. In that year his home in Holland was destroyed l)y fire and he suffered a total loss. He secured a position as conductor on the Chicago & Mich. Lake Shore rail- road, and in the spring of 1873 he was seriously in- jured while engaged in coupling cars. His right arm was crushed and he was laid up for a year. He turned his attention to telegraphy, and after acquir- ing the details of the business was stationed at Pent- water two years in the capacity of night operator. His next post was at Fremont, where he operated as station agent eight years, and in 1880 was elected Clerk of Fremont village. He owns a fine property at Fremont. In the fall of 1882 Mr. Watrous was elected County Clerk and moved to Newaygo, where he has since resided. He is a member of the Order of Knights of Honor, Chosen Friends, Knights Tem- plar and of the Masonic fraternity. Mr. Watrous was married at Norwalk, Ohio, Feb. 7, 1866, to Minnie A., daughter of Rev. Solomon B. and Sarah B. Gilbert, who was born Feb. 7, 184S, in Massachusetts. They have had two children. Myr- tle B. was born in Fairfield Township, Huron Co., Ohio, Dec. 6, 1867. Harry S. was born in Holland, Ottawa Co., Mich., ]\larch 6, 1870, and died in Fre- mont, Sept. II, 1879. I Mr. Watrous is still a yoimg man. He is the »;? . youngest enrolled defender of the Nation's integrity ^: recorded in this work. He has passed through or- ^ deals of disaster that would have daunted most -^ men and relegated them to the obscurity of struggle J without hope, and made the success, to which the _^,-^_ m->^"^ ^^^^- ■■•v^^>v-AM; c W^ taVC^Q D >: tlDs> v'o ^ ^: •s~ -Mg #^f f A ■> s % ^ 4 ^ MEWAYGO COUNTY. 1868. majority look forward with laudable ambition, only the will-o'-the-wisp flame that blazes in alluring witchery just beyond the grasp of its eager pursuer. Mr. Watrous "stands to his»guns, " and, notwithstand- ing his baffling experiences, is putting his shoulder to the neededworkof the world with an energy and suc- cess that offer the best quality of encouragement to a later generation of aspirants. His portrait, which appears on another page, adds to the value of the collection which so largely increases the worth of the Newaygo County Album to its patrons. « ^iiWristopher Kaufman, farmer, section 10, N^ Croton Township, was born July 13, 1823^ §^ in Schwegenheim, Bavaria, Germany, which ^ was also the native place of his mother, ^ Catherine (Heyser) Kaufman, who was born in 1794, and died in Pike County, Ohio, in His father was born in 1792, in Grunenshein, Germany, and died in his native land in 1834. Mr. Kaufman was eleven years old when his father died. After fulfilling the requirements of the law in relation to his education, he was, according to the custom of the country, apprenticed to learn a trade. That of stone-mason seemed most feasible, and after fulfilling his contract with his master he worked as opportunity offered and supported his mother. When the conscription for the German army was made his number entitled him to a release, and he availed himself of his liberty by emigrating to the United States, his mother accompanying him. She went to another son, who was residing in Pike Co., Ohio, and Mr. Kaufman of this sketch pro- ceeded to New Orleans, reaching there in December, 1845. In June, 1846, he came to Chicago and thence to Muskegon Forks, in Newaygo County. He came with J. F. Gauweiler, whose sketch, on another page of this volume, contains the experiences common to both in those earliest days of the pioneer history of Croton. But, severe as was his experience, he was fitted to endure by the toils and privations he had encountered in his native land, and with true conti- nental perseverance he refused to be daunted by the obstacles he encountered in the New World. After his experience in the lath-mill terminated he settled on 80 acres of land in Croton, designated as "canal land," and paid for the same ; but, by some chicane- ry, never clearly comprehended by anybody, a col- lector appeared who took a second payment for it, but failed to account for it to the authorities, and Mr. Kaufman paid for his property a third time. Yet he kept up his courage and hard work, and now owns 240 acres of land, with 100 acres under culti- vation and with first-class improvements. Mr. Kaufman is a Republican and is highly re- spected in his generation for his genuine, meritorious traits of character. He has been for 37 years a res- ident of what is now Croton Township. Christina Marsh, who became the first wife of Mr. Kaufman in 185 1, at Muskegon, died in 1867, leav- ing no children. The second wife of Mr. Kaufman was the widow of David Jones. Her maiden name was Elizabeth Mahle, and her only child by her first marriage, Eliza Jones, is the wife of Milton Cole, of Croton Township. The marriage of Mr. Kaufman and Mrs. Jones took place Sept. 13, 1868, and they have three living children, — Christina B.,AVilliani H. and Bertha A. V© i^ — A ^ ji'jiram Lewis, farmer, section 2, Big Prairie ^ Township, was born in Greenbush, Albany ( y Co., N. Y., March 6, 181 8. His father, Stephen Lewis, was born in Vermont, about the year 1796, and died in 18 19. His mother, Mary (Crandall) Lewis, was born in New York in 1798 and died in 1849. The father died when his son was less than two years old, and Mrs. L. then became the wife of Tru- man C. Baker. He remained under the joint care of his mother and stepfather until he was 16 years old, receiving three months' schooling. When he reached the age named he enlisted in the regular army for three years, and after the expiration of his period of enrollment he engaged for a time in farming. He next learned the trade of stone-mason, and has since ^^ combined the two occupations. He resided in Wayne County until July, 18C5. He became a sol- dier of the civil war, enlisting Jan. 2, 1864, in Co. M, Ninth N. Y. Heavy Artillery, and received his discharge June 15, 1865. A month later he settled on a farm in Van Buren Co., Mich., on which he re- sided eight years. In 1873 he removed his family i i NEWAYGO COUNTY. ^m -7^^ ^^^^Cd^V^ 33j and business interests to Newaygo County. He en- tered a claim of 82 acres of land under the provis- ions of the Homestead Act, in Big Prairie Township, where he has since resided. He has now 14 acres improved. Mr. Lewis has been married twice. His first wife, to whom he was married in Wayne County, in 1838, was Diantha J. Wilson. She died in 1877. Nine children were liorn of this marriage, four of whom are living. Following is their record : William H., born March 21, 1840; Sylvester, May 9, 1843 (dec); Mary J., Aug. 30, 1844 (dec); James H., Aug. 7, 1847 (dec.) ; Stephen, July i, 1849 (dec.) ; Hannah M., April 9, 1851; Sarah L., Nov. 26, 1854 (dec); Samuel, June 12, 1856; Ida, Dec. 9, 1861. The second wife of Mr. Lewis was Mrs. Mary Louisa (Demund) Cook, to whom he was married Aug. 10, 1881, in Big Prairie. Mr. Lewis is a Republican in his political views. Cohn R. Kriger, farmer, section 34, Ash- land Township, was born Sept. 19, 1842, in Hillsdale Co., Mich. His parents, Michael and Hannah (Carpenter) Kriger, were of Ger- man lineage and natives of New England. They became residents of Michigan in their youthful days, married here and settled in Newaygo County, in 1853. Mr. Kriger was under the supervision of his par- ents until he reached his majority, and was married Feb. 26, 1863, to Ellen, daughter of Henry and Lu- cina (Strowbridge) Snow, natives of New York, and of New England ancestors. Mrs. Kriger was born in Cortland Co., N. Y., Oct. 20, 1845. She came to Tyrone, Kent Co., Mich., when she was 16 years old, and soon after became a domestic in the family of Michael Kriger, and operated in that capacity until she became the vrife of one of the sons. The senior Kriger established the young couple on 80 acres of ^ land joining the homestead. The farm was in its orig- \ inal, unbroken, unimproved state, but Mr. Kriger had '^ health, hope and an object in life, and manfully ap- [^ plied his resources to clearing and cultivating his ^ property ; and he now has more than one half of his (^ landed estate in creditable condition. Mr. Kriger is ^ regarded as a practical, common-sense farmer, and both himself and wife are warmly esteemed in the community of which they are members. They be- long to the M. E. Church, and Mr. Kriger is an earn- est supporter of the Prohiliition party. He has held the position of School Inspector, and is now acting as School Director. Following is the record of the children born to the household: Melvin J., April 20, 1864; Lida E., Oct. 20, 1865 ; Emma C, March 2, 1868; Annie M., Oct. 12, 1873; Ernest M.,May 21, 1876; Cilvia H., Sept. 16, 1871, died Oct. 3, 1872. ' [r^fil '. erome A. Botsford, farmer, Croton Tovvn- 'Cii'/ ship, section 5, was born March 10, 1828, |a7 in Oswego Co., N. Y. His father, John L. „^ Botsford, was born in Connecticut, in 1800, and '^Ir rWi^A [n tiig yea^j- 1840. The mother, who died \ previous to her marriage was Mary Carpenter, was also a native of Connecticut, born in 1802 and died in 1S39. Mr. Botsford was eleven years old when his mother died, and in the succeeding year he was wholly orphaned by the demise of his father. He was cared for, for a time, by his uncle, after which he went to Wisconsin with his sister, Mrs. Dexter Farr, where he remained three years engaged in farm labor for his brother-in-law. He went to Illinois, where he worked for some monjhs, and between that State and Wisconsin he passed alternate portions of time until he decided on coming to Michigan. He landed' at Muskegon Nov. 5, 1853, and proceeded to Croton, where he worked for the Mill Company one winter His next transfer was to Newaygo, where he con- ducted a lath-mill one summer, returning to Muske- gon in the fall. He " scaled " logs one winter for a man named Trowbridge, and was afterward employed in various ways. At present he owns 57 70-iooths acres of land, on which he resides, and has 40 acres under good cultivation, with relatively fair buildings and some stock. He also owns a half interest in 80 acres on secrion 8. He is an adherent of the Republican party, and has officiated as Treasurer, Road Commissioner, Justice of the Peace and as Supervisor of the township of Ensley. Mr. Botsford became the husliand of Mary Eliza- beth Backart in January, 1858, and they are the t ^ A f ^)kV®))«^^ L^ ^^>^^ — ^^-^-^ >: li>^>^ ^-^■^^/*j^. r -»; 'i*^ r* 334 ■Tzj^;^ — ^tr^>:\ n^ n n -^^^K t=r-5<>nD^l^Il^•>rT^ 3^€^^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. ^ ) A V s ) -s Mrs. Lena M. (Corbett) Lee, widow of Seth Lee, who died in 1879, leaving her with two chil- dren, William L , born Aug. 29, 1873, and Clyde L., born Jan. i, 1877. Mrs. Docherty was born in Maine, Oct. 15, 1853, and is the daughter of Abel P. and Lydia F. (Tracy) Corbett, also natives of Maine. Twin daughters, Jessie May and (irace May, were born to Mr. and Mrs. Docherty, Sept. 14, 1S82. Mr. Docherty is a Republican in his political principles. eorge Backart, farmer and miller, resid- ing at Croton, was born in Schupheimi Baden, Germany, Aug. 19, 1808. His parents, Michael and Fronia (Miller) Backart, were both natives of the same place ; the former was born in 1781 and died in 1853: the birth of the latter occurred in 1784, and her death in 1856, in Germany. Mr. Backart was a resident with his father in the land of his nativity until he was 16 years of age. He received the compulsory education regulated by the law of Germany, and attended school from the age of six to fourteen years. When he was 16 years old he was apprenticed, in conformity with the custom of the country, to learn the trade of blacksmith, and consumed two years in aci|niring the details of the business. Three years following the expiration of his indentures he worked in various places ; at the age of 22 years he established himself independently in his own shop. He operated until 1834, when he disposed of his business, came to the United States, and settled in Oneida C'o., N. Y. He bought 40 acres of land, where he carried on farming seven years. He sold out in 1841 and went to Dui^age Co., 111., where he again engaged in farming, becom- ing proprietor by purchase of 60 acres of land. In addition to his agricultural labors he managed a saw- mill on Dupage River, owned by another man. He was thus engaged 10 years. In 1850 he sold his property in Illinois and settled in Croton, Nov. 4, that year. The place was then known as "Muskegon Fork," and Mr. Backart was accompanied by Warren Smith and Alpheus Fowler. The two latter had purchased a saw-mill of John F. Stearns, which they proposed to operate. It was built about 10 years previous, and was the first mill erected in this section. The purchase included 300 acres of land. Mr. Backart came for the express purpose of man- aging the mill, but declined to invest his means in the property until the second year, when he purchased a third interest. The saw-mill was in complete run- ning order. Smith & Fellows sold out in the course of a few years to other parties, but Mr. Backart con- tinued to hold his proprietorship. He finally disposed of his interest in the mill, but has continued to hold his land claim. He reserved his right to the water-power, and in 1857 built a saw- mill, which in i86i was remodeled into a grist-mill, which he has since conducted as such. He has purchased and now owns another mill in the imme- diate vicinity. He owns two houses in Croton village, one of which he occupies. He also owns 250 acres of land in the vicinity of Croton village. Mr. Backart was one of the first permanent settlers where Croton village now stands. Himself, Warren Smith and John A. Mills were the parties instrumental in the platting of Croton, and in having the same recorded. The survey was made by John Alma, in November, 1854. Jefferson Morrison and Robert P. Mitchell were also interested in the founding of the village, which was incorporated in 1869. Mr. Backart is a Democrat in political principle and action, and has been closely connected with municipal affairs in his township. He officiated ten years as Supervisor, and six years as Treasurer, and has held other offices of less importance. He was appointed Postmaster under President Fillmore, and again under President Buchanan. Mr. Backart was married in his native place, April 19, 1830, to Mary Adeline Backart, who was born in the same place, Sept. 7, 1810, and is the daughter of Sebastian and Annie Magdalena (Schneider) Backart. Her parents were both born in Schujjheim, Germany, the father in 1779, and the mother in 1791. Sebastian Backait was a soldier of the allied forces in the wars of Napoleon Bonajiarte, and just previous to the battle of Waterloo contracted camp typhoid fever. He recovered, but his wife took the disease and died in 1814. The husband survived until 1848. To Mr. and Mrs. Hackart eight children have been born, namely: Mary Magdalena (dec), Mary V A r / t rZ^fe-'i ■Qsr -r-r<-^Iin>:DOi->r^ •Ti^&'^sr -4^^^ J f Elizabeth, George (dec), Charles F. (dec), Mary Eliza, Julius S., Mary Jane and Alice Evaline. The family are Lutherans. jii - ames McLeod, proprietor of the Commer- J r cial Hotel at White Cloud, is the son of i^^^ Alexander and Nancy (Campbell) McLeod, f ,^ and was born June 15, 1843, in Russell Co., ^r Can. His parents were natives of Scotland, i came to Canada in the first years of their married life, and there resided until their deaths. Mr. McLeod has been a resident of Newaygo County since he attained to the period of his legal freedom. He resided at Newaygo five years, and was variously occupied while there. He removed to Sherman Township, where he became the proprietor of 80 acres of unimproved land, and of this he cleared 40 acres. In the fall of 1873, he came to White Cloud, and opened the White Cloud Hotel, which he conducted seven years; and on selling out he Iniiit the home where he has since been engaged in min- istering to the wants of the traveling public. In his capacity of landlord he must be recorded as the pioneer, as he gave the first meal as a public host in the village of White Cloud. He is independent in )X)litics, and has held the post of Councilman. He is a memlier of the fraternity of Odd Fellows. He has had five children, three of whom survive, born as follows: David L., Sept. 29, 1863; Laura, March 22, 1868, and Archie, June 7, 1881. • — H ^/^-^SS-i^S-v/^^ ^- Ifeaniel T. Swain, fanner, section 29, Barton t|^^f'^> Township, was born in Shiawassee Co., 5)r^S^ Mich., Aug. 10, 1846, and is a son of "v}^ Aaron and Betsy A. (Baker) Swai)i. The father was a native of Vermont and the mother was born in Crawford Co., Pa. They came to Newberg, Shiawassee Co., Mich., where they resided until 1849, when they removed to Big Prairie, Ne- waygo County, and there resided tintil their deaths, which occurred respectively in 1876 and 1879. Mr. Swain wa? reeved to the calling which he has pursued all his life, and was married Dec. 8, 1872,10 f Louisa, daughter of William and Sarah Ann (Thomp- son) Whipple, born in Cayuga Co., N. Y. They have five children : Nina M., Edith L., Aaron P., Lucy E. and Archie L. After his marriage Mr. Swain " homesteaded"" a claim of 80 acres of land in Norwich Township, where he lived a number of years, and on selling out his property he purchased 40 acres of land in Barton Township, which has since been his home. In political faith Mr. Swain is an adherent of the principles and issues of the National party. While a resident of Nor\vich Townshij) he officiated as Justice of the Peace, and in other positions of trust. ames B. Mallery, farmer, section 31, Sherman Township, was born in Columbia Co., N. Y., Sept. 9, 1826. His father, Mathew Mallery, was a native of Connecticut, and his mother, Sarah (Cleveland) Mallery, of New York. After their marriage they settled in Columbia Co., N. Y., and in the fall of 1845 settled in Hillsdale Co., Mich., where the mother died in 1854, and the father ten years later. James remained in New York until 19 years of age. His education included habits of industry and frugality, with the rudiments of knowledge gathered at the district schools of his county. He came with his parents to Hillsdale County, and remained with them until 26 years of age. From 1853 to 1855, he was engaged in farming and coopering. In the winter of 1855, he came with his family to Northern Michigan, leaving his wife and child 16 miles north of Grand Rapids, while he pushed his way through the forest in search of land for a home. He took up 240 acres of wild land under the (iradation Act, in what is now kno^^^l as Sherman Township. He stayed two weeks and helped l>uild a log house, when the snow was two feet deep on a level. This was on the very spot where Mr. Wcller's residence now stands in Fremont. He then returned for his wife and child, and they^ accompanied by an aunt, proceeded to their new home in Newaygo County. After chopping an acre of timber, he had inflam- mation of the eyes, which confined him to the house about two weeks. About the same time Mrs. Mallery's aunt was taken sick, and was obliged to Ki. G (i' t ^ j^ 4^^^ m. NEWAYGO COUNTY. -^wfj^ t V ^-5 337 '^ = ®l I m return home, leaving Mrs. M. alone. In the fall of 1855, he settled on his present farm of 100 acres, where he resides, and has 50 acres under cultivation. In 1865 he rented his farm in order to assist Wm. L. Stewart, his father-in-law, in conducting the "Stewart House " at Newaygo. He remained there eight years, then returned to his farm. Mr. Mallery was married in Cambria, Hillsdale County, Feb. 24, 1853, to Susan L., daughter of Wilkes L. and Frances (Hoiikins) Stewart, the former a native of Massachusetts, and the latter of New York. ■ They were married in the last named State, and came to Michigan for their wedding tour. They settled in Macomb County, where Mr. Stewart was engaged in farming, milling and various other pursuits for 14 years. He then removed to Living- ston County, where he remained till September, 1846, when he went to Hillsdale County, and remained there until 1855, engaged in farming. Mr. Stewart met with financial reverses in Macomb County, and lost nearly all his worldly possessions ; but by untir- ing perseverance and industry he succeeded in regaining a portion of his property. He left Hillsdale in 1855 and came to Newaygo County, where he took up land quite extensively, and has resided in this county ever since. He made the change in order to benefit his children. Mrs. Stewart died Nov. 29, 1877, and Mr. S. now resides with his daughter, Mrs. Mallery. He was one of the first three Justices of the Peace in the old township of Fremont. Willard AVilder and Sarah Ann Bernhard were the first couple married in that township, and the ceremony was performed by Mr. Stewart, on the 4th day of July, being the first day he held the office. He married Benjamin Ish under a tree at 3 o'clock in the morning. Mr. S. is now in feeble health. Mrs. M. was born in Macomb Co., Mich., Sept. 7, 1 83 1, and was the eldest daughter and third child of a family of seven children. She lived with her parents until her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Mallery have one child, Fannie M., born Jan. 23, 1854, and is the wife of George B. J. Raider; Mr. and Mrs. Raider have two children, namely : Clifton, who was born July 13, 1875, the day of the year also on which his father and great-grandfather was born ; and Fred, born July 19, 1877. Mr. Mallery has held tlie office uf Township Clerk 17 years, Supervisor one year; has been School Ins])ector, and held other, smaller offices in the gift of the people. He is now Clerk of Sherman Town- ship; is a member of the Masonic Order, and in politics is a Greenbacker. Himself and wife are members of Fremont Grange, No. 494, P. of H. ;.31ark N. Young, Editor of the Hesperian |ih^^^ News, and Principal of the High School, Hesperia, was born in Shelby, Orleans Co., m N. Y., March 23, 1852. His parents, William and Anna E. (Beebe) Young, were natives of New England, of genuine Yankee descent. They emi- grated to Calhoun Co., Mich., in the fall of 1853, where they now reside. Clark N. was reared on his father's farm, working hard during the summer and attending district school in the winter. He formed studious, economical and industrious habits, and when 18 years old was granted license to teach, in which pursuit he was very successful. Thus he con- tinued, tilling the soil in summer and teaching in winter until he was 21 years of age. He then entered the college at Albion, Mich., where he took a special course preparatory to teaching the higher branches in the graded schools. Here he continued two years. In the spring of 1875 he returned to his native county and again became engaged in teaching winters, and being "on the road " summers. He went to Barry County in 1878 and taught one year, and Dec. 30, 1879, he was married, in Hillsdale, this State, to Dora M. Stebbins, of Nashville, Barry County, who was born in Ontario, Can., Nov. 7, 1856. Her parents were Henry E. and Olive (Shelden) Stebbins, natives of New York and Canada respect- ively. In March, 1880, Mr. Young engaged with the Nashville Ne7cis, of Nashville, Mich., and during the two years of his sojourn here he aciiuired the art of printing, and his ability as an editor was developed. He established a paper of his own in Nashville, called the Nashville O/io; but better inducements, being offered in Hesperia he transferred his stock to this place, and in September, 1882, established the Hesperian Nejvs, the first number of which was issued Sept. 29, 1882. .Mthough several newspapers ^ ^ :-^: r ^ -r-r<:Iltl^llll^>v^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. -«S >^mi J i* A >i ) % have been previously started, they became defunct in a very short time; but the Nncs is bovnid to suc- ceed. Mr. Young was soHcited to take charge of the High School in Hesperia, and he now performs the double duty of teacher and editor. They have had one child, Otto, born Nov. 22, 18S0, and died Nov. 16, 1882. In politics Mr. Young is inde- pendent. ■■<^^^^^- ^;S^ l■^I/^,»^ ^ amesR. Odell, druggist at Fremont, son of ' '^' - Jonathan and Mahala (Prouty) Odell, -" was born in Hillsdale Co., Mich., April 21, 1 84 1. His parents were natives of New York, ^r^ where they were married, and soon after re- , moved to Michigan and settled in Hillsdale County. They remained there for several years after the death of his father, which occurred in 1854, when his mother came to this county and settled in Fremont, about the year 1867. James R. remained under the parental roof until 16 years of age, attending the common schools. He then learned the carpenter and joiner's trade, which he followed for nearly five years previous to the breaking out of the rebellion. In .September, 1864, he enlisted in the nth Mich. Cav., and, after serving till the close of the war, was honorably discharged at Knoxville, Tenn. He participated in several engage- ments, and was at the capture of Salisbury prison, N. C. After his term of service had expired he re- turned to Hillsdale Co., Mich., and worked at his trade a short time, when he was taken very sick with typhoid fever, in consequence of which he was unable to work for eight months. After his recovery, in the spring of 1866, he came to Fremont where he worked at his trade about two years. He purchased 90 acres of wild land in Sheridan Township, upon which he worked during one summer and was after- ward employed in a general store in Fremont, owned by John Delamater. In two years he purchased a one-half interest in the store, and the firm was known as 1 )elamater iv: Otlell. This partnership continued for about six months, when Mr. Odell sold out his interest to John l)eHaas,but remained as clerk until the store was destroyed by fire some two years later. He assisted in settling up the business of the firm, and during the following winter was engaged in lum- bering, and was also afterwards in the emjiloy of John DeHaas for a short time. Afterwards he and his brother bought out the stock of drugs and gro- ceries owned by Dr. Root and son. This partner- ship continued about two years, when he bought out the interest of his brother in the drug department, and in anotlier year sold his own interest in the grocery department to his brother. For a short time the drug store was carried on by OdeU & Manly, when the latter withdrew, and the business is now conducted by Mr. Odell, who is the leading druggist of the county. He commenced in 1877 to build the fine brick building he now occupies, and moved his stock of goods in February, 1878. Mr. Odell was first married in Hillsdale Co., Mich., March 3, 1861, to Mary, daughter of Francis and Minerva (Smith) Morse, a native of Michigan. She afterward died, October, 1864, leaving one child, born Uec. 27, 1863. Mr. Odell was again married, in Hesperia, this county, in the year 1867, to Alice, daughter of Daniel Joslin, and they have had three children: Mary, Eva M. and Pearl; the former is deceased. Mr. Odell has held the office of Town- ship Clerk for ten consecutive years; is a member of the Masonic Order, and has filled various offices in his lodge, having served two years as Master, and is also Commander of Henry Dobson Post, G. A. R. In politics he is identified with the Democratic party. He has been a member of the Village Board, serving as President or Trustee since its incorporation ; was also member of the School Board when the graded system went into effect, and is still a member of the same. Si/ "7~l,3 i^^^i= Sl^^feorace C. Jenne, farmer, section 5, Dayton * 'r^?".l~ Township, is a son of Joseph H. and Sa- 4'^ r loma (Knight) Jenne, who were natives of 4l'T Massachusetts and afterward settled in New York. He was born in the latter Stale, June 6, 1830. At tlie age of lo years he went to live with a relative, and remained until he was 18 years of age, being employed the most of this time on the Erie canal. He came [to Michigan in the fall of 1855, and the following winter lived in Allegan County. He came to this county in the spring of [^ 1856 and bought 160 acres of land in Dayton Town. v^ito '-*- -K^>ii!]>:niiv>^ «f)^5((! ^^. T- I t T NEWAYGO COUNTY. y^^i-i'--^ ,X I V 5) '^ -) ^ 341 ship. He now owns a farm of 65 acres, 35 of which are well improved. He was married in New York, in August, 185 1, to Amelia Jones, who was a native of that State, and they have one child, John H., who is now a resident of Muskegon. Nov. 2, 1863, he enlisted in the 4th Mich. Cav., and served nearly two ,years, receiving his discharge at Nashville, Tenn. He was with Gen. Wibon in his cavalrj' raid from Nashville to Macon, Ga.; is a member of J. A. Dix Post, No. 9, G. A. R., and in politics is a Republican. he^ ton. Charles W. Stone, Representative from Newaygo County, was born June 2, 1833, in K^" Warrensburg, Warren Co., N. Y., and is the eldest son of Samuel and Sally (Moore) Stone. The father was a son of John and Mary (Col- lins) Stone, and grew to maturity in Warrens- burg, married there and reared a family of 10 chil- dren. He was a native of New Hampshire, and died in Warrensburg in 1878. The mother was born in Eastern New York and died in Warrensburg, in Feb- ruary, 1883. The elder Stone was an honest, hard- working man, and left to his sons a better heritage than most men do, who earn for them immunity from effort and freedom from the struggle necessary to humanity in order to develop its greatest and best. The boasted glory of the West was made pos- sible by the stringencies which held former genera- tions at the East. John Stone was born in the old Granite State, and resided some years at Weare, Hillsborough Co., N. H., removing thence to Cam- bridge, N. Y., and, liter, to Warrensburg, where he spent his life in honor and usefulness and died at the age of 92 years. His wife was also a nonogena- rian at the time of her death. The boyhood of Mr. Stone was passed in the manner common to the children of the place, period and generation in which he was born. Industry, frugality and the necessity of utilizing every moment were so iuii)ressed upon him as to become in a sense instinctive traits. He obtained little educational discipline in the schools, and, when he found himself a man in the eyes of the law, he also found himself in undisputed possession of the i)rivilege of making his own way in the world. His years of labor during his minority had trained him in a complete knowl- edge of every detail in the manufacture of lumber; and in the early summer, when independent man- hood brought with it the added need of immediate effort, he began to seek a service with which he was familiar. An opening in Florida attracted his atten- tion, and he found encouragement in the project, but must wait until November before he could go to a tropical climate with safety. Opportunity meets her ardent seekers more than half way, and intelligence soon reached him that a company at Glens Falls were engaging men for the lumber woods of Northern Michigan, and he made his way to that place. He applied to Albert M. Cheney who, with Lewis L. Arms, of Glens Falls, and Eliphalet Wood, of Chi- cago, had established the business and interests still known under the style of the Newaygo Company. To Mr. Cheney young Stone stated his case, but he was received with a shake of the head. He acceiited the repulse without comment and reached the door, but before he opened it he was re-called. " I think there is something in you and will give you a chance," was Mr. Cheney's sententious remark; and in a few days he was on his way to Newaygo County. The village of that name consisted of only a few houses, and its principal business interests were in the hands of John k. Rrooks and the Newaygo Company. Nine dollars represented the cash capital of Mr. Stone when he found himself in the' field he had sought. His first work was scaling logs for the Ne- waygo Company on the land belonging to James and William Barton. He continued in the eni[)loy of the Company twelve years, engaged mostly in utilizing his time for the best interests of his employers. The year following his settlement in Newaygo County (1855), he bought 160 acres of unimproved land in what was then Fremont Township. He made his p'urchase under the Graduation Act, paying 75 cents per acre therefor, and in it invested his first earnings in Michigan. The entire tract is still in his posses- sion ; and, under the changes in the municii)al condi- tions incident to the settlement and organization of the county, its described location is now on section six, Garfield Township. At the time of Mr. Stone's settlement Fremont comprised the territory now in- cluded ill the towiishi|)s of Dayton, Sherman, Sher- idan and the western half of Garfield, then belonging V \ A V Si/ k ®tS5«S^ -^mi^ — ^^<-^ll!]:^llDi>^ V r :'ii'>. ^^, ^rr^TK <:mMh> r^^^'^ -«ta*a s y ^ 342 NEWAYGO COUNTY. .,%-v to Sherman. The division and several organizations were made in 1866, and Mr. Stone was made first Supervisor of Sherman, and, with tlie exception of one year, held the position successively until his nomination for County Treasurer, in 1878. He was married May 10, 1858, in Caldwell, War- ren Co., N. Y., to Mary, daughter of John Eddy. Two children — Frederick C. and Clara J. — have been born of this union. The family resided in the vil- lage of Newaygo about 15 years, when they removed to the farm, of which 100 acres is cleared and in ad- mirable condition, with farm fixtures and general ar- rangement of a character which puts the place in the front rank among the l>est in the county. On being elected to a county office, he removed to the village, where he resided until the summer of 1883, when he again removed to his farm. Besides his homestead and house and lot in Newaygo village, he owns 400 acres of timber land in the county. Until the organization of the National Greenback party Mr. Stone was a Democrat and pursued a straightforward, well-defined, but non-aggressive pol- icy, that secured the respect of his peers and the confidence of all parties. He never possessed the peculiar instincts of a wire-puller, nor exhibited the traits which characterize a ring politician of the per- iod. Nor is he a man of the stamp, so common to the nineteenth century, of such marvelous type that the contingencies of decades of public affairs seem to have been created expressly to develop. Verily, the possibilities within the range of political inge- nuity increase in direct proportion to the lapse of time! Mr. Stone's election to the positions he has held and is still holding present a feature in Newaygo County local politics, which do the good sen.se and sound judgment of her voting community eminent credit. The county officers, as a rule, are selected for peculiar ability and fitness for the work to be ac- complished. In 1878 Mr. Stone was elected County Treasurer and was re-elected in 1880. He was nominated in 1882, before the expiration of his sec- ond term, by the National Greenback element of the county as its Representative in the Legislature of Michigan. The campaign and its results were most nattering to the candidate and satisfactory to the con ■ stituency who presented him for the position, witliout knowledge or effort of his own. His election was secured solely through the general confidence in his character and abilities, and was peculiarly significant from the fact that he ran against two candidates,— • Edward E. Edwards, the then incumbent and Repub- lican nominee, and George W. Nafe, the candidate of the Democrats. In the House he was made mem- ber of Committees on the State School for the Blind, Deaf and Dumb, on Supplies and Expenditures ; and, in the varied services to which he was called, dis- tinguished himself as the protector of the interests of his constituency and by the consistency of his ac- tions as a representative of the class to which he considers it his best prerogative to belong. Mr. Stone was first Master of the Grange at Fre- mont when it was organized, and also of the first County Grange. He has been a member of the Ma- sonic Lodge of Newaygo over 20 years. On the or- ganization of the Patrons' Mutual Fire Insurance Company for the counties of Newaygo, Muskegon and Oceana, Mr. Stone was made its first Presi- dent and Treasurer. He discharged the duties of the latter position until January, 1883. Mr. Stone's portrait may be found on page 340. Its fitness as an accompaniment to this sketch (plain and matter-of-fact as the latter is neccessarily, from the modest pretentions and the unassuming charac- ter of the gentleman whose life and similitude are here perpetuated), will be acknowledged by all, and both will be a source of satisfaction to the people of Newaygo County, among whom he has expended the best years and energies of his life. ^Ibert T. Mudget, lumi)erman, located on section 2,2,, Croton Township, was born in •^PT^* Vermont, Feb. 23, 1850, and is the son of Orrin and Mary (Chambers) Mudget. At the age of 17 years Mr. Mudget began to work in a saw-mill and continued in that occupation about six years. The year 1874 he was engaged in lumbering, and in the spring of 1875 he bought 40 acres of land in Allegan Co., Mich., and made agriculture his pursuit for five years, when he sold out and engaged in mercantile business in the same county, which occupied his time and energies for nearly 18 months. He dis|:osed of his business, and in the summer of 1881 came to Newaygo County, where he first bought a half interest in a lumber mill I ^' h A VvC2_ ^ <^DD>:ODr.> z. .^^s^^^ ^^>^^^ i;|^S/®)c^t§''^ :^^isr ■^V<:llti:t:iltls>T-— NEWAYGO COUNTY. ■:2^; ^ 343 5) located in Croton Township. He has recently become sole proprietor by purchase, and continues to conduct his business with energy. The mill has a producing capacity of 20,000 feet of lumber daily. Mr. Mudget was married in Hopkins, Allegan Co., Mich., Sept. 22, 1872, to Mary E., daughter of Jack- son and Emma (Adams) Baker. She was born in Allegan County, Feb. 7, 1855. Four children have been born of this marriage, namely: Albert J., Rosa B. and Carl S. are living. Clinton T. died when si.x months old. Mr. Mudget is a Rejiublican in political adherence. Mrs. M. is a member of the Church of the Disciples. . ames E. Stockton, farmer, section 36, Big I'rairie Township, was born in Guilford, Ct., Dec. 26, 1826, and is a son of Isaac and Sylvia (Dickinson) Stockton. His father it w'as born in New Jersey and his mother was a native of Connecticut. Mr. Stockton was first married at Marshall, Mich., to Eliza Lewis. Five children were born to them, all of whom are living. Their names are William F., Stephen, Sylvia A., Susan Cornelia and Adelia Sophia. The mother died in Iowa in 1867, and Mr. Stockton was again married, in Homer, Callioun County, March 8, 1868, to Mrs. Lucy (Saunders) Pryor, widow of William Pryor. She had three children by her first marriage, as follows : Willard (dec), William, Bertie and Louie Wesley. Mrs. Stockton was born June r, 1845, in Albion, Mich. Of her marriage to Mr. Stockton three children have been born : Jane Elizabeth, Mary Emmeline and Annie Katie. Mr. Stockton became the master of his own fortunes at 12 years of age, and has been all his life a farmer. He lived in Albion at the time of his first marriage, and was there resident ten years. He went to C'ass County and eight years later removed to Allegan wliere he resided two years, after which he removed to Iowa. After the death of his first wife he returned to Albion. After his second marriage lie came to Newaygo C"ounty and bought 80 acres of land, of whicli he lias cleared 33 acres and placed it under fine improvements. He is an adherent of the Democratic party. OOP "o25o" oel G. Cook, farmer, section 29, Denver Township, is a son of Noah and Anna (Ware) t'ook, of Cattaraugus Co., N. Y., and was born Dec. 3, 1825. He remained at his father's home till 40 years of age, working on his father's farm. He married Miss Caro- line Davis, daughter of Abraham and Nancy (Carter) Davis, natives of Greene Co., N. Y., where their daughter was born, Dec 12, 1826. They moved to Oneida County when she was but a year and a half old, where she was educated and married. Mr. and Mrs. Cook remained upon the homestead, with the e.xception of two years, until they emigrated to this State. They afterward returned to their native county and remained until 1866, when they removed to a dairy farm in another part of the county. In 1879 they came back to Michigan and settled on a farm of 84 acres in Denver Township, where he has since resided. Mr. and Mrs. Cook are the parents of eiglit chil- dren, seven of whom are living: Linda M., born Nov. 25, 1850; Adeibert D., June 10, 1852; Mercy A., Nov. 29, 1854; Norton M., Jan. 14, 1856; M. G., June 23, 1859; Erwin J., May 10, 1865 ; Bertha C, Feb. 21, 1868: Elva A., born March 20, 1862, died March 7, 1863. In jiolitics Mr. Cook is a Re- publican. ^s^^W^^is^ tacob r. Treiber, farmer, section 10, Ash- ^ gjlL' land Township, was born Jan. 22, 1838, at ' V Ludwigsl)urg, Germany, and is a son of A Gotleib and Elizabetli (Ziegler) Treiber, both of German nativity and descent. He remained in his native country until 1853, obtaining his education and working on his father's farm. In June of tliat year he came to the United States and first settled in Wayne Co., Mich., ' afterwards removing to Sparta, Kent County, where he was employed in farm work until the outbreak of the civil war. He enlisted July 11, 1861, in the First Mich. Vol. Inf , Co. H. The rejiiment joined llie Army of tiie Potomac, and Mr. 'i'reiber was in action at Gaines' Hill, in the seven days' battles be- fe)^Vg))f^4>- .C--1. <^iia:^i]Dv> ^ ^€B^'- iU'^ '■'■^^ -^ ^^ <^]\mu^^>T .VE^FAYGO COUNTY. -2^^ -^1 r®v- :-<-: tween Richmond and Harrison's Landing, also at Gettysburg, Antietam and many others, the entire number of engagements reaching 31 in the aggregate. He was discharged Feb. 12, 1864, and immediately re-enlisted, receiving his final discharge July 9, 1865. He was promoted during his first period of service to the rank of Corporal and held the jxjst two years. Bravery in action again advanced him, and he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant, Sept. 1, 1864, and continued in the position until the end of the war. Soon after being discharged he came to Newaygo County and settled on his present farm in Ashland Township. He was married April 21, 1867, to Sarah Ann, daughter of Peter and Mary (Engles) Egolf, natives of Ohio. Mrs. Treiber was born in Whitley Co., Ind., May 7, 1850. Her parents removed to Michigan in" 1866 and settled in Newaygo County. After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Treiber located on 160 acres of land in Ashland, of which they retain 80 acres, 40 acres of which are under improvements. Of six children born to them four are living, who were born as follows: John W., July ro, 1869; Margaret C, July 29, 1874; Julia F., March i, 1876; Rosina, Jan. 8, 1878. The deceased were, Charles P., born Feb. 29, 1868, died May 27, 1878; and Mary E., born July 29, 187 1, and died Feb. 22, 1874. The parents are members of Ashland Grange, No. 545, and belong to the Lutheran Church. Mr. Trei- ber is an adherent of the Republican party and has held the post of Township Clerk. sjai^s^ "Tra|'t ewis Vanderwater, farmer, sec. 28, Bar- -1 Liijl ii ton Township, was born Dec. 24, 1827, in §J^T Clarkson, Monroe Co., N. Y., of which fflS'^ State his parents, John and Elizabeth (Knowl- Aj ton) Vanderwater, were natives. His father died \ there in 1834, and the mother died in 1844, in Michigan. Mr. Vanderwater grew up in the training com- monly bestowed upon the sons of farmers, and when he was 22 years of age he came to Detroit, Mich., where he learned the moulder's trade, which he fol- lowed until the date of his enrollment as a soldier in the army of our Government. He enlisted ."^ug. 5, 1862, in the 22d \Vis. Vol. Inf., and was discharged at the end'of the war, his papers bearing date of ^^f^ -r-^B t June 20, 1865. His regiment was attached to the corps commanded l)y General Hooker, and partici- pated in all the engagements from Nashville to the sea. Mr. Vanderwater returned to Wisconsin and from thence came to Grand Rapids. He remained in the latter place but a short time, locating in Ne- waygo County in the spring of 1866. He " took up " a claim under the Homestead Act, cleared and improved the land and has since resided upon it. He was married in Ottawa Co., Mich., in 1855, to Mary, daughter of George and Susan (Gladfield) Foringer, a native of Crawford Co., Pa., born April 3, 1835. The parents died respectively in 1S41 and 1861. The family of Mr. Vanderwater includes two children, — George B., born Dec. 30, 1856, and Wil- lis H., May 31, 1861. In political sentiment Mr. V. is a Republican. 21lr§Bjiexander M. Seeley, farmer, section 20, Mi I *■«* V^ 1^ Big Prairie Township, was born in Fairfield, 4^" vm X^|S^ Franklin Co., Vt., Jan. 29, 1815, and is a son "i;^ of Seth C. and .■\nn (Bradley) Seeley, both of '{" whom were natives of Connecticut. The father was born in 1789, in Bridgeport, of English descent. The mother was born in 1788. Mr. Seeley resided in his native State until he was 17 years old, when his parents removed to Monroe Co., N. v., where he remained until he attained to man's estate. On finding himself in legal freedom he came to Michigan and settled in Jackson County, where he lived two years. In 1837 he went to Ionia County, where he became the proprietor of 160 acres of land, on which he operated 16 years. He sold his estate, and in 1 854 came to Newaygo County and made a permanent settlement on 160 acres of land, all in a state of nature. He has placed 80 acres in a fine state of cultivation. He has been a resident of Big Prairie nearly 30 years, and during that time has been Justice of the Peace upwards of 20 years continuously. In political affiliation he is a Repub- lican. Mr. Seeley was married at Jackson, Mich., Aug. 31, 1836, to Harriet E. Moon. She is a daughter of James and Susannah (Pool) Moon, and was born July 24, 1817, in the State of New York. As nearly ®\ '^, m. m |s/^®^(^<|~ :^ ^ (j\ ^m'Mh>T-r :2^^^ -#^?^f^'|§ V ^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. 345 ^ as can be ascertained, her parents were born respect- (JD ively in 17S4 and 1789, the father of English, and ?^ the mother of Welsh pirentage. Following is the I record of the childre:i of Mr. and Mrs. Seeley: (^ Almeron S., Mary E., Truman ('. (tie;), Harvey K. (dec.) and Clarissa E. t JK. ames R. Rice, lumberman, resident at the village of Croton, was born in Ontario, Can., Sept. i, 1S46, and is a son of Wil- liam and Catherine (Culp) Rice. The former ]L was born May 4, 1819, in County Down, Ire- land ; the latter is of German descent and was born April 23, 181 9, in the Province of Ontario. Mr. Rice came to Michigan when he was three years of age, his parents settling in Croton Town- ship, in 1849, where he grew to man's estate and was married at 20 years of age. On assuming the re- sponsibilities of a family man he engaged in lumber- ing on the Little Muskegon River, and has continued the pursuit of that calling with little intermission since. In political affiliation he is a Republican. He was married July 15, 1866, to Christina E. Erickson. She was born Dec. 25, 1844, in Sweden, and is the daughter of Andrew and Charlotte (Olson) Erickson, both of whom were born in 1824; the former is still living; the latter died in 1854. 'I'he children of Mr. and Mrs. Rice, six in number, are all living. They are named Ida C, Lillie M., Florence B., Alma Rosella, William A. and David R. ' f^f ' imon P. Smith, farmer, section 34, Ashland Ar^: Township, was born in London, Ontario, ■*''''" Jan. 16, 1820. His parents, Jesse and 'j Elizabeth (Fairchild) Smith, were natives of the Dominion and members of the agricultural community. There the son grew to manhood, and from 12 to 18 years of age worked during the summer seasons on his father's farm, and during the winters attended the common schools. In the spring of 1838 himself and parents came to Michigan and located where Grand Rapids now stands. The now magnificent city was then an Indian village, contain- ing, besides the aborigines, but four white families. Mr. Smith was a resident there for 15 years, and in March, 1865, came to Newaygo County and located on 160 acres of land he had previously purchased, on section 34, in Ashland Township. He experienced all the hardships incident to a pioneer settler in the depths of the uncut forest. By his own unaided efforts he has placed 65 acres of land under improve- ments suitable for profitable farming, besides erecting good and substantial buildings. Mr. Smith was married Oct. 18, 1843, *" Sarah J. Daum, of Grand Rapids. Her parents were natives of New York, where she was born Nov. 28, 1828. They emigrated to Grand Rapids and their daughter resided there until her marriage. She died at her home in Ashland Township, Nov. 4, 1876, leaving two children, viz: Mary A., Aug. 20, 1844, and Wes- ley E.,Dec. 30, 1851. James, born Dec. 23, 1849, died Jan. 3, 1850. Mr. Smith is a Democrat in political connection, and for many years has served his community in a public capacity. August H. Hertzer, M. D., section 10, r. Big Prairie Township, was born Aug. 25, ^W^ 1829, in Sa.xony, Prussia, which was also the native province of his parents. His grand- father, John Godfrey Hertzer, was of princely descent, coming in a direct line from the barony of Hertzer, and born about 1743. The father, John Godfrey Christian Hertzer, was born .Aug. 4, 1799. The mother, Carolina Elizabeth Hertzer, was born Aug. 25, 1805. Mr. Hertzer was brought uj) in accordance with the customs of his native land, and served two years (from 1849 to 1851) in the Prussian army. He landed in New York April 28, 1853, and after a stay of one week there went to Long Island and remained until the fall of that year, when he went to Luzerne Co., Penn., and soon after removed to Buffalo, N. Y. His next remove was to Livingston Co , Mich., where he resided three years. He went next to the Province of Ontario, and from there came to Pontiac, Oakland County, whence he came to Newaygo County, for a permanent residence. He reached (9j V i< r ^ m :^m 1 :<■ V / 346 ■^^rV<^^Dll>:iltls>v— NEWAYGO COUNTY. vii'^^ "m. ^ t i here Aug. 12, 1871, and entered a claim of 160 acres, and has since bought 80 acres additional. Of this, 80 acres are cleared and under cultivation. His farming land includes 40 acres on the prairie, all under improvements. Ill poHtical affiliation Mr. Hertzer is a Democrat. He claims to be a double-dyed Yankee, having taken out naturalization papers May 18, i8i;6, at Buffalo, N. Y., which were destroyed ; and he was under the necessity of taking out a second set, which were made by Hon. C. C. Fuller, and filed by Mr. Cole, County Clerk. Mr. Hertzer was married in Germany, to Apollonia Barth. She was born on the Midder River at Saul- heim by Mainz, June 22, 18 19. Of six children born of this marriage one is living, — Caroline, born July 7, 1S53, on I^ng Island. The mother died in Livingston Co., Mich. Mr. Hertzer was married to his present wife Feb. 9, 1865, at Detroit. She was born in Meisenheim in the county (Landgrafschaft) of Hesse-Hornburg, March 13, 1843, and was the widow of diaries Mitchell, by whom she had one son, — Carl, born Oct. 29, 1863, in New York. The maiden name of Mrs. Hertzer was Charlotte Henri- etta Feickerth, and she is the daughter of William and Magdalena (Illges) Feickerth. Mr. and Mrs. Hertzer have nine children, namely : John August, William August, Lusina, Fritz August, Apollonia, Sarah, Henry August, Delia and Godfrey August. Mr. Hertzer was an allopathic physician in his native country, and in regular practice until he came to America; has continued the exercise of his pro- fession more or less since. His grandfather was in the Saxony recruits of Napoleon's army, and with his chief at Moscow and at Leipsic; was a regularly trained and educated soldier. tiram Dobson, farmer, section 3, Dayton __ Township, is a son of James and Esther good state of cultivation. In 187 1 his mother died, and now lies buried in the graveyard which is in close proximity to her late home. In politics Mr. Dobson is a Republican. -5 ''^A,^Sf-i^S'VV' J- %&^^^ t Dobson, natives of Orange Co., N. Y., and was born in New York city, Jan. 28, 1816. When he was quite young his parents moved to Pennsylvania, where his father died. He aftenvard came with his mother to Michigan, and he bought 80 acres of land in Dayton Township, where he now resides, and has nearly 30 acres in a I alter M. Race, Postmaster and Township Clerk, resident at Croton, was born in s "-M P Taghkanick, Columbia Co., N. Y., Jan. 15, ): j^jK* 1842. His father, John W. Race, was also ,; •- a native of the same county and was born of p[ German and Holland Dutch parentage, Feb. 22, 1803. Margaret (Thompson) Race, the mother, was born in 180S, in the same place, of German lineage. In 1868 Mr. Race came with his parents to Kent Co., Mich. He received iiis elementary education in the common schools of his native State, and in 1864 was graduated at Hobart College at Geneva, /s N. Y. He at once entered ajxin the study of medi- cine, reading three years in the office of C. S. Hoyl, M. D., at Potter Centre, Yates Co., N. Y. On com- ing to Michigan he engaged in teaching and dis- charged the duties of a pedagogue 14 miles south of Grand Rapids. He attended medical lectures at Ann Arbor, and opened his career as a practitioner in Kent County, where he operated until 1871. In that year he came to Croton, and in connection with his practice embarked in a mercantile enterprise, and continued the management of both one year, when he returned to Kent County and resumed his practice, following it until the fall of 1879. At that date he returned to Croton and engaged in local practice and as a clerk in a store. He became owner of an interest in the mercantile business, which he retained until 1882, when he sold out. He has since applied his time and energies to his profession and the duties of his official positions, which, be- sides those named, includes those of Justice of the Peace. He received his appointment as Postmaster under President Garfield's administration. In polit- ical relations he is an ardent Republican, and has ';"^; always taken an active and zealous interest in the tR issues of his party. ^ Mr. Race was married March 30, 187 1, in Big @ Prairie Township, to Sarah J. M, daughter of John ^ Ilt|;:>t-^-_ p r "m. '^^^(^Jim M^^^^^^:^ ^rmmm>r ^ t 't' fjp ■^ 4 <$ /\ V ■ J 4 ^ •ry NEWAYGO COUNTY. 347 and Eunice (Goff) Krusen. She was born in Kalamo Township, Eaton Co., Mich., Sept. 19, 1852. Her father was born of German lineage March 16, 1820, in New Jersey; her mother was born Jan. 27, 1824, in Licking Co., Ohio. The three children, born to Mr. and Mrs. Race, are all Irving. Their names arc Hubert DcForcst, Edna Earl and Myrtle Maud. -<-^<44K^^>- ' m B. Jewell is a son of Joseph and Asenath (Cross) Jewell, who were natives of Otsego Co., N. Y., and died in Allegany County, same State. He was born in Tompkins Co., N. Y., June 23, 1S26. He attended the common schools of his native county and also the Rushford Academy at Rushford, Allegany County. Like many other young men, he wished to see more of the world, and at the early age of 18 he left home to battle for himself, although this was not in accordance with the wishes of his parents. At the age of 20 years he went to learn the carpenter and joiner's trade, and worked eight months at four dollars a month — the hardest work he ever performed. After this he went to Ithaca, N. Y., where he was engaged in boat-building one season, then returned to Allegany County and followed his trade the most part of his time until 1856. In the spring of that year he came to this county and settled in Newaygo, where he worked at his trade until the summer of 1859, then moved to Muskegon and worked one year; and finally came to Fremont and settled on his farm of 240 acres, which he had purchased in June, 1855. He resided on this farm 22 years. He cleared 100 acres, and built fine l)uildings, having three barns on his [ilace. He still carries on his farm, but in September, 1882, lie moved to the vil- lage of Fremont, and into a fine new house, liuilt mostly with his own hands. Mr. Jewell was married in Hume, Allegany Co., N. Y., Nov. 5, 1848, to Mary, daughter of Henry A. and Polly (Bosworth) Turner, natives of Wayne Co., N. Y. Mrs. Turner died in Allegany County, and Mr. Turner came to Michigan to visit a daugliter, where he died after an illness of four weeks. Mr. and Mrs. Jewell have three children: Archibald D., born Aug. 22, 1852; Cornelia I., Sei)t. 3, i860. and Hugh 13., Sept. 9, 1863. Mr. J. has held the office of Supervisor six years. He was elected to the Legislature in the fall of 1876, by the Republi- cans, over A. T. Siiuier, the Democratic nominee. He is President of the Patrons' Mutual Fire Ins. Co., of Newaygo, Oceana and Muskegon Counties; also President of the Union Agricultural Society, of Hes- peria. He was the first and second President of the Newaygo County Agricultural Society. When Mr. and Mrs. Jewell first moved ui)on their farm, their nearest neighbor was nearly three miles distant, and for six weeks Mrs. Jewell did not see a white woman. They passed through all the hardships and vicissitudes of pioneer life, in which Mrs. Jewell has been a faithful assistant and sharer. Mr. Jewell is the author of a brief sketch of Day- ton Township, which was published in the local papers in 1876 and forw:irded to Wnshinglor., 1). ('., for reference. He is a relative of ex- Postmaster- General Jewell. (9)) #^ ^>^^^^^^ MW ®°^se Rupp, farmer, section 16, Ashland ''l|. Township, was born in Hesse-Darmstadt, ^^ Germany, Dec. 2, 1829. His parents, George and Catharine (Kaiser) Rupp, were born and i passed their entire lives in "Das Faderland." Mr. Rupp was educated under the compulsory school system of his native land, and at the age of 14 years was apprenticed for three years to his uncle, to acquire a knowledge of weaving linen. After the completion of his indentures he worked at his trade until April i, 185 1, when he was conscripted for the army and served until Oct. 10, 1854. On obtaining his release from his military obligations he emigrated to the United States, and came direct to Ottawa Co., Mich. He was married in that county Dec. 31, 1857, to Margaret, daughter of John and Elizalieth (Fading) Siebert, who was born in Germany, Feb. 29, 1840. She came to the United States when she was 13 years old, and settled in Ottawa County, where she was married. In the spring of 1858 Mr. and Mrs. Ruiip came to Newaygo County and bought 80 acres of wild land in Ashland 'I'ownship. Mr. R. has brought his manhood's strength and his inherited \^ A f^. * ^(l- -^^^ — ervc^n D :^; u o>^v ■^aJ^^ ■M^ 348 ^ ^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. • ) > disposition to industry and economy, as well as the indomitable energy of his nationality, to bear on the purpose with which he sought the New World, and in his farm and surroundings exemplifies the method by which a man may turn his resources of health and ef- fort into substantial results. He has cleared Co acres of his land and erected thereon a good resi- dence, with other accessory farm buildings. He enlisted Feb. 8, 1865, in the Tenth Mich. Cavalry, under Col. Trowbridge, which was assigned to tlie Army of the Tennessee. Becoming disabled soon after his enlistment, he saw no active service, and was honorably discharged Nov. 1 1, 1865. He is an earnest Republican and a member of the Ashland Center Lodge, No. 362, I. O. O. F. He also belongs to the Lutheran Church. The five children of the household were born as follows: George, June 14, 1862; Charles H., Feb. 11, 1867; John A., Jan. 5, 1871; Mary E., April 17, 1874; Minnie T., June 12, 1876. X m^ -13= T~T e^ L. Cavender, merchant at Croton, was born Aug. 14, 1840, in Leoni, Jackson Co., Mich. His parents were Dennis and Mary '6J(j (Burch) Cavender; the former was born in 1818, in Ireland, and died in 1873 in Croton. The mother was born in 1828, of Scotch parentage, in Tioga Co., N. Y. Mr. Cavender was a resident of Jackson County until he was 15 years old, when he came to Newaygo County. He passed the years between 1855 and 186- in various occupations to secure a livlihood. In 186- he enlisted in Co. H, Third Mich. Vol. Inf., Col. Pierce. He enrolled for three years and was in much active service. At the battle of the Wilder- ness, May 5, 1864, he was severely wounded and lost his left foot. He was sent to the hosiiital at Washington, where he remained six months, and after receiving his discharge he was appointed Government Policeman, and acted as such at the Patent Office building for five years. In 1870 he came back to Croton and was variously engaged until he embarked in his present enterprise. He engaged a i)art of the time in farming, and managed a livery stable and stage and mail route. He operated three years as mail contractor. His stock of goods includes drugs, notions, hardware, groceries, tinware and clothing, and his patronage is constant and gradually extending. He belongs to the National party and has served two terms as Constable. Mr. Cavender was married Jan. 5, 1868, to Mary, daughter of Dennis and Annie Brady, both of whom were born in Ireland. Mrs. Cavender was born Dec. 28, 1844, in Baltimore, Md. Four children were born of her marriage to Mr. Cavender, all living. They are, Eugene, Annie, Elsie and May Belle. V^ afhomas McDonell, dealer in wines and ^i liquors at Alleyton, was born Jan. i, 185 1, ^'"^ at Waukegan, 111., and is a son of John and '^ Mary McDonell. The parents were natives of Massachusetts, and removed in early life to Illinois. Mr. McDonell came to Muskegon, Mich., when he was 13 years of age, where he passed one summer; and for a period of nine years afterward he was a laborer in the lumber woods. In May, 1S75, he established himself in his present business at Alley- ton. He was married in January, 1S77, to Celia, daughter of George Mann, a native of England. One child, born to Mr. and Mrs. McDonell, died in infancy. John, only surviving child, was born Nov. 5- '^ys. Mr. McDonell is a Republican in political senti- ment, and has been Township Treasurer one year. ■SjharlesW. Peets, farmer, section 16, Ash- A ^: land Township, was born Feb. 2, 1829, at ^ St. Thomas, Ont. His parents, Cliarles .S. and Permelia (Willey) Peets, were born in Massachusetts and Vermont respectively, the former of a pure line of Colonial Puritan descent. Tlie families of each settled in Canada, wliere they were married. In 1831 they went to Middlesex County and located at Glencoe, on tlie river Thames, wliere tlie son was educated and labored with his ^ '.i.(^i^< -^>^^ ^r-^D P gDDf^A^=^ ^«x^ -«|^^<(S5 tyZrf.'^LcC^ityO^c^rt^ ..^fi^ KHyfHyi4yftcc },curftl-^Crn- i '/V Q^ i?^/^ #" u~^ r ~2S*Wv V NEWAYGO COUNTY. 4^^((^xM 353 "S father in the business of making brick, until he reached the age of 20 years, when he entered into an apprenticeship with Joseph Waterworth, to receive instructions in the details of the trade of builder. After the required period was ended he went to work as a job carpenter and operated in that capacity until the fail of 1859, when he came to Newaygo County and purchased 80 acres of land, all in heavy timber. He has cleared and improved 50 acres and added all necessary farm buildings, rendering his farm one of the most attractive and valuable in the section. In addition to farming he has spent several winters lumbering on the Muskegon River. Mr. Peets was married Aug. 6, 1852, in Middlesex Co., Ont., to Lydia, daughter of Robert and Jennie (Young) Kelley. .She was born in Ekfrid, Middlesex Co., Ont., July i, 1831, and resided with her i)arents until she was married. The following record con- tains the names and dates of births of the seven children born to Mr. and Mrs. Peets : Jennie, born Feb. 19, 1852; Charles S., Nov. 23, 1853; Julia A., Nov. 4, 1856; Sydney, March 9, 1859; Scott, April 16, 1868 (died May 6, 1873); Warren W., Aug 31, 187 I ; Artemus B., Dec. 4, 1875. Mr. Peets is an ardent adherent to the Greenback party, and has held several important local offices. Himself and wife belong to Lodge No. 545, P. of H., at Ashland Center. |C fa: polios W. Lambson, farmer, section 12, U^^^ Ashland Township, whose portrait we !^|^ give upon a preceding page, was born in 'JaT Shelby, Niagara Co., N. Y., Nov. 19, 1823, and j is a son of K. and Polly (Walworth) Lambson. The parents were born in the State of New York and came to Michigan in 1826. They located in Wash- tenaw County for a time, going thence to Kinder- hook Township, Branch County, in 1S35, where the father died in 1838. The burden of the family support after the decease of his father fell upon young Lambson, then but 15 years of age, and he fulfilled the duty manfully until he was 22 years old. He was married March 29, ^f<4!S :s?-^?^y!^ -^M 1846, to Lucinda, daughter of Luman and Lydia (Beach) Gibbs. She was born in Seneca Co., N. Y., Oct. 13, 1830. Her parents came to Jackson Co., Mich., in 1840, and later went to Kinderhook, Branch County. Mr. and Mrs. Lambson lived in that county four years after marriage and in 1850 came to what is now Newa go village. Hardly a stick of timber had been cut, and Mr. Lan.bson was among the first to follow John A. Brooks, and aided that gentleman in his project to build up a town by purchasing the first village lots that were offered for sale. He also helped to lay out the first village lots and as- sisted in building the first milldam at Newaygo. He remained at Newaygo until 1854 when he settled on section 13 of Ashland Township, where he re- sided four years. At the end of that time he pur- chased 80 acres of land on section 12. Asubsecpient purchase swelled his estate to 160 acres, of which he has placed 130 acres under fine im]jrovements and advanced cultivation. Mr. Lambson became a soldier in the war for the Union, enlisting Jan. 11, 1865, in the 15th Mich. Inf., Co. E, under Capt. J. W. Brown. Illness pre- vented his entering upon active duty, but he re- mained at the front until the close of the war, receiv- ing honorable discharge Aug. 15, 1865. In political faith and action, Mr. Lambson coin- cides with the National party. He has ever been an active man in local interests and has held the more important offices. Himself and wife belong to the First-Day Advent Church, of which he was Deacon for several years. Of thirteen children born to them, seven are deceased. They were Emma A., Charles E., Ellen C, Arthur L., Edna E., Luman B. and Herbert A. The surviving are, Theresa P., Melissa J , Marion L., Wilma D., Luella M. and Alice L. The ties of kindred and friends connecting Mr. and Mrs. Lambson with the history of Newaygo County render it peculiarly fitting that tiieir por- traits should api ear in its published records, and they may be found in close proximity to the modest, unpretentious sketch of their course of life. They are on the sunset side of their earthly career, as time tells human histories ; but lives of worthy effort, of suffering and loss borne with Christian fortitude and crowned with reasonably worldly success, give palp- able evidence of the immortal element even in earthly matters. t \^ I % '^i'i'^. m^' '^ r^. 354 :>^^ ■^^^ ^irr-^-r -3i^^^ -«9??7^ .Ti- « V A^^H^.4FGC COUNTY. IP oC>o oseph W. Carpenter, farmer, section 32, township of Big Prairie, was born May 25, ICS25, in Niagara, Canada. He is a son of Asa P. and Margaret (Ulnian) Carpenter. (See sketch.) The father of Mr. Carpenter was a school- teacher by profession, and the family residence was changed according to his engagements, which caused frequent removals but did not interfere materially with the education of the children. Mr. Cari)enter la- bored as a farm hand, and attended school winters, until he was 18 years old ; the succeeding fall (1843) he came to Michigan and taught singing-school in Hillsdale. He returned home in the spring of 1844, spent the summer, and in the fall went again to Hillsdale. The next summer he worked as a car- penter in St. Catherines, and kept up alternate labor and leaching at home until 1847; then he married = and went north of the city of Toronto, where he taught *"<^ day and singing-school until 1853, when he came ° to Michigan, arriving in the township of Croton Aug. 31. He remained there until the winter of 1856, when he settled on 148 acre's of Government land, which he pre-empted and where he now resides. He has ck-ared 85 acres, placed it under good culti- vation, with fine buildings and other creditable im- provements. Mr. Carpenter enlisted in the war of the Rebellion, in Co. A, Tenth Mich. Cav., and served nine months. j He is a radical Republican, served as Town Clerk ■''^) during his residence in Croton and has officiated Va neady all the time as Justice of the Peace since his removal to Big Prairie. He has held also various other offices,— among them that of County Superin- tendent of Schools. He was married Nov. 9, 1847, in Niagara, to Christiana B. Malcomson. She was born on the Orkney Isles, Scotland, Aug. 18, 1827. Her father, Stewart Malcomson, was a native of the Orkneys, and was born in 1797, and died in August, 1873, in Hamilton, Canada. Her mother, Christiana (Brotche) Malcomson, was also born on the Orkneys in 1799 and died in Hamilton, in February, 1873. Seven of ten children born to Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter still survive. Charics C. was lost in the war of the '(!§^fA^¥^::- ^?^ ^— ^ -i ^r oseph W. Cook, miller at Croton, was born Jan. 7, 1833, in New Jersey. His parents, William and Elizabeth (Luts) Cook, were both natives of New Jersey. The father came of Scotch lineage, was born about 1796, and died in 1840. The mother was born of Dutch ancestors, about 1796, and died in 1881. At the age of 14 years Mr. Cook was apprenticed to a man named A. R. Sutton, at Hackettstown, N. Y., to learn the trade of a miller, whicii he has made the calling of his life. His indentures expired at the end of three years, when he received the customary $ioo. He -has since operated continuously at his trade. He came to Michigan in 1856, and made his first permanent settlement at Niles. He passed the succeeding four years in that city and at Dowagiac, when he went to Indianapolis, and after a year to Tipton Co., Ind., where he bought a mill. He con- ducted it one year and sold it, clearing $1,800 in the transaction. He went next to Three Rivers, Mich., i h I m i^ tS7^v=^t£— ■ T? v<^^Illi:t:ilDr.> v NEWAYGO COUNTY. i^ (t, A V > -^i?^f(I)^^ii)^i[^)' 355 <^ im. and two years later to Grand Rapids, where he operated two years. In r868 he came to the village of Croton to take charge of the Croton Mills. He owns a house and lot where he resides. In political matters he is a Democrat. Mr. Cook was married in Grand Rapids, to Mary Jane Backart, who was born in July, 1841, in Croton Township, and is a daughter of George and Mary Adeline (Backart) Backart. (See sketch.) Three children — Lena B., Arthur and Frederick C. — have been born of this marriage. i^^ffl3l illiam M. Davenport, of the mercantile ' l»^l^ f firm of Daven[)ort & Co., at Alleyton, is 'i=r<^>^ the eldest son of George and Caroline (> (Mead) Davenport, natives of New York. His mother died July 20, 1883, and his father is still a resident of the Empire State. The family comprised three daughters and four sons, six of whom lived to adult age. Mr. Davenport, the subject of this sketch, was born in Spencertown, Columbia Co., N. Y., May 30, 1844. Until he was 19 years old he was engaged in acquiring his education at the primary schools, the Spencertown Academy, and the Clinton Liberal Institute. His first employ was as clerk with Alley & WhitwGod, of Hornellsville, N. V. (.Alleyton received its name from James Alley, of the firm named, he being the founder of the town.) He was in their service three years, when he began the busi- ness of merchant tailoring at Hornellsville, in which he continued two years. In 18 — he sold out and came to Bay City, Mich., where, in company with his uncle, James H. Mead, he built a shingle-mill, which they operated two and a half years, when Mr. Mead became sole proprietor by purchase. His next enter- prise was in the joint management, with another uncle, S. A. Vandeusen. of the Frazer House. This relation existed about 18 months. On again selling out he formed a partnership with R. F. AVhite, in the sale of crockery and house-furnishing goods, which he managed four years and then sold out once more. He returned to Hornellsville and became book-keeper about two years in a dry-goods house. In January, 1880, he came to Newaygo County and located at Alleyton, where he has since been operating in trade as indicated by his firm relation. The annual trans- actions of the concern aggregate about $65,000. He is also connected with Joseph A. Proctor in a lumber and shingle-mill at Alleyton. He is independent in politics, and has held various municipal positions, among them Treasurer of Everett, School Inspector and School Assessor. He is a member of the Masonic Order and of the Ancient Order of the United Workmen. Mr. Davenport was married at Hornellsville, Nov. I, 187 I, to Mary E., daughter of Samuel C. Jillson, natives of the State of New York. Of five children born of this union three are living; they are, Russell R., Bessie J. and George S. Laura died when five months old, and another child survived its birth but a few hours. f I ' Vi 'Ti\'> ^'^' ^^^^^ ^- French, widow of Dr. V. q\W}:-r-'''^ Prairie, was born in Trenton, Herkimer ^[ki^^"^ Co., N. Y., July 3r, 1815. Her father, James Moon, was born about the year 1784, in the State of New York, and died in 1869, in Ionia Co , Mich. He was of English lineage and served in the war of 181 2. Her mother, Susannah (Pool) Moon, was also born in the Green Mountain State, of Welsh parentage, about 1796, and died in Ionia Co., Mich., in 187 i. They came to Jackson Co., Mich., in 1832, where they remained until 1837, and removed to Ionia Co., Mich. Dr. V. P. French was Ijorn in Hamlin, N. Y., near Braddock Bay, Nov. 8, 1812. His parents, Richard and Hannah (Nichols) French, were of English an- cestry and both died in Michigan about the year 185: Dr. French and Susan E. Moon were mar- ried Dec. 12, 1835, in the city of Jackson. Follow- ing is the record of the children born to them : Emily, born Sept. 21, 1836 (died Oct. 8, 1840); Pembroke R., Nov. 24, 1837 ; Hannah, Sept. 8, 1838 (died Oct. 8, 1840); Henry B., Sept. 12, 1842 (died Oct. 22, 1843); Alma E., Jul\- 13, 1S44, is now Mrs. Edwin W. Barnes. Dr. French removed in 1839 to Lenawee County, and went thence in iS — to Otisco, Ionia County, I French, resident on section 17, Big \^' r m :^ -«#* -zj^^g:^ ^V<^(lll>:llll^>r •rr- "^^^^^sr -l^^f^-:^ I 35 6 NEWAYGO COUNTY. where the family resided until 1S52, when they came to Big Prairie and settled on section 17, on a farm ''^ of 40 acres. After a residence there of five years T Dr. French sold his farm and bought the place on '_J which his family now resides, lying on the west half of the southeast quarter of section 17. On the sale of the farm they removed to Byron, Kent County, and went a year later to Otisco. They resided there two years and returned to Big Prairie, where the Doctor bought the same 40 acres, and 80 acres addi- tional. Of this property 16 acres have been sold and ''I 20 acres of the remainder are under cultivation. ^ Dr. French served his township eight years as Justice of the Peace, and was Postmaster of Big Prairie ten years. He became well and widely known in his practice in the county and township, and since his death, Dec. 12, 1877, his widow has sustained his business. Mrs. French belongs to the denomina- tion known as Second-Adventists. r|> ) A •»»«2ae/©^«-^x *^^2;33OT<' eorge Lentz, merchant at Croton village, was born Aug. 14, 1837, in Prussia, Ger- many. His parents, Joseph and Adelaide (Stuttgen) Lentz, were also born in that coun- try, the former in 1808, the latter in 1810. In 1856 they emigrated to the New World and settled in Richfield, Washington Co., Wis., where they are yet resident. Mr. Lentz was sent to school according to the law of his native countrj', until he was 16 years old. He remained in Wisconsin one year, and in 185S came to Newaygo County, when he spent 14 winters in the lumber woods. He was in the employ of ]. F. Gauweiler seven years as clerk in his mercantile establishment, and operated three years in the same capacity with G. and A. Truesdale. In 1S79, asso- ciated with Charles Merritt, he embarked in a mer- cantile enterprise, which has jjroved a successful venture. They carry a finely assorted stock of gen- eral merchandise, worth $6,000, with yearly transac- tions aggregating $15,000. Mr. Lentz owns a house and two lots in Croton, and is a Democrat in political belief and action. In religious faith he is a Roman Catholic. He was married in 1847, in Croton, to Martha, /J«^# ^>€»^ daughter of David N. and Charlotte (Culp) Tucker, both Canadians in origin. Three children born of this union are living, — Charlotte, Eddie and George A. rohn F. Wood, Sr., farmer, section 24, Gar- ir field Township, was born in Upper Jay, Esse.x Co., N. Y., March 20, 1821, and is a son of Jonas B. and Hannah (Reed) Wood. His father was born in New England, of Eng- lish lineage, and died in Esse.x County, May 12, 1S30, aged 56 years. Tiie mother died at Upper Jay, June 18, 1863, in her 83d year. Mr. ^Vood worked on a farm summers and at- tended, school winters until he had attained the age of 18 years, when he became a student at the Academy at Moriah, Essex Co., N. Y., and there completed his education. After arriving at the estate of manhood he took charge of the homestead, which he continued to manage for a period of ten years. He was married at Rouse Point, Clinton Co., N. Y., in May, 1847,10 Amelia Lewis, who died Oct. 4, 1848. Mr. Wood remained a resident of his native county until 1857, when he came to Newaygo and engaged in agriculture and lumbering, interesting himself actively in all branches thereunto pertaining, also buying pine lands and putting in timber. He leased the old Brooks saw-mill, which he managed three years. In 18 — he purchased the farm property where he now resides, consisting of 250 acres, 200 of which yet remain in his iwssession. He has cleared 60 acres and made many valuable improvements. Mr. Wood was a second time married Dec. 29, 1864, to Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas and Isabella (Rich- ardson) Walker, of Detroit, Wayne Co., Mich. The parents were natives of Scotland, which was also the birthplace of Mrs. Wood. She was born in the par- ish of St. Boswell, Ro.xburyshire, Scotland, Nov. 25, 1831, and emigrated to Detroit in June, 1853. She went to England in 1862 and after a stay there of two years returned to the United States, accompanied by her parents. Her mother died at Detroit May 3, 1883. Mr. and Mrs. Wood have three children : Is- abel H., born June 3, 1866; Charles B., Jan. 20, 1868; John F., Jan. 27, 1872. In the fall of 1864 Mr. Wood was elected Sheriff , A >0' ^ -^<-Il!l^.Illl^>^ ^^^ V •ST c NEWAYGO COUNTY. r^ifi^. -zzi"^- V > 4 1 ^ of Newaygo County and served one term. He is a (£) Deacon of the Congregational Church, of which body ije his wife is also a member. He is prominent in all J measures of reform, and is well known as an active (^j adherent to and promoter of the cause of temperance. Tohn Meier, farmer, section 2, Big Prairie 'I'ownsliip, was born Nov. i, 1842, in Bevern, Hanover, a town situated on the River Elbe, " 12 hours from Bremenhafen, or 36 miles from the sea." His parents, Angulus and Ilsametta (Paeper) Meier, were natives of the same town and province of Prussia. Mr. Meier spent his youth and early manhood in the place of his nativity and was married there. Three years after that event, June 24, 186S, he left his native country for the United States, and on his arrival remained one night in the city of New York, proceeding at once to Oceola, Livingston Co., Mich. Eighteen months later he removed to Genoa, in the same county, and two years later came to Newaygo County. He entered a claim of 120 acres of land under the regulations of the Homestead Act, and took up his residence thereon when it was in an unbroken state of nature, and now has 40 acres cleared, with good house, barn and general improve- ments. In political affiliation Mr. Meier is a Democrat. He took out naturalization papers at Howell while he was a resident of Livingston County, and on becom- ing a citizen of Newaygo County took out a second set. Mr. Meier was married in Hcvern, June 24, 1865, to Annie Christina, daughter of Jacob and Katrina (Wulpern) Allis. .She was born Jan. 7, 1844, in Mulsum, Hanover. Her father was born in Malstedt, and her mother in Hessedorf, both towns of Hanover. Mr. and Mrs. Meier have had nine children, all of whom are living save Louie and Lucy, who died, the *- first at the age of two and a half years, and the last ;> at four years old. They were fifth and sixth in the ^ order of their birth. The names of those living are: (TS) ^ Ilsametta Maria, John Henry, Johnny, Annie, William, fi^ Minnie and Nellie Allie. 357 TN IliUJjMilS •benjamin Youngs, farmer, section 6, Bar- __||P ton Township, was born in Morris Co., N. ^<^ J., July 8, 1816, and is a son of Edward I®^ and Deborah (Shommedieu) Youngs. The father was born in New Jersey and spent his life in that State, dying in 1869. The mother was born on Long Island and died in 1878. Mr. Youngs remained an inmate of the paternal home until his marriage, which occurred in 1836. He became the husband of Lucinda, daughter of David and Sophia (Raynor) Lewis. The parents were both born on Long Island and are both de- ceased. The father died in 1875 and the mother in 1855. Mrs. Youngs was born in Batavia, N. Y., Aug. I, 1816. Mr. and Mrs. Youngs have had 15 chil- dren, of whom only the seven following are living: Clarissa Jane, Eliza Ann, Betsy M., Mary C, George H., Olive M. and Sylvia M. The deceased were: Henry, Benjamin, Emma, Christopher, Eliza and three unnamed infants. After his marriage Mr. Youngs " took up " a fann in Steuben Co., N. Y., on which he resided 34 years, and in the spring of 1867 sold out and came to Ne- waygo County, where he homesteaded 80 acres of land. He now owns 120 acres, 100 of which are finely improved and cultivated. Mr. Youngs is a Republican in political sentiment. ^*H^S$ v'V? I J''n:\^ <:I1I1 M"' f fli'ohn W. Ohrenberger, foreman (if thclum- ber and shingle mill of Proctor iv: Co., y.v) '' ^ White Cloud, was born in Germany, Oct. ^M, 20, 1842. His parents were natives of tlie Y "Faderland," where his father died when he \ was but a year old. In 1852 his mother came to the United States and settled in Milwaukee, where she passed the remaining years of her life, dying in 1878. Mr. Ohrenberger lived in the Cream City six years and was there employed in learning the business of wagon-maker; and when he was 16 years old he came to Muskegon County. He labored as a saw- mill assistant until 1862, when he enlisted in the sth K (^ •; /> sv :nII^•>T■ T V 358 NEWAYGO COUNTY. t Mich. Cav., and served in the capacity of a soldier of the United States nearly three years. He was under fire in many important actions and was wounded at the battle of Gettysburg. He was hit by a minie-ball in the left side and spent four months in the hospital. After his recovery he was in the campaigns of the Army of the Potomac until the surrender of Gen. Lee. After the war closed he returned to Muskegon and resumed his accustomed occupation in the mills there. In the fall of 1874 he settled in AUeyton, and entered upon the duties of his present position, which he has continued to discharge since without intermission. He was married in the township of White River, Muskegon Co., Mich., Nov. 23, 1868, to Louisa, daughter of Frederick and Minnie Streich, the parents being natives of Prussia, where Mrs. Ohrenberger was also born. Of eight children born of this mar- riage six survive. They are: Mary A., Louisa \., Lillie C, Maggie T., Minnie A. and Ida C. John died when 14 months old, and another child was lost at an earlier age. In political connection Mr. Ohrenberger is a Rei)ublican, and has held different school offices. In the spring of 1883 (current year) he was elected Supervisor of Everett Township. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and belongs to the Knights of Honor. jtiabrose Haight, farmer, section 9, Big Prai- se rie Township, was born Feb. 14, 1829, in Bradford Co., Pa., and is the son of Hiram and Sarah (Swaine) Haight. Tlie father died in 1846, in Shiawassee Co., Mich. The mother was born Nov. 8, 1804, in Plymoutli, Chenango Co., N. Y., and died March 18, 1877, in Oceana Co., Mich. She was a daughter of Deacon Oliver Swaine, and was of German descent. Mr. Haight is the oldest of eight children. His father came to Michigan in 1840 and settled in Shi- awassee County, where he died six years later. After that event the son continued to reside with liis mother until the fall of 1856, when he came to Ne- waygo County. He had been a family man a few months and removed his entire worldly eflectsbythe T aid of an ox team, consuming nine days in the trip. He bought 80 acres of land and entered upon the work of clearing and improving and establishing a homestead. He has now under cultivation 70 acres of good land and owns, besides his original purchase, 40 acres on the same section. He is quite a prom- inent man in his generation, belongs to the National parly, and, soon after setding in the township, was elected Constable, which post he filled nine years. He officiated as Justice of the Peace six years and has discharged the duties of School Director nine years. Mr. Haight was married in Shiawassee, Jan. i, 1856, to Elvira \Vinans; she was born June 17, I S39, in Oakland Co., Mich., and is a daughter of Benjamin and Angeline (Roosevelt) W'inans, both Germans and natives of Seneca Co., N. Y., the for- mer born March 5, 1810, the latter Oct. 22, 1811. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Haight were born as follows: Hiram B., April 9, 1859; Charles Edwin, Oct. 28, 1861; Alfred W., July 19, 1868; Angeline, Sept. II, 1870; Dora, Sept. 27, 1876; and George, Aug. 14, 1S80. . < '% r &^i^^^^-^- <^D!]>: \ ichard Surplice, grocer, Newaygo, was born in County Fermanagh, Ireland, June 19, [■it'^ 1839. He is a son of Edward and Han- ]\^ nah (Montgomery) Surplice, who emigrated ly to London, Can., the year following his birth. I The father was a farmer, and his son remained at home acquiring his education until the age of 13 years, when he entered the service of a grocer, Alex- ander Davidson, and a year later was employed by James Geddes, for whom he acted as salesman one year. His father liought a farm of 100 acres near London, and he relinipiished his clerkship to aid in the new agricultural project. He worked on the farm until he was 23 years old, when he left home. The next year he went to New York, where he remained only a few months, returning to London. He was en- gaged there about i6 montlis as turnkey in the jail, and in the spring of 1866 went to Ohio, where he spent the following summer. In tlie spring of 1867 Mr. S. came to Newaygo, vy where he worked on a farm summers and as a lum- ^ berman winters, until 1S70, when he ojjcned a saloon. Jr.j In 1872 he erected a building for the prosecution of «^ J^ i5^ m. ^^)^r>- ,:DII^> >?-r t^:\i:i^ '^■i^ "^^^^^'Wl NEWAYGO CO UN J Y. 359 ^ > "^ V his business. In 1S75 he added the grocery trade to his previous interest, and managed both at the same place until his property was destroyed by the disastrous fire of April, 1883, in which he suffered a loss of 3,3,000 above the insurance. He built two brick stores on the site of his former stand, where he is now established. The buildings are two stories in height above the basement, and cost about $5,000. His stock of goods represents a value of $3,000, with yearly tranactions of 10,000, and he is doing a good business. He owns also a fine farm of 80 acres in Garfield Townshi|), on section 10, 160 acres of land in Ontonagon Coun'y in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and nine acres in Newaygo village south of the depot. Mr. Surplice was married in Newaygo, July 11, 1870, to Libby, daughter of Samuel and Lucinda Davie, born in Allegany Co., N. Y., in March, 185 i. Of this marriage two children have been born, as follows: Cora H., Aug. 35, 187 i, and George S., Nov. 12, 1873. Mr. Surplice is a member of the Order of Odd Fellows. 't\ P', orace Warren, Postmaster and merchant j^ at Alleyton, was born in Wayne Co., Mich., viv Oct. 27, 1S36. His parents. Chancellor C. VS, and Laura A. (Carlton) Warren, were natives I respectively of the State of New York and Ohio. They became residents of Wayne Co., Mich., and afterwards of Newaygo County, where the father died, in 1879. The mother is still living with her children. Mr. Warren was married at the age of 24 years, when he bought 1 20 acres of land in Newaygo County, mostly in a wild state. He continued to improve this for seven years, when he rented the property and embarked in a mercantile enterprise at /Ktna, where he operated two years. In September, 1872, he opened his present establishment at Alley- ton, and with the exception of three years he has conducted the same. During the time mentioned he was engaged in farming and teaming. He received the apixjintment of Postmaster at Alleyton under President Arthur. In politics he is a Republican and has held the position of Treasurer of Everett Town- ship two and a half years, has been Clerk three years. Justice of the Peace four years, and in July, 1883, was appointed Notary Public. He is a mem- ber of the Order of Masons. He was married in Denver Township, Nov. 10, 1862, to Elizabeth Ann, daughter of Herman and Charlotte (Keirstead) Forbes, natives respectively of Canada and New Brunswick. Mrs. Warren was born in Canada, March 22. 1838. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Warren are: Mari.t S., Ida C, \\\- gustus L. and Ralph E. ^;'— o^ — "t" -ff34' Tftlfeenjamin Carpenter, farmer, section 31, Big I'r.iirie Township, was born Aug. 7, 1836, in Ontario, Canada, and is the son '^f^'^ of Asa P. and Margaret (Ulman) Carpenter. ' (See sketch.) He accompanied his parents to Michigan in 1853. They settled in Cro- ton Township, and he continued to reside with them until his marriage, obtaining a fair common-school education and employed in farm labor. After his marriage he remained in Croton Township a year, when (in 1867) he went to Morley and was in the employment of Nelson Higbee 15 months. At the expiration of that time he went to Ionia County and bought a farm, containing 40 acres of land. On this he resided six years, rented the place and went to North Plains Center in the same county, where he was resident two years, going thence to Ionia. Six months later he sold his farm and removed to Newaygo County, where he settled on 80 acres of land in Big Prairie, given him by his father. It is all well improved, and under advanced cultivation, with good buildings. Mr. Carpenter was a soldier of the civil war and belonged to' Co. K, Third Mich. Vol. Inf He served three years, the full time of his enrollment, and was discharged July 20, 1864. He was shot across his mouth and thereliy suffered the loss of his teeth ; and contracted rheumatism, by which he is yet, at inter- vals, disabled. He was in some of the most promi- nent battles of the war. In political connection he is a Republican. Mr. Carpenter was married April 12, 1866, to Sarah F., daughter of Benjamin F". and Laura M. V ^ "icy r A -^^n !] >: wy^^ — ^^^f^ k® ^ ^ ■«iv ) :« V 1 .A. 360 JVEWAVGO COUNTY. (Goodwin) Higbee. She was born Nov. 13, 1842, in Ionia, Mich. Her father was born in 1818 at Bing- hamton, N. Y. ; her mother is a native of the city of Utica, N. Y. The one was of English parentage, the other of German descent ; both are yet aHve. Laura E., .Maggie E., Frank L. and Edwin Ralph, the four children born to Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter, are all living. "-;-,[i^i. fames Monroe Gibbs, farmer, lumberman and general manager in the lumber inter- \''^'^ ests of G. W. Crawford, resides at White Cloud and manages his agricultural affairs on ]r section 13, Wilcox Township. He was born in Troy, Oakland Co., Mich., Oct. 10, 1825. His parents, Calvin and Deborah (Shaw) Gibbs, were natives of Connecticut and settled near Pontiac, Oakland County, in 1821, where they engaged in farming, and resided until Oct. 5, 1822, when the father died. The mother afterward married Calvin Marvin, of Troy, and resided in that township until 1835, when they settled in Clinton County. She died there Feb. 9, 1873. Mr. Gibbs was under the care of his step-father until he was 1 3 years of age, when he began work as a carpenter. Two years later he commenced opera- tions as a cooper and followed that vocation four years. He came to Newaygo County in 1850, and pre-empted 120 acres of land in Big Prairie Town- ship. He cleared and otherwise improved 80 acres, and resided thereon until 1872, when he moved to Wliite ("loud. He built the first residence erected in that village, and operated as foreman in the lumber mill of of S. N. Wilcox. He continued in the posi- tion four years, when he engaged in locating land until the spring of 1879, since which time he has been operating in the interests of Mr. Crawford. Mr Gil)bs was married Oct. 10, 1848, to Fannie J., daughter of William and Mahala (Willy) Utley. She was born -April 30, 1830, in Plymouth, Mich. Her parents were natives of Vermont. The children of Mr. and ISTrs. Gibbs are six in number: Fred, Flora, William U., Minnie M., Kttie M. and Otie. Addie D. is deceased. L.:^^ — ^»^ >>'Sr>l!^ *%S> m I ^ d^^^ Tz^^^s^ — ©V<^|]ti:t:ilDs>r '^^ii^isif^^ y^^ V ^ NEIVAYGO COUNTY. to Big Praiiie, located his farm of 40 acres and Iniilt a house. After a residence of one year lie returned to Ionia County and passed the next year with his parents, coming back at the expiration of that time to his property in Newaygo C'ounty, where he stayed two years. After a year spent in Minnesota, he passed a similar [)eriod in Allegan County, after which he made a permanent settlement in Big Prai- rie, where he has since devoted his time to farming. He is a Republican and has officiated as Townshii) Treasurer and in other minor offices; is present sex- ton of Big Prairie Cemetery. Mr. Moon has been twice married. His first wife was Electa French, to whom he was married in Or- leans, Ionia (-"ounty, in 1856. One child — Arminda — was born March 10, 1S58. The motlier died April 30, 1866. Mr. Moon was a second time mar- ried, Sept. 8, 1866, in Big Prairie, to Mary B. Nye, One child — Laura N. — was born Oct. 10, 1867. Mrs. Moon was born April 20, 1828, in Rochester, Mass., and is the daughter of Ezekiel and Abigail (Cole) Nye. Of her father little is known save that he was born in Rochester, of French lineage, and was a sailor. He set out on his last voyage in De- cember, 1827, before the birth of his daughter; neither ship nor crew was ever heard from. Mrs. Nye was born in Rochester, July 27, 1796, of Scotch parentage, and is yet alive. -5—* >V>-H- eorge E. Taylor, Register of Deeds of ,^ Newaygo County, residing at Newaygo, was born in Quincy, Branch Co., Mich., March 22, 1844, and is the eldest son of Hollis R. and Hannah (Howell) Taylor. His grand- parents were Joseph and Philena Taylor. His paternal great-grandfather, Charles Taylor, came from England in 1781, settled at Harvard, Mass., and was a soldier in the war of 1812. Hollis Taylor was born June 12, 1814, in Danville, Vt., came to Michi- gan in 1832, and was married May 30, 1842, to Hannah Howell, born May 13, 1825, at Hartland, Niagara Co., N. Y. Mr. Taylor was reared and educated on a farm. As a boy he had all the activity and restless impulses of that inexplicable class of himianity, and the outbreak of the .Southern Rebellion, with all its attendant tumultuous discussion, aroused all his activities and seemed to promise a scope for the ex- ercise of his unrest and the gratification of the laudable ambition of his young manhood to be \\\i and doing in the world's work. He enlisted in the fall of 1 86 1 in the 81 h Mich. Inf, hut, bei)ig only a few months past his 17th birthday, parental authority interfered and he found himself relegated to the "ignominy" of rural life in Kent County, where his parents resided. In February, 1862, he again en- rolled as a soldier in defense of the assaulted flag of the Nation, enlisting in the 3d Mich. Inf., and again he was baffled in his desires. Aug. 9, following, he enlisted in the 21st Mich. Inf., and when his regi- ment went to the front he went with it in all the glory of the regulation blue and buttons bearing the National brand. He enrolled in Co. B., under Capt. Jas. Cavanaugh, and was in the service three years. Among numerous engagements where he was in action were those of Perryville and Stone River. He was captured by the rebels at the latter Right, and was in "durance vile" about ten months, and during that period was chiefly on parole. On the seventh of October, 1862, while undergoing a long, forced march, he received a sunstroke which resulted in an affec- tion of the optic nerve, producing impaired eyesi'dit, which disability has continued and gradually in- creased until liis sense of sight is limited to a mere ability to discriminate between light and darkness. Mr. Taylor was mustered out of the service of the United States in June, 1865, and returned to Grand Rapids. He at once turned his attention to securing an education, and attended school in that city and afterwards completed a course of business study at the commercial college there. His studies finished, he spent a few years in the pursuit of agriculture. His succeeding business of any marked imix>rtance was as teacher, his entire period of work in that capacity comprising 27 terms of school, 18 of which were taught in Kent County, and two of these in the Coldbrook School at Grand Rapids. In Novem- ber, 1874, he came to Newaygo and taught seven terms. He also taught two terms of school in Muske- gon County. In the year 1878, Mr. Taylor was elected Regis- ter of Deeds of Newaygo County, and has held the incumbency since. He is a most efficient and valu- V^ r /> »^' ca: ?> ^(^f -|sa- -^^^i^?^?^ J^ <^D!i>:Das> j^ Mr^^K^% } -<;■ — -iiil||»,Vi c <;_{<•—. illiam J. Peacock, farmer and lumber- man, on section 32, (larlield 't'ownshij), ■C.jjVRxt' was born July 22, 1848, in Dunham, »wsr-»p Province of Quebec, and is a son of Richard and Martha M. Peacock. (See sketch.) Mr. Peacock came to Michigan with his parents in 1863, and remained with them until he became of age, when he turned his attention to the "5,#i — — ^ m^^ leading vocations of Newaygo County, lumbering and farming, both of which branches of business he is prosecuting vigorously and successfully. He is a Republican in political affiliation. Mr. Peacock was married July 4, 1872, to Melsene Uormire, and three children born of their union are living, namely : Stephen W., born March 12, 1874; Sarah M., June 7, 1878; and Arthur L., Nov. 28, 1881. Mrs. Peacock was born April 4, 1855, in Williams Co., Ohio. Her father, John Dormire, was born in Indiana and died Nov. 10, 1881, in Newaygo County. Her mother, Sarah Dormire, was born in Michigan and resides at Kalamazoo. *e. Indrew T. Squier, lumberman, residing at « Grant Station, Ashland Township, was born L®f Feb. 22, 1832, in Washington Co., N. V. His ^Air parents, John and Mary (Lampman) Squier, were natives of the same county, and descend- ants from English and Dutch ancestors. They removed, in 1841, to Monroe Co., N. Y., and located on a farm. In the fall of 1S48, they came to Michigan, settling near C'oldwater, Branch County. In January, 1850, Mr. Scpiier came to Newaygo County, where he has sim e, with the exception of a comparatively brief interval, devoted his attention and abilities to lumbering. He spent three terms at school at Girard, Ihanch Co., Mich., and afterward attended Eastman's Business College at Chicago to complete his education. With that interruption he has devoted himself to the exclusive pursuit of his business interests in Newaygo County. In 1872 he made a permanent location in Ashland Township, where he is prosecuting the various departments of lumbering, including the management of a saw and shingle mill at Grant Station, which has a capacity of producing daily 20,000 feet of lumber and 30,000 shingles. He also owns 900 acres of land in Ne- waygo County, 600 of which is stocked with pine and not yet changed from its primitive state. Mr. Squier is a Democrat in political sentiment and action. He is a prominent member of the Masonic bodies of Newaygo, belonging to the Royal Arch Chapter and Blue Lodge, No 331. In the latter he holds the position of Treasurer. He has been the ^' A V ; ^ S^-'f^^JTi- . -*..* i^ B NEWAYGO COUNTY. •Zi^^ ■!sr t ^\ t incumbent of most of the official positions in his town- ship; has been Sui)ervisor seven years in Ashland and Bridgeton 'rownsliips,and School Inspector many terms. He was married Nov. 24, 1870, at Dowagiac, Mich., to Myra L., daughter of .\. L. and Myra (Fair) Rich. Siie was born Aug. 24, 1845, in Macomb Co., where her parents were married. They came of New England origin, and were descendants from Eng- lish and Scotch-Irish ancestors. When the daugh- ter was 14 years old, the family removed to \\'ill Co., Ill , and in the spring of 1869 returned to Michigan, locating in Cass County. The record of the five chil- dren born to Mr. and Mrs. Squier is as follows: Cora I,., Nov. 10, 1S71 ; LauraN., Feb. 22, 1S74; .\ndrew T., May 12, 1876; Alice L., Jan 5, 1S79 (died Sept. 14, iSSi) ; an infant, horn Oct, 3, 1SS2, died five days afterwards. • T ^^^^^^ 5 • K illiam Martin, uiie of the [jioneers of Ij^^^L Newaygo County, was born in Richfield, J^^^' Otsego Co., N. Y., Jan. 7, 1814; and is ■* the son of Elijah and Mary Martin, natives of Connecticut. Elijah Martin was a farmer, and had a family of seven daughters and one son. The latter, the youngest of the family, was William, the subject of this sketch. Leaving home at the age of 25, he engaged in farming in Steuben and Allegany Counties, successively. In 1852, he came to Michigan and lived one year in ("linton, Lenawee County. He then went across the plains to California, Tin Oregon, driving four yoke of oxen attached to a " prairie schooner." He passed one winter in Oregon, and two years in California, and then returned to Lenawee (Jo., Mich, .\fter a short stay, he took his family to Iowa and Illinois, in search of land; but found that all the desirable Government land had been taken. Retracing his route, he purchased an ox team at Kalamazoo and came to Newaygo, in June, 1856. Until the follow- ing January, he kept boarders in the village of Ne- waygo. With his ox team as a conveyance, he then removed to Dayton Township, and purchased 160 acres of land under the Graduation Act, paying 75 cents per acre. He has bought and sold at different times, and now owns but 80 acres, of which 30 acres are improved. Jan. 17, 1843, in Bath, Steuben Co., N. Y., he >vas married to Lovilla B. Herkimer, a native of New York State. They have had five children, of whom three are now living, — George H., Michael and Helen L. The last named is the wife of A. E. Up ton, of Fremont. Nov. 13, 1S78, Mr. Martin was stricken with paralysis, and he has not walked a ste]i since. Most of the time he has been in bed. t T ^^^0!f ohn Emory Webster, physician and fanner, jj E^Jfc " resident on section 21, Big Prairie Town- W,0'' ship, was born Sept. 29, 1848, in Dunham, Q2f Ontario. He was from birth a frail child, and iC until he attained the age of 16 years had but I few and brief intervals of innnunity from sick- ness. He early displayed the characteristics of a studious mind, and as he advanced in years devel- oped a fondness for the study of history, and later of medicine. He has become a practitioner of some note, and controls a lucrative medical business, in which he has been engaged since 1874. He also superintends his agricultural and lumbering interests. Dr. Webster was married April 14, 1875, to Mary E. Bonney. She was born Dec. 20, 185 8, and is the daughter of Walter E. and Lydia (I'Vancis) Bonney, natives respectively of Massachusetts and New York. ?*-^H*(^ 'Sisa l&orydon M. Alger, farmer, section 6, Grant prs^ Township, was born Seirt. 14, 184.). in Hg Ontario Co., N. Y., and is a son of J. D. and A Maiy .Mger. Both parents are natives of the I State of New N'ork, and in 1854 iiecame residents of Michigan, settling in Paris, Kent Counly. where ihey now reside. In 1875 Mr. .Alger purchased 200 acres of land, where he has sin< e i)een engaged as a farmer, lie now has 70 acres under cultivation, with good larm buildings and accessory fixtures, in addition to his agricultural interests he is extensively engaged in lumbering. He is an adherent to the principles of the National Greenback party. Mr. Alger was married Dec. 24, 1872, to Lucinda, c>: sv ^ C'^' r -Sf. -K^^ii!]>:nDi>^ "^-rr -^^^ •n'TI. »J^.g. ^'J^^^l^*- r;^^^ eV<>n H :t: D h>r^ ^^^^ -^4^^i^vW VEIVAYGO COUNTY. daughter of Horace and Ruth Reed, of Paris, Kent im Co., Mich. She was born April i, 1845, at Grand Rapids. Her parents were both natives of New V'ork, and her father is now living in Sparta, Kent (5; County. Her mother died Jan. 16, 1878. Of the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Alger, two children have been born : Ral[)h M., July 29, 1877 ; and Archie R., Feb. TO, 1880. ^amuel Hartt, lumberman, resident on sec- tion 23, Monroe Township, of which he is present Supervisor, was born Sept. 15, 1833, ^ in Saltfleet (then Niagara) District, Ontario. He is the son of Jonathan and Jemima (Phillips) Hartt. The former was a native of New Hampshire, the latter of Pennsylvania. The ) place of birth of the mother was near the city of /• i'hiladelphia, and is now included therein. The f^ patronymic was originally Hart, and the change in ° orthography involves a little account, which fully ^J^ displays the traits that characterized earlier if not ° later generations, and affords a fine illustration of 1^ the temper and spirit which ruled the contending S elements in the time of the Revolution. The Hart (\ family at that period included five brotiiers, and the fact that John Hart, grandfather of Mr. Hartt of this sketcli, was a member of the Continental Congress, ileclares tlieir position in social and public affairs. How strong and bitter was party spirit when the question of submission to iiritish despotism was up|)ern)ost in every mind, was exemplified by the state of affairs among the Hart brothers, two of whom were Royalists and abandoned country and fraternal relations to [)reserve their fealty to the king, one going to New Brunswick, the other to the East indies. Tiiree remained loyal to the |)rinciples from which their brethren fled; and so strong was the sentiment that controlled those remaining that i they doubled the final consonant of the f;t:iiily name, ^ in order to express as fully as possible their disgust 9 and vexation at the actions and princii)les of tlieir relatives. In this they accomplished a two-fold re- sult. In addition to setting themselves apart frater- nally, they secured the identity of their family for [^ many generations, the orthography of their name C^ providing an unmistakable clue to their origin. m ^rv^:^«^#- ■■.-^^S{3^ JL. ^- ■os^ V <^t]n>:illlr> T "^Z^^sir' i NEWAYGO COUNTY. yf Lodge, No. 33, Ingersoll, Can. He belongs to the ; J Nalional Gretiiback party, and is now holding his .■> first local official position, to which he was appointed in the spring of 1883, to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Hugh S. Swan. The family are Baptists in religious sentiment. 367 "S i. r \ Ij^aniel J. Whipple, f. r, sei'tion 18, Bar- '^■'^4\ i ton Township, was born in .Vllegany Co., •' "~i^- ^ N. v., June 9, 1841, and is a son of Will- 'xK '■ii'i ;ind Sarah (Thompson) Whipple. When (k lie was eight years old, Mr. Whipple began the ' work of maintaining himself. He availed him- self of all work suited to his years, and when old enough engaged as a stage-driver, and afterwards worked in a livery stable. When he was 14 years old he made an engagement with Dan Rice, the cel- -. ebrated showman, with whom he traveled eight years as a clown. In 1862 lie enlisted in the 13th Reg. N. Y. Vol. Inf., and served in tlic war for the Union three years and eleven months. After receiving his discharge he came to Michigan and entered a claim S/" of 80 acres of land under the provisions of the s ... Homestead Act, on which he has since resided. He was married in 1867 to Eliza A., daughter of Benjamin and Phebe Ann (Heirs) Meades, natives of New York, where she was also born, Dec. 30, 1846. The family ill! hides four children, viz.: Jennie R., Benjamin A., Daniel J. and Phebe A. Kttie is de- ceased. ^\. J-VW,.-;- ^^4iiU^3 ^ I'oseph Tannewitz, Jr., farmer, section 32, \r Croton Township, was born in Bohemia, ~^' Austria, Ajiril 3, 1S24, and is the son of Joseph and Mary (I'lumerich) 'I'annewit/. Tlie father was of the same nationality and was born in 1795. I'he mother was born in Bohemia in 1799, and died there in 1879. Mr. Tannewitz was prim.irily educated according to the legal provisions of liis native land, and at the age of 13 years was apprenticed three years to fit himself for the trade of a weaver. After perfecting himself in its details he followed the custom of his country in finding employ in various continental cities, until he came to the United States in 1849. He came to (irand Rapids in September of that year, and worked one season in a woolen factory. He found that some other calling would be of more advantage to a man in his circumstances, and he turned his attention to blacksmithing, which he has followed at intervals ever since, but closed his shop for regular work about 12 years ago. In 1S53 he came to Newaygo County. The first winter he spent in the employ of George Uiley, and has worked since with industry and prudence, until he has made sufficient accumulations to take leading rank among the farmers of Newaygo County. In 1878 he bought 214 acres of land under some degree of improve- ments, to which he has added materially. He is a Democrat in politics and a Roman Catholic in re- ligion. Mr. Tannewil/ was married in CVand Rapids, in 1852, to Wiihelmina Lytle, a native of Bohemia, born March 19, 1830. Five of their si.\ children are living, namely : Joseph, Edward, .-Vdolph, William H. and Annie. Frank is deceased. KlJjSenjamin Rogers, farmer and lumberman, SjitsJti- section 5, Big Prairie Townshii) (13, 11), 1820. &^W was born in Anson, Maine, May i 'f4 ■i? ®* His parents, Robert and Betsey (Hodges) Rogers, were both natives of Maine, of English origin. The former was born about 1785 and died in 1861 ; the latter was born in 17 88 and died in 1823.* The death uf the mullier broke up ihe huu^ehold, and Mr. Rogers, then three years old, was taken in charge by his sister Betsy, the wife of deorge W. Gordon, a lumberni.iu. with whom he resided until 1S37. Mr. Gordon came to Graiul Rapids, Mich., in 1854. In 1848 Mr. Rogers embarked in the lumber business at Grand Rapids, in which he has since been engaged. He came to Newaygo County March 20, 1853, and bought 80 acres of land in Big Prairie I'ownship. He jiiirsued lumbering ten years before he erected his dwelling and became a perma- nent resident on his real estate, where he has since made good imiirovenienis. Mr. Rogers was married at Grand Rapids, in 1837, ^<-ll(l:^ — '^^^^ ^ v^ (■ V /> r «: ^^^y^^^^ 'm. T A % V ^ 368 -^^^ — ^^•iu a :< n h>T ■:2if€^-c ^*4^^§5C(I>v^#' NEWAYGO COUNTY. to Betsey Maria Reynolds. One child, Robert, was born to them April 7, 1850, on the Grand River, about two miles above Fruitport. He is now living in Big Prairie (see sketcli). The motliei fell into ill health, and Mr. Rogers went to Stevens Point, Wis., with the hope and belief that his wife would be restored; but she died after five months. The expenses of removal, sickness and death exhausted tiie means of tlie husband, and he remained in Wis- consin until he had earned sufficient to discharge his in- debtedness and bring her remains back with him, which he did in about two years, and buried her near Grand Rapids. He placed his ( hild in the care of his ma- ternal grandmother. Mary Jane (Miller) Rogers, his ijreseiU wife, was born in Grass Lake, Jackson Co., Mich., Aug. 10, 1835. She is a daughter of John and Minerva (Parsons) Miller, the former born of Irish parents in Vermont, the latter of English extraction, born in New York. Mr. and Mrs. Rogers were married July 16, 1854, and are the parents of five children : Betsey M., Benjamin F., John A., Steven A. and Walter. Mr. Rogers is a subscriber to the tenets of liie Democratic party. ii mi' -i ^^Sl^- ts illiam Graham, insurance agent at Ne- fi^u wavgo, was born in Perry Tp., Geauga Co., -;T"^ /-A,.': ^r ... , _ . o . . . .. 1 r . r r Ohio, March 1830, and is a son of 4^^ Joseph T. and Elizabeth (Winnegar) (ira- ham. The father was the son of a Scotch sea cajjtain, who spent more than half a cen- tury of "life on the ocean wave;" was a iTatter by calling, and died at Sturgts, Mich., in 1868, aged 66 years. The mother was of German ancestry, born in Pennsylvania in 1818 and died at Sturgis in 1874. The parents settled at the place where they passed the remainder of their lives in Jan- uary, 1834, locating at Sturgis Prairie, a short dis- tance southeast of the present site of the village of that name. The father entered a claim of 160 acres of (Government land, which was all in timber and remote from neighbors. The family were among the very earliest settlers and made the journey to their new home in a wagon loaded with their effects, bringing with them one cow. .\ tem|K)rary log cabin was constructed for a residence. It had three sides and a roof. It being midwinter, no chimney could be built: one end of the structure was left open and a heap of logs was kept burning all winter which so modified the cold that existence was possible. In 1856 Mr. Graham of this sketch left home and went to Minnesota in the enqjloy of the Government of the United States, locating mail routes. He was thus occupied three years and returned to Sturgis, where he operated as a millwright in the interests of John Armstrong & t"o., for whom he erected 17 mills in different States. He w^as married Aug. 16, 1855, to .Amanda M., daughter of John Cutler, who was born in Massachusetts, Feb. 12, 1830. Their elder child, Frank, born at Sturgis in 1856, is now a practic- ing physician and surgeon at Sand Lake, Kent County. Mary, younger child, is the wife of Dr. F,. J. Pendell, of Newaygo. In 1864, associated with his father, who joined in the enterprise in the hope of renewing his impaired health, he took a trip to Omaha and there they fitted up a provision train of 12 loaded wagons and pro- ceeded to Virginia City, Montana. They went thence to Salt Lake City, where they re-stocked their train and retraced their route to Virginia City, where they sold their entire outfit, bought four mule teams and returned East with their wagons filled with passengers. Mr. Graham enlisted at Memphis in the fall oi 1 864 in the Sixth Tennessee Cavalry, remaining in the ser- vice until Sei)t., 1865. The regiment was detailed to operate against the guerrilla chief, Gen. Forrest, and other raiding rel>el forces, which involved its men in skirmishes without number and kept them in action with little intermission. Mr. (Graham's family resided at Sturgis until 1S70, when they removed to Tyockwood, Kent County. Here Mr. Graham was one of the founders of the village. He built the first saw-mill, and as accessory a side-tra< k to the Grand Rapids iV Indiana railroad, and establislied extensive lumber interests, which he continued to conduct at that point until 1S73. In the spring of 1877 Mr. Graham and one of his sons embarked in the grocery business at Kent City and continued there in trade about two years, when the business was terminatedon account of the impaired health of the son ; and the entire family came, in the spring of 1879, to Grant Tp., Newaygo County, where the father took charge of the saw, shingle and stave mill of H. S. Watrous. This enterprise continued I A s^- fc' ^>"V®))$^^ J^ <^iig;i;iiD;>^ i^ti^" Tai€^sc — ^vc^iiP>;nD^>T- NEWAYGO COUNTY. 369 t '^ ^^ ) '^ 4 until June, 1S81, when Mr. Graham removed his in- terests to Newaygo and engaged in the manufacture of clothes-reels. Nine months later he established his business as agent for tlie .State of Michigan in the interests of the Odd Fellows' Mutual .\ssociation, or " Covenant Mutual." He has been a member of tlic order ;o vears. \ if ohn R. Carpenter, one of the pioneers of ... ta^adj ij' Michigan, was born in 'i'ioga Co., N. Y., /■f^ .-Vpril 30, 1807, and is the son of Samuel JL? and Mary Carpenter. The family removed jC from Tioga County to Genesee County; and in \ 1828 they removed to Lenawee Co., Mich. In the spring of i860, Mr. Carpenter came with part of his family to Newaygo County, and entered 160 acres on section 31, Dayton Township. He has disposed of 120 acres, and now owns 40, of wliich about 20 are under cultivation. Sept. 4, 1830, he was married in Lenawee ("ounty to Amanda Bassett, a native of New York State. This couple have been the parents of 13 children, \^ six of whom survive, and with three of their children thev reside on the old homestead. of 80 acres of land under the i)rivileges of the Homestead Act, whereon he has since resided. In political attitude, Mr. Duffy is nominally neutral so far as party issue is concerned. His inclinations tend toward the principles of the Greenback party, but his suffrage is governed by his views of the fit- ness of the candidate. He is resjiected and trusted by his townsmen, and has served them as Su|iervisor for the past three years; is still the incumbent of the position ; has been Highway Commissioner eight years and .School Lisjjector three years. He was married in 1863, to Mary, daughter of Stephen Shepherd, born Nov. 30, 1844, in Vermont of which State her parents were natives. Mrs. Duffy died March 27, 1883, leaving five children, born in the following order: George E., March 7, 1864. 'ames Duflfy. farmer, section 20, Barton l^^ik' I'ownshii), was born June 22, 1S39, in ?jL^X3^*y Coburg, Ontario. His father, Michael Duffy, was born in Ireland, of Irish parentage. His mother, Catherine (Tracy) Duffy, de- scended from Kuglish ancestors. The parents emigrated to Canada in 1834, and the father bought a farm in Coburg, where the family resided several years ; they went thence to Rochester, N. Y. The father died there in 1S78. The mother died at Ba- tavia, N. Y., in 1865. In the fall of 1864 Mr. Duffy went from the State of New York to Pennsylvania, where he sjjent the following winter. In the spring of 1865 he bought a farm in Ionia Co., Mich., which he retained until 1866, sold out and transferred his interests to Kent County, where he remained a year, coming thence to Newaygo County, lie immediately entered a claim Edson J., June iS, 1867 ; Cora A., Sept. 187: Ernest H., Feb. 7, 1S74, and Mabel, March 18, 1883. ,. |i, esse E. Green, farmer, section 24, Good- j^^ljL' well Townshii), was born Jan. 18, 1818, in y^^ Licking Co., Ohio. His father, Nathaniel Green, was a native of Massaciuisetts and died liL in Missouri in 1862, aged ai)Out 75 years. His \ lineage is directly traceable to that of General Greene of Revolutionary fame. Mehitable (Roe) Green, his mother, was born in 17S7, in the Bay State, and died in 1843, in Ohio. Mr. Green spent the years of his minority inactive labor, preparing for a life of effort. He worked sum- mers on the farm, went to school winters, and when he had reached the age of 20 years was a practical farmer, carpenter and shoemaker. The year before he att.iined his majority, he entered the river service as a flatboatman. He was married in 1839, and on becoming a family man settled upon a farm of 80 acres, where he pursued agriculture until 1869, then sold his i)roperty and removed all his interests to Me- costa Co., Mich. Eighteen months later he entered a homestead claim of 80 acres in Goodwell Town- ship, Newaygo County, where he has since resided. He has cleared 12 acres and placed it under fair cultivation. In political adherence Mr. Green is a Democrat, and has lield a number of the local offices of his township. Mr. Green was married in 1839, in Ohio, to Lydia ^?^ ^p^^-^. y^ A ( '' 37° T^^^^^ XEUAYGO COl'XTY. 4^^fsVi^! Nash. She was born Nov. 25, 182 1, in Athens Co., Ohio. Her parents, Azor and Marj' (Linscott) Nash, were natives respectively of New York and Maine, and were both of English lineage. The former was born in 1773, and died in Ohio, in 1857 ; the latter died in Mecosta County in 1869, aged 83 years. Following is the record of 12 children born to Mr. and Mrs. Green : Hannah E., Sarah J. (dec), David L. (dec), Robert L. S. (dec), Mary M., Amanda M., William J., Reuben E.. Ruth S. (dec), Jesse S. (dec), John L. and Nathaniel M. (dec). Mr. Green died Jan. 4, 1884, after the above notes were prepared for publication. He was ill but two days. Stricken down in strong, active manhood, his sufferings were proportionately severe, but he died in the calmness and trust attendant upon the close of a well ordered life, retaining his mental faculties un- clouded until death. He had been a consistent member of the Disciiiles' Church nearly 40 years. ■'^4a^£r^i^^•'«— fe| m—.'^^ammv atnes C. Townsend, of the firm of Town- 1^- send and Gannon, grocers and butchers at White Cloud, was born Jan. 26, 1845, in ?]S England, of which country his parents were 1r natives. He is the son of John and Elizabeth (Brooks) Townsend, and they are still living liL-re. .Mr. Townsend left his native country in the spring of 1874; arriving in America, he first located in Kansas. Three months afterward he decided to prospect for a while, and he spent a year in travel, after which he located in Shelby, Oceana Co., Mich., and engaged in selling meat. He disposed of his business a little less than two years later and removed to Fremont, where he pursued the same calling for five years. He again dis[)osed of his business inter- ests, and in the fall of i88t came to White Cloud and entered into his present business relations with Richard Gannon, with whom he is engaged in the prosecution of a lucrative trade. Mr. Townsend was married in Hart, Oceana County, Aug. 25, 1878, to Henrietta, daughter of William and Mary Jane Mills. She is a native of Canada. Two children are the issue of this mar- riage, viz. : Beatrice, born Oct. 8, 1879, and Eliza- beth J., Jan. 16, 1883. Mr. Townsend belongs to the Knights of Honor, Tremont Lodge, No. 741. -^ A A 1~-T A A 1 7" £S- 5gil,^dwin O, Shaw, Postmaster at Newaygo, WMfi, and editor and proprietor of the Newaygo ^sW ■' Rtpiihlican, was born at Edwardsburg, Cass Co., Mich., July 21, 1846. His father. Ezekiel Shaw, was born in 1829, in the State of New York, and died in 1854, at Edwards- Inirg, His mother, Sarah A. (Carmichael) Shaw, was born in 1S26, in Virginia, and is still living, at Ed- wardsburg. .Mr. Shaw obtained his elementary education at the common schools, and when 13 years old began to learn the printer's art, which he pursued with little intermission at various places. In July, 1867, lit- located at Stanton, Montcalm Co., Mich., where he initiated his career as an independent journalist by establishing the Moiitcalin Hei aU, the first issue of which appeared Sept. 16 of the same year. Fourteen months later he sold out to E. R. Powell, who still continues the publication of the paper. Mr. Shaw's enterprise h.ad been a success, and, on the disposal of his journalistic interests at Stanton, he selected Newaygo as a suitable field for further effort in the same line, and purchased the Newaygo Re- publican, then owned and edited by E. L. Gray. James H. Maze, now of Grand Rapids, was the founder of the i)aper, and put it in permanent work- ing order in 1856. The enterprise has been man- agtd continuously by Mr. Shaw since his purchase. It was then in a languishing condition, and had a limited circulation ; but by persistent energy and un- remitting effort to place it upon a basis suitable to the reipiirements of its patrons, he has made it a decided success and permanent fixture at Newaygo, and it now has a circulation of 1,100. It was issued by its first proprietors as a seven-column folio, but later he changed it to a six-column quarto. In 1878 Mr. Shaw added' a Potter cylinder printing press to his facilities, and in 1882 put in steam ix)wer, and justly claims the proprietorship of one of the best equipped job printing-offices in Northern Michigan. I A ^ ^ (') (o^ -.^,^ ""^^ — ^^tK^^d n % m-y^ — ^»^ ■^^- > <>tin^niiv> T risf-:.t'-^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. 375 V In April, 1877, he admitted his brother, Wm. A. Shaw, to a partnership. Mr. Shaw was appointed Postmaster May 1 1, 187 i, by John A. J. Creswell, Postmaster-General under Grant, and has since continued to discharge the duties of the position to the satisfaction of the peo- ple whom he serves. He has been intimately connected with the munic- ipal interests of Newaygo since he joined its citizen- ship. He has been President of the village one year, and is one of the present Board of Trustees. He was Supervisor of Garfield Township one year; Treasurer of Brooks Township one year; County Superintendent of the Poor three years, and is at present School Director and Trustee, and has filled the two latter offices several years. He has been identified with the political interests of the county, and has served as Chairman of the Republican County Committee and as a member of the State Central Committee from the Ninth Congressional District; has been Delegate to a number of State Conventions. The prominence and activity of Mr. Shaw in general politics is well understood, and he is among the leaders of the Republican ranks in the county. His straightforward, independent, reliable character inspires the masses with confidence in the integrity of his purposes, the correctness of his judg- ment, and is an indorsement of the issues he sup- ports with his influence, both personal and jour- nalistic. Mr. Sliaw was married Feb. 20, 1877, to Lottie E., daughter of Dr. E. H. G. and Elizabeth Meachem. She was born in New York, Aug. 2, 1852. 1 ^ !isr. James Webster, physician and surgeon, iL resident on sectional, Big Prairie Town- ship, was born in Darlington, Brock strict, Ontario, Aug. 31, 1843, and is a son ^^ of William Rila and Phebe Ann (Moore) Web- ster. (See sketch.) He was about 11 years of age when his parents settled in the township of Big Prairie. While a boy he was a diligent scholar in the common schools of the Dominion, and after removing to Michigan re- sumed his studies as soon as convenient schools were established. He also attended one term at Cioton, and went to the academy at Newaygo six months. Tliese periods of study, strengthened and improved by methodical home reading, arranged with a view of eventually obtaining a medical edu- cation, comprised his preparatory course; and about the time of his majority, believing with Cicero, " that in no way can man so nearly a[)proach tlie inuuortal gods as by conferring benefits upon suffering human- ity," he went to O.xford Co., Ont., and entered into an engagen^ient with Dr. William Springer, with whom he read medicine two years. His preceptor was Coroner of Oxford County, a position which, under the regulations of the Dominion, substantiates the grade of the incumbent in his profession. While there, though surrounded by much that was well calculated to mislead, his habits of sobriety, truth- fulness and application to study and suave manners, commanded general esteem and endeared him to all who knew him. He returned to Michigan, and after a short stay at home went to Chicago and thence westward. While absent he acted four months as a clerk. On his return to the Peninsular State he went to Ottawa, where he remained for a time; then he came to Newaygo County, where he pursued agriculture until the winter of 1866-7, when he went to Ciiicago and attended a course of lectures at the Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital. In the spring following he entered upon the practice of his profession in Wayland, Allegan County and remained there 14 months. After his return to Northern Michigan he was princijially engaged in medical practice until the summer of 1875, when he removed with his family to Grand Rapids and there continued the duties of his profes- sion, being associated with his brother-in-law. Dr. Wm. H. H. Palmer, a gentleman of skill and attain- ments and enjoying an extended practice. 'J'oward the close of the year 1876, he returned to Big Prairie and continued to prosecute his profession. In July, 1872, Dr. Webster visited Lansing, being called there to take part in the deliberations of a convention of medical men convened to lay plans and transact business of vital importance to the profession throughout the State. In 1S73 he was admitted to the Newaygo County Medical Associa- tion, and in 1880 was made a member of the Northern Medical Society.. In 1882 he was elected to the office of Coroner of Newaygo A j^fc^a- ^ <^ii[i:<^iiti^>^^ -Si'?^-'::^ r^ ^. 376 4 f. ^ V s "^ iV^^.4y(;(9 COUNTY. -7^^^ County by the combined votes of the Prohi- bition and National Greenback Labor parties, of both which Dr. Webster is a zealous adherent. He is also a member of three social and benevolent or- ganizations, of which he deems Masonry the queen. Though not a declared adherent of any religious denomination, he acknowledges their worth, and would, doubtless, prefer the Methodists. Dr. Webster possesses exceptionally fine literary tastes and an intellect of a high order of culture. He has read extensively and always with correct judgment, selecting a course of reading calculated to properly discipline and train his mind, cultivate his memory and give logical direction to his thoughts. He is a good conversationalist, is able to discriminate between the " speech that is silvern and the silence that is golden," and always displays his respect and veneration for the opinions and expressions of acknowledged authorities by quoting freely and aptly from their works. He has a wide acquaintance with history, is strong in argument and is able to clothe his ideas in concentrated, well-chosen language. He is familiar with classic poetry and the standard poets and authors of the day, has a well selected library, and writes both poetry and prose of more than ordi- nary merit. He possesses a keen sense of the ab- surd, and occasionally contributes humorous articles to the newspapers. He has also a correct and cul- tivated taste in music, for works of art, and believes, with (Jrimke, " that the Bible is the best of classics." As appropriate to the character, views and tastes of Dr. Webster, the following quotation is given: "I live for those who love nio. For those who think uie true, For the heaven that .'■niile.s above nie, Ami for the good that I can ili>." . In his medical practice the forte of Dr. Webster is his faculty to establish confidence in his ability to aid, and he is favorably known as a diagnostician, or reader of disease. He regards his calling as involv- ing his conscience, and making it incumbent on him to e.xert every mental and physical jwwer to resfwnd to the calls incident to his business, and to strive to the utmost to arrest disease, alleviate suffering and save human life. He believes that all branches of science are progressive, and that a Ijeneficent Provi- dence has ordered as much change in the healing art as in agriculture or modes of traveling, since the »^ days of Galen or Celsus. He believes that too much is expected of crude and powerful drugs, and that the mild power subdues and assists the tendency to repel disease, which the human system makes known through symptoms,. He is unalterably opposed to old-fashioned stews, brews and decoctions, and to making a filthy laboratory of the human stomach, where disgusting compounds hold their high carnival of destruction. Coming to this county as he did, when wild ani- mals abounded, Dr. Webster very early acquired a knowledge of fire-arms and of hunting and trapping. Of the latter he grew passionately fond, and for several years made it a source of sport as well as profit. He was known as a " dead shot," and records himself as having been "in at the death" of 350 deer, besides smaller game and birds, which latter he was remarkably successful in shooting on the wing. Dr. Webster was married Feb. 14, 1861, in Grand Rapids, to Villie P. Palmer. She was born in the township of Van Buren, in Wayne Co., Mich., May 7, 1844, and is a daughter of George W. and Fla- villa (Whitaker) Palmer. The former was born June 28, 1807, in New York. The latter was torn May 5, 1805, in Springfield, Mass. Of five children born to Dr. and Mrs. Webster, the eldest and youngest are deceased. Their names are given in the order of their birth: James Frederick William, Phebe Inez Erminine, Clarence A. G., Evelina M. and Emily Ethel. The following lines, inscribed by Dr. Webster in the album of his only living son, e.K- hibit his poetical genius as well as manifest his paternal sentiment: (ioil give thee health and i)eaoe and joy ! (Joil keep mid strenjjthen thee from sin! Ami g'ive thee <;r:iee to enter in 'I'lic i-ity of Ills re.' iy r^. M^>^ y ^ Mii '^>)(^#»- 7V -rr^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. f^^ 377 *> OCK) V -s ncius W. Pickett, farmer, section 32, Ash- ^ land Township, was born Aug. 23, 1835, in %SWv Onondaga Co., N. Y., and is a son of Peter '6i(?" and Theda (Norton) Pickett. The parents K*) were born in New York, the one of a descent I whicli has been of such long standing in ' America as to be lost in regard to European nation- '•j ality ; the other of English lineage. They came to ^ Michigan in 1842, and engaged in farming in Eaton County. Mr. Pickett remained under his fatlier's care until he was 18 years old, busy on the farm and obtainini^ his education at the common schools. In 1853 he came to Casnovia, Muskegon Co., Mich., where he ' followed agriculture until the year made memorable by the rebellion of the Southern States. He enlisted Aug. 12, i86i, in the Second Mich. Cav., Co. E, the regiment going at once to the front, and joining the .^rmy of the Cumberland, under Gen. Buell. Mr. Pickett enrolled at Grand Rapids, his command rendezvousing at Detroit, whence the regiment pro- ceeded to Mississippi and afterward to Kentucky, where he was in the fight at Perryville, June 2, 1862. While doing patrol guard duty near Franklin, Tenn., he was wounded by a " bushwhacker," the shot tak- ing effect in his right arm between the elbow and shoulder, and shattered the l)one to such an extent as to require summary amputation. This ended his career as a military man, and Aug. 9, 1862, he received an honorable discharge and returned to his farm. In 1871 he disposed of his place and located on 160 acres of land in Newaygo County, where he has since resided and managed his agricultural affairs to the best purpose. He has 90 acres of land in a fine state of cultivation, and is now erecting a superior class of farm buildings. His orchard is justly rated one of the best and most productive in the county. Mr. Pickett was married Jan. r, i860, at Casnovia, to Maria S., daughter of Oliver and Parthena (Smith) Walkley, both of whom were natives of Connecticut. After their marriage they located in Ohio, where the daughter was born Oct. 29, 1842. The parents came during the first year of her life to Hillsdale Co., Mich., and afterward to Muskegon County. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Pickett, as follow: Mary C, Oct. 22, i860; Lauren, Nov. 14, 1862; Ola, Nov. 19, 1875. Mr. Pickett is a member of the National Greenback party, and belongs to the Order of Odd Fellows, Lodge No. 302, at Trent, in which he has " passed the chairs," and is now holding the post of R. S. V. G. Himself and wife belong to the Patrons of Husbandry, Lodge No. 372, at Trent. j^^ I —J- i yman R. Meeker, drayman. Newaygo, was f H f L)orn July 14, 1833, in Camden, Oneida Co.i [^HJ^ N. Y., and is a son of Aaron and Lena (j (Earl) Meeker. His parents were natives of ,Js Schoharie County, in the Empire State, remov- [ ing after their marriage to Camden, where, in 1834, his father was drowned while bathing. His mother still resides at Camden. Mr. Meeker was reared on a farm and was married ^ .yrus W. Utley, farmer and lumberman, ~4i section 8, Big Prairie Township, was born f^ in the town where he is a resident, April 12, 1855. His father, William S. Utley, is of Entrlish and Irish descent and was born in 1S28, in Ontario Co., N. Y. His mother, Lucy B. (Gooch) Utley, was born of English parent- age, in Plymouth, April 27, 1835, and was married in Dewitt, Clinton Co., Mich., in 1854. (See sketch of Wm. S. Utley.) Mr. LItley, though a young man, is one of the lead- ing and most enterprising agriculturists of Big Prairie. He owns 240 acres of fine farming land, 190 acres of which are in a cultivated condition, and his improved acreage is increasing at the rale of an acre per day. He owns an interest in pine land in different loca- tions, where he engages in the lumber business dur- ing the winter seasons. Mr. Utley was married at Galesburg, Kalamazoo Co., Mich., March 24, 1881, to Nettie, daughter of H. C. and Delilah (Danley) Rowland, natives of Lyons, N. Y., and of English descent. Mrs. Utley was born at Galesburg, Nov. 6, 1859. A ■T iw^ ■rr rzf^^^^sr NEWAYGO COUNTY. m ■% o A 2 t at Camden, Sept. 20, 1855, to Lucy A., daughter of Harvey and Samantha Scoville, born March 3, 1S37, in Camden. Of their marriage two children were born : Ella D., wife of Eugene Jennison, farmer at Jennisonville, Michigan, where the husband's family were pioneer settlers, and the town received their name. Eva C, younger daughter, died when two years of age. Mr. Meeker removed in the same year of his marriage to a farm near Olivet, Eaton "County, where he bought 80 acres of land and pur- sued agriculture about two and a half years. He came to Newaygo in 1858 and operated to a consid- erable extent as a lumber contractor until the advent of the civil war. He enlisted Aug. 14, 1862, in Co. E, 2ist Mich. Vol. Inf., Capt. A. B. Turner, and was in the Union service two years and eleven months. He left Newayge in the capacity of a private soldier, and while in rendezvous at Ionia was promoted as Corporal. He was in action at Perry ville and Mur- freesboro, after which he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. He was also under fire at Chicka- mauga. Savannah, Bentonville, and in a large num- ber of skirmishes. On being mustered out at Detroit, in July, 1865, he returned to Newaygo, engaging as a sawyer, and kept a boarding house at Hess Lake, in Newaygo County, where he was thus engaged about two years. He then entered tlie employment of the Newaygo Lumber Company, and until 1 883 was occupied in scaling and running logs and in other departments of lumbering, besides taking charge of lumber sjiipments from Newaygo to Chicago. He commenced his business as drayman in April, 1883. He is a member of the Masonic Order, and owns his place of residence. iji'jenry Barton, farmer and lumberman, sec- M tion 7, Big Prairie Township, was born June 2, 1839, in Cook Co., III. He is the second /l^ son of Hon. James Barton, Probate Judge of ^ Newaygo County, and one of the oldest and I foremost officials in the county. (See sketch.) Mr. Barton was eleven years of age when his parents came to Newaygo County. The traveling facilities of those d?^ys in this section of the Penin- sular State were in strong contrast with those to which he had been accustomed, and its incidents made a strong impression upon the boy. eager for novelty and full of interest in even the least of things that promised food for the gratification of the appetite, which is essentially the property of the young and ardent. All the incidents of that journey are indeli- iily impressed upon his memorj', and none more ineffaceably than its closing scene, when the raft was built, and, laden with the small belongings of the pioneers, was floated across the Muskegon River, the women of the household walking across the boom. His father's was the third family to settk perma- nently in Big Prairie Township. In that day of unorganized municipal regulations, there was no established school ; but the landholders erected a school-house and hired a teacher, and under such conditions Mr. Barton obtained a common-school education so far as books were concerned ; but his experiences and observations have afforded him in most respects a training commensurate, if not in the same avenue, with the discipline contained in the curriculum of the higher institutions of learning. Mr. Barton is a part of the history and progress of Newaygo County. From his boyhood he has identi- fied his interests with those of his township, and been a factor in her advancement. Her farmers, as a class, are men of a much more than ordinary grade and add greatly to the pre-eminence of the county of Newaygo. He is one of lier leading agriculturists, owning 300 acres of land, with 260 acres under culture. His buildings are creditable to his energy, taste and judgment, and all his improvements are of advanced grade. He also owns 500 acres of pine land, on which he is engaged in lumbering winters. In political matters he is a Republican, and has served his township in various public capacities. His history displays his fealty to the Government whose protection he enjoys, and to which he accords its just due in relation to its sup|X)rters. He enlisted in the first year of the war, in behalf of the flag of the United States, his papers bearing date of Sept. 25, 1 86 1. He was mustered in Co. E, Second Mich. Cav., for three years, and was continuously in active service until the date of his discharge, Oct. 28, 1864. He was in the actions at Corinth and Booneville, was in the retreat of Bragg from Louisville to Cumberland Gap, and was at Perryville and Stone River. In the spring of 1863 his command was attached to the corps of Gen. Rosecrans, and he participated in the battles A V 0) r^ -4^^f®>^^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. '^ ^ •^ 379 "S A V of the Army of the Cumberland. He was promoted to the position of Second Lieutenant in March, 1S63, and in August following was commissioned First Lieutenant, and commanded his company until his discharge. Mr. Barton was married Nov. 10, 1864, in Big Prairie Townsliip, to Louisa, daughter of Alexander and Jane (Marsh) Dalziel. She was horn in Ionia Co., Mich., Aug. 15, 1845. Her father was born April 2, 1800, near Glasgow, Scotland, and died Aug. T, 1882. The mother was born Aug. 9, 1808, in Seneca Co., N. Y. She was of original German descent, and her parents were among the earliest settlers of Newaygo County ; she died Oct. 6, 1875, at Big Rapids. Eight children have been born to Mr, and Mrs. Barton, two of whom, a son and daughter, died in infancy. Susie J., Philip, Alexander, Charles, Gordon and Benjamin D. are the names of the surviving children. Elmon Evarts, farmer, section i, Ash- land Township, was born in Grattan, Kent Co., Mich., July 27, 1852, and is a son of ^^ Nathaniel K. and Maria L. (Perkins) Evarts. Nathaniel Kingsley Evarts was born June 14, i8t2, in West Bloomfield, Ontario Co., N. Y.,and was married Oct. 9, 1841, in Troy, Geauga Co., Ohio, to IVLaria Perkins, who was born March 27, 1814, in the city of Troy, Rensselaer Co., N. Y. Mr. Evarts has been a minister and labored in the interests of the Congregational Church more than 40 years. He closed his continuous active ministry in 18S3. Mr. Evarts of this sketch acquired a fair education in the common schools of his native place, and when he was 17 years old attended Olivet College, in Ea- ton County, two years. He returned to Corinth, Kent County, where his father was engaged in mer- cantile business and acted as assistant in the store until the spring of 1873, when he contracted with L. Packard, a builder, of Dorr, Allegan Co., Mich., to be instructed in the details of the carpenter's trade. He remained until April, 1874, when he went to Texas to investigate the reputed promise of that State for young men to open careers of prosperity. He returned in the fall of 1875. 'Ji th ^\§^^^^t- —^^f^ .^^ underbrush pressing closely to the entrance, they "^ commenced their wedded life " under their own vine \ '^M':>^ '^'^^ -Cv-^viy^il^ V i^ / 580 r NEIVAYGO COUNTY. V s k m and fig tree." Their small possessions installed in the new house, they compared notes to determine the precise condition of their exchequer and found each was the owner of exactly $5 wherewith to be- gin the world together. The farm is now in credita- ble condition, with 25 acres under improvements and all necessary farm buildings. The household now comprises a young daughter, I. Mabel Evarts, born Nov. 23, 1882. Mr. Evarts is a Republican in political affiliation and belongs to Lodge No. 34, F. & A. M., at Grand Rapids. He is an adherent to the tenets of the Congregational Church, and Mrs. Evarts belongs to the Methodist Church. !-^>— J- Jlolomon K. Riblet, merchat:t at Newaygo, was born in Elizabeth Township, .Alle- ^t gheny Co., Pa., Nov. 2, 1834, and is the son of Samuel and Deborah (\\'oods) Riblet. The earliest ancestor to whom the family I traces its origin was a Huguenot, and a de- scendant from a long line of French nobility, who, in consequence of his embracing the Protestant re- ligion, suffered the extinction of his rank, the con- fiscation of his estates and expatriation, on penalty of being burned as a heretic. His trials differed in no sense or degree from the others of the devoted class, wliose sufiTerings, fortitude and pertinacious adherence to their faith placed them upon the pages of history in all the luster of their heretic struggles for principle, and left a seared stain on the escutch- eon of France. Driven from his native land, he settled in Germany, where he married and reared a large family. Two of his sons. Christian and Bar- tholomew Riblet, emigrated to the United States and settled in Northampton Co., Pa., where John, son of Christian, and grandfather of Samuel Riblet, was born, ill the year 1758. John Riblet was still in his minority when the American Colonies revolted from the impositions of the British Crown ; and, true to his ancestral blood and inherited sense of justice, he hastened to declare himself the champion of liberty and the foe of oppression. He threw himself, heart and soul, into the exigencies of the Revolution, and was commissioned First Lieutenant of a company belonging to a regiment of riflemen. Soon after he T entered the service, his command was detailed as ^ rear guard to cover the retreat of the Federal troops $ from Long Island, and after the final withdrawal **« were taken prisoners. The retreat was so hasty, and | the British so close upon them, that they took to the vA woods, where they ambushed seven days in total destitution, being without food or comfort of any description, which made their capture enevitable. Lieutenant Riblet was placed in custody on board the man-of-war "Roebuck." After his release he married and settled near Hagerstown, Md. His son Solomon, father of Samuel, was born therein August, 1782. John Riblet removed with his family in the year iSoo to Erie, Pa., and, during the second war with England, adopted the grievance of his country, and was the chief officer of the body-guard of Com- modore Perry during the construction of the flotilla commanded by that officer on Lake Erie during the struggle of 1812. Solomon, his son, was captain in a regiment of minute-men and served witli distinc- tion. Samuel Riblet was born in Harbor Creek, Erie Co., Pa., Feb. 22, i.Sii. During his childhood his grand- father instructed him in the rudiments of a German education, and he received like training in English at the common schools. At the age of 17 years he attended the academy at Erie and pursued a course of study during the summers of the next three years, teaching winters to obtain necessary funds. Influ- enced by his parents' wishes, that he should become a [)hysician, at the age of 20 he commenced the study of medicine with Dr. A. Beebe, of Erie; but he found it uncongenial, and obtained a situation as teacher near Pittsburg, where he was occupied three years. He was married Nov. 19, 1833, to Deborah Woods, and soon afterward emigrated to Michigan f] and settled in Litchfield, Hillsdale County, where he purchased 160 acres of land, on which he has since resided. Michigan was in her Territorial days, and settlers from the overflowing East were crowding in, pioneer privations and hardships had then a charac- ter of unii|ueness which made them all the more severe, and the allotment of Mr. and Mrs. Riblet, if recorded in its reality, unshaded by Hincy and de- picted in all its cost of strain to mind and body, (^ would sound like the exaggerations of fiction. The ^ fall of 1835 is particularly remembered as one of -? , peculiar embarrassment, and only the wise counsel ^ d> r^ ^, 'm i^ i » ^ ^•i' ^^V^ ":2*^^^^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. 381 T i \ 3^: V ^ V and courageous resolution of liis wife prevented Mr. Riblet from disjwsing of his property and abandon- ing the " West," as Michigan was then called. The five children born to them reached maturity and be- came heads of families. The venerable pair whose 46 years of wedded life were interrupted in 1879 by the death of the wife and mother, could boast of 22 grandcliildren. and at present date the enumeration of great-grandchildren has begun. Mr. Riblet has always been an important factor in the affairs of his township, as well as in those of more extended scope. On the organization of the Northern Central (Michigan) Railroad Company, he was elected a director and served until the road was sold to the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Company. To the influence and exertions of Mr. Riblet, Litchfield is largely indebted for the construction and location of the road. His mother died in Litchfield, Dec. 21, 1879. Mr. Riblet of this sketch passed the first 17 years of his life on a farm, and in 1851 turned his atten- tion to the details of the builder's trade, which he followed three years. He came to Newaygo in 1856 and was employed by Leonard & Woolley, druggists. Soon afterward he became manager of the mercan- tile establishment of S. W. Matevey, and three years later (in 1859) became its proprietor by purchase. He has since conducted his business continuously at the same stand. His stock is general, including dry goods, groceries, clothing, hats, caps, crockery, etc. Mr. Riblet was married in Newaygo, Sept. 10, 1859, to Jennie L., daughter of Pliny E. and Martha (Putnam) Day, a native of Morcan, Saratoga Co., N. Y., born Nov. 10, 1837. Mr. and Mrs. Riblet have five children, born as follows: Grace, Oct. 11, 1866; Fred, April 19, 1S70; Ruth, Dec. 13, 1872; Mattie, Ahiy 30, 1874; Lavinia L., Feb. 2, 1881. Mr. Riblet has been intimately associated with the progress and development of Newaygo village and county, and has served in most of the official capacities incident to its municipal regulations, lie is i)roniinent in temi)erance work, and was a charter member of tlie Masonic Ix)dge at Newaygo, and also of Newaygo Lodge, Order of Good Templars. Mr. Riblet is heir to the fi.\edness of principle, in- dustry and frugality and the unrivaled powers of physical endurance of his progenitors. His judg- ment is always reliable, his foresight unerring and his integrity unimpeachable. He is valuable to Ne- waygo, not only in his stainless citizenship, but in his social relations and through his strongly sympa- thetic character. The needy always find in him a practical friend K^ o '■ r Cg,^„__phraini Misner was born in the State of ; tiil''.' New York, July 12, 1823, and was the son V7 j>- of Abraham and Sarah (Newton) Misner, natives of New York and Massachusetts. He lived in his native State until the winter of j 1866, when he came to Newaygo County and bought 80 acres of partially improved land in Day- ton Township. He has since added 40 acres, and now has 45 acres under cultivation. Li July, 1S50, he was married to Margaret Duling, a native of New York State. This union has re- sulted in six children : Raymond E., Margaret J., Sarah M., William H., Edna C. and Myrtie L. Po- litically, Mr. Misner has generally been identified with the Republican party; but he is now independ- ent in his views. f'9l§n illiam S. Utley, a leading pioneer citizen MB^^Jl' o'^ Newaygo County, resident on section 7, °j^^>^ Rig Prairie Tov/nship, was born in Rich- 'SjP mond, Ontario Co., N. Y., Nov. 6, 1827. His father, William Utley, was of English descent and was born April 19, 1797, in Bennington Co., Vt., and his mother, Mahala (Wiley) Utley, of Irish parentage, was born Sept. 22, 1798, in Nashua, N. H. .\fter their marriage they resided in the State of New York. Mr. Utley was the sixth child of his parents, who came to Michigan and settled in Plymouth, Wayne County, in June, 1828. Ten years later they made another transfer of their interests, namely, to Dewitt, Clinton Co., Mich., where the son was a resident until he was 22 years of age. He had been at liberty since he was 17 years of age, engaged winters in teaching and working summers as a carpenter, fully understanding the value of itiechanical skill in a new country, where he designed to settle permanently. He came to Newaygo County in 1850, and in that < A < r '4 • .-5'^-^-*j»- ■ - V <^ll!l:^ 7<^D D >: B hi>-r-r' :2?€^V- NEWAYGO COUNTY. (h yy year built the first bridge that ever spanned the f,\ Muskegon River at Croton. John F. Stearns had ;^ been appointed Postmaster of Croton postoffice, and Mr. Utley showed him how to make up the first pouch of mail matter put up from tliat point. In October, 1850, he delivered the first temperance lecture in this vicinity, at Gulp's school-house on Steam's Prairie, Croton Township, and delivered the first Fourth of July oration, on an island in the Mus- kegon River, just below where Newaygo now stands. Mr. Utley has been active in public affairs since he came to Newaygo County, and has greatly aided in the substantial progress and advancement of both county and township where lie has resided. He is now an adherent of the National Greenback party ; has served his township in many official positions, among the most imiiortant of which has been that of Clerk, in which he officiated 20 years. He was a member of the Legislature of Michigan in 1865-6, and was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1867. He was elected County Clerk in 1858, and again in i860, serving two terms. Mr. Utley is one of the most successful agricvdtur- ists of the township of Big Prairie, and owns 240 acres of fine farming land, constituting a most desirable homestead, under good cultivation and with suitable farm buildings and fixtures. He was married May 14, 1854, in Dewitt, Clinton. Co., Mich., to Lucy B. Goorh. Following are the names of i 2 children, of whom they have become the parents : Cyrus W., William VV., Irving S., Harry M. (dec), Charles E., Esther Ardelle, Lucy G. (dec), Martha Arietta, Glenn W., Fanny F., Ossian T. and Mabel Grace. Mr. Utley is a meml)er of the Order of Masonry. ') A >^ V ^ I ellington Persons, ex-Register of Deeds of Newaygo County, and one of the oldest and most prominent citizens of Newaygo, was i)orn in Fenner, Madison Co., N. Y., April 10, 1 81 7. His parents were Festus and Betsy (Town) Persons, the former a native of Chester, Mass., of English descent. The latter was m also born in the Bay State, and died in 1857. Mr. Persons was the second son and third in order of biith of 12 children. He accomjianied his parents to Onondaga Co., N. Y., in 1835, where his father died, in 1854. In 1843 he went to Racine Co., Wis., and passed three years in farm labor, coming to Ne- waygo in 1846. He was engaged as a lumberman five successive winters, when an accidental injury to , his right knee with an ax necessitated the relinquish- ment of that business. He spent the alternating summers in farming in Wisconsin. The several years succeeding the accident which lamed him for life, he was incapacitated for labor. In 1856 he re- ceived the appointment of Deputy Register and Deputy County Clerk, under C"ol. John A. Standish. He was elected in 1858 to the position of Register of Deeds, then a separate incumbenc) from the office of County Clerk. He was re-elected to the post every second year for a period of 20 years, dur- ing which time he made a comiilete set of abstracts of Newaygo County, which are still in his possession. In 1866 he was appointed by the Secretary of the Treasury, Assistant Assessor for the Fourth Internal Revenue District of Michigan, the duties of which he continued to discharge until 1869. In 1859 he was elected Township Clerk of Brooks and held the position to the year 1866. He has served one term and part of another as Treasurer of the village of Newaygo, and has acted two years as member of the Village Coinicil. Mr. Persons commenced his political career as a Democrat, but in 1856 voted the Republican ticket, and has since given his support to the issues of that party, though in no sense a demagogue. He is a member of the Masonic Order and served as Secre- tary of Newaygo Lodge, No. 131, F. & A. M., nine years. In 1865 he was chosen Secretary of Newaygo Royal Arch Chapter, No. 38, and is still holding the position. He is also a member of DeMolay Coni- mandery No. 5, of Grand Rapids.' Since 1878 Mr. Persons has been engaged in ab- stracting. His office was destroyed in the fire of April, 1883, but he saved his abstracts and most valuable papers. In 1878 he bought two lots in the village of Newaygo, on which he erected a hand- some residence. He also owns a block in Wilson's Addition, besides two lots in another quarter of the village. Mr. Persons' acijuaintancc and connection with V® A n ^ ?5?^^ ^^>/^^')^t|^' ■:2if^^^ '^ Newaygo County began in its earliest stage, and he (^) has watched its progress with the deepest interest. ^» He has lent substantial support and aid to every * meritorious enterprise that promised permanent ad- '% vantage to the community. He has always been actively interested in temperance work, and is known as a coadjutor of moral and relit;ious [irinciples, though a subscriber to no denominational body. ^«s-^*^ -^Tr-7<,^lll]:^|]Ils>;— NEWAYGO COUNTY. ■"tixS'ia^ 38s (' ^ A 4 4as«» ^ tenry Kritzer, proprietor of the flouriuij; mill at Newaygo, was born Sept. 1 1, 182S, in the "" village of Bernshauscn, province of Ober Hesse, duchy of Hesse Darmstadt. His jiarents, Conrad and Margaret (Fabling) Kri- tzer, were also Germans liy birth, belonged to the Lutheran Cliurch and reared their children in that faitli, giving them sucli education as the common schools of the " Faderland " afforded. On the 2 2d S day of May, 1842, the family, including the parents, ^ Mr. Kritzer and a younger brother (who died at ° Chester, in 1856, of consumption) embarked from the ^ port of Bremen for the United States. They landed 5. July I, at New York, and immediately proceeded to '*^ Albany, where they witnessed for the first time the demonstrations of American independence. Their journey on the Erie canal to Buffalo consumed eight days, and they went by steamer from the latter place to Cleveland, where a recruiting officer solicited the assent of the parents to the enlistment of Henry in the army, promising the fatlier a tract of Government land for services, whom he would place in a l^and, as he was ipiite a nuisiciaii. As tlie cliief reason for leaving Germany liad l)een to evade military duty^ tlie proposition was rejected. The original destina- tion of the family was Columbus, Ohio, but they changed llieir intentions and proceeded to Detroit. They found German friends at that place, and lingered there eight days, in order to arrange their plans and become familiar with the state of things as they existed in a new world, as America literally was to them. On the morning of the ninth day, tlie two elder Kritzers, father and son, started out and followed what is now the track of the Michigan Cen- tral railroad as far as the old " Denike " tavern, proceeding thence to IMymoutli, where they found a K^^ii^ few German families had located. Following their ^ advice, they also settled there, the father finding em- i ployment by the day. The youngest son was bound *, ■ for five years to learn the tailor's trade, and the elder | was apprenticed for the same length of time to a 1 carpenter. Tlie latter served two years and aban- doned his plan, as it enforced idleness through the winter seasons. He went to work in a wagon shoj) for a man named Green, remaining two years. Meanwhile, his parents had removed to Chester, Ottawa County, in the Grand River valley, where they and two uncles of Mr. Kritzer were the first settlers. They located there in the fall of 1845. In the fall of 1847 Mr. Kritzer left Plymouth and went to Ann Arbor, where he again engaged in wagon-making for W. Roth, and a year later went to Jackson and entered the employ of Samuel Palmer, who proved a poor paymaster, and he exchanged for another, named Hale Soon after, in December, 184S he went to Grand Rapids, which was a new place with little invested capital. Theje was no work to As be had, and in the spring lie went to Grand Haven, and there engaged in repairing an old steam saw-mill for George Norton. He returned to Grand Rapids and worked for tlie " Baxters " at wagon-making, and later for Geo. C. Fitch & Bro., by whom he was mostly employed until 1855, when he went to Chester and built a house on his father's farm. In 1853 he came to Newaygo County and located 320 acres of land in Ashland Township, wliicji he sold many years since. In the fall of T.S56, Mr. Kritzer came again to Newaygo, with little intent of making a iiennaneiit location. Tlie village being at that time in its earliest stage of incipiency, it offered few attractions to young \\ men with tKe world before them. l!i;t Mr. Kritzer f had been impressed with the appeals of tlie F,astern journals to the dependent, struggling young men of the day to take advantage of the opiwrtunities offered by the opening of the ^V'est. He had been peculiarly struck by the injunction of Horace Greeley: " Young man, be a hireling no lonaer than "f^' you can heli). Go West!" Notwithstanding the J, fact that the repetition of the words of the sage of »f"; Chappaipia have given them a shade of the absurd %■ they have been the foundation on which many a man ^ has established Iiimself on a solid basis, and in them f* Mr. Krit/.er found food for profitable reflection. ^ W>^^ — ^«^?f?i^@'>§|j' m ^ 386 NEWAYGO COUNTY. T^i^^is: f 1 ; Previous to this time he had been helping his father to put the homestead at Chester in good condition, and about the date named he decided to try Newaygo, and built a small shop on the corner of the State road and River Street. His mother was seized vvitli her final illness and he was summoned home. She died Feb. 21, 1857. Mr. Kritzer returned to Newaygo in April following, intending to pursue his trade; but innumerable obstacles prevented. The country was new, expenses heavy, and in the fall the memorable panic occurred, and Mr. Kritzer saw his little fund of savings dwindle away with little pros- pects of return. Mr. Kritzer says: "The first money I earned in Newaygo was ten cents, which I received of James Belfort. I always remember that. I thought of the saying, 'Where you lose your money, you must look for it ; ' so I stayed by." He worked at wagon-making until June, 1863, when, in company with Henry Loomis, he rented what is now known as " Newaygo Mills," located on Brooks Creek. His partner died in the fall, and Mr. Kritzer rented the establishment another year, and in 1865 he bought = the mill property of the estate of Ebenezer Sanford. A The building has been enlaiged, a new dam has been constructed, and a turbine wheel has supplanted the cumbersome old "overshot." The addition of new and modernized machinery from year to year, has put the mill in the best possible condition for business. Its present exhibit is in strong contrast with that of 1865, when it became the [jvoperty of Mr. Kritzer. In those days tlie business was crowded, the grind- ing slow, and it wns the custom of the country people, who were its patrons and came long distances, to stay all night, accommodations being provided for them in the mill. Mr. Kritzer was married Oct. 14, 1858, in Chester, to Magdalena, daughter of George Frederick and Rosine King. She was born in Lancaster, Ohio, April 19, 183S, and her parents were natives of the kingdom of Wurtemburg, Germany. The sons and daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Kritzer were born as fol- ^ lows: George H., Oct. 11, 1859 (died Feb. 14, 1863); Charles C, Feb. 19, 1862; Mary A. M., Feb. 23, 1865; William H., May 6, 1869. Until 1879 Mr. Kritzer continued to reside where he firs', built in Newaygo. In tiiat year lie iuiilt and [(*; removed to his ])resent residence on the opposite ^ side of the street. His father, Conrad Krit/.er, now AN V J 5> in his eightieth year, resides in his son's former home. The f;irm at Chester is still in their possession. The vohmtary statement of Mr. Kritzer will be the best possible exponent of his political status: " I cast my first vote for John P. Hale, of New Hampshire, when they called us ' Woolly Heads ;' and I believe there were only 17 votes cast in Grand Rapids. I have always voted on that line of prog- ress." In the portrait of Mr. Kritzer, which may be seen on another page, appears the likeness of a fair type of the German element of Northern Michigan. He came to Newaygo County with the single determina- tion to find work and to do it with the energy and purjwse he inherited from his ancestors. He resolved that should success and prosperity elude his grasp, the fault should not lie in his shrinking from effort. He has built his fortunes by industrious applica- tion, established himself socially by his career of honor and self-respect, and reared children to repre- sent him in a later generation, who will do no dis- credit to the name he has made honorable in Newaygo. ^3= ulius B. Baekart, farmer and lumberman, resident at Croton Village, was born Nov. 14, 1846, in Warrensville, Dupage Co., 111., and is the son of George and Mary A. (Baekart) Baekart. (See sketch.) He came to the county of Newaygo with his parents when he was but four years old, and has here grown to man- hood and established himself in business. He was married at the age of 20 years, and at once settled in life. He bought 320 acres of land, situated be- tween sections 32 and 33, in Big Prairie, and sections 4 and 5, in Croton. He pursued agriculture indus- triously and effectively for 12 years, and at the end of that time had put 120 acres of land in first-class agricultural condition. He is now resident at Croton village, engaged in several departments of lumbering. He is a Demoi rat in [lolilical connection. Lucy (Loree) liackart, wife of Julius B. Baekart, was born Marcli 10, 1848, in Livingston Co., Mich., and is the daughter of John and Jane S. (Sim[)son) Loree. The father was born in 1820, in Steuben Co., N. Y., anil was of French parentage. He died in V f ^ A ( V 1 1, m- ^JT^i^'i^ ■^<-^[iii>:iiii;> z. 4^t^ v<4llll>:lllly> T? N'EWAYGO COUNTY. "Z^i^s^i ■ST 1868. The mother was a native of Genesee Co., N. Y., and was born in 1827, of mixed Scotch and t Dutch extraction. She is still living, in Shiawassee County. Mr. and Mrs. Backart were married at (^ Cedar Springs, Kent Co., Midi., May 6, 1866, and are the parents of nine children, viz.: Myra, Mary, Alice, Nettie, Lucy, Bessie, (ieorge, John and Eva. ^ P ^j Cllbert Traver, 1 'I'Ov^'jewit C. Traver. farmer, section 2i,Gar- ■^vdMM field Township, was born in Ancram, Co- ^ lunibia Co., N. Y., Jan. 22, 1828, of mixed German and Scotch descent. His father, was born in the same place. His mother, Eliza (Strever) Traver, was born in Columbia County. Mr. Traver remained under tlie care of his father until he was 22 years of age, /• when he went to Ashtonville, Lycoming Co., Pa., f^ where he passed two years as a laborer, going ° thence to Carterville, and there he spent several *-<^; years. He came to Newaygo in 1868, and ° two years later bought roo acres of land ir, a state of nature with the exception of two acres. He has 55 acres under cultivation at present, with a nice house and other improvements. Mr. Traver was married in C"arterville, Pa., Nov. 21, 1867,10 Anna Braddock, a native of England. One child, Mary, was born to them Sept. 18, 1875. Mr. Traver belongs to the Order of Good Templars. V 3-V>— I- rrS ; illiam A. Lewis, farmer, Ensley Town- ship, section 26, was born Dec. 14, 1826, Jil^in "* '" Pennsylvania, of which State his ^^ father, Thomas Lewis, was a native. His '^'^^^ n. other, Amanda (S[jofford) Lewis, was born in Vermont. The parents first settled in the Key-stone State, and afterward went to Geauga Co., Ohio; ten years later they again became resident in Pennsylvania, and five years later they came to Monroe Co., Mich, where the mother died in the fall of 1846. The father died in 'I'olcdo, Ohio, in 1S78. Mr. Lewis was two years old when his parents went to Ohio, and he accompanied them in their >z-i^.5^=.,^ -Si^^ 387^ various wanderings until he was 21 years of age. Having attained his majority, he acquired the trade of blacksmith, which he followed, in different locali- ties, for 12 years. He went to California in 1850, and passed a year in the Golden State to better his fortunes, witnessing all the vicissitudes of that period in the history of the State. He returned to Pennsylvania and lived there two years, going thence to Ohio. He passed the next 12 years of his life there, and in November, 1S63, he came to Newaygo County and became the proprietor by purchase of 80 acres of land under the regulations of the Home- stead Act. He has since bought 80 acres, and has placed 116 acres under advanced improvements. In August, 1882, his barn was struck by lightning and was, with its contents, entirely consumed, entailing a loss of $1,000. He rei)laced the building the same fall. Mr. Lewis was married July 4, 1S51, in Crawford Co., Pa., to Martha M. Harvey, a native of Ashta- bula Co., Ohio. Four children of seven born of their marriage died in infancy. Three survive : Amanda, Fayette T. and John S. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis both belong to the M. E. Church. In politi- cal connection Mr. Lewis has been acting with the Democratic party until the awakening of the tem- perance interest, when he became an adherent of the Prohibition element. amuel B. B. Stevens, a pioneer settler in Newaygo County, residing at Newaygy, ,^ _ was born Sept. 15, 1818, at Norfolk, Va., mV" and is a son of William and Ann (Cowell) Stevens. Both parents were of English an- cestry. Mr. Stevens has been a citizen of Michigan since 1841, when he came to Muskegon and passed a few months occupied in tallying lumber. He then pro- ceeded to Grand Haven, where he resided until 1854, chiefly occupied as a mill hand. In that year he went again to Muskegon, and in 1855 came to Newaygo, which was then in its infancy. His first engagement was as a sawyer in the mill of John A. Brooks. In 1856 he entered the employ of the orig- inal Newaygo Lumber Company, with whom he remained four years. Previous to leaving Virginia r y^ A r i^y^/^^^m^ T2S^^^ 38S JVEIVAVGO COUNTY. he had learned the trade of mason and plasterer, and in i860 he again turned his attention to that pursuit, alternating winters with the duties of lum- berman, which he prosecuted vigorously and exten- sively, operating as a contractor and employing a considerable number of men. He retired from active business in 1871. He owns a pleasant and comfortable home. Mr. Stevens was married in Clrand Haven, A|)ril 5, 1848, to Juliette M., daughter of Ira and Minerva Rice, born July 4, 1824, at Palmyra, Wayne Co., N. Y. Of this marriage eight children were born, five of whom are living, viz.: Ann Agnes is the wife of Josei)h C. Russell, of Detroit, an employee of the House of Correction ; Ida is the wife of L. D. Ham- mond, of Newaygo; the remaining are Bedford W., Minnie M. and Willie I. :0 A t A r'^-'l'" cth S. Stacey, farmer, section 26, Rnsley i'uwnship, was born in Minot, Androscog- .^^1 liu'".;' ^'■' gin Co., Maine, Feb. 22, 1833, and is the son of John and Mary (Sawtelle) Stacey. His father was born in Maine ; his mother in New Hampshire. They became resident of Mas- sachusetts in later life. Mr. Stacey was a resident of the Bay State until he was 23 years of age. In 1856 he went to Wisconsin and was occupied eight years in farming and lumbering. He came to Michigan in the spring of 1865 and settled at Muskegon. He remained there two years, and until the spring of 1870 was employed in different capacities in a saw-mill. In that year he came to Newaygo County and became a land-holder by the purchase of 40 acres of wild land, in Ensley Township. Of this he has placed 23 acres under improvement. He was married at Cedar Springs, Kent County, July 5, 1870, to Sarah A., daughter of Benjamin and Elizabeth West. The parents were natives of the State of New York, where Mrs. Stacey was born, April 6, 1843. Of si.x children born to the house- hold five survive: George G., Seth H., William B., I'^iizabeth L, and Harry. Nellie E. died when eight montlis old. Mr. Stacey has been for four years an adlterent of the National party, i)revious towhicli he •iffiliated with the l\epuijlii;an element. ' 000 • ames Simcoe, farmer, section 23, Kuhlcy Township, is a native of luigland. He ' "' was liorii Feb. 22, 1839. His parents, William and Catherine (Shclford) Siincoe, were born in England, and were married there. Early in life they came to America and settled in Chemung Co., N. Y. They engaged in farming in that section of the Eni[)ire State, and there passed the remainder of their peaceful, uneventful lives. Mr. Simcoe was nearly 10 years old when lie left tlie Old World for the New, and he remained on the homestead of his parents a year after he had attained his legal freedom. He remained in the State of New York live years after leaving home, engaged in agri- cultural pursuits. In the winter of 1866 he came to Newaygo County and soon after bought 140 acres of wild land on section 23 in Ensley Township. He afterward disposed of 40 acres and retained 100 acres, 70 acres of which are under cultivation. Twentv- five acres are free from stumps. In 1869 he built a fine barn and another in 1881. In 1883 he erected a farm house that is a credit to the owner and an orna- ment to the place. The pioneer experiences of Mr. Simcoe have all the interest of the tales which, thougii so often told, never lose their novelty and freshness. At the time of his settlement, Ensley Township was a complete wilderness, and he was obliged to make his own roads as occasion demanded. Cedar S)jrings, Kent County, was the nearest point of supplies. Mr. Simcoe built the regulation log house in the midst of a forest so dense that the sky could rarely be discerned by an upward unobstructed view. One of the incidents remembered while living in the log house was the falling of a tree whicii broke in the roof, but without injuring the inmates. Mr. Simcoe was married in Chemung Co., N. Y., Feb 23, 1862, to Betsey A., daughter of John W. and Annie (Cooper) Caywood. She was born March 9, 1841. Her parents were also natives of the Empire State, and came to Newaygo County in 1865, where her father died, in the fall of 1877. The mother is living in Ensley 'I'ownship. Three children are the issue of this marriage: William W., Minnie J. and I t ^f\s^«®«» »®« — ^-K;ii!i5Sffl;t>"=-« ^^JTt^^.»^-^,^J[7^ |§v/<^^C^f|- z^^^ — 6^^DIi:v NEWAYGO COUNTY. 39' 4. ^ Seth J. The latter died Sept. 27, 1865, when he was three months old. Mr. Simcoe is a meml)cr of the Reiuil)lic;in part}'. He lias occupied the various scliool offices in his district, and has been Constable one year. V tephen Bitely, luMil)crnian, section 24, lonsley 'I'ownshii), was born April 6, 1833, iL "^ik'' ' '" VVashington t"o., N. Y., and is a son of J 'IJjv, Jacob and Mandana (Hitchcock) Uitely. The \ \ father was a native of Washington Co., N. Y., and the mother was born in Vermont. Mr. Bitely grew to manhood in his native State, and on attaining his majority he came to Michigan and settled in Paw Paw, Van Duren County, working there one winter ; he next went to Lawton, and remained seven years. He returned to Paw Paw in /• 1859 and enlisted early in the course of the war, his <^ enrollment taking place in November, 1S51. He ° became a member of Co. H, 12th Reg. Mich. Vol. '<>.' Inf., and was in the service over four years, participa- = ting in the noted battles of Shiloh and Middleburg, Tenn. After the war closed lie went to Arkansas, where he was occupied one year in lumbering. He came back to Lawton and a year later settled in Allegan ("ounty, where he was engaged in the same calling nearly three years. In February, 1872, he came to Newaygo County and established liis citizen- ship in Ensley Township. Here he commenced his oi)erations in real estate, which have been extensive and unintermitting. In 1874 he made his initiatory investment and pur- chased .40 acres of land on section 35. Two years afterward he bought 120 acres on the same section, followed in 1878 by the purchase of 178 acres on section 34. In the same year he became the owner of 1 86 acres on section 24. In 1880 lie bought 20 acres on section 15, 50 acres on section 24 and 80 acres on section 13. His purchases in 1881 included 120 acres on section 15 and 80 acres on section 11. Those of 1882 were 20 acres on section 14, and 240 acres on section 1 1, and the following year he bought 60 acres additional on section 11. These com- prised his pro|>rietary acreage in Ensley Township. In 1882 he bought 240 acres on section 22, 440 acres on section 27 in Monroe Township, and in the same 4 \ S year he \nirchased 160 acres on section 28, Troy Townsiiip. In 1883 he bought 40 acres on section 22, Monroe '{"ownship. The tracts of land in Ensley Fownship were all in limber, which has been chielly converted into lumber and shingles. He built a shingle-mill on section 27 in 1872, which he con- ductetl seven years and removed it to its present site on section 15. "Its capacity is 40,000 siiingles daily, and his corps of assistants includes 13 men. In 1S79 he built a lumber and shingle mill on section 24, with a producing capacity of 40,000 feet of lumber daily and leciuiring a force of 26 men. His lunii)er resources on his own tracts of land will be available for some time to come. Mr. Bitely is a Republican in political belief antl has been largely identified with the interests and advancement of Ensley Township. He is held at his true value among his townsmen, and enjoys to an unusual degree the earnest confidence and esteem of his fellow citizens. The peojile of his townshi[) will regard with peculiar satisfaction his comi)liance with the general desire that his i)ortrait should apiiear in the Newaygo County Album ; and it may therefore be found on page 390. r. A. Raider, dealer in drugs, medicines books, stationery, watches and jewelry, at ' Newaygo, was born Oct. 10, 1829, in Bran- deroda, near the River .Saale, nine miles from the city of Naumburg, Prussia. He is a son of J. Frederick and Hannah (Viewagen) Raider. The parents of his father died when the latter was but six years of age, leaving five children, of whom he was third in order of birth. The two younger children were cared for by sympathetic neighbors, and the three elder ones were obliged to maintain themselves as they best could. Mr. Raider's fathei gathered but little knowledge of books and became a carpenter. The son was sent to school at the age of five years, became a thorough student and was especially proficient in mathematics, history and pen- manship. He also gave much attention to surveying and civil engineering. He was early inclined to bus- iness, and when but eight years of age he acted as V^ r c^: ( ■i^^lcS*- ■^^^^^ :^<:Il!]>:Ptlr:>^ *4ft$^v®>^| r I m '>;-yf^tf^ -er-rC^nil^^IlIl^^ ■r ":25^ xiar'^jiK V -^ A «•/-• 4rt^^.;||' 392 .V£ IV A YGO CO UNT V. W :^ his father's accountant. He was destined for a master's standing in music, and at seven had lessons .','^ on the violin; but, not making the desired progress, i at nine years of age he had a master of instruction on the flute. At ten he became a member of a band of fifteen performers, an organization whose services were in demand on all festive occasions within a radius of a dozen miles. He was thus connected three years. Mr. Raider came to the United Stntes with his ■j father when he was 14 years old, landing at New York, Oct. 5, ICS43. His father settled on a small farn:; in Chautauijua Co., N. Y. Two years later Mr. Raider left home and sought employment, which he found with a farmer nnmed Rice, residing in Ripley in tlie same county. He acted as his assistant two and a half years, alternating his labors with attend- ance at school. Being desirous of becoming ac- quainted with the country, he commenced peddling goods when iS years old, but abandoned the enter- prise a few months later to engage in the manufac- ture of shingles and wooden bowls. In 1850 he pur- chased a half interest in a small furniture factory, in which he was interested two years and aci]uired a practical knowledge of the manufacture of all kinds of furniture and agricultural implements then in com- mon use. He removed to Hinckley, Medina Co., J Ohio, wliere he established a factory for grinding and ix)lishing edged tools, which he continued to manage four years. In 1854 he went to Pennsylvania and taught two terms of penmanship, going next to Co- lumbus, Warren County, in that State, where he opened a furniture factory. In 1855 he removed to Michig.in and located 40 acres of land in (now) Ensley Township, and the following spring to Newaygo, where he engaged in the manufacture of furniture, also finding exercise for his gifts in penmanship. His affairs seemed in promising condition, but the financial stringencies of 1857 reduced his resources to their minimum. His inherent industry and frugality stood him in good stead for a year, when, with a capital of two dollars, he began once more tlie manufacture of furniture. Business multiplied on his hands with surprising ce- lerity, and in two months he recpiired the aid of two assistants. He continued business thus six years, and then turned his attention to repairing watches. His business ventures proved prosperous, and with a K ?;^^5^5- -^<^Il[l>KDI];>a. capital of $600 he bought the (then) only drug store in Newaygo, in August, 1S65. His commercial ca- reer from that date has been one of continued and substantial success, until he ranks as one of the solid men of Newaygo County. Mr. Raider has had little affinity for jx)litics, though he has been the incumbent of several local official [xjsitions. He was a Presidential Elector on the Prohibition ticket of 1872, and is an able advo- cate of the interests of the temperance cause. He is a member of the Masonic Order, and an attend- ant at the M. E. Church, though he belonged to the Lutheran Church in his native country. In 1 85 9 Mr. Raider organized a saving's bank, which he kept in operation until 187 r, when he closed its affairs on account of the taxes imjMsed by the Government. He was married Aug. 10, 1848. to Lucinda Jack- son, born at Barcelona, C'hautauqua Co., N. Y. Eight children were born of this marriage, as fol- lows: Leonora (deceased). May 25, 1849, at Mina, N. Y. ; George, July 13, 185 1, and Kate, Dec. 10, 1S53, in Hinckley, Ohio; Frederick, Sept. 4, 1855, at Columbus, Pa.; Charles, March 24, 1858 (died Sept. 26, 1859); Jessie, Jan. 8, 1863; Edgar, Aug. 16,1865. The wife and mother died Feb. 5, 1866. Mr. Raider was a second time married Feb. 18, 1867, to Rinda M. Glazier, of Jackson Co., Mich., born Dec. 7, 1834. One child, Lynn A., was born Jan. 4, 1875. The four younger children were born at Newaygo. hristian Pfeifle, merchant at .\shland j^ City, was born in Wurtemburg, Germany, fji July 24, 1844, and is a son of Michael and V ? Agnes (Fry) Pfeifle, who were also natives of the same State and are still residing there. The son was educated in his native country, and at the age of 15 was apprenticed to learn tlie trade of miller, in which he became very proficient under the practical, rigorous instructions commonly bestowed uix)n apprentices in the European countries, which are noted for the efficiency of their craftsmen. Mr. Pfeifie emigrated to the United States in the fall of 187 1 and located in Mount Joy, Lancaster Co., Pa., where he found employment as a miller in «v^ ; fp) I ^M\ W lS/^.')f^t#' v>r^^^ — 5«^ ■^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. 393 ^ J V / n one of the flouring establishments of that place. The next summer he went to Peekskill on the Hud- son, and engaged in a woolen mill for a time, return- ing to the Key-stone State and obtaining employ- ment in the coal mines of Luzerne County, where he operated i8 months. In the fall of 1873 he came to Michigan and engaged in the mills at Muskegon, until October, 1877, when he came to Ashland City and founded a mercantile business on a small scale. His cash capital was $63. The absurdly diniiiuilive character of his enterprise, its seeming prcsuuiplion and the apparent inexperience of the proprietor, precii)itated upon him numberless perplexities ; but his inherent equanimity and native self-control, coupled with "grit and tact," aided him in overcom- ing all obstacles, and he has now a business the annual transactions of which amount to i|40,ooo. It includes a shingle trade, in addition to other lines. In 1874 he was appointed Postmaster, and has con- tinued to manage the business pertaining to. the posi- tion with entire satisfaction to those most intimately concerned. Mr. Pfeifle is a zealous Repiil.ilican and an influ- ential citizen. His wide-spread repute for integrity has been a better foundation for his business con- nections than any amount of capital could have been, and he affords one of the best possible in- stances of the worth and weight of honesty and ui)rightness. ICohn V. Crandall, pro|)rietor of the "I'leas- 1^ ant Valley Farm," located on section 35, Ensley Township, was born in Cortland Co., N. Y., Oct. 27, 1831. His parents, Asa and Susan (Babcock) Crandall, were natives of New York and Massachusetts. After their marriage, they settled in the State of New York, and the father died in Cortland County. The mother came to Cass Co., Mich., after her husband's death, and died there, in 1861. Mr. ("randall came to Michigan in the spring of 1856 and bought 1 20 acres of wild land in Ensley Township, where he has since carried on agriculture. The tract was situated 14 miles from civilization. and he cut four miles of this road to his claim, and underwent all the privations and enjoyed all the satisfactions of pioneer experience. He built a log house and set himself sturdily to work clearing away the forest to make room for other improvements. He has added to his possessions by subseipient pur- chase until his farm aggregates 300 acres, in the counties of Kent and Newaygo. Of this, 210 acres are under cultivation. He has added farm buildings of a character suitable to the name by which his lilace is known, and arranged its appearance gener- ally in accordance therewith. In political relations he is a member of the National Greenback jiarty. He was a resident of Ensley Township at the time of its organization, and has been Justice of the Peace since the first year thereafter, with the exception of about five years. He has been Supervisor nine years and School Director 16 years. He belongs to Sand Lake Lodge, No. 240, I. O. O. F. Mr. Crandall was married Nov. 10, 1852, in Schuyler Co., N. Y., to Mary V., daughter of (iarrett and Lydia Clawson, both of Whom were natives of that county. The Crandall household includes two children: Eugene F2., born April 3, 1854; and Ida v., born July 12, 1857. Both remain at home. They are accomplished scholars and musicians. He is a teacher of music and is a fine artist in crayon and oil painting. Mr. Crandall was cradled in poveity and ob- tained a modicum of education in the common schools before attaining his majority. The meager knowledge thus ac([uired was sui)pleinented after reaching man's estate by attending the Peach Orchard Acatlemy, in Schuyler Co., N. Y , which was located on the banks of Seneca Lake, lie made rapiil progress through persevering ap[)lication, and graduated in 1852. He is a man of energy, and has done his township good service as a Supervisor. He has also made a good record as a Justice, and, although never regulariy admitteil to the Bar, has been engaged in the siuxessful practice of law five years. He has been President of the Cedar Springs Agricultural and Horticultural Society during the 1 ast five yeirs. Mr. C. has been heavily engaged in lumbering for 15 years. Himself and son, under the firm style of J. V. Crandall & Son, run a steam mill and are actively prosecuting the manufacture of iuni- t W ?A r b&\'f'fi* 'i-r— -K•^III1>:DD^.>=^- 4^^^5(@>'i? ® fe?*5»- gp7^®))$^# -er-K^I]D>:illl^->^rT! .^£i^iQr''S! 394 NEWAYGO COUNTY. her and shingles. During the past two years they have owned and managed a general mercantile *^ estal)lishment. Their working force varies from five T to forty men, as tlieir business requires. illiam Barton, farmer, section 8, (iarfield Township, was jjorn in County Tyrone, j^.^"' Ireland, July \2, 1810. His parents, Wm. i^> and Susan (Culton) Barton, were of Scotch- ^J\ Irish parentage, and belonged to the Pres- iiyterian element of the North of Ireland. The family emigrated to America in 1824, locating at Queliec, where the mother died within a few hours after their arrival at that city. Shortly afterward ^ they i)roceeded to Lyons, Wayne Co., N. Y., and five -* years later to Bloomfield, Oakland Co., Mich., where the father bought 80 acres of land, which he disposed of afterward and went to Otisco, Ionia Co., Mich., where he died, at the age of 72 years. Mr. Barton accompanied his parents to Lyons and Bloomfield, and after a residence of five years at the latter place, went to Kensington, Oakland County^ and there operated to some extent in land specula- U ) tion, in which he was occupied four years. His next business venture was at New Haven, Huron Co., Ohio, where he passed one year engaged in the )nir- chase and sale of horses, returning at the end of that time to Independence, Oakland County. He pur- chased a farm of 40 acres in that township, and was occupied seven years in its cultivation and improve- ment. In 1847 he went to Otisco, Ionia County, and engaged in farming there for a period of two years. He came to Newaygo County 111 1849, and bouglit a large tract of i)ine and firming land in the township of 15ig I'rairie, including more tlian 600 acres, chiclly [irairie. I le imi)roved about 300 acres, constitutin;; a remarkaljly fine farm, with a good residence, suit- able accessory buildings, orchards, etc. On this he resided until 1878, when he removed to his present location on section 8, (larfield Township, where he owns 86 acres of farming land, 40 acres of which are under a high order of cultivation. The farm fixtures are of a creditable character, and its products in fair proiwrtion as to kind and ipiality with tliose of this part of Michigan. "^ V 'n> ^m Mr. Barton has served his generation in several official positions of greater or less importance. He was Treasurer of Big Prairie Township something like 20 years. Justice of the Peace eight years, and held numerousminoroffices. He was married in Lyons.Oak- land County, April 2, 1835,10 Dotha,daughterof Robert and Mary French, born neai Saratoga Springs, N. Y., April 7, 1815. William, eldest child, born Oct. 21, 1837, at Independence, is an employee of the United States Government, operating as an attache of the Treasury Department at Washington; James, born at Independence, Aiiril 12, 1846, is manager of the homestead farni. Mary, born at Independence in I 844, is the wife of Jacob Heisberger, of Kent County ; Melvin, born at Otisco, Nov. 16, 1852, is a farmer in Big Prairie ; Frances, born in Big Prairie, is the wife of Nelson Taber, of Osceola County. -5 VV^^I^S-. -JW^^ J, avid B. Collins, farmer and Inmberman, section 21, Croton Township, was born in «»^ ji'i^r-y •■ Susquehanna ~w>^— NEWAYGO COUNTY. r^istiT'^ -4^^5(^vM 399 wonted occupations and has since passed alternate seasons in farming and lumbering. He is the pro- prietor of 420 acres of land in Newaygo County. His home farm includes 240 acres, and has 155 acres under advanced cultivation, with fine house, substantial barns and good orchard. He is a Prohi- bitionist in political adherence, and in 1874 was elected Sheriff of Newaygo County for two years. He has also served four years on the ]5oard of Supervisors. Ann Eliza Cram, who became the wife of Mr. Col- lins in Cannonsburg, Mich., Oct. 8, 1857, was born in Canada West, Dec. 9, 1836. Her parents were William and Margaret (Hardy) Cram. Her father was descended fronx French ancestors and was born in June, 1800. Hediedin i86i. Her mother was born in 1808, in England, and is still living. Mr. and ^rs. Collins have had three children, — I.yman D. (dec), Sadie L. and Ethel M. -I "VA-^SP-S^ J- Daniel Bull, farmer, section 34, Denver Township, was born in Bradford Co., Pa., March 30, 1826. His father, Thomas ^^^ \ Bull, was a native of Orange Co., N. Y. and of English-French descent. His mother, Parthena (Goodwin) Bull, was a native of Penn- sylvania and of English extraction. During the lat- ter years of their life they resided in Pennsylvania, where they died at an advanced age. Daniel learned to battle with the difficulties of life at a very early age, and when only i 2 years old he went to live with one of his neighbors, giving his la- bor to pay for his board and clothes, and the privi- lege of attending school apart of the time. During the sunnner after he was 16 years of age he worked for $5 a month ; the ensuing winter lie boarded at the same place and went to scliool ; and during the next summer (1S43) he worked at another place, for (^ $6 a month. Continuing to make his home at the ' latter place, he went to school another winter. In l)Oth cases he paid for his own tuition by "' rate- bill." At 18 years of age he began to farm on n£ shares. In this way he earned sufficient means to /^ enable him to secure better educational advantages, which lie improved a few years later. In 1853, Mr. Bull left his native State to seek new fields of labor in the far West. He came first to Mackinaw Island, and afterward to Old Mission, Mich., on Grand Traverse Bay, then to Chicago, 111., where he remained a short time, when he went to Decatur, 111. Early in the spring of 1855 he visited his native home and friends, after whi<:h he returned to Michigan and located in Coldwater. Jan. 16, 1856, in Kent County, he was married to Miss Esther Dobson, a native of Ulster Co., N. Y., where she was born. May 31, 1812. She received her education in Pennsylvania, before coming to Michigan. Oct. 15, 1855, previous to his marriage, Mr. Bull, then a yo mg man of energy and perseverance, left the village ot Coldwater to seek a home in the north- ern woods. Going directly to the Land Office at Ionia, he purchased 240 acres of land without see- ing it, trusting entirely to the recommendation of other men. Besides the Government graduation price, he, in company with his brother, paid an entire stranger $8 per lot for this land. They then came on to hunt up the land, having to follow "Ijlazed" lines for eight miles through the woods. They crossed a wagon track near their land. They cut, carried and rolled up tlie logs, and " finished up " the second shanty in what is now the town of Denver. At that time liis worldly possessions amounted to a little less than $100. Mr. B. worked at .Newaygo to earn money to defray the expenses of moving his family. The snow showing signs of going off by tlie middle of March, 1857, thus destroying good sleigliing, he started with his newly wedded wife and her niece, a young girl 1 1 years old, for their new home 150 miles distant through uni)roken forests. His sleigh was heavily loaded, and on the evening of the third day the load upset, killing the young girl instantly, and making sad havoc witli most of tlie goods. After a delay of one day they came on to Newaygo with the wreck of their load, and stopped to recruit, and when the snow melted away they moved into their shanty. Mr. Bull is now one of the first farmers and fruit- growers in Newaygo County, having two fine orchards, each consisting of over 400 trees, all in fine bearing condition, and yielding an annual income of loo to 2,000 bushels. He is in comfortable circumstances ■ and his honesty and hospitality have endeared him to tlie hearts of tlic old pioneers witli wlioni he ' 5 ? r ■ ^ ■ f IS ^^m^ ■^my.i H>V^ ■^i^f!^ r Tmimh>r ^ r,i J >:^ V > I m 400 NEWAYGO COUNTY. been so many years associated. Mr. B. was made the first Clerk of his township (the old town of Dayton). His political interests are with the Republican party. Mrs. B. is of a kind, congenial disposition, and dearly beloved by her friends and neighbors. Mr. and Mrs. Bull have had no children, but have adopted and reared several. The following are the names and birth: Caroline Dobson, born March 18, 1845, died Jan. 15, 1856; Carry L. Crowfoot, born July 5, 1856, died Sept. 12, 1856; Edgar Smith, born March 7, 1852, married Addie Maynard; Ettie Smith, born Oct. 28, 1855, married David Robert- son; Charley VV. Davison died in infancy; Sophia Bull, born Oct. 20, 1 867 ; Frank Bull, born Oct. 4, 1871; Carrie E. Hull, born Nov. 11^ 1875; tl'e last three are now livmg with their adopted parents and attend the district school. As truly representative pioneers and prominent and worthy people of Newaygo County, we take pleasure in presenting the portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Bull in this Album. !»<^(^; i(^<^; U / A imothy Edwards, Circuit Court Commis- sioner of Newaygo County, residing on sec- tion I, Ashland Township, was born April 1834, in Silverwcll, county of Cornwall, England. His father, Edward Edwards, was the oldest child of his parents and was a Corn- ish miner. He held the technical position of "pit- man," whose duties include the management of the immping and hoisting machinery pertaining to a col- liery. Philippa, nee Doney, his mother, descended from the old English yeomanry, who for successive generations occupied the same farm. The paternal grandiiarents were identified with the Wesleyan Methodist movement from its earliest workings in Cornwall. Tliey had eight children, all of whom reached maturity and aciiuired comfortable [lositions. Mr. Edwards early developed the characteristic traits of his nationality, and at tlie age of eleven years, being made to suffer unjustly at school for the guilt of another, he made such em|)hatic rebellion against the injustice and i)artiality of the established :^^^,:^ r^^i^ _1.<- ;[][]>: authority that his father, understanding the probable ^■ mischief that would attend his being forced back to ■■' school, sent him to the mines, where he worked on •',,." the surface until he was fourteen years old. At that age he went to work underground in an adjoining 1 colliery, and a year later was promoted to the post of "lum[) man," taking his turn in the management and oversight of the nether machinery. In 1850, in company with his father and an elder brother, he left his native country for America, to work under a contract in the Perkiomen Copper Mines, in Mont- gomery Co., I'enn. A few months later he went to Silver Creek, near I'ottsville, in Schuylkill County, where he s[)ent a winter in the coal mines. The employment proved distasteful; and, overtures of an advanced position being made to him and his father from home, they returned to England in 185 1, reaching there just at the opening of the first World's Fair at Hyde Park. He was occupied with mercan- tile matters from- April, 1 851, to September, 1852, when the Australian gold fever infected liis ambition, and in company with a brother he started on the long ■*■ passage via the Cape Good Hope. After a ship- = wreck, which occurred within sight of the shore, the •^ passengers landed, Jan. i, 1853, at Port Philip Heads, =1 the entrance of the bay whereon Melbourne, the S^ Queen city of the island continent, is situated. The gold excitement was at its height, and Ballarat and ( Mount Alexander were but synonyms for the hopes of myriads. Mr. Edwards spent eighteen months in Australia, meeting^ncouraging success ; but when prosperity was at its maximum his brother was drowned. A premaliue powder blast had brought death to his eldest Ijrother in Pennsylvania, and his \ mother's entreaties recalled him to England, where ^;'^ he arrived in July, 1854, visiting South America <■// cf rou/e and spending a few days in the land of oranges and catamarans. He had fed a mind of natural activity by constant study and a wide scope of general reading, and on reaching his native laud several avenues opened to him ; but the death of his brothers determined him fQ\ on a life of ipiiet study, as his means were sufficient 1 to warrant such a choice. .After tvvo years he became ^^ restive. The social inequalities and legal stringen- cies of England galled a mind which had reached a grade of understantling that rendered discrimination between middle-class brains and "blue-blooded" witlings a foregone conclusion ; and the privileges of > / - i^^^^-j^m -^S^^^t>- iVEWAYGO COUNTY 7: ^ A V 401 t ((s^ America and the liberties of Colonial life rose before liim ill the guise of wonderful promise and beauty. He resolved on settling in the United States. A " noble " friend endeavored to detain him at home, [jromising distinguished advancement when the ad- ministration made its accustomed plunge and Earl Dedjy donned the ermine. He replied with a de- vout wish for the extinction rather than the advance- ment of the Tory element to [lower, and on the seventh of June, 1856, bade a final farewell to the land of his nativity. He landed in New York just after the nomination of Fremont and Dayton, the slavery agitation absorb- ing every interest, and disruption of the National in- tegrity seeming imminent. Mr. Edwards took cjuick alarm at the condition of things and sought a retreat in Canada. He was converted, soon after becoming a citizen of the Dominion, under the labors of Rev. Isaac Barber, with whom he at once entered upon a course of study for the ministry, and in January, 1857, h: became a licensed local preacher. In June following, the Conference sent him to IngersoU Circuit. He desired to enter upon a two-years course of stutly at Victoria College, but the privilege was denied by the Conference and he continued ministerial labor until 1859, when he was obliged by an accidental injury to suspend preaching. In October, 1859, he was married 10 Hattie C. Batson, of Brantford, Out., and passed the following four years in farming and teaching. The Emancipa- tion Proclamation freed the land of his desires from the " sum of all villainies," which his soul abhorred, and in November, 1863, he sold his properly in Can- ada and came to Ionia, where he engaged in mercan- tile business, associated with Hampton Rich. In March, 1 864, he was sunnnoned by Presiding Elderll. Morgan to supply the Saranac Circuit, where he otili- cialed until the Michigan Conference, in September of that year, ap[)ointed him to Newaygo. He offici- ated two years, andduriug the time incai lieda thanks- giving sermon on the close oi the war. In response to a call by the officials and prominent men of Ne- waygo County, he preached the funeral sermon of President Lincoln. His subseiiuent ministerial work was at Rockford, Kent County, St. Joseph, Berrien County, and at Pentwater, in Oceana County. He completed his career as a minister of the gospel at ^ A the latter place, a disease of the throat consigning >^,f him to the ranks of secular life. '. He went to Benton Harbor, where he bought a ,'•". fruit farm and set out a Uyige number of peach-trees. ; The " yellows," as fatal to that fruit as the plague to humanity, drove him from his project, and on New Years Day, 1873, he came to Newaygo. In the spring following he was elected Justice of the Peace, and, on the resignation of John A. Brooks, Jr., was appointed Supervisor of Brooks. In the fall of the same year he bought the Powers farm, adjoining the village, but a betrayed trust and the shrinkage of values consequent upon the financial disasters of 1S76 swept away the accumulations of his life. Messrs. Fuller & Standish, then of drand Rapids, offered him the management of their branch office at Newaygo, with an o[)portunity of studying law, lie accepted the proffered position, and by dint of strug- gle and perseverance he succeeded in passing his exam. nation, and was admitted to the iSar at the October term of 1878. He then opened an inde- pendent law ofifice, and, in company with W. D. Ful- ler, edited and published the Newaygo Tiibunr until 18S0, when failing health compelled his retiracy from pujjlic life and he resumed agrii:ultural pursuits. A Republican by choice and instinct, and still an V/ adherent to the principles that called that party into being under the oaks at Jackson, he identified him- self with the National (ireenback [larty in r878 and labored thenceforward for its success He was nominated in 1882 for the post he now fills, and, though he expended his personal efforts and energies in the gubernatorial field, he was elected l)y a flatter- ing majority. The first Mrs. Edwards died at St. Josei)h, leaving two sons, — Harold and Charles. Mr. Edwards was married again Sept. 26, 1869, to Lydia A. Martin, a lady of Indiana. She is a woman of culture, a grad- uate of Carlyle Collegiate Institute, and for 14 years a successful teacher in Indiana and Michigan. Five of six children born of this marriage survive, — Ed- ward, John T., Bessie, Calita and Martin. The farm of Mr. Edwards is located three miles south of Newaygo; and, in the future in which rest his hopes, as well as in the promise of his sturdy sons, he trusts to retrieve the losses and baffled enter|)rises of the past. He still holds his ministerial ordination parchments, and is the " lawyer who preaches and the preacher who practices." • r % V-:fe:T)^ -^^^f^ — ^-^-^Da^rnns^^ -^/f-^ (^;Y^|>)^^^ <>|]ll)?:ilDf>^ rtr- ^ % 402 NEWAYGO COUNTY. ":2H^?vsr ^^ )^ "oZSo" -i^l fi rT RVL atts Newberg, farmer, section 2, Ensley MiLe^gj^j^, Township, was born Nov. 17, 1844, in ^L''"^ Finland, Russia. When 23 years old he '^^^ \ left his native land, came to the United States and at once made his way to Newaygo County, settling in the village of that name, where he resided two years and was variously occu- pied until the spring of 1870, when, in company with his brother, John Newberg, he bought ii6 acres of land in Ensley Township. About 86 acres of this property is now cleared and under cultivation. Mr. N. las a fine peach orchard of about 3,000 bearing trees He is a Republican in political adherence. He was married in Newaygo, Dec. 25, 1880, to : ) Maxiniillia Colby. She was born in Allegan Co., - Mich., and is a daughter of Wheeler and Elizabeth /\ Colby. Her parents were natives of New Hamp- shire and Ohio. One child has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Newberg, which died when five days old. Thev are aieml)ers of the German Lutheran Clhurch. -^*= '«^— • fe yson Smith, M. D., jihysician and surgeon, was born May i, 1848, near Cleveland, Ohio. His parents, Elijah T. and Caroline (Fisher) Smith, were descendants from the Quaker element, who under the leadersliip of \Villiam Penn crossed the Atlantic in 168 1. His great-grandparents on both sides were friends and associates of the founder of the city of Philadel- phia, and were intimately connected with all his operations on this continent. Smith's Island in the Delaware River, 12 miles above the city of Trenton, was the property of the paternal head of the Smith family of which the Doctor is a member, and became the inheritance of his grandfather, Thomas Smith. The wife of the latter bore the old-fashioned name of Letitia. She lies buried at Byberry, a small village in the north of Philadelphia County. Her husband was buried at Wrighlstown, Bucks County, about 15 miles from Byberry. The sons of Thomas Smith, in I'leir conflicts with the world's chances, fairly tyinfied the varied fortunes that fall to the lot of men. In ^ the days of their launching forth upon the sea of human struggle, it was the fashion to be respectable. That was a distinction within the reach of all, and whoever attained it belonged by force of desert to the upper class without respect to the amount he repre- sented. If a man was elevated by the choice of his peers to a place of honor, the distinction lay in the characters of those whose action raised him from their ranks. The third generation amply sustained the honorable name which they inherited. One, Oliver H. Smith, brother of Elijah, went to Indiana, where he was admitted to the Bar as an attorney, became a member of the Indiana Legislature, a member of the House of Representatives at Washington, and a Senator in the National Congress. One of the most valuable acts of his life was a compilation of " Early Indiana Trials and Sketches," which, while it is wholly without assumption, is a remarkable exponent of the true character of its author, exhibiting him as a man of exceptional modesty, pre-eminent abilities and an illustrious type of what a man may make ol himself, given the natural ([ualifications and sufficient discretion to make a wise choice in oppoitunity and advantage. Elijah T. Smith went from Bucks t'o., Penn., to Ohio, and in 1853 removed his family to Shiawassee Co., Mich., and bought a farm in Perry Township. Dr. Smith obtained his preliminary education at the graded school at Owosso, which he left at the age of 18 years; and during the next 18 months he pur- sued a scientific course of study under the tutorship of Albert Hardy, now Principal of the High School at Milwaukee. Immediately after leaving his charge, Dr. Smith assumed the management of the High School at Vernon, Shiawassee County, and a year later became Principal at CarroUton, Saginaw County. After more than a year of service there he went to Midland County and a-ted as Principal of the Schools at Midland City and served as County Superintend- ent of Schools until the office was abolished by a chanj^e in the school code, in 1875. He then came to Newaygo and assumed charge of the village schools, holding the position three years. Dr. Smith is possessed of a peculiar nervous tem- perament, and, becoming aware that the routine and confinement of teaching was making serious inroads upon a physical organization which has few elements of hardihootl, he fixed upon the profession of medi- cine as one which seemed to offer the surest route to t 1 fp) I ''.-y* :^^ I J' /OS V ^ / NEWAYGO COUNTY. 405 the attainment of his ambition. During his entire course as a teacher he had occupied his leisure in study preparatory to the fulfiUment of his purpose. In 1878-9, he attended the Medical Department of the University of Michigan, and afterward received a diploma from the Homeopathic Hospital (College.') at Cleveland. In the winter of 1881-2 he took a special course of study in diseases of women, and was graduated in that department in the Hahnemann College at Chicago, under Prof R. Ludlam. In 1882-3 he attended lectures at Rush Medical College in Chicago, and walked the Cook County (111.) Hospital in clinical study. A brief /•(■.(■///'//(•' of the position of Dr. Smith as a practitioner and tlie reasons therefor will convey as fair an estimate of his character as can be made. His circumstances while preparing for his business career developed in him a keenness of observation which has marked every movement of his life, and had a weighty influence on his course of study and method of practice. He began with full faith in allopathy. Its routine and unalterable rcgii/w, in- flexible while disease and attendant conditions were undergoing such changes as to render old-school diagnosis utterly impracticable, convinced him of grave objections to allopathy. He turned his atten- tion to homeopathy with more of curiosity and desire of experiment than with any real purpose of adopting the system in toto. The results to his understanding were precisely the same as those attained by his examination of allopathy, that methods of medical practice must be dictated by conditions, and he was led to formulate succinctly the underlying truth that the baffling nature of obscure symptoms involves medical princi[)les in a well-nigh hopeless labyrinth. This [xjint reached, he connnenced his practice in good earnest, and is acknowledged as a careful, dis- criminating and reliable practitioner. When emer- gency drives, his judgment is valuable relatively to his patient in exact proportion to his reasoning powers, his knowledge of the effect of drugs and his abilities as a diagnostician. He treats disease con- scientiously, and his caution almost wholly precludes errors. While his success in his profession is unusual, it may be justly stated that his kindly sym- pathetic nature shrinks from the contemplation of human suffering and the infliction of [lain, even where the emergency makes absolute demands. His com- bined traits of character assure to a patient, so far as may be, absolute safety in his hands. In 1881 Dr. Smith was elected a member of the Board of County School Examiners and was appointed Secretary. He was re-elected in August, 1883, and similady appointed. He was elected the first Town- ship Clerk of Garfield in 1880, and has been successively re-elected with the exception of one year. He was elected member of the Village Council in the spring of 1883, and has served as County Physician three years. He is a member of the Order of Masonry and has taken all the degrees in the fraternity of Odd Fellows. Dr. Smith was married in Gaines, Genesee Co., Mich., Aug. 7, 1873, to Donna L., daughter of George P. and Marie Root, a native of Wayne Co., Mich. Their two children, Louise and Lloyd, were born in Newaygo. Dr. Smith owns his place of residence and of business. / SF^-J'OUis T. Reed, M. D., physician and surgeon f siIyiI; ;Lt White Cloud, was born in Ogle Co., 111., ^1^ JNIarch 25, 1S51, and is the son of Leonard m S. and Ann (Treber) Reed, the former a native i of Vermont, the latter of Ohio, where they I settled soon after marriage. A few years later they went to Illinois, and after a residence of two years returned to Ohio, where they now reside, in Pike County. At the age of 17 years the son left home, and after engaging in various occupations for about a year, turned his attention to the profession of teaching and studying medicine. He matriculated at Cleveland Medical College and studied there three years, be- sides attending the lectures at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor a year. He received his diploma at Cleveland, in 1878, and opened the prac- tice of his profession there, prosecuting its duties until the fall of 1879, when he located at ^Vhite Cloud and established his medical practice in con- nection witli the drug trade. His successful opera- tions as a physician have won for him a large degree of patronage and the abiding confidence of the community. Dr. Reed was married in Geauga Co., Ohio, Aug. 13, 1876, to Emma, daughter of David and Char- V^ I. ^ r _st. -K^ll!I>:i]llv> ±. .:s^^g^ r^i:^ ^m^u-M Mi — r vC:l]a:^III]>> "7" I52SSS -#^5C: So^a'j eorge R. Breckon, M. I)., Fremont, is the iv^^l; second son of Ralph and Almira (Calvert) f.k^ Breckon, and was born in Halton Co., Ont., 4* Sept. 12, 1847. His father was a native of f England, and his mother of Canada, and after their marriage located in Canada. George R. attended the common schools of Canada until 16 years of age, when he came to St. Joseph, Mich., where he remained for a short time, and afterward went to Ohio, where he spent several months. He traveled in Pennsylvania a short time, then returned to Canada, and in the spring of 1867 began the study of medicine with Dr. William Perkins, of Rockwood, Ont. He remained with Dr. Perkins two years, attending the Toronto School of Medicine during the winter season. When Dr. Breckon left home to embark in life on his own responsibility, he did so under very adverse circumstances. The total sum of money he possessed was only $13. Conse- ipiently, great energy and rare business qualities were necessary to enable him to cirry out his plans. These he fortunately possessed, and he was not only able to carry himself through college, but also to lend material aid to his brother-in-law in obtaining a collegiate education. During the meantime, he fol- lowed various occupations, but ever kept up with his studies, and in the spring of 1873 graduated at the Toronto School of Medicine, and commenced practice in Woodstock, Ont. In the spring of 1877, he returned to the State of Michigan and two years after removed to Newaygo County and settled in Woodville, where he remained until the spring of of 1873, when he moved to Fremont, where he still resides, and is practicing his profession. Sei)t. 29, 1870, Dr. Breckon was married in Bur- '^ lington, Halton Co., Ont., to Martha, daughter of Edward and Mary Calvert, natives of Canada. Mr. and Mrs. Breckon have had one child, Bertha L., born Nov. 26, 187 i, and died June 31, 1878. They are members of the Methodist Church. The doctor is a member of the Masonic Order, and also President r i ,% -i^ ^ •/^:^^^^* T2I^^^ ■v<^nil>:ilDr.>v- -^^c^v^ii ;-^ V NEWAYGO COUNTY. 407 of the Oxford Liberal Association of Canada, and one of the leading practitioners of medicine in Ne- waygo County. ^SS-^?^ ^jh arker Simpson, farmer, resident on sectioii 2J, P2nsley Township, was born Nov. 28, 1 I 18 15, in England. His parents, George and "0 Ann (Woodliff) Simpson, were natives of the 'K_ same country and there lived and died. Mr. Simpson came to the New World when he was 35 years of age and first located in Du Page Co., 111. He remained there four years and worked as a farm laborer. In the fall of 1855 he came to Kent Co., Mich., and in February, 1856, came to Newaygo County. He bought 160 acres of Govern- ment land in its condition of original nature. He has cleared and improved 60 acres. His first pio- neer home, built of logs, was destroyed by fire, and he replaced it with a good frame residence. The other farm buildings are creditable to his energies and judgment. In political connection he is a Dem- ocrat. Mr. Simpson was married in his native country, in November, 1844, to Ann Robinson, also a native of England. The names of the eight surviving chil- dren are: Mary A., Elizabeth, Eliza, Charles R., William W., James, Frederick and Alfred W. Rob- ert died when one year old. Harriet died at the age of 12 years. |!,iLamuel E. Brooks, farmer, residing on sec- ^pit tion 10, Ensley Township, was born Dec. I-? ' 15, 1839, in the State of Ohio. Elisha iV, and Maria (Cook) Brooks, his parents, became residents of Kent Co., Mich., in the period of its early history. The father was born in Ver- mont. After his marriage he concluded that the ojjening West held a promise for him and removed to Ohio. Later he came to Michigan, where he and his wife passed their remaining years. Mr. IJrooks was under the paternal guidance un- til he was 16 years of age, when he entered upon his contest with the wide world. From f 1S55 he was variously occupied until 1865. \n the fall of that year he came to Newaygo County and purchased 80 acres of wild land, situated on sections 10 and 15 of Ensley Township. He has cleared and improved 40 acres, where he commenced his career as an as- sistant in the world's work by doing pioneer duty. He is an adherent of the Republican element in politics. He was married Oct. 21, 1874, in Kent County, to Elizabeth A. Tower. She was born Sept. 15, 1846, in the same county, and is the daughter of Joseph and Pliilura Tower. Ralph R. and Ivah Maude are the names of the two children burn of the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Brooks. 1 I fj fe,y^ rancis M. Pike, -Supervisor of Garfield aaiil ip. Township, residing on section 15, was born r^ "" in Allegany Co., N. Y., Aug. 1 1, 1846, and ^ ' A^ is a son of James G. and Matilda A. (Simons) /vS ■^^^ Pike. The former was born July 18, 1821, the latter in November, 1824. Mr. Pike's pa- ternal grandfather was a native of Vermont, born Sept. 9, 1799, and died April 12, 1869; the grand- mother was born Nov. 20, 1797, and died April 10, 1S64. The parents moved to Clinton Co., Mich., in 1 85 1, where they jiurchased a farm of 80 acres. The mother died Jan. 2, 1862, aged 37, and the fatlier April 6, 1864, leaving seven orphaned Children, wlio were placed in charge of various i)ersons and the family entirely sundered. Mr. Pike returned to his native county and at- tended school one year. After a short visit to Clin- ton County, in 1865 he came to Newaygo and en- tered the employment of the Newaygo Company, working in a saw-mill three years. He spent a year at the Commercial College of H. P. Bartlett at Lan- sing, Mich., and traveled in the West during tlie ne.xt three years. In 1870, he was in the employment of the United States Government, in connection with a surveying exi)edition through Nebraska, and on llie termination of his engagement returned to Newaygo, where, in company with David Miller, he established a store for the sale of groceries and provisions, which business continued until the fall of iSSo, wheii he engaged in the [jurcliase of [)ine lands and tim- ber in Brooks Township, and has passed the success- f^ ^ ■>)«^#' A <^D!l>KDDi>-^ ■'y^'^^^M 408 NEWAYGO COUNTY. ">tfNiQr'^ '3^ 2 ^ ■> ive winters in lumbering operations, employing a number of men as a working force. In April, 1881, he bought the farm in Garfield Township on which he has since resided, containing 80 acres. At the time of purchase si.\ acres were under improvement. Mr. Pike has cleared 30 acres, built a substantial resi- dence and otherwise improved the place ; also owns a home and lot in Newaygo village, and 240 acres of timber land in Garfield Township, in company with his brother, William J. Pike. Mr. Pike was married in Newaygo, Dec. 8, 1876, to Louisa H., daughter of Peter and Mary A. Purcell, born Nov. 14, 1856, in Canada. Two children have been born of this marriage, Nora B., Jan. 8, 1878, and Vernie A., Sept. 6, 1882. Mr. Pike was Treasurer of Brooks Township in 1877-8, before the organization of Garfield Town- ship. He served as Village Marshal of Newaygo two years, and in 1881 was President of the village; also officiated as Treasurer of Newaygo several years. In the spring of 1882 he was elected Super- visor of Garfield Township, and re-elected in the spring of 1883. He belongs to the Masonic frater- nity, being a member of the Royal Arch Chapter. ohn Osburn, farmer, section 31, Ensley Township, was born Feb. '28, 1822, in Ohio. His parents, Joseph and Mary (Gilder- sleeve) Osburn, were natives respectively of ^r Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Mr. Osburn made his "freedom" trip to Michigan when he was 21 years of age, and after a short stay proceeded to Illinois. He made no per- manent location there, but soon resolved to test the alluring promises of the Golden State on the Pacific slope, and made his way to California in 1850. He remained four years and returned East, locating for a time in Indiana. Shortly afterward he removed to Hillsdale Co., Mich., and in the fall of 1856 came to Newaygo County. He bought 44 acres of land according to the provisions of the Gradation Act, which regulated the prices of Government land ac- cording to its having been a greater or less length of lime in the market, the scale of valuation being graded from 25 cents to $1.25 per acre. Tiie entire tract purchased by Mr. Osburn has been placed by him in a creditaljle condition for agriculture. He belongs to the National Greenback party in politics, and has held the post of Treasurer of his township eleven years; has acted in other official capacities in school matters. Mr. Osburn was first married in Branch Co., Mich., to Mary Bunker. She was born Aug. 26, 1830, in Ohio, and died Feb. 26, 1875, leaving six children. She was the mother of seven sons and daughters, one of whom preceded her in death, while in infancy. Eli \\'., eldest son, died May 23, 1881, aged 32 years. Her surviving children are, Albert A., Caro- line L., Mary M., John L. and Evaline L. Mr. Os- burn contracted marriage a second time June 8, 1877, with Mrs. Martha (Simmons) Blake, widow of Joseph Blake, who died in June, 1S75. She was born June i, 1833, in Ontario Co., N. Y., and is a member of the M. E. Church. j"!' f^fln {farnes H. Haskins, farmer, section i, Ens- ^: 'ja^'l - ley Township, w\as born in Pennsylvania, '' Sept. 26, 1843. ^^ '^ ^ son of James B. ■|^^ and Jemima (Daniels) Haskins. His father It ^^'^^ \io\-n March 25, 1815, in New York, and \ his mother, May 3, 181 7, in Pennsylvania. After their marriage they located in the latter State, and later in life went to Illinois, where the father died, Oct. 8, 1846, six months after locating in the Sucker State. The mother resides in Pennsylvania, whither she returned after the death of her husband. Mr. Haskins was less than four yearsold when his father died. He remained under the control of his mother until the age of 18 years, when he enlisted in the 150th Reg. Penn. Vol. Inf. The date of his enrollment was Aug. 15, 1862, and his discharge pa- pers were conferred June 15, T865. The company of which he was a member was chiefly on detached duty and detailed to guard the White House at Washington, in which special service it was engaged when President Lincoln was assassinated. After the close of the war he returned to the Key-stone State, and was variously engaged until the spring of the following year. In March, 1866, he came to Miciiigan and for a few n\onths was engaged in prospecting to some ex- tent. He came to Newaygo County, and in Febru- I A v/ • I I ~. t«9^ ■A<^n!ir^:nav>A j^ -^4^^^^. lUa^Vrv^ /].fM^ ^■~-u NEWAYGO COUNTY. "Z^y^Gif'-^ ^ ary, 1867, bought the farm on which he has since re- sided, containing 160 acres of land in its primeval timbered condition. The quality of his efforts to render his property available and remunerative is manifest in the fact of his having, within 16 years, placed no acres under valuable improvements. Mr. Haskins was married April 7, 1869, to Adella, daughter of Jacob and Hepsabeth ((iillett) Moore. She was born in Oakland Co., Mich., Jan. iC, 1842. Her father was born May 16, 1815, in New Jer- sey, and her mother was born Aug. 9, 182 1, in New Vcnk. Of this marriage three children have been born : Charles T., Aha M. and James B. Alta M. died when four years old. Mr. Haskins is a Repub- lican in political sentiment and has held the office of Justice of the Peace four years. Himself and wife are members of the M. E. Church. t^_^phraim Utley, farmer, section 8, Dayton ^||ij Township, is a son of Ephraim H. and 'li®^'^ Sarah (Yerkcs) Utley, natives of New York, who married and settled in Wayne Co., Mich., and afterward removed to Clinton Co., Mich., where they lived several years, then came to Newaygo County, where they made their home until death. Mr. Utley, the subject of this notice, was born in Clinton Co., Mich., March 18, 1844; he lived at home until 16 years of age, when his father died, leaving him 160 acres of land and the care of his mother. He carried on this farm for ten C years, when he moved to Newaygo and lived two ^ years; then moved upon his farm of 160 acres, \ which he had previously purchased in Dayton Townshii), where he now resides; 120 acres are well cultivated. He was married in Newaygo County, \ug. 26, 1866, to Lucy, daughter of Stephen Gooch. She was born in West Virginia May 8, 1848. Their two children are Ralph, born Aug. 30, 1868; and CS" Clarence, born Dec. 6, 1874. Mr. Utley has held i the office of Commissioner of Highways five years, •■"j Township Clerk six years. Treasurer one year. He . is a Freemason and a Republican. ^ Mr. Utley has one of the best farms in Newaygo i(iy County. It is under good cultivation and has upon ^ it most excellent buildings, which are an inde.x to tlie enterprise of the man. He is a man of great energy and perseverance, and it is certainly not saying too much of him to say that he is classed among the most prominent citizens of the county. He is always ready and willing to favor every laudable enterprise inaugurated in his county or among his people. It is by the aid of such useful citizens that the great inventions and enterprises of this age have been made successful. As one of the truly prominent and representative men of the county we take pleasure in presenting the portrait of Mr. Utley in connection with this sketch. •wjice'^SS-^— ^^£15 >^^%(ms!!v jjj enjamin Gander, farmer, section 17 , Beaver S Township, was born in Oswego Co., N. Y., ^M)"VS^^^- -^fij^^sJ?:- j—-^ m^ c V s:/ \ !> A it Mi. \ rai^^- -V<:^PI]>^IiI]r-> J :-<^' V s ) X' -^ 412 T" NEWAYGO COUNTY. the Democratic party, and has held the position of Supervisor of Beaver Township seven successive years ; has also officiated as Justice of the Peace six years, and two years as Clerk of the township. / 1 JjjUnean Beaton, farmer and lumberman, sec- tion 36, Monroe Township, was born in Scotland in 1833. His parents, Kenneth jl^fit and Betsey (Read) Beaton, were born in Scot- land, where they both died. Mr. Beaton acquired the details of the boot and shoe business of his father and worked in his shop until he was 14 years old, when he emigrated to the United States. He worked for a time at his trade, and engaged as a miner two years, when he resumed his former occupation. A short time after- ward he worked one summer in a blast furnace, and went to Canada, where he again found employment at his trade. He followed that vocation at various places until 1870, when he came to Newago County and entered a homstead claim of 80 acres of land, in Monroe Township. He is a Republican in politics, and has officiated as Justice of the Peace. He was married in 1876 to Mary Eggleston, a lady of Canadian birth. —5 #-^ 5— ■^jalvin M. Barnes, merchant in Hesperia, ' Denver Township, was born \n Trumbull Co., Ohio, Oct. 24, 1854. His parents, Eljj^ib^ and Diantha (Drake) Barnes, were natives of Vermont. When he was ten years old he was brought by his parents to this State and settled in Denver Township, where he received his education in the common schools and worked on his father's farm until the death of the latter, which oc- curred in the fall of 1874. He then took a tour of the Western States, returning in November, 1875, to his home, where he worked on his father's farm sev- eral months. Sept. 25, 1876, he was married to Miss Araminta A., daughter of Ansel F. and Clara A. (Braton) Perkins, who were natives of New York and of English-German ancestry. She was born in Trum- bull Co., Ohio, Jan. 7, i860, and in 186S came with her parents to this county, where she was educated. After his marriage Mr. Barnes was engaged one year in lumbering in the pines of White River. In 1877 he purchased the stock of goods belonging to Mr. Stone, and establish'ed a store of general mer- chandise on a comparatively small scale ; but his trade has gradually increased until he does an annual business of $5,000. He has the largest store in the village, and has purchased 10 acres in town lots. He has been Postmaster seven years, and in politics is a Republican. «^ -f3=n= A A T-T £k~ J^**^*#(!> '^P1|^aniel Wei i lg-j^l ' peria, wa; c ( Weaver, merchant and miller, Hes- ,. |^^..c., was born in Berlin, Rensselaer Co., '^'fW^ N. Y., April 28, 181 1. His parents, Stutt- Wfii ley and Rachel Weaver, were of English de- ^ ^ scent, and natives of Rhode Island. They both /s « died in Michigan, at an advanced age. When but an infant he was taken by his parents to Berk- shire Co , Mass., where he received a district-school education and worked on a farm until he was i8 years old. At that time he went to Wyoming Co., N. Y., where he was apprenticed to a carpenter and joiner. After comiileting his trade he went to work for the man to whom he had been apprenticed, and remained until he was 21 years old. In the summer of 1832 he came to Adrian, Mich., where he lived until the spring of 1838, working at his trade. March 14, 1833, he was married, in Genesee Co., N. Y., to Miss Emily A. Salisbury, daughter of Philip and 5:^ Clarissa (Curtis) Salisbury, who was born in New ®y York, Sept. i, 181 1. She was welt educated and r taught school several years previous to her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Weaver returned to Lenawee County, thence to Hillsdale County, where he worked on a farm, and was also employed by the county to super- intend the building of the court-house. He remained here .until 1856, when he moved to this, Newaygo '§• County, and settled on what is now Fremont Center. 1 It was then an unbroken wilderness, and not two ^* permanent settlers within many miles. When the jj^ town first started it was named Weaverville, but has ^ since been changed to Fremont. He first built a fe saw-mill, then two stores and a grist-mill, and other V fo) ^m'M^^> i-.^-. -:a*€^K 6V4>II n ^: n h>rr^ .riK^;^ >M^i^■■ JVEWAYGO COUNTY. 413 (|^ stores soon followed. He then erected a Masonic hall. It is by his earnest efforts that a wild forest has been converted into a beautiful town of 1,000 inhabitants. In 1866 he moved into Denver Township and lo- cated on section 30, where he has spent an active and useful life. The first year he built a saw-mill, and in the second year laid out the town of Hespe- ria, which has grown to a village of 500 inhabitants. He does an annual business of $12,000. Dec. 25, 1874, Mrs. Weaver died, leaving four children: Philip, born Feb. 22, 1834; Laura J., Jan, 20, 1839; Leland S., Dec. 12, 1843 ; Daniel L., Feb. 21, 1849; Clarissa, born Feb. 20, 1837, died in 1838; John B., born Feb. 12, 1852, died in 1853. April 27, 1879, Mr. Weaver married, in Ingham County, Mrs. Savilla (Campbell) \Valling, daughter of Daniel and Mary A. (Ames) Walling, natives of New York, and she was born in Cayuga County, that State, Sept. 5, 1838. They are members of the Advent Church. Mr. W. is a member of the Masonic Lodge at Fre- mont, and was honored with the office of Master. He was Justice of the Peace 14 years, and Super- visor several terms. In politics he sympathizes with the Democratic party. rank Zolber, farmer, section 20, Garfield Township, was born in Cusee, on the "^ river Rhine, in Prussia, Jan. 2, 1827. He is son of Peter and Sophia Zolber, and in 1846 ^^ he accompanied his parents to the United States. His father bought 80 acres of land in Green Bay, Wis., where they were both occupied some years putting the place into habitable con- dition. In 1857 Mr. Zolber came to Newaygo. On arrival he was wholly without funds, had not a dollar. He went to work for John A. Brooks, saved his earnings and bought the home where he now lives. He was busy with lumbering until 1874, in which year he became proprietor of his landed estate, comprising 160 acres of land in an entirely unimproved condi- tion. He has cleared 80 acres, erected suitable buildings, set out orchards and otherwise improved the place until he has earned the right to take a just pride in what he has accomplished. He belongs to the National Greenback party. He was married May 10, 1S57, in Wisconsin, to Annette Fisholt, a native of Holland. Of this marriage four children were born: Mary, Peter, Frank and Anna. The mother died in December, 1862, and Mr. Zolber was a second time married in July, 1869, to Joanna Hanson. Of this marriage one child, Freddie, has been born. The family are Second Adventists in religious faith. Mrs. Zolber by a former marriage had one son, Charles Hanson, who is now 17 years of age. W^:^e :2i^^^ 4^^5^^^; (h > 1 I NEWAYGO COUNTY. They have one child, Nellie, born Feb. 11, 1882. Mr. Slocum is a member of the Masonic Order and of the I. O. O. F. In politics he is a Republican, and in religion a member of the M. E. Church. -•^s-e??- farnet Dingman, farmer, section 21, Mon- t?' roe Townsliip, was born in Shelby Co., Ohio, April X, 1826. He is a son of James and Frances (Weeks) Dingman, natives of Virginia. The father was a farmer, who reared iiis son to the same calling. The latter received his edu- cation in the common schools and in 1849 was mar- ried to Mary Sperbeck. Soon after marriage they re- moved to Noble Co., Ind., where they resided until 1867. In that year they located in Kent Co., Mich., and two years later, in 1870, came to Newaygo County, where they settled, in Monroe Township. Mr. Dingman is the owner of 320 acres of land. Ten children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Dingman, seven of whom are living. They are named James, Delia A., Thomas J., Francis, Barbara, Asa and Adaline G. Those deceased were John M., Jarnet and Ida M. 4 — <. S!4>>— 5- going thence to Kinderhook, Branch Co., Mich., where he owned a saw-mill in company with William R. Taylor. He sold out a year later and went to ' Calhoun County, remaining there a short time, when he went to Steuben Co., Ind., once more. In April, \ 1873, he came to Casnovia, Muskegon Co., Mich., bought a lot, built a residence and remained there two years. In March, 1877, he bought 56 acres of wild land, on which he has since resided. He has cleared 30 acres, built a good barn and made a number of other improvements. He belongs to Post No. 131, G. A. R., located at Newaygo. Mr. Mundy was married in Indiana, March 15, 1866, to Mary French, daughter of Martin and Elizabeth Arnold, born in New York, Feb. 7, 1842. The family circle includes three children, born as follows: Eugene L., Dec. 8, 1866; Eva L.. March 2, 1868; Mary E., Feb. 2, 1871. -^ 1. h Y-~r =Y=f«- asper Mundy, farmer, section 26, Garfield j" Township, was born in Reed, Seneca Co., Ohio, Dec. 7, 1840. His father, Louis Mundy, was born July 29, 1815, in New Jersey, and is now living in Steuben Co., Ind. His mother, Mary (Stevenson) Mundy, was born in New York, near Lake Champlain, in 1818, and died in Seneca County, Sept. 29, 1849. Mr. Mundy was nine years of age when his father removed to Indiana, and he remained under his jurisdiction until the alarm of disunion summoned the sons of the Nation '.o the defense of her flag. He enlisted Aug. 25, 1861, at Angola, Steuben Co., Ind., in Co. A, 44th Ohio Vol. Inf , Capt. B. J. Crosthwait. His discharge is dated Sept. 15, 1865. He was in active service at Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Stone River, Chickamauga and at the siege of Corinth, besides numberless skirmishes. He returned to Steuben County, where he engaged in farming about two years, Vv>^,|,, :s>^^ L^;[|!]-^ eorge Utley, lumberman, Newaygo, was ■■— r .. born in Plymouth, Wayne C'o., Mich., Jan. >^ li&' 15, 1830, and is a son of Ephraim H. and "^ fr Sarah (Yerkes) Utley. He was reared after ( y t the method common to the education and ' training of farmers of that period, and in 1849 accompanied his parents to Newaygo County, where they located, in the township of Big Prairie. Ephriam H. Utley removed from Wayne County to Dewitt Township, Clinton Co., Mich., in 1835, coming thence to Newaygo County as stated. He transferred all his effects preparatory to a permanent e; settlement. Si.x loaded wagons were necessary to transport the household goods, provisions, grain, etc., and the procession was substantially enlarged by a herd of 33 cattle. Several families accompanied the head of the expedition, the senior Utley. One in- cident of the route was the camping over night H/^ miles south of Croton, where a couch of bedding was made on which more than thirty persons slept. Mr. Utley was the first permanent settler in the^^ township. Aaron Swain was the second to locate S/ with his family within its limits. Alexander Dalziel^ and family came in the spring of 1850; also B. F. ^ Olney and family, and within the same year VValter x -mmj-m ^im*t- '\^^ t^r-7 <^im>^i]ii^> v ~^f^< r-:\i-j:* NEWAYGO COUNTY. ^ ^ > V ^ and Emerson Bonney, father and son. with their families. Theodore Taylor, a single man, also located that year. Egbertson Goodrich, unmarried, came in with Mr. Utlcy. They organized the first school in the township in the summer of 1850. It was located in the center of section 18, and Mr. Utley of this sketch was a pupil there three winters. His father bought 640 acres of land, and he remained at home with him, conducting their business jointly, until the father's death, which occurred June 7, 1S60. That of the mother took place at Casnovia, Kent Co., Dec. 12, 1878. The jjusiness of the Utley s included all the branches in- cident to lumbering and traffic in pine lands. To facilitate their operations they built a steam saw-mill in 1857, which they sold six years later. The products of their mill were in demand in all direc- tions. One bill of laml)er was sent to Big Rapids to be used in the construction of a liouse built there by Zerah French — the first frame-building on the site of the now beautiful city. When the Utley family settled in Big Prarie, John A. Brooks (deceased) was the only fi.xed resident at Newaygo, where he was vigorously prosecuting his lumber operations. (ieorge Utley was a citizen of Big Prairie 23 years, and during his residence there was actively interested in all its public affairs, promoting the welfare and progress of the township so far as he was able, giv- ing his time and attention to all issues that seemed likely to produce permanent results. He served in the important township offices, was Township Clerk six years, and in the fall of 1870 was elected Sheriff of Newaygo County. He removed to Newaygo in November, 1871, and was the incumbent of the posi- tion four years. On the expiration of his term of service he opened a meat market, which he managed three years. Through all his other business connec- tions he has continued to conduct his lumber opera- tions, and is still heavily interested in transactions in lands, putting in logs, etc. He owns 320 acres of farming and pine lands in Everett Township, and an aggregate of 880 acres in Newaygo County ; also 80 acres of pine land in Osceola County. Mr. Utley was married in the old " Lansing House " at Lansing, Mich., June 7, 1858, to Lucy H., daughter of Stephen and Olive Hill, of Watertown, Clinton Co., Mich. The birth-jjlace of Mrs. Utley was Plymouth, about two and one-half miles from i^V®^e^^- ^^^^^ ^:t<^.U : i that of Mr. Utley. She was born Feb. 2, 1836. ^^ Cora, only child, was born in Big Prairie, Oct. 15, ; i860, and is now pursuing a literary course of study ■•,■ at the Normal School at Y[)silanti. Mr. and Mrs. Utley belong to the Order of Royal Templars. foseph Gerber, one of the proprietors of the ^ tannery at Fremont, and one of the active, enterprising and foremost business men of that village, as well as a representative man ■IjC of the county, was born in Haldimand Co., Ontario, Jan. 12, 1845. When only nine years of age he moved with his parents, Daniel and Mary Gerber, to Valparaiso, Ind. He remained at home until he was 21 years of age. During the meantime, besides working in his father's tannery, he attended college at different periods. At the age of 16 years he began to learn the tanner's trade under the in- struction of his father, and when he arrived at man's estate he was appointed superintendent of his r=i father's tanning business, at Douglas, Allegan Co., *■<>; Mich. Two years subse(|uent to assuming this posi- i:^ tion he entered into partnershii) with his father, and, s^ since that period, has had exclusive control of the tanning business, ever proving himself a most careful, shrewd and worthy manager and business man. Mr. Gerber came to Fremont in September, 1874, and opened a tannery which had previously been built, and of which he has the sole management. He carries on a large and successful business and is accounted one of the safest men in the community. He has held various local official positions, and always to the perfect satisfaction of his constituents. He has held the office of Village Trustee since its or- ganization, with the exception of one year, and was a member of the School Board for lix years, and Chief of the Fire Department for three years. He is an active and faithful member of the leading benev- olent societies, and was the first presiding officer in ^ the Fremont Lodge. No. 741, K. of H., and also the ' first presiding officer in Olive Branch Lodge, No. 14, : of Mich., Order of Chosen Friends. He was Worship- • ful Master of Pilgrim Lodge, F. & A. M., in 1881-2. fj^ In politics he is a Democrat. Mr. Gerber was married in Canada, March 6, 1870, I to Agnes, daughter of John and Mary (Hunsberger) "C ^ 4j8 >i^Ti:lltlr:>^— I 9 r I !^ >o^Tixir'«i>^ ^ \ A' V s ~^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. -^^^^ -«»s^*ge 419 in Co. G, Tenth Mich. Cav., and was mustered out in 1865, at Jackson, Mich. Politically he is a Re- publican. Mr. Peters was married Aug. 10, 1863, at Kalamo, Eaton County, to Caroline B., daughter of Richard and Charlotte (Dodge) Wilber. She was born Feb. 22, 1S43, in Barry County. Her father, who was born in the State of New York, died before her birth; her mother was born in the Empire State in 18 1 7, and was of Holland Dutch descent. She came to Michigan in 1840 and died Sept. 5, 1876. Rin- aldo Burdett was born Aug. 13, 1864; Albert Dex- ter was born Aug. 21, 1874. These are the children of Mr. and Mrs. Peters. The family attend the Church of the United Brethren. — -'>-'>^^i-t^S'vvv~- illiam F. Carpenter, one of the most prom- inent agriculturists of Newaygo County, jj^^?"^ resident on section 25, Ensley Township, '1®> was born in Chautauqua Co., N. Y., March "> 14, 1830. His parents, Timothy and Me- linda (Miller) Carpenter, were natives of Orange Co., N. Y. They were married and resided in the Empire State until July, 1843, when they came to Michigan and located in Plainfield, Kent County. The father died there Feb. 17, 1870. The mother is living and is a resident on the homestead. Mr. Carpenter was 13 years old when he accom- panied his parents to Michigan, and three years later he went to Chicago, where he passed si.\ months as an assistant in a lumber yard. At the end of that time he fell ill, and on recovery became a clerk in the wholesale and retail grocery house of his cousin, Ca- leb Carpenter. He served in that position about one and a half years, when he returned to Kent County and attended school one winter. The following spring he went to Ottawa County and established lumber interests, where he operated ten years and also pursued farming to a considerable extent. In addition he constructed scows, and during three sum- mer seasons boated on the Grand River. He then went to Lyons, Ionia County, and bought the Ameri- can Hotel, which he conducted in behalf of the traveling public about a year, when it burned, occa- sioning a loss of $8,000 to the jiroprietor. It was covered by insurance, but owing to a defect in the > policy only a small portion of the amount was recov- erable. The ne.xt business venture of Mr. Carpenter was the purchase of a half interest in a drug store at Muskegon. The remaining moiety was owned by Levi Shockelton, the firm style being Carpenter & Shockelton. This relation continued a year ; then he sold to his partner and bought a stock of grocer- ies and conducted traffic in that line of trade about a twelve-month, when he determined to investigate the probabilities and possibilities of the lumber trade in Wisconsin, and he proceeded thither to look up pine lands; but, finding a feasible opening for trade, he ojiened a store in Trempeleau Valley, Jackson County. He continued his operations there two years, sold out and came to Cedar Springs, Kent County, where he opened a general supply store aud there transacted business about a year. Meanwhile he bought an undivided half of 440 acres of land on section 25, Ensley Township, on which a steam saw-mill had been located. He made this purchase in the summer of 1S6S. In the fall of 1869 he dis- posed of his business at Cedar Springs and went to Charlotte, Eaton County, where he established and managed a lumber yard in connection with the saw- mill in Ensley Township. He again sold out his business in 1871, and after a stay of six months at Pierson, Montcalm County, he settled where he how resides. He added by pur- chase 40 acres to his farm, which already contained 440 acres, and of this he has 200 acres in cultivation, with a standard of improven.ents which places it in the front rank of farms in Michigan. In 1S79 he erected a fine residence, second to none in Newaygo County, and the place is supplied with other farm buildings of proportionate character, among them two fine barns. One of these is 100 feet long by 56 feet wide and has a cupola more than 19 feet in height. He contemplates the erection of two large granaries as lateral accessories to the building, which Gov. Jerome characterizes as the finest structure of its kind in the State. The farm is stocked with 200 sheep, 15 head of cattle, and eight horses. About 15 hogs arc fattened yearly on the premises. Mr. Caqjcnter was married Jan. 27, 1 866, at Au- gusta, Eau Claire Co., Wis., to C. Anlt)inctte, third daughter of ^Erasmus D. and Hannah (Crouch) Maxon. The parents of Mrs. ('ari)enter were natives ^ r V -^msi ^ <-^D!i:^ r i iMS/^®»«§^^ 420 NEWAYGO COUNTY. 4?^^ ) A ;^^ of the State of New York and settled in Walworth Co., Wis., when their daughter was five years old. Seven years later they located in the northern part of the Badger Slate and in the fall of 1872 removed to California, where Mrs. Maxon died, July 4, 1874. Mr. Maxon is still a resident of California. Mrs. Carpenter was born March 7, 1844, in Jefferson Co., N. Y. Two children have been born of her marriage with Mr. Carpenter: Sidney M., June 26, 1870, and Mary, Dec. 28, 1874. Mr. Carpenter is a radical Republican in politics. While a resident of Ottawa County he was Clerk of Crockery Township two years, and serveo four years as Justice of the Peace; held also several minor official positions. He is connected with the Order of Masonry, and belongs to Cedar Springs Lodge. The operations in real estate with which Mr. Carpenter has been connected are varied and exten- sive. He has trafficked in large tracts in different counties and is the owner of 181 acres in Montcalm County, with 35 -acres cleared and cultivated. He also owns a half interest in 1,000 acres of pine and hardwood land in Wexford County, and holds a large claim in from one to two thousand acres, in the coun- ties of Wexford and Manistee. D. Webster, merchant, Hespeiia, was born in Monroe, Ashtabula Co., Ohio, Oct. 7, 1838. He is a son of Nathaniel and Betsie (Abbott) Webster, natives of New J Hampshire and Ontario, respectively. They 1 moved to Ashtabula Co., Ohio, soon after their . marriage, and after remaining there for a number of years went to Medina County, same State, where Mr. Webster assisted his father on the farm and attended the common scliools of the county until he was 18 years of age, at whicli time his father died and left him the care of liis aged motlier. He occupied his time fanning in summers and teaching winters until 1858, when he came to Allegan County, this State, and purchased a farm of 80 acres, to which he after- fward added 400 acres of woodland and engaged with a Chicago firm in the wood business, the annual ^ trade amounting to $15,000. During this time he ((*) was also extensively engaged in farming. ^ In the fall of 1873, he came to this county, settled mif^^^^^ ^^"^^ — ^^''' 1 in Hesperia, and engaged in the lumber business, and was also extensively engaged in the real-estate business and in land speculation. In 1876, he en- gaged in the mercantile and milling business. In the former he carries a stock estimated at $3,000, and also has a saw, planing and flour mill, doing an extensive business in each. Mr. Webster is one of those active, shrewd busi- ness men who, while they are always benefiting themselves, are at the same time necessary to the prosperity of the town in which they live. He is yet in the i)rime of life, and possesses an amount of energy and l)usiness tact which is certain to place him foremost among the business men of the county. He as held the office of Township Treasurer; in politics he is an active Republican. He is yet un- married. -.<^-44>^>. i'j hil M. Roedel, merchant at White Cloud, was born in Chicago, III., Sept. 26, i857> He is a son of Chris. F. and Jane M. (Mor- ^jj^ gan) Roedel. The father was a native of Ji.\. Cicrmany, and his wife was born in the State of New York. They moved to Chicago and later to Genesee Co., N. Y. In 1869 he was appointed In- dian Agent by President Crant and stationed at Cimarron, New Mexico, at which post he remained two years. He then went to Kansas, where he con- ducted a trade in general merchandise four years. He sold his interests and in October, 1875, came with his fnmily to Newaygo County, and, after fairly establishing his business in the same avenue at White Cloud, his health failed with great rapidity and he died Dec. 5, 1S75. The mother is still resident at White Cloud. Mr. Roedel of this sketch was t2 years old when his parents came West. His primary education w as oljtained in one of the departments of an academy, after which he was sent for some time to the com- mon schools, they being the only available educa- tional institutions where his father was engaged in business. He accompanied his parents to White Cloud, and on the death of his father succeeded to the entire business, comparatively the most exten- sive of its scope in Northern Michigan. His trade during the first year aggregated $17,000. It repre- ;^^A^ S^^gjJK^ (^ 'f71 I ^ I f ^#» -^.b- ^iP tSixj)^ T Sf^X -^';:'jni''~^i-\. * m NEWAYGO COUNTY. i 1 423 sented at the close of the year ending in October, 1883, a cash amount of $58,000. He is also a mem- ber of the firm of Teachout & Roedel, who are en- gaged in a prosperous enterprise. In 1882 he erected a fine brick building of more extensive proportions than his former establishment, in which the extend- ing departments of his busine.-;s are accommodated and which is considered the finest in the State. Mr. Roedel was married in White Cloud, to Min- nie M., second daughter of J. M. and Fannie (Jibljs, of White Cloud. Mrs. Roedel was born in Ne- waygo County. One child lias been born of her marriage with Mr. Roedel, Charles F., July 25, 18S1. The parents are members of the Congregational Church. Mr. Roedel is Republican in political sen- timent and action, and has held the position of Treas- urer in what was then Everett Township, and after its division held the same position in Wilcox Town- ship. He belongs to the Order of the Knights of Honor and is connected with Lodge No. 1,997, ^' White Cloud. '>«CJ2£«S^"«— ^^;^^^^4— '"^^Wra^Ww. ^amuel Rose, the oldest living settler in Newaygo County, resident on section 22, (larfield Township, was born in Granville, '\Vj Hami)den Co., Mass., March i, 1817. He was reared on a farm and when about nine years of age his parents removed to .Simsbury, Conn., near the city of Hartford. The next year they removed to .\ttica, (ienesee Co., N. Y. The mother of Mr. Rose was born June 13, 1796, and is now living at Beaver Dam, Dodge Co., Wis. In 1836 Mr. Rose decided to begin his career in Michigan, and joined one of his boyhood's friends, Wesley White, in Sandstone, Jackson County. They were about the same age and together came to Ionia, and made their way to (irand Rapids in a canoe on Grand River. There they met Augustus Pennoyer, a capitalist from Chicago, who was about to establish extensive lumber interests at Newaygo. They hired to him for $25 a month and board. The treaty for the cession of the lands lying north of Grand River to the United States by the Ottawas and Otchipwes (Chippewas) "^was formally made March 28, 1836. This and the approximate admission of Michigan into the Union tended to open the unsettled and com- paratively unknown portions of the State to specula- tors and others, who had reasons of their own for seeking isolation and security, where they could pursue an ecpiable and honest tenor of life. It is an admitted fact that Northern Michigan was closed to honest enterprise for many years by tales bordering on the horrible, concerning its swamps and marshes, which were represented as breeding an un- wholesome condition equal to that delineated in the fables of the Dismal Swamp and other low lands in the tropics, when the application of a small degree of common sense would have utterly dispelled any such delusion. Again, the sensation was heightened by bugbear insinuations of armies of horse thieves and counterfeiters, who had their lairs in the marshy jungles of some of the unexplored townships. Newaygo has'still her traditionary bete uoir, but no mortal can resurrect the least grain of truth in the tales, which were no doubt constructed by individuals to exclude explorers from lands, which the last half century have shown to hold resources second to no other ix)rtion of the Peninsula State. The rapid influx of population into Illinois and the demand for building material tliereby created (the only human necessity the Sucker State could not sujiply directly or indirectly) caused the enterprise and capital cf Chicago to quicken an already awakened attention to the lumber resources of the Muskegon and its tribu- taries. Early in 1838 a little sail vessel of ten tons burthen left Chicago for Muskegon, carrying two parties, each with a purpose. A man named Hiram Piersons was the instigator of the movements of one party, and was represented by Henry Pennoyer, who is still living, at Nunica. The object to be accom- plished by the latter was to establish claims to the outlets of the streams and hold the same until the Government surveys took place and the land came into mirket. To effect this men were stationed at different points. Clark Knights and Augustus Pen- noyer constituted a " lumber party," whose purpose was to discover probable water-power and establish active lumber o|)erations. On arrival at Muskegon the latter emi)loyed a French trader, Michel Charleau, as pilot in the channels, the river being for miles obstructed by flood-wood, and in a condition that rendered intelli- gent assistance necessary. (Mr. Charleau's daughter. ^■^ V^ % X, •r • ^<-^=»- ^Li- ^^mm^>^r^ — ^^^^^ -«4?^^v|iy^ ®5f<%fl*^ T C^OD^IiO^> T TSS^^^vST #^f: • _>» 424 4 r NEWAYGO COUNTY. ^ Mrs. James Anderson, is still living, at Newaygo.) Augustus Pennoyer and Jack McBride, a man in his employ, came up with the lumber party and they established their claims to the mouth of Pennoyer Creek, by cutting names on the trees, and then went to the South Branch, now Little Muskegon, where a sailor cut his name on a tree and went away, but never returned. The Muskegon Lumber Company, consisting of Alex. N. Fulton, capitalist, and Augustus Pennoyer, built a mill on Pennoyer Creek, the first saw-mill begun and completed in Newaygo County. For this work, supplies and carpenters were sent from Chicago in November, 1836. Three of these men built a boat at Muskegon to convey men and outfits up the river. The mill was completed Sept. i, 1837, and its lumber was the first shipped from Muskegon. The lumber was floated to the mouth of the river in rafts and was shipped to Chicago on board the schooner Celeste, Capt. Doyle. In the spring of 1837, a house was built on the upper Pennoyer Creek and timber was got out to build a mill. A family was placed in the house to hold possession. Jack McBride made a claim at the mouth of Brooks Creek in November, 1836. In the spring of 1837 five families came in, the first to establish themselves in Newaygo County. They in- cluded Lewis Bone, wife and children, one of whom was a nursing babe; a man named Hodge, with wife and two children, resided on the place now occupied by James Anderson. Hodge and Bono came from Kalamazoo. Charles Hodge, born 1838, was the first white child born at Newaygo. He lived to be three years old and died at Muskegon. Calvin Lewis and wife came from Yankee Springs, Barry County, and went back there after a stay of si.x months. Thomas W. Dill came from Cliicago with his wife and two children, stayed a year and went to Mill- Iron Point (so named from a (juantity of mill-iron left there). A daughter was born to Dill in 1839. who was the first white child born in Muskegon County. She is now the wife of John Curry, lumber- man at Muskegon. Capt. Daniel Thurston, a retired sea captain from Maine, accompanied by his wife and two children, came in the same season to engage in lumbering, but made only a short stay, going to Muskegon. On the same day in the spring of 1837, two parties essayed to take possession of the mouth of the South Branch. The first to arrive in the morning were Germans, Lewis Bone, Herman Joachim and John Shay, and they busied themselves cutting brush. A few hours later, John A. Brooks and John F. Stearns appeared on the ground, trusting to the supremacy of Yankee wit over Teuton obfuseness for success in supersed- ing the first coniers; but the Deutschers' innate stick- to-it-a-tive-ness stood them in good stead, and a harmonious compromise was effected. A mill was built at the mouth of South Branch Creek, which was completed in 1839. Later in the same spring another party, under the guidance of a man named Williams, came from Ann Arbor and declared their purpose to build a dam, 100 rods above that constructed by thepioneerconsolidation party, built a bouse, got out timber for a dam which they commenced, and after much blusterado, in July of the same year, abandoned the project. The first mill on Pennoyer Creek was operated until 1839, when it was abandoned for two years. It was located near the present site of the Furniture Factor)'. When Rose and White met Mr. Pennoyer in Grand Rapids he was there for the purpose of buying a pair of working cattle, and the three walked through, striking the river about ten miles below Ne- waygo, as the river runs. This was in November, 1836. The stay of Mr. Rose was short and he went to Chicago, where he spent the months of March and April, and in May, 1837, again came to Newaygo and engaged as a lumberman with .Augustus Pennoyer, hiring out by the month to work in the woods. Mr. Rose worked two months and then, associated with George W. Walton, contracted to put in logs and clear land for the same firm until June, 1839. In tlie fall of 1841 Mr. Rose leased one-half the mill belonging to Augustus Pennoyer and A. N. Fulton, with Hannibal Hyde, now of Mecosta County, and continued to operate it until 1S43, when Mr. Rose again leased the mill for two years, with Robert W. Morris. The latter went to work and F. A. and Augustus Pennoyer and Mr. Rose went to Chicago for su[)plies. The outfit was obtained, and on the night of Oct. 22, 1 84 1, the Post-boy sailed for Mus- kegon, having on board the Pennoyers and their share of the supplies. An accident prevented the em- barkation of Mr. Rose with his collection of needed material, ' and a day or two later a sailing vessel r ^ A <>: (V z. ^^rxJJfi-f^rr' :m^(,iMm -:£^^ ii?) I') A :-lll]^:tlllr>r^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. 425 "> from Grand Haven reported the Post-boy lost, with all the souls aboard. Mr. Rose added to his slock «^ what he knew would be needed and sailed for Mus- kegon. He made his way to his destination and was (§; the first to convey the tidings of the death of the owners of the mill. The two-years lease was fulfilled and one year in addition, and in 1846 he went into what is now (air- field Township and rented the Urooks saw-mills two years. He paid Mr. Brooks $1,000 yearly for the jf rental of the mills, and in 1847-8 put out more lum- tber than any other mills on the Muskepon River, ag- gregating 5,000,000 feet. (At that time there was not a house on this side of Pennoyer Creek.) He then went to Big Island in Brooks Township and put in logs one season. An interesting reminiscence is given of Big Island, lying within the broad channel which forms the out- let of the Muskegon River, as the catde for miles around were driven there to winter, there being thousands of acres of reeds on which they could subsist In the winter of 183S, a man named Bald- win drove 32 head of cattle there to obtain feed through the season. This custom was maintained until the winter of- 1842-3, "the hardest winter known to man," ivhen four feet of snow lay above the rushes and the powers of the vernal sun seemed in suspense, as not until the first day of April was there the least discernible trace of the sun's rays on the snow of Northern Michigan. The lands hereabouts came into market in 1839. The survey was made by the two Mullets, John and John, Jr., in 1837-8, and in the year named the three Pennoyers, Judson, the Newels, Horace and Erastus Wilcox (the latter, father of the late Sextus N. Wilcox, of tragic fate), Martin A. Ryerson, now a Chicago millionaire, John A. Brooks, John F. Stearns, Bone and Joachim went in a canoe to Ionia, took supplies and a cook and held the fort until the oj)- portunity came to buy their claims. This they accom- plished without opposition, but they were pressed (or V money, the recent financial stringencies of 1837-8 \ having them still in its clutches and compelling them '., * to limit their expenditure to the mininmn. No more A land wa". bought in NewaygoCounty until 1851. ^ In 1852, Mr. Rose engaged in locating lands for r*' himself and others, when he secured section 22 C (town 12, range 13), except 80 acres. He now ^ I ^^ y owns 220 acres of the same, which constitutes his farm, 120 acres of which are under good improve- ments. " Sam Rose " is, par cxccllnur, the character of Newaygo. Nearly 48 years ago, while yet a strij)ling, his feet first trod the soil where his life has since been [Kissed. He is the revered oracle of the commu- nity. He is the referee as to dates and events along the whole line of the Muskegon. He knows every man's history who has such a commodity about him. He has a fund of anecdote and reminiscence stored within the limitless resources of his memory that if collated would constitute a volume. He can give details of the operations of contractors, lumber companies and individuals that would be novel en- tertainment to the parties themselves. He is liter- ally a perfect cyclopedia of events in this section of Northern Michigan, and can fit a reminiscence to every foot of territory within his cognizance, and to every individual who ever trod thereon. There is no feature of pioneer life unknown to him practi- cally. He has suffered from privation and hunger and known every conceivable want from the remote- ness of supplies. He has enjoyed all the freedom incident to life in a region not under the strictness of municipal regulations, and seen the gradual innova- tion of the customs and methods of advancing civil- ization and progress. He knows equally the ways and habits of the aboriginal inhabitants and those of the generations whose encroachments have driven the former from their heritage and forced them to a decay, which would be pitiful if it had retained a trace of the grandeur of their original condition. Sam Rose is the link between the Newaygo of to-day V;. and the Newaygo of a half century ago. He has probably witnessed as great a change in the face of the country, in the methods of business and in the social and domestic manners of the people, as any man has ever seen in this pioneer country; and what associa- tions, especially those enveloped with a halo of charms, must linger in his poetical memory of the wild days of lonely, frontier life! The patrons of the Newaygo County Album will share in the peculiar satisfaction with which its pub- lishers present the portrait of Mr. Rose on another page, and will rejoice that the general sentiment re- garding its apijearance has met with the desired re- sponse. "> ^ A r^ ^'M^-^ ->?^<^ A ■:^^K- ■^^v<4iiiignnf>r /T- tr r^^ H, NEWAYGO COUNTY. -J % ^ o K i> eorge r. Martin, farmer, section i8, Beaver 'I'owiiship, was born Sept. iS, 1852, in ^||W^""K Kane Co., 111., and is the son of Lewis and Mas Mary (Warren) Martin, the former a native of the State of New York, the latter of Vermont. His father came to Newaygo County in 1859, and established himself in the mill first, then in the carding business in Denver Township, in which he is still engaged. Mr. Martin was reared to manhood under the supervision of his father, and instructed in the details of the machine shop and mills, where he worked until he was 25 years of age. He was married Feb. 19, 1877, to Pluma F., daughter of Barzillai and Jane (Farley) Giddings, born Sept. 12, 1855. After his marriage he determined on the vocation of agriculture as the business of his life, and in 1877 moved to Newaygo County and bought 80 ° acres of land in Beaver Township. Of this he has ^^ placed 30 acres under cultivation. In political sen- S tinient and action he is a Republican,. and has offici- ated as School Inspector of Beaver Township. The family includes three children, born as follows: Estella D., Au;;-. 16, 187S, Clarence L., Feb. 15, 1881; and William J., June 25, 1882. ^-- -5- PriJ rancis C. Selby, merchant and Postmaster at Volney, Beaver Township, was born His father, George W. Selby, was born July 5, -^[^ 1813, in the State of Virginia, and removed in early manhood to Hamilton Co., Ohio, where he resided 8 years and then moved to Adams Co., Ind., whence he came to Kalamazoo Co., Mich., and subsequently to Allegan County, where he is still res- ident. The mother, Mary Ann (Banksten) Selby, was born in Vermont and died in Adams Co., Ind. Mr. Selby was chiefiy engaged in the several places where his parents resided, in obtaining his education and fitting himself for active life. On attaining his majority he set out to establish himself in the world and to do all in his power to secure for himself the practical benefits of honest industry and energetic effort, put into operation under the guidance of his best impulses and judgment. He selected Winne- bago Co., III., as a field of operation, where he en- gaged in farming near the city of Rockford, residing there two years. He returned to Kalamazoo County, where he spent a similar period in a like manner, and then engaged in the mercantile business for two years. Natural impulses of his manhood, under the influences whii:ii ruled the entire North in the first years of the Southern Rebellion, led him to take a deep interest in the progress of the contest which V© I April 18, 1836, in Hamilton Co., Ohio. (?>; © 0) (o) ^<3*— -=^^^^ — -r^>D!l:<>:tir->A^ — ^"^r- 4?^5C@>' iMiat^jah^ ^^ J 1^ lX/7?^ ■'■^ '^C»: ^: *, {■'/^, M^^a.,^ :2i€^ <-^tlIl>:ill]>> NEWAYGO COUNTY. ^^ 431 became the central object of the interest of the whole world, and he enlisted Feb. 29, 1864, in the j^ 13th Mich. Vol. Inf., Co. H. The command was as- T signed to the 14th Army Corps and attached to the (^j Second Brigade. He served until the end of the war, engaging in numerous skirmishes and two im- jwrtant battles, Bentonville and Goldsboro, N. C. On receiving his discharge he returned to Kalama- zoo County. He then moved to the county of Alle- gan, where he was in agricultural pursuits four years. On selling out he went to Ottawa Station, Ottawa County, near Holland, where he again established himself in mercantile life. Two years later he trans- ferred his business to Ravenna, Muskegon County, where he conducted his affairs about the same period of time. He founded his present business enterprise in June, 1881, and is managing carefully and with satisfactory results. He is also engaged in farming /, ~) to some extent, and is associated with William Nixon ^ in the proprietorship of a saw-mill located on sec- /\ V s tion 29, which has a producing capacity of 12,000 feet of lumber daily. It is under the special charge and management of Mr. Nixon. Mr. Selby has been twice married. Huldah C. Stillwell, the first wife to whom he was married, April 19, 1859, was born Dec. 10, 1841, and was the daughter of Elias and Sarah (Underwood) Still- well, born respectively in Ohio and Canada. By this marriage there were five children : Mary Ann, now the wife of John Stoddard; Sophionia, now Mrs. N. A. Clark ; the others are William H., Stella G. and Sarah S. Mrs. S. died May 20, 1872. The second marriage of Mr. Selby occurred Feb. 28, 1873, to Mrs. Mattie A. (Piatt) Longley, born in Cattaraugus Co., N. Y., Dec. 18, 1842. Her father, Daniel Piatt, was born July 13, 1798. He was a Baptist minister, was a graduate of .Madison University, Hamilton, N. Y., and preached 40 years. He died Sept. 18, 1868. Her mother, Almira (Skinner) Piatt, was born Nov. 24, 1805. Both were natives of the Empire State and located in after life in Allegan Co., Mich., in 1846, and the mother died there May 18, 1873. Her first husband was lost in 1862, at the battle of Stone River. He left a daughter, Julia F., now the wife of Charles Ackerman, of Ravenna, Muskegon County. Mr. and Mrs. Selby have two children, — Frankie C. and Dayton I ). Mr. Selby acts with the Democratic party in political ^^<|»- ^(im issues. He received his appointment as Postmaster in 1 88 1, from President Garfield. He was elected Justice of the Peace in the spring of 1882, and is also School Inspector of Beaver Township. ==«e>— . oseph H. Graham, fanner and lumberman, section 36, Goodwell Township, was born in Parma, Jackson Co., Mich., Jan. 28, 1S43. His father, Lorenzo D. Graham, was one of the first settlers of Jackson Co., Mich., and was the son of John Graham, a native of Scotland. L. D. Graham was born April 15, 1809, and died Nov. 21, 1848. Sarah (Lewis) Graham, the mother, was born March 1 1, 1820, in New York, and died Oct. 1 1, 1880, in Jackson County. Mr. Graham was five years old when he became fatherless, and at 1 1 years of age he went to live with Chauncey Stevens, of St. Joseph Co., Mich., where he remained three years. He then returned to his native county and worked on the farm sum- mers and went to school winters, until he was 20 years old, when he went to Grand Rapids. After spending a winter there he went to Mecosta County and commenced lumbering on the Muskegon River. In February, 1865, he enlisted at Grand Rapids from Big Prairie, enrolling in Co. A, Ninth Mich. Int". He enlisted for three years or during the war, and after being in the service nine months, was dis- charged at Nashville, Tenn. On his return to Mich- igan he engaged in lumbering one year by the month, and since that time has operated in the same busi- ness on his own interests. Since 1869 he has been engaged in jobbing. In 1870 he bought 120 acres of land in Goodwell Township, which he has improved to the e.xtent of clearing 50 acres and putting it under advanced cultivation, witli suitable farm build- ings and other improvements creditable to his ener- gies and judgment. He is an adherent of the Na- tional Greenback party, and is at present Township Clerk. Mr. Graham was married in ("roton, by A. P. Car- penter, Dec. 31, 1S64, to Calista J., daughter of Jotham and Diantha (Garrett) 1 lall. (See sketch of J. J. Hall.) She was born Sei)t. 17, 1849, in Kent County. The day on which Mr. and Mrs. Graham ¥, i> \ eft* I *74^^®- ^-'"xsar^ T m i^ /^ 432 Is) _=^^=_^=^— — =— xf^ were married was the last of the month and year. 4^) They have no children. Mr. and Mrs. Graham are progressive members of society within their sphere, and valuable in their generation, as representing the thrift and energy which have placed their township and county in the front rank in Northern Michigan. Their ix)rtraits may be found on pages 428 and 429. <:illll)^lll]>> IP^ -:Z'\^i- NEWAYGO COUNTY. r V -S3= =£:?- homas J. Knowles, farmer, section 30, idj, Beaver Township, was born Aug. 2, 1839, mi' in Ashtabula Co., Ohio. His father, John Knowles, was a native of Connecticut. His mother, Mary A. (Early) Knowles, was born in Ohio. They belonged to the agricultural class and reared their family on a farm. Mr. Knowles was married to Areola Congdon. Two of their three children are living. Flora M. is deceased. The mother died in 187 i. Mr. Knowles was married again in 1872, to Lavera Frazier, born Feb. 28, 1855, in Ohio. Two children, Frank and Amorell, have been born to them. Mr. Knowles is the proprietor of 160 acres of fine land, and has improved 90 acres, which he has under fair cultivation. ^J'S arzillai Giddings, farmer, section 20, 1^ Beaver Township, was born Dec. 25, 1830, in Ashtabula Co., Ohio. He is the son of Joshua H. and Rhoda (Wakefield) Giddings. His father was born in 1806, in Ashtabula County, and his mother was likewise a native of the Buckeye State, and was born in 1807. Mr. Giddings was brought up by his father to the age of 16 years, when he learned the trade of wagon- maker, which was his vocation up to the date of his settlement in Newaygo County. He bought a farm in Beaver Township, where he located May 22, 1863. When he made his claim of 160 acres of land his resources were small, and his working capital repre- sented an amount that would be judged absurd in view of its forming the basis of future successes in the light of modern tactics; but his manhood's strength and determined, energetic, well-directed effort has placed him in the proprietorship of 360 acres of land, 170 of which are under cultivation. Mr. Giddings was married Oct. 29, 1854, in Ohio, to Jane, daughter of William and Hannah (Collins) Farley. The parents were natives of Canada, and the daughter was born June 7, and died Oct. 21, 1836, in Crawford Co., Penn. The children born of this marriage are five in number: Pluma P. was born Sept. 12, 1855; Plumer, Jan. 8, 1856; Eugene S., March 10, 1867; Addison, July 22, 1869; William W., May 14, 1872. Mr. Giddings was the fiist permanent settlerinthe township of Beaver, and on its organization was elected the first Justice of the Peace. He is identi- fied with the Democratic party. -5 — ^^'^^^^^■^ — y- ihl t'ohn C. McCovsren, merchant at Hesperia, ^i% was born in Chemung Co., N. Y., Dec. 26, ■^^^ 1844. He is a son of Henry and Sarah A. c >: (Wier) McCowen, natives of New York, and is of German-Scotch extraction. His parents came to Michigan when he was only six years of age, and settled in the town of Tecumseh, Lenawee County; here he lived with his father until he was eight years of age, when the family removed to Moscow, Hillsdale County; at the age of 18 years he temporarily quit the farm, entered Hillsdale Col- lege, and pursued a select course of studies for a period of three years. He was married, Feb. 22, 1869, in Lenawee Co, Mich., to Miss Ida M., daughter of Bishop and Delia (Murry)Ames, na- tives of New England. Ida was born in Hillsdale Co., Mich., Feb. 22, 1848, her parents having previ- ously removed to the State, and lived at home until her marriage. She attended Hillsdale College and had all the advantages of a good education. After his marriage, Mr. McCowen settled on a farm in the vicinity of Moscow, Hillsdale Co., Mich., where he was engaged until the winter of 187 i, when he came to this county and settled in the town of Hesperia. Here he engaged in the mercantile busi- ness, and by energy, integrity and strict attention to business has increased his annual trade from §4,000 to §20,000, and has every indication of a still greater 'j increase. Since Mr. McCowen first came to Hes- >_ (^ A )5v-. XX -^<^D[l>t-l]fl>->- ^v^M' HS/^')^^* -25€^ ■«sr ■^i-v ■^ J <\ NEWAYGO COUNTY. 433 peria he has accumulated quite a competency, and is now the owner of 1 20 acres of good timber land, besides four lots and two business houses in Hespe- ria, and his present business. Mr. and Mrs. McCowen are the parents of three children, all living, born as follows : Henry B., Nov. 22, 1861 ; Maud, May 12, 1S71, and Willie, Oct. 26, 1874. He is now holding the office of Treasurer of Newfield Township, Oceana County, and has held the position of Postmaster at Hesperia for ten years. In jwlitics he is a staunch Republican. ^-^ >"^^^.:.^ ilvenus K. Sloeum, farmer, section 33, ^ li^'\ Beaver Township, was born Aug. 19, 1827, ''^^' in Montgomery Co., N. Y. His father, Elisha Sloeum, was born in Canada, Nov. 8, 1804, and his mother was also a native of the Dominion, born Aug. 16, 1805. Her name before her marriage was Rebecca (Keller) Sloeum. The parents were members of the agricultural com- munity of Montgomery County until 1848, when they removed to Cattaraugus Co., N. Y., and thence to Pennsylvania, where the mother died. The father came to Newaygo County, where he died, in Febru- ary, 1876. Mr. Sloeum remained on his father's farm until his marriage. That event occurred Sept. 6, 1849, when Jane A., daughter of Oliver H. Adams, became his wife. The parents were natives of the State of New York and afterwards removed to McKean Co., Pa., where the family occupied and conducted a farm containing 150 acres of land, which was after- ward sold and a removal to Newaygo County made. They settled Oct. 16, 1864, in Beaver Townshi[), on 160 acres of land in its original, unimproved state. The farm now includes 135 acres of cultivated land, and the i)ossessions of Mr. Sloeum embrace 240 acres of land. The farm buildings are of a superior class. Mr. Sloeum has been a member of the M. E. Church a long time and has for many years been a local preacher. He is a declared Republican, and has officiated seven years as Justice of the Peace. Nine sons and daughters have been born to him, four of whom survive : Eui)hemia, Hurdette, Elisha L. and Oliver W. The deceased are Clark L., Ma- rion M. and Archie. Two children have been lost in early infancy. ^«H^«^ ! :?>!-&& (ifred Knowles, fanner, section 20, Beaver ^pa^^ Towusliip, was born March 24, 1S44, in 'd |?t^ ' Ashtabula Co., Ohio, and is a son of John J^jjp and Mary A. (Ainsley) Knowles. The former % was born in New York, the latter in Ohio, and I both are now deceased. Mr. Knowles was reared on a farm and brought up to the duties attendant upon the career of an agricul- turist, until he was 16 years of age, when he began to work as a farm laborer away from home, and was thus employed two years, when he became a soldier of the United States in defense of the assaulted integrity of the Union. He enlisted Aug. 8, 1862, in the xosth Ohio Reg. Vol. Inf., Co. I. He was transferred to Company D, in the same regiment, and served three years. He was in active service at Perryville, Stone River, Chickamauga, Mission Ridge, Lookout Mountain, Atlanta and in the campaign to Savannah, and thence to Richmond. He resumed farming after receiving his discharge. He was married in 1S67 to Emily Thurber, born in Ashtabula Co., Ohio, in 1844. In 1870 the family came to Newaygo County and settled on 200 acres of land in Beaver Township, where they have since resided. Of tlie original tract of unimproved land 50 acres have been cleared and improved. Two chil- dren, Alice and Myrtle, are included in the family. Mr. Knowles is a Republican in political connection. -<^l P: eter McLellan, farmer, section 26, Garfield Townshi]), was born in October, 1837, just iiV\'' above the site of the city of Grand Rapids. '"j He is an Indian of the Ottawa tribe, and a ■/1\^ grandson of Keshawas, one of the second-class chiefs of the Grand River, who was a party to the treaty of 1836. Keshawas was his paternal grandsire, and died at the age of 85 years. He was buried at the mouth of the Muskegon River. The maternal grandfather of Mr. McLellan was the chief, Hlackskin, who gave the land on the west side of V r I j^ <^D3>:ni]>.>^ *%T^ ^^, 434 > A :>^ 1) NEWAYGO COUNTY. Grand River at Grand Rapids for the building of the first Catholic church. The tract contained about 65 acres, and on it a chapel and a small house were erected in 1833. Rev. Frederick Baraga was then in charge of the mission. Less than two years after- ward the chapel building was removed to Waterloo Street, Grand Rapids, where it now stands. Mr. McLellan's father, "Miguanini," married Quami.xiqua, who died before she was 30 years old, leaving three sons : William (Keshawas), Peter (Shaw- nageeshuk) and Louis (Waguantigun). The English names were given them in baptism, conferred by the priest at Grand Rapids. After the mother's death the father came to Bridgeton with his children. Although the Ottawas were scattered by the cession of their lands to the United States, they clung to their tribal customs until time and decay obliterated their identity. The father inherited the iwsition of chief, and on his death it devolved upon his eldest son, William. The latter died when Peter was less than 20 years of age, who declined the honor to which he was heir, and the succession fell lo an uncle, the husband of his mother's sister. The father died at 50 years of age, and is buried in the Catholic cemetery at Muskegon. Joseph Trottier, lietter known as Truckee, took charge of Peter after his father's death, gave him the name McLellan, and kei)t him until he was 21 years old, subjecting him to all kinds of severe labor and giving him no advantages. On reacliing manliood he took the control of his own aflairs. He performed every sort of service incident to the condition of the country, and became a raftsman on the Muskegon, which employ he followed until 1873. He was married June i, 1861, to Adeline, daughter of Louis and Mary Badeau. The father was from Montreal, Can., and was a Frenchman. The motlier was a half-breed, and was brought up in the mission at Grand Rapids. Mrs. McLellan was born in June, 1845, in Newaygo. Ten children have been born to them, as follows : William was bom Feb. 17, 1862, and is a lumberman; George was born April 22, 1864; Elizabeth, boin May i, r866, died in August, 1867; Frank was born Feb. 17, 1868; Hubbard, May 7, 1870; Ingar was born in June, 1872; Robbie, born in 1874, died in December, 1876; Rachel was born April 22, 1876; Lui, Oct. 8, 1878; Ida, March 21, 1882. The seven children first named were born in Bridgeton ; the three last in Garfield Township. Mr. McLellan resided in Bridgeton until 1877, when he bought 20 acres of land on section 24, which he afterward gave to his eldest son, and in i88r bought 21 65-iooths acres where he now resides. He has eight acres cleared. Physically, Mr. McLellan is a fine specimen of his race. He is thoroughly Anglicized and is a creditable member of the community. He retains a clear sense of all that his people suffered at the hands of the agents who dishonored the trust of the U. S. Govern- ment, and regards the approaching extinction of the Ottawas as a fact of the not distant future. He places his unassuming record on these pages to preserve his name and descent from the oblivion which is fast engulfing the few remaining members of his tribe. In the coming years they will be grati- fied to know that his identity is made imperishable. ndrew Miidge, farmer and carpenter, sec- K&^3 tion 6, Beaver Township, was born in Can- S-'jtl;^ ada West, July 30, r832. He is a son of ^Ji|f Micha C. and Emmeline (Godfrey) Mudge, i» natives of Canada, now residing at Benton ' Harbor, Mich. They came to Kent County in 1838, and settled in Vergennes, where the son was educated and brought up a practical farmer. He learned the trade of shoemaker when 20 years old, at which he worked in various places. He finally established a boot and shoe trade in ISerrien County, which he conducted seven years. In 1869 he entered a claim of 160 acres of land in Beaver Township, under the ])rovisions of the Homestead Act, on which he settled on tlie first day of IJecem- ber. He still liolds his original tract, a portion of which he has cleared and shows a finely advanced state of cultivation. Mr. M. belongs to the Repub- lican party and has officiated in some of the most important positions in the local government of the township, among them those of Sui)ervisor, Justice of the Peace, Clerk and School Inspector. He held the office of Director nine successive years. Mr. Mudge was married in Vergennes in 1853, to L. Lucinda Cross. She was born in Canada Dec. 1, 1834, and is the daughter of Abel and Rhoda (Ford) Cross, natives of the Stale of New York. The family VS' A ^ ^"£- 1%-»- sniii^^r^ --4^^^ ^^^^^^^^/^^ ^r^^^^ w^ ■!2J<\5(ir-CS NEWAYGO COUNTY. ^j^m^^\Wi 437 J V' of eight children of Mr. and Mrs. Mudge have (gj nearly all reached the period of adult age and are s^ mostly settled in life, all having chosen their voca- * tions. Oliver D. is a farmer; Morris E. is a black- smith; Edson H. is a printer; Elliott M., CassiusM., Achilles C. and Linneus S. are farmers; Marion M. is an artist and photographer. 'h hiletus Monroe, merchant at Hesperia, was born in Berkshire Co., Mass., July 17, 1815. He is a son of Dan and Hannah (Sexton) natives of the same State. His '• V -^ I® 5 J Monroe, »C^ parents removed to Chenango Co., N. Y., when Philetus was onlj- 1 1 months of age, and here he received the advantages of a common school education. Mr. Monroe was variously employed from the age of 14 to 18, when he apprenticed himself to a Mr. /S Johnson, of Onondaga, Onondaga Co., N. Y., to learn = the shoemaker's trade ; but, after a few months, went ^<^ to Syracuse, Onondaga Co., N. Y., where he com- = pleted his trade and remained, working at the same until the year 1838. In the summer of that year he 5^ left Syracuse and wandered around until the year 1841, when he located in the village of Rome, Oneida Co., N. Y., began business for himself and met with good success. Mr. Monroe was married at Rome, N. Y., May 18, 1842, to Miss Mary A., daughter of Ephraini and Susan Larkiii, natives of New York, where Mary A. was born May 18, 1819. She died in Chenango Co., N. Y., Aug. 31, 1 86 1. By this union they had seven children, four girls and three boys, two of the latter having died. Mr. Monroe was again m:irried Jan. 9, 1862, in the city of Albany, N. Y., to Miss Wealthy M., daughter of Frederick and Mary (Tyler) Cunningham, natives of New England and of Scotch and Irish descent. She was born in the town of Butternut Grove, Dela- ware Co., N. Y., and was educated in the select schools of that town. After this marriage, Mr. Monroe removed to Oxford, N. Y., where he followed his trade until the spring of 1864, when he came to Michigan, settled in this county and purchased 160 acres of wild land. He remained on this land until the year 1873, dur- ing which time he had improved 80 acres of it, when he traded the entire tract for property in the village of Hesperia, moved there and engaged in mercantile business, and met with excellent success, his annual trade amounting to $25,000. He is now selling out his stock of goods preparing to live a retired life on his farm near the town of Hesperia, this county. He is a member of the Masonic Order and of the I. O. O. F., and has held the office of Treasurer in each. He is now Treasurer of the village of Hesperia, and has also been Treasurer of the township. In politics he is an active Republi- can. Himself and wife attend the M. E. Church. By his last union Mr. Monroe has had no children_ v> I |C M. Bowman, a citizen of Fremont and one of the leading and enterprising business men of that village, was born in Ohio, Dec. 5, 1852. His parents, Solomon and Re- becca (Jones) Bowman, were natives of Penn- sylvania, and were reared amid the rugged sur- roundings of the old Key-stone State, but under the ennobling influences exerted by the genuinely good people of that commonwealtli. After their marriage they came West as far as Ohio, and, after living there for a time, thought to still better their fortunes by moving further westward. Tiiey came to DeKalb Co., Ind., where the father died and where the mother continues to reside. Mr. Bowman lived at home until he was 18 years of age, and as his father, whose death occurred pre- viously, had left him little or no means, he started out in life relying wholly upon his own exertions. Often such seeming misfortunes are the greatest of blessings. Faculties, which otherwise might have lain dormant, are brought into action by force of necessity and developed to a high degree. Almost all of our most eminent and successful business men have begun their career in life without any help or assistance from others. Our subject came to Fremont in April, 1879, and embarked in business. He formed a co-partnership with James F. Hart, under the firm name of Hart & Bowman, for the purpose of dealing in liquors and carrying on the livery business. In his business enterprises Mr. Bowman has been remarkably suc- £U^ :^ Ky ^ r ^^i> ■^fts; j^^ija) % ';y .4 \ ^/^;^5«>^€ft^ 438 rV^^[ll]>^DD^> y'v NEWAYGO COUNTY. zaf^,^^ X ^ cessful. By strict attention to his affairs he has gained a competency and enjoys the confidence of those with whom he co.nes in contact. In the spring of 1888, in company with Mr. Hart, he began the erection of a fine business block on North Division Street. This was completed before the close of the year and is now used as a music hall. Mr. Bowman was united in marriage, in Fremont, May I, 1880, with Miss Harriet Schweitzer, of Law- rence, Kansas. As one of the representative men of the county we place the portrait of Mr. Bowman in this Album, and in connection with this sketch. -i-.w'W^ Klburtus Andrus, farmer, section 5, Beaver \i Township, was born in Clarence, Calhoun ^ ( Co., Mich., May i, 1846, and is the son of Charles L. and Lydia (Warren) Andrus. His parents were natives of Canandaigua, N. Y., and removed to Michigan in 183S, residing in Calhoun County until 1846, when his mother died. His father went to California, where he passed the remainder of his life. The son became an inmate of the family of Samuel Andrews, of Eaton County, where he received care and education until he was 17 '4 years of age. He enlisted Nov. 5, 1863, in Co. B, First Mich. Sharpshooters, and was in the service until July i, 1865. The regiment rendezvoused at Chicago and proceeded thence to Petersburg, Va., going almost immediately into action. He was captured by the rebels July 30, 1864, and incarcerated in the rebel prison at Danville ; was sent thence to Lihby prison, where he was held until Feb. 22, 1865, the date of his exchange, when he went to Camp Royal, Md., starting thence to Camp Chase, Oliio. The squad were so reduced by want and exposure that it became necessary for them to change their original plans, and they remained three weeks at Martinsluirg, W. Va., where they ([uartered in an old church, and on attaining some degree of convalescence were sent to their destination. On reaching there Mr. Andrus received a furlough of 30 days and returned to his home. He went back to Camp Chase when the time for his discharge arrived, and left there to rejoin his regiment at Cieorgetowr\, remaining with his com- mand until lie was mustered out of service. On returning to his home he resumed farming, and was married in 1867 to Mary L., daughter of George and Nancy (Stanton) Shay. She was born Aug. 21, 1849, if Barry Co., Mich. Her parents were natives of the Stale of New York and are both deceased. Mr. Andrus resided in Barry County until i860. He came to Newaygo County in October, and bought a tract of land containing 40 acres. He began the work of improvement, and resided there two years, when he moved to Whitehall, Muskegon County, and after a brief residence went to Cass County, return- ing later to Newaygo County, where he owns 80 acres of land, constituting his homestead. His family in- cludes five children: Lydia B., Charles L., Cora L., Samuel R. and Eva L. Mr. Andrus acts with the Republican party and has served his township as Supervisor, Town Clerk and Justice of the Peace. ^■fe^fea llmeron S. Seeley, farmer, section 25, Ev- ^^S^^fi erett Townshii), was born in Jackson, Mich., pX!^ J"'y 9' 1S37. His father, Alexander M. zi'J^ Seeley, was born in Vermont, and his mother, Harnet E. (ISIoon) Seeley, was a native of the r State of New York. Soon after their marriage they came to Jackson, and in 1838 removed to Ionia County, where they lived several years, when they came to Newaygo County and became residents of Big Prairie Township. They are both living. Mr. Seeley accompanied his parents to the differ- ent points wliere they established their home. In the spring of i86i he bought 80 acres of partly im- proved land in Everett Township, where he has since operated satisfactorily as an agriculturist. He has bought 80 acres additional, ard has one half of his place in fine farming condition. Mr. Seeley be- longs to the National Greenback party. He has operated in the capacity of Constable of Everett Township for four years, and two years as School In- spector. He was married in Big Prairie, Dec. 28, 1864, to Marena V., daughter of Arvin N. and Icy B. Pratt. She was born June 26, 1842, in Massachusetts, of which State her parents were natives. Her mother died there .\ug. 20, 1863, and her father still lives in the historic old "Commonwealth." V^- (', C< r^ m>^ .Sy;5 #r^5f: -»^^^ <5^>^s?£^r*- ••sr v<4Pn^:llDr>r •rr NEIVAYGO COUNTY. 'C>0. •A 439 V |<:[(p«gi'"-amuel Lewis, farmer, section 7, Beaver fjj^^rx I'ownshii), was born in London, England, ■3 ||ji Jan. 15, 1842. His father, James Lewis, '/\vj ^^'"'^ ^ soldier in the British army, in which he 'jT) served 25 years. He fought through the entire I Crimean war, and returned to the New World in 1858, immediately after the termination of that memorable contest. He died in Canada, at the age of 92 years. The mother, Mary (Heath) Lewis, is still living, in the Dominion. She is a native of Ireland. Mr. Lewis was liut two years old when his parents settled in London, Can., where he was brought upon a farm. He came to Port Huron, Mich., in 1857, where he remained until he came to Newaygo in 187 I. He bought a farm in Beaver Township, where he has since resided. In political affiliation, he is a De nocrat. He was married March 14, 1870, to Ellen Ken- nedy, a native of Ireland. She died April 2, 1877, leaving three children, James, Mary E. and Margaret. His second wife, to whom he was married in Novem- ber, 1877, was Philotheta, daughter of Edwin and Roxanora (Giddings) Gleason (see sketch). She was born Oct. 26, 1863, in Ohio. Otto H is the only surviving issue of the last marriage. Clinton 13 deceased. t^' ohn Painter, farmer, section 5, Beaver T[)., was born in Columbiana Co., Ohio, Dec. 10, b,.-.? "^ 18 17, and is the son of Jacob and Barbara (Shingledaker) Painter, natives of Westmore- land Co., Pa. Mr. Painter was brought up on his father's farm and was an inmate of the paternal domicil until he had reached the age of 19 years, when he "^ acquired the blacksmith's trade and pursued it as a vocation for seven years. In 1870 Mr. Painter came to .. Newaygo County, where he now owps a farm of 40 , acres of land, a good share of which is under im- ^ provements, with a creditable and suitable farm home. He was married in Ohio, in 1838, to Charlotte De- N., long, a native of Ohio, born in 1823, and daughter of Jesse and Mary Belong, natives of Pennsylvania. Four of eight children born to Mr. and Mrs. Painter are living, Jessie 1)., Andrew J., Martha J. and Sid- ney L. The deceased are Mary Ann, Sarah, James and an infant. The mother died Feb. 18, 1880, and Mr. Painter was again married Jan. 8, 1881, to Mrs. Sarah (Delong) Dow, a sister of his former wife, who is the mother of five children, the issue of her first marriage. Mr. Painter is a Democrat in political be- lief and action, and has officiated as Justice of the Peace. i Trltharles Wilcox, farmer, Hesperia, was born 41,^^1" in Lewis Co., N. Y., April 12, 1831. He gi'l>r?/> "^ is a son of William L. and Catharine »i' (Cratsenberg) Wilcox, natives of New York. ,-|< His mother died when he was two years old, \ and his father moved to Jefferson Co., N. Y., where young Wilco.x received a common-school education. He lived there and assisted his father on the farm until Oct. 17, 1852, when he was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Ressequie, wlio was born in that county in May, 1835, and lived with her parents until her marriage. After their marriage they moved on a farm in the neighborhood, and remained there until the spring of 1854, when Mr. W. went to California. He was there three years engag'ed in mining, and during that time was seriously injured by the bursting of a can- non, which crushed his thigh and left him a cripple for life. In the spring of 1857 he returned to New York, and again engaged in farming, which occupa- tion he followed until Aug. 20, 1864, when he enlisted in Co. A, i86th N. Y. Inf , and was assigned to the Army of the Potomac. Leaving New York city, his company went to City Point, thence along the line of contest to North Carolina. During the march he was engaged in the battle of Hatcher's Run and the taking of Richmond. In the latter engagement he was severely wounded in the knee by the bursting of a shell. It threw him high in the air and some 30 feet from where he was standing, and so seriously injured him as to cause his removal to the hos[)ital at Washington, D. C. He was there confined for some time, when he was honoral)ly discharged and returned home, and again engaged in farming for some time, and then came to I $^^ g|)-V?^>f^#' -■^^'li:^ A <>ii!i^Dii;> A. ■#®" "•ST -7<^tlI])«CtlIlf> ^ rzj^^^^sr (^ :^) A 5^^ ^ ^) t 440 NEWAYGO COUNTY. Michigan, locating on an 80-acre farm, which he pur- chased in Newfield Township, Oceana County. He lived on this farm two years, when he purchased a farm'in another part of the township, and remained on it until March, 1880, and then exchanged it for property in the town of Hesperia, where he now lives and farms in the vicinity of the village. Mr. W. was again married July 15, 1869, to Mahala C, daughter of Ephraim and Lydia (Wolver- ton) Rolf, natives of New England. She was born Oct. 18, 1835, in New York, and came to Michigan in 1880. By this union they have one child, Charley L., born June 12, 1873. Mr. Wilcox is an ardent Republican, and himself and wife are both members of the M. E. Church. _dwin Gleason, farmer, section 18, Beaver Township, was born October 14, 1834, in kj ■-',- ~' Geauga Co., Ohio. He is a son of Archi- %^ bald and Clarissa (Beal) Gleason, the former a A native of Massachusetts, the latter of Ohio. J: The family removed to Trumbull County in that State, where the mother died and the son was placed in charge of Henry Gleason, his paternal uncle, with whom he remained five years. His father bought a farm, and he engaged with him in clearing and im.proving it. He was married Jan. i, 1855, to Roxanna C, dauglUer of Joshua H. and Rhoda C. (Wakefield) Giddings. She was born Oct. 3, 1834, in Ashtabula Co., Ohio. Her father was born in the Buckeye State and now resides there. Her mother was born in Canada and died Nov. 5, 1857, in Ohio. After his marriage Mr. Gleason bought 48 acres of land in Trumbull County and performed pioneer service in its improvement until he had 40 acres under culti- vation. He sold out and in the fall of 1864 bought I 20 acres of timbered land in Beaver Township. To this he has added by subsequent purchase until he now owns 350 acres of land, and has improved 70 acres. He is a Democrat in political connection, and has officiated as Treasurer of the township five years. The seven children of Mr. and Mrs. Gleason were born as follows : Forest C, May 30, 1857 ; Philotheta, Oct. 26, 1859; Atalanta, April 6, 1863; Ariel, July 30, 1865; Abigail, Oct. 29, 1868; Frederick, Ai)ril 30, 187 1 ; Ellsworth E., Sept. 23, 1875. jt rving H. Barlow, merchant and liveryman, Hesperia, was born in Lansing, Mich., March 26, 1850. His parents, R. K. and Maria (Bailey) Barlow, were natives of Catta- raugus Co., N. Y. They moved to Michigan and settled in Lansing, being the third party who built a shanty in that place, before any village was even thought of. Irving H. lived at home and attended the schools of that place, receiving a fine academic education, and when 14 years old he engaged himself to A. J. Viele, who kept a large book and stationery store at Lansing, and worked three years for his board and clothes. During this time he employed his leisure moments in reading the best books in the store. .'\t the expiration of the three years he went with his parents to Grand Ledge, Eaton County, where his father engaged in the hotel business. Here Irving again availed himself of school advantages and attended the academy of that place one year. Upon the completion of his school course he went to Ionia, where he engaged as clerk in the Bailey House, remaining in that capacity two years, thence to Sjiring Lake House, a place of resort in the vicinity of Grand Haven, staying two summers. While here he became acquainted with one Capt. Patterson, of the United States Navy, who induced him to join the navy as ship writer, or, as is usually termed, "schoolmaster." During this time he was transferred to the N. S. Richmond, that was just then merging into the service. While here he became disabled on account of climatic influences, and was obliged to leave the crew, and was honorably dis- charged in February, 1872. Soon after this he came to this county and located in Fremont, engaging with a commercial house at that place. Sept. 7, 1872, at Spring Lake, Mr. Barlow was married to Miss Anna Seaton, daughter of James and Chadotte (Bagworth) Seaton, natives of London, England, who was born in that city April 6, 1855. When five years of age she came with her parents to America, who settled in Geneva, N. Y., where slie was educated in the colleges of that place, and in 1 868 they came to Curlin, Kent Co., Mich., where Anna lived until her marriage. In May, 1873, Mr. A s^ <: fi r ■ « ^^^^f^ ■^m'^MO r^ Js^^^ ■■w. ^, m^ 'W^'^^r^- r^^K 6-^-illtl>:ll|]s>re :^^: <^ \ ^ A'EWAYGO COUNTY. 443 -^ Barlow came to Hesperia and kept books for E. R. Swain, lumberman, for one year. During this tiniL- he purchased 120 acres of timbered land in Newfield Township, Oceana County. In the spring of 1874 he became engaged with G. D. Webster for three years, one year intervening, in which he was with Swain & Co. In 1878 he established a furniture house at this place, in which he has since been en- gaged until (|uite recently. Since cotriing to Hesperia Mr. Barlow has mani- fested great public enterprise, and been of great benefit to the town. He has built a livery barn at a cost of nearly $'1,500, with a stock worth $5,000. He has just completed a house for merchandise, above which is the City Hall, at a cost of $1,600, with a stock of $1,500. He has 15 surveyed lots in the village of Hesperia. He is an active member of the I. O. O. F., of Hesperia; was Town Clerk for two years, and is an active Republican. Mr. and Mrs. Barlow have an adopted son, Renby, born June 14, 1871. liTames R. Odell, druggist at Fremont, is the son of Jonathan and Mahala (Prouty) Odell; was born in Hillsdale Co., Mich., April 21, 1841. His parents were natives of New York, where they were married, and soon after re- moved to Michigan and settled in Hillsdale County. They remained there for several years after the death of his fatlier, which occurred in 1S54, when his mother came to this county and settled in Fremont, about the year 1867. James R. remained under the parental roof until 16 years of age, attending the common schools. He then learned the carpenter and joiner's trade, which he followed for nearly five years previous to the breaking out of the rebellion. In September, 1864, he enlisted in the i ith Mich. Cav., and, after serving till the close of the war, was honorably discharged at Knoxville, Tenn. He participated in several engage- ments, and was at the cajiture of Salisbury prison, N. C. After his term of service had expired he re- turned to Hillsdale Co., Mich., and worked at his trade a short time, when he was taken very sick with typhoid fever, in conseipience of which he was unable to work for eight months. After his recovery, in the spring of 1866, he came to Fremont, where he worked at his trade about two years. He \Huchased 90 acres of wild land in Sheridan Township, upon which he worked during one summer, and was after- ward employed in a general store in Fremont, owned by John Delamater. In two years he purchased a one-half interest in the store, and the firm was known as Delamater & Odell. This partnership continued for about six months, when Mr. Odell sold out his interest to John Dellaas, but remained as clerk until the store was destroyed by fire some two years later. He assisted in settling up the business of the firm, and during the following winter was engaged in lum- bering, and was also afterwards in the employ of John DeHaas for a short time. Afterwards he and his brother bought out the stock of drugs and gro- ceries owned by Dr. Root & Son. This partner- ship continued about two years, when he bought out the interest of his brother in the drug department, and in another year sold his own interest in the grocery department to his brother. For a short time the drug store was carried on by Odell & Manly, when the latter withdrew, and the business is now conducted by Mr. Odell, who is the leading druggist of the county. He commenced in 1877 to build the fine brick building he now occupies, and moved his stock of goods in February, 1878. Mr. Odell was first married in Hillsdale Co., Mich., March 3, 1861, to Mary, daughter of Francis and Minerva (Smitli) Morse, a native of Michigan. She afterward died, October, 1864, leaving one child, born Dec. 27, 1863. Mr. Odell was again married, in Hesperia, this county, in the year 1867, to Alice, daughter of Daniel Joslin, and they have had three children: Mary, Eva M. and Pearl; the former is deceased. Mr. Odell has held the office of Town- ship Clerk for ten consecutive years ; is a member of the Masonic Order, and has filled various offices in his lodge, having served tn'o years as Master, and is also Commander of Henry Dobson Post, G. A. R. In politics he is identified with the Democratic party. He has been a member of the Village Board, serving as President or Trustee since its incorporation ; was also a member of the School Board when the graded system went into effect, and is still a member of the same. Among the portraits of prominent business men and pioneers given in this Album may be found that of Mr. Odell. V^ r :sji<: ^^^ ■^<^I1!]:< ^ -"v-^^jfi>l^ 444 \ ■■,i^ -r<-^I]D>:llII>>v^ _^X\,.^ NEIVAYGO COUNTY. U?) A O I VI ■'-« (iward Edwards, nearly 20 years a resi- 2j ^.. „_ lent of the village of Newaygo, was born ^f-^' " J'-*'y ^^' •S39> ^' St. Neot, a village well iS. known to fame in the county of Cornwall, Eng- '• land, St. Neot, of legendary fame, being a j brother of King Arthur, immortalized by Ten- nyson in his " Idylls of the King." His grandfather, i Edward Edwards, of an old Cornish family, having sold his paternal acres at Silverwell, combined the pursuit of mining with mercantile business in his new home. His father, Edward, senior, one of many sons in a direct line inheriting with the family name the family patrimony, was a young and rising man when he left the old homestead and sought to lay the foundations of his family fortunes in a new soil. As a keen debater he leveled swords with the late Sir John Lawrence, " Lord Mayor of London," and being an enthusiastic follower of John Wesley, he was recommended to the British Wesleyan Con- ference for admittance to its itinerant ranks. But he was of too radical a temper and too independent of control to put his destiny in the hands of any one less than liisCreator,anddeclined the proffered honor. The same spirit of independency in a later day caused his severance from the church communion of his youth and early manhood. A Liberal of Liber- als, yet conservative of the last inch of personal right, he was always in opposition to aristocratic Toryism ; and, at a time when sympathy with Repub- licanism meant something, was an outspoken disbe- liever in the "divine right of kings " and superiority of blue blood. He married as his first wife, at Silverwell, Eliza- beth Roberts, a worthy and congenial companion, who soon left him a widower with one daughter, since dead. Phillippa Doney, in the rural coterie noted for her beauty and early development with the grace of womanhood, took pity on the lonely widower, and the village belle linked her fortunes with the stranger whose early misfortunes bespoke her pity. The mother descended from a line of Doneys whose his- tory was co-equal with that of the parish, and the Gummoes of St. Minver, who as yeomen of worth and stamina had paralleled the records of the county and were as true to the old Anglican Church as def- V ) #1 erence to aristocracy and full faith in Toryism could desire. The marriage of a daughter of the church, and at the date of her marriage a member of the Rector's famil ■, with the enthusiastic Methodist, was never relished by her family ; but she was too devoted and he too independent to sue for pardon, and they set out to make the journey of life on their own own hook. Edward, the subject of this sketch, was the sev- enth child born to them, of whom only two others survive: Timothy, whose sketch will be found in another part of this book; and Charles, of local noto- riety as a breeder of Short-horn and Ayrshire cattle in the neighborhood of Ingersoll, Canada, with whom the widowed motlier makes her home, Charles and his father having jointly bought the farm on which he lives. As a child Edward was delicate, and the rough manners and tyrannical rule of the parochial school, when he received his first lessons from the min whose glory was to wield a ruler or a stick with skill and force enough to beat his lessons into his in- fant brain, came very near to calling for the requiem couplet, — ■■ Since I am so early diiiie lor. 1 wonder wliat I wa.< begun for.'*' As a boy he was taken out of school and put to run on errands, attend store, etc., till he had reached the age of 15 and a fair degree of growth and vigor. At that time he was sent to an academy for young gentlemen, Rev. Mr. Geake, Head Master, at Dub- walls, and took his seven miles' walk every day, rain or shine; but, manifesting a decided talent for me- chanics and 3. peiiclumt for music, he was, in consid- eration of the payment of $250 by his father and the rendering of his own personal service seven years without pay, apprenticed to the trade of harness- maker and saddler. But not the blandishments of a smiling boss, nor the pleasantness of an open parlor, nor a seat at the family table with all the freedom of home, could blind him to the treatment bestowed upon the senior apprentices in the establishment who had signed and sealed the instruments with their own hands tliat bound them to seven years of unpaid servitude. So he refused to put his signature to the indenture for over two years. He worked on till he acquired a good knowledge of the business, and was advanced to the position of cutter for the shop. This close and unremitting attention to busi- v^ K ^i ■^m%m<^ z. » "Z^HxiT'^ .Ji^ ?4— «/g|.a/OT2i>v. A amuel D. Bonner, lumberman, resident at .Vewaygo, was born Jan. 7, 1842, in Craw- \v^ '■ ford Co., Pa., and is a son of John and '\\^ Elvira (Cummings) Bonner, the former a na- tive of Vermont, the latter of Massachusetts. His parents came to Michigan when he was 14 years old, reaching Casnovia Township, Ottawa County (now Muskegon), Sept. 10, 1856. The father had been a soldier of 18 12, and located 160 acres of land on section 5, in Casnovia, on a soldier's warrant. He died there Sept. 12, 1866. The mother died at Newaygo. Sept. 9, 1879. Mr. Bonner was married at Casnovia, May 7, 1S63, to Harriet L., daughter of Augustus and Martha Cook, a native of Huron Co., Ohio, born June 26, 1843. T'''^ family comprises two adopted children, — John and Blanche. In 1864 Mr. Bonner went to Bridgeton Township to engage as assistant in the shingle-mill of I. 1). Merrill, and operated in that capacity one year, suc- ceeding to the jxjsition of manager, which post he filled one year and then took charge of a boarding house for A. A. Ma.xim in liridgeton. He remained in tliis position two years and came to Newaygo, en- gaging in the same capacity with the Newaygo Lum- ber Company, where he continued four years, at the end of that time transferring his services to another branch of their business and ojjerated three years as foreman in the lumber yard. He was next employed as manager of the saw-mill of D. P. Clay, where he continued two years, and then served as night-watch 18 months. He afterwards engaged in the general management of the saw-mill, lumber-yard, planing- mill, and tub and pail factory for a period of eight ^ months, when he engaged as foreman of the river _;.^.-. ^ V > r t£Hb^ Il!l>:illlr:>^ .^^re^^ Vi; ATA-. ^IS/^(t>)«>^#^^- 446 NEWAYGO COUNTY. 1 J force of Mr. Clay, sorting and running logs on the Muskegon River, in which he is still occupied. He owns a house and lot on Jarse Hill, 40 acres of land adjoining the village corporation on the north, and 300 acres of land in Big Prairie Township. He also owns 260 acres of land in company with George Taylor. Mr. Bonner was re-elected a member of the Com- mon Council of Newaygo in the spring of 1883 (cur- rent year) and is present School Inspector of the township. >^ V / ''J ^ I r;(j reeman Mallory was bom in Columbia Hjin Co., N. Y., Feb. 8, 1823. His parents, '""" Stephen and Maria (Waldorf) Mallory, were natives of the State of New York, but moved to Connecticut in an early day, and af- terward came to Hillsdale County, this State, where they lived until their death. Freeman lived at home until 30 years of age. He bougiit 80 acres of land in Hillsdale County, which he managed until the spring of 1868, when he came to Newaygo County and located in Dayton Township for one year, and then bought 80 acres of wild land on sec- tion 32, where he now resides; 50 acres are under cultivation. Mr. Mallory was married in Waterbury, Conn., in October, 1853, to Sarah Allen, a native of Connecti- cut, and they have had two children, one living: Stephen E. Mr. M. is a member of the Democrat party. 'ins^l ^t^J^J^ ,5^ esse P. Belong, farmer, section 8, Beaver f Townsliip, was bom June 13, 1829, in Trumbull Co., Ohio. His parents, Jesse and Marie ( \Vinnings ) Delong, were na- tives of Pennsylvania and are both deceased. The early training of Mr. Delong fitted him for the business which he has followed throughout his active life thus far. When in boyliood, he found a friend in a man named Thomas Fenton, and he was chiefly under his guidance until he approached manhood. At 20 years of age he came to Michigan and located in Berrien County, where he labored on a farm and remained in that vicinity until 1878, when he transferred his family and interests to Ne- waygo County. He purchased 40 acres of land in Beaver Township, where he has applied his time and energies to the best advantage, and has already placed 25 acres of the primeval wilderness in a fine state of improvement. He affiliates with the Democratic party, and lias acted as Postmaster at his present residence, to whicii post he received his appointment Sept. 18, 18S0, and officiated therein one year. He was married in 1853, to Mary Davis, daughter of Benjamin and Catherine (Williams) Davis, natives of Wales. The daughter was bom Dec. 12, 1833, in Cumberland Co., Penn. Five children have been bom to Mr. and Mrs. Delong: Emma M. is the wife of John Trowbridge ; Harriet A. is Mrs. Jesse Tennant. The others are Sidney B. and Bertie. Miles E. is deceased. niehael Turcotte, farmer and lumberman, ;'(,tei4^S. section 30, Beaver Township, was born fJHI^"^ Dec. 30, 1843, i" Ontario Co., Canada, 'V^vV and was a son of Joseph Turcotte. His M -: iC-^l^— -Sj^^iK- -^T' :^ <^U parents were natives of Lower Canada and of unmixed French ancestry. Both are deceased. Mr. T. began his career as a lumberman when he was 14 years of age, passing the winters in the woods and laboring as a mill hand summers, until he was 20 years old, when he made his entry upon a course of life in his own interest. He was variously occupied until the first of January, 1876, when he located in Newaygo Co., Mich. He was the owner of a cash capital of five dollars wlien he arrived, and imme- diately found employ at his wonted calling, engag- ing in logging at $1.50 per thousand, for E. L. Gray. He was prudent and economical. His labor was hard but was soon remunerative, and he was able after a time to purchase a farm of 120 acres in Beaver Township, where he has principally resided. He has placed 95 acres under cultivation, with good buildings. His real estate now includes 540 acres of land, chiefly in heavy, valuable timber. Mr. Turcotte was married in 1871; to Maggie, S <> n r^' f' ■■-•■ ® \ Sk/^ i-wgfSjse- NEWAYGO COUNTY. #i^5^i^i-# 451 daughter of Isaiah and Mary (Lengerman) Turcotte, who was born in Canada, in January, 1844. One child was born, Marcli 25, 1SS2, who died Nov. 5, of the same year. ^ ^ / 9- s i saac D. Merrill, deceased, was born at Fal- t mouth (now Portland), Maine, Dec. 16, ^T 1 8 10. He came of a hardy stock of New Englanders, his father, a sea captain, losing his ihip during the last war with England. ^ I The subject of this sketch early engaged in lumbering on the Penobscot and St. Croix Rivers of his native State. In the year 1839 he turned west- ward to tlie pine woods of Michigan, then attracting considerable attention; engaged in lumbering on Grand River soon after. In 1844 he returned to Maine on a visit, where he married, and then brought his wife to Michigan, in the fall of that year. Lo- /S eating in Newaygo, he engaged in lumbering iu part- em nership with John A. Brooks. One year later he V>r removed to Bridgeton, ten miles below Newaygo, on = the Muskegon River, where he lived up to the time •' • of his death, continuing here in the lumber business V, until failing health compelled him to retire from active business life. The only settlers in the now townshii) of Bridgeton at the time Mr. Merrill located there, were Dick. Ryerson and Joseph Trottier, wjio were then living at the " Dam." He was a member of the first Board of Supervisors for Newaygo County, and helped organize said county. Associated with him on the Board was James Barton, now Judge of Probate. For many years Mr. Merrill filled the officeof Supervisor of his town. In the year 1859, or thereabouts, he was appointed by Governor Wis- ner one of the commissioners to examine the Flats Improvement which John A. Brooks had constructed. Tlicit improvement was accepted as well done by Governor and commissioners, but the State failed to remunerate the projectors of the work, and the "Beard claim" hangs fire until this day. In school matters Mr. Merrill was deeply in- terested, and was ever the friend of education. A staunch Whig when tliat party went to pieces on the rock of slavery, he at once identified iiimself with ((*) the Republican party, of which he was always a con- N» sister>t member. On one occasion he was urged to — ^-S?^ ^-^^DII accept a nomination to the Legislature (a nomination being equivalent to an election), but declined, pre- ferring his home and business life to the turmoil of political strife. Neighbors and friends will bear wit- ness that he was a square, honest, upright man; one who held enmity toward no man on the green earth ; one who, if he had an enemy in the wide world, knew it not. Many interesting reminiscences come up, but space will not permit giving them here. From Detroit Mr. Merrill walked to Grand Rapids on his pioneer trip to Michigan, and, if we are not mistaken, John Paige, of Maine, and a Mr. Hersey, who settled in Mecosta County afterward, kept him company. John A. Brooks was building a mill at Newaygo when Mr. Merrill and the men named above reached that point, having followed an Indian trail from Grand Rapids. Mr. Merrill died at his home in Bridgeton, Dec. 14, 1883, after a lingering and painful illness of some years' duration. E. W. Merrill, of Muskegon, is a brother of de- ceased, and is one of the early pioneers of the Mus- kegon Valley. One by one they are passing away, and soon the last of those iron men will have passed beyond the vale, leaving a new generation to tread the paths their fathers made for them in the wilder- ness. •5- 3-^ -^— v**^' euben S. Trask, M. D., practicing physi- cian and surgeon, at White Cloud, was born April 4, 1837, in Elmira, N. Y., and is a (to son of Alanson and Lucy (Cummins) Trask, y natives of Connecticut. After their marriage they settled in the State of New York, after- wards removing to Smithfield, Pa., where they passed the remainder of their lives. Dr. Trask came to Cassopolis, Mich., when he was 16 years of age, and served two years in acquiring the details of the trade of cabinet-maker and car- penter. He then went to Pennsylvania and worked at his trade until 1865, and as ojjportunity afforded read for his profession. He first commenced the practice of his ])rofession at Leonard Hollow, Pa., and then came to Barry Co., Mich., where he re- mained until 1870. In the autumn of that year he came to Newaygo County and located at Croton, r V %fl.^ ^Illlv>=- -St.? -^^'f^ >^ V ^ ca: r % ^ <^IlIl>^:iiD^>r >^ /: i^ u 7- V NEWAYGO COUNTY. -^^T^^ where he operated as a medical practitioner nearly six years. In 1876 he came to AUeyton, and, after pursuing his profession there some years, in the au- tumn of 1880 he established himself at White Cloud professionally, and commercially in the drug business, in both which avenues he is still engaged. He was married in Barry Co., Mich., June 26, 1866, to Lydia M., daughter of Peter and Polly Perhamus. She was born in Pennsylvania. Of five children born to Dr. and Mrs. Trask three are now living. They are Harlan A., Linnie A. and Minnie. Those deceased are Byon and an infant child. Dr. Trask is a Democrat in politics and Chairman of the Democratic County Committee. He has served his community in various official positions, and always with entire satisfaction. He has been ihe incumbent of the office of Supervisor of Wilcox three years; has been President of the village of White Cloud ; and also acted two years as Village Clerk of Croton, and was nominated for Judge of Probate in 1880. He is a member of the Order of Odd Fellows. Mrs. Trask is engaged in millinery and fancy goods, and exhibits a fine stock of mer- chandise in the lines of her trade. As a prominent and representative business and professional man of Newaygo County, we take pleas- ure in presenting the portrait of Dr. Trask. We present it in connection with this sketch, accompanied by that of his wife. I onroe L. Sharp, farmer, section 17, Bea- Qy vcr Township, was born Dec. 9, 1855, in ''^ Canada. His father, James Sliarp, also ^ '^^ a native of Canada, is now residing in Mary- '* land; his mother, Harriet (Richardson) Sharp, born in England, died April 15, 1876. Mr. Sharp was an inmate of his paternal home and under the guidance of his father uniil he reached the age of 20 years, when he came to Lapeer County and worked as a saw-mill hand about ten months, after which he came to Newaygo County and bought 60 acres of land in Beaver Township. It was in the midst of a vast wilderness, the forest having never re-echoed the sound of preparation for permanent settlement previous to his location there. He now has 33 acres under cultivation, with creditable farm fixtures. He was married in Lapeer County, Aug. 20, 1876, to Jane Saunders, a native of Sanilac County, born Aug. 8, i860, and is the daughter of James and Eunice Ann (Reed) Saunders, born respectively in Pennsylvania and Canada, and now resident in Ne- waygo County. Jessie R , Nettie M., Elmer W. and Amy A. are the names of their four children. Mr. Sharp acts with the Republican party. V^ vk'd^Ml, dgar Ii. Gray, attorney, resident at Ne- L V=^( waygo, was born Oct. 10, 1833, in Troy, (plSf'' " Rensselaer Co., N. Y. His father was a native of the State of Connecticut, is now in his 81st year, in sound, firm health, and resides in Grand Haven. His mother's maiden name was Almira Furguson. She was a native of Rens- selaer County, and was a daughter of an officer in the Revolutionary war, wlio died at the advanced age of 84 years. Mr. Gray's parents and only sister (Mrs. Jennie E. Wallace), moved from Troy to Pennfield, Calhoun Co., Mich., where his mother died in 1843. The family removed to the (then) village of Grand Rapids, where the father again married, and Mr. Gray attended the academy under the management of Rev. Addison Ballard, and, later, under Franklin Everett, both of whom are still living. He also at- tended for one year what was termed the Branch of the Michigan University, located at Kalamazoo. At the age of 17 years he commenced the .study of law, and in 1854 he decided to settle in Newaygo, which was then just platted by Sarell Wood, John A. Brooks and John A. Brooks, Jr. Previous to this determination, he made an extended prospecting trip to Chicago, Rock Island, Davenport, Dubuque and Galena. In calculating chances, Mr. Gray could not see how the broad prairies of the West could be as fruitful of lawsuits as a timbered coun- try, wliere men make and break more contracts than in a [jurely agricultural region. About the time Mr. Gray commenced the study of law, Hon. Thomas B. Churcli, of Grand Rapids, was a member of the Constitutional Convention and endeavored to obtain a Representative for each of the counties of Saginaw, % ^ ^ A V r 1 i M TZJ^S^ v<:aB>^tiii>>v ■i^i^C^^^I^ ^ "1 A V s I (®) NEWAYGO COUNTY. IS) =^ 453 Tuscola, Midland, Sanilac, Montcalm and Newaygo, and upon the i)roposition urged by him made the following remarks : "Information, sir, has been asked for respecting the counties enumerated in tlie amendment under consideration, and I propose to furnish a little re- specting one of them. The county of Newaygo, sir, lies north of the county which I in part represent, and embraces, in connection with the adjacent county of Oceana, the principal portion of country com- monly called Muskegon. A liver by the latter name runs through it, the course of which is nearly parallel with the Grand River, a river of less length indeed than the Grand River, and of less average width per- haps, but discharging quite an ei|ual amount of water, the Rapids of which furnish an immense water-power, and which intersects a region of great fertility of soil, and also containing extensive and valuable pineries. " This county now furnishes a large annual supply of lumber for the markets upon the west side of Lake Michigan, the transportation of which now maintains respectable and rapidly augmenting ma- rine. The harbor, at the mouth of the Muskegon River, is rated as the second best upon the Michigan side of the Lake, being upon the lee coast, and con- sisting of a lake about seven miles in length by two in width, of a sufficient depth of water to float the vessels navigating the main lakes. The small lake is connected with the main lake by an outlet sometimes barred by the sand accumulated by the action of wind and wave; but the contemplated improvements by the general Government will remove this obstacle. The erection of a lighthouse has been determined upon at that point, and liberal appropriations for the improvements sjoken of are recommended by the surveying party detailed by the Secretary of the Treasury for the examination of the east coast of Lake Michigan. "Of the population of this district I cannot speak positively. Large additions have been made the past year to the agriculturists, a demand existing for their products on account of the numerous mills in operation u[)on the river and the people and teams employed about tliem. I should think that the pop- ulation must now crowd upon one thousand; and taking into account those who are scattered along the lake shore, perhaps it will exceed two thou- tsand." ^ The allusion of Mr. Church to the large supplies of pine timber on tlie Muskegon River, coupled with his knowledge of the immense resources of tiiat stream, led Mr. Gray to settle in Newaygo. He was at the time the only person then practicing law in the county who had been admitted to the Bar. ■^<-D!l Newaygo County had then just entered upon a wonderful career of prosperity — the opening previ- ously to this of the Illinois C'anal and the improve- ment of the harbor at Chicago, furnishing an excel- lent market for the pine products of the Muskegon River. Large numbers of lumliermen from Maine and Northern New York, had been and still were locating large bodies of pine lands on the river and its tributaries ; a gang mill had Ugen built at Ne- waygo, and was then being operated by Albert N. Cheney and Lewis L. Arms, of Glens Falls, N. Y., and .\niasa B. Watson and A. F. and H. J. Orton, of Newaygo. The village began to grow rapidly, and the pine and farming lands of the county were ab- sorbed l-)y settlers and speculators so fast as to indi- cate that the futur; [jrosperity of the village and county was fully assured. In the fall of 1854 Mr. Gray was appointed County Treasurer, and the same fall was elected Prosecuting Attorney and Circuit Court Commissioner. John H. Swartwout was elected County Treasurer with the understanding that lie should appoint Mr. Gray his Deputy, which he did. Mr. Swartwout resigned, and Hiram Butler was ajipointed who retained Mr. Gray as Deputy. The latter surrendered his trust Jan. I, 1857, having accomplished much that aided materially in the prosi)erity of Newaygo County. Every description of property amenable to tax safes had been sold for cash, the county was out of debt, taxes were low and a considerable sum of money was in the treasury. Mr. Gray continued the practice of law until 1861, when he bid off, either alone or associated with others, several State road contracts, and built the road running from the north line of Newaygo County to within eight miles of Grand Rapids. He also cut and "cross-wayed," where desired by the special commissioner, a road from the village of Newaygo to the northwestern corner of the county. He also made and "stumped" a road ten miles in length from the village to Bridgeton. In company with Duncan McLellan, Esq., now of Big Rapids, he con- structed nine miles of road toward that city, and eight miles from Big Rapids to Cedar Springs. Mr. Gray also built a State Road i6 miles north of Stanton, in Isabella County. He closed the last of these contracts in 1869. i »<^ ^ A r Wl Msrx^^#- ') NEWAYGO COUNTY. -J s> In 187 I he was elected a member of the House of Representatives, his district being composed of Newaygo, Mecosta, Osceola, Lake and Oceana Counties. During the session a determined effort was made to organize a new county from eight northern towns of Kent County, four southeast corner towns of Newaygo County, and four southwest corner towns of Montcahn County, the new organiza- tion to be named Russell County, in honor of the Hon. H. C. Russell, later State Senator. Col. Phelps, Mr. Russell's father-in-law, and others urged the measure with great zeal and determination. (Col. Phelps recently died in Detroit, and, in a sketch of him published soon after, the result of the vote upon the measure referred to was erroneously given. The first vote made an e.\hibit of 36 ayes to 49 noes ; on reconsideration the manifest was 34 to 46.) On Mr. Gray's motion to reconsider, the bill was lost and ) Major Huston moved to lay the vote to reconsider on the table. Thus the bill was killed by parliamentary regime. During the same session a bill was intro- duced that each county sell its own lands for taxes, give deeds, etc., — in other words, collect and disburse its moneys as any private individual might do. Mr. Gray was the only member who made an extended speech in its favor, and it was carried through the House, but was defeated in the Senate. William Humphrey was then Auditor General of Michigan, and under his authority many Supervisors in Northern Michigan had assessed and taxed lands lying along the line of railroads where tracks had been completed. Mr. Gray introduced a successful resolution calling upon the Attorney General for his opinions as to the legality of this action of the Auditor General. The former decided that the lands were taxable, and thereupon a bill was introduced to exempt them for a further period. Mr. Gray opposed the bill in a lengthy speech under suspension of rules, and was assisted by an able argument from Hon. A. B. Riford. The bill passed by only four votes. William A. Howard, D. Darwin Hughes and scores of other advocates of acknowledged ability appeared in behalf of the railroads determined to secure an extension of time. In 1872 Mr. Gray was elected to the State Senate, and early in the session. Senator Hinds, of Montcalm, \r^ introduced a resolution calling upon the Railroad ^r^ Committee to report whether, in their opinion, the " Mis bill for exemption of railroad lands from taxation, passed in 187 1, could be repealed. Senators Wheeler and Gray each made elaborate reports that the law could be legally and honorably repealed, and embraced in a revision of the railroad laws a pro- vision for its repeal, which passed the Senate unani- mously. One thousand copies of the separate rejwrts of Senators Wheeler and Gray were printed at the expense of the State. The Senate bill thus passed being bandied about the House on one pretext and another, a separate bill for taxation of said lands was introduced in the House, passed both branches and became a law. In 1874 Mr. Gray was re-elected to the Senate and appointed Chairman of the Judiciary Committee. Gov. Bagley had recommended in his message the passage of a tax liciuor law, on the ground that prohibition in tliis State meant free whisky in the large cities and spasmodic strictures in small places. Mr. Gray was made Chairman of the Liquor Com- ^ ( /N >: 0) mittee by special reipiest of the Governor, and he advocated the passage, and constitutionality, of the liquor law of 1875, against such men as Senator Webber, of East Saginaw. The bill passed the Senate by the requisite vote, 17, and the House by 52 votes, one more than the law required. Not a voice was raised in the Senate for the bill but tliat of Mr. Gray, and at the time of its passage the New York Tribune pronounced it the best law for control- ling the traffic in ardent spirits yet devised. Mr. Gray's position was that the bill would operate as prohibitory in the country, and regulative and restraining in the cities and villages. Several at- tempts have since been made to repeal this law, but without success, thus demonstrating the superior statesmanship of Mr. Gray. Since his last term in the Senate Mr. Gray has been engaged in the jjrosecution of his profession. He has also superintended the improvement of a large farm, and engaged to a considerable extent in manufacturing lumber. He was married June 24, 1868, in St. Paul's Church, Detroit, to Julia E. Bisbee, a native of Burlington, Vt., and they have had four children. The family residence is situated on a bluff close to the banks of the Muskegon River in the village of Newaygo, and is known by the attractive name of " Mistover." «:«!«» r^i^-^-'. :^K/^^^^#- \ V N'EWAYGO COUNTY. -*< ys^^^^ i 45S o«o s^ ^[lexander Gracey, farmer, section 14, Da)'- ton Townshiii, is a son of Robert and Eliza (White) Gracey, who were natives of Scot- land, and settled in North Ireland, where they both died. He was born in Ireland, Nov. 11, 1822; came to America in the spring of 1851, first settling in Canada, until the winter of i860; then came to Newaygo, this county, and worked two years at his trade, blacksmithing, which he had learned in Canada; he then moved to Dayton Town- ship, in the spring of 1863, and entered 160 acres of Government land ; half of this he has since sold, and of the remaining 80 acres one-half is improved. On this he has built a fine frame residence. Mr. Gracey was married in Canada, June 5, 1856, to Mary Ann, daughter of Andrew and Jane (Lemons) McClimons, also natives of the north of Ireland. The living children in Mr. G's. family are: Elizabeth, Mary A. and Margaret A.: two died in infancy ; both named Martha Jane. Mr. and Mrs. G. are members of the Church of Scotland : he is a stanch Republican. ^ i ohn F. Maynard, farmer, section 27, Den- ?• ver Township, was born in this county, i^'*""^ Jan. 30, 1864, and has since lived under the parental roof. His parents, John and Lois (Camber) Maynard, were natives of Clin- ton Co., England, and emigrated to America in 1854. They first settled in New York, and in the fall of 1856 came to this county and settled on a farm of 160 acres in Denver Township, where they resided until their death. They afterward added 54 acres to the original purchase, and improved the most of it. They reared a family of 12 children, one of whom died at the age of seven years. The subject of this sketch was reared to farm labor, and was educated in the district schools of his township. Oct. 13, 1883, he was married to Miss Iva Titus, daugiiter of Charles and Harriet (Falk) Titus, the former a native of New York and the rr-At^;^.,, g]i^|: orenzo E. Norton, M. D., physician and ^'I' LjfeJI jf surgeon in Hesperia, was born in Belmont, |ii^p> Allegany Co., N. Y., Nov. 29, 1848. He is Wp a son of John B. and Stata (Davis) Norton^ f'K both natives of New York and of English ( descent. Mr. Norton lived at home with his parents, assisting on the farm until he attained his majority, when he entered upon the study of medi- — - V' latter of Michigan. They were married in Allegan ^ County, and afterward moved to Barry County, where i! Harriet was born, March 13, 1866. When seven '.■ years of age, her parents moved to Fremont, this county, where she received her education. Mr. v Maynard inherited 60 acres of \vcll-im[irGved land from his father, and after his marriage settled on the old homestead. In politics he is a Republican. ames Corsaut, foreman of tlic ^Vestern [fe- Michigan Saw-mill, located at Woodville, ^-^^ was born in London, Can., June rr, 1838, and is a son of James and Millicent (Farrar) Corsaut. He remained under the supervision and instruction of his father until he was 18 years old, at which age he came to Michigan and re- sided in Hillsdale County a short time. He then went to the city of New York and engaged as a sea- man in the coast-sailing service, where he was em- ployed three years. At the end of that time he lo- cated in Livingston County, where he married Miss Martha H., daughter of Elijah and Sarai Bisbee; born in London, Can. He followed farming for two years thereafter, when he turned his attention to lumbering one year, then again purchased a farm; but, not finding agriculture a congenial pursuit, he embarked in his present business, taking charge of the mill Jan. 8, 1879, since which time he has been actively engaged in furthering the interests of the proprietors. The family circle includes the following children : Florence A., Charles D., William D., Mabel W. and Rubie M. r ^< r I!' ""m m^-^ ^S/^7^#* ^^' 456 T 4> V -— ^<:a!I^^DIl^>-r— .v:£■/^p■^yG;(9 COUNTY. ^#t^e(i^i'^^ I; cine under the instruction of his uncle, Benjamin Norton, of his native town. He attended lectures at the University of Buffalo and completed his course at Bellevue Medical College, New York city. After graduating and receiving his diploma in Februar)', 1873, he returned to his native home and remained a year, and then came to this State, and in 1875 located in Alleyton, this county, and entered upon the practice of his profession. He has met with flattering success in the practice of his profession, and is endowed with sufficient energy and studious- ness to place him foremost among the practitioners of the State. Doctor Norton was married March 7, 1878, to Miss Sarah A., daughter of John and Cornelia (Haight) Grumley, natives of New England. She was born in North Newberg, Shiawassee County, this State, Aug. 2, 1855, and remained at home until lier marriage. Mrs. Norton received all the advantages which the common schools afforded. Her parents took con- siderable pains in her musical education, and she, having a desire to e.xcel in that line, threw all her energy into the study and accomplished her fond hope by becoming proficient in the art, and previous to her marriage was engaged in teaching the same. Mr. and Mrs. Norton have one child, Fanny M., born July 9, 1879. Mr. Norton is now serving in the capacity of Health Officer in his township and prac- ticing his profession. ^*H^S'^ m rank A. Basford, farmer, section 30, Troy Township, was born in Aroostook Co ., Maine, June 19, 1837, and is a son of John and Statira (Frisbie) Basford. His father was a native of Maine, and followed the calling of a lumberman until his deatli, Dec. I. The mother was born in New Hampshire, and died Feb. 20, 1883. Mr. Basford was educated in the common schools of his native county, and was bred to the calling of his father, with whom he worked until he was 20 years of age. He came to Ohio in 1857, where he remained six years, engaged in a machine shop. He went thence to the oil regions of Pennsylvania. One and a half years later he enlisted. The war was an estabhshed fact, and the need of men to aid in quell- ing the Rebellion was the topic of all discussions. Mr. Basford enlisted in December, i86i,in the Sixth Ohio Reg. Vol. Inf. After a service of 20 months he was discharged, and returned to the Buckeye Stale, where he engaged in farming. He came thence to Ludington, Mich., and engaged with George W. Roby in the lumber business. The association con- tinued seven years. When it was terminated he came to Newaygo County and resumed farming in Troy Township. He was married in Trumbull Co., Ohio, in 1861, to Julia R. Wiseman, a native of the same county. She died in 1873, leaving four children: Job, John F., Henry S. and Mary. Mr. Basford was again married in 1876, to Mary E., daughter of Anson and Elizabeth (Rhodes) Freeman, born respectively in New York and Pennsylvania. One of the three children born of the latter marriage is deceased, — Milo M. The living are Bessie S. and an infant. Mr. Basford is a Democrat in politics, has been Township Clerk one year and Supervisor four years. -•-Si- »l|{t ames H. Darling, merchant, Fremont, was ^Kc born in New York, Dec. 13, 1841. His ^- '"'^ parents, Alexander and Lovina (Carpenter) y,^ Darling, were natives of New York, where they were married, and came to Michigan in an early day, settling in Newaygo County where they now reside. At the age of 13 James H. left fiome and went to live with his grandfather, where he remained four years, attending school nearly two years. At the expiration of this time he purchased a one-half interest in a threshing-machine. Two machines were purchased: one for clover, which was operated during the winter season, and the other during the summer. This business he followed four years. In the spring of 1862, Mr. Darling left the Slate of New York and came to Fremont. He first bought an interest in a sawmill, which he has since retained, although the mill has been burned and rebuilt in the meantime. He has bought and sold thousands of acres of land, mostly pine, and now owns a one-half interest in 400 acres in Newaygo County. In 1868 he purchased one- half interest in the store of Reynolds & Clenden- ning, which consisted of general merchandise, and ^ i->^^ w -<:P'?Nr „i>7 ^;^ "5i5^^*''^ -imm\^ i -J >:! 1 NEWAYGO COUNTY. 457 was known under the name of Darling & Reynolds. This partnership closed in less than two years, by Mr. Reynolds selling his interest to a man named Floyd Misner, and the firm was known as Darling & Misner. This partnership continued between two and three years, when Mr. Darling bought out Mr. Misner, and has since carried on the business alone. He has the largest store of this character to be found in the county. Mr. Darling is identified with all tlie reforms of the day, and is particularly interested in all that per- tains to educational matters. He is President of the Darling Milling Company, which was organized in thespringof 1883; has held the office of Council- man for three years, and is a member of the Masonic Order. He has never wished for office, owing to the pressing demands of his business interests. Mr. Darling was married in this county, to Alma, daughter of Arza and Adaline Tibbitts, who was born in Canada. Mr. and Mrs. Darling have had three children: Brittle M., Willard, who died at the age of six years, and Ralph, who died at the age of one and a half years. runa Dake, farmer, section 35, Denver ^;^^ Township, was born in Erie Co., N. Y.^ April 6, 1823. His parents, Benjamin and % m h< Polly (Colby) Dake, were natives of Vermont, and of English and Dutch-Irish ancestry. They first settled in Allegany Co., N. Y., and after- ward in Erie County. Mr. Dake's early education was obtained in the common schools of his native county, and was such as usually fell to the lot of farmers' sons in those days. He labored on his father's farm until 22 years of age, when he left home and came to this State, locating in the town of Richland, Kalamazoo County. He then went to Wyoming Co., N. Y., and married Miss Esther A. Hayes, May 4, 1S47. She was the daughter of James Hayes, a native of New England and of English descent, and was born in Wyoming Co., N. Y., March 30, 1828, where shew^s educated, having lived most of the time with a distant relative. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Dake returned to Kala- mazoo Co., Mich., where Mr. Dake worked in a saw- mill until the spring of 1849, when he removed to Barry County and followed farming. In the winter of 1856 he came to this county and settled in Denver Township, where he has since lived on a farm of 120 acres, 60 of which are well cultivated. He has also erected good buildings. April 19, 1883, his wife died at her home, leaving four children. Their names and births are as follows: .Sarah R., April 10, 1852; Andrew D., July 15, 1854; Arthur B., Nov. 9, 1S60; Alfred J., April 25, 1863; Alvin A., born Dec. 10, 1849, died Feb. 5, 187 1; Gay H., born June 2, 1868, died March 3, 1869. Mr. Dake has held the offices of Justice of the Peace and School Inspector, and is devoted to the interests of the Republican party. Himself and wife were earnest memliers of the M. E. Church. ►J- #^ fe olomon V. Walker, farmer, section 5, Day- ton Township, is a son of Elias and Eve- line (Griswold) Walker, and was born in l\\^ Berrien Co., Mich., Aug. 20, 1S38. His father was a native of Vermont and his mother of New York. They were married in the latter State, and moved to Berrien County about the year 1833, where his father purchased a tract of good land, which he cleared, and remained there until the death of his wife; after which event he sold his farm and moved to Van Buren County, bought another farm, and lived there until his death, which occurred in 1856. Solomon V. was educated in the common schools, and remained at home until 22 years of age. He then worked on a farm by the month, and in the woods, lumbering, for two years. In the spring of i860 he came to Newaygo County and purchased 80 acres of Government land under the Gradation Act, and soon after returned to Berrien County, remain- ing only one summer. He continued to improve his land, working during ihe fall and winter months, for three years. He has since added, by purchase, 120 acres, and now owns an excellent farm of 200 acres, 125 of which is well cultivated. He was married in Berrien County, Aug. i, 1862, to Nannie M., daughter of James and Mary (Mellor) Dean, who was born in England, March 8, 1841. Her parents were also na- tives of England; they came to America in 1839 and settled in Pennsylvania, and afterward moved to I K^ A sy ^ V C 'St ^^^^^ 2^ ^^h/^^m^ z^is^^^^ f-i ii T <:m'Mh>T -S€fe # (^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. Berrien Co., Mich., where they still reside. Mrs. Walker remained at home until her marriage, with tlie exception of two years, when she was engaged in teaching. Mr. and Mrs. Walker have had seven children: Mary E., Margaret E., Charles V., Elen- ora J., Alice I., Solomon J., and George E. Sept. 2, 1864, Mr. Walker enlisted in the 21st Reg. Mich. Inf., and served till the close of the war, receiving an honorable discharge June 8, 1865. He was with Sherman in his celebrated march to the sea, and in the battle of Bentonville, N. C. He held the office of Highway Commissioner three years, School Di- rector several years ; was elected Justice of the Peace but declined to serve. He was elected Su- pervisor of Dayton Township in the spring of 1883, which office he now fills. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and a charter member of Hespe- rian Grange, P. of H., No. 495 ; was chosen the first Master. In politics he sympathizes with the Na- tional party. ^«$-4HI»«-^^ V&. J. Murphy, Jr., foreman for the lumber ^■^ firm of Crepin, Murphy & Sons, is the man- -' ager of their interests in Beaver Township. They owned a large tract of land, establishing their businets there in 1878. One million feet of lumber is cut and put in White River yearly, and is floated in the Muskegon River to Mon- tague, where their extensive lumber mills are situated. Their possessions in Newaygo County include about 4,000 acres of pine land, and they employ a laboring force of about 200 men and 60 teams. P. O., Mon- tague, Mich. -.5 — '^^jy/\>- ifrenry Homes, farmer, section 5, Dayton ^ jsk Township, was born in Ontario Co., N. Y., ^^ Nov. 3, 1832. His parents, William and Dennis (Winchell) Homes, were natives of Berkshire Co., Mass They came to Lenawee Co., Mich., in 1853, and lived there about three years, then moved to Hillsdale County, where the father died in 1858 and the mother in the fall of 1865. Henry lived with his parents during their life, and for a long time was their sole support. He was the 12th child of a family of 13 children. In the fall of 1864 he sold his farm in Hillsdale County, and worked at various occupations until the fall of 1878, when he came to Newaygo County and bought 80 acres of partly improved land in Dayton Township, where he now resides. In politics he is a Republican, and cast his first vote for J. C. Fremont. lonzo Yates, merchant, farmer and lumbLT- 1^ man, section 18, Troy Township, was born ?.j|(^ Aug. 31, 1842, in Niagara Co., N. Y. He is a jjaT son of Gilbert and Polly (Hunt) Yates, and both parents were natives of the Empire State. They removed to Wisconsin in its pioneer days. His father lost his life in a river which he was crossing on the ice, driving a yoke of oxen. The latter were saved. The mother of the subject of this sketch resides near Almont, Lapeer Co., Mich. Mr. Yates was ten years old when he lost his father, and two years later he became an inmate of the family of a Mr. Hallock, and was employed as a farm laborer on his extensive estate until he became of age, and received a fair common-school educa- tion. On reaching the age of 21 years he determined to advance in life if it was within the reach of effort, aided by ambition and industry. In the fall of 1863 he made his way to Newaygo County, where he entered a claim of 120 acres of land in Troy (then Beaver) Township, under the provisions of the Homestead Act. He was the earliest settler on section 18, where the echoing ring of his ax was the first sound produced for the purpose of making a permanent settlement. He cleared a patch and built a house literally of logs, the casings even being constructed of hewn logs. Not a piece of sawn timber was in the whole structure. He had ten dollars in money as a working capital, and all his supplies were carried on his back a distance of ten miles. From his small beginning under the most trying circumstances he has brought success, and now owns 200 acres of land in Troy Township and 320 acres of land in Oceana County, lying op|)osite to his tract in Newaygo County, constituting a most magnificent farm of 520 acres of land beautifully situated, and containing 425 acres in finely improved (>; ^ \ I I '(/ ''-^^i^.^^^^^'^j^/H' :tf^ -r<^Htl»^tlOr>v ";2S^- NEWAYGO COUNTY. :^^ V T --v^ ^ and cultivated condition. He operates chiefly as a stock farmer and raises large iiuanlities of hay, to accommodate which he has fine, commodious barns. He raises cattle to a considerable e.xtent. In 1876 he opened a store for the sale of general merchan- dise in a small log building, wliich enterprise proved a successful venture, and his mercantile business is now established in an appropriate building, which was erected in 1878. His stock includes full lines of all varieties of dry goods, groceries and drugs, suitable to the demands of the local trade. His lumber interests consist of a trade in shingles, wliich are manufactured in his own mill in Lake County. Mr. Yates was married in October, 187 i, to Miss Amy Keastard, who died in 1873. Mr. Yates mar- ried Emma Keastard, twin sister of his first wife, in July, 1S74. She died in 1876, leaving two children, Ora and Emma. Mr. Yates contracted a third marriage in 1877, with Helena, daughter of Rufus and Kate (Cline) Hall, both of whom are now living at Frankfort, Benzie Co., Mich. Mrs. Yates was born in 1853, in Erie Co., Pa. Of this last marriage two children have been born. Rufus J. is the only survivor. Mr. Yates has no decided bent in political senti- ment. He has been Supervisor of Troy five years. Treasurer four years and served 18 years as Justice of the Peace. S. North, farmer, section 26, Beaver 9, 1832, in His parents, Joseph and Rebecca •'^MfilL' Township, was born July Maine. j5^ — ^^^^ "*«f?:m>T rs^^^sr #t^ ^ A A -^ ^ > 462 NEM^AYGO COUNTY. inconsiderable. Of his home place 90 acres are in cultivation. Mr. Coolbaugh is independent in political connec- tion, but formerly acted with the Democratic party. He has served his generation as Supervisor and School Inspector many years ; has often been elected Justice of the Peace, but as often declined the i)osi- tion. He was niarriedat Manchester, Washtenaw County, in December, 1852, to Lucy A. Brower, daughter of Nathan D. and Prudence (Saunders) Brower. Of six children born of the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Coolbaugh, five are living, namely : Franklin, Jo- sephine, Eugenie, Effie and Loretta. The deceased child died in infancy; Mrs. Coolbaugh died May 14, 1871. The picture of Mr. Coolbaugh, on page 460, is that of a representative farmer, worthy citizen and a man who stands second to none in the public estimation. p\. John H. Standish, attorney, resident at Newaygo, was born Feb. 10, 1 81 6, in Ben- ^^ son, Rutland Co., Vt., and is the son of H^ Henry and Abigail (Parkhill) Standish. The A patronymic comes in direct line of descent ' from the old Puritan, Capt. Miles Standish, who sent another man to do his wooing, with a result that showed he " builded better than he knew." The father of Col. Standish was a farmer, and came to Michigan about 1839 and established his in- terests in Vermontville, Eaton County. The son was a typical Green Mountain boy of the generation in which he was born, keen and knowing beyond his years, and before he was 15 years old had exhausted the educational resources of the quiet town of lien- son, which were of no mean order. At the age named he went to Odeans Co., N. Y., and there taught school six months. On the expiration of his engagement he proceeded to Ohio, where he taught school three months in Venice, Huron County; he went thence to Chicago, and engaged in clerking for Philo Carpenter, a merchant in the (then) embryo city. He remained in his employ a year and then •went West. He made a prospecting tour through Iowa and started down the Mississippi, intending to A :f>iinr' .^^J^M^. ^r^m:^ make his way to New York via New Orleans. In the Crescent City he met a casual friend, bound for Texas, and together they shipped on the "Tom Toby," a privateer fitted out in New Orleans to cruise against the Mexicans. Tiiey went aboard ostens- ibly as i^arines, with the underst.inding that on reaching Velasco, their destination, they should enroll as marines or pay regular fare. While en rotiU, young Standish fell into difficulties with Capt. Hoyt, who demanded menial service of him, against which the fiery youth rebelled, and was v threatened with the severest ship discipline and to be put in irons. Tliis roused all his mettle and he assured Captain Hoyt that he would never issue the order, and he did not ; but the feud only smoldered until the privateer arrived off Galveston, where they learned there were 800 Mexicans on the island, held by the Texan authorities. Col. Standish demanded to be put ashore. His request was complied with, but he was informed that he must report, " dead or alive," at sunset. On reaching the island the first man he met was Dr. Summers, a physician who had treated him professionally in Chicago. To him he = stated his circumstances, and the doctor took him to V^^ General Bromley, an artillery officer m the Texan a service, who tendered him his protection. In a few Siy hours Capt. Hoyt landed and gave Gen. Bromley a ^ statement which induced that official to withdraw his ( \ guaranty. On inquiry, the determined youth ascer- tained that the island of Galveston was under the authority of Lieut. -Colonel Somers, and he applied to him witli success, his friend. Dr. Summers, vouching for him as an American citizen, and the officer commanding guaranteeing his safety as such. \. Capt. Hoyt made himself lively and entertaining, ? and threatened direful results. Several days after, i the commandant sent for Standish and told him that he felt wholly unable to give him the full protection lie evidently required, as there were unmistakable evidences of plottings for secret mischief; gave him a pass across the channel at the lower end of the island, and told him when and where he would find a pony equip[)ed for the fifteen miles to be traversed before he could attempt to leave the island unob- X served. At the time appointed the jwny, mounted ^k by an undaunted strii)ling of seventeen, was flying iV^ like the winged wind towards assured freedom. ^ Dismounting at the small station in charge of a ® squad of half a dozen men, he made his request to ^ ^ mhrm^^^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. 463 ^ be set across the channel. The officer scanned him ^j from head to foot, and, pulling a paper from his e^s pocket, began to read to him an exact description of himself, and finished by declaring his intention 1 V to place him in custody and deliver him duly to Capt. Hoyt. The pass and order from the commandant proved an antidote, and he was promptly set ashore on the main land at Velasco. He immediately sought out the recruiting officer, Major J. W. Tinsley, and enrolled in the First Regiment of Texas Cavalry, under Col. Wells. One morning, a few days later, the "Tom Toby " lay off Velasco, and not long after- ward her Captain came ashore. He gave a gruff greeting to the young man who had eluded his gras]), and appealed to Major Tinsley for the surrender of the fugitive. The Major was a young man and fully in sympathy with the boy who had placed him^ self under the protection of the Texan military authorities. The Major and Captain angrily paced a long piazza where they had met, their wrath wax- ing hotter and hotter. As they met counter in their walk, Major Tinsley suddenly drew a dagger from his side pocket, and, placing it alarmingly near the throat of Captain Hoyt, informed him that he was a dead man unless he passed his word of honor to cease to molest young Standish and to surrender his baggage, which contained valualiic clothes and other property. The terrified frec-booter gave the required promise and went aboard his boat. Day-dawn re- vealed the harljor free from all traces of the "Tom Toby." Col. Standish remained in the Texan service 18 months, and took part in a number of engagements. On the organization of his regiment he was elected Second Sergeant, and passed the various grades to Second Lieutenant. When he deemed it prudent to sever his connection with his regiment he received honorable discharge and made his way to Louisiana, where he spent a year in the parishes of Natchitoches and Rajjides He then resolved to make his way North, and he came to Mount Carniel, Wabash Co., 111., where he taught school one winter. While there he was married to Hester A., daughter of the Rev. William Courter, a minister of the Disciples' or Christian Church. Under the influences brought to bear u[)on him, he became a convert to the tenets of M the Christian Church, and became active and useful 7" in behalf of its interests. That body he still holds ^\?^^^m- ^^^- — t^m f. o ■'!> ,^-^ in venerated remembrance. He is a born orator, an adept in the use of effective, concentrated language, and there is no doubt that he accomplished a large amount of good. " Isms" were at that period making astounding headway among readers and thinkers, and they engaged the interested attention of Col. Standish. He was attracted by the ])henom- ena of mesmerism, and his mercurial comi)Osition soon made him one of its ablest exponents. His experiments and reflection led him into psychology, and he commenced lecturing as soon as the sul)ject as- sumed respectable claims, and began to widen his sphere of operations. He fell away gradually from his religious connections, and became widely known as a lecturer on psychology, and traversed the land from the New England seaboard to its Western limits, disseminating his views on the topic which absorbed him and afforded scope for the exercise of his peculiar traits of character and his unusual abilities. In 1839 he left Illinois and settled his family at Middleville, Barry County, where he resided until 1852, and then settled at Newaygo, on the place which is still in his possession and where he built the house which is now his home. In his lectures in Southern Illinois his knowledge of law had attracted the attention of the Judiciary of that region, and he was invited to appear before the committee of examination appointed by the court to pass upon the qualifications of aspirants to the Bar. He complied, and was formally admitted to the prac- tice of law in the State Courts of Illinois. In 1852 he was appointed Deputy Register of Deeds and Clerk of Newaygo County, and after serving two years was elected to both offices; and re-elected in 1856. In 1857 he was admitted to practice in the State Courts of Michigan and established his business at Newaygo. In i860 he was elected Prosecuting Attorney and served two years. He then resumed the duties of his private business, which he prose- cuted until 1863. At tliis time the events and progress of the civil war were, as everywhere, the topic of the day at Newaygo, but enlistments were slow for want of a leader. The exigency awakened the old fire and spirit in the composition of Col. Standish, and he went to Grand Rapids, applied for and obtained the necessary qualifications, returned to Newaygo, hung the stars and stripes from his office window, and % SO' ^ 1^> Z^ 464 NEIVAYGO COUNTY. •:z^^ ^ 1 1=1 1 ^ before dark of the same day 22 stalwart, hardy woodsmen from the line of the Muskegon had en- rolled in the loth Mich. Cavalry. But a few weeks were consumed in filling a company, and, on report- ing, it was found to be the earliest organization of 100 men and was assigned the senior place, becoming Co. A, Capt. Standish. The regiment was mustered in Nov. 18, 1863. Its Captain was promoted by suc- cession to the position of Major Oct. 10, 1S64. On the 13th of March, i865,he was made Lieut. -Colonel by brevet, for gallantry in action at Strawberry Plains, Tenn., Aug. 23, 1864, when, with 125 men and Col- lins' 111. Battery, he repulsed an attack from Wheel- er's Cavalry Corps of 6,000 men, with nine pieces of artillery, and when seven men of his regiment held McMillan's Ford, on the Holston River, by hard fight- ing, against a brigade of rebel cavalry for three and a half hours. He was made Brevet Colonel April II, 1865, for gallantry in action at Abbott's Creek, N. C. Sept. 2, 1865, he was made Lieut. -Colonel and was mustered out Nov. 11, 1865. Company A was one of the finest in the army. Its members were nearly all lumbermen, or men made hardy and able to bear the fatigues of war by years of labor and ex- posure in their business, either as woodsmen or farm- ers. In the action at Strawberry Plains one of the most remarkable events of the whole war. Col. (then Capt.) Standish had but 275 men to withstand Wheeler's entiie force of 6,000. The statement seems incredible, and the results of the action ought to have won stars for the leader and commissions for every man in his command. The spirit of the whole detail is illustrated by the reply of one of the seven men whodefended McMillan's Ford, to Gen. Wheeler, who asked him, " Why did you not keep us from crossing? " " Why, you see, we did until you hit me, and that weakened our forces so much that you were too much for us." The rebel chief remarked, " If I had 300 men like you I could march through the realms of Pluto. (He spelled the locality with four letters for short.) On his return to Newaygo Col. Standish resumed the practice of law. In 1S67 he was elected to rep- resent his district in the Senate of Michigan, and in 1869 was re-elected. While serving his first term in the Senate he was Chairman of the Committee to investigate the legal status of the D. & M. Railroad, an onerous and imiwrtant jxjsition, for which the (f)) I ybj technical knowledge of law and eminent abilities of Col. Standish made him peculiarly fit. The business was transacted in joint committee. The Chairman of the House Committee was R. R. Smith, of Port- land, Ionia County, and the duties absorbed nearly all tlie time of the session. In the spring of the same year he was appointed by President Grant, U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Miciiigan, and in 1S73 received a re-a])pointment, serving in the aggregate eight years. During this time he resided in Grand Rapids, and in 1875 returned to Newaygo. A year later he went to Muskegon, where he prose- cuted his profession until November, 1881, when, his health being in a precarious condition, he again re- turned to Newaygo, where he is now pursuing his business as an attorney. Five children were born to Col. Standish of his marriage with Miss Courter. Two are living. The record is as follows: Cynthia Sophia, born Nov. i, 1839, died Nov. 24th of the same year. William Henry, born Sept. i, 1840, died Nov. 9, 1840. Geor- gette, was born July 24, 1842. (See sketch of W. D. Fuller.) Maicellus, born Oct. 9, 1844, died Aug. 23, 1850. Albert and Alice (twins) were born Aug. 24, 1849. The latterdied Aug. 17, 1851. Alice Sophia, born Dec. 18, 1853, died Nov. 10, 1873. She was a • young lady of unusual promise and singularly win- n ning traits of character. Albert Standish, eldest sur- ^- viving son, is a lawyer and business man of splendid attainments and abilities, and is in the employ of a prominent business firm in Chicago. The mother was born March 17, 1822, and died at Newaygo, Se])t. 29, 1855. The second marriage of Col. Standish took place at Glens Falls, N. Y., Feb. 19, 1 85 7, when Em- meline. daughter of Pliny and Martha Day, became (| "s his wife. She was born April 6, 1S30. Of this mar- ^ riage three children have been born : Miles P., born March 15, 1858, is in the lumber business at White Cloud; J. Frank, Nov. 22, 1S63, is in the employ of the C. & W. M. R. R., at the depot in Newaygo; Mattie was born Jan. 6, 1868. The sons are already an honor to the community and a credit to their gen- eration. The daughter is the treasure and joy of the household. It is impossible in a brief paragraph to convey a just idea of the character of C"ol. Standish. He be- longs essentially to the genus Yankee, and has all @\ the traits which distinguish that class to whom no "^ i (a' ^4 i NEWAYGO COUNTY. 465 /s V y> delineating pen has ever done full justice and in all ^j probability never will. His celerity in judgment ^ when emergencies drive is simply amazing. His % shrewdness and wonderful command of language ^, , would have made him one of the most successful and popular jury lawyers in the country had he com- menced his career as an attorney in eady life. He is on life's declivity in years and health, but his men- tal acumen is as keenly vigorous as in his prime, and his labors in his profession are as effective and illus- trative of the resources of information, wit and sagacity he has at ready command, as when he was in the full strength of manhood and all the ardor of ambition. eorge Luton, attorney and counsellor at law, resident at N'ewaygo, was born Dec. ^ T ^^^^^^ son of his parents, William and Eliza- beth (Crane) Luton, who are still living in Canada. His father was born in 1822, in Elgin Co., Canada, and his mother was also a na- native of the Dominion. She is a daughter of Frank Crane, who was a native of Vermont. William Lu- ton, paternal grandsire of Mr. Luton, of this sketch, came to America just previous to the second war with Great Britain and settled in Elgin County, Canada. Mr. Luton received a substantial preliminary edu- cation, and at the age of 17 years commenced teaching. He pursued that vocation five years, when he matriculated at Osgood Hall, Toronto. He passed the severe examination with much credit and was articled for five years. A successful candidate is regarded as entitled to great honor as a scholar, but he has only reached the threshholdof an arduous labor and struggle. His matriculation admits him to membership in an association whereby his position is assured and the way paved to five years of unre- mitting mental toil. The curriculum of regular study is prescribed, and four scholarships are opened to contestants. In these the studies are also arranged, the successful candidate receiving $120 for the first year, $160 for the second, $200 for the third and $240 for the fourth. Mr. Luton passed the first two years without extra effort. He entered as a contest- ant for the third year and was distanced by a com- i^ m petitor by six-tenths of a question on the examination. Nothing daunted, he undertook the struggle for the scholarship of the fourth year, and won the honors and money over his competitor of the previous year. His grade in the regular course which he read for his profession, averaged less than one below the standard of one hundred. In 1872 he passed the rigid exam ination of "Trinity term," and within the year setded at Newaygo. He formed an association with Edgar L. Gray, which relation continued with successful results four years. In 1876 Mr. Luton opened an office alone, and has since managed his business singly. He occupies at present an elegant office in the " Courtright." Mr. Luton is the present Secretary of the Newaygo County Republican Committee. In 1876 he was elected Prosecuting Attorney and continued to hold the office by re-election until Jan. 1, 1883. He holds fair rank in the legal fraternity of Northern Michigan, and is chiefly distinguished for his quiet, dignified, unostentatious manners and his attention to his busi- ness relations. He is characterized by calmness of deliberation, reflective judgment and clear under- standing of the details of his profession. As an ad- vocate he is dispassionate and effective ; in forensic debate he exhibits fine logical ix)weis and a wide scope of legal knowledge. He is non-aggressive, builds nothing at the expense of others.'and possesses traits which must eventually lead to distinction for which he can very well afford to wait. -5 vv^SS-i^ST/x/v~- t Kz. ; eter Graves, farmer, section 20, Everett Ts^^mfi, Township, is the son of Alfred and Haniiali Jll^' (Andrews) Graves, and was born in Salem, ^If J Monroe County, Mich., May 15, 1845. His yiV parents were natives of Pennsylvania. At the age of 18 yeais, Mr. Graves found himself released from his allegiance to paternal authority, and became interested in the lumber trade in Michi- gan. He found constant employ in the woods and on the water courses, and operated as a lumberman about 10 years, afterwards giving his attention to agriculture. In 1867 he entered a homestead claim of 120 acres of land on section 20, in Everett Town- ship, and subsequently bought i 20 acres on section 34. He is now clearing and cultivating these tracts of r ^L K^D!i;o:tii]^> ^ *'^>?T^i^ w i ft^^Ji^ti^' ">-f"-&&^^*sr" <^tlll>^llD>>r- T /0> Ov Iv 466 ■7 NEWAYGO COUNTY. land, and has 80 acres in tillage. He also owns 200 acres of pine land on sections 17 and 18, wliere he is pursuing his lumber interests. Mr. Graves was married in Moniteau Co., Mo., July I, 1S77, to Mary F. Wright, born March 6, 1855, in that State. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Graves, — Lula M., Gertrude H., Blanche Walton R. The last named died when two years old. Mr. Graves is a thoroughgoing, active temperance man. In early life he formed the liciuor habit, which is as easy in Northern Michigan as the proverbial " falling off a log," which saying, it is suspected, had its origin under the peculiar circumstances of local- ity, — logs being always at hand and candidates for that kind of immortality being nearly as plentiful. But Mr. Graves learned, not too late, the folly of sacrificing his manhood and the results of years of honest, worthy endeavor, and abandoned his perni- cious habit. He met with a loss of $7,000 in conse- quence of his unfortunate proclivity, in 1877, and from that date made a new departure in life. Politically, he is in affinity with the Democrat party. K hilip H. Weaver, miller, and farmer on sec. ^PIk? 30, I )ayton Tj)., is a son of Daniel and Emily. J'llfs^ (Salisbury) Weaver, natives of New York, "■([^ and was born in Lenawee Co., Mich., Feb. 22 J^ 1834. When he was five years of age his parents moved upon a farm in Hillsdale County, where he lived until he attained his majority. Dur- ing tliis time he alternated between working on the farm and attending school. In 1856 his father moved to Newaygo County and settled in Dayton Township, on the present site of the village of Fre- mont. Here Mr. Weaver was married, April 13, 1 85-, to Mary E., daughter of Ezra and Cynthia (Philips) Dickinson, natives of Connecticut, and she was born in DeKalb Co., Ind., April 30, 1838. She moved to Defiance Co., Ohio, with her parents when she was quite young, where she received her educa- tion. They then returned to Indiana, and after a lapse of two years moved to Newaygo County, this State, settling in what is now Fremont village. After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Weaver settled on a farm Mr. W. had previously purchased, in Dayton Township, on section 32. He put many improve- ments upon the farm, and in the spring of 1864 they returned to Fremont, living there and working on the farm until May, 1873, when he moved to Hespe- ria, where he has since resided, running a saw-mill and working his farm. Mr. and Mrs. Weaver have five children : Emma A., born Jan. 26, 1857; Ella L., June 22, 185.S; Lettie A., May 4, 1861 ; Leland S., Aug. 31, 1863; Mabel F., Jan. 15, 1879; Lucy M., an adopted daughter, was born March 27, 1873. Mr. Weaver is a member of the Chapter R. A. M.,of Newaygo and Hesperian Lodge, No. 246. He was the first Clerk of the original township of Fremont, and has held various school offices. In politics he is an acHve Greenbacker. Mrs. Weaver is a zealous member of the First-Day Advent Church. , :i, g dvsrin R. Haight, farmer, Denver p., is a T' son of Hiram and Sarah (Swain) Haight, |,^fM« natives of New York, and of German- ^^ Welsh descent, and was born in Bradford Co., Pa., March 17, 1839. When he was seven weeks old his parents emigrated to this State, settling in Newberg, Shiawassee County, where he was educated and lived until 17 years old, when he came to this county and located in Big Prairie Town- ship. He was engaged in lumbering until the spring of 1 86 1, when he moved to Denver Township, and settled on 80 acres of land, which he began to clear and to make a home for himself. He afterward l):)Ugiit 60 acres more, adjoining, and now has 55 acres under tillage. Residence, section 31. June 7, 1863, Mr. Haight was married to Miss Esther Ann Dake, who was born in Barry Co., Mich., July 9, 1846. Her parents, Benjamin and Clarissa Dake, were natives of New England, and of English and Dutch ancestry. Mrs. Haight was educated in her native county, and at the age of 14 years moved to this county with her parents, who settled in Den- ver Township, where she was married. Mr. H. enlisted in the 3d Mich. Inf., Co. B, Aug. 20, 1864, belonging to the Army of the Tennessee. He participated in the battle at Decatur, Ala., and Murfreesboro, Tenn. At the fonner place, the battle Vv- (■, r £V= -mr- ^ <>Da>:iiDv> z. "Xxy fe) t 4^ O 4 "^ 1® ,^^ T2$€^^^ i^V:Dtls>r -2>%,o.' :"^f^^;M J^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. 467 < had commenced when he arrived there ; his com- pany was ushered off the cars and went immediately into action. Scarcely a day passed that he was not in some engagement. At Cumberland Clap he was t.iken sick with that terrible c()mi)laint, diarrhea, and was sent to the hosiiital at Nashville, Tenn., where he remained some lime, and was finally discharged at Detroit, Aug. 18, 1865. He immediately came home and settled on his farm, where he has ever since been actively engaged in the various pursuits of farm life. Mr. and Mrs. Haight have had two children: Ada L., born Oct. 19, 1S76; .Vdelbert, born May 3, 1870, died April 12, 1879. Mr. H. is a member of the I. O. O. F., and is .Secretary of the lodge. Mrs. H. is a member of the Baptist Church, in which she has been an active worker 20 years. ■— ^' ^rederiek J. Maynard, farmer, section 27, C Denver Townshij), is a son of John and Lois (Camber) Maynard, who were natives of Clinton Co., England. They emigrated to •^l<^ America, and after spending two years in New York, came to Michigan and settled on the farm where Frederick now resides, in the fall of 1856, and where he was born Nov. 2, 1862. He spent 12 winters in the district schools of tliis place, and since that time has labored hard and earnestly to assist in cultivating his father's large farm. His father bequeathed him 70 acres of finely improved land, and he is classed with the best farmers of the county. His honesty and integrity have won for him an e.xcellent reputation. In politics he is a Re- i(, publican. ^-<^4.#.^.. Tohn W. McNabb, M. D., Fremont, was 11,^ born in \\'yandot Co., Ohio, Jan. 20, 1846. His parents, James J. and Eliza Jane (Mc- ;]N> Kim) McNabb, were also natives of that State, W of Scotch and Irish ancestry. His father was a minister of the M. E. Church. They moved to Indiana when the subject of this sketch was about six years of age. Mr. McNabb died in Miami Co , Ind., Oct. 2, 1852, and his widow Oct. 10, 1864. 1 At the age of five years John W. lost the use of his left leg by paralysis. At the age of 17 he entered the Methodist college at Fort Wayne, Ind., attending one year, then two years at Wabash C"ollege, Craw- fordsville, Ind. He next taught school for a while, and then entered the office of Dr. C. Hector, at Rochester, Ind., commencing the study of medicine. He thus passed about three years, and then one year in the medical department of the University of Michigan. Next he practiced his profession a year ai Sebastopol, Ind., and then, in the spring of 1870, came to Newaygo ("ounty, residing in Hesperia until 1875. In August of this year he came to Fremont, where he has since remained, in the successful prac- tice of his profession. In the fall of 1878 he was elected to the Legislature, over Edward Edwards, by almost 300 majority. Politically he is a National. He is a member of the Order of Odd Fellows. Dr. McNabb was nr.inied in this county, July 1, 1873, to Miss Fannie, daughter of Sullivan and Mary Armstrong, the former a [irominent and well known citizen of Newaygo. The Doctor has had one child, Kenneth, who died when four months old. Mrs. McNabb died July 27, iSSo. P^+> y^ V d ill Courtright, propiietor of "The Court- right " at Newaygo, was born July 3, 1854, at Cirand Rapids. He is a son of Aaron ^K^-"' ^"'^ Teresa M. (Barker) Courtright, both of Welsh extiaction. He was a pupil in the schools of his native city until he was 14 years old, when he was sent to New l^irighton. Pa., to at- tend the Kenwood school. There he remained until he was 16 years of age, when he returned to Michi- gan. His father owned a tract of land in Sparta Town- ship containing 204 acres, and to this the family removed in 1870. In 1872 they came to Newaygo. The senior Courtright bought the Brooks House prop- *? erty of William Addis, which he condiu:ted some I years as a hotel, his son acting as clerk. In 1879 .' the latter leased the billiard and restaurant rooms ;• attached to the hotel, and in September, 1880, he j^ rented the entire establishment. It lontained ac- i » ■ commodations for 80 guests, and the enterprise «• <-^il!l>:iltlr.>^ > 468 i-fi^ -zjC^^st- — ferr4!DD>;im^>r ■ySJSsaT'vi; NEWAYGO COUNTY. ) 1 V ') proved profitable until April, 1883, when the de- struction of the building occurred in the fire which swept away the most considerable portion of the vil- lage. The proprietor was involved in a loss of $4,000, with $1,000 insurance. Mr. Coiirtriglit rented the Raider lilock and pro- ceeded with his business as "mine host," and at once entered vigorously upon the work of construct- ing the substantial and elegant structure which bears his name. Seven months from the disaster, in No- vember, 1883, the opening of the hotel for the accom- modation of the public took place. The entire cost of the estabHshment and fittings has been about $25,000. It is built of brick, is two stories high with a basement, and has a frontage of 195 feet, with a wing 80 feet deep. The first floor is devoted to hotel purposes chiefly, and the second floor affords handsome and elaborate quarters for 100 guests. All the appurtenances of a first-class hotel may be found with appropriate fixtures. The furnishings are all new, and in the latest style, the entire estab- lishment being one of the best in Northern Michi- gan. The proprietor is a " born " landlord ; the manage- ment of the house is faultless, everything being con- ducted on an inflexible system. Order and cleanli- ness prevail throughout, and, as a hotel and accessory to Newaygo, the building is the most noteworthy of the many that add grace and comeliness to the village, which less than a year ago sliowed such unsightly traces of ruin and devastation. ;'ohii Pittwood, architect and builder, resi- dent at Newaygo, was born at Ringsash, L^r?^'? Devonshire, Eng., Feb. 15, 1843. John and Elizabeth Pittwood, his paternal grand- parents, passed their lives, died and were buried in the parish of Ringsash. 'I'heir only son, William, married Jane Stevens, of the parish of VVinkleigh, Devonshire, Eng., and to them were born three children: John, Mary Elizabeth and William Henry. The last named died Nov. 6, 1847, in Eng- land. William and Jane Pittwood, with their two children, emigrated to America in the sjjringof 1849. They had a stormy passage, and were on the ocean nine weeks. They landed at Quebec and made their way to Oakfield, Genesee Co., N. Y., where they set- tled on 100 acres of land. There their daughter died, on the first day of October, 1849, in the fall subsequent to their arrival. They lived there in prosperity about two years, and Aug. i, 185 i, another son, William Henry, was born. The mother died March 14, 1852. The father sold his farm and made a prospecting trip through the Western Stales. He finally bought 86 acres of land in Sandstone, Jack- son Co., Mich. He returned to New York and was married to Sarah B. Draper. In the fall of 1855 they took possession of their new home in Michigan. On this they remained two years, going thence to Homer, Calhoun County, where they bought 100 acres of land. They made another removal to Litchfield, Hillsdale County, where six children — three sons and three daughters — were bom to them. One son died there in early childhood. Later, the family removed to Battle Creek, where Mrs. Pittwood died, Jan. 10, 1884. The father still resides there. Mr. Pittwood, of this sketch, enlisted, at Litchfield, in the civil war, in April, 1S61, under the first rei[uisi- tion for troops, in Co. H., Fourth Mich. Vol. Inf., Capt. Funk, of Jonesville. He sustained the loss of his left thumb by a gunshot wound at Fairfax Station during the first battle of Bull's Run, and received his discharge in consequence. He returned home and re-enlisted in the First Reg. Mich. Engineers and Mechanics, under Col. William P. Innis, enrolling as Chief Bugler of the regiment and as a member of the regimental band. He served in that capacity until his period of enlistment expired, in November, 1864. He was in the battle of Stone River, or La Vergne, and in numerous skirmishes. He was dis- charged at Atlanta, Ga., and returned home. After a short visit he joined the construction department of the army and was engaged in bridge building in Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee until Lee's surrender, when he returned home and was employed in his vocation. He came to Newaygo in 1872 and established himself in the calling in which he has since continued. Mr. Pittwood was married Dec. 24, 1866, to Martha E., daughter of Samuel and Deborah (Woods) Rib- let, a native of Litchfield, boro Oct. 19, 1843. family is one of the oldest and best known of Hills- dale County, being the lineal decendants of a French nobleman, who, in consequence of his embracing the i (J) A ^ ■»"*« sy • r ^:^ ^^^ ^ <>0!l;A:^3 ^>€^ 4^^^ V „!f-^i-^^/ .^^Cs^*~'2fe ^ ^ ^ Protestant faith, had his property confiscated and Qgy was exiled under penalty of being burned as a heretic. ^i> He suffered many indignities, and, in company with I others, went to Ciermany, where he married and (cj reared a large family. Two of his sons, Christian and Bartholomew, emigrated to America and settled in Northampton Co., Pa., where John Riblet, son of Christian, and great-grandfather of Mrs. Pittwood, was born, in 1758. In the beginning of the war of the Revolution, he entered the service as First Lieu- tenant in a regiment of riflemen, but was soon after taken prisoner and confined three years on board the British man-of-war, "Roebuck." After his release he married and settled near Hagerstown, Md., where Solomon Riblet, father of Samuel, was born, in Au- gust, 1782. In the year 1800, John Riblet moved with his family to Erie, Pa., where he commanded the body guard of Commodore Perry during the building of his fleet. Solomon Riblet was Captain in a regiment of minute-men, and served with distinc- tion. Samuel Riblet, father of Mrs. Pittwood, was born in the town of Harbor Creek, Erie Co., Pa., Feb. 22, 181 1. He was taught the rudiments of a German education by his grandfather, and attended the dis- trict school during the winter months. At the age of 17 he went to Erie to complete his education at the academy at that place. He was obliged to teach winters in order to obtain funds to defray his expenses at school during the summer. He obtained a situa- tion as teacher near Pittsburg, which he filled accept- ably three years, during which time he formed the acijuaintance of Deborah Woods, to whom he was married Nov. ig. 1833. A son, S. K. Riblet (see sketch), was born and soon after they decided to em- igrate to Michigan; and, in accordance with this res- olution, they left Pittsburg and moved West in one of the emigrant wagons since called "prairie schoon- ers." After their long and tedious journey they set- tled on 160 acres of land on the Kalamazoo and St. Joseph trail, near Litchfield. They were there when the Indians were yet so numerous that it was a fre- (pient thing for 500 or more of them to collect on their farm. Here their children were reared and all grew to maturity, and here the venerable couple lived ^ together 44 years, the mother dying Dec. 21, 1879. (.• The father still lives, on the old homestead. He 7» was married Jan. 15, 1882, to Mrs. Clarinda Hartwell. r rs V -.*■.- '..i>> 473 ■;^ ^1 I gg'Vjy)«^i#^ ^ ■^(^m Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Pittwood: Mary Jane, Ethelyn D., William Henry and John S. Mr. Pittwood is a member of the Order of Masonry, belonging to Newaygo Lodge, No. 131. He owns his residence and 40 acres of land, on sec- tion 6, Crant Township, 40 acres on section i, Ash- land, and 40 acres on section 8 in Deerfield, Mecosta County. Mrs. Pittwood was a teacher in the union school at Litchfield, three years prior to her marriage. Mr. Pittwood is a man of exceptional native gen- ius, and is possessed of natural and acquired abili- ties in his profession far exceeding those of many who make greater pretentions. His traits of char- acter render him one of the most estimable citizens of Newaygo. 'ohn M. Grovesteen, deceased, was born \e March 25, 1825, in Dutchess Co., N. Y. ^'^^ His parents were natives of Germany and Ireland, and his mother died when he was five Ir years old. His father married a second time \ and passed the remainder of his life in the Empire State. Mr. Grovesteen went to the State of Wisconsin when he was 18 years old, and five years later came to Pere Marquette, Northern Michigan, for the pur- pose of engaging in the lumber woods. He returned to Wisconsin after two years, and spent a few months, coming thence to Muskegon and Newaygo Counties, Mich. He worked for some time in both the latter at blacksmithing, and i)assed two winters in the woods scaling logs. His next business ven- ture was the purchase of 80 acres of |)arily improved land in Dayton Township, for wliich he paid $800. This farm he occupied five years, sold out and movetl to Big Prairie. He there became proprietor of 160 acres of land, which he held until his death. Later lie bought 160 acres of wild land in Everett Town- ship, where he established his homestead and erected a good house, which remained his abode during the remainder of his life. Mr. Grovesteen met his death Feb. 2, 1883, by accident, being struck by a falling tree. He was a decided Republican, and a prominent man in his township. His stability and reliability of character made him generally esteemed, and he spent many years of his lite in public official capacities. He was V r ; ^ 474 NEWAYGO COUNTY. -saWs- ^ o* ■ f • Supervisor of Everett Township four successive years, and Justice of the Peace five years. He belonged to the Masonic Order. He spent four months during the war of the Reliellion in the employment of the Government, working at his trade of blacksmith, with headipiarters at Chattanooga. He was obliged to resign his post on account of ill- ness. Mr. Grovesteen was married March 25, 1857, in Big Prairie, to Eliza, third daughter of Jotham and Diantha (Garrett) Hall. The parents were natives of the State of New York, and came to Michigan during its pioneer period, finally settling in Big Prairie, where the father died. The mother was again married, to Daniel Von Sickles, and resides in Big Prairie. Mrs. Grovesteen was born in Marshall, Calhoun Co., Mich., July 31, 1837. Ten children were born of her marriage, seven of whom survive: William, Jennie B., Lydia A., Edna, Emma P., Calista N. and Mary E. Charles N. was drowned at the age of four years and seven months. John died of diphtheria, aged nine years and ten months. Mattie died of diphtheria, in her infancy. The portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Grovesteen may be found on pages 470 and 471. Nj,javid Powers, farmer, section 23, Garfield qK^MJi Township, was born in Houghton, Norfolk ■jjjiijfy- '^ Co., Can., March 4, 1856. His father, x)'«' James Powers, was born in Ireland and died HT at St. Thomas, Canada, in 1866. His mother, i Fanny (Pearl) Powers, was born in Nova Scotia and died in Bayham, Canada, when he was a small boy. He remained in Norfolk County until he was 17 years old and came to Newaygo Dec. 27, 1862. His father had been here previously and was well-known, having been employed as clerk in several stores. Mr. Powers readily found employment in theliunber woods, and gave his attention solely to hnniiering until 1873, when he moved upon his farm whicii he had purchashed in 1870, consisting of 40 acres, in its original state. He has added 40 acres to his first tract and has that amount under good improvements. He owns also 80 acres in Brooks '{'ownsliip, in com- pany with Morris Angevine, 120 acres in Crolon Township, and 80 acres in Reynolds, Montcalm County. Mr. Powers is a member of the blue lodge of Muskegon, and of the Royal Arch Chapter, No 131, at Newaygo. He was married at Newaygo, Oct. 13, 1873, to Rosa, daughter of Moses and Marsaline Molonson, who was born in Croton Township, May 13, 1S56. The household includes two children: Elgin M., born Sept. 8, 1874, and Elmer A., April 7, 1879. *?'vi*i!k& ft; I ] ugustine Henry Giddings moved to the ■■ ' village of Newaygo from the city of New %\t-.SJ York in the year 1857. He was born in the "J'liT town of Sherman, Fairfield Co., Conn., and, ii •■ How sweet is the briei- with its soft, folding' lilossoni! .\li(l sweet is tile bilk in its shiiiiineriii^ sheen; And sweeter niid fairer, mid dear to this liosoiii. Is lovcdv Sopliia. a flower so green." In tiie last line he attemped a para[ihrase, and all unconscious of the dreadful blunder and all it im- plied, he dis|).itched the letter. .Susan, iiis other fair friend, had ( laims upon his reinenibrance, and it struck him as a hap|)y thought that he wouUl copy f .V ( 1 <: living, would have been about 50 years of age. The place of his nativity is situated .n a pict- uresque portion of that State In the days of his early boyhood he lived in what is termed the Housa- tonic Valley and a few miles east of Pawling, Dutch- ess Co., N. Y. His father sold his farm at Sherman and removed to Berkshire Co., Mass., where he pur- chased another farm, in the vicinity of Great Barring- ton. The son was sent to the village school in that place until he was 16 years of age, when he was placed at Union College, Schenectady. Judge Giddings was never married, and there is an authenticated story from which an inference may be drawn. He had two young lady friends, both of whom were attending school at the Washington Semi- nary in the State of Connecticut. For one of them he had formed an ardent attachment. She may be called Sophia. In a memorable letter to her in which ?>, he addressed her as " Dear Sophia," and ended with gi " Ever yours," etc., he made considerable effort to do the occasion full justice, and i[uotcd poetry largely. As a crowning effort he inserted the following, quoting from memory, and incoirectly : i rp rii iM m^ t (<) 1^: (k^ ^^^^ •T7 r<^Dn:^llIl^>r ■^rr -4^^^(|rv^' NEWAYGO COUNTY. Sophia's letter and with a change of the name it would be appropriate. The girls were not intimate, and the term of school was so near its close that the chances of mutual confidences were small. He came to a clear understanding of the fallacy of his hopes when, a few days later, he received both his communications in one envelope, without a word of comment. He made every explanation tiiat he could devise, but in vain. This occurrence took place during his freshman year at Union. Soon after he was graduated, young Oiddings went to the city of New York and began the study of law in the office of Truman Smith. Young Giddings was associated with the leading politicians and statesmen of that period and acquired a rare knowledge of men and affairs. Possessed of a clear, discriminating and strong mind, he seized upon the shrewd political methods of the successful men of that day, and none knew better than he how to enlist the masses in his heh.ilf and cause them to carry out his desires with enthusiasm. He read for his profession a short time with another firm in New York, and in 1857, his father having extensive inter- ests in this county, he came to Newaygo and com- menced the practice of law. In 1858 Mr. Giddings was elected Prosecuting Attorney, and was re-elected in 1 860. This was the year of the Presidential campaign ; and, although he was a warm friend of William H. Seward, and was disappointed in the action of the convention, yet he became early satisfied that Lincoln would give to the country a conservative administration. During the campaign he made several able speeches in behalf of Lincoln, and at the outbreak of the Rebellion desired to enter the army. He failed in his applica- tion for a commission as Major and made no further effort. During the campaign of 1864 Giddings was especi- ally zealous in the re-election of Lincoln. He was subseciuontly elected to the office of Probate Judge of Newaygo County, and finally in 1870 was chosen Circuit Judge. His discharge of the duties of the position proved so satisfactory, that in the spring of 1875 he was placed in regular nomination. He was re-elected by a large majority, and continued to discharge the duties of his office with impartiality and ability until the fall of 1876, when he died sud- denly at Philadelphia, where he had gone to attend 475 "S : fm' t the Centennial. He was 44 years of age. But a short time previous his father had left him quite a fortune, and he contemplated making a tour of Europe during the summer of 1877 ; but his brothers laid him to his long rest among the scenes of his ^ early childhood, and there he sleeps in " God's first temples," so grandly described by Bryant, who was himself born near Great Barrington. The last case ever tried before him was Anderson vs. The White River Log & Booming Company. Judge Giddings was a man of accurate and vigorous perceptions. His mind moved in a straight line direct to the point he sought. He early discovered and seized uixjn the main issue in a case, and usually endeavored to have tried with reference to the same. Perceiving the right of a cause, he tried to guard and protect it for the benefit of the party injured. He held the scales of justice impartially. His charges to juries were clear, lucid and manifested the strength ^ ^ of his understanding and judgment. He was patient ^ in the trial of cases, and gave ample time to elicit the facts that had a possible bearing upon the issues involved. He spoke slowly but with great dignity, distinctness and clearness, and always gave urgent reasons for his rulings. He greatly enjoyed wit and humor as a pastime, and was always one of the most V/ social and genial of men. "And, as years after his death we write of our departed friend, our memory reverts to the early days of his professional career, and brings back to us in the freshness of youth, pleasant memories of him who, full of hope and aspirations, began the struggle of life when the present was full of pleasure and the future satisfying." And tliiis we walk witti him and kcc'i) uiibrdkcn Till' bond wliirli iiatun' g-ivcs, Tluukinj; tliat nur rciut'inlirunri; (hily spcikcu May n'lU'U him where he livos. ,1,1 eorgo H. Peters, farmer, section 36, Ever- WMt ett Township, was born in Livonia, Wayne h " Co., Mich., March 14, 1 841, and is a son of George and Mary Ann (Stevens) Peters. His father was born Jan. 14, 1798, in Cattar- augus Co., N. Y., and died Aug. 22, 1875. His mother had descended from the genuine Yankee stock of Massachusetts. She was born in 18 19 in 4*^^^^' i 476 V / -2^^§^ ^-^ ■T <^nD^t^iiDf> v ":25^4^^Sr f^. NEWAYGO COUNTY. -l^^5C(®vi^ the " Old Bay State," and is still living, in Eaton Co. In paternal descent, Mr. Peters comes of the sturdy, honest race known as Scotch-Irish. When he was a year old his parents came to Eaton County, where he was reared to manhood. He was married when 21 years of age and resided at home with his parents four years after that event. On leaving the paternal roof he came to Newaygo County and iden- tified himself with the agricultural element of the township of Everett, by the purchase of 40 acres of land. He has labored upon this until he has cleared 30 acres. He subsecjuently bought 40 acres, of which he has cleared seven. Mr. Peters enlisted, in 1864, in the service of the United States, and aided in consummating the final extinction of armed rebellion and enforcing the authority of the general Government. He enrolled in Co. G, Tenth Mich Cav., and was mustered out in 1865, at Jackson, Mich. He is a Republican. Mr. Peters was married, Aug. 10, 1862, to Caroline Willbur, youngest daughter of Richard and Charlotte (Dodge) Willbur. She was born in Assyria, Barry County, Feb. 22, 1842. Two children : Rinaldo B., born Aug. 13, 1863, and Albert D., born August 21, 1873. Both parents belong to the United Brethren Church. Richard Willbur was born in the State of New York, in 1791, and died in November, 1841. Charlotte Willbur was born in Vermont, in 1800. They settled in Assyria, Barry Co., Mich., in 1840. The mother, of Holland-Dutch descent, resided on the homestead place until her death, in 1877. ""slfred G. Mead, proprietor of saw-mill, sec- ^)^ tion 15, Sheridan Township, is a son of Ed- mund W. and Rachel (Knapp) Mead, who were natives of Massachusetts and settled in Putnam Co., N. Y., afterwards locating in Nor- walk, Ohio, where they passed the remainder of their lives. The subject of this sketch was born in Delaware Co., N. Y., July 12, 1825; when but four years of age the family removed to Ohio, and he remained with his parents until he was of ape. He learned the trade of rr.older, at which he worked at various l)laces, learning also the art of machinist. He re- mained in Ohio until his marriage, which occurred April 5, 1848. His wife was Hannah M, Stiles, a native of Ohio, whose parents were from New Eng- land. He first resided three years in Wisconsin, then seven years in Iowa; next, on account of ill health, he returned to Ohio and lived in several places until the summer of 1866, when he resided in Muskegon two years, and then came to Newaygo County and bought 245 acres of timber land, in Sheridan Town- ship, where he now resides. On his location here he at once erected a saw-mill, which he still runs. In politics Mr. Mead is a National, and in public affairs he has held the office of Justice of the Peace four years, and since the spring of 1879 he has been Supervisor. In social matters he is a Son of Tem- perance and active in the cause of the order. Mrs. M. is a member of the Congregational Church. Mr. and Mrs. Mead are the parents of eight chil- dren, namely : Clarence A., Edmund S., Clairinelle Edith A., Linly M., \Vinthrop G. and Clififord S., liv- ing, and Willie, who died when about 18 months old.. -^3^ tH ^Ol -5- .arshall B. Franklin, merchant, Fremont. The parents of this enterprising gentle- '^ man were Bildad and Mary J. (Young) ■1 w\ Franklin, the former a native of the State of New York, who died in Iowa, while visiting his son : Mrs. F., a native of Canada, still resides in the Dominion. Mr. F., the subject of this sketch, was born in Canada, Nov. 22, 1850; he lived at home until about 20 years of age, when he was engaged as clerk in a store in that country for over five years ; in the sum- mer of 1875 he came to this county, settling in Fre- mont, where he has since been successfully engaged in general merchandising, his transactions amounting annually to over $30,000. His stock is valued at $12,000 to $14,000. He once had also a stock of goods at Hesperia for nearly 18 months, but finally removed it to Fremont. Mr. F. is not orily a prom- inent merchant, but forward in advancing the inter- ests and building up the enterprises of his commu- nity. In the spring of 1 880 he was elected Township Treasurer and served one year; was re-elected in the spring of 1883, and is now holding the office. Since the spring of 1881 he has been Village Coun- cilman; was also Deputy Clerk one year. He is Past Master in the I O O P"., and is a Republican. Mr. F. has two children, one of whom is deceased. c» J t(^ ■■f^■ 0) n "a %\s^^^^ -<^^f^ ^ mV^M'^>^r^r r^ij^^ ^^^J% Wh^^^ ^^ y^-^iyir'-K T <>WMh>^ .^•■&-'<^ t^/i-' O \^ :-«^ V W/3 ( a r^ ^ i^f5 ?^«^ -v;> <:ll!l>:illls>^ w^^ '^^'^r—^^^J^imm^rT, 5s€^ ^ • >. I ■^)imm-i>^ $ ^ilg^/^))«^^ ■^a^gk: 6V<4l]tl>:lll]v>-r NEWAYGO COUNTY. 4^^5((^i^. 479 v^ a > V ^ <«« INTi^RODUQT^ORY. <«« »» c « S an extraordinary example of material and moral develop- ment we refer to Newaygo County. The transformation which has occurred here dar- ing the past quarter of a cen- s) tury is simply marvelous. In older countries generations of time have been required to develop the re- sources of a country as they have been in this portion of Michigan. In a few brief years the splendid and stately forests, the home of the red man and the wild beasts, have been razed to earth, and comfortable homes, broad fields of waving grain, school-houses, churches, mills, vil- lages and cities, with all the culture and refinement of the older communities, have sprung up in their stead. A record of this wonderful change is history, and that of the most important and interesting nature. It is also a solemn duty whith this generation owes to all posterity, to make a faithful and imperishable record of such history. Even in the not far distant future the exi'eriences of the sturdy and self-sacrific- ing pioneer will scarcely be credited, so strange and marvelous they will seem. Unless, therefore, re- corded faithfully and consistently at the present time. those who bore so noble a part in the development of this beautiful coimtry will have been forgotten. Without money, or prestige, or influential friends, the old pioneers drifted along one by one, from State to State, until in Michigan — the garden of the Union — they have found inviting homes for each, and room for all. To secure and adorn these homes, more than ordinary ambition was required, greater than ordinary endurance demanded, and unflinching determination was, by the force of necessity, written over every brow. It was not pomp, or parade, or glittering show that the pioneers were after. They sought for homes which they could call their own, — homes for them- selves and homes for their children. How well tliey have succeeded after a struggle of many years against the adverse tides, let the records and tax-gatherers testify ; let the broad cultivated fields and fruit-bear- ing orchards, the flocks and the herds, the palatial residences, the |)!aces of busmess, the spacious halls, the clattering car wheels and ponderous engines all testify. There was a time when [)ioneers waded through deep snows, across bridgeless rivers, and through 1 ottomless sloughs, a score of miles to mill or mar- ket, and when more time was required to reach and return from market than is now required to cross the the continent, or traverse the Atlantic. These were the times when our palaces were constructed of logs and covered with " shakes " riven from the forest ( r^ i % 480 TZ^^^ 1.^^;;^ <^DD:->v 7" NEWAYGO COUNTY. ^ trees These were the times when our children were %5J) Stowed away for the night in the low, dark attics, i^ amongst the horns of the elk and the deer, and where T through the chinks in the " shakes" they could count (^^ the twinkling stars. These were the times when our chairs and our bedsteads were hewn from the forets. Whether all succeeded in what they undertook is not a (juestion to be asked now. The proof that as a body they did succeed is all around us. Many individuals were perhaps disappointed. Fortunes and misfortunes belong to the human race. Not every man can have a school-house on the corner of his farm ; not every man can have a bridge over a stream that flows by his dwelling; not every man can have a railroad depot on the borders of his plant- ation, or a city in its center; and while these things are desirable in some respects, their advantages are oftentimes outweighed by the almost perpetual pres- ^ \ ence of the foreign beggar, the dreaded tramp, the fear of fire and conflagration, and the insecurity from the presence of the midnight burglar, and the bold, bad men and women who lurk in ambush and infest ™ the villages. The good things of this earth are not Ui all to be found in any one place ; but if more is to be found in any one place than another, that place is in our rural retreats, — our quiet homes outside of the clamor and turmoil of city life. In viewing the blessings which surround us, then, we should reverence those who have made them jx)S- sible, and ever fondly cherish in memory the sturdy old PIONEER and his log cabin. Let us turn our eyes and thoughts back to the log- cabin days of a quarter of a century ago, and con- trast those homes with the comfortable dwellings of to-day. Hefore us stands the old log-cabin. Let us enter. Instinctively the head is uncovered in token of reverence to this relic of ancestral beginnings, early struggles and final triumphs. To the left is the deep wide fire-place, in whose commodious space a group of children may sit by the fire and up through the chimney may count the stars, while ghostly stories of witches and giants, and still more thrilling stories of Indians and wild l)easts, are whisperingly told and shudderingly heard. On the great crane hang the old tea-keltle and the great iron pot. The huge shovel and tongs stand sentinel in either corner, while llie gve;it andirons patiently wait for the huge back-log. (^ver the fire-place hangs the trusty rifle. A :) H i To the right of the fire-place stands the spinning- wheel, while in the further end of the room is seen the old-fashioned loom. Strings of drying apples ♦'v* and poles of drying pumpkins are overhead. Oppo- T site the door in which you enter stands a huge deal table, by its side the dresser whose " pewter plates " and " shining delf" catch and reflect the fire-place flames as shields of armies do the sunshine. From the corner of its shelves coyly peep out the relics of former china. In a curtained corner and hid from casual sight we find the mother's bed, and under it the trundle-bed, while near them a ladder indicates the loft where the older children sleep. To the left of the fire-place and in the corner opposite the spin- ning-wheel is the mother's work-stand. Upon it lies the Bible, evidently much used, its family record tell- ing of parents and friends a long way off, and telling, too, of children "" Seatteicil like ro'^cs in bloom, Some at the briilal, and some at the tomb." Her spectacles, as if but just used, are inserted be- tween the leaves of her Bible, and tell of her purpose to return to its comforts when cares permit and duty is done. A stool, a bench, well notched and whitdeo and carved, and a few chairs complete the furniture of the room, and all stand on a coarse but well- scoured floor. Let us for a moment watch the city visitors to this humble cabin. The city bride, inno- cent but thoughtless, and ignorant of labor and care, asks her city bred husband, " Pray, what savages set this up.'" Honestly confessing his ignorance, he replies, " I do not know." But see the pair on whom age sits "frosty but kindly." First, as they enter, they give a rapid glance about the cabin home, and then a mutual glance of eye to eye. Why do tears start and fill their eyes.' Why do lips quiver? There are many who know why ; but who that has not learned in the school of experience the full meaning of all these symbols of trials and privations, of lone- liness and danger, can comprehend the story that they tell to the pioneer? Within this chinked and mud-daubed cabin, we read the first pages of our ^ history ; and as we retire through its low door-way, j and note the heavy battened door, its wooden hinges s^ and its welcoming latch-string, is it strange that the ^ scenes without should seem to be but a dream? ^ But the cabin and the palace, standing side by side ^ in vivid contrast, tell their own story of this people's ^ progress. They are a history and a jirophecy in one 01 c>: ^X> "r^y 1. <>fl!]:^Dll>> r^ l^i^>^ <-^|]ll>:nO>>-r-e- I f V / NEIVAYGO COUNTY. ~;;2fi^-'^ v ; V • r i S>-u—. ^ 4i HE county of Newaygo is a half larger than the average county, and is of the same size and shape as Kent Coun- ty. It is an oblong, being four townships, or 24 miles, wide, and six townships, or 36 miles, long. It thus contains 24 Con- gressional townships; out of this 21 civil townships have been organized. The only townships which have more than 36 square miles are Monroe, which contains 108 square miles, Beaver, 54 square miles, and Troy, 54 square miles. Each section having 640 acres, the county has con- sequently an area of 552,960 acres, more or less. Of this area there are but about 30,000 acres under cul- tivation, comprised in 1,200 farms. From this sig- nificant fact, one may form some idea of the future possibilities of Newaygo as an agricultural county. If it were as well develo[)ed as some sections in the Eastern States, it could maintain a jjopulation of 200.- 000; and under a perfectly economical cultivation, over half a million inhabitants could derive their sub- sistence from the soil of Newaygo County. The 24 Congressional townships are designated in the Government survey as townships 11, 12. 13, 14, "SJ^^^ JZ ^. :illl^>T f A V >. !) t tr-T NEWAYGO COUNTY. 483 "^ water south and from hundreds of reservoirs. This accumulation of ice-water and tlie second season of ice resulted in the formation of another glacial field, differing from the great glacier in its depth and dur- ation, being not over four feet in thickness. Along the borders of those reservoirs the ice became an in- tergral part of the shore soil, of course including the limestone ; and when the second geological spring- time arrived, millions of cubic feet of water were added to these lakes, resulting in bursting asunder their green covering of ice, which, in ascending, carried with it the limestone tables, and as the waters fell, deposited them in the positions which they hold to-day. As the Niagara rock was worn down, the rushing waters made for themselves deeper channels, and the inland lakes lowered just in proportion as the great lakes. The present river system was laid out by nature. There are few special features in the geological character of Newaygo County. There have been valuable deposits of gypsum discovered, and both coal and petroleum are supposed to abound beneath the surface. The future geologist will doubtless find much of value and interest not at present known in regard to this region, and it is hoped will be dis- covered during the next geological survey. BOTANICAL. [i T is unnecessary to name the flora of Ne- waygo County, since the species are so nu- merous and well-known. Dr. Gray, in his treatise on the Botany of the Northern States East of the Mississippi, gives 130 orders of flowering plants. In i860 a botanical survey of the .State was made, under N. H. VVinchell. His report regarded every flower, plant, shrub, tree and grass to be found in Michigan, then numbering 1,205 species, as all natives with 85 exceptions. In 1880 Messrs. Wlieeler and Smith, of Hubbardston, Mich., compiled and published a complete flora of this State, with corrections to date. Of this great num- ber there are at present found within the confines of Newaygo County nearly 400 genera, embracing pos- sibly 1,000 species. A large numlier of species con- sidered in the report of i860 have disappeared, while perhaps 25 species have been introduced within the last 20 years. The flowers, etc., are as rich generally as may be found in any of the North- ern States; in a few instancesthe brilliancy of hue is unequaled by any. All appear to reach perfection in this portion of the Peninsular State. V \. A v> C' 'V ^^i^^m^ ^^f^ — -^^na>:^DD>>i- — ^^^r- % ^484 *) = Z^^^ •rry <:my^M^> ^•^V Ar£ IV A YGO CO UNTY. «4^^f®Vi| ^ ^ ) ^ ] i^^iS3^!^' DIAM©. HE origin of the red men, or American Indians, is a subject which interests as well as in- structs. It is a favorite with t\:Y,!~.£s:i'SSiJ ''^^ ethnologist, even as it is '% ' ^ •'••"^v ^ one of deep concern to the ordi- nary reader. The era of their establishment as a distinct and insulated people must be set down and credited to a period immediately after the separation \ ^ of the Asiatics and tlie origin of the languages. No doubt whatever can e.xist when the American Indian is regarded as of Asiatic origin. The fact is that the full-blood Indian of the present is descended directly from the earliest inhabitants, or, in other" words, from the survivors of that people who, on being driven from their fair possessions, retired to the wilderness in sorrow, and reared up their children under the saddening influences of their un- quenchable griefs, beipieathing them only the habits of the wild, cloud-roofed homes of their exile— a sul- len silence and a rude moral code. In after years ~" those wild sons of the forest and prairie grew in num- ^^^ — -^ > INDIAN LIFE. XT': r' HE art of hunting not only siq^plied the In- dian with food, but, like that of war, was a means of gratifying his love of distinction. ^ ^m 'i>j^^ The male children, as soon as they accjuired Y sufficient age and strength, were furnished I with a bow and arrow, and taught to shoot lirds and other small game. Success in killing large I animals required years of careful study and practice, C :< ^ I \':,S m cw^ i hT^s^ft''"^ ^ i!i€^^ r \ A' V ) -"> 486 ?V<:I][I^^I1I1.>T— NEIVAYGO COUNTY. y^' <:/£■■■ and the art was as seduously inculcated in the minds of the rising generation as are the elements of read- ing, writing and arithmetic in the common schools of civilized comnumities. The mazes of the forest and the dense tall grass of the prairies were the objects of the most searching scrutiny, and revealed at a glance the animal that made any visible traces, the direction it was pursuing, and the time that had elapsed since it had passed. In a forest country he selected the valleys, because they were most fre- quently the resort of game. The most easily taken, perhaps, of all the animals of the chase was the deer. It is endowed with a curiosity which prompts it to stop in its flight and look back at the approaching hunter, who always avails himself of this opportunity to let fly the fatal arrow. Their general councils were composed of the chiefs and old men. When in council they usually sat in concentric circles around the speaker, and each indi- vidual, notwithstanding the fiery passions that burned within, preserved an exterior as immovalile as though cast in bronze. Before commencing business a per- son appeared with the sacred pipe, and another with fire to kindle it. After being lighted it was first pre- sented to heaven, then to the earth, then to the pre- siding spirit, and lastly to the several councilors, each of whom took a whiff. These formalities were ob- served with as close exactness as state etiquette in civilized courts. The dwellings of the Indians were of the simplest and rudest character. On some pleasant spot by the bank of a river, or near an ever running spring, they raised their groups of wigwams, constructed of the bark of trees, and easily taken down and removed to another spot. The dwelling-places of the chiefs were sometimes more sjjacious, and constructed with greater care, but of the same materials. Skins taken in the chase served them for repose. Though princijjally dependent upon hunting and fishing, the uncertain supply from these sources led them to cultivate small patches of corn. Every family did everything necessary within itself, com- merce, or an exchange of articles, being almost un- known to them. In case of dispute and dissension, each Indian relied upon himself for retaliation ; blood for blood was the rule, and the relatives of the slain man were bound to obtain bloody revenge for his death. This principle gave rise, as a matter of course, to innumerable and bitter feuds, and wars of exter- ^■'^ t Vw mination, when such were possible. War, indeed, rather than peace, was the Indian's glory and delight — war, not conducted as in civilization, but where in- dividual skill, endurance, gallantry and cruelty were prime requisites. For such a purpose as revenge the Indian would make great sacrifices, and display a patience and perseverance truly heroic ; but when the excitement was over he sank back into a listless, unoccupied, well-nigh useless savage. During the intervals of his more exciting pursuits, the Indian em|)loyed his time in decorating his person with all ^ the refinement of paint and feathers, and in the ^, manufacture of his arms and canoes. These were ' constructed of bark, and so light that they could easily be carried on the shoulder from stream to stream. His amusements were the war dance, ath- letic games, the narration of his exploits and listen- ing to the oratory of the chiefs ; but during long periods of such existence he remained in a state of *- ^ torpor, gazing listlessly upon the trees of the forest and the clouds that sailed above them ; and this va- cancy imprinted habitual gravity, and even melan- choly, upon his general deportment. The main labor and drudgery of Indian commu- nities fell upon the women. The planting, tending and gathering of the crops, making mats and bas- kets, carrying burdens, — in fact, all things of the kind were performed by them, thus making their con- dition but little l)etter than slaves. Marriage was merely a matter of bargain and sale, the husband giving presents to the father of the bride. In gen- eral they had but few children. They were subjected lo many and severe attacks of sickness, and at times famine and pestilence swept away whole tribes. A :< 'VS^- -^ -tS!- THE INDIAN DEAD. ^p~tf^ 'HE nature of their funeral rites is thus de- scribed : A few days after the burial the O (■hild, the father or mother or near relative ^ 'fe^ of the deceased gave a feast. The food was ip-i ^f prepared and carried to the grave, to which all (^ I sympathizing friends repaired. If the feast ^ was prepared by a man, none but men attended ; and .^ ^y iS^? the same rule applied to women, as in the case under Wi '^ ^^S/^^£>>^-^-.-- >*'"'t!M(r'*K .=;^ r^tini>^ ■^s^^^'^sr NEWAYGO COUNTY. 487 ^ \ > notice. When assembled, the ruler of the feast dis- tributed to each one present a portion of the food prepared ; and each one, before [Kirtaking, put a small quantity on the head of the grave, so that it might fall through an aperture and reach the body of the dead. In such a female gatliering, if one of the company were deemed profligate, she was not per- mitted to make this offering to the dead througli her own hands; but another received it from her, and of- fered it on her behalf After the offerings were made to the deceased, the remainder of tiie food was eaten by the company. Similar feasts were held in lionor of deceased men and women. When the party consisted of warriors, addresses were made, and the virtues of the dead chanted. The festivals are repeated every year, and when returning from their wintering grounds to their villages in the spring they were accustomed to clear away the grass and weeds from each grave, and keep them cleared dur- ing the summer. Among the Ottawas it was custom- ary to place a post, proportioned in height to the age and size of the deceased, at the head of the grave. On one side of this post appeared the pic- ture of an animal, the name of which was tlie pre- vailing name in the family. On the other side was a clumsy drawing, slightly resembling a man minus a head, representing a person whom the deceased had slain in war; or, if it were a child, the victim of one of its relatives was painted. A man with a head signified a i>erson wounded. Such hieroglyph- ics were multiplied in just such measure as circum- stances pointed out Near the grave post was placed a cane, about two feet in length, so that when the passing Indian or visitor arrived at the grave he strikes the post two or three times to announce his arrival. Posts eight or ten -feet high were frequently placed by the side of a hut, and always near the wig- wam or hut wherein the conjurers met to consult on the cause of severe illness. On the upper end of this post was cut the figure of the human face. Mr. Lykins, afterwards associated with McCoy, discovered one on Grand River, on which was carved with sav- age exquisiteness a bust of some Indian chief In the village was seen a tall pole, neatly pealed, streaked in vermilion and surmounted with a bunch of green boughs, probably representing the victory of some savage political party. Vc. A V ') ^ \ ii)-\®^«^r? ^^f^ — ^-^ ^n ^ !1II^>^-^ — ^^^ m. > 488 ■7<^DD>:u(l>> -v^ "5iS>ia?^" 4^^^C@vSii .VE IV AY GO COUNTY. A \ ^ 1 I USTLY it may be observed i® that Newaygo County owes its first settlement to the at- tractive pine forests with which it was once much more ''=i, - -i^ bountifully supplied than now, and to the presence of the Mus- kegon River, a splendid water- way for transporting logs and lumber to Lake Michigan. The Muskegon River is the longest stream in the State, and has its source in the beautiful lake, twelve miles in length, named in honor of the learned and unfortu- 1;)] nate Dr. Douglass Houghton, whose valuable geobgic researches were lost to the State when in 1846 he was drowned in Lake Superior, while engaged in scientific re- searclies. The principal tributaries of the Muskegon are Brooks, Pen. noyer, Butterfield and Tamarack Creeks, and Middle Branch, Hersey, Little Muskegon and Clam Rivers. Over these streams the hardy pioneers began to transport logs as early as 1837. The principal lumber operators here have come from pine regions, such as Northern New York, Maine and the Susquehanna and its tributaries, which serves to demonstrate the remarkable fact that when once a man has engaged in lumbering, he seldom relin- quishes the pursuit of wealth in that channel. He may fail at first, l)ut he hopes for final success, and he usually achieves it. So also it has been on the Muskegon River; the loggers of past years are still so engaged, and the early manufacturers of lumber still continue in the same business; if they do not personally superintend their operation in that direction, they have trusty agents that are so doing. Thus it becomes a cause for congratulation, that the early settlers on the Muskegon River were as a class energetic, enterprising and intelligent, and since Tliere is iron in our northern vinds. And our i)ines are trpcs oflioaling. we find longevity among them rather a rule than an exception. In the year 1836, the country between the Mus- kegon and Houghton Lakes had not been fully sur- veyed, but it was then being done, and the times were good. A great land company .was organized at Chicago, of which Hiram Piersons and Hon. Henry Pennoyer were prominent members, the object of which company was to hold by " squatters' claim " the mouths of all the streams north of Grand River, and up to and including the Manistee, until the same should come into market. Pennoyer built a house this same year at what is now called Sevastopol, at the foot of Muskegon Lake. One Michael Vandervoort and Hannibal H)de also made claims, a vessel named the " Westward Ho," Capt. James Banks, having brought them over from Chicago. During the same season claims were also made by other members of this land company to lands at the mouths of other streams, as far down the coast as Manistee. John McBride also laid A r^ ^^^^ ^^7KiD!i:^:Parr>^:9 m ^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. A o 4 ^ claim to the land now the site of D. P. Clay's mill, oK in the village of Newaygo, where he built his cabin, ^ and lived until late in the autumn of 1836. He T then sold his claim to George Walton, and he in tnrn As. subsequently sold to John A. Brooks. Samuel Rose, a native of Massachusetts, arrived here late in the fall of 1837. He is still living, at Newaygo, the oldest resident of the county. During the winter previous, John A. Brooks and John F. Stearns had jsassed through the county, coming from Grand Rapids on snow-shoes, and proceeding north- westerly as far north as the present site of Manis- tee, on an exploring exjiedition, and returning the same way. Their route was through a trackless wil- derness. During the season of 1837, also, the lum- ber company built a log cabin at the mouth of Bige- low Creek, one and a half miles above Newaygo, and placed a family therein to hold their claim secure. In the year 1838, Samuel Rose and George Walton cleared several acres of land east and west of the Pennoyer Creek, and on the bluffs just north of Ne- waygo. At this place, in those days, the Indians congre- gated in large numbers. The mounds or cradle knolls, both north and south of Newaygo, give evi- dence of former Indian cultivation. The Indians gave to this place the name of Newaygo, which by some is interpreted, "We go no farther." The large lakes to the southeast of the village, and the chain of them three miles north of it, abounding in fish, and the choice hunting grounds around them, as inferred from "dear licks " still existing near them, show that this point was one of the noted Indian rendezvoux of former times. Croton claims as great antiquity as Newaygo, for in 1837 Herman Joachim and Louis Bohne made claims to the present site of the village, and at the junction of the Little Muskegon with the main river. John F. Stearns and John A. Brooks were also rival claimants to the same land. The conflicting inter- fests of the four were amicably compromised, and they formed themselves into a company for the pur- pose of erecting a saw-mill and engaging in the man- 'tj^ ufacture of lumber. Brooks was chosen as chief f manager, and built a dam at the point where William Rices now is; but, owing to the "back water" from the main river during the spring of 1838, it was car- ^ ried up stream quite a distance; and, owing to this misfortune and the company's lack of funds, nothing further towards the erection of a mill was done that year. At this time there was no road to Grand Rapids or to Muskegon Lake, and no outlet of any kind save an Indian trail running nearly parallel with the river and about 80 rods from it, to its mouth, thus avoiding the deep ravines that extend from it back 20 to 60 rods at short intervals during its entire length. At the close of the spring of 1838, Brooks and Stearns bade adieu to their partners, Joachim and Bohne, and were absent from them the rest of the year. The latter, by the aid of relatives residing in Philadelphia, managed to remain on their claims a few months longer, when they again sold an interest in their sites to Lieutenant Leavenworth and Capt. Nichols. These two completed the dam and mill, manufactured lumber a short time, and then they too deemed it prudent to make their exit from the Mus- kegon River valley. Brooks never afterwards resided in Croton; but Stearns, in 1842, bought the interest of his former partners and their associates in Croton property. He thus became the sole owner of Joachim and Bohne's original claims, and the mill and dam built thereon. The winter of 1842-3 was one of great severity throughout the State. It was equally severe here on the Muskegon River, as elsewhere, and besides, the snow was here, for three months or more, of an a\er- age depth of three feet. As yet, the Croton pioneers had opened no road to any point where supplies might be obtained and no beast of burden could be urged through the snow ; making the " packing in,'' as it was called, of provisions impracticable. In this emergency, Joachim traveled on snow shoes to Grand Haven, bought deer skins, sewed his provisions in th^m, and dragged this burden over yielding snow to his home in Croton, a distance of something over 60 miles. This feat was repeated by him several times during that winter, and thus by his exertions his friends in Croton were fed till spring opened. Joachim would sometimes carry from Grand Haven to Croton, on his back, 80 pounds, traveling 30 miles a day while doing so. Croton, surrounded by a beautiful country, and Big, Marengo and Stearns Prairies, as productive then as now, failed to grow as the proprietor fondly hoped it might ; and, knowing the reason to be the want of an ^- I f A 4 (c- ^^ -4^^f^>g s)#^^^* -.<6 y^' <^^ '.^ T< /'-^ 49° i ) > >J V ) NEWAYGO COUNTY. -*4»^ >^^ ^2:s? easy way of egress, he cut out a road in 1847 to Shangles', on Rogue River, and from there was a pass- able road to Grand Rapids. Three years later, the Bartons and Dalziels, from Ionia County, and the Utleys, from Clinton County, located upon Big Prai- rie, where most of them still reside. William D. Decker, commonly called John Ma- rengo, owned a large farm on the prairie named Marengo Prairie, and all three of the prairies were soon occupied by thrifty settlers. Croton commenced growing, and soon became the headquarters for log- gers operating between that point and the present site of Big Rapids. Stearns' liberality proved his financial downfall; and in 1S50, deeply eml)arassed with debts incurred by reason of aiding settlers too poor to pay him, sold his property, already heavily incumbered, to Daniel Ball and Hon. Wilder D. Fos- ter; was in Ball's employ a short time at Grand Rapids, and then left for the West, settling in the State of Iowa. The mill on Pennoyer Creek, north of Newaygo, remained idle from 183S to 1841. In the latter year it was leased for two years by Augustus and Freder- ick Pennoyer, Samuel Rose and Hannibal Hyde. In the fall the three first named went to Chicago to buy supplies for the winter. They were purchased and put aboard of a vessel commanded by Captain John Lundy, and the Pennoyers took passage with her. She set sail for Muskegon the 22d of October. When away from port a short time, a heavy gale arose, the vessel went to pieces, and all the passengers, with the captain and crew, were drowned. Frag- ments of the wreck were found down the lake on the Wisconsin shore, 100 miles from where the disaster is supposed to have occurred. The earliest settlements were therefore made at Newaygo and Croton. From these points as centers, new comers spread out steadily in all directions, and about the time of the war most of the southern part of the county showed development under the hand of the white man. The settlements at Fremont and vicinity were made in 1855 and succeeding years. Hesperia followed Fremont about 12 years. Since then a number of lively villages have sprung up around the county, and there are in all about a dozen villages and 26 postoffices. Immigration is now more rapid than ever, and every year brings great progress in population, improvement and wealth. I HOW OUR FATHERS LIVED. < ' HE young men and women of to-day have little conception of the mode of life among the early settlers of Newaygo County. In '■(sie)"* but few respects are the manners of the tS present time similar to those of a quarter of a 1 century ago. The clothing, the dwellings, the diet, the social customs, etc., have undergone a total revolution, as though a new race had taken posses- sion of the land. Pioneer life in Newaygo County finds its parallel in almost every county in the State and throughout the State, and throughout the entire Northwest. The land was to be cleared of forests, and the skill of human art used to transplant to this fertile region the civilization of the East. Cabins were to be erected, wells dug, and the rivers and creeks made to labor for the benefit of mankind. As many living citizens can well remember, the pioneers had many diflSculties to contend with, not the least of which was the journey from civilization to their forest homes. The route lay through a wild and rough country ; swamps and marshes were crossed with great e.xertion and fatigue ; rivers were foixled with difficulty and danger; nights were passed in the dense forests, with mother earth for a couch and the trees and foliage for a shelter; long, weary days and weeks oT travel were endured, but finally tlieir eyes were gladdened, and their hearts beat faster, when a vision of their future home burst upon them. The first thing upon arrival was to set about building a cabin. While this was being done, the family slept in their wagons or upon the grass, while the horses or mules, hobbled to prevent escape, grazed the country near them. Trees of a suitable and uniform size were selected, felled and prepared for their places. The day for the raising was an- nounced, and from far and near came other pioneers to assist in the labor. The structure went up, a log at a time, those engaged slopping now and then to " wet their whistles," and soon it was ready for the clapboard roof, which was held on by huge weight poles. A door and a window were cut where the good wife directed, a chimney built, and the build- ing was ready for its occupants. The space between \$ A v. 0j% r> s^^n^'* r.-.-'^'^^cz:. ■^>i]n^iini> JL -^• ?^^ tm m ^T<:DII^tlDr> :00vy- _^v'?"*-.':^ <;5^ r^f^' 492 NEWAYGO COUNTY. ■:23^^^ -4^^((®VM. /7s "^^ ■^ ■o 1 as townships ii, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 nortli, range 14 west, and also the west half of 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 north, range 13 west, be and the same is hereby organized into a township by the name of Bridgeton. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage. Supervisors were elected in these new townships the following month, April, and on the 23d the Board of four held its first meeting. The Board then com- prised Isaac D. Merrill, E. H. Utley, Christopher Gulp and John Betts. They organized by electing Isaac D. Merrill Chairman for the ensuing year. James Barton and William Smith were chosen Over- seers of the Poor for the county. May 17th the second meeting was held, and the following were passed : Be it enacted by the Board of Supervisors of the county of Newaygo and State of Michigan, that the Commissioners of Highways for the townshij) of Bridgeton be and they are hereby authorized to build a bridge across the Muskegon River on or near the section line between sections 13 and 14, township II north, of range »4 west. Also Be it enacted by the Board of Supervisors of the county of Newaygo and State of Alichigan, that two hundred dollars be raised and collected upon the ta.xable property of the county of Newaygo, and the same is hereby appropriated for repairing the bridge across the Muskegon River near Sand Creek in the township of Bridgeton in said county of Newaygo ; also, that one hundred dollars be raised as aforesaid, to repair the bridge at the forks of the Muskegon in the township of Newaygo. At the annual meeting, held Oct. 5, 1852, $80 were ordered raised by tax for the support of the poor. The expenditure for this purpose during tlie year then closed was $73. At the same meeting the Board ordered that the offices of County Clerk and Register of Deeds he combined. L. Palmer was at that time County Clerk. The ta.xesfor the year 1853 ■were apportioned as follows : Newaygo Township $35 i 37 Big Prairie " 130 63 Brooks " 18979 Bridgeton " 178 21 Total $850 00 At the meeting of June, 1853, the Board equalized the valuation of the several townships as follows: /ii-d/ Estate. Newaygo $2i,53S 5' ^ Big Prairie 10,195 37 Brooks 3O1462 21 Bridgeton 43,7 86 35 Total real estate $io5>979 44 Personal. Newaygo $17,200 50 Big Prairie ^lOj? 00 Brooks 141251 12 Bridgeton 10,460 69 Total personal property .. .$47,949 21 Totals. Newaygo $38,736 01 Big Prairie 16,232 37 Brooks 44.7 13 2,1 Bridgeton 54.247 o4 Grand Total $153,928 75 At the October meeting, of the same year, the sum of $100 was appropriated to be used in the con- struction of a clerk's office 20 x 16, andjames Barton was appointed to let the job. At the same session John Parish presented two certificates for wolf boun- ty, and was allowed $8 on each, or $16. This is the same Parish who became one of the first settlers of Mecosta Couniy, and who laid out the village of Paris, in that county. The fifth township, Ashland, was erected by the Board Oct. 9, 1854, and was made to include the Congressional township 11 north, range 13 west. The first election was directed to be held at the house of Sullivan Armstrong, on the first Monday in April, 1855- _ • The clerk's office, above referred to, was built by P. G. Spooner, and he was allowed for the same, in May, 1855, $250. The first jail for Newaygo County was erected the same year. An account of it is given on a subsequent page. Nov. 5, 1855, the sixth township, Fremont, was organized by dividing Bridgeton Townshiji, and tak- ing for the purpose townships 16, 15, 14, 13 and the north half of township 12, north, range 14 west, and the northwest quarter of township 12 north, range 13 west, and the west half of townships 13, 14, 15 and 16 north, range 13 west. It was directed that the first annual meeting be held at the dwelling house of Wilkes Stewart, and that Wilkes Stewart, Daniel Weaver and Shepard Gibbets preside over the meet- ing. Jan. 7, 1856, the seventh township, Everett, was ^Dlli>^ ^m}'^ ^5 ^ r i -**2* )«^# NEWAYGO COUNTY. 493 "S ^> /\ organized by the Boaid. The territory then included was townships 13, 14, 15 and 16, north, range 12 !^, west. Considerable difficulty was experienced in f agreeing upon a name for this new township. I'he A), petition presented to the Board suggested the name " Douglass." This was rejected, for political reasons. A motion to adopt the name of " Everett " was then lost, and likewise a proposition to select the name " Utley." The vote rejecting " Everett "was then re- considered, and that name finally chosen. The first annual meeting was appointed to be held at the school-house on Big Prairie, and Alden Angevine, Everett Douglass and Ephraim H. Utley were ap- pointed Inspectors of the meeting. The following figures, giving the valuation of real and personal property for 1S56, show remarkably rapid developments : Everett Tmvnship. Acres of land assessed i7>9i5 E(iualized valuation of real estate $40,409 ^ Personal property % 5,86 1 Total equalized valuation $46,270 Big Prairie limnisliip. Acres of land assessed Si>8i9 = Equalized valuation of real estate $119,158 >si/ Personal property $ 4.835 V, Total equalized valuation $123,993 ^ ) Ashland Township. Acres of land assessed 1 9,983 Equalized valuation of real estate $46,573 Personal property $ 1,962 Total equalized valuation $48,535 Bridgcton Tcncnship. Acres of land assessed ■ 7 1 1 ' 6 Equalized valuation of re.al estate $56,012 Personal property $5,565 "^ Total equalized valuation .$61,577 Croton Tmvnship. Acres of land assessed 31,214 Equalized valuation of real estate $ 94,826 Personal property $ 29,106 Total equalized valuation $123,932 Brooks Township. Acres of land assessed 24,35 ' Equalized valuation of real estate $105,761 Personal property $ 7 i ,930 Total equalized valuation ^177.^9' Fremont Totvnship. Acres of land assessed 38,602 Equalized valuation of real estate $59,394 Personal property $ 5,833 Total etpialized valuation $65,227 The County. Acres of land assessed . . : 201,000 Equalized valuation of real estate $522,133 Personal property $125,092 Total equalized valuation. •$647 $212 566 89 12 243 291 20 08 567 804 92 68 332 32 t ! > The taxation this same year, for State and county purposes, gave the following amounts : Everett Township Big Prairie " Ashland " Bridgeton " Croton Brooks Fremont " $3,017 21 At a meeting held Jan. 5, 1857, the township 01 Dayton was ordered erected out of the following ter- ritory, previously belonging to Fremont Township: North half of township 13 north, range 14 west; townships 14, 15 and 16 north, range 14 west; sec- tions 4,5, 6, 7,8, 9, 16, 17 and 18, township 13 North, range 13 west; and the west half of town- ships 14, 15 and 1 6 north, range 13 west. Dayton was the eighth township organized in Newaygo County. The first annual meeting was appointed to be held at the house of M. D. Bull ; and Jacob Barnhard, Sylvanus Reed and James Bogue were named as Inspectors. Jan. 5, 1858, the townships of Green and Leonard were organized in Mecosta County, wliich was at that time and till 1859 attached to Newaygo County for judicial and legislative purposes. Green Townshiji, erected on petition of G. W. Green and others, com- prised townships 16 and 17 north, ranges 9 and 10 west. The first annual meeting was appointed to be held at the house of John Parish (the second settler in Mecosta County), and William A. Green, George W. Green and George J. Barker were chosen to pre- side over said meeting. Leonard Township was erected on petition of Chauncey P. Ives and others, out of the following territory : townships 14 and 15 north, range 7, 8, 9 and lo west. The first annual meeting was ordered to be held at " the post-office called Leonard, the first Monday in April, 1858, at nine o'clock in the morning; and at said meeting Jesse C. Shaw, Benoni Evans and Washington Sea- *0' r •~^,P^$^^>^*-'!»>- --A<^il!l>:Da>.>^^. — ^=^^€^^ ^s/^5^(^#- i I t -^m^ — a»T<-;llii:t:Dli>i>v y^^^iMj'^ -^7^ 494 NEWAYGO COUNTY. J ) >>^ V ^ ^ fe man shall be the persons whose duty it shall be to preside at such meeting." That " post-office called Leonard " was the beginning of the thriving city of Big Rapids. July 12, 1858, the Board passed the following res- olution : In accordance with section 3, article 10, of the Constitution of the State of Michigan, the offices of County Clerk and Register of Deeds are hereby declared disconnected from and after the ist day of January next. Previous to this, the County Clerk had been ex officio Register of Deeds. Oct. 18, 1858, the township of Ensley was erected, township II north, range 11 west; and the first an- nual meeting was appointed to be held at the dwell- ing house of Benjamin Ensley, on the first Monday in April, 1859, with Otis H. Kellogg, William S. Hill- man and Hiram Suter as Inspectors. March i, 1859, the east half of townships 13, 14, 15 and 16 north, range 13 west, was attached to the townshij) of Everett. March 16, 1859, townships 17, 18, 19 and 20 north, ranges 7 and 8 west, and townships 18, 19 and 20 north, ranges 9 and 10 west (all in Osceola County) were attached to the township of Green. At the ensuing June meeting of the Board, the important question arose of a settlement with Me- costa County (with Osceola County attached), which had just been erected by the Legislature as an inde- pendent county. Jesse Barker and Luther Cobb, Supervisors of the two townships (Leonard and Green) then comprised by Mecosta County, were present. Mr. Cobb made the following pro]Msitions as a basis of settlement : First, to ascertain the amount of the indelitedness of the counties on the first day of May, 1859. Second, to apiwrtion such indebtedness agreeably to the valuation of property therein, as ascertained and equalized by the Board of Supervisors for the year 1858. Thirdly, to ascertain the amount of taxes received on lands in Mecosta and Osceola Counties by the Treasurer of Newaygo County, since the first Mon- day in May, 1859, and apply the same to the dis- charge of the proper proportion of the indebtedness of those counties. Supervisors Armstrong, Coolbaugh and Barker were appointed a committee to ascertain the indebtedness according to this rule ; and it was finally decided «^ that Mecosta was in debt to Newaygo in the sum of $1,000, to bear interest from June 2. March 9, i860, township 16 north, range 11 west, was organized as Barton Township, and the first township meeting was directed to be held at the house of Sidney Seacord, in said township, on the first Monday in Ai)ril, i860; and William Daven- port, Francis S. Hooker and Sidney Seacord were appointed Inspectors of the election. The following entry on the record of proceedings under date Oct. 15, 1861, recalls an interesting time in our history, when " wild-cat " banks flourished, and paper money was always liable to depreciation: In the matter of uncurrent money now on hand in the County Treasurj' on the banks of the State of Illinois, on motion it was resolved, that the Treas- urer be instructed to dispose of the same m the best manner for the interests of the county. The Board did its full share in assisting the fami- lies of those who volunteered in defense of the flag during the great Rebellion. In 1862, $r,ooo were voted to be raised as a volunteer relief fund. Vari- ous other sums were raised during the war for this [iiirpose. In the winter of 1862-3, an unsuccessful attempt was made to detach Pierson and Winfield Townships from Montcalm County, and attach them to Newaygo. A number of the residents in those townships peti- tioned the Legislature to this effect. The Board or Supervisors passed the following resolution : Whereas, the townships of Pierson and Winfield, now attached to the county of Montcalm, have peti- tioned the Legislature of this State to be attached to the county of Newaygo; Therefore, be \\. Rcsoli'cd, by the Board of Supervisors of this county, that our v member of the Legislature from this district, as well as our Senator, be instructed and requested to use their influence in securing such annexation; and further, that the Clerk of this Board be, and he is, hereby instructed to forward to the said Repre- sentative and Senator respectively, a certified copy of this resolution, signed by the Chairman of this Board. In October, 1865, there was found to be a deficit in the volunteer relief fund of $4,000, which sum was raised by a loan, the bonds to be redeemed witliin two years. In 1866-7, steps were taken towards the erection of the present county building. The action of the Board is given on another page, in connection with the subject of county buildings. r % V'--; i«fv-* ^ <-ll!]>:Dt]^>^ «|»^^f®>& ^m, rf^' V<^DO>c^DIl>> ^K-V- ^^m>M}^ f f/ NEWAYGO COUNTY. 495 The eleventh township in Newaygo County — Grant — was erected by order of the Board, Jan. 8, 1867, out of township 11 north, range 12 west. The first township meeting was appointed for the suc- ceeding first Monday in April, at the house of Stephen L. Marvin. Samuel W. Glover, Dewitt C. Hyde and Rensselaer Brace were named as Inspectors of Elec- tion. The same year the township of Fremont ceased to e.xist under that name, and the new town- ships of Sherman, Sheridan and Denver were created. At a meeting held Jan. 5, 1869, the township of Beaver was ordered organized, of the following terri- tory: The west half of township 15 north, range 13 west, the west half of township 16 north, range 13 west, township 15 north, range 14 west, and town- ship 16 north, range 14 west. The first township meeting was appointed to be held the first Monday of the April succeeding, at the house of Frederick ^Vells ; and Cyrus O. Cornish, Bradford Freeman and Addison Freeman were appointed Inspectors of Election. The fifteenth township was erected Jan. 8, 1872, by the name of Nor^vich, and was made to coincide with township 15 north, range 11 west. The first township meeting was appointed for the school-house in district No. 6, for the first Monday in the succeed- ing April, and Willard Barton, Abraham Ten Eyck and Alexander Lawrence were named as Inspectors of Election. The sixteenth township was ordered by the Board Oct. 15, 1872, to be organized under the name of Monroe, out of the following territory: Townships 15 and 16 north, range 12 west, and the east half of townships 15 and )6 north, range 13 west. The first annual township meeting was appointed to be held the first Monday in the succeeding April, at the school-house in district No. 5, and Elias Elwell, Roger Pettibone and Harry Monroe were chosen In- spectors of Election. Several attempts have been made to form a new county out of parts of Kent, Newaygo and Mont- calm. Such a proposition has met with Init little favor from Newaygo's inhabitants. Nov. 12, 1872, the Board of Supervisors passed the following reso- lution, with but one dissenting vote : Resolved, By the Board of Supervisors of Newaygo County, that we believe that sound policy dictates that each organized county of this State be and remain as it is, as to boundaries, and that we are unalterably opposed to any division of Newaygo County; and that Hon. Sullivan Armstrong, our Representative, is hereby requested to oppose by all ,'>-. honorable means the detachment of any single town 't in this county, and the incorporating the same into ' any proposed new county, and that certified copies VS of this resolution be forwarded to our Senator and Representative for presentation to the next Legisla- ture. Oct. 17, 1879, the township of Troy was ordered erected out of township 16 nortli, range 14 west, and the west half of township 16 north, range 13 west. This territory had previously been included in Beaver Township. The first township meeting was ordered held the first Monday in April, 1880, at the house of Gilbert Yates; and Alonzo Yates, F. A. Basford and B. Freeman were named as Inspectors of the Election. Jan. 15, 1880, the township of Wilcox was organ- ized from the following territory, previously belonging to Everett: Township 14 north, range 12 west, except the south half of sections 34, 35 and 36, and including the north half of sections 4, 5 and 6, of township 13 north, range 12 west. The first town- ^ ship meeting was ordered held the first Monday in ^ April succeeding, at the house of Charles Decker; ^ and Lee A. Mason, George Ehle atid James L. Morgan were chosen inspectors of that election. Jan. 5, 1881, the township of Lincoln was organized of the following territory : East half of township 14 north, range 13 west, detached from the township of Everett, and west half of townshij) 14 north, range 13 west, detached from the township of Denver. The first township meeting was appointed to be held the first Monday in the succeeding April, at the house of John Owen ; and John Owen, Simeon Barnhard and Ernest Forbes were named as In- spectors of Election. The question of removing the county seat to some more central location has at times been agitated, but as yet unsuccessfully. Jan. 4, 1881, the Board con- sidered the following resolution : Resolved, That the county seat now located at the village of Newaygo, in said county, ought to be removed, and that the same ought to be located at the village of White Cloud ; and it is further Resolved, That we do iiereby designate the said village of White Cloud as the place to which said county seat sliall be removed, subject to the vote of the electors of said county as provided by law. This resolution was rejected by a vote of 1 1 to 5 [||]..>Z-_ ^.^^ ( ■ r ^ #!' ©-J^^^- -^^^ ^rrr<^^ D X U (is>r -2.^ 496 s <^ ^ ■f^^ ('«) Kjy iV^W^^FG^C' COUNTY. but the question is probably not definitely settled yet. Some think that a tier of townships from the northern part of the county will be added to Lake County. This would suit a large element in Lake County, as it would make their county seat more central, and it would probably be not unacceptable to the citizens of Newaygo village, for the same reason. Should a new county be at any time formed from Newaygo, Kent and Montcalm Counties, the county seat of Newaygo would beyond doubt be removed to White Cloud. Jan. 6, 1 88 1, the township of Garfield was erected, out of township 12 north, range 13 west; the east half of which had previously been a part of Brooks Township, and the west half of which was part of Sherman Township. The first annual township meeting was ordered held at Daniel E. Soper's store in the village of Newaygo, on Monday, April 4, 1881. Thomas H. Stuart, Daniel E. Soper and Lewis Eckard were designated as presiding officers. The same Board ordered the township of Brooks re-ar- ranged, by making it in future comprise township 12 north, range 12 west, the west half of which had belonged to Brooks, and the east half to Croton. The next annual meeting was directed to be held at the court-house in Newaygo, April 4, 1881. Sanford Brown, Charles K. Carter and William Glanville were appointed Inspectors of the Election. Legislative bodies frequently indulge in humor and sarcasm, but as a rule such scintillations of wit are carefully excluded from the official record of proceed- ings. The following, taken from the record of proceedings of the Board of Supervisors, will there- fore be appreciated ; it is a reixjrt of a conniiittee on fines and penalties, made to the Board: Your committee appointed to investigate the matter of fines and penalties, submit the following report: We find that there have been no certificates of fines placed on file since the ist of January, 18S1 ; from which we infer that Newaygo County is getting to be a very moral place. We also find that there has been $13 paid in to the Treasurer, supposed to have been derived from tlie above source; also that there should be something in the hands of the Prosecuting Attorney, paid in to him on a settlement of a suit of tlie People vfrsiis McKinzie, but as there is no record of the settlement, we cannot state the amount. In conclusion, your connnittee would say that we make no recommendation, for fear of disturb- ing this beautiful state of repose. All of whicli is respectfully submitted. Newaygo County has never had a large debt. It has negotiated small loans at several times, for poor farm, county buildings, or temporarj' purposes. In 1882, about $15,000 were paid on indebtedness; in 1883, several thousands more have been paid, and, at the present writing, the county has bonds outstand- ing amounting only to $4,500. Jan. 10, 1882, the 21st and last township was organized, by the name of Goodwell, out of township 14 north, range 11 west. The first annual meeting was appointed to be held at the school-house in district No. 8, on the first Monday in April succeed- ing, and John Bennett, James Bennett and Joseph Graham were named as Inspectors of meeting. "RUSSELL COUNTY." "k ^ HE normal size of a county is 16 townships or a square tract 24 miles long, and of the same width. Newaygo, Kent and Mont- calm, adjacent counties, all exceed the size of a " model county," and the idea has been broached at different times in the last 15 years of forming a new county, by detaching portions of each of these counties. This plan has not yet gained the favor of the Legislature, which is the arbiter on such matters. In the early part of 187 i, a bill was introduced into the Legislature to create a county to be called " Russell," by taking eight townships from Kent, four from Montcalm and four from Newaygo. The struggle over this measure was perhaps the hardest in that session. The opposition to the scheme was skillfully managed by the Hon. E. L. Gray, of Newaygo, and the bill, notwithstanding a strong pressure brought to bear in its favor by an active lobby, was badly beaten on the order of its final passage, after a strong debate and keen strategy. The vote was 49 nays against 36 yeas. A motion to reconsider was also defeated. The people of the southern part of Newaygo would rather lose the northern part of the county, than to see the southeastern part detached, as in the latter event the county seat would most surely be removed from the village of Newaygo. Probably the ^v -5iij^ v^X "*4^^^-^2A4^.^ JVE WA YGO CO UNTY. 497 . Merrill and J. Ryan. 1854-5.— James Barton (Chairman), Isaac D. Merrill, Sullivan .Armstrong and Hugh Rice. 1855-6. — James Barton (Chairman), George Back- (^ art, Ashley B. Furman, Alfred A. Maguire and I Sullivan Armstrong. •■■>% '^S*^-?- — James Barton (Chairman), John A. ■^ Brooks, Alfred A. Maguire, Ephraim IL Utley, ^ Christopher Culj), .Alfred A. Maxim and Daniel #iS Weaver. ^ 1857-8. — James Barton (Chairman), C. J. Bigelow, ^ Hiram Baker, Sullivan Armstrong, I. D. Merrill, -N.,V Melvin Scott, Loyal Palmer and J. H. Cogswell. 1858-9. — Ephraim Ulley (Chairman), George Ful- ler, James Barton, Melvin Scott, W. L. Stewart, Theodore Wilson, Loyal Palmer, I. D. Merrill, Jesse C. Shaw and George I. Barker. 1859-60. — James Barton (Chairman), Justus C. Hubbard, Andrew Squires, George Backart, Melvin W. Scott, Augustus A. Kellogg, Isaac H. Cogswell, Sullivan Armstrong, Benjamin H. Coolbaugh, Jesse Barker and Luther Cobb (the two last, of Mecosta County, became the Board of Supervisors of that county in 1859). 1860-1. — James Barton (Chairman), Sullivan Arm- strong, Laban Putnam, Amasa B. Watson, Sidney Seacord, George Backart, Everett Douglass, John V. Crandall, Isaac H. Cogswell and Melvin W. Scott. i86i-2. — James Barton (Chairman), Alfred F. Armstrong, Amasa B. Watson, James M. Hyatt, George Backart, Melvin W. Scott, Ransom E. French, Everett Douglass, Isaac H. Cogswell and A. Squires. 1862-3. — .Jinnies Barton (Chairman), Alfred F. Armstrong, Warren P. Adams, Isaac D. Merrill, James M. Hyatt, George Backart, Melvin W. Scott, Everett Douglass, John V. Crandall, Jonas Waters. 1863-4. — James Barton (Chairman), John A. Brooks, jr., Everett Douglass, Tracy Woodard, Mel- vin W. Scott, Wm. Martin, Zera Misner, George Fuller, Nathaniel L. Garish, Jerome A. Bottsford, Dexter P. Glazier and C'harles Carmichael. 1864-5. — James Barton (Chairman), Alfred F. Armstrong, W. N. Bevier, Amasa B. Watson, Charles Carmichael, Jacob Barnhard, Smith Cook, C. J. Bige- low, Wm. Martin, Zcrah Misner, J. B. Jewell and John L. McLain. 1865-6. — James Barton (Chairman), Milo Wiu'te, Carlos Marsh, Amos Slater, Amasa B. Watson, George Backart, William Martin, Smith Cook, Everett Douglass and Thomas Stewart. 1866-7. — James Barton (Chairman), Milo While, Lemon D. Reynolds, William T. Howell, .Amos Sla- ter, George Backart, William Martin, Everett Doug- lass, Abram Terwilliger and John Delamater. 1867-8.— James Barton (Chairman), Milo White, William D. Fuller, William Martin, Smith Cook, Willard M. Howell, William A. Anderson, Andrew J. Squires', William Davenport, George Backart, Everett Douglass, Samuel W. Glover and Charles W. Stone. 1868-9. — James liarlon (Chairman), Milo While, < •en (' K f 4 ^ I 498 ■c?V mm % 6 p •> >5 NEWAYGO vV r -^ Amos Slater, Augustus Paddock, William Daven- port, Arthur Tniesdell, W. W. Irons, John Brother- ton, William A. Haskins, Everett Douglass, Ransom E. Erench, Stephen L. Marvin, Willard M. Howell and Charles W. Stone. 1869-70. — James Barton (Chairman), Milo Wliite, Stephen L. Marvin, A. J. Spencer, W. D. Fuller, Alonzo Yates, Charles W. Stone, H. W. Craford, Frank H. Hooker, Amos Slater, B. H. Cool- baugh, M. W. Scott, George Backart and R. E. French. 1870-71. — James Barton (Chairman), Sullivan Armstrong, Wilkes L. Stuart, F. H. Hooker, Alonzo Yates, Amos Slater, George Backart, A. J. Spencer, Melvin W. Scott, C. J. Bigelow, R. E. French, J. H. Shaw, Charles W. Stone and Willard M. Howell. 187 1-2. — James Barton (Chairman), Sullivan Armstrong, William D. Fuller, Francis H. Hooker, Alonzo Yates, Amos_Slater, William Rice, Melvin W. Scott, A. J. Spencer, (;. J. Bigelow, T. S. Frey, D. C. Hyde, Benjamin Alton and R. M. Curtice. 1872-3. — James Barton (Chairman), Sullivan Arm- strong, Sanford Brown, .\mos Slater, Alburtus Andrus, Luther Dodge, William Rice, A. J. Spencer, Parley E. Howe, C. J. Bigelow, R. E. French, David Hebel, Willard Barton, Charles W. Stone and Henry C. .Stone. 1873-4. — James Barton (Chairman), Alfred F. Armstrong, John A. Brooks, Alfred A. Maxim, James Barton, Alburtus Andrus, Eugene Decker, David Collins, J. B. Jewell, Solon Webster, C. J. Bigelow, Ransom E. French, David Hebel, .Abraham Ten Eyck, Charles W. Stone and R. M. Curtice. 1874-5. — James Barton (Chairman), Sullivan Arm- strong (part of year succeeded by S. W. Peterson), George H. Brown, T. S. Frey, C. J. Bigelow, C. W. Stone, R. M. Curtice, Solon Webster, Alburtus Andrus, David Collins, Abraham Ten Eyck, William Spore, J. B. Jewell, David Hebel, Eugene Decker and Sanford Brown. 1875-6. — James Batton (Chairman), Andrew T. S(iuier, James Herron, H. M. Woodward, Alburtus Andrus, Eugene Decker, P. L. R. Fisk, Solon Web- ster, J. B. Jewel!, C. J. Bigelow, T. S. Frey, David Hebel, William Spore, Benjamin L. Ewing, C. W. Stone and Henry C. Stone. 1876-7. — James Barton (Ciiairman), Andrew T. Squier, Sanford Brown, W. S. Merrill, Eugene --K-^tlli:^: V^^ .^., --fi. Decker, Alburtus Andrus, William Rice, J. B.Jewell, Solon Webster, C. J. Bigelow, T. S. Frey, Eugene O'Connor, T. E. Fales, A. J. Bennett, Charles W. Stone and Henry C. Stone. 1877-8.— James Barton (Chairman), Andrew T. Squier, Sanford Brown, H. D. Woodward, Benjamin Candee, Eugene Decker, M. S. Kline, Solon \V'ebster, I. C. Fox, J. M. Gibbs, George M. Osman, S. E Fales, C. W. Stone, G. N. Wade, T. S. Frey and Benjamin L. Ewing. 1878-9. — James Barton (Chairman), A. T. Squier, Sanford Brown, Eugene Decker, Benjamin Candee, William Rice, I. C. Fox, Solon Webster, J. V. Cran- dall, J. M. Grovesteen, Lewis Tre.xell, James W. Hoffman, Newton Ewing, C. W. Stone, George N. Wade and H. D. Woodward. 1879-80. — James Barton (Chairman), George Ful- ler, George W. Frey, George W. Heath, Benjamin Candee, Henry D. Woodward, William Rice, Joseph B. Jewell, Solon Webster, John M. Grovesteen, John V. Crandall, Lewis Trexeli, Amos W. Whipple, A. J. Meade, Lafayette Waters and Newton Ewing. 1 880- 1. — James Barton (Chairman), Orvin Headley, Eugene Decker. Sanford Brown, Benjamin Candee, H. D. Woodward, David Collins, resigned, followed by M. T. Kline, Irwdn C. Fox, .Solon Webster, John Crandall, J. M. Grovesteen, Lewis Trexeli, A. W. Whipple, Newton Ewing, A. G. Meade, Lafayette Waters, Frank Basford and James M. Smith. 1881-2. — James Barton (Chairman), Sullivan Arm- strong, Sanford Brown, Benjamin Candee, F. W. Sipiier, James Duffey, David Collins, Irwin C. Fox? Solon Webster, J. M. Grovesteen, George Wright, E. O. Shaw, Thomas Ryan, J. L. Alexander, A. W. Whipple, Newton Ewing (resigned, and succeeded by Charles Neale), A. G. Meade, L. Waters, F. A. Basford and J. M. Popple. 1882-3. — James Barton (Chairman), W. Seaman, James Duffey, Benjamin Candee, Frank W. Squier, C. K. Carter (part of year, succeeded by Frank H. Hoag), P. A. Harrison, W. A. Anderson, Irwin C. Fox, George Wright, J. M. Grovesteen, Thomas Ryan, F. M. Pike, John Russell, James L. Alexander, H. S. Swan, Charles Neale, J. B. Mallery, A. G. Meade, F. A. Basford and R. S. Trask. 1883-4. — James Barton (Chairman), Orvin Head- ley, Frank W. Squier, James Duffy, Sanford Brown (part of term, succeeded by William Glanville), W'^y— — ~ ■• I - / ■^^^^C^tltl:t:llIl^>^ -oc^. ."^^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. Benjamin Candee, David Collins, S. V. Walker, W. ^,' A. Anderson, J. Ohrenberger, George Wriglit, F. M. ;':, Pike, John Russell, Thomas Ryan (part of term, I succeeded by H. C. Cole), James L. Alexander (part ^ of term, succeeded by L. R. Fenton), H. S. ^^ Swan (part of term, succeeded by Lemuel C. Hartt), Charles Neale, Lafayette Waters, A. G. Meade, Frank Basford and R. S. Trask. SUPERINTENDENTS OF THE COUNTY POOR. 1852. — James Barton and William Smith. 1852-4. — James Barton, William Smith and G. E. G. Wonch. 1854-5. — Martin Hunter, Samuel M. Woodward and P. C. Spooner. r855-6. — A. P. Carpenter, C. C. Mitcliell and Samuel M. Woodward. 1856-7. — A. P. Carpenter, C. C. Mitchell and Samuel M. Woodward. 1857-8. — Justus C. Hubbard, Wm. Dunliam and ,t) George Backart. V_ 1858-9. — Justus C. Hubbard, De.xter R. Glazier JC and Nelson Ganong. •-*'; 1859-60. — Gideon D. Graves, Thomas Trask and =3 William Darling. A' 1860-1. — Justus C. Hubbard, William Darling and ° Thomas Trask. Sy 1 861-2. — William Darling, Thomas Trask and ^ William S. Utley. 1862-3. — Justus C. Hubbard, M. Daniel Bull and Harry Monroe. 1863-4. — Asa P. Carpenter, John F. A. Raider and William J. Jewell. 1864-5. — ^^- 1^- Bull, Asa P. Carpenter and John F. A. Raider. 1865-6. — De-xter P. Glazier, M. D. Bull and Asa f P. Carpenter. 1866-7. — -^s^ P- Carpenter, Dexter P. Glazier and M. D. Bull. 1867-8. — Justus C. Hubbard, Asa P. Carpenter and M. D. Bull. 1868-9.— M. D. Bull, Justus C. Hubbard and Asa P. Carpenter. 1S69-70. — Justus C. Hubbard, A. P. Carpenter and M. D. Bull. 1870-1. — John Brotherton, Justus C. Hubbard and Asa P. Carpenter. C'arpenter resigned in the spring of 1871, and was succeeded liy Lewis E. Wright. 187 1-2. — Lewis E. Wright, John Brotherton and Justus t'. Hubbard. 1872-3. — John Brotherton, Lewis E. Wright and Justus C. Hubbard. o ^ (c^ 499 "N^ t873-4. — John Brotherton, Justus C. Hubbard \f (died during the term), Lewis E. Wright and Aureliu-i P. Day. 1874-5. — Aurelius P. Day, Juhn Brotheilon and Lewis E. Wright. 1^ 1875-6. — Lewis E. Wright, Aurelius P. Day and V:^ John Brotherton. 1876-7. — Irwin C. Fox (resigned, succeeded by Edwin Lore), Lewis E. Wright and Aurelius P. Day. 1877-8. — Edwin (). Shaw, Edwin Lore and Lewis E. Wright. 1878-9. — Lewis E. Wright, Edwin O. Shaw and Edwin Lore. i879-8o.-:-Edwin Lore, Lewis E. Wright antl Ed- win O. Shaw. 1 880-1. — H. J. Orton, Edwin Lore and Lewis E. Wright. 1 881-2. — William Rice, H. J. Orton and Edwin Lore. 1882-3. — Edwin Lore, William Rice, and Henry D. Woodward. 1883-4. — Henry D. Woodward, Edwin Lore and William Rice. SHERIFFS. James P. Berry 1852- 4 S. W. Matevey 1855- 8 Joshua Mills 1859-60 William Rice 1861- 4 John F. Wood 1865- 6 HiramS. Walker 1867- 8 COUNTY CLERKS. L. Palmer 1852- 4 I J. H.Simmons 1869-72 J. H. Standish 1855- 8 Sanford Brown 1873- 8 Wm. S. Utley 1859-62 G. F. Cole 1879-82. W. P. Adams' 1-^63- 3 Seth Watrous 1883- M. W. Scott 1864- 8 I COUNTY TREASURERS. John Butler 1S53- 4 J. H. Swartwout 1855- 6 W. P.Adams 1857-60 S.Armstrong 1861- 6 W.W.Dickinson 1867-72 M. S. Angell 1873- 8 C. W. Sto^le 1879-S2 Theo. S. Frey 1883- REPRESENTATIVES TO THE I.EC.ISI.ATURE. John .A. Brooks 1855-60 Wm. '1'. Howell 1861- 4 Wm S. Utley 1865- 6 C. W. Deane 1867- 8 Ceylon C. Fuller 1869-70 Edgar L. Gray 1871- 2 John H. Chubb 1869-70 ?>' George Utley 1871- 4 ^ David Collins 1875- 6 George W. Fry 1S77- 8 Elisha Pangboin 1879-82 William Kimball 1883- ^ S. .Armstrong 1873- 6 ." ■ los. B. Jewell 1877- S Tno. W. Ml Nabb 1879-80 ^jf E. E.Edwards 1881- 2 ^v Chas. W Stone 1883- '* ^^^^^ ^^A<^D!]r^ r^ ^.>*^:T /^M5 m^^ 500 :^i^ ■:25%®^^^^sr ^^nn^niif^r T^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. r^^^ >^ -i^^5((®v* REGISTERS OF DEEDS. L. Palmer, ex o^. 1852- 4 J. H. Standish, ex officio 'SS: W. Persons 1859-78 Geo. E. Taylor 1879- COUNTY SURVEYORS. JUDGES OF PROB.4TE. Jas. Barton 1855-60 I. H.Cogswell 1861- 4 Everett Douglass: 865- 8 A. H. Giddings 1S69-72 Jas. Barton '873- ' PROSECUTING ATTORNEY. E. L. Gray 1855- 8 A. H. Giddings 1859-62 J. H. Standish 1863- 4 Jas. Barton 186:; VV.D. Fuller 1869-72 Albert G. Day 1873- 6 Geo. Luton 1877-82 Wm.D. Fuller 1883- CIRCUIT COURT COMMISSIONERS. Edgar L. Gray 1855-60 Jas. Barton 1861-64 Edgar L. Gray 1865-70 A.D.Cadwallader 187 I- 4 Jas. Barton 1875- 6 W.D.Leonardson 1877- 2 E L. Gray, 1879-80 W.D.Leoi'iardsoni88i- 8 Tim. Edwards 1883- Wm. S. Utley 1855- 6 W. P. Adams 1857- 8 Win. A. Hoskins 1859-62 A. E. Upton C. Carmichael \V. S. Merrill 1863-70 1871- 2 1873- 4 John C. Brewster 1875-6 Jonh C. Manly 1877-8 J.C.Brewster 1879-80 W. S. Merrill 1881- 2 Alfred G.Meade 1880- CORONERS. James B. Cook and Ashley B. Furman Ponieroy C. SfMoner and Asa P. Carpenter .Asa P. Carpenter and Sherman Mosher Dexter P. Glazier and W. Irving Latimer Asa P. Carpenter and Samuel W. Matevey Anson Root and Thomas (i. Terry Anson Root and Marshall S. Cory Anson Root and David W. Flora Henry D. Root and Reuben M. Curtice Robert M. Luton and Reuben M. Curtice Sheribiali H. Manly and David W. Flora Leland S. Weaver and George J. Ambrose James T. Farley and Hollis T. Reed Volney Van Lieu and James ^L Webster 185s- 8 1859-60 1861- 2 1863- 4 1865- 6 1867- 8 1869-70 1871- 2 1873- 4 1875- 6 1877- 8 1879-80 1881- 2 C^^$§5-'DC^V*^<^'*>-^^--T ■ S>'^^\2X£)V®)?^C%^^ U1)ICL\L tribunals of justice and legal advocates will al- ways be found in every civil- ized community. Newaygo ^; County is no exception to this rule, although its citizens are not much given to litigation, and its criminal cases are remarkably rare. In regard to the Bar, we should bear in mind that the prosperity and well-being of every community de- pends upon the wise interpretation of its laws, as well as \\\yo\\ their judicious framing. Uixsn a few prin- ciples of natural justice is erected the whole superstructure of civil law, tending to re- vS r ^ '^ 0) ^^^s^ -^^0!l^:|]Dft>A:^' lieve the wants and meet the desires of all alike. But when so many interests and counter-interests are to be protected and adjusted, to the judiciary is pre- sented many interesting and complex problems, t'hange is everywhere imminent ; the laws of yester- day do not compass the wants and necessities of the people of to-day. The old relations do not exist, and new and satisfactory ones must be established; hence the true lawyer is a man of the day, and his capital is his ability and individuality. He cannot bequeath to his successors the characteristics that distinguish him, and at his going tlie very evidences of his work disappear. In compiling a sketch of the Bar of a county, one is surprised at the paucity of material. Tlie pecul- iarities and the personalities which form so pleasing and interesting a part of the lives of the members of imr®))^^ <^Dtl>:DIl^> NEWAYGO COUNTY. f ;^^ V A m the Bar, and which indeed constitute the charm of local history, are altogether wanting. The court records give us the main facts, but the auxiliary facts and interesting circumstances of each case are pre- served in the memory of but few, and even there they are generally half forgotten. The first attorney in the county was named Henry. He came in 185 i, and was in the county about two years, a portion of the* time being a Deputy United States Marshal. While in the performance of his official duties, he was accidentally drowned in (irand River. But little is known of him, cxcc])! that he was of rather ordinary talents, and had but little to do, as a lawyer. Nearly all of those who have entered ujion the practice of law in Newaygo County have remained here, and are still alive. The first attorney after Henry was John H. Standish, who still resides in Newaygo, and who has been one of the most promi- nent men in the county for 30 years. He came in 1852, and has since been Prosecuting Attorney a number of years, a gallant officer in the war, U. S. District .\ttorney a number of years (during which time he lived at Grand Rapids), and State Senator two terms. E. L. Gray came to the county in 1S53, and has been prominently connected with the county ever since; has been Prosecuting Attorney, Circuit Court Commissioner, Representative and Senator, and has been at the front in many important business enter- prises. VV. D. Fuller read law with Col. Standish before the war, and while the latter was .iway in the service of his country, he attended to the Colonel's business. After the war, Mr. Fuller was formally admitted to the Bar, and for some years practiced in partnership with Col. Standish. He is the present Prosecuting Attorney. James Barton was admitted to the Bar shortly after tlie war, but has practiced before Justices of tlie Peace ever since the organization of tlie county. Fred. Day and William Barton read law with Col. Standish, and were admitted to the l'>ar, but never practiced in this county. The former is now in Mex ico, connected with some mining enterprises, and Mr. Barton has become a " Philadelphia lawyer. ' A. G. Day rend law with Mr. l''uller, and has pra('ticed in Newaygo about i? years. George Luton came from fT ^^0ff-^ ''^rr- ^m Canada a few years ago, and has since been Prose- ^ cuting Attorney for one term. The attorneys residing M and practicing in the county at tlie present time are <■>>'» as follows: | James Barton Big Prairie K^ A. G. Day Newaygo George Luton " E. L.Gray " T. Edwards " William 1). Fuller " Warren D. Leonardson Fremoiu Ed. E. Edwards " V Orlando McNabb " ^ A. F. Tibbitts " _ % W'm. Tiffany . Hesperia John Harwood Wliite Cloud For the following very intercsling reiiiiniscencesof Judges and memliers of the Bar of Newaygo County we are indebted to Mr. E. L. Gray, a gentleman whose mind is stored with an inexhaustible fund of interesting historical matter. Upon the organization of Newaygo County, its first Circuit Judge was George Martin, then Louis S. Lov- ell, of Ionia, and later. Flavins Josephus Littlejohn, of Allegan. The latter was from Herkimer Co., N. Y. He was a brilliant lawyer in his younger days, but hemorrhage of the lungs recurring several times after his admission to the Bar caused his re'moval to Michigan and he settled in the (then) wilds of Alle- gan County. He kept a law office, operated as a surveyor, occasionally tried a case and accompanied the celebrated Dr. Houghton in his explorations of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in 1843-4, and came down to the Democratic State Convention to nominate the Doctor for Governor, but failed by two votes. Littlejohn was informed by Dr. Houghton before leaving that he had discovered a mine that would make both rich; but Dr. Houghton was drowned during his absence, and the secret was hopelessly lost. For many years Judge I,ittlejohn was a prominent member of the Legislature, where he distinguished himself as an orator, but was always on the wrong side politically. He was finally elected Judge of this Circuit. One of the first cases that was tried before him was a suit for divorce. A dissipated young Irishman had married a buxom girl in the State of Vermont, who had a previous understanding of his love for tlie ardent, but trusted to her influence and I the strength of his affection for her to effect his re- :<^llllri>-^ ^^^y^ • f $>: •r ■ c: % > r^: \i. vt>] ;^ X 502 -^^r<:tlll:v-r IVEWAYGO COUNTY. "^Zr^^ST ■V T ^ ^ y^j V '■c^ m form. Soon after their marriage a chance visitor to Newaygo from the Green Mountain State gave the young couple a glowing account of the possibilities of this part of Michigan. So they came hither to carve out their fortunes; but the husband, frequently intoxicated, desired to enter into the general business of earning in a manner not sanctioned by the law. He went from bad to worse, until the wife filed a bill for divorce, alleging habitual drunkenness on the part of her husband as ground for her action. On the trial, the bill of the complainant was read to the de- fendant, and, as he understood it, he was charged with being a perpetual drunkard. This aroused him. While he stated he had no serious objection to his wife's having a bill, he wished no decree rendered by which he was declared a perpetual drunkard, " be- cause, you see," said he, " that would blarst any future matrimonial prospects that might be entertained by meself." On the conclusion of the evidence, his solic- itor urged for the defendant that the rule of law ought to be, as it has since been decided by our Supreme Court, that the complainant, having had reasonable knowledge of the haliits of the man she had mar- ried, be estopped from now making that charge, and the counsel also reciuested the Court to define, as had then never been done by our Supreme Court, what amount of participation in the use of colored liquids was necessary to constitute the participator an habitual drunkard. The eloquence of Voorhees in the case of the People vs. James Nutt, could not have surpassed the fiery outburst of our oratorical Judge on that occasion. He said : "As requested, the Court will proceed to discharge the solemn duty imposed ujwn him by the law. The Court emphat- ically holds that any one who, like the defendant, becomes intoxicated whenever he comes to a village like this, where lifpior is sold, even if he does not visit it oftener than once in six months, and becomes intoxicated on any other than a public occasion like the 4th of July, Thanksgiving, New Year, or Christ- mas, or when there is a large political gathering and intense political excitement prevails, — this Court will hold such a man, becoming voluntarily intoxi- cated on any other than on the occasions alluded to, an habitual drunkard. Besides, — just think of it, — this young complainant in the simplicity of her iieart thought she could reform the defendant. Poor girl ! in this she has ignominiously failed. This Court will no longer compel her to be tied to one who is ^ liable to come home any night, his senses benumbed, ^> his reason gone and seize a broad-ax and dash out the 'a- brains of this complainant and consign himself by /*■. such a deed to a living death. Never more shall • this complainant be compelled to inhale a forty-rod whisky breath as her daily jMition, and listen at night to the deep breathing of a besotted man in which she hears the last gasps of the expiring hopes which filled her maiden dream with bliss." Both parties were present with numerous friends and the defend- ant was chagrined beyond expression; but he ceased drinking, married again and is respected, prosperous and happy. During the early period of the late rebellion, the sympathies of the Court were not with Lincoln and his supporters. The Judge fre([uently remarked that he only stayed in the State; he did not call it living. An honest and intelligent Scotchman, Alexander Dalziel, an old Free Soiler and a strong Republican, became impatient aud considered himself insulted by the plainly expressed political sentiments of Judge Littlejohn; and one day, while both were dining at the Brooks House, Mr. Dalziel asked the Judge if he had not proclaimed in the halls of the State Legisla- ture years before that he hoped the time would come when he might be permitted to sit therein by the side of the sable African, and, " besides, was you not the Free-Soil candidate for Governor in the fall of 1849.'' " Judge Littlejohn assumed a peculiarly grave expression and replied : " My friend, change is written on the whole face of nature; the issues of a quarter of a century ago between the political par- ties of the country are now obsolete. New questions are now before the country ; and that man who has ^ not the progressive spirit of the times, who cannot accommodate himself to the changed condition of our glorious country, is not fit to be an American cit- izen. To be sure, I expressed the sentiments you credit me with, but to-day it appears to this Court that this is a war for the emancipation of the slaves of the South and the destruction of our glorious Constitution." Dalziel replied: "I have not your ^ learning and cannot cope with you in argument; but as I know your past career, permit me to say that while I respect your position as Judge, as a man I despise you." The " Court " for some time held himself aloof from bar-room jangles. However, in spite of his peculiar position on " issues" A i 4 (?>; ?C^^^.o,^- -^€^*^ ■^<^D!1>:dii;> ^ m .Y®))«^^l ;«^<»- ■:=«^ ^^V<^lltl>:|]lls> <^ ;^j V '^ v^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. "Z^f^sfXr^ #t>^f^/S as a pioneer Judge lie performed a vast amount of labor and was an honor to the Bench. The oldest practicing lawyer in Newaygo County is James Barton. In passing, it may be remarked that tlie name is connected with a little romance that is valuable as a matter of history. In the early records of England families were named from the places where they were born. Bartoii-upon-Irwell is the name of one of the oldest townships of England and is located in Lancastershire. The first aqueduct bridge constructed over a navigable river is in tliat county. It carries the Bridgewater Canal over the Irwell and is forty feet above it. The holy maid of Kent, a zealous friend of Queen Catherine, who tried to defeat the purpose of Henry Eighth in ob- taining a divorce from the Princess, was named Eliz- abeth Barton. Sir Walter Scott renders the name immortal by his account of three brothers, of whom the two oldest, John and Andrew, were noted marin- ers and were foully dealt with by the Tortuguese in 1476. The king of that country, refusing reparation, James of England granted them letters of reprisal with permission to seize all Portuguese vessels until they made up their losses. It is related that Andrew, when mortally wounded in the shrouds of his vessel where he directed the conflict, called out: "Fight on, brave hearts. I am a little hurt and will rest ; meantime, stand fast by St. Andrew's Cross," meaning the Scottish ensign. He continued to encourage his men with his whistle, but when the sound ceased and they went to him he was dead. His ship was the "Lim" and subsequently became the second man-of-war in the British navy. To return : On his arrival in Newaygo County, James Barton commenced trying suits in justice courts, his main weapons being the Compiled Laws, Tiffany's Justice Ciuide, a powerful voice, sturdy sense, aptness of comparison and a way of nol talking over the heads of the Court and jury. He was wont to commence his (jlea i)y stating the fact that he was only an humble follower of the plow. Col. Stand- ish replied to him on one occasion that from the way he had tried the pending case it would be welt for the community if he should continue his humble pur- suit. But at that time both men were in learning and skill about etiual. Barton had been Supervisor in Ionia County, and a pioneer in more than one place, and contact with frontier men had sharpened his native wit and developed him intellectually. He became first Supervisor of Big Prairie and grew ex- pert as an e.xponent of all law pertaining to the as- sessment of property and levying of taxes. He took a deal of interest in posting new members in their duties and with the dignity of Chief-Justice Waite (whom he resembles) he soon became influential in the affairs of the county ; and, although not admitted to the Bar until several years later, his fame as a trial lawyer grew with the passing years. The justice court of G. E. G, Wonch, of Marengo Prairie, was in years gone by the scene of many a conflict between Barton and other attorneys. This prairie was the jumping off place for the dense pine districts far up the river. Two hotels graced the plain. In summer the tired logger whiled away his hours of idleness playing poker or speculating in pine lands. Here, day after day, Barton appeared to contest some law- suit and did prevail upon the Court aforesaid to es- tablish the rule that custom on the Muskegon River constituted law; and that here money, although due over a year, did not draw interest. One pleasant day, when the violets were in bloom and the wild roses brigiitened the landscape along the route from Newaygo to Big Prairie, Judge Barton appeared in Court and, with Hon. Williatn I. Cornwell, of Weeds- port, N. Y., a distingushed politician (also Canal Au- ditor and Appraiser of New York in 1S43-4, and Senator from Cayug.i County, when \V. H. Seward was U. S. Senator), was examined and admitted as an attorney and counsellor at law. He had for- merly been intimately associated with Lucius Patter- son, of Ionia County, and adopted his advice to tyros in law, "Think and fight." Barton's sturdy good sense has been invaluable to him. A few miles west of Barton's residence is a region fameil for its beautiful oak oiienings, sparkling brooks and lakes surrounded with high, bold shores, covered with scattering isines and abounding in fish. Here and there are marshes, where the settlers were won. to cut liay for winter use. These low lands at that period belonged to the U. S. Government. A settler, having cut a considerable ipuinlity of this hay, was surprised, when he went to secure it, to find it had disappeared. One Peter Seaman was charged with the hay al)straction. He was tried and was defended by Barton, who took the Baconian i)Osition before the , , ,• ■ I ^ f r ^^il[|:c{(]i]^>^^ t®^^ :^^ r^^ eH7<:|] D :< m>rr S°4 NEWAYGO COUNTY. y^ V ^ juiy that, as the hay belonged to the Government and not to the plaintiff, the U. S. Marshal was any day liable to appear and seize the hay even from his client. "Just think of it, gentlemen of the jury! If your verdict to-day is adverse to my client he must pay for the liay now, and perhaps a few days hence lose it by seizure by the Government officer." This overjiowered the jury, who promi)tiy rendered a ver- dict of " No cause for action. " Under the spur of this decision others who had cut hay under the same circumstances made haste to put their spoils beyond the reach of Barton's possible clients and the LT. .S. officers. In 1855 the slaughter of wolves in Newaygo County was fearful, the bounty of $8 per wolf proving a wonderful stimulus to the activity of impecunious ex- terminators. The slayer was required to submit to the Board of Supervisors a certificate signed by a Justice of the Peace, which set forth that a wolf's head had been presented to the latter, and that he had burned the ears tiiereon, etc.; and if the docu- ment was drawn in due form, the holder received a county order for the stipulated amount. The Super- visors grew restive under the continuous drain upon the treasury. Dr. John Tatman, who had recently arrived in Newaygo County, one day presented a certificate exhibiting his claims as a wolf-slayer, in which there appeared a slight informality. There- upon a series of ipiestions followed as to the manner in which the doctor had dispatched the wolf. The doctor answered that he set a trap, and he supposed the wolf got into it, because when he found his trap the wolf lay therein, dead. Supervisor Farman, of Brooks, raised the ipiestion as to whether the wolf did not kill himself, and ikirton, as an expounder of the law, thought the point well-taken, and it was decided that the wolf committed suicide. This ter- minated tlie career of Dr. Tatman at a wolf- exterminator. (He is still living, at Mt. Vernon, Dakota; and, as he was indisputably a character in the former days of Newaygo, ti quotation is given from a private letter recently written by him, whicli is as characteristic as anything that can well be furnished. He says that he misses the excite- ment and adventures incident to |)ioneer life on the Michigan frontiers, and that the only recreation lie has had of late is in driving out with Mrs. Sitting Bull, and hearing her relate the bloody adventures of her husband and his braves in the " land of the Dakotas." But he had inadvertently deprived him- self of even this small solace, as during one of their drives she gave him a sample of the Indian war- whoop which signaled the destruction of Custer, and he went flying from the buggy. Mrs. Bull since takes her airings without the doughty doctor.) After A, H. Giddings became Circuit Judge, a man named Coffin killed a man named Cook. They were acquaintances, and the assailant on meeting Cook one day instituted a quarrel, on the ground of derogatory remarks of himself having been made by Cook. The latter denied the charge, but the irasci- ble Coffin continued the use of language which Cook resented, and advanced toward Coffin, who seized a hatchet and drove its blade into Cook's back, who fell, was carried to an adjoining house and soon died. Coffin was arraigned for murder and tried before Judge Giddings, who assigned to Barton the position of counsel for the prisoner. In the course of the trial, one Dr. R. M. Curtice testified that in the treatment of a deep cut into the human body, like that made by the prisoner upon Cook, he invariably used mus- tard plaster as a remedy, knowing experimentally that it would extract the inflammation from a wound six inches in depth. The doctor was called on to prove that the deceased came to his death from the direct result of the wound from the hatciiet in the hands of Coffin. Barton passed the doctor without cross-examination, but in his address to the jury ex- terminated R. M. (Jurtice, M. I)., in this wise: — "Gentlemen of the Jury: Dr. Curtice is a very amial)lc gentleman and of very generous instincts, one whom I have known many years, and our inter- course has always been pleasant. But not every amiable man is a skillful physician and surgeon. I was forcibly impressed by this fact when I heard the doctor testify. His statements reminded me of an incident that occurred when I resided in the State of Illinois. There was a man in our neighborhood who made and peddled an ointment, which when talking to an ignoramus he called ''ointment antipodes." 'I'o others he called it "opposition ointment." It had remarkable properties, and was used in a remarkable way. If a man had a pain in his chest it must be applied to his back. If a person had severe experience from horseback-riding, it must be applied to the top of his head ; and if his head ached, 7>ice A (7^ s '^t« ^owm%^>^^. — ^€3^ ■^ V<^PIl>^llI]^>r -^j^. NEWAYGO COUNTY. > ^ /S ■^1 V ?•»•* versa. I will pass the testimony of Dr. Curtice with- out further notice." The jury brought in a verdict of acquittal, much to the chagrin of the Court. During the plea of tiic counsel for the prisoner, some one remarked to Dr. Curtice thai Barton was making a great effort. The disgusted doctor replied, " He is talking like a d — n fool, and I will lick him as soon as Court adjourns." That threat passed without ful- fillment, liowever. Judge Barton will live in the history and traditions of Newaygo long after he shall be gathered to his fathers. Dignity has become nature through long practice in positions of responsi- bility and trust. His stalwart dimensions, stentorian voice, Celtic wit, broad information and wide experi- ence with men and affairs, his infectious mirth and the gleam of latent fun in his keen, black eyes, brilliant yet and flashing with the same light that made them magnificent in his manhood's prime, render him the most striking, manly figure in Newaygo. He has been a power in the county, and the records of his administration of business will be a permanent epitaph, that will reflect honor and luster on his memory while they shall endure. In 1 87 I there was living at Fremont Center a law- yer named Lillie. He was of fine personal pres- ence, tall, dark, with long, black hair, was a collegian, intellectual, and a former temperance lecturer, but at this time intemperate. He was a forcible speaker, had a keen sense of the ridiculous, and might have been a man of jxisition and influence. His habits had separated him from his wife and child. To the latter he was tenderly attached, and carried her pic- ture constantly with him. But his unfortunate pro- clivity cost him all he had or might have been in the world, and he finally died alone in his office. Now and then in his business he showed traces of former power and made able pleas before a jury. In the year above named the celebrated trial of David Mosher vs. James Young was tried before Judge Giddings. E. I,. Gray appeared as counsel for the plaintiff, and Lillie as the defendant's attorney. Mosher had secured the arrest of Young on the charge of assault and battery upon him, and claimed that by reason of the blows inflicted upon him i)y Young he had ringing sounds in his head, etc., and that he experienced excruciating pains in his temple, and that his happiness was thus destroyed for life. He insisted on having an old Indian doctor who had attended him, as a medical expert, to testify to his condition, and this in spite of his attorney's remon- strance. The doctor said that the brain was divided into three parts — the frontal, base and apex, and that the ringing in the ears experienced by the plain- tiff, Mosher, must have been caused by a recent in jury. Lillie endeavored to impeach the plaintiff, and to secure that end introduced one Tennant as a wit- ness, who, in answering the usual question, stated that the reputation of Mosher among his neighbors for truth and veracity was bad, etc. Gray asked him to define ''truth and veracity." The witness replied sharply: "I will; Truth is truth, and veracity is a falsehood." Gray rejoined: "Then the plaintiff must be a man of integrity." Finally the defendant, the Rev. James Young, took the stand, and pro- ceeded to relate his story. He was a large, pleasant man, with a good voice, aad his statements were de- liberately made in a tone of great solemnity. Mosher wore on the trial a pair of trousers which were made conspicuous by an immense white patch where such an appendage is earliest needed by persons of se- dentary habits, though Mosher was only an easy- going farmer. Young, addressing the jury, said : " Gentlemen, I was a soldier in the late war. I knew no fear then; neither do I now. I fought under the Stars and Stripes, and aided in maintaining the liber- ties you now enjoy. I am an old man now and was quite advanced in years when I enlisted, i)ut 1 came from a military family and had to go to the front. After the war was ended 1 returned to my home near White River in this county. I met tlie plaintiff soon after. I said to him, ' Good morning, Brother Mosh- er.' He replied, ' Are you i)ai:k again .'' I was greatly in hopes you would never return, and it is a great pity you did.' I said (dropping the term brother); ' 1 cannot long stand Copperhead remarks like these you have uttered. I am a minister of the gospel, but having been in Libby Prison and well-nigh suf- fered death in the cause of my country, I am afraid the devil will soon take possession of me. But Mosher repeated his language, and I struck him on the side of his face with my bare hand and he went down on all fours. While he was in that, ix)sition; that patch on his trousers hove in sight, and I could not resist the temptation to put my foot against it ; and I can assure you, gentlemen of the jury, that the sight of Brother Mosher rolling over and over, his 1:1 "^ f I I A C-* 1 f ^^Da:^(iD^> -zJ^^^^ I > :^^ s NEWAYGO COUNTY. revolutions being tallied by that patch, was a laugha- ble one, and you should have seen it. That was all I did, and I have prayed to be forgiven for that." The jury and audience were convulsed. Lillie made a terrific plea, but the jury felt compelled to render a small judgment for the plaintiff, and did so. This was the last case that Lillie ever argued in the Cir- cuit Court. A volume would no more than do justice to the reminiscences of Newaygo County Bench and Bar in the palmy pioneer days. Such names as those given in this desultory sketch, and others just as worthy of note and which have left memories full of interest and affection, reflect a lustre on the pages of the county records second to nothing of similar scope or purpose in the Peninsular State. ewaygo's Part in the War ;.e^ ■a - og-x> - ^ r^ '4i Mf^ [k M i/Vi p! W-' V J -N? ill -.. ■ -■.c.'_- HEN the boom of the great guns in Charleston harbor in tlie spring of 1861 went rolling across the continent, their echo ' j,X^ penetrated every loyal heart in ,\ his country. They had scarcely ceased belching forth their iron j missiles and our national ensign ,| disgraced ere the patriotism of mI the sons of Newaygo County ^ prompted them to rush to their country's defense. The readiness with which the first call was filled, together with the embarrassments that surround- ed President Lincoln in the ab- sence of sufficient laws to author- ize him to meet the unexpected emergency, together with an under- estimate of the magnitude of the rebellion and a general belief that the war would not last more than i three months, checked rather than encouraged the patriotic ardor of the people. But I v/ *> u very few of tlie men, comparatively speaking, who volunteered in response to President Lincoln's call for 75,000 volunteers for three inonths,were accepted. But the time soon came when there was a place and a musket for every man. Call followed call in quick succession, until the number reached the grand total of 3.339.748, as follows : April 16, 1 86 1, for three months 75,000 May 4, 1861, for five years '>4,748 July, 1861, for three years 500,000 July 18, 1862, for three years 300,000 ^y\ August 4, 1862, for nine months 300,000 June, 1863, for three years 300,000 October 17,1 863, for three years 300,000 February 18, 1864, for three years 500,000 July 10, 1864, for three years 200,000 July i6, 1864, for one, two and three years, 500,000 December 21, 1864, for three years 300,000 For four long years the organization of new com- panies and enlistment of men for old companies whose ranks had been decimated by disease and rebel bullets, was carried on. Gray-headed men, who had almost reached three score years and ten, and boys not yet out of their teens, went to the camp, and, through the most urgent solicitation, ^-'^v:::. -:l <-ll(i:.> ^ ■"vx3^- <-:IlD>:ilIlv>r '^-'-^ b NEWAYGO COUNTY. ^' ^■■^f-^f^ij v 507 were accepted and sworn into the service. Neither age nor youth kept them back ; and when rejected from either cause, or from i)hysical inability, would insist on being received, believing themselves as capable of doing a soldier's duty as thousands who had gone before. Three hundred of as brave men as ever handled a musket or drew a sword went out from this county, — many, very many, never to re- turn. If you go with us to the battle-fields of the South we shall see how there fell at Stone River, Shiloh, Mission Ridge, Lookout Mountain, Chatta- nooga, C'hickamauga, Atlanta, Vicksburg and other places, those who were the pride of fond fathers, loving mothers, and unselfish, devoted wives. We shall see them dropping off one l)y one, and often without coffin or burial shroud, thrown into the cold ground, there to await the resurrection morn, and the reunion upon the other side of the river of death. In many a home throughout the county we find the vacant chair, and witness the mournful look of those ever watching for one that cometh not. Upon the streets, day by day, we meet those wearing sleeve- less garments, or walking in a way that tell too plainly that the sound of the foot-fall is not made by flesh and blood. Imiuire the reason, and we shall prob- ably learn that while charging the enemies' lines at Vicksburg, Shiloh, or elsewhere, a cannon ball de- prived them of a limb. But no word of complaint do we hear ; the only regret expressed being that it was not possible to do more for their country. THE BEGINNING. m [HE news of the opening of the civil war produced an instantaneous effect in Ne- waygo County. Volunteers stepped for- ward, funds and supplies were pledged, and while some were preparing for deeds, others were helping along the good cause by their moral support. Union meetings were held in various places in the county, one of the largest being held at Croton. This unanimity of Union sentiment at Croton was manifested by a pole-raising and the hoisting of the stars and stripes, April 18, 1861. This ceremony was performed amidst the booming of cannon, the inspiring strains of martial music and the deafening cheers of the people, led by George Backart. Every one present, — men, women and children, — seemed fired by the spirit of patriotism. Mr. J. Mills was chosen C'hairman, and addressed the gathering, breathing sentiments of devotion to his country and the Union. Patriotic speeches were also made by Messrs. Barton, Dickinson, Maze, Spicer, Wood, Carpenter, Douglas, Armstrong, Tucker, Briggs, Horton and others. These were interspersed often with martial music, and patriotic songs sung by J. W. Carpenter. At the close of the speaking the following resolutions were adopted : Resolved, That self-government is practicable; and although, like all other forms of government, the republican government of America is subject to re- bellions, it is destined to live and prosper, as hereto- fore, the most noble government in the world. Rt'soh'eJ, That civil war has been thrust upon us without provocation, that our national flag has in many instances been insulted, and that it is there- fore the duty of every American citizen to redress the wrongs long enough endured, by whatever means the exigency may demand. Resolved. That the perpetuity of our free institu- tions depend upon the preservation of the Union, and that we will give efficient aid to put down any combination that may threaten its overthrow. The Newaygo Republican reflected the general sentiment of the people. April 25, Mr. Maze used the following words in the editorial columns: No period since the Revolutionary struggle has ever elicited or demanded the undivided support of every American citizen, as the present. Our arsenals and fortifications are seized, our treasury has been robbed, our mints and military stores have been stolen, our citizens have been mobbed and murdered for daring to express the doctrines of Washington and Jefferson ; our national flag has in every possible manner been trampled upon; the glorious stars and stripes under which Washington fought is torn asun- der by traitors, and the serpentine motto of rattle- snakes, crocodiles and pelicans reared in their stead. Shall we longer endure their outrages and insults .' Shall we longer allow the high-handed work of the rebels to disdain and dishonor our country.' Let the answer be. No, never. We appeal to you, young men ; the country is in want of your service. Proud will ever be the man who can boast of having aided in redressing the wrongs so long endured. Proud indeed will be the position of the most humble sol- dier who shall aid in the suppression of the treason- able band that now threaten the overthrow of our Government. May it be our province to record the names of a noble band from this valley. Let the K^ y A T I '•^^ ^m-MM'^^^ ^i)^5(iiy^ $e^#» ■ev mmn'f^>¥^ — ^^^ ^ y 1 NEWAYGO COUNTY. glorious Muskegon not be lax in the service of its country, in this hour that tries men's souls. Newaygo did more than talk. She sent forward her best blood, over a hundred volunteers in one year, and met every call made upon iier for supplies and money. The Board of Supervisors made ample provision for the families of volunteers by establish- ing a relief fund. When the citizens declared for war, they intended to sujiport the war to the end, and did not give up when it was found that crushing the rebellion was to be a work of years, not of months. The spirit of patriotism was just as high in the darkest days of the war as the first week after the firing on Sumter. July 31, 1862, a war meeting was held at Newaygo, with Sullivan Armstrong as Chairman and J. H. Maze as Secretary. Speeches were made by Capt. Thomas, of Grand Rapids, and Messrs. Howell, Gray, Staiidish, Maze and others, and the following resolutions were adopted : Resolveil, That we are unalterably opposed lo any terms of conciliation or compromise with traitors under arms, and in hostility to the Government. Resolviul, That we are in favor of conducting the war upon the principle of punishing, not protecting the enemy, and for this purpose we hold that the enemy's property should pay the expenses, and ever)- means known to the usages of civilized warfare em- ployed to cripple his energies and cripple the rebel- lion. Resolved, That as a military necessity, for the preservation of the Union, the institution of slavery should be totally and forever aliolished, and loyal men only compensated for the slaves. Resolvetl, That we are opposed to emjiloying our soldiers! n menial services that could be more profit- ably done by slaves. ENROLLMENT AND ENLISTMENT. i/nll' HEN, in the summer of 1861, it was seen J^^Jj that a great war was really commenced, jP the Supervisors of Newaygo County, under IvW authority, made a canvass, and reported the following as the number of men, by townships, liable to military duty : Ashland 65 Brooks 96 Barton 8 Bridgeton 81 Big Prairie 48 Croton 50 I^^iyton 33 Ensley 23 Everett 36 Fremont 28 Total . ;;;^i;^V£^<^i#- .L-i ....468 The following year the enrollment was as follows : Ashland 84 Brooks 123 Barton 13 Bridgeion 79 Big Prairie 48 Croton 92 Dayton 68 Ensley . . 30 Everett 25 Fremont 36 Total 59S But, in the meantime, that is, from the beginning of the war to Sept. i, 1862, the enlistments numbered as follows : Ashland, 1 1 ; Brooks, 33 ; Barton, Day- ton and Bridgeton, 23; Big Prairie, 10; Croton, 34; Everett, t i ; Ensley, 5; Fremont, 9; total, 136. During the whole war, Newaygo's contribution was about 300 men. DRAFTS 5-Cl-/ HE first calls of the President for troops found Newaygo County ready to fill its ijuota, but in the latter part of the war drafting was resorted to. Three drafts were made in all, though but one was of importance. The first came in the spring of 1864, and was made through a mistake on the part of the military authorities, the county having really filled its quota by enlistment. The second draft came off June 10, 1864. Six were taken from Fremont township, eleven from Ashland, eleven from Big Prairie, three from Ensley, two from Everett, and two from Dayton. The third draft was made in March, 1865, but those drawn were not needed, as Lee surrendered the fol- lowing month, and recruiting ceased. Xilfc> THE END. HE rejoicing at the end of the war was sin- cere and great. Meetings were held at ^ ,_ several points in the county. At Newaygo ^^'^ the citizens assembled in the evening of April II, amid the sound of cannon and ringing of bells, to glorify over the dawn of peace. Patri- otic speeches were made by Messrs. St. Clair, Howell, Gray, Maze and Fuller, interspersed with animating music by a choir. The exercises closed with the ^Ill]s>A^. ^^^^ -1^^ () 1 :llh/®»^#- -:2^^^ ^^-7<-^DI]>:llIl^>r y^^i. -fj'^jf^.f^ NEIVAYGO COUNTY. 509 ^f singing of the " Star Spangled Banner," and three 'P^ cheers for the brave generals in the field. Less than ^ a week later the citizens were once more called to- f gelher; this time in sadness and tears, for the mar- /A tyred Lincoln. Appropriate resolutions were' adopted ^^ and all loyal people were requested to wear the badge of mourning for thirty days. •-<>' B^-' V R « -^ THE CLOSE. 5 HEN the war was ended and peace re- stored, the Union preserved in its integrity, 'f~^ the sons of Newaygo who had volunteered } their lives in defense of their government^ and who were spared to see the army of the Union victorious, returned to their homes to re- ceive the grand ovations and tributes of honor from friends and neighbors who had eagerly and zealously followed them wherever the fortunes of war called. Exchanging their soldiers' uniforms for citizens' dress, most of them fell back to their old vocations — on the farm, at the forge, the bench, in the shop, and at whatever else their hands found to do. Brave men are honorable always, and no class of citizens entitled to greater respect than the volunteer soldiery of this county, not alone because they were sol- diers, but because in their associations with their fel- low men their walk is upright, and their honesty and character without reproach. Tlicir couMtiy tirst. their glory :inil tlicii- pridi-, L:in dicil : Wlicn in the riglit, they'll keep their lionor briglil. When in the wrong, they'll die to .«et it right. ^S-^'^ THE "INDIAN WAR." r-.- l!+4- ATE in the summer of 1862, rumors were rife of an Indian uprising in Michigan. • '■j.' 'i'' Absurd as the idea was, many believed it, and the " home guards " were called into active service. Regular watches were kept at many villages, and for some time the Indians were nightly expected. Perhaps the most surprised citi- zens of all were the peaceful and inoffensive Indians ® themselves, of whom numbers resided, and still re- side, in Newaygo and surrounding counties. .After a few weeks the excitement subsided, and the following paper, prepared by the Indians, effectually ended the " Indian war," which has ever since been regarded as a farce of the most ludicrous description : " We, the undersigned. Chiefs of the Ottawas and Chippeways of Oceana and Mason counties, in coun- cil assembled, having, with regret, heard that our white friends had become very much excited on ac- count of certain rumors which have, of late, been in circulation with regard to our taking up arms against them, would take this method of informing them of the utter absurdity and falsity of those rumors. "We profess, as a jieople, to l>e loyal to the (iov- ernmcnt, and peaceable, unoffending citizens. "Many of our peo[)le, from \arious parts t)f the State, have met together at the head waters of the Muskegon River, for the purpose of hunting deer. They have there built a brush fence, some five or si.x miles in length (where deer are in the habit of resort- ing in great numbers), from behind which they shoot them as they come up. This has been a custom among us for many years, and never before have we been suspected by our white friends of treachery ; and we are exceedingly grieved to learn that this simple contrivaace for entrapping deer, should, by re- port, have assumed the formidable appearance of a strong fortress, from which we were to wage warujion the whites. " It has also been ignorantly reported that there were some two thousand armed Indians in the vicinity of Saginaw. It is true that there has been lately a large gathering of them near that place, and quite a number of Canadian Indians came over, but it was for the express purpose of holding a camp-meeting, and tioi from a belligerent motive. " These are the true facts in regard to the matter, and we trust they are sufficient to allay the fears of our white friends ; for we assure them that we have never entertained any feelings towards them hut those which are the most friendly. " Eldridge, Oceana County, Mich., Sept. 22, 1862." ( Signed) "Cobmosey, Shawgwabeno, Weboneegezhick, Pa- bahmee, Ashguaosa, Shawbeguong, Washkeoshee, Waubegaka,Mashkau, Pashoshaga, Webonesa, Kaw- bagawbua, Chingguashsa, Kawbaomah, Peneasey. ■>'?'^i^f^ ^ <^Iia>:Dtl>> ^ ■^^i^^^ 4T^j(<^i c i m >: V ■»tg . ' * ■ y • * 'I'St' — SOLDIERS' AND SAILORS' REUNION. :2;-\i,ir'Sr T >T "2^^^ is'ir'^^ -*^^C(gr\^;v NEIVAYGO COUNTY. "ll HE first reunion of the soldiers and sailors 1i of Newaygo County, held at Newaygo Sept. 20, 1883, was an event long to be remem- bered. The evening before, the advance guard, Hesperia Post, G. .'\. R., under command of VV. C. Simmons, arrived and pitched their tents on the court-house square, and liivouacked in soldier fashion. Thursday morning, the 20th, opened dark and lowering, and it was feared that the attendance would in consequence be small ; but teams com- menced to arrive at an early hour, and by nine o'clock every fear that the peoiile would stay at home was dispelled. At nine o'clock the command, "Fall in," was heard, and soon thereafter Samuel Judd Post, of Newaygo, and the Hesperia Post marched to the depot to receive the expected guests, a delegation of the Grand Rapids Posts. On the arrival of the train, these were escorted to the Brooks House. At twelve the line was again formed, and inarched to the depot, where Gen. ('utcheon, the orator of the day, was met and escorted to the grove. The exercises were opened by the reading of a se- le( tion from the Bible, and a prayer by Rev. J. W. Horner, followed by a stirring piece of music by the Newaygo Glee Club. Gen. Cutcheon was then in- troduced by S. D. Thompson, President of the day. The address of the General was one of the most eloquent and masterly speeches ever delivered in Newaygo. Brimming full of patriotism, it reached the heart of every hearer. Without a shade of parti- sanship, the address was calculated to arouse pa- triotism and love of country in every breast, and the eloquenceof the speaker frequently won the enthusi- astic applause of his hearers. Dr. J. W. McNabb fittingly responded to the toast, '■ The flag of our country, ' and Dr. Flora humorously recounted some of his experiences as a hospital stew- ard and regimental surgeon, in response to "The sick call." Col. A. T. McReynolds briefly and elo- quently responded to "The citizen soldier," and then the crowd repaired to the tables, which were loaded with delicacies, and very soon unloaded. After this picnic tlinner was disposed of, a county association of soldiers and sailors was formed, with over a hundred members. William H. Hall, of Ash- land, was chosen President ; W. C. Simmons and N. Smith, Vice-Presidents; E. O. Shaw, Secretary, and S. D. Thompson, Treasurer. It was resolved to hold another reunion in the month of August, 1884, to continue three days. At the conclusion of the meet- ing, the veterans fell into the ranks again, and escorted Gen. Cutcheon to the depot, giving him three rousing cheers and a tiger as a parting salute. In the evening dancing commenced at an early hour at Clay's Hall, over 100 couples participating. It was continued until the morning hours. Alto- gether, this reunion was a great success, and was probably the best celebration of any kind ever held in Newaygo. t 0"% I) *3P■^* r^ iMk ^Aj))4^^tK -^^D!l^llllr->A • ■^^/^D)€^r|^- :^^K ^^V<^!10:^D0^>T-^^^ ^^■- m ) o NEWAYGO COUNTY. -4J^f5^\^ ^r~9r '^;;;^*t;is»^;:;e#te for the Democratic ticket. Two years later, it polled for Lincoln and Johnson 90 votes, and not one for McClellan. About eight years ago the Greenback or National party began to gain ad- herents, and since 1878 they have been very strong in Newaygo County. In 1882, the county gave 414 majority for Begolc, the I >emocratic candidate for Governor. On local issues, and for local offices, there has al- ways been a tendency to cast away party discipline, and support the best, or at least Ihe most [xipular, candidate. Of late years this tendency has increased, and at present the honors are pretty well divided among the three parties. The varying strength of the different tickets at each general election is shown in the following table; in connection with the sev- eral townships is given the vote by townships at the general election of 1882 : ELECTION OF NOVEMBER 7, 1S54. Governor. K-insley S. Bingham 140 John S. Barry i 75 Represeiitativc in Congress. David S. Walbridge 143 Samuel Clark 132 S/aU .S,->!a/or. Thomas W. W'liite 147 iMordecai L. Hopkins 98 Rfpitsenlalive in Legislature. John .'\. Brooks 260 .\bram S. Wadsworth 22 Scattering _j Sheriff. Samuel \\ . Matevey 164 'I'homas I). Stimpson 123 County Treasurer. 49 ^38 41 1 1. Swart wout 293 no opp. County Clerk aui/ Register 0/ Deeds. John If. Standish 293 no opp. Judge 0/ Probate. James Barton 289 no opp. ¥^ JL <^n!i>:iiii;>^ r I ATA-. 5'2 'i^ -^^^ — ^^-^- ^D D :-^; \lh>rr- 5J^ -'^^^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. 3 V ' ■ : ^ — : — t Proseculing Attorney and Circuit Court Comrnis- ELECTION OF NOVEMBER 2 , .858. ^ 'i si oner. Governor. ^ ^ Edgar L. Gay 292 no opp. Moses Wisner 369 "31 \> Win. S. Utley Surveyor. Cliarles E. Stuart 238 C 42 3' Representative in Congress. Warren P. Adams Charles Smith Coroners. I 1 2 Francis W. Kellogg Thomas B. Church .State Senator. 3'7 217 100 James B. Cook 205 no opp. John H. Standish 3°S 104 Ashley B. Furmaii 2yi no opp. Henry Pennoyer 209 5 h ELECTION OF NOVEMBER 4, 1 8:; 6. Representative in Legislatur ^ 1 John A. Brooks 345 162 ^ President of the United States. George W . Lester ■83 John C. Fremont 429 210 Sheriff. James Buchanan Governor. 219 Joshua Mills Justus C. Hubbard 37'-' 226 50 Kinsley S. Bingham 424 204 County Clerk. V Alpheus Felch Represcn 220 William S. Utley 1(^1 ■25 tative in Legislature. Orrin Stevens 238 / > S^ John A. Brooks 4.8 203 County Treasurer. E 1^ Thomas D. Stimpsoi 1 2'5 Warren P. Adams 374 '5° E *-< 3 James Barton Ige of Probate Jolm V. Fassett 224 E 4;, 9 -34 Register of Deeds. E ^- Daniel Weaver 205 Wellington Persons O06 no opp. s, > Sheriff. Prosecuting Attorney. ^ Samuel W. Matevcy ^ Daniel F. W'oolley 266 44 .\ugustine H. Giddings 290 48 222 William T. Howell 242 Everett Douglass 78 Circuit Court Commissioner County Treasurer. Edgar L. (iray 30S '31 Warren 1'. Adams 428 21 1 William T. Howell '77 Justus C. Hubbard ^'7 Surveyor. i County Clerk and Register of Deeds. W illiam A. Hoskins 372 '5' t 1 John H. Standish 424 204 Aart)n Swain 221 1 Daniel Stearns 220 Coroners. J'nisecuting Attorney and Circuit Court Coinniis- Pomeroy C. Spooner 368 141 sioner. Asa P. Carpenter 348 68 Edgar L. Cray 43° 205 A. F. Armstrong 280 William J. Mead 225 George E. G. Wonch 227 r > Surveyor. ELECTION OF NOVEMBER ( >, i860. 1 Warren 1'. Adams 429 213 President of the United Stat 'J'. Loyal Palmer 216 Abraham Lincoln 3<'4 '57 \ \ Coroners. Stephen A. Douglas 207 • James B. Cook 420 201 Governor. j Ashley B. Furman Cyrus Bennett 419 199 1 219 \ustin Blair 364 '5' ^Bacchus Shear 220 John S. Barry 213 C^ •<-.• s^ <. ^^ti^. S>fe^^- -^f-T ^•30 n 5^^ iitiv>^r9 — ^^^ -i^^^. w Tzi^ ^ . crv C^tlti:t:iin^>r-^ — ^^^^^ N^EWAYGO COUNTY. 5 '3 Congressman. jy Francis VV. Kellogg e^ Thomas B. Churcli T Sheriff. (^ William Rice Justus C. Hubbard Comity Clirk. William S. Utley Loyal Palmer County Treasurer. <^ Sullivan Armstrong Jeremiah Ryan Register of Deeds. Wellington Persons Juiige of Probate. Isaac H. Cogswell George E. G. Wonch Prosecuting Attorney. > Augustire H. Giddings Circuit Court Commissioner. 367 206 386 185 162 1/ (p /S James Barton 369 166 374 192 576 noo|)p 397 235 162 447 no opp. 368 no opp. ,'• William A. Hoskins V :) Aaron Swain Asa P. Carpenter Sherman Mosher George Fuller Nelson Green Lyman G. Mason Surveyor. Coroners. 314 261 53 37« 167 57 1 no opp. 204 .Slate .Senator. Legislature. William T. Howell Daniel Weaver 354 221 325 234 133 ELECTION OF NOVEMBER 4, 1862. Governor. Austin Blair Byron G. Stout Com gressman. ■#? Francis W. Kellogg }% Thomas B. Church I 375 209 166 36? 189 '74 State Senator. l^ Charles Mears S" Dexter P. Gla/.ier ^\.'^: V.J-S- .S5^?^^ 386 385 -^-^^ll[I>:ilDn>A^ Representative in Legislature. William T. Howell Scattering Sheriff. William Rice County Clerk. VV^arren P. Adams Countv Treasurer. Sullivan Armstrong Register of Deeds. Wellington Persons Prosecuting Attorney. John H. Standish Augustine H. Giddings Circuit Court Commissioner. James Barton Surveyor. Adonijah Yj. Upton 337 Aaron Swain 167 Coroners. ^ Dexter P. (Hazier 400 no opp. V^ W. Irving Latimer 405 no op|). ^. ELECTION OF NOVEMBER 8, 1864 ^ President of the United States. o. Abraham Lincoln George B. McClellan 406 242 164 Governor. Henry H. Crapo William M. Fenton 404 1 5 6 248 Thomas W. Ferry Frederick Hall lames B. Walker William J. Mead William S. Ulley Daniel F. Woolley John F. Wood Charles W. Stone Congressman. State Senator. 407 243 402 249 164 '53 Legislature. Sheriff. 400 1 5 2 248 474 298 t % Countv Clerk. Melvin W. Scott Andrew T. Squier 234 248 1 86 4^^^^(|)>^ ^)vA))«>^®#*» V ^^^i^ r^VC^DD >: Ds>^H- :a^»sr /^ 514 ^ Coun/y Treasurer. S Sullivan Armstrong •'!» John F. Gauweiler , Register 0/ Deeds. -Y Wellington Persons Benjamin H. Coolbaiigli Judge of Probate. Everett Douglass James L. Alexander Prosecuting Attorney. NEWAYGO COUNTY. James Barton Daniel Weaver 427 440 243 365 320 451 233 '97 45 Circuit Court Commissioner . Edgar L. Gray Frederick Day Adonijah E. Upton Aaron Swain Surveyor. Coroners. •>, Asa P. Carpenter ■J^ Samuel W. Matevey = George Fuller ;<' Wilkes L. Stuart 425 25s 434 250 429 427 255 255 170 .84 174 172 V ELECTION OF NOVEMBER 6, 1866. Governor. 316 ) Henry H. Crapo 545 Alpheus S. Williams 229 Representative in Congress. Thomas W. Ferry 554 325 John B. Hutchins 229 State Senator. ]i John H. Standish 59^ no opp. •^ Representative in Legislature. Charles W. Deane Hiram S. Walker Charles W. Stone Sheriff. County Clerk. ^ Melvin W. Scott <* James L. Alexander County Treasurer. ~t' Wallace W. Dickinson tWni. 1). Fuller Register of Deeiis. 607 no opp, 375 388 386 377 367 \^ Wellington Persons ^ Stephen D. Thompsc 39' 383 Prosecuting Attorney. lames Barton i 771 no opp. Circuit Court Commissioner . 389 379 379 375 38S 17 7 68 no opp. 37' Edgar L. Gray Augustine H. Giddings Surveyor. Adonijah E. Upton Thaddeus I-. Waters Coroners. Anson Root Thomas G. Terry Robert F. Tracey ELECTION OF APRIL i, 1867. Judge of Fourteenth Judicial Circuit. Moses B. Hopkins 383 Robert W. Duncan 282 County .Superintendent of Schools. Neil L. Downie 440 .\sa P. Carpenter 134 Stephen D. Barnum 53 Charles J. Perry 10 ELECTION OF NOVEMBER 3, 1868. President of the United States. Ulysses S. Grant 9 1 7 Horatio Seymour 397 Governor. Henr)' P. Baldwin 903 John Moore 414 Representative in Congress. Thomas W. Ferry 880 Lyman G. Mason 432 State Senator. John H. Standish 942 Hunter Savage 19 Representative in Legislature. Ceylon C. Fuller Augustus Paddock Sheriff. John H. Chubb Philip A. Harrison County Clerk. John H. Simmons James R. Odell County Treasurer. Wallace W. Dickinson Andrew Y. Squier '^ ^06 ( •a* 743 557 910 39'> 864 432 896 412 520 489 448 923 (S\ 186 514 432 484 r'Sia^ _^-:y^«X^. -K-Dll>:tltls>^ '^r^^m^' -::^^^ — ©vciiin^np^>?^-^^ :^^ --^i^^d^^ NEIVAYGO COUNTY. 5'5 A 621 584 Register of Deeds. Wellington Persons t Stephen D. Persons Jiiit^c of Probate. \!^ Augustine H. Giddings James L. Alexander Prosicuting .Attorney. Wm. D. Fuller 682 James Barton 598 Circuit Court Coniiiiissioih'r. Edgar L. Gray Surveyor. 37 907 5 ' 7 39° 84 Wellington Persons Edwin O. Shaw Register of Deeds. ins Prosecuting Attorney. 392 167 t ^5 i (1 A Adonijah E. Upton Aaron Swayne Anson Root Marshall S. Cory Newton N. Massey Philip H. \Veaver 902 no ojjp. 348 809 461 Coroners. 881 448 907 507 433 400 ELECTION OF APRIL 5, 1869. ° Judge of Fourteenth Judicial Circuit. *^^ Robert W. Duncan 432 37 = Moses B. Hopkins 395 s^ County Superintendent. ,. ■ Cyrus Alton 593 no opp. County Drain Commissioner. Charles Carmichael 176 no opp. ELECTION OF NOVEMBER 8, 1870. Goi'ernor. Henry P. Baldwin Charles C. Comstock 421 •55 266 (|^ Thomas \\. Ferry Myron Rider Seth C. Moffatt Edgar L. Gray George Utley j( John H. Simmons Congressman. .State Senator. Legislature. Sheriff. County Clerk. 421 272 149 512 no opp. 501 no opp. 537 no opp. 539 no opp. County Treasurer. Wallace W. Dickinson I William D. Fuller 503 no opp. K^ Circuit Court Commissioner. Alonzo D. Cadwallader 540 " ^"^^ 540 no opp 1 ,006 I'o opp. \ ^^0m^J^i NEWAYGO COUNTY. -l^^5((sVg Judije of Probate. ^ James Barton 1,005 no opp. .■^ Priisiiniliiiii Att(irii(-ij. I Albert G. Dav 739 457 A William H. Wells 282 Cii'f'if/l (_'i}nr/ Cnmtni.'isiottcr. Alonzo I). Cadwallader John C. Hicks Suftteiini: Winfield S. Merrill Aaron Swain Coroners. Henry D. Root Reuben M. Curtice Reuben Trask Newton M. Massey ELECTION OF APRIL 7, 1873. ('mil, hi Slijiirillli'llili lit III' Sfliiiiilx. n J Jose|)li W. Carpenter 733 no op ELECTION OF NOVEMBER 3, 1874. Uovernor, I 789 173 616 802 217 58s 806 796 194 198 612 598 Q •y* Joh" .'• Bagley ^ Henry Chamberlain ^ S»2 Charles K. Carpenter 5 llni/i'//) Siiffriiijfi Anii-inliiicid. ,•^, N° 575 ^ Yes igt Jtepresenhitiiie in Vonijress. Jay A. Hubbell 619 Henry H. Noble 8 litiite Senator. 614 9 h'epresentalioe in Legislature, Sullivan Armstrong Andrew T. Sipiier Slmriff. David Collins Lorenzo A. Mallery Counltj Clerli. San ford Brown Elijah S. Bennett CoHiitii Treasurer. Edgar L. Gray S. W. Fowler 520 405 701 204 684 244 M. Marcus S. Angell Charles W. Stone 547 389 228 384 613 605 "5 497 440 ■5« Reyister of Deeds. \^ Wellington Persons 934 no opp. Pro ecntinij At'orney. • Albert G. Day 629 Horace M. Lillie 304 Circuit Court Cuiiuii'ssioiier, 325 James Barton John C. Brewster Robert M. Luton Reuben M. Curtice David W. Flora Newton M. Massey Siirm/iir. t_'orouers. 924 no opp. 622 no opp. I Vfa) 620 610 330 320 300 280 ELECTION OF NOVEMBER 7, 1876. Fresiddit of Ihe Unitrd States- Rutherford B. Hayes Samuel J. Tilden Peter Cooper 235 Gai'diior. Charles M. Croswell 1 William L. Webber Levi Sparks Alliert Williams Reprrsentalive in Congress Jay A. Hubbell Joseph H. Kilbourne ."Sheriff. George W. Fry Wm. H. Hall A. S. Carr Coi/iity Ckrii. Sanford Brown John W. McNabb County Trcasiiier. Marcus S. Angell Charles W. Stone Scattering Register of Deeds Wellington Persons George E. Taylor Judge of Probate. James Barton Melvin W. Scott John Rijjley Proseeitting A ftorne r. i.3'5 801 304 792 226 8 i-3'4 1,008 •,338 990 '.363 942 1,203 1,101 3 1.323 997 ',435 876 I 5H 5.2 ^^ 306 = 348 421 'o> George Luton Wm. D. Fuller Scattering 1,207 928 2 326 559 279 ^^m^ ^^<>0!I^Illlf>-V^ ^Q^ 4^^f(®>^ ^•ftjw- T^iPPMim-ix^? — 2i€^ -|;«^fsv|| NEiVAYGO COUNTY. '• V County Treasurer. Charles \V Stone Irwin C. Fox 1,287 963 324 EUsha Pangborn Jolm W. II;iy William Kimball 1,810 1,488 56 5>7 Circuit Court Commissioner. George W. Mann 146 Warren I). Leonardson 1,066 28 Sanford Brown I Edward E. Edwards 1,038 Register of Deeds. Scattering 8 George E. Taylor 1,232 23' Surveyor. \Villiam Rice 1,001 John A. Manly 1,206 100 (Jeorge Backart '73 Thaddeus L. Waters 1,106 Prosecuting .\ Homey. Scattering 2 George Luton 1,164 2 Coroners. John H. Standish 1,162 Sheribiah H. Manly 1,245 '65 Circuit Court Commission cr. David W. Flora 1,214 119 Edgar L. Gray Warren D. Leonardson Reuben S. Trask Leland S. Weaver 1,080 1.095 1,209 1,082 127 Representative in Legislature . Surveyor. Joseph B. Jewell 1. 179 45 John C. Brewster "Winfield S. Merrill ',295 964 ii^ Andrew L. Squier 1. 134 ELECTION OF NOVEMBER 3. 1878. Coroners. GoTcrnor. Leland S. Weaver George [. Ambrose ',213 1,142 344 139 Henry S. Smith 1.147 '83 David VV. Flora 1,003 Charles M. Croswell 964 James T. Farley 869 Orlando M. Barnes 282 Louis T. McCormiik 188 Watson Snyder 19 Alonzo S. Hildreth 172 Stephen L. Marvin 4 ELECTION OF NOVEMBER 2, 1880. Representative in Congress. President of the United States. George Parmlee Jay A. Hubbell John Power 1,172 964 264 208 James Abrani Garfield Winfield Scott Hancock James B. Weaver 1.492 964 625 528 State Senator. Governor. Willard Jeffts Wm. E. Ambler Samuel S. Conover '.177 97' 228 . 206 David H. Jerome David Woodman Frederick M. Holloway 1,407 1,020 840 387 Judge of Fourteenth Judicial Circuit. Isaac W. McKeever 1 1 Michael Brown 2,129 no opp. Representative in Congress. Representative in Legislature. Edwin S. Pratt 1,802 253 John W. McNabb '.257 280 Jay A. Hubbell 1,549 Edward E. Edwards 977 Scattering 20 Van N. Miller 173 State Senator. Scattering 4 Sheriff. William E. Ambler Smith VV. Fowler 1.693 I -5 '9 '74 Elisha Pangborn ','54 61 T,. (;. Rutherford 68 George W. Fry '.°93 Francis M. Pike 129 Legislature. County Clerk. F^dward E. Edwards ',695 95 G. Fillmore Cole 1,1 69 48 John W. McNabb 1,600 Sanford Brown 1,121 Richard S. Webster 55 William Fuller 96 Sheriff. % 322 K.^ A r ■«J5»- ^^^^^^ — ^^<":i] a >: diin>^ — s^^^jK- 4^^(@>i ■ ■, /" ^ V ^ S'8 ■7<^Iltl>^^Dtl^>-r r^:;;v^ TV^^F^yCC? COUNTY. ^m >> ^ County Clcik. G. Fillmore Cole Frank D. Warren Seth S. Watrous Register of Deeds. George E. Taylor Theodore S. Frey Benjamin Candee Charles Stone County Treasurer. Charles W. Stone Irwin C. Fox Abbott Ensley \ Judge of Probate. 1,626 ',572 114 1,619 1,449 291 I 1,626 1,474 249 ,682 785 769 lOI James Barton Sanford Brown William S. Utley Reuben S. Trask Prosecuting Attorney. George Luton ',^53 William D. Fuller '.357 Sanford Brown i Circuit Court Commissioner. Warren D. Leonardson ',733 Timothy Edwards ',542 James H. Edwards 2 Surveyor. Winfield S. Merrill 1,551 Thaddeus L. Waters ',493 Cori James T. Farley Hollis T. Reed Leland S. Weaver Philip A. Harrison Alonzo Hildreth G. W. Nafe ELECTION OF APRIL 1,572 ',547 1,452 1,203 62? 207 1882. Judge of Fourteenth Judicial District. 1,582 1,284 Ceylon C. Fuller George Luton ELECTION OF NOVEMBER 7, 1882. Governor. Josiah W. Begole David H. Jerome 1.657 ',243 54 170 152 897 396 191 58 369 95 298 414 Daniel P. Sagendorph Congressman. Stephen Bronson Byron M. Cutcheon Edward E. Edwards 1,508 1,442 66 Legislature. Charles W. Stone E. E. Edwards George W. Nafe 1,344 1,279 366 65 Sheriff. William Kimbell William Hall James Fl Sharp ',524 1,358 134 166 County Clerk. Seth S. Watrous Irwin C. Fox Melviii A. Cox 1,61 1 1,260 '34 35' County Treasurer. Theodore S. Frey Solomon V. Walker Frank W. Sipiier ',452 1,284 276 168 Register of Deeds. George E. Taylor George W. Fry Ira Cronk 1,692 ',183 '38 509 Prosecuting Attorney. William D. Fuller Warren D. Leonardson William Tiffany 1,540 1,310 127 230 Circuit Court Commissioner. Timothy Edwards John Harwood William Glanville 1.515 1,346 231 169 Surveyor. Alfred G. Meade Winfield S. Merrill Thaddeus L. Waters 1.397 ',358 257 39 Coroners. Volney Van Liew James M. Webster Philip A. Harrison James T. Farley Van N. Miller Reuben S, 'i'rask 1,402 1,387 1,302 1,265 250 236 '37 85 Y V > i K/ \ i\ I- 1 r ■A jr^:^^H^ ^DD^D>-r "2ii^''.:^ yVifJ^.^yCd? COUNTY. 111 \ V ^ S %^ .^-4 ^■j^^.^tsg»<^»^r^g'i';^'i'V^.-.nvnv>^'V^''ii'.s^>'§^tB;')'^'5i'f.^'.i''i^ OOP "o25o" S one of the truest evidences of civilized life, we may re- gard the newspaper. It is the chief proposer of great enterprises. It is the expo- nent of the American mind, ^A ' ~_j^^ '^ ^ with very few exceptions, and these occur only where ignorance or viciousness leads the freeman of our soil to become a convert to the savage opinions of theo- retical Europeans. Happily the newspaper men of the country do not claim many professors who in- dulge in nonsensical praise of the slave-holding monarchies of the world. Such stuff takes root only in the minds of the more imljecile of our citizens. The press and people understand their duties to the Republic, and appreciate the blessings which a federal government confers. So long as these indefatigable framers of opinion stand faithfully by the pen and press, just so long will reason tram- ple on all treason from within, all treachery from without. Proscribe the liberty of the press, and the nation suffers in just such proiwrtion as the press suffers. Proscribe the freedom of the press, and the cause of human freedom is checked for a time ; trade, the health of nations, rolls languidly on ; man looks around him in alarm ; the safeguard of progress is enchained. Therefore, let us regard, cherish and support the honest journalist, stigmatize what may be really corrupt in the newspaper, and bealwa)S ready to co-operate with Justice and to applaud her holy work. The Newaygo Republican. This is the pioneer paper of the county, being now- ay years old. It was established in the fall of 1856, by James D. Maze, now of Grand Rapids, and by him published for aljout nine years. Considering all the unfavorable circumstances, Mr. Maze succeeded remarkably well, in making a popular and valuable county paper. The Ri-puhlicaii under his manage- ment was one of the best country pa[)ers in tlie State of Michigan. Before the war, it was one of the most ardent supporters of Salmon P. Chase for the Presi- dency in i860. In 1864 it also favored -Mr. Chase; but of course it heartily supported Lincoln both years, after he was nominated. During the four dark years of the rebellion, the pajjcr was enthusiastically patriotic, and never relaxed in its support of the Gov- ernment. In the fall of 1865 the office was i)ur- chased by E. L. Gray. Most of the time for the next four years, the name of James A. Banister ap- peared as local editor and publisher, and that of E. v^ r ^ ^ ^my^.m> A -^^k^^ m :#- -^^^ erT<^DD>;iiDs>-r 520 n V o ^ t I NEWAYGO COUNTY. L. Gray as editor. In 1869 Edwin O. Shaw, the present editor, leased the entire outfit of the Repub- lican. At the expiration of his first year, lie pur- chased it. In 1877 he associated witli himself as partner his brother, W. A. Shaw. The paper is now a six-column quarto in size. It is one of the staunch- est Republican sheets of the country. Twenty years ago the Republican was not the pros- perous, profitable paper that has of later years ren- dered such service to the Republican party. The following stirring appeal appeared Oct. 31, i86i,on Mr. Maze's return from a month's visit in Ohio; it was doubtless a serious matter then, but can be read lightly now : During oar absence of over one montli the boys have been made e.xceedingly happy with the follow- ing receipts on subscription : 4 chickens $1 00 I turkey 50 4 small sun-fish 13 150 promises o 00 Now, gentlemen, this is abominable. There is no excuse for such cussed tardiness, or willful negli- gence, in paying the small sums due us on sub- scription. There is not a man who takes this paper who is not perfectly able to pay for it in somefliing. We suffered ourself, in times past, for the want of our pay, because our patrons were poor, and their crops poor. But for the last two years croiis have been good, and yet we are o|)pressed for the want of that which every delinquent has in abundance. This fall we are cramped. And this fall, " by the eternals," we will have our pay. Those of you who have not paid for your paper may now begin to make your calculations accordingly. We will have either our pay or a judgment for what is in arrears, and out pay in advance for the coming year, if we do not have a circulation of over 50 names. We know that our delinquents can pay, and now we mean they shall do it. We have been so lenient in times past that, instead of rcciprocatmg the favor with prompt |)ay now when you are able, you seem to think it a matter of little consequence whether you ])ay at all. We have, as all acknowledge, published as good a country sheet as is found in the Stale ; we have done as well by our subscribers as they could ask, had they paid us promptly. And to ask us to continue this i>aper without any pay is asking a little too much. We will take almost any kind of grain, at a fair price. But we do not want you to rush in your buckwheat, and rye, or any other article that you cannot sell or give away. We want some of these articles, true, but we want wheat, oats and corn, principally. When you kill your beef or pork, bring us a piece amount- ing precisely to our subscription. Don't be hogs Men will gladly and promptly i)ay their shoe bills, grocery bills, blacksmith bills, fiddler's bills, stud- horse bills, and the like, with the best article of prod- uce they have got; but if they pay the printer at all, they want to pay in something that they can make no other disposition of Now, these things have become intolerable ; and by the Holy Ghost we will not endure it longer. As to legal advertisements, some of those that are in arrears will perhaps be promptly paid; others will be paid at the end of an execution, and that shall be the end of that kind of trouble, as the publishing of those notices without our pay in advance is at an end. Some may not fancy this article, but we do not care a " cuss " whether they do or not. We mean what we say, and say what we mean, and the sooner the cause of such articles is removed, the better it will be for all parties concerned. That's all. Not long afterward an incident occurred (probably in consequence of the above heart-rending appeal) which was thus described by Mr. Maze: We were nor a little taken aback the other Tiiorn- ing when a neighbor of ours stepped into our office and informed us that he wanted to subscribe for our paper. We took down the name and address, and were waiting for the usual promise to bring the rye or buckwheat straw in a few days, when we oiscov- ered that he ran his hand into his side pocket. Pis- tols and bovvie knives ran through our head in a moment. Finally he drew out a large wallet. Sum- monses and warrants then flashed upon us, when our agitation became even more intense. But imagine our consternation when he deliberately handed us the amount of the subscription in cold cash ! The Newaygo Tribune. The Tribune was started in 1 874, as an independent Republican paper, by Judson I'aliniter, now of Hart. He conducted it until about October, 1877, when E. S. Palmiter took charge of the office, and W. D. Ful- ler became political editor. . It theii became dis- tinctively a Greenback paper. Oct. i, 1879, W. D. Fuller and Timothy Edwards leased the material and ran the paper until Jan. i, 1881, when Mr. Fuller assumed sole control, bought new material, and otherwise improved it. It is now conducted as a National Greenback paper, and is probably the most influential organ of the National party in Michigan. Mr. Fuller is Chairman of the State Central Com- mittee of his party. The Tribune is also a strong temperance paper, but not as a necessary consequence ^ A s:/ ^' I v^^^^^i 4:llli:t:im^>v- ^ ■:-«- V ) *7 JVEWAYGO COUNTY. r^^- ■^. « of its being a Greenback organ. On his own respons- ibility, Mr. Fuller also advocates woman suffrage. The Tribiiiif has been a six-column quarto since Oc- tober, 1879, before which date it was published as a live-column quarto. It has a growing circulation, now 1,000. Four of the eight pages are printed at home, including 16 to i- columns of new matter each week. FREMONT TIMES. The Fremont liiiiis was established in 1874, the first number appearing in the month of March, by Walter S. Piatt. It was a seven-column folio origi- nally, but experienced several changes in size. Mr. Piatt remained proprietor until 1877, when it was taken in charge by a company, and published in the interest of the Greenback party, for about three months. It then reverted to the possession of Mr. and Mrs. Piatt, who changed the name to the Fremout Indicator, under which name it has been published till the present time. The first number of the Itu/icalor ap- peared Feb. 27, 1878, as a five-column quaito, its present size, also. It is now in its sixth volume. It is published in the name of Laura .K. Piatt, with Walter S-. Piatt as editor. THE HESPERI.\N. The Hesperian was founded at Hesperia by D. S. Weaver in 1875, was sold successively to Fuller & VanFleet, then to J. A. VanFleet, and finally to W. S. Stevens, who moved it to White Cloud in 18S0. THE HESPKKI.\ IN VESTUiAl'OR. 'Yht /n~('i'sfiga/(>r was founded in 1876, by William Fuller, and after a short existence in competition with the JIes/>en'a//,\\a.s moved to AUeyton and pub- lished in conjunction with the Alleyton £e/it>, the same matter being used for both papers, the Invesii- I gator being sent to Hesperia, and the Echo circu- V^ lating at Alleyton. In the spring of 1880, the two papers were moved from Alleyton to White Cloud, and the Telegraph started, the thiee papers being published by Fuller & Son, the main body matter ol the three papers being the same, and each paper sent to its respective town, which arrangement continued \:- only a short time, when the three were merged into the Telegraph. This continued to be published until the office was burned, in the fall of 1882. The Gleaner. This was a religio-temperance sheet, started at Hesperia in 1876, by J. A. Van Fleet. It was soon after moved to Grand Rapids, and its name changed to The Lever. It was again moved, to Detroit, Grand Rapids proving too wicked ; and its benign influences are now appreciated by thousands of eager readers. THE LEADER. The year 1876 was prolific in newspapers for the bright village of Hesperia. The Leader was founded in that year, by a transient printer named Marvin, but was published for only a few \Aeeks, and then ab- sorbed by the Hesperian. The News. The Hes])cria News bids fair lo become a per- manent institution. It was started Sept. 29, 1S82, by the present editor and proprietor, Claik N. Young. The N'ejcis is a seven-colum folio, independent in politics, and has brighter prospects tlian any of its i ' iiredecessors had. ^ A \y ^ %. ^•g-^;*s»- ■^<^na^titi>^A- JSii^^^ • — ^©i^T^'r'.t tismsi K ^ /N s ) ¥" ^ ^ I -a«»« *T7<-llll:r^ /^ L ATEfVAYGO COUNTY. ■ > EDUCATIONAL t I . o<- >? HE settlers of Newaygo Coun- ty came from a country of free schools, and their attach- ment to such institutions re- mained with them, and soon became manifest in their works- They believed that such agencies were the most powerful in ad- vancing the condition of the people. The great Frenchman^ Jules Simon, said : " That peo- ple which has the best schools is the ibest people ; if it is not so to-day, it '^ will be so to-morrow." The advance of the schools has more than kept pace with the increase in wealth and population. In connection with the township sketches, certain con- densed information is given in regard to the schools for the year ending Sept. 3, 1883. The following are the latest educational statistics that have been pub- lished. They are taken from the annual report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and are for the year ending Sept. 5, 1882 ; PRI.M.-\RV SCHOOL FUND. No. of children in school census 4'7 • 2 " included in apportionment 4.5'''^ Amount apportioned $5>66i 84 GENERAL SCHOOL ST.^TISTICS. No. of townships reporting. " school districts . . . . 20 93 No. of disricts maintaining school 92 " graded schools 4 " children between 5 and 20 yrs. of age 4,843 " " attending school 3t7 1 3 Average number of months schools were maintained 6.9 No. of brick school-houses " frame school-houses 73 " log school-houses 19 " pupils that can be seated 5.267 Estimated value of school property $61,380 EMPLOVMENT OK TE.ACHERS. A 2 v 0^\ Number of teachers employed, male. ... 31 " " " female. . . 154 Total number of teachers counted twice . . 34 Wages of male teachers $6,2 1 8 00 Wages of female teachers $1 4,355 83 Average wages of male teachers $44 28 " " female teachers^ $25 38 RESOURCES OK SCHOOL DISTRICTS. Moneys on hand Sept. 5, t88i $10,288 80 One-mill tax 1,578 99 Primary school interest fund 5,214 76 Library moneys 105 01 District ta.xes for all purposes 24,014 31 Raised from all other sources 4,206 84 Total resources for the year 45.479 71 EXPENDITURES OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS. Paid teachers $20,474 00 " for building and repairs 4,469 64 " for library purposes 18 00 " on bonded indebtedness 3,ioi 36 " for all other purposes 5.828 56 1^ \M^ -25^^- i^H^ -K-^ilti:^Mllli>^ ^^^^ 4^t^' T2i^€^^ ^ :^ V > / (fsy JVEM^AYGO COUNTY. "Z^f^fS, ^^{^^m, 523 Amount on hand 1 1,588 15 Total expenditures for the year 33.^9' 56 STATISTICS OF TOWNSHIP LIBRARIES. No. of townships reporting using library moneys for general purposes 1 No. of townships forfeiting their library mon- eys 9 No. of townships maintaining libraries 10 " volumes added to libraries during the year 2O9 Whole number of voliunes in libraries I1417 Amount paid for books and care of libraries $352 04 " of taxes voted for libraries $126 64 " of fines, etc., received from county treasurer for support of libraries $140 52 STATISTICS OF SCHOOL DISTRICT LIBRARIES. Number of districts reporting libraries 13 Whole number of volumes reported 552 MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. Number of private or select schools 2 " teachers employed by same 4 " • pupils attending same 28 GRADED SCHOOL STATISTICS. Alleytan aiul White Cloud. Number of children between 5 and 20 years of age 136 Estimated valuation of school properly. . $2,600 00 Amount paid for superintendence and in- struction $400 00 Monthly wages of teacher $40 00 Total expenditures $565 52 Fremont Center. Number of children between 5 and 20 years of age 341 Estimated valuation of school property.. |l7,ooo 00 Amount paid for superintendence and in- struction $1,386 00 Average monthly wages of male teachers $65 00 " " " female teachers $30 66 Total expenditures $2,188 07 " indebtedness $3,000 00 Hesperia. Number of children between 5 and 20 years of age 184 Estimated valuation of school property. . .$4,000 00 Amount paid for superintendence and in- struction $626 25 Average monthly wages of male teachers $64 03 " female teachers $26 70 Total expenditures • $1,853 68 " indebtedness $2,250 00 Newaygo. Number of children between 5 and 20 years . .of age 395 Estimated valuation of school property.. .$6,000 00 Amount paid for superintendence and in- struction $1 .836 00 Average monthly wages, principal $100 00 " " " assistants $27 86 Total expenditures $2,614 '7 Total cost per capita $6 85 Total enrollment 302 Average number belonging 285 Average daily attendance 185 Number of male teachers i Number of female teachers 3 Average number of pupils to each teacher 71 Enrollment in high-school department. ... 68 Average number belonging 65 Average daily attendance 40 Total cost per capita $14 93 Enrollment in grammar department 65 Average number belonging 60 Average daily attendance 35 Total cost per capita $5 98 Enrollment in primary department 169 Average number belonging 160 Average daily attendance 90 Total cost per capita $4 07 ^ " ■'^mi ^ A m%A(^^ '^\/^^^^ -^'^^^ -rK^^D!l>:DO>:>^ t ^ ^ M ;;^ ^ > 524 I f -:^^ < o^v C^O D >: D Il^>r■ iV^^^FGC COUNTY. 4 ■> Vjf, V i ^ J« 515 ^^"^v\:/7V"( ATERIAL progress comprises the development of the agri- cultural, pastoral, forest and _ mineral resources of a coun- ''*& try, and the establishment of thoroughfares, as routes of naviga- tion, railroads, canals, factories, villages and cities. In respect to all these things Newaygo County haS exhibited a fair share of enterprise. It is well that the soil of this county vj^' is rich and capable of a high state of cultivation. A great variety of crops can be raised here profitably, — fruits, Y grains and garden stuffs; and well may the agricultural community feel independent and hopeful. -il=W= NAVIGATION. A small steamer was built as early as 1856 to ply on the Muskegon, from Newaygo down. Of the sea- Roingciualities of this boat, the less said the better. Several small boats were subsequently constructed, and for a few years there was actually steam naviga- tion of the Muskegon, with tolerable regularity. The citizen of to-day would be amazed were he to see in the Newaygo Republican of 1883 such an item as the following, which appeared Nov. 17, 1859: About four o'clock last Thursday evening the steamer Porter landed on her dock, besides other freight, his Excellency, Gov. Wisner, and the follow- ing accompanying dignitaries : Hon. L. Porter, Judge Almy, C. H. Taylor, A. B. Turner and Henry Martin, of Grand Rapids, Maj. C Davis, of Muskegon, Isaac D. Merrill, of Bridgeton and Mr. Kaird, of Brooklyn, N. Y." The visit of these gentlemen was made for the l)urpose of inspecting certain improvements made at the "sand-flats," down the river from Newaygo. In 1856, John A. Brooks, then in the Legislature, had secured an appropriation from the State of $50,000 for the purpose of improving these flats. The money was well expended, for the work then done has lasted to the present time. The following is taken from the Republican of Nov. 17, 1 85 9 : "On Friday morning last, at the suggestion of several of the party accompanying Gov. Wisner to this place, we embarked on board the steamer Porter, for the purpose of visiting, for the first time, the far-famed ' sand-flats,' where, under the super- vision of John A. Brooks and others, the great im- provements were being made, for which the appro- priation of $50,000 was made by the State, three years ago. Our village was soon lost amid the pines and hemlocks, as the Porter sped away down the fast flowing current of the majestic Muskegon. The monotony was changed, and the dullness arrested, by the relation of some of those side-splitting stories, by Mr. A. B. Watson, for which he is so noted. " In the vicinity of three o'clock, p. m., we entered the channel of the late improvement. We never had a very favorable opinion of those ' flats,' from the description given of theui by other parties; but no one < A r m^^'^y^ .'^^i^t^^ -4^^^ (^s/^ -J^tf^ ^■^^vSk NEWAYGO COUNTY. 525 1i V .0 S u can get a correct idea of them short of becoming an eye-witness. It is certainly one of the most forbid- ^ ding realms on the face of God's earth. It looks T like the fit home of the frog, the snake, the tortoise, and we should think, the alligator. Thousands of acres are covered with cat-tail flags, marsh shrubbery, and decayed timber. It is through the worst of this repulsive latitude that the improvements are made. '"As to the work, we do not see how it could have been bettered. We have heard many predictions as to its permanency, from parties whose judgment we thought susceptible of credit. On the whole, as it was a matter in which the public was interested, we felt concerned, and regretted there being grounds for skepticism as to the durability of the job. But so far as our judgment may be credited in the premises, we regard it a complete thing. The channel, we believe, is 150 feet wide, piling being driven on each side, for nearly one mile, of round and flat piling, extending about three feet above the water, and handsomely capped with plank about si.vteen inches in width. These piling are driven so closely to- gether as to be mostly water tight. The water in the channel is on an average four feet deep, and runs near two feet above the common level. Inside of that piling are two strings of boom about 50 feet apart, which tend to throw the current of water into the center of the channel, and to wash an em- bankment against the piling instead of undermining it, as was predicted. The channel is continually washing deeper, and we believe will ultimately form a solid embankment inside of the piling on both sides. We certainly can not see anything to hinder this improvement from being a permanent thing. For one to witness the huge stumps, with their tremen- dous roots and branches, that have been removed from this channel, would convince him of the immense labor necessary for their removal. No one, with less perseverance than John A. Brooks, would ever have undertaken such a job, in such an un- hallowed precinct as the Muskegon ' sand-flats.'" NAVIGATION ORDINANCE. After some discussion and agitation, the Board of Supervisors of Newaygo County, June 28, 1859, passed an ordinance regulating the navigation of the Muskegon River. .As a document of importance and interest, it is here given in full : The Muskegon River, flowing through the county of Newaygo, being a navigable stream within the provisions and meaning of the ordinance of Congress of July 13, 1787, and of the Constitution and laws of the State of Michigan, its free navigation as a public and common highway is hereby admilted and declared, subject to the provisions, limitations and restrictions wiiliin the county of Newaygo and State of Michigan as established and declared in the following ordinance by the Board of Supervisors of the said county of Newaygo, in a manner not inconsistent with the privileges heretofore granted: Art. I. — All logs, timber and rafts put into the Muskegon River for the purpose of floating down the same by any persons, company or corjjoration, shall be so floated down said river as speedily as possible, and without unnecessary delay or hindrance in the use of the waters of said river to others for like purposes. Art. II. — No person, company or corporation shall be permitted to detain or boom logs or timber in said river in such manner, or to such e.xtent as to pro- hibit its free use for the jjurposes of floating logs, timber or rafts, or of navigating the same with boats, vessels, scows and canoes except in these articles provided for. Art. III. — All logs and timber intended to be floated down said Muskegon River, shall be put therein by the owners or agents thereof, as soon after the first day of March in each year as the stage oi the water for floating the same, and the weather, will permit; and the owners or agents shall immediately drive such logs and timber down said river after being put afloat tlierein, provided there be a sufficient stage of water for that purpose. No person shall be permitted to put in or float any logs or timber in said river after the principal annual drive of logs and timber shall have been floated down the same, until after the first day of December there- after, imless such logs and timber shall be put into rafts of convenient and manageable size, under a penalty of not less than %\o nor more than $200 for each violation of the provisions of this article; — pro- vided, the ))utting in or floating of such logs or timber shall occasion damage to any person, contrary to the provisions of this ordinance. Art. IV. — A sufficient boom to detain and safely keep all logs and timber floating down said river, may be erected, kept and maintained across said river on section 19, townshiii 12 north, range 12 west, by the [jresent or any future occupiers of the same premises ; and also one other such boom by the owners or occupants thereof on section 7, township 12 north, range 11 west; and all loose logs or timber floating in said river from and after the first day of December in each year until the first day of March thereafter, may be detained, boomed and kept in said boom by the owners or occupants thereof; and any K^ y (' s /> Vx •i>$5f^>l r 1 ^ V <^I111>^I1II^>V |7^C(®^4 ■f Y f^ 526 NEWAYGO COUNTY. 4 person who shall willfally cut away, injure or destroy such boom without lawful authority, shall be liable to a penalty of not less than $100, nor more than 111, 000 ; and in said boom may be kept and detained as aforesaid, all logs and timber floating cown said river after the principal annual drive of logs and timber shall have passed down said river, until after the first day of December thereafter; and the owners of said boom may so detain and keep the said logs and timber at the proper expense of the owner or owners thereof. The owners or occupants of such booms as are provided for in this article, shall, as soon after the first day of March in each year as the stage of water in said river is suitable for that purpose, pro- ceed to discharge all logs and timber from said booms that may remain therein, and in due time, that all such logs and timber shall have passed from such booms, on the arrival at said booms of the prin- cipal annual drive of logs and timber on said river. Art. V. — On the arrival of the principal annual drive of logs and timber at said booms, the owners or occupants thereof shall proceed without unneces- sar)' delay to select, assort and pass the same through said boom, and shall pass the same at the rate of at least 15,000 pieces in each twenty- four hours (Sundays excepted), unless the stage of water in said river is manifestly such as to render it inijjossible or improper to do so; and in such cases they shall proceed to pass such logs and timber as soon as the stage of water in said river is suitable for that purpose. And the owners or occupants of such booms shall not be liable in damages arising from the detention of logs in said booms agreeably to the provisions of this ordinance ; and after the principal annual drive of logs and timber, such booms shall be so constructed as to admit of the free navigation of said river until after the first day of December next thereafter. Art. VI. — All logs and timber floating in said river, after the principal annual drive shall have passed down the same below the booms provided for in Articles .IV and V of this ordinance, unless in proper rafts as provided in article III, may be boomed and detained in said river until the first day of December next thereafter, at the expense of the owner thereof, so as not to interrupt its free navigation by any ]5er- son lawfully navigating or interested in the naviga- tion of said river, upon application to the Sheriff of Newaygo County or his deputies, whose duty it shall be to carry the provisions of this article into imme- diate effect. .\rt. VII. — After the passage down said river of the principal annual drive of logs and timber as herein before provided, lumber and timber in proper and suitable rafts, and properly manned for that purpose, as well as steamboats, scows, canoes and other craft suitable for navigating the water of said river, shall have the sole and exclusive right of the navigation thereof until the first day of December next after the passage down said river of the princi- pal annual drive of logs and timber as aforesaid; and any interruption of such navigation, or occupa- tion of said river by any jierson inconsistent with the rights hereby granted, shall render such person so offending liable to a penalty of not less than fifty nor more than five hundred dollars, and shall also be liable for private damages to any person injured by such violation of this article; but nothing herein con- tained shall be held to repeal or in anywise contra- vene or affect any privileges heretofore granted upon said river, or the use of its waters for hydraulic pur- poses. Art. VIII. — During the detention of logs and tim- ber in the boom as provided in the preceding Articles IV and V, the owners and all persons interested in running the same shall have the same privileges and powers as are granied in the preceding article in re- spect to rafts and boats as therein mentioned. Art. IX. — All penalties imposed under the pro- visions of this ordinance shall be prosecuted in the name of the county of Newaygo, before any court of competent jurisdiction, by any person injured by such violation, or directly interested in the navigation of said river, as well as by the Prosecuting Attorney. Sheriff, or Treasurer of said county, and when col- lected, shall be paid into the treasury of said county. No penalty imposed by this ordinance shall be con- strued to include or take away the right of any per- son to any private damages he may sustain for ,Tny violation of this ordinance. Art. X. — This ordinance shall be publislied in the Newaygo Republican for six successive weeks, and shall take effect and be in force from and after the first day of December, 1859. 3*= RAILROADS. • HE "iron horse " has come to be one of the \ greatest agencies in developing any new ^ countiy. The first railroads ever built were 2« between large cities, which could furnish from the first a paying volume of traffic. Now the railroad is not infrequently built in advance of settlement, with a view to making immigration speedy, of affording rapid transportation to good markets, and of raising the value of property. There is no doubt that railroads are efficacious for these purposes, and so much so that a locality can hardly pay any price for a new railroad which is not speedily returned to it in the increased value of real estate. 'tl I SO' r ^ ■:^^^ ^m\^M> z. ':^^^ 6V<'^DI]:r-^^ — r-^i^^^ »45@^>^i '^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. 527 ^ V > ,0 I Newaygo County has not yet sufficient railroads. Circumstances have combined to favor neighboring counties and towns, especially in former years. Now, however, the prospect is much brighter. It has al- ready two lines of railroad crossing its territory, and another east and west line will, beyond doubt, be constructed soon. Several plans for this have been put forward, and capitalists are now examining routes for the same. The pioneer railroad in the county is the GRAND RAPIDS, NEWAVGO &. LAKE SHORE R. R. It is impossible to tell when the idea of a railroad for Newaygo was first seriously [uit forward. Even the first settlers dreamed of railroads, and scarcely a year passed that some one did not mature a scheme for a railroad from Newaygo to (jrand Rapids. The "Grand Rapids & Muskegon Railroad Company" was formally organized at Grand Rapids, Dec. 15, 1868. Newaygo was represented on the Board of Di- rectors by A. Paddock, and on the Board of Com- missioners by E. L. Gray. Col. J. H. Standish and other Newaygo men were present and made speeches. A meeting of the citizens was held at the Brooks House in Newaygo, Aug. 18, 1869. W. T. Howell presided, and W. D. Fuller was chosen Secretary. Remarks were made by E. L. Gray, S. L. Fuller (Grand Rapids), Augustus Paddock and W. D. Ful- ler. The last two were designated as commissioners for Newaygo and vicinity. Stock was taken amount- ing to $15,000. The following spring a trial line was surveyed, and the project was in a fair way to suc- ceed, when suddenly the celebrated Michigan Su- preme Court decisiori was announced to the world, and scores of railroad schemes instantly killed. This decision was, in brief, that railroads are private property, subject only to police regulation by the State, and that therefore no local aid could be given by taxing the people. The railroad-seeking citizens of Newaygo then turned their attention to the "Grand Rapids, Ne- waygo & Lake Shore Railroad," an enterprise pushed by D. P. Clay, of Grand Rapids, who has had so many interests in Newaygo, and whose energy and persistence finally built the road. By May, 187 1, $125,000 were raised in Newaygo, Grand Rapids and the intervening country, and the following summer matters were pushed until there was no longer any douijl that the railroad was coming. July 27, ground was broken between Fourth and Fifth streets, west side, in Grand Rapids, in presence of Mr. Clay and other prominent gentlemen interested in the enter- prise. In little over a year the road was completed to Newaygo village, and tiie last spike was driven and first passenger train run on Wednesday, Sept. II, 1872, perhaps the briglitest day in the history of Newaygo. The following is taken from the Newaygo Republican oi Sept. 18, 1872: Last Tuesday, as the track-layers appeared in sight, and it became a certainty that the track would be laid to the bridge by Wednesday noon, so that a passenger train could be run into the village, our citizens were informed that " a little informal excur- sion party might be expected on the first train, per- haps 25 or 30 in number." Ouf people at once made yjreparations for entertaining that number, and a dinner at the Brooks House was a part of the pro- gram. All Wednesday forenoon the workmen were watched closely. Excitement was at fever heat, and many vi'ere the speculations indulged in by the spec- tators as to whether the work would be completed by two o'clock, the hour appointed for the arrival of the train. At last the last rail was in its place, and the last spike driven, and then nothing could be done but wait. Truth to tell, but very little interest was taken in the excursionists, who were supposed to be merely railroad dignitaries coming on business. The main interest centered in the arrival of the first train ; there were but a few visitors on board, and ample arrangements had been made at Courtright's for the entertainment of them all. The long-looked-for locomotive was almost within hearing, and minutes seemed hours as we waited the arrival of the iron horse that was bearing to us the news that we were in reach of the outside world. The wliistle is heard, and then such a handshaking and congratulating among friends and neighbors one must live a life-time to see again ; and when the train appeared, it seemed that every one was frantic for joy. Boys screamed, girls giggled, men cheered and women looked on with hearts too full for utter- ance. It was the greatest day in the history of Newaygo. Only a "little excursion " was expected, and there- fore what was our surprise to see pouring from the cars about 300 of the best citizens of Grand Rapids, accompanied by the Valley City Brass Hand ! No preparation had been made for entertaining that number of guests in a manner befitting the occasion. But no time was to be lost ; so each citizen captured as many as he could take care of, and marched them off in triumph; the hotels were thrown open, and all was done that could be to entertain the guests who honored us with their presence. After dinner, W. D. Fuller, T. B. Church, William f^' V.^ f C A < ( II >:ii[lv>A^ — ^^^^ H' <^DD»;UUv> "T^^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. ri^^<- m^mi I ^ it :-«■ V -s H. Wells and others made brief speeches, and our guests departed for their homes in the beautiful " Valley City." In the spring of 1875, steps were taken to extend the road northward from Newaygo, and by September it was built to Morgan (now White Cloud), on the line of the Muskegon & Big Rapids road. This was celebrated by an excursion from Grand Rapids to Big Rapids, ?'/^v^- ^^^^ o'clock, and arrived at Grand Rapids at twenty minutes to eight. The excursionists were accom- panied this time by about too citizens of Big Rapids, who were invited to make the trip by President Clay. The Newaygo road has proved one of the most profitable lines in the State, the interest and dividends being paid promptly every year. Since its consolidation with the Chicago & West Michigan, it has been extended to Baldwin, the county seat of Lake County. Its final terminus is to be Traverse City, and it will soon be extended in that direction. The stations on the line, and distances from Grand Rapids, are as follows, from Ashland to West Troy, inclusive, being in Newaygo County: West Grand Rapids, 1 ; D. & M. Crossing, 3.5 ; G. R. & I. Cross- ing, 5.7; Alpine, 8.4; English ville, 11.4; Sparta, 14.5 ; Kent City, 20.3; Casnovia, 22.3; Trent, 24.3; Bailey, 25.5; Ashland, 28; Grant, 30.8; Newaygo, 36.4; White Cloud, 47 ; Diamond Lock, 51.8; Park City, 54; Otia, 57.6; West Troy, 61.4; Pickerel Creek, 67.6; Roby's Junction, 70.8; Baldwin, 74.1. MUSKEGON S, BIG RAPIDS R.MLKOAD. This was the second road built through Newaygo County, and was projected before the railroad from Grand Rapids entered the southern part of the county. Feb. 5, 1870, a meeting of representative citizens was held at the Mason House in Big Rapids, at which resolutions were adopted favoring the build- ing of a railroad from Muskegon to Big Rapids, and a committee was appointed to confer with citizens of Muskegon, Fremont Center and other intermediate points. This committee consisted of Gen. Stephen Bronson, Hon. C. C. Fuller, J. F. Brown, Col. Stewart Ives, Andrew Green, tleorge F. Stearns, T. D. Stinson, J. O. Rose, D. M. Benjamin, Charles Shafer, E. Fisher and G. W. Crawford. Subsequent meetings were held at Big Rapids, Fremont Center and Muskegon, and considerable money was pledged. The Muskegon & Big Rapids Railroad Company was formally organized April 12, 1870, at Muskegon. At a subsequent meeting of the directors, officers were elected as follows: Alexander Rogers, President ; George F. Stearns, Vice-President '■ Stewart Ives, Secretary, and Cliauncey Davis, Treas- urer. Early in May the actual survey of the road was commenced, and all seemed to be going well, when unexpectedly came the Supreme Court decision V^ A Sly > i I ''r^ NE^FAVGO COUNTY. x>- 529 '<>' V against the legality of local aid to railroads by taxa- tion. As the projectors of the Muskegon & Big Rapids road depended on townships along the line voting liberal aid, the enterprise seemed to be effect- ually strangled. After a year or so, however, the company was reorganized, with Hon. L. G. Mason as President, and F. A. Nims as Secretary, and it was determined to build the road with no aid except that of individ- uals. In the summer of 1872, the President visited New York, and on returning announced that the road could be built and eiiuipped that year, under a certain arrangement. Tiiis arrangement was nothing more nor less than a consolidation of the company with the Ciiicago & Michigan Lake Shore, whose road was then built and oi)erated as far north as Pentvvater. This plan was cordially endorsed by tl^ stockholders and directors, and tlie contract for the construction of the entire road, to be completed and in running order by tlie first of January following, was let to a Mr. Thompson, a railroad contractor who had just been performing a piece of work for the Michigan Central, and who at once transferred his entire force of about 1,000 men, with all the tools and equipments for railroad work, to this Mus- kegon & Big Rapids road, beginning simultaneously at both ends of the line. With this large, efficient and well organized corps, the work was pushed for- ward as rapidly as possible. Owing to bad weather and other obstacles, the, completion of the road was delayed till the summer of 1873. In July of that year, regular trains — two passenger and one freight — were put on the line. The completion of the road was celebrated l)y a large excursion from Big Rapids to Muskegon. The stations on this road, and distances from Muskegon, are as follows : Muskegon ; B. R. Junction, 4 miles; Twin Lakes, 10.4 miles; Holton, 16.4 miles; Fremont, 23.6 miles; AUeyton, 33.8 miles; White Cloud, 34.7 miles; Woodville, 44.2 miles; Lumber- ton, 46.2 miles ; Hungerford, 48.2 miles ; Big Rapids, 55.2 miles. The stations from Fremont to Hunger- ford, inclusive, are within Newaygo County. CHICACJI) & WF.ST MICHIGAN RAILROAD. Michigan Railroad, and in January, 1881, this com- pany purchased the Grand Rapids, Newaygo & Lake Shore. The tiuee roads arc now under one manage- ment, and are virtually one railroad. It is a well conducted, thoroughly ecpiipped road, and has always dealt fairly with the people of Newaygo County. -i—i-^e LUMBER INTEREST. In 1878, the Muskegon & Big Rajiids line was consolidated with the Chicago & Michigan Lake Shore, under the name of the Chicago & West V^^)^^0.^ .y:;^%^ S has been said on a previous page, Ne- li waygo County is indel)ted to its former vast pineries for its settlement and develop- ment. It is so situated on the border of a great timber country, and yet at convenient distances from good markets and great distributing points, and even at this clay, after so many years of persistent devastation, contains within its borders pine forests so valuable, that it is to be expected that the lumbering industry be of tiie greatest importance. The lumber from the State of Michigan is known all the world over for its excellent quality ; and as to quantity, it is sufficient to be a source of employment and wealth for decades to come. Even before the first settlement of Newaygo County, its territory had been crossed by many adventurous lum- bermen. The Muskegon is the longest stream in the State, and, with its tributaries, of which the principal are Brooks, Pennoyer, Butterfield and Tamarack Creeks, and Middle Branch, Hersey, Little Muske- gon and Clam Rivers, taps an immense lumber-[)io- ducing country. Hence, this system of water ways lias been utilized for transporting logs and lumber for now nearly 47 years. Its magnificent pineries commenced disappearing in 1837, and since 1855 a fierce onslaught has been made upon them. As high as 400,000,000 feet have been put afloat on the Muskegon in a single season. The lumbermen leave no record of their work, and no trace other than pine stumps of their visit ; hence it is impossible to give any extended account of earlv operations. The first lumber sold above Muskegon village was in the year 1S42, by Rose and Hyde, the price being five dollars per thousaiul feel, aiu! the purchaser one ■^ }i ! r •cr-TS:: C^Il[l>^IiIl>> f .1 1 — r ■ ^ • ^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. -^>^^^\^ William Lay, at that time a resident of Chicago. The first logs cut and put afloat were put into the Muskegon River by Merrill I. Page and Lloyd & Place at Mill Iron, in the winter of 1840-1. Mr. Merrill yet resides at Bridgeton, in this county. The first logs cut above Mill Iron were got out by John A. Brooks, during the same winter, ten miles above Croton. He drove them down to " the flats," where the purchaser, a Mr. Newell, took them in charge and drove them into the Muskegon Lake. Glancing through the files of Muskegon, Newaygo and Big Rapids papers, one sees on what a gigantic scale the lumber and logging industry has been carried on of late years. Two or three items are here selected from the Big Rapids Pioneer, tlie first bearing date of April 29, 1864 : " The ' Big Drive ' is now passing our village, and in a few days will be over the rapids, as the water is at a good stage, and some thirty men, we believe, are helping the logs over the rough places. About 100,- 000,000 feet of logs have been put in the past winter on the Muskegon and its tributaries." Again, June 9, 1866: "Commodore Pingree, of Muskegon, widely known as the oldest navigator of the Muskegon River, has just made an entirely suc- cessful experiment in getting the ' Big Drive ' over the rapids at this place. The logs were piled two or three deep for about two miles, and about half a mile on the flat the logs were on dry land, the water having gone down and left them there. The getting them off seemed about an impossibility, but the Com- modore got them all afloat by filling the channel be- j low with logs, and raising the water over three feet. ^ ^;i^ thus producing slack water for nearly half a mile. The logs are now being floated off rapidly, and new ' jams ' are made farther down, as necessity requires. He says he w:ll run the logs to the mouth, unless the river dries up entirely; and from the manner he is operating here, and the kind of men he has to help him, we have no doubt of his success." Again, April 30, 1868: "Commodore Pingree j-assed over the rapids liere on Sunday last with the 'Big Drive,' consisting of about 60,000,000 feet of logs. The drive is considerably ahead of time this year, and must reach its destination several weeks in advance of former years.' And so every year whole forests are floated down the Muskegon, yielding wealth and employment to thousands. The best years for the business are over, at least for Newaygo County. It is only in the northern part of the county that any extensive pine forests are left. The logging business this winter (18S3-4) will be comparatively small. But even when the logs are all cut, the lumber industry will continue to be re- garded as a blessing, for it opens the way to a more permanent prosperity, based on agricultural develop- ment. More wealth will be produced by grain and fruit raising than has ever been acc|uired by logging and lumbering. As early as 1853, the county had four saw-mills, known as the Croton mill. Brooks mill, Merrill mill and Smith mill. The county records show that they were assessed for purposes of taxation as follows : Croton mill, $6,000; Brooks mill, $6,000; Merrill mill, $4,500; Smith mill, |;6,ooo. In 1859, the num- ber of saw and grist mills assessed by the county were as follows : Backart's, $2,712 50 Weaver's, _ 843 75 Newaygo Co. '5,14,062 50 Merrill's, 2,712 50 Hubbard's, 900 00 Bigelow, 1,128 00 Porter's, 900 00 Now it would be almost impossible to give a list of the busy mills which are fast cutting away the forests. There are probably 100 saws now nt work at Newaygo County. Mitchell's, $2,250 00 Utley's, 1,01 2 50 Furman's, I,t25 00 Brooks' 2,625 00 Gay's, 3-375 00 Brooks' I, '25 00 Rice's 843 75 Craigher's 75° 00 =4— AGRICULTURAL. I >, t %. ^ K- (7< m^mm^ ERTILITY of soil is the best measure of the permanent wealth of any commu- p^^™'." nity or locality. Great as is the logging ^^j^ and lumbering industry in Newaygo County, it is nevertheless true that the time will come when the forests of Central Michigan will be all cleared away, and the State can no longer furnish ^ lumber for a continent. It is therefore a matter of -i- satisfaction that the soil of this county is rich and Im/ capable of a high and fruitful state of cultiva- ^ tion. A very great variety of crops can be raised ^'J here profitably, — fruits, grains and garden stuff; and ^^ m>^^ ^'^- ••i^^Cvi/^: NEWAYGO COUNTY. iii^ I A V I 30' the agricultural resources can be partially imagined when it is considered that in icS82 the 1,200 farms comprised only 30,000 acres under cultivation, wliich is less than one-fifteenth of the total area. (h AGRICULTURAL SOCIKIY. The " Newaygo County Agricultural, Horticultural and Mechanical Society " was organized June 26, 1873, for the purpose of holding annual fairs. The articles of incorporation [irovided for a board of r5 directors, five elected annually. The first board was as follows : Sullivan Armstrong, of Ashland ; William D. Fuller, of Brooks ; David W. Squier, of Bridgeton ; William Edmunds, of Sherman ; and Francis H. Hooker, of Barton, — for one year; William S. (Jtley, of Big Prairie ; John Steinbrenner, of Croton ; W. S. Hillman, of Ensley; Solomon Walker, of Dayton; and Nathaniel D. Macomber, of Denver, — for two years ; Nelson McDonald, of Sheridan ; Joseph Min- nick, of Casnovia; M. D. Bull, of Denver; Henry D. Clark, of Greenwood ; and Nelson Higbee, of Croton, • — for three years. The first members and incorpo- rators of the society were 26 in numljer, as follows: The first fair was held Oct. 8, 9 and 10, 1873, at Newaygo, and was successful to an unexpected degree. The fair grounds were situated in the rear of George King's store, on State Street. George Utley was Marshal, and Thomas Turner, John Powers, David Millard, L. A. Mallery, James H. Edwards, A. O. White, Jerome Carpenter, James H. McKee, I. N. Robinson and Mrs. \V. D. Fuller acted as superintendents of the various divisions. The afternoon of the second day, an instructive and care- fully prepared address was delivered by Hon. James Barton. A very liberal premium list was paid, some- what exceeding the gate receipts and entry fees. The Board of Supervisors appropriated $500 to aid in setting the society on a sound financial basis. The second annual fair was held Oct. 7, 8 and 9, 1874, and was an improvement on the first fair. Over 500 entries were made this year. The attend- ance was good all three days. For the succeeding year. Nelson Higbee was chosen President; W. S. Hillman, Vice President; Sanford Brown, Secretary; Marcus S. Angell, Treasurer; C. W. Stone, J. B. Jewell, S. Armstrong, Andrew Flynn and B. H. Cool- baugh, Directors; Nelson Higbee, Sanford Brown, M. S. Angell, James Barton, David Millard, J. B. Jewell and E. O. Shaw, E.xecutivc Committee. The third annual fair commenced Tuesday, Oct. 6, 1S75, and continued five days, the weather being very unfavorable on the opening day. Owing to this inclemency, the fair was not such a success as it would naturally have been. As it was, it was voted the best fair, in most respects, up to that time held by the society. The races were unusually interest- ing. For the succeeding year, the following officers were chosen: Nelson Higbee, President; N. D. Macomber, Vice President; S. K. Riblet, Secretary; C. W. Stone, Treasurer; Nelson Higbee, N. D. Macomber, S. K. Riblet, C. W. Stone, W. S. Hill- man, Sanford Brown, M. S. Angell and George Fuller, Executive Committee; C. A. Sutliff, T. Edwards, William Edmunds, W. S. Hillman and Floyd Misner, Directors. The fair of 1876 began Sept. 20, and continued four days. The attendance was good, the weather was fair, and the fair was a financial success, but a very poor exhibition was made. The attractions consisted principally of races and cheap money- making devices. In 1877, the fair was held Oct. 9, ro, ir and 12. This was not a very brilliant success, owing to very unfavorable weather. Only 50 per cent, of the premiums were paid. For the ensuing year David Collins was chosen President; Sanford Brown, Secre- tary ; T. Edwards, Treasurer; and E. O. Shaw, Superintendent. A vice-president was elected for each township in the county. The principal feature of this fifth fair was an address at Raider's Hall by Gov. John J. Bagley. The sixth annual fair was an improvement on the preceding, though the attendance was very slim. The society paid expenses, and a portion of the in- debtedness of former years. D. P. Clay was chosen President for the year; Edward Edwards, Secretary; and Francis M. Pike, Treasurer; Vice Presidents from all the townships. The seventh fair was held Sept. 17, 18 and 19, 1879, and was unfortunate in almost every respect. This can only be attributed to a general lack of interest. For the next year, D. E. Soper was chosen President; Sanford Brown, Secretary; and Francis M. Pike, Treasurer. The eighth fair was held Sept. 29 and 30, and Oct. I and 2, t88o, and was moderately successful. The attendance was very good, and the exhibition superior 'v.* i c A ^ ^ ( n ^<-^Il!l>:^Pt|i>^-=^ 4^^^^VMg '^/^l^«^tl- r^i^^ ©V<>D B >: D Ilf^r- -r -^^c^'^ii I ■^ t 532 NEWAYGO COUNTY. in some departments. The society's indebtedness continued to be a harassing embarrassment. During the next year, Mr. Wood, of New York, who held the title to the fair grounds, threatened to make some trouble for the society, which was settled by John H. Simmons, of Newaygo, advancing the necessary funds. Unusual efforts were made, and as a result — The ninth annual fair was one of the best ever held in Newaygo County. It was held Sept. 27, 2.S, 29 and 30, 1881. The number of entries was un- usually large, and the exhibition of stock and farm products was really excellent. The attendance was large, especially on the third day, and but one thing prevented a complete success, and that was stormy weather on the last day. This prevented a proposed balloon ascension. One of the interesting features of this fair was a base-ball contest, between the Newaygo, Casnovia and Sparta clubs. The Newaygo club carried off the honors. This was the last fair held in the county, and the Newaygo County Agricul- tural, Horticultural and Mechanical Society is now regarded as dead. It is to be sincerely hoped that a new society will be organized wliich sliall be perma- nently prosperous. ,^aAat>^ / ,n - 'V % *+*%•"+' 'ip '.^.''^ ^P V"^* '% *+" ■'^'^4-' '•? %* '^ Y %' Y V '^ -i-'^-K "-K '4-' V V Y '■{•" '^ *+ V Y + ^-f' %* %' '•f-'V ^4-' "•f"-*-" ^Y V+' *^'r^ n ^^ 5»J. PIOI]EE^ g06IETY€i.Eii p^^"^^ ' — •sSl- ERE as elsewhere, the mem- oiics of tlie past recall to the minds of the pioneers those who were asso( iated with them in tlie work of ^ building up waste places. and where there has been a co-partnership of suffering and en- durance, the feelings of kinship and fellowship spring up, and there is a drawing together. This feeling has resulted in the formation of the various State, county and township pioneer societies now in existence. A meeting was held at the Ex- change Hotel in Newaygo, April 21, 1874, and arrangements made for a general reunion of early settlers of Newaygo County. Of this meet- ing, Hon. S. Armstrong was chosen C'liairnian, and E. O. Shaw, Secretary. The reunion was apfwinted to be held at the Exchange Hotel, May 27, at two o'clock. Tlie following gentlemen were appointed a committee of arrangements : T. D. Stimson, J. H. Standish, Herman Joachim, I. D. Merrill, William Bradley, Dr. John Tatman, William Rice, George Backart, Aaron Swain, N. D. Macomber, J. B. Jewell, W. L. Stuart, Benjamin Ensley, Samuel Rose, R. Gilbert, John A. Brooks, Joseph P. Henderson and C. J. Bigelow. Hon. James Barton, Col. J. H. Standish and Major A. B. Watson were invited to prepare sketches of the early history of Newaygo County, to be read at the reunion. Capt. A. Paddock, Sanford Brown and John H. Simmons were appointed a com- mittee to prepare a program of exercises. E. L. Gray, George Utley and Wellington Persons were ap- pointed to prepare a constitution and by-laws. t J ^- (', A S^ ^ CI ;;.|^VD)«^^" ^^m^ — ^^^.>iifl:^iiii^:>^ r I "^n ^^^> c-^'i/i," --^ <^pa^tlIl^> '^^TT■ :s%ir-.sr NEWAYGO COUNTY. 533 "^ V V vf) ;^ ^ FIRST ANNUA!, REUNION. Before noon on ilio appointed 27th of May, the old settlers of the county began to come in to attend the reunion, and by the time the train arrived from the south, at one o'clock, there were probably 50 pioneers in Newaygo. The train brought in a number from Casnovia. At three o'clock the company sat down to a banquet at the Exchange Hotel, where for nearly an hour the viands were discussed with evident rel- ish The party then adjourned to Masonic Hall, for the business meeting. After listening to a beautiful rendering of " Auld Lang Syne," by an orchestra. Dr. , Tatman, of Muskegon, was chosen temjxjrary Chair- man, and E. O. Rose, Secretary. The name of the society was then agreed upon, to be the " Pioneer Society of the Muskegon Valley." Judge Barton was then called upon for reminiscences. The following is a condensation of his opening remarks : "The first time I heard of Newaygo County was in 1849. The description was so captivating that I con- cluded to come and see it. I landed at Croton ; the only building there was a saw-mill. There were a few settlers on Stearns' Prairie. The only one left, I think, is William Rice, of Croton. There were one or two settlers on Marengo Prairie. Passing to Big Prairie, where I located and now reside, I found ^ Ephraim H. Utley and a Mr. Olney. In Newaygo all was nature. There wasone mill, owned and operated by John A. Brooks. There was a bridge here, — none at Croton. In iS5i,the Legislature passed an act enabling the county to organize. We organized the county and divided it into two townships, calling the eastern township Newaygo and the western one Brooks, ^\'e held the first election in the fall of 1851. I. D. Merrill, of Bridgeton, was chosen Supervisor of Brooks, and I was elected to that office for Newaygo. We soon organized two more towns, naming them Big Prairie and Bridgeton. The num- ber has since been increased to 16." The Judge re- lated a number of humorous transactions of that period, and gave way to Major Watson, who told of his first trip from Grand Rapids to Newaygo. I He and H. J. Orton came here together. He «^. went to Grand Haven and purchased the Pennoyer (^ property. He said that the Surveyor General ap- ^ pointed to survey the Territory of Michigan, reix)rted • to the Department at Washington that Michigan ^ was a vast swamp, and that there was not enough good land within her borders to pay the surveyor's bill. Now Michigan is recognized as one of the wealthiest States, in her own resources — in lumber, salt, mines and agriculture — that there is in the Union, and Newaygo is one of the best counties in the State. Hon. E. L. Gray was tlien introduced. After alluding to the primitive state of things when he came here, and the improvements since, he gave some amusing accounts of the early lawsuits in which Judge Barton, Col. Standish and himself had been engaged. Mr. .Swain said that he first came here in the tall of 1849. He built a house and went after his fam- ily, returning in the February following. He stopped first at Croton, and there learned that he had to come to Newaygo to cross the river in order to reac h Big Prairie. Mr. Armstrong said his father settled in Oakland County in 1826. He lived with him until 1841, when he located in theGrand River Valley, where he lived till 1852. In this latter year he located in the town of Ashland, where he still resides. He related a very amusing incident connected with his first ex- perience as a Justice of the Peace. Dr. Tatman told a number of stories, none of which failed to "bring down the house." His ac- count of how it was decided what m.ide an actual settler was especially rich. Hon. Augustine H. Giddings then made a char- acteristically interesting speech. He commenced by saying that although his name was not upon the list of speakers for the occasion, and, although he was not one of the primitive settlers of this valley, yet he felt that he could "claim kindred here and find that claim allowed." He came to Newaygo in 1857. Since that time it had been his business, and a part of his proressional and official duty, to study man ; and he was convinced that no county could boast of more real manhood, more stalwart character, more independence and self-reliance than the pioneers of the Muskegon Valley. True, many of them perhaps lacked that refinement which comes of more kindly surroundings than they enjoyed in early life, but what was lacking in mere polish was more than made up in rugged strength and genuine stamina. This occasion reminded the speaker of an old- fashioned New England Thanksgiving upon a large V'' *^ >J \> / r T^^u:^my' ~^^^J~ > 534 NEWAYGO COUNTY. T^ rzi^. -4^^C(fV^,^ scale. It has been said by an intelligent foreigner that when the Yankees come together for a good ,'»^ time, they always talk about themselves. \J\)on an % occasion like this, any other talk than about ourselves, %) ^ i our history, our past surroundings and interests, and hopes, should be deemed out of order and tabooed. It would be the merest affectation for us to deny that we have much to be proud of in the history of the early settlement and subsequent progress and devel- opment of this region. He was a native of the old Bay State, and he felt proud of the fact, proud of her Colonial as well as her Revolutionary history ; and of all her history ; proud of her educational facilities, of her devotion to truth and duty at all times and under all circumstances, of her sterling manhood and her true womanhood. Her hills and her valleys, her rocks and her forests, her rivers, her little bab- bling brooks and her mountain cataracts, are all very dear to him. But, proud as he always has been and always will be of his native State, he was prouder still of his adopted State. Michigan to-day almost ecpials Massachusetts in population, in natural wealth and resources; she far excels her in pluck, energy and enterprise — in bold, manly independence of thought and action. In general intelligence her peo- ple may justly rank as the peers of the best and the strongest of any land. Her educational system is a model for older States ; and to the grand success of Michigan, the primitive settlers and their sons of this valley have contributed their full share. "What constitutes a State.'" You will find a better, a truer and more vigorous answer in the record and lives and characteristics of the early citizens of this valley than was ever penned by the gifted bard who pro- pounded this conundrum. " And can we on this joyous occasion forget those days of doubt and danger, of terror, tribulation and tears, when a dark cloud hung like a funeral pall over all the land, 'from the spray in the bay where the Mayflower lay,' to the golden gate of the Pacific slope, where treacherous hands nerved with the fiercest passions of hate and of hell clutched at the Nation's throat ? When the tocsin sounded through all these valleys and forests, when that crisis came, but one blast of the bugle was needed to call to the front our bravest and noblest ; and history and statist- I * ics prove that in proportion to our population we N» furnished a greater number of heroes than any othe ^ /N V > /5S 4 ^ c portion of the State. Indeed, no locality in all the land furnished a greater proportion. With what devotion and holy patriotism the gray-haired fathers and mothers of this our valley dedicated their sons, dear to them as the very apple of the eye, to the service of their country and their God ! " Well do I remember, on one occasion in the gloomiest period of the war, meeting an old mother in our Israel, a lady of culture and refinement, and withal of much native vigor of judgment and intel- lect, who had given to the cause not only her first- born, but all her sons — four lion-hearted boys. She had been expostulated with by a neighbor (whose sons, like myself, belonged to the home guard), for encouraging the enlistment of all her boys. The argument used was that three of the boys were sickly, and hence unfit for a soldier's life. That Spartan matron replied : ' I believe no woman on earth thinks more of her children than I do of mine, but, thank God, I am not the mother of a race of in- valids. I only wish I could do more for the cause.' God bless her dear old patriotic heart .' I wish she were here to-day, and she was but the type of a large class of Nature's noble women, the true aristoc- racy of the land." The speaker then alluded to some of the humorous incidents of the home guard, of which the Hon. William I. Cornwell was Captain, and the speaker occupied the responsible position of Fifth Sergeant. "The Indian campaign, — who will forget it? The names of the heroes of that hour may never have gone very far abroad upon the wings of fame; indeed, there may be some benighted regions of the old world, where the valorous deeds of those classic, ab- V' stemious and romantic martyrs have not been even heard of; but those deeds will live in the historj' and songs of Newaygo as long as the memory of Captain Cornwell and Uncle Jarvis' melon patch shall en- dure. Indeed, that leaf of Newaygo history will ever look green to posterity, at least until the mold shall have gathered \\\x>x\ its memories as thick as was the rust upon those flint-lock muskets which the valiant captain procured from the Adjutant General for the defense of the town." The speaker then alluded to that peculiar institu- tion of Newaygo, the caucus. He stated that politics was not, and never could be W'^ forte ; but if by any possibility the day should ever come when he should r. r |p^V«))f^f%. ^ <>D(1:^:di]v>-^ ^;>' ^m. r^^ ^V<:Ilti:-r ^'^ I N'EWAYGO COUNTY. 535 « so far forget his dignity as to embark in ixjlitics, he would take lessons as to the proper mode of success- fully carrying a caucus from the two political Gama- /tWs,Co\. Standish and Dr. Tatman; and in county politics his text-book would be that valuable treatise on jx)litical economy entitled, "What I Know About Running a County Convention," by Hon. James Bar- ton. In a more serious vein, the speaker then referred to the lesson of the hour, and hoped that this frater- nal meeting, this comparison of notes, this relating of experiences, would be productive not merely of the fleeting pleasure of a day, but that it would be deemed a landmark in our individual history, a good time to remove stumbling blocks in tlie way of hon- orable success, and from the teachings of the past to gather wisdom and strength for the future. "Life is real, life is earnest," and let us re-enter upon its du- ties with a higher purpose and a sterner resolution. Wisely improving the present, let us go forth to meet the shadowy future without fear and with manly hearts. Brief remarks were then made by Messrs. John Powers, John F. Wood, J. B. Jewell, Andrew Oleson, and T. Turner, and Dr. Tatman told another stor)-. The constitution was then discussed and adopted. The first paragraph was as follows : The pioneers of the Muskegon ^'alley, assembled at the village of Newaygo May 27, 1874, hereby agree to organize a society to be called the "Pioneer Society of the Muskegon Valley," the object of which is to gather and preserve the facts and incidents of the early history of the Muskegon Valley, and sketches and anecdotes of its early settlers, and to collect and pre- serve all that may be of interest to those now living or hereafter may live in the counties through which the Muskegon River flows. The officers of the society were decided to be a President, four Vice-Presidents, a Secretary and a Treasurer. The admission fee was fixed at fifty cents. The officers elected for the ensuing year were as follows: Hon Sullivan Armstrong, Pre.sident ; Jas. Barton, A. B. Watson, A. Swain and A. Oleson, Vice Presidents ; and S. K. Riblet, Secretary. SECOND ANNUAL REUNION. The second reunion was held June 16, 1875, at Raider's Hall, in Newaygo, and was attended by about 150 pioneers. After prayer by Rev. M. S. An- ^"4:^ -K-^D!l>: ^1^^ gell, and music by the Newaygo Silver Cornet Band, the meeting was first addressed by Hon. E. L. Gray, welcoming the visitors. He spoke briefly of the death of Aaron Swain, and narrated some of the in- cidents of his life, saying that Mr. Swain had exjilored almost every pine township between here and Hough- ton Lake for many miles back from the river. He also alluded to the growth of this and other river counties. After speaking briefly on the objects of such societies as this, Mr. Gray closed by calling for Hon. Wni. I. Cornwell, of New York. This name was received with loud applause, and Mr. Cornwel! came to the front. He described his first journey from Grand Rapids to Newaygo, and alluded to the growth of the village, saying that some of his antici- pations had been realized. His speech was brief and to the point, and was loudly applauded. Dr. J. C. Tatman was called out next, and com- menced by saying that he was no speech-maker, but if the audience desired he would tell a story. He then related in a very amusing manner the history of the first election held in the township of Brooks, a wolf story, and a story about a buck-board he ])ur- chased from Col. Standish at an early day. Major A. B. Watson was then called out, and said that as Dr. Tatman had told a buck-board story, he would tell a horse story. His story was a recital of the way in which he was swindled when he first came on the river, and it brought down the house. John Powers related an Irish anecdote, which was received with shouts of laughter. Hon. E. L. Gray then re- lated a number of amusing incidents ir. the early his- tory of the village and county. For the ensuing year. Dr. John Tatman was chosen President; James Barton, N. D. Macomber, D. Blod- gett and E. L. Gray, Vice Presidents ; W. Irving Latimer, Secretary ; and Sol. K. Riblet, Treasurer. Before adjournment, the following characteristic let- ter from J. H. Maze, the [lioneer editor of the Ne- waygo Republican, was read to the assemblage : Gkani) Rapids, June 15, 1S75. Hon. Sullivan Armstrong, President of Pioneer Society of the Muskegon \^illey : — Dear Sir: — Nothing would aflord me greater pleasure than to be present at your reunion, but a threatening return of a severe attack of a disease of the kidneys, with which I have been afflicted for years, forewarns me that I must keep still for a few days. I had prepared a brief biography of the late Indian t V % Ky ^ r A 'm f w^ -^^i^ ^^^^^DD»:iltl^:>-r T" ~V><>'' tJ-A^K. 8-^- ifl- ^;:x <^t]ii^nii^> NEWAYGO COUNTY. ■7^^^ 7 ^ i V r^ % ingly held May 30, in that village. The pioneers assembled to the ininiber of 150, including 72 from Big Rapids, and went through the usual program of hand-shaking, speech-making, etc. 'V. I). Stinison was chosen President, E. O. Rose Secretar}-, and Foster Stearns Treasurer, and it was decided to iiold the next meeting at Big Rapids. This — FIFTH RF.UNION was duly held in that city June 18, 1879. Over 200 members were in attendance. The association was called to order at noon by Mr. T. 1). Stimson, and Judge Brown delivered a welcoming address. About 60 new names were added to the register. At two o'clock an old-style dinner was served at the Mason House, to which all did ample justice. One table was set with dishes belonging to Mrs. White that were the property of Mrs. White's great-great-grand- mother. A mustard spoon and cup were two hun- dred years old. After dinner the meeting was ad- dressed by Dr. Tatman, \V. S. Utley, J. V. Crandell and Hannibal Hyde. A general good time was ha'd, and the old friends and neighbors of years ago had a real old-fashioned visit. This is the last reunion the society has held. It cannot be long before the old settlers of the county will realize the importance of forming a permanent society, to collect and preserve the local history which they have spent their lives in making. REMINISCENCES— by T. L. Waters. " WE EMIC.KATE." : N April 15, 1855, tlie entire families of Dan- iel Weaver and Wilkes and Thomas .Stuart vj^)^ started from Cambria, Hillsdale County, for (j|c^ the " north woods. We came forehanded, having four horse teams, two yoke of cattle, and six or eight cows, — all handy things to have in a new country, and a pretty good caravan they made. Besides these, there were some three or four thousand dollars in specie among the compan) . It was a long, rainy, nasty, tiresome journey to all ex- cept two of the party. In one of those covered wagons rode a young couple, who, although the others complained of the rough and muddy roads and incessant rain, failed to see the rougli and muddy part of the journey, and scarcely knew it rained. To them it was the pleasantest journey of their lives. Such is mortal ! Sixday^ were consumed in reaching Lisbon, where we lightened our loads and drove on to Newaygo. The road then, instead of running where it now does, made vast circuits around the swamps, returning in some instances nearly back to where we had started from the line. One half day's drive brought us to Fulkerson's, now known as Casnovia, where we stopped for the night. There was then but one log house and a barn, where now a thriving country village stands. From here to Newaygo, for fifteen miles, stretched an unbroken forest, mostly pine. Thirty years has swept that vast forest nearly all away, and neat, thrifty farms dot the road where we then wallowed through the mire, and wound our way among the lofty pines, while a commodious railroad car with its soft cushions has taken the place of those covered wagons, and carries the traveler in thirty minutes over what it took us a whole day to drive, — from Casnovia to Newaygo. At the latter place we stopped over night with the genial landlord of the Butler House. The village then had but one hotel, three stores and the flourin" mill. Newaygo was then noted for exporting lumber and importing whisky and tobacco. The lumber was rafted down the river, while the stage came in twice a week loaded with the "' important," which scarcely lasted till its return. It is quite another village now; other men have come in, and "Queen Temperance" has driven " King Alcohol " into close quarters. Its once miry streets are now graded and graveled, and good substantial sidewalks are now where we jumped from log to log, or walked a single plank. No one would now suspect that Main Street was once a vast spring-hole ; but such was the case. On the morning of the 25th of April, we crossed the river by the upper bridge, then the only one, drove up the Croton road about a mile, and turned westward into the forest. After an hour's drive we came back in sight of Newaygo, on the north bank of the river, and then struck ofif northwest on what is now called the Fremont trail, running near Kini- bell's Lake. On reaching an alder swamp three-fourths of a v^ i I r r<:Oli:<^IiII^> V '0> V s .4 T IVEIVAYGO COUNTY. •^a^is^^^r Si^ '^ mile east of what is now known as the Root school- house, Mr. Weaver, who was ahead, mired his team so that only the heads and tails were visible. Luckily there was a house-raising at Harrington's that day (the second house raised in Fremont), and Sam Shupe was there with Tom Stuart's stags, draw- ing house logs. He was sent for and came as soon as possible; and, doubling a couple of log chains, he drew the wagon out. We had already drawn out the horses with one of our other teams. The load in the wagons being mostly human, unloaded itself over the hind end-board, and did not load up again, pre- ferring /i'//a firma. We now cut a road around the swamp, while two of the boys, Frank Stuart and Leland Weaver, went ahead to carry the news that we were coming. Mrs. Weaver and Mrs. Stuart also walked ahead of the teams the rest of the way, three and a half miles. At last we reached " Forest Home." There were about five acres chopped around the "old house " on the north side of the road, and extending west nearly to where the grange store has since been built. Where the village now stands there was a hem- lock swamp, ;ind south an unbroken forest stretch- ing away to the Muskegon River; 27 miles west to Lake Michigan, and north 80 miles to Grand Traverse Bay. Nothing but bears, wolves, deer, lynx and wild-cats inhabited the vast region. THE HUNT F.AMII.V. In the month of March, 1855, M. B. Hunt, of Coldwater, Mich., and a man by the name of Laker came up into this new country looking for land ; but Hunt not exactly liking the looks of Laker, carried to him the idea that he was going to pre-empt. Wlien they arrived at Ionia, Hunt counted out the gold for his land, which was situated northwest of Gibson's mill at Lake Station. Laker took exceptions to this, and would neither buy nor pre-empt. Hunt always thought Laker had some intention which he knew best, and kept to himself. Hunt was only 20 years of age, and his wife "sweet sixteen." On the first day of April they started with a yoke of steers and a i:overed wagon from Coldwater, for Fremont. It took them 1 1 days to reach Chubb "s tavern, now Lisbon. Here he hired a man and team to bring in 600 pounds, for which he paid him $16. On arriving at Newaygo, the man changed for a sleigh, but Hunt went tlirough with ^ I C his wagon. His was the first wagon ever driven over the road from Newaygo to Fremont. In this, the first wagon trip, the wagon was unloaded, set up- right, and re -loaded several times, and besides, the ox-yoke was broken. Quite a contrast to the present, when in an easy carriage we now ride rapidly over a good road in a little over an hour. Stopping at Harrington's shanty, he left his team and things until he could bridge the creek near where the mill now stands, and cut out a road along the lake shore from the old log house to his land, three miles distant. This was the first extension of the road west from the "old house." In three days he liad cut out a road and bridged the creek, when, making a cart of the hind wheels of his wagon, he loaded on a few things and moved on to his land. Mrs. Hunt accompanied the " expedition," the first of its kind to pass along the bank of Fremont Lake. It took four days to move from Elm Corners to Lake Station, a distance of four miles. They arrived on one corner of their land just as the sun was setting, ^ announcing their first night in the woods. About 10 .^i'. rods from where they stopped lay the partly de- = voured carcass of a deer, which had been killed and i^« partly eaten the night before by the wolves. ^3 Our couple were young and green, and knew noth- ^ ing of woods life, but Miles was courageous and naturally endowed with quick perception and in- ( genuity; so, setting some crotches, and putting a pole across from one to the other, he backed the cart under, spread the wagon cover over and made up their bed in the cart box. He next built a large fire and made preparations for supper. One milk- pan and a pancake griddle constituted their entire ^ outfit of cooking utensils; but "where there's a will there's a way;" and so, taking the milk-pan, Miles went some forty rods to Fremont Lake for water. Darkness having set in, considerable difficulty was experienced in carrying water in that manner; but the camp was finally reached all right, the batter stirred up, pancakes baked, and supper eaten in primitive style, with as good relish as the best meal (^. ever spread on the tables of the Astor House. The oxen were next fastened to trees near the fire, where they could be protected, the rillc cleaned and loaded, and our boy and girl went to bed. Nothing disturbed their slumbers save now and then tiie snarling and growling of the wolves over the balance of the deer's carcass ; but they did not come here to be scared by \^.^^s^':^ .-■,,7^^^. -^<-tll):-^:tlDsy- 'V. i I iAf A V NEIVAYGO COUNTY. "^tJ^''^ ■•ST -i^^5fl^-;||' 539 ^ rS a few wolves, but to make for themselves a home. The next day they had the company of our old county surveyor, Mr. Adams, and a gentleman from the State of New York. This gentleman expressed considerable surprise at their age, and said he would give all he was worth if his boys only had the grit they had. Ciiving them his blessing, he went away satisfied that Michigan people did not lack in that important element of human nature which has made us so successful, to wit, energy. Their next visitors were a party of land-lookers, who built a fire near by and camped. These men were so frightened by the noise of the loon on the lake, thinking it a panther, that two of them sat up all night, and kept up a rousing fire. But the panther failed to put in an appearance, and I would add that there were never any panthers here, as they are more indigenous to a mountainous country. After cutting and hauling his house-logs, and riv- ing out the shakes for the roof, a house-raising was made, and seven men of us went over and put up the house. The writer carried up one corner, and helped put on the shakes. They were fastened on with the weight poles laid lengthwise of the roof, and were protection from the rain, but very poor shelter from snow, as it would sift through. That house was truly primitive ; its floor was made of puncheons, split out and hewed, its door and win- dow casings were the same, the door made of pun- cheons, swung on wooden hinges, and not a single nail entered into its construction. The writer bought a double-barreled rifle of Hunt in the fall of 1855, and chopped five acres for it. My wife and I lived with Hunt while I did the chopping. One night it snowed, and blowed, and the snow came sifting down at a terrific rate. We had plenty of bed clothing over us, so we covered up our noses and "let 'er slip." In those primitive times we had no bed-rooms; neither was it necessary, as none of us had tongues "hungon a swivel," and so the same room answered for parlor, dining-room, kitchen and bed- room. In the morning, our beds being close togeth- er, we had some dispute as to who should build the fire, the snow being about four inches deep on the floor. I finally built the fire, and then came a spree in the snow. The beds were both shook full, and footprints were visible all over the floor. ?u ^^^ JVEIVAVGO COUNTY. -v^^S^'S S4I t a little east of where I afterwards made my home, making a pretty straight course through the track- less forest, in a snow-storm, twelve miles. Faitli in that little bar of steel in the cominiss in my hand saved me. In the month of July, 1855, Henry ITpton, of Adrian, moved here. I met them nine miles this side of Grand Rapids, on the 25th, and piloted them in. The family consisted of si.\ persons, — Mr. Upton and wife, two gills. Olive and Jane, and two boys, A. E. and Clinton. A. E., then a mere lad, drove an o.\ team, and the girls a one-horse wagon. In coming through the woods between Casnovia and Newaygo, I went ahead and with a long pole sounded thenmd- holes, then directed them how and where to ,drive. The stranger who undertook to navigate our roads at that primeval epoch without a pilot, could have done the same on the Mississippi, with its shifting bars and sands. "Throwing the lead" from Casno- via to Fremont, the ITptons hauled up at the old log house on the 26th, and that ride, though not on a rail, will long be remembered by them. .^:2^^#^K'^^^fcff. \ COUNTY BUILDING. s«"'*'"3x/®§s.'?3Trav. a |h E people took no step to- ^ward building a permanent edifice for county offices and court room until 1866. Pre- vious to that time the county owned a small building costing but a few hundred dollars, used as a clerk's office, and in which also the Supervisors met. Court was held in rented quarters. April 17, 1866, the Board passed the following resolution : Whereas, It is deemed necessary and proper to erect a suitable county building on the " Court-House Square " in the village of Newaygo, for the offices of the County Clerk, Judge of Probate, Register of Deeds and County Treasurer, therefore Resolvtd, by the Board of Super- visors of the county of Newaygo, that there be submitted to a vote of the electors of the county of Ne- waygo, the question of raising by oan the sum of $3,000, to build and finish such county building for purposes aforesaid, one-half to be payable on the first day of February, 1868, and one-half payable on the first day of February, 1869, agreeably to the pro- visions of section 20, being section 354 of the Com- piled Laws, entitled " An act todefine the jiowers and duties of the Boards of Supervisors of the several counties, and to confer upon them certain local ad- ministrative powers." Resolved further, that such submission be made to the electors of Newaygo County on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, 1866, and that the votes thereon be taken, canvassed, certified and re- turned in accordance with the provisions of the aliove entitled act. When the vote was taken, out of 577 votes cast, 340 were given in favor of the loan, and 237 against it. The Treasurer was instructed to negotiate the loan, and James Barton, Milo White and William D. Fuller were appointed a building committee, with power to contract for and supervise the erection of such building. This sum jiroved insufficient to complete the building as desired, and in the following fall the Board appropriated $1,000 out of the con- tingent fund towards constructing an additional story for a court room. The old county building was sold, and the proceeds applied to the same purpose. I ^>5^^^-^ -^€^ — ^A<^D!i: -^r.-*' j_ >^^((®y-l V r 4^ ■s>st^. <^iia>^iinr> f /N V '0 ^ 542 ME WAY GO COUNTY. Still more funds were necessary, and $600 were ad- vanced to the county by E. L. Gray, Sol. K. Riblet, the Newaygo Company, D, Millard, W. L. Stewart, and others, to finish the structure. The building was ready for occupancy by mid-winter. It was then considered a very neat structure, and is even now better than many other counties can show. Still, it has become insufficient for county purposes, and the need of more room is sadly felt. Fire-proof vaults are needed, also, to preserve the county records from danger of fire. Among the plans proposed to remedy the situation, is one to build a new court-house, and convert the present building into a sheriff's dwelling and jail. ^*-H^^ County Jail. HE Board of Supervisors passed the follow- ing, Dec. 31, 1853: "This county not being provided with a jail, it is resolved that the county of Kent be required to receive and take charge of such prisoners as may be sent from this county, at the e.xpense of this county." Jan. 13, 1855, it was decided to erect a jail for the use of the county, and a contract was made with Samuel W. Matevey on the following basis: The jail to be built of hewn timber and to be seventeen feet wide by twenty feet long, and the walls to be eleven or twelve feet high. The floors to be of hewn timber. The building to be divided into two cells, each to be entered from above by means of trap doors, "the whole to be done in a good and substan- tial and workmanlike manner, so as to answer the |)urpose of a common jail for said county." " To be paid for as follows: One hundred dollars to be ad- vanced on said contract in a county order this day drawn, and the balance to be paid in one year from the date hereof." The work was required to be com- pleted by the ist of May ensuing. This was not done, but the building was finished during the sum- mer. Mr. Matevey was allowed for the job $326.04. In April, 1872, the citizens of Newaygo County voted on a proposition to raise by loan $4,000, with unfit for longer use. This amount was to be paid in four annual payments of $1,000 each. The number of votes given in favor of the loan was 302, against 517 ; consequently the measure was rejected. June 12, 1877, another attempt was made, and the people were asked to vote on a proposition to raise $2,500 for a jail. This was rejected by a vote of 570 in favor, and 634 against. Oct. 12th, 1877, the Board appropriated out of the county funds $1,000, to aid in the construction of a jail. .\ committee of citizens, with this amount, and with a fund raised by private subscription, then erected the present frame building, which serves as a jail and sheriff's residence. It is to be hoped that it will be re- placed ere many years with some more substantial structure ; but this will probably not be done until the county-seat question is more definitely settled. Poor-Farm. K^ which to erect a new jail, the old one being deemed A v HE first move towards the maintenance of a poor-farm for the unfortunate poor of the county was made March i, 1859, when $50 were appropriated to purchase of Warren P. Adams the southwest quarter of the north- west quarter of section 13, township 1 1 north, range 13 west (40 acres). The sum of $100 was also appropriated for the purpose of erectiivg a lo2 dwelling-house on this farm. It was agreed that when this land should be wanted no longer by the v county, the same should be re-conveyed to Mr. .\dams, s§.\ by his paying to the county the value of the improve- 5-' ments made thereon by the county, and the original price paid for the same, with interest. These very liberal terms (liberal terms for the county, at least) were never carried out by Mr. Adams, however, and the farm was sold toother parties. It was indeed a poor farm, and was of but little use to the county. For a number of years after this, the poor were let by contract to private parties. Jan. 22, 1873, the Board purchased as a poor farm the wesi half of the southeast quarter of the north- east quarter of section 30, and 25 acres off the north side of the southwest quarter of the northeast quarter of section 30, in township 12 north, range 12 west. r 4 x»- -rr v<^nD^ii!ii> V m NEIVAYGO COUNTY. ^ i •a*. A V -^ 543 This tract, 45 acres, was purchased of Milton N. Nelson, for $500, and subject to a mortgage of $500. Farming was carried on rather on a small scale, for some years. Jan. 5, 1875, ^'^^ Board authorized tlie construction of a suitable building for the sick and insane poor, and ordered that the farming tools and wagon on the poor farm be sold. In October, 18S1, it was decided to purchase an- other poor farm. The Board's committee, after examining several farms, recommended the purchase of 140 acres belonging to G. Reeves, a mile and a half east of Fremont. This farm contained 90 acres cleared of stumps, a large barn, two large orchards, and 25 acres of wheat. This farm was accordingly purchased, at $5,500, and is now the home of those who become dependent upon Newaygo County's charity. Medicine. . HE first physician in the county was Dr. Alverson, who came in 1852, and remained two years. But Dr. John Tatman was the pioneer doctor. He came in 1854, and was here till after the war, when he went to Muske- gon. He is now in Dakota, with his son Dr. J. C. Tatman, who also practiced in Newaygo for a short time after the war. 1 )r. Charles Leonard came shortly after Dr. Tatman, and practiced until the war. He then enlisted in the army, and served two years and a half. Closing up his affairs here, lie went to Muskegon with Dr. Tatman. He is now dead. Other early physicians were Drs. W'oodworth, Ely, Spicer and Massey, all of whom are well remembered. The following is a list of the physicians at present practicing in Newaygo County : George P. Booth, Eclectic, Muskegon. Almond A. De Clroat, Regular, Hungerford. Benedict Einarson, Homeopathic, White Cloud. James F. Farley, Regular, Fremont. David W. Flora, Rcgr.lar, Newaygo. G. August Hert/er, Regular, Big Prairie. Jeremiah Lemoreaux, Homeopathic, Fren)onl. John W. McNabl), Regular, Fremont. Van. N. Miller, Regular, Fremont. L. A. McCorinick, Regular, Newaygo. George W. Nafe, Eclectic, Fremont. James A. Porter, Regular, White Cloud. Edgar J. Pendell, Regular, Newaygo. First Marriages. ■HE first marriage recorded m Newaygo 1 County was filed April 10, 1852, but occurred Oct. 2, 1851. The certificate reads as follows : This is to certify that Jolm Beck and Phiarm Luther, both of the county of Newaygo, were («^y Hiram M. Read, Regular, Woodville. Hollis T. Read, Regular, White Cloud. Tyson Smith, Homeopathic, Newaygo. Joseph M. .Stone, Regular, Ashland. Thomas J. Sherlock, Eclectic, Dingman. E. C. Sweet, Eclectic, Muskegon. Reuben S. Trask, Regular, Wliite Cloud. Jolm B. Woodward, Eclectic, Fremont. James Wright, Regular, Ensley. -i #-# ^ First Dam. HE first dam over the Muskegon River in Newaygo County was authorized by the ^^ Board of Supervisors Sept. 3, 1853, and con- -^ structed by Christopher Culp. Following is t§ the act of the Board of Supervisors authorizing I the building of said dam : "Sec. I. — Be it enacted by the Board of Supervisors of the county of Newaygo, State of Michigan, that Cliristopher Culp, his heirs and assigns, are hereby authorized and empowered to build a dam across the Muskegon River on fractional lot 2, on section 4, township (2 north, range 11 west. " Sec. 2. — That the said dam shall not exceed six feet above common low-water mark, and shall con- tain a sufficient shute in height not to exceed four feet, in breadth not less than twenty-four feet, and not less than forty feet in length. " Sec. 3. — Nothing herein contained shall authorize the individual named in the first section of this act, his heirs or assigns, to enter upon, or flow, or other- wise injure the land of any person or persons without the consent of such person or persons, and the Board of Supervisors may at any time hereafter alter, amend or repeal this act." The second dam was the Newaygo Company's dam, begun in 1853. vt V/ < \ r> I > N -€^ married by me, a minister of the M. E. Church, on -^ !^ » v^^liD:t;unv>r 544 (^ ) y\ V !) t i % -7:^^ cr-7 NEWAYGO COUNTY. -^^- V:X -4^^§f^V#^ ?iy-: the 2d day of October, 1851,111 the presence of James P. Berry and Sarah Berry. David Gulp. The second marriage occurred Dec. 4, 1851, and was performed for Wm. H. Tubbs and Laura M. Bonney. Dec. 15, 185 1, David M. Cooley and Abyssinia Miller were joined in matrimony. These three first marriages were performed by Rev. David Gulp, of the Methodist Episcopal denomination. In 1852, three couples were married : March 18, Gornelius Slaght, jr., and Nancy Ann Lace, by Rev. David Gulp; April 13, Fenton Taylor and Julia Swain, by William Barton, Justice of the Peace; and Sept. 30, Leonard Hetter and Rebecca Gauweiler, by Jacob Barnhard, Justice of the Peace. In 1853, eleven marriages were solemnized within the limits of Newaygo Gounty. Fires in the Forest, 1871. ^ IRE is :i good servant, but a hard master," [*" and under favoring circumstances will g|^-^-''i^ sweep away in a single night or day the yM>- work of years and the savings of a life-tiine. dh^ Fires in the forests of Michigan are dreaded as ( much as the prairie fires of Illinois and Iowa once were. They come generally in the season of autumn, when dead leaves are on the ground, and are most destructive after a dry season. Newaygo Gounty has suffered slightly from these fires, but on the whole has been very fortunate. There have been no sweeping losses. The days of forest fires have gone by, at least for this part of the State, and as the remaining timber is gradually cleared away, the danger to be guarded against becomes less and less. October, 187 i, was a month long to be remembered as the one which witnessed so much destruction in Ghicago, and through many portions of the State of Michigan. In Newaygo County there were many narrow escapes, but comparatively little damage was done — much less than was experienced by neighbor- ing counties, During the first week in October the whole country was enveloped in a cloud of smoke, which was almost suffocating. On Monday, Oct. 9, the smoke was so dense that the sun could scarcely be seen, and it penetrated dwellings and places of business so that it was almost impossible to transact business of any kind ; the wind blew a gale all day, and the dust in addition to the smoke was anything but pleasant. Rumors of fire and destruction of property in different directions were rife and the con- sequent excitement was so intense that almost all work was at a standstill. In Newaygo village all were expectant of a coming conflagration. Towards evening it was ascertained that Wyatt's lumbering shanties, and 150 cords of shingle bolts belonging to I. D. Merrill were totally destroyed. But it was only when night came on that the true state of affairs could be seen from the village. In every direction the flames could be distinctly seen, and it was evi- dent to all that the destroying element was rapidly approaching the village, and unless its progress could be stayed a fearful destruction of property and perhaps loss of life must ensue. At midnight the bells were rung, and the citizens turned out almost en inasse, and commenced battling the fire, but without perceptible effect ; and it ap- proached so near to the dwelling of David Jarse that his household goods were removed. About two oclock Tuesday morning rain commenced falling, and by daylight the fire was nearly subdued. At one time the fire was within 30 rods of Kritzer's grist-mill, and the wind blowing it directly on with irresistible force; but a sudden shift of the wind lessened the danger in that ijuarter materially. It is beyond controversy that if the mill had caught fire the whole town would have been destroyed. Never was rain more earnestly prayed for, or more thank- fully received. At Fremont Genter a hard fight was made. All around the village fences were torn down and the ground plowed up. Several buildings were destroyed in the vicinity, among them three residences. Fifty men were fighting fire at Darling's mill all Sunday night, and with difficulty saved that valuable prop- erty. A great many families removed their goods from their dwellings, having given up all hope of sav- ing them. At Denver the fire did much damage, and in many other sections of the county there were close escapes from severe visitations of the consum- ing element. Fires have also done some damage during several other autumn seasons. K-i^ ^^^^ -rK>D!l>:iltlv.>A^?^ ^^^^ -^ ^^^^. <^ A V ( r^' ®\ g«§S9- Pv^rs^ ^5' vC^llli:r "^^^=r^ "^^^^ •5 \ --^.^*y/■:^^ } I ^U-J c 546 i i V J ^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. '^-'^ l^^f^^ _OS22_ 000 T the present time the histor- ical sketches of the various townships and villages of Ne- waygo County, and especially ^ the former, afford but little of variety of incident or history to record. Much of the more in- teresting historical matter occur- ring in the county, and therefore in some townships, has been men- tioned in the general history. We give the following brief sketches of tow-nships in alphabetical order, be- ginning with Ashland Township and ending with Wilcox, with the history of the various villages included in the sketches of the townships in which they are : -« #^<-^ Ashland Township is one of the oldest and wealthiest in Newaygo County. It is township 11 north, 13 west, Congres- sional survey, and lies in the southern tier of town- ships in the county. It is bounded on the north by Garfield,'on the east by Grant, on the south by Mus- kegon County, and on the west by Bridgeton. The Muskegon River flows through sections 4,5, 6 and 7, in the northwestern corner. The Newaygo division of the C. & W. M. R. R. runs almost due south <^ A ^\m^^^ .'^^•''^'''H^- UHii. -^^titi^^iiii;^>^ through the eastern tier of sections i, 12, 13, 24, 25 and 36. Sand Lake is on the south half of section 19, Mud Lake in the southwest quarter of section 29, and the greater part of Blanche Lake is on section 13, in the eastern part of the township. Ashland was the fifth township organized in Ne- waygo County, and was the first one erected after the county machinery was fairly started. It was organ- ized by the Board of Supervisors Oct. 9, 1854, and the first " town meeting " was held at the house of Sullivan Armstrong, the first Monday in April, 1855. Sullivan Amistrong was chosen the first Supervisor. At the last election, April 2, 1883, the following township officers were chosen : Orvin Headley, Supervisor; Nathaniel H. Brown, Clerk; Robert C. Wallace, Treasurer; Hiram L. Brace, Highway Com- missioner; Henry Avery, School Inspector; Samuel W. Peterson and William N. Hutchinson, Justices of the Peace; Sylvester Peats, Henry J. Brown, John Raymer and Wm. H. Soyer, Constables. The population of Ashland Township in 1880 was 1.436- There are now six school districts in the township. For the year ending Sept. 3, 1883, the number of children between the ages of five and twenty was 514; the number that attended school during the year, 392; number of non-resident pupils, 8; num- ber of days of school taught, 1,059; number of vol- umes in district libraries, 186; number of brick school-houses, i ; number of frame school-houses, 6 ; number of pupils that can be seated, 496 ; value of T % il^'Y^')«>^#- a^ > (^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. 547 school property, $6,580; number of male teachers employed, 5; number of female teachers employed, 9; amount paid to male teachers, $950; amount paid to female teachers, $840. The ei|ua!ized valuation of the property of Ash- land Township in 1855 amounted to $39,740.50, and the taxes collected to $198.70, while for 1883 the value of property was $181,615, ■''"•i ^^^ taxes $2,176.70. The following is a complete list of the Super- visors of the township: SUPERVISORS. Sullivan Armstrong, 1855-7 George Fuller, 1858 Sullivan Armstrong, 1859-60 Alfred F. Armstrong, 1861-2 George Fuller, 1863 Alfred F. Armstrong, 1864 John L. McLain, 1864 Milo White, 1865-9 Sullivan Armstrong, 1870-2 Alfred F. Armstrong, 1873 Sullivan Armstrong, 1874 S. W. Peterson, 1874 Andrew T. Squier, 1875-8 George Fuller, 1879 Orvin T. Headley, J 880 Sullivan Armstrong, 1881 VV. Seaman, 1882 Orvin T. Headley, 1883 ^^^-i^S-w h 5f& "2? Barton Township. SARTON is township 16 north, 11 west, ^^^ and occupies the northeastern corner of '^"^ the county. It is bounded on the north by Lake County, on the east by Mecosta County, on the south by Norwich Township, and on the west by Monroe Township. It has no railroad, no village, and no water-course of any size. Several creeks rise in the eastern part, and flow into the Muskegon through Mecosta County. Barton is a new township, comparatively, and is yet rich in pine lands. Its land is excellent for agricultural purposes, and will some time make it f^ one of the wealthiest townships in fc the county. t { Barton (named in honor of Hon. James Barton) was organized by the Board of Supervisors, March 9, i860, and the first election was held the first Monday in April following, at the house of Sidney Seacord. William Davenport, Francis S. Hooker and Sidney Seacord were Inspectors of this election, and Sidney Seacord was chosen as the first Supervisor of the new township. At the last election, held April 2, 1883, the following officers were chosen : James Duffy, Supervisor; John H. Randall, Clerk; Andrew J. Forsyth, Treasurer; Frederick Hover, Highway Commissioner; John Tower, Drain Commissioner; Wm. H. Wiggins, School Inspector ; John W. Martin and S. Bird Schermerhorn, Justices of the Peace ; George Torry, Amos Whipple, Wm. Aldrich and Orvil L. Smith, Constables. The population of Barton Township in 1S80 was 638. There are now five school districts in Barton. For the year ending Sept. 3, 1883, the number of children between the ages of 5 and 20 was 193; number that attended school, 157; number of non-resident pupils, 7; number of days school taught, 740; number of school-buildings (all frame), 5; number of pupils that can be seated, 258; value of school property, $2,650; number of male teachers employed, 2 ; number of female teachers employed, 6 ; amount paid to male teachers, $225 ; amount paid to female teachers $890. As showing the increase of the wealth of the township we give the following figures : In i860 the value of the property of the township was about $18,000, and the taxes collected $116.47; while for 1883 the valuation was $139,942, and the taxes col- lected $1,478.53. SUPERVISORS. Sidney Seacord, James M. Hyatt, Tracy Woodward, W. N. Bevier, Carlos Marsh, Lemon D. Reynolds, William Davenport, Frank H. Hooker, Luther Dodge, Eugene Decker, George W. Heath, Eugene Decker, James Dufiy, i860 i86i-z 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867-8 1869-7 1 1872 1873-8 1879 1880 i88t A r~ <' ■^•na>:iiiis>^ m ^^m^ O 1 548 NEWAYGO COUNTV. ■:^€^ •ST -4^^f^-Si IS) Beaver Township. EAVER Township comprises township 15 north, 14 west, and the west half of town- ship 15 north, 13 west. It is hounded on the north by Troy Township, on the east by Monroe Township, on the south l)y Denver Township, and on the west by Oceana County. Pere Marquette River rises in this township, principally in Crooked Lake, and is joined a little north of the center by Begiver River. On sections 6 and 7, of township 13 west, is Island Lake, a beau- tiful body of water about 40 acres in extent. It is neatly oval in shape, and almost in its center is an island, nearly 10 acres in area. In the eastern por- ^ s tion is the greater part of Crooked Lake, a curiously ' ' shaped lake composed of four small bodies of water connected with each other by narrow, irregular channels. On the south line of the township is Stony Lake and two or three ponds. Beaver is hardly settled, and is mostly in a i)rimitive and undevel- oped state. It has an abundance of valuable pine. Beaver v/as organized by the Board of Supervisors Jan. 5, 1869. It then comprised its present territory, and also what is now Troy Township (organized sep- arately in 1880). The first election was held the first Monday in April, 1869, Cyrus O. Cornish, Brad- ford Freeman and Addison Freeman acting as Inspectors. Alonzo Yates was chosen the first Super- visor. At the last election, held April 2, 1883. the following were elected: Benjamin Candee, Super- visor: Alburtus Andrus, Clerk; Edwin Gleason, Treasurer; Lyman S. Sweet, Highway Commissioner; Jesse P. De Long, Drain Comuiissioner ; Alburtus Andrus and \ndrew Mudge, School Inspectors ; Hugh H. McKenzie, Justice of the Peace; Wallace W. Sutton, Burr Bettys, James North and Edwin Gleason, Constables. The first settlers of Beaver Townshij) were Bar- zillai and Wyman VV. Giddings and Ira Knapp. The first named settled on section 20. The village ^ of Volney, recently laid out, is the only attempt yet made towards a village. It has a postoffice, pre- sided over by F. C. Selby. /- The population of Beaver Township in 1 880 was 1 97 . There are now three school districts in Beaver Township. For the year ending Sept. 3, 1883, the number of children between the ages of 5 and 20 was 100; number who attended school, 92; number of non-resident pupils, 2 ; number of days of school- taught, 380 ; number of school-houses (all frame), 3 ; number of pupils that can be seated, 184; value of school property, $2,900 ; number of male teachers employed, i ; number of female teachers employed, 5; amount paid male teachers, $160; amount i)aid female teachers, $374. The value of taxable property in the township in 1869 was §87,400, and the amount of ta,\es $1,020^ while for 1883 the valuation was $160,455, and taxes collected, $2,709.92. SUPERVISORS. -Monzo Vates, .-\li)urtus .Andrus, Benjamin Candee, 1869-71 1872-6 1877 -^■5— <-^##^-^>--H Big Prairie Township. U'ICi Prairie Township is one of the two W townsliips oiganized at the first meeting of the Board of Supervisors of Newaygo County, Marcl* 20, 1852, and was made to include townships 13, 14, 15 and 16 north, ranges 11 and 12 west. It has been cut down to form new townships, until it now contains only township 13 north, 11 west. It was one of the first in the county to be settled, on account of the prairie from which it derives its name. The Mus- kegon River winds in a tortuous course through the township, crossing sections i, 11, 13, 24, 23, 14, 15, 21, 22, 27, 28 and 32. The first settler of the township was John McBride. who located some year previous to 1849, when he sold his claim to Ephraim H. Utley. Other early settlers, who came not far from 1850, were .Alexan- der Dalziel, Solomon Godfrey, James Barton, Wil- liam Barton, Benj. F. Olney, Walter Bonney, Emer- son Bonney, Aaron Swain, James M. Gibbs, Egbert Goodrich, "Capt." Smith, William Millard, Samuel Conkwright and Theodore Taylor. The first election was held on the first Monday in v^' () <^. c^: (V :^I1D>>^' I k 3 im^i(^^^ ^^^ v:Dll^>-r- ";2i%^-'^ <)^m^\'0: NEIVAYGO COUNTY. (§, (;5 V 549 April, 1852, and John Betts was chosen the first Su- pervisor. This office has been filled continuously for the last 31 years by Hon. James Barton. At the last election, held April 2, 1883, the following officers were elected : James Barton, Supervisor; \\'illiani S. Utley, Clerk; J. 'Elmer French, Treasurer; Wm. Dunham, Highway Commissioner; Nelson P. Cook, Drain Commissioner ; John E. Webster, .School In- spector; Lewis Mayer, Justice of the Peace; Morris E. Slade, Hiram B. Height, Charles E. Lafferty and Joseph Franklin, Constables. The population of Big Prairie in 1880 was 572. There are now five school districts in Big Prairie Township. For the year ending Sept. 3, 1883, the number of children between the ages of 5 and 20 was 177; number who attended school, 123; num- ber of non-resident pupils, 8; number of days of school taught, 485 ; number of frame school build- ings, 2; number of log school buildings, 3: number of pupils that can be seated, 172; value of school property, $1 ,035 ; number of male teachers employed, i; number of female teachers employed, 6; wages paid male teachers, $66.65 ! wages paid female teach- ers, $617. The value of property in Big Prairie Townshij) in 1852 was $16,232.37, and the taxes collected was $130.63, and the records give the equalized valuation of the property in 18S3 as only $59,600. As far back as 1871, when the township comprised more territory the valuation was $120,000. The amount of taxes raised for 1883 was $1,898.57. The township has had only two Supervisors. In 1852 John Betts was elected, since which time Hon. James Barton has served without interruption. Bridgeton Township. ; N Bridgeton Township we have one of the oldest townships in the county. It was or- ganized at the same time with Big Prairie, at the first meeting of the Board of Supervisors, March 20, 1852; and then comprised townships II to [6, 14 west, and the w. half of Tps. 11 to 16, 13 west. It has i)een at different times reduced in size, to allow of the erection of other townships, and now contains only township 1 1 north, 14 west. It is bounded on the north by Sheridan Township, on the east by Ashland Township, and on the south and west by Muskegon County. In the eastern part of the township is the old post-office of Bridgeton. Muskegon River flows diagonally through the town- ship, crossing sections 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, 20, 29, 30 and 31. On section 30, the river divides into two channels, forming a large island known as Mai)le Island. The first election was held the first Monday in April, 1852. Isaac D. Merrill was chosen Supervisor. At the last election, held April 2, 1883, the following officers were chosen: Frank W. Squier, Supervisor; George W. Fuller, Clerk; Martin V. Bertram, Treas- urer; Edgar O. Whitman, Highway Commissioner; John Heinol, Drain Commissioner; James W. Trum- bull and Augustus Flint, School Inspectors ; Ransom J. Squier and Henry Zerlaut, Justices of the Peace; Harley Rarrick, Napoleon Jennings, Mark Harding and John Weiler, Constables. The i)opulation of Bridgeton in 1880 was 38S. The valuation of property in this township has in- creased from $54,247 in 1853 to $78,435 in 1S83, and the taxation from $178.21 in 1852 to $1,720 in 1883, with the usual variations at different times. SUPERVISORS. mr\^i^^^ -^m Isaac D. Merrill Alfred A. Maguire Alfred A. Maxim Isaac D. Merrill Andrew T. Squier Laban Putman Andrew T. Squier Isaac D. Merrill Zera Misner Amos Slater Andrew T. Squier Amos Slater Alfred A. Maxim George H. Brown H. M. Woodward W. S. Merrill H. D. Woodward F. W. Squier 1852-4 ■85 s 1856 1857-8 1859 i860 1861 1862 1863-4 1865-6 1867 1868-72 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877-80 1881 v.^ (0; ^^^5((®>M' m X ) V 55° <>ail^o{DDr>>-r -#i^C(^^M NEWAYGO COUNTY. t>^ O Brooks Township. '^■1 CCORDING to the Congressional survey, TC Brooks Township is 12 west, 12 north, and is bounded on the north by Everett, on the east by Croton. on the south by Grant, on the west by Garfield. It at first con- tained the entire western half of the county, and was one of the two first townships organized before the county itself. For many years it contained the west half of township 12 north. 12 west, and the east half of 12 north, 13 west. In 1880, the latter tract was used in making the new township of Garfield, and half a township was taken from Croton, by way of compensation. By this arrangement, the village of Newaygo is thrown on the line between Garfield and Brooks. The Muskegon winds through the township from east to west, crossing sections 24, 13, 14, 15, 23, 26, 27, 22, 21, 20 and 19. The Newaygo division of the Chicago & West Michigan railroad runs through the northwestern (juarter of the township, crossing sections 5. 4, 9, 17 and 18. In the southwestern corner lie Big Brooks (or Hess) Lake and Little Brooks Lake. The former is about two miles long, and one of the largest bodies of water in the county. In the northwestern corner is Great Marl Lake, and portions of Little Marl and Pickerel Lakes. Brooks was one of the two townships organized in 1 85 1, before the county was organized. Isaac D. Merrill was the fifst Supervisor. At the last election, held April 2, 1883, the following officers were elected: Sanford Brown, Supervisor; Frank Towns, Clerk; James Herron, Treasurer; Otis Freeman, Highway Commissioner; Henry Hyde, Drain Commissioner; Samuel D. Bonner, School Inspector; Sanford Brown and John A. Brooks, Justices of the Peace ; Aaron Courtwright, George King, John T. Thompson and Anselm Miller, Constable. The population of the township of Brooks in 1880 (then containing all of Newaygo village) was 1,497. There are now four school districts in Brooks Township. For the year ending Sept. 3, 1883, the number of children between the ages of 5 and 15 was 502 ; the number of children that attended school, 295 ; number of non-resident pupils, 8; num- ber of days of school taught, 498 ; number of frame school-houses, 3 ; number of log school-houses, i ; number of pupils that can be seated, 384; value of school property, $5,500; number of male teachers employed, 3 ; number of female teachers employed, 5; wages paid male teachers, $1,372; wages paid to females, $956. The valuation of property in this township has in- creased from $44,613.33 in 1853 to $127,775 in 1883, and the taxation from $189.79 in 1852 to $2,242 in 1883. , SUPERVISORS. Isaac D. Merrill Ephraim H. Utley John A. Brooks Sullivan Armstrong Ashley B. Furman Alfred A. Maguire Hiram Baker Theodore Wilson Justus C. Hubbard Aniasa B. Watson Warren P. Adams Dexter P. Glazier Aniasa B. ^V^^tson William T. Howell ( E. S. Gray f William D. Fuller Augustus Paddock Wm. D. Fuller Wilkes D. Stewart William D. Fuller Sanford Brown John A. Brooks Timothy Edwards Sanford Brown James Herron Sanford Brown George W. Fry Sanford Brown C. K. Carter Frank Hoag ) Sanford Brown >■ Wm. Glanville ) 85 > 852 853 854 855 856 857 858 859 860.1 862 863 864-5 866 867 868 869 870 871 872 873 873 874 875 876-8 879 888-1 882 1883 NEWAYGO VILLAGE. Newaygo is one of the oldest villages in Northern Michigan, dating back nearly half a century, and has been for over thirty years the county seat of a mag- nificent county. It has grown slowly, but steadily and surely, and now presents an appearance of per- manent prosperity. The first view which the traveler gets of Newaygo is always a surprise. As he comes around or over some hill, the village bursts into full view all at once. t <^ f n J K- (i^^^^- 9v<<>M'^Mr> NEWAYGO COUNTY. 55' V ^ with the suddenness of a "jack in the box." To people journeying through here thirty years ago, the sensation on reaching Newaygo was novel as well as delightful. For many and weary miles an unbroken forest, nnd then with the suddenness of enchantment a compact, smiling village right at their feet, as though it had been transplanted into the wilderness and set down in a sheltered nook for their special convenience. The Muskegon River, a strong and rapid stream, running between high bluffs, here makes a crescent- shaped bend, and a small valley is made by the bluffs on the south side, receding from the river and cutting across the curve like the string of a bow. In this crescent-shaped valley lies Newaygo, raised a little above the river bottoms by a sort of natural ter- race at the foot of the southern bluff. The view, from whatever direction, is highly picturesque. On the north is the river, hugging closely to the foot of the steep and curving bluffs, beyond which is rising ground with a few clearings, and the bare skeleton like dead pines, that stand like white tombstones of departed forests. The bluffs that rise almost per- pendicularly from the river bank, are in many places bare of vegetation, scarified and abraded by land slides, and scores of roll-ways down which hundreds of thousands of pine logs have been plunged into tiie ri ver. The village lies at the foot of the opposite bluffs, the principal part of it on one straight street, that leads from the depot to the court-house. The rail- road comes to the river below and southwest of tlie village, creeps in along the face of thesoutliern bluff, passes between the village and the river, which it crosses above the middle of the bend, and finds a way out of the valley through the deep ravine, by which Pennoyer Creek cuts its way to the Mus- kegon. On the business street, there are a number of brick buildings, all new, and constructed in 1883. Since the fire in the spring of this year, only brick buildings ~^ can be erected in the business portion of the village. The residences are almost entirely of frame, painted .< white. There is no ostentatious display in the direction of expensive residences. In viewing the »j^ beautiful grass-covered bluff overlooking the village i: and valley, one cannot avoid wondering that some wealthy citizen has never been tempted to crown its >? V summit with a magnificent mansion, that would be the pride and envy of the town. But this feature remains to be added, and the only large building on the hill is the fine school-house with its spacious yard and surrounding lawn. Streets ascend the hill both above and below the village, but the stranger sees the face of the hillside streetless and pathless, covered with meadows and orchards, and is puzzled to know how he shall reach the school building. Finally he gets sight of a meandering stairway near the upper part of the village, and by diligent search, or incjuiry, finds the narrow path that leads to its foot, and climbs its long series of broad steps, won- dering how many broken legs and arms it occasions among the school-children every winter. The dam across the Muskegon River is between the railroad bridge and the upper wagon bridge, and is 14 feet in height. There is a dam across the mouth of the Pennoyer Creek, which comes dashing down from among the hills in a series of cascades and rapids, and a flume to convey its waters if neces- sary into the Muskegon above the dam. It is a fine sight to see the locomotive come out of the ravine at this dam, pausing, elephant like, before it moves upon the bridge, giving the passengers an opportunity to look out upon the flashing, foaming waters, the dam, and the beauties of the suddenly discovered village. Newaygo derives its name from an Indian chief of distinction, who lived in ^\'estern Michigan in an early day, before it was explored by the whites, and when the site of the present village and the hill above it were favorite camping grounds of the Indians. In 1S36, the pine forests of Western Michigan had begun to be spoken of at the East, but it was left for years of growth and development in the VV'estern States to create a market that would render the manufacture of lumber profitable. It was in 1836 that Augustus and Frederick, brothers of Hon. Henry Pennoyer, of Ottawa County, built a saw-mill on Pennoyer Creek, which was the first settlement at Newaygo. This mill was after- ward run by Samuel Rose and Robert W. Morris, and a grist-mill was added to it. The next miller was the well-known John .A. Brooks, tiie father of Newaygo village. He was an enterprising and ener- getic man, who, previous to his coming to Michigan had been a hotel-keeper at Stanstead, Canada. Until 1852, he transacted the largest part of the 'v^ >: r J )/S^^f~ ^ <^ii!i:^ii(i>> >vi-^. *^),>/'®^^#*- ■■>4V., -^^ ^3V<^:DD>:U[I^>T- -4^^^^^' 55 = ATEH^AVGO CO 17 JV TV business of the place, and until his death, after the close of the war (in which he held the post of quartermaster), he was prominent in both business and f politics, being twice elected to the Legislature. (^ The village was platted by John A. Brooks and Sarell Wood, in 1854. The palmy days in the history of Newaygo began in 1853, when a number of enterprising men at Glens Falls, N. Y., who had previously purchased large tracts of lands on the Muskegon River, organized the "Newaygo Company," and commenced building a dam across the river, and erected one of the largest mills in the county, in which 120 saws were run. The company consisted of A. N. Cheney, L. L. Arms, A. F. Orton, H. J. Orton and Amasa B. Watson. Almost everything to be used in this work had to be conveyed from Grand Rapids by teams, giving employment to a large number of men. Greater hotel accommodations were needed, and the Exchange Hotel was erected by Samuel W. Matevey. The Brooks House was erected four years later, by John A. Brooks. The mill added at once nearly 200 to the population of the village. From this time forward, Newaygo was an inijiur- = tant point. It became tlie headquarters of the "V* lumber business north of Grand Rai)ids. Mr. Brooks secured an appropriation to improve the Muskegon / ) River flats near Muskegon to facilitate the running of rafts, and the river was so far improved that steamboats made regular trips to Newaygo during favorable seasons. Appropriations were made for State roads, and a road was built 8:tlII^>T^^e^ :2^'^ jVEH^JVGO COUNXy. SS3 I J V ^ noyer Creek, with like superfluity of power, should also be put into use, while the strong and stable cur- rent of the Muskegon awaits the day when ils tireless force shall turn hundreds of turbines and do the work of thousands of men. Pure water and rapid streams render Newaygo one of the most healthful places in the State. 'Die act of the Legislature incorporating the vil- lage of Newaygo was approved March i6, 1867, and the first election was held April S, following. The J principal officers chosen at that time were as follows : ^ John H. Standish, President ; Wilkes L. Stuart, Dex- ter P. Glazier, Aaron S. Skinner, John A. Brooks, Augustus Paddock and Henry Kritzer, Trustees; William D. Fuller, Clerk. The following are the present village officers, chosen in April, 1883: President, John H. Simmons; Trustees, I. N. Rob- inson, Jno. A. Brooks, Aaron S. Skinner, Tyson Smith, S. D.Bonner, Sanford Brown; Clerk, Walter, R. Taylor; Treasurer, S. D. Thompson; Assessor Wellington Persons; Marshal, Aaron Courtright ; Village Attorney, William D. Fuller; Street Commis- sioner, S. K. Riblet; Fire Warden, A. D. Graves; Health Officer, David W. Flora; Pound Master, Richard Potter; Constable, Fred Rode; Special Police, Hewett Potter, L. Meeker. Regular meeting of Council, first and third Wed- nesdays of every month. The population of the village was 703 in 1870, 976 in 1874 and 1,097 in 1880. The Newaygo Company has been referred to as one of the main pillars of Newaygo's prosperity, by employing a large number of hands, and adding to the general business of the village. The years of depression following the panic of 1873 caused this company to suspend, and many considered it dead. In 1880, all its property was bought out by a new company, called also the Newaygo Company. The stock in this new organization was composed of 4,000 shares, of $25 each. The shareholders at that time (substantially the same as now) were as follows: D. P. Clay, 3,600 shares; Bennett Fulkerson, 130 ; John B. Graves, 50; Luther Colby, 40; George H. Hobart, 40; Albert V. Thompson, 40; Hugo Harbinger, 40, and James ^L Edwards, 20. This company has steadily enlarged its business, and now employs about 125 to 150 men, besides the large number in the store of D. P. Clay & Co, and in Mr. Clay's lumber camps. The principal branch of the business is the tub and pail factory, which employs about 30 hands and turns out daily al)OUt 575 pails, shipped to Grand Rapids and Chicago, chiefly. 'I'he company also have a planing mill, employing 20 hands, two saw-mills and a lumber yard, emi)loying 80 hands. Mr. Clay also operates a flouring mill, on his own account. The Newavco Chair Company was incorporated in October, 1882, with the following stockholders: Lyman Guinnip, 500 shares; H. D. Guinnip, 100; J. F. A. Raider, 200; John H. Simmons, 40; E. L. Gray, 40; A. V. Thompson, 40; C. C. Kritzer, 20; S. D. Thompson, 20; Wm. D. Fuller, 20; H. J. Orton, 20. The company have their building completed, and are ready for the machinery. It is very advantageously situated, by the railroad. Its products can be loaded directly on the cars, and teaming will thus be saved. The flouring mills of Henry Kritzer completes the list of Newaygo's present manufacturing enter- prises. Following is a list of the general business firms of Newaygo : liUSINESS FIRMS. M. S. Angell, drugs and news. John Bailey, saloon. C. A. Banker, blacksmith. D. P. Clay & Co., general merchandise. Jerome Carpenter, furniture. James C. Coon, blacksmithing and wagon shop. Will Courtright, "The Courtright." J. H. Edwards, hardware. W. I). & R. S. Fuller, Newaygo Tyibunc. George W. Fry, blacksmith. G. H. Gates, billiards. Isaac Hobbs, restaurant. E. I. Hewes, general merchandise. Mrs. M. E. Hunt, millinery. Fred Jacobi, general merchandise. Fred Jacobi, Jr., jeweller. Mrs. Julia Jarse, Jarse House. Keefe, Sutliff & Co., livery. George King, harness and shoe shop. Henry Kritzer, Newaygo Mills. David Millard, general merchandise. James H. McKee, photographer. L. R. Meeker, dr.ayman. i 1 1 mmBi>^ — ^^^s^ -«C5f i^^^(®; ^ 554 rafC^^c eV<"iDIl»:D&s>r- T" 4^ iSi NEWAYGO COUNTY. :j V '^ J. W. Maynard, barber. H. C. Nobles, cooper. Newaygo Company, lumber. Persons & Edwards, abstract-makers. Hewitt Potter, drayman. S. K. Riblet, general merchandise. J. F. A. Raider, drugs, groceries, etc. I. N. Robinson, real estate and loans. D. E. Soper, real estate, loans and insurance. William Schau, blacksmith. E. O. Shaw & Bro., Newaygo Republican. R. Surplice, grocery and saloon. E. O. Shaw, post-office. George A. Turner, meat market. S. D. Thompson, grocery. H. M. Van Gieson, music teacher. Mrs. J. H. Wiseman, millinery. Wm. Whitman, Newaygo House. George H. Young, livery. The Medical Profession is represented by D. W. Flora (Regular), Tyson Smitli (Homeopathic), O. Smith (Homeopathic), and L. F. McCormick (Regu- lar); and the attorneys residing in the village are George Luton, A. G. Day, E. L. Gray and W. D. Fuller. The Methodist Episcopal Chuuch is the pioneer religious organization here, as elsewliere. The first sermon preached in Newaygo (or in Newaygo County) was delivered by Rev. William Kelley, June 30, 1850. There were at that time only three houses in Newaygo. The Muskegon circuit, embracing Ne- waygo, was organized in 1852, and Newaygo charge was first designated as such in 1857. The church was built in i860, when Rev. Thomas B. Granger was pastor. He appointed as trustees William Loomis, Henry Loomis, Fomcroy C. S[)ooner, Jolin Morse and T. J. Randolph. At that time the Church had but nine members. The present nicmlicrshij), under Rev. Mr. Van Wyck, is about 50. The Congregational Church is an old society, and has the honor of building the first church in Newaygo. The society was formed Nov. 8, 1855, with the following members: Sarell Wood, James M. Stryker, E. P. Chapin, Edmund Lamb, Edgar L. Gray, Ashley B. Furman and John H. Standish. 'I'he first trustees were Sarell Wood, James M. Stryker and Edmund Lamb. Their church was erected the winter ensuing, at a cost of about $3,000. ^•M-^.m>^ The society has always been a strong one until the fire of 1883, which destroyed the church. .\ new building will be erected this coming summer (1884.) St. Mark's Protestant Episcopal Mission was organized in 1872. The pastors of the society have been Revs. Mosely Morris, E. W. Flower (now of Greenville), William H. Sparling (now of Geneseo, III.), and J. Rice Taylor (now of Poultney, Vt.). The last regular services were held in October, 1882. The society numbers 23, and the congregation about 60. In 1883, they have been erecting a very com- modious, handsome brick church, which has already cost $1,300, and will cost finally $3,000 or more. Newaygo Lodge, No. 131, F. & A. M., was conse- crated with very solemn ceremonies Jan. 29, 1862. The following first officers were installed: Charles W. Leonard, W. M.; W. Irving Latimer, S. W.; Warren P. Adams, J. W.; Solomon K. Riblet, Treas.; Justus C. Hubbard, Sec; Daniel \\eaver, S. D.; (leorge H. Mallery, J. 1).; and John B. Folger, Tyler. The present membership of the lodge is about 60. The present officers are as follows : John Pittwood, W. M.; H. L. Brace, S. W.; Hollis T. Reed, J. W.; E. S. Bennett, Secretary; S. D. Thomp- son, S. D.; I. N. Robinson, J. D.; James McKee, Tyler. The lodge meets the Friday on or before the full moon of each month. Newaygo Chapter, No. 138, R. A. M., was chartered Jan. 11, 1865. Alanson St. Clair was the first High Priest; W. I. Latimer, the first King; and J. L. Ale.\ander, the first Scribe. The present officers are as follows : S. D. Thompson, H. P.; J. H. Sim- mons, K.; A. O. White, S.; G. W. Fry, C. of H.; J. Pittwood, P. S.; W. J. Pike, R. A. C; George Luton, M. 3d v.; J. W. Dunning, M. 2d V.; E. Edwards, M. 1st v.; I. N. Robinson, Treas.; W. Persons, Sec; J. H. McKee, Sent. The chapter has about 40 members, and meets the Tuesday on or before the full moon, each month. Newaygo Lodge, No. 254, I. O. O. F., was organ- ized in February, 1875, with E. O. Shaw as N. G.; William Glanville, U. G.; R. Surplice, Secretary; ;\aron Courtright, Treas. The present officers are as follows : Aaron Skinner, V. G.; George E. Taylor, V. G.; Pierce Picket, Perm. Sec; C. K. Carter, Rec. Sec; George King, Treas.; Mich. Rep. to G. L., William Graham, 1). D. G. .M. The lodge has membership of about 60, and meets every Monday. ^ A ( 4-< m^ SV'^^V^tlf'' ;-l9 V O /N V s ,^ 't^ :^r ^^ — ^vc^ti n >• D Wi>T rzf^-^ -4^^f®V(^ 556 jVEl^yAYGO COUNTY > >: V ^ ^^ ir private subscription was not in shape for use, and when the hour of danger dawned upon the village of Newaygo, her people found themselves at the mercy of fire and flame. The following is the account given by the Repiiblicair. "Sabbath morning dawned peaceful and smiling, and looked down upon a quiet town all unsuspicious of the rude awakening soon to break in upon its se- renity and make it a day long to be remembered. At about half past eight o'clock in the morning the alarm was given, and soon the flames broke forth through the roof of the store building opiX)site the Brooks House, owned by E. L. Gray, and occupied by E. Pine as a jewelry and news store, and overhead for a dwelling." The cause of the fire is not certainly known, -and as there are different reports concerning its origin, the question will doubtless remain an open one. " It was soon ai)parent that the flames could not be stayed, and the work of saving property commenced. Men and women worked like heroes, and a large portion of the movables were taken from the burn- ing building, and from those adjacent thereto. From this point the fire spread in both directions until it was finally stayed on the west at J. H. Edwards hardware store, and on the east by the dwelling of J. H. Standish. In the meantime the flames crossed the street, and in spite of every effort on the part of the workers, the 'Brooks House,' long the pride of the village, was a mass of fire and smoke. From this l)oint the fire lapped up the old meat-market build- ing, and the law and printing offices of W . D. Fuller, on the north, and, jumping over the brick store of S. K. Riblet, stopped by the way long enough to remove the old vacant store building once used by J. F. .\. Raider, and also a small building next adjoining, oc- cui)ied by Persons and Edwards as an abstract office, and which had been an eye-sore to the villagers. Here the Raider brick block stoi)ped the further spread of the flames, although McKee and others on the south removed most of their goods and fur- niture to safer (juarters. "As soon as the fire was fairly under headway, dis- patches for help were sent to Grand Rapids and Woodville, and just as the flames were under subjec- tion an engine from each town appeared upon the scene of action. The Grand Rapids engine left a quantity of hose, and the Woodvillemachine, manned by a brave set of men, proceeded to wet down tl-,e burnt district in a thorough manner. All day long the joint work of destruction and salvation went on, and as the shadows of night closed in upon the vil- lage, the stars looked down upon a scene of wide- v^^ spread ruin and disaster. One hundred heads were shelterless, save as cared for by their more fortimate neighbors, and many had lost their all. Still a spirit of cheerfulness reigned, and plans for rebuilding were talked of before the hot flames had sunk into sullen rest amid the smoking ruin they had so quickly wrought." The principal losses were as follows : W. D. Fuller, law office and personal property, $r,ooo. Insurance $500. Aaron and William Courtright, Brooks House, fur- niture and other personal property, and old meat- market building, $18,000. Insurance §4,500. The Brooks House was one of the ancient landmarks of the village, having been built by John A. Brooks. J. F. A. Raider, vacant store and small building adjoining, and damage to brick store, $1,000, mostly covered by insurance. J. H. Edwards, small building adjoining his hard- ware store, and an old barn, $700. Richard Surplice, store and dwelling, $5,500. In- surance, $2,200. J. H. Simmons, two buildings, $3,500. Insurance, ( 7 $1,500. D. H. Gates, household goods, etc., $250. Mrs. Julia Jarse, Jarse House, $4,000. No insur- ance. John Bailey, two buildings, $2,500. No insurance. George King, store and dwelling, $2,800. No in- surance. E. L. Gray, office and store building and papers $500. No insurance. A. G. Day, office and papers, $500. No insurance. I. N. Robinson, personal property, §300. No in- surance. Banker & McKee, one building, $1,000. No in- surance. (^ Kalamazoo Printing Company, $300. No insur- f ance. ^ J. M. .Mien, dwelling house and livery stable, $2,- j® 500. No insurance. ^ C". A. Banker, blacksmith shop, $500. No insur- ^ ance. ^ Congregational Church, $3,000. No insurance. >:dd>>^ ^>)«^t|^» -r NEWAYGO COUNTY. "^tf^^-^ 557 ' (^ •>.• A V :5) U \ ^ Charles Atwood, dwelling, $200. No insurance. A. r. Day, house and barn, ;gi,ooo. l'",d. Pine, personal property, $700. No insurance Joe. Maynard, personal property, $100. No in- surance. S. I). Thompson, damage to store building, $300. Covered by insurance. S. K. Riblet, damage to store, $500. Covered by insurance. David Millard, goods, lt;2oo. No insurance. E. I. Hewes, damaged goods, $700. Insured. Jerome Carpenter, stock and goods, $1,200. No insurance. Scarcely had the ruins stopped smoking, when the work of rebuilding began, and, before the winter set in, several brick structures were completed, or well underway. "The Courtright," which succeeds the Brooks House, was formally opened Nov. i5. Severe as the individual losses were, it is certain that by an- other year Newaygo will be all the better for the fire. A better class of buildings are going up, and the village is to have better protection from the de- stroying element. A liberal sum has been voted for water works. Croton Township. I^ROTON Township, 12 north, 11 west, lies ^ in the eastern tier of the county. It is bounded on the north by Big Prairie, on the «i, east by Montcalm County, on the south by (|\ Ensley and on the west by Brooks. The Muskegon River flows through the northwest- ern part, crossing sections 4, 5, 8, 7, 18 and 19. The Little Muskegon flows from east to west through the township, crossing sections 13, 14, 15, 16, 9 and S. It joins the Muskegon in the southwestern part of sec- tion 7. In the southwestern part of the township are Petlit and Bills Lakes. .-Xt the forks of the Muskegon is situated the vil- lage of Croton. This was once an important point, before the pine forests were cut away, but now its Inisiness is purely local. The first mill there was built at about tiie same time the first settlement was made at Newaygo, and the first land taken up in the county is at Croton. Croton Township was called Newaygo until 1855. It was organized under that name in 1851, at the same time with Brooks Township, and then included the eastern half of the county. It was cut down to form Big I'rairie, Ensley and other townships, until it contained but a township and a half. It remained of this size until 1880, when half a township became a part of Brooks Township, and Croton was reduced to its present limits. At the last election, held April 2, 1883, the follow- ing township officers were elected : David Collins, Supervisor; Walter M. Pace, Clerk; Jerome A. Bots- ford, Treasurer; George Backart, Highway Commis- sioner; Lafayette Keeney, Drain Commissioner; . Alfred E. Hall, School Inspector; Wesley C. Dancer, Justice of the Peace; Simon Dancer, Gilbert Grow, William Cram, and Amljrose Fitzgerald, Constables. The population of the township in i SSo was 807; that of the village of Croton, 1 18. There are in the township at the present time four whole school districts and two fractional ones. For the year ending Sept. 3, the number of children be- teen the ages of 5 and 21 was 238 ; number of chil-' dren that attended school, 166; number of non-resi- dent pupils, 6; number of days of school taught, 860; number of school-houses (all frame), 6; num- ber of pupils that can be seated, 350; value of school property, |i2, 100 ; number of male teachers employed, 4; number of female teachers employed, 7; wages paid to male teachers, $573; wages jjaid to female teachers, §672.60. The valuation of property in this townshi[) in- creased from $38,736.01 in 1853 to $80,755 '" 1883; and the taxation of property from $351.37 in 1852 to $2,251.18 in 1883. SUI'EKVISOKS. James Barton, Christo[)her Culp, g^«^^ ^»- ■^^»^^ — ^-^m J. Ryan, Hugh Rice, George Backart, Christopher Culp, Loyal Palmer, George Backart Chas. Carmichael, Geo. Backart, Arthur Truesdell, / W. W. Irons, \ Geo. Backart, 1851 1852 1853 1854 •855 1856 .857-8 1 85 9-62 1863-4 .865-7 .868 1869-70 '4 y^ c 1 ^>A^)«^#« ^ ^ A- V 5. f, t 558 NEIVAYGO COUNTY. -Ji i^'Sr" =¥'-s "^ V'^' William Rice, David Collins, P. L. R. Fisk, Wm. Rice, M. S. Kline, Wm. Rice, David Collins, ( M. F. Cline, )' David Collins, P. A. Harrison, David Collins, 1871-2 1873-4 ■875 1876 1877 1878-9 1880 1881 1882 1883 Dayton Township. f HIS township is 13 north, 14 west, and lies ' in the western tier of the county. It is fSE"^ bounded on the north by Denver, on the east by Sherman, on the south by Sheridan, and on the west by Oceana County. Half of the village of Fremont lies in Dayton Town- ship, on sections 35 and 36. Through those sections also runs the C. & W. M. R. R. The township con- tains no large streams, but several creeks rise in it, and almost all of them flow from the center of the township. The creek which runs through Fremont, in the southeastern corner, connects a chain of lakes with Fremont Lake, in Sheridan Township. It af- fords e.xcellent water power for the mill at Fremont, just below the mill-pond. This chain of lakes con- sists, besides the mill-pond, of Lakes No. i, 2, 3 (or Joslin Lake), 4 (or Waters Lake), and others. Mar- tin's Lake, on section 19, is a good-sized body of water. Devil's Lake is on section 22, and Clark's Lake on section 23, in a large swamp. There are also a number of smaller lakes and ponds. Dayton was erected into a township by the Board of Sui)ervisors Jan. 5, 1857, and the first township iiieeting was held the first Monday in April follow- ing, at the house of M. D. Bull, and presided over by Jacob Barnhard, Sylvanus Raid and James Bogue. Melvin W. Scott was chosen as the first Supervisor. At the last election, \ held April 2, 18S3, the follow- ing township officers were elected: Solomon V.Walker, Supervisor; Charles I. Rathlnin, Clerk; Flood Mis- ner, Treasurer; Alphonso M. Curtice, Highway Com- missioner; Thomas Hopkins, Drain Commissioner; S. Peter Barnhard and Shinar Preston, School In- spectors ; Charles Hasse, Justice of the Peace ; Red- mond E. Misner, James N. Faught, Henry S. Angle and James Caldwell, Constables. The population of the township in 18S0 was 1,588. It is now much larger. There are now in the township four whole school districts and four fractional districts. For the year ending Sept. 3, 1883, the number of children between 5 and 20 was 500; number of children that attended school, 400; number of non-resident pupils, 18; number of days of school taught, 889; number of fr?me school-houses, 6 ; number of log school-houses, 2; number of pupils that can be sealed, 451 ; value of school property, $4,500; number of male teachers employed, 6; number of female teachers employed, 14; wages paid to male teachers, $447.50; wages paid to female teachers, $1,150. The valuation of property in this township has in- creased from $71,834.49 in 1859 to $236,380 in 1883, and the taxation from $287.33 'o $3>42i.25- ^ SUPERVISORS. Melwin W. Scott, 1859-64 Jacob Barnhard, 1864 William Martin, 1865-7 John Brotherton, 1868 Melvin W. Scott, 1869-72 J. B. Jewell, 1873-6 I. C. Fox, 1877-8 J. B. Jewell, 1879 Irwin C. Fox, 1880-2 S. V. Walker, 1883 Denver Township. .ENVER Township, 14 north, 14 west, lies in the western tier of the county. It is bounded on the north by Beaver, on the east by Lincoln, on the south by Dayton, and ^,- on the west by Oceana County. White River 5 flosvs through the township from east to west, crossing sections 25, 24, 23, 22, 27, 28, 29 and 30. Midway across the township it is joined by Harring- ton or Heald Creek, which is the outlet of a chain of lakes to the north. In the northern part of the township are several good-sized lakes, — Half-Moon Lake, Mountain Lake, Martin's Lake, Wittie Lake, Flanders Lake, Stony Lake and others. () ■y t ^s^^^ -^<^ii!i>:ni]s>^ :2f€^K @VC^Iln:^tlD^>: NEWAYGO COUNTY. A :s j^ The township of Denver was organized in 1867. ■ William A. Anderson was chosen the first Supervisor. ' At the last election, held April 2, 1883, the follow- ing township officers were chosen: William A. An- 'j derson, Supervisor; William Maynard, Clerk; John D. Gowell, Treasurer; James Robertson, Highway Commissioner; Henry Covil, School Inspector; John D. Gowell, Justice of the Peace ; Henry E. Stebbins, George Miller, A. C. Gowell and David Hoiikins, Constables. The population of Denver Township in 1880 was 1,112. There are now in the township four whole school districts and two fractional districts. For the year ending Sept. 3, 1883, the number of children between the ages of 5 and 20 was 524; number of children that attended school, 335 ; number of non-resident pupils, 17; number of days of school taught, 1,030; \ number of school-houses (all frame), 6; value of school property, $7,Soo; number of male teachers X. employed, 4; number of female teachers employed, r^ II ; wages paid to male teachers, $598; wages paid to female teachers, $r,o8i. The equalized valuation of property in the town- ship in the year 1867, was $144,484, and the taxation $1,900.06. In 1883, according to the records the valuation was $149,065, and the taxation $1,977.05. V SUPERVISORS William \. Anderson William A. Haskins A. J. Spencer Solon Webster W. A. Anderson 1867 1868 1869-72 1873-81 1882 HESPERIA VILLAGE. IIPSljijUiOUT i860, a man by the name of Streeter ll^S^k settled on the west side of the county line, 'iS\ near the present village. He afterward sold \^ out to Joseph Sweet. The origin of the '!« village is thus described by Mr. T. L Waters: ' "In the winter of 1865-6, Daniel Weaver and his wife came up here to visit Uncle Joe, when Mr. : Weaver made the remark to his wife that here was a ' .-' fine place to build a village. The following spring, y being at Father Weaver's, he said to me, 'Thad, I '' know where there is a good place to start a town, on fthe banks of the White River where it crosses the county line; the land is level, the soil is sandy, and ^^A^^^ ^^ ^m there is a good water-power there. I have $Soo in the bureau drawer, am out of debt, and if you will lay out the town, and the boys all stick by me, we will make the strike.' To this we all agreed, and there, in the old house at Fremont, the village of Hesperia first took shape. The never tiring energy of Daniel Weaver, who had already plunged into the forest three times and opened up a new country, now took a turn in a different direction, (joing to Hills- dale, he enlisted John P. Cook, of that city, to go in partnership with him, build a saw-mill and stock it, and erect a store and fill it with goods. The sum of $20,000 was invested in the store and goods, and $11,000 in the mill, logs and land; making in all $31,000 invested in the village at the start. 'I'he lumber for the store was picked up at different places ; some of it was hauled from Whitehall, a dis- tance of twenty-five miles. The only house in Hes- peria at that time was the old log house back of Mr. Weaver's present residence; an addition was Ijuilt to this, and the building turned into a boarding-house. Uncle Joe Sweet being ' Brigadier General.' '■ In the fall of 1866, Mr. Hoskins and myself com- menced to lay out the town. After ' fifing around' a few days and accomplishing nothing, 1 took the whole matter in hand, and with Sam Shaw as 'assis- tant engineer,' laid out and platted a town. The streets north and south ran parallel with the county line, while those east and west were parallel with the south line of the section. John P. Cook, coming out at this time, examined the plat, and finding the streets were not at right angles, concluded to throw it up. We then went over the ground, looked it over carefully, paced it out, and in the upper [jart of what was afterward Webster's store Mr. Cook planned and I drafted the present plat of the village. The saw-mill was completed, and the boilers, engine, etc., put in. It was run a few weeks, when, in the spring of 1867, the boiler and machinery were moved back to Montague, and put in Charles Cook & Co.'s mill at that [ilac e. The new survey and plat was finished in the fall of 1866, and it was proiX)sed to call the village ' New Ocea,' combining half of the names of the two counties in which it stands. This matter was finally submitted to Miss Mary Cook, the daugiiter of John P., who has the honor of giving the village its present name, ' Hesperia,' or the beautiful garden." Hesperia has the best location, perhai)s, as far as V < A V (' f r^ I *^)^/^l:^«^#- im t2j€^^: erv4^DD>;mJri>v r^^^^^is" -ss^jtg: §\i. 560 NEWAYGO COUNTY. ground to build on is concerned, and farming country to support it, of any village in Northern Michigan. It '^"has two magnificent water powers. With a good T railroad, Hesperia would soon become one of finest (^ manufacturing towns in the State. No better place can be found than this to locate a tannery on a large scale. There is no better place in the country for a woolen factory, a large number of sheep being already kept by the farmers in the vicinity, and the country around it being peculiarly adapted to sheep raising. Any person having capital to invest in manufactures will do well to look up Hesperia's advantages. The greatest need of the place is a good railroad. Several schemes have at different times been pro- posed, but have all fallen through. Just now, how- ever, the prospect is really fair for a railroad to be built from Pentwater to Howard, through Hart, Hes- '( ) peria and Fremont. It is greatly to be hoped that this project will succeed. The Hesperians will give /\ any reasonable assistance to a railroad. = The population of Hesperia is now about 500, as •>* nearly as can be estimated from the last school =3 census. The village has no debt, the school district •.t^■ owes only $1,000, at seven per cent., and this small indebtedness, contracted in building the new school- house, will soon be paid. Hesperia is connected with the outer world by a daily stage to White Cloud, a daily stage to Fremont, and two weekly stages northward. The village was incorporated early in 1883, and held its first village election April iC. The officers are as follows: D. Weaver, President; L. W. King, Clerk; P. Monroe, Treasurer; George Overly, Marshal; William Leland, Constable ; H. K. Bush, J. C. McCowen, Abraham Fisher, E. B. Slocum, William Fleming and John Ash, Trustees. Hesperia supports several religious societies. The Adventists have two organizations, which hold oc- casional services, but have no church. Tiie Presby- ^ terians have a fine church, built in 1880, at a cost of ''^ $3,000. Rev. Mr. Walker, the pastor at that time, i. should have much of the credit of this. He was succeeded by the present pastor. Rev. Mr. Coulter. The Methodists have the oldest and largest society in the village. They have a neat and commodious church, built in 1869, at a cost of about $1,000. V 1 ^ The present pastor is Rev. Mr. Beach. The Baptists '^^k^^^ -^^^^ ^^A<^D!1 completed a substantial church in 1877, at a cost o $2,500. The present pastor is Rev. Mr. Gostelow. The secret societies are well represented here. Hesperia Lodge No. 346, F. & A. M., received its charter Jan. 24, 1877, though it was organized under dispensation in December, 1875. It has now a membership of 45, and is a flourishing organization. The present officers are as follows: Charles Starks, W. M. ; John Smith, J. W. ; William Fleming, S. W. ; J. D. (tow, Secretary ; Ephraim Utley, Treasurer. Hesperia Lodge, No. 334, I. O. O. F., was organ- in November, 1S79, with 13 charter members. It has now a membership of 40. The officers are as fol- lows : William Chandler, N. G. ; L. E. Norton, V. G. ; J. B. Smith, .Secretary; and William Fleming, Treasurer. Hesperia Lodge, No. 552, I. O. G. T., was organ- ized Feb. I, 1879, with seven members. It has now a goodly membership, and the following officers: John Ash, W. C. T. ; Esther Wilber. V. C. T. ; D. Gostelow, Rec. Sec. ; O. B. Walters, Fin. Sec; Su- sanna Gilbert, Treasurer. Gen. Dix Post No. 9, G. A. R., was " mustered " in August, 1880, with 18 members. This number has now increased to 60. The principal officers are as follows: W. C. Simmons, Com.; Charles Robbins, O. D. ; William Chandler, Adj.; Richard Slocum, Chap.; George Robbins, S. V. C. ; Henry E. Water- man, J. V. C. ; Henry Brooks, Q. M.; John Wyman, O. G. The manufacturing interests of Hesperia are al- ready important. First in importance comes the grist-mill of D. Weaver, built about 1873, at a cost of $10,000. G. D. Webster's grist-mill was built in 1 88 1, at a cost of $3,500. He has also a saw-mill. Then there are McDonald's saw-mill and A. P. Big- elow's steam grist-mill. The general business interests of Hesperia are rep- resented in the following list : John Alderman, ])ump. manufacturer. Amos Bigelow, miller. J. O. Brown, prop. Forest House. L. Brown iV Co., clothiers. I. H. Barlow, saloon-keeper. Frank ISurt, blacksmith. C. M. Barnes, general merchant. H. K. Bush, hardware merchant. William Fleming, boarding house, and prop, wagon-shop. 9 4) -^^^ ^r<^lltl>^llllr>r-^- ^^-^ NEWAYGO COUNTY. ^ -^"«v»- ^^^r^^^m^ im fsu 7<T C 362 % V -^ ^ ^3/ NEWAYGO COUNTY. man. In the southern part are Bass Lake, Crooked Lake and two lakes known as Twin Lakes, and in the township are other smaller bodies of water, riie Newaygo division of the C. & W. M. R. R. runs almost due south across sections 5, 8, 17, 20, 29 and 32, passing between Twin Lakes and turning to the southeast on section 32. Cold Creek and Bigelow Creek flow southward from the township. Everett was erected into a townslii]), then the seventh in the county, by order of the Board of Su- pervisors Jan. 7, 1856. It was made to include four townships, — 13, 14, 15 and 16 north, 12 west. It was in after years reduced to form Wilcox and Mon- i-oe Townships. The first election was held at the school-house on Big Prairie, presided over by Alden Angevine, Everett Douglass and Ephraim H. Utley. The last named was elected the first Supervisor of the new township. At the last election, held April 2, 1883, the following township officers were chosen: T. Ohrenberger, Supervisor; John Harwood, Clerk; George C. Williams, Treasurer; William J. Harris, Highway Commissioner; Merton Beckwith, Drain Commissioner; William M. Davenport, School In- spector; Horace Warren, B. H. Coolbaugh, Everett Douglass and Michael Walsh, Justices of the Peace; Thos. Hogan, William J. Harris, Joshua Ellsworth and Daniel Crofoot, Constables. The population of Everett Township in 1880 was 784. There are now in the township five whole school districts and one fractional district. For the year ending Sept. 3, 1883, the number of children be- tween the ages of 5 and 20 was 293; number that attended school, 163 ; numlier of non-resident pupils, 7 ; number of days of school taught, 735 ; number of frame school-houses, 6; number of log school- houses, I ; number of ptijiils that can be seated, 377; value of school property, $4-5°°; number of male teachers employed, i ; number of female teach- ers employed, 7 ; wages paid to male teachers, $700; wages paid to female teachers, $727.77. The eiiualized valuation of |)roperty in the town- sh'p in 1856 was $46,270 and the taxation $212.89. In 1883 the valuation was $100,885 and the taxation Si, 063. 47. SUPERVISORS. ICphraim H. Utley, C. J. Bigelow, 1856 1857 Ephraim H. Utley, Benj. H. Coolbaugh, Everett Douglass, C. J. Bigelow, \ Everett Douglass, ) Everett Douglass, Benj. H. Coolbaugh, C. J. Bigelow, J. M. Gibbs, J. M. Grovesteen, J. Ohrenberger, 1858 1859 1860-3 1864 1865-8 1869 1870-6 1877 1878-82 1883 Garfield Township. ARFIELD Township is 12 north, 13 west, ^j. and is bounded on the north by Sherman on the east by Brooks, on the south by Ash- land, and on the west by Sheridan. Section 24 and half of section 13 lie within the village corporation of Newaygo. The Muskegon flows through the southeastern corner, crossing sections 24, 23, 26, 25, 36, 35, 27, 34, 1,1 and 32. In the western part are a number of creeks flowing to the west, and in the northeastern part are Kimbell, Pickerel and Cope Lakes. The Newaygo division of the C. & W. M. R. R. runs across sections 24, 25, 26 and 36, and a branch from Newaygo to Pickerel Lake crosses sections 13 and 12. The township was erected by the Board of Super- visors, Jan. 6, 1881, taking 18 sections from Sher- man and 1 8 sections from Brooks. The first election was held at Daniel 1'",. Sopcr's store in Newaygo, April 4, following. Thomas H. Stuart, Daniel E. :Bns>^ A'^JFy/F6Y; COUNTY. 503 f V s ) Soper and Lewis Eckard were Inspectors of the election, and E. O. Shaw was chosen the first Super- visor. At the hist election, held April 2, 1883, the following township officers were chosen: Francis M. Pike, Supervisor ; Tyson Smith, Clerk ; Joseph But- ler, Treasurer ; Thomas H. Stuart, Highway Com- missioner; Robertas Nail, Drain Commissioner; Wal- ter Stirling, School Inspector; David W. Flora, Will- iam Edwards and Francis F. Hall, Justice of the Peace; Wilkes C. Stewart, Matthias Murphy, Joseph Famby and James M. Murray, Constables. There are now four school districts in Garfield Township. For the year ending Sept. 3, 1883, the number of children between the ages of 5 and 20 was 194; number that attended school, 152; num- ber of non-resident pupils, 7; number of days of school taught, 574; number of frame school-houses, 3; number of log school-houses, r; number of pu- pils that can be seated, 159; value of school prop- erty, $1,150; number of teachers (all female) em- ployed, 9; wages paid to teachers, $755.40. The valuation of the property of this township in 1881 was $129,610 and the ta.xes assessed $2,004.75, while for 1883 the figures for the former were $176,- 665, and the latter $4,073.57. Mr. E. O. Shaw served the township as Super- visor in 1881, and F. M. Pike since. i Goodwell Township. HIS township is 14 north, 1 1 west, and lies in the eastern tier of townships. It is bounded on the north by Norwich, on the east by Mecosta County, on the south by Big Prairie, and on the west by Wilcox. It con- tains no large streams. Mud Lake is on sec- tion 3, and there is a small lake on section 14, and one on section 15. In the northern part is a logging railroad, running east to the G. R. & I. R. R. in Me- costa County. Goodwell is as yet very thinly settled. Lumbering is the principal industr)-. It is the youngest township in Newaygo County, and was organized by the l?oard of Super\'isors Jan. 10, 1882, out of territory which had belonged to Big Prairie ever since the organization of the county. (.•y The first townshi[) meeting was held the first Mon- ^ day in April following, at the school-house in district '^ «»t 4 number 8, presided over by John Bennett, James Bennett and Joseph (iraham. John Russell was chosen the first Supervisor. At the last election, held April 2, 1883, the following township officers were chosen : John Pussell, Supervisor; Joseph H. Graham, Clerk ; William Hoag, Treasurer; Ezra L. Fowler, Highway t'ommissioner ; Floyd Reynolds, School Inspector; John Russell and Jotham J. Hall, Justices of the Peace; John BuUman, David Bisel, Elbridge M. Rogers and John Green, Constables. The equalized valuation of the property of the township in 1882 was $1 19 730, and for 1883 $153,- 685, while the taxes assessed for the former year was $2,243.69, and for the latter $2,894.50. Mr. John Russell has served the township as Su- pervisor since its organization in 1882. Grant Township. RANT Township is 11 north, 12 west, and ^1^^^ lies in the southern tier of the county. ^o'?j'^ It is bounded on the north by Brooks, on the ■^ east by Ensley, on the south by Muskegon t County, on the west by Ashland. On section 2, 10, II, 14, 15, 22 and 23 is Rice Lake, the largest body of water in the county. This lake, with the swamp which surrounds it, occupies one-fourth of the township. On the eastern line is Moore's Lake, on the northern, Hess Lake, and on the western, Blanche Lake. Rogue River, the outlet of Rice Lake, flows southward to (Jrand River. Grant was the eleventh township organized in Ne- waygo County, and was erected by the Board of Su- pervisors Jan. 8, 1867. The first township meeting was held the first Monday in April following, at the house of Stephen L. Marvin. The Inspectors were Samuel W. Glover, Dewitt C. Hyde and Rensselaer Brace ; and Samuel W. Glover was elected the first Supervisor of Grant. At the last election, held April 2, 1883, the following township officers were chosen : Thomas Ryan, Supervisor; William M. Wheeler, Clerk ; William A. Watrous, Treasurer; Henry Bates, Highway Commissioner ; Harrison Whitmire, Drain Commissioner; I'rancis L. Cain, School Inspector; Louis Babcock, Justice of the Peace ; S. B. English, r I Ky ^ r I m ^ ^^^^^^ K-^[ia:^ ^x> -««>>■•>•": 564 r^f^^ — 6ve^llti:^:(llif>r jm -i^^fsvii NEIVAVGO COUXTV Horton Thompson, Franklin Spears and Lorenzo Ditson, Constables. The population of (Irant Township in 1880 was 422. The vote of this township at the last general elec- tion (Nov., 1 8S2) for Governor was : For J- W. Begole, Democrat, 43; for D. H. Jerome, Republican, 7. The valuation of property in Grant Township in 1867 was $21, 210, and in 1883, $67,560. The high- est valuation was $89,297 in 1880; the next year it was put at $52,780. The taxation on its property since 1867 has varied from $279 that year to $1,500 last year. SUPERVISORS. Samuel W. Glover, •Stephen L. Martin, J. H. Shaw, D. C. Hyde, 'J ) David Rebel, Eugene O'Connor, George M. Osman, Lewis Trexell, Thomas Ryan, H. C. Cole, V Q 1867 1868-9 1870 187 1 1872-5 1876 1S77 1878-80 1881-3 1883 <^ "^ Lincoln Township. his township is 14 north, 13 west, and is bounded on the north by Beaver and Mon- roe, on the east by Wilcox, on the south by Sherman and on the west by Denver. A large body of water known as Diamond Lake lies mostly on section 1 3 ; and on section 25 is Blacksmith Lake. In the western part are two lakes formed by damming up Dowling Creek, and one pro- duced in the same way on White River, which flows through the southwestern pari of the township. Dowl- ing Creek rises on section 14, and flows west. The Newaygo division of the Chicago & West Michigan railroad runs across sections 1,12 and 13. Lincoln was erected by the Board of Supervisors Jan. 5, i88r, out of half of a township previously belonging to Everett, and half a township taken from Denver. The first township meeting was held the ( r first Monday in April following, at the house of John ^ Owen, and was presided over by John Owen, .Simeon t % Barnhard and Ernest Forbes. J. L. Alexander was elected the first Supervisor. At the last election, held April 2, 1883, the following township officers were chosen : J. L. Ale.\ander, Supervisor ; David Holmes, Clerk ; Walter Burton, Treasurer ; Bruce H. Jackson, Highway Commissioner; Simon Barnhard, Drain Commissioner; Chester A. Stone, School In- spector ; Winfield S. Brewer, Justice of the Peace ; Charles L. Jones, Charles Williams, John Dicker and Philip Bird, Constables. Monroe Township. ONROE comprises Congressional town- ships 15 and 16 north, 12 west, and the i\\Kia>^ east half of townships 15 and 16 north, 13 / R. ^ west. It is bounded on the north by Lake m^ SB. K2J I County, on the east by Barton and Norwich, on the south by Wilcox and Denver, and on the west by Beaver and Troy. The greater part of the township is drained by the Pere Marquette River, which flows to the north. White River rises in the southeastern corner. In the northwestern corner are Pettibone Lake, Pickerel Lake, and Twin Lakes ; in the southern part are Spring Lake and Blue Lake; and on the western border is Crocked Lake. The township contains 108 square miles, and much of it is covered with pine. Its agricultural resources are but little developed. Monroe was the sixteenth township organized in Newaygo County, and was erected by the Board of Supervisors Oct. 15, 1872. The first township meet- ing was held the first Monday in April, 1873, at the school-house in district number 5, with Elias Elwell, Roger Pettibone and Harry Monroe as Inspectors. The last named was elected the first Sujjervisor. .At the last election, held April 2, 1883, the following township officers were elected : Hugh S. Swain, Su- pervisor; George J. Ambrose, Clerk; Edward C". Groesbeck, Treasurer; Samuel Harit, Highway Ccm- missioner; Edwin Dunbar and Thomas McDuffie, School Inspectors; Henry M. Carroll, Justice of the Peace; Henry Pillow, Americus V. Coney, James A. Richardson and George W. Chapman, Constables. The population of Monroe Township in 1880 was 362. It is now much larger. () ^^m KK^ (l^^rf ■ST ■^v<::tlll>:tins>?- NEIVAYGO COUNTY. There are now in the township two whole school districts and two fractional districts. For the year ■ ending Sept. 3, 1883, the number of children between the ages of 5 and 20 was, in three districts (district ( No. 3 did not report), 179; number of children that attended school, 133; niunber of non-resident pupils, 1; number of days of school taught, 47S; number of pupils that can be seated, 132; value of school prop- erty, $1,590; number of male teachers employed, i ; number of female teachers, 4 ; wages paid to male ' teachers, $200; wages paid to female teachers, $54.5. SUPERVISORS. > Harry Monroe, William .Spore, T. S. Fales, S. E. Fales, James W. Hoffman, Amos W. Whipple, H. S. Swan, H. S. Swan, ) lA-muel C. Hartt, \ 1873 "874-5 1876 1877 1878 1879-81 1882 1883 Norwich Township. ii-wi_: ( )RWICH township is townshi[) 15 north, 1^1^ I I west, and lies in the eastern tier of the 3> k county. «\ci/' "* --"i-'ity. It is bounded on the north by igV Barton, on the east by Mecosta County, on j'4 the south by Goodwell, and on the west by Monroe. The township contains four or five ^%j small lakes, of which the principal are Hungerford '£ Lake, on section 15, and TurnbuH's Lake, on section 14. The latter is the source of the south liranch of the Pere Maniuette River. The Ciiicago & West Michigan railroad runs through the township north- east and southwest, crossing sections 12, 13, 14, 15 16, 21, 20, 19 and 30. On section 15 is Hungerford Station and post-office; and from that point a log- ging railroad runs northwe-;t for two or three miles, with several branches. Norwich was the fifteenth townsiiip in Newaygo County. It was erected by the Board of Supervisors Jan. 8, 1872, and the first annual township meeting [^ was held on tlie first Monday of April following, at ^ the school-house in district No. 6. The Insiiectors M ^ 1 were Willard Barton, Abraham Ten Eyck and Alex. Lawrence, and Willard Barton was chosen the first Supervisor. At the last election, held .April 2, 1883, the townshi[) ofticers were elected: Charles Neale, Supervisor; Fred. A. Ganson, Clerk ; Fred. J. Voss, Treasurer; Samuel Cole, Highway and Drain Com- missioner; Charles Neale, School Inspector; Andrew C. Peck and Fred. A. Canson, Justice of the Peace; Charles Pitcher, George Jackson, John Jernstadt and Harvey T. Hower, Constables. The population of Norwich Township in 1880 was 637. It is now nearly double that. There are now five whole and one fractional school districts in the township For the year ending Sept. 3, 1883, the number of children between the ages of 5 and 20 was 319 ; number that attended school, 260 ; number of days of school taught, 833 ; number of school-houses (all frame) 6; number of pujiils that can be seated, 303 ; value of school property, $3,250 ; number of male teachers employed, 3 ; number of fe- male teachers einployed, 8; wages paid to male teachers, $479 ; wages paid to female teachers $Si8. In i(S7 2 the equalized valuation of the taxable property of the township was ;}iSo,ooo, and the taxa- tion $469.16, and in 1883 the valuation had increased to $306,585, and the taxation to $3,072.32. SUPERVISORS. Willard Barton, Abraham Ten Eyck, Benj. L. Ewing, A. J. Bennett, Benj. L. Ewing, Newton Ewing, Newton Ewing, / ('harles Neal, S Charles Neal, 1872 '873-4 ■875 1876 1877 1878-80 1881 1882 IfSeSH«"»l!3ESS;^=^ Sheridan Township. jI^^It; HP'RIDAN Township is township 12 north, 6 ifi'MJJx ,_j west, and lies in the western tier of the county. It is bounded on the north IV, by Dayton, on the east by Garfield, on the south by Bridgeton and on the west by Mus- kegon County. On sections 2 3, 4, 9, 10 and 1 1 is situated Fremont Lake, the second largest body v^ A C< 7 i|s/<^^«^ti- v<>DD:> V 566 NEWAYGO COUNTY. t ) 1=2 V 6 O ^./ o ^ T I of water in the county. Its outlet is Brooks Creek, which flows south and then west, joining the Muske- gon just beyond the county line. Williams Creek, from the east, joins Brooks Creek on section 27. Rather more than half of the village of Fremont is situated in Sheridan Township, on section 2. The Chicago & West Michigan railroad crosses sections 2, 3, 4, 9, 8 and 7. Sheridan is one of the successors of the old town- ship of Fremont, which was organized by the Board of Supervisors Nov. 5, 1855, out of townships 13, 14, 15 and 16, and the north half of township 12 north, 14 west, and the west half of townships 13, 14, 15 and 16 north, 13 west. The first election of Fre- mont Township was held the first Monday in April, 1856, at the house of Wilkes Stewart, with Wilkes Stewart, Daniel Weaver and Shepard Gibbets as Inspectors. Daniel Weaver was chosen the first Super- visor. In 1867, Fremont Township died an honor- able death, and Sherman. Denver and Sheridan were created. The first Supervisor of Sheridan was Wil- lard M. Howell. At the last election, held April 2, 1883, the following township officers were chosen Alfred G. Meade, Supervisor; Amos A. White, Clerk: Marshall B. Franklin, Treasurer; Christoph Kempf, Highway Commissioner; Augustine White, School Inspector; Richard N. Lloyd, Justice of the Peace; Ransom P. Piper, Henry McCarty, Melvin McDonald and Dennis V. Lordon, Constables. The population of Sheridan Township in 1880 was 1,181. The township now contains three whole and three fractional school districts. For the year ending Sept. 3, i88r, the number of children between the ages of 5 and 20 was 660; number of children that attended school during the year, 548; number of non-resident pupils, 14; number of days of school taught, 872; numl)erof brick school-houses, i ; num- ber of frame school-houses, 5 ; number of log school- houses, I ; number of pupils that can be seated, 582; value of school property, $9,975 ; number of male teachers employed, 7 ; number of female teachers employed, 8; wages paid to male teachers, $r,344; wages paid to female teachers, $1,537. The eciualized valuation of property in the old township of Fremont in 1856, when it was organized, was $65,227, and the taxation iJ332.32. In the year 1866, the year 't was merged "into Sheridan, the val- s.2^ --J^-^ ^-l.^;ill|5,:i]|j;>Z uation was $84,210, and the taxation $886.94 Sher- idan Township had an equalized valuation of $55,495, and a tax of $729.86 in 1867, which increased to $171,400 valuation and $2,477.09 taxation in 1883. SUPERVISORS. Daniel Weaver, Fremont, .856 Isaac H. Cogswell, u i«57 W. L. Stewart, u 1858 Isaac H. Cogswell, u 1859-61 Jonas Waters, .( 1862 Wm. Martin, (( 1863 Wm. Martin, ) u 1864 J. B. Jewell, \ u Thomas Stewart, / u 1865 W. L. Stewart, \ it John Delamater, a 1866 Willard M. Howell, Sheridan, 1867-8 H. W. Craford, (( 1869 Willard M. Howell, • ( 1870 R. M. Curtice, 11 1871 Henry C. Stone, (( 1872 R. M. Curtice, t( 1873-4 Henry C. Stone, (t 1875-6 G. N. Wade, (( 1877-8 A. G. Meade, (t 1879-83 FRE.MONT, or Fremont Center, is situated on section 35, Day- ton Township, and section 2, Sheridan Township. It was once in the center of a township called Fre- mont; hence its name. The township of Fremont was divided up in such a manner that the village is now on the dividing line between Dayton and Sheridan. The following extracts from a series of interesting articles written a few years ago by T. L, VV'aters, are deserving of record in connection with the history of Fremorit : " In the town of Cambria, Hillsdale County, Michigan, in the year 1854, there lived two farmers who were near neighbors, and tolerably well to do in this world's goods. One of these had children grown and married, and the other children nearly or quite marriageable, at the time of which we write. These men were Wilkes L. Stewart, since of Fremont, and Daniel Weaver, of Hesperia. The circumstances of their leaving Hillsdale County and moving north into this then unbroken wilderness, were similar f A ) I ^ i r~ I -;2f^^ ^ v NEIVAYGO COUNTY. r. ^ V I (J) 567 to those which have impelled most persons who have left civilization to become pioneers in a new country. The children wanted land, and must emi- grate to obtain it. Many tears were shed by mother and daughter, as they thought they must part so soon. The parents said, ' Why must we be separated from our children ? Let us sell out and go with them. What are the comforts of home without the society of our children .'' This sentiment |)revailed, and after a few earnest conversations on the subject it was decided to come nortli and look for that 'lodge in the wilderness ' of which the poet writes. " Previous to this, T. H. Stuart, J. B. Mallery and P. H. Weaver had been west to St. Joseph County, and had returned dissatisfied with the result of their explorations. Jan. i, 1855, W. L. Stewart and Daniel Weaver started from their home in Cambria north- ward. There were but two railroads at that time in Michigan, the Central and the Southern. Not being able, therefore, to avail themselves of the iron horse as a means of transit, their progress was necessarily slow. The second day they reached Jackson, and the third Lansing, where the Legislature was in ses- sion. Here they came across that old pioneer of Newaygo County, John A. Brooks, then a member of the Legislature. He invited them to take a look in this county north of Muskegon River. They then came north to Ionia, the United States land office being located there. Here they procured maps showing the unentered lands of several townships. Coming down Grand River, they reached Grand Rapids the 6th, and on the 7th came to Newaygo. Here they were introduced to J. H. Standish, since so prominent as a soldier and a lawyer, and E. L. Gray, then a verdant young lawyer in that village, but since ripened into an Honorable, and last but not least, Hiram Butler, then the sociable landlord of Newaygo's best hotel. Mr. Butler had already pur- chased land on which he afterwards resided, and he put them on the track of F'remont Center and its vicinity. The morning of the 8th, they shouldered their packs and waded through the snow, to what is now known as Elm Corners. Here were the pole shanties of John and Frank Harrington and Daniel Joslyn, who had moved in and i)re-empted. " Mr. Joslyn and wife were the first married couple in the woods, and Mrs. Joslyn walked in from Ne- waygo, over the logs, carrying her babe in her arms. V ri ^(^f§.=« -■:?:^ ^ ; U h>T-r- 5s«€^^ -4^^5C(®^-'.i^' NEIVAYGO COUNTY. ^ :-§ Y s ■^ I ers,' of which it took a goodly number. Some culled lumber was hauled from Newaygo, and thirteen men and boys raided the 'old log house,' the first in Fre- mont. '' A large fire was kindled, and before a log was turned down, a shovel full of coals was put on the corner to make it ' stick.' The shingles were made by Joslyn, the rafters cut and backed up by Phil. Weaver and Samuel Shape, framed with a narrow ax, and in three weeks it was ready for the pioneers. '"That house was looked upon with interest by many of the first settlers. There, for several weeks, 26 persons stretched their weary limbs upon its floors and committed themselves to the silent arms of Morpheus. There the writer wooed and won; there was the first wedding, and there our first child was born. There Phil. Weaver and his wife were joined in the holy bonds of matrimony. There Dr. Weaver took his first lessons, and there scores of travelers slopped, refreshed themselves and recuperated, and then pushed forward with renewed vigor into the howling wilderness. There the first town meeting was held and officers elected, and there the old town of Fremont was named by Samuel Shupe, in mem- ory of that old pioneer, Gen. John C. Fremont. The first post-office this side of Newaygo was established there, when all our letters could be carried in one's vest pocket, and when we thought ourselves lucky if we received mail once a week. The old house, like many of the pioneers whom it has sheltered, having ■ierved well its day, has gone the way of all the earth. Its place is supplanted by one of those elegant dwellings with which our beautiful county is dotted, and its name is remembered only by those who labored in its erection, or shared its hospitable cover. Over its ashes we write, Rtujuiescat in pace. "As soon as the house was finished, Mrs. Mal- lery came in as far as Newaygo, accompanied by her aunt and niece, and stopped at what was then 'Cooper's Tavern.' They started from Lisbon at noon, and arrived at New-aygo late in the evening. This same journey can now be made in three hours, by team. In the morning Ihey started from Newaygo, and late in the afternoon arrived here, taking i)osses- sion of their new home March 4, 1855." Such was the beginning of F"remont Center, or Fremont, as it is now called, which has become one of the brightest little towns in Michigan. Its popula- eA<>D!i:>^DtIv:>^^ tion is variously estimated, but 1,200 is probably not far from right. That number will not measure its lX)pulation long, for it is too ambitious not to pro- gress. The village was incorporated by act of the Legis lalure in 1873, and re-incorporated in 1875. The present village officers, elected in the spring of 1883, are as follows : J. R. Odell, President ; C. I. Rath- bun, Clerk; John Cole, Treasurer; A. O. White, As- sessor; R. J. Thompson, Street Commissioner; R. P. Piper, Marshal; John C. Brewster, Surveyor; Joseph Gerber, Chief Engineer of the Fire I^epart- ment; S. P. Earnhardt, M. B. Franklin, Joseph Ger- ber, J. R. Odell, J. T. Reynolds, and R. W. Ruther- ford, Trustees. Fremont now has a very efficient fire department, organized in September, 1883. The "Walker sys- tem " has been introduced, at a cost of $6,000. It maintains two pumps, each capable of forcing 300 gallons per minute. The department has 30 mem- bers, and Joseph Gerber is at the head. It has two hose carts, with 1,000 feet of hose, and two large Babcock fire-extinguishers. The only debt of the village is one of $3,500, to be paid in four years, at seven per cent. This was contracted in building the water-works. The manufacturing interests of Fremont, already important, bid fair to become much more so in a few years. At present there is the fine tannery of D. Gerber & Sons, the stave mill of James Gibson, the flouring mill of the Darling Milling company, the handle factory of H. Jones, the heading mill of P. S. Castle, the shingle mills of Merchant & Hunger- ford, James Gibson and P. S. Castle, and the saw- mills of Darling & Cook, Merchant & Hungerford, James Gibson, Kornelis Mulder and H. Jones. The last mentioned, and also the mill of Darling and Cook, are run by water power, whilethe othersaw-mills are operated by steam power. The general business interests are catalogued as follows: Cornelius Addison, shoemaker. P. H. liennega, grocer. George H. Babcock, jeweler. Sarah Barnhardt, milliner. Charles W. Barton, saloon-keeper. George W. Burr, sewing-maciiine agent. Brooks it Rodgers, milliners. John Cole, hardware dealer. Aaltje l)e Haas, prop. Commercial House. Darling & Smith, general merchants. A % V r -^^ .(tr^r T^^wmm^r "525^- « ^ V "^ V/iirAyGO COUNTY. 569 .<^ Darling & Cook, lumber dealers. Mrs. Jane H. Davis, saloon-keeper. John Duuersema, general merchant. John Dii Bois, saloon-keeiier. B. B. Dill, blacksmith. Darling Milling Company, millers. J. R. Dudley 1^ Son, lumber dealers. Edwnrd E. Edwards, attorney. James T. Farley, physician. Eugene W. Fortune, photographer. .Marshall B. Franklin, general merchant. Mrs. Elizabeth Fry, restaurant-keeper. D. Cierber & Sons, tanners and gen I merchants. James Gibson, staves and shnigles. Stephen Gross, harness-maker. Richard S. Hayes, saloon-keeper. Hart iv Bowman, saloon and livery keeper. Frank P. Hopiier, restaurant. John Jacklin, butcher. Jones iS: Keith, saloon-keepers. Fred Kellogg, barber and billiard-keeper. D. Kuypers, shoemaker. John B. Ketclium, general merchant. W. D. Leonardson, attorney. V. S. Lockwood, carriage and wagon maker. J. J. Lemoreaux, dentist. J. A. Lemoreaux, physician. Dennis Lordon, restaurateur. A. Miner, tailor. Agnes C. McDonald, prop. Pacific Hotel. Jesse Mclntyre, druggist and stationer. J. W. McNabb, physician. Miracle & Hopper, dry goods merchants. John McVicar, pro|). St. Charles Hotel. Orlando McNabb, attorney. Merchand & Hungerford. shingles and lumber. Van N. Miller, physician. Kornelis Mulder, grocer and miller. H. Northway, hardware merchant. Mrs. Noble, milliner. James R. Odell, druggist. Charles A. Pearson, general merchant. G. H. Pearson, baker. Charles I. Rathbun, jeweler and watchmaker. Rutherford & Misner, grocers. T. R. Rittenhouse, dentist. Mrs. Rittenhouse, milliner. .Alonzo Sweet, harness-maker. E. 1). Sage, barber. C. E. Stearns, furniture dealer. Charles Sears, blacksmith. \V. G. Slater, shoemaker. Clinton Ujiton, restaurateur. A. E. Upton, lumber dealer. Mrs. Wilkins, musical instrument dealer. A. K. Wager, grocer and expiess agent. W. A. Webber, banker. 'I'homas E. Woods, furniture dealer. ^55^^^ -^^03 William E. Woodard, saloon-keeper. A. O. White, insurance agent. CHURCHES. Among the religious societies in Fremont the Meth- odists are most prominent, being here, as almost everywhere throughout the West, the pioneer denom- ination. They have an elegant church, built at a cost of about $4,000. Under Rev. Mr. Miontford, the present pastor, the membership is about 125. The Congregationalirits organized a society July 24, 1865, with five members. Their first pastor. Rev. Gerritt Dangremond, remained till January, 1878, when he was succeeded by Rev. Francis Wrigley. He remained till Sept. i, 1883, since which time the society has had no regular services. The member- ship is now II. In 1879 they purchased the store building of J. M. Barnett, opposite the present St. Charles Hotel, at a cost of $1,000, in which their meetings have been held. The Church of Christ has a large following here, and is one of the oldest organizations in Fremont. It has now about 50 mem- bers. Its church was completed in 1882, at a cost of $2,000. The Dutch Reformed Church has about 90 communicants, and a church which cost in the neighborhood of $2,500. The United Brethren have a church, built in i88i,at a cost of $1,600. The present pastor is Rev. Mr. Wood. The members of this Church are principally resident in the country. SOCIETIES. The secret societies of Fremont are five in num- ber, of which the principal is the Order of Chosen Friends. Olive Br.^nch Council, No. 14, of Michigan, was organized in August, 1880, with a membership of 98. The first officers were : Joseph Gerber, C. C; E. E. Edwards, P. C. C; Ida Rathbun, D. C. C; Jesse Mc- lntyre, V. C; Mrs. Joseph Gerber, D. V. C; Mrs. A. Barnhardt, Prel.; C. I. Rathbun, Rec; John W. Rutherford, Fin.; William Gerber, Treas.; Fred. Mar- shall, Mar.; Mrs. Mary J. Marshall, Warden; A. O. Hoyt, Guard; Louis Vallier, Sent.; J. W. Mc- Nabb and G. W. Nafe, Physicians. The present officers are as follows : Joseph Gerber, C. C; R. W. Rutherford, V. C; E. E. Edwards, P. C. C; C. I. Rathbun, Sec; S. P. Barnhardt, Treas; G. W. Nafe, Med. Ex.; Sarah A. Barnhardt, Prel.; D. Kuypers, Mar.; C. C. Paradise, Ward.; Fred. Marshall, Guard; W. W. Wriglit, .Sent. The pres- :*:bii;.>'-; — ^=^0^ ^f; »s?,V^ ? !■ V V > r V /T 570 T<^DD>:iiDs>r-e^ >*^^^ ^^r^^^ NEW A YGO CO UN 'I Y. i \ ^ I • ) ent membership of the Council is 75. It meets the second and fourth Thuredays of each month at Odd Fellows' Hall. Pilgrim Lodge, No. 180, V. &: A. M., was organ- ized about 1865, and is now one of the leading organizations of the village. Its principal officers now are : E. E Edwards, W. M.: A. H. Northway, S. VV.; N. B. Clark, J. W.; C. E. Stearns, Sec ; John Cole, Treas. Fremont Center Lodge, No. 242, I. O. O. F., was organized Oct. 6, 1874, with 22 members. G. F. Cole was the first Noble Grand, and John Harwood the first Vice Grand. The present officers are as fol- lows : Fred. M. Nay, N. G.; H. S. Garrison, V. G.; Louis Addison, Sec; Alonzo Sweet, Treas.; Louis Vallier, Perm. Sec. The present membership is about 40. The lodge meets every Tuesday night. Post Henry Dobson, No. 182, G. A. R., was mus- tered Sept. 13, 1883, with 42 members. The follow- ing is a list of its present officers : J. R. Odell, ('om.; C. I. Rathbun, S. V. C; A. H. Northway, J. V. C; Walter S. Piatt, Adj.; Oriando McNabb, Q. M.; J. A. Lemoreaux, Surg.; S. P. Odell, Chap.; George McNuit, O. D.; R. P. Piper, O. G.; S. P. Earnhardt, S. M.; John Delamater, Q. M. Sergt. The present strength of the post is 46. It meets the first Satur- day night of each month, at Odd Fellows' Hall. Fremont Lodge, No. 741, K. of H., was organized Sept. 14, 1877. It now has 13 members, and meets the first and third Thursdays of each month, at Ma- sonic Hall. Sherman Township. i<-i^j,LHERMAN Township is 13 north, 13 west, and is bounded on the north by Lincoln, on the east by Everett, on the south by Garfield, and on the west by Dayton. Sher- man contains a number of lakes, of which the most important are. Long Lake, on sections 27, 28, 33 and 34; Robinson (or Big) Lake, on sections 9 and 10; Crystal Lake, on sections 16, 21 and 22; Peterson Lake, on section 5 ; Peck Lake, on sections 20 and 29; Ford Lake, on sections 28, 29, 32 and ^^. The C. & \V. M. R. R. runs diagonally through y, 12. II, I :;. 16, 21, The C. & \V. M. the township, crossing sections 20, 29,30 and 31, Sherman was erected as a township in 1867, when the township of Fremont was divided up. Charles W. Stone was the first Sujiervisor. At the last elec- tion, held ."Vpril 2, 1883, the following township officers were chosen: Lafayette Waters, Supervisor; James B. Mallery, Clerk; Samuel I). Coburn, Treas- urer; Edward W. Eldred, Highway Commissioner ; William Galbreath, Drain Commissioner; Cassius J. Galbreath, School Inspector; Isaac Johnson and William McWhinney, Justices of the Peace; Cassius J. Galbreath, William B. Sherwood, John C. Hill and Orrin W. Hopkins, Constables. The population of Sherman Township in 1S80 was 644. There are now in the township two whole and one fractional school districts. For the year ending Se|)t. 3, 1883, the number of children between the ages of 5 and 20 was loi ; number of children that attended school, 70; number of non-resident pupils, i; num- ber of days of school taught, 260; number of frame school-houfes, i; numberof log school-houses, 1; num- ber of pupils that can be seated, 75 ; value of school ]iroperty, $800 ; number of teachers (all female) em- ployed, 5; wages paid to same, §406.20. The equalized valuation of the property of the township in 1867 was $87,489.54, and the ta.xes col- lected was $1,150.54. In the year 1883 the valua- tion had increased to $125,760, and the taxes to $1,- 224.17. SUPERVISORS. m J Charles W. Stone, Benjamin Alton, Charles W. Stone, Lafayette Waters, J. B. Mallery, Lafayette ^Vaters, 1867-70 .87, 1872-8 1879-81 1882 1883 Troy Township. lOMPRISING township 16 north, 14 west, ^^^ and the west half of township 16 north, 13 sM^ west, is the territory of Troy Townshii) ^r* It occupies the northwest corner of the county 'i\ and is bounded on the north by Lake County ' on the east by Monroe Township, on the south )/ Beaver Township, and on the west by Oceana ^ A V ( ^ I A <-l H>^ ^--^^VT^ ^^mi^U-^ f ^V^- #:►<;--•*- -^^ — e^v<-^nil>:illi^.>r r2^^^ X/:ir.4VGO COUNTY. S7' "S - — - (?l) ^ County. The south branch of the Pere Marquette •^ River flows through the western portion, and into it ^/ii flow Freeman t'reek, Allen Creek. Cedar Creek and T others. Into Cedar flows Pickerel Creek. Troy is a ''.\?j very new Township. The principal industry is of course togging and lumbering. In 1880, the town- shij) had a population of 180, which is but a fraction of the present population. The recent extension of the Newaygo division of the Chicago & West Mich- igan railroad through the township has given an im- pulse to its development wliich will soon produce !^ wonderful results. a On section 32, by Blue Lake, is located the young village of West Troy. It was started by Messrs. Grosvenor and IJrener, who built a small mill and began sawing lumber in i88t. They first called the l)lace ''\V'alku[) City." This name it retained until the mill was sold to the We5t Troy Lumber Co., con- -, sisting of Thiuj IS Walk ip, President; A. F. Fisher, \ Vice President; E. P. B.irnard, Treasurer ; and J. C. ^v Patterson, Secretary. They built nhe large saw-mill •^ containing two sets of circular saws, and liaving a capacity of go,ooo feet i)er day. In September, 1883, they sold out to .\. E. Cartier & Co. They have laid the village out into lots, with about 60 buildings and 45 families. They employ about 150 men in the mill, and as many in the woods. Trov was erected into a ti)wnshi|) Oct. 17, 1879, out of Beaver Townsliip, and the first townshi]) meet- ing was held the first Monday in April, 1880, at the house of Gilbert Yates. Alonzo Yates, F. A. Basford and B. Freeman were Inspectors, and Frank k. Bas- ford \v.is electedihe first Supervisor. At the last elec- tion, held April 2, 1883, the following township officers were chosen : Frank A. Basford Supervisor; Charles Freeman, Clerk ; A. H. Freeman, Treasurer; William Cross, Highway Commissioner; Henry Jackson, Drain Commissioner; Joseph A. Todd, School Inspector; Hiram S. Miller, A. Yates, and Gilbert Yates, Justices of the Peace; G. B. Free- man, David More, Mike McC.ifferty and A. J. Paint- er, Constables. In 1880 the eipialized valu ition of property in the township was $95,990 and taves collected l|;t,2i5.9i. In 1883 the valuation had increased to$i98,40o and the ta.xes to $1,924.90. Frank A. Basford has held the position of Siipervi- sor since the organization of the township. V o -^ I '.^ - 000 !l,7^ 1 V A K/ ^ IL('()X I'ownshipis 14 north, 12 west, with the cxi:e[)tion of the south half of sec lions 34' .1.S 'I'^d 36, which belong to Everett, and with the addition of the north half of sections 4, 5 and 6, of township 13 north, west. White River drains this county flow- ing nearly south through the middle of the township. The Big Rapids branch of the C. iV W. M. R. R. runs diagonally through the lownshi|), crossing frac- tional sections 5 and 6, and sections 32, 33, 28, 22, 15, 10, II and 2. The Newaygo division of the same road crosses fractional section 5, and sections 32, 33, 28, 29, 20, 19 and 18. At the crossing of the two lines is the village of White Cloud, which aspires to be some time the county seat. Wilcox Townshi[) w.is erected Jan. 15, i 880, out of territory previously belonging to Everett. The first township meeting was held the first Monday in April following, at the house of Charles Decker. Lee A. Mason, George Ehle and James L. Morgan were Inspectors, and James M. Smith was elected the first Supervisor. At the last election, held April 2, 1883, the following township officers were chosen : Reuben S. Trask, Supervisor; Alphcus W. Sidebot- toni, Clerk; Hollis T. Reed, Treasurer ; Henry Cardi- nal, Highway Commissioner; Andrew G. Clark, School Inspector ; Edward Grosvenor, Justice of the Peace ; Edward Grosvenor, George W. Chandler, George W. FKack, Howard Helms and William Fulk- erson, Constables; and William Fulkerson, Drain Commissioner. The township had in 1880 a poi)ulation of 850. There are now two whole and one fractional schoc/ districts. For the year ending Sept. 3, 1883, the number of children of school age was 193; number of children that attended school, 117; number of non-resident pupils, 2 ; number of days of school taught, 319; number of school-houses (frame) 2; \v^ value of school property, $700; number of teachers employed, 5 ; wages paid to same, $523. In 1880 the e A ^ I SUl>KR\ISORS. James M. Smith, J. M. Popi)lc, R. S. Trask, 1880 1881 1882- WHITE CLOUD. The village of White Cloud is near the south- western corner of Wilcox Township. It owes its ex- istence to the Chicago & West Michigan railroad. It was first called Morganville, and then, after the road was extended through the village from the south, it acquired its present name. It now has two railroads, and a chance for a third ; and as one sees four passenger trains meet at this point a little before noon, the visitor does not wonder that it hopes some day to have tue county seat. It is growing rapidly, having now a population of perhaps 550. White Cloud was incorporated in 1879, and held its charter election March 1 1 of that year. The following officers were then elected: President, Fred Ramsey ; Trustees, James L. Morgan, Robert A. Moon, James M. Gibbs, James H. Decker, James McLeod and Lee A. Mason; Clerk, William Ross; Treasurer, Charles S. Wilcox; Street Commissioner, David Smith ; Assessor, David S. Benson ; Constable, Richard Doyle. At the last election, held April 2, 1883, the following village officers were elected: President, J. M. Poi>ple; Trustees, Henry Cardinal, Hollis T. Reed, Richard Doyle, Richard Gannon, R. S. Trask and James McLeod ; Clerk, A. W. Side- bottom; Treasurer, Miles Standish; Street Commis- sioner, E. C. Bracy; Assessor, M. A. Teachout; Constable, George Chandler. The following is a list of the business firms of White Cloud: E. C. Bracy, wagon shop. Jacob Cohen, clothing. A. G. Clark, drugs. George Clover, American House. James Doucett, Travelers' Home. C. H. Decker, barber. R. J. Doyle, restaurant and saloon. Fox Bros., livery. K. A. Grosvenor, furniture. James Harris, livery. C. B. Jones, Atlantic Hotel. W. F. Latham, post-office. John Labock, saloon. D. Mathison, saloon. James McLeod, saloon. -2^3^ ■K^on James McLeod, Comnier.:ial House. J. R. McMann, White Cloud Hotel. Morgan Lumber Co., lumber. John Newberg, shoe-shop. D. O'Sullivan, blacksmith. Hollis T. Reed, drugs. J. M. Roedel, general merchandise. Fred Ramsey, general merchandise. J. M. Romans, saloon. Dan Shea, saloon. Townsend & Gannon, grocery and meat market. Teachout & Roedel, hardware. R. S. Trask, drugs. S. N. Wilcox, luml)er. B. E.Wells, furniture. White & Hill, saloon. S. E. Woodworth, tailor. Congregational Church. — There is but one church in White Cloud, — the Congregational. It was built in 1875, at a cost of $800, as a union church. The Congregational society was organized Dec. 20, 1877, with eight members, but services had been held from the early part of 1876. The first pastor was Rev. James Worden. He was followed by Revs. John Dongerman, John Holloway, D. Bettes, Wm. G. Puddefoot and John Jeffries, the present pastor. The society now numbers about 25. White Cloud Lodge, No. 34, I. O. O. F., was organized July 15, 1883, and the following were its first officers: James McLaughlin, N. G. ; S. 1). Witherell, V. ti.; George Williams, Secretary ; R. J. Doyle, Treas. The present officers are : James McLaughlin, N. G.; George Williams, V. G. ; D. O'Sullivan, Perm. Sec; Jacob Cohen, Rec. Sec; R. J. Doyle, Treas. The membership of the lodge is about 40, and the meetings are held Wednesday evenings. White Cloud Lodge, No. 1,997, K. of H., was organized the latter part of 1879, and now has a membership of 34. A. G. Clark is Dictator; E. A. Grosvenor, Secretary ; and M. A. Teachout, Treas. The lodge meets the second and fourth Thursdays of each month. White Cloud Lodge No. 452, I. O. G. T., was organized July 5, 1882, with I). C. Mcintosh as Chief Templar. The present officers are as follows: L. M. Clover. C. T.; Mrs. C. N. Draper, V. T.; Wm. Cameron, Sec; Frankie Clark, Treas.; Walter With- erell, Mar.; .Mrs. Chandler, Chap.; Anna Hagen, I. G.; Antone Weiker, O. G. 'i"he lodge has a member- ship of 25, and meets every Tuesday evening, A 1 .^;if2i^^