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WAYNE COUNTY
HISTORICAL 0' PIONEER SOCIETY.
CHRONOGRAPHY
-OFNOTABLE EVENTS
IN THE


History of the Northwest Territory
AND WAYNE COUNTY.
PEBRIOD E)MBRAOED, 1631-1890.
TOGETHER WITH
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF THE EARLY
EXPLORERS AND PIONEERS.
COMPILED AND ARRANGED
BY FREDD. OARLISLE.
DETROIT:
O. S. GULLEY, BORNMAN & CO., PRINTERS.
1890.




COPYRIGHTED, 1890,
BY
FRED. CARLISLE, DETROIT, MICH.




PREFACE.
This compilation was undertaken and is completed in the interest of
THE WAYNE COUNTY HISTORICAL AND PIONEER SOCIETY, for two
objects -to preserve a record of those through whose instrumentality
Wayne County and the whole lake country was discovered, occupied
and brought to its present populous and prosperous condition; and,
second, in the hope that the profits from the sale of the publication
would furnish the means to provide a suitable depository for the
historical relics, papers and mementoes heretofore and hereafter
-  presented to the Society.
In the arrangement of the work it is divided into four periods or
epochs, viz., from I603 to 1760, when France ceded to England; from
I760 to I796, when Great Britain ceded to the United States; from
1796 to 1837, when Michigan was admitted as a State, and from that
period to the present, narrating in chronological order noted historical
events and short sketches of the prominent characters who figured as
principal factors during those several periods.
So far as the matter contained herein, there is but little that is
original with the compiler, hence is subject to criticism only as to the
arrangement.
The historical references are: Lanman and Tuttle, Lanman's
Red Book, Parkman, Albach, State Pioneer Records, Territorial
Laws, Mrs. Sheldon, County Records, Directory of I836-7, Detroit
Free Press, Tribune and News, Geo. L. Whitney, Mrs. Hamlin, Col.
James W. Knaggs.    The biographical sketches were written and
submitted to each of the subjects for correction and revision.
FRED. CARLISLE,
Compiler.




I




THE WAYNE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY


Was organized in 1824, LEWIS CASS being its first President, and
Major ISAAC ROWLAND its first Secretary. The late Judge B. F.
WITHERELL was its last President, and Judge H. B. BROWN its last
Secretary.
The object of the Society was the collection of historical matter
concerning the Northwest, and the formation of a library. The
sketches of Michigan owe their existence, as does a large collection of
old memorials and relics now in the State Library, to it.
These collections, owing to the lack of a proper room to preserve
them, and a loss of members interested in their care, were deposited at
Lansing, in the expectation that at some future period a suitable place
for their safe keeping would be provided in Detroit, when they would
be brought back. While frequent efforts were made to this end at
different times, nothing was accomplished, and April 2ISt, I87r, pursuant to public notice, a number of the members of the Wayne
County Historical Society assembled at the Biddle House in the city
of Detroit to consider the recent action of the State Society, by which
the Historical Society of Michigan was merged into the Pioneer
Society of Michigan, and all records, papers, memorials and other
property was transferred by the former to the latter.
Owing to the death of Judge Witherell, the last president of the
Historical Society of Detroit, the Hon. Levi Bishop was chosen to
preside and Mr. Samuel Zug was made Secretary of the meeting.
After some discussion a preamble reciting the foregoing facts and
action of the State Society, and resolutions were passed recommending
similar action on the part of Wayne County Historical Society, and
directing the transfer of all papers, files and other documents to an
organization to be known as the Wayne County Pioneer Society. Upon
the adoption of the preamble and resolution, it was moved to proceed
to the election of officers, which resulted in the choice of the Hon.
Levi Bishop, President, and Mr. Samuel Zug as Secretary. Such
was the origin of the present Wayne County Historical and Pioneer
Society.
Mr. Bishop continued as President until death, and Mr. Zug as
Secretary until ill health compelled his resignation.
Professor J. C. Holmes succeeded Mr. Bishop as President, and
James Girardin as Secretary, upon whose decease they were in turn




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succeeded by J. Wilkie Moore as President, and Fred. Carlisle, Secretary and Treasurer, who are the present incumbents of these offices.
The publication of the present work is in accordance with the
following, adopted April 4, i888:
" Resolved, That the Secretary collect and compile all information
relating to individual members and their early experiences as relating
to this State, and as soon as practicable have the same printed in book
form for presentation and sale."
Those who have become life members of this Society by complying with the provision exempting from the payment of future annual
dues, are: Gen. Russell A. Alger, Judge Henry Brevoort, Doctor
William Brodie, Christian H. Buhl, James F. Joy, Gen. James Pittman,
Elliot P. Slocum, Dr. James Fanning Noyes, Cyrus Johnson, Allan
Sheldon., 0


*




INTRODUCTORY.
That a more correct understanding may be had as to the processes
and circumstances which led to the occupation and development by
the white man of the territory embraced in the present State of
Michigan, it is well to consider briefly the early voyages and explorations of Europeans.
The discovery by Columbus of the Bahamas and the West
Indies in I49I convinced that daring navigator that larger bodies of
land existed farther west, and immediately upon his return to Spain he
sought, and, after vexatious delay and disappointments, obtained the
permission and assistance of Philip and Isabella to fit out three small
vessels with which he put to sea, and, pursuing a westerly course, first
saw the land now constituting the continent of America, on the morning of the I2th of October, 1492. This discovery excited a spirit of
emulation in other European nations, and soon Spain controlled and
planted colonies in the West Indies, Mexico and Central America,
with the boundaries of the present United States along the Atlantic
coast and the Gulf of Mexico. England occupied the middle region
lying between Florida and the Bay of Fundy, while France entered
the Gulf of St. Lawrence and that grand river of the same name
which furnishes an outlet for the waters of the great lakes of the
Northwest, penetrated to the Ohio and Mississippi, and took possession of the whole territory embraced in these boundaries, naming it
New France.
The discovery of the island of Newfoundland was made by John
Cabot, an Englishman, in I497, who, instead of pursuing a westerly
course, returned to England.
In 15o0, Labrador, and what is known as the Gulf of St. Lawrence, was discovered by a Portuguese named Cortereal. He does not
appear to have reached the river St. Lawrence, and it was left for
Francis Ist, King of France, to complete the discovery of and name
the gulf and river St. Lawrence, and what subsequently became Canada
and the Northwest Territory, and authorized
I534.-Jacques Cartier to prosecute discoveries. He fitted out and set
sail with two vessels of 60 tons each, leaving the port of St. Malo
April 20th. He reached Newfoundland and returned to France
September I5th, and reported.




8 -1535.-Jacques Cartier fits out a second expedition of three vessels, the
"Great Hermenia," I20 tons, "Little Hermenia," 60 tons, and
"Herminellion," 40 tons, and sailed from St. Malo May 15, passed
Newfoundland, crossed a gulf and entered a river, both of which
he nampd St. Lawrence, after a saint of that name. Sailing up the
river, he anchored in front of an Indian village called "Sta-daco-na." The natives met him with their chief, Donacona, whose
speech was interpreted by a Gaspe Indian, and who in turn translated Cartier's response. This led to amicable relations. October
24, taking the smaller vessel, he proceeded to Lake St. Peter, and
finding shallow water, took row boats to the Huron village named
" Hochelaga," now Montreal.




CHRONOGRAPHY.
I535-6.-Jacques Cartier returned to Stadacona and wintered on the
St. Charles river, below the present site of Quebec, and in the
spring, taking Donacona and two other chiefs and eight warriors,
returned to France.
I540.-Cartier fits out a third expedition with five vessels. On reaching Stadacona, on the St. Lawrence, the natives showed such hostility as to compel him to move up the river, where he built a fort
and named it Charlesbourg.  He then sent three'of his vessels
back to France.
I542.-Cartier leaves thirty men in the fort and returns to France.
Francis I granted patents for all of New France to Seignor
Roberville, who met Cartier at Newfoundland, when on presentation of his authority, Cartier surrendered all rights acquired by
him. Roberville returned to France, fitted out a large fleet, and
started for his new territory with his brother Achille, but neither
were heard of afterwards. His fleet was supposed to have foundered. The loss of Roberville's fleet discouraged Francis Ist, who
never sent out another expedition to colonize Canada.
1598.-Marquise de la Roche, a nobleman of Brittany, France, fitted
out an expedition, but no notable results were accomplished by
him, except the leaving at Nova Scotia of some convicts, who were
subsequently taken back to France and pardoned.
I599.-M. Chauvin, a naval officer, and Pontgrave, a merchant of
Rouen, organized an expedition. Chauvin reached Charlesbourg
with two vessels, and built a new fort, called Tadossac.
I603.-Chauvin died, and his companions returned to France.
I604.-Two more unsuccessful attempts were made, by Chatte, Governor of Dieppe, and by Champlain, under the patronage of Rouen
merchants.
I607.-Jamestown, Virginia, founded.
I608.-Through the influence of the merchants of Rouen, France,
Champlain was induced to undertake a second expedition, and
founded the present Quebec, then called Quebo, or Quebian (Strait,)
by the natives. He also discovered the long stretch of water now




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known as Lake Champlain. (Quebec was the third permanent
settlement made in North America. St. Augustine was founded
in 1565, and Jamestown, Virginia, in I607.)
I6Io.-Meantime the present site of Detroit was visited by the French
missionaries, of the Jesuit order. They found a village of the
Ottawas near Parent Creek (afterward named "Bloody Run"),
and "Conner's Creek." The Hurons occupied the present site of
Detroit. The Ottawas also controlled Belle Isle. The Pottawatomies were the most powerful and not only controlled Grosse Isle,
but also the lake country, embraced in the present county of Oakland. The whole territory of what became Michigan was inhabited by the following Indian tribes: Ottawas, Ojibewas, Chippewas, Pottawatomies, Hurons and Miamis. The Iroquois
composed the five nations, and called themselves "Leni Leapes"
(original men), and claimed to be grandfathers of over forty Indian
nations. The "Delewares" were always allies of the English,
and were considered by the English as representing the intelligence
and were the most cultivated of all the other tribes. Their dialect
and methods of communication was not gutteral, but melodious,
liquid, smooth, and their utterance musical and refined. (The
venerable Col. James W. Knaggs, now living in Detroit, attests to
the foregoing.) They were the controlling influence among the
tribes constituting the five nations, and were direct opponents of
those constituting the tribes favoring French supremacy. The
name given to Detroit by the Indians was Waweatonong.
6I I-I3.-Champlain founded Montreal.
i6I5.-Champlain brought from France four Recollet fathers, who
established the order in Canada.
i6I6.-Champlain visits France the third time. The first missionaries
among the Indians were Lecaron, Viel and Sagard. Champlain
returns to Canada, labors with the Indians and secured great benefits. Was appointed Governor.  The Indian tribes were: The
Ottawas were originally from the Ottawa river in Canada, from
which they were driven by the Iroquois; the Ojibewas, natives of
Lake Superior; the Chippewas, of the east shore of Lake Michiigan, and the Hurons or Wyandottes on the eastern shore of Lake
Huron, and the Neutral nation occupied all the region on the
north shore of Lake Erie, with their left flank on the Niagara river.
The Hurons were supposed to number Io,ooo, and by some estimated at 30,000. The Hurons and Iroquois spoke a dialect of the
Algonquin.
I629.-War broke out between England and France. Charles I of
England, sends Sir David Kirkt who compelled Champlain to sur



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render Quebec. The Iroquois nation, being allies of the English,
contributed to the surrender, and Champlain returned to France
via England.
I632.-Champlain was again made Governor of Canada. Peace having been made between France and England he returns and
assumes control.
I635.-Champlain died, after having been for thirty years actively exercising authority in Canada.
I640.-Jean D. Breauf, Daniel and Gabrial Lallemand, Father Raymbault, Isaac Jogues and Pizard, established missions at Sault Ste.
Marie, St. Joseph (Fort Gratiot), St. Louis and St. Ignace. The
war between the Iroquois and Hurons involved the missions at
all these points.
i64I.-The missionaries Raymbault and Jogues hold a council with the
Chippewas at Sault St. Marie, where they first heard of the
Nedounneoiea or Soux, who dwelt eighteen days' journey west of
the lake.
I642.-Fathers Jogues and Bressani were taken prisoners by the Iroquois, tortured and put to death.
I648.-The mission of St. Joseph (Fort Gratiot) was destroyed by the
Iroquois, and Father Daniel Lallemand slain.
i649.-The missions St. Louis and St. Ignace were destroyed, and
Gabriel Lallemand and Jean de Brebauf brutally murdered. (The
Iroquois declared war against the Hurons, captured and destroyed
their villages, slaughtered and scattered the entire nation.)
I658.-Cadillac born, March 5th.
I660.-Father Reni Mesnard established a church at the Bay St. Theresa, on the south shore of Lake Superior. He was lost in the
forests of Keweenaw. Subsequently his cassock and breviary
were found in the possession of the Soux. The Indian tribes
about Detroit were the Hurons, Ottawas, Ojibewas, Pottawatomies, Ollogamies and Mascoutins.
I665.-The "Company of the Hundred Associates," which had ruled
Canada since 1632, resigned its charter, and New France passed
under the jurisdiction of The Company of the Indies. Tracy was
made viceroy, Courcelles governor, and Talon intendant. Father
Allouez was sent to the Sault St. Marie and the south shore of
Lake Superior, and landed at the Bay Chegoimegon, a village of
the Chippewas. He established a permanent mission, and made
an alliance with the Pottawatomies, Sacs, Foxes and Illinois against
the Iroquois.
I666.-Allouez crossed to the north shore of Lake Superior, at its




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western extremity, where he met the Soux, who first described a
great river flowing to the south, called by them "Missippi."
I668.-Claude Dablon and Jaques Marquette established a permanent
mission at Sault St. Marie, and during the succeeding five years
Allouez, Dablon and Marquette explored the south shore of Lake
Superior and west of Lake Michigan, founded the missions at
Michilmackinac and Green Bay, (the "Baie-des-Puens" of the
French.) Dollier and Galina erect a cross at the foot of Belle Isle,
engraving thereon the French coat of arms. They left Pierre Roy
and Francois Pelletre.
I67I.-Nicholas Perrot held a council of the Indian tribes at Sault St.
Marie, when the whole northwest was taken under the protection
of France.
I673.-Marquette and M. Joliet, under authority of France, passed
through the lakes to Michilmackinac (derived from the Indian word
Mich-i-mack-i-nac, meaning great turtle, or in the Chippewa,
Mich-ine-mank-i-nonk, signifying the place of giant fairies), from
thence up Green Bay and the Fox river, over the portage of the
Wisconsin (Ouisconsin), down the Mississippi to the river A-kamocas (corrupted to Arkansas), and then returned to Green Bay,
via the river Illinois and the present Chicago. Their discoveries
were the most important of the age.
I679.-La-Sall, who made the notable settlement of Detroit. Detroit
river first navigated by a vessel of European construction, "The
Griffin," built at Black Rock, Niagara river, and launched August
7th. She was of brig build, sixty tons measurement. La-Sall,
the commander, was accompanied by Boronidet, Tonti, Autray,
Meterie, Jean Michael, surgeon, and Father Hennepin. They were
met at the foot of Belle Isle by Roy and Pelletier.
i687.-Tonti was at Detroit.
I69I.-Father Basle, a noted French missionary, visited this territory
this year. He found priests of his own order at Mackinac, Arbre
Voche, Green Bay, St. Joseph (Mich.), and also among the Indians
in Illinois, near the Mississippi. This divine was murdered at the
foot of the cross at the missions in Boston by the British troops,
August 20th, 1724.
1701.-Detroit founded by Cadillac, July 24. Foundation of St. Ann's
church laid the 26th. He was accompanied by Alphonsi Tonti,
captain; Dugue and Charcondal, his lieutenants; Jacob Marsac,
Francois and Jean Fafurd, interpreters, Father De Halle, fifty
soldiers and the same number of artisans. Henry Bellisle was the
physician. First St. Ann's church built. Detroit was ceded to the
Canada Company.




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I704.-Mana Thersu, the daughter of Cadillac, was formally baptized
by Father Constant De Halle. This was the first time the ceremony was ever performed at Detroit. Bertrand Arnault was her
god-father, and Genevieve LaJendre god-mother. Robert Naverre
was the civil officer. Indians set fire to the town, which was partially destroyed, including the houses of Cadillac and Tonti.
I706.-First St. Ann's church burned.
171o.-Cadillac left for Mt. Deseret, Maine.
I7I2.-The Fox or Pottawatomies attempted to destroy the post again,
and laid seige to it for nineteen days, when they were driven off
and almost annihilated. Tonti commanded the post.
I7I3.-De La Forit succeeded Cadillac, he being appointed Governor
of Louisiana. (In I7I7 Cadillac returned to France, was made
Governor of Castle Sarassin, and died October i6th, 1730, and
was buried in the church vaults.)
17I5.-Dr. Jean Chapoton, ranking as major, succeeded Dr. Bellisle.
(He was an ancestor of Dr. Chapoton of the present day.) The
following, whose descendants are worthy and well known citizens,
were prominent at this time, viz.: The Godfreys, Campaus,
Chenes, Cicottes, Le Fertes, Lafontains, Riopelles, Dubois,
Morans, Dequindres and Thebaults.
I72I.-Charlevoix visited Detroit June 6th, and found a fort, commanded by Tonti.
I722.-Second St. Ann's church erected.
I728.-Louis the Fourteenth, King of France, granted leases of farms
in and near Detroit.
I749.-Emigrants were sent to Detroit at the expense of the French
government, and furnished with subsistence and farming utensils.
About 50 families.
I755.-Second St. Ann's church destroyed by fire. The third rebuilt
same year.
I759.-Quebec surrendered by the French to the English.
I760.-Montreal and the whole of Canada ceded to the English, and
on the 29th of November they occupied the fort at Detroit under
Major Robert Rogers. The French troops were sent to Philadelphia, and from thence to France, the civilians taking the of oath
allegiance to the English king. Major Campbell succeeded Major
Rogers in December of this year, which closes the first period.
NOTE I703 to I763.-The following is a list of priests at Detroit, beginning with I703 to 1763: Rev. Constantine De La Halle, who
was subsequently butchered by the Indians, and whose remains




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were first deposited in the vaults of St. Ann's church, and subsequently transferred to the new St. Ann's church; Rev. De La
Marche, I706; Rev. Cherubin Denieau, 1707 to I714; Rev. Hiacynthie Pelifresne, I7I5 to I718; Rev. Calvarin, V. G., Missions
of the Tamarnas; Jean Mercier, of the Foreign Mission of Paris;
Rev. D. Thaunier, Rev. Pantoin Delius, Rev. P. Bonaventure, who
removed the body of Father De La Halle to the new St. Ann's
church; Rev. P. Daniel, Rev. De La Richardie, who resided for
a time at the island of Bois Blanc, and the Rev. Simple Bouquet.
FR. 7AQUES, OR JOSEPH, MARQUETTE AND
FR. LOUIS JOLIET.
These two priests were born in France, and were sent out to
assist in establishing their order in the Mississippi valley, the information obtained by Allouez in regard to that river and its tributaries having attracted attention to that region as presenting a grand opening for
founding an auxiliary to their branch of the church at Rome. Soon
after their arrival at Quebec, I673, they proceeded upon their.remarkable and romantic voyage by way of the Ottawa river, crossing to
Michilmackinac through the straits and the head of Lake Michigan
to Green Bay, which they reached in September. The discoveries
made by Marquette and Joliet were among the most important of that
age and increased, which eventually culminated in the still more
remarkable of La Salle and Hennepin. They died soon after their
return from this voyage of exploration, leaving the northwest territory
greatly indebted to them for their discoveries, which led to the speedy
developments of its valuable resources.
Marquette, Lake Superior, takes its name from the former, and
Joliet, Indiana, from the latter.
SAMUEL CHAMPLAIN.
Samuel Champlain was born in the seaport of St. Malo, France, in
1582. History states that his parents were people of quality, and educated him for the priesthood, but before reaching his majority he
decided not to take orders, and while his religious zeal was not diminished, he felt that his duty to both his church and its cause would be
best subserved by extending its influence over new territory, for at that
period the continent of America had been discovered. Jacques Cartier,
M. Chauvin, De Chuste and De Mast had already established settlements in the new country. He therefore entered the navy and soon
became recognized as an expert navigator, and in I607 was commissioned by the King of France to fit out an expedition and found a col



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ony, and establish his authority over the territory discovered by Cartier and his contemporaries. He sailed from Harfluer, France, April
I3th, I608, and arrived at Tadoussac, at the mouth of the St. Lawrence
river, on the 3d of June, and leaving an officer named Pontgrave with
a small force to traffic with the Indians, sailed up the river to the promontory covered with a fine grove of trees and a luxuriant growth of
vines, called by the natives Quibo (or Quebec), and the 3d of July,
i608, founded Quebec. This was the third permanent settlement
established in the Atlantic region of North America, the others being
St. Augustine, Florida, in I565, and Jamestown in i6o8. In the spring
of I609 he discovered and explored the long, narrow lake bearing his
name (Lake Champlain). He thoroughly explored it, the St. Lawrence
and the Ottawa rivers, selected the site and founded the City of Montreal in I6II and I6I3. He made repeated voyages to France, and in
1615 brought with him four fathers of the Recollet order, who came
to locate and labor among the Indians. These were the first priests to
settle in Canada. In I616 Champlain returned to France, and in 1620
made another visit to Canada, where he labored to promote the growth
of settlements and the establishment of missions among the Indian
tribes, until the surrender of Quebec to the English under Sir David
Kirkt, a French refugee, whom Charles I. sent out in I629. Champlain
was sent first to England, and being exchanged, returned to France.
The English held possession until peace was declared, when it was
restored to France in 1632, when Champlain was sent out again as
governor. He died in I635, after spending 30 years in the active connection with the French possessions in North America.
Champlain was somewhat of a religious enthusiast, and esteemed
the salvation of an Indian soul of more value than the conquest of an
empire. He recognized an Indian convert as a citizen of France, and
the Franciscans were chosen to conduct his missions, but the more
active order of the Jesuits subsequently took possession, and soon
became dominant. Among the most prominent of the latter order was
Jean D. Bredaeuf and the brothers Daniel and Gabriel Lallemand, who
established missions at St. Joseph, St. Louis and St. Ignace in I634-40,
and were subsequently, in 1648, captured and cruelly massacred by the
Iroquois Indians.
FR. CLAUDE ALL OUEZ.
Father Claude Allouez was born in France, and educated in the
Jesuit schools of that country. He came to Quebec some years after
the death of Champlain, and was sent out among the Indians of the
Lake Superior region in the interest of the government as well as of
the order. Taking a canoe on the Ottawa, he reached Lake Huron, followed its shore to and up St. Mary's river, reached the Sault, remained




16 -there a short time, then taking the south coast of Lake Superior, visited the Indian villages of the Chippewas, among whom he established
a mission in August, 1665. This was the first permanent mission on
this lake. He also formed an alliance between the Chippewas, Pottawatomies, Sacs, Foxes and Illinois against the Iroquois tribes. In 1673,
in company with Joseph Marquette, Fr. Dablon he explored the region
south of Lake Superior and west of Lake Michigan, founding the
missions of Michilmackinac and Green Bay.
He is said to have possessed great executive ability and a high
order of intellectual capacity, and endowed with all the qualities of a
ruler and dictator, either in matters of church or state, by both of
which he was invested with such great powers as excited the fear and
jealousy of the representatives of the other orders of the church. He
first discovered the existence of copper in the Lake Superior region, of
which he made large collections of samples, which he sent to Montreal.
He died about I683.
FR. FRANCOIS DOLLIER.
Francois Dollier de Casson was a native of France and after completing his education entered the army, when a mere boy, and served as a
cavalry officer, winning much distinction. Becoming tired of the soldier's
life, he laid aside his sword and taking up the crosier, determined to carry
it to the inhabitants of the Western continent. Abbe Brebant de Galinee,
a great student versed in a knowledge of surveying and of the geography of the world, came with Dollier to Quebec in i668, and there
learning that many of the Indian tribes of the northwest had never been
visited by the priests, these two associated with the determination to
carry to these people the knowledge of the true God.
On the 6th of July, I669, they left Montreal in company with La
Salle andJoliet, going as far as an Indian village on Lake Ontario, where
they separated, La Salle going on to Niagara, Joliet to Lake Superior
and Dollier and Galinee with seven men proceeded to Long Point, on
Lake Erie, where they wintered.
In the early spring of I670, leaving their winter quarters, they proceeded up Lake Erie, to the mouth of Detroit river, and landed on the
present site of Detroit opposite Belle Isle.  Here they remained for
some time laboring among the Indians and planted a cross at the foot
of the island upon which they affixed the coat of arms of France with
the following inscription:
"In the year of grace I670, Clement IX being seated in the chair
of St. Peter, Louis XIV reigning in France, Monsieur de Courcelles
being Governor of New France and Monsieur Talon being the intendant of the King, two missionaries of the Seminary of Montreal, accom



panied by seven Frenchmen, arrived at this place and are the first of all
the European people who wintered on the land bordering on Lake Erie,
which they took possession of in the name of their King as a country
unoccupied, and have affixed the arms of France at the foot of this
cross.              [Signed]           FRANCOIS DOLLIER,
Priest of the Diocese of Nantes, France.
DE GALINEE,
Deacon of the Diocese of Rennes, Brittany.
From this point these two explorers journeyed over Lake St.
Clair, up the river of thatname and along the west shore of Lake
Huron to the Straits, and from thence returned to Montreal by way
of Sault Ste. Marie, Georgian Bay and the Ottawa river.
ROBERT DE LA SALLE.
In I670there were some who believed that a passage to China
might be found through the American continent to China and the east.
Among those whose thoughts and dreams were occupied in its discovery
was Robert Chevalier de la Salle, who was a native of Rouen, France,
and was educated in a seminary of the Jesuits, being designed for the
church his father left him no property.  The church, however, not
being to his taste, with the consent of his superior he left the Seminary
in 1667, came to Quebec and at first engaged in the fur trade.  The
details of this business not suiting his active mind and ambitious spirit,
after the report of Marquette and Joliet he conceived a plan for the
discovery of that route to the east which had not only engrossed his
thoughts but those of Marquette, Talon, Allouez and other explorers.
He at once laid his views and plans before Frontenac, then GovernorGeneral of New France.  His idea was to explore the country lying
between Canada and the Gulf of Mexico, by way of the Mississippi, and
as he progressed to erect block houses at different points and thus
establish a chain of communication as well as possession.  Frontenac
enthusiastically indorsed his plans, and upon his advice La Salle proceeded to France and submitted them to Colbert, then Minister of
Finance of France, and so favorably was he impressed with La Salle
and his representations that La Salle was made a chevalier and invested with the Seigniory of Fort Frontenac or Cataroceny, on condition that he would rebuild it, and received from the princes of the kingdom assurances of aid and good will. On his return to Quebec he immediately accomplished the reconstruction of Fort Frontenac, and the
second time returned with a report of the progress made, and was
again received with favor and granted new letters patent with additional privileges, and on the I4th day of July, 1678, in company with
Henri de Tonti, sailed from Rochelle and reached Quebec on the I5th
2




-18 -

of September. His first steps were to send forward agents to trade
with the Indians and to prepare the way for his coming; and November
i8th, 1678, he went up the St. Lawrence river and crossed Lake
Ontario to the mouth of the Niagara river, in a small brigantine of ten
tons burthen, which is said to have been the first "ship" that ever
sailed upon that lake. Near the Iroquois village of Niagara, La Salle
began to erect a block house and magazines for supplies, but the jealousy of the Iroquois being aroused, he for a time was compelled to suspend, and it was not until January, I679, that he was able to complete
his arrangements for laying at the mouth of Cayuga creek the keel of
the first vessel built by Europeans on the Western waters.  Leaving
men to continue the work he returned to Frontenac to collect and forward the necessary supplies, stores, cables, chains, sails, anchors, for
the new vessel.  On the 20th of January he started with his supplies
from Frontenac, but in crossing Lake Ontario his little brigantine was
wrecked and most of his supplies lost. Early in the spring he made a
trip to Frontenac and from the proceeds of a quantity of furs was able
to purchase a new outfit, while Tonti went forward to explore the
coast and make ready for the voyage into the upper waters of the lake
region. August 7th, I679, the vessel, which he had christened the "Griffin," was ready to sail. Crossing Lake Erie he entered the Detroit river.
Stopping at Detroit he was met by two Frenchmen who had been left
by Dollier and Galinee ten years previously. Against the advice of
Hennepin (who urged him to establish a post here), he proceeded on
his voyage across Lake St. Clair, up the river of that name and across
Lake Huron, and reached Michilmackinac at the end of 20 days,
August 27, I679. He remained here until the middle of September,
during which time he constructed a fort. From thence he proceeded
to Green Bay, at this place finding a large quantity of furs. He loaded
them on board the Griffin, and starting her on the I8th of September
for Niagara under the command of a skillful pilot, he with fourteen
men skirted the shore of Lake Michigan by way of the present site of
Chicago and Michigan City and arrived, November ist, 1679, at the
mouth of what is now called the St. Joseph river (then known as
the Miamie), where he built a fort. At the end of a month (December
2d), leaving a garrison of ten men, he started again on his explorations,
following the course of the St. Joseph river to the present site of the city
of South Bend, Ind. He there struck across to the portage of the Thea-Ki-Ki, since known as the Kan-Ka-Kee, making his way through its
marshy waters to the Illinois river, where he arrived January 4th, I680, at
a point since known as Peoria Lake, and at which he erected a fort which
he named Crevecceur (Broken Heart), for at this place he first heard
of the loss of the Griffin, which occurred upon Lake Huron. Remaining here until the last of February, he started on his return to Canada
for more men and supplies, traversing twelve hundred miles through




- 19


the wilderness, from Illinois to Frontenac, on the borders of Lakes
Michigan, Erie and Ontario. He arrived at his destination to have the
loss of the Griffin confirmed, that his agents had proven false and that
his creditors had seized upon all his remaining property.  Most men
would have been disheartened.  Not so La Salle.  He proceeded
to gather supplies and enlist men, and before July was on his way to
rejoin those he had left in Illinois; but on his arrival in December, I68o,
he found the fort at Peoria deserted and no tidings of the men he had
left behind. It subsequently appeared that soon after his departure a
war party of the Iroquois Indians had made their way from New York,
to make war upon the Indians of the prairies. This caused Tonti, who
had been left in command by La Salle, to fear being surrounded and
massacred; and becoming disheartened, in September, I680, he made
his way to Michilmackinac, where he was found by La Salle in June,
I68I, on his return from the deserted fort in Illinois, on his way to
Canada. After La Salle met Tonti at Michilmackinac they returned
to Frontenac together, where they fitted out another expedition, and by
the ISt of August, I68I, were once more on their way to the Mississippi. On the 3d of November they reached St. Joseph, from whence,
with twenty-three Frenchmen, eighteen Indians, ten squaws and three
children, they skirted the southerly shore of Lake Michigan to the present site of Chicago, made the portage, thence to the head waters of the
Illinois river. Passing down it, they reached Fort Crevecceur, which
they found in good condition, and proceeding onward along the Illinois
river struck the Mississippi February 6th, 1682, about where the city
of Caro, Illinois, is situated and at a point on the Chickasaw Bluff.
They erected a fort and named it Proudhomme, after one of their
number who was supposed to have been lost there. Passing down the
river on the 6th of April, 1682, they discovered the three openings by
which this great stream discharges its waters into the sea. On the 7th
they examined the coast and on the 9th erected a cross, to which was
affixed the arms of France, with the inscription, "Louis Le Grand, Roi
de France et de Navame Regne, Nieuvieme Avril, 1682," and took
possession of all the lands watered by the great river in the name of
the king of France. The ceremony ended by a salute of fire arms and
cries of "Vive le Roi."
Thus did this intrepid explorer lay the foundation for France to
claim a vast and fertile region, embracing the largest and most valuable
area of land upon the face of the globe drained by a single river.
The expedition did not remain long in the lower Mississippi, but
returned up the river to Fort Proudhomme, where La Salle was taken
violently ill and compelled to stop. He sent forward Tonti with dispatches to Count Frontenac, while he himself followed as soon as convalescent, and arrived at St. Joseph on the Ioth of September, from




-20


which point he sent Father Zenobe to represent him in France, while
he engaged in the fur trade in the northwest.
La Salle returned to France in the autumn of 1683, when he was
received and entertained with great honor by the king and his courts.
In July, 1684, twenty-four vessels left the harbor of Rochelle for New
France, four of which were placed under the control of La Salle, and
destined for Louisiana. Through erroneous calculations of his navigator, they missed the mouth of the Mississippi, and finally landed at
Matagora Bay, Texas, where he built a fort out of the wrecks of his
vessels, which he named "St. Louis." Here he remained until the
spring of 1687, exploring the country and fighting the Indians, and on
the 20th of March, 1687, while on one of his exploring expeditions, was
waylaid by one of his men and brutally shot.
Thus ended the life of the boldest, most persevering and sagacious
man of that or any other age. He was the first to build and explore
the waters surrounding Michigan in a sail vessel, and to construct two
prominent fortifications within its territory, Michilmackinac and Miamie
(or St. Joseph), and in his journey from Fort Crevecceur to Fort Frontenac, during the winter of I680-8I, made on foot through the wilderness, he passed via the territory along the St. Joseph river to the head
waters of Lake Erie through Michigan. For these and other reasons
he is entitled to, and should receive, a prominent place in its history.
FR. LOUIS HENNIEPIN.
In the year I678 there was a Franciscan priest or friar of the order
of Recollets, who, born and educated in France, imbued with a desire
to extend the power and influence of his order, had emigrated to
Quebec, and was quietly at work acquiring information of the country
and its native inhabitants, with the view of establishing missionary
stations among them. At the time La Salle returned from his second
visit to France, Hennepin (the name of this priest) had also just
returned from a visit among the Iroquois Indians, and had made himself familiar with their habits, customs and dialect. He had at the
same time sought, and in a degree had succeeded, in weakening their
confidence in the English, so much so that some of the tribes had abandoned the confederation and allied themselves with those tribes friendly
to the French. These results made him prominent, and induced his
selection to accompany La Salle on his exploring expedition to the
unknown west.
Father Louis Hennepin is said to have been a man of cool, equitable temperament, thoroughly devoted to his church and order, and in
all his plans his sole object was to promote their interests.
He was the companion of La Salle from Frontenac to Niagara,




-21


sailed with him across Lake Erie, and on reaching Detroit, vainly
urged him to establish a settlement and the erection of a fort at this
point; but La Salle, in his anxiety to reach the Mississippi, would not
consent to the delay.
Hennepin continued with La Salle in all his journeys to Michilmackinac, St. Joseph, Green Bay, to Fort Crevecoeur, on the Illinois
river. He remained with him there until February, I680, when he
proceeded down that river and the Mississippi, and arrived at the
mouth of the Wisconsin river on the IIth of April following. At this
point Hennepin was taken prisoner by a band of northern Indians,
who treated him and his companions kindly, and took them up the river
to St. Anthony's Falls. They were so named by Hennepin in honor
of his patron saint. This was on the first of May. From this point
they traveled by land to a village of the Soux two hundred miles northwest of the falls. Here they remained until rescued by a band of
French explorers under the command of Siur de Luth, after whom, it
is said, Duluth was named, he having passed that point before in reaching Hennepin. With this officer, Hennepin and his fellow captives
returned to Canada in November, I680, soon after La Salle, for the
second time, had returned to the wilderness; so that they never met
after their parting at Fort Crevecoeur, as Hennepin proceeded at once
to France, where, in 1684, he published a history of explorations and
adventures.
ANTOINE DE LA MOTTE CADILLAC.
Antoine de la Motte Cadillac was born at Toulouse in I66I, and
was the son of Jean and Jeanne Mal-enfant. He entered the army at
the age of i6, was made a lieutenant at the age of 21, and came with
his regiment in 1683 to Quebec, where the following year he married
Maria Therese Guyon. Shortly after this he was sent to Acadia,
where he distinguished himself so greatly that he was commissioned
by the government to report the condition of the English colonies,
and displayed so much knowledge and ability that he was made the
commandent of Fort Buade, at Michilmackinac, in I694, the most
important point in the northwest.
In I699 he visited France, and having himself previously passed
the Straits of Detroit, strongly urged the establishment of a settlement
at Detroit, and being supported by Hennepin's history of 1684, as well
as by his own observation as to its importance, Count Ponchartrain,
prime minister of Louis XIV, approved his plans, and, armed with the
necessary authority, he returned to Quebec. Preliminary to carrying
out his plans, a grand council of the Indian tribes from the St. Lawrence to the Mississippi rivers, including the Iroquois, was held at
Montreal in the spring of 170I, at which the matter was fully pre



- 22 -

sented and discussed. It was strongly opposed by the Iroquois, who
stated they had refused aquiescence to similar propositions from the
English; but the governor-general declared that the land belonged
neither to the Indians or to the English, but to the King of France, and
would at once be occupied and in force. Immediately after the council,
Cadillac, who had been granted a tract of land on the site of the proposed post by the king, started from Montreal with one hundred men
and a Jesuit priest, and arrived at the straits July 24, I70o, where he
immediately began building fortifications, and to provide for a permanent settlement. He named the fortification Ponchartrain, in honor of
the prime minister of France, the name of Detroit being from the
French word d'etroit, signifying the straits. The results achieved by
Cadillac at Detroit continued him in favor with the government at
home, which subsequently conceded to him the island of Mount Deseret
(which has since become a great watering place), also a grant on the
mainland near and along the river Plantagoet, called Douaguet, from
whence he took his title. From thence he removed to Louisiana as
governor, and a few years after to Castle Sarasin, France, where he died.
Through the intrigues of enemies, he was once arrested at Montreal
on the charge of treasonable designs, and although honorably acquitted,
was compelled to sell his Seigniory in Detroit to pay the expense of his
trial. His children never inherited an acre of his lands.
FRENCH COMMANDERS.
The French commanders of Fort Pontchartrain were as follows:
Cadillac, I70I to I7I4; temporary, D. Bourgmont, I706; De la
Ferte, 1711; De Buisson, I712; Tonti, 1717-1724; Boisbert, 1725 to
I730; Pean, I734; Courtmanche and Fleurimont, I739; St. Ours,
Douville de Noyan, Saberois, Celeron and Longwell to I743; de May
and Bellestre to I760. Surgeons-Ist, Antoine Forestier, Jean Bapti
Chapeton, I718 to I755; Gabriel Christopho Le Grand, I755 to I760.
YEEAN BAP TI MAR TIN.
Jean Bapti Martin was born at Montreal in 1689.  He came to
Detroit in I709. He married Marie Louise Dogon and had five
children. Jacques St. Martin married, in I760, Mariann Navarre. He
was very familiar with the Indian dialect and employed as interpeter by
Major Campbell, and accompanied him to Pontiac camp. The English suffered very much through the treachery of some of the interpreters employed, but they had great confidence in St. Martin. Bradstreet
and Sir Wm. Johnson always made an honorable exception in favor of
St. Martin, Whitmore Knaggs and Henry Conner in their strictures




-23 -

upon the Indian interpreters. St. Martin died in I768 leaving a widow,
one son, St. Martin St. Martin, who died in early manhood, and two
daughters, Finon, who married Phillip Fry, and Archange, who married Angus McIntosh, who inherited the estates without the title of the
earldom of May. The two sons of Angus and Archange (St. Martin)
McIntosh returned to Scotland, while the two daughters, Mrs. Henry
Hunt and Miss Kittie, died in Detroit. The widow of St. Martin
(Marianne Navarre) married the second time, Doctor George Christian
Anthon. She died in October, I776, aged 39 years. She was the daughter of Robert Navene, sub-intendent, who accompanied Cadillac to
Detroit in I70I. She had no children by Dr. Anthon.
The old Cass House, which until recently stood on Lamed street,
near Second, was the house of Jean Bapti Martin, the site having been
deeded him in I750.  Having no male heir the name, "St. Martin,"
figures only in the female branch of the family. The Anthon branch,
which in the female line is still represented in Detroit and in the city of
New York, demands a sketch of Doctor George Christian Anthon.
He was born at Salzugen in I734, studied medicine in his native town
and at Gerstugen and passed his examination at Eisenbach, Germany.
He then went to Amsterdam, passed two examinations before the college of surgeons and was appointed surgeon in the Dutch West India
trade, during which period, while on a voyage to the West Indies, he
was captured by a British privateer and carried to New York. At the
age of 23 he found himself in a new country and under new influences,
and confident in his ability, he applied and received a position in the military hospital at Albany.  Soon after he was appointed first assistant
surgeon in the First Batallion, Sixteenth Regiment Royal Americans.
In 1760 he was attached to the detachment under Major Rogers, who
took possession of Detroit, and thus became acquainted with the widow
of Jean St. Martin, Marianne Navarre, whom he married in I768. She
was the guardian of Genevieve, the daughter of her sister, Marguerite,
who in I758 married Colonel Louis Jadot, an officer in de May's regiment, who was killed in I765 by the Indians; and after the death of Mrs.
Anthon (Marianne Navarre Manders) he married Genevieve, she being
15 years and he 45. In I786 Dr. Anthon removed to New York.
Three of Dr. Anthon's children were born in Detroit.  George, born
in I78I, died in New York in 1865; John, who became an eminent
lawyer and author, born in 1784, died in New York in 1863; Rev.
Henry Anthon, of St. Mark's Church in the Bowery, was born in New
York in I795. Charles Anthon, another son, was said to be the most
accomplished Greek and Latin scholar in America. Dr. Anthon died
in I815.




-24


BABY.
Jacques Baby, the founder of the family of that name in Detroit,
was born in I673. He married Madeline Veron de Grandmisnil in
I709. He came to America with the Carignan regiment.
Jacques Duperon Baby, the son of Jacques Baby, who settled in
Detroit, will be remembered as prominently associated in the siege of
Detroit, in 1760, and enjoyed the respect and confidence of the French,
English and Indians. He married Susanna Reaume. He died in I796,
leaving eleven children. One of his daughters married the Hon. Chas.
Casgrain, grandfather of the present city attorney, Charles W. Casgrain.
BAR THE.
Charles Barthe was the son of Theophile Barthe, armorer of the
French king at Montreal, and Charlotte Alavoine, whom he married in
1718. Charles, the subject of this sketch, was born at Montreal in
I720. After receiving a commercial education, he left Montreal, and
for a time engaged in trade. In I747 he came to Detroit, and married
Therese Campau, daughter of Louis Campau and Marie Louise
Roberts. Father Bonaventure officiated, and among those present at
their marriage were, the commandent of the fort, Joseph Lemoyne de
Longueil, Jos. Douain de Bondy, Chas. Chesne, Du Messaux, Dr. Chapoton and Pierre Chesne. They had a number of children, whose
descendants became prominent, both in the United States and Canada.
Their first daughter, Marie Archange, born in I749, married John
Askin, at one time governor of Michilmackinac. Adelaide, the second
daughter of John Askin and Marie Archange, born May 3oth, 1783,
married Col. Elijah Brush in I802. He was attorney general of the
northwest territory, and commanded the legionary corps in 1812. He
was the father of the late Edmund Brush. Adelaide Street in Detroit
takes its name from her.
Pierre, the younger brother of Charles Barthe, followed him to
Detroit, and in I760 married Charlotte Chapoton, daughter of Dr. Jean
Chapoton. Their only surviving child, Charlotte, married Louis
Reaume, a lieutenant in the British army, in I780, who, at the end of a
year, died, leaving her a widow with no children. In 1784 she became
the second wife of Antoine Louis Descomptes Labadie, and her
descendants are Mrs. Giesse, Mrs. Alexander Chapoton, Sr., who, as
well as their children, are well known in the Detroit of to-day.
Therese, daughter of Charles Barthe and Marie Therese Campau,
married Commodore Alexander Grant in I774. He built a home at
Grosse Pointe, which was known as the Castle, the site of which is
now occupied by T. P. Hall's summer residence, which he names
Townacour.




-25 -

BEA UFAIT.
Louis Beaufait was born in France and came to Detroit in I760.
In 1766 he married Therese de Mirsac, daughter of Francois and
Therese Campau. Their son Louis 2d, born in I773, afterwards Col.
Beaufait, lived and owned the farm since known as the Bagg farm.
Louis Beaufait was one of the judges of the Court of Common Pleas
for Wayne county, as organized in I796 by the acting governor of the
northwest territory, Sergeant Winthrop. Louis 2d married Louise
Saussier in I804.  His son, Louis, married in 1835 Catherine Peltier,
who was the daughter of Charles and Martha Cecile Chapoton.
CAMPA U.
The ancestors of this family in Detroit and the northwest were
Michael and Jacques, who settled in Detroit in I7I0.  The sketch of
Joseph, which is that of the Detroit branch, given elsewhere, obviates
going into their geneology in detail.
JONCAIN.
Daniel Joncain, born in I7I4, was the son of Thomas Joncain who
was proficient in five Indian dialects and was royal interpreter for the
five nations for a number of years.  Daniel was a lieutenant in the
French army and later succeeded his father as intepreter. In I75I he
married Ursule Marguerite Elizabeth Morandier, a descendant of the
Roibert family of Canada.  He died at Detroit in I770.  Phillip
Joncain, who was a son of Daniel, married Judith Gouin in I783. He
was a brother of the Chevalier Joncain, who was active in promoting
the growth of Detroit and was a colleague of Solomon Sibley and
James Visgar in the legislative assembly of the northwest territory at
Cincinnati in I799, as representative of Wayne county, at which
General William Henry Harrison was chosen delegate to congress.
The chevalier married Josette Chesne in I780.  His descendants are
well represented in Monroe and Detroit by the Loranger family.
CHAPO TON.
Those bearing this name, so familiar to the citizens of Detroit and
throughout Michigan, are the descendants of Jean Chapoton, a distinguished surgeon in the French army, and succeeded Antoine
Forrestier, the first physician and surgeon under Cadillac in I70I. He
came to Detroit in I7I9.  In I72I he married Marguerite Estene or
Stebre, by whom he had twenty children, only seven of whom arrived
at maturity. Jean Baptiste, born in 1721, a son, was the one who held




-26 -

a parley with Pontiac in 1763. He married, in I755, Felice Cecyro,
by whom he had a large family. His third son, Louis Alexis, born
in 1764, married Catherine Meloche in 1783. Their daughter, Catherine, married Major Dequindre in I809. Jean Baptiste, Jr., born in
I758, married, in I780, Therese Pelletier-Eustache. One of his sons is
remembered as a man of energy and industry, through the exercise of
which he acquired a large property. He was born in I792. In I8I9
he married Adelaide, daughter of Alexis and Cecile Tremblay. He
died in 1872. Alexander Chapoton, the well known contractor and
builder, another son of Jean Baptiste, Jr., married Felice, daughter of
Antoine Louis Descomptes Labadie. They have several children, viz.:
Alexander, Jr., who married Marianne Pelletier, daughter of Charles
and Eliza Cicotte; Elizabeth, who married Alex. Visgar; Emily married
Edward Bush, Josephine married Raymond Baby; Edmund, a well
known physician, married Miss Martha Sherland, of South Bend,
Indiana. Detroit is indebted to this family for many of its substantial
and beautiful structures, of which they were the builders.
CHESNVE.
Charles and Pierre, who were the first of the name in Michigan,
came to Detroit in I7I7. Charles married, in 1722, Catherine Sauvage.
They had ten children. Pierre, born in 1724, the second son, married
Clemence Chapoton, daughter of Jean Chapoton, the second surgeon
who settled in Detroit.  Charles, the fifth child, born in 1732, was an
able interpreter. He married Josette Descomptes Labadie, daughter
of Pierre and Angelique Lacelle Labadie.  Isidore, another son, was
eminent in military annals. To him was deeded a tract of land by the
Pottawatomies at the same time as the one to Robishe Navarre, which
grant was confirmed by Governor Hamilton in I777. Pierre, Sr., died
in 1774. He married Madeline Roy in 1728. In 1736 he married
Louise Lotham Barras, who was a sister of Maria Lothman, wife of
Robert Navarre, the sub-intendent. The Chene farm, known as such,
takes its name from, and belonged to, the two branches of the family.
CICO TTE.
Chiquot, Cicot, and latterly Cicotte, as a family, was founded in
Detroit in I730 by Zacharie, the son of Jean Cicot and Catherine
Lamourieux. He was born in I708, and after completing his education came to Detroit, as stated, in I730. At the end of six years he
married (1736) Angelique Godfrey de Marboeuf. They had three
daughters and two sons, and at one time possessed a large fortune, a
small portion of which only passed to their children.
Jean Baptiste, born in I749, married Angelique Poupart Lavoise




in I770. They had fifteen children, thirteen of whom reached maturity. They occupied the Cicotte farm, since known as the Peter
Godfrey farm. Agathe, a daughter, married James Visgar, who was
the associate of Solomon Sibley in the Cincinnati convention of I799,
which nominated General Harrison to congress. Catherine, a daughter of James Visgar and Agathe Cicotte, in I819, married Whittimore
Knaggs, Jr., a son of Captain Whittimore Knaggs and Josette
Descomptes Labadie. He was also a brother of Col. James Knaggs,
still living in Detroit.
Francoix X., born in I787; married Felice Pelletier, the widow of
Captain P. Tallman of the U. S. Artillery, who served during the war
of I812. They were the parents of Edward Cicotte, a well known
and respected citizen, still living, and one who has occupied numerous
responsible public positions, the duties of which he has discharged to
the satisfaction of the community and with honor to himself. He
married, first, a Miss Bell, who died leaving one son, George. He
married for his second wife Lucretia Abbott, daughter of Robert and
Elizabeth Audrain. She is still living, but for many years has been an
invalid and a great sufferer.
BEA UBIEN.
The founder of the family of Beaubiens was Jean Beaubien, who
was born in I670, and who married Catherine Trotier in I696. From
them have descended the family of Beaubiens of Michigan. Jean died
in I708, leaving a widow and two sons, Jean Baptiste, born in I709 and
Antoine, born in I697. The former married in 1742, at Detroit, Marianne Lothman Barrois, by whom he had two children, Catherine born
I743, and Jean Muire born I745, who married Clara Guoin. His son
Antoine married Monique Descomptes Labadie, daughter of Pierre
and Therese Guillard. The present site of the Sacred Heart Convent
was their residence. Antoine had no children. He was the owner of
an estate known as the Antoine Beaubien farm.
MERSA C.
Jacob L. Ommespron Mersac was an officer in the French army
and accompanied Cadillac to Detroit in I70I. He married Therese
David. He died in I747, leaving the following children: Jacques,
born I704, died young; Jacques 2d, born I707, married and left
descendants who are scattered throughout the western states. By
marriage they became connected with the Campaus, Beaufaits, Navarres and Gouins. Mrs. Hamlin repeats the tradition that Jacob, the
founder of the family, after his retirement from the army, cultivated
the land granted him, and that it was his custom to always carry a
sword by his side when plowing.




28 -

DE Q UI1NDRE.
The history of this family is detailed elsewhere in this book, in
the sketch of Major Antoine DeQuindre, but it may be of interest
to know who are the present living representatives in Detroit. Mrs.
Edward Lansing, who died very recently, was the daughter of Louis
Dequindre, born in I790, and Marie Desnoyers; Louis being the son
of Antoine, who was the first European child born within the walls of
the Fort.
Mrs. Edward Lansing died February 20th, I890. Her surviving
children are Dr. Richard Lansing, Maria A. Lansing, Mrs. C. J.
Reilly, wife of Judge Reilly of the Wayne Circuit Court, and Phillip
D. Lansing, of Boston.
Timothy, the sixth child of Louis, the son of Antoine De Ponchartrain, married Jeannette Gode-Marantette, daughter of Dominique
Navarre.  Of his children, his daughter Emilie married Charles
Hayes, of Kalamazoo, and her daughter married James Scott, and
lives in Detroit. Julia, another daughter, born in I799, married Judge
Charles Moran, whose descendants are among the most respected
citizens of Detroit.
DESCOMPTES LABADIE.
Of the members of this family more immediately connected with
Wayne county as it is and New France as it was, were Pierre, the
paternal progenitor, who was born in 1742, and Therese Gaillard
Livernois, who was from one of the most distinguished families of
Quebec. Pierre was the third son of Pierre ist, born in Quebec in
I702, who came to Detroit in I747, and who, after the death of his
first wife, married Charlotte Barthe, the widow of Lieutenant Reaume
of the British army; so that Pierre 2d, and Therese Gaillard are
the ancestors of Josette, who married Captain Whittimore Knaggs
(whose son is still living) and of his granddaughter, Mrs. Joseph B.
Moore, of Detroit.
Marguerite, another daughter of Pierre Descomptes Labadie,
married Judge James May, one of the early justices of the territory of
Michigan. The children of this marriage were Mrs. Maria Moran, of
Grand Rapids, and Marguerite Anne, who married Col. Edward
Brooks, of the U. S. army. One of the daughters by the latter
marriage, Anna Brooks, married Chief Justice Chas. W. Whipple,
She died at the' age of thirty, leaving two daughters, one of whom.
Eunice, is the wife of Judge William Jennison, of Detroit. Rebecca,
another daughter of Col. Brooks and Marguerite Anne, married Dr.
J. B. Scoville. Octavia, the fourth daughter, married J. C. W. Sey



-29 -

mour, a former banker of Detroit. Nancy, the fourth daughter of
Judge May, married James Whipple, son of Major John Whipple and
Archange Peltier, in 1823. She married Francois Audrain. Caroline,
the fifth daughter of Judge May, married Alexander Frazier, the
nestor of the Detroit bar.
DIESNOrERS.
Pierre Jean Desnoyers was the founder of this family in Detroit,
was born in France, and came to Detroit in I796. In 1798 he married
Maria Louisa Gobiel. There were a number of children born to them,
who, as well as their children, have added much to the material growth
of Detroit, and lustre to the family name.
Pierre, the eldest son, married twice; first Caroline, daughter of
John and Marguerite O'Conner, of Philadelphia. Two children were
the issue of this marriage, Dr. Edward Desnoyers and Emilie, who
married the distinguished artist, St. Alvay. His second wife was Anne
Hunt Whipple, daughter of Captain John Whipple, father of Chief
Justice C. W. Whipple, the great grandfather of Judge Jennison's wife
Eunice. Two children survived this marriage-Kate, who married J.
Newton Powers, and Fanny W. B. Moran.
Marie Louise, the eldest daughter, married Louis Dequindre in
1817, who was the mother of Mrs. Edward Lansing, very recently
deceased. The wife of Judge Reilly is her daughter. Victoire married the Hon. Henry S. Cole, a distinguished lawyer of the Detroit
bar. One of his sons is still living in Detroit.
Marie Louise married E. N. Wilcox, a genial man and fine scholar,
well known in Detroit. Their son, J. V. D. Wilcox, is the present
prosecuting attorney of Wayne county.
Elizabeth, the favorite daughter of Pierre, married the Hon.
James A. Van Dyke, one of the most brilliant lawyers and orators of
the Detroit bar. Of their children, Geo. W., living, married Fanny
Perley, widow of Chas. Piquette. PhillipJames D., married twice, first,
Marion King, second, Sarah Buson, by whom he left a number of children. He died young, just when he had reached an eminent position.
Ernest D. is the respected pastor of St. Aloysius, on Washington
Avenue. Josephine Desnoyers Van Dyke married Major Brownson,
an eminent member of the Detroit bar, son of a celebrated writer, Dr.
Orestes Brownson. Eliza married W. B. Moran, 2d. She died in
I874, leaving two children.
Chas. Desnoyers married Elizabeth Knaggs, daughter of a brother
of Col. James W. Knaggs. The only representative living in Detroit
is Henry D. Desnoyers, who married Kittle, daughter of Judge Chas.
Moran and Justin McCormick.




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D UBOIS.
Etienne Dubois, after whom the "Dubois Farm " is named, came
to Detroit in I792. He married the daughter of Alexis Descomptes
Labadie Francois Robert. Their son James, in I829, married Sophie
Campau, daughter of Jacques and Josette Chesne. He died several
years since, and left a valuable real estate. His son Louis, still living,
married Julie St. Aubin. She was a daughter of Louis and Therese
Chapoton. Emilie married M. Girardine, and Elizabeth, Julian Williams.
GAMELIN.
Susanne Gamelin, born in I796, was the daughter of Antoine and
Catherine Gamelin-Laurent, who settled in Detroit, I767. She married
Audrain Abbott, son of Robert Abbott. She died a few years since, in
full possession of her mental powers. Her descendants still represent
her own and the peculiar characteristics of their ancestry.
MARANTA r (CORR UP TED MARANTE TTE.)
Jacques, Jr., and Francois, established themselves at Port Pontchartrain in I747. Jacques married Louise Adhemar St. Martin the
year of his arrival. They had five children. Charles Joseph, born in
1749, Marie Angelique, born in I750, married Francois Gouin; M.
Louise, born in I756; Genevieve, married Jean Baptiste Campau in
I767. Many of their descendants still live and are recognized as
among the enterprising citizens of Detroit.
GODEFROY (MODERN GODFREY.)
Jean Bapt. came to America in I635. His is said to be the earliest
marriage certificate in Canada. He married Marie Le Neuf Hensen
at Three Rivers, Canada, December I5th, 1636. The first of the name
to settle in Detroit was Pierre, who came in I7I5. He was a grandson
of Jean Bapt. and Marie Godefroy. Pierre engaged in the fur trade,
and died, leaving no children, his line becoming extinct.
Jacques Godfroy followed Pierre. In I716 Jacques married Marie
Chesne St. Ouge, a daughter being born I7I7 at Three Rivers. She
married Alex Trotier Ruissaux (now Rousseau), who was the first
trustee of St. Ann's church and the first militia captain. She died in
I777. Angelique, the second daughter of Jacques, born in I719, married Zacharie Cicotte January 8th, I736. Jacques 2d, the only son
of Jacques and Marie Godefroy, born in 1722, was young at the death of
his parents, and was brought up by Catherine Ruissaux, his elder sister.
He married Louise Clotilde Chapoton, daughter of Dr. Jean Chapoton,




-31 -

in 1758. He died in I795 and his wife in 1764. Their children were
Jacques Gabriel, born I758, married, first, Angelique Coutiere, by whom
he had five children; second, Therese Donaire Bondy-in I796. They
had several children; and, third, Monique Campau. He had no children
by her. He died in 1832.
Gabriel 2d, the eldest son, married Elizabeth, the eldest daughter
of Judge May, by Adele de St. Cosme. His descendants reside at
Grand Rapids.
Pierre, styled Le Prince, the immediate ancestor of the Detroit
Godefroys, was born in Detroit in I796.   He was of the well
known firm of P. & J. Godfrey. He married Marianne Naverre Marantette. Mrs. Hamlin says, she and her sister, Mrs. Dequindre (afterwards Mrs. W. B. Hunt), were considered the most beautiful women
in the territory. The children of Pierre Godfrey and Marianne Marantette were Jacques Wm., Elizabeth, who married John Watson;
Franklin Appolonise and Therese, who died young; Alexandrine Louise,
who married Theo. Parsons Hall, grandfather of T. P. Hall, of the
firm of Gillette & Hall. Nancy married Joseph Visgar, well known in
the early history of the territory, whose descendants have since been
classed as among the most worthy citizens of Detroit. Jacques B., the
youngest son, married Victoire, a daughter of Colonel Francois
Navarre, of Monroe. He died in 1847, leaving a large family. Jacques
Louis Columbus married Sarah Dequindre. Zoe married Benjamin
Abbott, son of Robert Abbott. Sophie married Major Whipple, son
of Major John Whipple. The first wife of Judge Christiancy belonged
to this family. She was the granddaughter of Jacques Gabriel Godfroy,
through Susanne, who married James McCloskey, whose daughter
Elizabeth married Judge Christiancy.
GO UIN.
Joseph Nicholas Gouin, born in 1746, was the direct ancestor of
those of the name residing in Detroit. In I771 he married Elizabeth
Rivard, whose son Charles, born in 1778, married Elizabeth Descomptes Labadie, daughter of Alexis and Francois Roberts. He was
chief surveyor under British rule.
Joseph Nicholas married the second time in 1790, Archange
Boyer. The only child by this marriage was Colette or Clotilde, who,
in I809, married Antoine Bernard, and after his death Dominique
Riopelle. In this way the landed interests of the Gouin and Riopelle
families were united.




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BARR OIS.
Francois, born I676, married at Detroit, I717, Mariana Sauvage
and established himself at Detroit. Their children were Marie, born
I7I9, who married Robert Navarre in I734, and from this line have
sprung all the Navarres who appear connected with the subsequent
history of the northwest.
MORAND.
Pierre, the founder of this family in America, was born at Batiscon in 1651. He married Madeline Grimard in 1676. Their descendants were, and are still noticed as among the literary, as well as the
large landed proprietors of both Canada and the United States. It
would seem that at one time Grimard was to be the dominant name by
which the family was to be designated, hence we find the name
Morand Grimard appears as the founder of the family in Detroit.
The only reason for this is the fact that the Grimards possessed large
monied interests, which enabled the Morands to relieve Pierre from the
embarassments occasioned by his realty obligations; for it is stated
that Pierre, prior to his marriage, had incurred large liabilities in New
France, and after the marriage was enabled, through the dower
received with his wife, to liquidate them.
Jean Bapt, his son, married Elizabeth Duboise at Quebec, and after
giving him a suitable education, was sent by his parents to Detroit about
1757. He was known as Charles Morand Grimard. There was, at
this time, another branch of the Morands at Detroit, represented by
another Charles Morand, who, in reality, was the founder of the
Detroit Morands. He married Catherine Belleperche who was nearly
allied to LaMotte Cadillac's wife, and were the direct ancestors of
Judge Charles Morand, who married Justine McCormick, of New
York, by whom were born James, who died unmarried, Wm. B., who
married Elise Van Dyke, the daughter of James J. Van Dyke, and
Francis, daughter of Pierre Desnoyers.
John Vallie, another son of Charles, married Emma, the daughter
of Emerson Etheridge, of Tennessee (who, by the way, was a personal friend of the comnpiler). Catherine, a daughter of the judge,
married Henry D. Barnard, an extremely learned and courteous gentleman. Alfred is a partner of Wm. B., and married Satilda Butterfield, a granddaughter of Lyman Baldwin, once sheriff of Wayne
County, and the father-in-law of Hon. Wm. B. Wesson. Judge Chas.
Morand died in 1876. The family dropped the "Grimard" and the
"de" in I796, after England had ceded to the United States.




.-33 -

NVA VARRE.
Robert Navarre was the first of the name to settle in Detroit. He
was sent to Fort Ponchartrain as superintendent and royal notary. In
I734 he married Marie Lothaire Barvois. The children by this marriage were, Marie Francois, born in I735. She married Lieut. George
McDougall, of the English army, by whom she had two sons, Jean
Robert and George. She married the second time Jacques Campau,
father of Joseph and Barnabe. They had no children, but in I820
Barnabe married her granddaughter, Archange McDougall, whose
sons were Alexander and the late Barnabe.
Marianne, the second daughter, born in I737. She married in
I760 the well known Indian interpreter, Jacques St. Martin, heretofore
mentioned as the owner of the old Cass residence, which stood on
Lamed, corner of Second. He died in I776, leaving her a widow with
three children: St. Martin, who died unmarried; Finon married Phillip
Fry, and Archange married August McIntosh. Two of her granddaughters, Mrs. H. B. Hunt and Catherine McIntosh, were much
respected, and filled a high social position in Detroit. She married the
second time Dr. Geo. C. Anthon.
Robert, or Robishe the Speaker, as he was called, was the eldest
son of Robert the royal notary, born in I739. He married Louise
Archange Mersac, daughter of Francois Mersac and Charlotte Bourasso. A cousin of the latter, also named Charlotte Bourasso, married
Chas. Langlade, a pioneer settler of Wisconsin. The children of
Robert and Louise Archange were, Robert, born 1764, Jacques, born
1766, settled on the River Raisin, near Monroe, as did also Francoise,
born I767. He held a colonel's commission, and raised a regiment
composed mostly of French descendants. It is said there were thirtysix of the name in his regiment. He rendered important service to the
American armies during the war of 1812, and was the confidential
friend of Winchester, St. Clair, Macomb, Cass and Wayne. He married Marie Sazord, daughter of Louis and Marie Josette Lebeau, to
whom was born Francois in I792, Victoire, who in 1823 married
Jacques Godfroy, son of Col. Gabriel and Therese Donair Bondy.
Monique married John Askin, of Sandwich.
Isidore, the second son of Robert, born in 1768, married in 1795
Francoise Descomptes,Labadie. Their eldest son, although young,
served in the war of 1812 in his uncle's regiment. The third daughter
of Robishe, Archange Louise, born in 1770, married Dominique Gode
Marantette. She was the grandmother of Mrs. Caroline Watson
Hamlin, the author of the " Legends of Detroit." Her daughters were
Francoise Marie, who married Col. James Askin; Marianne Navarre,
Peter Godfrey. Jesamine married, first, Timothy Dequindre, and second, Wm. B. Hunt.
3




-34 —;
Charlotte Lonlange, the fourth daughter, married Cazetan Tremblay. Her son, Antoine Freshet, served during the war of 1812 in his
uncle's regiment. A daughter of Charlotte, Marianne, was a noted
belle, whose hand was sought by Colonel Hamtramck and Colonel
Gratiot. Catherine, the fifth daughter of Robishe, born I782, married
Commodore Henry Brevoort, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this
work. Francois, the third son of Robert, born in I859, married Marie
Louise, daughter of Rene Goderi.
PELLE TIER.
Francois Pelletier, who greeted Cadillac on his arrival at Detroit,
in I70I, was an elder son of Nicholas and Jeanne Rousay. He accompanied Dollier and Galinee in their first journey to the Detroit river in
I669. His son, Francois, married Madeline Monisseau, by whom he had
ten children. His son Francois Jean married Marie Robert at Detroit,
and on his death at the end of a year she married Louis Campau. The
daughter was godmother to Cadillac's child, Therese. She married
Volante St. Cloude.  Jean Francois married Catherine Amand.
Cadillac had much trouble with her subsequently. Her family being
somewhat powerful with the court authorities at Quebec originated a
conspiracy against him.  The branch of the family most particularly
connected with Detroit was that of Francois, whose son, Jean Bapti,
born August I5th, I69I, married Marie Louis Robert at Detroit, in
1718.  The granddaughter, Archange, born in I782, married Major
John Whipple in 800o. He was of Massachusetts origin. This marriage united the blood of the Puritans with that of the volatile French,
and brought forth a race of men and women which since have been
eminent for their learning and enterprise in the social and political
world. The children from the union of John Whipple and Archange
Pelletier were Eunice Fairchild, died in infancy; James Burbick, married, in 1812, Sophia Godfrey, daughter of Col. Gabriel; Charles W.
Whipple, known as the Chief Justice of Michigan, married Marguerite
Anna Brooks, daughter of Col. Edward Brooks; Anna Hunt, the
seventh child, married Peter Desnoyers; Henry Lamed married Caroline Buckley, of Monroe. She subsequently married Henry Mixer, of
Detroit. William Lecuyer married Louise Fairchild. He died from
wounds received in the late civil war, leaving only one child, Maria
Louise, who married, in 1882, Edgar, a son of Alexander Lewis. She
died soon after.  Catherine Sophia, the fourteenth child, married
Edwin Skinner.  Their children were: Henry Whipple Skinner,
married Mamie Avery; Edwin, Archange, Bernard, Catherine.  The
other descendants of Francois Pelletier by Jean Baptiste (his grandson) and Louise Robert, are mentioned elsewhere.




-35


REA UM.
The first of this name in Detroit was Rene, born in 1643, at
Rochelle, France. He came to Quebec in 1664 and there married
Marie Chevreau in 1665. Robert, a son born in i668, at Quebec, married, in I696, Elizabeth Burnet.  The two sons of this marriage came
to Detroit in I730: Hyacinth, born in I704, and Pierre, born in I709.
In I733 Hyacinth married Agathe Lacelle. He died in 1778, leaving
Jacques, born in I737; Joseph, born in I739.  The latter married
Marianne Robert in I787, and Jean Baptiste, born 1741, who married,
in 1763, Agathe Lothman Barrois. There were also a number of
daughters. Agathe, who, in I769, married Joseph Poupart; Catherine, born in 1745; Julia, born in 1748, married Lieut.-Governor John
Hay. She died in I794, leaving three sons and one daughter. Two
of her sons were officers in the English army. The daughter married.
Agathe married Pierre Montigny, and died in France.  Of the other
children of Hyacinth, Charles never married, Marianne married Peter
Barrois in 1765, Claude married Genevieve Jarcnisse. Their children
were Jean Baptiste, born in 1768; Agathe, born in 1767, and Charlotte,
who in I795 married Jacques Francheville Gode Marantette.
Pierre, the youngest son of Robert Reaum and Elizabeth Brunet,
married twice. His first wife's name is unknown. She died soon after
the marriage. He married, the second time, Susanne Hubert LaCroix,
by whom he had four children. Charlotte, born in I738, married, in
I760, Lieut. Charles Denian de May, the son of the commandent of
Fort Pontchartrain (Nicholas). Susanne married Duperon Baby in
I760.  Bonaventure married twice: first, Jeanne Destres, in I766,
and second in 1793, Josette Gatinon Fenton.  His descendants are
numerous and embracing among them many noted for enterprise and
business sagacity.
There was stationed at Detroit, in 1780, an officer of the English
army named Louis Reaum, who was related to this family. He married Marie Charlotte Barthe I780, daughter of Peter and Charlotte
Chapoton. He was killed two weeks after, leaving her a widow at the
age of 17. She married, second, Louis Descomptes Labadie (Badichon), a sketch of whose descendants will be found elsewhere.
RIOPELLE.
Ambroise Riopelle, the immediate founder of this family in Detroit,
was the son of Pierre, born in I691, and Marie Anne Mahew Merchant, who were married in I718.
Ambroise came to Detroit about I760.  He married, in I766,
Therese Campau, daughter of Antoine and Angelique Pelletier. They




-36 -

had nine children, of whom Dominique, the youngest son, was born 1787
and married Collette (or Clotilde) Gouin, daughter of Nicholas and
Archange Boyer, and the widow of Antoine St. Bernard. A son,
Dominique, married Elizabeth Gouin, who was the father of the Hon.
Claude Riopelle, a genial, courteous and respected member of the
Detroit bar.  He was a member of the Michigan legislatures and is a
worthy representative of the name he bears. Dominique and Elizabeth
(Gouin) Riopelle also had three daughters. Edessa married Michael
G. Payment, Nancy became a nun, Angelique married Fabien
Pelletier.
RI VARD.
This name appears among those of the contemporaries of Cadillac,
for we find that among the witnesses of the marriage of Francois
Fafard-dit Delorme, the interpreter, Francoise Rivard was one, and
this marriage occurred October '3oth, 1713. The founder of the family
in America is said to have been Nicolas Rivard, born in 1624, who
married at Batiscan in 1652. The descendants were Jean Baptiste,
born 1763, married 1786, Irene, daughter of Judge Lewis BeaufaitTherese de Marsac. They had five children. Joseph, born 1772, married Agnes Chauvin; Francois, 1773, married Isabella, daughter of
Jean Baptiste Chapoton and Felice Cecyre. He, it will be remembered, was an ensign in the first regiment of militia organized in the
Territory of Michigan, from whom are descended the present family
of that name in Detroit.
ST. A UBI.
This is one of the oldest names which appears on the records as
associated in the preservation of the early history of Detroit. The family name was originally known in history as " Casse." Jean Casse-dit St.
Aubin came to Detroit in I7o0. He brought with him his wife, whose
maiden name was Louise Galtier, whom he married at Quebec in 1707.
Their eldest son, Jean Bapt., Jr., born in 1708, married in 1731 Madeline Primeau, daughter of Jean and Susanna Bellanger, of Quebec.
He died in 1733. Charles married in I741 Therese Estene, daughter of
Pierre and Madeline Frappier, she dying in 1748. He married the second time Marie Methe. Pierre Casse St. Aubin, a son of the latter,
married Marguerite Brin d'Armor. His son Louis married in I775
Angelique Chevalier, daughter of Jean Baptiste Francoise Lavoine, of
Mackinaw, and their son, Francois, born in I775, was well known by
the older residents of Detroit as identified with its early history, and
to whom the present generation are indebted for the preservation of
many valuable incidents of that day, through the late Judge Witherell,




-37 -

to whom they were related. He owned and resided on the tract
known to-day as the St. Aubin farm. He married Baseline Campau,
born in 1774. She survived him forty years, dying at the age of
eighty-four. Nine children were born to Francois and Baseline (Campau) St. Aubin, Louis, who married, first, Therese Chapoton, second,
Madeline Cottrell; Francois W. married Virginia Moran. The daughters were, Mrs. Louis Grosebeck, Mrs. Pierre Provincal, Mrs. Eugene
W. Watson, Mrs. Richard Conners, Mrs. John Godfrey, of Grand
Rapids, Mrs. Henry Beaubien and Mrs. Antoine Morass.
LAFER TE.
Antoine Laferte served in Subercasse's regiment, and was stationed at Fort Ponchartrain as early as I7IO. He married at Montreal
Michelle Fortin, whose mother, Louise Sommillard, was a sister of
Soeur Bourgeois, foundress of Notre Dame, at Montreal. The children by this marriage were, Marianne, born 1712, Joseph, born 1724.
The present Clement Laferte was the grandson of the latter. His
father's name was also Joseph, who married Mile Goyeur, from whom
the Laferte farm takes its name.
MAJOR ANTON1E DEQUINDRE.
Born in Detroit in1784, was the son of Antoine Dequindre, the
first male child born in Detroit.  The house where the major was
born stood near where the Detroit Dry Dock is located, opposite
where the old hydraulic water tower stood.  He spent his boyhood
days on the farm of his father, now embraced in the Seventh Ward.
It was cultivated at that period as far back from the river as what is
now Adams Avenue East; beyond, was a dense wilderness.
At a suitable age he was apprenticed to the firm of Grant & Duff,
prominent merchants at Malden, Canada.
After serving his time, he obtained a clerkship with Conrad Ten
Eyck, and in I8Io, having accumulated the means, he opened a store
for himself in a small wooden building, occupying the present site of
the store of ex-Mayor M. H. Chamberlain. At the breaking out of
the war between the United States and England, Major Dequindre
raised a company of riflemen composed entirely of Frenchmen, and
equipped them at his own expense, relying upon the government to
reimburse him. His company were assigned an honorable position in
the army, and when the British crossed over from Malden and landed
some six hundred men at Monguagon creek, Capt. Dequindre's company was the first to attack and enter their breastworks. This act
inspired such confidence that Col. Miller directed him to the right flank




-38 -

to oppose the Indians, who were speedily put to flight, and in the
meantime the British had taken refuge in their boats, while the Indians
dispersed to the woods. For his gallant conduct in the battle of Monguagon, he was tendered a major commission in the regular service,
which he declined, but he has ever since been known as Major Dequindre, a title which he deservedly earned. On the i6th of August, I812
(a few days after the battle of Monguagon), Hull surrendered. None
shared more deeply in the feeling of sorrow and indignation at this
inglorious event than Major Dequindre.
The prominent part taken by Major Dequindre made him the subject of hatred to the British and Indians, and had it not been for the
noble action of Col. McGee, then the British Indian agent, all his merchandise would have been destroyed. He soon resumed business,
which he continued for many years, and by industry and prudence
acquired what was deemed a handsome property.
As a merchant Major Dequindre was respected. He was exact in
his dealings, warm hearted and generous, a pleasant and genial companion.
Some years prior to his death he was induced to give a letter to a
friend at Green Bay, which proved disastrous to him, as he ultimately
became responsible for the sum of $24,000, which compelled him to
make an assignment. This was a heavy blow to a proud and honorable man, and seriously affected him. He in 1848 literally, it is said,
died of a broken heart. He had been stripped of his property with
a family dependent upon him. From the beginning of his career he
had aimed to do his duty in all the relations of life, as a neighbor, friend
and patriot. His remains were followed to the grave by a large concourse of -citizens, who deeply deplored his death.
From the wreck of his fortune there was some real estate, which,
under the sagacious management of the Hon. Charles Moran, his
adminstrator, realized sufficient to keep his family from want.
He left seven children at his death, of whom we are informed the
following are living: Mrs. Beaubien and Mrs. Cobb, at Detroit; Antoine, at Green Bay; Alexander, who served in the late civil war, and
Theodore, who resides in Ohio.
Major Dequindre was a brother of the late Mrs. Joseph Campau.
PETER J. DESNOYERS.
There are few of the older residents of Detroit that do not remember the vivacious, witty and practical good sense, which were some of
the characteristics of the subject of this sketch.
Peter J. Desnoyers was the son of Charles Roquilet Desnoyers,
of Paris, France, who married Mlle. Charlotte Mallet, of the same




-39 -

place. He was a silversmith and a man of extensive influence. Peter
J. was born in Paris on the ist of August, 1772. He served his father
until 1790, when a land company having been formed in America,
known as the Scioto Land Company, opened an agency in Paris and
offered eligible lots of land for sale on a large stream, "La Belle River"
(now known as the Ohio), and induced the father to purchase a number
for Peter, who, together with a large number of others, embarked in
an emigrant vessel and after a voyage of sixty days reached Havre de
Grace, Maryland, and thence proceeded to Gallipolis, Ohio, when, on
investigation, they found their title deeds worthless, and themselves at
the mercy of hostile savages, exposed to all manner of hardships, and
destitute of the means, or sufficient knowledge of the country, to extricate themselves.  A companion of Peter, a Mr. Malchen, was for a
long time missing, and it was thought had been killed by the Indians,
until several years after, when Mr. Desnoyers met him at the house of
a Springwells farmer. Mr. Malchen had been captured by the Indians,
who held him until purchased by some of the Canadian French on the
Detroit frontier.  After a short struggle at Gallipolis, Mr. Desnoyers
went to Pittsburg, from whence, in company with Michael Douseman,
afterwards a well known merchant at Mackinac, he accompanied
Wayne's army, then on its way to the northwest territory, and arrived
in Detroit in June, 1796.  He was then 24 years of age and was at
once commissioned by Col. Hamtramck as armorer. August 30, I798,
he married Maria Louise Gobaille, daughter of Jean Francis and
Marie Rose Gobaille, of Quebec. He served as armorer until I803,
when he formed a co-partnership with J. B. Piquette, father of the late
John and Charles Piquette, and first husband of Mrs. P. Sheldon.
The firm of Piquette & Desnoyers did a successful business until the
fire of I805, which occasioned the loss of most of their entire' stock, and
the firm dissolved. By this fire Mr. D. lost nearly all his nine years'
earnings.
As the fire of I805 completely destroyed all the buildings, it
occasioned confusion as to locality and gave rise to conflicting claims
to sites. Congress passed an act granting certain land for the benefit
of sufferers, and authorized the Governor to lay out a new plat, based
upon which sales of lots were commenced.  The highest price paid
for the most eligible lots at this period was seven cents per square
foot, the average being about four cents per square foot, at which price
Mr. Desnoyers purchased the lot on the corner of Bates street and
Jefferson avenue, now occupied by the Desnoyer Block, where he
erected a small building, one story high, with two wings, in one of
which, until I834, he kept a general store, and in the other he carried
on his business as silversmith.  The latter business he carried on until
1822, when he turned his whole attention to mercantile business, which




-40


he continued until 1834, when he purchased the fine brick mansion on
the corner of Lamed and Griswold, (now occupied by the postoffice)
built by Francis P. Browning, well known as a merchant and as a
radical abolitionist. He died insolvent in I834.
Mr. D., who held a commission as lieutenant in Captain Sibley's company at the time of Hull's surrender, and was taken prisoner (but
paroled subsequently), Proctor decided to send to Quebec, and would
have done so had not just then Perry's victory changed the complexion
of matters, and started Proctor for Canada without any prisoners.
During the war the citizens purchased such of the prisoners as
could be obtained, to save them from the savages. Mr. Desnoyers in
this way bought a number. Proctor, while in command, sent them to
Quebec notwithstanding.  As these prisoners were purchased from
humane motives, the government, a few years afterwards, reimbursed
the purchasers for their outlay.
Mr. Desnoyers held a number of public offices, among them, as
one of the first trustees of the University of Michigan, alderman for a
number of terms. He was a director in the Bank of Michigan for a
number of years, and in 1824 was chosen president. As a merchant he
was noted for keeping on hand such a variety of articles, that when
a citizen failed to find an article elsewhere it could be obtained at
Desnoyers.  It is related that on one occasion a gentleman made a
wager with another that he could name an article that Desnoyer
could not furnish.  It was agreed. They entered the store and the
gentleman offering the wager, enquired of the clerk if he had any
goose yokes? " Oui, Monsieur," was the reply, and he produced them.
Numerous anecdotes illustrating his characteristics are related by Hon.
G. L. Whitney in his reminiscences of the old merchants of Detroit,
from which we have taken the foregoing.
Mr. Desnoyers died suddenly at his residence on Griswold street
June 3d, 1846.  He left a large estate.  He had eleven children.
Among them the following will be remembered: Peter, the eldest son;
Francois, who went to Green Bay; Mrs. Elizabeth Van Dyke, Josephine, wife of Hon. Henry Barnard, of Hartford, Connecticut; Victor,
wife of Henry Cole, who was the eldest daughter.
THE FRENCH OF DETROIT IN MY DAY.
BY WM. C. HOYT.
I first saw the city of Detroit in the summer of 1835, when it was
comparatively a small town.  I tarried here a few days and then went
on my journey westward. I improved the time when here by wandering around and walking over ground, then open fields, now covered
with palatial residences and other magnificent edifices.




-41 -

There were then four leading languages spoken here by four races
of men, French, English, Scotch and Indian, the former largely predominating. The place then appeared to me like an old French town.
I saw this city again in I84I and came to Michigan to reside in 1842.
In 1853 I became a permanent resident of this large, flourishing and
beautiful City of the Straits.
During my sojourn here I formed the acquaintance of that Gallic
race, many of whose ancestors settled here one hundred and eightyseven years ago, leaving the land of the Rhine and its cheerful sunny
clime in middle Europe.
I could when on my first visit here more easily discern the difference between the Saxon and the Gaul than at the present day.  The
races are now more intermixed than they were then. The distinguishing characteristics between the two was in affability. The real Frenchman had, and has, more of that suavity or natural inbred politeness than
the Saxon. The latter possessed, and still possesses, a rougher exterior
and interior that he inherits from a ruder ancestry, and he could be
easily picked out. Why, when walking along on the narrow plank
sidewalks, the Frenchman, drunk or sober, would politely turn out and
give me one-half of the way, while an Englishman, Scotchman, Yankee
or Indian would often compel me to give him the entire walk.  No
wonder that I liked, and do like, the Frenchman.
The French people, like all others who live on the planet, were
divided into the rich and the poor.  There lived here the wealthy
French landholders-that is, wealthy in land-who owned large and long
farms that fronted on the river and who retained them much to the
damage or growth of the city. The poor were probably naturally improvident, but had the nack of getting a living some way and at the same
time enjoying themselves.  They lived in rude one-story cottages,
scattered here and there over the city, many of which they did not
own, but paid a small rent to the merciful landlord. I understand that
evictions for non-payment of rent were not as common as now.
All these people then seemed to enjoy life. They had cheap
amusements (a poor Frenchman could not afford much for sport), such
as dancing, playing cards, horse racing (in the winter on the ice), cock
fighting, fishing, hunting, catching muskrats and pugilistic performances
among the men and occasionally among the women. Dog fights frequently occurred. These entertainments seemed to keep up a spirit of
hilarity and well entertained these volatile people.
On my first visit here I witnessed a dance in an out-of-the-way
locality, attended by a few of the lower order of French. The building
was a one-story hut. The main room was occupied as a saloon, where
whisky was dealt out for three cents a glass.  Here were lively and
supple dancers, male and female, enjoying themselves to their hearts'




-42 -

content by "tripping the light, fantastic toe," while a gentleman of color,
adorned with a light tall stovepipe hat, a thin bad-fitting coat, a shirt collar that hid or came in close proximity to his ears, and pants strapped
under and held down (the style then) by a huge pair of brogans, was
sawing away on his old fiddle and keeping time with his feet and parts
of his body.  Oh, that was a lively dance! Up here! down there!
cross over! all hands around! while the whisky-pickled colored musician was rasping his feline strings and smiling all over his charcoal
countenance.
The city was then largely populated with a rarity of dogs, "mongrel, whelp, hounds and curs of low degree."  Every Frenchman had
one or two, sometimes a half a dozen of these whelps, who barked and
chased a stranger as he went along the way. Many were Indian, or of
Indian descent. A pure-blooded one was a mean, sneaking looking
thing who was seen following close by the heels of an aborigene. One
night I was kept awake nearly all the sleeping hours by the barks,
snarls and fights of these miserable animals.  I was so excited and unnerved one night, that I would have thrown a dynamite bomb among
them and created a small earthquake, if I could.
The French pony and cart, seen bobbing and moving all over
the city, were used by all classes and served a good purpose in their
day.  Ladies dressed in the hight of fashion went to church in these
carts and were conveyed to the residences of their aristocratic friends
sitting on the bottoms of these vehicles.  The Campaus had large
droves of small, tough ponies that grazed and picked up their living on
the banks of the Detroit river.  They cost nothing to keep and were
sold for ten, twenty or forty dollars a head.
Windmills were very common when I first saw the city. They
were scattered all along the river banks.  In these were ground the
corn and other grains of the inhabitants.
These have all disappeared, as well as the pony, cart, Indian and
dog of lower caste. The whipping post is out of the way; the Franklin printing press moved with a hand lever would be a curiosity now;
scrub pony races are not now seen; the French dancing parties have
fallen through the trap door; you hear no more the voice of the Mons
Crapo who swore at and whacked his pony along the streets and byways.  These old things and odd old sights have disappeared.  A
more advanced people, possessing a higher degree of civilization, have
trodden down and swept away these rude things and substituted instead
the fleet, beautiful horse and stout percheron, the convenient and useful wagon and splendid carriage, that move on well paved streets, the
pure-blooded hound, mastiff and St. Bernard; the steam printing press
that throws out into the reading world its tens of thousands of sheets
every hour, courts of justice where corporal punishment is not meted




-43 -

out to criminals, the electric telegraph that conveys ones thoughts
around the world in the twinkling of an eye, the railroad car drawn by
a steam engine, the sewing machine that makes a pair of pants in ten
minutes; public schools where all children, white and black, can go
together and receive a good education free of expense, and splendid
church edifices which all people can attend and hear the gospel
preached, without being questioned or sneered at on account of their
faith.
The French then as now are Catholics; very seldom could be seen
a protestant Frenchman.  The mode of worship and Catholic creed
have not varied much for ages.  Perhaps they were a little more intolerant then than now. These people strictly adhered to their faith
and were more faithful in attending church.  They lived Catholics,
went to prison Catholics, died Catholics and seldom were expelled from
their church.
These old French settlers have about all disappeared.  They
sleep in the Catholic cemeteries. I well remember the Chapotons,
Campaus, Cicottes, Beaubiens, Godfroys, Piquettes, Coquiards and
Berthelets. A few of their direct descendants are now living here and
many are mixed with the Saxon and Indian races. Their names survive, though often pronounced with an English accent.  They will
remain on our records, will be seen on the street corner, "they are on
ratione soli (part of the soil), and you cannot wash them out."




CHRONOGRAPHY —SECOND PERIOD.
I76I.-Sir William Johnson came to Detroit. He was accompanied
by the father of Whitimore Knaggs, who was a noted scout and
Indian interpreter for Generals St. Clair, Wayne, Hull, Winchester and Cass. His son, Col. James W. Knaggs, is now living in
Detroit, aged 88.
1762.-Pontiac conspired to destroy all the forts on the lakes. His
plans were communicated to the English commander, Major Gladwyn, by an Ojibeway Indian girl, who was held a prisoner by the
Pottawatomies.
1763.-July 21, battle of Bloody Run (then called Parent Creek). Captains Gray, Dalzell and some fifty soldiers were slain. Fort Pontchartrain was held in siege by Pontiac until the treaty of peace
between France and England had been signed at Paris, February 3d. Pontiac held his last council with his allies at Ecorse, and
on September 7 a treaty was made.
I764.-General Bradstreet arrived at Detroit with a large force, which
relieved its citizens from apprehension of further Indian depredations, and a peace treaty was made with them by Bradstreet. The
garrison at Michilmackinac was captured by the Chippewas, led
by Minnawauna.
I775.-Governor Hamilton visits Detroit. He appointed one Captain
Phillip De Jean a magistrate, who tried John Continuncan for stealing furs from Abbot & Fenchey, also a colored woman and slave
named Ann Wylie for stealing six guineas, and sentenced them
both to be hung. They were executed, but Hamilton and De Jean
were compelled to flee the country. Fort Ponchartrain was
destroyed, and earth works were thrown up near what is now Fort
Street.
I777.-Congress adopts a United States flag June 14.
I778.-Major Lenoult, or Leneault, commanding five hundred British
troops, erected a large earth work fort, between what are now
Griswold and Wayne and Lafayette and Fort, named after him
"Fort Lernoult." After the battle of the Thames, it was changed
to Fort Shelby, in honor of Governor Shelby, of Kentucky. Independence of the United States recognized by France February




-45 -

6th. Daniel Boon, the noted hunter, was brought by the Indians
as a prisoner. General Clark captures Vincennes, Indiana, and
then starts for Kaskaskie.
1782.-Washington resigns as general. A large number of Moravians
from Ohio settled at the mouth of the Clinton river. They named
their village "Guadenhutten." General Macomb born at Detroit.
I783-Treaty of peace between Great Britain and the United States,
but the English governor, Sir Frederick Haldeman, refused to
cede the northwest on the demand of Baron Steuben, who had
been sent to Quebec by Washington to demand it.
I784.-Governor Hay visits Detroit July 12.
I787.-The constitution of the United States was adopted September
17th. The ordinance for the civil government of the Northwest
Territory established at Marietta, Ohio. Congress passed an act
creating the Northwestern Territory, and the president appointed
General Arthur St. Clair governor, but the fort at Detroit had not
been ceded or embraced as a part of said territory; he was
the first civil magistrate of the northwest, aside from that portion
claimed as a part of Canada, Governor Haldiman insisting that it
was not included in the treaty of peace. Marietta, Ohio, was
created the territorial seat of government.
I788.-Cincinnati, Ohio, founded December 28th.
I79I. —General St. Clair defeated by the Indians. Michigan made a
part of Upper Canada.
I792.-Kent county, Canada, erected, and Michigan attached to it.
I794.-Treaty known as "Jay's" with Lord Grenville, by which all the
forts and military posts in Michigan were to be given up to the
United States by Great Britain. On the petition of the late
Joseph Campau, and other free and accepted masons, the grand
lodge of Canada granted a charter to a lodge in Detroit, styled
"Zion Lodge." General Wayne defeated the Indians at Fallen
Timbers, on the Maumee river.
I795.-Wayne made a treaty of peace with the Indian tribes of the
northwest at Greenville. Pontiac signed the treaty August 3d.
I796.-The British troops evacuated the fort at Detroit, which was
occupied by a detachment from Wayne's army under Captain
Porter.




-46


JAMES ABBOTT.
On the 29th of November, I760, the flag of France was taken
down from the fort at Detroit, and that of England hoisted. This
event opened up Canada and the northwest to English enterprise.
Many young men from England, Ireland and Scotland settled first in
Montreal and Quebec. Among them was the subject of this sketch,
the American ancestor of the Abbotts of Detroit, and the first Irishman
that ever visited Detroit.
James Abbott was born in the city of Dublin in I744, emigrated to
Montreal, remained there a short time, and came to Detroit in 1768.
Bringing with him habits of prudence, economy, industry and perseverance, he utilized them in establishing a mercantile and trading business, which soon extended from Detroit to the Hudson river east, and
west to the natives and the settlements at Fort Wayne, Ind., Prairie du
Chien and in the Northwest Territory, among the Sacs, who inhabited
what is now the State of Iowa, his associates being John Askin, Geo.
Meldrum, William Park, John Wallace, Geo. Sharp, Thos. Sheppard,
Geo. Leith and Angus Mackintosh. Their association continued until
1779, when the profits and assets were distributed. Among the assets
assigned to Mr. Abbott were 4,500 acres of land in Knox county, Indiana, which for a long period was held by the heirs of Mr. Abbott.
When he first came to Detroit, some of those settlers who came with
Cadillac in I70I were still living, as well as many who came from
France in 1749. Mr. Abbott was contemporary with Thomas Barber,
the grandfather of Thomas Palmer; Thomas Williams, father of John
R. Williams; William and Alexander Macomb, Schieffer & Smith,
James May and many others, whose descendants are still living in
Detroit. In I780 he associated with him his eldest son Robert, the
style of the firm being James Abbott & Son. James Abbott died in
I800, and the business was continued by Robert and James Abbott, the
younger.
James Abbott, Sr., was married at Schenectady, N. Y. He had
three sons, Robert, James and Samuel, and three daughters, Mary,
who married Mr. Hands, for many years sheriff at Sandwich; Frances,
whom arried Col. Francis Baby, long a merchant at Windsor, and the
youngest daughter married the Hon. James Baby, prominent in Canadian politics.
Robert Abbott, the eldest son of James ist, was born at Detroit in
I770. He was educated at Montreal. On returning to Detroit he was
in partnership with his father and with his brother until I8Io, when he
retired to a farm on the Rouge. He was appointed by Governor
Mason, Auditor General in I834, and performed the duties with great
fidelity. He died in 1853 at Coldwater, and left a fine estate to his




-47 -

seven children, James 3d, who lived on the River Rouge; Robert H.,
Samuel B. and Charles C., who lived at Coldwater, Michigan; Ephraim P., who resided in Ecorse. Lucretia Ann married E. V. Cicotte;
Ellen Francis, wife of Albert Chandler, of Coldwater. There were
living in 1865 sixty-two grand children and fifteen great-grandchildren.
One of his great-grandchilden married Frank M. Smith, of Chicago.
Robert Abbott was a prominent, active man and one of the incorporators of the first Methodist Episcopal church in Michigan. He was the
first Anglo-American born in Detroit. He first united with the church
June Ioth, I8Io, under the ministry of the Rev. Mr. Case, who came
to Detroit in I809. Betsey, wife of Robert, died at Detroit March
24th, I858.
James Abbott 2d was born at Detroit in I776. He also was fitted
for commercial life, and received his education at Montreal, and on
completing it, engaged in partnership with his father and brother
Robert. He married Miss Sarah Whistler, daughter of Major Whistler, then in command of the military post at Fort Wayne, Indiana, and
brought his bride to Detroit on horseback, a distance of i80 miles. He
continued with his brother until 1812, and when Hull surrendered
Detroit, was driven out, and removed to Dayton, 0., and when the
British were driven out, he returned to Detroit and resumed business
on the corner of Woodbridge street and Woodward avenue, his dwelling and store being in the same building. He was postmaster and a
justice of the peace, holding the former position until 1838, when he
was succeeded by John Norvell. He became connected with the
American Fur Company, and was the agent of Pierre Chateau &
Co., of St. Louis, N. Y. He had three sons and two daughters. He
survived them all except Captain James Abbott, who died some years
since, leaving a widow and five children. The widow died a few years
ago. Their eldest daughter is the wife of Guy F. Hinchman. James
Abbott 2d died in March, I859.
Samuel Abbott was the youngest son of James Ist, and was
born at Detroit in I778. In I807 he located at Mackinaw, where he
continued business until his death, which occurred in I85I. He was at
first agent of the American Fur Company, afterwards a stockholder.
He left a large estate. He married Miss Mary B. St. Cyre, of St.
Louis. They had no children. She survived him and subsequently
died in St. Louis. At the time of the death of Mr. Abbott, he was
indebted to the firm of James Abbott & Sons $72,000. He provided
by his will for its payment, but the probate court of Mackinaw county
refused to allow it to be paid. Under the then laws of Michigan, the
nusband dying without issue, the widow became entitled to a life interest in his estate. A portion of Mr. Abbott's property was real estate
in St. Louis, of but little value. Mrs. Abbott, knowing how desirous




-48


her husband was that his father and brothers should be paid, proposed to assign her life interest, provided she was permitted to, in
fee simple, the St. Louis property. This was accepted, and the debt
discharged.
COMMODORE ALEXANDER GRANT.
Commodore Alexander Grant was born in Scotland of a wealthy
and influential family (the clan of Glenmoriston). He was educated
for the navy of Great Britain, which he entered, and after several
years' service he resigned and joined a highland regiment designed for
service in America, in the army commanded by General Amherst. In
1759 he reached Lake Champlain. General Amherst, desiring to
operate a fleet in conjunction with the army, and knowing that Grant
was familiar with the naval service, placed him in command of a sloop
of fifteen guns. After the surrender of Quebec and Montreal to the
English, Grant was ordered to Lakes Erie and Ontario. On reaching Detroit, he met Therese, the daughter of Charles Barthe and
Marie Therese Campau, whom he married in I774, and resigning his
position in the naval and military service, he located at Grosse Pointe,
built a large house, known as the "Grant Castle," and turned his attention to the care of his farm. He did not become an American citizen
after Michigan was ceded to the United States, for as late as I805
he still held a position in the executive council of Upper Canada, and
as such acted with the Canadians. It is said that while the English
held possession of Detroit, Tecumseh was a guest of the commodore.
He had ten daughters, whose descendants are mostly residents of
Canada. He died at Grosse Pointe in I8I3.
JAMES W. KNVAGGS.
Contemporary with the acquisition of Canada and the Northwest
Territory by the English, the grandparents of the subject of this
sketch were residents of what is now Detroit. The paternal grandfather was of Welsh ancestry, and the maternal was of Holland Dutch.
They had four sons and one daughter, viz: George, William, Thomas,
James and Whitimore, and an only daughter, who married Colonel
John Anderson.
Whitimore, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in
Detroit in I763. He received his education from his mother, and had,
before reaching his majority, acquired a knowledge of what would be
considered a good English education, and from his surroundings was
conversant with the French, Dutch and English languages, also the




-49


dialects of five distinct Indian tribes, and was familiar with their customs and habits. This knowledge, together with his general intelligence, made him prominent with the European settlers, as well as
feared and respected by the Indian tribes of the northwest, and subsequently secured for him the confidence of Generals St. Clair, Wayne,
Hull, Winchester and Cass, and the bitter enmity of the English,
among them General Proctor, who, at one time, offered $3,000 for him,
dead or alive. At the breaking out of the war of 1812 he was made
the commander of a company known as Michigan scouts, and he himself was made an officer in the militia of the territory. At the surrender of Hull he, together with other officers and soldiers, was sent to
Halifax, where he was held a prisoner until exchanged, and on his
return, joined Winchester's army at Vincennes, and with him was captured at the battle of the River Raisin by George Bluejacket, a halfbreed. Proctor immediately sought to wreak his vengeance upon
the captain by formulating a charge to the effect that he had not
been regularly exchanged, but had been released from Halifax on
parole, which he had violated by participating with Winchester. He
was, therefore, sent in chains to Quebec, where he was held in close
confinement for nearly a year, during which period his property at
Detroit, consisting of houses, barns and furniture, were destroyed or
sequestered, and on his return he found only a barren waste of what
was before a home surrounded with elegant improvements and
appliances; for the loss of which he has never been compensated,
although the same, in consequence of its having been occupied by
order of the government as barracks for United States troops, led
to its recognition by the enemy as public property, subject therefore to
be destroyed or taken possession of for their use and benefit.
The following, connected with the capture of General Winchester
and Captain Knaggs, may be of interest: At the time of the midnight attack by Proctor, General Winchester was at the house of
Robert Navarre.   Winchester, on finding himself surrounded,
mounted his horse and rode for the bay. On the way he overtook
Captain Knaggs on foot, and ordered him to get on behind him. As
they reached the margin of the bay, they were met by seven Indians,
who had crossed the point on the ice, thus intercepting them, and
called upon them to throw up their hands, when Captain Knaggs was
immediately recognized by one of them, Jack Brandy, a half breed
chief. Brandy at once laid his hand upon the captain, and, warning off
the other Indians, said, "My old friend Knaggs, you are my prisoner."
George Bluejacket, another half breed chief, did the same with General Winchester. Had they not thus recognized General Winchester
and the captain, they undoubtedly would have been killed. The Indians at once conveyed them to Proctor's quarters.


4




-50 -

Immediately on his return from Halifax and reporting at Detroit,
he became chief interpreter to General Cass, and subsequently Indian
agent.
He married Josettie Labadie, the daughter of Pierre Descomptes
Labadie, and sister of Madoir Labadie, who, at the battle of the
Thames, took the girths from his horse, and making a sling of them,
carried Col. Richard M. Johnson from the field alone, and thus saved
his life.
James Knaggs, the brother of Whitimore, was also celebrated as
an Indian scout, and was with Harrison in all his battles in the capacity
of chief scout, and was always addressed by Harrison as "my friend."
He was a terror to the Indians, who believed him impervious to bullets, arrows or tomahawks. He commanded Harrison's scouts at the
battle of the Thames.
Captain Whitimore Knaggs made himself invaluable to General
Cass in treating with Indian tribes, he being conversant with all the
different dialects spoken, and personally knowing the principal chiefs,
over whom he exercised great influence. In person he was a man of
fine presence, physically well proportioned, capable of enduring the privations incident to the life of an Indian fighter, fearless of danger and
prompt to act at the call of duty. He was loved, feared and respected
by the Indians for his kindness, courage and sagacity. It is said that a
glance from his dark hazel eye was magnetic, and would subdue the
most turbulent, whether a white or red man. He died in 1826, leaving
a widow, four sons and one daughter, viz: Peter Whitimore, John,
George and James W., and Elizabeth, who married Charles Desnoyers,
all of whom he provided for by his will.
Col. James W. Knaggs, the only surviving son and heir of Whitimore Knaggs-he became the only heir through his mother, his father
having by will devised all his property to her, and at her death she
made him her heir, the other children being provided for. Col. Knaggs
was born at Detroit on what is now known as the Hubbard farm in
I801. His father, deciding to give him a good education, provided him
private teachers, there being at that time no schools in Detroit affording the advantages he desired to bestow. At the age of eighteen
years he had acquired a knowledge of French and Latin, as well as
Indian. He obtained his business education from the late David
Cooper, who for a long time made his home with Captain Whitimore
Knaggs.
Col. Knaggs accompanied Governor Cass to Chicago at the time of
making treaties with the Indians of the northwest in 1821. He continued as a member of the official family of General Cass during the
whole period of the latter's governorship of the territory, and the




-51


relation of intimate friends remained until they were severed by the
death of General Cass. Meanwhile he had acquired the title of colonel
by appointment on the military staff of the governor.
After leaving the service of Governor Cass, he continued to assist
his father in the duties of Indian agent, and in looking after his financial affairs, and also made some ventures on his own account, until
1821, when he went to Chicago and established a trade with the Indians, where he remained until 1827, meantime his father dying and leaving his mother sole executrix. She prevailed upon him to return to
Detroit and take charge of the settlement of the estate, conveying
to him all the powers conveyed to her by the will of his father.
He proceeded to close the estate and to provide for the support of
his mother until her death, which occurred at Detroit in I840.
After settling up the estate he, in 1828, removed to what is now
Toledo, then known as Port Lawrence, where he engaged in the real
estate business, and accumulated considerable property. In 1865 he
disposed of his interests at Toledo and removed to Chicago, and from
there in 1867 to Cincinnati, Ohio. At Toledo he operated in lands in
various parts of the State of Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. The colonel
has been an active man during his whole life, and has had a world of
experience with all classes of humanity for over seventy-six years. He
is now over eighty-eight years of age, and retains his physical and
mental powers, exhibiting far more of both than many men fifty years
younger. No one who forms his acquaintance can fail to be impressed
with being in the presence of a gentleman of the old school, and one
who is governed in his manner and action by a high sense of honor and
strict integrity.
In 1828 Col. Knaggs married Miss Theresa Campau, a daughter of
Geodic Campau, of Detroit. The ceremony was performed by Father
Richards at St. Ann's church. She was born in Detroit, and died at
Cincinnati, Ohio, in I868, leaving two married daughters, viz: Elizabeth, who married Mr. Charles O'Hara, a well known merchant of
Cincinnati. He died, leaving her a widow with seven children, Charles,
now a resident of Detroit, and Secretary of the Eagle Iron Works;
Elizabeth, the wife of Joseph B. Moore, cashier of the Peninsular Savings Bank, of this city; James, Stephen, Mary, Eva and Ellen, who
reside with their mother in Cincinnati. The second daughter married
General Stephen McGroarty, who enlisted in an Ohio regiment at the
breaking out of the late civil war, and was promoted through the several grades to the rank of brigadier general. He served during the
entire war, receiving twelve severe wounds, from which he died soon
after its close, leaving a widow, and one daughter, who now reside in
Cincinnati.




-52


YUDGE YAMES MAY.
James May was born in I756, and came to Detroit in I778, and
engaged first in trade, and subsequently in manufacturing. He affiliated with and was upon excellent terms with the French families,
among whom he married, his first wife being Adele de St. Cosme.
But one child was the fruit of this marriage, Elizabeth Anne, who married Gabriel Godfrey, Jr., son of Colonel Gabriel Godfrey, who died in
I83I. He was one of the few who had lived under French, English
and American rule, and saw a change of flags five times.
Judge May married the second time, Marguerite, fifth daughter of
Pierre Descomptes Labadie. Four daughters were born to them, the
first, Maria, who married Louis Moran, of Grand Rapids. Some of
her descendants still reside there. Marguerite Anne married Colonel
Edward Brooks, of the United States army. Her children were
proverbial for their beauty, intellectuality and musical talent. Her
second daughter, Annie Brooks, married Judge Charles W. Whipple,
the distinguished jurist and chief justice of Michigan. She died at an
early age, leaving two daughters, Eunice, who is the wife of Judge
William Jennison, and Adeline, the widow of Mr. Johnson, of Detroit.
Rebecca married Dr. J. B. Scoville, a well known physician of Detroit.
Octavia married J. C. W. Seymour, who for a long time was engaged
in banking at Detroit. Nancy, the fourth daughter of Judge May,
married James Whipple, son of Major Whipple and Archange Peltier.
In 1823 she married the second time, Francis Audrain. Caroline, the
fifth daughter of Judge May, married in I829, Alexander Frazer, the
leader of the Detroit bar for many years. One son was born to
them, Alexander, Jr., who married Milly Mills, of New York. Alexander died, leaving one daughter, Carrie, who died unmarried.
Judge May was a man of enterprise, and took an active part in all
that concerned Detroit and its material interests. In I796 he took the
oath and became a citizen of the United States, and at once was prominent in the establishment of civil law and order; was the first chief
justice of the court of common pleas, organized immediately after General Wayne took possession of the country under Jay's treaty of I796.
Immediately after the fire of I805, there being no bricks, he gathered
the stone previously used for chimneys, and built a stone house on the
north side of Jefferson Avenue, west of Cass, which, in 1836, was used
as a hotel, called the Mansion House, and was the headquarters for
army officers, government officials and leading Democratic politicians.
At the surrender of General Hull in 1812, when the American flag was
hauled down at the fort, he obtained possession of it, kept it secreted
until the approach of General Harrison's army the following year,
when he hoisted it as a signal that the British had evacuated.




-53 -

He was a man of genial temperament, but independent in his
views and opinions, and firm but courteous in their maintenance.
Physically he was large, somewhat inclined to corpulency, and at his
decease weighed 340 pounds. He died in I830.
INVDIAN CHIEF PONTIAC.
Pontiac, the celebrated Indian chieftain, belonged to the Ottawa
tribe, and was born in I712. He was the leading spirit among all the
western tribes. He claimed to be in league with a higher power, which
appeared to him in a vision, and promised, if his instructions were faithfully fulfilled, to sweep the English from the continent. In 1763 Pontiac devised a plot by which all the posts from the Allegheny to Lake
Superior, held by the English, were to be attacked simultaneously.
The posts of Michilmackinac, Green Bay, Miami, St. Joseph, Sandusky, Presque Isle, and others of lesser note, were taken, and their
garrisons massacred. Niagara, Fort Pitt and Detroit alone were left.
Kyasuta, a noted chief of the Senecas, whose home was on the Allegheny, was to besiege Fort Pitt, while Pontiac reserved for himself the
task of reducing Detroit, then under the command of Major Gladwyn.
In May over six thousand warriors were gathered around it. Pontiac
had laid a plan to surprise the fort. He was to come to the fort with
sixty chiefs and warriors, demand admission under pretense of holding
a council. Each warrior was to carry a rifle, shortened by filing, so
that it could be concealed by his blanket. Pontiac was to make a
speech, at the close of which he would offer a peace belt, which was
to be the signal of attack. The chiefs would fire upon the officers,
and the Indians who were gathered around the fort would attack the
garrison. His plans, however, failed, owing to the following circumstances. An Ojibwa maiden who lived in the Pottawatomie village,
and who had become attached to Major Gladwyn, Catherine, as she
was called, came to the fort on the afternoon of the 6th of May, and
repaired to the quarters of the major, bringing a pair of elk skin moccasins, which he had engaged her to make for him. She appeared sad
and downcast, so much so as to attract the special attention of Gladwyn, who pressed her to declare what was upon her mind. For a time
she refused, but after much persuasion, and a pledge that he would not
betray her, she divulged Pontiac's scheme. Thanking the maiden, he
called together the officers of the garrison, informed them of what he
had learned, and prepared to thwart the plans of the wily chief. The
fortifications were extensive, and required a much larger force than
Gladwyn had at command to defend them against the two thousand
Indians surrounding it; hence Gladwyn resorted to stratagem, but did
not neglect to take extraordinary precautions against any sudden whim




-54 -

of the savages, which might induce them to make a night attack. Haf
the garrison were ordered under arms, and the officers spent the night
upon the ramparts. The soldiers were ignorant of their danger, and
the sentinels did not know their numbers were doubled, or why their
officers visited their posts so often. At an early hour the following
morning the common was covered by a crowd of Indians, and at ten
o'clock Pontiac arrived with sixty chiefs, who were admitted within the
fort. Then followed the council and the speeches by Gladwyn and
Pontiac, which developed to the latter that all his plans were known to
the English commander. After satisfying the savages that their contemplated treachery was known and their power despised, Gladwyn
permitted them to withdraw unmolested. Pontiac, as may be imagined,
was much enraged at the failure of his scheme, but controlling his feelings, he sought to regain the confidence of Gladwyn, but failing, he
threw off his mask and commenced a fierce battle upon the fort.
Foiled in his attempt to take it by surprise or assualt, he settled down
to a regular siege, which was maintained more or less vigorously for
fifteen months. Pontiac supplied his warriors with provisions by making levies upon the Canadians, and issued his certificates therefor,
drawn on birch bark, which were afterwards scrupulously redeemed.
He intrenched his camp, and when an attack was made upon it by
Captain Dalzell with a large reinforcement of troops, he repulsed the
English with heavy loss. He attacked the reinforcement of troops and
supplies at Point Pelee, capturing three out of five large boats with
their crews, and dispersing the rest with great loss. During the
long period of the siege, Pontiac indulged the hope that France would
once more send her troops against the English, and that together the
French and Indian armies would triumph, and the "long knives" be
driven beyond the Alleghenies. But becoming satisfied that the power
of the French would never be restored in America, and despairing of
success alone, he sullenly raised the siege upon the approach of General Bradstreet's army in August, 1764, and established his headquarters on the Maumee, where he vainly sought to stir up the different
tribes against the whites; for his own repulse at Detroit, and the defeat
of Kyasuta at Westmorland by Bouquet, had so demoralized them, that
the great chieftain could not induce them to continue the war. In
July, 1766, he attended a great council at Oswego, N. Y., between
Sir William Johnson and the Indian nations, where he made a speech,
and signed a treaty of perpetual peace with the English. Returning
with presents to the Maumee, he remained there in quiet until the
spring of 1769, when he removed to Illinois. Soon after arriving
there, he visited St. Louis, and called upon his old friend St. Ange,
who commanded the post. He then proceeded to the house of young
Pierre Choteau, where prominent citizens paid him their respects, and
entertained him in a sumptuous manner. On this occasion Pontiac




-55 -

was dressed in the full uniform of a French officer, which the Marquis
Montcalm had presented him at the close of the French war as a
special mark of respect. He remained at St. Louis a number of days,
when hearing that a large number of Indians were assembled at Cohokia, on the opposite side of the river, he said he would cross over and
see what was going on, and against the advice of St. Ange, he, with a
few followers, crossed the river, and the party never saw him alive
again. Entering the village, he was soon known and invited to a
grand party, where liquor circulated freely. Pontiac, with all his dignity, could not resist the native passion for strong drink, and imbibed
deeply. At this village was an English trader named Williamson, who
looked upon Pontiac with jealousy, and resolved to put him out of the
way, if possible. After the feast referred to, the chief strolled down
the village street into the adjacent woods, where he was heard to sing
his medicine song. It is related that Williamson bribed a Kaskasia
Indian, with the promise of a barrel of rum, to assassinate the chief.
The Indian followed him into the timber, and watching his opportunity, stole up behind him, and dispatched him with his tomahawk.
The murdered chief lay where he fell until St. Ange, learning of the
tragedy, sent for the body, and had it taken over to St. Louis, where it
was interred with the honors of war near the fort. The natives of the
northwest united and visited a terrible vengeance upon the Illinois
Indians for this great crime, almost totally exterminating them, the
remnant of them never afterwards figuring in history.
History informs us that this great chieftain made the lake country
near the present city of Pontiac the place of his summer home. Pitching his tent on the island in Orchard Lake, known to the Indians as
" Me-nah-sa-gorning," meaning "the place of the Orchard," he passed
the warm season in that beautiful locality, nowhere surpassed in the
west.
Not alone in Michigan is the name of this great chieftain remembered, for on the prairies of Illinois another flourishing city does honor
to the most princely Indian that ever trod the soil of the mighty west.
MAJOR ROBERT ROGERS.
Major Robert Rogers, to whom Detroit was surrendered, was a
native of New Hampshire, and was commissioned by that province,
but received his orders from Sir Jeffrey Amherst, to ascend the lakes
with a detachment of provincial rangers, and take possession in the
name of his Britannic majesty of Detroit, Michilmackinac and other
western posts. Montreal and Quebec, and the whole of Canada, had
at this time been ceded and formally occupied by the English, the
terms of the treaty including all the French possessions on the contin



-56 -

ent. Stark and Putnam, afterward so distinguished in the war of the
revolution, were the companions of Major Rogers in this expedition.
Major Rogers left Montreal September I2th, I760, with two hundred
rangers in fifteen whale boats, and proceeded up the St. Lawrence,
and skirting the north shore of Lake Ontario, reached Fort Niagara
the first of October. Carrying their boats over the portage, they
launched them above the falls of Niagara river, and slowly proceeded up Lake Erie. Major Rogers in the meanwhile, with a few
men, hastened on to Fort Pitt (now Pittsburg) to deliver dispatches
with which he was charged to General Monckton, then in command of
that fort. This accomplished, he rejoined his command at Presque
Isle about the end of October, and following the south shore of Lake
Erie, reached the mouth of the Cuyahoga river, the present site of
Cleveland, November Io, where no body of British troops had ever
advanced before. There his troops encamped for needed rest.
Soon after the arrival of the rangers, a party of Indian chiefs
visited their camp, proclaiming themselves an embassy from Pontiac,
ruler of all that country, and in his name forbade the English to
advance any further until they could have an interview with their great
chief. Before the day closed, Pontiac himself appeared (this being the
first time in history that the name of this remarkable man is mentioned). He greeted Rogers with the haughty demand, "What is
your business in this country, and how dare you enter without my permission?" The major informed him that Canada had surrendered,
and that he was on his way to take possession of Detroit. Pontiac
replied that he should stand in the path until morning, and inquired if
the strangers were in need of anything which his country afforded. In
the morning Pontiac returned with his chiefs, and replied to Major
Rogers, "That he was willing the English should remain in peace, so
long as they treated him and his people with respect." The Indian
chiefs and provincial officers then smoked the Calumet together, and
perfect harmony seemed to have been established.
On the I2th of November Rogers broke camp and started again,
and in a few days had reached the western end of Lake Erie. Here
he learned that a body of Detroit Indians were in arms against him,
and lay in ambush at the mouth of Detroit river; but owing to the
influence of Pontiac, the warriors abandoned their design, and the
rangers proceeded on their way to Detroit. In the meantime Lieutenant Brem was sent forward with a letter to Captain Bellestre, the
French commandent at Detroit, stating that the garrison at Detroit was
included in the capitulation of Canada, and that an English detachment
was on its way to take possession. He questioned this intelligence,
and determined to assume a hostile attitude, and at the same time
sought to arouse the Indians to aid and co-operate with him; in this he
failed.




-57 -

Rogers had now entered Detroit river, and he despatched Campbell with a copy of the articles of capitulation and a letter from the
Marquis of Nandreuil, directing that the place should be given up in
accordance with the terms of the capitulation agreed upon between
himself and General Amherst. Captain De Bellestre then placed himself at the disposal of the English commander. As the whale boats of
the rangers moved slowly up the river, they saw on the right the villages of the Wyandottes, and on the left the lodges of the Pottawatomies,
and beyond, up the stream, the flag of France, flying for the last time
above the fortification of the little town. The rangers landed on the
opposite side of the river and pitched their tents, while two officers with
a small detachment went across the river to take possession of the place.
Obedient to their summons, the French garrison defiled upon the plain
and stacked their arms, the fleur-de-lis was lowered from the flag staff,
and the cross of St. George hoisted in its place, while seven hundred
Indian warriors, late allies of France, looked on with surprise. The
French Canadian militia were then disarmed on the 29th day of
November, when Detroit fell into the hands of the English. The garrison were sent as prisoners to Philadelphia, but the Canadians were
permitted to return to their farms and homes on taking the oath of
allegiance to the British crown.
Major Rogers estimated the population at this time at 2,500,
including the settlements on both sides of the river. Major Rogers
and his rangers were relieved in 1761 by a detachment of regular
troops under command of Captain Campbell, and returned then
(December 23) to the Province of New Hampshire, via Pittsburg.
ENGLISH COMMANDERS.
The commanders at Detroit from I760 to I796 were, first, Major
Robert Rogers, a native of the province of New Hampshire. He
was succeeded by Major Campbell, who, accompanied by Lieutenant
George McDougall, Dr. Jean Chapoton and Jacques Godfrey, visited
the camp of Pontiac on the latter's invitation or request, for the purpose of considering proposals, or, as the chief termed it, "to settle all
difficulties and smoke the pipe of peace together." As soon as they
reached his camp and were in his power, Pontiac sent back Dr. Chapoton and Godfrey with the message that Major Campbell and Lieut.
McDougall were retained as hostages for the surrender of the fort.
McDougall escaped, but Major Campbell, while walking out, was slain
by a Chippewa, whose uncle had been killed by the English. Pontiac is
said to have exhausted every means to apprehend and punish the murderer, but he had fled beyond his reach. The death of Major Campbell was a sad blow to the besieged. Major Gladwyn had superseded




-58


Major Campbell, and was in command when the tragical death of the
latter occurred. Gladwyn is described as tall, well proportioned,
haughty in manner, but determined and brave in action, thoroughly
English in his prejudices, and hence was not so highly esteemed, either
by his subordinates or by the French inhabitants, as Major Campbell,
who was loved by all the whites and respected by the Indians; hence
the loss of Campbell was felt by Gladwyn, and very much interfered
with his carrying out the policy of the English authorities, viz.: to conciliate both the French and Indians. As stated heretofore, Gladwyn
was a brave officer, but preferred to employ the force of arms in
establishing English authority rather than conciliatory means. The
interview between him and Pontiac thus described, illustrates the character of the man. This interview was had pursuant to the plans of
Pontiac for the capture of the fort, which had been communicated to
Gladwyn by the Indian maiden. Pontiac was to make a speech, at its
close he was to present the Wampum belt, which was to be the signal
of attack, the chiefs were to spring up and fire upon the officers, and
the Indians outside were to fall upon the garrison. Pontiac arose, and
stretching his majestic form to its full height, and addressing Gladwyn,
said, he and his chiefs had come to smoke the pipe of peace and
strengthen the bonds of friendship. He spoke of the number of his
braves and their deeds. In his hand he held the sacred emblem of
peace, with which he was to give the signal of attack. As he raised
the belt to give the preconcerted signal, the commandent drew his hand
across his forehead, and at once a sudden clash of arms was heard
without, the drums rolled the charge, dnd the tramp of armed men
resounded through the streets. The major himself appeared unmoved,
but his eye was fixed immovably upon the chief, who, with looks of
astonishment, stammered out more professions of friendship, and presented the belt in the usual manner, which Gladwyn received, saying to
the chiefs, "they could rely on his friendship as long as they deserved
it, but threatened them with vengeance for any act of perfidy." The
gates were then opened, and Pontiac and his chiefs were permitted
to pass out. He moved off alone and embarked in his canoe to the
Ottawa village on the opposite side of the river, and that night moved
his camp to the Detroit side, and before night occupied the rise of
ground east of Parent creek, which he intrenched. Gladwyn, with all
his arrogance and English pride, nevertheless yielded to the charms of
a French maiden, Madeleine de Tonnancour, a relative of Jacques Godfroy; but it appears that he had a successful rival in Captain Dalzell, a
young English officer attached to the staff of General Amherst.
Madeleine was an orphan, and had been educated at the Ursuline convent at Quebec. She is said to have possessed great beauty and many
personal accomplishments. She first met Captain Dalzell at a ball at
Quebec, where a mutual attachment was formed. Her relatives were




-59 -

opposed to her marriage, and being a minor, she was compelled to
submit to their control. She therefore conceived the plan of retiring
from the gay world of Quebec, and came to Detroit. Her arrival was
just at the commencement of the Indian troubles, and the society was
very different from that she had left. Gladwyn first met her at Madam
Ruisseaux, who was a relative, and the times being troublesome, the
ladies were continually beset with fears of Indian depredations. Gladwyn sought to quiet and soothe their apprehensions, and soon his calls
became frequent. It was soon evident that the English officer forgot
his own precarious position when in the society of Madeleine. She,
too, was flattered by his attentions, which served to beguile many
anxious hours; but when he placed his heart and hand at her disposal,
she declined to listen, and became more distant. He then approached
Jacques Godfroy, her relative, and sought to enlist his influence with
Madeleine. Godfroy, much surprised, refused, but couched his refusal
in a courteous manner. Gladwyn was exceedingly angry, and said
something which roused the temper of the Frenchman, who, making a
bitter retort, left the officers' quarters. Godfroy on returning to his
sister's, and relating to her and Madeleine what occurred, remarked
that he would be obliged to leave the fort at a moment's notice, for,
said he, "I noticed from the glitter of the major's steel gray eyes, that
mischief is in store for me." A few days passed, when Madeleine saw a
long line of batteaux crowded with men coming up the river, and on the
landing of the troops, recognized as their commander Captain Dalzell,
her former lover. As soon as Dalzell learned that Madeleine was in
the fort, he, in company with Gladwyn, sought her presence. Dalzell's
reception by Madeleine at once revealed to Gladwyn why his suit was
denied, and he at once took his leave. Madeleine then related her
troubles, when he informed her they would soon end, "for with
Major Gladwyn's consent, I will attack Pontiac in his intrenchments
with my three hundred veterans, and you shall no longer be confined
here through fear of these savages." History informs us that Gladwyn gave his consent, the attack was made, and Captain Dalzell lost
his life. On being informed of his death, Madeleine lost consciousness,
and soon followed him. It is said that Gladwyn seemed ever after
like one burdened with a great sorrow.
The other officers who participated in the battle of Bloody Run in
this attack on Pontiac's camp were, Captain Gray, who commanded
the center line. He was killed about a mile from the camp while
returning to the fort.
Captain Grant commanded the rear detachments, and followed
immediately behind Dalzell, and was able to maintain the position
assigned him and cover the retreat.
Lieutenant Brown led the advance with twenty-five men.




-60 -

Captain Dalzell exhibited great bravery during the whole fight,
and was twice wounded in the early part of the action, but while
rallying his troops for the third advance, stepping out of the ranks to
relieve a wounded soldier, was shot dead by a ball from the enemy.
Major Robert Rogers, who had been ordered to return to Detroit
with his rangers from New Hampshire, also bore a part in the fight.
He gained possession of the M. Campau house, which commanded the
road, and covered the retreat of the retiring regular troops.
General Bradstreet arrived at Detroit in 1764, and immediately
relieved the worn-out garrison. He made a treaty of peace with the
Indians, and restored civil law and order.
Lieut. Governor Hamilton was in command in 1776. He was
compelled to leave Detroit in consequence of participation in, or being
held accountable for, the unjust sentence and execution of one John
Conteneinau and Ann Wylie, whom Phillip Jean, a creature of his,
found guilty of stealing, and condemned to be hung. Hamilton and
Jean were both arrested in Illinois by General Rufus Clark, sent to
Virginia, and were never heard of after in Detroit.
During the American Revolution there were five hundred British
troops stationed at Detroit under command of Major Lernoult, or
Leverault. The success of the American arms at Vincennes, Indiana,
induced him to erect a large earth fort, which was bounded on the
east by Griswold street, west by Wayne, north by Lafayette and south
by Congress streets, and was called Fort Lernoult until after the battle
of the Thames in 1813, when it was named Fort Shelby. Leverett
street, Detroit, is said to take its name from him.
In I793 the fort was in command of Colonel England, of the 24th
regiment of British regulars, by whom it was given up to the United
States in 1796. At this time, I793, there was anchored before the city
rather a formidable fleet, consisting of the brigs Chippewa and Ottawa,
carrying eight guns, the brig Dunsmore, six guns, and the sloop
Felicity, armed with two swivels, all belonging to his majesty George
III, and under the command of Commodore Grant, whose sketch is
found elsewhere in this book.


-1 -




-61 ---


GOVERNORS OF MICHIGAN.
UNDER FRENCH RULE FROM 1612 TO I760.
Samuel de  Champlain.................................................612 to   I635.
Marc Antoin de Bras de Fer de Chasteaufort............................635.
Chas. Herault de Montmagny.......................................636 to I649.
Louis D'Alliebout de Coulonges..................................... 1648 to i65I.
Jean  de  Lanson.................................................  65I to  I656.
Chas. de Lanson-Charneys..................................... 1656 to I657.
Chevalier Louis D'Alliebout de Coulonges..............................1657 to 1658.
Pierre de Voyer, Viscount D'Argenson................................. 658 to i661.
Pierre du Bois, Baron D'Avangour........................... 66I to I663.
Chevalier Augustin di Saffrey-Mersey......................... I663.
Alexander de Prouville Marquis de Tracey.............................663 to I665.
Chevalier Daniel de Remy de Courcelles...............................665 to I672.
Louis de Buade, Count de Pallnan et de Frontenac.....................672 to 1682.
Antoin Joseph Le Febrier de La Bam................................ 682 to I685.
Jaqueur Rene de Brisay Marquis de Denouville....................... I685 to I689.
Louis de Buade, Count de Pallnan et de Frontenac..................... 689 to I699.
Chevalier Louis Hector de Callieres................................... 699 to I703.
Phillippe de Regaud, Marquis de Vandreuil............................I703 to 1725.
Charles Le Moyne, Baron de Longueuil................................725 to 1726.
Charles, Marquis de Beauharnois......................................   726 to I747.
Rolland Michel Barrier, Count de la Galesonniere....................... 747 to I752.
Charles Le Moyne, Baron De Longueuil................................1752.
The Marquis Duquesne de Meuneville.................................752 to I755.
Pierre Francois, Marquis de Vandreuil Cavagnal................. 755 to I760.
SECOND PERIOD-ENGLISH GOVERNORS, 1760 TO I796.
Sir Jeffrey  Amherst...................................................I760  to  I765.
Sir James  M urray................................................ 1765  to  1766.
Paulis  Em ilius  Irving................................................  766.
Brigadier General Guy Carlton.................................... 766 to I770.
Hector Theophilus Craneahe.........................................1770 to I774.
Major General Guy Carleton..........................................I774 to I778.
Sir Frederick  Haldimand.............................................   778  to  1784.
Henry Hamilton..................................................784 to I785.
Henry Hope......................................................... 785 to 1786.
Lord  Dorchester.....................................................786  to  I792.
Col. John  Graves  Simcoe..........................................   792 to  I796.
THIRD PERIOD-TERRITORIAL GOVERNORS (Northwest Ter.).
General Arthur St. Clair..............................................I787 to  I8oo.
Winthrop Sargeant, Secretary and Acting Governor.................... 796.
General William Henry Harrison.................................. 8oo to 1805.
General W  illiam   Hull.................................................805 to  i8II.
General Lewis  Cass........................................... 8.... 18 3  to   I8I7.
William Woodbridge, Secretary and Acting Governor.................. 188.
General Lewis Cass............................................January 24th, 1820.




-62 -

William Woodbridge, Secretary and Acting Governor.......Aug. to Sept. i8th, 1820.
General Lewis Cass..........................................December 2oth, 1822.
William Woodbridge, Secretary and Acting Governor...Sept. 29th to May 28th, I823.
General Lewis Cass...........................................December 22d, I825.
William Woodbridge, Secretary and Acting Governor.............1826 to July, 1827.
General Lewis Cass..........................................December 24th, I828.
James Witherell, Secretary and Acting Governor.....January Ist to April 3oth, I830.
General John T. Mason, Secretary and Acting Governor.......September 30th, I830.
Stevens Thompson Mason, Secretary and Acting Governor.........August ist, I83I.
George  B. Porter...............................................August 6th, I831.
Stevens Thompson Mason, Secretary and Acting Governor............October, I831.
Stevens Thompson Mason, Ex-officio and Secretary................July 6th, 1834.
Charles Shafer................................................August 2oth, I835.
John S. Homer, Secretary and Acting Governor................September 8th, I835.
UNDER THE CONSTITUTION OF I835.
Stevens T. Mason.................................Inaugurated November 3d, I835.
Stevens T. Mason...................................Inaugurated January ist, 1838.
Edward Mandy, Lieut. Governor and Acting Governor..April I3th to Dec. 3Ist, I838.
William Woodbridge................................ Inaugurated January 7th, 1840.
James Wright Gordon, Lieut. Governor and Acting Governor.... February 2ISt, 1841.
John S. Barry.....................................Inaugurated January 3d, 1842.
John S. Barry..................................    Inaugurated January ist, I844.
Alpheus Felch................................... Inaugurated January 5th, I846.
William L. Greenly, Lieut. Governor and Acting Governor.........March 4th, 1847.
Epaphroditus Ranson............................................January  3d, I848.
John S. Barry.............................................. January 7th, I850.
UNDER THE CONSTITUTION OF I850.
Robert McClelland.........................................January ist, I852.
Robert McClelland.............................................. January  5th, I853.
Andrew Parsons, Lieut. Governor and Acting Governor.............March 8th, I853.
Kingsley  S. Bingham............................................January  3d, I855.
Kingsley  S. Bingham...........................................January  7th, I857.
M oses W isner...................................................January  5th,  1859.
Austin  Blair...................................................January  2d, I86I.
Austin  Blair.................................................. January  7th, 1863.
Henry H. Crapo............................................. January 4th, I865.
Henry  H. Crapo.................................................January  2d, I867.
H. P. Baldwin.................................................January  6th, 1869.
H. P.  Baldwin.......................................... January  4th, I87I.
John  J. Bagley..................................................January  ist, I873.
John  J. Bagley...................................................January  3d, I875.
Charles M. Croswell..............................................January  3d, I877.
Charles M. Croswell............................................January ist, I879.
David  H. Jerome...............................................January  Ist, I88I.
Josiah  Begole....................................................January  Tst, I883.
Russell A. Alger.............................................. January  ist, I 885.
C. G. Luce....................................................January  ist, 1887.




-63 -

ORGANIZATION OF WAYNE COUNTY.
Winthrop Sargent, Acting Governor of the Northwest Territory,
on the i8th of August, I796, set apart the following portion of the
territory-and named it Wayne, after the noted General Anthony
Wayne, better known as Mad Anthony-viz: from the Cuyahoga
River (Cleveland), westward to the dividing line now existing between
Indiana and Illinois, thence northward to the national boundary line,
including all the subsequent Territory of Michigan, which embraced
the whole of the present State of Wisconsin, and a portion of the
present States of Ohio and Indiana. Detroit was constituted the
county seat. The Court of Common Pleas was established, and
annually the Supreme Court of the Territory held a session at Detroit
until I803, when Michigan was separated from Ohio. At a session of
the Legislature of the Northwest Territory, held at Chillicothe in
I80o-2, the Town of Detroit was incorporated, with a Board of
Trustees.
TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATIONS.
BRO WNS TO WV.
That portion of this township situate on the Detroit river, was
settled almost contemporary with Detroit, the older geographies
describing it as the seat of Indian councils held between I780 and 80o6,
General Hull's most important treaty having been made there during
the latter year. It was organized in 1827. Moses Roberts was elected
the first supervisor; Jacob Vreeland, clerk; Jacob Knox, William Hazard and David Smith, assessors; Wm. Fletcher, Elias Vreeland and
Isaac Taylor, commissioners of highway; Arthur Ruark and Garret
Vreeland, overseers of the poor; Isaac Taylor, constable; Hiram
Hicox, John Conrad and Thomas Long, viewers of ferces; Geo. C.
Clark and Isaac Taylor, overseers of highway. Among other early
settlers were B. F. Knapp, William Munger, John Forbes, Elias James,
R. Ransom, Dr. John Leteur, Col. Nathaniel Case, P. J. Clark and
Henry Woodruff. G. W. Moore was postmaster under four administrations.
ELIGIBLE MEMBERS-BROWNSTOWN.
NAME.               P. 0.           BIRTH PLACE.    CAMETO
WAYNE Co.
Alford,  H....................Gibraltar...........Michigan................. 1836
Butler, C. W..................Rockwood......... Michigan.................. 1843
Blakely, 1. A................. Rockwood..........New  York............... 1836
Bird, Jas. M................ Flat Rock...........Seneca, N. Y.............  857
Chase, W. J..................Flat Rock........:. Michigan................  I845




-64 -

ELIGIBLE MEMBERS-BROWNSTOWN —CONTINUED.
CAME TO
NAME.                     P. 0.                 BIRTH PLACE.        CAME TO
WAYNE CO.
Cooke, John...................Flat Rock...........Michigan,................. 836
Cook, Thos. D................Flat Rock.......... Michigan................. 1834
Cohoon, Wm. A............. Trenton.............New York................ I836
Clark, Jayson..................Flat Rock...........Wayne Co................ Born
Clago, B......................Trenton.............St. Lawrence Co., N. Y... I846
Dowling, Jesse................ Trenton............. England.................. 1845
Ewing, H. F..................Flat Rock...........New York................ I85I
Guilfoil, Ezra..................Trenton.............Michigan.................  I854
Garretson, G...................Flat Rock...........New Jersey............... I835
Garretson, F...................Flat Rock...........New Jersey............... I838
Hendricks. Daniel............ Flat Rock........... Michigan................
Hull, Benjamin................Flat Rock.......... New York................ 833
Hurst, Amanda................Flat Rock........... New York................ I844
Hall, Edward..............Gibraltar...........New York............... 1833
Hanchett, S. C...............Trenton........... New York............... 1837
Knight, James................  Trenton........... England................. 839
Knapp, B. F...................Wyandotte..........New York................ 820
Long, W. S..................Wyandotte..........Michigan........... 1838
Lum and Craig............... Gibraltar............Scotland.................. 184
Lobdell, Dr. Hiram W. S......Gibraltar.......
Lindsay, James............  Wyandotte........ Michigan................ I839
Munger, Wm..................Flat Rock..........New York................ 823
Mitler, M. H.............     Flat Rock.........New York................ I854
M ateria, John.................Trenton............Canada..................  I853
McComb, John................Trenton............Ireland.................. 854
Milliman, Mrs. Thetis.......... Flat Rock..........New York................ 832
McDonald, Geo................Wyandotte........Scotland................. 1853
Munger, T. M................ Flat Rock..........Michigan................. I839
Northrop, Lewis...............Flat Rock..........New York............... I8I8
O'Leary, T..................Flat Rock..........Maine................. 850
Olmstead, N. F................Flat Rock..........Washtenaw Co., Mich..... 1854
Peters, J. H...................Flat Rock..........New York................ I834
Pink, Wickton...............Flat Rock.........Ohio................ 846
Pink, Mary....................Flat Rock.......... Michigan................ 860
Parsons, B. F...............Gibraltar........  Michigan...............      36
Quick, Thos............     Trenton............Canada................... 845
Reed, J. P.................... Rockwood..........New York................
Reaume, F............. Flat Rock......... Canada................... 1830
Simpson, G. D.............. Inkster............. Michigan................ Born
Stofflet, Wm...............Flat Rock.......New York................ I825
Stofflet, Wm. F...............Flat Rock..........New York................ 853
Van Riper, Henry H...........Flat Rock..........New Jersey............... 834
Varney, G. A.................. Rockwood........ Michigan................ 842
Van Cleof, Jacob...............Flat Rock..........New York............... I846
Vreeland, Alice................Trenton............New York................ 833
Van Horn, Barton..............Trenton............Michigan................ 830
Wood, John................. Rockwood..........Scotland.................. 1836
Wood, Irving T................Rockwood........ Michigan................ I839
Walker, James H.............Flat Rock........Michigan................ 1846
Wells, Miss Mattie...........Wyandotte..........Michigan............... I855
Wisdom, Clayton............. Flat Rock......... Michigan................ I845




- 65 ---


CANTON.
Canton was organized in I833. It was prior to that date included
in the Township of Plymouth. James Safford was its first Supervisor,
Amos Stevens the first Justice of the Peace, and Thomas Hooker,
Clerk. The first delegates to the county convention were Amos
Stevens, Moses Bradford and Pary Sheldon, and the first settlers were
David Cady, Amos Stevens, William Smith, Pary Sheldon, Childs
Downer and brother, in I825.
ELIGIBLE MEMBERS-CANTON.
NAME.                    P. O.                 BIRTH PLACE.       CAMETO
WAYNE Co.
Astley, Frank.................. Denton.............Wayne Co................ Born
Baldman, D....................Sheldon.............Steuben Co., N. Y.......... 1835
Bartlett, Geo. S.............. Plymouth........... Vermont..................  I838
Bradford, Benj.................. Plymouth...........Wayne Co., N. Y...........  828
Boice, I. C.....................Ypsilanti...........Seneca Co., N. Y...........  1854
Huston, John, 2d...............Ypsilanti...........  Monroe Co., N...........  1835
Homer, H. F.................. Ypsilanti............Wayne Co., Mich.......... Born
Hunford, H..................Plymouth........... Monroe Co., N. Y.......... I856
Huston, Reuben...............Ypsilanti.............Monroe Co., N. Y......... 1835
Huston, Oscar................ Canton..............Wayne Co................. Born
Hayden, Lester...............Ypsilanti...........   Michigan..................  1850
Jones, Henry..................Canton..............England..................  1851
Lohr, Christian................Wayne.............Wayne Co................. Born
Murray, Hiram................ Plymouth.........Wayne Co................. Born
Pattengell, O. B................Plymouth............Vermont..................  1845
Peters, Eliza..................Plymouth...........Schohane Co., N. Y........ 840
Penny, Wm.............        Canton..............Orange Co., N. Y........... I854
Savage, James M.............. Canton............. Kingston................. 1855
Smith,  Charlotte................Canton..............New  York.................  1850
Settington, Henry.............. Canton.............England................... 1840
Suggett, W. B..................Canton.............Wayne Co................. Born
Vinton, William W..............Plymouth............Chenango Co., N. Y........ 1839
Vick, F........................Canton........... Germany.................. 853
Wiles, James..................Canton.............Yorkshire Co............... 1848
DEARBORN.
At one time this town was known as "Pekin." It was so named
when Canton and Nankin was first set apart. Then there would have
been three Chinese towns on a line.
A. J. Bucklin was the first white settler and the territory now
embraced in the townships of Redford, Livonia, Greenfield and Dearborn was organized as the township of Buckland in 1828. Conrad
Ten Eyck, Joseph Coon, John Alexander, Hubbard Hidden, William
Daily, James Thomson, Chas. N. Brainard and Dr. E. S. Snow were
also among the early settlers.
5




-66


ELIGIBLE MEMBERS-DEARBORN.
CAME TO
NAME.                    P. O.                 BIRTH PLACE.        CAYMTO
WAYNE Co.
Angleben, Chas, T............ Dearborn......  Detroit.................. 85
Brainard, Chas. T.........Dearborn.........Wayne Co................ I82I
Barker, J. D..................Inkster.............New   York................  1833
Baker, Joshua............ Inkster.........New York............... 1837
Coon, Owen............. Dearborn...........Wayne Co................ 1837
Clay, Amos................... Dearborn......... Wayne Co................ 1838
Clay, James................. Dearborn..........Wayne Co...............      833
Clay, Samuel................. Dearborn......N....New York............... 827
Cogswell, Samuel.......... Inkster..........New York............. 1832
Daly, William............Dearborn...........Ireland................ 837
Forsyth, James..............Dearborn........ England...........    1832
Fox, Jacob.......... Dearborn.......... Germany................ 1847
Gulley, A. B................. Dearborn......... New York............         835
Gould, James............... Dearborn.......... Scotland................. 1831
Gould, John............... Dearborn........... Scotland............... 832
Gardner, Richard..............Dearborn......... England................. 1828
Harris, Allen T..............Dearborn......New Jersey............ I844
Heberstreit, fJohn D.........Dearborn......... Saxony.................. 1852
Heberstreit, G................ Dearborn.......... Saxony.................. 1852
Howard, Edgar................ Dearborn.......... Massachusetts........ 1836
Huberstreit, Wm.............Dearborn..........Saxony.............. 1852
Huberstreit, C. W.............. Dearborn...........Saxony................... 852
Morhouse, Wm................ Dearborn........... Newark, New Jersey...... 1835
Maxwell, Wm.................Dearborn........Canada................. 838
Maxwell, G. S................. Dearborn........... Canada.............. 1832
Nowland, Wm. Dean.......... Dearborn.......... New York................ 834
Penny, E. G.................. Dearborn......... New York................ 844
Purdy, Geo...............Dearbon.........          New York............... 1835
Reycraft, Wm........... Dearborn...... Ireland................ 833
Ruff, Francis..................Inkster............  Detroit.................  795
Robinson, Robert.............Dearborn..........Scotland...............        831
Sloss, David......... Dearborn...... Ireland............. 830
Snow, Edwin S................Dearborn............Ohio.....          I846
Stembro, Jacob............. Inkster............New York...........            841
Ten Eyck, Wm..............Dearborn..........Detroit................. 1816
Tuttle, Abner.................. Wallaceville........ Wayne Co............... 1836
Trowbridge, O0..............Dearborn......... New York................ 849
Wallace, J. B.................Wallaceville........New York........... 1832
Wallace, J. A.................. Wallaceville....... Wayne Co................ I85I
ECORSE
Was originally known as Township No. 8 south, and is a fractional one, and was formerly a part of Taylor. It is supposed to be and
is noted as being the place where the Wyandotte tribe deposited their
dead, as to this day the remnants of this tribe know it and its location
through traditions, as being the last resting place of their great chiefs.
The early settlers were the Riopelles, Elya Goodell, Joseph Bundie, Alex. Descomptes-Labadie (the maternal grandfather of the
venerable Col. Knaggs), Louis La Duc, Alex. Jandron, B. Campau
and Jean Baptiste Rousseau.




- 67


ELIGIBLE MEMBERS-ECORSE.
NAME.                     P. O.                 BIRTH PLACE.        CAMTO
WAYNE CO.
Bouchard, C.................. Ecorse............. Canada...................    836
Cicotte, F....................Ecorse...........Wayne Co.............. 1852
Campau, Chas................. Ecorse.............Wayne Co................ 1849
Dunn, Michael................ Ecorse.............Wayne Co.............. 1833
Delisle, Joseph...............Ecorse..............Wayne Co..............    828
Eberts, J.................... Ecorse.............Germany.................. 852
Frank, John................... Delray........... Germany................. I852
Frank, John C................. Ecorse............Germany................. 1851
Huntzen, Jacob..............Wyandotte.......... Germany.................. 1854
Jenkle, J...................... Dearborn........... Germany.................. 1852
Kittle, Nicholas...............Wyandotte.........New York................ 842
Lablance, A................... Ecorse............. Wayne Co................ 1836
LaBlanc, Thos............... Ecorse.............Wayne Co............... 1836
Lappem, Chas........... Ecorse.............Wayne Co............... 1838
Longrim, A...............       Wyandotte,........Wayne Co............... 858
Longrim, W............... Wyandotte........Wayne Co................ 852
McKay, Henry................Dearborn...........Wayne Co................ 1858
McQuade, Owen............... Dearborn........ Ireland.................. 852
Moutie, L...................Ecorse..............Canada................... 829
Moutie, Antoine..............Ecorse............ Michigan................1829
Mackie, John..................Ecorse.............  Scotland..................    854
Owen, Evans D.............. Wyandotte.......... Wales..................... 852
Pelon, Oliver.................Ecorse..........Wayne Co............... 1838
Riopelle, H. F................Ecorse....... Wayne Co................ 1836
Riopelle, John................Ecorse.........Wayne Co................ 1839
Rouleau, M. P.................Ecorse..............Wayne Co................ 847
Reeves, Peter.................Ecorse........  Wayne Co................ 1840
Salliotte, A. M................Ecorse............ Wayne Co................ 1837
Sweetzer, Martin............ Ecorse............ Germany................. 850
Salliotte, Oliver............ Ecorse.............Wayne Co............... 1839
Visger, Edmund...............Ecorse............Wayne Co................ 820
Whiting, Abraham............ Wyandotte.......... England.................. 840
Winter, William............... Ecorse.........     Germany................. 1857
Weigert, Louis..........................            Prussia.................. 1858
Wohleke, Wm................Dearborn........... Germany................. 1854
GREENFIELD.
Myron Otis was the founder of the township of Greenfield, in
I829.' It was not formally organized until I832, Carpenter Chaffee
being the first township clerk.
ELIGIBLE MEMBERS —GREENFIELD.
CAME TO
NAME.                     P. 0.                 BIRTH PLACE.         CAME o
WAYNE CO.
Ayris, John...................Yew..............Wayne Co................ 1854
Brownell, S................. Detroit........... Montgomery Co., N. Y.... I845
Boussenen, John...............Greenfield.........France.................... 1854
Bossardet, James..............Greenfield......... France.................... 1849
Bahan, Patrick................Greenfield......... Ireland.................. 832
Coon, Myron..................Greenfield....... New York............... I83I
Cox, Wm.....................Greenfield.......... Ohio..................... I857
Chaffee, Job..............Greenfield.........Vermont................. 830




-68 -

ELIGIBLE    MEMBERS-GREENFIELD-CONTINUED.
CAME TO
NAME.                     P. 0.                 BIRrH PLACE.      WAY     O.
Carey, Geo. L................Yew............... England................ 1850
Capler, Paul..............Greenfield......... France.................. I840
Cabet, Henry.................Greenfield.........France.............   I843
Dicks, Samuel F...............Greenfield.........Wayne Co................816
Daniels, Israel................ Greenfield........ Portage Co., Ohio...... I841
Dormoy, Louis............... Greenfield..........Wayne Co................ 1854
Doran, Valentine............ Greenfield..........Wayne Co................ 841
Doran, Thomas..............Greenfield..........Ireland...............   829
Davison, W. H............ Whitewood........Wayne Co................ 846
Esper, Jacob............... Greenfield.........Prussia................... 843
Edwards, Robert.............Greenfield....        Wales..............   828
Eamshaw, John................Detroit........        England.................   I849
Ford, Geo................... Greenfield.........Wayne Co............... 1845
Fox, John Fredk............ Detroit......... England................ 1849
Ford, Wm.....................Whitewood......... Wayne Co................84
Ford, Samuel................Yew............ Wayne Co...............   836
Gates, Terry..............Greenfield.........Oakland Co............... 854
Gautherat, Frank............Greenfield.........Wayne Co................       843
Goldenberger, Wm............Detroit...........Germany............            i854
Grix, John....................Whitewood....... Germany.................  855
Hall, Fredk...............Yew...........Wayne Co................ I854
Horger, John................ Detroit......  Bavaria............839
Huber, Andrew.............. Greenfield.....W....Wayne Co................ 839
Humbert, Fred...............Greenfield..........France...................  I833
Hansien, Chris................Detroit........... France...................     852
Harland, Wm................Detroit......... England............   1842
Korte, Peter..................Yew............ Prussia................. 1847
Kennedy, Wm................. Greenfield........Wayne Co................     854
Lerchen, John G............... Greenfield.......New York............ I843
Langley, Thos...............Greenfield..........New York............... I852
Lathrop, Luther............ Greenfield.........Vermont.............. 1845
Langdon, John.............. Detroit.......         England................   1839
Messmore, A. S..............Detroit......... Wayne Co................     849
McGee, Thos..............       Greenfield..........Tyrone, Ireland.......... I830
Neal, Henry................... Detroit........... England..........     I838
Otis, Amos..................Greenfield......... New York............... I829
Otis, Byron............Yew............       New York............... 1849
Pillard, Geo. F...........     Greenfield......... France................... 848
Petrequin, Abel............Greenfield......... Wayne Co................ 853
Pillard, Frederick.......... Greenfield........ France................. 1848
Palmer, Wm..........Greenfield..........Michigan................. 829
Reed, Lewis...........  Y....Yew...............Wayne Co................ 842
Redford, Robt.................Greenfield..........England.................. 837
Strong, John...............Greenfield....... England.................  826
Schraff, Nich................. Greenfield......... Wayne Co................ I850
Scovell Bros.......... Detroit........     Wayne Co.............      I845
Snyder, Emmel.......... Greenfield..........Wayne Co................ 846
Simmons, Hillyard A....... Greenfield.........Wayne Co..............          I839
Suteriet, Joseph............... Greenfield......... Switzerland.........  I843
Smith, Thomas.............. Detroit..........England..............       1849
Smith, James................Detroit........... England.................        83I
Tireman, Allan...............Greenfield.........England................ I833
Tyler, A. G............. Detroit..New Hampshire..........847




-69


GROSSE POINT.
Prior to the cession of the northwest by the English to the United
States most of the inhabitants were the descendants of those who came
with Cadillac in I701, and French. The names of many of their descendants are familiar, viz.: Beaufait, Morain, Vermices, Troubles, St.
Antoine, Rivards, Guoins, whose ancestors took land, improved it
prior to I796, in which year Rufus M. Kerby bought from Mr. Donaldson I20 acres of land paying therefor ~120.            He also bought a
negro named " Pompey," for which he paid fifty pounds. After Kerby,
came the Grants, Martins, Conners from the eastern states and bought
farms.
It is related that one of the Grants was a retired naval officer. He
built a large house which was called the Castle.          He made himself
somewhat unpopular with his workpeople and neighbors by his arrogant and arbitrary manner, so much so that he was compelled to leave,
as the community made it unpleasant for him, and he sold his property
to the Morans.     Pierre St. George, an old pioneer and settler, lived to
be 102 years of age.
Grosse Point was not separated from Hamtramack until I846,
when George Moran was elected supervisor, Robert Barton, clerk;
Dagobert Juriff, treasurer; John Gouin, Jr., James Baiton, assessors,
and John Gouin, Sr., George Githrie, Francis Van Antwerp, Frank
Juriff and Daniel Corby, school inspectors; and George Martin, Justice
of the Peace.
ELIGIBLE MEMBERS-GROSSE POINT.
NAME.                   P. 0.               BIRTH PLACE.       CAME TO
WAYNE Co.
Alt, Joseph................ Conner's Creek...... France................... i846
Allard, Louis..................W eaver............. Michigan.................  i827
Allard, Moses..................W eaver.............Michigan................  1828
Ackerman, Michael............ Conner's Creek......Michigan................. 844
Ackley, W m.................  Leesville............England..................  833
Backus, W. W................Detroit.............Michigan.................  I836
Baur, N.............. Grosse Pointe....... France................... 834
Beaufait, Louis L............. Grosse Pointe....... Michigan................ I8o8
Chene, George.................Leesville............ Michigan................ i8ii
Chauvin, C. B.............. Detroit............Michigan................  I832
Curty, Wm...................Grosse Pointe...Prussia................... 846
Chauvin, Richard.............. Grosse Pointe....... Michigan................. 835
Diegel, Anthony...............Conner's Creek......Germany................. 832
Dewyers, Dennis.............. Detroit............ Belgium................. I835
Ellair, Peter...................W eaver...........Michigan.............  I853
Girard, Christopher...........Conner's Creek...... Germany................. 843
Greiner, Michael...............Conner's  Creek......France................... I831
Grant, John................... Conner's Creek..... Michigan................ i8o8
Girard, Peter..................Conner's Creek......Michigan...............  84I
Gordon, Henry H............. Detroit............. England...........    1842
Gouin, Francis................ Grosse Pointe..... Michigan................. i8i2




-70 -

ELIGIBLE MEMBERS-GROSSE POINT-CONTINUED.
NAME.                    P. 0.                 BIRTH PLACE.      WAYNE C
Kirby, R. M...................Grosse Pointe.......Michigan............ I823
Lang, Jos..................... Conner's Creek.....Michigan................ I835
Lamay, Richard.............. Detroit............. Michigan............... 1845
Michie, Alex............       Detroit............ England................. I838
Moran, Chas..................Detroit............Michigan.................  842
Peters, Tusant................. Leesville............Michigan.................  827
Peters, Chas...............    Leesville............ Michigan................. 835
Reno, Benj...................Weaver............. Michigan................. I1835
Reno, Robt.................... W eaver............ Michigan................  1829
Rivard, Ferdinand C........... Grosse Pointe....... Michigan................ i8io
Salter, John................... Conner's Creek......Germany................. 836
Salter, Casper.................Conner's Creek...... Germany....... 836
Seiner, Paul................. Conner's Creek......Michigan................. 839
Shoemaker, Wm............... Detroit............ Michigan................ 1836
Sunderland, Geo...............Leesville...........Michigan................. 845
Trombly, James...............Conner's Creek......Michigan................ 1825
Trombly, Louis................Grosse Pointe....... Michigan................. 839
Trombly, David............... Leesville.Michigan................. 847
Trembly, F. B............   Detroit............Michigan................. 848
Trombly, P.................... Detroit............ Michigan................ i8II
Turner, Chas..................Detroit........... England..................  I834
Temer, Frau.................. Conner's Creek......Prussia............. I845
Vernice, Gideon............... Grosse Pointe.......Michigan................. 824
Wegaut, Henry............... Conner's Creek..... Germany................. 837
Woodbridge, D. B............. Detroit........... Michigan................. 827
Wortman, M................... Grosse Pointe..... Michigan................. 837
Young, Stephen............. Conner's Creek......Michigan................. 849
Young, James W..............Conner's Creek......Michigan................ I843
Young, Anthony............... Conner's Creek......Michigan................ 1837
Young, Nicholas, Jr...........Conner's Creek......France............. I835
Young, J. N...................Conner's Creek......Michigan................. 833
HAMTRAMCK.
Hamtramck, named after Colonel John Francis Hamtramck, was
formed in I827. No official records show who constituted its first officers until 1833, when Peter Van Every was supervisor, and Elias
Jeruck, clerk. The prominent residents of that day were, Dennison
Rose, Jacques Campau, Abram Cook, Louis Beaufait, John Herly,
Henry Vaches, Elias Jewett, Jacques Tuxbury, Michael Rivard,
George La Purge, Wm. B. Smith, George Prusau, and Gilbert Duhen.
ELIGIBLE MEMBERS-HAMTRAMCK.
NAME.                    P. 0.                 BIRTH PLACE.       WAYNE Co.
Ackley, Chas..................Conner's Creek..... England.................. I832
Ames, Elisha..................Detroit............New York................ I845
Bondy, Joseph................Leesville........... Michigan................. i82I
Breitmeyer, John..............Detroit............Germany................. 859
Bloom, Adolph................ Detroit........... Michigan................ 1858
Brubeau, Michael.............Detroit........... Michigan................. I842




ELIGIBLE MEMBERS-HAMTRAMCK-CONTINUED.
NAME.                     P. 0.                 BIRTH PLACE.      WAYNE Co.
Blanck, C...................... Detroit........    Germany................ 1852
Behmer, F. A................ Norris............... Germany................. 855
Campbell, Margaret............Norris.............   Ireland................... 835
Christ, August................. Detroit.............Prussia............. I847
Cooper, James.................Leesville............ England............. I852
Dalton, Laurence.............. Norris..............Michigan................ 1829
Damitio, Chris................. Detroit............France...................  831
Dickenson, Thos...............Detroit............England.................. 85I
Dedenback, Jas.....             Norris............... Germany................. 854
Deny, Richard................Whitewood........ Delaware............ I859
Davison, John.................Whitewood......... Michigan................. 850
Dwyer, James.............. Detroit...... Michigan................. 842
Engle, Henry C................ Detroit.............Germany................. 852
Everding, Wm.................Detroit........... Germany................. 855
Fenner, David......Norris...............New York................ 1848
Fournier, Eli.................. Leesville........... Michigan................. 825
Girard, Ferdinand.......... Detroit............Michigan................ I850
Gregor, Adolph................ Detroit............. Austria...................  1853
Griebner, Albert............... Detroit........... Germany................. 855
Geiser, Henry.................Detroit............ Germany................. 853
Geiser, Conrad...........      Detroit............ Germany................. 856
Gutschow, F..................Whitewood......... Germany................ I857
Hanford, Holly................Norris............... New York................ 1828
Hardwick, Thos............... Leesville............England.................. 1852
Hilger, John..................Detroit............ Prussia..................  855
Haltinner, Henry.............. Leesville..........  Scotland.................. i888
Hafsli, John................... Detroit............. Scotland............. I854
Harland, John................Whitewood......... Ohio............... I842
Kevenny, John................Norris.......        Michigan................. 846
Kinsman, F................... Detroit............ Germany................ 1846
Kremer, Anthony..............Detroit............Prussia............. I845
Koch, Christian................Detroit............Germany................. 845
Kregal, Ferdinand.......................... Michigan................ I848
Lowe, Mary Ann............. Detroit............ Michigan................ I857
Ladensack, C. I................ Detroit............Germany................. 852
Lee, Thomas................. Leesville............ England.................. 1842
Methner, Joseph............. Detroit............ Prussia............. I852
Marx, Stephen.................Detroit.............Germany................ 1846
Michels, Anthony............. Detroit............Germany................. 852
McCormick................... Detroit.............Ireland.............. I854
Marks, James..................Whitewood.........Virginia.................. 855
Mersino, Paul.................. Detroit............ Michigan................ I855
Pingh, Francis................ Detroit............ Michigan................ I859
Pallister, Thomas............. Norris...............England................ I856
Rivard, Anthony.............. Leesville............ Michigan................. I847
Ryan, Chas. L................. Detroit............ Ireland................... 1849
Reed, James..................Norris............... Ireland................... 839
Stackpole, Thos............... Norris...............Michigan................ I842
Schwartz, Francis.............. Detroit............Michigan................ I846
Stigry, Benoit.................Detroit............. Switzerland.............. I854
Sellmann, Catherine........... Detroit............. Germany................. 850
Stonehouse, Geo............... Norris............... England..................  I851
Stoerkel, Conrad............... Norris...............Germany................. 853




-72 -

ELIGIBLE MEMBERS-HAMTRAMCK —CONTINUED.
NAME.                    P.O.                 BIRTH PLACE.      WAYNE TO.
Schroder, F...............    Grand Trunk Junct.. Germany................. I848
Teagan, Mrs. J................ Detroit............. Michigan................. I832
Tuxbury, M...................Whitewood..........Canada................... 828
Visger, James................. Detroit............Michigan............. 824
White, James.................Detroit.............New Jersey............... 845
Webber, Henry................ Detroit............ Michigan................. 855
Westphal, John................Detroit............ Germany................ 1854
Welch, Nicholas.........Detroit............ Germany................. 855
Zimmer, John................ Detroit............Germany................. 856
HURON.
This township was first settled by Artemus Hosmer, Nathan Wilcox, Mathew Woods, Wm. Nowland, Simeon Dreun, Amos Howe,
Samuel Wing, Abner Johnson, Timothy F. Wallace, A. Rawson, Geo.
Hubbard and Adolphus Dalrymple, and was formally organized May
25, I827, by the election of Prosper Lawrence, supervisor and justice
of the peace; Dr. John F. Smith, clerk; Warner Corkins, Chancy
Morgan and George Jewett, assessors; Mason Clark and Henry
Dutcher, highway commissioners.
At one time a portion of the Wyandotte tribe of Indians located in
the eastern part of the township, and located 5,ooo acres on both sides
of the Huron river. They sold to the general government in I843,
and were removed west of the Mississippi river.
ELIGIBLE MEMBERS-HURON.
NAME.                    P. 0.                BIRTH PLACE.        CAME TO
Ash, Lyman...................Belden..............W ayne Co................ Born
Ash, John.....................W altz...............W ayne  Co................ Born
Aspinwall, Alva C.............Flat Rock...........Wayne Co................ Born
Billings, S. D..................New Boston.........Saratoga Co., N. Y........ I855
Bouker, Wm................... Belden..............Washtenaw Co., Mich..... I857
Baker, Chas. H................W altz..............W ayne  Co................ Born
Curtiss, Geo. A................Belden..............New  York................  I856
Cook, Chas. E. V..............Waltz...............Washtenaw Co., Mich..... 1858
Chamberlain, E. A.............Flat Rock...........Seneca Co., N. Y......... I1846
Compo, Henry.................Belden..............Wayne Co............... Born
Compo, Chas................. Belden..............W ayne Co................ Born
Chapin, W. W.................Flat Rock..........Madison Co., N. Y........ I854
Cook, M. V...................W altz...............W ayne  Co................ Born
Evans, Joseph.................New Boston.........Stafford Co., N. H........ I837
Hurd, Chancy.................Belden..............Ontario Co., N. Y......... 832
Hale, S........................New Boston.........Wayne Co.......... Born
Hale, Erastus..................New Boston.........Wayne Co................ Born
Kittle, David................'. New Boston.........Saratoga Co., N. Y........ 1842
Lewis,  Benj...................Belden..............Canada..................  I84I
Lewis, Peter..                 New Boston.........Canada.................. 1842
Lor, Mary.....................New    Boston.........Detroit................... Born
Martin, Amos..................New Boston.........Franklin Co., Mass........ I848




- 3 -

ELIGIBLE MEMBERS-HURON-CONTINUED.
NAME.                    P. 0.                BIRTH PLACE.        CAME TO
WAYNE Co
Marshall, A. W................New Boston.........Wayne Co................Born
Nowland, M. H................New Boston.........Yates Co., N. Y........... 833
Nowland, H. R................New Boston.........Senaca Co., N. Y.......... 833
Norton, A. J................... Belden.............. Brown  Co., N. Y..........  834
Outhwait, Thos................ New  Boston......... England..................  1832
Outhwait, Fannie..............New Boston.........Wayne Co............... Born
Paller, Geo. H................. New Boston......... Wayne Co................ Born
Palter, James  B................ Belden..............W ayne Co................ Born
Richards, Ransom............. Belden.............. Wayne Co................ Born
Stewart, James................New  Boston.........Scotland..................  852
Simms, Stephen............... New Boston......... Kings Co., Ireland........ 1840
Smith, Geo. W................ Belden........... W ayne  Co............... Born
Sm art, John................... W altz...............Scotland..................  830
Slinger, John................... Waltz.............. York, Pennsylvania....... I834
Slinger, Jacob..................W altz..............W ayne Co................ Born
Stoflett, H. I...................Flat Rock...........Seneca  Co., N. Y..........  853
Sartman, Robert............... W altz.............. Germany.................  851
Stoflett, C. E.................. Flat Rock........... Seneca  Co., N. Y..........  853
Shelden, Chas. W..............W altz..............W ayne Co................ Born
Thompson, H. H...............Flat Rock...........St. Clair Co., Mich........ i849
Vandecar, M. G............... New Boston....... Wayne Co................ Born
W altz, Joseph.................W altz..............W ayneCo................ Born
W eaver, Martin................ W altz.............. W ayne Co................ Born
Warden, Rachel...............Waltz.............. Essex Co., New Jersey.... I835
Waltz, Adam.............       Waltz..............Wayne Co................ Born
Zeigler, Robert................ W altz.............. W ayne Co................ Born
LIVONIA.
Livonia was organized in I835.        The first settler was Daniel Blue,
who came with his son Alexander in I832 from Oneida county, N. Y.,
in the eastern part. Alexander McKinney came originally from Ireland in I832, and settled first in Redford, then moved to Livonia subsequently. Then came Thomas Hammond and Reuben Morse from
Steuben county, N. Y. Reuben Genss, Peter Melden, Geo. Ryders,
Erastus Everette, Nathan Kingsley, Gilbert Martin and Solomon Lambert came in I83I. Those who immediately followed were, James
Gunning, James Grace, N. Weston, Gabriel Dean, John Cahoon, Adolphus Brigham, Pardon Briggs and John G. Welch. The latter planted
the most extensive apple orchards in Michigan, then or since. The
first member of the State Legislature from Livonia was George Farrington, and the first justice of peace was Alexander Blue.
ELIGIBLE MEMBERS-LIVONIA.
NAME.                    P. 0.                BIRTH PLACE.       WAYNE.
Allyn, G. W. and Chas. B...... Nankin.............Michigan................. 845
Armstrong, Thos. Albert....... Nankin.............. New York................ 844
Arnheim, John................. Nankin............ Germany................. 1832
Blue, Alexander............... Elm................. Oneida Co., N. Y.......... 832
6




— 74


ELIGIBLE MEMBERS-LIVONIA —CONTINUED.
NAMB.                     P. 0.                 BIRTH PLACE.       WAYNE  O
Burnett, Thos................. Nankin.............. England..................  I834
Brown, Misses.................Nankin..............England..................  I858
Bovee,  N...................... Nankin.............. New   York................  I1859
Baur, John  C.................. Nankin.............. Germany.............. I1836
Barker, J. F..................Farmington......... New  York................  I84I
Bently, Nelson................. Elm................. New   York................  I843
Blanchard, W.................. Farmington......... New York................ I835
Briggs, Lewis.................. Plymouth........... New York................ 1830
Briggs, Dexter................. Plymouth........... Vermont................. i826
Briggs, Luther................. Plymouth........... New York................ i829
Carey, J. S....................Elm.................N ew   York................  1848
Chapman. A. L................ Elm................. New  York................  1840
Crosby, C. W.................. Nankin..............M ichigan................  I853
Chilson, Geo................... Livonia Center...... Michigan................  I836
Chilson, Avery J............... Livonia Center...... Michigan................1839
Cudworth, Mrs. A. L........... Livonia Center...... Massachusetts............ 1828
Dean, M  rs. C..................Nankin..............Michigan................ 1833
Durfee, Allen.................. Plymouth........... New York................ 1829
Everett, E. S.................. Plymouth........... New  Jersey...............1830
Elliott, 0. H..................Beech...............New   York................ 849
Everett, Orson................. Northville.......... Michigan................ I840
Fisk, Hiram................... Nankin.............Vermont.................  1836
Fuller, A. C................... Livonia Center...... Michigan................I843
Fuller, Edwin................. Plymouth........... New York................830
Green, G. W...................Elm.................M ichigan................ I834
Glass, E. P....................Beech...............N ew   York................  I832
Hawkins, Geo................. Livonia Center...... Michigan................ I839
Johns, A. G....................Nankin..............M ichigan.................1819
Joy, James K..................Nankin..............Michigan................ I845
Johnson, D.................... Nankin.............. Germany................ I852
Joslin, Lyman................ Livonia Center...... New York................ I846
Johnston, Simeon M........... Plank Road......... New York................ I844
Kingsley, N. B................ Livonia Center......New York................ I831
Kinney, Chas. A............... Elm.................New   York................  I845
Kinney, Courtland............. Elm.................New   York................  I845
Kator, Geo................      Northville...........Michigan................. I830
Kator, Mrs. Geo..............Northville...........Michigan.................  1839
Leach, E. C................... Livonia Center......Michigan................ I835
Lapham, J. B.................. Farmington.........Michigan................ I839
Lambert, Wm................. Plank Road.........New York................ I846
Millard, H. B.................. Livonia Center......New York................ I835
Meldrum, L................... Perrinsville.........New  York................  I836
McKinney, D.................. Elm.................Ireland................... 1832
M cKinney, James.............. Elm.................Ireland..................  1832
Minkley, E. G.................Livonia Center......New York................ I838
Millard, A. F.................. Livonia Center......New York................ I843
Maiden, David................ Plank Road......... England.................. I826
Paddock, A.................... Nankin............. Vermont..................  831
Pierce, Benj................... Farmington......... New York................ 826
Pierson, Wayne............... Farmington......... Michigan.................850
Power, A. D.................. Farmington......... New York................I831
Rattenbury, Wm. T........... Elm................. England.................I854
Rattenbury, Henry............ Elm................. England.................852




-75 -

ELIGIBLE MEMBERS-LIVONIA-CONTINUED.
Name.                    P. O.                BIRTH PLACE.      WAYNE C
Rattenbury, Henry, Sen....... Elm.................England................ I851
Ryder, Geo....................Nankin..............New   York................  827
Shaw, M  athew................. Elm................. Ireland...................  845
Smith, E......................Nankin..............Vermont...............  1827
Smith, J.  L.................... Nankin.............. Michigan................  I833
St. John, E. F.................Nankin..............Michigan.................  837
Stringer, Abram............... Livonia Center....... Michigan................ 1838
Shaw, Mathew     B.............................New   York................  828
Shaw, W  m. M.................Plank  Road.........Ireland..................  I841
Simmons, J. M................ Northville.......... Michigan................  I833
Simmons, I....................Northville..........Massachusetts.............  1824
Simmons, L. W................ Northville.......... Michigan.................  829
Terhaume, Alexander, Sr...... Livonia Center...... England................. 1830
Viley, John....................Elm............    New York................ 1854
W ight, 0O...................... Livonia Center...... Michigan................  854
Wight, George................. Livonia Center...... New York................ I836
W ight, Chas. D................Elm.................Ohio.....................  1842
W elch, John  G................Northville...........New  York................  I825
Winchester, H. E..............Wallaceville........Michigan................ 1846
MONG UAGOX.
This township was first settled in I812. An organization was
made May 25, I827, by the election of Colonel A. Truax, supervisor;
James Chittenden, clerk; John A. Rucker, James Chittenden and
Joseph Pulsifer, highway commissioners; Artemas Hosmer, Manoah
Hubell and Gardner Brown, assessors; James Street, treasurer; A.
Truax and Richard Smith, overseers of the poor.
The village of Trenton was laid out by Col. A. Truax in I834,
and was called "Truaxton," subsequently named Trenton.                 It at one
time furnished the finest steamers on the lakes. Col. A. Truax, Giles
B. Slocum, Geo. B. Truax, A. L. Bird, Capt. S. F. Atwood, Capt.
Arthur Edwards, Capt. Robert Wagstaff, Capt. Ira Davis, Artemus
Hosmer and Col. Sanders were among the first settlers.
ELIGIBLE MEMBERS-MONGUAGON.
Name.                    P. 0.                BIRTH PLACE.        Came TO
Alvord, N. C.................. Trenton............ Massachusetts............  I835
Alexander, A. M............... Grosse Isle.......... Michigan................ Born
Ballard, John.................. Grosse  Isle..........New   York................  830
Button, Wm..................Wyandotte.......... Michigan................ 1842
Duddleson,  W m...............Trenton............Ohio.....................  1838
Gray, Maj. Horace.............Slocum Junction.....New York................ 1829
Keeth, A. T..................Trenton............ Michigan.................  825
Lister, James  J................Trenton............Canada...................  I846
Paine, G. S....................W yandotte..........England..................  826
Reaume, Daniel...............Trenton............ Michigan................ Born
Vreeland, James H............Wyandotte..........Michigan................. 1842
Vreeland, John R..............Wyandotte..........Michigan................. 824




-76 -

VANKIX.
George M. Johnson was the first settler. He built in i824 the
first house in what is now the village of Wayne, which occupied the
present site of Hammond's shoe store. This tavern was afterwards
kept by one Simmons, who, in a drunken frenzy, murdered his wife, for
which he was hanged. This is the only instance of legal hanging in
the State of Michigan. In i83i Ezra Derby bought the Simmons
property. The first road was laid out by Geo. M. Johnson and
Harry Tuttle in June, i827. The first superviser was the Rev.
Marcus Swift, and James F. Chubbs was the first justice of the peace
and clerk. The first child born in the township was Maria Krider,
wife of J. D. Buntin, of Wayne.
ELIGIBLE MEMBERS-NANKIN.
NAME.                    P. 0.                 BIRTH PLACE.        CAME TO
WAYNE Co.
Biddle & Fisher................Wayne..............Wayne Co............ I836
Bridge, James................. Perrinsville......... Ireland............... I848
Bills, M....................... Perrinsville.........W ayne Co................ Born
Bennetts, C.................... Inkster............. Germany................  i854
Comer, Geo. D................. W ayne..............W ayne Co................  845
Collar, Dr. Alexander..........Wayne..............New York................ 849
Carver, E. B...................Inkster.............Ohio............... 1822
Dilsch, A. F. & Son............ Wayne............Germany................ I857
Downer, Robt.................Wayne.............. Wayne Co................Born
Duffield, Wm. W.............. Inkster..............Pennsylvania............. I836
Dean, W  m. D.................Nankin..........      New  York................  I836
Edmonds, Wm................ Wayne............. Saratoga Co., N. Y........ 834
Grant, David.................W  ayne..............W ayne Co................ 1815
Hammon & Brother............Wayne............ New York............. 83I
Hamson, Martin...............Inkster.........Wayne Co............ I829
Howe, P.....................W  ayne............  New   York.............  1846
Harrison,  H................... Inkster....       W ayne  Co................  821
Harrison...................... Inkster.............W ayne Co...........  1826
Kamerer, C....................W ayne..............Germany.................  1839
Lee, Eli....................... W ayne.........New  York................  1823
Luther, John.................. Inkster............. Ireland................... I834
Luther, Mrs. A................ Inkster.............  Ireland...................  847
Miller, H...........Wayne...........Wayne.... Prussia............. 854
Norris, James D.............. Wayne............. New York............  1836
Pettingill, W. A...............Wayne.............. New York............ 1854
Palmer, J. J...................Wayne...........New York..835
Perrin, Friend.................. Wallaceville....... Massachusetts........... 834
Parsley, Thomas............... Wayne...........New York........     I847
Robinson, Hugh..............Wayne..........       Ireland............    1854
Sheldon, E. D.................Wayne..............New York............  859
Slawslayer, Ezra W............Wayne.......... Detroit................. 185
Straight, 0. B................Perrinsville.........Wayne Co............ 1839
Shook, Peter................... W ayne..........   Maryland................ I836
Swift, Geo. W.................Wayne............New York............... 1825
Smith, Julius  C................W ayne.............. England.................. I858
Sinn, Sam uel.................. Inkster.......... England..................  833




-77


ELIGIBLE MEMBERS-NANKIN-CONTINUED.
NAME.                P. 0.             BIRTH PLACE.    CAMETO
WAYNE Co.
Stevenson, Isaiah.............. Wayne............. Wayne Co................  840
Tuit, James.......... Perrinsville..........Yorkshire, England.......  831
Varney, Frank................W ayne.............. New  York................ I850
W alker, Geo. 0O................ Perrinsville..........New  York...............  185I
Webber, John..................Perrinsville..........Holland................  853
Walker, Wm.................Inkster.......  Ireland................... I852
PL.YMOUTH.
This is one of the finest townships in the county, and from the
first was occupied by men characterized in their history as possessing
intelligence, enterprise and integrity, which, in both early and later
days, have given it the name of " The Model township of the county."
The first purchase of land was made in 1824 by Alanson Aldrich, who
was a Quaker in his religious belief. The first actual settlers, however, were Wm. and Allen Tibbitts, who bought 8oo acres, and settled
upon it the latter part of 1824. They were soon followed by Gerrit
Houghtailing, Erastus Starkweather, Samuel Gates, Edwin Stuart,
Herman Stowe, Daniel Baker and Luther Lincoln. The last erected
a saw mill on the Rouge as early as I827. John Miller purchased the
land which is the present site of Northville, who, converting a huge
boulder into a millstone, erected a small mill, which did the grinding
for a number of years. Then followed Wm. Starkweather, Gideon
Benton, David Phillips, A. B. Markham, Gannett Ramsdell, Pitts Taft,
Dyer and Noah Ramsdell, Roswell Root, Dr. Northrop, Sherwood
Gregory, Dr. David Gregory, Dr. Lewis Carlisle, Dr. Frank
Markham, Captain William Dunlap, Henry and Peter Fralick and
Dr. J. P. Davis. George Starkweather was the first white child born
in the township. He is at present a prosperous merchant in Plymouth
village. The late Jonathan Shearer settled over fifty years ago. In
1826 the settlers of Plymouth gathered first to listen to the preaching
of Elder Hickox, who was succeeded by Elder Marcus Swift. In
February, I827, a second meeting was held at the house of William
Tibbetts, when preliminary steps for a township organization were
taken, and in April following William Barton was elected supervisor;
Allen Tibbitts, clerk; A. B. Markham, treasurer; Erastus Starkweather, Roswell Root and Henry Lyon, assessors; Philo Taylor,
justice of the peace. There were forty-two votes cast, and a vote was
taken to raise $150 for necessary expenses during the ensuing year.
ELIGIBLE MEMBERS-PLYMOUTH.
NAME.                P.0.              BIRTH PLACE.    CAME TO
WAYNE CO.
Argent, Geo...................Plymouth...........W ayne Co................  1836
Allen, Chas. C.................Plymouth......... W ayne Co................  1839
Ambler, John  M.............Northville...........Wayne Co., N. Y.........  r850




ELIGIBLE MEMBERS-PLYMOUTH-CONTINUED.
CAME TO
NAME.                    P. 0.                 BIRTH PLACE.       WAYNE Co.
Allen, D. D....................Plymouth........ Wayne Co...............Born
Angel, J. E.................Northville...........Wayne Co., N. Y........ I834
Briggs, John................... Plymouth.......... Cayuga Co., N. Y........   830
Bradner, Joel G................ Plymouth..... Wayne C       o............  I830
Benton, Hiram C.............. Meadsmills..........Wayne Co............  I836
Blackman, Mrs. L.............. Plymouth.......... Wayne Co., N. Y........     824
Baily, L. D....................Plymouth......... W ayne Co................  I1830
Rufus Babbitt.................Summit............Ontario Co., N. Y........ 1838
Blackwood, Robt.............. Northville..........Bucks Co., Pennsylvania.. I831
Booth, F. L....................Northville.....    New York................854
Bartram, J............        Northville...........Wayne Co............ 830
Baker, Geo. W................. Plymouth...........Wayne Co............  I830
Bennett & Whipple............Plymouth........... New York............  I833
Crawford, Wm.................Northville...........Wayne Co................828
Chase, Gifford................Plymouth........... Wayne Co............  i829
Clarkson, D................... Northville....   New Jersey............. I831
Durfee, G....................Plymouth.... Wayne Co., N. Y......... I827
Durfee, R. S............      Plymouth.....Wayne Co., N. Y......... I827
Durfee, C. D..................Plymouth.......     Wayne Co............  I830
Downer, Wm. E...............Northville........ Monroe Co., N. Y........ I838
Downer, D. H................. Northville.......... Wayne Co...........  I840
Dody, John M................. Plymouth........... New Hampshire.......       I838
Eldred, Geo................... Plymouth...........Wayne Co................837
Elliott, Jaspar N...............Northville...........Wayne Co............  I836
Elliott, Jabin..................Northville...........Cayuga Co., N. Y......... I831
Fry, Wm. E..................Northville........... Kent Co., England........ I846
Griswold, C. A................ Northville......... Windham Co., Vermont... I826
Gage, A. W...................Northville...........Monroe Co., N. Y........ I854
Garfield, Chas.................Northville......... Oakland Co...........  1855
Guthrie, Wallace............... Northville........... Wayne Co................ I1844
Haywood, John................ Plymouth........... Wayne Co............  1845
Herrick, Chas.................. Plymouth..........Wayne Co............  1850
Hastings, Wm...........Northville........... Wayne Co...............848
Hastings, E. S.................Northville....      Wayne Co., N. Y......... I843
Harmon, John.................Northville...........St. Lawrence Co., N. Y.... I843
Hudson, Wm. H...............Plymouth...........Wayne Co...............843
Johnson, Homer...............Plymouth...........Seneca Co., N. Y........ I834
Jackson, W. S..................Northville.........  W ayne Co................ I1853
Kenyon, M....................Plymouth...........Wayne Co............  I840
Kingsley, Albert...............Plymouth........... Rutland Co., Vermont...1. 829
Kent, Gardner................ Northville...........Wayne Co............  I 840
Kingsley, Chas. E..............Meadsmills..........Washtenaw Co.........    I855
Kelley, E. A................... Plymouth...........Washtenaw Co..........I85I
Launing, Wm. J............... Northville........... Wayne Co................ I844
Little, Samuel H.............Northville........... Belfast, Ireland........... I853
Leonard, C. T................. Northville.......... Seneca Co., N. Y........ I846
Lapham, A. J................. Plymouth........... Oakland Co.............. 866
McKray, W.................... Plymouth.......... Crawford Co., Penn...       I83I
Moon, A. M................. Plymouth...........Wayne Co...........  I840
Macomber, W. F...............Northville...........Wayne Co............  i850
McClumpha, E.................Plymouth...........Washtenaw Co..........857
Root, H. R....................Plymouth...........W ayne Co................  844
Scott, Winfield................. Northville.......... Seneca Co., N. Y........ i842




-79 -

ELIGIBLE MEMBERS-PLYMOUTH —CONTINUED.
NAME.                    P. 0.                BIRTH PLACE.       CAME TO
WAYNE Co.
Shadduck, H.................. Plymouth........ Hartford, Connecticut..... I852
Shearer, Jonathan..............Plymouth......... Berkshire Co.. Mass....... I835
Sly, H. P.....................Plymouth.........New York............... 829
Savage, James................. Northville...........Monroe Co., N. Y......... 1859
Starkweather, Geo. A..........Plymouth..........Wayne Co................ I826
Starkweather, Samuel..........Northville........ Sussex Co., New Jersey... 1825
Smith, Fred H................ Plymouth......... Wayne Co................ 840
Stevens, A. N..................Plymouth...........Washtenaw Co........... I850
Slaght, Isaac................. Northville........ Seneca Co., N. Y....... I855
Slade, Henry............  Plymouth.......... New  York...............  1855
Silleck, Henry................ Plymouth....... Oakland Co............... 850
Shafer, J. S....................Plym outh...........Canada..................  I857
Springer, Samuel J............. Plymouth....... Michigan................. 841
Thompson, I. J................ Northville........... Livingston Co., N. Y.  I850
Thayer, Rufus................. Summit...........Windham Co., Vermont... 1825
Turrill, Lyman............ Summit..........Ontario Co., N. Y......... 1826
Tobias, E......................Northville...........Wayne Co........... 1840
Whipple, Calvin...............Northville......... OntaIio Co., N. Y......... I832
Waterman, R. B...............Northville.......... Hudson, N. Y............. 1835
W hipple, 0. V................. Northville..........Oakland  Co.............. 1858
Yerkes, Wm. P................Northville...........Seneca, N. Y............. 1826
REDFORD.
Redford was originally one of the towns or subdivisions composing the township of Buckland, the other three being what are now the
townships of Greenfield, Livonia and Dearborn. The first settlement
was made by a man named Bell in I818. No further settlements were
made until I825, when Thomas Gildard located a tract of land.                 In
I827 Benjamin and James Green, from Ontario Co., N. Y., made a settlement. In I828 came Geo. Norris from Geneva, N. Y., also William
Lyon. In I829 Geo. Farrington, from Steuben county, N. Y., came.
In I832 S. K. Burgess, from Birmingham, Oakland Co., with his
father, Harmon, located a farm, and during the same year Lewis
Cook, from N. Y., Geo. Boyce, from England, and Hiram Wilmarth,
Noah Peck, Ralph and Benjamin Bell became residents.
The township takes its name from the river Rouge (red). The
Grand River road was laid through this township in I833.               The first
death was that of Mrs. Parsons, in I830. She came from Vermont.
The first marriage service was performed by Justice Fox in I830.
ELIGIBLE MEMBERS-REDFORD.
NAME.                    P. O.                BIRTH PLACE.       CAMB TO
WAYNE Co.
Allen, Horace.............  Greenfield......... New York............. 832
Ashcroft, H. W................ Redford........  Vermont............... 850
Burgess, S. K..................Redford............New  York...............  I832
Biglow, Hiram................ Beech............... W ayne...................  I847
Brown, John................. Yew..............Cork Co., Ireland.......... I833




-80


ELIGIBLE MEMBERS-REDFORD-CONTINUED.
NAME.                     P. 0.                 BIRTH PLACE.      WAYNE C
WAYNE CO.
Cranson, M. L.................Plank Road.........New York.......... I832
Cowling, Joseph............... Redford............ Devonshire, England...... 826
Cross, Geo. A.................. Redford............ New Jersey............ 836
Churches, Edward............. Redford............ England.................. I838
Carr, L. D..................... Redford............ Vermont............. I845
David, E......................Greenfield........  France...................  I848
Duboise, E. M.................Redford...........Wayne Co................ 1848
Dicks, Henry...........   Oak................ Wayne Co.............. 1830
Davis, Sabria.................. Oak................ New York............ I830
Davis, G. L................... Oak................ Germany................  1856
Dunning, J.............         Beech...............New York............. I835
Fisher, Aaron H............... Beech.............. Canada.................. I835
Fisher, Geo. H................. Beech..............Wayne Co............ I844
Franklin, John D..............Yew................Wayne Co............ I848
Gordon, Geo. C................ Redford Centre..... Canada.............. I844
Gleason. James................                      W.................. I837
Gagnier. Dorick................ Yew................Canada........... I832
Guellory, F.................... Redford............ France.............. I852
Houk, W. E...................Redford Centre.....Michigan.............. 1846
Houck, Hugh................ Redford Centre.....Wayne Co............... 1843
Hendryx, James W............ Beech..............New York............... 1835
Harris, Alfred................. Oak................ Canada............. I836
Humbert, Jacob............... Redford............ France.............. I833
Hostetter, Christ...............Yew................France.............. I833
Hendryx, Alexander.......... Yew................ Scotland............... 1838
H aley, 0O...................... Greenfield.......... Ireland...................  I846
Johnson, T. H................. Oak............. W ayne Co................  842
Joyce, C. F....................Oak................ New   Jersey...............  852
Jackson, Mathew............. Oak................ England............... I832
Jackson, J. J...................Oak...............W ayne  Co...............  1839
Lynn, Wm.................. Beech............. Yorkshire, England....... 1829
Lee, J. M. & G. W.............Redford........... New Jersey............  I852
McIntyre, A. P...............Redford............ Madison Co., N. Y........ 1845
Minock, John.................. Beech..............W ayne Co...............  I841
Mettetal....................... Greenfield........... France............... 1833
Miller, Geo..................Redford......... Wayne Co................ 847
Miller, J. P.............      Redford............Wayne Co................ I845
Norris, Geo............    Beech...............Geneva, N. Y.......... i829
Nilson, J. w................... Beech..............New York............ 1847
Pierce, A. B...................Redford Centre......New York............ 859
Perry, J. D.................... Redford Centre......Vermont.............        I837
Pierce, 0. 0O...................Redford........... New York............. 833
Prindle, Edgar................Beech...............Wayne Co............... 1850
Smith, Dr. C. C................ Redford Centre.... New Hampshire.......... 855
Smith, Eugene................. Beech.............. Wayne Co................ 842
Smith, F. J....................Redford.......... New York............. I845
Sperry, Ira....................Plank Road........ New Haven, Conn....... 1845
Stuckey, Geo...............Redford...........Michigan................. 844
Simms, Henry................. Greenfield...........Wayne Co.............. 852
Sackett, Frank................. Beech.............. Wayne Co..............      843
Sackett, Edwin................Oak................Wayne Co................ I840
Spencer, E. M................. Oak.New York..............                       845
Smith, Mrs. P.................Greenfield...........New York............. I826




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ELIGIBJLE MEMBERS-REDFORD-CONTINUED.
NAME                     P. 0.                BIRTH PLACE.        CAME TO
WAYNE Co.
Smead, D.................... Redford............ New  York...............  833
Tucker, Charles................ Greenfield........... England.................  1849
Woodruff, A. S.................Redford............New York............ I859
W ight, R......................Redford............Ohio.....................  I834
W allace, James................ Plank  Road......... Scotland.................  I845
Westlake, Geo................. Redford.........  England.................. 848
Westlake, Thomas..........Redford............Michigan................ I855
ROMUL US.
Romulus was first settled by a French Canadian named Samuel
Polyne, on section two, which subsequently became a part of the farm
of Thomas B. Thomas. Soon after this settlement, Solomon Whitaker, Charles and Joseph Pulcifer made locations; in I833 Jenks
Pullen and his six sons, who afterward became prominent; then followed, up to I840, Warren Blair, John Simpson, Dr. John F. Smith,
John Carr, A. P. Young, Hiram Fisk, Geo. Dykeman, C. C. Burt,
Peter D. Lanney and Philip Reynolds. Township organized April,
I835. Supervisor, D. J. Pullen; clerk, John Simpson.
ELIGIBLE MEMBERS-ROMULUS.
NAME.                    P. 0.                BIRTH PLACE.        CAME TO
Bibbins, Samuel............... Romulus............New York............... I833
Bird, Richard................Romulus...........England.................  834
Bateham, Joseph........... Romulus...........England.................. 840
Bower, Livingston.............Taylor Centre....... New York.......... 1836
Carr, John................... New  Boston......... Scotland..................  I834
Cawood, H. B...............    New Boston......... England.................. 856
Cook, Felis.................... Inkster............. Germany.................  854
Clark, John  D................Romulus........   Michigan.................  I846
Cheney, D.....................W ayne............New  York................  I846
Dean, Lewis J................. Romulus........... Delaware.................  I856
Downer, Eliza B.............. W ayne.............. England................. 1836
Downing, Thomas............. Romulus............England................... 1841
Dunn, James................ W   ayne.............Ireland...................  846
Dunn, Michael................. W ayne............W ayne Co...............  843
Dunn,' James.................. W ayne.............. Michigan................  I840
Kingsley, S. B................. Romulus........... New York............... 852
London, C..................... W ayne..............Ireland...................  I838
Morris, H. G..........         Romulus........... New York............... I849
Merrill, H. W.................. Romulus............ Massachusetts............ I845
McBride, W. H................Romulus............New York................ I835
Moore, Andrew................ W ayne............ Ireland..................  832
McBride, Alexander............ Wayne..............Michigan................ I852
Newington, James.............Wayne............. England.................. 837
Oakley, F. W..................Romulus....         New York............... I856
Parry, G...................... Romulus...........W ales.....................  855
Pullen, A. J.................. Romulus...........New   York.......:........  1832
Rowell, Wm................... Romulus........... Canada.................. 1849




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ELIGIBLE MEMBERS-ROMULUS-CONTINUED.
NAME.                    P. 0.                 BIRTH PLACE.       CAMYC TO
Vealy, Phillip.................. W ayne.............New  York.............  832
W hitaker, W m................. Romulus............ Maine....................  I840
Young, A. P.................. Romulus............ New  York................  1833
SPRING WELLS.
Springwells is contemporary with Detroit, and was settled mainly
by French. Joseph Barron was the first justice of the peace; this was in
i830. Gov. Wm. Woodbridge and Captain Whittimore Knaggs were
residents prior to that time. Its history is so closely identified with
that of Detroit, that that of one will comprehend both.
ELIGIBLE MEMBERS-SPRINGWELLS.
NAME.                    P. 0.                 BIRTH PLACE.        CAME Co.
Burns, Peter...................Springwells.........New York............. 837
Button, Harry................. Springwells.......... New  York...............  1837
Burdens, John................. Delray.............  Michigan................  i822
Clippert, Conrad............... Detroit Junction..... Germany................ I850
Carstens, John H.............. Detroit....... Germany................ I854
Campau, Samuel............... Detroit.............Michigan................  I835
Campau, Louis................ Springwells........Michigan................ 1854
Carter, Richard................Springwells.......... Michigan................ I848
Daniel, Jacob.................. Springwells.......... Germany................  I850
Durmen, Michael............ Springwells.......... Germany................ I850
De  Lisle, P. B................. Delray............Michigan................ I846
Ewen, W  m....................Springwells..........Michigan................  I830
Fields, Chas................... Springwells.......... Canada.........      I83I
Ford, W m..................... Springwells......Ireland.................  I847
Gray, Alexander...............Springwells........ Scotland....1. I854
Haggerty, Henry..............Springwells.......... New York.............. 1831
Hyns, Francis............. Springwells.........Michigan............. I847
Hubbard, Bela................. Detroit..............  New  York............... I835
Kloen, Hummer Charles.......Springwells. Germany................ 1853
Larkin, Thomas................ Springwells..........Michigan........ I845
Lange, William..............Springwells....... New York............... 1855
Markey, John..................Springwells.......... Ireland.................  I849
Markey, Peter.................Springwells......   Michigan................. 85o
Markey, Patrick................Springwells.........Ireland................. 1852
Meade, Edward................ Detroit......        Ireland................. I854
Peterson, Henry...............Detroit..............Scotland............. I851
Rieden, Fred.................. Springwells.........Germany................ I845
Rieden, Michael...............Springwells.........Germany................ I847
Ranspach, Chas................ Springwells...      Germany............. I850
Riopelle, L. A................. Delray............. Michigan................  822
Riopelle, H.................... Delray............. Michigan................  I807
Roehm, Christian............. Detroit...           Germany................ 837
Sink, Leonard................. Springwells.........Germany................ I85I
Sink, Augustus R..............Detroit Junction.. Michigan................ I843
Travers, Wm. H............... Detroit............Port Huron, Michigan.... I85I
Teagan, Jonathan.............. Detroit.............. Ireland.............. I834
Thierry, James............... Detroit.............. France............... 848
Verden, Lawrence.............. Detroit.............. Ireland................ I842
Woodworth, Alfred............Springwells.......... New York................ 1832




-83


S UMP TER.
Sumpter was originally a part of Huron township, but in i835 the
legislature passed an act authorizing a portion of Huron township to
be set apart, and established the town of Sumpter. In April of that
year the township officers were elected.
The following residents of this township are now eligible as members of this society:
ELIGIBLE MEMBERS-SUMPTER.
NAME.                    P. 0.                BIRTH PLACE.        CAME TO
WAYNE CO.
Burnap, Job................... Belden..............Montgomery Co., N. Y.... I857
Corkins, Anson.................Martinville...........Wayne Co..............Born
Denmark, George J............Martinville.........Livingston Co., N. Y...... 838
Elwell, Joseph............... Belleville............Wayne Co................ Born
Huth, Lewis................... Martinville...........W ayne  Co................Born
Hooker, Chester............... East Bellville........ Michigan............... Born
Merrill, Wm................... West Sumpter...... Vermont............... I845
Northrop, Horatio.............West Sumpter......Genessee Co., N. Y........1 854
Niles, Solomon R.............. Rawsonville......... Madison Co., N. Y..... 1852
Pearl, Perry D. (been member
of Legislature)........... elleville........... Bloomfield Co., Maine..... I835
Smith, F.....................Belleville............Oswego Co., N. Y...... 848
Wightman, John............... Martinville............................... i852
TA TL OR.
Taylor township was formerly a portion of Ecorse, and was set
off in I847 by special act of the legislature. The first purchaser of a
tract of land was      Peter    Coan.     After   him   his  brother    Edmund
came, then George Brundit, John Hayden, Augustus Coan, the father
of Peter, who was a soldier in the war of I812; James Moat, James
and Wm. Sutliff and Elias Vreeland. Jared Sexton was the first
supervisor.
ELIGIBLE MEMBERS-TAYLOR.
NAME.                    P. 0.                BIRrH PLACE.       CAM To.
Boltz, Peter.................... Taylor Centre....... New Jersey............... I850
Bondie, Antoine...............Taylor Centre...... Michigan................ I824
Beadlestone, Geo. W.......... Dearborn............ New York............... i856
Coan, Martin D................Taylor Centre.......New York.............. I809
Fletcher, Wm. W..............Taylor Centre...... New York................ 824
Holmes, James W.............. Dearborn...........Michigan................. 834
Locke, W. S..................Taylor Centre.......New York................ I844
Lappeus, S. B................ Dearborn............ New  York...............  I854
McPherson, John.............. Wyandotte.......... Pennsylvania.............. I845
Moat, Chas.................... Taylor Center.......England.................   1834
Moring, Frederick.............Wyandotte.......... Germany................ I854
Ochring, John.................Wyandotte.........Germany................. 856
Prouty, W. F..................Taylor Centre.......New York............... 859
Prouty, Henry H.............. Taylor Centre.......Ohio................. 859




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ELIGIBLE MEMBERS-TAYLOR-CONTINUED.
NAME.                    P. 0.                BIRTH PLACE.      WANE C.
Rudduck, Sidney.............. Inkster..........  England............... 1842
Ross, Henry..................Taylor Centre....... Ireland...................  852
Sutliff, Wm...................Taylor Centre....... New York................ 1817
Smith, J. B....................Wyandotte..........New York........834
Sickmund......................Wyandotte........New York............... I855
Steward, W. N................Wyandotte........New York................ i834
Sutliff, Richard..............Taylor Centre.......New York................ 1832
Silcox, Mrs. E.............Taylor Centre....... Massaiussetts........... 854
Sheldon, Lorenzo.............. Inkster.............. Michiga................. i853
Sheldon, Ezra.................. Inkster............ NeWr York...............  I836
Threadgould, Francis..........Taylor Centre....... England......       i850
Trowbridge, Warren........... Inkster..............New York.............   1853
Townsend, J. G................Inkster...         New York................ 831
VAN B UREN.
The territory comprising this township was originally that of the
present townships of Romulus and Sumpter, known as the old township of Huron. It was organized in 1836. Ebenezer Eaton was the
first supervisor; Job Smith, clerk; Alexander Buchanan, treasurer;
Arba Ash, John M. Hiller and James Vaughn, assessors; John
Buchanan, Waterman Convis and Miner Savage, school commissioners;
Benjamin Brendy, Isaac Otis and Daniel Douglas, highway commissioners. The first school house was built in 1822, John Price being
the teacher. The first white child born was Anson Corkins, in I820.
Harry Hubbard settled first at Trenton in I818, afterwards moving to
Van Buren. Nathan Wood settled on what is known as the Stufflit
farm in I822. Amasa Rawson established Rawsonville in I824. A
man named Snow started a landing on the Huron in I82I. Among
others of the early settlers were David and Lewis Freeman.
ELIGIBLE MEMBERS-VAN BUREN.
NAME.                    P. 0.                BIRTH PLACE.       CAME TO
WAYNE Co.
Brown, L. B................... Rawsonville......... New  York................  I835
Brown, Perrin................. Rawsonville.........New  York...............  I838
Bradshaw, Amos............ Belleville............ New York............    1I826
Burt, Franklin............    Belleville............New York........ I846
Barlow, Chas. J................ Rawsonville........ New York......        I836
Beggam, Thomas.............. Denton........... New York..............      835
Burrell, George............... Denton............. England...............  1838
Campbell, S. W................Belleville............Wayne County............ 1836
Campbell, Chas................ Rawsonville...., New Jersey............... 1846
Crawford, W.................. Belleville...........New  York...............  83I
Corkins, V.....................Belleville............New  York................  I824
Elwell, George................. Belleville............Maine................... 1835
Forbes, Daniel................. Belleville............Wayne County............ 826
Featherly, D. A..............Belleville........... New  York................  I831
Hubbard, Harry] R............Belleville...........New York................ i819
Heath, Truman H............. Belleville............Vermont................  832




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ELIGIBLE MEMBERS-VAN BUREN-CONTINUED.
NAME.              P. 0.           BIRTH PLACE.  WAYNE CO.
Hasner, Newton.........Belleville..   Washtenaw County...... I85I
Moore, G. W...........Romulus.......New York City.......1832
Manzer, A............Belleville.......Wayne County...... 1841
Monks, John...........Belleville.......England..........1852
Parker, David J.........Belleville.......New York...... --- —-1839
Riggs, Gilbert.........Belleville....Wayne County, N. Y....1836
Robb, Miss Anna...................Wayne County....   1.. 850
Snuck, Geo...........Belleville.......New York.........1848
Stanley, C. S..........Rawsonville......New York...       1833
Smith, David J.........Belleville.......New York.      1833
Savage, Win. 0.........Belleville....... -Wayne County.......1837
Savage, Daniel..........Belleville....-New York.1....... 832
Smith, Wm...........Denton........New York.........1837
Warren, Win. E.........Belleville.......Onondaga Co., N. Y..1..  836
Winslow, G. M..........Canton........New York.........834
Ward, A.............Belleville........Michigan.........1840
Whitlay, Wmn..........Belleville........England........ 1..I848
VILLAGES IN WAYNE COUNTY.
TRENTON-Already mentioned.
NORTHVILLE-Laid out in 1840 by Capt. Win. Dunlap and Daniel
L. Cady.
PLYMOUTH —In 1837, by H. B. Holbrook.
WATERFORD-In 1837, by Dyer Ramsdell.
NORRIS-In 1872, by Col. P. W. Norris.
DELRAY~-In 1856, by Elisha Chase.
DEARBORNVILLE-In 1833, by Paul D. Anderson.
WAYNE-In 1835, by Ezra Derby.
DENTON-In i866, by Samuel T. Denton.
RAWSONVILLE-In 1836, by A. Rawson, Mathew Wood and
Abraham Voorhes.
BELLEVILLE-In 1848, by George D. Hill, Daniel L. Quirk and
R. P. Clark.
GIBRALTER-In I837 by Benjamin B. Kircheval, Joshua Howard
and Peter Godfroy, trustees of the Gibralter and Flat Rock Company.
FLAT ROCK-At same time.
WALTz-In 1872, by Josiah Watz.
BELDEN-In i87i, by Francis T. Belden and wife.
GRANDPORT, OR ECORSE-In 1836, by Simeon Roussou, A. Labadie, L. Bourassau and P. White.




CHRONOGRAPHY —THIRD PERIOD.
1796.-For the first time, July i th, the stars and stripes waved over
Detroit. Northwest Territory set apart August i8, as the County
of Wayne, by Winthrop Sargeant, acting Governor. Bounded
East by Cayuga river, Ohio, on the line between what is now
Indiana and Illinois, northwestward to the national boundary line,
embracing Wisconsin and a portion of Ohio and Indiana. Detroit
was constituted the county seat or capital. Measures adopted to
extend the Ordinance of Congress of I787, over this portion of the
Northwest Territory. General Arthur St. Clair was appointed
Governor. Delegates were elected to the first territorial legislature.
I797.-Solomon Sibley settled and was the first Supreme Judge.
1798.-April 7, Congress organized the territory of Mississippi, and
Winthrop Sargeant was appointed Secretary, William Henry
Harrison taking his place as Secretary of the Northwest Territory, which he held until he was elected a delegate to Congress.
Oct. 29, General Arthur St. Clair issued a proclamation causing an
election for representatives to a territorial legislature, the election
being held the third Monday of December. Rev. Gabriel
Richards arrived at Detroit as pastor of St. Ann's church. He at
once celebrated all marriages had previously under the civil law.
1799.-Representatives elected met at Cincinnati, January 22nd. James
Bennett, James Findlay, Henry Vanderburg, Robert Oliver and
David Vance, were confirmed as members of the Legislative
Council of the Northwestern Territory. The territorial legislature
convened at Cincinnati, September 24. There were 19 members,
of whom seven were from Hamilton county, four from Ross
county, three from Wayne, two from Adams, and one each from
the counties of Jefferson, Washington and Knox. October 3rd,
the Legislature elected William Henry Harrison delegate to Congress. Stephen Mack, the first American merchant, arrived in
Detroit. He was the maternal grandfather of Rev. David M.
Cooper, pastor of the Memorial Presbyterian church.   John
Francis Hamtramck, appointed by President John Adams, Commandent at Detroit. On the I8th of January, the King's birthday
was celebrated at Sandwich. The American officers participated




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by invitation. Detroit first made a port of entry. March 2, Act of
Congress, includes in the district of Detroit all the waters of Lake
Erie, Huron, St. Clair, and rivers connected therewith, west of the
river Miama to the Island of Michilmackinac, and the President
appoints a collector to reside at Detroit.
i8oo.-Rev. Dr. David Bacon, a Congregational clergyman from Connecticut arrived at Detroit, and established the first Protestant
church. The territory of Indiana erected by Congress. Chillicothe, Ohio, fixed as seat of government for Northwest Territory,
July 4. General Arthur St. Clair, Governor.
I80o.-Wm. Henry Harrison commissioned as Governor of Indiana
territory, and General St. Clair re-appointed Governor of the
Northwest Territory. Northwestern territorial legislature at
Chillicothe, Ohio, passed an Act incorporating Detroit.
I802.-The erection of Ohio into a State. The whole of Michigan or
Wayne county became a part of Indiana territory. Ohio admitted
a State. First municipal election in Detroit.
i8o3.-The post office first established in Detroit. Col. John Francis
Hamtramck died April I Ith.
I804.-Congress passed an Act reserving section I6 in each township
for school purposes, thereafter designated " School Lands." U. S.,
Land Office established at Detroit. Rev. Mr. Freeman preached
the first Methodist sermon in Michigan, and Dr. Bangs the second.
By Act of March 20, the Land District of Detroit covered all lands
in which the Indian titles had been extinguished, north of Ohio.
This would include Wisconsin.
I805.-Congress created the territory of Michigan, the Act to take
effect June 3oth. Wm. Hull, of Massachusetts, was appointed
Governor.  Augustus Woodward, Frederick Bates, and John
Griffin, were appointed territorial judges. Fire occurred June IIth,
which almost totally destroyed Detroit, including the third St. Ann's
Church. In consequence, the Governor and Judges were directed
by an Act of Congress to lay out the town anew; hence came what
is still known as "The Governor and Judges' Plan of Detroit."
July 3I, Territorial Supreme Court established. The Territory of
Michigan commenced its existence July 2, and embraced all the
Lower Peninsular.
I8o6.-On the petition of Angelique Campau, Elizabeth Williams and
Rev. Gabriel Richards, the Governor and Judges donated a
lot of land on Section i, for the erection of a new school building
in connection with St. Ann's church. Bank of Detroit chartered
by the Governor and Judges.




-88


I807.-Governor Hull effected a treaty with all the Indian tribes
of the Northwest, except the Shawnees. Tecumseh, their chief,
refused to sign. Congress withheld its approval of the Act of the
Governor and Judges in granting charter to the Bank of Detroit.
The first brick house erected by Woodruff, and occupied by Gov.
Hull. Donation of land by Governor and Judges on the northwest
corner of Larned street and Woodward avenue, on which was
erected the first Protestant church; Rev. Jno. Monteith, pastor.
Donations of land were also made to the Methodists, Baptists and
Episcopal churches, to the Mechanics' society, and to the Catholic
church for burial purposes. James Witherell succeeded Frederick
Bates as Territorial Judge. Gov. Hull made a treaty with the
Ottawas, Chippewas, Hurons and Pottawattomies, known as the
Indian treaty of Granville for Michigan, Wayne Co. lands.
I8o8.-Land district enlarged and made to cover all on which Indian
title is extinguished by treaty of November I7, made at Detroit.
I8o9.-Special Council was held by Governor Hull with the Hurons or
Wyandottes, the chief being "Walk-in-the-Water." They were
dissatisfied with the Granville treaty.  This was the first time
Tecumseh and his brother appeared prominent in creating jealousies against the Americans. The principal settlements were upon
the Miama and Raisin, on the Huron of Lake Erie, Clinton,
St. Clair, and the Island of Mackinac. The entire white population was 4,834, three-fourths Canadians and French. Charter of
Detroit granted heretofore by Governor and Judges revoked
February 24. First printing press brought to Detroit by Father
Richards, and James Miller published the first newspaper printed,
styled the "Michigan Essay, or Impartial Observer," dated
Friday, August 3ist. Rev. Wm. Case appointed by the New
York Methodist Conference at Detroit. He made his home with
Mr. Abbott.
i8io.-First Methodist Society organized four miles west of Detroit,
on the Rouge. The population of Detroit was 700 whites, exclusive of soldiers. Rev. Williams organized the first Methodist
society, with seven members: Robert and Betsey Abbott, his
wife, Wm. and Maria McCarthy, his wife, Wm. and Betsey Stacey
and Sarah Macomb.
i8ii.-Name of Fort Lenault or Lernoult, changed to that of Shelby.
The Indian tribes indicate disturbance and a desire to violate the
treaty made with Wayne. The Shawnee Prophet and his brother
were active leaders, and received encouragement from the British.
Hostilities begun on the part of the Indians at Tippecanoe, where
they were defeated by Harrison. Gen. Hull, Governor. Earth



- 89 --


quake shock first noticed in this locality. That portion of Detroit
known as the " Cass Farm " was conveyed by government patent
April i ith, to John W., William and D. B. Macomb.
1812.-War declared between England and the United States, June
i8th. The news did not reach Governor Hull until July 3d. The
first intimation received by him was the capture of a small
schooner near Malden by the British. July I2th, Hull crossed the
river, camped at Sandwich, and the day following attacked and
routed the British at Conner Creek, near Malden. On the 5th of
August the British Indians defeated Major VanHorn at Brownstown, and Hull, on receiving the news, fearing an attack on
Detroit, recrossed the river on the 9th of August, and subsequently on the I5th, accepted Proctor's terms, and surrendered
the fort. The American troops and officers were sent to Halifax.
Among those officers who were sent to Halifax was Whittimore
Knaggs, whose son, Colonel James W. Knaggs, is now a
resident of Detroit. Captain Knaggs commanded the Michigan
Rangers, and was also interpreter for Generals St. Clair, Wayne
and Hull in their treaties with the Indians prior to the war. After
his exchange, he joined Winchester's army on its way from Ohio,
and at the river Raisin massacre was taken prisoner with Winchester. Their captors were celebrated Indian chiefs, to whom
they were personally known, called by the names of Jack Brandy
and George Bluejacket. Had they not recognized them, both
Winchester and Knaggs would have been tomahawked and
scalped. The chiefs protected and delivered them to General
Proctor, who denied to Captain Knaggs the rights as a prisoner of
war, and sent him in chains to Quebec, charging him with having
violated his parole, and with exercising an influence over the
Indians, prejudicial to British interests, in a clandestine manner.
He remained in prison at Quebec under this charge of Proctor for
one year. On the trial and investigation the charge of violating
his parole was not sustained, and he was liberated. On his return
to Detroit he found his property destroyed, his buildings having
been used as a barracks by order of the U. S. military. When
Proctor took possession of Detroit he regarded them as public property, and gave them up to destruction by the Indians. Neither
Captain Whittimore Knaggs, nor his heirs, have as yet received
compensation for the loss of this property.  At the surrender
of Hull, Col. Abram Truax, the father of Mrs. Giles B. Slocum,
refused to surrender his arms, but broke through the lines and
escaped.
1813.-The battle at Frenchtown occurred January 2ist, and on the
22d, the massacre of the river Raisin, at which Gen. Winchester
7




-90


and Captain Whittimore Knaggs were taken prisoners (incidents
heretofore referred to.) February i3th, Gen. Proctor issued a
proclamation banishing from Detroit all residents who withheld
their allegiance to English supremacy. Gen. Proctor continued in
command at Detroit, and nothing intervened to disturb him until
the successful repulse by Col. Croghan of an attack on Fort
Stephenson, August 12 (now Lower Sandusky), which so demoralized several of the Indian tribes that they deserted their
English allies and returned to their homes. From this period,
August 2d, American arms began to rid the frontier from British
domination. On the Niagara frontier frequent success promoted
the end. General Harrison had been placed in command. Sept.
ioth, occurred Perry's victory on Lake Erie. On the 28th, Harrison reached Malden, and sent forward Gen. Duncan McArthur,
who, crossing the river below Sandwich, followed up the
river road to Detroit, and occupied the Fort, it having been abandoned by the British. October 7th, Commodore Perry came with
his fleet to Detroit. On the I5th of October, General Harrison
issued his proclamation restoring civil law as it existed prior to
the territory being surrendered to the British, and appointed
Colonel Lewis Cass provisional Governor. He at once restored
order and accepted the oath of allegiance of those English subjects who chose to remain. Gen. Harrison pursued and overtook
Proctor and Tecumseh near the river Thames on the 7th of
November, and then ensued the " Battle of the Thames," which
resulted in the entire rout of Proctor, the death of Tecumseh, and
the practical ending of hostilities on the northern and northwestern
frontier. Gen. Lewis Cass appointed Governor, October 20th.
18I4.-General Hull court martialed at Albany, New York, February,
and found guilty in March. Sentence of death commuted by the
President. Harrison made a treaty July 20th with the Indians at
Greenville, and most of the Northwest tribes abandoned their sympathy for the English. England and the United States concluded
a treaty of peace December T4. County of Mackinac erected.
18I5.-National fast observed for the first time in Detroit. Gen. Cass
fixed new boundaries for Wayne County, November 21st. Fire
company organized-the hand engine being that used on board
one of Commodore Perry's vessels which had been abandoned
October 23rd. A new charter was granted the city by the Territorial Legislature. The City of Detroit was incorporated by an
Act passed by the Governor and Judges, October 4th. The
municipal authority was invested in five trustees, a secretary,
assessor, a collector and a city marshal, who were to be chosen on
the first day of May, annually, by the freeholders of the city, who




-91 -

either had an income of forty dollars per year, or who paid a
rental of that sum, and by such other persons admitted as citizens.
Wayne County organized, it embraced all lands and territory
covered by Hull's treaty with the Indians of I807, in the Lower
Peninsular.
i8i6.-Captain Chesley Blake, who was a volunteer with Scott at the
battle of Lundy's Lane, on the Niagara frontier, was placed in
command of the schooner " General Jackson," built new and owned
by Oliver Newberry.  November 3d, Indiana was admitted as a
State, and that portion heretofore included in the county of
Wayne and territory of Michigan was detached. Governor Cass
% assembled a Council of Indians at Detroit, at which Captain Whittimore Knaggs was chief interpreter. United States Bank incorporated April ioth. First public market building erected by
Benjamin Woodruff. Post road established through Black
Swamp. David Baird and Wm. Macomb, sold their thirds (2) of
the lands conveyed by the Government in i8II to Gen. Lewis
Cass, September 9th.
I817.-Building of Cathedral of St. Ann commenced by Father
Richard, June 25. General Lewis Cass re-appointed Governor
January 2I. "Detroit Gazette" first issued by John P. Sheldon and
E. Reed, August 14. President James Monroe visited Detroit, on
which occasion Governor Lewis Cass, in behalf of the State of
New York, presented General Alexander Macomb with an elegant sword commemorating his gallant conduct at the battle of
Plattsburgh. Generals Brown, Woods and McNeal were present,
and the citizens presented Monroe with a span of fine horses.
Prior to his visit on July 14 Monroe county was erected and
named in his honor. Bank of Michigan incorporated.
i8i8.-First Methodist society in Michigan organized, which erected
the first Protestant church building five miles below Detroit on the
Rouge.   First non-denominational Protestant society organized
by Rev. John Monteith, who took steps to build a church on the
corner of Larned and Woodward avenue.   First sale of land by
the United States occurred November 3d. Illinois admitted as a
State. First steamboat, Walk-in-the-Water, arrived from Buffalo.
A portion of Wayne county detached to form the county of
Macomb. William Woodbridge, secretary and acting Governor
August I7th. Fourth St. Ann church built.
i8I9.-The first non-denominational church was completed and dedicated to the exclusive use of the Presbyterian denomination. The
Bank of Michigan was chartered by the Governor and Judges.
The Territorial Medical Society was organized July 3d. William
Woodbridge was elected the first territorial delegate to Congress.




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1820.-Governor Cass organized an expedition to explore Lake
Superior, which left Detroit May 24.  He was accompanied by
Dr. Alexander Woolcott, Capt. D. B. Douglass, Lieutenant A. E.
Mackay, Mayor Robert Forsythe, Henry R. Schoolcraft, Charles
C. Trowbridge, Alexander R. Chase, and a number of private
soldiers and voyagers.  May 20th, Monroe made a district for
entry of United States lands; also added all the lands ceded by the
treaty with the Indians at Saginaw September 24, I819, to
Detroit.  The Mechanics' Society, incorporated by the Governor
and Judges. Jervis Dean, president; J. Brown, vice-president; A.
C. McGraw, Secretary; Chauncy Hurlburt, treasurer; P. Desnoyer, William E. Porter, C. H. Buhl, Charles Jackson and Israel
Noble were stewards.  Commodore Oliver Perry died. Judge
Solomon Sibley was elected delegate to Congress, to succeed
Hon. William Woodbridge. The population of the territory at
this period, embracing the present State of Wisconsin which was
a part, numbered 9,ooo. Rev. Jedediah Morse (author of Morse's
geography) and his son, Samuel Furley, who was the inventor of
the Morse telegraph, were passengers on the steamer Walk-in-theWater, and spent some days at Detroit. William Woodbridge
appointed Secretary and acting Governor August 8th.
I82I.-General Cass visited Fort Dearborn (now Chicago), and made
a final treaty with the chiefs of the Indian tribes of the northwest
by which certain territory and lands, now constituting Michigan,
Wisconsin and Minnesota, were ceded to the United States.
Capt. Whittimore Knaggs and his son, the present James W.
Knaggs, accompanied him. The Right Rev. Dr. Fenwick became
bishop of Cincinnati and administrator of Michigan, succeeding the
Rev. Gabriel Richard, who had officiated as the nominal bishop of
the territory for over twenty-four years, his assistants being the
Rev. Messrs. Janvier, Bertrand, Badin, Jr., Bellamy, DeJoin, Hermann, Garrith, Kelly, Badin, Sr., Cummings and Carabin. An
organization, termed the Scinapa exploring company, departed
from Detroit October 9th, to explore the northern portion of the
lower peninsular, the account of which was published in the
National Intelligencer. The first Episcopal clergyman who resided
in Detroit, the Rev. Alanson W. Welton, arrived and commenced
his work as teacher. September i8, William Woodbridge was
re-appointed Secretary and acting Governor. Solomon Sibley
re-elected a delegate to Congress.
I822.-The second steamboat on the western waters reached Detroit
May 25. She was commanded by Capt. J. Rogers. December,
General Cass was reappointed Governor. The Methodist church,
of Detroit, was incorporated by the Governor and Judges. The




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name of Governor Cass is appended to the articles of incorporation. The Rev. Joshua Moore, from Virginia, succeeds the Rev.
John Monteith as pastor of the First Protestant Church.
1823.-Foundation of the First Methodist church edifice laid on the
corner of Gratiot and Farrar street. Right Rev. Gabriel Richards elected as a delegate to Congress. The Governor and
Judges, as legislators, are superseded, the President appointing a
legislative council of nine. It being necessary for the protection of
the building that the roof of the First Methodist church should be
put on, a bee was made by the mechanics of Detroit and on one
Sunday they assembled and completed the work. William Woodbridge, Secretary and acting Governor September 29th.
1824.-June 7th the first territorial council met in Detroit: President,
Abraham Edwards; John P. Sheldon, George A. O'Keefe and
Edmund A. Brush, clerks; Morris Jackson, sergeant at arms.
The members were Robert Irwing, of Brown county, now
Wisconsin; John Stockton and Joseph Miller, of Macomb; William
H. Puthuff, of Michilmackinac; Hubert Lacroix and Wolcott
Lawrence, of Monroe; Stephen Mack and Roger Sprague, of
Oakland; Zephania Barrie, of St. Clair, and Abraham Edwards,
of Wayne. Rev. John Weston, an Episcopal clergyman, succeeds,
temporarily, the Rev. Joshua Moore as pastor of the first Protestant church. Rev. Richard F. Cadle established the first Episcopal
society, denominated St. Paul's church. They met at the Council
house, corner of Randolph street and Jefferson avenue.  General
John R. Williams was elected mayor, under the charter granted by
the territorial council. Thanksgiving day first observed November 25.
i825.-The members from Detroit of the first territorial legislature
August 5 were: Abraham Edwards, president; John P. Sheldon,
George A. O'Keefe and E. A. Brush, clerks, and Morris Jackson
was sergeant-at-arms. Rev. Noah M. Wells, of Brownville, New
York, became the pastor of the First Protestant society, which
had now become mostly composed of Presbyterians owing to the
organization of the Methodist and Episcopal churches, and under
the ministry of Mr. Wells was changed to the First Presbyterian
church, and was taken in charge by the presbytery of Geneva,
New York. Owing to ill health, Mr. Wells was never installed its
pastor.  Legislative council increased to thirteen  members.
Austin E. Wing was elected a delegate to Congress. New fire
engine purchased for the city.  Historical Society organized;
Lewis Cass, president. He was re-appointed Governor December 22d.




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i826.-Wm. Woodbridge re-appointed Secretary and acting Governor,
August 3i. Henry J. Hunt elected Mayor of Detroit. The
troops of the United States withdrawn from Fort Shelby; James
Watson Webb was a lieutenant at the time. The Thespian
Society organized by Col. Edward Brooks and Major John Biddle.
United States opened road to Saginaw, and Pontiac Turnpike was
established.
1827.-The Baptist Church first organized; Rev. Henry Davis, of
Brockport, New York, pastor. Grosse Point was reached at this
time by a road along the river as far as B. Chapoton and Peter
VanEvery's, now Wesson place, thence on a line of the present
road. First shipment of Michigan flour to the east by Miller &
Tremain, of Monroe. The City and Catholic cemeteries were
established near where Clinton park and St. Mary's Hospital now
are. November I2, the dark day. Austin E. Wing, re-elected a
delegate to Congress. The first Methodist church building completed, Elias Pattee, pastor. Protection Fire Company No. I,
organized in I825, had a rival in Eagle No. 2.
i828.-In consequence of the opening of Grand River, Chicago and
Saginaw turnpikes, there was a great rush of emigration and large
sales of lands were made.  Lewis Cass re-appointed Governor,
December 24th. Site of Fort Shelby sold at auction. Jackson,
President. John de Gray, the author of Morgan's book on Masonry,
was a resident. Daniel LeRoy kept the Steamboat Hotel; he was
the author of the paraphrase, " In Adam's fall we are Jackson, all."
I829.-Major John Biddle, elected a delegate to Congress. He was a
brother to Nicholas Biddle, the President of the United States
Bank. Farmers' and Mechanics' Bank incorporated. Cholera
made its first appearance in Moscow, Russia.
1830.-January ist, James Witherell, Secretary and Acting Governor.
First theatre in Detroit; Capt. Benj. Woodworth converted the
barn loft in rear of the Steamboat Hotel into a comfortable theater.
Mr. Parsons, Mr. Dean (father of Julia Dean), Wm. Forrest and a
Miss Clark, were the first actors. Corner stone of Territorial
capitol laid September 22. County Bible Society organized.  At
this period there were but 4I miles of railroad in the United
States. Gen. John T. Mason, Secretary and Acting Governor,
Sept. 24. Last execution for murder in Michigan.
I83I.-Gen. John T. Mason, Secretary and Acting Governor, May 27.
Stevens Thompson Mason, Secretary and Acting Governor, Aug.
ist to September I7th. George B. Porter, Governor, August 6th;
Stevens T. Mason, Secretary and Acting Governor, October 3oth,
was Virginian born, but appointed from Kentucky. Austin E.




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Wing, elected delegate to Congress.  Gen. Lewis Cass appointed
Secretary of War by Jackson, in July, and resigned as Governor
August 3ist, and General George B. Porter, of Pennsylvania,
appointed Governor in July.  The first Baptist Church were admitted to the Michigan Baptist Association, and erected their first
church building on the corner of Fort and Griswold.
I832.-The Legislative Council authorized the construction of roads from
Prairie du Chien to Fort Gratiot, Battle Creek to mouth of the
Kalamazoo river, Pontiac to Ann Arbor, Pontiac to Adrian, from
Jackson to the mouth of St. Joseph river, from Monguagon to St.
Joseph, and from Vistula (now Toledo) to Indiana. It passed an
Act for the establishment of common schools, and one incorporating the Lake Michigan Steamboat company, with a capital of
$40,000; also incorporating the Detroit & St. Joseph railroad company, and the Bank of River Raisin, with a branch at Pontiac.
Detroit's population of 2,500 were interested in the prosecution of
the Black Hawk war. Previous to the arrival of General Scott,
Governor Mason directed Major General Jno. R. Williams to proceed to the seat of war with the First Regiment of Michigan
Militia, under the command of Col. Edward Brooks, a company
of mounted dragoons under Captain Chas. Jackson, and Mayor
Isaac Rowland tendered the services of the City Guard. The
infantry proceeded as far as Saline, when they were ordered back;
The dragoons proceeded to Chicago with General Williams. The
ten days' service of the City Guards so decimated their ranks
that they soon disbanded. The Council authorized a vote of the
inhabitants to determine the question of forming a State Government. Vote taken on the first Tuesday in October, and resulted
in a majority favorable to State organization. No further steps
to this end were taken at this period. Young Men's Society
formed.  Wayne County Hospital and poor house established
under the direction of the Rev. Wm. Kundig. Cholera struck
Detroit, brought by General Scott's troops en route to Black Hawk
country. Father Gabriel Richards died in July.
I833.-March ist, first edition of the Detroit Advertiser appeared:
Mayor Thos. Rowland, editor. Stage route established between
Detroit and Chicago, advertised to make the trip in five days. In
June, Thomas Blackburn and wife, fugitive slaves from Kentucky,
were arrested.  The woman escaped from    jail, and the man
was rescued by colored people, and sent to Canada.  Great
excitement prevailed, and the sheriff, Jno. M. Wilson, was badly
beaten. The mechanics of Detroit and workingmen resolved they
would work but IO hours a day. Engine house located on Fort St.,
on site of present City Hall. On the Michigan Avenue side the




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Detroit & St. Joseph Railroad fixed its Depot. Catholic diocese
for Michigan erected. Right Rev. Dr. Frederick Rese, bishop.
Consecration sermon preached by the Rev. J. Mullen. He was
consecrated at Cincinnati by Dr. Rosati, bishop of St. Louis, Oct.
6th. Rev. John P. Cleveland succeeds Rev. Noah M. Wells, as
pastor of the First Presbyterian church.
I834.-January 7th, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Frederick Rese, bishop of the
diocese, arrived.  Rev. Mr. Cleveland arrived in June, and
entered as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church.  Baptists
completed their brick church on the corner of Fort and Griswold;
Rev. Robt. Turnbull, pastor. Detroit Female Seminary founded.
The census of Detroit showed a population of 4,973 persons: 2,904
males, 2,o69 females, 477 dwellings, 64 stores and warehouses.
Stevens T. Mason, ex officio Governor. Preliminary steps to provide State rights to the territory. Sept. 6th, the Legislature
passed an Act directing a census. Resulted in showing a population of 87,275 free white inhabitants. (The ordinance of I787
provided that the Northwest territory should be divided into not
less than three nor more than five States, as Congress should determine. Three States had already been formed from it, viz.: Ohio,
Indiana and Illinois. By subsequent Acts of Congress, Michigan
was entitled to admission when her white population numbered
6o,ooo). Cholera appeared again, and among its victims were
Ex-Governor George B. Porter, Col. Chas. Larned, Francis P.
Browning, the deaths reached 319 from August to the ist of
September. The City Hall completed, where now stands the
market building. Detroit and Pontiac R. R. chartered (now the
Detroit, Grand Haven & Milwaukee).
i835.-January, the Council passed an Act calling a convention to be
held at Detroit on the second Monday of May following. At this
convention there were 89 delegates. It continued in session until
June 24, adopted a form of constitutfon, and provided for its submission to the people at an election in October following, also
provided for the election of State officers, and a legislature to act
under its provisions. In November following, the machinery for a
State Government, so far as the people of the Territory could provide, was in working.condition.  At the election, Stephen T.
Mason was chosen Governor of the State to be. Geo. W. Jones,
who was a resident of that portion of the territory now known as
Wisconsin, was elected a delegate to Congress, to succeed Lucius
Lyon. A riot occurred in Detroit occasioned by dissatisfaction
among the workmen engaged in grading the water front on the
Cass Farm. It assumed such proportions that the militia were
called out. Soon after the Brady Guards were organized. John




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S. Horner was the Territorial Governor, although the people had
submitted to the new State form of government. The boundary
question between Michigan and Ohio began to cause disturbance.
Michigan claimed that under the ordinance of I787, it was entitled
to a line taking in Maumee Bay, now Toledo, Ohio resisting. The
Legislature elected in October met at Detroit in November and
chose John Norvell and Lucius Lyon as U. S. Senators, but transacted no other important business. Members from Wayne of the
first Constitutional Convention, May iith: John Biddle, John
Norvell, John R. Williams, Alpheus White, Amos Stevens, Conrad
TenEyck, Louis Beaufait, Peter VanEvery, Jonathan D. Davis,
Caleb Herrington, Ammon Brown, T. E. Tallman, George W.
Ferrington, Asa H. Otis, Charles F. Irwin and William Woodbridge, held at Detroit; adjourned June 24. Members from Wayne
of the 6th and last Territorial Legislature: John McDonald, Chas.
Moran and Elon Farnsworth.
1836.-June 15th, Congress passed an act of admission upon condition
that the people, by and through a representative convention to be
called for that purpose, should accept the state boundary on the
south claimed by Ohio, and as a compensation for such surrender
should receive the upper peninsular.  Said convention was called
to meet at Ann Arbor, September 26. The delegates chosen from
Wayne county were Titus Dort, D. C. McKinstry, Louis Beaufait, B. B. Kercheval, Ammon Brown, Eli Bradshaw, Horace A.
Noyes and John McDonald.   On the assembling of the delegates
William Draper, of Oakland, was chosen president and Charles A.
Jeffries, Samuel York, A. Lee, secretaries, and Martin Davis,
sergeant at arms.  This convention, after considering the question, refused to accept the proposition suggested by the act of Congress and adjourned. Meanwhile the excitement ran high. Both
Ohio and Michigan had organized a force of Io,ooo militia, proposing to settle the question by force of arms.  Wiser counsel,
however, prevailed, and a second representative convention was
called and delegates were elected December 6th who met at Ann
Arbor Dec. I4th.   The delegates representing Wayne in this
convention were John R. Williams, Ross Wilkins, Charles Moran,
M. J. Bacon, Daniel Goodwin, B. F. H. Witherell, John E.
Schwartz, R. Gillett, Eli Bradshaw, Horace A. Noyes, Elihu
Morse, Warren Tuttle, A. Y. Murray, John Bucklin, Josiah Mason
and Charles F. Irwin.  On convening, General John R. Williams
was chosen president and Kinzing Prichette and J. E. Fields,
secretaries. The convention, after one day and night's discussion,
adopted a resolution giving assent of the State to the congressional
proposition.  The resolution being signed by the delegates and




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ratified by the people settled the Toledo war and the machinery
of the state government began to be put into successful operation,
which ends the third epoch in the history of Michigan and Wayne
county. The Detroit Advertiser first issued.
JOSEPH CAMPA U.
Were the merchants of the present period compelled to encounter
the privations and labor experienced by Joseph Campau in the business
transactions of his day, we fear they would shrink, and become discouraged. Joseph Campau was born in Detroit, February 20th, I769.
His grandfather came to Detroit with Cadillac in I701. He located
what was subsequently known as the James Campau, Chene and Poupard farms.
Joseph Campau received his primary education from his devoted
mother, to whose great care and anxiety for the proper Christian training and early education of her son, we are indebted for those traits of
benevolence and great leniency of which Mr. Caupau's life was afterwards characteristic. At the age of ten he was sent to school at Montreal, where he remained five years.  He received a good French
education, and returned to Detroit in I786, one of the most accomplished Frenchmen of the old aristocratic town. Nor did he lack any
of those qualities which make Frenchmen attractive in society. His
name was an acknowledged title to French nobility, and his polished
manners and finished education invested him with much interest.
On his return from Montreal, his father having died during his
absence, he entered into the employment of Mr. McGregor, a storekeeper at Sandwich, Canada. He remained in this capacity for some
time, or until the commencement of his Malden enterprise. Having
accumulated some funds, he entered into a contract with the British
Government to erect a fort at Malden. He proceeded to execute this
work, collecting a vast quantity of timber for the building of the Fort,
when a freshet came and swept it all away, leaving him quite penniless.
He then returned to the employment of Mr. McGregor, and shortly
afterwards entered into the mercantile business on his own account,
his first place of business, being on what is now Atwater street, his principal customers the Frenchmen of the town, and the Indians farther
away. Afterwards he moved to the south side of St. Ann street, now
known as Jefferson avenue, on the site of the house in which he died.
His success was great, and he soon established branch trading posts at
Saginaw, St. Clair, and on the Clinton (the Huron of St. Clair). Mr.
Campau continued in trade for upwards of forty years. He had a
large and profitable Indian trade. He generally procured his goods in
Montreal, but was the first merchant of Detroit who purchased goods




99


in Boston and transported them to the western settlements. Joseph
Campau was indeed the great pioneer merchant of Michigan. He was
not only the leading spirit in mercantile pursuits in his day, but through
almost unparalleled success, the result of his own great energy and
exemplary integrity, he accumulated a large fortune, and was, at an
early day, the most extensive dealer in Detroit.
As early as I786 he commenced buying and selling real estate.
In this business Mr. Joseph Campau rendered his country an invaluable service.  It was his rule to purchase uncultivated lands, erect
comfortable dwellings upon them, and dispose of the lots after they
had been prepared for the reception of civilization.  On almost all
these lots he placed buildings costing from $3,ooo to $4,000, and paid,
on an average, $50 an acre for clearing the land. He displayed almost
matchless enterprise in this work, providing attractive homes for
hundreds of the early settlers of Detroit and Michigan.  It was his
custom either to sell or rent these places, after clearing a large portion
of the land and placing comfortable dwellings upon it. His customers
were, for the most part, poor people who, with but a few dollars, had
come to develop a home among the pioneers of the northwest.  Mr.
Campau's books show that many were the tenants who depended upon
his charity for a home.  When times were hard and money was
scarce, and rents and mortgages came due, it was Mr. Campau's pride
to visit his debtors and encourage them with words of good cheer,
assuring them that the kind Providence who had intrusted so much
property to his care and disposal had taught him to "do unto others as
he would that others should do unto him."  In this way many a
mother's aching heart was made glad, and hundreds of little children
were permitted to enjoy the fruits of a father's industry, that, with a
less benevolent master than Mr. Campau, they would have suffered
for. Hundreds still live and thousands have gone to their graves, who
have borne testimony to the great philanthropy and willing charity of
this good old pioneer and patriarchial citizen.
On Detroit becoming incorporated in I802, Mr. Campau was
elected member of the first Board of Trustees.  He was also one of
the dispensation members of Zion Lodge of Free Masons. In I812 he
received a commission as major from President Madison.  The fire of.
the iIth of July, I805, destroyed nearly all the buildings in Detroit,
including Mr. Campau's. He immediately rebuilt the home on the
same site in which he died, and which was purchased by the late
Francis Palms, who erected the large brick block now occupied by the
Heavenrich brothers.
As a merchant Mr. Campau was the soul of integrity.  It is said,
that his account books are perfect models for neatness and accuracy.
His customers are described in them with great particularity, as to




100 -

name, genealogy and residence, and sometimes their habits are slyly
hinted or openly described.  Of themselves they afford a correct
history of many of the early incidents of Michigan. Mr. Campau took
pride in schooling his sons in all the details connected with his vast
business.  His rent books describe every house, as well as the antecedents, recommendations and character of his tenants, and every lease
granted or receipt taken from 1792 to the day of his death was filed
in alphabetical order, and carefully preserved. Mr. Campau's personal
habits were simple and plain.  He was temperate, abstemious, industrious, frugal and cautious.  He never gave alms to be seen of men,
but was liberal and indulgent toward his tenants to a degree that won
their affection and esteem. Mr. Campau took great interest in raising
stock, especially in horses, and was as early as 1798 a member of the
Board of "Trade Britannic."  In I812 he was connected with the
Northwestern Fur Company with John Jacob Astor, James Abbot and
L. S. Schwarz. In I809 he had ten branch stores in the territory, and
was one of the original stockholders of the first banking institution in
the city, the "Territorial," of which General John R. Williams was
president, and was associated with General Williams in the establishment of the Democratic Free Press (now the Detroit Free Press).
They purchased for that purpose the material used in the publication
of the Oakland Chronicle in Pontiac. He was an original owner in the
stock of the Detroit and St. Joseph R. R. (now M. C. R. R.) and a
member of this Society at its organization.
In I8o8 Mr. Campau married Adelaide Dequindre, daughter of
Antoine Ponchartin Dequindre and Catherine (Desmirere) Lemoinedieu a brother of Mrs. Campau.  Major Antoine Dequindre distinguished himself at the battle of Monguagon in 1812.  He died May
20, i862.
James Campau, the father of Joseph, married Catherine Menard
in I76o.  They had two sons; Jacques, born I762, Joseph, the subject
of this sketch, and one daughter, Cecile, born I765.  In I78i she
married Judge Thomas Williams, the father of General John R.
Williams. The children of Mr. Campau living at the time of his
death were Daniel J., Dennis J., James J., Alexander T., Adelaide,
Catherine D., Emily and Matilda, all of whom have since died.
Joseph Campau died July 25, I863. The attendance at his funeral
was the largest ever witnessed in Detroit up to that period.  He was
buried in Elmwood cemetery July 27th, I863.
Mr. Campau was a connecting link between the wars of the
Revolution of I812-15, and that of the great Republic of I86I.  His
life was full of events in which he was an active participant.




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A NVTHONY WA YNE.
Anthony Wayne, from whom this County takes its name, is
entitled to a place among the pioneers of the third period in
this work.  The grandfather of this gallant soldier emigrated from
Ireland to America in 1722. By birth he was English, but siding with
William, the Protestant, he fought at the battle of the Boyne, and
broke up, his residence in Ireland, on account of the ingratitude, as he
thought, of that prince. This experience also turned him to the New
World, and located him in Chester Co., Pa., where his grandson, the subject of this sketch, came into the world, January Ist, 1745. His father,
Issac Wayne, a farmer, was for many years a representative of the
county in the Colonial Assembly. His first preceptor was his uncle
Gilbert, who, writing to his father at this time, says: "Anthony
neglects his books, and sets the school topsy-turvy with his redoubts,
entrenchments, and skirmishing with the boys out of school, from
which the boys come in with broken heads and black eyes. He may
make a soldier, but one thing I am certain of, that he will never make
a scholar," and concludes, " I must be candid with you, brother Isaac,
that unless Anthony pays more attention to his books, I must dismiss
him from school." Upon being appealed to by his father, he rallied his
mental powers and applied himself to his books with such diligence
as to be soon prepared for the Philadelphia Academy, which he entered,
and from which he graduated in his eighteenth year, and opened a
land surveyor's office in his native town.
At the close of the old French war, he was employed by a company of Philadelphia land speculators (of whom Benjamin Franklin
was one) to superintend the colonization of some land investments in
Nova Scotia. Anthony was twenty-one when he was entrusted with
this duty, at the special recommendation of Franklin.  Anthony
remained in the employ of this Company until 1767, when the affairs of
the country became so unsettled as to induce his return to Pennsylvania. He married a Miss Penrose, the daughter of a Philadelphia merchant, and devoted himself to his farm and surveying in Chester
County.
In 1773 he succeeded his father as a representative in the Assembly,
and took an active, patriotic part in the political questions of the day. He
was the first in the field after Independence was declared, and a call for
troops was made, and raised a company of volunteers. In I776 Congress commissioned him as Colonel, and sent him with his regiment to
the northern army on the borders of Canada, when he found himself
under the command of General Sullivan, and was detached to accompany General Thompson in what proved an unfortunate raid into
Canada. The latter proved inefficient. The force became entangled,


4




102 -


the officers were wounded or taken prisoners, and the honor of conducting a successful retreat fell to Wayne. In the winter of I776 Gen.
Gates left him in command of Ticonderoga and Congress created him
a Brigadier General. In the spring of I777, he joined Washington, and
was placed in command of a brigade ready for active service against
Howe. Wayne took part in the movement between New York and
Philadelphia which preceded the landing of Howe's army on the shore
of Chesapeake Bay, August, I777. Washington pushed his forces forward to meet him for the defence of Philadelphia, and' Wayne's
brigade was stationed at Chadd's Ford, on the Brandywine, where the
main fighting was expected to take place; but the right wing of the
American army was attacked and defeated first, which left Wayne to
sustain a prolonged attack and ultimately retreat from his position.
Wayne was next sent in conjunction with General Smallwood to
harass Howe's army, and took his post in the rear.
On the 4th of October he made an advance on Germantown and
took the enemy by surprise and drove them from their position, but in
the confusion occasioned by a dense fog and the smoke, which made the
day as dark as night, his troops mistook an advancing body of American
troops for the enemy, and fired upon them. This created confusion and
forced him to retreat. During the following winter his brigade was
employed in foraging for the army at Valley Forge. Philadelphia was
evacuated by the British in the spring of I778.  Washington followed
them through New Jersey, and at Monmouth overtook and gave them
battle, June 28th. In this battle Wayne was again placed in the front,
and just as he was about to meet the attack upon his position General
Lee ordered a retreat, but Washington coming up, ordered him to
hold his position, which he did successfully, repulsing the repeated
attacks by the enemy. This success of Wayne brought on a general
action, and during its progress, Wayne ordered his men to " pull off
their coats, roll up their shirt sleeves and charge." This service decided
the contest in favor of the Americans. Washington in his despatch to
the President of Congress singled out Wayne for commendation.
His next exploit was the capture of Stoney Point, on the Hudson,
July I6, I779, with the bayonet. Not a musket was fired by his troops.
He himself was wounded in the hand by a musket ball, and was supported into the works by his aides. The daring exhibited by him on
this occasion gave him the title of " Mad Anthony."
During the summer of 1780 he was actively co-operating with
Washington on the Hudson. In the summer the latter ordered him to
storm the works near Bull's Ferry (opposite the present limits of New
York City), and drive the cattle collected there by the British into the
American lines; and although his attack was repulsed, he succeeded in
capturing the cattle, which he drove into camp.




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The winter following he was stationed at Morristown, and the
summer of I78I found him with Lafayette in Virginia. From thence
he was ordered to join Green in Georgia. In this campaign he defeated
the British and their Indian allies, the Choctaws and Creeks, which led
to the capture of Savannah. As a reward for his services in that State,
Georgia made to him a valuable grant of land, which subsequently
proved an unprofitable gift, owing to the pecuniary embarrassments
occasioned by his attempted improvements.
On his return to Pennsylvania he devoted his time to his farm,
until called by Washington to retrieve the disasters of General St. Clair
against the Western Indians. He took the field in Ohio in the autumn
of 1793, and erected a fort on the site of St. Clair's defeat, which he
named Fort Recovery, where he wintered. In the summer of I794 he
took the field, and on the 20th of August attacked a large Indian force
on the Miami, which he completely routed. This victory was followed
soon after by a treaty of peace. He was then ordered to take possession of Detroit under the terms of the Jay treaty, when, after
spending some further time in restoring order and providing for the
restoration of civil law in the territory, he returned to Pennsylvania.
In I796 he was again sent west to receive the remaining posts surrendered by the British, and it was on his descending Lake Erie from
Detroit that he was attacked with the gout. He died in a hut at
Presque Isle in December, I796, and was buried on the shore of the
lake.  In I8o9 his remains were removed by his son, and interred in
Radnor churchyard, Delaware County. In person, Wayne was well
proportioned; dark hair and dark eyes lent power to his expression.
He was of a lively, vivacious turn, always ready for action.
WILLIA~M HENRY HARRISOX.
William Henry Harrison had much to do in the formation and
restoration of law and order in the territory of the northwest, of which
Michigan and Wayne county was a part.  He was born at Berkley,
St. Charles City county, Va., February 9th, I773.  The family from
which he was descended is traced to a colonial ancestor in the first half
of the I7th century.  A son of his, Benjamin Harrison, established the
line at the family seat at Berkley, St. Charles City county, Va., on the
James river.  He was a lawyer and a member of the House of Burgesses.  His grandson, of the same name, was the signer of the
declaration of Independence.  The father, William Henry Harrison,
the subject of this sketch was the great grandfather of Benjamin Harrison, now president of the United States.
William Henry Harrison was well provided for, for acquiring an
education, and after a preparatory course entered and graduated from




104 -

Hampden Sidney college in Virginia, whence he turned to the study
of medicine. He had studied for a short time under the instruction of
a Richmond doctor and was about to continue his studies with the
noted Doctor Rush, of Philadelphia, when his father's death occurred,
and, with some reluctance on the part of his family, he chose a military
life. Through General Henry Lee he obtained a commission as ensign
in the first regiment of the United States infantry, then stationed at Fort
Washington, the present site of Cincinnati. He was then but 19 years
of age and the time of his arrival at Fort Washington was after the
defeat of General St. Clair by the Indians at the Miami villages. Thus
he was introduced to the region with which he became ever after
identified, and in which, by his acts and deeds, he laid the foundation
for that popularity which subsequently carried him triumphantly into
the presidential chair.
The ill fortune which befell St. Clair was calculated to rouse the
warlike spirit of Harrison, and also furnished a lesson of caution and
preparation in dealing with the Indians which was not lost upon subsequent campaigns.
Major General Wayne succeeded St. Clair and took the field in
the summer of 1793 and appointed Harrison upon his staff.  In the
engagement at the Rapids he so distinguished himself as to secure
from Wayne in his dispatch of the victory commendation as " one who
rendered the most essential service by communicating my orders in
every direction and by his conduct and bravery exciting the troops to
victory." The battle of the Miamis was fought August 20, 1794. Its
fruits brought was a treaty of peace at Greenville which closed the
war. Harrison at this time held the rank of captain and was placed in
command of Fort Washington, and about the same time he married
the daughter of John Cleves Symmes, the founder of Cincinnati. He
held the post till 1797, and then sent in his resignation, desiring to
devote himself to agricultural pursuits. He was not permitted to enjoy
them long, for President Adams having appointed him secretary of
the Northwest Territory he was called to assist General St. Clair,
then Governor, in its organization. When the territory became organized, in 1797, he was chosen a delegate to represent it in Congress.
On the division of the territory, Harrison was withdrawn from Congress and appointed Governor of the newly formed territory of Indiana,
which included the present States of Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and a portion of Ohio. November 7th, i8II, he defeated the
Indians under the Indian Prophet, brother of Tecumseh.  The battle
was fought on the banks of the Tippecanoe river, a tributary of the
Wabash in Indiana. In May, I812, Tecumseh openly joined the
British standard at Malden.  On the i8th of the following month
war against Great Britain was formally declared, and Hull's surrender




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of Detroit occurred in August.  These events roused the war spirit
in Ohio and Kentucky and volunteer forces were raised in large
numbers.  There being some conflict of authority as to who should
command the troops from Kentucky, for the purpose of placing Harrison at the head, that State conferred upon him the brevet of major
general, while the secretary of war, ignorant of this fact, had assigned
the command to General Winchester. The difficulty, however, was
speedily settled by the President, who in September appointed Harrison commander-in-chief of the western department, when the left
wing of the army was assigned to Winchester, Harrison taking his
position in what British conquests had made the frontier, being the
northerly portion of Ohio bordering on Michigan and making his headquarters at Upper Sandusky.
On January 22d, I813, occurred the massacre of the River Raisin.
This for a time stopped all further aggressive movements on the part
of Harrison, who intrenched his forces at the Rapids of the Maumee,
constructing a fort, which he named in honor of the Governor of Ohio,
"Fort Meigs."
The next important event was the repulse and the defeat of
Proctor in his attack on Fort Meigs on the 5th of May.
Relieved of the presence of the enemy, Harrison now waited the
developments of Perry's movements, for once in command of Lake
Erie he felt that the British occupation of Detroit would be abandoned.
During this interim Major Croghan successfully defeated the attack by
Proctor on Fort Stephenson.  This occurred on the ist of August.
On the ioth of September Perry defeated and captured the whole
British squadron. Then Harrison commenced an aggressive movement, and on the 27th of September effected a landing on the Canadian
shore, and advancing to Malden, found it had been abandoned by the
British. Proctor with his troops, and Tecumseh with his followers, had
retreated into the interior.  Harrison, leaving small detachments at
Sandwich and Detroit, now regained, pushed on after the retreating
foes. Lewis Cass and Commodore Perry were with him as aides.
On the 5th of October he came up with Proctor, whose troops
were drawn up near the Moravian village on the banks of the River
Thames, and at once attacked and defeated him. Such was the battle
known in history as the Battle of the Thames, when Tecumseh was
killed. With the death of Tecumseh the hopes of the Indians of the
northwest were destroyed and General Harrison resigned and returned
to civil life.
He was elected to Congress and served from i816 to i818, and
from 1824 to I828 in the United States Senate. Between these two
dates he sat in the Ohio Senate.  In I828 President John Quincy
Adams appointed him Minister to the Republic of Bogota. He
8




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reached Bogota in February, I829, but had hardly entered upon his
duties when he was recalled by President Jackson. Returning, he
resumed agricultural pursuits at North Bend.  In i836 he was defated for the presidency by Martin VanBuren.   In i840 he was
renominated by the Whig convention held at Harrisburg and triumphantly elected over his former competitor, in November of that year.
March 4th, i84I, he was inaugurated President of the United States.
Exactly one month thereafter he breathed his last.
The personal qualities of William Henry Harrison had much to do
with his elevation to the presidency. His life was marked by a union of
moderation with good fortune and substantial success.  He was prosperous as a commander where others failed.  He was identified with
the growth and prosperity of a powerful region of the Republic. The
people believed in his good sense and in his integrity, and these were
among the most prominent elements of his success. Nearly fifty years
have elapsed and his grandson Benjamin fills the position held by him
at his death.
COMMODORE OLIVER H. PERRY.
Oliver Hazard Perry was born at South Kingston, R. I., August
23, I785. His great grandfather, Edmund Perry, was an English
Quaker, and emigrated from Devonshire, England, and settled first at
Plymouth, Mass., but the prejudices against the Quakers induced him
to follow Roger Sherman to Rhode Island, where he purchased from
the Indians a large tract of land and founded South Kingston. His
grandfather, Freeman Perry, was a Judge, and a member of the
Colonial Assembly. He was also a Quaker, and married the daughter
of Oliver Hazard, also of Quaker descent. From this alliance sprang
the revolutionary Christopher Perry, father of the subject of this
sketch. Christopher Perry volunteered in the navy at the breaking
out of the Revolutionary War, commanded a privateer, and was captured and confined for a period in the Jersey prison, at New York.
After his exchange he again went to sea, and continued in the naval
service during the war. All this occurred before he was 22 years of
age. After the close of the war he entered the merchant service, and
during one of his return voyages from Ireland he fell in love with one
of his passengers, Sarah Alexander. She was of Scotch ancestry,
though born in Ireland, and is said to have been a woman of great
personal beauty and force of character. Captain Christopher Perry
and Sarah Alexander were married in I784. From such stock came the
hero of Lake Erie, Oliver Hazard Perry. He had all the advantages
for obtaining an education which Rhode Island and those times afforded.
He was but I3 when his father was appointed by President John Adams,




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in i798, to the command of the frigate " General Green," to resist the
aggressions of France. Oliver accompanied him as midshipman in all
his cruises in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. After the French
war feeling was over, young Perry went again to his studies, and in
i802, was appointed midshipman on the frigate "John Adams," which
had just been ordered to the fleet of Commodore Morris, then blockading Tripoli. In i803 he returned in his ship under the command of
Commodore Morris, and was not employed in active service till sent
again to the Mediterranean in the frigate Constellation, which did not
reach the African coast till the more daring hostilities of the Barbary
war was over. On his return in i8o6 he was employed in superintending the construction of a fleet of gunboats, and it was not until 1809
that he was appointed to command of the armed schooner " Revenge,"
with which it will be remembered he cut out from under the guns of a
British ship in Spanish waters, an American vessel previously stolen.
On returning from this cruise in i8ii, he lost his vessel on Watch Hill
Reef, through an error of his pilot. He was not merely acquitted of
censure, but his conduct in saving his crew was extolled by a court of
inquiry. Owing to the loss of his vessel, he was temporarily thrown
out of a command, which he turned to account by marrying Miss
Elizabeth Champlin Mason, the daughter of an influential and wealthy
family at Newport, R. I., the wedding taking place in May, i8ii. The
commencement of the war of I8I2, found him in charge of a flotilla of
gunboats in Newport Harbor. Perry did not like this service, and
applied for more active service, and in the month of February, 18I3,
he was ordered to join Commodore Chauncy, at Sackett's Harbor,
with his picked men from the flotilla. On his reporting to Chauncy,
he was detained for a time on Lake Ontario, and the end of March
sent to Erie to superintend the fitting out of two vessels for service on
Lake Erie. When he received advices that Chauncy designed to
attack Fort George, at the mouth of Niagara river, he joined him, and
participated in its capture, and again returned to Erie. Owing to the
lack of men, the completion of the vessels was somewhat delayed, but
on the arrival of a reinforcement of men, he soon had his vessels prepared for action. One of these vessels was named after the lamented
" Lawrence," the other the " Niagara." With these, and seven smaller
vessels, and further strengthened by a reinforcement brought from
Lake Ontario by Captain Jesse D. Elliot, he left Erie to watch the
enemy. The commander of the British fleet, Captain Barclay, a
gallant officer who had seen much service, expected an easy capture of
Perry's fleet, as his armament was larger by nine guns, and were of
longer range than those of Perry's. On the ioth of September, 1813,
the respective forces of the two commanders stood as follows: Perry's
-The " Lawrence," "Niagara" and seven smaller vessels, carrying
in all 54 guns. Barclay's-The "Detroit," " Queen Charlotte," " Lady




Provost," and three smaller vessels, carrying in all 63 guns. The location of the American fleet was in Put-in-Bay, just off Malden, from
which the British fleet was approaching. Perry arranged his vessels in
line, taking the lead in his flag ship " Lawrence," on which he now
raised the signal for action-a blue flag inscribed in large white letters,
with the words of the dying Lawrence: "Don't give up the ship! "
Addressing his men: "My brave lads, this flag contains the last words
of Captain Lawrence; shall I hoist it? " " Ay, ay sir! " was the response. Then for an hour there was silence, which was suddenly
broken by a bugle sounded on board the British vessel " Detroit," and
a shot immediately following, which fell short of its mark. Owing to
the superior range of the enemy's guns, Perry sought closer quarters,
and making all sail brought the "Lawrence" within reach of the
"Detroit," upon which he kept up a steady fire from his carronades,
assisted by the "Scorpion " and " Ariel." The destruction on the deck
of the "Lawrence " was fearful; out of ioo well men who went action
22 were killed and 6I wounded. At this time Perry finding his ship
disabled, resolved to move his flag to the " Niagara." He had half a
mile to traverse, exposed to the enemy's fire in an open boat. On
reaching the " Niagara " he instantly bore up to the " Detroit," the guns
of which were fired resolutely, when she became entangled with her
consort, the " Queen Charlotte," and the " Niagara " poured her shot
into both vessels, and at the end of seven minutes both had surrendered.
The American loss in this fight was 27 killed and 96 wounded; that
of the English 4I killed and 91 wounded. Perry's letter to General
Harrison reads as follows:
" Dear General:-We have met the enemy and they are ours-two
ships, two brigs, one schooner, and one sloop.
Yours, with great respect and esteem,
O. H. PERRY."
That to the Secretary of the Navy:
" Sir:-It has pleased Almighty God to give the arms of the
United States signal victory over their enemies on this lake. The
British squadron, consisting of two ships, two brigs, one schooner and
one sloop, have this moment surrendered to the force under my command. I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully,
Your Ob't Servant,
0. H. PERRY."
This victory cleared the lake, and enabled Perry to co-operate
with General Harrison in driving the British from Michigan. Perry's
fleet sailed up to Detroit, but the enemy had fled to Canada, and were
subsequently arrested by Harrison. Perry's next service was in Aug.,
I814, in command of the "Java," a 44 gun frigate, recently built
at Baltimore, but owing to the blockade of that port, he was not able




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to get to sea before peace was declared. He subsequently joined the
squadron of Commodore Shaw, in the Mediterranean. It was during
this cruise that Perry permitted himself to strike an officer of the
marines for what he considered disrespectful conduct. Instead of being
at once settled, it was suffered to rankle, until i8i8, and subsequently
ended in a duel, which was fought at Weehawken. Decatur was his
second. Perry had consented to the meeting as a compensation to the
officer he had injured, but forbore to return his antagonist's fire.
In 1819, he, as Commodore, sailed in the "John Adams " for the West
Indies, bound for Venezula. Reaching the mouth of the Oronoco, he
was attacked with yellow fever, from which he died on board his flag
ship, August 23rd, 1819, in his 34th year.
Such, and so early, was the fate of the gallant Perry. His remains
were interred at Port Spain with every attention by the English
Governor. They were subsequently brought home in a national
vessel, and interred in the cemetery at Newport. The country also
provided for his family. If ever America produced a man whom the
nation delighted to honor, it was Perry.
LEWIS CASS.
This distinguished statesman and diplomat, so well known to Michigan's early pioneers, was born at Exeter, New Hampshire, October
9th, I782. His ancestry, on both the paternal and maternal sides, came
from the Puritan stock of old England, to become more intensified in
their belief in New England.
His father, Jonathan Cass, was a stern representative of Puritan
principles. At the age of i9 he enlisted at the first call as a soldier of
the revolution.  He served through the war from Bunker Hill to its
close and retired with the rank of captain.  On the reorganization of
the army he was appointed to the command of Fort Hamilton, Ohio,
with the rank of major.  Not long after he resigned and received a
tract of bounty land for his services, lying on the Muskingum river,
near where Zanesville now is, and made the home in which Lewis
Cass was introduced and. became so prominently identified with Michigan and the Northwestern Territory.
As stated, Lewis Cass was born at Exeter, New Hampshire, at the
close of the war of the revolution, so that in early boyhood he had the
advantages afforded by the Exeter academy, of which Benjamin
Abbot was the principal, under whose tutorage Daniel Webster, the
Everetts and Buckingham received their education. Young Cass was
entered there at the age of ten and left it at seventeen, when his father
removed to the West. His parents did not go at once to their western




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home, but traveled a roundabout way, stopping for a time at Wilmington, Delaware, where Lewis was employed as a teacher in an
academy. Thence they proceeded to Harper's Ferry and Winchester
to Pittsburg, and from there down the Ohio river to Marietta. When
the family passed to their land on the Muskingum, Lewis remained at
Marietta and commenced the study of law in the office of Governor
Meigs, at that time judge of the supreme court of the territory,
subsequently completing his studies with Mathew Baccus, and in I802
was admitted to the practice of his profession.
In I8o8 he married Miss Elizabeth Spencer, daughter of a New
York gentleman who had settled in Virginia, and in the same year he
was introduced into political life and elected to the Ohio State legislature, which assembled at Chillicothe, the capital of the new State.
This was the capital also at the period when Col. Burr began to equip
a fleet of boats, supposed for a treasonable design, and with the intention of dismembering the western states from the Union.
The matter was brought to the attention of President Jefferson,
who sent a special messenger to Ohio to communicate with the Governor, and learn the sentiment of the people. The Governor presented
the matter to the legislature and a special committee was appointed, of
which Mr. Cass was a member, to investigate. A bill was therefore
passed, authorizing the Governor to arrest all concerned in the conspiracy. The boats were seized and the affair put an end to.
On this occasion Mr. Cass was selected to propose an address to
the President, which was replied to by him with unusual satisfaction.
Thus began the political career of Mr. Cass.  In i8ii the President
appointed him United States marshal of Ohio.  At the close of this
year, the threatened aspect of the Indians and imminent war with
Great Britain led to a call for troops in the States. Mr. Cass at once
volunteered, and joining this body at its rendezvous at Dayton in the
spring of I812, he was commissioned a colonel and placed in command
of one of the regiments.  The whole united with a body of regulars
under Colonel Miller and placed under command of Brigadier General
Hull, then Governor of the Territory of Michigan.  The plan agreed
upon by the respective authorities was " to invade Canada from Detroit,
co-operate with a similar attack at Niagara, and joined by a force from
Pittsburg, to advance on Montreal." In accordance therewith,
Colonel Cass led his troops two hundred miles through the wilderness
from Urbana to Detroit. On the last day of June, I812, the
expedition reached the rapids on the Maumee river.  Hull was not
aware then that war had been declared at Washington and on the i8th
of June, Hull sent his sick, a portion of his stores and baggage forward
by water, to Detroit. The fact that war had been actually commenced
was known by the British, who quietly captured the vessel as it ap



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proached Malden. Among the spoils were the private papers of Hull,
so that the enemy were put in possession of all the military details and
objects of the expedition. Hull received news of the declaration after
this event. The British, however, did not make any effort to intercept
the land force and it reached Detroit unmolested.  In the council of
war which followed, Cass urged rapid action, while Hull was inclined to
delay, but finally yielding, the army crossed the river on the i th of July
Col. Cass being in advance and the first on British soil. There was
some delay waiting for artillery and meantime.Cass wrote and circulated
among the inhabitants a proclamation. Hull still counselled inaction,
so that it was not until the i7th that Cass was allowed to move forward
to take possession of a bridge which crossed a stream below Sandwich.
He was successful, and leaving a company of riflemen to divert the
enemy at the bridge, he passed his men over the river above, met the
British and drove them before him with great loss.  The advantage
gained would have led to the capture of the Malden fort, had not Hull
ordered the force from the position so creditably gained.  Hull then,
on the 8th of August, returned to Detroit. Hull's return was hastened,
it is said, in consequence of the defeat of a party which had been sent
from his camp to assist in bringing some provisions, which were on their
way to Detroit from Ohio.  A second detachment was sent under
Colonel Miller to escort the provision train. On the way a sharp fight
ensued and though Miller held his own the commander-in-chief recalled
him. Still a third attempt was made to open the way for the expected
supplies under Colonels Cass and McArthur.
This expedition started the very day when Gen. Brock arrived to
take command at Malden, and before its return Hull had surrendered
his entire force, including that led by Cass and McArthur, who
reluctantly acquiesced. Colonel Cass, on being called upon to deliver
his sword, drew it from its scabbard and, breaking it in two, threw
the parts away.  He was released on parole and returned to Ohio,
thence proceeded to Washington, at the request of his fellow soldiers,
to inform the government the particulars of the surrender.
In January, I813, on being released from his parole by exchange,
he was commissioned a colonel in the regular army and charged with
raising another Ohio regiment.  He joined Harrison in the summer
with the increased rank of brigadier general, and after Perry's victory,
crossed with Harrison to Malden and from thence to the Thames,
acting with Commodore Perry as aides to Harrison in the battle at that
point, which resulted in the complete defeat and rout of the British.
On the advance of Harrison he was left in command of the northwestern frontier and soon after received the appointment (made by
President Madison), of Governor of the Territory of Michigan, and
thus his subsequent life became identified in its future history.




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He participated with Harrison in the Grand Council with the
Indians at Greenville, and afterwards in conciliating the friendly tribes,
and opposing the hostilities offered by others in the region under his
protection. On the conclusion of peace, he established his family at
Detroit, and then turned his attention to the settlement and development of the territory. His first step was to negotiate with the Indians
for a cession of lands; this he effected in the Indian Council at Fort
Meigs, in the spring of 1817, by a treaty which extinguished the Indian
title to four million acres of land in Ohio, Indiana and Michigan, and
the policy of removal fairly adopted by a treaty which was pronounced
by Secretary of War Calhoun, "in its fiscal, moral and political effect,
the most important of any hitherto made with the Indians."
For eighteen years Cass administered the government of Michigan, continuing his negotiations with the Indians, assisting emigration,
and developing the resources of the region under his charge.
In August, I83i, he was appointed Secretary of War by President
Jackson. The Black Hawk War, and the nullification threat of South
Carolina, occurred while he held this position. In I837 he resigned,
and was appointed Minister to France. The year succeeding this
appointment he made an extended tour through Europe and Egypt.
In September, i842, he requested to be recalled, and prior to leaving
Paris was entertained at a dinner given by the Americans in that city.
He returned in December, landing at Boston. He proceeded to Washington, and from thence to Detroit, where a hearty welcome awaited
him. In I845 he was elected to the United States Senate. He served
as Senator until nominated for the Presidency in I848, in opposition to
Gen. Taylor, the Whig candidate. He received the vote of I5 States,
and a popular vote of I,223,795, being I38,447 less than that for Gen.
Taylor.  The election being thus decided, he was returned to the
Senate for the remainder of the period for which he was originally
chosen. In i851, his senatorial term having expired, he was again
chosen Senator for six years. The following year his name was again
before the Democratic National Convention, and for several days it
seemed probable he would receive the nomination, but after many
ballotings, it was given to Franklin Pierce, of New Hampshire. In
i857 he was appointed Secretary of State by President Buchanan. He
discharged the duties of that position till near the close of the administration, when, protesting against the lack of firmness exhibited in treating with the impending rebellion, and the want of patriotism in the
Cabinet, he resigned in December, i86o, demonstrating by the act,
in the words of Senator Baker of California: "That he loved his
country more than he loved either State, or place, or power, or party."
He then returned to his home in Detroit, where he on more than one
occasion gave encouragement by precept and example to the War for




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the Union, into which the nation was forced. He died just at its close,
in sight of the restoration of the Constitutional Government, with the
exciting cause of the rebellion wiped out. His death occurred at his
residence, on West Fort Street, Detroit, June I7, i866.
PA TRICK H. Mc WILLIAMS.
Invention is the talent of youth, and judgment, of age.-Swift.
"Nothing can be made of nothing; he who has laid up no material
can produce no combination."
The characteristic of the subject of this sketch is the practical
application of what he has thought out. In other words, he demonstrates his theory of combinations before adopting them, by employing
judgment and common sense in testing their adaptation.
Patrick Henry McWilliams is a native of Ireland, having been
born on that island on the i2th day of March, I830, and was brought
to Detroit by his parents, July I2th, i834.
He did not have the educational advantages enjoyed by the sons
of wealth, but such as were offered he improved. He first learned the
trade of a ship joiner, with J. E. Dixon, prominent in Detroit, meanwhile improving his leisure time in the study of mechanics and natural
philosophy, and thus is recognized for his practical skill as an inventor.
It was this which led to his appointment as President of the Board of
Inspectors of Buildings for the city, and to his knowledge and excellent
judgment the public are indebted for the improvements in its buildings,
for the safety and the lives of its citizens.
Mr. McWilliams, May 5, I85I, married Miss Louise Lacorce, of
Sault Ste. Marie. The marriage ceremony occurred at Marine City, and
was the first had in the then new Catholic church of that town, at that
time called Newport. Rev. Father L. Kilroy, officiated. Among
those witnessing the marriage was Henry Schoolcraft, half brother of
the bride, and son of Michigan's historian of the same name, and Miss
M. D. Cottrell, of Cottrellville, who was the bridesmaid.
The fruit of this marriage was eleven boys and three girls, all
living. In I87I, his wife, Louise Lacorce, died, and in I873 he was
married the second time, to Miss B. McEnhill, of Detroit, on the day of
the defeat of Horace Greeley for President. By this union he has
three daughters and two sons, making nineteen children. Therefore
he feels rich in the blessings allotted the poor, but desires more, as all
his children have proved (thanks to the care he has exercised over
them) worthy of their parentage, and bid fair to do it honor in the
future.
In I854 Mr. McWilliams accepted a position as car constructor on




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the Illinois Central, and then on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy;
and in I859, accepted the charge of the construction of bridges on the
Memphis & Charleston R. R., remaining until the surrender of Fort
Sumpter, in I86I, when he returned to Illinois, where he raised a company for three months' service, as called for by the proclamation of
President Lincoln, in which he held the position of first lieutenant.
but meanwhile, owing to the quota having been filled under the call,
his company disbanded, never having been mustered into the service.
This ended his war experience. He was then elected supervisor, and
represented the city of Aurora. His principal duties during the two
years was to provide for the protection of the families of volunteers,
and the care of their property, and in superintending the building of a
city hall and post office for the city of Aurora. At the end of his term
he accepted the appointment of superintendent of roads and bridges
from the county. This position he held until the close of the war,
when he returned to Detroit, and superintended the construction of the
Pullman Palace Car Shops, the Peninsular Stove Works, the Riverside
Company's Warehouse, and other large buildings. He then was
employed to superintend the building of the Kealy Stove Works at
Columbus, Pa., and returning to Detroit, began the utilization of the
several patents he had obtained for several useful inventions, in which
he has been partially successful. At the same time he supervised the
construction of numerous large structures for manufacturing, until
appointed Inspector of Buildings for the city. On his retirement from
that office, he was, and is now, engaged as Designer and Superintendent
in the building of structures in the interest of the city and its manufactories.
EL ON FARNS WOR TH.
This eminent and distinguished pioneer of Michigan, was born at
Woodstock, Vermont, February 2nd, I799. His ancestry were nobles,
in that they preserved and transmitted to their descendents indubitable evidences, as exhibited by the subject of this sketch, of independence of character, integrity of purpose and acts, enterprise in their
encouragement of all that makes men and women, patriotism in their
devotion to the maintenance of civil and religious liberty. Elon Farnsworth left his native State and located in Detroit in the year 1822, and
hence was a contemporary of that other nature's nobleman, Charles C.
Trowbridge. In I834, Mr. Farnsworth was a member of the Territorial Council. In I843 he was appointed Chancellor. In connection
with this office, Chancellor Kent thus speaks: "The administration of
Justice in Equity in Michigan under Chancellor Farnsworth was
enlightened and correct, and does distinguished honor to the State."
In I844 (he having resigned this office on account of ill health in i843)




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Governor Barry appointed him Attorney General. This office he
filled acceptably two years. It should be mentioned that in the fall of
I839 he was the Democratic candidate for Governor against William
Woodbridge, Whig, but was defeated by a vote of 1,100, against him.
He was ex officio Regent of the Michigan University from i836 to I843,
and by reappointment from I846 to I852, when he became regent by
popular election. It was through his instrumentality that Dr. Tappan
was called to the Presidency of the University. He was Resident
Director of the Michigan Central Railway in 1846, and President of
the Detroit Savings Bank in I849.
In I876, while attending the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia
he took a severe cold from which he did not recover, and died soon
after his return to Detroit. On the announcement of his decease, the
Detroit bar, at a special meeting, appointed the following as a committee on resolutions: Levi Bishop, Theodore Romeyn, Alfred
Russell, R. P. Toms and A. B. Maynard.
Elon Farnsworth possessed the love, esteem and respect of a large
circle of personal acquaintances, drawn to him by the genial atmosphere which ever surrounded his personal presence. In the domestic
circle, it is said of him, that in every room of his house, he had erected
an altar-his household gods-whom he admired with love amounting
to adoration.
He was an active member of St. Paul's Episcopal church from the
time of its organization. In 1830, he married Miss Blake, of Vermont.
She survived his death but a few years. Two daughters were the
fruit of their union. Mrs. General 0. B. Wilcox, whose death preceded his, and Mrs. William F. Harrison, who survived him.
A. D. FRAZER.
For many years the subject of this sketch was the "Nestor"
of the Detroit Bar. He was a native of Scotland, and born near Inverness, the capital of the Highlands, January 20th, I796. He acquired
the rudiments of an education at the parish schools, and some knowledge of higher branches at Inverness academy. In the spring of I8I3,
at his own request, his father placed him in the office of a law solicitor,
with whom he remained until I814, when he went to Edinburgh, and
in January, i8I5, he entered the office of an attorney of the Supreme
Court of Scotland as a. student. During the same year he attended
lectures on the Scot Law, delivered by Professor Hume, a nephew of
the historian. He continued his studies at Edinburgh until i819, when
he took passage for America, landing at Savannah, Georgia, June i9;
from thence he went to Alabama where he had relatives, was admitted
to the bar and began the practice of law in that State Nov. 10, 1819.




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After a residence of two years he left Alabama and proceeding north
settled at Vincennes, Indiana, desiring to practice in Illinois as well as
Indiana. He was admitted to practice by the Supreme Court of Illinois,
March 24, i82i, and in June following was admitted to the bar at Vincennes. The fever and ague being too severe upon his constitution, in
June, I823, he decided to move to a locality where it did not prevail,
and started on horseback for Detroit, where he arrived early in August,
1823. As the laws of the territory did not permit aliens to practice in
the territorial courts, some time elapsed before he was admitted to the
bar of Detroit. The courts of this period was Supreme Court of three
Judges, and of County Courts where the counties were organized. The
Supreme Judges were A. B. Woodward, James Witherell and John
Griffin. The most important case in which he ever was engaged was
that known as the "Railroad Conspiracy Case," in which he was
retained by the prosecution. From that time he occupied a prominent
position as a lawyer, and soon acquired a lucrative practice. He
continued in active practice until I856, when, while engaged in an
important case before the Supreme Court, he instantaneously lost the
sight of the right eye, after which he did no business. In the year
i829, he married Caroline May, the youngest daughter of the Hon.
James May, the first Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas. Mr.
Frazer had six children, all of whom died young, except Alexander,Jr.,
who died soon after his marriage to a young lady of New York, so
that he had no descendants at his death, which occurred in i877.
MICHAEL HEVNDERSON.
For 56 years the subject of this sketch has dwelt in Detroit, pursuing in an unostentatious manner his avocation in life, recognizing his
obligation to his Maker, his family, and the general rights of his fellow
men, and practising honesty, frugality and industry, has accumulated
a competency for his family, gained the respect and confidence of the
public, and possesses the conscious satisfaction of having kept his faith
with God. Michael Henderson is a native of Ireland, and was born in
Queen's County, in I823. When he was but two years of age, his
father,John Henderson, and Catharine Henderson, nee Bray, emigrated
to America, bringing Michael with them. They settled first in Troy,
New York, from whence they removed to Rochester, New York.
They died while he was little more than io years of age. In I834 he
came to Detroit, beginning life for himself at the early age of ii years.
Detroit has been his home continuously from that to the present time.
September 19, 184I, he married Elizabeth Kalnbach. She was born
in the State of New Jersey, in I826, and is of German descent. They
have had eight children: Mary, William H., Harriette, Georgia, Clara,




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Fred., Kitty and Harry, only three of whom are living. Mr. Henderson, during the last 20 years has been engaged in the construction of
city sewers, as contractor. Among the sewers built by him are the
Riopelle street, Hastings, Russell, Cass avenue, which was recently
rebuilt, Fourteenth, Eighteenth and outlet of Eleventh, Twenty-fourth
and outlet, also the extensions; Lincoln ave., McKinstry ave., besides
many lateral sewers. Mr. Henderson's son, William Henderson, is
associated with him, and he now has the contracts for extending the
outlet of McKinstry sewer 250 feet into the river. When it is considered that in order to retain the confidence of the city authorities,
which he seems to have done for so long a period, he must have
done his work honestly, and to their satisfaction, no further comments are necessary to establish his integrity and ability to perform
what he undertakes. Mr. Henderson is a member of the Presbyterian
church, and has ever maintained a consistent Christian life; has been a
generous and active supporter of all reforms, charitable and educational,
which have done so much to elevate and promote the moral growth of
his adopted city. In politics, he is Republican, acting with that party.earnestly and effectively, but has never sought or held a public office.
As a citizen, he enjoys the confidence and esteem of all who know him.
While he has not accumulated a large fortune, he possesses a competency.
WILLIAM S. HOSMER.
The subject of this sketch is a lineal descendent of Abner Hosmer,
who was one of the two first who fell in the raid made by the British
on Concord and Lexington from Boston. History records, that of
the party stationed at the bridge near Lexington, two men were killed,
one of whom was Abner Hosmer. Judge Hosmer, of Detroit, is also a
descendant.
William S. Hosmer, the present subject, was born in the township
of Monguagon, October ist, I822. So there can be no question as to
his being recognized as a pioneer.
His father lived on the Army Trail, opened by Gen. Hull, and
kept a public house. Also engaged in opening the Limestone Quarry,
then owned by Mack & Sibley, being the first to ship stone and lime
from that quarry to Detroit; was so engaged from I8I9 to April, I834.
He also furnished stone and lime for the Dearborn U. S. Arsenal, 1832.
During the panic on first appearance of the cholera in Detroit in I832,
a volunteer crew took a boat load of lime to Detroit for the sanitary
commission.
April, I834, the subject of this sketch settled on the farm in Huron,
still occupied by him, attended the district school, partly supported by




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the rent of the school section i6. Such rent was the first income of the
primary school fund in the territory. In I84I, taught his first district
school, and engaged almost continuously teaching the winter terms
until i889. Taking an active part in the development of the county,
socially and morally, and in education. Especially active in securing
the Flint &. P. M. R. R. line through Wayne county.
The father of Mr. Hosmer (Artemus Hosmer) was a native of
Massachusetts, and was born at Concord in i788. On his paternal side,
his family dates back to 50 years prior to the War of the Revolution,
when they settled in the Province of Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Artemus Hosmer came to Michigan July, i8i8, and prospected
on the Huron river in view of the first sales of land in October,
i8i8, when he entered the N. E. fr. X section 7, T. 4, S. R. 9 E.,
which he improved in I823, moving on the farm in I834. His family
still occupy the homestead (i89o). He occupied and worked the
Sibley quarry from i819 to i834; was a contractor on the Maumee
Turnpike in i828, and on the Gratiot road, near Fort Gratiot, in
I832. In i837 was engaged clearing right of way for the Michigan Central Railroad; assisted to organize the township of Monguagon, in I827; moved to the township of Huron in I834, having
built the first frame barn, raised April 5, I832, which called together
forty pioneers along the river from Flat Rock to Rawsonville. Here,
with his usual energy, he helped open up highways, build bridges,
establish a high grade of district schools, which yet remain, showing
the results of an active pioneer. He died in I844, leaving a large
family with his widow, who was spared for 27 years to counsel and
advise them. In 1819, he married Mary Dunn, daughter of James Dunn.
She was born at Black Rock, N. Y., in i8oo. The fruit of the marriage was the subject of this sketch, and four brothers and five sisters.
The father, Artemus Hosmer, died in I844, and the mother, Mary
Dunn, died in i871. Wm. S. Hosmer married Miss Helen Bloomer in
i844, at the town of Romulus, Michigan. She was the daughter of John
Bloomer, and was born in Lyons, N. Y. The fruit of the marriage
was six sons and two daughters. Four sons and the daughters survive
(1890). The oldest, Artemus Hosmer, enlisted at the age of i7 in the
24th Michigan Infantry, and died in i868.
J70HN   7. GARRISOX.
John J. Garrison, one of the early pioneers, long engaged in the
wholesale grocery business, a man of frank, generous and independent
character, whom the business community and the citizens generally
held in high estimation for integrity and fair dealing, was born in




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Cayuga county, N. Y., August ii, i8o8. When but nine years of age
he came with his parents to Detroit, where he completed his education,
engaged in business, succeeded in accumulating a fair competency, and
died May I4, I876, respected by all who knew him. His son Charles
is a prominent citizen, and has held several important public positions,
viz.: President Detroit Board of Trade, City Assessor, Alderman, and
others.
WILLIAM     C. HOYTE.
Independence in his opinion and views, and with courage to maintain them; integrity of purpose, aims and objects; abhorrence of all
chicanery in their accomplishment, are some of the characteristics of
the subject of this sketch.
William C. Hoyte was born in Montgomery County, N. Y., in
i8i6. His ancestry were of the old New England stock, distinguished
for their loyalty to the Government established in i776. His father
was a man of culture and became eminent in Eastern New York, and
was connected with a number of public and private enterprises tending
to promote the development of that portion of the State.
Wm. C. Hoyte, the subject of this sketch, received a classical education, and read law in Buffalo, N. Y.; was admitted to the bar in that
city, and in I836 or I837, came to Michigan, and engaged in the practice of his profession at Milford, Oakland County. He remained there
until I853, when he removed to Detroit. While in Oakland County
he was elected Judge of Probate, from which he derives his title of
Judge. Immediately on reaching Detroit he opened an office, and soon
acquired a lucrative practice. He also made some profitable investments in real estate. In the fall of i870 he was elected to the State
Legislature, and was a member of the Judiciary and other important
committees in the House.
For several years Judge Hoyte had been an invalid, and he
removed to Birmingham, devoting himself to quiet work in his-garden
and the society of his friends. Returning to Detroit in i887, he still
found his health would not permit him to resume the practice of law,
and upon the solicitation of friends he returned to his native State,
where he now resides.
Judge Hoyte has a brother who became eminent as a medical
practitioner, and prominent as a Democratic Legislator, having been a
member of that body a number of sessions. He resides near Walled
Lake, Oakland County. The doctor has a son who is a leading physician, practising in Detroit. He resides on Hubbard street. Judge
Hoyte differs with his brother in politics, having been always a Repub



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lican, for which he has the strongest regard. His religious convictions
are of the Congregational order, of which church he is a regular
attendant. He is a member of this Society, and we are indebted to him
for the sketch of the Hon. Levi Bishop, and that on the "Early French
of Detroit," both of which appear elsewhere in this compilation.
N. W. BROOKS.
Frankness, as a characteristic, is the opposite of selfishness,
cowardice, arrogance, egotism and hypocrisy, and indicates, in the man
possessing and practicing it, liberality, courage, plainness in speech and
manner, the recognition of equal rights, and the free utterance of
opinion and sentiment. Who that knew the subject of this sketch, but
will consent that by his words and acts he exemplified his title to the
appellation of a " frank man "? Not only did he manifest this characteristic in a distinguished manner in his intercourse with men and the
world, but he also exhibited his contempt for dishonesty in any form,
and his regard for truthfulness and integrity.
Nathaniel W. Brooks was born at Castine, in the State of Maine,
on the 27th day of August, i8o8. He was the son of John Brooks,
born at the same place, June i3th, 1785. His ancestors were English,
and Cromwellian in sentiment. The maiden name of his mother was
Phoebe Perkins. She was born at Castine April I2th, I787, and was
of Huguenot descent. The parents of Mr. Brooks were married at
Castine, State of Maine. They had six sons and eight daughters.
They died at Columbus, in the State of Ohio, the former on February I9th, 1869, and the latter on December I7th, i864.
Nathaniel, the second son, and the subject of this sketch, must
have had fair educational opportunities, as he gave evidence of familarity with literary subjects, and at one time conducted a newspaper as
proprietor and editor. In boyhood he was the companion of the late
Edward M. Stanton, Lincoln's Secretary of War, and while in adult
life they differed politically, they ever cherished a warm friendship for
each other, and when the War of the Rebellion began, they were both
of one mind, their regard for each other becoming strongly cemented,
and of the most intimate character. (The compiler has spent many
pleasant hours in listening to their exchange of early reminiscences).
Mr. Brooks came to Michigan in 1836, first locating at Detroit, where
he engaged in the grocery business in company with his brother-in-law,
William M. St. Clair, and at one time as a member of the firm of Brooke
& St. Clair, occupied one of the old Campau stores, foot of Randolph
street. He removed to St. Clair in I843, and associating with him
William M. St. Clair, established the business of manufacturing lumber
and dealing in pine lands, in which he continued until his death. About




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I856 he returned to Detroit as senior member of the firm of Brooks &
Holland, and afterwards of the firm of Brooks & Adams. The firm of
Brooks & Adams also owned extensive tracts of pine timber in northern
Michigan and mills at Bay City.
Although not a member of any church denomination Mr. Brooks
was a trustee and a regular attendant of the first Congregational church
of Detroit, and never withheld in giving liberally towards its support;
neither was he parsimonious in his gifts of time and money to advance
the interests of all objects and enterprizes, of a moral, benevolent or
educational character. He was an earnest Republican, and during the
late Civil War his energies, time and money were devoted to the
Government and its measures for the restoration of the Union. His
earnest efforts in this direction brought him into confidential relations
with President Lincoln and Secretary of War Stanton, and made him
prominent among the leading men of that period. He never sought,
nor would accept a public political position for himself, but was regarded
as a power in securing such positions for his friends. He was bold
and fearless in asserting and maintaining his political convictions, but
granted to his opponents the right to advocate theirs, providing they
did not conflict with the law protecting public good; and the liberties of
the people.
Personally, Mr. Brooks was genial, somewhat blunt in speech,
generous to a fault, not a particle of vindictiveness in his nature;
prompt in acknowledging a wrong act or word; full of sympathy for
the misfortunes of others, and ready to relieve them to the extent of his
ability; a faithful friend and a generous foe.
In 1838 Mr. Brooks married Miss Caroline Frances Jeffords. She
was born at Columbus, Ohio, on the I2th day of May, i8i8. She was
indeed a helpmeet and a woman of more than ordinary business capacity, which she exercised and devoted to aid him in all the transactions
of his life. That he fully appreciated her sagacity and judgment is
evidenced by the provisions of his will, which placed all his large business interests under her sole control. Nathaniel W.^Brooks died at his
residence in Detroit, leaving a widow and one married daughter, Mrs.
Wm. B. Morton, losing one son, Jno. W. Brooks, and two daughters,
Mrs. Edw. P. Cressey, and Miss Margaret P. Brooks. Mrs. Brooks
survived her husband I3 years, meantime conducting the extensive
business interests committed to her charge by Mr. Brooks successfully,
and leaving it at her death in a prosperous condition. Mrs. Caroline
Frances Brooks departed this life October 25, I885, at her residence in
Detroit.


9




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THOMAS and FRIEND PALMER.
Thomas and Friend Palmer were so closely identified in all the
relations of life that the story of one is that of the other, and for the
purposes of this sketch relating to their experiences and incidents connected therewith, we use the plural.
They were born in the town of Ashford, Windham County, Connecticut, Friend in 1787, and Thomas, February 4th, I789. As
farmers' boys they were taught to labor, and at such times as the work
on the farm would permit, availed themselves of the educational
advantages afforded by the public schools of their native town. When
Thomas arrived at the age of I9, and Friend that of 2I years, the two
set out to become merchants. They had heard their grandmother
Barber relate the experiences of their grandfather, Thomas Barber, of
Sunsbury, Conn., who was an early Indian trader in the Northwest,
said to have been one of the first to contest the supremacy of the
French; who in I765 bought a stock of goods, hauled them overland
to Schenectady, N. Y., then purchased boats, and engaging boatmen,
proceeded up the Mohawk, thence through Wood Creek to Oneida
Lake, thence down its outlet to Oswego, up Lake Ontario to the Niagara river, thence making the portage over the Niagara Falls, up Lake
Erie to Detroit. The English general, Bradstreet, had the year previous concluded a treaty with all the Indian tribes hostile to the English,
which thus opened up this section to English traders. Mr. Barber was
one of the first New England men to avail himself of this new state of
things, and his goods being suitable for the Indian trade, he soon was
able to exchange them for valuable furs at a handsome profit.
Undoubtedly, the relation of their grandfather's success had much
to do in determining the future course of the Palmer brothers, for in
I808, we learn they obtained a small stock of goods, a wagon and span
of horses, and commenced as itinerant merchants, choosing as their
field of operation, Western Canada. After encountering numerous
hardships, and making many narrow escapes, but having been reasonably successful, they decided to locate permanently at Malden as settled
merchants, and just as the war of i812 began, they were doing a
thriving and profitable business. Although the declaration was made
June i8th, I812, the news did not reach the people of the Northwest
until the ist of July. Upon the announcement at Malden, all the
Yankees at that place, some fifteen in number, including the Palmer
brothers, were arrested and imprisoned. Some of them afterwards on
taking the oath of allegiance to the British crown were released, but
the Messrs. Palmer and five others refused, and were held as prisoners
for five weeks or more, when they were run over the river and landed
at Monguagon, and footed it to Detroit. Thus they made their first




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entrance into what subsequently became the seat of their future successes as well as misfortunes. Prior to their imprisonment at Malden,
they had been permitted to pack and safely store their goods, and on
the surrender of Hull were allowed to return to Malden on parole,
when they unpacked and exchanged their goods for furs, making a
good speculation. They then returned to Connecticut, when after a
few months looking around, they fixed upon Canandaigua, N. Y., as a
good point to start anew, it then being the most important town in
Western New York. Neither Buffalo or Rochester were known as
substantial settlements, Canandaigua being the centre of commerce for
nearly the whole of Western New York, from Cayuga to Lake Erie.
The firm of F. & T. Palmer enjoyed an extensive and lucrative trade.
Peace between the United States and Great Britain was declared
December 24, 1814, and in the spring of 1815, the firm found themselves with a large stock of goods, which had depreciated in value, and
it was decided that Thomas should go to Canada and dispose of a portion. Taking about $40,000 worth, he selected Bay of Quinte as his field
of trade, where he disposed of his goods at a handsome profit, and on
the i6th of June, 1815, Thomas came to Detroit with a large stock of
goods, and commenced business for the first time in Detroit, under the
firm name of F. & T. Palmer, Friend remaining in charge of the business at Canandaigua, and Thomas that at Detroit. In this way the
firm continued a successful business until 1824, when there came a
financial crash. Up to this time there was no more reliable house in
the west than that of F. & T. Palmer, and their credit in New York
and Boston was almost unlimited. It was unfortunate for them that
the means of communication between the East and West were so
limited, for in those days there were no railroads or telegraphs;
had there been, the misfortune which befell them  at this time
would have been avoided. It was occasioned as follows  The firm
had a note payable at the Ontario Bank, Canandaigua; H. B. Gibson, was at that time the cashier. On the day the note fell due
Friend called at the bank to know if it would make any difference if
the note was not paid immediately, as he daily expected funds from his
brother Thomas to meet it. The banker knew it would be taken up as
promised, but he had his own rules for conducting the business in his
charge. " No," said Mr. G., " it won't make any difference with the
bank, but it will make a d-n sight of difference with you, unless it is
taken up before the hour of closing." There wasn't much time to
" skin." Indeed, " skinning " was not a common practice in those days,
and the note went to protest. Thus they came to a commercial pause,
or in other words, stopped payment. While their creditors in New
York and Boston had full confidence in both their integrity and ability
to cancel their liabilities, still their credit suffered a blow, which they
felt in all their future undertakings.




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Congress had granted to the territory of Michigan io,ooo acres
of land adjoining Detroit, for the purpose of building a court
house and jail. The firm of F. & T. Palmer were awarded the contract. The building was commenced in I823, and was erected where
now stands the High School. By virtue of the contract 6,500 acres of
the io,ooo acre tract was awarded them, together with other valuable
land, which was subdivided into some 200 lots. The Eastern creditors
of the Palmers, felt that these and their other assets, if time was
given, would enable them to liquidate, and hence were lenient, and
gave them their own time. Among these generous creditors were:
David I. Boyde & Co., Boyde & Suydam, Lafferty & Gautly, Spafford
& Filester, and others. Meantime Friend closed up their business at
Canandaigua, joined Thomas in I826 in Detroit, and aided as far as in
his power in closing their affairs. But he died the following year, and
the task of closing their affairs devolved upon Thomas. To such of the
creditors as were importunate he turned over the lands acquired at
their appraised value, and eventually paid the firm's indebtedness to the
satisfaction of all, and had some means left.
In 1828, Thomas had acquired through a mortgage belonging to
the firm, a large tract of pine land at the mouth of Pine River, near
where St. Clair is located, upon which he erected mills for the manufacture of lumber; he also opened a store there, and for a number of
years did business, then sold out to Wesley Truesdell. In I845 he
purchased several mining interests in Lake Superior, and engaged in
mining, but this not proving profitable he returned to Detroit, and
engaged in the insurance business with his son, Thomas W.
The blow received by the suspension of I824, was one from
which it was not easy to recover, and while he was able to save something from the wreck, what was of more value to him than gold was
the fact that he was able to maintain and preserve his integrity and
mercantile honor. He was not an avaricious man. It has been said, in
fact, that he was too kind hearted to have been eminent as a business
man, in the ordinary acceptation of the term. He generally took the
world easy, never fretting about things that could not be helped,
minded his own business, and never interfered with the affairs of his
neighbors. Mr. Palmer was a Whig in politics, but never sought office.
In i827 he was elected alderman, and re-elected several terms as such.
In I823, Thomas Palmer married Mary A. Witherell, a daughter
of Judge James Witherell, who, as member of Congress from Vermont,
was appointed by President Jefferson one of the judges of the Northwest Territory, to succeed Judge Bates. He was then but 49 years of
age, and was born at Mansfield, Massachusetts, in 1759. He had
entered the Revolutionary Army at i6 years of age, and served during
the war. At its close, he studied medicine, removed to Vermont, and




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after practising medicine some years, turned his attention to law, and
held a judicial position until elected to Congress. At the close of his
congressional term, as stated, he was appointed one of the judges of
Michigan, and arrived at Detroit October 8th, I8o8. The venerable
Col. James W. Knaggs, still living, says of him: " He was the kindest
man I ever knew. He was often a guest of my father, and even after
I went to Toledo, he spent a week with me, which was the happiest of
my life, because of the associations of my boyhood and his." It is said
that while associated with Judges Woodward and Griffin, he had no
sympathy for the eccentricities of the former or the whimsicalities and
fickleness of the latter. Judge James Witherell died in January, I838.
Thomas and Mary A. Palmer (nee Witherell) had nine children; two
only survived his death, Thomas W. Palmer and Julia E., wife of
Henry A. Hibbard, of Kenosha. He died August 3rd, I868. Mary A.,
his wife, survived him six years, departing this life in I874.
Thomas W. Palmer, the only son of Thomas and Mary A. Palmer,
possesses many of the characteristics of his father. The most lovable is
that freedom from arrogance, which has gained for him the sincere and
enthusiastic regard of the people of his native State, irrespective of
partisan prejudices or affiliations. He cherishes for Michigan a love
approaching idolatry, and notwithstanding the exalted positions tendered and held by him, calling him away from it, he anxiously desires
the time to come when he can forego and decline them, that he may
take up a continuous residence therein. He married the only child of
Charles Merrill, a sketch of whom will be found elsewhere.
Mr. Palmer has been a State and United States Senator, and at
present represents the United States at the court of Spain.
Friend Palmer, the elder brother of Thomas, was a man of equal
integrity and enterprise, but of a more sensitive nature in regard to
matters pertaining to their financial disasters of I824; he brooded over
them more, and could not take them in the philosophical way, as
did his brother, who believed that " what could not be cured must be
endured." He married Miss Thankful Davis, a native of Pittsfield,
Massachusetts.
General Friend Palmer, the son of Friend and Thankful Palmer,
nee Davis, was born at Canandaigua, N. Y., May 7, I820. Nov. 6,
I85I, he married Miss Harriett C. Witherell, of Detroit, daughter of
Judge B. F. H. Witherell. She was born at Detroit, May 7, i830. She
died in Detroit, October i, I88o, leaving two children, Patti and
Winnie. The former married Captain J. Hale, 3rd U. S. Infantry.
She died in October, I887. The latter married Mr. T. E. Lockwood,
of Detroit; they are now residing in New York. Gen. Friend Palmer
served for a number of years as Quartermaster in the regular army
during the Mexican War. When his term of service expired he




126 -

returned to Detroit, and for a number of years was engaged in the
book trade, until the recent civil war broke out, when he was appointed
Assistant Quartermaster-General of the State. Subsequently he was
made Quartermaster-General, and served as such until succeeded by
General Wm. H. Troop. The military records of the State thus speak
of him: " His experience in the Quartermaster's department of the
regular army rendered him a valuable officer, and to him the State was
greatly indebted for the efficient and economical direction given to the
administration of that department."
The genial smile and kind manner of Friend Palmer characterize
a generous, noble nature, which endears him to all whom he meets, as
well as to those who have made his personal acquaintance. In religious
matters, he leans to the Unitarian doctrine. In politics, he is an earnest,
active Republican, and as a native of Detroit, he ranks with all who
desire its healthful growth in morals, education, wealth and beauty.
SE MO UR FINNEr.
"Health and sickness, enjoyment and suffering, riches and poverty, knowledge
and ignorance, power and subjection, liberty and bondage, civilization and barbarity,
have all their offices and duties-all serve for the formation of character."-PALEY.
The experience of the subject of this sketch in the character he
develops at this day, is an illustration as to how all the circumstances
enumerated by the philosopher Paley have been utilized by him, for in
his life he has encountered all of them. Born of parents, not in affluent
circumstances, he was compelled at the age of sixteen to rely upon his
own efforts for a living. The avocation adopted disagreed with his
physical condition, ill health followed, causing him to seek a more congenial employment, in the course of which he had to contend with all
the ills and disappointments incident to a dependence upon the whims,
caprices and selfishness of others.
Seymour Finney was born in Orange County, New York.
The first sorrow of Mr. Finney was occasioned by the death of his
mother, which occurred when he was but nine years of age. Her loss
threw him upon his own resources. It was a second grief when he
found that he must give up his desire for an education. At the age of
sixteeen he was obliged to leave his school, and was bound out to a
tailor. During his apprenticeship his father moved to Yates county, and
from thence to Michigan, and settled upon a farm in Redford, Wayne
county, where he remained until death. Mr. Finney's failing health
obliged him to give up the tailor's trade, and at the age of twenty he
came to Michigan, but stayed only a few months, and returned to




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New York, spending the winter there. Finally, he came to Detroit,
where he has since made his home.
Finding nothing to do, he for a short time worked at the tailor
trade in Canada. This was during the Patriot War, but in I838 his
health led him to abandon his trade, and accept a clerkship with Mr.
Warner, who was then keeping the Franklin House. He remained
with Mr. Warner three years, and then bought a hotel on the corner of
Bates and Jefferson Avenue. The city directory of I845 gives "Walter
Finney, bar keeper, Franklin House," and many confound Seymour
with him. Mr. Seymour never kept a bar for anyone. In I843 he
engaged in the grocery business, which proved disastrous, and he was
forced to earn bread for his family as day laborer.
In I846 he rented the Franklin House, which he conducted for five
years, and then bought the site and erected the Finney Hotel, a frame
structure. He then purchased a lot on the corner of Griswold and
State streets, on which he built a barn, known as the " Finney Barn."
In I854 he removed the frame building, and built on the site what is
now the " Finney House." He conducted the hotel on temperance
principles until I857, when he retired, and in I86I built his present
residence on the corner of Cass avenue and High streets.
Mr. Finney, in religious matters, has been long connected with the
Baptist denomination, and has ever maintained the character of a consistent Christian, affording a good example for others in all his walks
and conduct.
In politics, Mr. Finney, although originally a Democrat, was antislavery in sentiment, and when in I852, the Free Soil Party was
organized, he acted with it. For a long time prior to that, however,
his barn was the rendezvous for refugees from slavery, making for
Canada. Many a poor slave has been hidden in the loft of the Finney
Barn during the day and piloted at night across the river to Canada.
As far back as I840, Mr. Finney was known as the superintendent of
the underground railway; and undoubtedly Mr. Finney must look back
with much satisfaction to that portion of his life. During his long residence in Detroit he has ever been recognized as the firm, outspoken
champion of the poor and unfortunate of all classes.
From I874 to I888, Mr. Finney was a member of the Common
Council, a greater portion of which time he was chairman of the committee of ways and means. No measure could escape his scrutiny, and
none pass having the least scintilla of wrong. Hence he was regarded,
and bore the cognomen, " Guardian of the City Treasury."
Mr. Finney has been twice married. His first wife was Miss Mary
A. Segar, who was born in Steuben county, N. Y. She departed this
life in I876. They had six children, four sons and two daughters. He
married the second time Miss Matthews, who died recently.




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DA VID PARSONS.
To those familiar with the early history of Michigan the name
of "Parsons" is associated with "energy," "activity" and "enterprise."  So far as connected with the progress of the territory to
a State, culminating in its present prosperous condition, this name
has been identified with all efforts and measures tending to promote
educational, industrial and benevolent enterprises. How far, and to
what extent, the subject of this sketch may have been instrumental
in securing such results will appear in the notable events and acts in
which he took a prominent part.
David Parsons was born at New Haven, State of New York,
June I9th, I820.  His ancestry on the paternal side were of New
England descent.  His father, John Parsons, was born at Vernon,
Vermont, in I788, and his mother, whose maiden name was Betsy
Tyler, was born in Connecticut in I788 and was descended from an
English family. His parents were married at Windom, Vermont, in
I8o8. His father died at Butterfly, Oswego county, N. Y., in I849,
and his mother at the same place in 1832. They had, as a fruit of the
union, six sons and one daughter.  In I835 the subject of this sketch
married Miss Sophronia C. Osborn, of North Bloomfield, Ohio.  She
was a daughter of Leonard Osborne and Amanda Smith and was born
at North Bloomfield, Ohio.  They had five children.  Mr. Parsons
came to Michigan in I836.
Mr. Parsons has but one brother, an honest, industrous farmer,
living near the old homestead in New York. Of his other brothers,
S. Titus Parsons was in the Legislature and last Constitutional Convention of this State; Luke H. Parsons was said to be one of the most reliable counselors of Michigan and was for some time regent of the University; Benj. Rich Parsons, a farmer, teacher and preacher, had the
Bible at his tongue's end so completely as to induce ministers who knew
him to declare that if the Bible was struck out of existence Rich, as he
was called, could produce it again from memory; Andrew Parsons, who
held almost every office of trust in the State of Michigan, including that
of Member of Assembly, Senator, Regent of the University, Lieutenant
Governor and finally Governor. These are all dead. The father was
a farmer and taught all his children to work. But David was, from a
mere youth, determined to get his living by "teaching school." When
only fifteen years of age he followed his older brothers to Michigan
and taught his first school during the winter of I835-36 following. He
was successful in his youthful efforts, and after working all summer on
a farm near Marshall, he returned to his father's in New York and
entered the teachers' department of the R. 0. Academy, where he
received the teachers' course.




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After spending the intervening years between 1840 and 1845 in
New York in teaching and as superintendent of public schools, in
I855 he went to Grant county, Wisconsin, where he founded the
Tafton Collegiate Seminary, of which he was principal for eight years.
During this time hundreds of teachers were educated under his special
training.  In I862 he was elected county superintendent of schools
without an opposition vote, being on the Democratic as well as the
Republican ticket.  Although a strong Democrat, the Republicans
acknowledged his educational abilities and his love for his country,
he sending five of his family and thirty-five of his students to the war
and contributing liberally to its support; and, therefore, with unanimous
consent, the Republican party placed his name on its ticket after his
nomination by the Democrats. In I864 he was called to Dubuque, Ia.,
to aid in grading the schools.  In I866 he had more liberal offers to
take the superintendence of the city schools of Freeport, Ill., where he
most thoroughly organized and completely graded and built up the
schools of that city.
In I870 he came to Michigan and settled in Detroit, and devoted
his time to business and business education until March, 1873, when he
was appointed to the office of Deputy State Superintendent of Public
Instruction.
During the many years of Mr. Parsons' labors as a teacher he conducted large numbers of teachers' institutes in New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois. He has contributed largely to
the educational literature and written various school books that have
had extensive use, all of which, except "Parsons' Philosophical and
Practical Orthography," are out of print.  The first edition of that
work, as well as his graded school system, was written when he was
only twenty-one years of age. Soon after that time he was, at the first
New York State Teachers' Association, elected by a unanimous vote
its secretary. His topical geography, topical grammar, topical mathematics, elocution, system of gesturing, featuring, and topical philosophy
and chemistry, are all contributions to school literature that have done
no little towards giving him the high standing as an educator he now
enjoys.
Mrs. Parsons is a woman of great energy and is as much of an
educator as her husband.  She was recently elected one of the school
inspectors of Detroit, which constitutes her a member of the Board.




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THEODORE ROME YN.
Theodore Romeyn was born at Hackensack, N. J., August 22,
I8Io. He died at Detroit, July 22, 1885. Both on his father's and
his mother's side he was of Dutch descent, and most of his ancestors
were very religious people. They were strong Calvinists, and many
of them were clergymen of the Dutch Reformed Church. His
father and grandfather were clergymen of that denomination, and his
grandfather, the Rev. Thomas Romeyn, was obliged, under the rules of
the church, to go to Holland for examination and ordination. Of his
grandfather's seven sons, five were ministers in that church. His only
brother was also a clergyman in that denomination, and his sons of the
same name as himself, preached in the old church at Hackensack,
N.J., of which his father was minister for fifty-three years, and where
his brother was his father's colleague at the time of his death.
In the language of Cowper, Mr. Romeyn might say:
"My boast is not that I deduce my birth,
"From loins enthroned and rulers of the earth;
"But higher far my proud pretensions rise,
"The son of parents passed into the skies."
When Mr. Romeyn's grandfather's brother had finished his theological studies in Holland, he was invited to fill the pulpit of one of the
principal churches of Amsterdam, where he had become betrothed to
Margaret Frelinghuysen, the daughter of Domine Frelinghuysen, a
descendent of whose family has been Secretary of State. His grandfather's brother afterwards married a second wife, the daughter of Col.
Abraham Van Campen, who was the most noted Indian fighter of his
day.
His mother's name was Van Vranken, and belonged to an old
family in Schenectady, on the Mohawk.
Mr. Romeyn is one of nine children. He had one brother and
seven sisters: Susan Van Campen, born February 6, I790; Hariette,
born June I9, I792; Anna Maria, born October 23, I794; James, born
September 30, I797; Anna, born May IIth, I8oo; Elizabeth, born
July 3, I802; Caroline, born December I8, I807; Theodore, born
August 22, 1810; Sarah, born February 22, 1814.
Mr. Romeyn commenced the study of law with Peter D. Vroom,
at Somerville, Somerset county, N.J. He remained with him until his
second year of study. He then entered the office of Samuel L. Southard, who was Secretary of the Navy under John Quincy Adams and
a Senator in Congress, and a brilliant and genial man. In I830, he
concluded to finish his legal studies and be admitted to the bar in New
*Rev. Theodore B. Romeyn. He died at Hackensack, August 29, I885.




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York. He removed to that State, and on the invitation of Benjamin'
F. Butler, the Attorney General of the United States under General
Jackson, he went to his office in Albany, and continued his studies
there.
Mr. Butler's office in Albany was the one formerly occupied and
used by Martin Van Buren, at that time Vice-President, and it was
much frequented by the various politicians who constituted the " Albany
Regency," all men distinguished for ability and high character.
Edwin Croswell, at that time editor of the "Argus," and William
L. Marcy, John A. Dix, Silas Wright, Azariah C. Flagg, Thomas W.
Olcott, and other prominent politicians were among those who frequented the office, and he was brought in contact with them, and had
an opportunity of learning their views.
His fellow student in Mr. Butler's office was John Van Buren.
December 3rd, I834, he married Miss Anna Mills Woodruff, of
Albany; and in December, I835, removed to the city of Detroit, and
commenced the practice of law in partnership with Alex. D. Frazer.
In I848, he removed to New York City, and engaged in the practice
of his profession there, residing at Brooklyn, Kings county. His practice was large and varied. His health was affected somewhat injuriously through gases coming from the hot-air furnaces in his residence,
and to a great extent he lost his voice, and in I858 he returned to
Detroit, where he remained engaged in the practice of his profession
until his decease.
During his first residence in Detroit, he bought and completed a
large house at the corner of Wayne and Fort streets, where the club
house now is. It was at that time by far the finest residence in the
city, and is still a most desirable house.
In his practice in Detroit, he was in the habit of thorough preparation, shrinking from no labor in preparing and presenting a case, and
succeeding at times when he had the general sentiment of the bar
strongly against him. An instance of this was in our General Banking
Law, where he succeeded in establishing the doctrine that the organization under which the banks sprang into existence was unconstitutional,
he assuming the ground that organizations framed under the General
Law allowing individuals to form themseves into a corporation, were
contrary to the true intent and meaning of that constitutional provision
which required each corporation to spring into existence under a
specific act, to which the judgment of the legislature should be applied
to the particular grant of corporate power; in other words, that a
general law for the incorporation of corporations was unconstitutional
and void. This decision was of vast importance to the people of this
State, but he realized nothing for his services in the matter. The title
of the case is Green vs. Graves, ist Douglass, Mich., p. 35I.




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This habit of close study and careful preparation continued all
through the life of Mr. Romeyn. He however never limited his reading to purely professional books, but was a general reader of the
ancient and modern masterpieces of literature, and kept up with the
science and literature of the time.
Although his profession absorbed most of his time, and although
he never was a politician, he had all his life been a Democrat, his first
vote being cast for General Jackson in I832; and every four years
subsequent consistently voted the Democratic ticket, with one exception, when in I864 he voted for Abraham Lincoln. He never had a
desire for political office, but uniformly declined it.
Mrs. Romeyn's decease preceded that of her husband several
years. She was esteemed as a lady of more than ordinary culture and
refinement, and had a large circle of friends in Detroit. At his death
Mr. Romeyn left three children, Col. James W. Romeyn, Consul at
Valparaiso, Chili; Mrs. S. R. Embury, and Mrs. Frank Butrick.
JUDGE ROSS WILKINS.
Judge Ross Wilkins, eminent as a lawyer and judge, was a native
of Pennsylvania.  In I832 he left Pittsburg and came to Michigan
Territory, locating for a short time at Tecumseh, Lenawee county.
Soon after, being appointed United States judge by President Jackson,
he removed to Detroit, which was his home till death.
Judge Wilkins was the grandson of John Wilkins, of Carlisle, Pa.,
the father of the Hon. Wm. Wilkins, who was a member of Congress,
United States Senator, Minister to Russia under Jackson, and Secretary
of War under President Tyler, and died while serving as judge of the
U. S. Court of the western district of Pennsylvania. At the breaking
out of the recent civil war, although at the age of eighty, he rode
throughout the day in the parade of the Home Guards when organizing for the war. The grandfather of Judge Ross Wilkins and the father
of Judge Wm. Wilkins, John Wilkins, at the beginning of the war of
Independence, sold all his possessions and with the proceeds raised a
company of soldiers with whom he served as captain during that war,
receiving no compensation except in Continental money, so called, which
is still in possession of the immediate descendants of Judge Ross Wilkins, and is preserved by them as mementoes of the services of their
ancestors in the struggle for American liberty. The father of Judge
Ross Wilkins also served as a soldier during the war of I812, in which
the subject of this sketch participated as well. It would thus appear that
by birth and lineage he sprang from a race of patriots, soldiers and statesmen, and therefore it is not strange, that at the call of President Abraham Lincoln for volunteers to defend the national honor April i4th,




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i86i, Judge Ross Wilkins should call a meeting of citizens of Detroit to
respond to the President's proclamation. This he did, and presided at
the meeting. In I837 Judge Wilkins was appointed a regent of the
Michigan University, which he held for a number of years. He died
respected by the bar and the citizens for his integrity as a judge and
his public spirit as a citizen, leaving an only son, the late Col. William
D. Wilkins, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume.
ELIAS S. WOODMAX.
Elias S. Woodman, of Northville, Wayne county, is a native of
the Empire state and was born in Rodman, Jefferson county, N.Y.,
on the I5th day of October, I816.  His ancestors on the paternal
side were were originally English, also on the maternal. His father,
Joseph Woodman, M. D., was born in Salsbury, N. H., on the 5th day
of March, I785. His mother's maiden name was Sally Wright. She
was born at Deerfield, Mass., on the 6th day of September, 1796.
His parents were married at Rodman, Jefferson county, N. Y., on the
i6th day of January, I816. His father, Joseph Woodman, died August
13, I838, at Novi, Mich., and his mother at Keene, Ionia county,
Mich., March, 7, I862. Mr. Woodman is one of five sons.  He had
one sister.
In boyhood Mr. Woodman worked on the farm during the summer
and attended school during the winter, and acquired the best education
that a newly settled country and the pecuniary circumstances of his
father could afford.  At least he must have made good use of the
opportunities offered at that early day, and must have had a love of
books, as we find him to-day the peer of many who had far superior
advantages.
In I837 he left with his parents his native State for what were
then called the swamps of Michigan, settling in the township of Novi,
Oakland county.  He encountered all the privations, dangers and
diseases incident to pioneer life, meeting them with intelligence, courage and firmness.
Mr. Woodman has been prominently identified with all educational and moral enterprises, giving his time and energies to their
establishment.
He was a member of the Constitutional Convention of the State
of Michigan in I85o, and although the youngest member of the body
except two, we find him by the debates favorably recorded as being
with the Hon. J. D. Pierce and Isaac E. Crary, of Calhoun county,
advocates and authors of the present Homestead Exemption law and




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our present free school system, which has done much to secure that
legislation which has made Michigan second to no other State for her
educational system.
Mr. Woodman possesses a good legal knowledge, obtained without
going through the law school or the routine of study under a preceptor, and was admitted to the bar of this State and the State of New
York on account of his actually being able to convince his examiners
that he had the knowledge of law requisite. He now is in the practice of his profession at Northville, Michigan.
In I840 Mr. Woodman married Mary A. Hungerford, daughter of
Uriah Hungerford, an early pioneer, of Plymouth, Mich.  She died
December 3, I868, at Novi, Mich., leaving four sons and one daughter.
August iith, I870, Mr. Woodman married Mrs. Lavina Stillwell, a
sister of the first wife. She has two daughters by her first marriage.
Mr. Woodman's eldest son, J. Hamilton, entered the service of the
United States during the late civil war August 9, I862, as sergeant of
Company "I," 22nd Inft. Regt., Michigan Volunteers; first lieutenant,
July 8, I863; captain, December 6, I863; honorably mustered out
June 26, I865.
From Mr. Woodman's own lips we learn the following items of his
history:  When his father died in I838 the family were left penniless.
He in his twenty-second year, the eldest of the six children, a few days
after the funeral of his father, borrowed one dollar of a neighbor and
rode on horseback to Pontiac to consult a lawyer about settling his
father's estate.  Calling upon the Hon. F. J. Drake he made known
his business, took out the dollar and told him he wanted the worth of
it in legal advice.  Mr. Drake told him how to manage to settle the
estate and bid him put the dollar in his pocket, and if at any time he
wanted legal counsel to call and he could have it freely. Mr. Woodman rode home much encouraged, returned the borrowed money and
went to work on the farm. At the meeting of Oakland county bar,
to take action on the death of Hon. F. J. Drake a few years ago, Mr.
Woodman was present, being a member at that time, and with many
others spoke of the many virtues of Judge Drake. When Mr. Woodman was nominated in Pontiac in I850 for a member of the Constitutional Convention, he had on a pair of borrowed boots and coat and a
borrowed hat by his side.  When the news of the attack on Ft.
Sumpter by the Southern Confederacy in I86o reached Novi, a meeting of citizens being held at the school house, Mr. Woodman was
called out and made a short speech on the situation, pledging himself
to do all in his power to put down the rebellion.  The late Senator Z.
Chandler, in a public address soon after the war commenced, gave Mr.
Woodman the credit of making the first war speech made in Michigan.
He kept his promise well, enlisted his own son and went twice to the


A




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seat of war and spent his time in camp and hospital, nursing sick and
wounded soldiers.
His son's life was spared and he returned.  Had he fallen, like
many others, in his country's defence, Mr. Woodman could have said,
with Cato, "Thanks be to the gods, my son has done his duty."
NOAH M. WELLS.
The subject of this sketch was the first pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Michigan and of Detroit.  He was born at Bemish
Heights, Saratoga county, New York, was baptised in the Episcopal
church at New Lebanon, New York, at the age of thirteen. Soon after
a preparatory course, he entered Union College, from which he graduated at the end of four years. He organized the first church at Brownsville, New York in i825.  He states that at the time he came to
Detroit there was no church organization, but there was what was
called the First Presbyterian Church, which was in fact neither Presbyterian or Congregational, so that after consultation they concluded
to begin anew and organized a Presbyterian church with thirty-six
members, which is now known as the First Presbyterian, of Detroit.
He became the pastor of this new church and at the end of eleven
years was succeeded by the Rev. John P. Cleaveland. His health
being somewhat impaired, he engaged in secular business for a time
and then taught a branch of the Michigan University. Subsequently
he was appointed chaplain in the army and was stationed at Prairie du
Chien. He labored for a time at Galena, from thence he supplied the
church at Maumee City for a short time, when he came to Detroit
in the employ of the Western Seaman's Friend Society and took
charge of the Bethel work, in which he continued for six years, when
the infirmities of age compelled his retirement from active work. He
then removed to the township of Erie, Monroe county, and took up
his residence with his son, where he died at the age of ninety-seven.
Father Wells, as he was called, was a remarkable, industrious and
enterprising man. It is said that he was not converted until he reached
the age of twenty-one, and only began his theological studies at the age
of twenty-two. He was not a brilliant man, but was full of intellect and
a laborious student. He was not a bigot, but his affection for his own
church was strong, and he devoted all his energies of mind and body
in promoting its success. He was married three times and leaves one
son and two daughters.




0JOHN WINCHELL.
On a pleasant day there may be seen driving along the streets of
Detroit an elderly lady, accompanied by a still older looking man, but
one who seems in the comparative vigor of his mental powers, so much
so that if asked to note changes which have been made in buildings or
other improvements and compare the past with the present, his eyes
brighten and he will give you a ready and comprehensive picture of
the former, as compared with the present city.
John Winchell was born at Kingsbury, Washington county N. Y.,
March 22d, i797, and came to Michigan in I833.  He served during
the war of I812-14 and was wounded at the battle of Lundy's Lane
for which he now draws a pension of $24 per month.
In 1826 Mr. Winchell married Miss Sarah Brand, by whom he
had seven children, of whom but three are living.
The elderly lady referred to is his daughter, Mrs. Alice Bartholomew, with whom he lives, in the house built fifty-four years since by
himself, No. I23 Fort Street East.
Mr. Winchell was a school teacher for many years after coming
to Detroit, and taught the first district school established under the
laws of the territory providing for system and support of public
schools.
Mr. Winchell, during the term of President Cleveland, visited
Washington and had an interview of an hour with him and was much
gratified by his reception by the President.
In religious matters his inclination and belief is of the Baptist persuasion. He has never mixed in politics and never held an office.
THOMAS ARMST7RONG.
"When God created the first man, he placed him in the Garden of Eden to dress
and keep it. So that even in a state of innocence, we cannot conceive it possible that
man could have been happy if inactive. God gave him work to do and his employment contributed to his happiness. For the structure of his body, as well as his mind
plainly proves, that he was never intended for a merely contemplative life."
This would seem to be the belief of the subject of this sketch, as
during his whole life, thus far he has been an active man, active in
business, in the cultivation of enterprises promoting good feeling and the
exercise of charity among his fellows. In his dealings with humanity,
he believes that when doubt hesitates, candor should prompt, and when
justice balances, mercy should prevail.
Thomas Armstrong was born in Buffalo, N. Y., October I3th,
I82I, and is of New England ancestry, some of whom still reside in
those States, and are in possession of the lands settled and improved by
his forefathers in the days of the Pilgrims.




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His father followed the sea prior to his removal to Buffalo, and
then for a series of years sailed the lakes, commanding the largest sail
vessel on the western waters. Thomas began his active life at the
early age of twelve, for we find that he left home in I833, and spent
two years at Toronto, Canada. Returning to Buffalo in i836, in
September, he took passage on the brig "Indiana," Captain Gus.
Mclnstry, for Detroit and the western lakes. After laying up several
days, the brig proceeded on her voyage, reaching Michigan City about
October 4th. By this time travelling by water had become monotonous, and he determined to stop over.  Remaining there over half
a year, he decided to return to Buffalo by land (there being no public
conveyance or railroad at that time), and commenced his journey
on foot through the State of Michigan.  As the country was but
sparsely settled, he often found it difficult to procure lodgings and
meals, and several times on the way was compelled to go without
either. But with that determination, since characteristic of the man,
not to yield but to surmount any obstacles, and a readiness to accommodate himself to the opposing circumstances, after a tedious tramp of a
week or more, he reached Adrian, where he took the "strap iron railroad"
for Toledo. There he spent his last quarter for a night's lodging, and
the following morning was about starting on foot for Detroit, where he
had a brother, when he learned that a steamer was about to leave for
Buffalo. He determined to get passage on her, and accordingly went
on board, and hiding his baggage, began to assist the hands to load
wood, and when the vessel was ready to start, he again stepped
aboard as one of the hands, and in this manner worked his passage
to Buffalo. This steamer was the old "Charles Townsend," and as
she stopped for wood at every port between Toledo and Buffalo, he
says he earned his fare.
After remaining at Buffalo for about two years, he decided to
come to Detroit, where he has resided since June, I838.
He commenced life in Detroit as an apprentice to Mr. Henry
Glover, who was then the principal merchant tailor in the city. In
I844 he started business on his own account, and established in a small
way a hat and cap store. His trade increased, and in I848 he added a
department for manufacturing furs, regalia, banners and uniforms for
the Masons, Odd Fellows and other societies and military organizations. He continued in this line of business until 1872, closed up his
business, and soon after, with his son, E. A., established the business in
which they are now engaged: "Manufacturers of Banners, Military
and Society Equipments," and are now located at 26i and 263 Woodward, and Ir4 and I 6 Washington avenue. They now have a trade
which extends to almost every State in the Union, also in Canada, and
are constantly adding to their custom and their facilities. Edward A.,
10




t


- 138 -and Frank S., his sons, have the active management of the business,
leaving him to take that rest which the arduous labors of his long and
active life demand.
When Mr. Armstrong came to Michigan, Detroit was a small
French town, containing a population of less than 5,000 inhabitants. He
has seen it grow to the number of 272,000. Then, there was not a single
paved street or sidewalk; now it has thirteen miles of paved streets,
and seventeen miles of sewers. Then it had no fire department and no
water supply, except from wells and a small hydraulic power which
brought water from the river-about ioo,ooo gallons yearly, and no
police force. Now its fire department, which controls fourteen steam
fire engines, three chemical engines, and seven hook and ladder
companies, employ a force of two hundred and fifty men and sixty
horses. Its water supply to-day equals I4,500,000,000 gallons per
year, and its police force numbers three hundred and fifty men and
twenty horses. Then there were no steam manufactories. Now they
are numbered by hundreds. Then there were no parks. Now they
abound. All these changes have been witnessed by him, and to promote
them he has done his part in a liberal but unostentatious manner. Mr.
A. is now full of life and spirit-he enjoys good health, with his mental
powers unimpaired, and his kind, genial manner unchanged.
GENERAL HUGH BRAD Y.
General Hugh Brady, who was well and favorably known to the
older citizens of Michigan as a soldier and as a man of public spirit
and enterprise, was a native of Pennsylvania and born at Standing
Stone, Huntington county, July 20th, I768.  He was a son of a Revolutionary soldier who was a captain in the i2th Regiment of Pennsylvania at the battle of Brandywine, after which he was detached from
the army and sent west to protect the frontier against Indian depredations, when he became distinguished as an Indian fighter, and subsequently lost his life, and those of his two sons, at the hands of the
Indians, leaving his wife a widow with the subject of this sketch and
one other son dependent upon their own energies and hands for support. In I792 he received from General Washington a commission as
ensign in the army of General Wayne, and accompanied him in his
campaign against the Indians of Ohio and Kentucky.  He remained
with the army until I795, when he returned to his home in Pennsylvania. In I798 he received a captain's commission from President
Adams and remained until the army was disbanded.   He then, in
company with his brother, occupied a tract of wild land owned by the
family on the Mahoning river near Pittsburg. They built mills and




-139 -

made other improvements, but after remaining there until I807 he
removed to Northumberland, where he resided until I812. When war
was declared between England and the United States, he accepted a
commission from President JRerlson and again went to the front. He /} oa ~V
served during the Canadian campaign, was promoted to the command
of the 22d Regiment of Infantry and was so severely wounded at the
battle of Lundy's Lane as to disable him from further service in
the field during the remainder of the war. In I819, by the reduction
of the army, he was assigned to the colonelcy of the 2d Infantry, then
stationed at Sackett's Harbor, New York, where he remained for
several years, and in I825 was placed in command of the Northwestern
Territory, with headquarters at Detroit, and from this time until his
death was identified with Michigan and its interests.
In October, I805, General Brady married Miss Sarah Wallis. The
late Samuel Brady, whose sketch will be found in this work, was a son
of this marriage.
General Brady, on the I5th of April, I85I, was riding out, and on
nearing the head of Monroe Avenue, his horse took fright and, running away, threw him out of his carriage, injuring him so that he
expired almost immediately. The venerable Col. James W. Knaggs
says of General Brady: "It was his practice, on the day before holidays, to quietly visit all the poor families in Detroit and present them
with provisions, clothing and other necessaries."
COLONEL WILLIAM D. WILKINS.
"This is my solemn injunction to the son to whom I bequeath the saber carried
by me in the Mexican war: That whenever his country is engaged in war, either with
foreign or domestic foes, he is to use the best efforts which God may give him in
the military service of his country."-Extract from the will of Colonel William D.
Wilkins, dated April 28, i86i.
He was a man, genial, courteous, possessed of ready wit, a fund of
general knowledge almost wonderful, an imagination, tender, poetic
and rich, a humor sunny but free from cynicism, a fine command of
language and a logical mind.
Colonel William D. Wilkins was born in Pittsburg, Pa., in I827.
When but five years of age his parents brought him to Detroit, which
was his home from that period till his death. He laid the foundation
of an education here. On completing it he began the study of law but
never practiced it.  His tastes were military.  He was one of the
founders of the Detroit Light Guards and when war was declared
with Mexico he volunteered his services and became a member of the
regiment commanded by the late Alpheus S. Williams, under whom he




-140 -won the reputation of a brave and gallant soldier. In I85o he became
clerk of the United States District Court, which position he held until
i870. April 24th, I86I, he was made Brigade Inspector of State Troops
at Fort Wayne, which position he held during the first summer of the
civil war, and in August was appointed Assistant Adjutant-General
on the staff of the late Gen. A. S. Williams. At the battle of Cedar
Mountain, August 9th, i862, he was taken prisoner, sent to Libby
prison and was paroled a month later.  On the 2d of May, I863, at
the battle of Chancelorsville, he was again taken prisoner and the
second time sent to Libby prison and was liberated on parole June 2d,
I863.  August 29th, on account of disability, he was compelled to
resign. Subsequently he was breveted Lieutenant-Colonel and Colonel
of Volunteers for gallant and meritorious services during the war. He
always took a deep interest in educational matters and for a long time
was a member of the Detroit School Board, and for a number of terms
its president. He will be long remembered for his devotion to popular
education. One of the public schools bears his name. Latterly he had
taken some interest in politics and was a popular speaker with the
Democracy.   His old commander, Gen. A. S. Williams, was greatly
indebted to Col. Wilkins for his first election to Congress. He visited
Europe three separate times, and his letters published in the "Detroit
Free Press," detailing his travels, proved exceedingly interesting as
well as instructive.
As an evidence of the estimation in which he was held, and as a
token of their appreciation, the teachers of the public schools of
Detroit, on the eve of his departure for the seat of war, June 20th, I86I,
presented him with an elegant sword. In a memorandum attached to
his will he requests that this sword be substituted for the saber which
he carried in the Mexican war and which was taken from him when
captured at the battle of Cedar Mountain.
No better diagnosis of the characteristics of the man and the love
and regard for him and his noble qualities of head and heart can be given
than that expressed in the following resolutions, adopted at a regular
monthly meeting of the Detroit Light Guard: " The last assembly is
again sounded; brave Wilkins, the last to hear and obey. A comrade
has fallen from our ranks. Yet the soldier never dies. Wilkins is
assigned to another command. He is now dressing to the right in the
columns of comrades and heroes who have left us. He is with Fairbanks,
Whittelsey, LeFavour, Roberts, Speed, Elliot, the brave Williams and
the generous Bagley, and a host of honored dead.  In life none loved
the Light Guard more than he whom we now mourn and to whose
memory our brightest recollections will ever cling.
"Colonel William D. Wilkins was among the first to sign the
original call for the organization of this company. He was elected its




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secretary and First Lieutenant, serving under the lamented Williams,
our first Captain.  Even then (i855) he had achieved military honor
and won special distinction for brave conduct in the Mexican war. An
active member of the company until the first call for troops in i86i,
when he was the second man in Michigan to offer his services —served
again in his country's cause, and to the laurels of a Mexican campaign
he added those of a rebellion.  Cerro Gordo to Chancellorsville!
Bright jewels in a hero's crown. In later years Colonel Wilkins took
an active interest in the company, and until death was a true friend and
father to us.
"We mourn his loss with profound sorrow.   Brave, generous,
kind hearted, chivalrous and noble. With an admiring people we
honor his record of valor and worth, yet he seemed nearer and dearer
to us."
Colonel William D. Wilkins died at his residence in Detroit March
3ist, I882, leaving a widow, the daughter of the late Hon. C. C.
Trowbridge, apd four children. Mrs. Otto Tillman, Ross Wilkins,
who is a graduate of Heidelberg University, Germany, Charles Trowbridge Wilkins, a graduate of the Michigan University, now one of
the law firm of Black, Moran & Wilkins, and present assistant United
States District Attorney, and Mary T. Wilkins.  His remains were
borne to the grave and buried in Elmwood cemetery by the Detroit
Light Guard, with military honors.
yOH_/ ROBER TS.
The subject of this sketch, John Roberts, was born in Wales,
November, I790. In 800oo his parents emigrated, bringing him with
them, and first located in Philadelphia, and in I80o moved to Utica, N.
Y. In I820, after receiving a fair English education, he proceeded to
Buffalo and took passage on the steamer "Walk-in-the-Water" for
Detroit. For several years he carried on a soap and candle factory on
the bank of the river, where he had constructed a wharf on Atwater,
between Bates and Randolph streets, and soon after connected with it
a grocery store.  In 1834 he enlarged his store and took as a partner
his brother, R. E. Roberts. The fire of i837 burned them out. Then
the firm took a store in a block built by Trowbridge and Farnsworth,
opposite the Michigan Exchange. In I839 they moved to the Eldred
block on the north side of Jefferson avenue, between Griswold and
Woodward. In I84I the firm dissolved, John buying his brother's
interest, and continued business, and also the soap chandlery on the
dock, until I846, when he sold out to Mr. N. Tomlinson, who converted
it into a dock and tannery, and retired from business.  In the cholera




142 -

year of I832 he was chairman of the committee to prevent its spread
and mitigate its evils, rendering important service.  He was also
colonel of the first Michigan regular State militia.  He was a stockholder and one of the directors of the Old Michigan Insurance Company's Bank, one of the founders of St. John's Episcopal Church, and
the oldest Mason in the city, being one of the first members of Zion
Lodge No. i, the oldest Lodge in the State or city. He was an early
member of this Society.
In I825 he married Miss Sanderson, daughter of Captain Sanderson, of Detroit.  They had two girls and one boy.  The son, Mr. D.
W. Roberts, of San Francisco, and Mrs. Jeremiah Vernor, of Detroit,
are living. He died April I3th, I88I. A widow, his second wife, and
his brother, Robert E. Roberts, survived him.
ROBERT Mc CLELL AN.
Hon. Robert McClellan was born August ist, i807, at Greencastle, Franklin county, Pa. He was descended from the heroes of
the War of Independence, several of his ancestors having been officers
of rank in that, and subsequently in the War of I812. They were
among the first settlers of Franklin county, and founders of Greencastle. His father was a distinguished physician, and a student of the
celebrated Dr. Benjamin Rush, and practised with great success until
six months before his death, which occurred at the age of eighty-four
years.
Mr. McClellan graduated at Dickenson College, in I829, among
the first in his class. He was admitted to the bar at Chambersburg in
I83I. He then went to Pittsburg, where he practised for a time, and
in i833 removed to Monroe, Michigan Territory. In I835 he was
elected a Member of the Convention for the proposed State of Michigan. He was the first Bank Commissioner appointed in the State by
Governor Mason, and was offered the Attorney-Generalship of the
State. Both of these offices he declined to accept. In I838 he was
elected a member of the State Legislature. He was elected Speaker
of the House of Representatives in I843, and the same year a Member
of Congress. He was re-elected to the 29th Congress, and in I847 for
a third term. Mr. McClellan was a member of the convention which
nominated General Cass for the Presidency, and also in that of I852,
which nominated Franklin Pierce. He was also member of the State
Constitutional Convention of I850. In I85I he was elected Governor,
and re-elected in I858. At the organization of the Cabinet by President Pierce, he was invited to take the position of Secretary of the
Interior, whereupon he resigned as Governor, and filled this position




-143 -

for four years most creditably. He was again a member of the Constitutional Convention of his State in i867.
For a number of years prior to this he had held the position of
Solicitor for the Grand Trunk Railway, but the duties becoming too
burdensome for his health he resigned, and retired from active practice.
As a lawyer Mr. McClellan was terse and pointed in argument,
candid and forcible in his addresses to juries, with whom he carried
great weight. In his political addresses to the people he was especially
happy as well as forcible. In private life a genial companion, and an
earnest, faithful friend. His whole record as a public officer, a private
citizen, and his domestic life is a good one, worthy of imitation, complimentary to himself, alike creditable to his native and adopted State.
In 1837, Mr. McClellan married Miss Sarah E. Sabine, of Williamstown, Mass. They had six children, two of whom survive him, Mrs.
George N. Brady and Mrs. Benjamin D. Green, who, with his widow,
mourn his loss. His death occurred August 30, i88o.
CHARLES MERRILL.
Charles Merrill, distinguished for his uprightness of character and
business enterprise, as well as for his industry and perseverence, was
the son of General James Merrill, of Falmouth, Maine, was brought up
on a farm, and improved his time when the labors of the farm permitted, in acquiring a knowledge of books and the advantages which
the schools of his native town afforded.
On reaching his majority he left the farm, and engaged in trade
with his brother and a Mr. Scott at Portland, Maine, the firm name
being "S. & C. Merrill & Co." Their business proved unsuccessful.
He removed to the State of Virginia, and taking a contract to build a
railroad out of Petersburg, was able to make enough money to pay his
mercantile obligations at Portland. Soon after returning to Portland
he took a contract to build a military road from Lincoln to Holton,
which brought him profits enough to enable him to purchase lands in
Maine, the sales of a portion realizing for him a moderate fortune. In
I836 he came to Michigan in company with ex-Governor Coburn, and
entered large tracts of land in the vicinity of Port Huron and returned
to Portland. In I837 came the financial crash, and his partners in the
Maine lands still unsold, becoming demoralized, proposed to quit-claim
to him provided he would assume all the liens upon them. Mr. Merrill
accepted the proposal, fulfilled the conditions, and thus became the
owner of large tracts of land in that State. He then engaged in lumbering in Maine and Michigan, and in I848 took up his permanent
residence in Michigan, made more extensive purchases of pine lands in




-144 -

various parts of the State, and built mills at Saginaw and Muskegon, and
continued the lumbering business up to the period of his death. In I858,
he built the block on the corner of Jefferson and Woodward avenues,
known as the " Merrill Block," one of the finest in the city of Detroit.
In religious belief, Mr. Merrill was Unitarian; in politics, an old
Whig, during its existence; and at the organization of the Republican
party, united with it. He, however, never sought political prominence,
but was zealous in promoting the success of his party. He was
generous, and the demands of distress, physical or financial, appealed
to his sympathies and received practical relief. He was one of the
founders of the Unitarian Society organized in Detroit in I850, and
gave liberally towards the erection of its church edifice, which was
dedicated in i852.
While Mr. Merrill was successful in business and left a vast
fortune, he was not grasping or parsimonious, and in many of his
ventures he was known to furnish capital for his associates.
Mr. Merrill was born in Falmouth, Maine, January 3, I792. In
I836 he married Miss Frances Pitts, daughter of Major Thomas Pitts,
of Cambridgeport, Mass. She died in i870, two years before the death
of Mr. Merrill, which occurred December 28, i872. One daughter,
Mrs. Thomas W. Palmer, of Detroit, survives.
N. B. RO WLEr.
N. B. Rowley, long and well known in Detroit as a manufacturer
of locks, bells, tools and other implements for the house and shop, was
born in the town of Ogden, Monroe county, N. Y., November I7, 1813.
After acquiring a common school education, at the age of eighteen
years, he determined to go west, and cutting loose from boyhood associations, came to Michigan, landing at Detroit in the fall of i83i. From
Detroit he proceeded to the town of Ypsilanti, where he married Miss
Eudette L. Miller, in I836. She was a native of Geneva, Genesee
county, N. Y. She died February 22, I890, leaving her husband and
two children to survive her, Mr. M. N. Rowley, of Detroit, and Mrs.
Mary Caroline Ney, of Indianapolis.
Mr. Rowley has ever been an ardent and active supporter of
Republican institutions, and has ever taken pride in maintaining the
dignity and interests of his adopted State. At the call for volunteers
by Governor Porter, in I832, during the Black Hawk War, so called,
he was one of the first to respond. In i835, when Governor Mason
decided that a resort to arms could only settle and maintain the honor
of Michigan, in her contest over the line between it and Ohio, he
tendered his services, and again when war was declared with Mexico,




-145 -

he volunteered and accompanied General A. S. Williams through the
entire continuance of the war. It is to such men that we owe the
preservation of those principles which actuated the fathers of American
liberties, to peril life, property and family to defend and perpetuate
them. During the recent civil war, age only prevented him from entering the army in defence of the Union, nevertheless he contributed time
and means without stint, and in this way demonstrated his devotion to
the Constitutional Government of his country. Mr. Rowley, although an
ardent Republican, has never been ambitious for political emoluments,
has never sought or held a public office. He is the honored secretary
of the State Association of Veterans of the Mexican War, of which
Gen. Andrew T. McReynolds, is President, and is active in his efforts
to preserve the reminiscences of that war. Among the business men
of Detroit his integrity is unquestioned, and he enjoys the confidence
and respect of all who know him. His recent affliction by the death of
his wife was a severe blow, and has broken up those pleasant domestic
relations which he has always loved, and which were a source of joy
and comfort to him in the journey of life.
HIRAM MILLARD.
Hiram Millard was born in Wayne county, N. Y., in I825, came to
Michigan in I835 and engaged in farming and cleared up two
farms. He recently retired from farming and has taken up a permanent
residence in Detroit.  Mr. Millard bears upon his face the impress of
an energetic, firm but kind-hearted man, and one possessing integrity
and strong sense of personal responsibility.
GEORGE MOREHO USE.
George Morehouse was born in the State of New York, and
came to Detroit with his parents in I835. In his early life he worked
on a farm with his father, between Wayne and Dearborn.  He then
learned the carpenter's trade, came to Detroit, and for a number of
years was a member of a firm of builders known as Morehouse,
Mitchell & Co., and did a large and profitable business.  He has now
retired from active business.
ZACHARIAH CHANDLER.
Zachariah Chandler, late United States Senator, was born in
Bedford, New Hampshire, December ioth, 1813. He received his
education at the schools and the academy of his native town, and in




-146 -

I833 moved to Detroit and engaged in the dry goods trade, which
proved successful and led the way to the accumulation of a large
fortune.
Mr. Chandler was a bold and enterprising man in whatever undertaking he engaged. He entertained no thought of failure. His plans
were well considered and digested in advance. His judgment of men
was remarkable, and that, undoubtedly, was one reason why he seldom
failed in realizing the success of his plans.  Had Mr. Chandler chosen
the army he would have made himself as distinguished a name in
military annals as that gained in the conduct of civil affairs.  His rare
executive ability, power of combination, and fearlessness would have
placed him in the front rank of the generals of the age.
In I851 Mr. Chandler was elected mayor of Detroit. In 1852 he
was the nominee of the Whig party for Governor of Michigan and,
though defeated, ran far ahead of his ticket. In January, I857, he was
elected to succeed General Cass in the United States Senate. He was
re-elected in i863, and again in i869.  In I875 he was defeated by
Judge Christiancy, but on the resignation of the latter in i877 was
elected by the legislature to serve out the remainder of Judge
Christiancy's term, but unfortunately died before the term had
expired.  Prior to his last election as Senator, he held the position of
Secretary of the Interior, under President Grant, which he held until
the inauguration of President Hayes.
The public life of Mr. Chandler was one of eminent service to the
people and the government during the recent war of the rebellion.
He never questioned the result, and when, at times, the government
and people were depressed, he was full of hope and courage. While
in the Senate he was chairman of the Committee on Commerce and
the working member of the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the
War.   Mr. Chandler's most noted speech in the United States Senate
was delivered July i6th, I862, on "The Conduct of the War," the
effect of which hastened the transfer of Grant from the west to take
command of the army of the Potomac, although Hooker, Burnside and
Meade had respectively been in command of it during the interim.
Mr. Chandler died at Chicago November ist, I879, leaving a
widow and one daughter, Mrs. Hale, wife of Senator Hale of Maine.
5UDGE HENRY CHIPMAX.
Among the first writers upon the laws which are adapted to the
form of the Republican Government was Judge Henry Chipman, the
subject of this sketch. He was born July 25, I784, in Tinmouth, Rutland county, Vermont, and was the son of Nathaniel Chipman, United




-147 -

States Judge and Senator from Vermont. It was the good fortune of
Mr. Chipman that opportunities were afforded him to acquire a
classical education. After a preliminary course he entered Middlebury
college, from which he graduated in I803, before reaching his majority.
It was a sad reflection for him that he was the last member of his class
who survived to attend the commencement exercises of that institution
in I866, on which occasion the degree of Doctor of Laws was conferred
upon him. On his graduation, the close application given his studies,
had so impaired his health as to make recreation and rest as well as a
change of climate necessary, he therefore made a journey to Jamaica,
West Indies, where he remained four years. On returning to the U. S.
he settled at Charleston, South Carolina, where he formed the acquaintance of such leading men of that period as Huger, Pettigrew, and
others of note in that city. The friendships formed then continued
during the lives of each. From Charleston Mr. Chipman removed
to the town of Walterborough, South Carolina, where he formed the
acquaintance of and married Miss Martha Mary Logan. She was the
daughter of John Logan, a wealthy planter, and a revolutionary soldier,
and was a woman remarkable for energy, personal dignity of manner,
intellectual acquirements, and a moral superiority which made her
respected and influential. She was benevolent, of generous sympathies
and strong attachments, and was versed and well read in all the public,
political, and literary topics of the day, hence was a ready writer and a
brilliant conversationalist. She was a kind and indulgent parent, winning the love and respect of her children. She died at a good old age
in possession of all her faculties, beloved and lamented by a large circle
of friends and acquaintances. The first visit of Mr. Chipman to
Michigan was in I823. Detroit had then a population of about I,500.
Its business, however, was large, being the center of a large trade in
the furs of the Northwest. So well pleased was Mr. Chipman with the
present and prospective of Detroit, that he decided to make it his permanent residence, and in I824 brought on his family. Soon after his
arrival he associated with Mr. Seymour in the conduct of the " Morning
Herald," then the most popular journal in the West. This he gave up
on being appointed Chief Justice of the Court of Wayne County. In
I827, on the death of Judge John Hunt, he was appointed Judge of the
Supreme Territorial Court, to fill the vacancy, and on the expiration of
the term was re-appointed by President Adams. His colleagues on
the bench were Solomon Sibley and William Woodbridge. At the
close of his judicial term he devoted himself to his private practice, and
and in writing for the press. On the organization of the Whig Party,
he united with it and remained a Whig until the formation of the
Republican party in I854, thereafter acting with the Democratic party,
or the Bell and Everett branch, and was one of the few in Michigan
who cast their votes for these candidates.




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Judge Chipman wag not a fluent speaker, but wrote with great
ease, and with great accuracy. It is said that his papers would stand
the most profound and rigid criticism.* "Laws of the United States "
obtained for him an extended reputation as a jurist. This work, enriched
with annotations and treatises, was regarded and used as a text book by
the legal fraternity throughout the whole country. Judge Chipman
became identified with the Episcopal church at an early day, and was a
trustee and member of the vestry of St. Paul's, and was also a trustee
of the Mariner's church, and was the promoter of its organization.
Judge Chipman had nine children, three of whom died in childhood. His eldest son, Henry Logan Chipman, became a lieutenant in
the navy, and died at the age of 32. Judge John Logan, the only
living son, now on his second term as a Member of Congress, seems to
have inherited the logical and judicial qualities of his father, and the
fluency of expression from his mother. Physically he resembles the
former, but in manner possesses the magnetism of the latter. J. Logan
Chipman was born in Detroit June 5th, I830. Receiving his preliminary education at the schools of Detroit, he completed his classical and
legal studies at the University of Michigan. In I846 he explored the
Lake Superior region in the interests of the Montreal Mining Company. In I854 was admitted to the bar, the same year he aided in the
payment of the Chippewa Indians of Lake Superior, and participated
in making the treaty of Detroit with the Ottawas and Chippewas of
Michigan. In I856 was elected City Attorney of Detroit, which position he held until I86I. Was a Member of the Michigan State Legislature in 1863. In i865 was appointed Attorney of the Police Board
of Detroit, which position he held until elected Judge of the Superior
Court of Detroit, in I879, to which he was re-elected at the end of six
years, and continued to hold the same until elected to the Fiftieth
Congress. At the end of his first term as Member of Congress he was
re-elected, and is now serving on his second.
The daughters of Judge Henry Chipman inherited the qualities of
their parents, and are refined, intellectual and charitable. They are
held in high respect for their intelligent and cultivated manners, and for
their kindly deeds and acts.
Judge Henry Chipman was of medium height, of well proportioned
frame, his carriage was dignified, his manner courteous, but not fullsome. He was not opinionated, but could maintain his opinion when
occasion demanded with much force and enthusiasm. His eyes were
* The Judge was the descendant of a long line of lawyers and of a stock which
(on the maternal side) came with the Pilgrims, the paternal following a few ships
afterwards. His father was a revolutionary officer, and he, not the Judge, wrote
"The Principles of Government." Judge Daniel Chipman, of "Chipman's Reports"
and author of the works on " Contracts," was the Judge's uncle.




-149 -

light blue, and his countenance full of benevolence and expression, indicating a kind heart and generous disposition. Judge Chipman maintained his vigor of intellect up to the close of life, and was an observer
of current events at that period as in his earlier days. He died October,
i868.
John Logan Chipman, is a native of this County, in fact one of its
products, and as such we take pride in exhibiting, as a specimen of
his powers, the following extract from his eulogy, delivered in Congress April 19, i890, on the late S. S. Cox, Member of Congress from
New York, as (in our judgment) for eloquence, pathos and logic, it will
compare and rank with the efforts of the most distinguished orators of
ancient or modern times:
" It is difficult to speak on an occasion of this kind with the sober
propriety which is respectful to ourselves, and to the dead. Eulogy is
often but a tribute to ourselves. To love virtue is near akin to being
virtuous. To comprehend great actions is an approach to greatness.
So we place our wreath upon a tomb and think them more beautiful
because they are ours.  Yet, on this solemn occasion, in this great
house of the people, I believe there is here to-day mourning and reverence for the worth and genius which only yesterday were our delight
and pride. The career which has closed was not all sunshine. In
many years of political strife there were storms as well as calms.
Feeling often ran riot and there were those who could not conceive
that they would be mourners here to-day: for in this man who has left
us was an earnest, brave man. He clung to his faith in defeat as well
as in victory. He lived his older years in the tempest of the Republic's
history.  He acted with strong men, bold men, great men, and
struggled with the giants. He smote, and was smitten, but in the fierce
contest his courage was serene and high, his patriotism incorruptible,
and his abilities up to the standard of the exigencies of the times.
" This is saying a great deal of any man, but it is only saying that
he bore himself nobly in a goodly company of the honored sons of his
country. No doubt some of his contemporaries in those troublous
days were impatient with him. We are all prone to be impatient with
those we can neither bend nor break. That is human meanness, and
fortunate is the man who discovers that it is meanness, and rises to
higher planes of judgment. We all saw that this man had weaknesses
and faults, but now that he is gone we see that he was our brother
after all, and that he was wise and gifted beyond most of us. His
faults only evinced his kinship to us. We see this clearly now, for it is
the blessed power of death to give a better vision to 'the living, and
lend to their gaze all the tenderness of the heart; all the greatness of
the soul. I hope, then, that I may be permitted by the members of
this body to credit him with sincerity as a Democrat. He never




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faltered in that. He never counted the cost in that. It was his fortune
to be opposed to a strong majority during a national convulsion, not
opposed to the prosecution of the war for the Union, but to constructions of the Constitution, which he regarded as dangerous to liberty,
and to a use of victory, which he felt to be unpatriotic. His sentiments
were not always popular, but he did not shrink. He faced storms few
men would have dared to face, and he and the great Pennsylvanian,
whose sunset lingers in the tender glow of a people's love and the
glory of his great achievements, asserted the principles of the Constitution and advocated a wise statesmanship. I repeat it. He did not count
the cost, when other men fled their party and sought refuge under
the shadow of power. He knew whither they fled. The path to position and fortune was well beaten, but when the rebellion ended he
thought good feeling should prevail, that the Union should be relaid in
constitutional freedom and in the affection of restored brotherhood.
For this I honor him. It was the highest loyalty. He was right. No
doctrine of internecine hate can elevate the power or swell the prosperity of the nation. We are one family-north, south, east, westchildren of one mother. All our great policies prove that. Even our
tariff differences cluster around theinecessity to seek each other's good.
In his love for the Union and his hatred of rebellion, I sympathize with
him; in his indomitable faith that the passions of war ought not to be
terror-striking ghosts, haunting the blessings of peace, I reverence
him."
COL. ABRAHAM CALEB TRUAX.
"The brave man is not he who feels no fear,
But he whose noble soul-it fear subdues!"-Balze.
"A brave man bears no malice, but forgets
At once in peace the injuries of war. "-Cowwper.
The foregoing quotations express the characteristics of one of the
earliest of Michigan pioneers.
Colonel Abraham Caleb Truax was born at Schenectady, New
York, in I778. He was a cousin of Stephen Van Rensselaer, known
as "the Patroon," of Albany, or Rensselaerwick, whose possessions,
forty-eight miles long and twenty-four miles wide, extended over three
counties.
Col. Truax, when a very small boy, was left to the care of an
uncle, and while yet in his early "teens " he left the house of his uncle
and made his way to Detroit (by the way of Canada), arriving there
about the year i8oo.
He engaged in whatever he could find to do, accumulated some
means, and when war was declared between England and the United




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States he volunteered in Hull's army. When Detroit was surrendered
by General Hull and his army was drawn up in line to be turned over
to the British and sent to Canada as prisoners of war, Col. Truax concluded he would not go to Canada, and turning to Ben. Chittenden,
who stood next to him in the ranks, he requested him to hold his gun,
whereupon he stepped boldly out of the ranks and, passing both
British and American sentries, he made his way to the fort where he
saw General Hull (whom he felt like shooting) sitting on some bags.
Having secured a small trunk he had there, he took to the woods, and
after encountering many adventures he reached Schenectady, where he
remained until peace was declared, when he returned to Detroit and
resumed the mercantile business which the war had broken up.
On May 30, i8o9, he purchased of Elijah Brush, for $3o00, a strip
of ground on Jefferson avenue, between Wayne and Shelby streets,
where the new part of the Michigan Exchange and the store next to
it on the west now stand.  About 1813 he erected on said ground a
store which for those days was one of the best in Detroit, and for many
years was known as the Truax building.  May ix, 1815, he sold the
same to James May for $2,900.
Soon after, and much to the regret of Gen. Cass, who had a
very strong regard for Col. Truax, and who always commended him
for his enterprise and energy, he decided to move from Detroit.
Accordingly, about I817, he fixed upon and located at a place below
Detroit, which, in I834, he laid out and platted, as the village of
Truaxton, now Trenton, Wayne county. Col. Truax held many
honorable positions under the territorial government.  There is held
by his daughter, Mrs. Giles B. Slocum, a captain's commission given
him by Gen. Cass, another making him supervisor and commissioner
of roads in I820.  She has also in her possession the commission of
postmaster given him by Postmaster General John McLean in I828;
also a commission given him by Gen. Cass as justice of the peace in
1830, and one for the same office, dated I833, signed by Governor
Porter, and one as colonel, signed by Governor Stevens T. Mason in
1838.  These documents, as relics of the early days, are very interesting. Accompanying them are many other memorials of well known
residents of the territory of Michigan.
In i8i8 Col. Truax married Lucy M. Brigham, of Hanover, New
Hampshire. She died, beloved by her family and friends, at Trenton,
Wayne county, Michigan, in I837.
They had four children.  Two only reached adult age, and at
present Mrs. Giles B. Slocum is the only surviving child, George B.
Truax having died at Detroit in i869, after a successful business life.
Hon. Elliott T. Slocum, of Detroit, is his grandson.  Col. Truax was




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loved and respected by his neighbors at Trenton, and by the business
men of Detroit, who knew him well, and by whom he was considered
a man of unqualified integrity and energy.
He met his death by the explosion of the Steamer Vance on the
Detroit River in I844. His remains lie in Woodmere Cemetery.
GILES BRAN SLOC UM.
"Care sat on his faded cheek,
But under brows of dauntless courage."
He possessed industry, penetration, courage, vigilance and enterprise.  Such was the man Giles Bryan Slocum, born at Saratoga
Springs, New York, July I th, I8o8. He was of Rhode Island
Quaker antecedents, his grandfather, Giles Slocum, having been born
in that State and moved at an early date to Pennsylvania.  He was
one of the sixty who escaped at the Wyoming massacre in I778.  His
sister, Frances, then five years of age, was carried off by the Indians,
and sixty years after was found by Col. Ewing near Logansport,
Indiana (see Lossing's History).  Giles Slocum was a volunteer in
General Sullivan's expedition against the Indians of Genessee Valley.
At the close of the Revolutionary War he removed from Pennsylvania to New York and settled about four miles from the present site
of Saratoga Springs. He purchased his farm of General Schuyler, of
revolutionary fame. Jonathan Slocum, the father of Giles and great
grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was killed by the Indians on
the present site of the city of Wilkesbarre, Pennsylvania. Jeremiah
Slocum, the father of Giles B. Slocum, and Betty Bryan Slocum, were
his parents. Thus descended from active participants in the struggle
for American independence, it is not strange that he should exhibit
those traits of courage, enterprise and fearless integrity which characterized his subsequent life.  Mr. Giles B. Slocum had, in early life,
the advantages afforded by the common schools, and taught school
himself. In 1830 he farmed on the Au Sable River in northern New
York, and came west in I83r, landing at Detroit.  After prospecting
in the interior for a time, about Black River, he settled for the winter
on the Maumee, and assisted in laying out Vistula, now Toledo. His
father dying in I832 he returned east and bought out the interests of
the other heirs to his father's estate. The following, as illustrating a
historical reminiscence of the times, is here introduced:
PORT LAWRENCE, January 9th, 1832.
ESTEEMED FATHER: I wrote you some time ago and have not
received an answer as yet. Not knowing whether you have received
my letter or not, I may, perhaps, repeat something I have already




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written.  I have made two purchases of eighty acre lots each, one
about five miles south of the village of Monroe, on the road leading
from the turnpike west. I have exchanged this lot for one on the turnpike, about four and one-half miles south of said village. Thus I have
an eighty acre lot for $00oo, on the turnpike four and one-half miles
from the village of Monroe. A daily line of stages passes from Buffalo
to Detroit by the south shore of Lake Erie. My other lot is situated
on Swan Creek, a few rods below said turnpike and about nine miles
north of Monroe, and hbout twenty-eight south of Detroit on navigable
waters for common sized schooners of the lake.  I am in hopes that
the bay formed by the mouth of the creek will make a smart little
town before long. I have been offered very liberal advances from the
first cost on said lots already.  I am located in this town very pleasantly and I think this is a good business, besides which, I am assisting
in laying out a new town on the north bank of the Maumee river, four
or five miles from its junction with Lake Erie. The river to the banks
of the town plat, is navigable for the largest vessels of the lake.  A
Mr. Allen, son of a gentleman of whom I think I have heard you or
grandfather, or both, speak by the appellation of Indian Allen, of
Allen's Creek, is surveying and laying out the town plat. The Maumee
river here is I40 rods wide and navigable for the largest craft of Lake
Erie, banks good and convenient for wharfing, and is said to be the
best harbor on Lake Erie; good country, which will naturally make
its market here.  We have seen that some of the villages in New
York have grown up with almost incredible rapidity, and as a number
of the most enterprising men of Lockport have already engaged in
this place, namely: S. Allen, uncle of L. A. Spalding and negociator
of the recent settlement of the water difficulty between him and the
Albany folks, Otis Hathaway, William London Favour, Lewis Godard,
H. S. Platt, and a number of others expected in the spring. Having
not room to dwell, I now give my opinion that this place (on the plat of
which there is not at present a single house) will, in the course of ten
years, be one of the most important points of Lake Erie.  I am well
convinced that publick lands, which can now be bought in this neighborhood for ten shillings per acre will, in a short time, be worth half
as many dollars.
Benjamin F. Stickney, great grand nephew of Dr. Benjamin
Franklin (as will be observed by his two first names) is the original
proprietor of the land of the town plot, has been Indian agent at Ft.
Wayne seven. years, etc.  Stickney has a number of letters in the
original handwriting of Dr. Franklin, among which is the original of
the inscription on his father's and mother's tomb.
There is pulling for Detroit, at the land office, for land in this section. A race occurs frequently. There is no mistake in making good
advances on money invested in land in this section.  I think it would
11




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be well worth your while to come out and see the country. The bank
of Michigan would cash a draft on them from the Saratoga County
Bank, which would be the most convenient way, should you come out,
as in that case you could have it arranged to draw a greater or less
sum and would not run the risk of losing it.  Steamboats having previously passed this place and landed the emigrants to this country, principally at Detroit, whose interest it is to advise them to settle on the
land in its rear, has left this section comparatively uninvested.  From
this circumstance I think it probable that this part offers advantages as
good as any in the territory.  There is a grist and saw mill erecting
up Swan Creek of Maumee river, about three miles from this place,
and good publick land in a few rods of them at present which, no doubt,
would be a bargain.  The utmost endeavors will be made to induce
steamboat proprietors to have steamboats stop at this place.  A dock
will be in readiness for the convenience of the boats, and should they
succeed in getting them to stop, the country around here will be
searched and the land will be in demand. Bog ore is found not far
distant from this place and it is expected a furnace will be erected next
summer, near this place. We have had a severe winter thus far. The
inhabitants say more severe than has been known before; snow about
ten inches in depth at present.  Henry Watton is out in Cass county,
I have heard, but have not seen him. Henry B. Scott and brother, of
Waterford, told me, on leaving their place, they should be gone about
a month, but I have not heard of them since. Mr. Cramer said he had
not any idle capital by him, it having been consumed by his late purchase in Texas.  He showed deeds or certificates to the amount of
32,000 acres.  He says he thought he could get money, without discount, in Troy, where they were acquainted with Fisk & Co.
Farmers' Map, and Gazeteer accompanying it, of Michigan, is the
best work of this country extant, the sections and ranges being all laid
out on it of the surveyed part of the territory.  It will come at two
dollars.
As I said to you in my last letter, the pine timber on Black and
Pine rivers, in the neighborhood of Lake Huron, no doubt could be
purchased to advantage.  Lumber brings as much in Detroit as in
Albany, and I don't believe it is appended with half the expense.
A new steamboat is building here in Detroit this winter. Grain
of every description, is high; wheat worth ten or twelve shillings in
some parts of the territory.  Great numbers of hogs are driven from
Ohio to Detroit, there killed, and taken into Canada.  Our neighbors
kill wild hogs daily. Wild turkey and deer are numerous.
I wish you would write me immediately whether you have any
notion of coming out or not. If you have, the sooner the better. My
expense was not great in coming out, being thirteen dollars from the




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time I left home until I arrived in Detroit.  I have since explored the
country from Lake Huron to the Maumee river.
I am now to tell you I took a lot of goods, to the amount of about
three thousand dollars, to this place to sell for Lewis Godard, a wholesale merchant at Detroit, he being at half the expense of sale, divide the
profit equally at the end of four months, when he takes such goods as
are not sold. I hope this will not scare you. Godard, as I said before,
has engaged himself in this new town, and is coming on, in the spring,
with a heavy stock of goods. Business is going on very lively, wharfing, getting timber, clearing away brush, surveying, etc., and I 'assure
you I think it is a good business for me.  Godard has arranged with
other town builders that large drafts are made on the store, thus making the interest of the whole to turn off as many goods as possible.
You will direct your letter to Port Lawrence, Monroe county,
Michigan Territory.      I am your affectionate son,
GILES B. SLOCUM.
Port Lawrence is the present Toledo.
He came back to Michigan in I833 and spent the winter and following year in the stave business at the head of Swan Creek, now
Newport, in Monroe county, and succeeded in getting the steamers
"Jack Downing," "Jackson" and "General Brady" to come up Swan
Creek, to Newport, from Lake Erie.  In I834 he paddled a canoe
down Grand River from Jackson to Grand Rapids.  He also in that
year, established the first store at Truaxton, now Trenton.
In I837 he sold his old homestead in New York and became a
western man.  Among other purchases were three miles of Detroit
river front, where for the following fifteen years he turned his attention to wool growing, and became one of the largest in Michigan. He
was also engaged in building docks at Detroit, Windsor, Trenton and
Sandwich.
In 1848 he, with Mr. Mears, of Chicago, purchased large tracts of
pine on White river, and laid out the present village of Whitehall.
About the same time he took a contract to build two bridges across
the River Rouge, for which he took wild lands in payment. These
lands he located on Crockery Creek, in Muskegon county, where he
built mills and called it Slocum's Grove.
In I838 Mr. Slocum married Sophia Maria Brigham Truax,
daughter of Col. Abraham C. Truax, of the village of Trenton. Three
children were born to them. Elliott T. and a daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth
Nichols, survive.
He took an active part with the Hon. Jacob M. Howard in the
organization of the Republican party at Jackson in I854, and was evet
after an influential supporter of the party.  In I856 he took an active
interest in constructing the Detroit, Monroe and Toledo railroad, and




was one of its first directors, as his son, Elliott T., was of the Chicago
and Canada Southern. In i86I Mr. Slocum was an earnest supporter
of the government and did much to raise money and men to put regiments in the field. He was one of the trustees of the Saratoga Monument Association, of which Horatio Seymour was president. His son,
Elliott T., succeeded him as such and is now one of the trustees.
Mr. Slocum was a self-dependent man. During all the financial
disasters of 1837, and since, he met all his engagements, which were
many, and the fortune he accumulated was the result of numerous
ventures, which were conducted with care and clear business judgment.
He was frank and bold in defending and maintaining his opinions, but
never sought to force them on others.  His honesty was never questioned, and he created in others unbounded faith and trust. None of
the early pioneers of this section were more widely known throughout
the State, nor more sincerely respected and esteemed.
He died at Slocum's Island, January 26, i884, leaving a wife and
two children to mourn, and a large circle of friends to regret his loss.
He was buried, January 29, in Elmwood Cemetery, Detroit.
GEN. A. S. WILLIAMS.
General Alpheus Starkey Williams was born at Saybrook, Conn.,
September 20, I8io. His father was one of the earliest manufacturers.
His paternal grandfather shaped his early education, his father having
died when the General was but eight years of age. His grandmother
Williams, nee Irene Pratt, was a woman of remarkable energy and
strength of character, being a descendant of Captain John Pratt, who
was famous in the Pequot war.
General Williams entered Yale College in September, I827, and
graduated in I831; then attended the law school under the charge of
Judge Daggett; went to Europe in 1834, on his return came to Detroit
in 1837. The practice of law was always distasteful to him. In I839
was elected Judge of Probate; in 1843 was chosen Alderman; in I844
was defeated for Mayor, but chosen Recorder by the Council. He
purchased the " Detroit Advertiser " in 1843, and sold it in I847, to go
to the Mexican war. In I849 was appointed postmaster at Detroit by
President Taylor. In November I874 he began his military career as
a private in the Brady guards. He became captain, and commanded
the company during the Patriot war of i838 to I839. The subsequent
military history of General Williams, chronologically, is as follows:
I847, Lieutenant-Colonel Michigan Volunteer Infantry for the Mexican
War; I86I, President of the State Military Board, and Commander of
the Camp of Instruction at Fort Wayne for the officers of the 5th, 6th




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and 7th Michigan Infantry regiments. While acting in this capacity,
was on the I7th day of April, i86i, appointed by the President Brigadier General of Volunteers. Reported to General Banks and assigned
command of the third brigade of his division. In January, i862, ordered
to Hancock, Maryland, with his brigade. In the spring of this year,
reinforced Sedgwick at Harper's Ferry, and entered upon the Shenandoah campaign. Was placed in command of Bank's division March
20, I862. September 7, i862, was assigned to the Twelfth Corps,
Army of the Potomac; was relieved by General Mansfield September
15, and returned to his old division, which he commanded in the battle
of Chancellorsville, May 3rd, and that of Gettysburg, July ist, and the
same day General Slocum turned the command of the First Corps to
General Williams, which he retained during the subsequent days of the
battle. September 24, i863, General Williams, with his old division,
was transferred to the Army of the Cumberland. In the spring of
I864, his division, strengthened by a new brigade, became the First
Division of the Twentieth Army Corps, General Hooker commanding.
On the 6th of May, General Williams entered upon the campaign ending in the capture of Atlanta, or the campaign of one hundred days
under fire. July 28, General Hooker was relieved at his own request
of command of the Twentieth Corps, and by order of General Thomas,
General Williams assumed command. August 28, he was relieved by
General Slocum, and returned to his old division. Early in November
he was again placed in command of the Twentieth Army Corps, and
commenced, under Sherman, the " March to the Sea." At Savannah,
Ga., General Williams was breveted Major-General. The last battle
of the Twentieth Corps was at Goldsbro, and the left wing of the
Army was reorganized into the Army of Georgia, which left a vacancy
in the permanent commandership of the Twentieth Corps, which, by
order of the President, was assigned to General Moran, and General
Williams, at the request of his old comrades, resumed command of his
first division. He was subsequently sent in command of a division of
Western troops to Louisville. When in July the troops were mustered
out, he was ordered to report to General Sherman at St. Louis, and
by him was placed in command of a military district in Arkansas. In
January, I866, he received his honorable discharge. He was appointed
by President Johnson one of the commissioners to examine the military
claims in Missouri in the summer of i866, and in the autumn appointed
Minister resident at Salvador, Central America. He returned to Detroit
December, i869. He was elected a Member of Congress from the
First District in I874, and again in i876. Was Chairman of the Committee on the District of Columbia. He was twice married. In January, i838, to Jane, daughter of General Charles Lamed. By this
marriage he had three children, who survive him, Charles Lamed
Williams, Mrs. F. W. Farquhar, and Mrs. W. I. Chittenden, all resi



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dents of Detroit. His second wife was Mrs. Martha C. Tillman,
whom he married in September, I873, and who is still living. He
died at Washington December 2I, I878, near the close of his second
term as Member of Congress.
The following from General A. T. McReynolds may be of interest,
and is herewith inserted:
GRAND RAPIDS, January 20, I890.
Fred. Carlisle, Esq., Ser'y, etc.:
MY DEAR SIR,-In reply to your favor of the i th instant, in
which you ask me to give you "a statement of the circumstances
which made the late General A. S. Williams Colonel of the First
Michigan Regiment in the Mexican War," I beg to say that I had
been Colonel of the Detroit Militia Regiment of Michigan for several
years, and when it was proposed to organize the Volunteer Regiment
for the Mexican War, the officers of all the Detroit volunteer companies, five in number, viz.: The Brady, the Lafayette, the Scott, and
Montgomery Guards, and Major Rueley's Battery of Artillery, recommended me to Governor Felch for appointment as Colonel of the
contemplated regiment. Governor Felch, however, designated General
Brown, of Tecumseh, as Colonel, and proferred me the appointment of
Lieutenant-Colonel, which, under the circumstances, I promptly declined. I was then a Member of the State Senate. Wm. L. Greenly
was Lieutenant-Governor and ex officio President of the Senate.
Governor Felch was elected United States Senator, whereby Lieutenant-Governor Greenly became Governor. The office of LieutenantColonel of the regiment for Mexico was still vacant, and one of the
first acts of Governor Greenly, on assuming the office of Governor, he
being familiar with my reasons for declining it when first offered, was
to insist upon my accepting, stating that General Brown was about to
receive a railroad appointment that would require him to remove to
Toledo, thus creating a vacancy of the colonelcy of the regiment. I
promptly accepted the appointment of Lieutenant-Colonel. The next
day, however, I received a communication from the Secretary of War,
Willliam L. Marcy, informing me that President Polk had sent my
name to the War Department, to fill a vacant Captaincy of Dragoons in
the Regular Army, with immediate service, and as there was no application on file for my appointment, requesting an immediate acceptance
or rejection. In view of the uncertainty and delay in organizing the
regiment for Mexico, and preferring dragoon service to that of infantry,
I accepted, thus leaving the Lieutenant-Colonelcy of the regiment for
Mexico vacant. I at once informed Governor Greenly of my conclusion, at the same time stating that I would esteem it a great favor to
me if he would allow me to designate my successor, to which he
replied, in his usual blunt and frank manner: " Name your man." To




159 -

which I replied: " Major A. S. Williams, Commander of the Detroit
Battalion, who I esteem as one of the most accomplished military
men in the State, and a gentleman whose appointment would not only
be received with great favor but would reflect credit upon the appointing power." The Governor knew General Williams intimately and
favorably, but said: "Would the Democratic party approve of the
appointment of not only a Whig, but the editor and proprietor of the
' Detroit Advertiser,' the leading organ of the Whig party of the
State?" To which I replied: "In such matters we shall know no
party, and I am confident his appointment would not only meet with
general approval, irrespective of party, but would be one of the most
popular appointments you could make; and to fortify you, I will agree
to get the names of every officer of the five military organizations of
Detroit (who have expressed their desire to be incorporated into the
regiment) in favor of his appointment." To which the Governor
promptly replied: " Do that, and I will appoint him." During that
afternoon and evening I secured every name, and handed the document
to the Governor, who said: " You may tell Adjutant-General Schwartz
from me, to make out the commission for my signature," which I did
promptly and to willing ears. The first intimation Major Williams had
of his appointment as Lieutenant-Colonel was when I called at his office
to inform him of the fact. My first salutation was: " How are you, Colonel?" to which he replied with characteristic modesty: " Only Major,
if you please." The Colonel gratefully accepted the appointment. As
stated herein before, General Brown moved to Toledo, leaving the
Colonelcy vacant, which was filled by the appointment of Colonel T. B.
W. Stockton, of Flint, who was a West Point graduate and retired regular army officer. How such appointment was brought about I am unable
to state, as it occurred while I was absent, serving under my regular
army appointment.  I have sketched in detail the circumstances that
led to General Williams' appointment as Lieutenant-Colonel, not
Colonel, as you seem to be impressed with; leaving you to glean from
it such points as you may deem appropriate to your purpose.
Sincerely yours, etc.,
ANDREW T. McREYNOLDS.
RE V. 0. C. THOMPSON.
Rev. Oren C. Thompson was born at Stockbridge, Mass., i8o6.
He graduated at the Western Reserve College in i830. Afterwards
spent a year at Princeton College. Took an agency of the American
Tract Society for Michigan the winter of i83i. Married Miss Alice
L. Thompson of Hudson, Penn., and returned to Michigan in the fall
of I832, and opened a school at Ann Arbor, which was the only institu



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tion higher than a district school in Michigan. In I834 removed to St.
Clair and installed as pastor of the church. During this period he was
the only minister in the county. His field of labor extended from Lake
St. Clair to Lake Huron. He organized the first church in Port Huron
and was moderator of the convention which organized the first Congregational church in Detroit.  In I849 he returned to Detroit and
became treasurer of E. B. & S. Ward's line of steamers. He then
engaged in banking until i86o. In i864 he entered the service of the
U. S. Christian Commission for the Relief of Soldiers. Still lives on
Woodward Avenue.
WILLIAM WOODBRIDGE.
Was born at Norwich, Conn., August 20, 1780, and died at Detroit,
i86I. He graduated at the law school of Litchfield, Conn., I8o6. In
June, i8o6, married at Hartford, Conn., Julian, daughter of John
Trumbull, who died in I86o. In I807, Mr. Woodbridge was chosen a
member of the Ohio Assembly, and i8o9 was elected to the State
Senate. Was appointed Secretary of the Territory in 1814, which
office also involved the duties of Collector of Customs at Detroit, as
well as Superintendent of Indian affairs. In 1819 he represented the
Territory in Congress. In I835 was a member of the convention to
form a constitution. In i837 a member of the State Senate. Was
elected Governor in I839 and inaugurated January ist, i840. Was
elected to the Senate in the winter of I84I, and served full term of six
years, which ended his political life.
COL. JOHN WINDER.
"If I can put one touch of rosy sunset into the life of any man or
woman, I shall feel that I have walked with God."-Geo. Macdonald.
Such would seem to be the sentiment demonstrated by Col. John
Winder. For sixty-five years his genial manner, his kind words and
warm greetings, as he has met nearly three generations of the people of
Detroit, must have left the impress that he, too, has sought to make
them happy.
Colonel John Winder was born at Uniontown, Fayette county,
Pennsylvania, in I804. He is descended on the paternal side from an
ancient Virginian family, James Winder, his father, being a native of
that State. His mother, Mary Van Houten, was a native of Hunterdon
county, New Jersey, whose family were prominently associated with
the history of that State.
Colonel Winder left his native town at the age of nineteen to take




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employment with Major Thomas Rowland, in reference to whom the
late Hon. C. C. Trowbridge says:   "Was marshal of the United
States, pension agent, clerk of the County Court, secretary to the County
Commissioners, Justice of the Peace and trustee of the city."
In I826 he was appointed clerk of the Supreme Court of the Territory of Michigan, which position he held until I840, and was clerk of the
United States Circuit Court from i837 to I848, when he resigned the
clerkship of the district, retaining that of clerk of the Circuit Court
until I878, when he retired. From I832 to I836 he was city clerk. He
was aide-de-camp to the Governor and was one of the original members
of the Brady Guards. In all the various and responsible positions he
discharged the duties they imposed, with honor to himself and fidelity
to the public.
The first wife of Col. Winder was Elizabeth Cornelia, the eldest
daughter of General Jno. R. Williams, who died in 1854. His present
wife was Miss M. C. Strong, daughter of Judge E. B. Strong, of
Rochester, N. Y. They have one son, J. Elisha, who married the
daughter of Mr. Timothy Jerome, of Saginaw.
The Colonel as he walks the streets to-day, extends to his
acquaintances kind and hearty greeting, as in earlier days.
0JHN R. WILLIAMS.
John R. Williams was the son of Thomas Williams, who was born
at Albany, N. Y., about 1750, and came west before reaching his
majority, first stopping for a time at Prairie du Chien, then at Mackinac, and in I780 took up his abode in Detroit. He married a sister of
Joseph Campau and thus became connected with some of the oldest
and most prominent of the French families.  He was contemporary in
business with William and Alexander Macomb, Messrs. Schieffeir &
Smith, James May, James Abbot, Sr., John Hackenwelder, the founder of
the Moravian settlement on the Thames, and the celebrated Indian chief,
Captain John Brant, who were conspicuous, exerting much influence in
this section at that time. Detroit was then under British rule. Thomas
Williams died in I785, leaving a large property, which was, however,
entirely absorbed in the settlement of his estate.
John R. Williams, the immediate subject of this sketch, was born in
Detroit May 6th, I782. His father's death left him, at the age of three
years, an orphan, exposed to the vicissitudes which children deprived
of paternal care and protection are subjected to. He, however, was
fortunate in finding a friend in his uncle, Joseph Campau, who took him
in charge and gave him all the opportunities which Detroit afforded for
acquiring that education which was the foundation of his subsequent use



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fulness to his birthplace and country. At thirteen years of age, he entered
his uncle's store, remaining there for five years, when, having a taste
for military life, through the influence of friends, he obtained entrance to
the United States encampment at Alleghany, Penn., and was in the regiment of Colonel Hamtramack. He accompanied his regiment to lower
Ohio, and remained with it for two years, when he returned to Detroit
and again engaged with his uncle, and for a few years became associated with him as a partner.  Upon the dissolution of his co-partnership he went to Albany, where he owned a small property left by his
father, sold it, and purchasing a stock of goods brought them to
Detroit and opened a store.  In I805 he married Miss Mary Mott,
daughter of Captain Gershom Mott. Captain Mott was in the artillery
service with Montgomery, at the seige of Quebec.  The fire of i805
destroying his store and some of his goods, he removed those remaining to a small wooden building on Atwater street, near Hastings, then
far outside the city. Mr. Williams did a successful business until I812,
when he was made captain of an artillery company by Governor Hull,
but having some difficulty with that officer he resigned and voluntarily
went into the private ranks.  Upon the surrender of Hull he went to
Albany, where he remained until peace was declared. On returning
to Detroit in ISI5 he resumed his mercantile business at the same
place, and also dealt somewhat extensively in real estate.  In I829 he
built a large warehouse at the foot of Bates street and engaged in the
forwarding and commission business, until I834, when he retired from
active mercantile business.  In 18I5 he was appointed adjutant general. In I824 he was elected the first mayor of Detroit, and during his
term petitioned Congress to grant to the city what was known as the
Military Reservation.  This reservation embraced a valuable portion
of lands in the First and Second Wards, between Griswold and Cass,
from Larned to the northern limits of the city, including the site of the
present City Hall. After many vexatious delays his requests were complied with, and thus to the city became, in reality, of great value. Mr.
Williams was the first president of the old Bank of Michigan, which
position he filled until I824, when he resigned. In I832 he was appointed
Major General of the First Division of the Michigan Militia, which position he held at the time of his death, which occurred October 3oth, I854,
leaving seven sons and one daughter.  Col. John Winder married the
eldest daughter, Elizabeth, who died in i834, and Captain McKinstrey
married Mary, the youngest.  Ferdinand, the eldest, died at Waterford, Oakland county. Thomas was in the army and was killed at
Baton Rouge, La., during the late rebellion. Theodore, James, John,
Devereaux and G. Mott lived in Detroit. All but James are dead.




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CHARLES I. WALKER.
"Aristotle has said-speaking of the laws of his own country-that
jurisprudence, or knowledge of those laws, is the principal and most perfect branch of ethics."-Blackstone.
"True ethics are a handmaid to divinity and religion."-Bacon.
The subject of the present sketch is noted, and is justly recognized by his brethren at the bar as being the peer, if not the superior
of most of the members of the legal profession, for his knowledge of
the application of the laws of jurisprudence, he having made this study
a specialty, hence most of the cases conducted by him involve the
discussion of questions relating to moral obligation.
Charles I. Walker was born at Butternut, Otsego county, State of
New York, April 25, 1814, and on the maternal side is a lineal descendant of Edward Rawson, a graduate of Harvard College, who, in i633
was secretary of the Colony of Massachusetts for forty years, and was
specially noted for his opposition to Dudley. His grandfather, Ephraim
Walker, married Priscilla Rawson, daughter of Edward Rawson. Ephraim Walker, the grandfather, erected a house on the corner
of Westminster and Walker streets, Providence, Rhode Island, as the
family mansion, and here the father, Stephen Walker, was born in i765.
He married for his first wife, Polly Campbell, in I790, who died in i795,
leaving two children. He married Lydia Gardner, a Quakeress of
Nantucket, in I796, by whom he had eleven children, the subject of the
present sketch being one of them. His father removed from Providence to Butternut, N. Y., in I812. He is recorded as being a man of
fair ability, devoted to his family, and to the observance of morality,
bringing them up to have a due regard for the principles of honor and
integrity. He died in I834. His mother, Lydia Gardner Walker, is
also spoken of as a woman of rare energy and abundant resources. She
died at Camillus, N. Y., January I6, I842.
Judge Walker acquired his early education at the common school,
at the age of sixteen began to teach. He in a short time entered a store
as clerk, at or near Cooperstown, N. Y. He remained there four years,
and in I834, made a tour through Michigan, returning to Cooperstown,
and in the spring of i835 engaged in the mercantile business on his
own account. In I836, having been appointed the agent of parties
owning lands in the West, and to make for them further investments,
he sold his stock of merchandise, and after an extended trip through
Indiana, Illinois and Michigan, located at Grand Rapids, Michigan, for
a year or two. He continued making investments and locating lands
for others. In the fall of i836, he was elected a member of the convention called to meet at Ann Arbor in accordance with the Act of
Congress requiring the people of the territory to assent through a convention of delegates to the boundaries fixed by the Act, pending the
admission of the territory as one of the States of the Union.




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In I837, owing to the suspension of specie payments, occurred a
financial crash, which put an end to his investments in lands, and purchasing the "Grand River Times," he turned his attention to it as
editor In I838 he was elected a justice of the peace, and began to
read law with the late Chief Justice Martin. The late U. S. District
Judge Withy, and Circuit Judge Holmes, were his fellow students.
He prosecuted his studies under Judge Martin. In the fall of I840 he
was elected a member of the Legislature. In the fall of I84I he
removed to Brattleboro, Vt., and on completing his studies was
admitted to the bar in I842. He followed the practice of his profession
in that State until i85I, when he came to Detroit, where he has since
resided.
In I867, on the death of the late B. F. H. Witherell, Governor
Crapo appointed Mr. Walker to succeed him as Circuit Judge of
Wayne County Circuit Court. After serving in this position for ten
months he resigned, and resumed his practice, which he still continues
with marked success.
Mr. Walker was, in his religious convictions, up to the age of sixteen, of the Quaker faith. But after leaving home was thrown into the
society of the Presbyterians, and became a member of that church. -
After removing to Grand Rapids, he aided in, and became a trustee of
the Episcopal church. While in Vermont he attended the Congregational church, and on coming to Detroit united with the First Congregational church of this city, of which he is now a deacon. Mr. Walker
is not sectarian, but is liberal in his denominational views, and his church
relationship has been directed by the circumstances surrounding.
As a public man, in addition to his service as Judge, he was
appointed by Governor Baldwin one of the Commissioners to visit and
examine the law relating to the penal, charitable and reformatory
institutions of Michigan. His exhaustive report thereon induced the
passage of the existing laws which have proven so salutary and beneficent in their operation. He has twice represented the State Board of
Charities in the National Prison Reform Conventions-at Baltimore, in
1872, and St. Louis in I874.
In i853 he was a member of the Board of Education, and has ever
been active in all measures and movements tending to increase the
facilities for its acquirement by the masses. In the spring of I859, he
was appointed a professor in the law department of the Michigan
University.
The study of the early history of the Northwest has afforded him
much pleasure, and the papers read and published by him, giving the
results of his research have proved of great interest. Their titles are:
"The Early History of Detroit," " De La Motte Cadillac," the " First
Ten Years of Detroit," " Early Jesuits of Michigan," " Michigan from




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I796 to i8o5," "The Civil Administration of General Hull," and the
" Northwest during the Revolution," and several other sketches and
biographies. These studies have led him to collect a large library of
manuscripts and works relating to the West.
While he has always been identified with the Democratic party,
his early Quaker education led him in former days to differ on the
slavery question with a large portion of that party. When but twentyone he was a member of the anti-slavery convention at Utica, N. Y. In
I848 he acted with the Free Soil party, and supported Martin Van
Buren against Cass, and in 1854 actively opposed the re-election of
Hon. David E. Stuart to Congress.
It is in his private life we find the evidences that he must have
had that kind of paternal teaching which has left its impress, and
colored his public and political life as well. He does not withhold the
hand of relief, the heart of sympathy, or the wise counsel of the head,
from the needy, the sorrowing, or the troubled mind.
In I838 he married Miss Mary A. Hinsdale, sister of Judge
Mitchel Hinsdale of Kalamazoo. She died in February, i864. In
May, i865, he married Miss Ella Fletcher, daughter of Rev. Dr. Fletcher, of Vermont. Mr. Walker is a member of the Historical and
Pioneer Society, and has been the President of the State Society.
B UCKMINS TER WIGHT.
Shakespeare utters the following:
" To thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man."
Buckminster Wight respected himself, thereby winning the love
and confidence of others.  Those who knew him testify that he had
the most just conception of what was due himself, and extended to
others no more, and no less, than he demanded for himself, and during
a residence of nearly half a century in Detroit, and in his intercourse
with its citizens, he practiced "doing unto others as he would have
them do unto him."
As a pioneer in the lumber business he became well known
throughout the State, and was held in high estimation by that class of
its citizens. The late Hon. C. C. Trowbridge, speaking of him in connection with the first steam saw mill built in Detroit, says, after the
repeated failures of those who built and owned it: "It was not until
Mr. B. Wright took it and enlarged it that full development was given
to the business." The original owners were E. A. Brush, Josiah R.
Dorr and C. C. Trowbridge, who built it in the year 1832, Mr.
Wight becoming its owner in 1837.




-166


Buckminster Wight was a native of the State of Massachusetts
and was born at Stourbridge February 5th, I797. He is of English
descent on the paternal side.  His father, Alpheus Wight, was born
at Medway, Mass., on September I6, I770. His ancestors emigrated
from Isle of Wight, England, and settled in the town of Dedham,
Mass., on July i8, I637.  On the maternal side his ancestors were
from England and came to America and settled in Haverhill, Mass., in
the year i65o. The maiden name of his mother was Miriam Belknap.
She was born in Stourbridge, Mass., Feb. 25th, 1772, where she was
married February 5th, I792. His father died at Stourbridge June 3oth,
185I, and his mother at the same place November 25th, 1822. Buckminster Wight married Miss Sarah Marsh in I820. She was a daughter
of Silas Marsh who served through the Revolutionary War, and whose
ancestors, John and Sarah Marsh, were from England, and settled in
Boston in the year I670.  There were three children born to them,
Henry A., Stanley G., Edwin B., whose biography will be found elsewhere in this book.
In I830 Mr. Wight visited the Warm Springs, Va., on account of
his ill health. On regaining it he came to Detroit with his wife and
two sons in the year I832.  The trip from Warm Springs to Detroit
was quite an eventful one.  It was made across the State, over the
mountains, to Guyandotte, Va., on the Ohio river, where, when he
arrived, early in February, the rains and melting snows had caused the
river to rise very rapidly, and before a crossing could be made, became
impassable. Mr. Wight was fortunate in procuring quarters for his
family in a brick house. The rising flood soon surrounded it half way
up the first story, obliging them and others to live for over two weeks
in the upper part of the house, the only communication with dry land
being by boat. This was a thrilling period for them, as daily, houses,
barns, etc., were carried by with the flood, and often human beings, to
whom no assistance could be rendered.  When the waters receded a
ferriage over the river was made and the tedious wagon trip through
Ohio and the black swamp was made to Detroit, where they arrived
March 22d, i832.  On his arrival in Detroit he engaged in the stock
business, buying cattle in Ohio and preparing them for market on the
Cass farm. In I837 he purchased from Messrs. Rice, Clark & Co. the
first steam saw mill erected in Detroit, Mr. Joseph Coffin being associated with him therein. They enlarged, improved and carried on the
business until 1843, when Mr. Coffin retired, and in I847 Mr. Wight
gave his two sons, Henry and Stanley, an interest, who conducted the
business, until I853, under the firm name of B. Wight & Sons, when
he retired, leaving it to his sons.
In politics Mr. Wight was an ardent Whig, during the existence of
that party. He was elected as alderman in I848 and State Senator in




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i855.  His service as juryman in the celebrated railroad conspiracy
case, which continued over three months, so impaired his health as to
compel his sojourn at the seaside for some time.  On his return he
took an active interest in Harper Hospital, and for a number of years
was president of the board of trustees.  Mr. Wight, soon after his
arrival in Detroit, became connected with the Presbyterian church, in
which he held an official position at the time of the division of the
property and the organization of the two churches.  He was one of
the efficient organizers and contributors to the church of that denomination on Jefferson avenue.
He died November 29th, 1879, at his residence, 415 Jefferson
avenue. Mrs. Wight (nee Sarah Marsh) died June 3oth, I884.
ALEXAVNDER C. McGRA W.
Prudence is the rule of all virtues. It is the path which leads to
every degree of prosperity.  In its exercise it is the channel whence
self-respect flows, and in its course secures the respect of others. The
man who possesses it is able to resist temptation and encounter dangers
with spirit and resolution, courageously bears up against disappointments, mar fully and unflinchingly speaks the truth, even before kings
and princes.
The private, public and business life of Alexander C. McGraw,
the subject of this sketch, demonstrates to those who are familiar with
him that in a great degree prudence and precision have been the governing influences controlling his action.  Alexander C. McGraw was
born at Little Britain, Orange county, New York, September 26th,
1809.  The farm owned by his father was a portion of the old Clinton
estate, known as the "Highlands of the Hudson." It is reported "that
Orange county, New York, and Sussex county, New Jersey, produce
more applejack than any other two counties in the United States,
making, in I888, I20,000 gallons, from which the government derived
a revenue of $Ioo,000."
Mr. McGraw, after improving the educational facilities afforded by
the schools of his native town, removed with his father to Michigan,
landing at Detroit in the spring of I830.  Here the family remained a
short time, while he and his father traveled about the territory in search
of a permanent location, and finally fixed upon one in the vicinity of
Pontiac, Oakland county, to which they removed and commenced to
improve. Mr. McGraw, however, having some knowledge of the
shoe business, and not liking farming, opened a shop in the village of
Pontiac the first year of the cholera, and such was the fear of it and its
spread, that to prevent it reaching Pontiac the militia of the county




were called out to guard all approaches from Detroit and prevent the
panic-stricken residents of the latter from  entering Pontiac.  Mr.
McGraw, being one of the militia, soon grew tired of this guard duty
and decided to remove to Detroit. He accordingly packed his goods,
and after securing a store on Jefferson avenue, between Bates and
Randolph, moved his goods and began the business which he has been
continuously engaged in since I832.
Mr. McGraw occupied this store about nine months and removed
to the Dequindre store, on the opposite side of Jefferson avenue. Here
he remained until January ist, i842, when he was burned out, and
moved back to the store first occupied.  March ist, I842, he moved
from this to the store corner of Jefferson and Woodward avenues,
known as the "Smart block."  Six years thereafter he moved to the
corner opposite, known as the "Campau Store," which he occupied
until January ist, I864, when he moved to the Porter block, comer of
Larned street and Woodward avenue, which he occupied six years
and four months, until May Ist, 1870, when he moved and occupied
what is known as the " Cooper block," from which he is at this date
(April 23d, I890) moving to the new block built expressly for the firm,
on the corner of Griswold and Woodbridge streets, where he is now
putting in machinery and appliances making it the most perfect shoe
factory in the Western States.
During the long period of 58 years in which Mr. McGraw has
thus continuously done business in Detroit, he has had several partners,
but the style of the firm has always been either " A. C. McGraw " or
"A. C. McGraw & Company."     Stephen Smith was interested with
him at one time. In I853 Mr. Samuel G. Caskey first became a
partner.  His relation continues, and, to quote Mr. McGraw, "Mr.
Caskey is still the wheel horse of the concern." The firm of A. C.
McGraw & Company of to-day is composed of A. C. McGraw, Samuel
G. Caskey, Augustus C. and Wm. A. McGraw (his sons), and Theodore
S. McGraw, a nephew, the firm name continuing as heretofore, being
"A. C. McGraw & Co., Manufacturers and Wholesale Dealers in
Boots and Shoes." Mr. McGraw has continued longer, and is the
oldest man actively engaged in continuous business of one kind in
Detroit.
The character of Mr. McGraw is that of one possessing a desire
to recognize his obligation to God, himself, his family and his fellow
men without sacrificing one to the other designedly. He is inclined to
Presbyterianism in religious matters.  In politics he is an ardent
Republican, though never seeking or ever holding a public politica
position.
Mr. McGraw has been one of the trustees of Harper's Hospital
from the time of its establishment (March 20, i863), up to the present




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writing (April, 189o). He was one of the trustees named in the deed
of Walter Harper, February 3d, 1859, also in that of Nancy Martin
dated March ioth, I859, by which they conveyed certain real estate for
the founding of a hospital at Detroit. He has given generously for its
support since its establishment, and is a subscriber to the endowment
fund of $o0,000oo. He is also one of the managers of the Ladies' Protestant Orphan Association.  Mr. McGraw has always been a promoter of other benevolent and educational enterprises calculated to
elevate society and benefit humanity. Although not tied down to the
details, he still looks after the business of the firm, and can be found at
his office between the hours of ten and twelve, and two and four each
day.
July 3d, I833, he married Miss Eliza French, who was born in
Otsego county, New York, in I8o9. She died of cholera in August,
I834, leaving no children.  In March, I836, he married    Miss
Susannah W. Walker, a sister of C. I. and E. C. Walker of this city.
Her death occurred in I842.  She left two sons, Dr. Theodore McGraw, who is justly distinguished as a medical practitioner and surgeon,
and Edward Walker McGraw, who is a prominent member of the San
Francisco bar.  October, 1843, he -married Miss Susan L. Metcalf.
She was a native of the State of New York, and born at Goshen,
Orange county, in 1814. They have had one daughter and two sons.
The daughter was the wife of Mr. A. H. Muir, agent Merchants'
Despatch.  She died recently.  The sons, Augustus C. and William
A., are associated and members of the firm of A. C. McGraw & Co.
A niece and adopted daughter of Mr. McGraw is the wife of Mr.
Wm. E. Quinby, publisher of the Detroit Free Press.
From Mr. McGraw we obtain the following relating to the late
well known pioneer and witty man, Judge Abraham C. Caniff: "He
was born at Pittstown, New York, August 26th, I79I. Came to Detroit
October 12, 1819. Died March 26th, I876. Both of his wives, Nancy
and Matilda, were born in the same month and year with Judge Caniff.
Nancy died Jan. 27, i837, and Matilda March I8, I855." Mr. McGraw
has kept a diary of current events and incidents relating to Detroit and
its citizens from I830 to the present, which furnishes an interesting
history.  He has twenty-three grandchildren living.  Mr. McGraw
was one of the few who, during the speculative period of I836 and
i837 was not led astray by the excitement of those times, as would
appear from the following extract of a letter addressed to Mr. McGraw
by A. S. Porter, dated Washington, January I3th,1i842:
"I learned two days ago, with the deepest sorrow and grief, of the
terrible calamity which befel our devoted city on the evening of the
ist inst., and the case of no sufferer has shared more in my sincere
12




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regret than yours. The few of our business men who were prudent
and sensible enough by abstaining from the temptation of speculation
to carry themselves through the pecuniary trials of the last four years,
preserving their solvency as well as their honor, constituted an important link between the past and the future, and were of a class who,
it would seem, merited success and exemption from such terrible calamities as this.  But Providence has in this instance decided otherwise. The prosperous portion of our community was small enough at
best, and every part of it must share in the consequences of the misfortune of a public one.  I sincerely hope you have not suffered to
ruin, and that you may soon resume business under auspices which
shall promise and realize that success which attended you up to the
fatal night of the conflagration. Very respectfully your friend,
A. S. PORTER."
STANLEY G. WIGHT.
There is a duty required by the fifth commandment under the name
of honor. kSt. Peter extends its observance to all men; it not only implies filial respect, but should also govern business transactions and
friendly relations with our fellows. It would appear that the father of
the subject of this sketch recognized and practiced these precepts during life, and had transmitted the desire to imitate them to his son, as the
evidence of those who have known both, tends to show that the latter,
so far, has exhibited in his manner of life, the same qualities of mind
and heart, which so endeared the father to the love and confidence of
his fellow citizens.
Stanley G. Wight, is the son of Buckminster Wight, and Sarah
(Marsh) Wight, and was born at Stourbridge, in the State of Massachusetts, on the iith day of September, i825.
He came with his parents to Detroit in March, 1832. On reaching his majority he was admitted as a partner with his father and
brother, who, under the firm name of B. Wight & Sons, engaged in
the lumber business from i847 to I853, after which the father retired.
He and his brother continued the business until i878. After that he
spent a few years in Leadville, Colorado, and since has made several
trips to Europe.
For the past four or five years Mr. Wight has been so afflicted
with sciatic rheumatism as to induce his gradual withdrawal from active
business.
In September ist, i851, Mr. Wight married Miss Nancy M. Rice,
the daughter of Leavins and Betsey W. Rice, of Stourbridge, Mass.
She was born at Brookfield, Mass., on the 26th day of December, I828.




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Mr. Wight, notwithstanding his extreme physical suffering, bears in his
manners to others the index of a kind genial temperament, indisposed
to make his ills the cause of unhappiness to others. Mr. Wight has
long been an honored member of the Historical and Pioneer Society,
and has always been ready to aid and assist in the promotion of all
good objects and enterprises. Although often solicited to accept more
important political positions, he has declined, and only served in the
following, though never shrinking from the duties or responsibilities
imposed by his party or party friends. He was alderman from I85I-3;
house representative, I862-3; water commissioner, I863-8; board of
public works, I876. Mr. Wight served in the volunteer fire department from 1843 to I85I, a portion of the time was president and foreman, also assistant engineer, and one year president of the association.
The maternal grandfather of Mr. Wight, Silas Marsh, was a soldier,
and served during the Revolutionary War, taking his pay in Continental money, which he had still in possession at his death.
HENR r A. WIGHT.
Mr. Henry A. Wight was the son of Buckminster Wight, and was
born at Stourbridge, Mass., October 28, I82I. He came with his
father and mother to Detroit, March 22, 1I832. On reaching manhood,
he became associated with his father and his brother Stanley in the
manufacture of lumber. He married November 2I, 1854, Miss Sarah
Davenport, daughter of Louis and Sarah Davenport, of Detroit. She
was born in Detroit, September i8th, I834. He died at his residence
on Jefferson avenue, February 2nd, i88o, leaving a wife and three
children.
He left to his family and a large circle of friends, an excellent
reputation, as to business capacity and integrity, a kind husband, an
affectionate father, and a warm hearted and genial friend.
In I842 he went to Boston, and was engaged with his uncle,
Lathrop Wight, in the wholesale grocery business.  Returning to
Detroit in I847, he engaged with his brother in the lumber business.
MA yOR ED WIN B. WIGHT.
Major Edwin B. Wight, was mustered into the service of the
United States as captain in the 24th infantry, July 26, I862, was promoted a major June ist, I863. Wounded at the battle of Gettysburg,
Pa., July ist, I863, and honorably discharged November I7, I863,
being disabled on account of his wounds from further service.




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He is the son of Buckminster Wight, and Sarah (Marsh) Wight,
and was born in Detroit, September 2, I837.
He made a good record as a soldier, and bears an enviable reputation as a citizen.  He is a graduate of Michigan University and of
Howard Law School. He married Miss Mary Otis, 26th January,
i876, daughter of W. H. C. Otis and Laura (Lyman) Otis, of Cleveland, O., who was born June 14, I841. Since the death of his father
and mother Major Wight has permanently resided in Cleveland. They
have one son, Otis Buckminster, born May 28, i877.
7. HO WARD.
Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime,
whereof the party shall be duly convicted, shall exist within the United States or any
place subject to their jurisdiction. Congress shall] have power to enforce this Article
by appropriate legislation.-Thirteenth amendment to the Constitution of the United
States, declared ratified by proclamation of the Secretary of State, dated December
i8th, i865.
Jacob M. Howard, who drafted, and is the acknowledged author
of, the foregoing amendment, was born in Shaftesbury, Vermont, July
ioth, I805. His father was the sixth in descent from William Howard,
who settled in Braintree, Mass., in i635.
Mr. Howard in boyhood assisted his father, who was a substantial
farmer, during the summer in his farm labors, and in winter attended
the school in his native town.  He early evinced a taste for study and
at the age of fourteen attended the academy at Bennington, and afterward that at Brattleboro, from which, after full preparation, he entered
Williams College, Massachusetts, in i826, graduating therefrom in
I830, and at once began the study of law in Ware, Mass. In 1832 he
removed to Detroit, where he was admitted to the bar.
The first appearance of Mr. Howard prominently before the public was in the controversy over the boundary line between the Territory of Michigan and Ohio. Mr. Howard took strong grounds against
the claims of the latter, and when Governor Mason thought a resort to
military force must decide Michigan's claims, Mr. Howard volunteered
and proceeded with arms to enforce the argument he had advanced.
Happily, through the intervention of Congress, a collision between the
armed troops of Ohio and Michigan was avoided. In I838 Mr.
Howard was chosen a member of the legislature, and to him was the
young State of Michigan indebted for the wise and salutary code of laws
enacted, by which it was rescued from threatened bankruptcy, occasioned
by the reckless legislation of preceding Legislatures. In the presidential
contest of I840, which resulted in the election of Gen. William Henry
Harrison, the grandfather of the present President (Benjamin Harri



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son), he took a prominent part, and was himself elected a member of
Congress. In the campaigns of 1844, 1848 and I852, he was active in
promoting the election of Clay, Taylor and Scott, and was in full accord
with the Whig party, although he confidently predicted that the time
must come when it would be merged into a great political party, based
upon principles opposed to the aggressions of slavery.  That he was
firmly grounded in this belief is evident, because we find that as early
as I859, on the trial of a slave case under the Fugitive Slave Act in the
United States court before Judge McLean, "he denounced that act as a
defiance, a challenge to a conflict of arms by the South to the North,
and predicted that the day was not far distant when the challenge would
be accepted by the latter." On the defeat of General Scott he decided
to withdraw from politics, but the passage of the Missouri compromise
act in I854 aroused all his antagonisms to slavery and its further
encroachments, impelling him to once more enter the political field, and
at the sacrifice of personal interests, advocate the organization of an
influence which should prevent the aggressive power of slavery from
further extension. At this period the anti-slavery element in the Whig
party was very large in Michigan. The Abolition party and the Free
Soil Democracy having united, it was determined to call a mass convention of the representatives of all these elements. This call was
issued and the convention assembled at Jackson, July 6th, i854, when
the union of the three elements resulted in the organization of the
Republican party, and as chairman of the Committee on Resolutions,
Mr. Howard presented the platform (prepared and written solely by
him) upon which the subsequent action of this great party was
based. At this convention Mr. Howard, against his personal protest,
was nominated for attorney general and elected.  Mr. Howard was a
member of the committee on the address of the first National Republican Convention held at Pittsburg, February 22d, I856.  He held the
office of attorney general six years.  Reference to the docket of the
Supreme Court of Michigan attests to his industry and the immense
amount of efficient legal labor bestowed, and the thorough legal
ability displayed by him in the discharge of his duties.  Kingsley S.
Bingham was elected United States Senator in January, 1859, and died
in October, I86I.  On the assembling of the Legislature the January
following, Mr. Howard was chosen to fill the vacancy.  His fame as a
lawyer preceded him and he was immediately placed upon the Senate
Judiciary Committee and also on that of Military Affairs. He was one
of the first to favor the amendment of the constitution abolishing
slavery throughout the United States, and the draft of the first and
principal clause was made by him in the exact language as it appears in
the constitution.  In January, I865, Mr. Howard was re-elected to the
Senate for the full term. Mr. Howard made the greatest effort of his
life in his speech of February 25th, I865, in opposition to the joint




resolution for the recognition of Louisiana as organized under the
military order of General Banks, his doctrine being that a State
seceding from the Union and making war upon the Union ceased to
be a State, and that neither the executive or military could restore it;
that the law-making power alone had the right to determine how and
when it could "be restored.  This doctrine prevailed.  During the
session of i865-66 Mr. Howard served on the joint Committee on
Reconstruction. The p)rincipal result of the labors of this committee was
the submission of a proposition to amend the constitution now known
as the fourteenth amendment. It passed both houses of Congress and
was submitted to the States for ratification.  President Johnson and a
majority of his cabinet strenuously opposed and were able to defeat
its ratification by those States previously restored by the President's
proclamation. Congress, therefore, in order to vindicate its authority
and prevent anarchy in those States, in March, i867, enacted a series
of statutes known as the Reconstruction Acts, which declares those
States without legal government and subjected them to military domination until proper State governments could be formed on the principal of impartial suffrage, and until Congress should readmit them. Mr.
Howard drew the committee's report on the removal of Edwin M.
Stanton as Secretary of War, by President Johnson, condemning the
act and charging the latter with complicity in the New Orleans riots.
On the organization of the Senate Committee on the Pacific Railroad, Mr. Howard was chosen chairman, which position he held until
the close of his last term.  On the impeachment of President Johnson
by the House of Representatives, Mr. Howard voted the accused
guilty and filed an elaborate opinion thereon.  Prior to the expiration
of his senatorial term, President Grant tendered Mr. Howard the
Presidency of the Southern claims commission, which he declined, and
a short time prior to his death he was offered the position of Solicitor
General of the Northern Pacific Railway, the acceptance of which he
had under consideration the day before he was stricken with the disease
which terminated his earthly life.
It was said of him by one who knew him intimately: "The name
of Jacob M. Howard should be a household word in Michigan. * *
During all the years of the State's existence he was one of its pillars,
and has left upon it the impress of his great mind. He grew up to manhood with it and was closely identified with every interest tending to
its development. He was a man of mark. The stranger stopped and
looked at him and instantly received the impression that he was in the
presence of a man of great physical and mental power.  Mr. Howard
was a true man-true to his client, to his convictions, and true to all the
varied interests committed to his care.  He was true to his country
when armed treason sought its life, and he loved its institutions with a




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passionate zeal, to the exclusion of all personal interests. No man can
charge him with trickery or dishonesty.  He was by common consent
the leader of the bar. A member of the Senate with large opportunities, at a time when others are said to have grown rich, he died comparatively poor. Jacob M. Howard always kept within the golden
rule. Indeed, like Webster, whom he strongly resembled, he cared
too little for the accumulation of wealth."
Chief Justice Campbell says of him: "Mr. Howard's style of legal
eloquence was remarkable. He never appeared in a court of justice except with great gravity of demeanor, not put on for the occasion, but natural to a man impressed with the feeling that he was a minister of justice.
His diction was of that lofty kind, that, applied to lesser subjects, would
have been very inappropriate, and adopted by lesser men would have
had little effect.  But when behind his ponderous language was a
ponderous intellect, and when every word that he said had its meaning,
and every idea came out with all the force that language could give,
then those rounded periods had something of magic in them, and there
was as much gained by his manner as could be secured by any aids of
rhetoric that have ever been devised.  In private life he was a model
of manly simplicity, a perfect representative of what republican institutions should bring forth. He lived and dressed plainly. He had no
false dignity which would lead him to regard any man except upon his
merits.  While Mr. Howard possessed this plainness and despised all
things despicable, he had a most profound admiration of everything
that could really ennoble and embellish life. As a scholar, I know of no
one whose reading was more extensive and select.  *  *  *  He
possessed a keen sense of humor.  When he spoke to a jury, or
addressed a court, if that court possessed ordinary qualifications and common sense, he knew how those ideas would affect the court, and when
he addressed the Senate, or the larger audience of the people of the
United States, in like manner he knew that, whether they agreed
with him or not, he was sure of their understanding and appreciation.
When his fame has become the property of future generations,
although he may be remembered for his learning, for his eloquence
and for the qualities that have most attracted admiration, he will be
still further venerated and remembered as a representative American
who valued, above all things, the great and essential principles of manhood."
While a member of the United States Senate, Mr. Howard had as
associates, Fessenden, Morton, Reverdy Johnson, Sumner, Wade,
Morrell (of Maine), and Edmunds, men whose names will pass into
history as representing the embodiment of legal acumen, scholarly
attainments, and a profound knowledge of constitutional requirements
and laws of nations, with whom he ranked as peer, and by whom he
was respected, loved and revered.




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Among the most important criminal cases in which Mr. Howard
was engaged, and in the trial of which he gained special distinction
and a national reputation, were the great railroad conspiracy case in
which the late William H. Seward was opposing counsel, the " Tyler "
case, and the Adams Express robbery case, and of civil cases the
Chevalier Repeutigny case, decided in the United States Supreme
Court in I865. Although in his religious views he was unorthordox,
he was a daily reader of the Bible, which he regarded "the greatest
book on earth."
In i835 Mr. Howard married Miss Catherine A. Shaw, of Ware,
Mass. She died at Detroit.
On the 3ist of March, i87i, he was stricken with apoplexy, and
was unconscious from that hour.   He died at 3 A. M., April 2d, i871,
leaving five surviving children, Mrs. Dr. Hildreth (since deceased),
Mrs. Samuel Brady, Col. J. M. Howard, of Minnesota; Hamilton G.
Howard, attorney, Detroit, and Charles M. Howard, attorney.
JAMES A. VAND rKE.
"All we possess on earth, is the reward of labor protected by law. It is law
alone which keeps all things in order; guards the sleep of infancy, the energy of manhood and weakness of age. It hovers over us by day, it keeps watch and ward over
the slumbers of the night; it goes with us through the trackless paths of the mighty
waters. The high and the low, each are within its view, and beneath its ample folds.
It protects beauty and virtue, punishes crime and wickedness, and vindicates right.
Honor and life, liberty and property, the wide world over are its high objects. Stem,
yet kind; pure, yet pitying; steadfast, immutable, and just. It is the attribute of
God on earth. It proceeds from his bosom, and encircles with its care, power and
blessings. All honor to those who administer it in purity, and reverence its high
behests."
The foregoing, being the utterances of the subject of this sketch,
furnishes a far better diagnosis of the character of the man than any
biographer can write.
James A. VanDyke was born in Franklin county, Pa., December
10, i833. He was the eldest son of William VanDyke, whose ancestors were among the first builders of New Amsterdam; who, after its
surrender to the English in i664, first went to Maryland, and subsequently settled in Pennsylvania, where James A. VanDyke was born.
The mother of James was Nancy Duncan. On the paternal side, her
ancestors were from Scotland, and located in the mountainous county
of Cumberland, Pennsylvania.
William and Nancy Duncan VanDyke had six children: Lambert,
who settled and died in Red Run county, Texas; Ellen, who lived and
died in her native county and State; William R., who also lived and
died in the county of his birth; John H. (who became a lawyer), and




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Samuel W., who removed to Wisconsin, where they both died, and
James A., the subject of this memorial, who, after being fitted by private tutors, entered Mercer College, Pennsylvania, in I828, from which
he graduated with high honors in I832, and commenced the study of
law with the Hon. George Chambers, of Chambersburg. At the end
of a year he continued his studies under the direction of the Hon.
William Price, of Hagerstown, Md., who fought a duel with the
Hon. Frank Thomas, the father of Gov. Thomas, of Maryland. He
completed his studies of law with him and then went to Baltimore,
where he remained until I834, when he started for the West, intending
to locate in Pittsburg, but either the atmosphere or some other influence, making it uncongenial, he decided to go further west.  He had
a letter of introduction to the late Alexander D. Frazer, and on reaching Detroit, was persuaded to enter his office, and at the end of six
months (the time the law required) was admitted to practice his profession at the bar, of which he was a member, until called to a higher
and more exalted one.
In i835 he formed an association with the Hon. Charles W.
Whipple. This connection continued until Mr. Whipple was called to
the bench of the Supreme Court of Michigan, in i838. He then
formed a co-partnership with Mr. E. B. Harrington, which was dissolved by the death of that gentleman in i844, when the firm of Van
Dyke & Emmons was established, and remained such until both members had practically retired from general practice.
As a public man, Mr. VanDyke in I840, was appointed Prosecuting Attorney of Wayne county, and while occupying that position
became the terror of all violators of law, clearing the city and county of
all the perpetrators of crime.
In I843 he was elected alderman, and became chairman of the committee of ways and means. This, at that period was an important
position, as the city was almost hopelessly in debt. At great personal
sacrifice, Mr. VanDyke by his indefatigable labor, succeeded in saving
it from bankruptcy, and restored its credit. Subsequently, in i847,
when elected mayor, he was able to formulate and establish a system
which has prevented a recurrence of financial embarrassment.
Mr. VanDyke was long a member of the board of water commissioners, and in that capacity, with his characteristic sagacity, he
matured the plans which have since made that branch of the city
government so efficient.
Mr. VanDyke was a working fireman, running with the Engine of
Protection, No. i, and for seven years manned its brakes, and served
the fire department as its president for four years. It was through him
it became possessed of the hall and realty, the proceeds from the recent
sale of which, and the revenue from its rents, have since furnished substantial aid to indigent firemen and their families.




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It was a privilege as well as an honor to be considered a friend of
James A. VanDyke. They inhabited not only Detroit, in the State of
Michigan, but were found in every city of the Northwest, as well as
those of the Eastern States. His name was a synonym for honor,
integrity, sagacity, civic virtue, fidelity and "defender of law."  He
exhibited a love and appreciation for art and literature, which in later
life he was able to gratify, as the walls of his house and shelves of his
library bore silent witness.
In social life, the gentleness of his manners won for him the affection of all he came in contact with, while his strength of will, energy,
industry and enterprise, secured the admiration and veneration of the
good, and the fear and respect of the bad.
While he revered and obeyed his father, who was somewhat austere, and imbued with the rigid notions of past generations; for his
mother, whom he was said to have resembled in person, as well as in
tenderness of heart and depth of feeling, he loved and idolized.
In his domestic relations he exhibited all that love and affection
which he inherited from his mother, which spurred him to accumulate
the means to gratify all their desires and wishes, and this he accomplished without parsimony or encroachment upon the rights of others.
In December, 1835, he married Elizabeth, daughter of the late
Hon. Peter Desnoyers, a sketch of whom will befound else where in
this volume. This union proved a happy one, and was blessed with
eleven children, eight of whom survived him. He departed this life at
his home, May 7th, I855.
CHARLES C. TRO WBRIDGE.
Charles C. Trowbridge, a native of the Empire State, was born at
Albany, N. Y., December 29, i8oo. His father, Luther Trowbridge,
was of Massachusetts ancestry, was an officer in one of the regiments from that State, and served with distinction during the Revolutionary War. At its close, he removed to the State of New York. His
mother's maiden name was Elizabeth Tillam. His parents were married at Albany N. Y., in I786. Mr. Trowbridge was one of six
children.
To those not his contemporaries, it is difficult to express in words,
just what the life and acts of such a man as Mr. Trowbridge must have
been to so endear him to those who knew him, and we can only by a
review of the notable events incident thereto, in which he was the chief
actor and participator, demonstrate why he was so loved and respected while living, and his memory so reverentially cherished since
his death.




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At the early age of twelve years, Mr. Trowbridge sought and
obtained a situation as clerk in the store of Mr. Horatio Ross, a merchant of Oswego, New York State.
In 1819 he decided to come West, and removed to and settled in
Detroit, which was his home until called to a more beautiful city, to
dwell in a " house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."
Soon after his arrival in the City of Detroit, he gained the friendship and confidence of General Lewis Cass, then Governor of the
Territory of Michigan, and by him was entrusted with many important
duties connected with the treaty negotiations then pending between the
general government and the Indians of the Northwest Territory. So
well did he perform the work assigned him, and so highly was he
esteemed by General Cass, that on accepting the portfolio of War from
President Jackson, he tendered Mr. Trowbridge a prominent position
in his department, but his disinclination to a political life, and his love
for Detroit, led him to decline the honor.
In i825 he accepted the position of " cashier " of the old Bank of
Michigan. A brief review of the history of this bank, and of its condition at this period, will show the grave responsibilities assumed by Mr.
Trowbridge, and its subsequent history, the manner in which he discharged them.
The first bank established in the Northwest was the Bank of
Detroit, chartered September I5th, i8o6. Its bills circulated until i809,
and from that date to i818 there was no local currency. Bills of New
York and Ohio banks (many of them worthless) were the only medium
of exchange. The necessities of business men demanded a bank, and the
Governor and Judges consenting, the old Bank of Michigan was incorporated in i8i8. The bank began with limited means, and the business
was small. Two-thirds of its capital stock of $oo00,000oo was owned
east, and of the balance only $I6,oo000 had been paid in. In the fall of
i824, $20,ooo more was paid up, and the eastern capitalists fearing
some mismanagement, sent Mr. Eurotus P. Hastings as their agent to
investigate its affairs. His investigation developed a shortage of $io,300 in the cashier's account, $40,000 in discounted paper which had
matured without having been protested, and a general lack of confidence as to the solvency of the bank, both at home and in the east.
Such was the situation of this institution in the autumn of i825, when
Mr. Trowbridge consented to accept the conduct of its affairs. Under
his, and the management of Mr. Hastings, within three years, the
$40,000 of unsecured paper had been collected (except $300), the
capital stock of the bank had been paid up, and increased to the limit
of $500,00ooo. It possessed unlimited confidence at home and abroad.
No enterprise undertaken at Detroit or elsewhere in the territory but
was dependent upon, and received aid from the old Bank of Michigan,




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between i83b and i836. Its deposits at times reached over $3,ooo,0oo,
and its bills circulated as freely in New York, Texas, Louisiana or
Maine, as in Michigan.
In i836, Mr. Trowbridge resigned as cashier, but in 1839, much
against his inclination, was induced to accept the presidency of the
bank. His relations continued until the final winding up of its affairs in
i854. Much space has been given to the circumstances attending the
history of Mr. Trowbridge during this period, because he himself
regarded it as being the most important era in his business life. Not
only as relating to himself but to the development of Detroit, and the
whole State, in point of substantial growth, in wealth and general prosperity. Positions of trust, honor and responsibility, held by him subsequently, will be detailed in chronological order: how he filled them,
and discharged the duties pertaining or imposed, the results achieved
and existing will show.
In I834, Mr. Trowbridge was mayor of Detroit. History will relate
the onerous duties and cares devolving, and how they were performed.
He lost sight of his personality in his anxiety to relieve others from the
cholera pestilence which prevailed during that period.
From i844 to I854 he was president of the Michigan State Bank.
The financial men of Detroit and the State can attest to the successful
management of the affairs of this institution.
In I853 he was appointed Secretary-Treasurer and resident
director of the Detroit & Milwaukee Railway Company.
In i863 he was elected the president of that company, and retained
th& position until i875, when its affairs, for the purpose of reorganization, went into the hands of a receiver, to which office he was appointed
by the Circuit Court, and continued to hold it until the road was purchased by the Great Western of Canada.
In all enterprises tending to improve his adopted city and State, Mr.
Trowbridge is found to have been the moving spirit, from building the
first saw mill at Detroit in I832 to the organization of the Allegan Company in 1834, he with Messrs. Samuel Hubbard, Edward Monroe and
Pliny Cutter, as his associates, projected the Village of Allegan, purchasing large tracts of land; erected saw mills, improved the Kalamazoo
river, making it navigable to Allegan, and assisted in the construction of
steamboats, to ply upon it. All these operations required the employment of large sums of money. Mr. Trowbridge was entrusted by his
partners with its disbursement. On the closing up of the business, he
says: " It is a source of gratification to me, that during the long years
from I834 down to the end, which is to a recent date, not one letter or
word of dissension ever took place between the early partners or their
successors. It was understood at the beginning that I should act for
the parties at this point, and I have bushels of letters and documents,
and many volumes of clerk-craft, full of the history of those times."




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Mr. Trowbridge was one of the projectors and a director of the
Detroit & St. Joseph Railroad, which in I836 was sold to the State.
Mr. Trowbridge was earnest in the promotion and establishment
of all religious, benevolent and educational enterprises. We find his own
and the name of Mrs. Trowbridge prominently identified with the
Episcopal church in I832, also as officers, uniting in the support and
service of the Ladies' Orphan Association of Detroit, instituted May,
I836. He was one of the organizers of the "Algic Society," instituted
March, I832, for the purpose of encouraging missionary efforts in evangelizing the Northwestern tribes, and promoting education, agriculture,
industry and peace among them. His associates were: William H. R.
Schoolcraft, E. P. Hastings, Robert Stewart, Shubal Conant, Rev.
Lyman Beecher, D. D., then of Cincinnati, and other well known philanthropists of that day. In I835 he was chosen a lay delegate to the
general convention of the Episcopal church, and has been a delegate to
all subsequent conventions since, being the oldest lay delegate in the
State.
Mr. Trowbridge never aspired to political preferment. He reluctantly accepted the Whig nomination for Governor in I837, but was
defeated by a few votes by Stevens T. Mason, formerly Territorial
Governor. He was one of the original members of the Historical
Society (now the Historical and Pioneer Society, with which it was
merged in I87I.) His address before the Society, December 29th,
I862, just prior to the death of the president, Judge B. F. H. Witherell,
will appear verbatzmi elsewhere in this volume. He was tendered a complimentary banquet at the Russell House, in his adopted city, and never
in the history of Detroit or of the State, has there been such a gathering of representative men, famous as farmers, manufacturers, merchants,
educators, lawyers, doctors, soldiers and statesmen, to do honor to this
Christian business man. This manifestation of regard, and the utterances and expressions of those present, either in person or by letter, is
a sufficient answer to the question: Why was Charles C. Trowbridge
so loved and respected, and his memory cherished and held in such
reverence after death?
In I826 Mr. Trowbridge married Miss Catherine Whipple Sibley,
eldest daughter of Judge Solomon Sibley, who settled in Michigan at
an early day, and was one of the Territorial Judges of Michigan
Supreme Court.
Mr. Trowbridge died at his residence, 494 Jefferson avenue, April
3, i883, in the house built by himself in i826. The members of his
family surviving are Mrs. Sidney D. Miller, Mrs. William D. Wilkins,
Mrs. George Hendrie, Miss Mary Trowbridge and Harry Trowbridge.




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REV. MARCUS SWIFT7.
Rev. Marcus Swift was a native of the State of New York and
was born in the town of Palmyra, in that State, June 23d, I793.  His
father, Gen. John Swift, was born in Connecticut on the I7th day of
June, I76i. His mother, whose maiden name was Rhoda Sawyer,
was born in i766.  Their death occurred as follows: The father, Gen.
John Swift, was killed by a man whom he had taken prisoner at the capture of Fort George, July I3th, I814. His mother died at Palmyra, N.
Y., on the i9th day of May, i8o6. They had five children, three sons
and two daughters.
The Rev. Marcus Swift worked on a farm in early life, using the
means for obtaining an education which the times then afforded, to the
best advantage, as his subsequent life has demonstrated.  He married
when at the age of eighteen and, at that of twenty, became a member
of the Methodist Episcopal church. In I825 he decided to come west,
and in the fall of that year located a tract of land in the township of
Nankin, in Wayne county, to which he moved his family, carrying his
goods in a row boat up the River Rouge, to Dearborn. He, with his
family, consisting of his wife and four children, together with his
brother-in-law, William Osband, and family, found quarters for a short
time at the home of Benjamin Williams. Without money, team or
human aid, except his two little boys, twelve and eight years of age, he
built a cabin, and before it had a door or window, dedicated it to
Almighty God by prayer and singing.
At this period the present townships of Redford, Livonia, Nankin
and Dearborn were embraced in one, called "Bucklin township."  He
was elected nine successive times supervisor, and held the office of
justice of the peace (by appointment of President Jackson) until the
Territory of Michigan was admitted as a State.  In i833, the Methodist Episcopal church having organized a conference, he was given
charge of Oakland circuit.  This compelled him to make a journey of
I25 miles every four weeks, preaching thirty-one times, receiving for
the two years the sum of $125 in almost every known article, save
money, as a compensation. Mr. Swift was an ardent anti-slavery man,
and believing it to be his duty to maintain his views on that question,
which the church to which he belonged deemed unwise to agitate, in
May, I841, he, together with others, severed their connection with the
M. E. church and organized a Wesleyan Methodist church in Michigan.  In May, i843, a large convention of seceders assembled at
Utica, New York, in which nine States were well represented. This
convention established "The Wesleyan Methodist connection of
America," composed of I70 preachers and embracing a membership
of eight thousand.  Thus, through the agitation of the slavery ques



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tion in the church, began the first movement towards eradicating that
system from both church and State.  Mr. Swift took anti-slavery
grounds as early as I834, and was refused ordination as an elder of the
M. E. church solely because of his refusing to desist agitating that
question.  The feeling was so strong against him that for years he
endured persecution and repeated assaults at the hands of violent
mobs. Nevertheless, he continued his hostility against the institution
of slavery, and lived to see it overthrown.  He died February i9th,
i865, at the house of his son, Dr. John M. Swift, of Northville.
Mr. Swift possessed a noble physique.  Six feet three inches in
height, with a wiry muscular development, designed to undergo great
bodily hardship. These, combined with strong will power, tempered
with a kind heart and strong sense of right, were regulated by an intellectual capacity far above the average. Nature seemed to have designed
him for the work he accomplished, and he left to his posterity the
legacy of a well spent life. Well could he say: "The principles for
which I labored and fought for amid reverses and persecutions, are
now the ruling sentiments of the nation. I have lived in a glorious age
and my eyes have seen the power of darkness give way before the
reign of liberty and equality."
Mr. Swift was twice married, his first wife being Miss Anna
Osband, who was the daughter of Weaver Osbund, a soldier of the
Revolution.  They were married April i6th, I812.  She died at
Nankin, March Iith, 1842. He married the second time, Miss Huldah
C. Peck, of Milford, Oakland county, and survived her but a few
months. She died November ioth, I864.
Perhaps no man of his time in eastern Michigan left a stronger
imprint upon all that concerned its early civilization for good, than did
Rev. Marcus Swift.  His intellectual and moral forces were not only
gigantic in strength, but were assiduously employed for the public
good, with but little reward, save that which virtuous action always
receives.  The molding touch of his long life of active effort has
not been effaced from the material, civil and religious status of the
present time.  He was one of the great moral heroes of that day and
his time was the formative period of the present era in church and
State.
7JOHN M. S WIFT.
Dr. John M. Swift, of Northville, Wayne county, is a native of
Michigan, and was born in the township of Nankin, Wayne county,
February iith, i832.
He is the son of the late Rev. Marcus Swift, whose memoir will




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be found in this volume. His mother's maiden name was Anna
Osband, a record of whose birth, marriage and death is also made the
subject of memoir.
The Doctor's boyhood was spent at his father's home in Nankin,
under the teaching of his father's second wife, whose maiden name
was Huldah C. Peck. He then attended school at Plymouth, and three
terms at the Griffin Academy at Ypsilanti, and one year at college
before reaching the age of nineteen.  Then severe illness overtook
him and he was compelled to give up his college course. In I854 he
graduated, after attending full courses at the Eclectic Medical Institute
at Cincinnati, having, previous to entering, spent two years in study,
and also clinical courses in the hospital.  Rush Medical College, Chicago, conferred a degree upon him in I864 on the recommendation of
Zina Pitcher, M. D., and Professor Moses Gunn and other noted
medical men, in consideration of a very able original treatise on
diseases, more particularly diphtheria, and his general professional
standing.
After graduation, he engaged with his brother, Orson Swift, in the
practice of his profession in Wayne county, settling at Northville,
where he still continues to practice, and is recognized as a leading
physician.
He is a member of the Wayne County Medical Society. One of
the organizer of the Union Medical Society of Wayne, Washtenaw and
Oakland, of which he has served as president.  He has been a member of several other literary and medical societies, both in the United
States and Europe, and a delegate to the American Medical Association in I875.
He has always been an active Republican and was elected a member of the State Legislature in I864, from the fourth district, and was
strongly urged to accept the nomination for Congress in I88o, but
feeling that his professional duties would not permit, he declined.
He united with the Wesleyan church at the age of ten, and later
changed his church relation, joining the Presbyterian church at Northville, and has always retained and practiced his early religious convictions, and as a Christian physician, in cases of serious illness, deemed
it his duty to impress upon his patients the necessity of being at peace
with their Maker.
He received from the late Governor Bagley the appointment, and
acted as one of the commissioners in locating the State House of Correction at Ionia.
On February IIth, I852, the doctor married Miss Emily B. Baker,
daughter of Capt. George J. Baker, of Grand Rapids. They had only
one child, a daughter, the late Lizzie Swift Milne, who was born
October ist, I854, married George A. Milne, February I3, I877, and




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died January 5, I884.  She was a lady of rare gifts and accomplishments, widely known and beloved. Her death was an affliction to her
parents which threatened for a long time to completely cloud their
lives and paralyze their activity. She left two children, little boys,
who have a home with the Doctor.
Two children of the Doctor's deceased brother, Dr. Orson R.
Swift, who became orphans in childhood, shared with his own daughter a place in the hearts and home of the Doctor and his wife, being
cared for and educated as their own children.  These are Marcus G.
B. Swift, L. L. B., of Fall River, Mass., and Mrs. Camilla A. Dubuar,
of Northville, Michigan.
Dr. Swift has always been an active and leading man in all beneficent and public matters, occupying many places of trust and confidence. He is a great student, well versed in literary, political,
scientific and religious affairs.  As a speaker he is fluent and
forcible, and often appears before the public on special occasions. For
sixteen years he. was engaged in mercantile business, but not as the
managing partner or proprietor, never having abandoned his professional work or studies.  To him is due much of the material, educational, religious and social pre-eminence which the flourishing village,
where he has resided thirty-six years, enjoys.  He is still in the
strength of manhood's years, and an apparent prosperous future awaits
him.
J7UDGE 70HN S TURGIS.
Although the subject of this sketch did not reside in Wayne
county immediately prior to his decease, yet he came to Wayne county
and remained long enough to become closely identified with its progressive history; was commissioned a justice of the peace by the then
Governor Cass, did much to improve society and to advance the
*    material interests of the county, and to increase its population.  He
had confidential relations with General Cass, which continued during
life. The following extract from his official docket, as justice of the
peace for Wayne county, while a resident of what is now Brownstown,
then known as " Moguago," may serve as a reminder to such as are
living, and were his contemporaries, also to preserve a record of their
marriages:
MARRIED.
"Thursday, the 9th December, John Forbes to Leticia Cortright,
by license.
Wednesday, February 28, i82I, Isaac Tyler to Eleanor Knapp.
13




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Tuesday, April 3rd, I82i, Robert Garrity to Mary Eliza Brownell.
Saturday, May 26, I821, Chas. Rulo to Mariah Starbuck.
Tuesday, January I5, 1822, William Hunter, of Fort Meigs, to
Lucy Gardner, of Huron River.
Wednesday, 3ist July, 1822, Isaac A. Combes to Rachel Davis.
Wednesday, 6th February, 1822, Levi Collier to Sarah West, by
license from the County Court of Monroe.
Wednesday, February 6, I822, Hiram Hicox to Betsey Hazzard.
March 20th, 1822, Francis Hix to Eliza Long, by license.
Wednesday, November 26, 1822, Jessie Mills to Mary Hitchcock,
both of Brownstown.
Tuesday, 4th February, i824, John G. Richardson to Charlotte
Long, by license.
Tuesday, the i6th of November, I824, John Conrad to Huldah
Hazzard, by license.
Wednesday, 24th March, i824, Richard Long t6 Sally Lyons, by
license.
Monday, May 30, 1825, Seth Dunham to Olive Gamber, license.
Thursday, 7th February, I828, Samuel Wing to Sophrona Wallace. License.
Tuesday, November 20th, I827, Rev. Elias Pattie to Elizabeth
Walker, authority of a license from the Wayne County Court.
Monday, October I6, I825, Henry B. Smith to Sophia Collins.
Tuesday, i8th April, 1826, John F. Smith to Leticia Hubbard.
Thursday, 25th May, I826, Adam Hicox, Jr., to Julia Munger.
Wednesday, 2ISt March, I827, Ashael L. Bird to Lorain Fenton."
Judge John Sturgis was born in Philadelphia, Chester county, Pa.,
October 24, I787. His father, Amos Sturgis, was also a native of the
same place. His grandfather, Thomas, emigrated from England, and
settled in Philadelphia about I700.
The father of Judge Sturgis was commissioned as captain by
General Washington, and served with him during the Revolutionary
War. At its close, or soon after, he removed with his family to Great
Bend, on the Susquehanna river, and from thence in i8oo, to Canada,
where he took up a large tract of land on Grand River, near Mount
Pleasant. He was accompanied by the Ellis family, and his father.
The two families numbered sixteen, and thus made a society of their
own for the then new settlement.
In i807 Judge Sturgis left his father's home, and made a journey
down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to New Orleans, thence to
Boston and at the end of a year returned home, April 22nd. In i8i6




he married Miss Ardellacy Miller, of Mt. Pleasant, Canada, born in
the State of New York, July 8th, I797. The Judge remained in
Canada until the year I818, when he removed with his family to
Michigan and located first in the township of Monguagon. Five children were born to him there. He was commissioned by Governor Cass
as justice of the peace, and administered the duties of the office to the
satisfaction of the people, and with honor to himself, and the gratification of General Cass. The Judge carried on farming, and also kept a
store.
In I828 he sold out his interests in Wayne county, and removed
with his family to St. Joseph county, and established what is now the
village of Sturgis.
In I829 General Cass appointed him one of the Associate Judges
of St. Joseph county, for the term of four years. He ever cherished a
sincere regard for General Cass, and the commissions executed by
him were guarded by the Judge with jealous care so long as he lived,
and are still held by his son, with equal reverence and regard as valuable mementoes.
At his death Judge Sturgis owned a large amount of village property, and I400 acres of the most valuable farming lands in the county
of St. Joseph. So far as the laws permitted, he by will provided that
none of this land should be sold out of the family. He was a man of
great firmness of character and independence of opinion; not that he
deemed himself wiser than others, because he always conceded the
rights of others, and was open to conviction, but adhered to his own
views and maintained them in a firm and independent manner until
logical reason assured him of their incorrectness.
In politics he was a Democrat, and in I836 was elected one of the
Associate Judges of his county, and in I840 was appointed postmaster
of Sturgis.
In all his relations as a public officer or as a private citizen, he
maintained an integrity of purpose and action which gained for him the
confidence and respect of all who knew him.
Judge John Sturgis died at his home in Sturgis on the i6th
day of April, 1872. He left a family consisting of his widow, six
sons and four daughters, viz.: William, born at Mt. Pleasant, Canada,
April I4, I817; Jane, born at Brownstown, Wayne county, Michigan,
December 7, I819; Catherine, born at Brownstown, July 24, I82I;
John, born at Brownstown, August 25, I823; George, born at Brownstown, December 29, I825; Amos, born at Brownstown, January I7,
I828; David, born on Sturgis Prairie, St. Joseph Co., Michigan,
February II, I830; Thomas, born on Sturgis Prairie, July 30, I832;
Hannah, born on Sturgis Prairie, May 12, I838; Henrietta, born on
Sturgis Prairie, September 9, I840. All living, and with the exception
of one, all reside at Sturgis.




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When moving from Brownstown, the Judge and family were
twenty-one days reaching Sturgis, with two wagons and two yoke of
oxen on each. It took him one week to go to mill, and he was often
obliged to swim the St. Joseph in reaching it.
7YONA THAX SHEARER.
"If you create something you must be something." Goethe spoke
the experience of all self-made men, and men of enterprise, and we are
of the opinion that this must have been the directing thought which led
our early pioneers to leave the pleasures and comforts of an old settled
country for one where hardship and privation must be encountered in
order to create what they before enjoyed. Therefore the desire to be
something must have been the dominant influence which induced
Jonathan Shearer to venture into the "Swamps of Michigan " as the
territory was then designated by the older States.
Mr. Shearer was born in Franklin county, Connecticut, August
23, I796. He comes from Revolutionary ancestors. William Shearer,
his father, was born at Palmer, Massachusetts, in I748. His father,
James Shearer, was born in Antrim, Scotland, and the father of James
was born in Germany, so that the great-great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch was a German. On the maternal side he was of
English descent. The father of Betsey Morton (the mother), came
from Liverpool, England, about I750, and settled in Boston, and during
the war of the Revolution lived under the same roof with the elder
John Adams.
Mr. Shearer's grandfather had eight sons, all of whom were in the
Continental army. The father of Mr. Shearer, was the second son,
and enlisted at Lexington in I775, served under Ethan Allen, General
Stark and General Gates, respectively. At the close of the war he
settled on a farm in Franklin county, Massachusetts.
Mr. Shearer was the seventh son; as such, his father desired him
to become a physician, and accordingly, after attending the academy
of Professor Hitchcock, at Deerfield, and that of Dr. Chase, in Rensselaer county, New York, he entered a doctor's office in New Hampshire,
and began the study of medicine. At the end of two years, finding the
study distasteful, he returned to the farm.
While engaged in the study of medicine, he taught school during
the winter.
He remained on the farm two years and then became the agent of
an uncle in looking after his farm, collecting his loans, and while so
engaged, business took him to New York and Albany frequently
where he heard much said of Western New York, and he was induced




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to purchase a small farm in Ontario county. This was about the time
of the opening of the Erie canal, and he had an opportunity of attending the reception given Governor Clinton on the occasion of its celebration. He continued on this farm from 1822 to I836, when in the spring
he made a trip to Michigan, and finding it not a swamp, he purchased
a farm in Plymouth, Wayne county, and located thirteen hundred acres
of land, six hundred in Ingham and the remainder in Genessee and
Lapeer counties, and in June, I836, removed to his farm in Plymouth
with his family, where he lived until his decease. He named his Ingham county farm " Bunker Hill," in memory of the battle in which his
father took a part. Mr. Shearer was a very successful farmer, taking
annual premiums at the county and State fairs. He was one of the
organizers of the Michigan Agricultural Society, and for ten years its
vice-president. He was also a member and one of the founders of the
State Pioneer Society, of which he was president in I876.
His military experience was one year's service with General
Macomb, when only fourteen years of age, and was at the battle of
Plattsburg, a lieutenant in the Massachusetts militia seven years, and
as colonel, commissioned by Governor Stevens T. Mason after coming
to Michigan. As a public man, he was supervisor of the township of
Plymouth many terms: while in that capacity was one of the number
to select the site and establish the Wayne County Poor Farm, being
chairman of the committee. He purchased the farm from Colonel
Levi Cook, giving his individual note as part payment. He served
three years as Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners. In
1841 was elected to the State Senate and served three sessions as senator. In 185I was elected Member of the House, serving two years.
He declined all subsequent office. As a member of the Legislature he
was active in all matters and measures providing for the school system,
and secured the establishment of the State normal school at Ypsilanti.
In I867 was elected a member of the Constitutional Convention.
Mr. Shearer was a Jeffersonian Democratic-Republican. Was a
delegate to almost every State convention, and always took an active
interest in political matters, believing it to be his duty as an American
citizen. He was not, however, a bitter partisan.
Mr. Shearer in 1822 married Miss Christiana Durvall, at Phelps,
Ontario county, N. Y. She was a native of Newport, Rhode Island,
and of French descent, her paternal ancestor coming over with
Lafayette during the war of the Revolution. She died in 1867, leaving
six children. George, of Jackson, and F. J., of Greenville, are still
living. He married the second time.in I871, Miss Lydia Gray, of Ashfield, Massachusetts, whose mother, Betsey Lyon, was cousin to Mary
Lyon, who established Mt. Holyoke Seminary.
Mr. Shearer was a member of the Masonic fraternity, and was a




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good and upright Mason, and always sought to practice and inculcate
the moral principles of the order. He died September 26, i88i, and
leaves a record of having practically demonstrated Goethe's sentiment,
used as an introduction to this sketch.
ALANVSON SHELEY.
There is an exact geometrical justice, that runs through the universe and is
interwoven in the contexture of all things. This is a result of that wise and almighty
goodness which presides over all things."-Granville.
" His faith in some nice tenets might be wrong. His life, I'm sure, was in the
right. "-Cowley.
The man who has risen above the adverse circumstances of early
life in struggling with poverty, in restraining evil passions, in avoiding
corrupt and vicious associations and surroundings, reaching a competency in worldly wealth, securing the confidence of good men and the
respect of a whole community, is entitled to the commendation of, and
to be considered a worthy exemplar to the young of all generations.
A review of the life of Mr. Alanson Sheley would seem to furnish
an illustration of such a man.
Mr. Sheley was born August i4th, i8o9, at Albany, New York.
He must have been early deprived of his parents, as we find that at the
age of nine years he removed with his grandparents to Jefferson
county, New York, and after spending eight years with them working
on a farm, at the age of seventeen he commenced to learn the trade of
a stone mason with Henry Raught, a builder, at Watertown, N. Y.
After a three year's apprenticeship he was employed as foreman in the
construction of the Reddie canal, in Canada. In 183i he took passage
on the steamer "Wm. Penn," bound from Buffalo to Detroit, and
reached the end of steamboat navigation at that day, August 3ISt, and
here he decided to take up his abode.  Detroit then contained about
two thousand inhabitants, composed of English, French and Indians.
He located first in a log cabin, on the corner of what is now Bates and
Lamed streets.  In the summer of I832 he was given the superintendency of the construction of a light house on Thunder Bay, and in
July began work with fourteen men. The building was completed the
October following.  At that period there were but few vessels on the
lakes, hence he and his men were brought to Detroit in the schooner
"Marshal Ney," then owned by the father of the late Captain E. B.
Ward, commanded by Captain John Stewart and which was specially
sent for them.  On his return to Detroit he began the life of a contractor and builder and in i834 built the First Presbyterian church, on
the comer of Woodward avenue and Larned street, which, twenty
years after, was burned.




-191 -

In I835, the territorial government having granted a charter for
the Black River Steam Saw Mill and Lumber Company, Mr. Sheley
became its manager.  He retained this position until I855 and then
continued the business on his own account until I858, when he retired.
Meanwhile, however, he constructed, in I85i, a four story brick store
on Woodward avenue, between Lamed and Congress streets, which
was occupied by the Hon. Jacob S. Farrand as a drug store, until I859,
when he formed a co-partnership with him under the firm name of
"Farrand & Sheley."   The firm continued to occupy this store as
wholesale druggists until I872, when they erected one of the largest
drug houses in the west, and which is now Farrand, Williams & Co.,
Mr. Sheley still retaining an interest.
In his religious views Mr. Sheley is Presbyterian, being a member
of the First Presbyterian church, in which he has been a ruling elder
for forty years. His political convictions were Whig during the existence of that party, and since I854 are those of an ardent, zealous,
Republican. As a public man Mr. Sheley has been a member of the
Board of Sewer Commissioners and a member of the City Cot icil,
and during the sessions of i867-68 and I871-2 a member of the
State Senate.
That he has lived a correct life, notwithstanding the many temptations he must have encountered in pursuit of his peculiar avocation,
is apparent even at this day, as he continues to manage one of the
branches of the business house of Farrand, Williams & Co.
Mr. Sheley is strong in his friendships and generous to those in
distress. Although a strict temperance man himself, he is not without
sympathy for those who, not possessing his firmness to resist, have
yielded to temptation.  To such he is ever ready to extend a helping
hand, and by kind words seek their reformation.
In business he has been eminently successful, having been influenced in its conduct by a due regard for honesty, industry, frugality
and the rights of others.
We cannot refrain from relating an incident connected with our
first acquaintance, as illustrating Mr. Sheley's tenacity for his friends.
Time, i854; place, Ann Arbor; occasion, congressional convention.
His friend, whom he desired to nominate, was found at the opening to
be in the minority.  The friends of the opposing candidate were very
earnest, and in their zeal became somewhat personal in their attack
upon Mr. Sheley. He met them in such a good natured manner that
after a contest of three hours he had won the sympathy of the delegates from one of the counties previously voting for his friend's opponent, thereby securing the nomination of his friend.  It was simply a
victory for persistent firmness exhibited in a kindly way over local
jealousy and misdirected zeal.




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On September ist, i835, he married Miss Ann Elizabeth Drury,
of Detroit, Michigan, daughter of Luther and Annetta Drury.  She
was born at Plattsburg, New York, October I5th, I812.
They have one son, George, and two daughters, wives of L. E.
Clark and D. W. Brooks, of Detroit.
Although Mr. Sheley has never been abroad, he has been quite an
extensive traveler in his own country, always taking his wife and children, and oftentimes children's children, with him.  Twice he has
visited California and the Pacific coast, and insists he cannot enjoy life
without having his family around him. Mr. Sheley has spent his summers, for many years, on Mackinac Island, Michigan, where he has a
lovely home, known as Cedar Point Cottage. It is situated at the east
end of the island and is surrounded with extensive grounds, having a
beautiful outlook on Lake Huron.  Here, with the members of his
household, he and his good wife extend hospitalities and good cheer to
all.  On the I4th of August, every year, on the anniversary of Mr.
Sheley's birth, an informal reception is held at the cottage, and thronks
of friends call to congratulate the old gentleman and wish him many
happy returns.  This birthday celebration is quite the event of the
season, as the cottage and grounds are beautifully illuminated and fireworks and music add to the attraction of the evening.  Mr. Sheley
has four grandsons, and in their boyhood he promised them a $I,ooo
check on their twenty-first birthday, provided they never used tobacco
in any form, never drank a drop of liquor, or never used a profane
word. Three grandchildren have already reached their majority and
been able to conscientiously receive their reward. They are all young
men of good habits with every prospect of following in the steps of
their much loved and revered grandfather.
ORIN    S. GULLEY.
The subject of this sketch believed, and his manner of life
furnished the evidence, that slander and evil speaking are the pests
of civil society, and the disgrace of every degree of religious or moral
professions-the poisonous bane of the dearest friendships and the
warmest love of humanity, in short that defamation is never necessaryfor suppose a friend or neighbor has faults, are we obliged in speaking
of him or her to discover them? All humanity possess some good
'qualities, and no matter though they be few, if one is to be the subject
of conversation, let us refer to the good qualities possessed, or not speak
at all. Those who knew Orin S. Gulley, will attest that such was the
axiom and rule practiced by him, which governed his actions in private,
public and business life.




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Orin S. Gulley was born in the town of Victor, State of New
York, July 25, I823. He received his primary education in the district
school, and in I835, came with his parents to Michigan. They settled
and made a home in the township of Dearborn, formerly the township
of Pekin, where he completed his education, and where he married
Miss Martha E. Ladd, October 26, i847. She was a daughter of
Timothy Ladd, one of the early pioneers of Michigan, and a sister of
Thomas M. Ladd, who as late as I858 was a journalist well known in
Wayne and Washtenaw counties.
Mr. Gulley learned the printer's trade with Messrs. Wells & Ladd,
who published the Detroit Courier in i84I. After working for
them sometime he went to New York, and was employed on the New
York Tribune, with Horace Greeley. In I844 he returned to
Detroit and engaged in the publication of the Michigan Christian
Herald, and was connected therewith fourteen years; meanwhile in
partnership with William Smythe he published the Detroit Evening
Express. This enterprise proved a failure and he sustained some
losses. In I845, he was the State agent for The National Protestant,
a paper published by the Rev. C. Sperry.
In I859, Mr. Gulley started an office on State street, between
Griswold street and Washington avenue. He soon found the building
too small, and in i86o he removed to a building specially erected for him
on Larned, between Bates and Woodward avenue, and where he
established the well-known printing house of 0. S. Gulley & Company.
In i867 he purchased and improved the property on Larned
street, between Woodward avenue and Bates street, to which
he removed in i868, and which is at present occupied by the company he
organized, viz.: 0. S. Gulley, Bornman & Company, and which is at
present composed of John Bornman and Nathaniel Hubbell, general
partners, and Mrs. 0. S. Gulley, as special. The imprint of this company will be found on the title page of this compilation, as the printers.
Mr. Gulley was one of the organizers of the Lafayette avenue
Baptist church, established June 20, i86o, and was closely identified
with its growth from that time until his death. He was for many years
the superintendent of its Sabbath school. His death occurred June 20,
I878, and he was deeply lamented, not only by his immediate family,
but by his church, a large circle of personal friends, and the business
community generally. It is said he had hosts of friends and no enemies. He was an exceedingly modest man, somewhat retiring in
manner, but always cheerful and pleasant. In politics he was a Republican, and while never disguising, did not obtrude his opinions upon
others. He never sought or held a public office. He was public
spirited and earnest in his efforts to establish institutions calculated to
benefit humanity, and elevate society, and in this direction was a liberal
giver of time and money.




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WILLIAM PENFIELD.
William Penfield, born in the town of Penfield, N. Y., November
24, 1819, came to Michigan with his parents in 1833, for a time assisted
his father on the farm during the summer and attended school in
winter, and thus obtained a good knowledge of mathematics, thereby
fitting him for the avocation he still follows, that of a millwright, and
in which he has the reputation of excellence.   He has been
prominently connected with the Masonic societies and is held in high
esteem by all who know him.
OLIVER NE WBERRY.
Oliver Newberry was born in East Windom, Connecticut, on the
I7th of November, 1787. He was the son of Amasa Newberry, who
with his family removed to Sangerfield, Oneida county, New York,
where he purchased a farm. Oliver was at that time twenty-one, and
accompanying his father, he for a short time assisted his father on the
farm, but becoming restless and desiring to do something for himself,
left New York and up to I812 was engaged in the pursuit of a backwoodsman in Portage county, Ohio. War having been declared
with Great Britain, he entered the army as substitute for a Mr. Lyman
Day. Mr. Newberry was appointed sergeant of his company and
marched with it to Sackett's Harbor, which it did not reach in time to
participate in that engagement.  Mr. Newberry served out the term
for which he had enlisted, and was honorably discharged.  He then,
with a small stock of goods, went to Buffalo and opened a general
retail store. He continued the business at Buffalo until I820, when he
came to Detroit, and established himself in trade.  Mr. Newberry
became interested in the vessel business in I826, and gradually added
to it, and in I832 had control of a fleet of eight sail vessels, which
ranked among the best crafts on the lakes.  He built the steamer
Michigan this year, which was the largest steamer on the lakes. From
this time he began to build docks and warehouses, and continued to
increase the number of his vessels, until he became the leading commercial spirit of the northwest.  He initiated the organization of the
Detroit and St. Joseph railroad company.
That portion of the city known as the Cass farm was conveyed by
the government, April 20, I8I3, to John W. Macomb and his two
brothers, David and William B. Macomb. David and William sold
their two-thirds to General Cass September 9th, i8i6, and subsequently, in October, I834, he acquired the remaining one-third. In
I835, a company was formed, called the "Cass Company," its object




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being to improve the river front by building docks and warehouses, and
in furtherance of the enterprise, in June, I835, it purchased from.
General Cass the river front of his farm.  This company consisted of
DeGarmo Jones, Oliver Newberry, E. P. Hastings, Major Henry
Whiting, Charles C. Trowbridge, Elon Farnsworth, Henry S. Cole,
E. A. Brush and Augustus S. Porter. They paid $I25,000, expended
$00oo,oo000, and in June, I840, mortgaged the property to General Cass,
and soon after, owing to financial disaster, the whole property and improvements reverted back to General Cass. Mr. Newberry purchased
lots Nos. i and 2, upon which he erected a large warehouse and docks,
which for a long time was the center of the shipping business of the
city, and was the favorite haunt of Mr. Newberry. August I3th, I855,
it was purchased by Messrs. J. L. Hurd & Co. for $68,ooo.
Mr. G. L. Whitney relates the following to illustrate some of the
characteristics of Mr. Newberry: "In 1847 he bought the engine
of the steamer Milwaukee for his steamer Nile, for which he
gave his notes in payment.  They fell into the hands of George L.
Smith & Co., known as the ' Wisconsin Fire and Marine Insurance
Co.' Some of these notes were not paid at maturity and the steamer
Nile was attached at Milwaukee. The Nile was bonded and the notes
paid, but this act of George L. Smith & Co. so exasperated Mr. Newburry that he determined to have vengeance.  About this time the
Milwaukee bankers were running the Michigan Insurance Co. for
specie. This was regarded by H. H. Brown, cashier, as a declaration
of war, and Brown and Newberry had their mutual causes for retaliation upon the Wisconsin money king. The bills of the Milwaukee
institution were in general circulation throughout the lake country and
the west, and with the facilities at hand it was not a difficult matter to
collect them in large sums. It was arranged that Brown should furnish
the funds and Newberry do the collecting without charge. The result
was that at every trip of the Nile, or of the Illinois, there was a run
made upon the Wisconsin Bank, specie being demanded in sums of
$o0,000, $20,ooo, $5o,ooo, and on one occasion $7I,oo000. The practice
was followed during the whole season.  On one occasion Mr. Newberry himself was a passenger in the Nile, and proceeding to the
bank presented a package of $io,ooo, laconically demanding specie.
The package was closely scrutinized and the specie counted out, but
the privilege of boxes was denied. Mr. Newberry was prepared, and
sent to his steamer for sundry bags made by John Bloom for this
special purpose, and having received his specie, was about to depart,
when the banker in a bland manner said: ' Mr. Newberry, when will your
steamer Illinois be here? We want to send some specie to New York.'
'To-morrow,' said Mr. Newberry, 'and we will take your specie at
reasonable rates.'  ' All right,' said the banker.  In the afternoon he




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presented another $io,ooo package and the money was counted. The
niext morning he made his appearance with a more bulky package,
saying,' The Illinois will be here this afternoon; have your specie ready;'
when the banker replied, ' We have concluded not to send any specie
to New York.' Soon after a truce was made, Mr. Newberry having
gratified his revenge."
Mr. Whitney details many more interesting anecdotes, which we
have not space to quote.
Mr. Newberry was a self-reliant business man, seldom consulting
others.  He was not fond of society and rarely mingled with the
world, except for business transactions.  He possessed indomitable
energy and boldness, of which all his operations partook.  Detroit
is greatly indebted to Mr. Newberry for the benefits its commerce and
growth derived from the numerous enterprises originated and carried
on by him. Fifteen years prior to his death his business became somewhat circumscribed owing to competition, and his prestige as "Admiral
of the Lakes" seemed to have departed.
Mr. Newberry died at his home on Fort Street West, now occupied by H. H. Walker, July 30, i86i.
yJOHN 0 WEN.
Hon. John Owen was born March 20, I809, on the river Don,
near Toronto, Canada. Came to Detroit in i8i8 with his mother,
crossing Lake Erie in the steamer Walk-in-the-Water. He attended
school under the patronage of Lemuel Shattuck, a very worthy man,
who, unfortunately for Mr. Owen, was compelled on account of ill
health to return to Concord, Massachusetts, in I82i, and Mr. Owen
was obliged to give up school, but through Mr. Shattuck's recommendation obtained a situation in the drug store of Dr. Chapin. He
continued as clerk until the autumn of i829, when he became a partner,
and remained in this position until the death of Dr. Chapin, in
December, I838. He conducted the business alone until March, I842,
at which time he admitted Theodore H. Hinchman, as a partner under
the firm name of J. Owen & Co. The wholesale business of the firm
continued to increase in importance until I853. Mr. Owen then sold
his interests and retired from trade, but not from business; for,
through his desire to aid his friends, he had become interested with
Gordon Campbell in establishing the Detroit Dry Dock, and with
Capt. Arthur Edwards, in vessel interests, and meanwhile had been a
director and president of the Michigan Insurance Company's Bank, and
president of the Detroit and Cleveland Steam Navigation Company,
beside being associated in other financial enterprises.




- 197 -

Mr. Owen has been a member of the city council. In I84I, was
appointed Regent of the University by Governor, or Acting Governor,
J. W. Gordon, under " Woodbridge and Reform," and although politically opposed, was re-appointed by Governor Barry in I843. He was
elected State Treasurer in I86o, and re-elected in 1862-4.
His connection with the Methodist church dates from i823, from
which period he has been a modest but liberal contributor, and has ever
been regarded as one of the chief pillars of that denomination. His
time and money in the giving, has not been confined to his own church,
but all Christian and benevolent enterprises have been the recipients of
his kind generosity.
RE V. GABRIEL RICHARD.
Among the distinguished divines connected with the early history
of Michigan, none acquired more reputation for being able to accommodate himself to the circumstances surrounding him than the Very
Rev. Gabriel Richard. He was born at Saintes, France, October 15,
1764. It is said his mother was a kinswoman of the eloquent Bossuet.
Father Richard was admitted to the priesthood in 179r, and shortly
after, on coming to America, reached Baltimore, Maryland, June 24,
I792, from there he was first sent to Kaskaskia, Illinois, and in 1798, on
the invitation of Bishop Carroll, came to Detroit as the assistant of
Father Levadoux.   At that time the jurisdiction of this diocese
extended over the Northwest Territory, and the communicants numbered not more than five or six thousand. During his second year
he visited Michilmackinac, twenty miles from Point St. Ignatius,
where the Jesuit fathers had over one hundred years before established
a mission.
Father Richard was the first to establish a printing press at
Detroit, in I809. He published the first paper in the form of a magazine
entitled "Essai du Michigain." He subsequently abandoned the publication, and his press was utilized for printing secular as well as church
periodicals. Father Richard served one term as delegate to Congress
in 1823. He rendered good service as the representative of the Territory, and was instrumental in securing several enactments, which
hastened the settlement and growth of the western country.
Father Richard was a very talented, scholarly man, very devoted
to his church and its interests, but alive to all other influences tending
to promote and establish good order and government, and when the
Methodist Episcopals established a church, he was free to aid and
assist in providing facilities.
He died in Detroit in I832 of cholera, which disease was contracted by his devoted exposure in seeking the relief of others.




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HON. 7. WILKIE MOORE.
Hon. J. Wilkie Moore, President of the Wayne County Pioneer
and Historical Society, is the son of Aaron Moore and Mary Wilkie,
and grandson of General Moore, of Massachusetts, and was born at
Geneva, N. Y., on the I3th day of May, I8I4. His father died in I817,
and his mother a few years after married Peter N. Hard, who for many
years was principal of the Geneva Academy. Mr. Moore's stepfather
and mother removed to a new farm in the township of Mt. Morris,
Livingston county, N. Y., which Mr. Moore, although quite young,
helped to clear and work, until the age of sixteen, when he went to
learn the silversmith's trade; but at the end of two years he influenced
his stepfather to sell out and emigrate to the territory of Michigan.
After a five days' sail on the steamer William Penn, they reached
Detroit, November ist, I833. Mr. Moore not finding employment in
Detroit went on foot to Ann Arbor, where he remained a short time,
then went to Monroe, Michigan, and engaged as clerk in the "American
House," kept by S. S. Parker, and afterwards was employed by the late
James McBride in his wholesale provision and grocery store. As soon
as he had earned fifty dollars, he invested in forty acres of Government
land, which he soon sold for one hundred dollars, and thus began his
land speculations, since which he has made buying and selling of land
the principal business of his life. He was engaged one year as contractor on the Wabash and Erie Canal, being associated with a Mr.
Sherman. Differences having arisen between the States of Ohio and
Michigan in regard to the boundary line of each, the militia of the
respective States were called out to settle it, and Mr. Moore was called
to the front in defence of the rights claimed by Michigan, and
became an active party to the exchange of the tract of land ten
miles wide of lowland for what is now known as the Upper Peninsula
of Michigan, and which to-day possesses more intrinsic value than the
entire half of the State of Ohio. During what is known as the Patriot
War, Mr. Moore was employed in a confidential and secret capacity by
the general government, for which he received a soldier's bounty of
one hundred and sixty acres of land. In I843 he engaged in the trade
of dry goods, boots and shoes, and hardware, at No. 171 Jefferson
avenue, Detroit. He also carried on a general real estate business;
afterwards was Deputy Collector and Inspector of Customs at the port
of Detroit. In I859 he was appointed United States Consul at Windsor,
Ontario, and was the first officer to raise the Consular flag of the
United States on the Western borders of what is now known as
Ontario. This was at the commencement of our late Civil War. The
town of Windsor was at that time full of refugees from the South, who
were determined to tear down the American flag; notwithstanding Mr.
Moore kept his flag waving, and the Canadian authorities saw the




wisdom of protecting it from insult. For several years Mr. Moore has
been corresponding secretary of the Q. D. C. S., and at their recent
meeting was created a life peer, an honor confered upon but two others
in the United States. He has been a member of the Board of Education
for many years, and was once elected its Secretary. Was a DeputyCollector under the late Charles G. Hammond, and also under N. G.
Isbell, and Special Agent in the Custom Department under General
Henry A. Morrow. He is President of the Wayne County Pioneer
Society, also Vice-President of the State Pioneer and Historical Society.
When quite a young man he took an active part in the Methodist
Episcopal church, was exhorter and leader of the class to which the
late United States Judge Ross Wilkins belonged; the Rev. J. A.
Baughman at the time being pastor. In later years Mr. Moore has
become very liberal in his religious ideas, not believing so much in
creeds as in living a good life: "and doing unto others as we would
have them do unto us." Mr. Moore has great and kindly feelings
toward all animals, especially his pets, a horse, a dog, and canary
birds. Mr. Moore is indefatigable in his efforts to maintain an interest
in the preservation of information and reminiscences of the early
history of the city of Detroit and State of Michigan, devoting the most
of his time to that object. Mr. Moore was married to Miss Margaret
Berthelet, daughter of the late Henry Berthelet, at Detroit, in the year
I843. His wife died February i8th, I875. They had but two sons,
one died when quite young; his other son, Hon. Joseph B. Moore, has
been a member of the City Council, Chairman of the Poor Commissioners, has been secretary and treasurer of the Detroit Carbon
Company, and is at present cashier of the Peninsular Savings Bank.
Few men are better known than J. Wilkie Moore throughout
Detroit or Michigan, and on account of his ever cheerful and cordial
disposition, it may well be said all are his friends.
The following is furnished as an evidence of the intense interest
which Mr. Moore has always manifested in old pioneers, that their
names and memory may be preserved, he having called upon each
personally, and obtained the information here given:
John E. Winchell, 93 years old;   Elijah Cross, 88;  James
W. Knaggs, 89; A. B. Weber, 87; Colonel E. Winder, 87;
Abel R. Torrey, 87; Captain Francis Martin, 8i; Russell Robison, 86;
Allan Robison, 82; Benjamin Farnsworth, 85; Thomas Armstrong, 85;
Mrs. David Thompson, 88; Amos Chaffee, 88; Captain Joseph L.
Heath, 88; Hamilton Morrison, 84; Alanson Sheley, 82; Francis
Reilly, 84; John Owen, 8I; James F. Joy, 80; William Hall, 88;
Francis McWilliams, 92; Horace Hallock, 82; C. H. Buhl, 78; Fredk.
Buhl, 88. "Thursday, April 17, I890, called on Solomon Davis and
Mrs. Polly Carlisle, both in their 99th year."




- 200 -


MYRON OTIS.
Myron Otis, the founder of the township of Greenfield, was born
in Schoharie, Otsego county, in the State of New York.  He landed in
Detroit in i826, and after spending some time in looking around, and
accepting an appointment, and serving as what would be termed the
office of deputy sheriff for a year, occupied a tract of land previously
entered by his father, Asa H. Otis, whose patent was signed by President Jackson, and established the township. He was a delegate to the
Constitutional Convention of I836 and member of the legislature of
I850. The only settler in what is the township of Greenfield prior to
Mr. Otis was an Englishman, named John Strong.
CHARLES FERDINAND CONRAD.
Charles Ferdinand Conrad is a great-great-grandson of Michael
Conrad, born at Grass Weiss (Big Meadows), on the Rhine, near the line
of Holland. He was Secretary of War of the Netherlands 'during the
thirty years' Religious war between the Prussians and Germans, and was
driven from the Netherlands in the contest between the Arminians
and Calvinists in the year I773.  He fled first to England and from
thence took ship for America, landing at Boston the latter part of that
year. He remained in Boston but a short time, removing from thence
to Pennsylvania, and settled in Middletown, Dauphin county, where he
died in September, I79I. His children were John Jacob, John
Nicholas, John Michael, (who is the great-grandfather of the subject
of this sketch); Mary Elizabeth, who married a Stoll; Eva, who
married John Adams Sawyer, and Mary Margaret, who married
John Diszler. John Michael Conrad, the great-grandfather of the
subject of this sketch, was born on the Rhine February 28, I728. He
died in I787, at Middletown, leaving his wife, Christiana, and nine
children-Charles, who removed to Pittsburg, Pa., where he resided as
late as I789; Jonathan, John, Henry, Emanuel, Ephriam, Joshua, (the
grandfather of the subject of this sketch, who married Eva Godfrey);
Magdalena, who died in I799; Christiana, who married Michael
Gunman. Joshua Conrad, the grandfather of the subject of this
sketch, was born March ioth, 1775, at Middletown, Dauphin County,
Pa. He died at Waterloo, New York, October i9th, I828, leaving a
widow whose maiden name was Eva Rodfahn. She was born at
Chocolay, York county, Pa., March 6th, I78I, and died at the house
of her son, John Conrad, in Trenton, Wayne county, Michigan, February i6th, I867.  The children of Joshua Conrad and Eva Conrad,
nee Rodfahn, were: An infant daughter, who died in infancy at
Middletown, Pa.; John, born I799, died August 29th, I853, at Trenton,




-201


Mich.; Christian E., born January I4th, i802; Christiana, born January ioth, I804, at Newtown, N. Y., she died at Hamburgh, Livingston
county, Mich., August I3th, i884; Charles Ferdinand, born at Newtown, N. Y., September I5th, I8o8, died in Wayne county, Mich., January 28, 1882; Sarah, born at Newtown, N. Y., September I9th, i8io;
Vincent Mathews, born September i2th, I812, at Newton, N. Y.;
Frederick Schott, born January 25th, I818, in Fayette, N. Y.; Alexander Sill, July 3ist, I820, at Waterloo, N. Y.; Elizabeth B., born
May 3d, I823, in Waterloo, N. Y., died April ioth, I877, at Wyandotte, Mich.
John Conrad, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in
Middletown, Dauphin county, Pa., October 25th, I799.  He came to
Michigan in I820, and was one of the organizers of the township of
Brownstown. On Tuesday, the i6th of November, I824, he was
married to Huldah Hazzard by John Sturgis, Justice of the Peace, at Flat
Rock, Wayne county, Mich. She was a native of Vermont, born at
Bennington February ioth, I799. She died at Flat Rock, Mich., May
loth, I837.  They had seven children, Christiana, born October 8th,
I826, killed by a log rolling upon her from a building May, I836;
Robert Hazzard, born February 24th, I828, died February 7th, I864;
Charles Ferdinand, February 24, I828; Emeline Hopkins, August 30,
I830, died at Centerville, St. Jo county, Mich., March 24, I853; John,
Jr., born October 3oth, I83I, died August 2ist, I856, from congestion
of the brain; James, born June 21, I834; David, born May 6th, 1836.
John Conrad married the second time, Miss Mary Barnhart,
December 22, I837. Their children were, Amelia, born October
5th, i838; Huldah, born March 22d, 1840; Elias, born April 24th,
1842; Arthur, born May 24, I845, and Ephraim, born June IIth, I850.
Charles Ferdinand Conrad, the third son of John Conrad and
Huldah (Hazzard) Conrad, was born in the town of Brownstown,
Wayne county, Mich., February 24, I828. From a lad he, in many
ways, depended upon himself, though his parents did all their circumstances permitted to secure for him the advantages of an education
such as the country afforded; but being alive to the fact that a large
family were somewhat dependent upon his father, he early
sought means to make the paternal burdens lighter. After acquiring a fair business education and a knowledge of books and men,
at the age of twenty-three, feeling that he was warranted in so doing,
he decided to begin an independent life, and on the 26th day of
October, I85I, was united in marriage to Miss Mary Elizabeth Mooreman at Ypsilanti, Mich., the ceremony being performed by the Rev.
Seth Reed.  Mrs. C. F. Conrad, nee Mary Elizabeth Mooreman, was
born at Rawsonville, Washtenaw county, Mich., September 2d, I835.
Five children have been born to them, viz.: Ellen, born at St. Clair,
14




202


Mich., on July 3 1st, I853. She married Thomas Snay, and has three
children living, Charles, Lulu and Lewis. Orpha Elizabeth, born
November i6th, I855, at Ypsilanti. She married George Hiller, of
Detroit, and has two children, Beulah and Ednah. (Mr. Hiller is the
binder of this book.) Emma Jane was born at Ypsilanti, Mich., June
I8, 1858.  She married Philo Parsons Chase, and has four children
living, Willie, Mabel, Glen and Ermah. She has lost one, Dan
Cleandry Chase. Idah, born at Ypsilanti, Mich., October 2oth, I86o,
died at Ypsilanti, February 8th, I87I; Clara, born at Ypsilanti
October 6th, I862, married Charles Stebbins, and has one child, Genevieve.
Mr. C. F. Conrad, the subject of this sketch, is a man of great
enterprise, and possesses more than ordinary energy and vitality, governed and controlled by an intelligent and active mental capacity. He
is the projector, and creator, in fact, of numerous enterprises involving
millions of money in expenditure and results.  For over thirty years
he has been engaged in developing the mineral resources of the Upper
Peninsular and a large factor in the projection and construction of the
railroads of that portion of the State. He is also interested in the railroads of the Saginaw valley, and is the owner of a valuable tract of land
now leased to the railways in Saginaw.  In all the vast enterprises
with which he has been connected, he has never consented to the employment of chicanery or dishonorable means to secure or promote
their success. While not always successful in their prosecution,yet he
is at present the owner and controls many valuable interests in mining,
railway and real estate properties.
The character of Mr. Conrad is that of a man, honest in his convictions of what is due to himself, his family and his fellow men.
Modest and unassuming in manner or speech but firm in maintaining
his own opinion until logically convinced that it is wrong.  He is a
fast friend to all that is just and right, but a determined foe to what he
conceives to be wrong. He is a Republican in his political views, and,
like his great and distinguished ancestor, Michael, of the Netherlands,
liberal in his religious convictions and equally ready to sacrifice his
liberty and life in their vindication.
DR. MARSHALL CHA PIN.
The early residents of Detroit who may be living, will remember,
with much affection and very pleasant recollections, Dr. Marshall
Chapin, who was born in Bernardstown (Springfield), Mass., February
27th, I798, and settled in the then village of Detroit in 1819, when it
numbered only five hundred inhabitants, and who established the first
drug store in what is now a city of 250,000 inhabitants.




-203 -

Dr. Chapin was the son of Doctor Caleb Chapin. First ancestors in
America, Deacon Samuel Chapin, who came to America in I765 with
an installment of Puritans, and settled at Boston, Mass.
As the Chapin family has become numerous, it will be of interest
to many, and generally to the public, to know that Deacon Samuel
Chapin was the ancestor of every Chapin in the United States and
also of numerous collateral descendants by marriage in other families.
Samuel Chapin was born in Dartmouth, England, and emigrated
with his wife and five children, to New England, America, in I635.
He lived in Boston and Roxbury until I642, then moved to Springfield,
Mass.; was made deacon in the Springfield church in that year, and
continued a highly useful life until his death in November, I675. While
in Boston he took the Freeman's oath in 164I, then becoming entitled
to vote.
His first child born in America was Japhet, born I642, and is
claimed to be the earliest recorded child born to the Puritans.
His wife, Cicily, sat in meeting in the honorable seats with Mrs.
Glover, Mrs. Holyoke and Mrs. Pychon.
She was taken sick and "dyed" February 8th, I682, having survived her husband six years.
His father, it would appear, commenced farming in connection
with the practice of medicine. The name of his mother before marriage was Mary Wright, (born June 26th, 1765). She was the daughter of Charles Wright, and died July ioth, i827.  Some of his
decendants now reside in Rochester, New York.
During boyhood he worked on his father's farm, attending school
during the winter months, and on removal with his father's family
to Caledonia, New York,' he prepared himself by studying with his
father and with Doctor Cynias Chapin (his uncle), of Buffalo, taking
his medical lectures at Geneva College, from which he graduated when
at the age of twenty-one.
Soon after his arrival in Detroit he was given medical charge of
the Fort. It is related, that while dining one day with General Cass, a
fire broke out endangering the destruction of that portion of the town.
The efforts of the young doctor in extinguishing it were made with
such coolness as to attract the favorable notice of the inhabitants, and
he was no longer considered a stranger, and was subsequently encouraged, and his counsel sought by the citizens generally.
In I823 Doctor Chapin married Miss Mary Crosby, born I796,
daughter of Ebenezer Crosby, born I764, of Cannisteo, New York.
She died in Batavia, N. Y., June 9th, I84I, at the age of forty-five.
Soon after his marriage the doctor built him a comfortable home on
Fort, corner of Cass, former site of fort and barracks.




-204 -

His first store was located on the corner of Griswold street and
Jefferson avenue, "M. Chapin & Co.," in 1819; afterward in the next
block on Jefferson avenue.
The business established by Mr. Chapin in I8i9 was the foundation of that now carried on by T. H. Hinchman & Sons.
Dr. Chapin was mayor of Detroit from i83I to 1833.  It was
during the prevalence of the cholera in i834 that Dr. Chapin exhibited
that heroism, courage and kindness which endeared him to the citizens
of Detroit. Day and night he attended the sick and dying, seeking to
infuse hope and courage to the living.  He had a faithful assistant in
the late C. C. Trowbridge. His exertions at this period made inroads
upon his physical constitution, from which he never recovered. He
died December 26th, 1838.  It is related " that rich and poor crowded
to pay their last respects to a man universally beloved and lamented."
" A good name is rather to be chosen than riches, and loving favor
rather than silver and gold."
7OHN0 A. WELLS.*
John A. Wells, Cashier of the Farmers' and Mechanics' Bank
from 1833 to I845, was tall, of rather spare figure, who would at once
be recognized as a gentleman of education, refinement and character,
never lacking dignity or courtesy. As cashier, he had more general
knowledge of banking than any of his contemporaries, excepting only
Mr. C. H. Trowbridge. He endeavored to conduct the affairs of the
bank systematically, and in accordance with the more approved
methods. There was no lack of personal effort, as no engagements
otherwise were permitted to interfere with his official duties. The
bank was managed successfully and profitably until the general failures
of i839. He remained as the executive officer, aiding to adjust its
affairs, until it was ready to resume business in 1845.
701HN NORTON, yR.*
John Norton, Jr., was Cashier of the Michigan State Bank from
I835 to i839. His personal appearance will be remembered by only a
few in Detroit. He was of medium size, a well dressed and prepossessing gentleman of culture, refinement, and prompt business methods
and habits. He was ambitious of distinction as a financier, and as such
obtained the position of fiscal agent for the State, and was the confidential adviser of Governor Mason, assisting him in the management
of the five million loan. Both gentlemen over-estimated their ability,
and at the end of the Governor's term they sought more propitious
fields for their talents eastward.
* The following sketches, marked *, are from Hon. T. H. Hinchman's work on
"Banks and Banking."




- 205 -


H. K. SANGER.*
H. K. Sanger was appointed Cashier of the Bank of Michigan in
I855. He had occupied a responsible position in a bank at Canandaigua, N. Y., and was thoroughly well informed in the details and
principles of banking. The duties of the office were discharged ably
and efficiently under the direction of the experienced President. On
the failure of the bank he returned to his former home.
In I850 a committee from the Michigan Insurance Bank visited
him, and secured his acceptance of the cashiership of that bank. He
soon took charge of the office and assumed the responsibility of its
management. During his administration a large and lucrative business
was transacted, far greater than was customary, for the amount of its
capital. The duties of cashier were then arduous and exacting, owing
to the great variety of currency, fluctuating exchange, and constant
demands for loans. Mr. Sanger was a thoroughly competent and
accomplished officer, active, reliable and conscientious, who engaged in
no outside employment. Failing health caused his retirement in I86I.
His death occurred in I863.
HENR r H. BR 0 WN.
Henry H. Brown came from Rochester, N. Y., and soon after
opened a banking office, which was continued until 1839, when it came
into possession of the charter of the Michigan Insurance Company, and
commenced a banking business under a clause which it was claimed
permitted banking. He was its secretary and cashier from I839 to
I847, after which he obtained a charter for the Peninsular Bank, of
which he was cashier from I847 to I857. His tall, well proportioned
form, business intelligence and agreeable manners, won him much
popular favor as a cashier and citizen. He was a self-educated banker,
having commenced in a moderate way, when capital was scarce, and
before the precise and systematic methods of later times were practised.
The banks managed by him prospered greatly when business was
brisk and the calls for coin were not excessive. His extensive acquaintance and inherent desire to accommodate and please all friends and
customers militated against him when retrenchment became necessary.
It was then that his administration proved to be too liberal, and stockholders and directors encountered trouble and losses. He experienced
various mutations of fortune, but bore alike reverses and successes with
equanimity.
After quitting banking he entered into warehousing, grain and
produce, with his brother-in-law, H. Norton Strong.




206


LE VI COOK*
Levi Cook was President of the Farmers' and Mechanics' Bank
from I838 to I845. He was a large, portly, fine appearing man of good
business capacity.
As a dry goods merchant, fair dealing and diligence had brought
him a fair measure of success. As a bank officer he gave attention to
required duties with intelligence. These, however, were of a nominal
character, as the bank was under a cloud during the greater period of
his administration. He was a plain, strong man, of good judgment,
whose frankness, integrity and affability, gave him a marked popularity
with all his contemporaries in the city and county. He was also the
President of the Bank of St. Clair in I845. In 1832 he was Mayor of
Detroit, and was at one time Grand Master of the Masonic Grand
Lodge of Michigan.
ELISHA     C. LITCHFIELD.*
Elisha C. Litchfield, Cashier of the Farmers' and Mechanics'
Bank from I845 to I85I, and President in I862, was a native of New
York State, where he resided until he came to Michigan to assume his
official duties. He was of medium size, with strong features, prompt,
energetic, with clear, intelligent ideas and eminent executive ability,
which fitted him for any official trust. During his connection with the
bank his duties were discharged with precision, and a successful business was done. When more important interests caused him to resign
and resume his residence in New York, the State lost a valuable
citizen. In connection with his brother, he purchased and carried forward to successful completion the Michigan Southern Railway, the
history of which enterprise, confronted as it was by difficulties that
challenged herculean energy, and great resources of mind and means,
will stand out as one of the most remarkable achievements of that era.
CHARLES HO WARD.*
Charles Howard, President of the Farmers' and Mechanics' Bank
from I846 to I85I, and the first President of the Peninsular Bank, was
of medium size, with pleasing features, and prompt in his movements
and manner of transacting business. He was a courtly, thoroughly
well-read gentleman, of much ability and energy, and was noted for his
scrupulous fidelity to trusts committed to him.
His administration as a bank officer was marked by progress and




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a strict adherence to the most approved methods of banking. As
Mayor of Detroit, in I849, his knowledge of affairs, finance, and of the
people, particularly fitted him for the office. Mr. Howard removed to
New York after the close of his business in this State, where he
devoted the close of a long and useful life to the gratification of his
literary tastes.
LORENZO W. MASON.*
Lorenzo W. Mason, the eighth President of the Farmers' and
Mechanics' Bank, came to Detroit from Port Huron, Michigan, where
he had been a successful merchant and lumberman.
He was about six feet in height, rather spare and inclined forward
when walking. His features were regular, and his frank expression
and genial manners attracted a host of friends. He was a well-read,
enterprising man of business, willing to assume risks-generally
successful, public-spirited, generous and ready to render efficient aid
to popular public advancement. As a bank officer, his good sense,
quick perception and intelligence were valuable in deciding important
questions and in the general management of affairs.  Personally
popular, he was a member of the Constitutional Covention of i850;
a presidential elector in I848; elected to the State Senate in I844, and
again in i868, but was defeated two years later by Alanson Sheley, which
was the occasion of a pleasantry, for which Mason was famous. A
friend said: " Mr. Mason, you are beaten." " No," he replied, promptly:
"the fellow is beaten who goes to Lansing to do the work."  Mr.
Mason died in i872, deeply lamented.
HENVRY NV. WALKER.*
Henry N. Walker, lawyer, editor, railway manager, miner and
banker, was of medium stature, physically and mentally strong. As a
banker, he was associated in the management of the Michigan Insurance Bank as director and attorney, and after its close he assumed the
chief management of the Detroit Savings Bank, until after the failure
of a Lake Superior mining enterprise which he had also undertaken to
conduct.
Mr. Walker was an industrious and faithful official, with a plain
frank style of speech, of good temper and pleasing manners. His
varied duties were discharged with intelligence and promptness, but he
over-estimated his ability to succeed in all of such diversified occupations. Had he adopted either of the pursuits, persistent efforts would
have brought him a fair measure of success, especially as officer,
lawyer or editor. He was a most valuable and useful citizen.




208 -

It should be remembered of him that he made three trips to
Europe between I84o and I846, to place the bonds of the Detroit and
Milwaukee Railroad, negotiate the sale of the Great Western Railway
and to place the bonds of the latter successfully.
WAL TER IVGERSOLL.*
Walter Ingersoll entered the service of the Michigan Insurance
Company immediately after its commencement of banking. He commenced as office boy and messenger, and advanced to the position of
teller and assistant cashier. His duties, especially as teller, during
many years, were discharged with promptness and accuracy, notwithstanding the number and variety of bank bills then deposited, and the
mutilated condition of many of them. It was a trying position to the
temper, and required quick perception and judgment.
In I86I he succeeded to the office of cashier, and held the position
until the discontinuance of the bank in I869. His familiarity with details,
acquaintance with dealers, knowledge of the value of securities and of
paper offered, well qualified him for the duties. He was a faithful
and efficient officer, not lacking in decision or courage.
From the close of the bank to his death in I885, he engaged in no
stated employment, but had occasional transactions in real estate. His
straight well-formed figure, and his resonant voice, especially in
laughter, will be vividly remembered.
FRANCIS PALMS.*
Francis Palms was the President of the People's Savings Bank
from its organization until his death.
He was a native of Antwerp, Belgium, and came to Detroit in
i832. He was for a time intimately associated with Joseph Campau,
and from him imbibed those impressions which served to guide, and
which afterwards resulted in laying the foundation for his course in life,
and the accumulation of great wealth.
Subsequently he became interested with Franklin Moore in the
purchase of large tracts of mineral and pine lands, which his tenacious
will enabled him to hold until they realized to him a large return.
This, and his reputation for carefulness, integrity and good judgment,
placed him in several positions of responsibility and trust, and especially at the head of the People's Savings Bank. His various duties and
trusts always had dilligent attention, even after failing health and
advancing years had come to him. Reliability was the marked and
crowning characteristic of his business life.




-209 -

Mr. Palms was a little above the medium, inclined forward in
walking, slender in frame, and was not of marked physical appearance.
His regular features, broad forehead, and thoughtful eyes, indicated
depth of character and financial ability. No liking for politics, or
ambition for office was ever revealed. As a quiet and unassuming
citizen he preferred only business advancement, and the promotion of
his pecuniary interests.
In his latter years, investments in city property was regarded
favorably, and was exemplified by the erection of several business
blocks on the main thoroughfares of Detroit. His demise occurred in
November, i886, in the 77th year of his age.
HORACE HALL OCK.
Among the early pioneer business men and merchants of Detroit
none are better known than Horace Hallock, the subject of this sketch.
He has been prominent in the history of the Presbyterian church, in
the temperance cause and in all the early anti-slavery movements, having been the advocate of these reforms in public and private, and exercising by his persistent efforts an influence which shaped public sentiment and paved the way for their establishment upon the firm basis
upon which these principles now stand.
Horace Hallock was born in the city of New York, April ioth,
I807. After receiving a common school education he commenced
business in New York in I829, which he continued until I83I, when
he moved to Detroit and established the business which he has from
that time been actively engaged in, and is therefore entitled to be
recognized as the oldest business man in Detroit.
In I833 Mr. Hallock was ordained elder in the First Presbyterian
church, and continued as such until the organization of the Jefferson
Avenue Presbyterian church in February, I854, and has been an elder
of that church up to the present time.  He was superintendent of the
Sabbath School of the First Presbyterian church from I833 to 1854,
and of the Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian church from I854 to I882.
While Mr. Hallock has been active before the public, and conspicuously so in his advocacy of those reforms in politics, which have
now become fixed and established as the policy of the Republican
party, he has never sought or held a public position.  As a citizen
he has favored all enterprises tending to improve the morals as well as
the material growth of Detroit, and as such, is highly esteemed and
enjoys the love, respect and confidence of all who know him.
On the i9th of April i833, he married Miss Elizabeth Raymond,
in New York City. Mrs. Hallock died in March, I887, and left her
husband, two sons and two daughters to survive her, also a brother,
* Mr. Francis Raymond, of this city.




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COL. 7OHNA FRANCIS HAMTRAMCK.
Col. John Francis Hamtramck was born April iith, 1758. He
received a liberal education and entered the army at an early age. He
participated in the battles of the Revolution and received personally
the thanks of General Washington for meritorious service.
President John Adams appointed him commandent at Detroit in
I790. He died April I6th, I803, and was buried near the remains of
her to whom he was devotedly attached during life.
STE VEJVS THOMSOX MASON.
Stevens Thomson Mason was a native of Virginia, and was born
in that State in i8ii.  He removed from there to Kentucky with his
parents when a young lad, and was appointed Secretary of the Territory of Michigan by President Jackson in I83I, when but twenty years
of age, and took the oath of office July 25th.  The office of Governor
being then vacant, he acted as Governor until the appointment of
General George B. Porter, August 6th.
Being so young, a large number of the elder citizens were dissatisfied with his appointment, and held a meeting and chose a committee
of five to procure his resignation. Mason met the committee in a very
courteous manner, and said, in reply to their objection to his youth:
"A young man would be more ready to accept the guidance of his
elders than one of riper years."  This response would seem to have
captured them, for in later years three of the committee were his
devoted friends.
Under the constitution of I835 he was elected Governor, the votes
being, for Major John Biddle 814, and for Mason 7,509; and again in
i837, the vote being for him II,505, and for Charles C. Trowbridge
I 11,268, his majority being 237.
His administration was popular and he was personally esteemed
and respected by men of all parties.  He died suddenly on the 3d of
January, i843, in the city of New York, where he had removed at the
expiration of his term as Governor.
EUROTAS P. HASTINGS.
The subject of this sketch was conspicuous in his day and to-day
is remembered by older citizens as the peer of any for business sagacity, integrity and financial knowledge.
Eurotas P. Hastings was born in Litchfield county, Connecticut,




211 -

July 20th, I79I. At the age of fourteen he entered a store at Clinton,
Oneida county, N. Y., and when nineteen formed a co-partnership with
his brother, Orlando, under the firm name of 0. & E. P. Hastings.
The firm did a successful business for five years as merchants, when
they dissolved, Orlando entering upon a study of law, and E. P.
removing to Utica, N. Y., where he remained until appointed teller of the
Bank of Geneva in 1819. He held this position until I825, when he came
to Michigan as the representative of the stockholders of the old Bank
of Michigan. In May, the same year, he was chosen president of the
bank, and continued as such until I839.  In 1840 he was appointed
Auditor General of the State by the Legislature.  In I842 he was
appointed, by Judge Wilkins, official assignee in bankruptcy under the
general bankrupt law, which position he held for a number of years.
In the early period of his appointment he settled 660 cases in bankruptcy, involving millions of dollars, and while having been a custodian
of immense sums of money for others, watching their interests with
vigilance and assisting others to fortunes, he retired from life leaving
a meager competency to his family. While the subject often of severe
criticisms, yet he lived to see many who were the most malignant to
become his warm personal friends.
As a private citizen he was active in the benevolent enterprises
of the day. He was for many years an active member of the Presbyterian church, and at his decease had long been an elder in Dr.
Hogarth's church on Jefferson avenue.
JOHN P. CLARK.
"Nature has made occupation a necessity to us; society makes it a duty; habit
may make it a pleasure."
Necessity compelled the subject of this sketch to find an occupation at an early period. The death of his father forced the care of his
mother and brother upon him.
John Person Clark was born near Catskill, on the Hudson river,
April ioth, i8o8.  At the age of ten years he came with his father to
the Territory of Michigan, locating on the Detroit river in the vicinity
of what is now Wyandotte. They there cleared a small farm which
never proved very valuable, so, that in I825, his father's death left
the family in straightened circumstances, dependent upon John and his
brother for the bare necessaries of life.
In I826 he made his first venture in the fish business, which subsequently contributed to and was the basis of his fortune. The theater of
his business from 1826 to I836 was the Maumee river and bay. During this period he also cleared a large tract of land for the wood, which




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he disposed of at Toledo. In 1833 he built a canal boat and connected
freighting with his fishing business. In i836 he located a number of
fishing points on Lake Huron and Michigan and associated with his
brother George and Shadrach Gillett. In i85o he came to Springwells
and established a dry dock on the river, which he owned at his decease.
He was the builder of the steamers "Alaska," "Jay Cook," "Pearl,"
"Gazelle," "Riverside" and numerous other steam and sail vessels.
All his efforts in this line as well as in his fisheries brought him good
returns. While he devoted his time to these specialties, he was at the
same time the promoter, and interested in numerous other industrial
enterprises, which have aided in the growth and improvement of
Detroit and added to his own material wealth.  At his death he was
the owner of much valuable real estate, both in Detroit and in various
parts of the State. By the provisions of his will he dedicated to the
city of Detroit a large body of realty at a nominal price, on condition
that it should be improved and made available for a public park.
As a business man Mr. Clark was shrewd, but honorable in his
transactions, manifesting exemplary integrity, and honesty, in his dealings, but never submitting to impositions.  He was benevolent and
gave liberally to all objects tending to benefit society. He was public
spirited, and encouraged all efforts and enterprises affecting the growth
and prosperity of the country.
Although not a member, he was a regular attendant of the Congregational church, and foremost in his contributions for its advancement.
In politics he was Republican, but did not seek preferment as a
politician.
At an age when many retire from business, he was engaged in
developing new enterprises of great magnitude.
Mr. Clark was twice married. By his first wife he had four sons
and three daughters. His second wife was Eliza W. Whitney, whom
he married in 1863. Her departure preceded his.
At his death his family consisted of Mrs. J. A. Hecking, at the
time residing in Paris, France; Mrs. George Atchison, of St. Louis;
Miss Florence Clark, then at home with her father, but who was
recently married to W. 0. Ashley, of the firm of Ashley & Dustin,
steamboat agents, and resides at 114 Adelaide street, Detroit; Norman
S., of St. Louis, Missouri, and A. S. Clark, of Detroit.
Mr. Clark died September 3d, I888, leaving numerous evidences
of what energy and perseverence, combined with honesty and industry,
will accomplish in the creation of material wealth and the establishment of an unsullied business reputation.
Mr. Clark was a member of this Society from its organization till
his death.




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SHUBAEL CONANT.
None who knew the subject of this sketch will fail to recall the
candid, kind and genial man who, for over half a century, made his
home and occupied as an office the little two-story, wooden building
immediately in the rear of the Michigan Insurance, now the First
National Bank, of Detroit, and of whom it was always said, "when he
states a fact, or expresses an opinion on any subject, no discount need
be made for exaggeration or reserve."
Shubael Conant was born in Mansfield, Windham county, Conn.,
August ist, I783. He was apprenticed to the watchmaker's trade, of
which he acquired a thorough knowledge.  At the age of twenty he
turned his attention to the mercantile business, and on the 5th of July,
i8o9, came to Detroit and opened a store on Jefferson avenue. From
his own memorandum the merchants of that day were as follows:
Joseph Campau, John R. Williams, Conrad Ten Eyck, Antoine Dequindre, Stephen Mack, Thomas Emerson, Joseph Emerson, Oliver
Williams, John S. Roby, Abraham Edwards, Henry J. Hunt, Prospect
Thibault, Gabriel Godfroy, R. H. Jones, James Abbott, Peter J. Desnoyer, Barnabas Campau, Hugh Martin, William Jones, William
Meldrum, Shubael Conant, to which he adds this impressive commentary: "What is best to say, I know not."
The firm of S. Conant & Co., David Stone, of Walpole, New
Hampshire, being a partner, continued to do business at the same place
until the surrender of Hull in 1812.  Mr. Conant was at this time a
sergeant in Captain Solomon Sibley's company.  On the morning of
the surrender the company was paraded on Randolph street, anxiously
awaiting orders to move forward to resist the British attack, when suddenly a white flag was hoisted on the flagstaff of the Fort, which
created a sensation, and as Col. E. Brush rode up, an explanation was
asked by Private Richard H. Jones.     Colonel Brush replied:
"Eighteen hundred British and 3,000 Indians are marching up to
attack us; that is our condition."  Jones replied, "It's a --  lie,"
and Robert Smart stepped out of the ranks in front of the company
and, whipping his musket against a post said, in broad Scotch, "I'll be
if the infernal British shall have my gun."  The company
were soon after called to lay down their arms and retired to their
homes, as the terms of capitulation exempted the militia as prisoners
of war.
Thus ended Mr. Conant's military experience. After Detroit fell,
Mr. Conant packed the goods of the firm, stored them, and left for
New England.
The mercantile business reviving after Perry's victory on Lake
Erie, Mr. Conant purchased additional stock and returned in Novem



214 -

ber, 1813, and continued business under the firm name of S. Conant &
Co., until I8i6, when he became associated with Col. Stephen Mack,
and did business under the firm name of Mack & Conant, which firm
did the largest business of any house west of Albany until i820, when,
owing to the delay to realize from claims against the government for
advances made to it, or on its account, to the amount of $50,ooo, they
became embarrassed and were compelled to assign for the benefit of
their eastern creditors. After the assignment of Mack & Conant, Mr.
C. retired from mercantile life and became the agent of the firm of
Center & Co., Albany, New York, in the purchase of furs.
Mr. Conant was a man of enterprise and kept pace with the current improvements of the day, and at his death owned several fine
buildings erected by him, beside other realty outside of Detroit. As a
man, Mr. Conant lived an unblemished and exemplary life. He was
appointed by his peers to many important posts, among them alderman,
Commissioner of the State Internal Improvement Board, commissioner
for building Sault Ste. Marie canal, and president of the Detroit Water
Board.,
It is needless to say that in all the duties pertaining to these several positions, he discharged them with the same fidelity and sound
judgment as he exercised in the conduct of his own private affairs. He
was for many years a member of the first Protestant society and of the
Fort Street Presbyterian church.
Mr. Conant was never married. He had two brothers in the west,
Dr. Harry Conant, who held a distinguished position in the State, and
in Monroe, where he lived and died, and Horatio Conant, M. D., who
resided at Maumee, Ohio.
Mr. Shebael Conant died in I867, leaving his property to his
nephews and nieces. Harry A. Conant, Secretary of State from 1883
to I887, was a nephew, and Mrs. General A. S. Williams, of Detroit,
was a neice.
His life and conduct furnishes an example to young men of what
the practice of industry, integrity and frugality in the affairs of life can
accomplish, and if permitted to live to the age of eighty-four years
may it be said of them, as of him:
"Age sits with decent grace upon his visage,
And worthily becomes his silver locks.
He wears the marks of many years well spent,
Of virtue, truth, well tried and wise experience."
Mr. Conant was one of the organizers of this Society (Historical).




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JAMES VALENTINE CAMPBELL.
"It was the boast of Augustus that he found Rome brick, but left it of marble.
How much more will be the Sovereign's boast when he shall have it to say: that he
found law dear, but left it cheap-found it a sealed book, left it a living letter-found
it the patrimony of the rich, left it the inheritance of the poor-found it a two-edged
sword of craft and oppression, left it the staff of honesty, the shield of innocence."Brougham.
Laws are intended to govern, regulate and control society-to
protect the weak against the strong-to confirm man in his inherent
rights. Their enactment is sometimes the emanation of minds, selfish,
prejudicial, weak and corrupt, and not being carefully considered,
would work infinite wrong, were there no higher power instituted
to correct or prevent it. Hence he who is chosen to adjust, expound
and administer, should be honest, just and wise. Some one writes:
" These four things belong to a judge: to hear courteously, to answer
wisely, to consider soberly, and to give judgment without partiality."
The fact that the subject of this sketch has been successively
elected by the people of Michigan, and has for thirty-one years passed
upon the laws enacted by their legislature, would seem to warrant the
conclusion that he must in an eminent degree possess the attributes
deemed so essential in one occupying the exalted position of Supreme
Judge of this great commonwealth.
James Valentine Campbell is a native of the State of New York,
and was born at Buffalo, February 25, i823. From his name he would
seem to be of Scottish descent on the paternal side.
His father, Henry Monroe Campbell, was born in Ulster county,
New York, September io, I783,'and died at Detroit, Michigan, in
January, I842. The maiden name of his mother was Lois Bushnell.
She was born in Litchfield county, Connecticut, in I786, and died at
Detroit in July, I876. Her parents were married at Buffalo, N. Y., in
I8IO.
Judge Campbell came to Detroit with his parents in I826.
Received his collegiate education at St. Paul's College, from which he
graduated in July, I84I.
He read law in the office of Douglas and Walker, and was
admitted to the bar at Detroit, in October, I844.
He was elected to the Supreme Bench first in I857, the term
beginning January I, I858, and at the close of each term has since been
re-elected as his own successor. In I859 was appointed Law Professor
in the State University, and in I866 received the degree of LL. D.
He published his outlines of the political history of Michigan in I876,
and is recognized as an authority on all questions relating to the history
of the State up to that period.




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In his religious views he is Episcopalian, and is a member of the
standing committee of the diocese of Michigan.
His political sympathies were Whig, during the existence of that
party, and since I854 they have been Republican.
The Judge, while courteous, is firm in his convictions.  His
opinions are extensively quoted in the Federal, as well as in the Courts
of this and other States. All questions submitted to him, receive close
and careful consideration; and while he has a great respect for legislative acts, he does not hesitate to declare them void, when in his opinion
they conflict with the principles of equity.
Judge Campbell married Miss Cornelia Hotchkiss, at Fort Wayne,
Indiana, November 8, 1849. She was born at Oneida Castle, N. Y.,
August I7, I823, and died at Detroit, May 2, i888.
The children by this marriage are: Henry Monroe, lawyer; James
V., Jr., banker; Charles Hotchkiss, lawyer; Douglas Houghton,
(Ph. D.), Professor in Indiana University; Edward DeMill, mining
chemist and metallurgist, Dayton, Tenn., and a daughter, Cornelia L.
[March 26, I890.-Just as the foregoing sketch of Judge Campbell
is going to press, his sudden death this morning is announced.-F. C.]
MA JOR HORA CE GRA r.
In civil government, firm in our allegiance, yet steadfast in our
laws, liberties and constitution. In private, not yielding to selfish propensities, inclining neither to avarice nor injustice, to malice or
revenge, to envy nor contempt with mankind.
Such have been the principles, and such the rules which have
governed Horace Gray, and which he has sought to exemplify in
his daily life. Springing from old New England stock, he has preserved their independence of thought and opinion, conceding to others
the right to think for themselves, which were the characteristics of the
early Puritans.
Major Horace Gray, was born in Jefferson county, New York
State, September I2, I812. Thomas Gray, his father, was a native of
Massachusetts, and served in the Revolutionary Army. His mother,
Thankful Winslow Gray, was born in Connecticut, and was descended
from the historical family of Winslows of New England.
His parents, soon after marriage, removed from New England,
and settled in New York, where the subject of this sketch was born.
Mr. Gray was given all the advantages for acquiring an education
which the public schools of that day afforded, and at the age of seventeen sought his fortune in the West, reaching Detroit in the spring of
i829, where an elder brother, Elliott Gray, had already established




- 217 -

himself in the forwarding business. Immediately on arrival at Detroit,
he engaged as a clerk with his brother, and subsequently became a
partner with him and with Samuel Lewis, in the same business. He
continued these relations until 1847, when he purchased a farm on
Grosse Isle, upon which he settled, and where he resides at the present
time.
At the breaking out of the late civil war, Mr. Gray, true to the
principles which actuated and governed his forefathers, tendered his
services to the government, and August I4, I862, was commissioned
Major in the Fourth Michigan Cavalry, serving as such until February
22, 1864, when physical disability compelled him to resign. In I842,
Major Gray was married to Miss Mary Francis Bury. They have
had four children, two daughters (now living) and two sons, deceased.
RE V. 7JOHN A. BA UGHMAN.
"He stood deservedly high in the councils of the Church, as of sound loyalty
and excellent judgment. The memorial of his name is ' like ointment poured forth.'"
-Pilcher.
The first relation of the Rev. John A. Baughman to Detroit was
in I825.  He was appointed by the Ohio Conference to take charge
with Rev. Solomon Manier, of the Detroit circuit, which at the time
embraced the whole settled portion of the lower Peninsular. He therefore could preach in the city only occasionally.  His real connection
with Detroit commenced when stationed here in I845, where he
remained two years, and then became agent for the American Bible
Society. He served in this capacity four years and in 'I852 was appointed presiding elder of Detroit district, which position he filled for
two years.  He never removed from Detroit after he was stationed
here in I845.
Mr. Baughman labored twelve years in Ohio and thirty-two years
in Michigan. He was emphatically a pioneer preacher in both States,
being in many places, the first man to preach the gospel to the people.
He received forty-three appointments from the bishop and never failed
heartily to do the work assigned him. He was a man of extraordinary
physical strength, with a pleasant full voice, cheerful manner, possessed much magnetism, strong faith and untiring industry, greatly
beloved by all, children and adults.  He was at home everywhere, in
the pulpit of the modern church, in the desk of the country school
house, on the extempore platform of the camp ground, in the family of
the rich or poor.  He attended every session of the conference, and
while he seldom spoke, yet when he did, was listened to with attention
and his counsel had great weight.  He was a member of the general
conference of I844 when the issue of slavery was the occasion of
15




-218 -

separation, and took part, faithfully representing the sentiment of his
conference.  His last sermon was preached in the Jefferson avenue
church February i6, I868, on "Faith, Hope and Charity." He spoke
with more than ordinary power and fervor. He was unable to preach
in the evening, owing to feeble health and exhaustion from his morning effort.
Mr. Baughman was born in Hereford county, Maryland, in I802.
He married Mrs. Sarah H. Baker, at Monroe, in I826. She was the
widow of the Rev. Samuel Baker, who died at Monroe in I823. Her
maiden name was Sarah Harvey, and she was born near Rochester, N.
Y., January 22, I799, of English parentage. Mr. Baughman quietly
fell asleep March ist, i868.
SAMUEL PRES TON BRADY.
Samuel Preston Brady was born at Indiana, Indiana county, Pa.,
June 22d, I8o9. He was the only son of Gen. Hugh Brady, United
States army, and came to Detroit with his father in I827 from Sackett's
Harbor, N. Y. In June, I832, he accompanied Col. Whistler, who
was in command of two companies of infantry, from Fort Niagara to
Chicago, then a military frontier post, and returned to Detroit in
March, I837, and established the business which was afterward carried
on by Brady & Trowbridge until I849, when the partnership being
dissolved he entered the forwarding and commission business at the
foot of Woodward avenue. He continued this business until I868,
when, on account of ill health, he went to Europe and died at Cologne,
Prussia, May 25th, I868.
BRE VOOR T-E T-.NA VARRE.
The name Brevoort appears in the History of New Amsterdam,
built by the Dutch in I614, and among its defenders when taken by
the English in I664, and the name of New York substituted.  Subsequently we find distinguished reference made to the men bearing
the name in both wars between the United States and England, as
well as in the late civil war, and always fighting for the Union.
Commodore Henry Bergan Brevoort, the founder of the Michigan Brevoorts, was a direct descendant of the Brevoorts (sometimes
spelled BreDevoort), of New Amsterdam. He was born in the city of
New York on the I3th day of January, I775, was appointed midshipman in the United States navy in I807 by President Monroe. He soon
rose to the rank of lieutenant and from that to commodore, and died in
Detroit January 30th, I858.




-219 -

The late Hon. Charles C. Trowbridge furnishes the following in
reference to Commodore Brevoort's first advent to the northwest:
"The government had ordered the Commodore (then a lieutenant) to
take a gun boat from New Orleans up the Mississippi and Ohio river
to Pittsburg.  The Commodore, after working faithfully for three
hundred days, reached Fort Massac, on the Ohio, when on reporting
to the government that he would probably be able to reach Pittsburg
in another year, the order was reversed." The above was told to illustrate the navigation of the Mississippi seventy years ago.
Commodore Brevoort was a participant with Perry in the battle
of Lake Erie.
On January 2d, I823, President Monroe, through Smith Thompson, then secretary of the United States navy, presented him with a
very large silver medal for gallant and meritorious services at the battle of Lake Erie, known as Perry's victory.  And he was again presented with another large silver medal in I827, by President Jackson,
for gallant and meritorious services rendered the Union during the war
of I812 with Great Britain.
His bravery never was questioned.  When he appeared in command of the Adams, Commodore Perry sent for him and reminded him
that he was a paroled prisoner and that capture meant certain death, and
suggested he had better go below and let his lieutenant command the
ship; his only response was, "Commodore, if a man can't fight with a
halter around his neck, he can't fight at all."  The rest is known, for
when the flag ship was sinking Perry had to call the Adams to his
relief.
He married Catherine Navarre, who was a descendant in direct
line of Jean Navarre, who was the natural son of Antoine de Bourbon,
father of Henry IV.
Robert Navarre, the grandfather of Catherine, was sent to Fort
Pontchartrain (Detroit) as sub-intendent and royal notary, where he
married Maria Louisa de Mersac in 1734, from whom are descended
all of the name of Navarre in Michigan and also in the States originally embraced in the northwest territory, and were allied by marriage
to the McDougals, Campaus, St. Martins, the McIntoshes, who subsequently inherited the estate of the Earl of Moy; the Hunts, the
Anthonys, the Langlades, among the pioneer settlers of Wisconsin,
and the Macombs.
Robert, the eldest son and father of Catherine Navarre, received
from the Pottawatomies a deed of their ancient village, a piece of land
four arpents (about one-half mile) in width on Detroit river, and the
whole depth of Grosse Isle.' This grant was ratified by Henry Basset,
commandent at Detroit in I772 (July I5th) and subsequently confirmed
by General Gage. On this land he erected the house in which he lived




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and died, which house Commodore Brevoort enlarged and improved,
and which was subsequently known as the Brevoort homestead.
A brother of Catherine, Francois Navarre, who settled at Monroe,
was a colonel in the war of I812, and was the personal friend of Generals Wayne, Winchester, St. Clair, Macomb and Cass. It is said that
in his regiment there were thirty Navarres.
This marriage between Henry Brevoort and Catherine Navarre
infused pure Dutch and French blood into the veins of their children,
representing in them old and new Amsterdam and old and new France.
The fruits of this marriage were John, Robert, Ann, Elias, who
settled in New Mexico, and Henry, who married Jane, the daughter of
William Macomb and Jeannette de Marentette, on the I3th day of July,
I84I, and who left three sons, William Macomb, who met his death at
Cold Harbor, Va., June ist, I864, while fighting the battles of the
Union during the late civil war; Henry Navarre Brevoort, who was
born on the Macomb homestead, Grosse Isle, April 3d, I848.
Henry, after preliminary preparation, entered upon the study of law
with Van Dyke, Brownson & Moran, and was admitted to the bar in the
year I874. He at once engaged in the active practice of his profession
with such success that on November 5th, I876, he was nominated and
elected prosecuting attorney for Wayne county, and re-elected in I878.
That he performed the duties of that office in a manner acceptable to
the public would seem apparent, from the fact that in I887 he was
elected CircuitJudge of the Wayne County Court, by a large majority.
The Judge presides with much dignity and his decisions evince care
and thought in their preparation.
When off the bench he is social, courteous and genial, has a kind
word for all he meets, rich and poor alike, and thus has hosts of
friends. In I88o he married Caroline Miller, daughter of Hon. Joseph
Miller, of Cleveland, Ohio. They have one child, Emma, who was
born May 5th, I88I.
The third son of Henry Brevoort, Elias Thornton, after completing his education, became connected with the Canada Southern railway, which relation he continued until appointed Deputy Collector and
Cashier of United States Internal Revenue at Detroit.  He held this
position until very recently, when he resigned, and engaged in business
of a more profitable and congenial character. He is unmarried.
DR. LE WIS CARLISLE.
The late Dr. Lewis Carlisle, was born'at South Amboy, Middlesex
county, New Jersey, November 15, I789. His father, William, was born
at Freehold, Monmouth county, N. J., September 29, I738. The father




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of William Carlisle (John) was one of three brothers who came to
America from Londonderry, Ireland, in I702, settling in New Jersey,
while the others located, one in Pennsylvania and the other in Virginia.
They left two brothers behind, whose descendants now reside in
Glasgow, Scotland.
As far back as the family can be traced they were more inclined
to intellectual than business pursuits, being liberally educated. William,
the father of the subject of this sketch, had prior to the Revolutionary
War, accumulated quite a property at New Brunswick and Elizabeth,
N. J., which the Tory element, then dominant, forced him to abandon,
he having made himself obnoxious to the Tories by accepting the command of a company of Independents. On his return from the army, after
the battle of Monmouth, he found nothing but desolate grounds, where
once had stood mills, houses, barns, and other evidences of his thrift.
He married Elizabeth Anderson in I789. She was a native of New
Jersey, born at Reading, Somerset county, December 2, I748, and was
a lineal descendant of Major Anderson, who was killed at Culloden.
Two sons were born to them, Lewis, the subject of our sketch, and
William, both of whom were educated as physicians. William, the
father, died at Minaville, Montgomery county, N. Y., October 24, i8o8,
and Elizabeth, his wife, November Io, I835. Their remains lie in the
cemetery of that village.
Lewis Carlisle, after a preparatory course, became a student of
Professor Jacob Delamarter, who was subsequently President of Berkshire Medical College, and the first President of Cleveland College,
Ohio. On completing his studies, he entered the New York College
of Physicians and Surgeons, graduating therefrom in I8Ii. He was
appointed surgeon of the New York Hospital in I812. The celebrated
Dr. Valentine Mott, was his contemporary and associate. In I813 he
was appointed by DeWitt Clinton, Surgeon, with the rank of Colonel
of the New York troops, on the Northern frontier. At the close of
the war he became a partner of Dr. Delamarter, and practiced in Montgomery county, near Johnstown, for a number of years. The appointment of Dr. Delamarter to the Presidency of the Berkshire Medical
College, dissolved the partnership, and he removed and established
himself in Monmouth county, N.J., also resuming his relations with the
New York Hospital, visiting it weekly.
In i832 he made an extended trip to the Northwest Territory,
visiting Detroit and what is now Chicago, then known as Fort Dearborn. On his return from this tour, he removed to Lyons, Wayne
county, N. Y., where he practiced his profession for three years, when
he came to Detroit and subsequently located with his family in the
township of Plymouth, Wayne county, where he resided until his
death.




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His only brother, William, was a prominent practitioner in Jefferson county, as well as member of the New York Legislature, and a
colleague of Horatio Seymour, for several terms. They were warm
personal friends during life. William died at Elgin, Illinois, March 4,
i868.
January 6, i8Ii, Dr. Carlisle married Polly Croul, at Throopsville,
N. Y. She was a sister of the father of Jerome Croul, whose sketch
will be found elsewhere, together with a history of her family. She
was born September II, I792. The grandfather of Mrs. Polly (Croul)
Carlisle, was the godson of Frederick the Great, his father being an
officer in the Prussian army, and his mother the daughter of an
attache of the English embassy at the court of Berlin.
Polly Carlisle, nee Croul, is still living and resides in Detroit. Dr.
Lewis Carlisle died January 25, I858, leaving his wife Polly and seven
children living, viz.: Mrs. Catharine Thayer, Mrs. Elizabeth Mead,
William L. and Fred. Carlisle of Detroit; Lewis, of Newark N.J.,
Mrs. Hannah Plumstead, and Mrs. Antoinette Gibson, all born in the
order named.
Fred. Carlisle, the second son of the doctor, was educated for a
physician, but never practiced. He is well known in Detroit and
throughout the State, and somewhat throughout the United States,
from his being Grand Secretary of the Union League of America during the late civil war, and as Supervising Agent of the U. S. Treasury
Department, also of the P. 0. Department from i864 to i869. His
record, officially, is found in the history of the Treasury and P. 0.
Departments, in the early history of the Republican party. At the
dictation of the late Senator Jacob M. Howard, he drew the resolutions
presented by and adopted at the Jackson Convention of 1854, and now
has in his possession the original manuscript, embracing the platform of
the Republican party. It is said there is not a town or hamlet in
Michigan where he is not personally known to some of its residents.
The political history of Washtenaw, Jackson, Ingham, Livingston,
Monroe, St. Clair, Macomb, Oakland and Wayne, are replete with the
mention of his acts in the early history of the Republican party. The
following from the pen of E. W. Meddaugh, demonstrates his characteristics: " A more efficient and faithful man never held place under
any government, as the records of the U. S. Treasury Department will
show. * * * " And the records of the U. S. Courts in the Northern and Northwestern States furnish evidence as to his official history.
July 10, i853, he married Miss Charlotte M. Ames, a native of
Vermont, who was born in the town of Georgia, on the shore of Lake
Champlain, April I2, i835. They have two sons and four daughters,
all living.
DON M. HENDERSON.




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GEORGE      W. PATTISON.
Few among the present residents of Detroit are more familiar
with its history and its old settlers than George W. Pattison.  His
knowledge of the men and women who have lived, moved and been
identified and prominent in Michigan for the past fifty years is not confined to Detroit, but extends throughout the State.  His recollections
and criticisms of the statesmen, politicians and business men, their
character, peculiarities and contributions toward the growth and
development of the city and State, furnish the evidence that he has
been a close and intelligent observer of men and the current events of
their times.
George W. Pattison was born at Farmington, Ontario county,
New York, May 5th, 1817.  His father, Sunderland Pattison, and his
mother, Gardner, were Quakers and natives of Rhode Island.  His
grandfather, Sunderland Pattison, was one of the fighting Quakers,
and served as a captain in the War of the Revolution. The Gardners,
however, were non-combatants at that period, and known as the
"Royal Gardner family of Rhode Island." The father of George W.
was prominent in the early history of western New York, and was one
of the contractors for the Erie canal, advancing the money upon the
State bonds for the construction of a portion of it.
In I834 he came to Michigan, locating in Calhoun county, where
he built mills and improved large tracts of land, and where he died in
I839. The sons surviving were, Sunderland Gardner Pattison, of
Marengo, George W., the subject of this sketch, and William G., of
Kalamazoo.
The early boyhood of George W. Pattison was spent on his
father's farm and at the academy of his native town. When but ten
years of age he entered the printing office of Marshal & Dean, who published a weekly paper called The Album. The printer's apprentice of
those days had more than the mechanical part to learn. He was compelled to study art, literature and other sciences, so that at the close of
his apprenticeship he was prepared for college.  He entered Union
College, from which he graduated in the classical course in i834, and
in the spring of that year published " Lectures on Geography." This
proved successful and encouraged him to go to Buffalo and establish the
Western Star, the first daily paper published in that city. Buffalo then
had a population of about 5,ooo. Col. Daniel Munger was his associate
in the conduct of the paper, while James Faxton was the nominal publisher. There was no telegraph at that day and it took seventy-two
hours to get news from New York City.   Soon after starting this
publication the cholera appeared, and when the paper had reached
its seventy-eighth number, Colonel Munger and himself concluded to




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come to Detroit, but found the cholera worse than at Buffalo. Nevertheless, they went to work on the Free Press, then a weekly paper
published by Sheldon McKnight. They remained for some months
in Detroit, when becoming infected with a desire to see more of the
country, Colonel M. and himself took a tramp west and south, working in most of the cities east of the Mississippi until I836, when they
returned to Michigan and started the Calhoun County Patriot at
Marshall. In the fall of this year he left Munger and went to Niagara
Falls and started the Niagara Falls Journal for Benjamin Rathbun,
who was at that time a prominent man and owned nearly all the land
about Niagara Falls, and proposed to utilize the water power at that
point, and make millions out of the real estate.  It appears, however,
that Rathbun was somewhat of a visionary, and unfortunately used the
signature of his friends, without their knowledge, on his notes, and was
arrested for forgery. The material for the paper, it appears, had been
purchased by Rathbun on credit from N. Lyman, a type founder in
Buffalo.  George had got out but one number of the paper when
Rathbun was arrested, and knowing that Lyman was the real owner,
and being a friend of his, he immediately packed up all the matter in
the forms and shipped it to Lyman at Buffalo.  Rathbun was convicted and served a term in the State's prison, and subsequently kept a
hotel in New York, where he died. Meanwhile a great boom had
started in the west. Towns and cities were springing up, and among
them Grand Rapids, Michigan. Lucius Lyon, Charles Carroll, and
others had organized the Kent County Land Company (William
Richmond was agent at Grand Rapids), and feeling the want of a newspaper the company purchased from Lyman the material of the Niagara
Falls Journal and shipped it by the Steamer Don Quixot, but
the wrecking of the steamer on Thunder Bay compelled its transfer
to a sail vessel, and the press and office equipments did not reach Grand
Haven until late in the season.  The delay, together with other vexations, inclined the Kent company to offer to dispose of the office, and
George, although a minor, gave his notes for $4,Ioo for the entire
material, and after overcoming many obstacles in getting it to Grand
Rapids, he was able to establish the office and issue the first number of
the Grand River Times, April i8th, I837. The publication of the
first copy of this paper was a great event, and all the prominent citizens were at the office to see it come off the new Washington hand
press.  Louis Campau subscribed for 500 copies, paying him in
advance $i,ooo. The Kent company took 500 and paid in advance.
A large number of other parties took from ten to twenty-five copies,
paying in advance. Under these favorable auspices, Mr. Pattison
made this a successful venture.
In the spring of I838 Mr. Pattison sold the Grand River Times
to C. I. Walker (now Judge Charles I. Walker, of Detroit), and after




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spending a few months in Texas, he returned to Michigan, married
Miss Mary A. Wright in August, 1838. She was the daughter of
Benjamin Wright, an old settler, a millwright by trade, and built the
first mill at Grandville for George Kitcham.
Mr. Pattison then became a Quaker preacher, but after remaining
in the ministry for several years, the old love for politics returned, and
in 1844 he took charge of the Hillsdale Gazette for Meade & Swegles,
and conducted the paper through the campaign of Polk to the
satisfaction of its owners and the Democratic party.
In i846 he came to Detroit and, in connection with Colonel Daniel
Munger, started the Daily Commercial Bulletin in the interest of the
Free Soil party and as a competitor of the Free Press.  Although
Free Soil in principle, the paper advocated the election of General Cass,
supporting him strongly during the canvass.
In I848, the Capital having been located at Lansing, Messrs.
Pattison and Munger established there the State Journal, running it in
connection with the Detroit Commercial Bulletin.  They were also
elected State printers.  They then, after running the Bulletin two
years, sold out, and transferring their subscription list to the Detroit Free
Press, and finding the State printing unprofitable, Mr. Pattison returned
to Detroit and engaged in the book and job printing, his office soon
after being destroyed by fire.  He, in i852, started the Michigan
Temperance organ, and through its influence succeeded in getting the
prohibitory law passed by the legislature. This he shortly sold to good
advantage and established the Fireman's Journal, which he also made
a pecuniary success, and in i86I was appointed sutler for the Thirteenth Michigan Infantry. On his return in i863 he started the True
Democrat, The Workingman's Friend, an Agricultural, and one or two
other journals, and in i864 he engaged in the old book business which
he has made profitable and still continues.
In, i869 he purchased the Orchard Hill farm, which has proved,
under his management, a valuable investment.
As before stated, Mr. Pattison married Mary A. Wright. She died
in i869.  They had one son, who died at the age of sixteen, and five
daughters, and all (save one) are married. In i872 he married his first
wife's sister, Julia, who was the widow of Judge David Sturgis, of
Clinton county. She died July 23d, i889.
Mr. Pattison's only unmarried daughter, Miss Julia, has almost
entire charge of the book store. She is well posted on books of every
sort, particularly the odd, rare and curious.




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S TEPHEN MA CK.
Inasmuch as this work is simply designed to commemorate, with a
view to preserve, the record of those men who laid the foundation upon
which has been erected the metropolis of Michigan, we do not hesitate
to use in this compilation what others have written or said in respect to
them, or to copy verbatim the words of others. So that in recounting
what the subject of this sketch did, by which the future may diagnose
the man, and judge how much he, by his acts, and their results, has
contributed toward making the present Detroit.
Stephen Mack, was the son of Solomon Mack, who was born at
Lynn, Connecticut, in I735, and at the early age of four years was
thrown upon the cold charity of the world. His was a life of hardship: shipwrecked at sea-captured and held as a prisoner of warmaimed, and worn out, he died and was buried at Gibson, New Hampshire. Such was the stock from which Stephen sprang. He was also
born at Lynn, in I764. " He lived with his father, from whom he
acquired many of those traits of energy and indomitable perseverence
which characterized his after life." While yet a lad, he'moved with his
father and mother to New Hampshire.
Stephen (as well as his father) took an early and zealous part in
the revolutionary struggle, and was distinguished for his patriotism and
bravery, and at its close returned to New Hampshire, and engaged in
farming and mercantile business. After a few years he removed to
Tunbridge, Vt., where he pursued the same business until I807, when
he removed to Detroit, and became a partner with Thomas Emerson.
Col. Mack left his family, which consisted of twelve children, at Tunbridge, until I822, in order that his children might enjoy the educational advantages, which Detroit at that day could not afford them.
" One of his daughters, Lovicy, who married David Cooper, preceded
the rest of the family some four years, and took charge of his house,
which was a two-story building on Jefferson avenue, just west of Fireman's hall."
At the time of Hull's surrender, Emerson and Mack were doing
a large business. Fearful that their goods would be destroyed, they
packed them up, together with their books and papers, and gave
them in charge of Captain Muir, who controlled the Government
storehouse. Col. Mack himself was made a prisoner and sent to
Quebec for his supposed influence over the American troops. Meanwhile the business of Emerson & Mack languished and did not revive
until 18i6, at which time David Cooper became their chief clerk.
In i8i8, Oakland county being open to settlement, Colonel Mack,
on the 5th of November, organized an association consisting of William
Woodbridge, Solomon Sibley, John L. Whiting, Austin E. Wing,




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David C. McKinstry, Benjamin Stead, Henry I. Hunt, Abram
Edwards, Alexander Macomb, Archibald Darrow, and Andrew G.
Whitney, of Detroit, and William Thompson, Daniel LeRoy, and James
Fulton, of Macomb, under the name of the Pontiac company, and, purchasing a large tract of land, laid out the present city of Pontiac, constructed a road from Detroit to the new city, and also built mills,
erected buildings, and thus laid the foundation of what has since
become a beautiful and thriving town. The Colonel at that time associated Solomon Sibley and Shubael Conant with him, and erected the
first flour and saw mill on the Clinton river, which were completed in
i82i. The event was duly celebrated by the nomination of Solomon
Sibley, as Oakland county's choice, for delegate to Congress, which
was subsequently ratified by other counties, and he was elected to
Congress from the Territory of Michigan.
The investments of Mack and Conant at Pontiac resulted somewhat disastrously at first, owing to delays on the part of the government in paying certain claims for advances made in its behalf by the
firm; and the better to look after their interests, Colonel Mack, in i823,
took up his permanent residence at Pontiac, and was subsequently
elected a member of the first Legislative Council of the Territory.
Colonel Mack, with great foresight, made many valuable purchases of real estate in Wayne county, also, among them, the block
between Bates and Randolph, fronting on Atwater, extending to the
river, the corner where now stands the Board of Trade building, the
four lots now occupied by the Detroit and Cleveland Steam Navigation
company, the VanDyke farm, the valuable stone quarry near Trenton,
now owned by the Sibleys, and a considerable portion of the present
site of Wyandotte.
" Stephen Mack first acquired his military title as commander of a
Vermont regiment, and when a battalion was organized to protect the
frontier of Michigan, he became captain of a company of infantry."
Colonel Mack married Miss Temperance Bond, of Gilsom, New
Hampshire, in I788. They had twelve children.
Alter the death of Colonel Mack, Mrs. Mack removed to Kirkland, Ohio, where she had a daughter, whose husband was remotely
related to the Mormon leader, Jo. Smith; but she, nor none of the
family ever endorsed Mormonism. She died at Kirkland at the age of
eighty years, and not while on a visit to the Mormon capital, as erroneously stated by some other biographers.
Colonel Mack was in every sense a self-made man. His natural
abilities were of a high order. Physically, he possessed a powerful
frame, great energy, excellent judgment, a genial temperament, and
commanded the respect and love of his fellow citizens. He died at
Pontiac, November II, I826, at the age of sixty-two.




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DA VID COOPER.
"His career, though a remarkably successful one, was not characterized by any very startling incidents, nor by any bold operations
incurring great risks and involving large profits or losses. He did not
believe in mere luck or chance, but rather relied upon his own efforts,
prudence and merit. He never indulged in extravagancies or trivial
amusements. Scrupulously honest himself, he accorded to others their
just dues and demanded the same rule of action toward himself.  He
despised low, cunning and trickery in all its forms and would hold no
intercourse with those whose moral and business character would not
bear the strictest scrutiny.  It was Mr. Cooper's purpose in early life
to discipline himself to meet all the contingencies incident to a business
life. * * * As a citizen he was respected by the community and
from time to time received from it tokens of confidence and regard.
He never betrayed a trust or disappointed a friend.  Though his
charities were not the topic of general laudation  * *  *  there are
those who will bear testimony to his liberal gifts for worthy objects
* * but bestowed in so unpretentious a manner as not to attract
public notice."-The above is a sketch from George L. Whitney.
David Cooper was born in Montreal, Canada, November 25th,
I789, and was of Scotch descent, his grandparents being natives of
Edinburgh. He came to Detroit in I799, a lad of but ten years of age,
" without influential friends and no relatives, except a widowed stepmother of slender means."  Being thus necessitated to earn his own
living he accepted an apprenticeship with Mr. James Henry, then a
merchant and carried on a tannery also. His store was on St. Ann
street, now Jefferson avenue, just west of the present site of the Michigan Exchange.
" To Mr. Henry he was largely indebted for those business habits
which formed the basis of his after success in life."
At the close of his apprenticeship he became chief clerk for the
house of Thomas Emerson & Co., afterwards known as the firm of
Mack & Conant.   He continued with this firm until financial embarrassment compelled an assignment.
During the war of I812 he was sergeant in Captain Whittimore
Knaggs' company and a participant at the battle of Brownstown, and
was detailed to bring up the wounded.  It will be remembered that
Captain Knaggs, above referred to, was Indian interpreter to Generals
Hull, Cass and Winchester. He was both greatly feared and respected
by the Indians, and was hated so bitterly by Proctor that he offered, at
one time, a reward of $3,ooo for his capture, dead or alive. The
friendship between Mr. Cooper and Captain Knaggs was very warm,
and for several years he made his home with the latter. Mr. James




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W. Knaggs, son of Captain Whittimore, now living and a resident of
Detroit, relates to-day several incidents illustrating some of the characteristics peculiar to Mr. Cooper, referred to by Mr. Whitney. "When
he, Mr. C., was about starting for himself, he needed a horse to make
the journey to New York, he also needed money to make his purchases and pay his expenses, and, therefore, did not feel that he could
pay a large price for a horse. James W. Knaggs had a fine horse, and
said to Mr. Cooper, 'Buy my horse.' 'No,' said Mr. Cooper, 'I
cannot pay you what it is worth.' 'Well,' replied Mr. Knaggs,
'would thirty-five dollars be more than you can pay?' 'Oh, that
if far below his value,' said Mr. Cooper, but finally the horse became
the property of Mr. Cooper. 'But,' says Mr. Knaggs, 'I had much
difficulty in persuading him to take it at my price."' Another: "In
I875, on returning from Montreal, Mr. Knaggs had quite a large
amount in drafts payable at Detroit banks.  His long absence had left
but few who could identify him, but he thought of David Cooper,
whom he had not seen for fifty years.  On calling, Mr. Cooper came
to the door himself, at once recognized Mr. Knaggs, exclaimed,
'Why, James!' and put his arms about his neck and kissed him." Still
another, as related by J. W. Knaggs: "While my father was held a
prisoner in Quebec, Mr. Cooper knew he must need money, and I
remember that he counted all the money he had and sent it to my
father."
Such incidents told by a contemporary seem to show Mr. Cooper's
sense of justice and fidelity to friends. Perhaps no resident American,
at that early day, was more esteemed by the old French and Indians,
with whom he always had great influence.
In I824, Mr. Cooper, pursuant to a long cherished plan to engage
in business on his own account, prepared for his visit to the east for the
purchase of goods.  Armed with letters and other testimonials, he
mounted the horse bought of James W. Knaggs, and, in company with
Doctor Marshall Chapin and John Palmer, set out upon his journey.
On his arrival in Boston he met with no difficulty in buying his stock
of goods, which he received sometime in June, and opened a store on
Woodward avenue, which he continued until I835, when he joined
with DeGarmo Jones in the erection of what was known as the Cooper
block on Jefferson avenue, where he continued a successful business
up to the year 1849, when he retired. After retiring from the mercantile business, having an interest in a lime stone quarry near Brownstown, he opened a yard on Woodbridge street and did an extensive
business in the sale of lime and stone for several years.  He at one
time owned the site of what is now the warehouse of the Detroit and
Cleveland Steam Navigation Company, which was turned over to him
by Messrs. Mack & Conant, when they closed up business. He also




230


owned many other valuable pieces of property which he improved,
including the house in which he died, opposite the market building on
Cadillac square.
In I820 Mr. Cooper married Miss Lovicy Mack, a daughter of
Colonel Stephen Mack (whose history will be found in this volume, page
226). They had three children, Adaline Lavina, who married Dr.
Sprague; George A. (who died some years since), and the Rev.
David Mack Cooper. A sketch of the latter will be found elsewhere
in this volume.
The only official positions held by him were those of alderman,
trustee of Harper's Hospital and elder in the First Presbyterian church,
of which he was long a member.
As the end of his life approached he said to his surviving son,
* * * "I shall not bequeath anything in my will to benevolence.
I leave all that to you, who are more competent to judge in regard to
such purposes than myself. It has been mine to accumulate, it will be
yours to disburse."
Mr. Cooper departed July 27th, I876, and she who was his wife
for over fifty years, Mrs. Lovicy Mack Cooper, died in January, 1874.
All that is claimed for David Cooper by those that revere his
memory is "that his life was intelligently met, and honestly passed,"
and as to the manner in which his last wishes have been carried out, it
is demonstrated in the sketch of those who survive him.
ROBERT STEAD.
Robert Stead, the 2d, was the son of Robert Stead, who left
England in I820, and landed at Detroit in August of that year. He is
still a healthy, hale man, and was born in London, England, in i809, so
that there can be no question as to his ancestry. Robert, the elder,
was a large man, weighing two hundred pounds. Two brothers had
preceded him, and were living at Detroit. Benjamin, who aided in
building the old City Hall, and died several years after, and Joseph, who
bought some land near Utica, Macomb county, where he lived and
died. Benjamin was one of the associates of Colonel Stephen Mack
and others in the Pontiac Land Company, and was a man of some note
at that early day. Robert, senior, with his family of four boys and one
daughter, after reaching Buffalo, took passage in the schooner Red
Jacket, Brandon Gillett, commander. They expected to have taken
the steamer Walk-in-the-Water, but found on reaching Buffalo that
she had gone to Green Bay with U. S. troops. As Mr. Robert Stead,
the subject of this sketch, states: " They had a rough passage across




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Lake Erie, and on arriving at Malden, were wind-bound, when his
father, becoming impatient, proposed they should walk to Detroit, and
accordingly started. Coming to Sandwich, they found no one who could
understand English. After some delay they met a boy who directed
them to the ferryman, who had nothing but a " dug out." It being a
new kind of boat to them, it was with a good deal of hesitation they
trusted themselves in it. They did so, however, and were safely landed
above the present site of Fort Wayne, and spent their first night at
Woodworth's hotel.
The father and sons immediately settled on the shore of Lake St.
Clair, in what is now known as Grosse Point, remaining there until
after the death of the father, when the family finally separated. He
and his brother William came into the city and began business on
what was then the business thoroughfare, Atwater street. They
remained there in business, living on Jefferson avenue, on the present
site of Christ church, until I844, when he removed to the property now
occupied by him, on what is now Woodward avenue, then called the
Pontiac turnpike. There was then no dwelling between that and the
old homestead of Colonel Winder, on the corner of Woodward avenue
and High street.
Robert Stead married Miss Mary A. Keal, of Detroit, in the year
i836. By this marriage he has four children, Sarah A. Stead, Mrs. C.
Williams, Mrs. George W. Fisher and Mrs. W. H. Henderson.
As heretofore stated, Mr. Stead is a well preserved man yet,
although 8i years of age. He is a great lover of flowers, which he
cultivates for his own and the pleasure of his family and neighbors.
He is of a genial, hearty temperament, and delights to review his early
experience in Michigan, and is full of interesting incidents relating to
many old residents of Detroit, who have passed away.
S O OMON DA VIS.
"Age should fly, concourse cover in retreat
Defects of judgment, and the will subdue:
Walk thoughtful on, silent, solemn shore
Of the vast ocean-it must sail so soon."- Young.
To-day (April I7, i89o) we called in company with J. Wilkie
Moore, upon the subject of this sketch, Solomon Davis, who sixty years
ago, settled in Detroit, and became identified with its material and
moral growth, and to-day, reviewing the past, can recall the struggles
encountered by himself, as from time to time he sought by precept and
example to make it the earthly home in which he should delight to live
and die. That he has in part succeeded in the aim, object and purpose
of his early individual life, let those of the present generation who visit




232 -

him judge of the results of a well spent life, in that serenity and cheerfulness which marks his manner, and indicates satisfaction with self,
and peace with his fellow men and with God.
Solomon Davis was born in the State of Vermont, March I7, I792.
His father, Joshua Davis, was born in I750, and his grandfather, David
Davis, in I715, all natives of the green mountain State.
The parents of Solomon Davis gave him the best opportunity to
acquire an education which their circumstances and the condition of
the country at that time afforded. In early life, evincing a taste for
mechanics rather than for agriculture, he learned the builder's trade, and
after serving his time, he, in 1825, married Rhoda Balcom, of Wethersfield, Vt. Five years spent in the east did not realize their expectations or desires. Looking to the west as the proper field for the consummation of their hopes and wishes, they in March, I830, left Vermont, and arrived in Detroit about the first of April of that year.
The population of Detroit then was 2,222, to-day it is 260,000.
There was then neither paved streets, sewers, gas or telegraph. The
water supply was from a pump worked by horse power, and the reservoir was located on the present site of Fireman's Hall, its capacity being
9,580 gallons per day. There were no railways in Michigan, in fact
there was but forty-one miles of railroad in the whole United States.
Immediately upon his arrival in Detroit, Mr. Davis, engaged in projecting buildings and other improvements; he also connected himself
with other enterprises tending to improve the city in morals, and the
cultivation of influences to elevate the social element in its population.
He was one of the projectors and the secretary of the mechanics'
library association, and of two other organizations of a benevolent
character; was also active in educational interests, and in providing for
the free school system for the benefit of the poor. From that period
until the infirmities of age prevented, he co-operated in every effort or
measure to advance the growth of his adopted city in morality, educational facilities, health, beauty, and in substantial material wealth.
Now, he is surrounded with material comforts, and enjoys the
society of his children, in the consciousness of having done some good
to others, and fulfilled his duty to God.
His children are Mrs. Turrill, 693 Champlain street; Mrs. Charles
Ketchum, 708 Congress street East; Mrs. C. B. Ketchum, Lafayette
avenue; Mr. George S. Davis and Mr. James E. Davis, manufacturers
and druggists.
LUTHER B. WILLARD.
Luther B. Willard was born at Cambridge, Mass., December 28,
i8i8. His father removed to Rochester, N. Y., in I832. Mr. Willard
came to Detroit at the age of seventeen, in I835, and was first employed




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in the job room of the Free Press. In 1837 he established the Toledo
Blade at Toledo, Ohio.  Soon after, having some difficulty with his
partner, he returned to Detroit and resumed his position in tile Free
Press. In i85o he was elected Director of the City Poor, and was successively elected every two years up to i862. Was State Agent for
Michigan, looking after wounded soldiers.  In i865 he was elected
Director of the Poor and held the office till death,with the exception of
one term.   Mr. Willard married Electa Losey, of Covert, Seneca
county, New York, October ioth, I848. He died July 28th, I877.
DR. JOHN L. WHI TING.
How much of the history of Michigan and Detroit is by incidents
connected with the life of Dr. John L. Whiting?
Nearly three generations are comprehended in the events transpiring with his experiences in the growth of Detroit from a hamlet
containing less than one thousand in population to 150,000, and an area
within the limits between Brush and Cass east and west, and the river
and Congress north and south, to one of eight by ten miles.
Dr. John L. Whiting was born at Canaan, Columbia county, N.
Y., November 28th, I793.  After educational preparation he studied
medicine with Dr. Samuel White, of Hudson, and on completing his
studies started on horseback for the west, arriving at Detroit February
26th, I817. For fifteen years he practiced his profession, and in I832
formed a partnership with John J. Deming in the commission and forwarding.  In 1842 he engaged in the land and tax agency business,
which he continued until age and infirmities compelled him to withdraw from active pursuits.
Doctor Whiting was married first at Hudson, N. Y., in I82I, his
wife dying in 1829, having borne four children, two of whom died in
infancy. He married the second time Miss Harriett Rees, of Detroit,
November, I830. By her he had eight children, five of whom died
young, the mother following them in April, i852. In I854 he married
the sister of his second wife, Rebecca Rees. There were no children
born of this marriage.
Dr. Whiting was a man of great physical vitality and mental vigor
to an advanced age. Having a very retentive memory, he was able to
recall hundreds of interesting events relating to Detroit and its early
inhabitants.
In early life Dr. Whiting was what was known in New York as a
"blue light federalist," politically, and voted for DeWitt Clinton in
i8i6.
15




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Speaking of the cholera, he said: "I quit medicine to follow my
new venture in February, I832, but was compelled to return to it the
following July.  The cholera had broken out. This was brought to
us by a vessel carrying troops to the scene of the Black Hawk war.
Black Hawk was a powerful Sac chief, somewhat after the order of
Pontiac. The Sacs and Winnebagos, of Wisconsin, had long been
spoiling for a fight.  They were angry over the advancing colonization of Illinois, and delayed further encroachments.  In the spring of
I832 they commenced warfare on the frontier settlements of Illinois,
killing, scalping, burning and outraging, and a national as well as a
militia force was sent out to teach them a lesson. After a number of
fights with United States troops and Illinois militia, General Atkinson
defeated the tribes under Black Hawk at the junction of the Bad Axe
and Mississippi, capturing Black Hawk and his son, and took them to
Washington.   On their return they stopped for a while at Detroit,
where I saw them both. Young Black Hawk fell desperately in love
with a society belle and wanted to honor her by making her his squaw.
She declined the proffered dignity, for reasons best known to herself,
but she has never married, and is still living in single blessedness at
Mackinac."
"Well, as I was saying, I had just got down to my work at the
dock, when along came these troops with the cholera.  One of the
men died of a pronounced case of the Asiatic cholera on the 4th of
July. The military surgeon accompanying the detachment was so
badly frightened that immediately upon landing he shut himself up in
the hotel. The commanding officer then called upon Dr. Rice, an able
physician and an amiable man, to attend the sick, and Rice asked me
to accompany him. I didn't care to go, for I knew, though I had never
seen a case of cholera, that it was frightfully contagious and rapid in
its results, and told Rice so.  He urged that he had been authorized
by the quartermaster to spare no expense in securing the most competent help, and finally persuaded me to go with him.  I told my wife
when I went home that Saturday evening, that I had been called upon
to attend the sick soldiers.  She looked grave and sorrowful but said,
as it was a case of duty, she could not ask me to back out."
"That night sixteen cases were brought ashore and placed in the
quartermaster's store, which had been converted into a temporary
cholera hospital. These stores were on Woodbridge, between Wayne
and Shelby. Of the sixteen cases, eleven proved fatal before morning."
The Doctor, further speaking of cholera visitation, says: "That
of I832 was confined mainly to the poorer class, and swept off the
intemperate and dissipated in large numbers.  In I834 it attacked an
entirely different class: the wealthy, sober, temperate, church-going
people."




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The Doctor, referring to Dr. Zina Pitcher, says: "In I828, when I
was making arrangements to give up my practice, I began writing to
Dr. Pitcher, endeavoring to induce him to settle in Detroit, and take
my place, but I did not succeed until i835.
"Dr. Pitcher was styled, not long ago, by a president of the
County Medical Association, the 'father of medicine in Michigan.'
With all due respect to the president (who knew better, as I told him
afterward) medical history compelled me to dispute the title awarded
my old friend. As long ago as i819 I began the formation of a medical society among the five scattered physicians of the territory.  We
had three at the capital (Detroit), and one respectively at Pontiac, St.
Clair, Mount Clemens and Monroe, and they all joined me."
Dr. Whiting had some experience with General Cass among the
Indians, and was a traveling companion with General Winfield Scott as
early as 1827, when he accompanied him on a tour of inspection of the
forts and posts of the upper lakes.  Speaking of it he relates the following: "The General had persuaded the Captain of the steamer
Henry Clay, which had been chartered by another party, to take him
to Sault Ste Marie.  On board were some dozen or more beautiful
young ladies, and every night we danced, in which the General participated. The young ladies occupied the after cabin, so General Scott
used to sleep on the dining table every night, with a sperm candle
burning on each side of his pillow, so that he could be seen while sleeping; for there was an awful deal of furs and feathers about the old
fellow, even at that early stage of his career."
Referring to the forwarding business: "There was not much of a
general trade.  The fur trade was carried on by the houses of Abbott,
Mack & Conant, Dequindre, and the Buhl Brothers. For all our iron
work we depended upon Cleveland.  I had at one time the agency of
Jive steamers, something enormous for that period.  For their use I
purchased, and had to keep on hand, from one to two hundred cords
of wood, as coal was not at that time used as fuel."
Speaking of Chicago: "We had a contemptuous opinion of
Chicago, a little swampy hamlet, compared with which, Detroit was of
metropolitan grandeur."
Without elaborating further, we conclude the sketch of Dr. Whiting with the following extract from the pen of E. N. Wilcox, in which
he prefaces from Shakespear: "'The evil that men do lives after them.
The good is often interred with their bones.' The converse of the immortal bard should be engraved on Dr. Whiting's tombstone, as it is
on the heart of the writer: 'Shade of the love departed.'  How my
soul bubbled into my eyes as, with sorrowing friends, I saw the casket
containing all that was once the mortal tenement of one, who, in
life, exhibited his right to claim the recompense long time ago prom



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ised: ' And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones
a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, verily, I say unto
you, he shall in no wise lose his reward."'
Doctor John L. Whiting departed from this life at the residence
of his son, John Tallman Whiting, 568 Jefferson avenue, August 4th,
i88o.
MA 7OR THOMAS ROWLAND.
The Hon. Charles C. Trowbridge, referring to his early contemporaries in Detroit, says of the subject of this sketch: "Among the
men upon whom greatness was thrust, was Thomas Rowland, late a
chivalrous officer in the army. He was Marshal of the United States,
Pension Agent, Clerk of the County Court, Secretary to the Board of
County Commissioners, Justice of the Peace, Trustee of the City, he
was my patron and friend-a truer friend never man had. He lived a
useful life, and died universally respected."
Major Thomas Rowland was born in Ohio, or that portion of the
West, now Ohio. He held a commission of Major in General Hull's army,
and was made a prisoner at the surrender of Detroit. On returning
at the close of the war, he engaged in business, and held the offices
enumerated by Mr. Trowbridge during the Territorial existence of
Michigan, and was a contemporary with Judge Solomon Sibley,
General Charles Larned, Andrew G. Whitney, William Woodbridge,
John L. Leib, George McDougall, and latterly with Henry S. Cole,
Alexander Frazer, George O'Keefe and Benjamin J. H. W. Witherell.
The Judges of the Supreme Court were Augustus B. Woodward,
James Witherell and John Griffin.
In 1819 he read a paper on the surrender of Hull, which has gone
into history, and received much commendation. In addition to the
other positions mentioned by Mr. Trowbridge, he was appointed
Secretary of the Territory. In i840, he was elected Secretary of
State, which office he resigned on his appointment as Postmaster of
Detroit by President Harrison in i84I. He was a man of great culture
and refinement, and was held in high esteem. He died in Detroit,
in August, I848.
JONVA THAN KEARSLEY.
The history of Detroit and Michigan would be incomplete without
mention of Major Jonathan Kearsley, who, born in the State of Virginia, in 1786, and graduating at Washington College in I8II, on the
beginning of the War of I812, entered the army, receiving from Presi



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dent Madison a Lieutenant's commission in the Second Artillery Corps.
During the war he was commissioned Assistant-Adjutant General,
Captain and Major; was engaged in the battle of Stoney Creek and
Chrysler's Field in I814, and in the sortie from Fort Erie. In the
latter engagement he was wounded severely, making the amputation
of a limb necessary. The military services and record of Colonel
Kearsley was duly appreciated and recognized, being that of a brave
and sagacious soldier. His disability compelling his retirement from
the army, in 1817 he was appointed Collector of Internal Revenue of
Virginia, serving two years as such, when he became Receiver of
Public Moneys for the District of Michigan, which position he held
consecutively for thirty years. Major Kearsley thus became intimately
associated with the Territorial history and State infancy of Michigan.
He was Mayor of Detroit, and one of the Regents of the State University, and was always careful in the administration and the execution of
the public trusts imposed, and in private life was respected for his
uprightness and integrity of character.
The old Kearsley mansion still stands, on the corner of Jefferson
avenue and Randolph street. He died in I859.
MA O7R 7OH.N BIDDLE.
The subject of this sketch was the son of Charles Biddle, VicePresident of the Continental Congress, and one of the most active
patriots during the infancy of the United States. He was a nephew of
Commodore Nicholas Biddle of the Continental navy.
Major John Biddle was born in the city of Philadelphia, in March,
I792. After due preparation he entered Princeton College, graduating
therefrom at the end of four years, and immediately entered the army,
serving during the War of I812 in the Artillery, taking the rank of
Lieutenant, Captain and Major. A portion of the time he was attached
to the staff of General Scott, their confidential relations continuing
during life.
Major Biddle's younger brother, Thomas, also served in the same
campaigns, and ranked as Major; while an elder brother, Commodore
James Biddle, served with distinction in the Navy, to which he
remained attached during life.
At the close of the war Major B. was stationed at Detroit. Soon
after he retired to civil life, and became practically interested in the
development of the State and city, of which he was a resident till death.
When the public lands were opened for entry, he was appointed
Register of the Land Office, and was one of the commissioners for
settling the ancient land claims at Detroit, Mackinaw, Sault Ste. Marie,




238 -

Green Bay and Prairie du Chien, which involved many intricate and
delicate questions, calling for much labor and care in their adjustment.
He was during a portion of this period Territorial Delegate in Congress. He also held the following positions: Regent of the University
organized under Territorial Government, and subsequently selected to
make disposition of such lands as were allowed by Congress to be sold,
trustee of various educational organizations, vestryman of St. Paul's
First Episcopal church, and was one of the small number who became
personally responsible for the expense of building the first church.
Major Biddle was thoroughly versed in Latin, Greek and French, and
is the author of several literary works. He was one of the four, with
General Cass, General Henry Whiting, and Henry Schoolcraft, to prepare the series known as the Historical Sketches of Michigan, covering
the entire history of Michigan, and which are regarded as high
authority. He was a forcible writer, and took great interest in and
possessed great aptitude for historical investigation.
He was chosen President of the Constitutional Convention of I835,
notwithstanding his party (Whig) was in the minority, and subsequently
received a majority of the votes for United States Senator. He was
subsequently the Whig candidate for Governor. He took an active
part in sustaining his fellow soldier, General Harrison, for the Presidency, in I840, and also General Scott, when he was a candidate.
During the latter years of his life he spent much of his time on his
farm, the present site of Wyandotte, and also in looking after a large
estate in St. Louis, to which he had fallen heir. In i859, returning
from a trip to Europe, he spent the summer at White Sulphur Springs,
Virginia, where he died suddenly on the 25th of August, i859, leaving
as surviving members of his family, the widow of General Andrew
Porter, William S. Biddle, Major James Biddle and Edward I. Biddle.
MRS. S. DA VENPOR I, and DR. LOUIS DA VENPORT.
" Her whole life was an example of great excellence of character.
She was beloved by the rich and poor; by the former for her gentle
and cultivated manners, and by the latter for her generous sympathy in
their misfortunes, practically demonstrated by her liberal gifts in relief
of their physical needs." Such is the tribute to the memory of the subject of this sketch.
Mrs. Sarah (Horner) Davenport was born in Detroit, January 25,
i8io. She was the daughter of Mr. Archibald Horner and Elizabeth
Thorn. Her father was a native of Philadelphia, and was a relative of
the late Professor Horner of the Pennsylvania Medical College, who
was the author of several works now used as text books by the profession, and the colleges of this country. Her mother, Elizabeth Thorn,




-239 -

was a native of Detroit, and was born in the same house where the
subject of this sketch and all her children first saw the light. This house
occupied the present site of Basset's drug store and Gourley Bros.'
furnishing store, on Woodward avenue. Her father came to Detroit
in I803, for the benefit of his health, after his marriage, which occurred
November 6, 1804, he operated in real estate.  Among other realty
owned by him was ten acres of what is now Woodward avenue, through
which Davenport street now runs. He was one of the first eleven tax
payers when the city of Detroit was incorporated in I8o5. He died in
I812, leaving a widow and three daughters, one of whom was the subject of this sketch.
In i815, Mrs. Horner married for her second husband, John
Walker, third son of John T. Walker, who was well known in Detroit.
He was an officer in the United States Navy, and died leaving his wife
the second time a widow, with two children, a son and daughter, whose
early life was cared for after the death of the mother, by Mrs. Davenport, and after the marriage and death of her half sister, she also took
care of and brought up the four children left by the former.
On the i8th of January, I826, she married Louis Davenport, who
was born in the State of Vermont, in the year I796. He was engaged
in merchandising, and was also the proprietor of the ferry at the foot of
Woodward avenue. He amassed a large property both in Detroit and
Windsor. According to the English laws, his Canada property fell to
his only son, who was very much respected, and was recognized as
one of the most enterprising men of his day, doing much to promote
the material growth of Detroit. He died September 8, I848, leaving
the subject of this sketch a widow, with two daughters, Mrs. Dr. G. B.
Russell, and Mrs. H. D. Wight, and an only son, Dr. Louis Davenport.
No more unselfish woman ever lived. She was most truly beloved
by all who knew her. She departed this life October 22, I879. Her
remains were borne to the grave by her six grandchildren.
Doctor Louis Davenport, her only son, died but a few hours
subsequent to the death of his mother, and the remains of both were
deposited side by side in one grave.
The doctor was strongly attached to his mother, and during her illness, had been unremitting in his devotion and attention. She died at 7 a.
m., and he then went to his office, expecting to return soon; not returning, a messenger was sent to his office, and found him dead. Subsequent investigation developed that he died from a congestive chill
induced by the exposure, anxiety and fatigue incident to the illness and
death of his mother. The opinion of the physicians, after a post mortema
examination, expressed surprise "that he had not died ere he left for
his office, as the evidence of his enfeebled condition indicated but little
physical power to resist the shock which the death of his mother must
have produced."




- 240 -


Doctor Louis Davenport was born in the same house where his
mother and grandmother were born, December 26, I829. He took
his first medical instruction from Dr. Russell, and after a preliminary preparation at the Ann Arbor University, graduated at the Cleveland
College of Medicine. He began his practice first at Houghton, Lake
Superior, but soon returned to Detroit and settled. He was a most
successful surgeon. From i86I to i868 he was Surgeon of the U. S.
Marine Hospital at Detroit. It was during this period that the compiler made his acquaintance, which ripened into a close and intimate
friendship, never broken until death intervened. Dr. Davenport possessed many noble traits of character, the exhibition of which made
him numerous friends, who cherish his memory with sincere affection.
He was regarded by his professional brethren as a skillful physician,
and by his fellow citizens as a public spirited, kind hearted man. To
his relatives he ever manifested that loving affection which could
forego personal comfort, and encounter any pain, to promote their
happiness.
EBER BROCK WARD.
No two men have done more to develop the northwest, and more
particularly Michigan and its metropolis, than Captain Eber Brock
Ward and James F. Joy. In many respects they were alike. Neither
permitted ordinary obstacles to interfere with the accomplishment of
what they had undertaken.  Both recognized that personal interests
should be subordinate to public good, that to benefit the masses, self
must be lost sight of.  Both found in Michigan and the northwest a
field for the exercise of their power to conceive, perfect and complete
large enterprises, where millions of money were required, but where
millions of men and women would be correspondingly benefited.
While Mr. Joy was reducing distances with the iron rail, Captain Ward
was covering the waters of the great lakes with his fleet of steamers.
Thus co-operating, they afforded the workingman compensating
employment, the farmer ready sale for his products, the manufacturer
cheap transportation for the raw material and the manufactured article,
the educator and philanthropist the opportunity to establish means and
appliances for the elevation of humanity. They developed the mineral
resources of this vast territory, utilizing them in the construction of
iron and steel mills and the establishment of other mechanical industries
by which they were converted into sources of wealth, and the addition
of an industrious population.
The following extracts from the Chicago Tribune and the Inter
Ocean of January 4, I875, afford a fair diagnosis of the man, and the
estimation in which he was held.
The Chicago Tribune says:




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"The most remarkable characteristic of Captain Ward was his
wonderful business ability and his capacity for organizing industrial
enterprises.  Probably no other business man in this country, during
the past quarter of a century, has shown these qualities to such a
remarkable extent. His clearness of judgment and wonderful executive power, which enabled him to grasp every detail of his business
operations, were such that he rarely missed his calculations.  In his
management of an iron and steel mill or a furnace, he laid out the
details with such care that he seldom made a mistake in its building
and operation, or in finding a market for its products. It was owing to
the control of his business, and the knowledge of what he was doing,
that the panic, which prostrated the iron business more completely, perhaps, than any other business in the country, affected him less than any
other ironmaster.  His capacity in this respect was all the more
remarkable from the fact that he was operating at the same time half a
dozen large iron and steel establishments and extensive glass and silver
interests. His specialty, however, was in iron and steel, and his policy
was to multiply and enlarge these establishments, and in doing this he
always secured success where success was possible."
The Chicago Inter Ocean says:
"Detroit suffered a great loss, Saturday, in the death of Mr. Eber
B. Ward. Attacked by apoplexy, he fell in the street, and died almost
instantly.  Nor is the loss of so justly distinguished a citizen confined
to his own city and State.  Through his great enterprises his name
had become familiar to the Northwest, and, indeed, in all the land. He
belonged to the whole country by virtue of the fact that he labored
throughout a long and useful life to build up American industries. His
death, occurring at a time of great industrial prostration, is a calamity
which will be mourned in every manufacturing center of the United
States.
"Probably no single individual in the United States did so much
as Mr. Ward in disseminating useful information on the subject of the
advantages of the promotion of home industries.  He was largely
instrumental in breaking up the American Free Trade League, which
was an offshoot of the British league of the same name, and supported
by the contributions of that organization.  It will be recollected that
Simon Stern, an English adventurer, was sent to this country in I865
by the British league to establish the American league.  He came to
Chicago, established a branch here, met the editors of the Tribune, and
converted that journal-which had, up to that time, been a friend of
American manufacturers-to free trade.   Mr. Ward attacked the
British-American league theoretically in pamphlets and practically by
the great manufactories he established, thus providing labor for thou



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sands, and creating a market for other thousands at their very doors.
Under these vigorous blows the league gradually fell into decay, and it
is now a mere lifeless shadow of its former arrogant pretensions.
"During the late war Mr. Ward was an ardent supporter of the
Union cause, working as a private citizen, in his own way, through the
publication of stirring appeals and their circulation by means of his
extensive business connections. Mr. Ward was for many years president of the American Iron and Steel Association, and a director at the
time of his death.  He, however, declined all public station, deeming
that he could better serve the country by pushing forward his great
industrial enterprises. He acquired vast wealth, his estate being variously estimated at from $o,ooo,o000 to $I5,ooo,ooo. The great work
performed by Mr. Ward remains to the country in the form of the
mammoth manufacturing establishments he has built up. They are
his fitting monuments."
Eber Brock Ward, the only son of Eber Ward and Sally Totten
Ward, was born in New Hamborough, Upper Canada, December 25th,
i8II. His parents were Vermonters and moved west early in their
married life, and they and their family bore the privations, trials and
hardships which at that day belonged to pioneer life. Living near the
rivers and great lakes, the boy naturally thought much of their navigation.  He worked at farming and gardening, occasionally fishing
and trapping.  Schools were very poor and generally kept up but
three months in a year.  The father supplemented it by his own
instructions, teaching his son the art of thinking and establishing habits
of industry and economy, and principles of probity and honor.  With
this capital alone, he left home at a little over twenty-two years of age
to work for his uncle, Samuel Ward, of St. Clair county, Mich. This
was in I834. His father regretting his inability to give his son financial aid, said to him: " You are going, my son, without money, but you
have hands hardened with labor, and a mind innured to thought and
good and well established principles.  Stick to these, my boy, and
your success in life is assured."
With his uncle he assisted in getting out ship timber and had more
or less supervision of the farm, small country store and postoffice. In
I836 he took one quarter interest in a small schooner, commencing a
partnership which continued during his uncle's life. He married Miss
Mary Margaret McQueen in I837.   In I840 the partners built their
first steamer for river service, but soon after they were actively
engaged in the building of steamers, until at one time they owned and
managed twenty boats.  In I845 he commenced running a couple of
steamers in connection with the west terminus of the Michigan Central
railroad at Marshall, and by stage coach to St. Joseph, and in I846 the
road reached Kalamazoo, continuing the same connections with the




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steamers.  The fare from Detroit to Chicago by this route was six
dollars and fifty cents.  In the spring of I849 the road was completed
to New Buffalo, and the Ward steamers connected with the road running from it to Chicago and Milwaukee, and the same year they ran
steamers connecting the Michigan Central road with Buffalo and eastern roads. In 1852 the Michigan Central entered Chicago, and in I856
the Great Western Railroad was finished and connected at Detroit
with the Michigan Central.  The Ward boats afterward did good
service on lakes Huron, Michigan and Superior.  No misfortunes discouraged him, always moving on with the energy and power of strong
hope. He invested a little in pine lands, built a rolling mill at Wyandotte, gradually decreasing his steamboat interests, building a rolling mill at Chicago, and finally built one in Milwaukee.  He believed
that the best philanthropy of the age was that which gave the greatest amount of remunerative labor to the working men of the country,
and when necessary, to combine capital for that purpose.  He was,
from principle, equally opposed to the large salaries of the officers and
managers and to the often unreasonable demands of labor.
Eber Brock Ward died January 2d, I875, in Detroit. He believed
in God, in universal law, in the communion of spirits, in life everlasting
and eternal progress.  His heart was large, his charity abundant, his
forethought and foresight wonderful, making his judgment in business
matters superior and much sought after by others.  His nephews and
nieces and a long list of friends and relatives remember with gratitude
his kind heart and open purse.
"A UNT" EMIL Y WARD.
In "Aunt" Emily's strong personality are combined the sturdy,
self-reliant qualities of the admirable woman of pioneer days and true
philanthropic instincts, which are neither confined to any one time nor
monopolized by one sex. "Aunt" Emily came into the lake country
when it was a wilderness, was around when the foundations of a State
were being laid, and knew with what difficulty a goodly superstructure,
comely in appearance, was built. The life which has been marked by
brave encounters with so many things hard to be endured, which has
been the center of a wide and widening circle of wholesome influence,
and which has been prolonged to its reward in affectionate gratitude
and years of retrospection on past good deeds and their ineffable
results, began March i6, i8o9, at Manlius, a little town in Onondaga
county, N. Y., near Syracuse. "Aunt" Emily's father, Eber Ward,
was the son of a Vermont Baptist clergyman. Her mother's father,
Captain Potter, was a retired English shipmaster.




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After his marriage in Vermont, Mr. Ward, who was a farmer and
trader, went west to the vicinity of Syracuse, then beyond the receding
boundary of the Far West. His second child, Sallie, was born at
Selina, not far from Manlius. Returning to Vermont with his wife and
two little daughters, Mr. Ward, after a short stay there, went to
Canada, and located near the present site of the city of Toronto. Here
Captain Eber B. Ward, the late Detroit millionaire and vessel owner,
was born. Their residence in Canada was of short duration, and they
left on the day hostilities were declared between England and America.
The international episode found no place in "Aunt" Emily's memory,
although she still retains a vivid recollection of the domestic incidents
preliminary to the change in residence. Mr. Ward went back to his
former home near Rutland, Vt., and the family remained there five
years.
It was during this latter stay in Vermont that a little incident
occurred which has been made a family tradition, not because of the
narrowness with which it escaped being a family tragedy, although but
for great good fortune there would never have been any "Aunt"
Emily after that day, but because it shows the precocious development
of something that proved a marked characteristic in her later years.
In December, I8i7, Mr. Ward started with his family in a
canvas-covered sleigh for Kentucky, where he had been on a trading
expedition a few months before, and where he had decided to locate
permanently. Their route lay across the states of New York and
Pennsylvania, and the journey was a long and wearisome one, occupying weeks. After traversing New York state for some distance, Mr.
Ward was attacked with pleurisy and laid up for six weeks, during
which time the journey had to be suspended. Some of those really
heroic qualities which made "Aunt" Emily equal to any emergency
were inherited from her mother. Burdened with the care of her young
children, and with her husband critically ill many hundred miles from
home, Mrs. Ward faced the situation and nursed the patient back to
health. The fatigue of the journey and the care of her husband were
too much for her, however, and after their journey had been resumed
she was threatened with a danger incident to motherhood. At Watertown, Pa., she died after a few days' illness.
Her death changed Mr. Ward's plans. Taking his grief-stricken,
motherless children, he diverted his course from Kentucky to the lake
country. Reaching New Salem, now Conneaut, Ashtabula county, O.,
he brought his long journey to a close, and remained there for about
four years, making trading trips up the lakes in the summer time.
Mr. Ward never remarried. His family, in addition to "Aunt"
Emily, consisted of Sallie, Eber B., and Abbie. " Aunt " Emily became
housekeeper for her father and mother, as well as elder sister for his




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children. It was a slight little figure, just turned nine years old, on
which these grave responsibilities were thrust, but it was a brave little
figure, with a head wiser than its years, and the manner in which, with
a mind keenly sensitive to the obligations of duty, she took up and met
these responsibilities was ever the wonder and admiration of those who
were the objects of her loving regard. The family was not poor. Mr.
Ward had about five thousand dollars when he left Vermont, and five
thousand dollars was a large sum in those days, but in the absence of
improvements in the general method of living which have been made
since that time, and in the lack of many comforts which were inaccessible in the frontier regions, the young housekeeper encountered privations and hardships which could come now only as the result of extreme
poverty.
"Aunt" Emily's character was earnest, practical and just, and she
brought the children up in an old-fashioned, practical way, enforcing
homely truths and virtues which they never forgot and which gave her
great influence over them during their lifetimes.  Her rule in the
household was firm, but administered with kindliness of heart, and
there never would have been any uprising against her authority but
for the occasional meddling of outsiders. When it was hinted to Sallie
that her sister was only a year the elder, and that she needn't mind her
unless she wanted to, that young lady showed once in a great while an
inclination to rebel, but "Aunt" Emily's force of character and consciousness of the integrity of her motives preserved authority in the
household.
Mr. Ward's brother Samuel had located at Marine City, then
known as Yankee Point, or Newport, and already owned several
schooners which he utilized in trading.
The date of "Aunt" Emily's return to Marine City was about
I845, and the succeeding twenty years, while saddened by the death of
both her sisters, were among the happiest and busiest of her busy life.
Both sisters left large families of children, over whom " Aunt" Emily,
with added years of experience, exercised the same kind guardianship
she had exercised over their mothers. "Aunt" Emily found her mission among children, and it was a mission in which her devotion was
earnest and unwearying. There were many not connected with her
by ties of relationship who, left orphaned and neglected, became her
foster children. She made men and women of them. There were ten
children at one time there in the old house at Marine City, surrounded
by its big garden. It was a big family. Ten active little brains ploting mischief required watchfulness and firmness for their circumvention,
but " Aunt" Emily's managerial capacity was great.
Captain E. B. Ward was by this time a prosperous business man
with children of his own, and they came in for a share of "Aunt"




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Emily's attention. The captain built a school-house, equipped it with
charts, globes, and many other appliances which were seldom employed
as aids to education in those days, and all the children of both families
went there to school together. Others were allowed to participate in
its advantages on payment of small sums. It was called an academy,
and higher mathematics and the various sciences that have a place in a
liberal education, or at least in the preparation for one, were taught
there. A college graduate was generally placed in charge of the
school, and Captain Ward paid his salary. " Aunt" Emily had charge
of the schoolmaster, the schoolhouse, and the pupils, and was board of
education of one, with original and appellate jurisdiction. They were
pleasant days. The eyes of a fair-faced, middle-aged woman, who
formed a part of that big family, who lived in the house with the
garden around it, and who was educated in "Aunt" Emily's public
school system, filled with tears yesterday as she spoke of them.
"Aunt" Emily brought up fourteen children from childhood to
years of maturity. There are half a dozen others for whom she cared
for periods of several years. The number of those whom she took in
charge for a brief time, varying from a few weeks to a year or two,
perhaps, or to whose rescue she came with timely assistance at critical
times, or with stimulating words and advice that had a bearing on their
whole subsequent lives, would reach into the hundreds. James G.
Hagerman, millionaire railroad man and mine operator of Colorado
Springs, Col., is one who is pleased to attribute his success in great
degree to her influence. The first letter Don M. Dickinson wrote on
taking the office of postmaster-general was one addressed to "Aunt"
Emily, acknowledging a heavy debt of gratitude.
"I know a millionaire and big railroad president who says that but
for "Aunt" Emily he would have been a poor plodder all his days," is
the statement of one who is conversant with some of " Aunt" Emily's
good deeds. " I know another millionaire business man who, although
ungrateful to her, would never have amounted to much if she had not
sent him to school for a year and got him a place in her brother's
employ."
At one critical period in the captain's early business career it was
due, as he afterward often related, entirely to Emily's opportune assistance that he was saved from ruin. It was while the latter was at Bois
Blanc Island. A large new boat of the captain's was lost soon after its
completion in a storm on the lakes, with its entire cargo. It was a
handsome boat, elegantly furnished, and Captain Ward had spent a
great deal of money on her, including large sums which he had
borrowed. The loss put him in great financial straits. Large amounts
which he owed would fall due in a few days. The loss of the boat
could easily be made up if he was allowed to continue, but he feared




247 -

the loss of his credit. He made an effort to procure assistance, but was
unsuccessful. He came to Detroit and wandered about the streets,
discouraged and dejected for some time. Meeting a friend who had
just arrived from northern Michigan, he was handed a packet of money
sent down by " Aunt" Emily. The latter had heard of the loss of the
boat, and without waiting for further advices sent him all the money in
her possession, knowing that he would need it. There was $1,500 in
the packet, and the captain always said he never could understand how
Emily had managed to save so much. It was a small sum compared
with the captain's needs, but with it he was enabled to make such a
showing as availed to relieve him in his extremity. He was able to
turn himself and escape ruin, owing, according to his own statements,
to "Aunt Emily's $1,500.
The captain was accustomed to have the furnishing and upholstering of the boats he built done on contract at some of the large lake
cities, but after "Aunt" Emily's return to Marine City from Bois Blanc
she took charge of this department of his shipbuilding. She set all the
women in Marine City to work with their needles, and they made all
the sheets, pillow cases, curtains, cushions, etc., required for the boats
as fast as completed. It is said that "Aunt" Emily in this manner
saved the captain five thousand dollars or more on every vessel he constructed, and, as he built a great many, keeping some and disposing of
others, during the years he was actively engaged as a vessel operator,
the aggregate amount so saved must have been very large. "Aunt"
Emily was his confidant and adviser in all these ventures, whose successful outcome tended to swell the amount of his accumulations. A
large share of his property had its origin in her shrewd business sense.
" There! " said Captain Ward, one day, speaking to an intimate
friend of a disastrous real estate investment, " Emily advised me not to
go into that, and I wish I had done as she told me."
He often spoke of more happy enterprises in which he had profited by " Aunt " Emily's counsel and had been successful.
In i865 " Aunt" Emily came to Detroit, where her brother had
moved some years before. In i869 he built for her her large, oldfashioned home at 807 west Fort street, nearly opposite his own spacious home, now occupied by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd. It is
known from conversations which Captain Ward held at different times
with various persons that he regarded his great fortune as the result of
the joint efforts and accumulations of "Aunt" Emily and himself,
rather than his own alone. He always expected that he would outlive
his sister, but his will provided that she should get her rightful share of
the property in case of his death. The instrument made her a residuary legatee, and at the time the instrument was drawn he expected that
her share of the estate would be a half million dollars or upward. At




-248 -

the time of his sudden death from apoplexy, January i, i875, however,
his affairs were left in great confusion, and the values of his investments were much depressed as a result of the great panic. The consequence was that, although by careful financiering a large portion of
the estate was ultimately saved to the captain's second wife, "Aunt"
Emily realized little or nothing from it, although she has since been the
recipient of several thousand dollars at different times from Mrs. E. B.
Ward, now Mrs. Cameron.
Since her brother's death "Aunt" Emily has continued to reside
in honored and peaceful old age at her home in this city, frequently
visited by her surviving and loving "children," and the many others
whose lives she was enabled to brighten. Still a new family generation
has been growing up about her-her " grandchildren's " children. Her
household at present consists of her nieces, Mrs. D. P. Mayhew, widow
of a State Normal School professor, Miss Mary Brindle, and a grand
niece and grand nephew, children of Mrs. Mayhew.
7AMES F. TOY.
At the dedication of the Detroit Board of Trade Building, the
orator on the occasion, Hon. Geo. V. N. Lothrop, opened with the
following eloquently expressed sentiments: "The growth of communities and people is marked by the monuments they build. What a State
is, or has been, we find in its cities, its laws, its institutions, its acts, its
commerce, or in its works of industry or science."
We would add that while these are evidences which convey to
the future what man has accomplished, yet the heart which prompted,
the brain which devised, and the hand that executed, would be
unknown, except for the written record of the acts and deeds of the
individual contributing.
It was this thought that suggested the action taken by the Pioneer
and Historical Society in providing for the compilation of the lives of
those men and women who laid the foundation stone upon which has
been erected the beautiful city, the Metropolis of the prosperous State,
"our Michigan."
Among those who have been prominently identified with the
growth of Michigan is the Hon. James F. Joy, a native of the State of
New Hampshire, and born at Durham, in that State, December 2d,
i8xo.
The father of James F. Joy was a manufacturer of edge tools, a
Calvanist in religion, a member of the Congregational church and a
Republican in politics.  He sought the moral and spiritual culture of
his children, teaching them to be honest, prudent, studious and regular
in their attendance upon religious exercises.




-249 -

In early life Mr. Joy gained, at the common school, sufficient
knowledge to teach, and in this way obtained means with which (and
what his father could give) to prepare for his college course. He
entered Dartmouth College, graduating therefrom in I833, and delivered
the valedictory address. He then went to Cambridge and entered the
law school under the patronage of the late Judge Story, and aided by
his and the personal friendship of Professor Greenleaf, laid the foundation of his future success. Judge Story frequently spoke in high
praise of Mr. Joy's devotion to the law, and as early as I840 predicted
his triumph in any course he should select. Owing to his being unable
to continue his studies on account of pecuniary circumstances, he
obtained a situation as Preceptor in Pittsfield Academy, and afterwards
was tutor of Latin classes at Dartmouth College.
At the end of a year he returned to Cambridge law school and
completed his course.  In September, I836, he came to Detroit and
entered the law office of the Hon. Augustus S. Porter, one of the
noblest men that ever represented Michigan in the United States
Senate. In I837 he was admitted to the bar and became a partner of
George F. Porter, under the firm name of Joy & Porter. The prominent members of the Detroit bar at this period were George C. Bates,
Henry N. Walker, A. W. Buel, Henry Chipman, Alex. D. Frazer,
A. S. Porter, Theodore Romeyn, William Hale, J. M. Howard,
John Norvell, Daniel Goodwin, Stevens T. Mason, William Woodbridge, Charles W. Whipple, James A. VanDyke, Elon Farnsworth
and George E. Hand.   These were men of note then, and subsequently acquired national reputation as jurists, judges and statesmen.
With such associates at the bar, Mr. Joy commenced the practice
of his profession in Michigan. His partner, George F. Porter, having
been engaged in banking and other financial operations which had
given him an extended acquaintance with capitalists and men of wealth,
at once brought to the firm a class of clients whose business afforded
Mr. Joy the exercise and application of that logical mind and knowledge of law with which nature and careful study had endowed him.
A brief review of Michigan, then, will best illustrate what such
men as Mr. Joy must have accomplished to make the Michigan of
to-day.
Although Congress had passed the Act (JuneI5th, I836) recognizing its constitution and State government, it provided that the boundaries defined by the Act must be assented to by the people through
their delegates in convention. This assent was given December i5th,
I836, and on January 26, I837, the Act passed, admitting Michigan and
declaring it to be one of the United States.
Prior to this period the territory had been comparatively non-producing, the great bulk of its breadstuffs, provisions and manufactures
17




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being imported from the States of Ohio, New York and New England.  In I837 there was a change in agricultural products and from
an importing it became an exporting State. This necessitated increased
banking facilities and appliances for transportation of its products.
There were then but three banks in Michigan of recognized credit
outside the State-Bank of Michigan, Farmers' and Mechanics' and
Michigan State Bank.   Their aggregate capital stock was about
$3o00,00ooo. The Detroit and St. Joseph railroad (now the Michigan
Central) and the Pontiac and Detroit (now known as the Detroit and
Milwaukee) were the only roads existing, except on paper, the first
having about thirty miles in operation and the latter but twelve miles.
The entire tonnage of the lakes did not exceed that of three of the
steamers of the present day. The Legislature, seeking to meet these
necessities, passed a general banking law so liberal in character that
there were few of the inhabitants of the State who could not afford to
start a bank. The capital stock was based on landed property amounting to three times the value of the stock.  Only a small amount of
specie was required. The lands were appraised at fabulous prices. A
few thousand dollars in specie, borrowed for a show to the commissioners on their periodical visits, was sufficient to commence.  There were
at this time some fifty of these institutions in the State, whose notes
flooded the country, and finding their way into the sound institutions
were immediately paid out (but sometimes too late).  The wild-cat
system had but a short duration, as the banks were closed up within
three years, and the three chartered banks referred to suffered largely
in the end.  The Legislature also provided for and established an
Internal Improvement system which contemplated the purchase of all
railroads, then chartered, also the construction of canals, toll roads, etc.,
and a negotiation of a loan to meet the cost. Pursuant to the authority
conferred, the Detroit and St. Joseph railroad was purchased and the
name changed to the Michigan Central. The work of construction on
it, together with that upon the other improvements authorized, progressed until danger of bankruptcy intervened, causing their sale or
abandonment.
Returning to the detail of notable events in which Mr. Joy was a
prominent and active participator.
Soon after the establishment of the firm of Joy & Porter it was
made the attorneys and counsel of the old Bank of Michigan, then
almost the only bank in the northwest, having a recognized credit with
eastern banks and capitalists, hence this relation brought them a lucrative practice. Mr. Joy, as the legal head of the firm, was employed in
most of the important cases in the Federal and State Courts. The
Messrs. Dwight, of New York and Massachusetts, were the principal
owners of the old Bank of Michigan. They also owned two banks in




- 251 -


Cleveland, one in Buffalo, and one in Springfield. From I837 to I847
Mr. Joy was their confidential and leading counsel, and when, in I84I,
the old Bank of Michigan, in consequence of a combination of circumstances dating back to i836, was compelled to make an assignment,
Mr. Joy, as its attorney in the legal complication incident, was called
to meet the most gifted and distinguished minds in the nation.
One of the most important cases conducted by Mr. Joy was that
of Bates vs. The Illinois Railroad Company, and involved the title to
the present site of the Michigan Central depot ground in Chicago,
which was carried through the United States, District, Circuit and
Supreme Courts and won by Mr. Joy. Opposed to Mr. Joy in this
case at its different stages were John A. Mills and Matthew McLean,
eminent in their profession as successful practitioners in the United
States courts.
In I846 Michigan, through the operations of The Internal Improvement System, was bankrupt. Through the efforts of Mr. Joy, and the
influence directed by him, Boston capitalists were induced to purchase
the Michigan Central Railroad and from that period until the present
he has been identified with it and with the railway enterprises of
Michigan and the west.
The sale of the Michigan Central road thus made, relieved the
State and restored it to solvency.  Towns and villages along its line
sprang up, manufacturing industries were multiplied, farms were improved, and general business throughout the State assumed a prosperous condition.  After the completion of the Michigan Central to
Chicago Mr. Joy organized the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Company.   The building of this road, at a cost of sixty million
dollars, opened up a tract of country, the products of which transported
over it have enabled the company to pay an annual dividend of ten per
cent. To make his connections with the Hannibal and St. Joseph railroad he spanned the Mississippi river at Quincy and the Missouri at
Kansas City with magnificent iron bridges, and extended a branch to
the Indian Territory, fixing his termini at Ft. Kearney, Nebraska.
He thus had a continuous railway line from Detroit to Kansas and
Nebraska.
Among the Michigan railroads since projected, and in the building
of which Mr. Joy was the chief promoter, are the Detroit, Lansing
and Northern, the Detroit and Bay City, the Air Line from Jackson
to Niles, the Jackson, Lansing and Saginaw, the Chicago and West
Michigan, the Kalamazoo and South Haven, and the Wabash. He has
also constructed the Detroit union railroad depot building at a cost,
including the land, of $2,ooo,oo0. He has withdrawn from the active
control of all the foregoing roads except the last named, but is still a
stockholder and director in some of them.  He is president of the
company controlling and owning the Detroit Union Depot.




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From the period when Mr. Joy first became identified with the
construction of railways, he has been the chief factor in the building of
sixteen hundred miles of railroad within the State of Michigan.  To
deny that he has not been a large contributor to its growth in material
wealth and population would be to deny that railroads are aids to the
development of countries or people.
While Mr. Joy has been engaged in these vast enterprises he has
not failed in the performance of his duties as a Christian, an educationist or as a public citizen. In his religious views he is a liberal Congregationalist, time and study having somewhat modified the Puritan ideas
imbibed in early life.
In educational interests, although taking delight in the study of
Greek, Latin, French and English classics, few have done more than
Mr. Joy to foster and develop our common schools.
In politics he is Republican-not a politician in the sense in which
the term is ordinarily applied; not a seeker of public office.  As in
everything else, he is firm and earnest in advocating and maintaining
his political views.
Mr. Joy has been a member of the State Legislature, and was
elected a Regent of the State University but resigned before the expiration of the term for which he was elected.
In his personnel Mr. Joy is courteous and pleasant, but not effusive.
His physique is a proof of his having retained the habits formed
in early life of avoiding the indulgence in all that is detrimental to
physical organism.
WILLIAM MOORE.
William Moore was the great-grandson of John Moore of the
McDonald clan, who was murdered in his own garden on the morning
of February 13, I692, at the "Massacre of Glencoe," so-called,
in Argyleshire, Scotland, which massacre is so graphically described
in the fourth volume of Macaulay's History of England. The widow
of the murdered man hid herself from the slayers of her husband
in a malt kiln, and while thus concealed, gave birth to a son whom
she named John, and with whom she soon after fled to Londonderry,
Ireland.
In the year I718, John, with his mother and two sisters, who had
survived the massacre, came over with a party of about one hundred
and twenty other persons, to America, and settled at Londonderry,
New Hampshire.
John married, and his third son, William, was born August I5,




253


I731, and on the i3th day of December, i763, he married Jennie
Holmes, and removed to Peterboro, New Hampshire, settled upon a
farm, and to them twelve children were born, the youngest of whom
was the subject of this sketch, and was born at Peterboro on the
9th day of April, i787.
At the age of eighteen he emigrated to Phelps, Ontario county,
New York, where on the 7th of November, i8o6, he married Lucy
Rice, formerly of Conway, Massachusetts, who bore him ten children.
His trade was making small spinning wheels for spinning flax, at
which trade he worked during the winter, and during the summer he
cultivated and improved the farm he owned. He continued to reside
there, holding various local offices; he was Justice of the Peace for sixteen years in succession, prior to the summer of 1831, when he
removed to York, Washtenaw county, Michigan. In 1832 he was
appointed a Justice of the Peace, and he held such office by appointment and by election, after Michigan became a State, for the period of
twelve years.
On the first day of September, I845, his wife died, and on the I7th
of April, i847, he married Mrs. Sallie Holmes, with whom he lived
until his decease.
He was a member of the convention called for the preparation of
the first Constitution of this State, which convened May i th, I835.
Edward Mundy, Abel Goddard, Orrin Howe and Robert Purdy
were among his colleagues from Washtenaw county. He was a member of the first Senate after Michigan became a State, and was a
member of the House from Washtenaw county of the session of i843.
He was a man of great energy of character, fearless in maintaining his
own rights, liberal in his views and pocket. The latch string of his
house was always out, and his house open to the early settlers in that
portion of the State. His father was active in the War of the Revolution, and fought at the battle of Bennington, July i9th, I777. He
(William) was a volunteer in the war of i812, was at the burning of
Buffalo, and the sortie at Fort Erie, and his widow, born June 24, I787,
living until June 10, i887, received a pension from the Government
for his services in that war. He was a farmer by occupation, a Baptist
in religion, and a Democrat in politics. He died December 4th, i85o,
and was buried at the family burial ground at Mooreville, leaving seven
children surviving him, only one of whom, William A. Moore, of
Detroit, is now living.
LE VI BISHOP.
Levi Bishop, long a celebrated lawyer in Detroit, came to the city
sometime during the early portion of the thirties.  In early life he




-254 -

learned the shoemaker's trade, and traveled around the country earning a little money by doing "jour work." I presume in the shops where
he worked and where he met jovial companions he acquired much of
that ready wit and faculty of repartee which showed itself on many
occasions when he met the members of the Detroit bar in legal
encounters.
He worked at his trade in the city until he lost his right hand
when firing off a cannon on the fourth day of July, I836.  After that
accident he commenced the study of law, and in time arose to be one
of the leading members of the Detroit bar.  That is saying much for
his ability, for there were scions there in his day.  Before engaging
much in the practice of his profession he acted as Justice of the Peace
of the city and before him appeared many young "sprigs" or "limbs of
the law" who subsequently acquired eminence in the profession. " Billy"
Gray, G. V. N. Lothrop, James A. VanDyke, H. H. Emmons and
Judge Campbell had many a tilt in the presence of his Honor, Levi
Bishop.  It has been often said by these tyros that his Honor had a
happy faculty of disposing of causes, and occasionally pettifoggers, in
court.
He was an official and faithful attendant upon divine service at
St. Paul's church on Congress street, and probably during the entire
period when Bishop McCoskey officiated there, he was seen very
regularly in his pew repeating the formula and responses of his church.
He was not a zealot in Christianity, and did not approve of Puritanical
notions; was inclined to be tolerant in religion, and no one would form
an opinion when hearing him deliver a Democratic speech or legal
argument that he had any religious notions.
In politics he was a Democrat of the " Old Hickory School," hard
shelled. The writer has heard him, in many Democratic wigwams,
orate about the purity of his party, when he would be listened to and
applauded by ex-Mayor Wheaton, John Paton, George Pattison,
the Prentices and the faithful from "ould Ireland." Occasionally he
was very sarcastic in his remarks when talking about the opposite
party and their leaders. He was not an office seeker, and held only
two political offices, one being a member of the Legislature of this
State.  He was an unsuccessful candidate in I870 for the Legislature of I87i, his opponent defeating him by a small majority.
For several years he devoted much of his time and attention to the
improvement of schools in Detroit, laboring zealously in building the
foundation of the present successful and excellent school system. The
Bishop Union School Building is a monument to his memory. He was
at one time Regent of the University, and while there succeeded in
effecting the removal of the learned and worthy Chancellor, the Rev.
Dr. Tappan, who died recently and whose remains are interred in a




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foreign land. This was considered by many a very unwise movement
by Mr. Bishop, rendering him unpopular and weaning from him many
friends.
He was at one time president of the Young Men's Society in
Detroit, and I heard him deliver a lecture before an audience in their
hall which cost him much labor and on which he was engaged for a
year, as he subsequently informed me. It was well written, clothed in
beautiful language, and gave evidence that the speaker had industriously labored on the subject.  Mr. Bishop was not in the habit of
writing poetical compositions for the press or magazines, and consequently the reading public was astonished on the first appearance of a
poetical Indian legend composed by him called " Tensha Gronde," in
the style of Hiawatha.  The reading public was divided in opinion
about its merits.  It probably was not a remunerative work to its
author.
About the close of his life he was President of the Pioneer Society
of Detroit and took an active part in writing up and collecting facts
relative to the early history of Michigan and Detroit.  I presume the
papers which he composed, collected and revised would make several
volumes.
Mr. Bishop was an industrious man, thorough in his labors, and
probably no member of the Detroit bar ever prepared cases that
exhibited more research than those which he attended to.  He was a
successful lawyer, and his name appears in many important cases in the
Supreme Court reports of this state. He accumulated a large property
and left an ample amount to his widow, a worthy and intellectual lady,
his companion for years, who now resides in Detroit.
Mr. Bishop was born at Russell, in the State of Massachusetts,
October I5th, i815. He came to Detroit in I835, and departed this life
December 23d, i88I.
DONVALD CAMPBELL HENVDERSON.
Those who personally know the subject of this sketch will vouch
for one of his characteristics-that of fidelity-and as one who " conveys his love to a friend, as an arrow to the mark, to stick there, not
as a ball against a wall, to rebound back to him." They will accord to
him also originality in thought, words and acts, independence in his
views and opinions, courageous and firm in defending and maintaining
them, modest and unassuming in manner, kind and courteous in his
bearing to all, with sensibilities as tender as a child's. Full of sympathy
for the unfortunate, his heart and hand are ever open to relieve and
mitigate the ills of humanity.




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Donald Campbell Henderson is of Scotch descent.  His father,
James Henderson, and his mother, Isabella Campbell, were natives of
Caithnesshire, Scotland, and were allied to the families of Campbell,
Sinclair and Mclvors.  His father was a man of culture, and was
for a time private secretary to Sir John Sinclair, the admirer and correspondent of George Washington. In I834 Mr. Henderson's parents
removed to America, and for a number of years his father superintended the construction of mills at Hamilton, Canada, and Rochester,
New York.    He settled in Detroit in I835, where he remained until
I838, when he moved to Allegan, Michigan, and built the first flour
mill there. Subsequently he engaged in farming, which he continued
until his death, September 30, I875.  Isabella Campbell Henderson
died May ist, I872. She was a woman of great firmness of character
and of rare intellectual ability.  She was not only respected for these
qualities, but loved by her neighbors and acquaintances for her generosity and kindness of heart. They left three sons-Alexander, sheriff
for two terms of Allegan county; Donald C., the subject of this sketch,
and James D., captain and assistant quartermaster during the War of the
Rebellion (the last commission signed by President Lincoln was that
assigning Captain James D. Henderson to take charge of the quartermaster's department at Richmond), and two daughters, Mrs. Elizabeth
Sinclair Nichols, of Allegan, and Mrs. Anna B. Clubb, wife of Rev.
Henry S. Clubb, of Philadelphia, Pa.
The parents of Mr. Henderson were desirous that he should
become a professional man, and knowing that Allegan could furnish
but limited educational facilities, decided to leave him under the guardianship of Mr. Alexander McFarlane, who at that period was the
prominent bookseller of Detroit, in order that he might have the
advantages of tuition under Wm. Mitchell and others, at whose select
school Mr. Henderson had as associates some who have since become
the leading citizens of the city and State. His guardian, Mr. McFarlane,
was a man of strict integrity, a member of the First Presbyterian
church, and therefore his influence and teachings served to impress
lessons of a healthful, moral character upon the mind of his ward,
which he has never forgotten. The late Senator Chandler, Alanson
Sheley and J. S. Farrand were among his early teachers in the Sabbath
School, for whom he cherishes a strong affection, they in turn always
manifesting a warm friendship and regard for him. Mrs. McFarlane is
still living, and takes as much interest in Don. as a man as she did
when he was a boy.
At the age of fifteen Mr. Henderson went to Allegan, where he
finished his studies under the tuition of the late Rev. Samuel Newberry
and E. B. Bassett, principals of the Allegan Academy, a branch of
the State University. (Mr. Newberry was the father of Mrs. Gov.
Bagley, and pastor of the Allegan Presbyterian church.) He applied




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himself so closely to his studies that at the end of two years his health
failed and he was compelled to lay them aside.  At this early age he
manifested an inclination for literary and newspaper work, and in I842
accepted a situation on the Allegan Record, where he learned typography. In I845 he went to Paw Paw and became connected with
John McKinney in the publication of the Paw Paw Free Press. His
labors here telling severely upon his health he abandoned newspaper
work and was again employed in McFarlane's book store in Detroit.
Here he remained until I847, when he went to New York, and Horace
Greeley made him his private secretary and subsequently assistant
editor of the New York Tribune. This afforded him extended opportunities to learn the inside of politics and to form the personal acquaintance of the distinguished men of the country. From I847 to I855 Mr.
Henderson enjoyed the esteem and confidence of the great journalist,
as well as that of Charles A. Dana, now of the New York Sun. At
the earnest solicitation of friends in Michigan Mr. H., in I856, left the
Tribune to establish the Allegan Journal, which he has since conducted
as editor in chief, except for a short time, when he became interested
in the Grand Rapids Daily Times (I874-5). The Journal celebrated
the twentieth anniversary of its publication March I3th, I876.  On
appearing it was greeted by letters, complimentary and congratulatory,
from literary and military celebrities and editors and publishers all over
the country, among them from President Grant, Vice-Presidents Ferry
and Colfax, George William Curtis, Governor Croswell, William Reid
and C. W. Dana.
Mr. Henderson never sought public positions, although in I855 he
was appointed secretary of the Board of Census Marshals for New
York City by General E. W. Leavenworth, Secretary of State. This
was the only one he held while connected with the New York press, and
on his return to Michigan in I857 he was chosen reporter to the State
Senate, and compiled the legislative manuals for several years.  In
I859 Governor Wisner appointed him one of the State swamp land
commissioners. In I876 he was endorsed by the Legislatures of Michiigan and New York for the appointment of United States Public
Printer, but President Hayes, being pledged, gave it to the Hon.
John D. Defrees, of Indiana.
Mr. Henderson has been a devoted friend to public improvements.
His paper was the first to advocate the construction of a ship canal
connecting Lakes Erie and Michigan. While a resident of New York
he was a delegate to, and secretary of, the New York City Industrial
Congress.
The extensive travels of Mr. H. through the south, just prior to the
war, gave him a correct idea of the magnitude of the impending rebellion, hence his Journal was in advance of even the metropolitan




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journals as to the proper means for suppressing and meeting it.  In
September, i863, he volunteered as a private for the three years'
service. As appears from the following extract, he had rendered imimportant service to the army:
SOLDIER'S HOME, WASHINGTON, JUNE 21, 1889.
This is to certify that D. C. Henderson, of Allegan, Mich., rendered valuable
service at the beginning of the war by volunteering with one or two other persons to
visit Alexandria, Va., just previous to its occupation by our forces, at his own risk,
which service was accepted by me as commanding officer of the column which
entered Alexandria, affording me valuable information of the enemy's strength,
location, etc.                               0. B. WILCOX,
Brig. Gen. U. S. A.
In I86I Mr. Henderson went to Washington to ascertain the military movement of our army, and that, if possible, of the Confederates.
Mr. Henderson was detailed with two noted gentlemen, by Gen 0. B.
Wilcox, U. S. A. (now on retired list and governor of Soldier's Home,
near Washington, D. C.), on May 22, i86i, two days before the capture
of Alexandria, Va., to reconnoiter for information regarding the
movements of the rebels; consequently these gentlemen were doing
secret service. Their names were Don. C. Henderson, John C.
Underwood, Jr., of Va. (son of United States Judge of that State), and
Zebina Moses, a nephew of K. S. Bingham, United States Senator and
Governor from Michigan.     General Wilcox appointed these three
gentlemen at Willard's Hotel in Washington.   In starting out they
crossed the long bridge, two miles from Washington, and before their
return had gleaned very valuable information, which was revealed to
the proper officers.  Being a staunch Republican, a public spirited
man, and journalist of few equals-politically he took great delight in
acquainting himself with the doings of the nation, hence his advent
into Washington at the outbreak of the rebellion.  During his trip to
the front, his companions, as well as himself, were compelled, for fear
of being detected, to raise their hats and hurrah for Jeff. Davis. We
have seen the papers in his (Henderson's) possession, signed by Washington authorities, authorizing him to procure the movements of the
rebels and thanking him for his valuable information at the beginning
of the war. General Wilcox was military governor of the District of
Columbia and next in command to General Scott, who was next to our
martyred President Lincoln. In September, I863, Mr. Henderson
enlisted as a private soldier in the Third Michigan Cavalry, in Captain
Pope's company, and while acting as train guard with his regiment,
going to the front, a sudden lurch of the train threw him off and broke
his left hand; he, however, rejoined his regimentin a few weeks. When
he again reached his regiment, he was unable to cope systematically
with his brother soldiers in military tactics, for during Mr. Henderson's
convalescing absence from duty, he was laughed at a little for his
untutored awkwardness in saddling his horse.   But Mr. Henderson




- 259 -

soon learned the "ropes," and proved a good soldier.  It seems the
Record has gathered the "funny" part of Mr. Henderson's military
career and gave him credit for it, but says not a word in his favor for
the good he has done his country, both as. a soldier and writer.  Mr.
Henderson was honorably discharged, and on his papers it reads, "no
objection to his re-enlistment is known to exist," and it was not erased.
Although frequently tendered, he declined to accept promotion.
Near the close of the last year of the war, the commission as a
lieutenant was sent him, which he declined to accept.  This is a rare
instance of record where the publisher of a prominent journal enlisted
and served, voluntarily, as a private during the war.
A greater portion of the time during his military experience he
served in the cavalry regiment, under command of Col. H. R. Mizner,
and was on his staff a portion of the time as orderly. He was with the
regiment and accompanied it to the borders of Mexico in I865, when
General Sheridan was ordered to the Rio Grande to look after Maximilian on the Mexican frontier.
Mr. Henderson, prior to the organization of the Republican party,
was a Whig, and in I852 was an alternate delegate in the National
Convention, held at Baltimore, which nominated General Winfield
Scott.  In I86o he was a delegate to the Chicago convention which
nominated Abraham Lincoln. Horace Greeley represented Oregon in
the same convention. He was one of the founders of the Republican
party, and has attended every National and State convention (when not
in the army) since that period.
His intimate acquaintance with public men has given him a more
perfect knowledge of political matters than are possessed by the
journalists of the present day, hence his articles are deemed more reliable by the sagacious of both political parties in this as well as in other
States, giving his paper a larger circulation than that of any outside of
the metropolitan papers of the State.
At the solicitation of some of the early residents, Mr. Henderson,
in I876, prepared an historical sketch of Detroit, which occupied twentyfive columns of the Journal, which for its accuracy, and as a literary
production, drew for him letters of encomium from distinguished residents of the city and State, and was extensively copied by the periodicals in other cities. (Since the above was written, Mr. Henderson has
received the appointment of supervisor of the census for the Fifth
District of Michigan.)




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FREDERICK B UHL.
Few names are better known or more respected by the older
inhabitants of Michigan than that borne by the subject of this sketch.
For fifty-five years, when attached to the article worn for the protection of the intellectual part of man, it has been a sufficient guarantee of
its usefulness.
Frederick Buhl is a native of western Pennsylvania, and was born
November 27, i8o6. His parents emigrated from Saxony, and settled
in Butler county, Pennsylvania. Mr. Buhl was the second son of a
family of eleven children.
The advantages for obtaining an education were meagre, not even
as good as are afforded the poorest in any part of Michigan at this
time, hence his education was limited.
At the age of sixteen he visited Pittsburg for the purpose of learning the jeweler's trade, but ill health compelled his seeking some other
occupation, and in I833 he came to Detroit, and with his brother,
established the wholesale and retail house for the sale of furs, hats and
caps. For twenty years his brother and himself continued together
under the name and firm of F. & C. H. Buhl. His brother then retired,
and he carried on the business alone, until Mr. Henry Newland was
admitted, when the house became Buhl, Newland & Co. Subsequently,
on the withdrawal of Mr. Newland, his sons became partners, and the
firm was known as F. Buhl & Sons. The house is at present known
as Walter Buhl & Co., Mr. Buhl, owing to increased age, desiring to
retire from active business.
Mr. Buhl, while not aspiring to public position, has held several
offices of trust and responsibility; has been a member of the City Council, was elected Mayor in I848, has been Director of the State Bank of
Michigan, President of the Ft.Wayne & Elmwood Street Railway Co.,
President of the Michigan Department of the American Life Association, Director of the Second National Bank of Detroit, and Trustee
and President of the Board of Trustees of Harper Hospital.
Mr. Buhl, notwithstanding the cares of his large business, has
found time to visit Europe, and has traveled extensively in the United
States. He is a regular attendant of Fort Street Presbyterian church,
and is active in efforts to further all objects for the improvement of the
community in education and morals.
Mr. Buhl was married to Miss Beatty, of Butler county, Pa., in
I836. They have had six children, four sons and two daughters. Captain F. A. Buhl, the eldest son, entered the army in the early part of
the late civil war, and died from wounds at Annapolis, Maryland, in
September, I864. Mr. Buhl's wife died March, I884, leaving four
children and a kind husband to survive and mourn her departure.




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JAMES B URNS.
James Burns was born November I0, i8io. His ancestry on the
paternal side were Scotch-Irish, and he bore many of the characteristics
of that nationality. At the early age of nine he was compelled to provide for himself; when sixteen, he apprenticed himself to a carpenter
at Turin, N. Y., working at his trade during the summer, and attending the Lowville Academy during the winter, thus acquiring a fair
English education. He left the State of New York and arrived in
Detroit in I834. For the first year he worked at his trade; the following
year was spent in traversing the wilderness of Michigan, locating for
himself and others available lands.
In the directory for I836-7, we find his name entered as "James
R. Burns, clerk in the store of Olney Cook." Evidently the introduction of the "R." was an error of the publisher, for we find that in I837
he became a partner of Olney Cook, and the style of the firm was
" Cook & Burns," and that they continued to do business as dealers in
dry goods and groceries for seven years thereafter, where the old
Masonic Hall now stands on Jefferson avenue.
Subsequently, Mr. Cook having retired, Mr. T. L. Partridge was
taken into the partnership, and the firm became James Burns & Co.,
and continued the business in the same locality until i850, when it was
removed to Woodward avenue, where for twenty years the firm did a
large and profitable business. In i866 Mr. Partridge withdrew, and
Mr. Lucien A. Smith was admitted as a partner, when, under the
name of Burns & Smith, the business was carried on until I874; Mr.
Burns then sold to Mr. Smith, having been in the dry goods business
for nearly forty years.
Mr. Burns, although not an aspirant for public or political honors,
nevertheless accepted them when tendered, from a sense of duty to
his friends and fellow citizens. In I86I C. H. Buhl, Mayor, appointed
him a member of the First Board of Review; as such he served for
twelve years. In I873 he was elected to the State Legislature, and
was a member of the Committee of Ways and Means; in I876
Governor John J. Bagley, appointed him a member of the Board of
Control of the State Public School, located at Coldwater, of which he
was elected President.
In I873 he erected the Burns Block on Griswold street; in I877,
the Buhl and Burns Block on Woodward avenue, and in I882 joined
Mr. Owen in the erection of a fine block of stores on Jefferson
avenue. In the improvement of his property in the way of building
he consulted the interests of the public as well as his own, sparing no
money to make them useful as well as ornamental.
As a business man, he was esteemed for his industry, energy and




-262 -

integrity. As a citizen, he was alive to all enterprises tending to promote benevolence, morality and education.
Mr. Burns and his wife became members of the Central Methodist
Episcopal church, when the edifice stood on Woodward avenue, near
Congress street, for over forty years.
His personal characteristic was extreme frankness in speech, and
an unassuming manner.
April 30, i838, he was united in marriage to Miss Aurilla A.
Bacon. They had three daughters, neither of whom survived him.
The eldest daughter, Emily A., married Mr. Henry A. Newland, and
died June i8th, I87I; the second, Eliza, married Rev. Dr. James M.
Buckley, and died February 27, i876, and the third, Frances M., was
married to Mr. Albert M. Henry, and died February i, i879.
Mr. Burns died December 7, I883, leaving a record of acts and
deeds worthy of imitation by all who may come after him.
C. B. B UHL.
The celebrated Dean Swift draws a comparison between the man
who uses the talents God has endowed him with by adding to them
in a manner that shall benefit humanity, and one who employs them to
gratify personal ambition and selfish desires, at the sacrifice of truth and
integrity. " The man who can make two ears of corn grow where but
one grew before, deserves better of mankind, and renders more essential service to his country than the whole race of politicians put
together." In the sense he intended his stricture on politicians, the
context serves to illustrate the practical business life of the subject of
this sketch.
Christian H. Buhl, a native of the State of Pennsylvania, of German antecedents, was born in Butler county, May 9, i8io. His father
was a merchant, was also engaged in farming, and was one of the
leading business men of that portion of the State where he resided.
After obtaining such an education as the schools of that section
afforded, he learned the hatter's trade, and at the age of twenty-one
started west to seek his fortune, and located in Detroit in I833.
Associated with his brother, they engaged in the hat and cap trade, to
some extent manufacturing their own goods; subsequently they combined the fur trade. Their transactions in the latter grew largely, and
extended over the entire Northwest. This branch was mainly conducted by C. H. Buhl, his brother taking charge of the hat department.
In 1842, the trading posts of the American Fur Company falling
into the hands of Messrs. P. Chouteau & Company, of St. Louis and




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New York, Messrs. Buhl entered into an arrangement with them to purchase furs on joint account in the States of Ohio, Indiana, northern
Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan, including a portion of Upper Canada.
This continued until I853, when the brothers divided, F. Buhltaking the
hat department and C. H. Buhl the fur business, which he conducted
on his own account for two years; then, turning it over to his brother,
he formed a partnership with Charles Ducharme, and engaged in hardware and iron trade, meanwhile purchasing the wholesale stocks of
Alexander H. Newbold and Ducharme & Bartholomew, consolidating
the two firms, making the wholesale house of Buhl & Ducharme, at
that time the largest in the Northwest. Mr. Charles Ducharme dying
in I873, Mr. Buhl purchased the interest represented by Mr. Ducharme,
and admitted his eldest son, Theodore, as a partner. Since, and up to
the present, the business of Buhl & Son has been prosperous. In I863
Mr. Buhl purchased the interest of the Westerman Iron Company in
Sharon, Pennsylvania, which has since been successfully conducted.
He is now the owner, having bought the interest of two former partners. About the same time he purchased the controlling interest of
the Detroit Locomotive Works, infusing new life and energy into it,
and continued to do a profitable business until the term of incorporation
expired by limitation. He was one of the incorporators of the Second
National Bank of Detroit, and also of its successor, the Detroit
National. Was Vice-President of the first, until reorganized as the
latter, of which he was also the Vice-President, until chosen President,
on the retirement of Governor Baldwin.
Mr. Buhl was largely instrumental in the construction of the Hillsdale and Indiana, the Detroit and Eel River, and the Detroit and Butler
railroads, and while the investments did not prove profitable for him,
they have been of great benefit to Detroit, to the farmers, and the business of the towns through which they run.
During the fifty-five years in Detroit, his business career has been
characterized by integrity, energy and industry. The magnificent
business blocks erected by him, the many manufacturing industries in
which his name appears as a stockholder, is an evidence of his public
spirit and interest for the material welfare of his adopted city.
Although a Republican since the party was organized, he is not a strict
partisan; never sought nor held but one political office.  He was
elected Mayor of Detroit in I859, serving during i86o and I86i.
He is not a politician, except that as an intelligent citizen of a
Republic he believes it his duty to keep himself informed as to the conduct of public affairs, municipal, state and national, and the conduct
and contention of political parties-basing his action upon that policy
which he conceives will best promote the general business of the
country, and protect the people against wrong.




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In all movements of a benevolent and educational character he
applies his business rules, and is earnest in promoting their success.
In i843 Mr. Buhl married Miss Caroline DeLong, of Utica, N. Y.
They have had five children, two sons and three daughters; one
daughter died in infancy, one in girlhood, and one in womanhood. The
sons, Theodore and Frank H., are associated with him in business.
THEODORE H. HINCHMAN.
Theodore H. Hinchman, a native of the State of New Jersey, was
born in Morris county, March 6th, i8i8.
The immediate ancestors of Mr. Hinchman were born in the same
State as the subject of this sketch, and were largely engaged in mining
and smelting specular iron ore of that portion of New Jersey, but after
the close of the war of 1812 iron became depressed and the business
was discontinued by them.
His father, John R. Hinchman, moved to the city of New York
and engaged in the grocery business in that city in i825. The mother
of Mr. Hinchman was Mary DeCamp, who was educated at the
Academy of Samuel Whelpley (author of Whelpley's Moral Philosophy
which, for a time, was a text book at Princeton College).
Samuel L. Southard, who later was member of the United States
Senate from New Jersey, was a tutor in Whelpley's Academy.
John R. Hinchman and Mary DeCamp were married at Newton,
N.J., on January i9th, i809, and celebrated their golden wedding
January 9th, i859.
John R. Hinchman died at Brooklyn, N. Y., November i6th,
I859. Mary DeCamp, wife of John R. Hinchman, died at Brooklyn,
N. Y., on July i6th, i86o. They had four sons and six daughters, all
living in i889.
Theodore was the eldest of the four sons, and was seven years of
age when his parents removed to New York, and the most notable
event which impressed itself upon his recollection was the opening of
the Erie canal, on which occasion there was a display of canal boats
and other vessels on the Hudson.
He attended the public schools of New York until reaching the
age of thirteen, when he was placed in a retail drug store.  After
remaining a year, on the recommendation of Guy M. Hinchman, he
obtained a situation in the wholesale grocery house of Johnson & Sons,
which at that time did the most extensive business, in that line, of any
in the United States. His principal duties in the situation were in the
office, collecting and banking, at the same time obtaining a general




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knowledge of the business. He remained with this firm four years,
and during that time was a member of the Mercantile Library Association of New York, and improved his leisure time acquiring a knowledge of books, thus laying a foundation for general intelligence.
About this period John Owen, in his semi-annual business trip to
New York, having transactions with the house of Johnson & Sons,
conceived a friendship for Mr. Hinchman and made him a formal offer
to come west and take a clerkship in the drug store of Chapin &
Owen.   This proposition was accepted, and in the spring of I836 he
came to Detroit. He continued to serve in that capacity until March,
1842, when he became a partner, and the firm of John Owen & Company soon became extensively and favorably known throughout Michigan and the west.
September 8th, I842, he married Miss Louisa Chapin, daughter of
Dr. Marshall Chapin, former partner of Mr. John Owen, a brief sketch
of whose life will be found elsewhere in this volume.
In I853 Mr. Hinchman purchased the interest of Mr. Owen, and
also entered into the ship chandlery business at the foot of Woodward avenue (burned out and discontinued I875).  The drug and
grocery business is continued in the name of T. H. Hinchman & Sons.
The sons so associated are John M., the eldest, admitted in I868; the
second, Ford DeCamp, admitted in I869, and the third, Charles Chapin,
was admitted in i874. All are active partners and are the peers of any
of the young business men of the State.
In his early business life Mr. Hinchman resolved to save one-half
of his yearly income and adhered to that rule until i870, when commercial travelers lessened the profits of the business.
He became president of the Merchants' and Manufacturers' Bank
(now Merchants' & Manufacturers' National) from its organization in
i869, and is still its president (I889.)
The following are among the number of his public services: Was
a member of the fire department from I839 to I862, of the Board of
Fire Commissioners from I867 to I879, when, having received the
nomination for State Senator, he resigned.  He was commissioner of
sewers from I855 to I86o; in 1876 was elected to the State Senate and
was recognized on the several important committees as a "working
member." The most honorable and congenial position held by him
was as president of the Merchants' and Manufacturers' Exchange, to
which office he was elected annually from its organization in I878 to
I886. He was a member of the Board of Control of the State Industrial Home, located at Adrian, four and one-half years, also a member
of the semi-Centennial Commission, appointed by Governor Alger.
His time and means were not withheld when needed to promote
18




-266 -

benevolent, moral or educational enterprises, and all measures tending
to encourage public improvements have always received his active
support.
A work entitled Banks and Banking in Michigan, with historical
sketches, and copious extracts from the Banking Laws of the Nation
and State, together with personal sketches of prominent bank officers,
claims Theodore H. Hinchman as its author. It should be upon the
desk of every business man in Michigan, if they would understand the
true principle of banking, and the obligations to the public of those
engaged therein.
In politics, until i86o, he was a Whig; during the war, Independent,
but earnest, aiding the government. Since I867 he has been a Democrat.
In business he is practical and methodical, a man of acts and deeds,
rather than words, never over-reaching, nor undertaking more than he
feels certain he can accomplish; kind and courteous but somewhat
retiring in manner, always respectful to others, be they high or low,
and of unquestionable integrity.
He is a Presbyterian in his religious views, having received his
early impressions from that persuasion.
CHARLES G. HAAMMOND.
There are few of the residents of Detroit of fifty years ago but
remember the energetic, enterprising and large-hearted man who is
the subject of this sketch, Charles G. Hammond.  He was born at
Smyrna, New Nork, and came to Detroit in I834, and at once took an
active part in promoting enterprises of a religious, educational and
benevolent character, as well as those tending to the material growth
of the city and the west.
At the organization of the First Presbyterian church he became
an elder thereof in November, I835.
Judge Walker, in his memorial of the First Congregational church,
after alluding to its organization, says: "But to Charles G. Hammond,
more than to any other man, we are indebted for the preliminary steps
that led to its organization, although others rendered great and invaluable aid." In I836 Mr. Hammond removed to Union City and there
joined a Congregational church.  He represented Branch county in
the Legislature of I84I.  In I842 he was appointed auditor general
and returned to Detroit, and while still retaining his membership of the
Congregational church at Union City he attended the Presbyterian
church.  Becoming convinced that the rapid growth of the city




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demanded increased church organization, upon his invitation a
number of Christian men and women met at his house November 25th,
I844, for the purpose of considering the subject of the organization
of what became the First Congregational church of Detroit.  He
resigned the office of auditor general in I845 and took charge of the
construction of the Michigan Central railroad, and subsequently of the
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad, and became its principal
executive officer, and afterwards general manager of the Union Pacific
railroad. When Chicago was almost entirely destroyed by fire he was
made chairman of the Relief Committee which disbursed and distributed millions to relieve the unfortunate sufferers by the fire.
Mr. Hammond, until death, cherished his love for Detroit, and
always maintained a warm interest for its improvement and the welfare
of its citizens. He was a member of this Society and also of the
Young Men's Literary Society.
DA VID B. HERRIXTON.
David B. Herrinton was born in Truxton, Cortland county, New
York, May I7th, I8I4. He came to Michigan in I820 with his parents, who died soon after arriving here.  In I834 he went to Milford,
Michigan, and engaged in the furniture business.  His first wife was
Elvira Burrington, whom he married at Milford, November 8th, 1842.
She died March 3Ist, I845, at DeRuyter, New York. They had one
child, Albert B. Herrinton, who now resides at Daleville, Penn.
After the death of his wife Mr. Herrinton moved to Tyrone,
Livingston county, Michigan, where he married Fanny Park, of that
place, October I5th, I850. In 85 I they moved to Springfield, Jackson
county, Michigan, where he started a pottery, and for several years he
manufactured all kinds of pots, crocks and jugs.  In I86o he sold out
the pottery and came to Detroit, where he engaged in the grocery
business at the corner of Catherine and Chene streets, but during the
war, business being dull, he sold out the grocery and purchased the
property corner of Farmer and Bates streets (where is now a four story
brick). In I862 he went into the sewing machine business on Jefferson
avenue. He introduced the first sewing machine in Detroit (the old hand
machines with a wheel and handle on the side to run it by).  He was
the only person in the State who repaired machines, and he had
them sent to him from all over the country. He removed from Jefferson avenue to the corner of Michigan and Woodward avenues and
enlarged his business to a general agency, when he had agents on the
road all over the United States and Canada.  Later he moved to the
corner of Farmer street and Monroe avenue, where he was associated




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with J. E. Boylan. At the State fair Mr. and Mrs. Herrinton took
first premium for the finest work done on a sewing machine. In I866
he bought out J. E. Boylan's interest in the Domestic Sewing Machine
Company's branch at Detroit and for a number of years he was located
on State street, between Woodward avenue and Farmer street. In
I874 he patented a spring for running a sewing machine without the
use of the treadle and applied it to the machines for use in tailor shops,
etc. In I88ohe started the Excelsior bakery at 779 Woodward avenue,
with his son, William W. Herrinton.  After continuing in business
in the bakery for three years he sold out, on account of his health
failing.
Albert B. Herrinton, the eldest son of David B. Herrinton, was
one of the first persons in Springfield, Michigan, to enlist in the army,
and was a drummer in Company I, I4th Regiment, Mich. Vet. Vol.
Infantry, ist Brigade, 2d Division, I4th Army Corps, and served
through the entire war.  He still retains his drum as a memento of
the war.
David B. Herrinton, being too old to enlist in the regular army,
was enlisted as a minute man, but was not called upon.  The minute
men were liable to be called upon at any hour of the day or night,
during the latter part of I86I and of I862-63, to protect the frontier
against the raids of southern refugees in Canada. On one occasion
over one thousand were called and met at the rendezvous in thirty
minutes. The call was made at the request of Mayor K. C. Barker,
he having received information that an organized body were about to
cross for incendiary purposes. The information that there was an
organized force proved true, and some fifty actually landed, but returned
when they learned preparation had been made to receive them. The
following morning the steamer Philo Parsons was boarded at Malden
by a portion of the refugees. What followed is known and is a matter
of history.  It was a great surprise to Mayor Barker that so large a
number of men could be assembled in so short a time.
In politics Mr. Herrinton was a Republican, and for two years
held the position of market clerk in the eastern market.
He was a member of the old Congress Street Methodist church,
and at the time of the burning of the church he was a member of the
choir. Later he was a member of the Central M. E. church on Woodward avenue. Both he and the members of his family were prominent
workers in the church.  His name and that of his wife are among the
names on the parchment in the corner stone of the Central M. E.
church. He was one of the charter members of the old Third Avenue
Mission church (now Unity church).
Mr. Herrinton was confined to his house for nearly two years
before his death, which occurred June i4th, I886, at the age of seventy



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two years. His children by his second wife were: Elvira, who married
J. M. Chilson; Fannie, who married Dr. J. P. Corcoran; Wm. W.,
foreman at the Hargreaves Manufacturing Company; Charles A., also
employed at the same place, and Frank S., foreman of the book department of 0. S. Gulley, Bornman & Company, the printers of this book.
JACOB S//A rW FARRANVD.
Jacob Shaw Farrand is a native of Cayuga county, New York, and
was born May 7th, ISI5. When a lad of ten he removed with his
father to the then Territory of Michigan and settled at Ann Arbor,
Washtenaw county, in the fall of 1825, having tarried during the summer in Detroit.  He worked on his father's farm for a year or two,
but during a portion of the time carried the mail between Ann Arbor
and Detroit, was one year in the drug store of Lord & Denton at Ann
Arbor, and came to Detroit and entered the employment of Messrs.
Rice & Bingham, druggists.   This house was first established in
1819, when Detroit was but an Indian trading post. The subsequent
changes have been as follows: Originally under the name of C. Penniman, then to Penniman & Rice, Rice & Bingham, in I830 Edward
Bingham; in I836 Mr. Farrand purchased an interest and the firm
became E. Bingham & Co., which continued until 184I, when Mr.
Farrand was appointed deputy collector of United States Customs
under Edward Brooks, collector. Mr. Bingham, meanwhile, remained
at the head of the house until January Ist, I842, when the establishment was destroyed by fire, but in i845 he restored the enterprise and
continued the business alone until I855, when he associated Mr. W. W.
Wheaton with him under the firm name of Farrand & Wheaton. In
I858 Mr. Wheaton withdrew, when he again was alone for a year, and
Mr. Alanson Sheley purchasing an interest, the firm passed to Farrand
& Sheley.  Subsequently Mr. W. C. Williams, Harvey C. Clark and
James E. Davis, former employees, were taken as partners, and the
house to-day is known as Farrand, Williams & Company.
Mr. Farrand early took an interest in associations and enterprises
for the improvement of the morals and correcting the evils of society,
as we find that in I836 he was a member of the Executive Committee
of the Young Men's State Temperance Society, that Stevens T.
Mason, George E. Hand, John Chester, John Owen and A. S. Kellogg
were his associates, that in I840 he was secretary of the Detroit City
Temperance Society, and at the same time was also an active member
of the First Presbyterian church, and since I856 has been a ruling
elder of the same; was commissioner to the General Assembly at
Dayton, Ohio, in I863, at New York in i869, and at Detroit in I873;
in July, I877, was a delegate to the Presbyterian Alliance, held at
Edinburgh, Scotland.




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In addition to his being the head of the house of Farrand,
Williams & Company, he is one of the principal stockholders and
directors of the First National Bank, Wayne County Savings Bank,
Detroit Fire and Marine Insurance Company, trustee of Harper's
Hospital, member of the Board of Water Commissioners, president of
the Michigan Mutual Life Insurance Company and trustee of the Eastern Asylum for the Insane at Pontiac, and for a number of years
president of the Board of Police Commissioners.  In all these various
positions he has held, so faithfully has he discharged the duties imposed, as to be recognized as the father of all enterprises which have
contributed to make Detroit substantial, in religious, moral, charitable
and educational, and in pecuniary responsibility.
Mr. Farrand married Miss Olive M. Coe, of Hudson, Ohio, in
August, 184I. They have four children, two sons and two daughters.
HENRYT FRALICK.
Hon. Henry Fralick, now of Grand Rapids, was an early pioneer
and long a resident of Wayne county, and hence as he has always been
considered as belonging to this county, a history of it, or of the men
who contributed much towards its present condition would seem
incomplete should he be omitted.
Mr. Fralick is descended from an old revolutionary family, his
grandfather being one of fifteen boys, eleven of whom served in the
War of Independence, four being killed and seven wounded. His
father, Abraham Fralick, was a captain in the war of I812, serving
with distinction until its close. He was born in Columbia county, New
York, September 5th, I784, from which he removed to Montgomery
county, marrying, May 4th, I8o6, Miss Mary E. Keller, a daughter
of Hon. Henry Keller, member of the New York Senate and House
from that county.
Mr. Fralick was born at Minden, Montgomery county, New
York, February 9th, 1812. In I827 he removed with his parents to
the then Territory of Michigan, settling in Plymouth, Wayne county.
He received his early education at the district schools, and at the age
of seventeen years went to New York, serving as captain of a canal
boat until I832, when he shipped on board a whaling vessel from
New Bedford, Massachusetts, for the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
He was gone two years. On his return he shipped as third mate on a
merchant vessel for Rio Janeiro. At the end of seven months' voyage
he came to Detroit in i836 and engaged as a clerk in the Michigan
Exchange for nine months, when he returned to Plymouth and the
store of Henry Holbrook, whom he, in I838, bought out and continued




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the business on his own account for three years, and then, selling to
Messrs. Austin & Penniman he built a flour and saw mill. He carried
on this business two years, then selling his mill to Mr. Austin he again
engaged in the mercantile business until I86o, when he sold his store
and went to Grand Rapids, where he has since resided.
While a citizen of Wayne county he held many public positions of
honor and trust.  He was supervisor, Justice of the Peace, county
auditor three years, member of the Legislature in I847, the year the
capital was moved to Lansing; in I850 was elected a member of the
Constitutional Convention, in I853 was State senator, and has always
been recognized as one of the prominent men of the State and county.
During the late Civil War he, in conjunction with his brother and Mr.
Penniman, raised, equipped and filed the muster rolls of the first company in the State, which enlisted for three years and throughout the
continuance of the war.  He was of great service in aiding the government in its prosecution.  His brother, Peter, was also well known
and respected in the county, and for a term of years was sheriff of the
county. He was born at Minden, Montgomery county, New York,
September 25th, I809, and died at Plymouth in I868.
Since Mr. Fralick's residence in Grand Rapids he has been
engaged in manufacturing, banking and real estate, and has held
prominent public positions in the county for a long time; has been
president of the State Agricultural and State Pioneer Societies, served
thirty years as a school officer, and was president of the Board of Education of the city of Grand Rapids four years, trustee and treasurer of
Olivet College thirteen years, president of the Board of Trustees
of the Congregational church, served nine years as United States
Jury Commissioner and was one of the State Board of Managers at the
Centennial of I876, in all of which he has demonstrated those traits of
character for integrity, efficiency and energy, which gained him the
merited confidence of the citizens of his almost native county.
May 23, I837, he married Corinna A. Lyon, daughter of Hon.
Henry Lyon, one of the earliest settlers in Plymouth.  Mrs. Fralick
was born at Plymouth, May I7th, 1819. She died October i6th, I840.
On April 22d, I842, he married Mrs. Jeanette Woodruff.
They have four children, one son and three daughters, all living.
YAMES C ULLEN.
James Cullen, well known as a hustler prior to and during the recent
Civil War, was born in Ireland in I820, came to Michigan in I832, and
married Abigal McSweeny, at Detroit, in I846. She was born at
Killarney, Ireland, in I826. They have nine children, four daughters
and five sons; all except the eldest daughter are now living.




-272T
At the breaking out of the rebellion, Captain Cullen was among
the first to offer himself for service, and leaving his business, raised a
company for the 24th Michigan Infantry, accompanied it to the seat of
war, and participated with it in the battles of Gettysburg, Fredericksburg, and others.
In i863 he resigned as Captain in the 24th Infantry, and returning
to Detroit recruited a company for the ist Cavalry, of which he was
appointed Captain, and again went to the front with his regiment,
which was attached to Custer's Brigade, and was in all the engagements from Winchester through the campaign of that year, when on
account of physical disability he resigned and returned to Detroit,
where he has since resided.  Captain Cullen is a generous-hearted,
honorable man; anything he undertakes he prosecutes enthusiastically
and earnestly. When he entered the army he was in good circumstances, and did not withhold his money to aid in raising men. He
made great sacrifices in business, abandoning it to engage in vindicating the honor of the Government, for all of which he has been poorly
rewarded. He is a true friend, and a generous foe, but too proud to
seek favor for personal services. This is his only fault.
ALEXAINDER LE WIS.
"There are men moving in life who, without show or ostentation, influence and
shape circumstances to an end favorable not only to themselves but for the good of
the community."-Dryden.
None who have observed and known the Hon. Alexander Lewis
as, during the past fifty years he has moved in the business and social
circles of Detroit, but will concede that in his life, and its practical and
material results, the truth of the foregoing sentiment has been demonstrated by him.
Mr. Lewis came to Detroit at the age of fourteen years, and availing himself of the opportunities for obtaining a preparatory education,
he was soon able to take a high position among the business men of
the times, and at the age of twenty-one became associated with the
house since known as Bridge & Lewis, and subsequently as Alexander
Lewis & Company, their business being operating in grain and flour.
Mr. Lewis has been a member of the Board of Trade of Detroit
since its first organization and was its president in i862.
Although never seeking public positions he has never shrunk from
the responsibilities they imposed when his conscience and sense of duty
seemed to demand their acceptance, and therefore in I875 he was
induced to permit the use of his name as a candidate for mayor of his
native city on the moral reform ticket, to which position he was elected




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by a large majority.  His administration of the duties of this office
gained for him the confidence, respect and esteem of all classes irrespective of party, and was characterlsed by the wise and liberal
measures advocated by him to encourage education and the promotion
of public health, morals and the material growth of the city.
Mr. Lewis has been identified with a number of manufacturing
and building industries, and is president of the Detroit Gas Light
Company.
In manner he is retiring but courteous, inclined somewhat to reticence in words, evidently relying on action and result as the better rule
of measurement.  He is polite to all, rich and poor, giving respectful
attention to whatever is presented for his consideration, and generous
with his means and sympathies for all worthy objects.
Alexander Lewis was born at Sandwich, in the Province of
Canada, in 1822, and is the fourth son of Thomas Lewis, who was
born at Three Rivers, Canada. He was the son of Thomas Lewis,
who married Josette DeSonne, April 3d, i804. Thomas Lewis, the
father of the subject of this sketch, married at Ottawa (near what is
now Walkerville, Canada), Jeanne Villier, daughter of Louis Villier
and Charlotte Requindeau, and a granddaughter of Louis Villier, who
was born at Tours, France, in I747, came to Quebec while a young
man, and from thence to Detroit, where he married Marguerite Morin
April 26th, I770. He was named St. Louis on account of his piety.
There were eight children born to Thomas Lewis and Jeannette
Villier, as follows: Joseph, who married Fanny Sterling; Sophie, who
married Narcissus Tonomeur; Thomas, known as the Governor; Ann,
who married Rich. Godfroy; Charlotte, whose first husband was Dr.
Fay, and who married the late Hon. H. P. Bridge for her second
husband; Samuel, long and well known as a successful business man
of Detroit and a gentleman in every sense of the word, and Alexander,
the subject of this sketch, who, in I850, married Elizabeth, the daughter of the late Justice Ingersoll and Ann Buckley.  They have had
thirteen children, eight of whom are living.
SAM UEL W. DEXTER.
The subject of this sketch, although at his death, not a resident of
this county, yet being a pioneer and a resident in its early history, and
becoming identified with its subsequent developments, as well as with
the growth of the State, it is with much satisfaction that we use this
opportunity to preserve a record of the man, and the part he took in
making Michigan what it is to-day.
Judge Dexter, as known to the compiler, exemplified and demon



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strated in his life and character what Calmet defines as mercy: "a
virtue which inspires compassion for others, and inclines us to assist in
their necessities." It is one of the noblest attributes of the deity
(speaking after the manner of men, and explaining what by supposition
may pass in the mind of God, by what passes in the human mind). The
object of mercy is misery, so God pities human miseries and forbears to
chastise severely-so man pities the miseries of fellow man and assists
to diminish it. All that knew Judge Samuel W. Dexter, in life, we
think, will confirm and agree to the diagnosis of his personal character
as demonstrated by his acts.
Samuel W. Dexter, was the son of Samuel Dexter, who was born
in Massachusetts in I76I, was United States Senator in I798, and subsequently held the position of Secretary of War and Secretary of the
Treasury. Samuel W. (the subject), was born in Boston, Mass., in
I792. After a preparatory course he entered Harvard, from which he
graduated at the age of twenty, and then took up the study of law,
which he prosecuted, and was admitted to the bar, but its practice not
being to his tastes, he never made it the business of his life. In I816
he married Miss Augusta Provost. She lived but a few years. June I0,
I824, he came to Detroit, where he resided and married Miss Susan
Dunham, in I825, and in the fall of I826, moved to Dexter, Washtenaw
county. He had previously located a tract of land where Saginaw is
now situated, and where the county and town are established. He
gave a whole square of four acres upon which the county buildings
were subsequently located. He had also in I825 located 1,700 acres,
near and upon the present site of Dexter, and had built a large
log house, and had also improved the water power, by erecting a saw
and grist mill.
On fixing upon this portion of the State for a permanent location,
he immediately began to improve and make the locality enticing to
other settlers, and it soon becoming populated, the township and village
were organized, and named after him as the projector.
Shortly after removing to Dexter his wife Susan (Dunham)
Dexter, died. Neither his first or second wife left children to survive
their decease.
In I828 he married Miss Milicent Bond. The children which
survive him are: (Mary) Mrs. L. H. Jones; Wirt Dexter, of Chicago;
Mrs. Catherine Donaldson, (Hannah) Mrs. Dr. Godman, and Mrs. Julia
Dexter Stannard, of Dexter, President of the Woman's Christian
Temperance Union, SecondI District of Michigan. Mrs. Dexter, nee
Bond, is still living at the old homestead, and is a woman of remarkable
energy, perseverence, and purity of thought and deed.
Judge Dexter received his title by being appointed Chief Judge of
Washtenaw county, by Governor Cass, in I826. He served as such




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until the enactment of the law providing for the election of judges by
the popular vote, and never having a desire for political position he
declined to be a candidate.
The Judge, during his whole life, was anti-slavery in sentiment.
He acted with the Whigs until the Abolition party was organized,
when he united with it until the Republican party was organized in
I854.
A purer man than Judge Dexter is rarely to be found. He
sympathized with human suffering, and hated wrong-doing, and never
counted cost, either in money or time, in righting the subject of wrong,
and punishing and correcting the cause.
He died at his home in Dexter, February 6, I863.
J7UDGE 7AMES WITHERELL.
Although frequent allusions have been made to James Witherell
and B. F. H. Witherell, inasmuch as both have been so prominently
identified with Michigan and Wayne county, yet a history of either
State or county, would be incomplete without special reference
to them.
James Witherell was born in Mansfield, Mass., June i6th, I759.
His ancestors emigrated from England and settled in the Province of
Massachusetts in I630.
It is inferred that the subject of this memoir availed himself of
such educational advantages as the times and circumstances surrounding afforded.  We find that soon after the battle of Bunker Hill he
enlisted in a Massachusetts regiment and served at the siege of Boston
and through the War of the Revolution, until the army was disbanded
at Newbury in I783.  He rose from a private to the rank of an adjutant.  At the battle of White Plains he was severely wounded.  He
participated in the battles of Long Island, Stillwater, Bemis Heights and
at Saratoga, where Burgoyne surrendered. He encountered the privations and hardships of the winter quarters of the army at Valley
Forge, and the following summer fought at the battle of Monmouth,
New Jersey, witnessed the execution of Major Andre, and when the
war closed found the net result (in cash) of his eight years' service to
be eighty dollars in continental scrip.
When peace was assured he went to Connecticut and studied
medicine, and in I788 emigrated to Vermont where he practiced his
profession, meanwhile holding several public positions, among them
associate and chief justice of Rutland county, member of the Governor's Council and of the State Legislature. In I807 he was elected to




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Congress, and took part in the discussion and voted for the Act
abolishing the slave trade, which passed in I8o8. It was while he was
a member of Congress that President Jefferson appointed him one of
the judges of the Supreme Court of the Territory of Michigan.
Resigning his seat in Congress, he accepted the position and started
for the then almost unknown region of Michigan to enter upon the
arduous duties which it imposed. In I8Io he removed his family, consisting of his wife and six children, from Fair Haven, Vt., to Detroit. The
unsettled condition of the country, however, so affected the health of
his wife that he was compelled, in the autumn of I8II, to send her and
the children back to Vermont. In I812, on the declaration of war with
England, he being the only Revolutionary officer of experience, Gov.
Hull appointed him to command a batallion of volunteers. On the
surrender of Hull he refused to subject his corps to its terms and told
his men to disperse and go where they chose.  His son (James C. C.)
and his son-in-law, Colonel Joseph Watson, and himself, were sent as
prisoners of war to Kingston, Canada, and were subsequently paroled
and went to their families in Vermont. After being regularly exchanged the Judge returned to Detroit and resumed the discharge of
his judicial duties, until appointed secretary of the Territory by President John Quincy Adams.
Judge James Witherell died at his residence on the Campus
Martius, Detroit, where the Detroit Opera House stands, January 9th,
1838. Both houses of the Legislature, then in session, and the Bar of
the Supreme Court passed resolutions of respect and regret.
It is said of Judge Jas. Witherell that while not a profound lawyer,
yet his strong mind and clear common sense, united with his industrious
habits and upright purpose, made him an able and acceptable judge.
On November IIth, I790, Judge      Witherell married  Amy
Hawkins. She was descended from a Rhode Island Quaker family,
related in direct line to Roger Williams.  Her father's name was
Charles and her mother's maiden name Sarah Olney.  Her father's
family removed from Rhode Island to Vermont in I786. Although of
Quaker stock she was converted to Methodism at an early age and
throughout life was a member of that church. She died in I848.
Six children were born to the Judge and his wife: James Cullen
C., July I4th, I79I, died at Poultney, Vt., August 26, 1813; Sarah
Myra, born September 6th, I792, married Colonel Joseph Watson, died
March 22d, 1818, at Poultney, Vt.; Betsey Matilda, born in I793,
married Dr. E. Hurd, and died at Detroit in I852; Mary Amy, born
October, I795, married Thomas Palmer in I82I, and died at Detroit
March i9th, I874. She had seven children, one of whom is now living,
the Hon. Thomas W. Palmer. But one grandchild survived her
demise, the daughter of Mrs. Roby, and she died very recently. B. F.




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H. Witherell, born I797, died June 22d, i867; James B., born May I2,
1799. He became a midshipman and died of yellow fever on board
the United States ship Peacock, on a voyage between Havana and
Hampton Roads.
BENJAMIN F. H. WITHERELL.
Benjamin F. H. Witherell, the second son of Judge James Withell, born in 1797, and sent back to Vermont with his mother in i8ii,
returned to Detroit in 1817 and commenced the study of law in the
office of Governor Woodbridge and was admitted to the bar in 1819.
His admission to the United States Supreme Court was on the motion
of Daniel Webster. From I830 to I840 he filled the offices of Probate
Judge and Prosecuting Attorney in Wayne county.    In 1843 he
became the Judge of the District Criminal Court, composed of the
counties of Wayne, Washtenaw and Jackson, which office he held
untill I850, when it was constitutionally abolished. A few years after
this he was chosen circuit judge to fill the vacancy made by the resignation of Judge Samuel T. Douglas. At the expiration of this term he
was again elected and had served four years at the time of his death.
Judge B. F. H. Witherell had also filled several other positions of trust
and honor. He was a member of the Legislature and of the Constitutional Convention of I85O.  Among the positions of honor was that
of president of the Historical Society and Soldiers' Monument Association, both of which he held at the time of his death.  He is said to
have been the most skillful criminal lawyer at the bar and was universally esteemed as an upright and honorable man, and had hosts of
friends, especially among the French residents.  He was the best
informed man living, as to the early history of Michigan, and was called
by his friends a " walking historical dictionary of Wayne county." He
wrote several articles on the early history of Michigan which were
published in the Free Press over the signature of "Hamtramack." Thirteen of these sketches covered thirty-seven pages and were published
in the Historical Sketches of Wisconsin. There are many others published since, which we purpose to collate for preservation.
Thomas W. Palmer says: "In his prime, Judge Witherell was
over six feet in stature and about two hundred and forty pounds. He
was genial and kindly in disposition, lenient in his sentences for first
offences, but when an old offender was convicted he usually gave him
the full term prescribed by law."
The eldest son of Judge Witherell, James B., was born in Detroit
in I828, and graduated at the Michigan University in I848.  He
traveled through Spain with T. W. Palmer, was city attorney, was




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appointed second lieutenant in i855, promoted to first lieutenant in June,
i86o, gazetted twice for gallant conduct in fighting the Indians, was in
Twigg's command at the beginning of the Civil War, and started
north with those who remained true to the government.  He was very
near-sighted, and on boarding the steamer stumbled and fell overboard
and was drowned. His body was recovered and buried by the Masonic
fraternity at Port Isabell.  He is said to have been a generous, gallant and brave man.
Judge Witherell was married three times. In i824 to Miss Mary
A. Sprague, at Poultney.  They had one son and three daughters.
Mrs. Mary A. Witherell, nee Sprague, died in August, I834. In I837
he married Delia A. Ingersoll. She had one son, Charles I. Witherell.
Her death occurred in I847, and in I848 he married Casandra S. Brady,
who died in I863, leaving no children.
Benjamin Franklin Hawkins Witherell died June 22d, I867. Only
one child survived his death, Mrs. General Friend Palmer. She has
since deceased (October, i88o).  Three grandchildren also survived
his death.  One, the daughter of General Friend Palmer (Mrs. Capt.
J. Hale), died in October, I887.
ANDRE W T. McRErNOLDS.
"A brave man bears no malice, but forgets at once in peace the injuries
of war. "-Cowter.
We have an illustration of such a character as Cowper describes
in the life of the subject of this sketch.
Colonel Andrew T. McReynolds was born in the town of Dungannon, Tyrone county, Ireland, December 25, i8o8. At the age of
twenty-two he left his native land and came to the United States, and
took up his residence at Pittsburg, Pa. Soon after his arrival, the
State of South Carolina passed certain laws in conflict with those
enacted by Congress regulating foreign importation, and sought to
enforce them against the order of the general government, whereupon
General Scott was ordered to employ the army to suppress them.
Among the first to volunteer his aid was the subject of this sketch, and
he was elected an Ensign of the Duquesne Grays of Pittsburg-the
first volunteer military company organized west of the Alleghanies,
after the war of I812. The prompt action of the President, however,
averted a collision between the military of the United States and the
State of South Carolina, so that the Colonel was not called into active
service.
He removed to the then Territory of Michigan in I833, and settled
in Detroit. In I834, true to his characteristic public spirit and senti



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ment, " That in peace we should prepare for war," he was one of
four to initiate the organization of the Brady Guards, the first volunteer
company in Michigan, and also was appointed Major of the Territorial
Militia, then commanded by Major-General Williams, and was Lieut.Colonel and Colonel of the ist Regiment (Michigan Militia) eleven
years. Meanwhile, he having prepared by its study, he was admitted
to the practice of law, and soon took high rank as a lawyer. He was
also active in the organization of the Montgomery Guards, and was
their first commander in I844. This organization is still active under
the name of the Montgomery Rifles. In April, I847, he was commissioned Captain of Dragoons in the U. S. Army, resigning his seat
as State Senator to take part under General Scott in the Mexican War.
He was disabled for life in the dragoon charge at the gates of Mexico.
For his services during that war he was complimented by the President and the United States Senate.
At the close of the war he retired from the army and resumed the
practice of his profession in the city of Detroit, which he continued for
thirteen years, when the civil war occurred, and he was commissioned
by President Lincoln, Colonel of the Lincoln Cavalry, the first cavalry
regiment for the war, which he commanded for the year I86I, and was
then promoted to the command of a brigade, and subsequently to that
of a division. After serving in the army three years and two months,
his term having expired, he was honorably discharged, and returned to
Grand Rapids, where he has since been and is now in the active practice of his profession.
In civil life he has held the following positions of honor and trust,
viz.: Alderman of Detroit, I837-8, Prosecuting Attorney of Wayne
County in I852, and Member of the Board of Education and its first
President, and United States District Attorney for the Western District of Michigan. In all, both military and civil, he has discharged the
duties of the respective positions with honour to himself and fidelity to
the public. Colonel McReynolds was a member of the National Convention which nominated William Henry Harrison, at Harrisburg, in
I839, and was elected a member of the Michigan Legislature the same
year. He held the office of Indian Agent under John Tyler, he served
as Director in the Detroit City Bank, was one of the charter members
of the Detroit Commandery Knights Templars, is President of the
Michigan and Vice-President of the National Association of Mexican
War Volunteers, has been twice elected Commander of Custer Post,
G. A. R., and subsequently Commander of the Department of Michigan Division, G. A. R. During his professional life, he has held the
office of Circuit Court Commissioner and that of Master in Chancery,
both State and National.




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ERALSY FERGUSON.
Eralsy Ferguson, the subject of this sketch, is well known as
among the earlier residents of Detroit, and was born in Oneida county,
N. Y. When but a lad his parents removed to Canada, taking him
with them.  In I826, he came to Detroit, which has since been his
home. Mr. Ferguson is full of incidents connected with the history of
Detroit, from that period to the present. He can remember when
communication was had between Detroit and Windsor by means of a
small sail boat, called back and forth by blowing a horn, when this
was succeeded by a steam craft whose hull consisted of two dugouts,
joined together, and finally by the magnificent steamboats of the present day.
In I829, his father settled upon a farm owned by Judge James
Witherell, and for a number of years he was in the employ of the
latter, during the summer season, and in winter attended the Detroit
Academy.
In I838, he became possessed 'through Judge Witherell, with
eighty acres of land in Oakland county. In the winter of I839 he
commenced clearing and improving it, but after two months of hard
labor decided he was not designed for a farmer, and returned to
Detroit and commenced the work of transportation, employing a large
number of horses for the business.
Most of the timber and logs used in the construction of the log
cabins in the hard cider times of I840 were drawn from the woods by
his teams. During the winter of I84I, he established a passenger and
freight line for transportation by teams between Detroit and Chicago.
In I844 he entered the service of the Michigan Central railroad, and
advancing from one position to another, reached that of depot and
train master, resigning that position January i, i875, after thirty years'
connection with the road. He then turned his whole time to trucking
and transfer of freight.
By good management and close attention to his affairs, Mr. Ferguson has secured a competency, and while he still oversees his business,
is not so closely confined as in former times.
Mr. Ferguson has a commission as first lieutenant issued to him
by Governor Mason, in I837. During the Patroit War of that year
his company was called into service to guard the arsenal at Dearborn.
Mr. Ferguson, originally a Whig, united with the Republicans
when that party organized, but has never been an office seeker or held
a public office. In I842, he married Miss Nancy Canfield, by whom
he had four children.
As matters of interest, Mr. Ferguson permits the publication of the
following:




-281 -HEADQUARTERS FIRST REGIMENT, M. M.
DETROIT, May 29, I845.
I hereby certify, that Ist Lieutenant Eralsy Ferguson, has
deposited with me an affidavit, in accordance with law, setting forth
that he was commissioned, equipped and did duty in the militia of the
State of Michigan, for five years and upwards, and that he is by virtue
of the statutes in such case made and provided, exempt from military
duty therein, except as is in said statutes excepted.
Given under my hand at Detroit, this 29th day of May, A. D. 1845.
The said Ferguson is honorably discharged.
ANDREW T. McREYNOLDS,
Colonel Commanding ist Regiment, M. M.
STEVENS T. MASON,
GOVERNOR IN AND OVER THE STATE OF MICHIGAN:
To all who shall see these presents-Greeting:
Know Ye, That, reposing special trust and confidence in the
patriotism, valor, fidelity, and abilities of Eralsy Ferguson, in the name
and by the authority of the people of the State of Michigan, I DO
HEREBY APPOINT him a First Lieutenant in the Militia of the said
State. He is therefore carefully and diligently to discharge the duties
of a First Lieutenant of the First Division, First Brigade, First Regiment, (C) Company, by doing and performing all the duties thereunto
belonging. And I do strictly charge and require all OFFICERS and
SOLDIERS under his command to be obedient to his orders as First
Lieutenant. And he is to observe and follow such orders and directions from time to time as he shall receive from the PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, the Governor of the said State, or his
superior Officer set over him, according to law. This COMMISSION to
continue in force during the pleasure of the Governor of the said State
for the time being.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have caused these
[SEAL]           Letters to be made Patent, and the great seal
of the State to be hereunto affixed.
GIVEN under my hand at Detroit, this Twentyfourth day of April, in the year of our Lord
[SEAL]           one thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight,
and of the Independence of the United States
of America, the sixty-second.
BY THE GOVERNOR:                       STEVENS T. MASON.
J. E. SCHWARZ,
RANDOLPH MANNING,                           Adj't Gen.
Secretary of State.
19




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GENERAL ORDER.
HEADQUARTERS FIRST REG'T M. M.
Agreeable to the new organization of the ist Reg't, M. M.: The
bounds of Company (C) will be as follows, viz.: Embracing all that
part of the city of Detroit lying between Griswold and Bates street,
and extending from Griswold street up Clifford street to Woodward
avenue; up Woodward avenue to the Grand Circus; thence on a right
line until it strikes the southern end of Witherell street; thence up
Witherell street to the northern limits of the city of Detroit; thence
east along said limits to the rear end of Williams street; thence down
Williams street to the Grand Circus; thence on a right line to the rear
end of Miami avenue; thence down Miami avenue until it intersects
John R. street; thence along John R. street to Farrer street; thence
down Farrer street to Farmer street; thence down Farmer street to
Bates street; thence down Bates street to the river Detroit.
Agreeable to an order issued by Colonel Spencer, commanding
First Regiment M. M., an election will be held in the above named
Company at the Detroit Cottage, on Wednesday, the 6th instant, at
seven o'clock, P. M., for the purpose of electing one captain and one
lieutenant.
By LIEUTENANT E. FERGUSON,
In Command.
DETROIT, May 4th, i840.
GEN. yAMES E. P1TTMAN.
General James E. Pittman is a native of Michigan, was born in
I826.  The General is the father of the coal trade in Detroit, he
having established a coal depot when only twenty-eight years of age.
That article was used in Detroit prior, but there were no yards or
dealers making it a specialty.  He has continued his interest in the
business up to the present time, the firm being Pittman & Dean.
The General has always been active and prominent in military
affairs and was, early in life, a member of one or more volunteer companies. On the 2ISt of May, I86r, he was appointed state paymaster,
making large disbursements to the troops in the service of the State,
was a member of the State Military Board from September i9th, i86I,
to November ist, i862, when he was appointed Inspector General,
serving in that capacity until March, i867.
The General was a member of the Board of Police Commissioners
for a number of years, and withdrew upon being appointed to succeed
E. F. Conely as Superintendent of Police, which position he now holds.




-283 -

He has always borne his share of the burdens in local, State and
National affairs, contributing time, money and influence to advance and
promote the welfare of each, thus shaping the destiny of the city and
State to the achievement of results of which all citizens are justly
proud.
The General married Miss Lizzie Hutchinson of Bristol, Pa.,
September 9th, I85I. They have no children living.
As an old member of the Historical Society of Detroit, by virtue of
its having been merged into the Wayne County Pioneer Society, he
became a member of the latter and is recognized as such.
RE V. DA VID M. COOPER.
Rev. David M. Cooper, present pastor of the Memorial Presbyterian church of Detroit, is the son of David Cooper whose sketch will
be found elsewhere, as well as that of his maternal grandfather, Col.
Stephen Mack.
The Rev. David M. Cooper was born in Detroit, April i8th, I827.
Upon reaching the proper age he was sent to the schools of Detroit,
and after obtaining the necessary preliminary preparation, entered
college, taking 'a literary course.
Mr. Cooper in early life decided upon the ministry as a profession,
and after a year spent at Princeton Theological Seminary, New Jersey,
prosecuted his studies under the supervision of the Rev. Dr. Duffield.
He was licensed by the Detroit Presbytery about I850, temporarily, and
afterwards supplied the pulpit of Rev. Mr. Atterbury, at Flint. In I85I
he was induced to take charge of the missionary work in the Saginaw
valley.  Hon. Albert Miller, of Bay City, relates the following: "In
the spring of i85I I was staying over night at the Northern Hotel, at
Flint, where the office of the Flint and Saginaw stage was kept.  In
the evening a very fine looking young man came in and engaged passage for the next day to Saginaw, saying he would be found at Mr.
Atterbury's, the Presbyterian clergyman.  At that time tri-weekly
stages were able to do all the passenger business between Saginaw
and the outside world.  The plank road was not completed and passage from Flint to Saginaw was anything but pleasant, and it was a
wonder to his fellow passengers what should call the young man to
Saginaw when the roads were so bad. It was suggested to him on the
way that there must be some female attraction at Saginaw.  I afterwards became acquainted with the young man (who was none other
than the -Rev. D. M. Cooper) and knew him long as the beloved pastor
of the Presbyterian church at Saginaw." On Mr. Cooper's arrival at
Saginaw he found that the membership consisted of but ten persons, of




-284 -

which number only three were males. He entered upon his work
with some hesitation and had proceeded to prepare for the erection of
a church edifice, when the excitement at East Saginaw drew away
most of his congregation to that town. He still resolved to follow them
with his ministrations and accordingly commenced holding afternoon
service at East Saginaw, crossing the river in a canoe.  With the
exception of a Rev. Mr. Adderly, he was the first minister that
preached in East Saginaw. The rapid growth of East Saginaw
induced a corresponding increase of members to the church, and at the
end of eighteen months, finding the labor of supplying the two churches
too much for his strength, he turned over his East Saginaw work to the
Rev. Wm. C. Smith, and also secured the services of the Rev. L. I.
Root to organize the Presbyterian church at Bay City, then called
Lower Saginaw.
Thus Mr. Cooper has the satisfaction of knowing that those two
flourishing organizations sprang from the germ of the Saginaw
City church planted by him. In I859 he was compelled, on account
of ill health, reluctantly to leave the valley, and after long and successful pastorates at Grand Haven and Albion took up his residence,
upon the death of his father, in Detroit, the city of his birth, in the year
i878.  Preferring to work out, rather than to rust out, he immediately
erected, largely at his own expense, and in honor of his beloved parents,
that tasteful structure known as the Memorial Presbyterian church,
situated at the corner of Clinton and Joseph Campau avenues.  The
congregation that now statedly worship within its walls was gathered
together by his own exertions. For the last ten years he has ministered
to them as their chosen pastor, without compensation, and still continues
to do so with all the ardor of early youth.
Referring to the Memorial church, it is but proper, in connection
with a sketch of Mr. Cooper, to insert the following:
" The doors of the new Memorial church were thrown open at 2
o'clock Sunday afternoon, and in less than ten minutes each of the 425
sittings was occupied, while many people remained standing in the
lobby and aisles, there being, it is estimated, over six hundred persons
present. It was the first time that the new structure, complete even to
holding an audience, was seen, and it is not too much to say that a more
beautiful picture of such a character has never been seen in Detroit.
The auditorium is a beauty, harmonizing in architectural design and
ornamentation completely, having a series of eleven memorial windows,
the larger one of which is in memory of the father, mother and wife
of Rev. David M. Cooper, present pastor of the church. The remaining ten windows are historical memorials of the growth and progress
of Presbyterianism."
At the close of the memoir, read by Mr. Cooper, of his father,




-285 -

mother and wife, for whom the church was erected as a memorial, he
concludes as follows: "I know of no more suitable or better way to
perpetuate their memory than to employ a portion of the fortune
bequeathed us, in the erection of a house of worship wherein the Gospel
of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ shall be freely preached by one
who was in infancy baptized in the name of Father, Son and Holy
Ghost."
GENVERAL 0. B. WILCOX.
The subject of this sketch is a son of Wayne county, having been
born in Detroit in I826.  He has distinguished himself and conferred
honor upon the city of his nativity, and the nation of which he is a
worthy representative, as a courageous soldier, as an honorable, high
minded citizen and as a scholar of more than ordinary literary ability.
In i846 he graduated from West Point. During the Mexican war he
served as lieutenant in the artillery and continued in the United States
army until I854, and on completing his legal studies was admitted to
the bar and practiced law in Detroit until the breaking out of the Civil
War in i86I, when he tendered his sword to the State and was
appointed colonel of the First Regiment of Infantry, raised by the
State under President Lincoln's call of April, I86I. His regiment was
the first from the west at Washington to report for service. He was
in command at Alexandria just prior to the first battle of Bull Run.
He participated in that battle, in which he was wounded and taken
prisoner and confined in Richmond prison for fifteen months, when he
was exchanged. Not having recovered from the effects of his wounds
and the debility occasioned by his long confinement, he returned to
Detroit for a short time, when he again entered the army and served
during the Virginia campaign of i86I and I862. Subsequently he was
promoted to brigadier and major-general of volunteers for meritorious
conduct at Spotsylvania and Petersburg. He served during the entire
war, at its close was mustered out and appointed, by President Johnson, assessor of internal revenue at Detroit. In I867 he was appointed
a colonel in the regular army and assigned to the command of the
Twelfth Regiment United States Infantry, stationed at Angel Bay
Island, near San Francisco. Subsequently he was promoted to the rank
of brigadier-general in the regular army and is now governor of the
National Soldier's Home, Washington, D. C.
In I856 General Wilcox published "Shoepack Recollections: A
Wayside Glimpse of American Life," and another, in I857, entitled
"Toca: An Army Memoir, by Major March."
General Wilcox is well remembered by the older citizens of Detroit,
some of whom were his early schoolmates. Among them was the late




-286 -

Judge Campbell, who recently, in alluding to him, said: " I know of none
among the young men of my boyhood, who possessed the amiable
qualities of mind and heart, which so endeared him to them and myself more than General Wilcox," and further (referring to E. B., his
brother,) "he also partakes of the same genial and lovable qualities, in
a great degree, and besides is a happy, polished and interesting writer.
His articles always read well and abound in pungent wit, clothed in
choice language."
THOMAS McGRA W.
Thomas McGraw was born September I7th, I824, at Castleton,
County of Limerick, Ireland.  On the paternal side he is of ScotchIrish descent and on the maternal, German.  They were married in
Ireland, came to the United States in I825, bringing the subject of this
sketch with them.
The father of Mr. McGraw, Redmon McGraw, was born at
Castleton, Limerick county, Ireland, in I777. He is said to have been
a man, liberal as to education and also to the inherent rights of his
fellow men. It was the latter which caused him to remove to Americawhere he could enjoy free expression and equal rights, hence, against
the protest and advice of his friends, as well as the vestry of the
church, of which he was a member, he sold his property and came to
the United States. He died in Oakland county in I852. The mother
of Mr. McGraw was born in Germany. She, with her parents, had taken
passage for America (being Episcopalians in their religious views) when
their vessel was driven on the Irish coast and disabled, compelling
them to abandon her. The family then took up their residence in
Limerick. Her maiden name was Elizabeth Faught. She died in I877.
For the first ten years they resided on a farm in the State of New
York, and in I835 removed to the then Territory of Michigan.  Mr.
McGraw being then eleven years of age and the farmer's life distasteful to him, he, therefore, thus early began to lay plans for some more
congenial avocation, and employed his available time in reading and
acquiring a general knowledge of the world outside the farm.  He
conceived the impression that a sailor's life would suit him and at the
age of fifteen left home, with a view of testing it.  He, however, on
reaching Rochester, N. Y., changed his mind, and accepting a situation as clerk in a store at a salary of ninety-six dollars a year, he
remained at Rochester.  At the end of two years he returned home
and invested his earnings in forty acres of land. He subsequently sold
this land for seven hundred dollars, thus acquiring a large sum for those
days, with which to commence business in a country town.  Prior to
this sale he had acted as the Detroit agent of a Pittsburg iron company,




-287 -

with whom he remained until i847, when he determined to make a
business venture on his own account and established a retail store at
Novi, Oakland county. He continued the business, in connection with
that of operating in wool, until i864, at which time he came to Detroit,
and established the wool house of T. McGraw & Co. As the business
increased he took in not only the State of Michigan but extended his
transactions to the States of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Wisconsin and
Iowa. He also started a branch for marketing his purchases in Boston,
Mass. The business proved successful and his surplus acquisitions he
has invested in real estate and manufacturing industries in Detroit.
Although he still operates in wool he has curtailed the extent, devoting
the major portion of his time to the care of his real estate and manufacturing interests.  He now owns the (formerly) Mechanics', now
McGraw Block and is the president of the Globe Tobacco Works,
besides being interested in other manufactories.
Mr. McGraw is a generous man, giving liberally to all objects of
a moral and benevolent character, readily responding to all demands
made upon his time or money for relief to the worthy, or in enterprises
tending to promote the healthy growth of the city and the happiness of
its citizens. (The compiler remembers on one occasion, however, in
I85I, when Mr. McGraw was unable to respond to a demand made
upon him, owing to circumstances beyond his control.) Mr. McGraw
has for years been connected with the Masonic fraternity and is a
member of St. John's Episcopal church.  He married Miss Sarah I.
Selden, April I3th, I848.  She was the granddaughter of Rodman
Hazard, of Hancock, a prominent man in Massachusetts. They have
lost two daughters, one of whom died in I868, the other in 1869.
ELON W. HUDSOV.
"Every man is conscious of a two-fold life-the one trivial and ordinary, the
other sacred and recluse. One which he carries to his business, to society, and the
dinner table-the other, in which his youth and aspirations survive for him, and
which is a confidence between himself and God."
In his life, the subject of this sketch would seem to have demonstrated that he regarded his obligations to his Maker as paramount,
and made all else subservient to them.
Elon W. Hudson is a native of the Empire State, and was born in
Chenango county, N. Y., January 23, I818. His parents were both of
Rhode Island birth, and of English ancestry. George P. Hudson, the
father of Mr. Hudson, was born near Providence, Rhode Island,
September 29th, I793, and his mother, Deborah Winsor, was born in
the same town in I797. Both were from Revolutionary stock, whose
names will be found among the participants in the struggle for Ameri



-288 -

canindependence. They were married in the town of Norwich, April
17, 1817. They died at New Berlin, the former, March 22, i88i, and
the latter August 3, i840. They had thirteen children, of whom E. W.
is the eldest son.
Mr. Hudson came to Detroit in i846, and engaged in the shipping
and forwarding business, which he prosecuted successfully for a
number of years, meanwhile building and owning some of the largest
vessels floating the lakes, among them the Zach Chandler, Henry P.
Baldwin, Harvest Home, Harvest Queen, H. H. Brown, S. E. Hudson,
Zephyr, Nautilus (rebuilt), besides rebuilding many others. He also
invested largely in real estate, as well as in several important manufacfacturing industries, which have had much to do in promoting the commercial and material prosperity of our beautiful city.  While thus
engaged in active business pursuits, he did not lose sight of his religious
and moral obligations, giving liberally his time and money to advance
and establish enterprises tending to elevate and improve the morals of
society, and the good of humanity.
Among the numerous gifts of Mr. Hudson in the interests of the
church, education, benevolence and humanity, is the donation to Grace
Church of the valuable lots on the corner of Fort and Second streets,
and his liberal contributions toward the erection of the magnificent
edifice in which this society worship, and of which he has been the
senior warden since i867. The large subscription to the Michigan
University, the donations to the numerous charitable institutions of the
church and the city, all of which he has made in such a modest manner
that the knowledge of his munificent giving is almost confined to those
who have been benefited by his generosity. So reticent has Mr. Hudson been in respect to his numerous contributions, that in many
instances even his wife is ignorant of their extent. In I849, Mr. Hudson married Miss Sarah E. Fuller, of Providence, R. I. Her paternal
ancestors were of Massachusetts antecedents. On the maternal side,
her mother, Abby Fuller, being a daughter of Captain Joseph Northup,
who, prior to the days of steam, was the owner of the Newport and
New York Packet Line, composed of eight fast sailing vessels, and
was well and favorably known both in New York, Newport, and on
the New England coast. He was the grandson of one of the four
Northup brothers, who emigrated from England and settled in Rhode
Island about the day of Roger Williams. Mrs. Hudson is an exemplary and kind hearted woman, doing good work as opportunity and
circumstances afford, and for many years was one of the Board of
Directors of the Protestant Orphan Asylum, and has been active in her
efforts to aid and assist all organizations of a similar character and
objects. Her husband is greatly indebted to her for wise counsel,
encouragement and cheerful sympathy in the varied circumstances




-289 -

encountered by him during their wedded life. Soon after their marriage they purchased the property on Fort street West, upon which
they subsequently erected the elegant residence which they have continuously occupied for the past thirty-seven years, extending generous
hospitalities in an unostentatious manner.
In church matters, Mr. Hudson has been an earnest, practical
worker, during the greater portion of his life, while devoting by precept and example his energies to its spiritual strength and growth, he
has carefully guarded its material and financial interests.
As a citizen, he has in a quiet way answered, in proportion to his
means and the extent of his influence, all demands made upon him to
promote the growth of his adopted city in morals, material wealth and
beauty, and enjoys the confidence and respect of its citizens, and the
public generally.
In politics, Mr. Hudson has been identified with the Republican
party from its organization. Though often solicited, he has never held
a public political position, but has never withheld his support, or his
money, in furthering the legitimate objects and purposes of the party of
his choice. Notwithstanding his age exempted him from personal service during the late war, he in many ways gave liberally of time and
money for bounties, etc., toward maintaining the authority of the
Government and the suppression of the rebellion.
The character of Mr. Hudson is that of a modest, courteous gentleman, and while never obtruding his opinions, is independent and firm in
their maintenance.
January 23, i888, being the seventieth birthday of Mr. Hudson, a
very agreeable surprise was arranged by his associates of Grace
Church vestry, who, together with former members of the vestry,
assembled at the church in the evening, and proceeded in a body to his
residence on Fort street.
The Rev. Dr. Carroll, in feeling and touching words, congratulated
the venerable gentleman on having attained the prescribed "threescore years and ten," and trusted he would be spared for many years
to come.
Mr. Hudson, somewhat embarrassed, warmly reciprocated the
kindly feelings which the visit and the Rector's words so heartily
expressed, and assured all present of the deep interest he felt in the
welfare of Grace Church, and all his fellow members. A pleasant hour
was spent, and the gentlemen were hospitably entertained by Mrs.
Hudson, the visitors leaving behind them a reminder of their call in
the shape of two richly bound volumes of Farrar's "Life of Christ,"
handsomely inscribed as follows: "i8i8-Jan. 23-i888. Mr. Elon




290


W. Hudson, Senior Warden of Grace Church, Detroit, since the
organization of the Parish, A.D. i867. A tribute of affectionate esteem
from co-laborers in present and past vestries."
Mr. Hudson was one of the original incorporators of Woodmere
Cemetery.
GEOR GE FOOTE.
George Foote, of Detroit, Mich., was born May 4, i8i8, at Burlington, Vt., being the second son of the Hon. Alvan Foote who was
born at Castleton, Vt., and a graduate of Dartmouth College in I799,
who was the eldest son of George Foote, a patriot soldier of the War
for Independence, who took an active part in Bennington Battle under
General Stark, of New Hampshire, October, I777, was taken prisoner
and for months confined in Fort Ticonderoga by the British.  He
escaped from there into Vermont and later joined the command of
Colonel Ethan Allen and was one of Vermont's volunteers present
when that fort was surrendered. Thus much for his paternal grandparents.
Mr. Foote has yet other grounds for pride of ancestry, for his
grandfather on his mother's side was also a patriot of that war, a
Boston man, a graduate of Harvard College, an established lawyer who
early joined the Massachusetts line of ten thousand furnished by that
State and placed under the command of General Lincoln fully equipped, and offered to the United States government, and were received
and mustered into service by General Washington, at Boston.  They
were early in the field, and upon the battle field of Saratoga were
victorious, thence on through the war to Yorktown, being present at the
surrender of Cornwallis. Colonel Nathan Rice was often on the staff
of Gen. Knox, was personally acquainted with General Lafayette and
other distinguished officers of the army.
George Foote, the subject of this notice, after having received a
fair education, at the age of eighteen came to Detroit, May I9,
1836, and was employed by a widely known merchant, Franklin
Moore, with whom he was associated in an extensive business for a
period of nearly forty years, closing at his death, and that of a junior
partner, George F. Bagley, fulfilling every obligation to its creditors
and those with whom dealings were had.  Mr. Foote yet enjoys the
confidence of his many friends, was at various dates an active member
of the Board of Aldermen, director of a bank, active for years as a
volunteer fireman, prominent in many social clubs, an ardent Republican and a Presbyterian in faith. He was twice married. First to the
daughter of James A. Dwight, of Montreal, C. E., who had four
daughters, each well placed in life, married and blessed with families;




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second, to the daughter of the late John Hungerford, of Torrenton,
Connecticut, by whom he had two sons and one daughter, who
reached majority, and are also well placed in life.
It has been the lot of Mr. Foote to enjoy a pleasant life of fiftyfour years, and to have known Michigan in its infancy, its settlement,
its progress, and to fully appreciate its advancing influence among its
sister States.
DANIEL 7. CAMPA U.
Among the varied objects of a landscape we behold a tree. Separating it from other objects we find it has a trunk, leaves, branches,
etc. Examining these different parts, then uniting them in one, we
form a notion of the tree.  The first part of this process is analysis,
the second synthesis.  The instruments of analysis are observation
and experiment; of synthesis, definition and classification.
In determining the characteristics of a man we are not permitted,
as biographers, to compare him with another, but must simply judge
by his own and the acts of his progenitors.  While education and circumstances contribute to form character, they cannot change, entirely,
the inherent nature. Nations are proud of their antiquity, and individuals of their ancestry.
Daniel J. Campau is the son of Daniel J. Campau, Sr., and Marie
Frances Palms, and the grandson of Joseph Campau and Adeleide
Dequindre, who was the daughter of Major Dequindre.  For their
genealogy, reference is made to the first, second and third periods of
this compilation.
Daniel J. Campau, Jr., the subject of this sketch, was born in
Detroit, August 20th, I852.  He received his preparatory course in
the schools of Detroit, entered St. John's College at Fordham, New
York, and after his graduation read law and was admitted to the
Detroit bar in I879.  Soon after, the ill health of his father imposed
upon him the care of the estate, so much so as to compel him to give
up the general practice of his profession.  The subsequent death of
his father threw almost the entire care of the estate upon him, necessitating the consumption of most of his time. Characteristic of the enterprise, as well as the sagacity, which distinguished his grandfather, he
sought to utilize the unimproved property belonging to the estate so
as to add to the substantial improvement and embellishment of his native
city, and also to afford a revenue to the estate. Another characteristic
of his grandfather is his love for a good horse, which has led him to
become prominent among the horsemen of not only Michigan, but
made him a national reputation in that direction.  The manly and




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honorable course pursued by him in the management of the Detroit
Driving Club, of which he is president and which he organized in i884,
and the subsequent organization of The American Trotting Association, upon the basis of honorable competition, has eliminated all that is
low and dishonorable in racing, and made the sport reputable, so that
it is now patronized and attended by the very best of citizens.
While Mr. Campau has been engaged in the foregoing, he has not
neglected political matters. He is very popular with the masses of the
people, and for some years has been a leading spirit in the councils of
the Democratic party.  President Cleveland, in consideration of his
influence, and in appreciation of his worth, appointed him collector of
customs for the District of Detroit in i886, and notwithstanding the recent
change of administration, so well had he administered the duties of his
office, that no effort was made for his removal; but recognizing the
Jacksonian doctrine, " that not even in semblance could he hold office
under the dominant party adverse to his political convictions," he
tendered his resignation the latter part of January, i890.
Mr. Campau is an active, energetic man, showing much determination and push in the development of what he has undertaken, and all
of which he accomplishes in a quiet, unostentatious manner, and with
no flourish of trumpets.  So in regard to other enterprises of a benevolent character, he closely resembles his grandfather in the way of
their bestowal. In all matters tending to advance the public interests,
in the way of material improvements, he is a generous giver of time
and money. He is equally as methodical in his business system as was
his grandfather. Those acquainted with both have often been reminded
of their similarity, and of many other characteristics which are somewhat distinguished and marked.
AR 0 UE T RICHMONVD.
The following is an extract from the Detroit Evening News of
April ioth, I890:
"Arouet Richmond, for fifty years a resident in Detroit and long
known as among her solid business men, died at seven o'clock last
evening, after an illness of about five weeks.  He had for some time
been a sufferer from rheumatism, and the disease, complicated with
pneumonia, led to the fatal result April 9th, I890.
"Mr. Richmond was born at Canandaigua, New York, December
i7th, I8I7, of English parentage. He received a common school education and learned the trade of a book binder, thus laying the foundation for the management of the extensive business which he afterward
conducted. In 1839 the State printing of Michigan was secured by




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the old Advertiser Company, and wanting a practical man to look after
the book binding, they sent to Rochester for young Richmond to take
charge of this department.  He soon set up an establishment for himself, first occupying a store in the block where the old Fireman's Hall
now stands.  Mr. Backus soon afterward became a member of the
firm and its growth, enterprise and prosperity form an important feature in the business history of Detroit.  The recent troubles of this
extensive house, which in no wise involved its financial standing, are
familiar to all readers of current news.  Claim was made that Mr.
Richmond, so long an active, pushing and judicious business man, had
become incompetent to look after his affairs, and since that time he had
been in practical retirement.
"The deceased was a member of the Episcopal church, and for
years a recognized pillar in St. John's.  He was twice married, and
leaves a wife and five children, the youngest being fourteen.  Those
unmarried still reside at the handsome homestead, 43 High street
East."
Mr. Richmond was a Knights Templar, and for a long time was
active as a member of the Masonic fraternity.
EMIL    S. HEINELA N.
Emil S. Heineman was born at Neu-Haus, Kingdom of Hanover,
Germany, December I, I824. After receiving a business education,
Mr. Heineman left his native land for America, in 185I. Stopping for
a short time in New York, he proceeded to Cincinnati, where he
remained until i86o, when he removed to Detroit, which has since
been his home.
On his first arrival in Detroit, he for a time was associated with
the late David Amburg, and also with the Hon. Edward Breitung,
late Member of Congress from the Lake Superior District. In i86I,
Mr. Heineman established a clothing house, occupying first, the store
under the Russell House, corner of Woodward avenue and Cadillac
Square, from thence he removed and occupied the second floor over
G. and R. McMillan's store, and that occupied by Roos' restaurant.
He then began to extend his business into a wholesale trade, and finding the location too small, moved to the building at Nos. 142 and I44
Jefferson avenue, and established the house of Heineman, Butzel &
Company, which up to the first of January last did a large and successful trade, when Mr. Heineman withdrew, and is succeeded by Messrs.
Martin and Magnus Butzel, who continue the business at the same
place.
In I86o, Mr. Heineman married Miss Fanny Butzel, by whom he




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has a number of children, David E., being a promising young lawyer,
and Solomon E., secretary and treasurer of the Merz Capsule Company.
Mr. Heineman has acquired a handsome fortune, owning one very
fine brick block on Bates street; is a large stockholder in the Fort and
Elmwood street railway, of which he is the treasurer. He has one of
the finest residences on Woodward avenue, the grounds about it being
a perfect flower garden, exhibiting the fine taste of the owner in their
cultivation and embellishment.
This competency has been secured by the practice of frugality,
industry, and honest and honorable dealing with his fellow men, whose
esteem and confidence he has won and still holds.
Mr. Heineman has been alive and active in promoting all enterprises tending to build up and improve the city of his adoption, and has
not withheld his time or money whenever and wherever the giving
would benefit humanity.
7A COB BELLER.
Jacob Beller, a native of Switzerland, the only Republic at the
time in Europe, was born in Moosackn, in Homburg, May IT, I824.
He was the son of Jacob Beller, or Bachler (so spelled formerly), and
Maire (Stauffer) Beller, or Bachler.  His father was born June
24, 1796, and his mother, October I7, I8oo.   His grandfather,
Hans Bachler, was born near Wasseldon, Switzerland, and his
grandmother, Anna Waber, at Baucher Schwar, Switzerland. Jacob
Beller is a citizen of Buchholerburg (meaning a mountain), in
the Oberaut, (or bailiwick or town, in English), of Staufferburg. He
was baptised in the church of that town, May 14, 1824. After attending the schools and acquiring a good business education, he, with his
parents, left his native town, June I2, I844, for Havre de Grasse, and
there took passage on the good ship Havre de Grasse, Captain
Thompson, master, for New York, July 4th, I844. They reached the
latter city August, 13 I844.
Mr. Beller, after remaining a short time at New York, proceeded
to Rochester, where he entered the employ of Messrs. Molson Brothers,
who were leather manufacturers, and also had large nurseries.
September 24, I847, he married Janet Allan, whose acquaintance he
had made three years before. She was born near Glasgow, Scotland,
in September, I820. She died January 29, I86I. He had by her four
children: Jacob W., who died in California, December I0, I875; Jesse,
who married Jacob Haller, and now lives in British Columbia; John,
who is now engaged in business at Sioux City, Iowa; and Marion, who




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now resides at Three Rivers, Michigan, where she has erected a
church of the Free Methodist denomination, and where she devotes
her time to its affairs, preaching, taking care of the poor, and other
works of a charitable character. She is (judging from her letters), a
cultivated and highly educated lady, and has consecrated her life to the
work of the church.
Mr. Beller removed from Rochester, N. Y., to Detroit, in I852.
He engaged in business first on Monroe avenue.  He subsequently
erected the fine brick building on State street, which he still owns.
Mr. Beller married the second time Magdalena Keller, by whom he
had one son, Frederick. He is now farming in California.
Mr. Beller is well known in the city and throughout the State, as
having devoted his money and energy in establishing pleasure gardens
and rural places of resort. His present enterprise is on the bank of
the river, nearly opposite the bridge approach to Belle Isle Park, and
consists of bath houses for swimming, with a frontage of five hundred
feet on the river. A regular swimming master is permanently engaged,
and the art is scientifically taught. The grounds are laid out tastefully,
and afford accommodation for three thousand six hundred people. The
bath house proper has a capacity for five hundred persons, and is the
most complete bathing establishment is this country, costing, with the
pier running into the river, over ten thousand dollars, the entire outlay
for it, the gardens and buildings exceeding one hundred and ten
thousand dollars. The land cost forty-six thousand dollars. Mr. Beller
has done much, and been faithful in providing for the pleasure of the
public, and has an institution of which Detroit feels justly proud. That
it is fully appreciated is evidenced by the liberal patronage bestowed
upon it by its citizens.
7O0iN S. NE WBERR.
"The care of National commerce, the fostering of those enterprises which tend to
develop natural resources and the encouragement of home manufacturing industries,
redound more to the riches and prosperity of the public than any other act of our government."
Such was the sentiment expressed and practically demonstrated
by the subject of this sketch in his public and private life.
In respect to his public life, it was exceedingly unfortunate for the
First Congressional District, that he withheld his consent to serve a
second term in Congress, as his last effort in that body furnished the
evidence as to his profound knowledge of the kind of legislation
needed to command the respect of other nations for our commercial
rights. The principles enunciated and the logical manner of their presentation gained for him the commendation and recognition of not only




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the statesmen of his own, but also that of other nations, and furnished
the basis of adjustment for questions which had long vexed the wisdom
of legislators at home and abroad.
But while his desire to have these principles embodied in a fundamental law to govern the action of our government was strong, yet
there were so many distasteful details connected with the life of a
congressman, which, together with his extensive business enterprises
requiring his attention, induced him to withdraw from public life and
devote his time to the development of industries, which, perhaps, have
contributed as much in promoting the interests of the general public of
his own State as he could have done had he continued in Congress.
Some one has said, "A writer of lives may descend with propriety to minute circumstances and familiar incidents." The object of
the Wayne County Pioneer and Historical Society in publishing these
sketches is to preserve the record of those men who in their life's acts
and deeds have done so much for the State in securing its present
prosperous condition, and hence, employing the license given us, we
proceed to detail the various events and transactions connecting the
subject of this sketch with the moral, educational and material growth
of our city and State.
Hon. John Stoughton Newberry was a descendant of Thomas
Newberry, who removed from England and settled in the Province of
Massachusetts, near what is now Dorchester.  On the maternal side
his ancestors were of the Phelps family, from whom sprang the Hon.
Edward J. Phelps, of Vermont, ex-Minister to England.  His father,
Elihu Newberry, and his mother, Rhoda Phelps, were born and married at Windsor, Connecticut, from whence they removed to Waterville, Oneida county, New York, where the subject of this sketch,John
Stoughton Newberry, was born November i8th, I826.  He removed
with his parents to Detroit in i835.  They subsequently removed to
Romeo, Michigan, where he attended a branch of the Michigan University and prepared for college under the tutorship of the late Charles
W. Palmer, of Pontiac.
Mr. Newberry entered the sophomore class of the University at
Ann Arbor, and graduated as valedictorian at the age of eighteen, and
at once engaged in the practical work of surveying and engineering
with the late Colonel J. M. Berrien, then chief civil engineer of the
Michigan Central railroad. He continued two years in this work, and
after a year spent in travel, entered the law office of VanDyke &
Emmons, commenced the study of law, was admitted to the bar in
I853 and at once entered active practice, making admiralty a specialty.
Perhaps there were few attorneys who were as well prepared for the
practice of this branch of law as Mr. Newberry.  He was not only
familiar with the laws applying, but also with the science of managing




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and sailing a vessel, and the laws of navigation. His practice extended
and he soon had cases in every United States Court in the northwest.
His work on admiralty cases arising on the northern and northwestern
lakes and rivers is extensively quoted and used as reference.
In 1862 was the period when his sagacity led him to demonstrate
that the prosperity of a nation and its road to substantial wealth lay in
the encouragement and establishment of manufacturing industries. The
manufacturing of railroad cars was established on Third street, but
from some cause was in a languishing condition. Mr. Newberry was
impressed with the belief that the business should be made a success,
and associating with him the Hon. James McMillan, the Michigan Car
Company was organized, which from an enterprise employing fifty
men, now averages fifteen hundred. This led to the organization of the
following: The Detroit Car Wheel Company, the Fulton Iron and Engine Works, the Baugh Steam Forge Works, the Detroit Railroad Elevator, The Iron Star Company, The Vulcan Iron Company, and the
organization of a company for the construction of the Detroit & Marquette railroad; besides, he was one of the principal stockholders in
several other manufacturing enterprises. His interests in these necessitated his withdrawal from the practice of his profession. While these
enterprises added to his personal wealth, thousands have participated
in the results of the energy and foresight which initiated their inauguration and successful management.  The great benefit to the State in
the rapid development of its resources, through the agencies thus
established, can hardly be estimated, and we leave it for the imagination of the reader to determine what the condition of Michigan and
the city of Detroit would have been had they not existed.
The only public position held by Mr. Newberry, aside from that
of member of Congress, was that of provost marshal for Michigan, to
which he was appointed by President Lincoln in i862, and which, at
the end of two years, he resigned. We have already alluded to the
service rendered by him while a member of Congress. Foreign, as
well as the public journals of our own country, have paid more than
ordinary deference to the views, policy and measures advanced and
advocated by him.
Mr. Newberry, in his religious convictions, was a Presbyterian,
and while doing much for that denomination, we venture the assertion
that there is not a church or an educational or benevolent institution in
the city of his adoption but has been the beneficiary of his generosity. To specify, or attempt to individualize the many ways and
numerous objects for which Mr. Newberry has disbursed his accumulations, would partake of fulsomeness. No better index to the personal
character of Mr. Newberry can be written than the following. The
occasion was the almost entire destruction, by fire, of the organ, and
19




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much of the inside work of the Memorial church. While discussing
the disaster, this note was placed in the hands of the Rev. D. M.
Cooper: "Mindful of the damage to your beautiful chapel this morning,
and remembering the boyhood and college days you and I spent
together, and that this Memorial church on its dedication day shall be
free from any debt, will you allow me to pay for the repairs that may
be necessary.    Yours, as ever, in love and fellowship,
[Signed]                    JOHN S. NEWBERRY."
In I855 Mr. Newberry married Harriet Newell Robinson, of
Buffalo.  She died in I856, leaving one son.  He married again, in
I859, Miss Helen Handy, of Cleveland. Two sons and one daughter
are the fruits of this latter union.
Mr. Newberry departed this life at Detroit, January 2, I887.
IRA MA YHE W.
Ira Mayhew, LL. D., was born in Ellisburg, Jefferson county,
N. Y., in the year 18I4. He is a lineal descendant of Thomas Mayhew,
Governor and patentee of Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket and Elizabeth
Isles, who commenced a settlement at Edgertown, Martha's Vineyard,
in I642, and was a clergyman of note, as were many of his descendants,
the sacerdotal order, in fact, continuing unbroken in this family upwards
of one hundred and sixty years. Ira's parents, Wadsworth Mayhew
and Anna Cooper Mayhew, both of Cambridge, Washington county,
N. Y., were married in i805, and removed a few years after to Jefferson county, in the same State. The subject of this sketch was the
fourth of a family of seven children, of whom himself and his youngest
sister are the only survivors. He attended the common schools of the
country, and pursued a course of study at Union Academy, Belleville,
in his native town. In i832, at the age of eighteen, he was employed
to teach school in the district where he was born. Teachers, like poets,
are born, not made, and he thus early showed his aptitude for this line
of work. Being interested himself, he secured the interest and consequent advancement of his pupils. So successful was he that, contrary
to the usual custom, he was retained for the summer school also.
At the conclusion of this engagement, he went west, spending a
year in Detroit, Michigan, and Perrysburg, Ohio, teaching and surveying. Returning, he resumed the work of teaching in his native county.
In the summer of I836, his health having become impaired, he took an
ocean voyage to the banks of Newfoundland, but engaged again in
teaching on his return.
In i839, he received the appointment of Common School Visitor for




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his native county. His effective work here, in connection with his success as a teacher, was such that when, in i84I, as the result of the
labors and reports of these visitors, the first provision in this country
was made for county superintendents of schools, he received the
appointment to this position in Jefferson county, where he rendered
signal service to the cause of education.
In November, I843, Professor Mayhew removed with his family
to Monroe, Michigan, where he soon engaged in teaching, the Board of
Regents of the University constituting his school a branch of the University.
Hardly a year elapsed before he was nominated by Governor John
S. Barry for State Superintendent of Public Instruction. This nomination was confirmed by a concurrent vote of the Senate and House of
Representatives in joint convention, and in March, I845, Mr. Mayhew
entered upon the duties of the office. Two years later, nominated by
Governor Alpheus Felch, he was re-elected for a second term.
In this broader field of work than he had before occupied, he
showed himself equal to the occasion, working not merely, or even
chiefly, with schools and teachers, but undertaking with abundant success, to influence public opinion, and interest the people of the State in
the improvement of the schools of the State. At this time the State
University had not graduated a class, its work having been of necessity,
chiefly academic. No normal school had been provided, nor had
teachers' institutes been organized in the State.
After a survey of the situation, and upon careful investigation and
consideration, he arranged for a series of public meetings to be held at
various points through the State. As the M. C. R. R. at that time
extended only from Detroit to Marshall, the M. S. R. R. from Monroe
to Hillsdale, and the D. & M. R. R. from Detroit to Pontiac, (and
there were no other railroads in the State), he was compelled to make
many of his tours on horseback. He travelled thus for over five hundred miles, with almost daily appointments for a period of six weeks or
more. This laborious undertaking was productive?of great good,
awakening a general and lively interest in the cause of education
throughout the State. Later, he arranged and conducted a series of
teachers' institutes entirely without State aid. In numerous instances,
persons walked five or' six miles to attend his lectures, and teachers
came from fifteen to twenty miles to attend the institutes, where the
only modes of travel were on foot and by carts or wagons drawn by
oxen. These institutes had an aggregate attendance of several hundred young men and women, teachers, or persons preparing to teach.
Superintendent Mayhew himself lectured and taught in all of them, and
was ably assisted by Professor A. S. Welch, since Principal of the State
Normal School (not then established), and later President of the Iowa




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Agricultural College, and U. S. Senator from Florida, to fill vacancy,
and by others. Among the teachers in attendance who have since
become prominent in the educational work of Michigan and the
country, are Professor J. M. B. Sill, formerly City Superintendent of
Schools in Detroit, and now Principal of the State Normal School;
Professor Joseph Estabrook, since prominent as a teacher and educator,
and now our able Superintendent of Public Instruction; and Hon.
Edwin Willets, who has recently been both Principal of the Normal
School and President of the Agricultural College, and now of the
Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C.
Mr. Mayhew, in his reports, recommended the establishment of a
Normal School, and the extending of State aid to Teachers' Institutes.
He also thus early called the attention of the Legislature and of the
Board of Regents to the fact that the terms upon which the grant of
lands by Congress for the establishment of the University was made,
and their acceptance by the State, required that that institution be
opened to women as well as to men, the grant being for no one sex,
but for the benefit of the people of the State generally. During these
two terms of office, Superintendent Mayhew dedicated, at Jonesville,
the first Union school house built in the State, and aided in the organization of the first public school organized on the Upper Peninsula.
In January, I849, Superintendent Mayhew, by invitation of the
Legislature, delivered several lectures on Education, and the Michigan
School System, in the Representatives' Hall, which the House and
Senate by resolution invited him to prepare for publication in book
form, embodying with them such other matter as in his judgment
would tend to the improvement of our system of public instruction.
The following year he therefore devoted to the preparation of this
work, which, under the title, " Means and Ends of Universal Education," has for many years been a volume of the Teachers' Library, published by A. S. Barnes & Company, of New York.
Being convinced that our common schools should prepare boys
and girls for the common avocations in which the majority of them
would inevitably engage, Professor Mayhew now prepared an elementary Book-keeping, which he believed would give additional interest
even to the study of the three " R's," besides better fitting the rising
generation for their future duties in life. The favor with which this
little book was received showed the wisdom of his conclusions. Up to
this time book-keeping had not been an authorized school study, even
in the city of New York, our commercial emporium; but this work was
largely instrumental in introducing this subject both there and elsewhere, until at the present day it is almost universally taught.
In the fall of I853, Mr. Mayhew was elected Principal of the
Albion Seminary (now Albion College). This is the first and only




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instance of the election of a layman to this position. He was connected
with this institution only about fifteen months, for on the organization
of the Republican party in I854, he was again nominated for Superintendent of Public Instruction, which position he again held for two
terms. In his last election he received the largest majority on the
State ticket.
In I859, at the close of his term of office, Mr. Mayhew engaged
for a time in a private banking business. In I86o he also organized
and took charge of the Albion Commercial College. In March, I863,
he received from President Abraham Lincoln the appointment of Collector of Internal Revenue for the Third District of Michigan, and later
was also made Receiver of Commutation Moneys. He, however, continued the care of his College, and after closing his labors for the
Government, engaged in the preparation of a large work on bookkeeping and business, especially adapted to the needs of Business
Colleges. This was published in 1867, and the following year he
removed his College to Detroit, continuing in charge of it until I883,
thus devoting twenty-five years to business college work after retiring
from his official connection with the public schools.
In i878, the leading business college men of the country formed an
association for the improvement of these valuable institutions, of which
the Hon. Ira Mayhew was chosen first president, and in which he continues to take an active interest.
In I884, after retiring from the care of a college, he prepared and
published another volume on book-keeping, presenting a short, strong
course for graded and high schools. In I888, his most comprehensive
work on this subject, for colleges and the counting-room, was published, which is received with unprecedented favor.
Although Professor Mayhew engaged at an early day in teaching,
with only an academic education, his earnest and successful work as a
teacher and school officer brought him, in I848, the degree of A. M.
from a New England university. Continuous and fruitful labors in
these lines, and his valuable educational publications, in I876, brought
him the degree of LL. D.
Dr. Mayhew was married in I838 to Adeline Sterling, daughter of
Joseph and Emilia Sterling, of Adams, N. Y. Mrs. Mayhew died in
the autumn of I887, in the fiftieth year of their married life, as they
were anticipating celebrating their golden wedding. The Doctor,
although now well advanced in years, retains his interest in both the
public schools and business colleges, to which he has devoted his life,
and can usually be found in their annual meetings, considering with
unabated enthusiasm all plans for educational improvement. Since
early life he has been an active and consistent member of the M. E.
Church, and an earnest worker in the cause of temperance.




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MAR TIN GEIGER.
Martin Geiger was born in Angelica, N. Y., May 2, 1815, and has
been a resident of Detroit since I833. Was married to Ann Elizabeth
Christian, May 3rd, I838. Was for many years engaged in the printing business, latterly in the wholesale selling of stoneware, glassware
and crockery. He had an extensive trade in the United States and
Canada, and was recognized as an enterprising, honest, straightforward
man, by all who knew him, and was much esteemed by his fellow citizens
of Detroit. He lived to see the rapid and substantial growth of Detroit,
from a village of 6,ooo to a city of 250,000 in population.
He died January 29th, 1884, leaving his wife, Ann Elizabeth, and
one daughter to survive him. (After the above was written, the compiler was informed of the death of Mrs. Geiger, which occurred May
24, I889.)
AUG US TUS D. BORDENO.
The subject of this memoir belonged to one of the old French
families of Wayne county, his ancestors emigrating directly from
France at an early period.  He was the very soul of honor, of great
energy and earnestness in action, and a man whose word could not be
questioned.
Mr. Bordeno was born in Detroit, January 3d, I8II, and from
youth to manhood was subjected to the privations and hardships incident to frontier life, and therefore his education was limited, so far as a
knowledge of books was concerned.
He served during the Mexican War as orderly sergeant in Company "D," Fifteenth Regiment Michigan Infantry, and at its close was
discharged with high commendations for his courage and honest patriotism as a brave soldier.
When the call for troops was made in I86I, he was one of the first
to tender his services in support of the government, and enlisted in the
First Michigan Cavalry under Colonel Thornton F. Brodhead. His
son, John A. Bordeno, who was born in Delray, October iith, i842,
was also a member of this regiment. Both served until disabled, when
they were honorably discharged.
Sergeant A. D. Bordeno married Miss Victoria LeFaux, by whom
he had twelve children, of whom John A. was one. The latter married
Miss Rosa Dupre Wells, June 13th, i868, and still lives at Delray. He
also is a stirring, energetic man of high sense of honor and strict
integrity.
Sergeant A. D. Bordeno died January 3d, I884.




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WILLIAM A. BUTLER.
The following is an extract from the Detroit Tribune:
" William A. Butler, the well-known Detroit banker and financier,
was born at Deposit, N. Y., some seventy-six years ago, worked three
years in a wholesale dry goods establishment in New York city and in
a retail store at Northampton, Mass., for two years, and came, a single
man, to Detroit in 1836.  He engaged in the dry goods business on
Jefferson avenue, being associated at first with Darius Lamson, now
long deceased, under the firm name of Lamson & Butler. Of a lively
disposition, Mr. Butler was a good-looking young man, as he is now a
good-looking and well-preserved old gentleman, with white hair and
mustache, and was a favorite among the younger members of that
early Detroit society, masculine as well as feminine.
" Among his feminine acquaintances was an estimable young lady
of Ypsilanti who, many years ago, went over to join the silent majority,
and often on a Saturday night, and at other convenient times, the rising
young business man boarded one of the great stage coaches, which at
that period, before the railroad era, formed the only means of communication between the metropolis and the thinly-settled interior of the
Territory and State, and went down to call on her.
"It was on the occasion of one of these visits to Ypsilanti that Mr.
Butler formed the acquaintance of another young lady, nineteen years
old and pretty, from the town of Adams, Jefferson county, New York,
who was visiting in the family of Dr. Millington at the Normal school.
Her name was Miss Mary A. Harter, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Frederick Harter, of Adams, and the acquaintance thus formed was
continued by correspondence after the young lady returned to her New
York home. The result was that after a years' courtship, Mr. Butler
made preparations for one of the three events which are accounted the
most notable in human life, and left Detroit one day, being united in
marriage with Miss Harper at Adams, September I2th, I839.
"The young married couple took up their residence, on reaching
Detroit, on Congress street, between First and Cass streets, next to
where Frederick Buhl resided. Mr. Butler's partner in the dry goods
venture retired and he conducted the business alone for some time.
He was, however, a believer in the fatalistic doctrine as applied to the
occupation which men shall follow during life, and had become convinced that nature had equipped him for financiering, instead of for the
dry goods trade. He was for two years silent partner with the late A.
H. Dey in a private bank, and in i849 he started in the banking business for himself, the firm name being Bailey & Butler at first and afterward William A. Butler.
"In I870 he organized the Mechanics' National Bank in this city, of




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which, with headquarters in the Butler Block, which he built at 82 and
84 Woodward avenue, he has been president ever since. For twenty
years he has been a stockholder in the Detroit Fire and Marine Insurance Company, and for the past five years has been president of the
corporation.  His first home on West Congress street was occupied
but about a year, and he has since built three residences at different
times and in different portions of the city.  His present elegant and
commodious home on the corner of Lafayette avenue and Third street
was begun in I873 and has been occupied by him since I875. Mr. and
Mrs. Butler's children are three in number, Edward H., William A., Jr.,
and Frederick E. Butler, all of whom have attained recognition as men
of ability in Detroit banking circles.
7OHN C. HOLMES.
John C. Holmes the eighth president of the State Historical and
Pioneer Society, was born in Salem, Massachusetts, Sept. 29th, i8o9.
He obtained his education at the public and grammar schools of his
native town. At the age of 26 he decided to find a home in the west,
and after a tedious journey by stage, he arrived in Detroit on the 5th
day of March, I835. He immediately entered the employment of John
and Mason Palmer, with whom he remained until I840, when, John
and Mason Palmer having dissolved, Mr. Holmes entered into partnership with John, which firm continued until I853. While Mr. Holmes
was still in the dry goods business, having a taste for horticulture, he
had planted a nursery near the city limits, and on retiring from merchandising he gave his whole attention for a number of years to horticultural pursuits. In I847 he was elected president of the Detroit Horticultural Society, and became the editor of the horticultural department
of the Michigan Farmer. In I849 he suggested the organization of the
Michigan State Agricultural Society, and became its secretary, serving
it in that capacity until i857. While secretary of the State Society, he
conceived the idea of establishing a State Agricultural College, independent of all other institutions of learning. The idea was put in form by
petitioning the Legislature, which resulted in the passage of an act for
establishing, and making an appropriation, for the purchase of a farm
and the construction of buildings. The college was dedicated and
opened for students May I5th, i857. Mr. Holmes was appointed
treasurer and professor of horticulture. He was president of the State
Horticultural Society from I854 to I857. In i873 he became a member of the Wayne County Historical Society, and was its president from
i882 until his death, which occurred suddenly December i6th, I887.
Professor Holmes was a man of kind and equitable temperament, unos



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tentatious in manner, but of great firmness of character, governed in its
exercise, however, by a due regard for the opinions and rights of others
after careful deliberation. He died enjoying the confidence and respect of
all who knew him, for his strict integrity, his high morality, his sound
judgment and his intellectual capacity.
RICHARD H. HALL.
"He possessed penetration, industry, courage, vigilance, and large benevolence. "-JHume.
' His office was to give entertainment,
And lodging to all that came and went."-Sfience.
Richard H. Hall was born at Troy, in the State of New York, in
i8i6. He was English in descent, and as a boy his educational advantages were limited. He, however, would seem to have improved them,
as at the age of twenty he possessed a good business education.
After spending some time in Auburn, New York, in I836 he came
to Detroit and immediately engaged in the grocery business, and soon
began to extend his trade beyond the limits of the city, as we find that
the building he occupied soon became too small, and always having a
preference for brick, he erected the first brick store on the north side
of Woodward avenue, near the river, which he occupied for a number
of years as a wholesale and retail grocery store.  Subsequently he
built a store on the corner of Woodward avenue and Congress street,
where he continued to do business for a number of years. In I856, he
being compelled to take a quantity of land in Springwells for debt, and
finding the soil to be clay, and as it seemed to him good for nothing
else, started the manufacture of brick.  This he continued until his
death.  Meantime having sold out his grocery business he turned his
attention to the making of brick and the construction of buildings.  In
his brick business the first four years he made only three or four million per year, but by I88o his average was over twenty millions and he
had erected fine brick blocks in several parts of the city. His business
in the wholesale grocery trade gave him an extensive acquaintance all
over the State.  Governor Baldwin was at that time engaged in the
wholesale boot and shoe trade and Z. Chandler in the dry goods.
After the fall trade was over the three would start together over the
State on collection tours among their customers, and we have listened
for hours to the relation of his experience with these gentlemen on
their annual trips. Sometimes one and then the other would get all
the money the customer had, and on their return they would average
up (as Mr. Hall termed it), that is, each would receive his proportion
of the entire collection made by the whole.




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Mr. Hall was a regular attendant of St. Paul's Episcopal church,
and was very liberal in his gifts to it, as well as all other churches in
the city; and in all enterprises for the improvement of the city, whether
in religious, educational, or in material growth, ever found him an
active and generous supporter.
He was not a seeker for political favor, although identified with
the Republican party and never withholding his aid. He was as ready
to condemn a wrong measure or act committed by its partisans as of
those of the opposite party.  He was very tenacious in his personal
friendships. The late Governor McClelland, Theodore Romeyn, A.
H. Frazer and C. C. Trowbridge were among his closest friends.
Mr. Hall was a member of the Pioneer and Historical Society.
In 1844 he married Miss Harriet S. Fullam, of Chelsea, Vermont.
They had eight children, four of whom are still living.
He departed this life at Detroit, April iith, i886, leaving a wife
and five children to sorrow, and a large circle of personal friends to
mourn the loss of his presence.
WILLIAM     P. GRIFFIN.
William P. Griffin was born in the city of Utica, N. Y., September
27th, I8I3. The father of Mr. Griffin, Augustus Griffin, was descended
from Welsh stock. His grandfather came from Wales to America
and his mother, whose maiden name was Rachel Curtis, was from
English ancestors.
Augustus Griffin, the father, died at Redford, Mich., January 30oth,
i853, and the mother at the same place, October I3th, 1846. They left
six children; a daughter, who married Levi F. Johnson, who settled in
the township of Redford in the fall of I832.  Soon after the birth of
the subject of this sketch, his parents removed from Utica and located
at the following places respectively, in the State of New York:
Taburg, near Rome; Rotterdam, Oswego county, and in the town of
Constantia, where his father purchased a farm in I820.  In I833 his
father decided to come to Michigan.  Selling his farm he placed the
proceeds of the sale in a chest, which was subsequently lost and neither
it or its contents were ever found. Notwithstanding this he, with his
family, started for the west, landing in Detroit July 20th, I833. They
took a canal boat at Syracuse for Buffalo and a steamer for Michigan,
commanded by Captain Blake, across lake Erie. Spending a short
time in Detroit, his father hired a team and proceeded on their journey
to Redford, taking the old Chicago road as far as TenEyk's old stand,
and then the territorial to the tavern called the " Cramer House," and




307 -


from thence north to the house of E. Dains.   There being no
bridge over the Rouge they were compelled to leave their team and
cross on logs, as Mrs. Johnson lived a mile from Mr. Dains on the
opposite side of the river.  The family remained with Mrs. Johnson
for a month, and the father, purchasing eighty acres of land near by,
built a log house and removed his family into it.
In those early days they were called upon to endure many hardships and privations, but withal were happy in the expectation of soon
making a home.
The woods were full of game and the monotony and disabilities
incident to their frontier life was relieved by hunting and fishing. Mr.
Griffin relates that on one occasion, while going to his sister's, he
encountered a pack of seven wolves. Although he had his rifle he did
not dare to shoot, for fear that if he wounded one it.would make the
rest more likely to attack him, so he quietly walked away.
In the winter of I838 Mr. Griffin taught school, which he continued to do every winter for several years thereafter. January 3d,
I84I, he married Miss Mary A. Simmons, who bore one daughter and
one son. Both are living. In i844 he bought, of Harry Dains, a farm
of eighty acres, which he still owns.
In the spring of I846 he was elected a justice of the peace, and
was re-elected, and served as such, five terms. In I859 Peter Fralick,
then sheriff, made him his deputy. In I86I his wife, Mary A. Simmons, died. April 3oth, i869, he married Mrs. Mary Delamater. She
was the youngest sister of Col. Henry Barnes and died February i8th,
1870, leaving a son and daughter, who are still living.  In I871 he
married the third time, Miss Mary A. Gleason. She died October 23d,
I886, leaving no children.
Mr. Griffin is a man of intelligence and integrity and enjoys the
confidence and respect of all who know him.  He is at present living
in Detroit, going to his farm occasionally.
HIRAM GRANGER.
We learn that there was a man named " Hiram " whom Solomon
relied upon for devising and superintending the building of the temple.
It is said that his abilities were not confined to building only, but
extended to all kinds of work, whether in gold, silver, brass or iron, and
as an architect, founder or designer, he excelled all others. He was a
man of untiring energy and perseverance, full of resources for every
emergency, and never discouraged.




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Hiram Granger has exemplied in his life that he possesses some of
the characteristics credited to him from whom his christen name is
derived.
Thrown upon the world at an early age to carve his own way, he
learned to depend upon himself. His boyhood and early manhood was
spent in Ohio. He was born at Deerfield, Portage county, Ohio, on
the 22d day of February, I8I3. His father, Thaddeus Granger, was
born in Suffield, Connecticut, in the year I757, and moved first to
Greenville, second to the Territory of Ohio, or New Connecticut, as
then called, and his mother, whose maiden name was Julia Manley, was
born at Granville, Mass., about the year i780. They were married at
Granville, Mass., in I805, and had five sons and one daughter born to
them. Hiram, the subject of this sketch, was the second son. Utilizing the meager educational opportunities afforded him, he acquired a
fair English education. Soon after reaching his majority he married
and came to Michigan in the year i839, locating on a wild farm in the
county of Macomb. With his own hands he erected his first dwelling
and cleared his farm, but farming being not congenial, at the end of six
years he came to Detroit and engaged in the tobacco trade with Isaac
Miller. Soon after his arrival at Detroit he met for the first time John
J. Bagley, whom he took to Mr. Miller, where he found him employment in the business, which John J. Bagley continued to his death.
Mr. Granger's part of the business with Mr. Miller was traveling
with a team and selling tobacco from a wagon, through Michigan,
northern Indiana and Ohio. This he continued for four years, and then
traveled by cars until i856, when he, with Daniel Scotten and Wm. E.
Lovett, established the Hiawatha Tobacco Works.  His connection
continued'until i862, when he sold out his interest, and then engaged
in banking under the firm name of Kellogg, Granger & Sabine. Meanwhile he organized what is now known as the Globe Tobacco Company, under the firm name of Walker, McGraw & Co. At the end of
eight years he disposed of his interest in this company and established a
factory of his own, known as the Granger Tobacco Works, the principal brand being the "Seal of Detroit."  He continued to manufacture
this brand himself until just prior to the death of the late Governor
Bagley, when he consolidated with John J. Bagley & Company, which
arrangement still continues, he manufacturing the " Seal of Detroit" as
a specialty.




- 309 -

ALONZO LACEY CHAPMAN.
Alonzo Lacey Chapman, one of the old pioneers of Wayne county,
died at his residence in Livonia, on September 19, I883, at eleven
o'clock in the forenoon. He was attacked with a paralytic stroke in
April, i882, but recovered from it enough to walk with the help of a
cane. He had been in his usual vigorous and robust health prior to
this stroke. A second attack occurred on the evening of Thursday,
September I3, I883, and he lingered till his death, on the i9th. From
the moment of his second attack he gradually declined, his life going
out peacefully and painlessly.
Mr. Chapman was born in Stephentown, Rensselaer county,
N. Y., August 28, I8o6. He was the youngest son of Zechariah Chapman, who was born at East Haddam, Connecticut, and left there when
a young man, and settled in Stephentown, N. Y. His mother was
Annie Lacey, whose ancestors were also from East Haddam. Mr.
Chapman was of English extraction, being descended from Robert
Chapman, one of the first settlers of Saybrook, Connecticut. The line
of his descent is as follows:
Robert Chapman, the first settler in America, born about the year
I617, in the reign of James I., in Yorkshire, England.
Robert Chapman, Jr., born about the middle of September, I646,
at Saybrook, Connecticut.
Robert Chapman, the third, was born April I9, I675, at Saybrook,
Connecticut; Caleb Chapman, born August 2Ist, I704, at East Haddam, Connecticut; Caleb Chapman, born April I9, I732, at East Haddam, Connecticut; Zechariah Chapman, born February 29, I76I, at
East Haddam, Connecticut; Alonzo Lacey Chapman, born August 28,
I8o6, at Stephentown, New York.
The Chapman family is, therefore, as the above record shows, of
ancient origin, the branch to which Robert Chapman, the first settler in
this country, and the first of the name to settle in America belonged,
being located in the County of York, England.
The coat of arms of the family in England, valuable and curious
now only as a historic relic of the days of chivalry and knight errantry,
is described in the quaint language of that era as a " crescent, the crest
being a dexter arm embowed, habited in mail, holding in the hand a
broken tilting spear enfiled with a chaplet of laurel, with the motto:
'Cresct' sub pondere virtus' "-virtue increases under affliction.
Fifteen years after the Mayflower landed her heroic passengers at
Plymouth Rock, and in the month of August, i635, this Robert Chapman, the first settler, left the city of Hull, in England, for the new
world, and landed at Boston, Massachusetts. On the third day of
November, i635, in company with Lyon Gardiner, and being one of




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the company of twenty sent over by Sir Richard Saltonstall, he sailed
from Boston for Saybrook, and helped to establish the fort at that
place, and lived there for fifty years, dying October 13, i687. When he
left England he was, as is supposed, about eighteen years of age. He
took an active and prominent part in the historic events which group
themselves by a chivalric and romantic association around the name of
Saybrook. He married Ann Bliss, April 29, i642. He was a man of
influence in the town of Saybrook, and for many years held the office
of Town Clerk, and Clerk of the Oyster River quarter, and was
elected a representative to the Legislature at Hartford forty-three
times, and assistant nine times. The object of the expedition to Saybrook sent by Sir Richard Seltonstall, was to take possession of a large
tract of land, and make settlements near the mouth of the Connecticut
river under the patent of Lord Say and Seal. After the Indians were
subdued, the settlers proceeded to clear up the forests and form a permanent settlement, and Robert Chapman settled on a large tract of
land in Oyster river, about two miles west of the old Saybrook fort,
and this land has descended in the line of the youngest son of each
family, never having been bought or sold out of the family, and is now
occupied, or was until recently, by Hon. George H. Chapman, the
youngest of the fifth generation. His parents were Puritans. There
is now on this farm a fashionable watering place and popular resort,
and advertisements speak of it as the Sea Shore Hotel, Chapman
strand, Saybrook, Connecticut, formerly Oyster River House, from
which it would appear that this old Puritan has left a home and record
to which his descendents look back with pride.
The records of the General Court at Hartford, Connecticut, show
that on October 3, I654, an order was passed to fit out an expedition
against the Narragansett Indians. There is the following entry, quaint
in every particular, save in the brave, quiet determination which
breathes in every line and word:-" The Comittee, chosen by this
Courte to press men and necessaryes, in each Towne, for this Expedityon, in each Towne, till it be Ended, is as followeth "-and among
the names in the " Comittee " that "followeth " are: " For Seabrooke,
John Clarke & Robert Chapman, with the Maior," meaning Major
Mason. Other quaint and interesting records follow in quick succession.  One at a general session held at Hartford called by the
Governor, July 6, i665, contained the following:
"This Courte haveing by his Mati" order been informed that
DeRuyter is likely to assault his Mat1" colonies in these parts of the
world, and that it is his regall pleasure, that his subjects here should
put themselves in a posture of defence agaynst the common adversary.
In pursuance thereof do order that each planta" in this colony should
consid of some way for the discovery of the approach of the enemy,




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and that upon the discovery of the approach of the enemy they presently give notice thereof to ye committee appointed by the Courte,
who are to act therein according to the power committed to them by
this assembly."
One of "ye committee" was Robert Chapman, of Saybrook.
Again, at the General Court of Hartford, October I4, i675: "Mr.
Robert Chapman is by this Courte appoynted Captn of the Train
Band of Saybrook during these present commotions with the Indians."
The records of those early days are full of similar entries showing
that this, the " first settler " of the family in this country, braved his
full share of the dangers, and did his duty well in laying the foundations for the future Republic of Liberty, and that in all that made for
the welfare of the infant colony he was the active and influential citizen.
Zechariah Chapman, the father of the subject of this sketch, was
born as the above record shows, at East Haddam, Connecticut, and
was the fifth child of Caleb Chapman, being one of a family of eighteen
children. He was a shoemaker at Stephentown, N. Y., at first, afterwards, a farmer, and was a soldier three years in the Revolutionary
War. He was with Washington on the Hudson at the time of Arnold's
treason and the capture of Major Andre. He took the place of another
soldier who was ordered to another duty, and stood sentinel over
Andre the night before his execution, and often in relating the circumstance to his son, Alonzo, in after years, declared that Major Andre
was the handsomest man he ever saw.
The birthplace of Alonzo L. Chapman, was about three miles
north of Lebanon Springs, on the old VanRensselaer claim, and about
one mile from the Massachusetts State Line. Here he passed his boyhood and young manhood at work on the small farm his father owned,
and in teaching school. His longest term in teaching was eleven
months at the village of Sand Lake, in Rensselaer county, N. Y. He
was fond of narrating his hunting experiences on the Catskill mountains, and his feats of skill with the rifle at shooting matches. While
engaging with all the ardor of youth in all the sports and exercises of
young manhood, he was 'strictly temperate and of unimpeachable
integrity and morality.
September 22, 1830, he married Charlotte Cole, who survives himOn the Saturday of the week he died he had intended to celebrate the
fifty-third anniversary of that event at the house of John G. Bennett,
one of his sons-in-law.
There were eight children born to them, five of whom are now
living, and six of these were present at his funeral, and followed him to
his last resting place.  His children are given below, with the dates
and places of their birth:
Mary Orselia Chapman, born at Stephentown, N. Y., January 27,




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1832, died at Stephentown, February I7, i836; Rosolthe Laura Gilmore, wife of Alexander Gilmore, born at Stephentown, September 28,
i833, resides at Northville, Michigan; Albert J. Chapman, born at
Stephentown, N. Y., August ii, i835; Edwin Alonzo Chapman, born
at the town of Cooper, Kalamazoo county, Michigan, May 22, 1838,
died at Jackson, Michigan, March i, i888; Horace Chapman, born in
the township of Livonia, Wayne county, Michigan, April 7, I84I, died
in the same place, June 17, i842; Oscar David Chapman, born in
Livonia, May I5, i843; Louisa Augusta, wife of John G. Bennett, born
in Livonia October 3, i845, resides in Livonia; Lucy Ophelia, wife of
Barnabas Mosher, born in Livonia, December I4, I85o, resides at
Byers, Mecosta county, Michigan.
About the 6th of November, i836, he left Stephentown, N. Y. for
the township of Cooper, Kalamazoo county, Michigan. He was six
days and nights crossing the State of New York on the Erie canal.
This was before the days of railroads. At Buffalo, he took passage
with his family on the old steamboat Columbus for Detroit, and was
four days crossing Lake Erie, a fierce storm driving the boat back
twice, once to Dunkirk, and once to Erie. He took great pleasure in
recalling this journey, and grew quite enthusiastic in speaking of this
passage of Lake Erie. His family then consisted of his wife and two
children, Rosalthe and Albert. He was literally going into a wilderness, trackless, pathless, and roadless, with brave heart and strong
arm, to hew out a home and fortune.
In Kalamazoo county, his life was a hard one, owing to the privations incident to pioneer life, and also of sickness, all save his wife being
prostrated for months at a time with fever and ague. He remained
three years in that county, and then moved to the farm in Livonia, in
the county of Wayne, Michigan, where his subsequent life was spent,
and where he died. He reached there March 2, I840, thus having
lived there forty-three years and six months. This farm is situated
one half mile south of the little village of Elm, on the Detroit, Lansing
and Northern Railroad.
While he lived in Kalamazoo county, a tribe of the Pottawatomie
Indians still occupied their reservation near his dwelling, and his son,
Albert J., recalls as one of his earliest recollections, seeing them defile,
in true Indian style, across his father's fields, as they started on their
long journey to the west of the Mississippi. His attention was called
to them by their chief himself, then in full uniform of feathers and
paint, waiting in his father's dwelling, while Mrs. Chapman, his mother,
was getting him some food.
The farm on which he settled in Livonia was, when he reached it,
in i840, as stated above, but a mere opening in the woods, and the
prospect for the future was forbidding and cheerless. Pioneering in




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Wayne county in those early days meant the hardest kind of hard
work. His farm lay along what afterwards was the Plymouth plank
road. When this plank road company was organized he was among
the first to give it his active support. He subscribed one hundred
dollars to its stock, and he paid the first installment into its treasury of
ten dollars. The payment was made to Asa H. Otis, who afterwards
built the entire road.
He was always a warm and active supporter of schools, keeping
his sons in school when they could have been of substantial service to
him in carrying on his farm and lightening the burden that always lay
heavy on his shoulders.
Mr. Chapman was a man of strict integrity and of fearless, uncompromising fidelity to his convictions of right and duty. He had a high
sense of justice and cared nothing for public opinion or unpopularity
when in his opinion the pathway of duty lay before him. He would
not knowingly be guilty of any dishonest or dishonorable dealing with
his neighbors. He had such an abhorrence of debt that he would not
allow himself, save under very exceptional circumstances, to ask credit
to the extent of a dollar. He was never known to flinch from any
danger or duty in any place.
In politics he was a Democrat, down to the formation of the
Republican party, when he went into that organization, and voted the
Republican ticket until the opening of the campaign of I876, when he
joined the Independent (Greenback) party and voted for Peter Cooper
and Samuel F. Cary.
The writer remembers being present at the annual school meeting
in his district in the fall of I85o. The threatening outcome of the compromise measures then pending in Congress, and which had stirred the
country as it had not been before in many a long year, if ever, reached
with its influence this small gathering of hard-handed, honest farmers
at their school meeting.  The regular business was pushed hastily
through, the meeting adjourned, and instantly all present were called
again to order as a political meeting. Here was seen a practical realization of the beneficent effect of that wise provision in the first article of.
the first amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which
guaranteed to the people the right to peaceably assemble and discuss
measures and questions which they considered affected the common
welfare of the Republic.
Mr. Chapman was made chairman, and then followed a discussion
of the questions then pending, particularly the repeal of the compromise measures of I820, and the re-enactment of the fugitive slave law,
with very stringent and degrading provisions, which the writer never
saw or heard excelled for manly earnestness and honest indignation. Among those who took part were Alexander Blue, afterwards
21




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County Auditor of Wayne county, and Cyrus Ashcroft, both of them
residents of the neighborhood. Ashcroft had been a student in the
Norwich University, of Vermont, and a member of the Legislature of
that State, and was an exceedingly interesting man. He had a manly,
independent way of thinking, and was thoroughly aroused in his opposition to, and bitter in his denunciations of the slave power and its
aggressions in re-enacting the fugitive slave law. None present, however, were more thoroughly imbued with the spirit of the meeting, or
entered more heartily into its sentiments and the discussion than Mr.
Chapman.
This was one of those spontaneous indications of the drift of
popular thought and sentiment, that are significant as showing that here
among the masses at least rests that solid foundation of popular patriotism which will be the sure, unfailing safeguard to the Republic in its
hour of danger.
He was a great reader, and always took particular delight in reading the story of the Revolutionary War. To him the glorious old story
was always fresh and new.
When a young man he joined a company of the New York militia,
and served his time with a hearty zest and love for the service in carrying a musket, and as one of the musicians playing the fife. It was the
good old days of the fife and drum music, which he was not alone of the
opinion has never been excelled for stirring power by any other martial music that has since been devised. There are those still living in
Livonia, who listened nightly to the music of his old fife with which he
in later years made the woods ring around his dwelling after a hard
days' work on his farm. Any allusion to his old training days in the
militia always aroused his old time fire and enthusiasm.
There was a custom prevalent among the rank and file of the
militia in Rensselaer county, N. Y., a rollicking, boisterous, merry custum, of starting out before break of day to wake up the officers. This
was done by going quietly up to their houses to the nearest room or
window where the officer slept, and suddenly, and without any noise or
note of warning, discharging heavily loaded muskets. He always
insisted, with a merry laugh, that one salute was effectual. He was not
behind in this sport. On one occasion he loaded his musket much
more heavily than usual, and going quietly up to the window of the
room where the officer to be awakened slept, raised the musket over
his head and fired. The musket burst, and a piece of the gun struck
his lower jaw and passed entirely through his face, leaving a wound,
whose large ugly scar, he bore to his grave. It always troubled him
when he shaved.
In his earlier years in Livonia, his principal market was the village
of Plymouth, where he bartered his farm products with the merchants




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there for such things as he needed in the plain, homespun life he then
lived. Among these merchants were the brothers Henry and Peter
Fralick, Thomas P. May, John S. Scattergood, and Daniel Myers, men
whose names will long be remembered in that village as high-minded,
honorable, upright, public spirited citizens and merchants. Occasionally journeys were made to Detroit. The route for all that section in
those early days lay along the old Ann Arbor road from Wallaceville,
by the old TenEyck place, near Dearborn, along what is now the
southern border of Woodmere Cemetery, by Delray, then consisting
solely of the log tavern of the widow McGregor, thence by Fort
Wayne and the old river road to Detroit.
Mr. Chapman was the sole survivor of all the men who lived in all
'that section of Livonia and Redford, when he moved there. He had a
superb constitution which was never impaired by any bad habits, and
he enjoyed robust health. He was temperate in all his habits, and his
life closed as naturally, quietly and peacefully as the ripe apple drops
from its stem. He had no disease. He had simply lived out the full
measure of his days.
In personal appearance he was about five feet ten inches in height,
average weight about one hundred and sixty pounds when in his prime,
a penetrating blue eye, high forehead, auburn hair, which turned gray
early. He never wore a beard. He walked erect and with a resolute
mein and look. His was not a smooth face, but had the rugged outlines of a man born for action. He had beetling brows, one of those
faces of hill and valley that indicate the positive, reliable man.
Six farmers, his neighbors and friends, who had known him longest of the second generation from the pioneers, acting as pall bearers,
bore his lifeless remains on September 20, I883, out from his old home
and under the magnificent evergreens and maples he loved so well, to
the hearse which bore them to their last resting place.
He has gone to his fathers, been gathered to his rest.
EDWARD LrON.
Edward Lyon was born at Shelburn, Vermont, in i805, and served
on board of steamboats as steward and clerk in early youth. In I833
leased the Franklin House at Cleveland, which he kept three years;
came to Detroit in the spring of I836, and from thence, after spending
a short time in business at Ionia, in I840 purchased the National Hotel,
on the site now occupied by the Russell House. Thig he ran six years,
when he purchased the Michigan Exchange, which he owned at
the time of his death.
Mr. Lyon demonstrated what pluck, combined with industry and




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good habits, can accomplish in accumulating an independent fortune,
and died possessing the confidence and esteem of a large circle of
acquaintances and friends in the State.
He was a member of the City Council one term; at his death was
senior warden of St. Paul's Episcopal Church.
FRANCIS RAYMOND.
In the year I832 Andrew Jackson was President of the United
States, George B. Porter owas governor, Stevens Thompson Mason
was secretary and acting governor of the Territory of Michigan, and
Levi Cook was mayor of Detroit, then a city with a population of two
thousand five hundred inhabitants, who were mainly interested in the
successful prosecution of the Black Hawk War.  During the same
year the cholera appeared in Detroit, having been brought here by a
detachment of General Scott's army on its way to the seat of war.  It
spread so rapidly that of the two thousand five hundred inhabitants
only one thousand five hundred remained, the rest having died or fled
to the country. The stores were closed and all business was suspended.
All was gloom in the city, and in the country bridges over streams
were destroyed and guards stationed on all roads to prevent the panic
stricken people from the city passing to the country towns.  It was at
this period that the subject of this sketch landed in Detroit.
Francis Raymond was born in the city of New York, December
i5th, I816. His education was such as the common schools of the city
afforded, and at the age of sixteen a brother-in-law (the venerable
Horace Hallock, then a merchant of Detroit), induced him to come
west and take a position in his store.  He landed at Detroit in May,
I832, and immediately entered upon his duties with Mr. Hallock. In
I840 he became a partner and under the firm name of Hallock & Raymond continued the business until I848, when Mr. Raymond went into
the book trade, which he conducted for a great number of years, during
which he absorbed the firms of Morse & Sellick, Thomas Cook &
Company, Kerr, Morley & Company and had as partner at one time
the late T. K. Adams. The firms of Hallock & Raymond, clothiers,
and Francis Raymond & Company, booksellers, were extensively
and favorably known in Detroit and throughout the State.  Mr. Hallock is still in business and is the oldest living merchant in Detroit.
Mr. Raymond has been identified with all the benevolent, educational and moral enterprises in Detroit since I832. He was one of a
number of boys and young men who, in the winter of I832-3, associated
in the movement which led to the organization of the Detroit Young
Mens' Society, and for eight years was its secretary.  It was




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incorporated in I837 and his name is found in the act of incorporation.
Himself and wife were two of the thirteen original members of the
First Congregational church. It was organized December 25th, i844.
He was then elected clerk of the church and has retained that relation
to it up to the present time. He was chosen a deacon March 2nd, i854,
and is at this writing the oldest in time of service of the present Board
of Deacons.
As a business man, as a public citizen and as a church member he
has maintained the character of a man, losing sight of self interest in
promoting what he thought was right.
On the 6th day of January, I842, he married Miss Ruth Rice.
She was the daughter of Dr. Justice Rice, a physician of eminence,
who came to Detroit in I826, and died in I850. She was born in Carlisle, Schoharie county, New York, January 22nd, I822, and was
brought by her parents to Detroit in I826.  Mr. and Mrs. Raymond have had eight children, two of whom died in infancy. They
have two sons and four daughters living.  One of his sons (Francis,
Jr.,) entered the army July 24, i862, as commissary sergeant of the
Twenty-fourth Regiment of Michigan Infantry; April ist, i864,
was commissioned lieutenant and appointed adjutant of the First Michigan Infantry; May 5th, i864, was wounded at the battle of the Wilderness, was promoted to a captaincy July I5th, i865, and mustered out the
same month. He now resides and is engaged in a successful business
at St. Louis, Missouri.
During the War of the Rebellion Mr. Raymond was an official
member of the Christian Commission for Michigan.  His store was
made the depot for stores and contributions, and it was his duty to
receive and forward them to such points as the movement of our troops
required.
COL. WILLIAM       PHELPS.
Earnestness was the distinguishing characteristic of the subject of
this sketch.
All enterprises that he attempted he prosecuted with energy and
pertinacity, permitting no ordinary obstacle to swerve him from the
objective or to dampen his zeal, so long as there remained a hope of
their successful accomplishment. Col. Wm. Phelps was born in Scipio
Cayuga county, New York, November i9th, 18i6. His father was a
farmer. Up to the age of I4 he assisted on the farm, then entered a
country store in Scipio as clerk. He remained there and at Lavanna
until I835; then catcfiing the western fever, induced by a visit to his
uncle the fall previous, he with his brother Ralph came to Detroit, and




-318 -

at once engaged in the dry goods trade as one of the firm of Lyon &
Phelps. This relation continued but a brief period, and he then taught
a district school until the public funds becoming exhausted, when in
company with his brother Ralph, he opened a grocery store at No. 35
Woodward avenue. His stock of goods inventoried about $8o, beside
a soda fountain, which was the first ever introduced in Detroit. In I840
Ralph withdrew, leaving William to conduct the business, which by
careful management developed into the wholesale grocery house of
Phelps & Brace, which grew to be one of the largest of the kind in
Detroit.
Col. Phelps was an active Republican, and during the late civil
war visited the camps of the soldiers, carrying with him supplies, looking after the sick and wounded. In the spring of I862, President
Lincoln appointed him Allotment Commissioner, which took him to the
front, where he rendered good service to the soldiers of the State and
their families. In i863 he was appointed paymaster, with the rank of
major, in which capacity he served during the remainder of the war;
when, at his own request, he was mustered out of the service with the
rank of lieutenant-colonel.
Col. Phelps in his religious convictions was a Methodist and a
member of the Central M. E. church. As in all matters with which he
was connected, he was as active in promoting the influence of his church
and aiding with his purse and time its establishment and growth.
As a citizen he was prominent in furthering all measures and means
tending to secure for his adopted city public schools for the masses,
homes for the unfortunate and sanitary improvements for the benefit of
all. He stood high with the Masonic fraternity, was a working member of a number of benevolent associations and largely interested in
several important industrial enterprises of the city.
Col. Wm. Phelps died at his residence on Washington avenue,
July 24th, I879. He leaves a wife, who still survives him, and four
children.
He was an early member of this Society and contributed a very
interesting paper, entitled "Early Recollections of Detroit," to its
literature.
ALEXANDER H. ADAMS.
Alexander H. Adams was born at Cincinnati, Ohio, in i813. Came
to Detroit in i836.
Mr. Adams was connected with the Cincinnati branch of the
United States Bank prior to his coming to Detroit. On his arrival here
he was appointed a member of the Board of Commissioners of Internal




-319 -

Improvements, which he held for five years, and in I845 was appointed
cashier of the Michigan State Bank. At the expiration of its charter
he became connected with the Detroit Savings Fund Institute, which
in I871 was reorganized under the name of the Detroit Savings Bank.
Mr. Adams was made cashier, and was its president at the time of his
death.
He was much esteemed and gained the confidence and respect of
the business men as well as the citizens generally.
He died on the ist day of December, I883, at Detroit.
JUDGE A. G. BO.TNTON.
Every man is said to possess certain characteristics which individualize him. This is a wise provision of our 4Creator, and He has
extended it to inanimate as well as animated nature, thus relieving the
world from monotony.
Dryden says: "True wit consists in the resemblance of ideas. *
*: But every resemblance of ideas is not what we call wit, * *
because likenesses are obvious, they create no surprise, but are mere
facts. Thus when a poet tells us the bosom of his mistress is as white as
snow, there is no wit in the comparison-but when he adds, it is as cold,
too, it then grows into wit.
Those well acquainted with the subject of this sketch will agree
that he possesses a happy faculty of distinguishing between true wit
and tame facts, or comparisons.
Albert G. Boynton was born March 31st, I837, in Bangor, Maine.
His father, Gorham L. Boynton, was also born in Bangor, and on the
paternal side was of English antecedents. The mother of Mr. 1Boynton
was a lineal descendant of John Alden and Priscilla Mullins. Her
maiden name was Basford, and she was born at Dixmont, Maine, in
I8I5. Gorham L. Boynton was married to her at Dixmont, Maine in
I835. He died at Bangor, Maine, in I888, leaving a widow and four
children, three sons and one daughter, the subject of this paper being
the second son.
On the advent of Albert G. Boynton into this world, his greatgreat grandfather on the maternal side was living at the age of 93 years.
His great grandmother on his father's side at the age of 85 years was also
living, so that we may infer there are yet left to him a number of years
of usefulness.
Mr. Boynton's early life began as to his education in the primary
schools of Bangor, passing thence to the high school, then taught by
David Worcester, brother of the lexicographer, who prepared him for




-820 -

Bowdoin College, but in I854 after passing through the requisite
ordeal of examination for the sophomore class, ill-health compelled him
to abandon study, and he engaged in the manufacturing business in
Montreal, utilizing his leisure hours in the study of law. In I857, he
came to Detroit and entered the law office of E. N. and 0. B. Wilcox.
At the end of two years he was admitted to the bar (i859), after passing examination before a committee appointed by the Supreme Court
of Michigan, then in session in old Oddfellow's building at Detroit.
In i86i he formed a partnership with E. N. Wilcox, which continued until i866, and on the return of Gen. 0. B. Wilcox from the war,
became associated with him in the practice of law. Meantime, owing
to the illness of the City Attorney (T. H. Hartwell) he was appointed
to the position, and after discharging the duties for a year, was in i869,
without opposition, elected Police Justice, to succeed Julius Stoll, entering upon the duties of the office July 4th, i870. He served the city
in this capacity for two years to the satisfaction of the convicted and
unconvicted citizens of Detroit, when its duties becoming distasteful, he
purchased Col. Norvell's interests in, and became the political editor of
the Detroit Free Press, which position he occupies to-day. In i870-71,
he was president of the Detroit Young Men's Society.
As a man and citizen the Judge holds the respect and confidence of
all, irrespective of church or party affiliations. His wit and wisdom is
of the character defined by Dryden. He is an earnest promoter of all
means, methods and measures tending to elevate humanity, and the
material growth and prosperity of his adopted State and city.
He is kind, courteous, but independent.  In politics he  is a
Democrat, but while sharp and shrewd, his partisanship is not offensive.
He is an active member of the Unitarian church, but does not obtrude
his religious views upon others, except to defend them when attacked.
In. 1862 he determined that man was not made to live alone, and
accordingly was united to Miss Frances G. Patten in the spring of that
year. She was a descendent on the maternal side, from an old loyalist
family (the Stymests) who emigrated from New York on the evacuation of the British, taking up a residence in the Province of New Brunswick.  Her father was a native of Maine, and removed from thence to
Michigan in 1848, in which State he died in i883. Mrs. Boynton was
born at Kouchiboguac in New Brunswick.
Four children, three daughters and one son, were born to them,
the oldest of whom, like her father before her, was at birth the fifth in
living generations.




-321 -

SAMUEL ZUG.
The frugal and industrious are commonly friendly to the government they
live under.- Tillotson.
None who have known the subject of this sketch will fail to recognize the fact that his life and acts have practically demonstrated the
sentiment of the above quotation.
Samuel Zug was born opposite Harrisburg, on the Susquehanna
river, in Cumberland county, Pa., March i5th, I816.  His ancestors
were from the Palatinate of the Rhine, and emigrated from thence to
America in I727, under the patronage of Queen Anne and William
Penn, first locating in Philadelphia, where they remained a brief time,
when they removed to Lancaster, which they made their home for
many years.
When Samuel Zug was two years of age his parents settled
in Carlisle, Pa., where Samuel was educated and remained until I836,
when he determined to seek his fortune in the west, and landed at
Detroit on the I5th of October of that year. He first engaged as bookkeeper for Peter E. Demill, and subsequently with Messrs. Gardner &
Mather, crockery dealers, until January, 1843, when he formed a
partnership with the late Marcus Stevens, under the firm name of
Stevens & Zug, furniture dealers.  The partnership continued until
I859, when Mr. Zug retired from mercantile life.  In I86I he was
appointed Deputy Collector of Customs, performing the duties of cashier,
and in 1873 was appointed, by Governor Bagley, one of the auditors of
Wayne county.   In all religious, moral and educational enterprises he
was active and earnest in their establishment.  In i848 he was one of
the original organizers of the Second Presbyterian church and one of
the first ordained elders of the society now known as the Fort Street
Presbyterian.
In politics Mr. Zug was one of the first members of the Abolition
party of Michigan, and was a contributor to the Signal of Liberty, a
paper published by Guy Beckley, at Ann Arbor, in the interest of the
Abolition party. Afterwards he was chairman of the Free Soil State
Central Committee and supported James G. Birney for president in
I844, and when the Republican party was formed in i854, he became a
member of its State Central Committee and has ever since been an
ardent supporter of the Republican party and its principles.  In his
religious, public and business life, he was governed by those principles
taught by the parable of the laborer in the vineyard: " Friend, I do
thee no wrong; didst not thou agree with me for a penny?  Is it not
lawful for me to do what I will with my own? Is thine eye evil
because I am good?"
In I843 Mr. Zug married Miss Anne Stead, daughter of Benjamin




-322 -

Stead, who was associated with Stephen Mack, William Woodbridge,
Solomon Sibley and others in what was known as the Pontiac Land
Company, and who was one of the petitioners for the charter of the
Michigan University, and was a resident of Detroit in i8i8.
Samuel Zug and Anne Stead Zug have one son, Robert M., born
in i85i, and one daughter, Mrs. W. H. Nichols, of Indianapolis, Ind.,
born in I849, who are still living.
Since the foregoing was written, Mr. Samuel Zug departed this
life December 26th, I889.
MARC US STE VENS.
The subject of this sketch, one of the oldest and most esteemed
citizens, came to Detroit in i836, and departed this life June i9th, I88o.
Marcus Stevens was born in Steuben county, New York, February 20th, I814. After acquiring a fair English education he learned
the cabinet makers' trade at Bath, N. Y. At the age of twenty-two he
came to Michigan, his first employer being the late James W. Tillman.
He subsequently established a business for himself and conducted it in
such a manner that his house became the most prominent in the State.
He associated with him Mr. Samuel Zug. This partnership continued
until I859, when Mr. Zug retired.  The year following Mr. Stevens
removed to the Coyle block, where he continued, taking active charge
until i878, when, his health failing, he turned over his business to
Messrs. C. A. Brockway and F. G. Chidsey, who had control at his
death.
Mr. Stevens was the oldest surviving member of the Brady
Guards at his death, was a member of the Audubon Club and president of the North Channel Fishing and Shooting Club.
Politically, Mr. Stevens was a strong Republican, but never sought
or held a public office.  At his death he was a trustee of Grace Episcopal church.
None acquainted with Mr. Stevens but will remember his genial
manner-his countenance bearing the impress of sterling integrity
and high sense of honor. Many mourned his death. He left a wife
(his second) and two daughters, Mrs. Kate Robe, wife of Captain C.
F. Robe, Twenty-fifth United States Infantry, and Miss Helen E.
Stevens.




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A. H. WILKINSON.
Albert Hamilton Wilkinson is by birth a Wolverine, having been
born in the township of Novi, Oakland county, in the Territory of
Michigan, November i9th, i834.
His father, James Wilkinson, was born in the State of New York.
The maiden name of his mother was Elizabeth Yerkes, born in Seneca
county, in the State of New York. They were married near Northville, Mich. They had seven children; four only are living. His father
died February 3, i872, and his mother in i863.
Judge Wilkinson, the subject of this sketch, worked on his father's
farm during the summer and attended school during the winter.  At
the age of fifteen he commenced to prepare for college and for a time
attended the State Normal School at Ypsilanti. He taught school at
Lodi, Centerville and Ann Arbor while pursuing his studies.  He
entered the University of Michigan in i855, graduating in the literary
course in i859. July 4th he married Miss Elvira M. Allen, daughter
of Henry Allen, deceased, of the town of West Bloomfield, Oakland
county, Michigan. During the winter of I859-6o he attended the law
lectures at the University and was admitted to the bar in i86o.  He
commenced the practice of law at Pontiac, Michigan, but in the fall of
I86I removed to Detroit, opened a law office and soon acquired a good
practice.
Mr. Wilkinson was elected Judge of Probate in I872. At the end
of his term he resumed his practice, associating with him Mr. Hoyt
Post, and since, under the firm name of Wilkinson & Post, has secured
an extensive practice, not only in Michigan but reaching to other
States. While the Judge has made law his specialty he has engaged
in several industrial enterprises tending to promote the material growth
of the city. His wife and himself are members of the First Baptist
church and take an active and prominent part in all movements directed
to the extension of its influence over its younger members and attendants.  Like all men possessing his temperament, he is earnest in
whatever he undertakes, and having, in early life, received a training
which inculcated an abhorrence of evil, he has the reputation of being a
Christian gentleman, a conscientious lawyer, a firm friend and an
upright and enterprising citizen.
GEN. CHARLES LARNED.
He was a man beloved by rich and poor alike. His death was
occasioned by exposure in the interests of humanity, furnishing an
instance of self-sacrifice seldom exhibited, either in ancient or modern




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times. He left " a family, a city and a State in mourning." Such was
the tribute offered to the memory of the subject of this sketch, by the
late Hon. Charles C. Trowbridge. Charles Larned was a native of
Pittsfield, Berkshire county, Mass.
Simeon Larned, his father, came to America when a youth, and
was high sheriff of Berkshire county when the Colonies declared their
independence, and during the war which followed, was colonel of the
9th regiment American Infantry, and aid-de-camp to George Washington.
At the close of the Revolutionary war, he, for a time, retired from
the army, but during the war of 1812 resumed command of his former
regiment, and participated in the battles of Flatbush and those on the
eastern frontier, while the subject of this sketch and his brother George
were on the frontier at Fort Wayne, River Raisin and Detroit.
Charles Larned was a graduate of Williams College, in i8o6.
Studied law in the office of Henry Clay, and while a student was one
with Gov. Shelby and Col. Owen to engage in the organization of a
regiment in aid of Gen. Harrison, then in command of the western
frontier. This was the noted Kentucky regiment that was almost
destroyed at the River Raisin massacre, and was subsequently merged
into the regular army, and participated in the battle of the Thames.
Charles Larned was the custodian of the document signed by Gen.
Cass, Col. Brush, David Cooper and others, eighty in number, in which
they agreed to seize and depose Gen. Hull, and thus prevent his contemplated disgraceful surrender of Detroit.  Through some source
Hull was apprised of their intentions and frustrated their plan, by sending Cass, Brush and Miller, with their commands, to meet an expected
convoy of supplies then on its way from Ohio. And history informs
us that on their way back they learned of the surrender, and the fact
that they and their troops were included as prisoners under its terms.
After the close of the war General Larned engaged in the practice
of law, and ranked with the most successful lawyers of the northwest.
He was Attorney General during the Black Hawk war, and with
Gov. Geo. B. Porter, conducted the negotiations which grew out of it.
He was the adviser and friend of Gen. Cass, and through him and
Gen. John R. Williams, the militia organization of Michigan was
reduced to a practical system for efficient work.
Gen. Larned became distinguished as a criminal lawyer, and was a
brilliant speaker. The poor and unfortunate, as well as the young lawyer, always found a sympathizing friend and helper in Gen. Chas.
Larned.
He had passed through the cholera epidemic of i832, but on its
return in I834 he fell a victim, owing to his indefatigable efforts to relieve




-325 -and alleviate its terrible distress and fatality to others, at one period
going without rest for 48 hours. Gov. Porter, a co-worker, was also
his companion in death.
Gen. Larned occupied and owned a cottage-residence and office on
the south side of Larned street (which takes its name from him) and
Woodward avenue.
In 1813 Gen. Larned married Miss Sylvia Easton Colt, daughter
of Capt. James and Miriam Colt, of Pittsfield, Mass. She was born at
Pittsfield, Mass., in I796.
Gen. Larned died August i3th, 1834, and his wife died August
24th, i845, aged 49 years.
Gen. Larned's family at his death consisted of Julia Colt Larned,
Jane Hereford Larned, Sylvester Larned, Catherine Jones Larned,
Mary Larned and Harriet H. Larned.




4




CHRONOGRAPHY —FOURTH PERIOD.
Fourth Epoch from the admission of the Territory as one of the
States of the Union to I888.
I837.-Under the constitution of 1835, January 2d, the Legislature of
the State met at Detroit. The State officers were Stevens T.
Mason, Governor; Edward Mundy, Lieut-Governor; Kintzing
Pritchett, Secretary of State; Robert Abbott, Auditor General;
Henry Howard, Treasurer; John D. Price, Superintendent of Public Instruction; Marshall I. Bacon, Bank Commissioner. The
United States Senators were John Norvell and Lucius
Lyon. Member of Congress, Isaac E. Crary. The members of the Legislature from Wayne; Jonathan D. Davis,
of Plymouth, and Conrad Ten Eyck, of Dearborn, State Senator.
Members of the House: Charles W. Whipple; John Martin, of
Detroit; Caleb Herrington, of Northville; Job Smith of Van Buren;
Ammon Brown, of Nankin; and Geo. W. Ferrington, of Redford.
The Judiciary: Elon Farnsworth, Chancellor; John Winder, Register; Wm. Fletcher, Chief Justice Supreme Court; Geo. Morrill
and Henry Ransom, Associate Judges; Daniel Le Roy, Attorney
General; John Winder, Clerk; Ross Wilkins, United States District Judge; Daniel Goodwin, District Attorney; Conrad Ten Eyck,
United States Marshal; Lucius Lyon and John Norvill, United
States Senators; Isaac E. Crary, Member Congress; John R. Williams, John Stockton and Joseph W. Brown, Major Generals in the
State Militia; John E. Schwarz, Adjutant General; John E. Winder,
Isaac S. Rowland, Marshall I. Bacon and George B. Martin,
Colonels; John Chester, Military Secretary. County Officers: C.
Moran and C. Howard, Associate Judges; Geo. A. O'Keefe, Judge
of Probate; J. M. Wilson, Sheriff; T. E. Tallman, County Clerk;
Geo. R. Griswold, Register; Garry Spencer, Treasurer. Auctioneers: Lemuel Goodell, Robt. Le Power, Alex. H. Stowell, Henry
Doty, James Stillson, Jonas Titus. Municipal Officers: Levi
Cook, Mayor; Geo. Byrd, Clerk; James A. Van Dyke, Attorney;
A. C. Caniff, Collector; A. E. Hanthon, Engineer; David
French, Treasurer; Noah Sutton, Superintendent of Hydraulic
Works; John W. Strong, B. F. H. Witherell, D. E. Hurbaugh,
Lemuel Goodell, Chas. Moran, Henry V. Disbrow, Justices
of the Peace; Oliver Newberry, Thomas Palmer, Julius Eldred,




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Darius Lamson, John Farrar, David Cooper, John Owen,
Aldermen. Attorneys and Counsellors, of Detroit: G. Atterbury, M. I. Bacon, Bates & Talbot, Bates & Walker,
A. W. Buel, Geo. C. Bull, Henry Chipman, Chas. Churchman, Chas. Cleland, Geo. Corselleus, H. V. Disbrow, Frazer & Stewart, Daniel Godwin, Geo. E. Hand, William Hale,
Harbaugh & Rowland, H. G. Hubbard, J. M. Howard, A. Langton, Meredith & McGruder, A. S. Misner, John Norvell, Geo. A.
O'Keefe, S. Pitts, A. S. Porter, R. E. Roberts, Theodore Romeyn,
F. Sawyer, T. F. Talbot, Chas. Tryon, Daniel F. Webster, A. S.
Williams, Williams & TenEyck, B. F. H. Witherell, Whipple &
Van Dyke, Woodbridge & Backus. Federal Officers at Detroit:
Andrew Mack, Collector of Customs; Sheldon M. Knight, Postmaster; Thomas Hunt, Register United Land Office; Jonathan R.
Kearsley, United States Receiver; Henry Schoolcraft, Indian
Agent. Bank of Michigan: E. P. Hastings, President; H. K.
Sanger, Cashier; D. G. Jones, P. J. Desnoyers, James Abbot, H.
Whiting, B. F. Larned, D. Lamson, Directors. Farmers' and
Mechanics' Bank: James Biddle, President; John A. Wells,
Cashier; Levi Cook, B. B. Kerchival, John Norvell, Geo. B. Martin, Henry V. Disbrow, Lucius Abbott, F. C. Mills, Jno. A. Wells,
Directors. Michigan State Bank: F. H. Stevens, President; Jno.
Norton, Jr., Cashier; T. B. Clark, J. Norton, Jr., H. H. Comstock,
G. Palmer, G. M. Williams, Franklin Moore, R. McMillen, John
Hale, Directors. Societies: Historical, Major Rowland, President; State Temperance, Marshall Bacon, President; John Owen,
Treasurer; J. S. Farrand, Geo. E. Hand, S. T. Mason, John Chester, A. S. Kellogg, Directors. Physicians and Surgeons- Wm.
Brown, Thos. Bradley, Francis Beckenridge, Marshall Chapin, T.
B. Clark, Hosea P. Crabb, E. M. Cowles, Daniel 0. Hoit, Douglass Houghton, Ebenezer Hurd, Robt. McMillan, Zina Pitcher,
Arthur L. Porter, Justin Rice, Randall S. Rice, Geo. B. Russell,
Abram Sayer, J. B. Scovil, J. Smead, Lewis F. Starkey,
Adrian R. Terry, Edward A. Theller. Surgeon-Dentists: J. S.
Ware, Mr. Cardell. Officers of the Detroit and St. Joseph Railroad: John Biddle, President; C. C. Trowbridge, Henry Whiting,
Oliver Newberry, J. Burdick, Shubael Conant, H. H. Comstock,
E. A. Brush, Mark Norris, C. N. Ormsby, Directors; John M.
Berrien, Chief Engineer; A. J. Center, Assistant; A. H. Adams,
Secretary and Treasurer. Pontiac and Detroit Railroad: Russell H. Heywood, President; David Le Roy, David Paddock, S.
Hodges, G. 0. Whitman, S. Close, Geo. Palmer, Chas. Hascall,
Sherman Stevens, Alfred Williams, Directors. Brady Guards,
Civil Officers: Col. John Winder, President; James A. Armstrong,
Secretary; A. T. McReynolds, Treasurer. Detroit Young Men's,




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incorporated in I830: Geo. E. Hand, President; Silas Titus, VicePresident; Asher S. Kellogg, Corresponding Secretary; Francis
Raymond, Recording Secretary; David E. Harbaugh, Treasurer;
W. W. Denne, Auditor; John Chester, John L. Talbot, James A.
Van Dyke, A. T. McReynolds, James F. Joy, John S. Magruder,
A. S. Williams, Directors. State Medical Society: Dr. Daniel
O. Hoyt, President; Robt. McMillen, Vice-President; Edwin W.
Cowles, Secretary; Ebenezer Hurd, Treasurer; Marshall Chapin,
Zina Pitcher, Ebenezer Hurd, Robt. McMillen, Edward W.
Cowles, Censors. St. Phillip's College, Hamtramck: Right Rev.
Dr. Rese Bishop, Patron; Rev. John D. Bruyn, President.
Churches in Detroit: St. Ann's, Bishop Rese, Rector; Revs.
Francis Vincent Boden, T. A. Burnier, Mr. Kundig, Mr. Kopp,
C. Bowens, Curates; Peter Godfroy, Lewis Beaufait, Charles Desnoyers, Eustache Chapoton, Church Wardens. Trinity Church,
Michigan avenue, corner of Bates: Rev. Bernard O'Cavanagh,
Rector; Robt. Elliott, Roger Fitzpatrick, Michael Doran, Jno. Caneau, John Heffron, Wardens. St. Paul's, Woodward avenue:
Right Rev. Dr. McCorsky, Rector; H. M. Campbell, C. C. Trowbridge, Wardens. Baptist, Fort street: Rev. Robt. Turnbull,
Pastor; Wm. A. Cocker, Clerk; R. Ambrose, John Bloom, Deacons. Presbyterian, Woodward avenue: Rev. John P. Cleveland, Pastor; E. P. Hastings, Justin Rice, B. F. Larned, Edward
Bingham, Horace Hallock, Robt. Stuart, C. G. Hammond, Elders;
E. P. Hastings, B. F. Larned, Deacons. Methodist Episcopal
Church, Woodward avenue: Rev. E. Thomas, Pastor; Robt.
Abbott, Jerry Dean, John Owen, Newell French, Joseph French,
Stewards. German Lutheran, Monroe avenue: Rev. Mr. Schmead,
Pastor; Wm. Amheim, John Thurwacher, John V. Reule, Geo.
Graf, Frederick Butzer, Wardens. African Church, Fort street:
Supplied by ministers of other churches. Ladies' Orphan Association. Instituted I836. Mrs. C. C. Trowbridge, First Directoress;
Mrs. Robt. Stewart, Second Directoress; Miss E. S. Trowbridge,
Third Directoress; Rev. Mr. Turnbull, B. F. Larned, Henry
Whiting, E. P. Hastings, C. C. Trowbridge, Jerry Dean, Counselling Committee. Stage Routes: Western, via Territorial road;
Western, via Chicago Turnpike; Eastern, via Monroe; Boardman
Saltmast, Gilllie & Hughes, Jones & Brown, Robt. Forsyth,
Managers. Principal Hotels: American, Petty & Hawley, Jefferson avenue; Michigan Exchange, A. Wales; National, H. K. Haning; Steamboat Hotel, B. Woodruff. January 26, Congress
passed the formal act constituting Michigan one of the States of the
Union, which has been designated as the fourth period of its history.
The first Anti-Slavery Society organized in Michigan at Detroit.
Fire destroyed all the buildings on both sides of Atwater street and
22




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warehouses on Bates street. March I8, Act founding the University
of Michigan, passed; also an Act on the 2ist, authorizing a loan of
five million dollars for inland improvements. The Detroit and St.
Joseph Railroad Company sold their franchise to the State.
Population of Detroit, 9,763. Number of dwellings and stores,
1,300.
I838.-The Michigan University opened. The Michigan Central'(formerly Detroit and St. Joseph railroad) opened to Ypsilanti, February 3d.  Judge James Witherell died.  Specie payment suspended under United States sub-treasury Act.  Farmers' and
Mechanics' and the Old State Bank of Michigan suspend. The
Legislature passes a general banking law.  Pontiac and Detroit
railroad completed to Royal Oak, twelve miles. General Scott
visited Detroit.
I839.-Slave riot occurred on account of the decision of Judge Wilkins,
holding that a fugitive from Mississippi should be returned.
Brady Guards called. The slave was subsequently purchased by
citizens and released. Michigan Central railway opened to Ann
Arbor. Wards in city first constituted election districts.
I840.-Fire Department Association organized; chartered by Legislature February 14. Robert E. Roberts, President; Frederick
Buhl, Vice-President; E. R. Kearlsley, Secretary; Darius Lamson,
Treasurer, and E. Goodell, Collector. Great Whig mass meeting
at Detroit; D. E. Harbaugh and Geo. C. Bates, orators of the day,
Alex. H. Sibley, Marshal. Dr. Zina Pitcher was elected mayor
of Detroit and William Woodbridge, Governor. The subsequent
history of Wayne county and the prominent events connected
therewith, being illustrated in the biographical sketches of the men
of the present period, it is deemed superfluous to detail events
further, except as they occur and are not connected with personal
incidents.  All that will be attempted now will be to furnish data,
showing the general progress of Wayne county from I840 to the
present period, as influenced by current collateral events or incidents.
I84I.-Mount Elliott Cemetery, in Detroit, purchased August 3Ist and
named after its projector, Robert Elliott. The remains of Colonel
Hamtramck were among the first deposited therein.  The lowest
rain fall, of which there is any record, experienced this year.
Congress made the first appropriation to build Fort Wayne,
August 4th. The Bank of Michigan was compelled to assign. Of
the original Board of Directors DeGarmo Jones, James Abbott,
P. J. Desnoyers and D. Lamson, continued.




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1842.-A fire broke out in a large warehouse between Bates and Randolph, which resulted in the destruction of all the buildings between
Jefferson and Woodward, on the west side of Woodward avenue,
including the New York and Ohio House. Cornelius 0. Flynn
and Bela Hubbard were appointed commissioners to adjust claims
to lots in the old town destroyed by fire in I805, as a land board
appointed by Congress.  To enable them to locate the precise
sites occupied by the old town, according to the surveys of Thos.
Smith, only two points remained: the foundations of the old jail
on Wayne street and the Joseph Campau House on Jefferson avenue. From these they were able to project the Smith map on the
map of the new city as laid out by the Governor and Judges.
Michigan Central railroad opened to Jackson.  The fire above
referred to induced and promoted the organization of Phoenix
Company No. 5 (the name was changed in I855 to Washington),
which made five fire companies in Detroit.  Ex-President Martin
Van Buren visits Detroit.
I843.-Ex-Governor Mason died January 3d, in the city of New York.
Michigan Central railroad opened to Kalamazoo. Doctor Douglass Houghton was drowned in Lake Superior, October I3th.
I844.-The first electric telegraph in the United States completed
between Washington and Baltimore, and the first message of a
public nature was the announcement of the nomination of James
K. Polk by the Democratic National Convention at Baltimore.
Geo. A. Hough, the veteran actor, rented the City Hall (not then
used for the meetings of the Common Council) and gave theatrical
entertainments. His leading actor was W. G. Noah.
I846.-The population of Detroit was I2,ooo at this time. Elmwood
Cemetery opened October 6th. Michigan Central Railway Company chartered and purchased the franchises and property from
the State, paying therefor the sum of two million dollars.  It was
at this time opened to Kalamazoo. The Hon. James F. Joy was
the principal negotiator of the purchase and sale.  The Lake
Shore and Michigan Southern railroad chartered this year.  A
company under the management of Mr. Potter gave theatrical
entertainments at the City Hall. He succeeded G. A. Hough and
Isaac Merritt, who was subsequently known as Isaac Merritt
Singer.  The first Michigan volunteers, from Detroit, leave for
the war in Mexico under the command of Col. Alpheus S. Williams.
I847.-The last session of the Legislature in Detroit.  The State
Capitol removed to Lansing.  Chloroform first employed as an
anesthetic.




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i848.-Fire destroyed Wales Hotel (Hull residence), Steamboat Hotel,
Howard's tavern and two hundred and fifty other buildings. The
first telegram was received at Detroit from New York. Michigan Central railroad moved its depot to the foot of Third street.
Messrs. Parker and Ellis leased the lot directly opposite the
present Biddle House. William Burnett took the contract to erect
a theater, holding the lease as a lien.  There being but few
theater goers in those days the investment did not pay, and Mr.
Burnett was compelled to take the property. Following its history
in this connection, it was sold to James Sherlock. He not making it a success, sold to A. McFarland, who named it "The
Metropolitan." In I858 McFarland transferred it to E. T. Sherlock. While under his control, Garry Hough and Miss Sally St.
Clair made a partial success of it, but in I86I, Ed. Sherlock,
desiring to enter the army, sold to Mr. Charles Welch, who ran it
for a few years as The Varieties, when he sold and it is now a.
livery stable. Detroit Tribune first issued November I9th.
I849.-Cholera broke out in Detroit. The average deaths were one a
day from July 9th to August I8th. Captain Chesley Blake the
veteran sailor, who volunteered to fight at the battle of Lundy's
Lane with Scott, and was the favorite captain of Oliver Newberry,
died at Milwaukee.
I85o.-Police Court first established in Detroit.  Fugitive slave bill
passed by Congress September I2. Henry Clay died January 29.
I852.-Land Grant Act passed for the construction of the Sault Ste.
Marie canal.   The Michigan Central railroad completed to
Chicago.
I853.-Steamer Winfield Scott lost December 2d.
I854.-Cholera appeared at Detroit.  The average deaths, two per
day, from May until September. The population was 40,000.
I857.-The Detroit, Monroe and Toledo railroad chartered April 26th.
October I5th, bank panic.  All the banks except the Michigan
Insurance Company's closed their doors.  Father Mathew died
December 8th.
i858.-Detroit and Port Huron, branch of the Grand Trunk railroad,
chartered March 8th. The first cable telegram to Detroit. Torch
light procession on the occasion.  The message "Europe and
America are united by telegraph. 'Glory to God in the highest,
on earth, peace and good will to men."'
I859. —Raid of John Brown at Harper's Ferry, October I6th.
i86o.-Abraham Lincoln elected President of the United States.
Laller, of Cincinnati, invented the steam fire engine.




-333 -

i86i. —Steam fire engine first used in Detroit.  Volunteer system
abandoned and the present pay system established. Fort Sumpter
fired upon by South Carolina troops April 13th. April I 5th President issued a call for 75,000 volunteers. First Michigan Infantry,
General 0. B. Wilcox commanding, leave for the seat of war May
i3th. General Loomis' Battery leave Detroit for seat of war.
February 2nd, Legislature pass loyal resolutions. War loans subscribed by Detroit, February 20th.
1862. Michigan Cavalry Brigade organized at Washington, December 12.
1863.-Riot occurred in Detroit; large number of houses inhabited by the
colored people destroyed by the mob, and several slain. The occasion was the sentencing to imprisonment for life by Judge Witherell
of the colored man named Falkner, for rape. The Light Guard,
Lyon Guard, a company of United States Troops and Col. D. M.
Foxe's Regiment called to suppress it. First Draft riot in Detroit,
August 27. Great war meeting in Detroit. Draft riot in New
York City July 14.
I865.-Metropolitan Police organized February 28. General Lee surrenders to Grant April 9th. Freight depot M. C. R. R. burned
September I9th. President Lincoln assassinated April I4th.
Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution abolishing slavery ratified December i8th.
I866.-General Cass died June 17. General Sherman visits Detroit
February 7th.
1867.-Third Constitutional Convention assembled at Lansing, May
i5th. Members from Wayne county: Robert McClelland, Daniel
Goodwin, Peter Desnoyers, William A. Smith, Jonathan Shearer,
William A. Warner, Geo. V. N. Lothrop, Peter Henkle and
William Purcell. Chas. M. Crosswell, President; Thomas H.
Glenn, G. X. M. Collier and T. P. Miles, Secretaries; D. B.
Purinton, Sergeant at Arms, and Seymour Foster, Postmaster.
The constitution as revised by this convention, on being submitted
to the people, was rejected by a vote 71,733 yeas to 110,583 nays.
I868.-Corner-stone new City Hall laid.  Grant first nominated for
President.
I869.-First observance of Decoration Day in Detroit, May 29th.
i87i.-New City Hall completed July 4th. Its length is 204 feet, width
ninety, three stories in height with basement and mansard roof
now makes the fourth story. The bell in the tower, weighing 7,600
pounds, cost $2,750; the cost of the clock, $2,850; the foundation of
the building cost $67,027; the building, proper, cost $489,914.I3.




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The entire cost of building, foundation and buildings, $55I,346.
T. S. Anderson, architect; Osborn, contractor.  The Historical
and Pioneer Societies of Wayne county consolidated.   Levi
Bishop, President; Samuel Zug, Secretary.
I873.-Michigan Supreme Court removed from Detroit to Lansing,
April 22d. Steamer City of Detroit lost in Saginaw Bay, December 6th.  Steamer Ironsides lost in Lake Michigan, September
I5th. Canada Southern railroad chartered August 20th.
I875.-Destructive tornado at Detroit June I7. Detroit and Hillsdale
railroad chartered January 30.
1876.-Detroit and Lansing railroad chartered December 26.
I879.-Z. Chandler died at Chicago November ist.
I88o.-Detroit and Bay City railroad chartered February 3oth. Chicago
and Grand Trunk railroad chartered April 7th. Flint and Pere
Marquette railroad chartered April 3ist.  Garfield nominated
May 9th.
i88r.-Soldiers' monument completed July 19. President Garfield died
September I9th.
1883.-Detroit Journal founded September ist. Art Loan opened.
i886.-Ex-President Arthur died November I8. General Logan died
December 26. Soldiers' Home at Grand Rapids, dedicated
December 3oth.
i888.-Roscoe Conkling died April i8th.
RE V. GEORGE D UFFIELD, D. D.
Rev. George Duffield, D. D., the first of the name known as a
resident of Wayne county, was born at Strasburg, Lancaster county, Pa.,
July 4, I794. He was a son of the Hon. George Duffield, at one time
Comptroller General of Pennsylvania, and the grandson of the Rev.
George Duffield, D. D., the eminent patriot and divine of the revolutionary period, the father of whom emigrated from the North of
Ireland and settled at Octarara, Lancaster county, Pa., in I725. He is
said to have been a man of " stern integrity and devoted piety," and
died at the age of eighty-four.  Rev. George Duffield, the first, was
born at Pequa, Lancaster county, October 7th, I732.  He graduated
from Nassau Hall, Newark, Delaware, in I752, and was first licensed
to preach by the Presbytery of Newcastle in I756.  In I760 he was
the pastor of a church at Carlisle, Pa., and such was the reputation he
acquired there that he received calls from a number of more important
congregations, among them, to the Second Presbyterian church of




-335 -


Philadelphia, which he declined.  May 2ist, 1772, he accepted a call
from  the Third Presbyterian church of Philadelphia.  During the
excitement immediately preceding the declaration of Independence he
took such a prominent part in favor of separating from the mother
government as made him obnoxious to official authorities, who, on one
occasion, attempted to close his church doors against him, but reaching
his pulpit through a window began his sermon, when a royal magistrate (J. Bryant) under pretence of quelling a riot, commenced reading
the Riot Act, commanding the people to disperse.  Other means of
silencing the intruder failing, one of the officers of the church seized
him and bore him out of the house.  Mr. Duffield then went on and
finished his sermon and the next day was brought before the mayor's
court and required to give bail for disturbing the peace.  He refused
to give bail, when he was permitted to withdraw to take the matter
under consideration, with the assurance that he would soon be called
upon for his answer.  The excitement as the news of the threat of his
imprisonment spread was intense, and the Paxton boys resolved to hold
themselves in readiness to march to his rescue.
When the Colonial Congress met, Dr. Duffield was its chaplain
until the British gained possession of Philadelphia, his church being
occupied by them as a stable. He accompanied the American army
and shared its hardships.  As soon as circumstances permitted he
returned to his church and continued to be its pastor until his death,
which occurred February 2d, I790. His remains were interred in the
middle aisle of the church of which he was pastor, and his funeral
sermon was preached by the Rev. Ashbel Green from Rev. xiv, 13.
Dr. Duffield, of Detroit, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania at the early age of sixteen, in I8ii, and entered the Theological Seminary of New York, then in charge of the celebrated John M.
Mason, D. D., and at the end of four years was licensed to preach by
the Presbytery of Philadelphia.  In 1817 he married Miss Isabella
Graham Bethune, the daughter of Divie Bethune, Esq., of New York
City, and granddaughter of Isabella Graham, whose memory is cherished by the churches of Scotland and America.  A brother of Mrs.
Duffield,!the Rev. Dr. Geo. W. Bethune, was distinguished as the
pulpit orator of America.
Dr. Duffield's first charge was at Carlisle, the same church as that
over which his grandfather formerly exercised pastoral care.  He
remained settled here nineteen years and then accepted a call to the
Presbyterian church of Philadelphia, succeeding the Rev. Dr. Thomas
H. Skinner as pastor. Remaining two years, he accepted a call from
the Broadway Tabernacle, New York City, and in I838 became the
settled pastor of the First Presbyterian church, of Detroit, where he
remained until called to a more exalted charge.




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'The influence of Dr. Duffield in building up sound sentiments
involving the highest interest of humanity was not confined to Detroit,
but was felt throughout the entire northwest. He was one of the first
of the regents of the Michigan University and held the office for eight
successive years. His active participation in the practical organization
of this now distinguished seat of learning was preeminent and permanent. His ability as a scholar, a master of different languages, and
teacher, his patriotism as an American citizen, and his fidelity to the
principles of religion and morals, are yet fully recognized and appreciated.  When the life of the nation was threatened he at once manifested the spirit of his grandfather, and by speech, prayer and personal
example inspired hope and confidence in the doubtful, courage and
strength to the despondent.  On the 24th of June, while engaged in
giving a welcome to the delegates of the International Convention of
the Young Men's Christian Association then assembling in Detroit,
when only partly through with his address, his voice faltered and with
the exclamation, "My head reels, I must rest," fell into the arms of
General 0. 0. Howard, of the United States army, unconscious, and
was carried to his residence, where he expired on the 26th of June,
i868. He left a handsome estate on Woodward avenue, between High
and Henry streets, with a widow, five sons and one daughter surviving
him-Rev. George Duffield, who worthily represented his father and
great-grandfather as preacher, patriot and scholar, after whom he was
-named, died July 6th, i888; Hon. D. Bethune Duffield, eminent in
law, poetry and general literature; General William Duffield, distinguished as a soldier in the late civil war and as a civil engineer and
mining expert; Dr. Samuel P. Duffield, M. D., who stands the peer of
any in the medical profession and as an analytical chemist is quoted as
authority, both in the United States and Europe; Colonel Henry MA
Duffield, a gallant soldier, a profound lawyer, and an eloquent public
speaker, and Mrs. Isabella G. D. Stewart (since deceased), wife of Dr.
Morse Stewart, of Detroit.  Mrs. Stewart died in Detroit, May 27th,
i888, leaving a record of charitable and philanthropic work which
would furnish the history of most of the benevolent enterprises of her
adopted city. She was the founder of the Home of the Friendless,
president of the Detroit W. C. T. U., was active in Bethel work, president of the Women's Christian Association, one of the founders of the
Thompson Old Ladies' Home, being one of the board of managers,
and more recently became interested in a movement in behalf of working girls. She seemed to have inherited the taste and talent for this
work from her great grandmother, after whom she was named,
(Isabella Graham), who founded, in New York, the first Protestant
orphan asylum established in America.




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MA TTHE W W. BIRCHARD.
The following is an extract from the Detroit Tribune, January
6th, 1889:
Matthew W. Birchard, the Detroit centenarian, died at his residence at 55 Adelaide street, Saturday night, January 5th, I889. He
was born July 4th, I788, and was consequently aged ioo years, 6
months and i day. He was born at Becket, Mass., on his father's farm,
but his boyhood was spent at Shoreham, Vt., to which place his father
removed when he was one year old. His first work was teaching
school. Then he was a painter's apprentice and clerk in a store. He
came to Detroit in I839, when it contained only 9,000 inhabitants. He
built a frame store and dwelling at the northwest corner of Woodward
avenue and Congress street, which he afterwards replaced with a brick
block, that stands there to-day. In I85I he leased the property at the
northeast corner of Congress and Griswold streets, from Judge Abbott
and erected the Howard House, now known as the Griswold House.
About ten years ago his mind began to fail, and realizing it, he astonished Probate Judge Durfee by a personal application that a guardian
for himself be appointed.  The Judge granted the request and
appointed John Ward, who has managed his estate ever since.
Mr. Birchard was twice married. His first wife was Amanda
Farrell, of Shoreham, Vt., who died in this city in I856. His second
wife was Miss Maria Rockwell, proprietress of a ladies' seminary, who
died in I88I. George Anderson of the banking firm of McLellan &
Anderson, is grand son-in-law and James T. Birchard, formerly of
Washington, and now of Detroit, is his son. Mr. Birchard has eleven
grandchildren and eighteen great-grandchildren living. His estate is
worth $I00,000ooo.
CROZIER DA VISOX.
The following is an extract from the Detroit Tribune:
Crozier Davison, of 424 Woodward avenue, died January 5th,
I889, after an illness extending over twelve years.
Mrs. Davison was a well-known citizen and business man. He
was a native of England, but came to America early in life, and spent
part of his boyhood in Royal Oak. Afterward he went " up the lakes,"
engaged as a fisherman, and in his 27th year was considered the largest
and most successful fish taker on the lakes. He operated several
smacks, and barreled and shipped his take direct to the Detroit dealers.
During his residence up north he became an expert woodsman, and
about 26 years ago he left the water and became a " lumber looker."




-338 -

He proved very successful at this, located a great deal of pine lands
and sold at good profits to large lumbering firms. Gen. Alger at one
time bought 30,000 acres from him. Twelve years ago he was obliged
to give up active work, and soon after moved to Detroit, where he has
lived ever since. He remained an energetic man, however, and often
went down town to transact business when he was hardly able to get
out. For a year previous to his death he had been incapacitated,
and for the last two months he was confined to his room. Although
very feeble he remained cheerful to the end.
GEORGE W. BEADLE.
The following is an extract from the Detroit Tribune:
For the major portion of thirty-three years George W. Beadle had
a merchant tailor shop at I62 Woodward avenue, under the Finney
House. Several years ago the firm became George W. Beadle & Co.,
and three years ago, after a well earned rest, Mr. Beadle, Sr., retired
and left the business to his son.
On Christmas day, I888, Mr. Beadle was taken ill, and January 5th,
i889, he died at his residence, 336 Sixth street, at the age of seventyseven years. Deceased was of English birth, his native town being
Hertford.  He came to the United States in I857. His widow is
seventy-six years old and a sister-in-law of William Wright, the decorator. His son, James T. Beadle, was in partnership with him. John
T. Beadle, another son, is in business in Traverse City, and Henry T.
Beadle, a third son, is with Allan Shelden & Co.  He also leaves two
daughters.
COL. FRED. MORLEY.
The following is an extract from the Detroit Tribune of February
28th, i889:
Col. Morley was born December 23d, 182I, in Derby, England.
While a young lad he was a companion of Herbert Spencer, the English philosopher. He came with his parents to this country at the age
of seven, settling in western New York. He early became interested
in politics, was attracted to the Whig party, and while still a very young
man his abilities secured the favorable attention of Thurlow Weed and
William H. Seward. He drifted into journalism, and soon after his
arrival in Detroit associated with Rufus Hosmer in the conduct of the
Detroit Enquirer. In I858 he became editor and publisher of the
Advertiser, retaining that position for about three years. During the




-339


war he was Assistant Adjutant General, and after the retirement of
Carl Schurz from the Detroit Post in I867, he for ten years had charge of
that paper, retiring in 1876 on account of ill health. For a few months of
I883-4 he resumed his connection with that paper, under the name of
the Post and Tribune, but enfeebled health again interrupted his work.
Since that time he had led a private life, deeply interested, however, in all public questions, especially of a political character, and
indulging in occasional contributions to the city press. In intervals of
newspaper work he engaged in the bookselling business with John A.Kerr, from i854 to I858, and was Immigration Commissioner of Michigan in the years I88I and I882. In I875 he was appointed Consul
General to Cairo, Egypt, but declined the appointment.
Col. Fred. Morley died February 27th, i889. He left a widow,
but no children.
HE VNRY P. BALDWIN.
"The duty of the business man is to protect his credit, without the
sacrifice of moral obligation (duty to God). How much more binding
is this principle upon a State or municipality? In the former, the name
of the individual is tarnished by its violation, while for the State or
municipality to repudiate an obligation entered into under the form of
legal enactment, as the representative of a whole people, is corrupt in
its influence upon the masses, and degrading in the estimation of the
people of other localities: it fixes a stigma which the lapse of generaations cannot wipe out."
The foregoing sentiment is that of Henry P. Baldwin, as expressed
by him (although not in the same language) in one of his messages
while Governor of Michigan.
Mr. Baldwin was born at Coventry, Rhode Island, February 22,
1814. His father, John Baldwin, was born at Palmer, Massachusetts,
February I3, I770, and was a graduate of Dartmouth College. His
mother was the daughter of the Rev. Nehemiah Williams, a graduate
of Harvard College, for twenty-one years pastor of the Congregational
church at Brimfield, Massachusetts, where he died in I796. She was
born at Brimfield, Massachusetts, September io, I776. The parents of
Mr. Baldwin were married at Brimfield, Massachusetts, July 25, I796.
His father died at North Providence, Rhode Island, in i826, and his
mother at the same place, in i8i8.   They left six sons and five
daughters.
*Mr. Baldwin is descended on the paternal side from Nathaniel
Baldwin, a Puritan, from Butkinghamshire, England, who came to
America and settled in the Province of Connecticut, near what was




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then known as " Milford Settlement," and on the maternal, from Robert
Williams, also a Puritan, who settled in Roxbury, Province of Massachusetts, in the year i638.
In boyhood, Mr. Baldwin attended the schools of his native State
until reaching the age of twelve, when his parents having died, he
engaged with a merchant as a clerk, with whom he remained until
twenty years of age, meanwhile employing his leisure hours in close
application to the study of books.
In 1834 he commenced business for himself in his native State. In
i837 he visited the West, and being favorably impressed with Detroit,
in March, i838, removed to the city which has ever since been his
home.
We find that he established the house which has since borne his
name, locating first on Jefferson avenue, between Bates and Randolph
streets, and resided on Griswold, near Congress street.
The life of Mr. Baldwin during the past fifty-one years in Michigan, has been intimately associated with every enterprise of a public
nature promoting the growth of the State and of his adopted city.
Being an Episcopalian in religious belief, he has been foremost in
the building of churches, chapels, hospitals, schools, parsonages, and
in the organization of parishes, not only in Detroit, but also in the
towns and villages throughout the State. Among the material evidences
of his liberality, earnestness and enterprise in this direction, are the
edifices of St. John's Church parsonage and Home Mission, St. Luke's
Hospital, St. James Church, corner Bagg and Seventh streets, in all of
which he is represented as the chief promoter in the organization and
construction. To aid other parishes and churches in the city and
country he has not withheld his money or influence, neither has he been
confined in his generosity to his own denomination, but all efforts and
objects tending to improve the morals and elevate humanity have
received from him material aid and hearty sympathy.
In business, his transactions have been large and extended, and
have been conducted in such a manner as to furnish no cause of complaint from the thousands who have dealt with him. He was a director
of the Michigan State Bank until its charter expired, and was the
President of the Second National Bank during the entire term of its
first charter, and when re-organized as the Detroit National, became
its President, which position he held until ill health induced him to
withdraw.
As a public man, he was elected a member of the State Senate in
i86i, and was Chairman of the Finance Committee, Chairman of the
Joint Committee of the two houses to investigate the Treasury Department and the official acts of the Treasurer, and of the committee to let
the contract for the improvement of the Sault Ste. Marie Ship Canal;




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also a member of the Senate Committee on Banks and Corporations.
He was elected Governor in i868, and re-elected in I870, serving four
years. Among the most important measures initiated by him were the
establishment of the State Public School for dependent children, the
Eastern Asylum for the Insane, the State House of Correction, improvemnents to the existing charitable and reformatory institutions of
the State, and creating the present State Board of Health; the building
of the new Capitol, also, had its origin with him.
During the administration of Governor Baldwin, occurred the
devastating fires of the Northwest and Chicago.
The promptness of Governor Baldwin in taking steps for the
immediate relief of the sufferers, and its magnitude, excited the commendation of the charitable in every State of the Union, as well as the
asting gratitude of those who were the recipients of his benevolent
efforts.
The death of Senator Zachariah Chandler, November i, I879,
created a vacancy in the United States Senate, and Governor Croswell
immediately appointed Governor Baldwin to succeed him, which
appointment was confirmed by the Legislature. During his term as
Senator, he introduced the bill making an appropriation for the new
Custom House at Detroit, also sundry other Bills for the better regulation of the National Banks and the administration of Government Finances. Since his term as United States Senator expired, he has held
no public office, but has always responded to the call of party obligations.
GEORGE      V..   LOTHROP.
George VanNess Lothrop, late Minister of the United States to
Russia, was a native of the State of Massachusetts, and was born in
the town of Easton, Bristol county, in that State, August 8, 1817. His
boyhood was spent on his father's farm. He was prepared for college
at Day's Academy, Wrentham, entered as freshman at Amherst College, where he spent one year, and subsequently, in I835, entered the
sophomore class at Brown University, where he graduated in i838.
He then entered the law school of Harvard University, where he
prosecuted his studies under the instruction of Judge Story and Professor Greenleaf, but did not complete a full course by reason of
impaired health. In the autumn of I839 he decided to visit the West,
and having a brother, the late Hon. Edwin H. Lothrop, residing at
Prairie Ronde, Kalamazoo county, he made his home with him for two
or three years, pursuing farming as a means for recruiting his health.
Resuming his studies in the law office of Messrs. Joy & Porter, at




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Detroit, in March, I843, he was admitted to the bar, and commenced
practice in Detroit with D. Bethune Duffield, as law partner, in the
spring of I844. Among his contemporaries at the bar at this period
were Elon Farnsworth (then Attorney-General), Henry T. Backus,
Barstow & Lockwood, George C. Bates, Alexander W. Buel, Samuel
T. Douglass, H. N. Walker, H. H. Emmons, Jacob M. and William
A. Howard, James V. Campbell, James A. VanDyke, James F. Joy
and Augustus S. Porter, all of whom had become famous, not only in
Michigan but in other States, and some of whom became more distinguished subsequently, none of whom are now living except Samuel T.
Douglass, James V. Campbell, James F. Joy, and D. Bethune Duffield.
With such men Mr. Lothrop began a career which has since been most
successful and brilliant.
In April, 1848, Edward Mundy, Attorney-General of the State,
having resigned, Mr. Lothrop was appointed his successor. This position he held until I85t. At this time some excitement existed, occasioned, as alleged, by an attempt on the part of the Roman Catholics
in Detroit to secure a portion of the school funds for their private
schools. Mr. Lothrop had taken very earnest action to counteract the
scheme, and an independent ticket for city officers was the result.
Mr. Lothrop was nominated and elected Recorder. This was the first
position held by him under the city government.
He has several times received the vote of the Democratic members of the Legislature for the United States Senate, was a member of
the State Constitutional Convention in i867, and was appointed in i873
by Governor Bagley to a convention authorized by the legislature to
prepare amendments to the Constitution, which he declined. For
nearly thirty years he was the General Attorney of the Michigan Central Railway Company.
In May, I885, he was appointed Minister to Russia by President
Cleveland. After a service of over three years at St. Petersburg, Mr.
Lothrop resigned his post and returned to Detroit in the autumn of
i888. He has never resumed the practice of his profession.
As a public man, Mr. Lothrop is highly esteemed by all parties.
As a lawyer, his name runs through all the Michigan Supreme Court
Reports from i844 to i884.
As a politician he has been recognized as the leader in his party.
He was a member of the famous Charleston National Convention of
i86o. He served there as the Michigan member of the Committee on
Resolutions. In that committee, which sat for nearly a week, but
whose debates and proceedings have never been published, the real
battle between the Union and the Secession Wings of the Democracy
was fought. In all this struggle, as in the political campaign that
followed, Mr. Lothrop stood unflinchingly with the Douglass wing of




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the Democracy. He saw clearly the coming of the bloody strife that
was about to sever the country, and from the outset took the stand for
the Union and Constitution, which he maintained to the last.
He was the Democratic Candidate for Congress in his district in
1836 and i86o, but was defeated in both canvasses.
As a citizen, his geniality and uniform courtesy has secured for
him the love and esteem of the rich and poor alike.
Mr. Lothrop is a member of several benevolent and literary associations. We find him one of the managers of the Detroit Young
Men's Society in I844, a member of the Historical Society, an Adviser
for the Ladies' Orphan Asylum, with the late Hon. C. C. Trowbridge. He has ever been active in all enterprises tending to beautify
and adorn the city, as well as in those promoting its substantial business
growth.
As a member of the Historical Society, he is recognized as a
member of the Pioneer Society, by virtue of the former being merged
into the latter.
ED WARD CAREY WALKER.
Bishop Whately says: " Nothing but right can ever be expedient,
since that can never be true expediency which would sacrifice a greater
good to a less. Render to all their dues."
St. Paul defines what true expediency is: That law and custom
may justify many personal acts, but great wrong may be done others
thereby. Those who have known the subject of this sketch and the
manner of his life, we fancy, will not charge us with fulsomeness if we
apply the sentiment as governing the life and conduct of Edward
Carey Walker. The history of the family from which he sprang is
given in the sketch of his brother, the Hon. Charles I. Walker, hence
it is not necessary to detail his antecedents, only as they relate to him
personally.
Mr. Walker was born July 4th, I820. He received his academical
education under the instructions of Prof. Zenas Morse and Nathan
Bishop. At the age of fifteen he studied practical engineering with
William J. McAlpin, resident engineer of the Chenango Canal. He
continued with him until a serious accident prevented his return to field
work, and on a visit to his sister in I837, was prevailed upon by his
brother-in-law, Mr. A. C. McGraw, to enter upon the study of law, and
as preliminary thereto, he commenced his course under the instructions
of C. W. Fitch, D. D., principal of the Branch University, who fitted
him for the Junior Class of Yale College, which he entered in i840.
He graduated from Yale in I842, in the same class with Professors




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James Hadley and J. A. Porter, and at once began his law studies with
Messrs. Joy and Porter, with whom he remained three years, with the
exception of the year spent under the tutorship of Judge Story at Cambridge Law School. Among his class mates at the latter were Anson
Burlingame and B. Rutherford Hayes. In 1845 he was admitted to
the bar at Detroit, and has continued the practice of his profession here
continuously up to the present time, making collections a specialty.
During this period he has had as associates his brother, Hton. Chas. I.
Walker, Hon. Alfred Russell, Hon. Chas. A. Kent, and has at the present time his son Bryant Walker, who constitute the firm of Walker &
Walker.
Although Mr. Walker was educated in the Quaker faith, he in
early youth united with the Presbyterians, and is a member of
the Fort street Presbyterian church of Detroit, and has been prominently identified with its interests for over forty years. As a citizen Mr.
Walker has been ardent and active in promoting and establishing in
the city and throughout the State educational and moral institutions.
He was for several years a member and Secretary of the Board of
Education of Detroit. He was elected Regent of the State University
in I863, and was re-elected continuously, serving as such up to I88I.
He was a member of the State Legislature in i867-68, serving as
Chairman of the Judiciary Committee.
Mr. Walker in politics is, and has been since the organization of
the party, a Republican; was a member of the committee appointed in
Detroit for the preliminary inception of the convention at Jackson in
1854.
In business connected with his profession, Mr. Walker is recognised
as leading in the matter of titles to real estate. Capitalists at the east
have long employed him as their agent in loans. He has also been
largely interested in manufacturing industries in Detroit, and in all his
walks, whether as member of the church, as an attorney, as a public
man or as a private citizen, he enjoys the confidence and respect of all
who have intercourse or bear relations with or to him in these varied
responsibilities.
June i6th, I852, he married Miss Lucy Bryant, daughter of Deacon Abner Bryant, of Buffalo, New York. She was born at Buffalo
in 1827, and departed this life at Detroit, March ioth, I883, leaving
two children, Bryant, who is associated with him in business, and a
daughter, who recently married the Rev. Dr. Wallace Radcliffe, pastor
of the Fort street Presbyterian Church.




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FRANCIS GRANVGER RUSSELL.
Being to the " manor born," the subject of this sketch can safely
be classed among the pioneers of Michigan.
Mr. Francis Granger Russell, as his name suggests, belongs to a
race somewhat allied to those whose names in England and America
are identified and are recognized as progressionists, indicating independence, enterprise and integrity, all of which qualities have been
manifested as possessed by his immediate ancestors, of which he is a
fair exemplar and representative.  He was born in Livingston county,
Michigan, April i6th, I837, or about two months prior to Michigan's
admission to full communion with the other States. His father, William
Sanderson Russell, was born at Sunderland, Massachusetts, on the
26th day of November, I807. His mother, Jane Althea Knox, was
born near Bennington, Vt., on the 4th day of February, I8I7. As her
name indicates she came from the family of Washington's chief of
artillery, General Knox, who was nearly related to Commodore Perry,
of later fame.  Mr. Russell's parents were married at Riga, Monroe
county, New York, on the 3d day of February, I833. There were
three sons and two daughters born to them. His mother died October
8th, I850, and his father August 27th, i870.  That the parents were
of an enterprising character, as well as independent and self-reliant, is
evidenced by the manner of their early life; leaving a well settled
region in Monroe county, New York, traveling through Canada with
an ox team until they reached the Territory of Michigan, they located on
the Grand river trail at its intersection with the Huron river, thirtyseven miles from Detroit, and made a home among the oak openings
of Livingston county. His minority was crowded with hard work on
the farm, yet not monotonous, for he utilized every spare moment in
reading, inspired by the injunctions of his mother " to fit himself as a
proper representative of his race to take a position among the men of
his time." He was but thirteen years of age when his mother died,
and having acquired, at the district school, the preliminary training, at
the age of seventeen he entered the State Normal School, from which
he graduated in the spring of I858.  His following history in chronological order is-That from I858 to I86I he was principal of the Middle
Union school, of Lansing. From April, I86I, to July, i864, he was
connected with the Interior Department, Washington, and for about
three months served in the local organization mustered for the defense
of Washington. Department life not suiting him, and the climate not
being agreeable, he resigned his position and came to Detroit. In i865
he became secretary of the metropolitan Police Board of Commissioners,
then just created. In the fall of I868, upon a rigid and open examination before a full bench he was admitted to practice law, by the Supreme
Court. At this time Governor Henry P. Baldwin being then just
23




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elected, made him his private secretary. Three years subsequently he
was elected, over a very popular competitor, City Attorney of Detroit,
and at the end of his term was re-elected, serving the city as its attorney four years. He was elected alderman of his ward in I877 and
during his incumbency of that office, among other things, was conspicuous for his advocacy of the city's purchase of Detroit's beautiful island
park. In the fall of i879 he was again elected city attorney. His
main business since has been the management of bankrupt estates, in
which he has had large experience.
In public and private life, as exhibited by Mr. Russell, we have
an instance of what independence, energy and honesty will make in a
man, whose early instincts are directed by proper maternal education" an American citizen."
In September, i863, he went to Ohio and married on the ioth of
that month, Miss Helen Edwards, daughter of 0. Jay Edwards, of
Springfield, Ohio. She was born at Medina, New York, in I843. Her
ancestors were of English descent and her uncle, Silas M. Burroughs,
was congressman from New York. Mrs. Russell died May 3d, i890.
Mr. Russell has three children, born as follows: Clinton W.,
November i9th, i864; Lela, April 23d, i866; Frank P., April 26th,
i870. A bright and promising son, Walter Knox, born May i4th,
i868, died September 23, i883.
He had one brother, DeWitt Clinton, who died in the army
December 3d, i86i, and has living one brother, Wm. Henry Harrison
-a lawyer-and two married sisters, Mariam H. Brooks, of Detroit,
Michigan, and Helen R. Ulrich, of Chicago.
WILLIAM A. HO WARD.
"I was born in poverty, and my mother had a struggle against it
through all the years of my young life. I have been sick a great deal,
but I can truly say that mercies have been scattered all along-goodness and mercy have followed me all the days of my life, and my only
regret is, that I have not been more perfectly transformed."
William Alanson Howard, who uttered the foregoing just prior to
his decease, was born on the 8th day of April, I8I3, at Hinesburg,
Chittenden county, Vermont. His father, Daniel Howard, was born
at Bridgewater, Plymouth county, Massachusetts, and, on reaching his
majority, emigrated to Springfield, Windsor county, Vermont, where
he married Esther Spencer; from thence he removed to Hinesburg,
the birthplace of the subject of this sketch. He was poor, as were a
large majority of his neighbors, and could afford for his son William




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but few advantages, so that Mr. Howard's early life was one of continuous struggle for existence.  He, too weak physically to cope
with the hardships of farm life, at the age of fourteen years, left
Hinesburg, and took his way on foot to Albion, New York, and
apprenticing himself to a cabinet-maker, made himself master of the
trade, and by improving his leisure hours had acquired sufficient knowledge of books to create an insatiable desire for an education, and
when his five years' apprenticeship had expired, he went to Wyoming,
New York, and entered the Academy at that place, where he remained
three years, and then entered Middleburg College, in Vermont, from
which he graduated in I839. When it is considered that during the
three years at Wyoming, and the four years at Middlebury, he was
compelled to rely upon his own resources, which we know were
meagre, and was weighed down by physical burdens in addition, we
can imagine the trials and self-denials he encountered, and the strength
of the will which overcame them. But the seven long years of bitter
contest were ended, that for which he had so long sought was found,
and he had secured the desire of his heart, an education. He taught
school in Genessee county, N. Y., during the winter following his
graduation, and in the spring was advised to try the climate of Michigan. Accepting the advice, he arrived at Detroit, April I2, I840, his
whole fortune being but seventy-two dollars. Soon after arrival, he
accepted a mathematical tutorship in a branch of the Michigan University, and then began reading law in the office of Witherell & Buel,
employing his time when not engaged in teaching, to preparing for the
bar, to which he was admitted in I842 as a partner of A. W. Buel.
From I842 to I854 he was engaged in the active practice of his profession. September 20, I854, the Whig Congressional Convention at
Ann Arbor, nominated him for Congress; on the same day he received
the endorsement of the Fusion Anti-Nebraska mass convention held at
Detroit. In this contest David Stuart was his competitor, whom he
defeated by a majority of II54. In I856 he was re-elected by a majority
of 767 over the Hon. George V. N. Lothrop. In I858 he was again
a candidate against George B. Cooper, of Jackson, who received the
certificate of election, but Mr. Howard contested his seat and was
declared lawfully elected, thus entering Congress for the third time,
May 15, i86o.
On the assembling of the Congress of I856, it will be remembered
there was a bitter contest for the Speakership. At the end of some
weeks, Nathaniel P. Banks, Republican, was elected. It was during
this period that Mr. Howard established his position, winning the confidence of his Republican colleagues, as well as the admiration of his
political enemies. To the attempts to drive the Republicans from their
position, he said: "We stand here: we will abate no jot of our principle-we will appeal to the country, and if need be, will continue voting




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until the 4th of March, i857. We have met our Democratic brethren
in good faith. We have done our best to effect an organization. We
have steadily voted against adjournment. We have made no motions
to consume time. We have steadily measured our business. We shall
go on without compromise until we are defeated or succeed." When
the house was organized he was appointed the second member of the
Committee of Ways and Means, the most important of the lower
branch of Congress. The troubles in Kansas then occupied the public
mind, and Congress, in response to the appeal of the people of that territory, appointed a committee to go to Kansas and investigate, the committee consisting of John Sherman, William A. Howard and Mordecai
Oliver. One thousand two hundred pages of evidence was taken by
this committee, exposing the frauds and atrocities perpetrated on the
settlers in Kansas. The longest address delivered by Mr. Howard
while in Congress was that on which he denounced the Kansas Lecompton Constitution, March 23, i858, in the course of which he used
the following: "It is a creature of usurpation, the child of illegal
despotism, as destitute of all rightful authority in its origin as it is of
popular favor in its maturity. Illegitimate in its origin, it is now in its
development, by at least four-fifths of those who were expected to
father it, loathed and feared, shunned and scorned." The events
which followed this period have become a matter of history, of which
the outrages in Kansas was the precurser of the Civil War in January,
i86i. Mr. Howard was one of the committee of thirty-three appointed
to devise a settlement of political difficulties-none were devised, except
coercion. Mr. Howard's congressional life ended the 4th of March,
i86i, and President Lincoln appointed him Postmaster at Detroit. He
continued in this position nearly six years, when President Andrew
Johnson, appointed the late Colonel Henry Barnes to succeed him.
In I869, President Grant tendered him the mission to China, which
he declined. The same year he became the Land Commissioner of the
Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad, and removed from Detroit to Grand
Rapids. He continued in this service until i877, when he was appointed
by President Hayes Governor of Dakota Territory.
The health of Mr. Howard was temporarily very much benefited
by the climate of Dakota, but previous loss of vitality was not restored,
and he was compelled to resign. On his return to Washington, stoping a short time at Detroit, it was evident to his many friends that he
was rapidly passing away, and soon after reaching the former place,
his earthly life terminated, and the following announcement was made
on the wires: "April 10, i88o, Hon. William A. Howard, died at the
National Hotel, in Washington, at 8: 40 o'clock."
Mr. Howard was married in i84I to Ellen Lane, daughter of the
late Venerable Matthew W. Burchard, whose biography will be found




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in this volume. She survived her husband. He also left four adult
children, Mrs. Delia Howard O'Brien, of Grand Rapids; Mrs. Kate
Howard Riddle, of Erie, Pa.; William S. Howard of Grand Rapids,
and James B. Howard, graduate of the Boston Law School.
ED WARD CHOPE.
Bovier says: "The obligations of a workman are to perform the
work he has undertaken, to do it in proper time, to do it well, to employ
the things furnished him according to his contract."
The best evidence that the subject of this sketch has fully met his
obligations as a workman, is furnished by the fact that for over fifty
years his work has been in demand, and that through this demand he
has accumulated a fair degree of wealth, enjoys the confidence
of the public and the esteem and respect of the high and low,
rich and poor, of the city and country in which he has so long resided.
Edward Chope was born in Devonshire, England, March 25th,
I815. In early life he was apprenticed, and learned the trade of a blacksmith, so that his advantages for obtaining an education were limited.
He emigrated from England in I835, and settled in Detroit in
June, i837.
The population of Detroit at that time was less than 6,000oo; to-day it
numbers 250,000, greater than that of the entire State at the time of
Mr. Chope's becoming a citizen, being but 212,000.
Mr. Chope married Miss Mary Ann Rang, of Washtenaw. They
have had four children. His son, Charles H. Chope, served as a soldier
during the rebellion. Entering the service of the United States July
24th, i862, as sergeant in company G, Twenty-fourth Infantry, was
promoted to lieutenant March 2ISt, i865, and mustered out June
3oth, i865.
Mr. Chope is a man of enterprise, active in all movements looking
to the improvement of his adopted city, and was an important factor in
the establishment of the Public Boulevard, and also in other enterprises which have promoted the healthy growth of the city. In his
manner Mr. Chope is open, frank and genial, liberal in his charities and
independent in expressing and maintaining his opinions. He is Republican in politics, though never seeking office; has held several responsible positions, which he has filled with credit to himself and to the
profit of the public.




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YOHN STEPHENS.
John Stephens was born October 7th, I812, in the city of Dublin,
Ireland. His mother dying when he was very young, his father
emigrated with him and settled at Trafalgar, Ont. He was then eight
years of age and was the eldest of four brothers.  At the age of
eighteen years, after acquiring a common school education, he commenced business for himself at Delaware, near London, and prospered
in all his ventures. He advocated Canadian independence. Failing to
realize his hopes in this direction he sold out his business and, in i838,
came to Michigan and established a general store at Mt. Clemens,
Macomb county, with branches at Utica and Romeo.      He also
engaged in milling, and ran a steamboat between Mt. Clemens and
Detroit. In I852 he sold his business in Macomb county and came to
Detroit and, associating with him Moses W. Field,, established the
wholesale grocery house of Stephens & Field. The firm did an extensive business for a number of years, when on the retirement of Mr.
Field, Mr. James Beatty became a partner, when the style changed to
Stephens & Beatty.  In I864 Mr. Beatty retired and Mr. Stephens
conducted the business alone until I878, when he sold to Messrs. Beatty,
Fitzsimons & Co., he having meanwhile established an office in New
York. In i878 he organized the wholesale grocery house of John
Stephens & Sons in the John Strong block, corner of Shelby and
Jefferson avenue. He subsequently removed to the old Board of Trade
building on Woodbridge.
In August, i877, Mrs. Stephens' death was a severe blow to him,
and from that time he exhibited evidences of failing health.
Mr. Stephens took great interest in public affairs but would never
consent to hold an office.  In religion he was an Episcopalian.  The
larger portion of his life was devoted to business, and in his family he
took great delight in spending his leisure time with them and in contributing to their happiness. He was, as a business man, recognized as
the peer of any. He was a director of the first National Bank from its
organization.
No finer tribute can be paid to his worth than is found in the following expression, by the Merchants' and Manufacturers' Exchange,
on the announcement of his death:
"WHEREAS, This Exchange has been called upon to suffer the
loss of one of its oldest members, in the death of John Stephens, Esq.,
" Resolved, That we again recognize the removal from business
life of one, who stood foremost in our mercantile ranks, we would put
on record our high esteem for his long, earnest and honorable career
as a merchant, and as one who has labored to make our city honorably
known throughout the State.




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"Resolved, That as a mark of our esteem the members of this
Exchange will attend in a body, the funeral of our deceased member."
Of the eleven children born to him and his wife eight survive him.
John E. and George R. Stephens, Mrs. Geo. W. Lamson, Mrs. Col. J.
Kemp Mizner, Mrs. Captain Allan Smith, Mrs. Lieutenant R. C. Van
Vliet, Mrs. Robt. Little and Mrs. Rev. St. Clark.
7OHNV R. GROUT.
The following is an extract from the Detroit Post and Tribune,
January 4th, i882:
John R. Grout, an old and esteemed citizen of Detroit, was born
in the State of New York in i896. After a preparatory course he
entered and graduated from Union College, Schenectady, New York,
meanwhile teaching school during vacation to eke out the expenses of
his education. Having made civil engineering a specialty, he came to
Michigan soon after the present company had acquired the Michigan
Central railway from the State, and was employed by it in the line of
his profession. He drew the plans for the old Third street depot.
In I845 he became interested in the Lake Superior mines, and was
one of the original corporators of the copper mines of that section, and
of the Detroit and Lake Superior Copper Company, and established
the Detroit Smelting Works. He was also one of the founders of the
Fort Wayne and Elmwood Street Railway Company; was a director
in the American National Bank, and of the corporation known as
Parke, Davis & Co. He died January 3d, I882, leaving a widow, three
daughters and one son.
ALFRED R USSELL.
Londonderry, New Hampshire, was founded by emigrants from
the north of Ireland. They were of Scotch descent, and held to the
Presbyterian faith, and having been engaged in the manufacture of
linen, they brought with them many implements and established linen
manufactories in the new settlement. Among the most influential of
these were the Russell family, from whom is descended the subject of
this sketch. His great grandfather was Captain John Russell, who was
killed at the siege of Fort William Henry, in I757, being the second in
generation from these colonists. The son of Captain John Russell
Moore, Russell, the son (and grandfather of Alfred), was a prominent
member of the Governor's Council in New Hampshire for many years.




352 -

He established a mercantile business at Plymouth, N. H., in I798, which
is still carried on by his descendants on the same spot. He reached the
age of ninety-six. William W., the son, and the father of Alfred, was
born in Plymouth, N. H., in i8oi. In i826 he married Susan Carleton
Webster, who was born at Salisbury, N. H., in i804. Her near kinsman, Daniel Webster, was born at the same place. The Websters
were originally from Ispwich, Eng., from which place they emigrated
in i630, and settled and founded the town of Ispwich, Mass.
Mr. Russell had three brothers, of whom two are living. William
is in business at the old place. Frank graduated at the United States
Military Academy, West Point, in i868, and entered the army. George
P. practised law in Detroit in the firm of Newbury, Pond & Russell,
and died in i867.
After a preparatory course Mr. Russell entered Dartmouth college, from which he graduated in I850. After spending two years at
Harvard Law school he came west, and located in Detroit in I852',
where he has since resided in the practice of his profession.
Socially and intellectually, Mr. Russell is held in high esteem, not
only by the citizens of his adopted State and city, but by the cultivated
and refined of the States west and east, in all of which his acquaintance
is extensive and his friends numerous and influential.
Mr. Russell, as a law practioner, is the peer of any in the United
States Supreme Court, the District and the courts of the western
States. In politics Mr. Russell is an ardent, active Republican. In
i86i he was appointed by President Lincoln, United States District
Attorney, which position he held for eight years. It was in the discharge of the official duties as United States District Attorney that he
acquired not only a national reputation as far as his relations with our
government were concerned, but his construction of international law
gained for him a recognition by the English, French and German
courts.  It was during the late civil war that Secretary of State
Seward gave him special powers and duties to perform, which called
for the exercise of, and demonstrated his ability to cope with and successfully establish, the principles which should govern the adjustment
of questions between nations when another is involved in domestic
difficulties.
At one period during the civil war, raids were made by southern
refugees upon St. Albans, Vt., and at points on Lake Erie. They
were organized in Canada by authority of Jacob Thompson, Secretary
of War of the Southern Confederacy. These bands destroyed much
property, and the question was as to the responsibilities of the foreign
government which permitted the formation of such organizations within
its territory. Among others of the notable results achieved through
the instrumentality of Mr. Russell was the expulsion of Confederate




agents the extradition of some of the parties who sought to capture the United States war steamer Michigan, and the establishment
of the principle upon which the Alabama Claims for pecuniary
damages were awarded by the Geneva Commissioners.
Mr. Russell, whether in or out of court, is the polite and courteous
gentleman, and is regarded as one of the most scholarly and learned
lawyers in the State, his fine social qualities having secured him
hosts of friends outside of the legal fraternity.
He resigned the office of District Attorney in i869, since which
time he has closely confined himself to general practice. He was
chosen to deliver the oration at the dedication of the City Hall, July 4th,
I87I. Before that he was invited to deliver the Commencement oration at the University during the presidency of Tappan. In i878 he
delivered the oration at the Commencement of Dartmouth college,
subject: "Some Effects of the Growth of Cities upon our Political
System."
CAPTAIN 7OH.N W. HALL.
The Phoenicians navigated to the extremity of the Western Ocean.
Drusus, the father of the Emperor Claudius, was the first who navigated
the Northern Ocean. The first ship, properly so called, of the British
navy, was built by Henry VII. The navy of Hiram brought gold from
the mines of his country to King Solomon. Noah was the first shipwright and navigator that we have any account of.  The foregoing
indicates the life' followed by the subject of this sketch.
Captain John Warner Hall was born at Fort Erie, Canada,
December 8th, I813. His father, Cyrenius Hall, was born at Windsor,
New Hampshire, in I788. He was an own cousin of the late Judge
Salmon P. Chase, of the United States Supreme Court. When a
young man he removed to Fort Erie where he met and married Miss
Julia Warren in I812. Cyrenius Hall died in February, i86o. Julia
Warren, his wife, soon followed him.
Captain John W., the subject of this sketch, received from his
parents a fair English education, but early in life chose the profession
of navigation.  At the age of nineteen years he shipped aboard the
schooner Billow, and continued to follow the water until I863, meanwhile commanding a number of different vessels.  In that year he
accepted the position of marine inspector and reporter at the port of
Detroit, which he now holds.
In May, I843, he married Miss Jane Eakins, of Westminster,
Canada. She died in January, I853, leaving three children, only one
of whom is now living. He married the second time, Miss Christiana




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Shaw, of Houghton, Canada.   In I839 he came to Michigan and
settled in Detroit, which, excepting a short interval, has been his home
port ever since.
Captain Hall is not only master of the science of navigation theoretically and practically, but is recognized by vessel owners and masters
4as authority on all matters relating thereto.  He also possesses a
knowledge of the build and record of all vessels of the lake marine
from the earliest period when these waters were first navigated by
white men. He can also name their owners and masters.
Captain Hall is still a hale, vigorous man physically and mentally.
He has written an article on the growth of the vessel interest on the
lakes which is an exceedingly interesting paper. He has long been a
member of this Society.
WILLIAM B. WESSON.
Among the first to purchase and sub-divide lands in and adjacent
to Detroit, with a view to enlarge and improve its boundaries and add
to its buildings and population, was the firm of Crane & Wesson.
Although the Hon. William Hale had made some purchases, he had
not put them on the market in the systematic manner which Messrs.
Crane & Wesson practiced.  This firm, after a purchase of vacant
property, laid it out in lots and at once offered it for sale. Their terms
were liberal and only small annual payments were required, but the
purchaser was to improve and erect a building for occupancy.  This
plan secured for the city a fixed and substantial population, interested
in its growth and to the poor man a home, and thus laid the foundation
for him to acquire the independence of a freeholder.
William B. Wesson, the junior member of this firm, was born in
the town of Hardwick, Worcester county, Massachusetts, March 20th,
I820. He received an academic education. At this academy he had,
among other classmates, the late Anson Burlingame, who secured for
the Japanese commercial relations with the United States, England and
other European nations, and it was while thus engaged with Russia he
died at St. Petersburgh.  Dr. Desnoyers, an old resident of Detroit,
was also one of his schoolfellows.
After completing his term he decided to come west, and having
acquaintances in Detroit he fixed upon it as a point for beginning the
business which he has so long successfully prosecuted. For a time he
was associated with the Hon. William Hale, and subsequently with F. J.
B. Crane. Their connection continued for a series of years and to-day
one can find Crane & Wesson's sub-divisions recorded as being located




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on most of the streets in the city, as well as in all its suburbs. During
the whole of his active life he has never lost sight of whatever would
best assist the moral as well as material growth of Detroit, hence his
sympathy and encouragement to all objects having in view the
establishment of churches, schools and industrial enterprises.
In politics he has always acted with the Republicans but is not
inclined to active participation as such, preferring to discharge his
political obligations in a quiet manner.  In I872 he was elected State
senator from the First District of Wayne county, and although suffering from ill health he performed his senatorial duties with honor to
himself and to the satisfaction of his constituency.
As a citizen, Mr. Wesson enjoys the confidence and respect of all,
as a business man of integrity and sagacity.  He is the president of
the Wayne County Savings Bank and of the Trust Security and
Safe Deposit Company, was the promoter of the Detroit, Lansing and
Northern railroad, and of the Hamtramck street railway, also of the
Detroit Medical College.
DR. YAMES A. BRO WN.
Extract from the resolutions adopted by the medical fraternity of
Detroit, on the announcement of the decease of Dr. James A. Brown:
"In public as well as in private life he fulfilled the duties imposed upon him,
whether by the general government, the State, the city, or a friend, with strict
integrity. He was ever the honest man. No shadow of wrong-doing to his fellow
man ever tarnished his reputation."
Dr. Brown was born at Charlton, Saratoga county, N. Y., October
8, i8i7. He graduated at Fairfield Academy, N. Y., and afterwards
studied medicine at Geneva and Albany medical colleges, taking his
degree of M. D. at Willoughby Medical College in i842. He practised
at Chagrin Falls, Ohio, until 1847, when he, with Dr. E. M. Clark,
removed to Detroit. During the years i858 and 1875, he was VicePresident of the State Medical Society, and a member of the American
Medical Association, also of the Detroit Medical Library Association,
of which he was the first President.
In i862 he was appointed Medical Pension Examiner, and was
President of the Board, and at different times a Trustee of the Kalamazoo and Pontiac Insane Asylums, Surgeon of the Marine Hospital,
Physician to the House of Correction, and a member of the Detroit
Board of Education, and has held other important offices.
Dr. Brown endeared himself to his patients by his kind and sympathizing manner, as well as by his skill in treating their bodily ills,
they considered him not only as their physician but as their friend. By




- 356 -

his medical brethren he was held in high esteem, and was never known
to speak ill of any one. He had many friends aside from his patients,
and none approached him without being impressed with his largeheartedness and honesty. His practice extended over a period of forty
years, during which he acquired a fair competency.
He died May 22, 1882, at his residence on Lafayette avenue, leaving a widow and one son, Dr. Frank W. Brown, who has a lucrative
practice, and bids fair to become as successful a practitioner as his
father.
THOMAS FRAZER.
During the " Pretender " troubles the Frazer brothers, Andrew and
David, left their native country, Scotland, and settled on lands in
Edenderry, located between the villages of Loughbrickland and
Scarva, County Down, Ireland, from whom the above named, Thomas
Frazer, is descended, and who was born there April 9th, I8I4. When
he was quite a youth Ireland was being surveyed by the British government under the supervision of Col. Sir Thos. Colby, Royal Engineers, in which service Mr. Frazer was employed as a civil engineer
nearly eight years, in the counties of Down, Armagh, Louth and
Meath. On the i6th of June, I835, he was married by the Rev. Elias
Thackeray, of Dundalk, to Miss Sarah Wells, of Dublin, who was born
September 3oth, I8I5. Soon after their marriage they determined to
emigrate to the United States, and on March 2d, I837, they sailed from
Drogheda to Liverpool, and from thence on the I3th, and landed in
New York on the 2d of May, and came direct to Michigan, and for
the ensuing thirty years Mr. Frazer was connected with the surveying,
civil engineering, construction and working of the Southern and
Central railroads of Michigan.
By Mr. Frazer's marriage with Miss Wells there are living a daughter, Mrs. Stanton, and a son, Robert E. Frazer. He was born at Adrian
October 2d, i840. His mother died in i849. On September 2d, I852,
Mr. Frazer was married by the Rev. Mr. Hills to Miss Cecilia Clancy,
of Detroit, who was born in Dublin, Ireland, in i823. By this marriage
there are three children living, viz.: Georgiana (Mrs. Chas. L. Clark),
Lucius W. and Allan Howard. Mr. Frazer has resided in Detroit
since i844.




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DR. JOSEPH BAGG.
The name of Bagg is so familiar that a reminiscence of Wayne
county and of its early residents would be incomplete without mention
of this distinguished family.
Dr. Joseph Bagg was the grandson of Joseph Bagg who, with his
four brothers, served in the Continental army during the struggle
for American Independence, and the son of Abner Bagg and Eunice
Hall, of Lainsborough, Massachusetts.  He was born at this place
December 2d, I797, and with his parents removed to Oneida county,
New York.    At the age of seventeen he left the homestead and
entered, as a student, the office of Dr. Luther B. Guiteau, of Trenton,
N. Y., a physician of eminence in that portion of the State. With him
he remained two years and entered the Fairfield Medical college,
Herkimer county, from which he graduated in I82I, and forming a
partnership with Dr. Smith, of Ogdensburg, commenced the practice
of medicine, which he continued with marked success until I823, when
he married Miss Eliza Shelden, of New Hartford, Oneida county, N.
Y.   She was the daughter of James Sheldon, one of the earliest
ettlers of Oneida county, and a captain of a Grenadier company during
the Revolutionary War and was the son of the Rev. Dr. Sheldon, a
celebrated divine of Troy. Her mother, Mary (Cheesborough) Lord,
was a native of Providence, R. I. After his marriage, Dr. Bagg
removed and practiced at Oxboro and Watertown, N. Y., until I836,
when he decided to come west, locating first at Cleveland, Ohio, from
thence to Oswego, New York, and in I838 came to Detroit. The
Doctor held many responsible public positions in the city and State,
which he filled with honor to himself and usefulness to the State and its
citizens. He was a man of noble and generous impulses, with a fund
of wit and original thought, which made him an entertaining companion, esteemed and loved by all who knew him.
The Doctor and Mrs. Bagg had six children. Mrs. Chas. Goodhue, of Owosso; Mrs. Cordial Stow, of Lewis county, New York; B.
Rush Bagg, well known as the terror to violaters of law, as police
judge of Detroit; Mrs. Charles J. Halliday, of Detroit, and George C.
Halliday, of Syracuse, New York, and Mrs. Dr. William Cox, of
Detroit. Dr. Bagg died at Ypsilanti, Michigan, November 2d, I864.
DON M. DICKINSON.
"Neither my paternal grandfather nor my paternal great-grandfather, nor my maternal
grandfather or maternal great-grandfather were natives of any but American soil."-Don M.
Dzikzinson.
From the foregoing we may infer that the title, "An American
citizen," is considered, by the subject of this sketch, more honorable




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than any that can be conferred by foreign prince or potentate, and that
he has no desire to go beyond the sea to establish his ancestry as
honorable.
Don M. Dickinson is the fourth representative of Michigan to be
selected by the President of the United States as one of his advisers,
Cass, McClellan and Chandler being the only members of the cabinet
ever before chosen from Michigan.
Don M. Dickinson was born January I7th, I846, at Port Ontario,
Oswego county, N. Y. Col. Asa Dickinson, his father, was a
native of Massachusetts, as was also his grandfather before him. He
was born at Great Barrington, Berkshire county.  In I820 Colonel
Dickinson explored the shores of Lakes Erie, Huron and Michigan in
a birch bark canoe, and at that early day was so impressed with the
future of Michigan that he determined to make it his home. He, however, did not remove with his family until i848, when he settled in St,
Clair county.
The mother of Don was the daughter of the Rev. Jesseriah Holmes,
a distinguished New England divine. The family name of Dickinson
appears in the history of this country and in connection with important
events, as actors and participators from i620 to the present period.
The first of the name settling in the province of Massachussetts, John
Dickinson, was a member of the Continental Congress of 1774, president of the Executive Council and one of the founders of Dickinson
College, Penn. Daniel S. Dickinson, a member of the United States
Senate from New York, and Jonathan Dickinson, who as far back as
I719 was Chief Justice of the Province of Pennsylvania, were all in the
direct line related to the ancestors of the subject of this sketch.
Don M. Dickinson was but two years of age when brought to
Michigan by his parents in i848, so that he may well claim that it is as
dear to him, as the New England States were to his ancestors.
The early childhood of Mr. Dickinson was thus spent upon the
banks of the St. Clair river, and it was there he made the acquaintance
of Aunt Emily Ward, for whom he still cherishes an almost reverential
love and respect. Aunt Emily, in referring to him, says: "Don was
not much like other boys. He was kind and chivalrous in disposition and
manner, he did not engage in boyish amusements with the same zest
as others of his age, but was inclined to read books and acquire information from his elders.  He always exhibited affection and respect for
me, and readily accepted my suggestions and advice. There was
another peculiarity which I observed in Don when a boy: He was
extremely methodical and systematic in all that he undertook or did,
and earnest in his efforts to accomplish it."
Coming from such a source this portraiture of the boy furnishes an
index to the man and his characteristics, which those who know him




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will bear witness, that he has given evidence of possessing to-day, and as
developing a high sense of honor, fidelity to friends, sagacious judgment, a profound knowledge of law, integrity of purpose and action,
and a courage and ability to maintain and defend any principle he may
advance or cause he may undertake.
In his boyhood he acquired his primary education at the
schools of St. Clair, and after advancing through the public schools of
Detroit, took a year's instructions under a private teacher and entered
the law department of the University of Michigan.  He graduated
from it prior to reaching his majority, and while waiting to reach the
age permitting his admission to the bar, he spent the interval in
studying the management of cases and the philosophy and logic of law
practically applied.
He was admitted to the bar in I867, when just past his 2ist year,
and at once entered upon a successful and lucrative practice, his
clients, then and now, being representatives of the most substantial
interests in this and the eastern States. Among the important cases
which have been conducted by him, or in which he participated, are the
following in the Supreme Court of the United States:
I. The great Telephone case, making the leading argument for
Drawbaugh, associated with Senator Edmunds. Don M. Dickinson's
argument stenographically reported and printed in full in I26, United
States Reports.
2. The Schott & Feibish cases, involving a conflict between the
jurisdiction of Michigan State Courts and the Federal Courts. State
jurisdiction was sustained by Supreme Court after seven years' contest
in the courts.
3. Paris, Allen & Co., vs. Wheeler & Garfield, involving the old
Michigan Prohibitory Law.
4. Pewabic Mining case, involving validity of Michigan's corporation Reorganization Act, and reversing Mr. Justice Matthews on the
liability of directors after dissolution.
5. L. M. Bates & Co., vs. Peoples' Savings Bank of Detroit.
6. Hammond & Co., vs. Hastings, sustaining the lien of Michigan corporations on the stock of their stockholders against pledges of
such stock for loans in other States, reversing Judge Gresham.
Among those of note in the Federal and State Courts are:
I. Lake Superior Ship Canal Company.
2.. Ward Will case, as counsel for Emily Ward.
3. Campau Will case.
4. Johnson Will case.
In fact all of the leading cases under the Bankruptcy Act of I867,




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as well as in almost every important litigation for fifteen years, he has
been engaged on one side or the other, besides others of less general
importance. Successful in all above, except the Telephone case, in
which the Court divided and decision given by a mere majority of one.
In I872, Mr. Dickinson entered somewhat into politics. His party
recognizing in him a rare talent for combining influences, and utilizing
them in such a harmonious manner as to make them one in securing a
successful result, prevailed upon him to accept the secretaryship of the
Democratic State Central Committee.
The service he rendered his party in this capacity established him
as the leader of the young Democracy of this State, and gave him a
national reputation as a wise and sagacious politician. Subsequently
he was chosen to represent Michigan as a member of the National
Democratic Committee. In this latter position his activity, earnestness
and the comprehensive executive ability displayed in the devising and
execution of plans, the providing means and their employment to promote a given end, secured for him the respect of political opponents,
the confidence of his political friends, and in I886, led to his appointment
by President Cleveland, to the office of Postmaster-General. That
this high honor conferred upon Mr. Dickinson was considered as complimentary and shared in by the people of his adopted State, is evidenced
by the fact that many of its prominent citizens, irrespective of party
affiliations, united in tendering him a banquet on the occasion of his
acceptance, and when on the eve of entering upon the duties of his
office.
Mr. Dickinson's administration of the affairs of the Postoffice
Department, and the reforms instituted for its conduct, received the
commendation of the intelligent of all political parties, and gained for
him a reputation for official astuteness in its management; for while
the power and influence it invested was used in the interests of his
political affiliations, no violence to the principle of official integrity or
personal honor were ever charged.  He conducted himself to the
entire satisfaction of the public, and retired with a degree of popularity
seldom achieved by public officials.
At the close of his term of office he returned to Detroit and
resumed the active practice of his profession.
In reviewing the history of Mr. Dickinson and bringing it down to
the present period, we have simply detailed the most prominent incidents and circumstances connected with his boyhood, early manhood,
and the influence they have had in shaping and placing him in the
enviable position he occupies to-day before the present generation.
The future will, perhaps, judge him by what he develops hereafter,
based upon the personal traits of character as exhibited heretofore; and




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therefore as a guide, and with no fulsomeness, we make up what the
physician terms a " diagnosis," to serve those who may come after us
in their estimate of the man physically, morally and intellectually.
Physically, Mr. Dickinson approaches six feet in height, and is
well proportioned, his carriage is erect, and step firm, indicating selfreliance, divested of haughtiness. Observed, as he walks upon the
streets, he appears absorbed in thought, but when addressed, his whole
attention is arrested, his full, round, and pleasant hazel eyes, concentrate
and fix themselves as if to determine and divine the inmost thought of
the one addressing him. The conformation of his face and head is of
the Grecian type; his hair and beard are auburn; and the expression
of his countenance beams with kindness, courtesy and benevolence.
In character, Mr. Dickinson is distinguished by many strong and
prominent points. As stated, he is emphatically self-reliant, depending
on his own resources in the accomplishment of his plans and purposes.
The earnestness of his temperament is indicated in all that he undertakes.
Whatever his hands find to do he does with all his might. Such is the
enthusiasm of his nature, that he kindles a warm sympathy in his favor,
and greatly aids in carrying forward what he deems his life's work.
To selfishness, he is an entire stranger. His manner, while evincing
cultivation, is gentle and courteous, offensive to none, but attractive to
all. He is especially gracious to the worthy unfortunates; careful of
their rights, and considerate of their feelings. The most noble of his
qualities, however, are his attachments for his boyhood friends, and the
associations connected therewith, of which the following telegram
addressed to Aunt Emily Ward, on her 8oth birthday, when he occupied the exalted position of Postmaster-General, is evidence:
WASHINGTON, March i6, I885.
"EMILY WARD,-Among the thousands who congratulate you
to-day, and who have been made better and happier by the event of
eighty years ago, I ask to be counted as one of Aunt Emily's boys.
Mrs. Dickinson joins me in congratulations and affectionate regards.
" DON M. DICKINSON."
(The above is quoted to show that he has not become unbalanced
or infatuated because of his eminent success.)  Mr. Dickinson is
esteemed by his legal brethren, as is shown by the deference they give
to his opinions, and the warm, personal friendship they manifest.
J. W. Donovan, a well-known law writer, in his work on Trial
Practice, says: " Mr. Don M. Dickinson, by far the most distinguished
young lawyer in the State, wins large cases by a kindly, affable manner,
that makes him the warm friend of the court, jury and clients. As
a sagacious, business lawyer, he has no superior."
24




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So far as our cognizance extends, his boyhood, early and
later manhood, furnish an exemplification of what constitutes an
American or Yankee citizen, imbued with the principles: "That all
men are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights,
among which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
June I5, I869, Mr. Dickinson married Miss Frances L. Platt,
the daughter of Dr. Platt, of Grand Rapids, and a granddaughter of
Dr. Brigham, of Ann Arbor, a well-known and justly distinguished
physician and surgeon, who, as a contemporary with the compiler's
father, and Valentine Mott, of the New York Hospital, in 1813, instituted certain reforms in the treatment of contagious and inceptive diseases, and the abolishment of the application of hot iron to arrest
hemorrhage in amputations, which have since become arbitrary.
EL ISHA   TA rL OR.
Elisha Taylor, of Detroit, Mich., was born May i4th, I817, in
Charlton, Saratoga county, New York.
His ancestor was the Norman Baron Taillefer, who accompanied
William the Conqueror, in his invasion of England, and was slain in his
presence in the van of his army at the battle of Hastings, on Saturday,
October I4th, io66.  The family received from the Conqueror large
landed estates in the county of Kent, England. Hanger Taylefer, his
descendant, held lands in the tenure of Ospring, Kent county, A. D.
I256, and from him about one hundred years later we have John
Taylor in the homestall in Schodochurst, Kent county, and from him
the possession is perfectly traced through William, John William, John,
John, John, Mathew, to Edward Taylor, of Brigg's House, York
county, England, residing in London, who came over with his family
in the year I692 and settled in Middletown, Monmouth county, New
Jersey, and became a large landholder. John Taylor, of the fifth
generation from and including the emigrant, removed from Freehold,
New Jersey, to the new country in the State of New York, in I774,
and settled in Charlton, Saratoga county.  He was a judge of the
county court from I8o8 to I818 and died April 26th, I829, at the home
of his son, Hon. John W. Taylor, who was a member of Congress
from Saratoga county, N. Y., twenty consecutive years, from 1813 to
i833, and twice speaker of the House of Representatives in the
Congress of the United States.
Elisha Taylor, son of William and Lucy Taylor, and a grandson
of said Judge John Taylor, was born May I4th, I817, in Charlton, prepared for college at Hamilton Academy, Madison county, N. Y.,
entered Union College, Schenectady, N. Y., September, I833,




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graduated in I837, and was elected a member of the Phi Beta Kappa
Society, the highest college honor. He became principal of a select school
at Athens, Green county, N. Y., and continued there until May, I838,
when he came to Detroit, Mich., via Niagara Falls, by railroad, canal boat,
stage and steamboat, arriving in Detroit, June 6th, I838, and stopped
at the Michigan Exchange Hotel, then kept by Mr. Dibble. The
dining table was filled with young men. Though a stranger, yet a
young man sent him a bottle of champaign for his own use, with his
compliments, at his first dinner at the hotel. He had no acquaintances
in Detroit.  He had strong letters of recommendation from President
Eliphalet Nott, D. D. and LL. D., Alonzo Potter, D. D., his uncle,
Hon. John W. Taylor, and others, but refused to use any of them,
determined to stand on his own bottom and work his way up. This
was unwise. He purchased a pony and spent two months on horseback traveling over the eastern half of the settled part of the lower
peninsular of Michigan.  In August he came to Detroit to stay and
work and make his own way in the world. As he earned money, he
paid for a farm at Grand Blanc, Genesee county, Mich., one-tenth of
which he had inherited, and was a farmer a part of each year for
twenty years, working with his own hands.  He entered the office of
P. Morey, Esq., the Attorney-General of Michigan, as student and
clerk in August, I838, and had plenty of hard work which was always
finished satisfactorily. He was admitted as an attorney at law in May,
I839, and became a partner of the Attorney-General. While young he
once said to a companion: " I never spend all I make and I have something over every year, and I keep on hand one hundred dollars to ' run
away with' if necessary."
Elisha Taylor was City Attorney of Detroit in I843, member of
the Board of Education, I843-45; married Aurelia H. Penfield I844,
Master in Chancery, I842-46; Register of United States Land Office
at Detroit, I846-49; Clerk of the Supreme Court of Michigan, i848-49;
Circuit Court Commissioner, Injunction Master, Judge at Chambers,
i846-50; Receiver of the United States Land Office, Detroit, I853-57;
United States agent for paying pensions, I854-57; United States
Depositary of Public Moneys collected in Michigan, Northern Ohio and
Indiana, i853-57; an elder in Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian church,
Detroit, i856-89; a commissioner from the Presbytery of Detroit,
to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian church in the United
States in i886 at Harrisburg, and in i884 at Saratoga Springs; president of the Presbyterian Alliance of Detroit in I879 and i885; president of the Detroit City Mission Board, i866-67, organized by the
churches and charitable societies for the moral and physical improvement of the poor and afflicted in Detroit.
Ill health compelled him, about i85I, to abandon active practice as




-364 -a lawyer and for six months he went to his farm at Grand Blanc and
worked daily on his farm in the field and with pluck and perseverence
through tribulations, he recovered a good degree of physical health
and strength which, with constant care, he has maintained.
Before the civil war of i86I-65 Mr. Taylor was a Democrat. He
at all times sustained the United States government in the vigorous
prosecution of the war, and in the darkest days, when the government
declared that pecuniary aid from private citizens would be accepted, he,
with his wife, deposited $8,ooo with the United States Treasurer at
New York, which was afterwards repaid with interest at 4 per cent.
per annum.
The Detroit Free Press, in a sketch of the life of Mr. Taylor,
published August 25th, i889, closed with these words: "Dignified and
of fine personal appearance, neat in attire and courteous in manner, his
figure is one of the best known among the old citizens of Detroit.  A
man of strict integrity and exacting full faith and performance from
others, he is fair minded and well entitled to the high position he occupies in this community."
His wife, Aurelia H. Penfield, daughter of Thomas and Aurelia
H. Penfield, of Schoharie, N. Y., was born October Ist, I82I, was
married to Elisha Taylor, September 3d, I844, and came immediately
to Detroit to reside. Three children were born to them. DeWitt H.
Taylor, Mary Amelia Taylor and Frank Augustus Taylor. The two
latter died within two years after their birth.
Mrs. Taylor was an excellent wife and mother and they had a
very happy married life together of forty-four years.  She died in
Detroit, November 22nd, i888.  The following editorial in a Detroit
paper was published November 23d, I888, in memoriam of her:
"Mrs. Elisha Taylor, whose death occurred yesterday, came to
Detroit a bride in 1844, a beautiful girl.  She was refined, accomplished, kind and considerate, and helpful to those she could benefit.
"Mrs. Taylor joined the First Presbyterian church when she
came to Detroit and afterwards, in I854, was one of the forty-six persons
who organized the Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian church, and for
thirty-six years she was a capable, faithful and efficient member in the
church and Sunday school and Ladies' Society of that congregation.
"Her kindness and persistence in visiting families who were indifferent to church privileges, or who felt too poor to secure a pew in
church, resulted in forming friendships which were helpful and beneficial. She was for twenty-five years an efficient worker and wise
counselor in the Detroit Industrial School.  She was conscientious,
courageous and constant in all duties and obligations, and commanded
the esteem and confidence of those who knew her well, and her kind



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ness to those who endeavored to improve their condition was habitual
and without ostentation.  She was partially paralyzed in June, i884,
and has been an invalid since that time.
" Last summer she took an extensive tour in quest of health, and
came home quite invigorated.  This was to a large extent neutralized
by the shock of finding, on her return home, her only brother dead.
A slight cold she took on November i2th was followed by heart
failure, and on November 22nd she died of blood poisoning.  She
passed away at her late home, on Alfred street, sincerely mourned by
her many friends."
DeWitt H. Taylor, the only surviving child, was educated in the
Detroit Union and High schools, and at the University of Michigan at
Ann Arbor from I86o to I87I, and was then admitted to the bar as an
attorney and counsellor at law.  He was then engaged in successful
mercantile business for three years and in I874-75 he spent fifteen
months in travels in Europe, Asia and Africa, and since then has been
in active business in Detroit, a worthy, efficient and reliable man.
yUDGE HALMOR H. EMMOAS.
We think it was Wheatley, who said that "Mental pleasures
never clog; unlike those of the body's, they are increased by repetition,
approved of by reflection, and strengthened by employment."
The life of the subject of this sketch, demonstrated the power of
the mind over the body. His mental reflections rendered him oblivious
to physical pain. Present him a question involving principles of law,
ethics, or common sense, and the pleasure of solving them destroyed
consciousness of bodily suffering.
Halmor Hull Emmons, was of English descent on the paternal
side, and French Huguenot, on the maternal, was born at Keesville,
in northern New York, in November, 1814, and was therefore not yet
sixty-three years of age at the time of his death. His father was of
the same profession in which the son attained such eminence, and was
the editor of a rural newspaper, and he thus acquired the rudiments of an
education which was of great service to him in after life. He worked
three days a week in the office, and devoted the other three days to
study, and, by rising at four or five o'clock in the morning, kept pace
with the more fortunate pupils who spent the whole week in school.
Before he attained his majority, he entered the law office of Messrs.
Stowe & Stetson, at Keesville, where he rapidly mastered the elementary principles of the law, and, as an office lawyer, was noted for his
ability in the preparation of briefs, particularly when the prospect of a




-366 -

warm contest incited him to great efforts. After a two years' stay in
Keesville, he removed to Essex, N.Y., where he spent two years in the
law office of Hon. Henry H. Ross, and then moved to Cleveland, and
formed a professional connection in that city. His father had but a
short time before moved to Detroit, and having been admitted to the
bar in early life, in New York State, resumed the practice of the law
in this city. He sent for young Halmor to come under the family rooftree, and go into partnership with him, and the son obeyed his father's
request, though with some reluctance, as his prospects in Ohio were
already quite promising. The father and son were not long in practice
before they were retained for the plaintiffs in the celebrated case of
Fitch & Gilbert vs. Newberry Goodell (reported in ist Douglas, Mich.
Rep. i). The case created intense interest at the time, and was the
theme of much. newspaper controversy. The renown attending this
case was followed by a rapid professional rise.
In I843, his father died, and the next year he formed a partnership
with James A. VanDyke, one of the finest lawyers of his day, and the
new firm at once took the highest legal rank in the Northwest.
In politics, Mr. Emmons was at first a Whig, with decided free soil
tendencies. At the formation of the Republican party, in I854, he
joined that organization, and, with the exception of a brief digression
into the ranks of the Constitutional Union party, in I864, has ever since
been a champion of its faith and principles.
The rapidly developing railroad interests of the west also developed
a new and profitable branch of the legal profession, and Mr. Emmons
became gradually known as one of the leading railroad lawyers of the
day. Every one of the lines centering in Detroit employed him as
their counsel-in-chief. He was attorney for the Grand Trunk, Great
Western, Detroit & Milwaukee and Lake Shore & Michigan Southern
railroads. In the midst of one of the most lucrative practices ever
enjoyed by a western lawyer-estimated at from $30,000 to $40,00o a
year-he accepted, in I870, the appointment of United States Circuit
Judge, at $6,ooo a year, and performed its duties until within a few
months prior to his death.
In his new capacity as Judge, he became even more distinguished
than in the role of an advocate. His decisions have been marked with
an exhaustiveness of comment and authority which, though voluminous,
were always perfectly consistent and clear in their statements and conclusions.
As a citizen, he never tried to become a popular or leading man,
but his benevolent disposition often prompted him to perform acts of
unobtrusive charity which were never recorded in the public prints.
One winter, in which the roads leading through to the city had become
impassable on account of rain, and wood had risen from $1.75 to $6.oo




- 367 -

per cord, he realized one morning that if the poor were not speedily
relieved they would freeze, and instantly started a plan to provide them
with fuel. The first man he met he accosted thus: " Are you around
notifying?" " Notifying what? " replied the citizen. " The meeting
in the United States court room to immediately procure fuel for the
poor. It takes place at nine o'clock." "I had not heard of it, but will
do what I can." " Very well," said Mr. Emmons, " tell everybody you
see to come." He gave the same news to a number of others, and in
ninety minutes the court room was filled to overflowing. Thousands
of dollars were subscribed, and in an hour or two the immense wood
piles of the Michigan Central railroad were at the service of the poor.
The proceedings were published with great parade in the daily papers,
but Mr. Emmon's name did not appear.
Since his elevation to the bench, Mr. Emmons was absent a
considerable portion of his time in other States, attending to the duties
of his judicial circuit, but the intervals were spent in the bosom of his
family on his fine farm in Ecorse township, near this city. During his
last illness he was an inmate of the house of his daughter, Mrs.
Falconer, at the corner of Adelaide and Brush streets, in this city. Of
his family, his venerable partner and four children still live. The names
of the latter are: Mrs. Clara G. Collins, of Milwaukee, Mrs. Lillie W.
Falconer, Miss Carrie Emmons, and H. H. Emmons, Jr., of this city.
His death occurred May I5, I877.
The Judge had been afflicted for several years with the disease
(cancer of the stomach), which finally carried him off. For the past
six months he was confined to his room, but was able to give a few
decisions in chambers. Two months previously, however, he abandoned all judicial labors, his disease having entirely prostrated his
physical powers. May I4th a change for the worse was observable,
and Dr. Farrand, his medical attendant, expressed the opinion that he
would not live through the night. Notwithstanding this, however, his
remarkable vitality enabled him to see the sun of another day, and he
peacefully expired at 11:30 A. M., surrounded by his wife, family,
relatives and friends, to each of whom he bade an affectionate
farewell. He was in the full possession of his mental faculties till within
thirty minutes of his death. Around his death-bed were his wife, his
three daughters, Mrs. Collins, of Milwaukee, and Mrs. Falconer, and
Miss Carrie Emmons, of Detroit, together with the husbands of the
two former ladies; his son, H. H. Emmons, Jr.; his sisters, Mrs. John
McNeil, of Port Huron, and Mrs. Sheldon and Miss Fannie Emmons,
of Detroit; his nephew, Hal. E. McNeil, and wife; Rev. Dr. Worthington, of St. John's church, in this city, and Rev. Dr. Bolles, of Bata



-368 -

via, N. Y. The latter gentleman, who performed the ceremony of
marriage between Judge and Mrs. Emmons, was passing through the
city, and hearing of the Judge's critical condition, called to see him, and
witnessed his departure.
The compiler has made copious extracts from remarks by Hon.
D. Bethune Duffield in the foregoing.
HIRAM R. OHINSOV.
Tillotson says: "Though all afflictions are evils of themselves,
yet they are good for us, because they discover to us our disease and
tend to our cure."
The man who adopts this sentiment and accepts its teachings, and
whether the ills be of a personal or physical nature, or of pecuniary
losses, regards them in some way as being for his good, gets more
satisfaction out of life, and is able to render greater service to his fellows,
than he who sits down and repiningly broods over his misfortunes,
making himself miserable and all around him unhappy.
The lesson taught by the foregoing has been and is practically
illustrated in the life of the subject of this sketch. Hiram R. Johnson
is a native of the State of New York, and was born in Oneida county,
May 26th, 1815. His father, Elisha Johnson, was born in the
State of Rhode Island. He served in the Continental army, and was
severely wounded.
His mother's name was Mary Reeves. Her ancestors came from
Devonshire, Eng. The celebrated Dr. Tappan Reeves was an uncle
of hers. She was born at Flat Bush, L. I., in I767. They were married at Flat Bush in I787. Ten children were born to them, six sons
and four daughters.
The father died at the age of sixty-five and the mother at the
age of ninety-four, in New York.
Hiram R. Johnson has been twice married, first to Mary Lyon,
who came from England with her parents, at the age of sixteen. They
were married at Chippewa, in Canada. She died in I858, leaving four
children. His second wife was Mrs. Priscilla French, the widow of
Samuel French, who came to Michigan in March, i849. They have
no children.
Mr. Johnson landed in Detroit in October, I838. There are few
men better known among the older residents than H. R. Johnson. In
a business way he has been a noted public man, full of spirit, energy
and perseverance; if one enterprise failed to succeed, he tried
another. As a result he has accumulated a competency, and also has




- 369 -

the satisfaction of knowing that while he has been the loser in some
enterprises, the public has been the gainer.
In i849 he leased the large hotel on the present site of the Wayne,
corner of Third street and Jefferson avenue, which was called. the
Johnson House, and was its proprietor. He was the first man to use
gas in Detroit, he fitted the hotel with pipes and manufactured his
own gas.
Mr. Johnson, after carrying on the hotel for a time, sold it to Czar
Jones, who kept it for a year, and not succeeding, Mr. Johnson was
obliged to take it back. After securing for it a liberal patronage he,
in I855, sold it to Messrs. Charles and Fred. Wormley, who changed
the name to the Wormley House. They ran the house for a number
of years, when they sold it to Mr. S. B. King, who was obliged to close
it for some nine months, when Mr. A. S. Bagg re-opened it under the
name of Bagg's Hotel. After running it some years Mr. Bagg sold it
to Messrs. Sheldon and Graves. At the end of two years they sold it
to the Tyrell brothers, who changed the name to the Cass Hotel.
They managed it under this name for fourteen years, and then sold it
to Mr. Earsley Ferugson, who associated himself with Mr. Johnson.
This association continued a few years, when Mr. Johnson retired, and
Mr. Ferguson remained sole owner until I887, when the building was
torn down, and the present Wayne Hotel was erected on its site.
Mr. Johnson has been engaged in numerous enterprises, all of
which have tended to the material growth of the city. He has ever
taken great interest in moral and educational improvements, and bringing his active, pushing powers to bear, has largely contributed to success in establishing them. He is the oldest member of Detroit Commandery Knights Templar.
He has now retired from active business, and enjoys the fruits of
a well spent life, and the confidence and friendship of a large circle of
acquaintances.
70HN 7. BAGLEY.
"A rarer spirit did never steer humanity. How few like thee, to enquire the wretched
out."-Rowe.
" Actions, looks, words and steps form the alphabet by which we may spell character."
-Lavater.
Adopting the foregoing to guide us, we simply seek to detail the
most notable events incident to the life of the subject of this sketch,
and in which he was the chief actor and participator, leaving future
generations to " spell the character," and judge the man, as the present
knew him.




-370 -

John J. Bagley was born in Medina, Orleans county, N. Y., July
24th, i832. His father, John Bagley, was born on the 2ist day of
January, i8oo, at Durham, Greene county, N. Y., and his mother,
Mary Maria Smith, was a native of Connecticut, and was born on
August i5th, I802. His parents were married on the 9th day of
March, I825. They had eight children, John being the third child.
His father died May 3d, I855, and his mother October 7th, i855,
at Detroit.
John J. Bagley's father was one of the wealthy men of central
New York for many years, but financial reverses came to the family
in a way that so many others have sadly experienced, from endorsing the paper of friends, and they found what in those days was
considered a fortune, suddenly swept away from them. Michigan had
recently been admitted as a State, and John's father, hoping to regain
what he had lost by coming to this new State, moved from Lockport to
St. Joseph county, Michigan. When but thirteen years of age, John
entered a country store at Constantine, and on the removal of his
father to Owosso, Michigan, he again engaged as clerk in a store,
where he continued until I847, when he came to Detroit, and secured
employment in the tobacco manufactory of Isaac N. Miller.  He
remained an employe until I853, when he commenced the manufacture
of tobacco on his own account, establishing the house of John J. Bagley
& Co., as well and as favorably known since that period, as any similar
manufacturing establishment in the United States. He was also interested in other manufacturing industries, and in insurance and mining;
was president of the Detroit Safe Company, and of the Michigan
Mutual Life Insurance Company, being one of the original incorporators.
He was a director in the American National Bank from its organization,
and was a director and stockholder in various other corporations. He
was a member of, and a liberal donator to, all the benevolent and charitable institutions in the city. His name will also be found connected
with all educational enterprises in the city, as well as in all reformatory
movements calculated to elevate society. In his religious views he was
liberal, and a regular attendant at the Unitarian church. He respected
the religious opinions of all, and believed that no one could be injured
by firmly adhering to a faith or denomination.
In politics he was an active Republican, was a member of the
Board of Education, was one of the first commissioners of the Metropolitan Police Board and served six years as such, and was a member
of the Common Council for two years.
In i872 he was elected Governor, and again re-elected in i874, retiring in 1877. In all the public positions held by him he discharged the duties
they imposed, upon the principle that they should take precedence of all
personal or business interests, otherwise he ought not to hold them. This
principle governed his actions during his whole public life.




-371 -

As Governor, he was responsible for the impovement of our educational system, and the agencies for a more thorough education of the
poor which it provides. He almost revolutionized the management of
the penal and charitable institutions of the State. He urged the legislation making more liberal appropriations for the State University and
the Agricultural College, in order to give more facilities for the scientific
and technical studies, securing thereby the good will of the public, and
placing these institutions on a par with those of other States. The system for the treatment of juvenile offenders, male and female, is due to
his wise head and kind heart. His forethought secured for the first
time in Michigan, a systematic organization of its militia upon a serviceable footing.
The law providing for the protection of the fish in our inland
waters, by the creation of the Fish Commission, was suggested by
Governor Bagley. Michigan at the Centennial made a remarkably
successful representation and did honor to his administration.
Governor Bagley was a member of the Wayne County Historical
Society, which was merged into the Pioneer Society.
Almost the last act of Governor Bagley was an exhibition of
loving and kind regard for the necessities of the poor, and the public
generally, in providing for the erection of a fountain, where friendless
humanity, as well as brutes, may freely quench their thirst.
He was married at Dubuque, Iowa, January I6th, I855, to Francis
E., daughter of Rev. Samuel Newbury, a pioneer missionary of Michigan, who took an active part in promoting the early educational system
of this State. She was born at Rutland, Meigs county, Ohio, on the 4th
day of March, I833.
Governor Bagley took his departure from this life at San Francisco,
Cal., on the 27th day of July, I88I, leaving a loving wife and seven
children to mourn, and the people of his adopted city and State to sorrow, for his absence from among them.
ROBERT DOWNIE.
Robert Downie is probably the only man in Detroit who signed
the first petition for the abolition of slavery.  This petition was
addressed to the British Parliament and asked that slavery be abolished
in the West Indies.  This act of his in the interest of humanity indicates the character of the man, which his subsequent life has demonstrated:  "That all men are endowed, by their Creator, with certain
inalienable rights, amongst which are life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness."  To life, because it is the free gift breathed into him by
the Almighty, elevating him above the brute, that he may work out




- 372 -

the glory of his Creator. To liberty, because without it he cannot
exercise the powers bestowed by God, as his representative on earth,
and therefore is unable to enjoy or pursue that course which will confer
happiness upon himself or his fellows, as designed by the law of his
creation.
Robert Downie was born in the celebrated shawl manufacturing
town of Paisley, Scotland, March 2ist, I823.  His father was a shawl
manufacturer, and educated Robert for a business life. After reaching
his majority, on the i6th of January, I848, he was married to Miss
Margaret Curry, of Dumbartonshire, Scotland, where she was born in
September, 1828, and pursuant to previous understanding, a few months
subsequently, they took passage on the American bark, Warren, for
New York. They landed in New York, July 24th, I848. Remaining
but a short time they started for the west, via the Hudson river, Erie
canal and steamer on Lake Erie, reaching Detroit, August 9th, I848,
where they have had born to them four sons, John, James, Robert, Jr.,
and William, all of whom are associated in business under the firm
name of Robert Downie & Sons, wholesale and retail dealers in meats,
groceries and provisions at II7 and rI9 Michigan avenue, 411 and 413
Woodward avenue and 769 Fort street West.  Their two daughters
are Mrs. William Livingston, Jr., and Mrs. Henry Shaw Smith.
From comparatively small beginnings Mr. Downie, by frugality,
industry and the practice of strict integrity, has secured a competency,
and rearing his sons to the observance of the same habits, the firm of
Robert Downie & Sons stand among the first in the city of Detroit for
probity and pecuniary responsibility.
When Mr. Downie landed at Detroit he says he was in debt to his
father $i8o (which he afterwards paid).  He at once found employment with Messrs. DeGraff & Kendrick and continued with them and
their successors, (The Detroit Locomotive Works), until he went into
the grocery business in i862, in which he is now engaged. William
Livingston, Jr., his son-in-law, was for a time associated with him in
the latter business.
As a matter of historical interest, Mr. Downie made the trial trip on
the first iron steamer built on the Clyde, the Fairy Queen, built by
Joseph Neilson, a brother of the inventor of the hot air blast furnace,
by which iron could be smelted with sea or anthracite coal instead of
charcoal.
*   Mr. Downie is a frank, plain, intelligent Scotchman, independent
in his views, but ready to be convinced when wrong, allowing the
same liberty to others which he demands for his own, never obtruding his opinions nor seeking to enforce them in an arrogant manner.
His political affiliations have always been Republican, he has not
sought nor enjoyed political preferment, but has always been ready to




— 373 -

extend aid for the promotion of party success.  He has educated his
sons in the belief that application and the practice of honesty in legitimate business is a surer way to wealth and honor than any public
office or political emoluments.
RE V. /AMES HENNESSY.
Rev. James Hennessy was a native of Ireland, born in Waterford
county, March I7, I824, on St. Patrick's day.
His father, William Doocey Hennessy, is said to have been a man
of education, and the coincidence of his son's birth being on the same
day of the same month as that of Ireland's patron saint may have
influenced the dedication of Father Hennessy to the ministry.
Father Hennessy received his education to prepare him for holy
orders at Waterford, and was ordained sub-deacon in that town in his
twenty-second year. He was sent to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and had
conferred upon him the order of deacon.
He then came to Detroit, and on the 27th of September, I847, was
ordained a priest, and went to Ann Arbor as assistant to the Rev.
Thomas Cullen. He not only officiated at Ann Arbor, but also at
Marshall, and in I852 became the settled pastor of St. Mary's church
at the latter place.
He remained in charge of that parish until i855, when he came to
Detroit and officiated in the cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul as
assistant. The parish of St. Patrick having been established, he immediately began preparations for the construction of the present St.
Patrick's church edifice, which he superintended, collecting and disbursing the money used in its building, and when completed, was formally assigned to its charge, which he retained until called to a higher
and holier one.
For a short time during the period that St. Patrick's church was
in process of construction, he officiated at Dexter, and it was there that
the compiler first made his acquaintance. The many pleasant hours, and
the associations connected therewith, laid the foundation for a personal
friendship which continued during his life.
Father Hennessy was retiring in his manner, exceedingly modest,
but ever kind and full of sympathy for the afflicted. He was devoted
to his parishioners and they to him. His physical disability sometimes
made him seem of gloomy temperament, yet none but strangers would
question his hopefulness.
His death occurred in October, I875, regretted by all who knew
him, and by the Catholic community generally.




-374 -

Although Father Hennessy was not a member of the Wayne
County Pioneer Society, he was nevertheless a pioneer; and the good
work he did, not only for Detroit, but for all localities in Michigan
where he officiated, makes it desirable that his memory should be preserved and cherished with that of others who have contributed in promoting the present prosperous condition of the city and State.
B. HODGKIVSON.
"Good nature, or beneficence and candor, is the product of right reason, which
of necessity will give allowance to the feelings of others. "-Dryden.
Maintain your own views, and hold them, but do not seek to
obtrude them in an arrogant manner.
The physiognomy often indicates the characteristics of the man.
Those who have met the subject of this sketch will allow that the
sentiment expressed by Dryden is not misapplied as indicative of his
characteristics.
B. Hodgkinson was born in England, May 20, I815, removing to
Michigan in the fall of I837.
His father was a currier and leather dresser, of the town of Preston, Lancashire, England, and was able to give his son fair educational
advantages; at least he exhibits the fact that his early training was
better than ordinary.
During his service as Secretary of the Wayne County Poor
Asylum, he has so systematized its business as to secure his repeated
reappointment under the different commissions, each board, whether
Democratic or Republican, expressing a desire to retain his services.
Mr. Hodgkinson enjoys the confidence of his fellow citizens
generally, and has held a number of positions of honor and trust, and
has discharged the duties they imposed to the satisfaction of those who
were subjects, or interested in their proper performance.
In June, I842, Mr. Hodgkinson married his cousin, George Bradshaw Cook's widow, (her maiden name was Alice S. Cornell. She
was born in the year 1809 in New York. She belonged to the old
Quaker family of Cornell). They had three children, one daughter
survives, and is the wife of Charles H. Cady, Supervisor of the town
of Nankin, Wayne county. He also has three grandchildren, of whom
he is very proud. Mr. Hodgkinson's wife, Alice S., died in April,
i876, after toiling together some thirty-four years.
Mrs. Hodgkinson's younger sister became a widow about this
time, losing 'her husband, Thomas Carpenter, a Quaker, of Westchester county, N. Y., and in the month of July, I877, he married his




- 375 -

wife's sister, and is at the present time residing in the village of
Wayne. He is an Episcopalian, but his wives were of good old
Quaker stock, and he is now almost a Quaker himself. He has been
Master of Wayne Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons a number of
years.
ROBERT HOLMES.
Robert Holmes, of Detroit, is a native of Canada, having been
born at Toronto, December I5th, 18I7.
The father of Mr. Holmes was born in I776, at Boston, Mass., and
died at Buffalo, N. Y., in I836.
His mother's maiden name was Hannah McDougall, and was the
daughter of Major John McDougall, for a long time paymaster in the
British Army. On retiring he became a farmer, and died near Toronto
at the age of ninety-six. She was born in Toronto in I802, and died
in Detroit in I852.
Owing to the limited means of his parents, his opportunities for
acquiring an education were meager, and at the early age of fourteen he
apprenticed himself to a tin and copper smith. After completing his
time, he came to Detroit October ioth, I838, and worked at
his trade as a journeyman for ten years, when he engaged in
business for  himself.  Subsequently he was induced    by Ducharme & Bartholomew, his old employers, to take charge
of that branch of their business.  He continued with them  for two
years, and then in connection with a Mr. Dudley, bought out this
branch, and continued the business under the firm name of Dudley &
Holmes, until I857. The financial crash of that year so crippled him that
he was obliged to suspend, and the business passed under the name of
his brother, John Holmes, he becoming its manager, until I86I, when
he again took charge of it, and carried it on alone until I863, when Mr.
Edwin E. Webster became a partner. The partnership of Holmes &
Webster continued until I88I, when Mr. Holmes sold to the latter and
retired from the firm, removing to Wisconsin to be near his married
daughters. He remained with them four years, and again returned to
his old home in Detroit, where he at present resides.
Mr. Holmes has been married twice, his first wife being Miss
Isabella Erdell, who died in I855, leaving him the care of three daughters. He then married Elizabeth Warren.
In politics Mr. Holmes has always acted with the Republicans. As
a citizen he never withheld his support from any enterprise tending to




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promote the educational, moral and material growth of the city. In
business matters he has always been recognized as prompt and of
unquestioned integrity.
Although not a member of the Wayne County Pioneer Society, he
is entitled to the consideration due a pioneer, for his contributions
towards the present prosperous condition of the city of his adoption.
7O0HN S. 7ENNESS.
John S. Jenness, now of Detroit, presents to us a man who by
patient industry and frugality, combined with an even temperament and
a strict regard for truth and integrity has made himself worthy of the
confidence and respect of his fellow men.
The early years of John S. Jenness were spent on his grandfather's farm and in acquiring an education such as the district schools
of his native town afforded.  At the close of his school days he
engaged in teaching and as clerk in the mercantile business, until at the
age of twenty-two, when he left his native State and removed to the
city of New York. He remained here a short time and then accepted
a situation as salesman in a mercantile house at Newark, N. J., with
which he continued until the spring of I837, when contracting the
western fever he removed to Michigan, arriving in Detroit, May 29th,
i837, just as the Territory was being merged into a State, and at once
engaged in merchandising.  In I844 he removed to Romeo, Macomb
county, where he continued to sell goods until I846, from thence going
to Almont, Lapeer county, where he dealt in general merchandise and
in the manufacture of lumber.  During his residence here he was
instrumental in starting a new enterprise for Michigan, viz: the manufacture of starch from potatoes, but at the end of six years, the rot set in,
and the owners changed the plant into a flour and saw mill. (He, however, made in one season ninety tons of starch of an excellent quality).
In I865 he was elected a member of the Legislature, and in I867 to the
Senate.  In the latter body he acted with ex-Governor Jerome and
others in opposing the passage of the bill authorizing town, city or
village corporations to issue bonds in aid of railway construction; bills
for about forty projects of that character having been introduced,
several of which were passed notwithstanding their opposition, but
were vetoed by Governor Crapo, the reaction in the Senate sustaining
his veto.  This was considered the most important legislation of the
session, for while other legislative questions were left to three members to work out, five were assigned to these measures, and it was only
through the persistent and sagacious efforts of Mr. Jenness and his
four or five associates that the whole policy was defeated. Mr. Jenness




held the office of president of the village corporation two terms, declining all further official honors which were tendered. He in i871 closed
up his business affairs at Almont and removed to Detroit where he has
since resided.
Mr. Jenness having grown up under the influence of his ancestors
in their belief in the policy of the Democratic party, by the time he
became old enough to vote he had interested and informed himself as
to the tenets of the political parties far enough to decide to affiliate
with the policy of Henry Clay's "American system" of protection to
home manufacturers, and cast his first vote with the Whig party, to
which he adhered until the Republican party was organized, and has
continued to act with that party up to the present time.
In his religious views he is a Protestant and prefers the polity of
the Congregational church, of which he is a member.
John S. Jenness was born at Newberry, Orange county, Vermont,
April 27th, 1813. On the paternal side he was of English antecedents.
He was the son of Thomas Jenness, who was born at Deerfield, New
Hampshire, in I775.  He was the son of Colonel Thomas Jenness, of
Revolutionary fame, who was also a native of New Hampshire. His
mother was the daughter of Col. John Smith, of Newberry (also a
soldier of the Revolution). Her maiden name was Abigail Smith. She
was born at Newberry, Vt., in I783.
Thomas Jenness and Abigail Smith were married at Newberry,
December 26th, I802. They had two sons and one daughter, the
subject of this sketch being the second son.  Thomas Jenness, the
father, died suddenly while absent from home in i813, and his mother
at East Corinth, Vt., in i873.
In September, I842, Mr. Jenness married Miss Lucy M., the
daughter of S. D. Jenness, of Topsham, Vt. They have two daughters living, Mrs. Ronald Kelly and Mrs. James S. Goodrich, both residents of Detroit.
ROBERT W. KING.
Robert W. King, a native of Pennsylvania, was born in the city of
Pittsburg, October 10, i821.
His paternal grandfather, John King, was born in County Down,
Ireland, in I737, and emigrated with his parents to Pennsylvania in
I745. He served creditably as a captain in the Revolutionary War,
and in other ways served his country in a public capacity. He was the
first white settler in Erie county, Pa., where he died, December 20,
I826, at the ripe old age of eighty-nine.
25




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His maternal grandfather was born in 1745, in Charlotte county,
Virginia. His ancestors were among the earliest settlers in Virginia.
He also served in the Revolutionary Army. After the war he emigrated to western Pennsylvania, settling in the borough of Washington, twenty-five miles from the city of Pittsburgh, where he died, May,
i833.
Both of his grandmothers were Pennsylvanians, their ancestors
being among the very earliest settlers.
His father, Robert King, was of Irish descent, and was born in
Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, in November, I775. The
maiden name of his mother was Charlotte Lytle. She was of American
descent, and was born in Baltimore, Md., on the 3oth day of May, I786.
His parents were married at Washington, Pa., June 6, i8o9. They
had five sons and two daughters, of whom none except himself are now
living. His father died at Detroit, October i8, i852, and his mother at
Pittsburgh, in i840.
In boyhood, at the age of ten years, he 'commenced to work. Mr.
King attended the various common schools of Pittsburgh, and Jefferson
College, Cannonsburgh, Pa., for two years, and obtained a good business
education. At the age of twenty-two he left Jefferson College, intending to return and finish his course, but circumstances caused him to
change his mind. He came west and settled in Detroit in the spring of
I843, and from that time he has resided continuously in this city.
From his first arrival up to the fall of I848, he was engaged in the
crockery trade with the late Frederick Wetmore, with whom he was
acquainted prior to his coming to Detroit. Deciding to engage in business for himself, he located on the corner of Wayne street and Jefferson avenue, and continued the crockery and glassware business in that
store until i877, when he removed to 103 Woodward avenue, and
associated his son with him under the firm name of R. W. King & Son.
Being afflicted with sciatica, in i887, he retired from business, and
his son, Louis B., took Mr. Lewis E. Klugh as a partner. The firm is
at this date known as King, Klugh & Co., wholesale and retail dealers
in china, glass and queensware, 103 Woodward avenue.
During the years intervening between i843 and i887, while applying closely to his business, he has still found time to gratify his taste for
reading, and there are few topics treated upon by the current literature
of the past or present, but are familiar to him. Mr. King has been a
member of the First Congregational church for over forty years, and
has been active in promoting its influence over the younger members
and attendants, as superintendent for a number of years of the Sabbath
school. He was President of the Young Men's Christian Association
in i86o and x86i, and President of the Young Men's Literary Society,




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in i862. He succeeded Rev. Dr. George Duffield, as Trustee of Harper
Hospital in i868, which position he still holds; was Secretary of the
Board from i868 to i88o, and Treasurer from i872 to i886.
Was a member of the Board of Education eleven years, one of
which he served as its President.
Has served as a member of the Board of Estimates nine years; of
the Board of Aldermen three years; was a member of the old Fire
Department from I844 until its affairs were finally closed, three years
of which time he served as Secretary; and was Secretary and Treasurer of the Board of Trade from I86o to and including i863.
Comment is unnecessary as to the manner of his life, as in the discharge of the duties and responsibilities connected with the various
religious, moral, educational and business positions held by him, he
must have gained the confidence of the public, and won their recognition as being a Christian gentleman, an upright public servant, and an
honest man.
In April 22, I846, he married Miss Eliza Buhl, sister of Frederick
and Christian H. Buhl, two well known citizens of Detroit. Of six
children by this marriage, two only are now living: Louis B., and
a daughter, wife of the Hon. Charles Kent, of this city.
GEORGE KIRBY.
George Kirby is a native of the State of Massachusetts, was born
in Berkshire county in i8o6 and came to Detroit in I838.  He has
witnessed the growth of Detroit from a population of 8,ooo to 255,000.
During all this time, until within a few years past, he has been identified with the leather interests of the city, and actively engaged in promoting material improvements and enterprises which have tended to
make Detroit what it is to-day.
Mr. Kirby was married to Miss Clarinda S. Tracy, of Maysville,
N. Y., August i8th, I833. They have three children, May S. Kirby,
Elizabeth P. Kirby and George T. Kirby.
Mr. Kirby is now enjoying the fruits of a successful business life,
based upon principles of integrity, combined with energy and industry,
in its conduct.
ERVIN PALMER.
Bossuet, the noted pulpit orator of France, says: "A man not
spoiled has no need of proof as to his free agency, for he feels it, and
he does not feel more clearly that he sees, hears or reasons, than he
feels his power to deliberate and choose."




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It is in evidence that the subject of this sketch has demonstrated
by his manner of living that he holds himself responsible for his motives
and acts. Amid all the vicissitudes of his early and later life, with its
hardships, temptations and disappointments, his childhood's impressions,
and in mature years, his reason, seemed to have governed his action in
the maintenance of good and antagonizing evil, in the belief " that he
who is diligent in seeking good procureth favor, but he that seeketh
mischief, it shall come unto him."
Ervin Palmer was born in the town of Exeter, Otsego county, State
of New York, October ioth, I832.   On the paternal side he is of
English descent and German on the maternal.  Gilbert Palmer, his
father, was born in Stonnington, Conn., where his ancestors settled on
their emigration from England in the year i629, and where branches
from the Palmer family still reside. This name figures prominently in
the early history of Connecticut, among those who took an active part
in the French and Indian wars, and on the side of Independence during
that of the Revolution.
When quite a boy his father removed from Stonnington, locating
in the town of Exeter, Otsego county, N. Y., where Gilbert, on arriving
at manhood, married Hannah Herkimer, a descendant of General
Herkimer, of Revolutionary fame, whose ancestors came from
Germany and located large tracts of land in the Mohawk valley. Her
grandfather gave the name to Herkimer county.
Gilbert Palmer must have been a man of energy and independence
of character. He taught school in the winter and worked at his trade
(that of a cooper) during the summer, and was recognized as the chief
man in the town, as soon after his marriage he was chosen Justice of
the Peace, which he continued to hold until his removal to the Territory of Michigan in 1833.  On his arrival he decided to locate in the
town of Exeter, Monroe county, where he purchased from the government a large body of land which he cleared and improved, leaving to
his family at his death (in I840) a fine farm.  He was a man very
much thought of by his neighbors, taking much interest in church and
educational affairs, becoming not only prominent in his own town but
throughout Monroe county, and was appointed Justice of the Peace
by Stevens T. Mason, which position he held until Michigan became
a State, and was then duly elected. His commission is now preserved
by his son, Ervin, the subject of this sketch.
Ervin Palmer is the youngest of five sons born to Gilbert and
Hannah Herkimer Palmer, and is the only one living. There was one
daughter, who married Lewis Welch, and they resided in Monroe
county, which county he represented four years in the State Senate.
She is a widow, and still living.
Mr. Palmer remained with his widowed mother on the farm until




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he reached the age of seventeen; meanwhile, by improving the opportunities afforded in his town, and having acquired a good English education, he decided to take a collegiate course. After spending one year
in the Baptist College at Kalamazoo preparatory, he entered the
Michigan University in 1853, from which he graduated June 27th, 1857,
and immediately commenced the study of law with Messrs. Howard,
Bishop & Holbrook, of Detroit.  He prosecuted his studies with them
for a year, and completing them with the Hon. G. V. N. Lothrop, he
was admitted to the bar by the Supreme court in I858, and after spending a little more than one year in the office of Mr. Lothrop as his office
clerk, he established a practice in Detroit.
In the fall of i86o Mr. Palmer was elected Circuit Court Commissioner for Wayne county, and at the expiration of his term of office
formed a co-partnership with John Ward. The law firm of Ward &
Palmer continued for over twenty years, at the end of which, on its
dissolution, Mr. Palmer associated his eldest son, Harry E., with him
in the practice of law, the firm being at present Palmer & Palmer.
The religious convictions of Mr. Palmer induced him to unite with
the Congregational church on coming to Detroit, though in boyhood, he was a member of the Methodist church.  His relations with
his church in Detroit have been pleasant for himself, helpful to his fellow members, and useful to the church at large, both in its spiritual
and material welfare and growth.
Mr. Palmer has been identified with the Republican party since its
organization, ready day or night to give his aid in promoting its success and being positive and independent in character, is somewhat
aggressive in his action and efforts.
As a citizen he has ever given his earnest support to all measures
and enterprises tending to improve his adopted city in moral, educational and material growth.
As a lawyer he ranks as the peer of any at the bar, is respected
by his professional brethren, and by the several courts of the United
States and this State. He never loses clients, is noted for his devotion
to their interests, rarely resorts to the courts if a case can be adjusted
outside of it, and is always careful in the preparation of his causes
before going to trial.
In i86o Mr. Palmer married Miss Emma L. Humphrey. She was
born in London, Eng., of English parents, and came to this country
when she was fourteen years old. Mrs. Palmer is a woman of more
than ordinary executive ability, as is shown by the government of her
family and domestic affairs, thus relieving her husband of many cares
and imparting to her children, by precept and example, truths and
principles by which to guide and govern their future life and conduct,
and fit them to be good and useful members of society.




They have eight sons and two daughters. Mrs. Alice Palmer
Henderson, of Minneapolis, is a regular contributor to the press
of St. Paul and Minneapolis, and as such has acquired eminence. Harry E., associated with his father, as law partner; Lewis
William, traveling agent for Messrs. Berry Bros.; George P., a student
in the Minnesota University; Charles Gilbert, salesman for Phelps,
Brace & Company, wholesale grocers, Detroit; Ervin Richard and
John W., students in Detroit High School; Herbert V. and Zelda Mae,
attending public school, and Alfred Wood, the youngest.
LYMAN BALDWIN
Was a member of the First Congregational Church of Detroit from its
organization until his death, was prominent and efficient in all enterprises
and measures in the interest of humanity, education and morals. In
business, he enjoyed the confidence of a large circle of acquaintances.
He was born in Western county, Connecticut, March 27, 1802. After
attending the public schools of his native town, and gaining a knowledge of the saddlery and harness making trade, he engaged in
business at Bridgeport, Connecticut, until I837, when he removed to
Auburn, N. Y., continuing in business there till i843, when he
removed to Detroit, where under the firm name of Baldwin &
Hayden, he carried on the wholesale and retail saddlery and harness
business until his death, which occurred December I7, I875.
December 22, I826, Mr. Baldwin married Miss Maria Booth, of
Bridgeport, Connecticut. She survived his death but a few years.
The children who survived them are Mrs. William B. Wesson, Mrs.
Russell, Mrs. Butterfield, Mrs. Glover, and a son.
Mr. Baldwin was one of the original members of the First Congregational church of Detroit, being a deacon from I844 up to the time of
his decease.
In politics, Mr. Baldwin was Republican, and was elected by his
party, Sheriff of Wayne county, in I854. While not a politician in the
common meaning of the term, he was active in promoting the success
of his party in a modest, unassuming manner.
In bearing, he was cordial and cheerful, sympathizing with the unfortunate, both in kind words and deeds.
In all reforms, whether in morals, education, or the means to
improve the health and material growth of the city, he was liberal with
his time, influence and money.




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HON. ELLIOTT TRUAX SLOCUAM.
Colton says: "It is with antiquity as with ancestry, nations are
proud of the one and individuals of the other."
Hon. Elliott Truax Slocum has reason to, and should be, proud of
his ancestry, especially as he is of Michigan birth and springs from a
line which suffered much, not only to make his native State what it is,
but on the paternal side to contribute blood and treasure, in the struggle
for American independence.
Elliott T. is the only son of Giles B. Slocum and Sophia Maria
Brigham Truax. On his paternal side he can go back ten generations
to Anthony Slocum, who is recorded as one of the forty-six " first and
ancient" purchasers of the territory of Cohannet, now Massachusetts.
Next came Giles Slocum, the common ancestor of all the Slocums
whose American lineage has been found to date from the I7th century.
He was born in Somersetshire, Eng., and settled in Portsmouth township, Rhode Island, in I638, where he died in i682. Then followed
respectively the generations of Samuel, Giles, Joseph, Jonathan, Giles,
Jeremiah and Giles B., the father of Elliott T.
He should be equally proud of his maternal ancestor, Col. Abraham Caleb Truax, who at the surrender of General Hull, refused to
recognize its terms, escaped through the lines and was the first who
communicated with Perry, and subsequently conveyed the intelligence
of his victory to the resident Americans of Detroit.
Elliott T. Slocum was born at Trenton, Wayne county, in I839. In
boyhood he was one of the leaders of his companions, and notwithstanding the pecuniary circumstances of his family were better than
most of his associates, he is said never to have presumed to arrogate
more than his equal rights with other boys.
In accordance with his own inclinations and the wishes of his
parents, he prepared for a college course with the Rev. Moses Hunter,
of Grosse Isle, and graduated at Union College, Schenectady, N. Y., in
the class of i862. The Rev. Dr. Eliphalet Nott, then its president,
signed Mr. Slocum's diploma, conferring the degree of Bachelor of Arts,
which was one of the last signed by that celebrated divine.
In i869 he took his second degree, Master of Arts, from the University of Michigan. The studies in those degrees include a course of
civil engineering and surveying, in both of which Mr. Slocum is well
skilled, both theoretically and practically.
After graduating he immediately engaged with his father in supervising and looking after their large land, lumber and farming interests,
meanwhile as a born American taking more or less interest in politics
and in familiarizing himself with the questions relating to political
economy. His investigations at that early period of his life have proved




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of value to him in enabling the intelligent exercise of views and opinions
by which to regulate his own, as well as the actions of others in matters
connected with governmental affairs.
In i869 he was elected State Senator on the Republican ticket,
from the Third Senatorial District, which was strongly Democratic,
and served with honor to himself and to the satisfaction of his constituency. In the many important senatorial contests of Michigan, Mr.
Slocum has taken an active part and from them, as from other public
matters in which he has likewise taken great interest, he has acquired a
wide personal acquaintance. He was one of the first directors of the
Chicago and Canada Southern Railroad, and was assigned the duty of procuring for it the right of way. This difficult undertaking he accomplished
without sacrifice to the public or the Railway Company. In all his
private and public acts he exhibits the manner and spirit which characterized his ancestors.
In i886 he was appointed a member of the Board of Park Commissioners of the city of Detroit, and until recently was its president
where he did excellent service, and by constantly supplying and causing
to be executed new and original ideas, he proved himself a most competent and faithful member.  To his service is due much of the beauty
and development of the Island Park.
Mr. Slocum made two trips to Europe, where, being naturally
attracted by the wonderful dykes of Holland, by which vast tracts of
lowlands have been reclaimed from the sea, he spent some time in
studying the methods and results of the Dutch engineers. The knowledge thus gained, together with a careful study of the parks of Europe,
came into useful play in the smaller field of Belle Isle Park.
Those who know Elliott T. Slocum appreciate him for his independence of thought and acts and the frankness with which he presents
and advocates his views without demanding that others should endorse
or adopt them.
He succeeded his father as trustee of the Saratoga Monument
Association of New York, and with George William Curtis, Hon. S. S.
Cox, Hon. John H. Starrin and others, took an active interest in the
erection of one of the finest monuments in the world on the battlefield
of Burgoyne's Surrender, at Schuylerville, N. Y., near the home of his
father's family.
In the management of extensive business interests left by his father
and in the creation and development of new projects, Mr. Slocum has
displayed good judgment and has been uniformly successful.
He is a director of the Detroit National Bank, and a member of
the Grosse Pointe, Detroit and Michigan Clubs.
He was married July 3oth, I872, to Charlotte Grosse, daughter of
the late Ransom E. Wood, an old resident and wealthy capitalist of
Grand Rapids.




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HEVNRY STARKEY.
It requires courage, as Helvetius expresses it, to remain ignorant
of useless subjects which mankind generally value.
The subject of this sketch was a practical man, and what he sought
in life was what would afford ends beneficial to his fellows. This led
him to investigate and determine that which would benefit humanity
and contribute most to the physical interests of the community and
times in which he lived. Educated in this school when but a mere boy,
he engaged with a printer and learned to compose and put in form his
own and the thoughts of others, and to deduce therefrom the obligation of man to society, to his country, and the general good of mankind.
Henry Starkey was born in Binghamton, N. Y., in I828. His
father was a physician of high standing, devoted to his profession, and
when Henry was five years of age, emigrated to Michigan in I833, and
settled in Kalamazoo. From this period Henry Starkey became identified with Michigan.
After a preliminary education at the district schools, he took a
primary course in the Michigan University. Abandoning the regular
course he went into a printing office, and while there became imbued
with the idea that the military service would best subserve the duty
and business of life, and therefore enlisted in a company of mounted
riflemen in the regular army, and participated in all the battles with
Mexico, until the peace treaties were signed.
At the close of the Mexican war he came to Detroit and went on
the Detroit Free Press, then conducted by Wilbur F. Story. Subsequently he organized the Detroit Typographical Union, and represented
it in the National Convention of Typographers at Buffalo, N. Y., in
I854. As one of the corps of the Free Press he continued in its service until appointed Clerk of the first Recorder's Court, which position
he occupied until the breaking out of the late civil war, when he entered
the Fifth Michigan Cavalry, and was appointed a lieutenant in Company
H and participated in all the battles of that regiment until after the battle of Gettysburg, when, owing to an injury which disabled him, he was
honorably discharged.
On his return to Detroit he was elected City Clerk, which position
he held until appointed secretary of the Board of Water Commissioners.
He retained this position until his death. Henry Starkey was considered the encyclopedia for all information relating to the proper methods
by which the city and its inhabitants are supplied with water; the appliances, cost and dispensing were as familiar to him as the letters of the
alphabet.
Mr. Starkey devised the present system of house numbering in
Detroit, giving each twenty feet a number, whether occupied or not,




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and was recognized as authority on all matters relating to the municipal
government, many knotty questions being submitted him to solve.
Mr. Starkey was a firm and steadfast friend, a warm-hearted,
genial companion, and a high-souled, honorable gentlemen. His friends
were legion, and he greatly enjoyed meeting them. He was a member
of the G. A. R., of the Loyal Legion and of the Masonic order.
He departed this life October 28, I888, leaving a widow and three
children, Harry, who is one of the collectors of the Water Board, Miss
Jenny, on the editorial staff of the Free Press, and Mrs. Wm. H. Sanford, besides several grandchildren.
BENJAMIN GODFRE r S TIMSON.
Benjamin Godfrey Stimson, the immediate subject of this sketch,
was the son of Dr. Jeremy Stimson, and was born at Dedham, Mass.,
March i9th, i8i6. His mother, as the Christian name indicates, " Hope
Still" Godfrey, was of Puritan descent.
In early boyhood Mr. Stimson attended the schools of his native
town, and at the age of sixteen went to Boston and obtained a situation
in the house of a leading mercantile firm, with whom he remained two
years, when, desiring to see more of the world, and fancying the sea, he
in August, i834, shipped as a sailor on the brig Pilgrim, bound for
California. He had as a shipmate on this voyage, the author of the
well-known work, "Two Years Before the Mast," Hon. Richard H.
Dana, and the intimate friendship formed between Dana and Stimson
continued during life, as is manifested and feelingly referred to by the
former in a personal letter of condolence addressed to Mrs. Stimson
after the decease of Mr. Stimson.
Returning to Boston in i836, and finding the desire for further
adventure too strong for his remaining, his inclination led him west, and
in i837 he came to Detroit and embarked in the mercantile business.
He continued this business until i847, and then engaged in that of commission, and was also a partner in publishing the Detroit Tribune, then
recently established. The same year (I851) he was appointed timber
agent, with headquarters at Barbor, Wis. This occasioned frequent
and long journeys through the west, which were mostly made on
horseback. This experience enabled him to form a very correct knowledge of the country west of Detroit, which was of great value to him,
and to others who sought his advice in after life.
At the expiration of his term of office as timber agent, he purchased
a warehouse and resumed the commission business in i857. Being
largely interested in vessel property in i86i, he sold his warehouse and




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devoted his time and efforts in that direction. At this time he was the
owner of four large sail vessels, and also built the bark Henry P. Baldwin. In I866 he sold his vessel property and purchased the dock at
the foot of Shelby street, erecting thereon a large brick block, known
as the Stimson Block, at the time, the largest business block in Detroit.
As far back as I843, he had purchased five acres of land on Woodward avenue, and had erected a homestead (which his family still occupy), and in I869 purchased an adjoining five acres. This, as well as the
rear of his first purchase he subdivided (opening a new street known as
Stimson Place). He realized a fine profit from the sale of these lots,
and after disposing of the Stimson Block in I869, he bought thirty-six
acres further out on Woodward avenue, which he subdivided into one
hundred and forty-five city lots, and four broad avenues, Forest,
Hancock, Warren and Putnam. These lots he sold on time contracts,
but in all cases where the purchasers were unable to meet their payments, instead of enforcing the conditions of the contract (forfeiting the
sum paid) he returned the payments and took the lots back. During the
time the present City Hall was being built, Mr. Stimson was Controller
of the city, and it is due to him that many thousands of dollars were
saved the taxpayers through the care and vigilance exercised by him
during its construction.
Failing health compelled him to resign this position in I870. The
Common Council on accepting it passed a series of resolutions commendatory of his integrity in the management of the city's finances as
Controller.
Mr. Stimson was a member of the Episcopal church, was Junior
Warden of St. John's at the time of his death, from its organization had
been officially connected with it, and was a large contributor of money
and time towards its construction, as well as that of St. Luke's Church
Home. The cause of education found him an ardent supporter, and
organizations and associations for the improvement of the morals and
the elevation of society found him a generous friend.
During the Patriot war he was commissioned lieutenant in the
Brady Guards by Governor Barry, it being the first independent military company in Michigan.
Mr. Stimson was married twice. His first wife was Miss Lavina
Turner, whom he married in 1840. She died in I853. In I858 he
married Miss Cordelia Ives, who is still living. He left two sons,
Edward Ives and Arthur Kissel Stimson.
His death occurred December I3th, I87I, from disease of the heart.
Thus departed from his family a kind and loving husband and
father, and from among his fellow citizens a just, upright and enterprising man.
The name of Mr. Stimson appears on the list of members of the
Historical Society, which in April, I871, was merged into and became
the Wayne County Pioneer Society.




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FREDERICK WE TMORE.
Frederick Wetmore, was a native of the State of New York, born
in the village of Whitestown, Oneida county, on the 7th day of August,
I8I3.
His father, Amos Wetmore, and his mother, whose maiden name
was Lucy Olmstead, were born in Connecticut, of English ancestry.
They removed to New York soon after the close of the War of Independence.
Their marriage took place in I802. They had six sons and three
daughters. Amos Wetmore died in Whitestown, Oneida county, N.
Y., June i, I845. Lucy Olmstead Wetmore, died at same place, May
22, I840.
The father of Mr. Wetmore carried on a farm and also a grist and
saw mill, this furnished the subject of this memoir with employment
during the summer, and enabled him to attend school during the winter
months. That he improved the opportunities afforded by the latter is
evidenced in that at the age of sixteen he was prepared to enter
college, but was prevented by a severe attack of illness, which so
affected his health as to induce his seeking some avocation suiting his
physical condition; and having a brother in the crockery trade at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the age of seventeen he went as a clerk in his
store. He remained with his brother seven years, and in I836, engaged
in the transportation business on his own account, until 184I, when,
during a visit to New York he made the acquaintance of two English
manufacturers of crockery, who induced him to engage jointly with
them in the crockery business, and to fix upon Detroit as his location.
This arrangement was carried out, they shipping the goods and he
selling them. These relations between them continued until I844,
when he purchased the interests of his English partners, and conducted
the business alone for about ten years, and then admitted his nephew,
C. H. Wetmore, as a partner, the firm becoming F. Wetmore & Company, until his death. So that for over forty-four years the name of
Wetmore was a familiar one to the people of Detroit and throughout
the State, as well in social, religious and moral enterprises as in business circles. Mr. Wetmore never entered the political field, he was as
much averse to holding political office as Mr. Charles C. Trowbridge,
whom he'so closely resembled, both in address and physique, as to be
frequently taken for him. He was connected with a number of enterprises outside of his crockery business, and owned real estate in
Detroit and Chicago. In church and social life he was loved and highly
respected, kind and courteous in his bearing. He was a member of
the Presbyterian church, at which he was a regular attendant.
Mr. Wetmore was married twice. He married for his first wife,




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Miss Cornelia P. Willard, at Albany, N. Y., in i845. She was a
niece of the late Judge Platt, a former resident of Detroit. Mrs. Wetmore died in I848, leaving one son, Edward P. Wetmore, who was for
a time Professor of Chemistry and Philosophy in the Detroit High
School. His second wife was Miss Anna Mary Curtenius, of Lockport, N. Y., a lineal descendent of Peter B. Curtenius, whom history
informs us " led the party which tore down the monument of George
the IV. in Bowling Green, N. Y., I774." They had six children, one
of whom, Catharine Bruce, died in August, 1876.
He came to Detroit a stranger, but at his death, which occurred on
the 25th day of March, i883, left a large circle of friends and relatives to mourn his departure.
Mr. Wetmore's name appears as a member of the Historical, since
merged into and now the Wayne County Pioneer Society.
MAR TIN B UTZEL.
The senior member of the firm of Butzel Brothers & Company,
wholesale clothiers at I42 and I44 Jefferson avenue, Detroit, was born
April 23d, 1828, at Burgellen, near Schesslitz, Kingdom of Bavaria.
After receiving a good business education he emigrated to the United
States, landing at New York in I845, where he remained a short time,
when he went to Saugerties, New York, on the Hudson, and in I85I
to Peekskill, and from thence he came to Detroit, where he has continued to reside ever since.  In I867 he was' married to Miss Betty
Binswanger, of New York. She is a native of Binswanger-by-Augsburg, Bavaria. They have two sons and two daughters.
Mr. Butzel is an energetic, keen, sharp business man, respected
for integrity and honorable dealing, which together with the practice of
frugality and dilligence has enabled him to acquire a competency.
The political convictions of Mr. Butzel are Democratic, and while
active in promoting the success of his party he has not sought public
office. As a citizen he is public spirited and takes a lively interest in
all educational and benevolent enterprises. He was one of the original
members of the Merchants' and Manufacturers' Exchange and also
was one of the original members of the Board of Charities.
MA GIVUS B UTZEL.
Magnus Butzel, of the firm of Butzel Brothers, is a man of culture
and refinement, as well as possessing superior business sagacity and
foresight, which was recently recognized by the Merchants' and Manufacturers' Exchange, of Detroit, in the fact that the Board officially




-390 -

endorsed his views upon the Torry Bankrupt Bill now before Congress. Mr. Butzel takes an active interest in all associations pertaining
to education and matters of a literary character. He is at presentvicepresident of the Board of Public Library Commissioners.
Mr. Butzel differs from his brother, Martin, upon political matters,
being an ardent Republican and a charter member of the Michigan
Club.
Magnus Butzel was born at Burgellen, near Schesslitz, Kingdom
of Bavaria, Germany, in I830.  He enjoyed the benefit of the public
school of his native town and may be considered, by careful reading
and application of strong reasoning powers, to be a "self taught man."
Mr. Butzel learned in his youth the trade of his father, that of sash
and blind making, but having a taste for technical drawing gravitated
to the trade of stained or fancy glazing, for which, however, at the time
of his arrival in the United States, in I852, there was not demand
enough to encourage him to follow it as a business.  He therefore
associated himself with his brother, Martin, at Peekskill, N. Y., following, for nearly ten years, the dry goods trade very successfully. In I86I
he followed his parents, who had meanwhile removed from Germany,
to Detroit, and associated himself with Mr. E. S. Heineman in the
wholesale clothing business, to which soon thereafter Martin Butzel
also joined, forming the well known clothing house of Heineman,
Butzel & Company, since very recently becoming Butzel Brothers &
Company.
From I88I to I883.Mr. Butzel held the office of School Inspector,
when a non-partisan board made a noble record as such, and introduced
technical drawing in the existing form in our public schools, for the
establishment of which he was the strongest advocate.
February I7th, I869, Mr. Butzel married Miss Henrietta Hess, of
Cincinnati, Ohio. They have four children, all boys.
7OHN HULL.
John Hull was a native of the United States, was born at Georgetown, District of Columbia, on the 3ist of March, i812.
His ancestors settled in Maryland during the days of Lord Baltimore, and were among the first founders of that State.
His father having died when he was but a small lad, and being
thrown for support upon his own labor, his opportunity for obtaining
an education was exceedingly limited. He was apprenticed to a butcher
at Georgetown, and worked at the business there until I834, when
he determined to " go west." He first engaged in his trade at Dayton




- 391 -

and subsequently at Sandusky, Ohio, in partnership with his., brother.
His business at Sandusky not being successful, he was without a dollar
when ho. arrived in Detroit in the fall of i840, "a stranger in a strange
land." No familiar face greeted him except that of his wife, but with that
characteristic courage for which he was noted, and the practice of economy, he was able to save a portion of his wages. This he judiciously
invested and soon was able to start a business for himself. He located
on the corner of the Campus Martius and Monroe avenue, which location he retained during life, and which is the present business site of
Hull Bros., his sons. Being a man of strong mind, backed by a warm
heart full of kindness to all, rich or poor, and unquestioned integrity, he
soon became one of the most successful men 'in his branch of business
in the city, and at the time of his death had amassed a large fortune as
a reward for his industry and enterprise.
He was an earnest friend to all benevolent and educational enterprises, giving of his time and money liberally to their support. From
the time of its establishment until his death he supplied the Industrial
School with all the meat it needed. He was indeed the "poor man's
friend," as was attested by the hundreds of the poor men and women
who attended his funeral to pay the last sad tribute of respect to the
memory of their generous friend.
His funeral was the largest ever seen in Detroit prior to that time,
and was numerously attended by all classes of its citizens, irrespective
of wealth, party or church influences.
His death was occasioned by injuries received by being thrown
from his buggy in the fall of i864.
Mr. Hull was a Democrat, and was a strong and successful politician. His kindness and liberality gave him great influence with the
working classes, and being a logical but plain speaker, secured him the
respect of the more wealthy.
He was twice elected alderman and had held various other positions of trust and responsibility, the duties of which he discharged with
honor t. himself and satisfaction to the public. At the time of his
death he was chairman of the Board of Auditors for Wayne county,
and the nominee for the State Senate.
In I840 he married Miss Helen Mar Lorain, at Sandusky, Ohio.
He left her and eight sons to mourn his departure.
His name appears on the list of members of the Historical Society
(now Pioneer Society) when the Hon. Judge Witherell was president.




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~* '    WILLIAM     7. CHITTEVDEN.
William J. Chittenden, though not a native, made his advent in
Michigan so early in life and has become so prominent as an entertainer
to its citizens, besides being so closely identified with the many enterprises which have promoted its growth and present prosperous condition, that failing to recognize him as among the pioneers would
defeat the object of the Society, viz.: to preserve a record of the men
who have been the principal factors in making Michigan what it is
to-day.
Mr. Chittenden was born in the town of Adams, Jefferson county,
N. Y., April 28th, I835, was educated at the Jefferson County Institute,
Watertown. In i853 he came to Detroit, and became a clerk in the
postoffice under Col. Thornton F. Brodhead, postmaster. Serving in that
capacity two years, he returned to Watertown to accept a position in a
bank at that place. He came back to Detroit in i858, and from that
time to the present his face and name have been familiarly associated
with The Russell House.
January i8th, i864, Mr. Chittenden married Miss Irene Williams,
a daughter of the late General Alpheus S. Williams, of Michigan.
They have three sons and two daughters, Fred L., age twenty-two;
Alpheus W., age twenty; Mary F., age seventeen; William J. C., Jr.,
age fifteen; Margaret, age nine.
FIRST CO.NGREGA TIONAL CHURCH.
The First Congregational Church and Society was organized at
the house of Charles G. Hammond, on the 25th of November, i844.
Martin Wilson presided, and Messrs. Hammond, Baldwin, Barnard and
Raymond, were appointed a committee to provide for the incorporation
of the Society. The first meeting to perfect the organization was held
on the 8th of December, I844, at which a council was called for the 25th
of the same month, and the church was duly organized on Christmas
Day, I844, consisting of the following members: Lyman Baldwin,
Nancy Baldwin, James G. Crane, Mary A. Crane, Francis Raymond,
Ruth Raymond, Robert W. Warner, C. A. Warner, William Cook,
Marietta P. Cook, S. S. Barnard, Mary J. Hammond and Rhoda
Cowles. Of this number, only Mr. and Mrs. Raymond, and Rhoda
Cowles, are living. The first church edifice was erected on the corner
of Jefferson avenue and Beaubien street, before its completion meetings
were held at the State Capitol, City Hall and Circuit Court Room,
and prayer meetings at private houses. The church was dedicated
March 30, I846. This building becoming too small to accommodate




-393 -

its congregation, it was sold, and that occupied at present by the
Society, erected, on the corner of Wayne and Fort street West. This
has recently been sold, and the Society have commenced the construction of a new building on the corner of Woodward and Forest avenues.
From this parent Society and Church, there have sprung in Detroit the
Fort street Congregational, organized April 20, I879, Rev. J. M.
Robinson, pastor, on Fort street and Junction avenue; Fremont street
Mission, corner of Fremont and Hastings, Rev. N. S. Wright, Superintendent; Mount Hope Sunday School, Michigan avenue, near 25th
street, Allan Bourn, Superintendent; Trumbull avenue Church,
corner of Trumbull avenue and Baker, organized April 27, I88I, Rev.
Albert T. Swing, pastor; Woodward avenue Congregational, corner
Sibley street and Woodward avenue, organized March 17. I866, Rev.
Heman P. DeForest, pastor; all of which are in a growing condition,
the membership being as follows:
First Congregational,  -   -   -    -   -    -    440
Fort Street Congregational,  -   -    -   -    -II2
Trumbull Avenue,      -   -    -    -   -    -    230
Woodward Avenue, -      -    -   -    -   -    - 430
Total, -   -    -   -    -   -             1212
The first pastor of the First church was Rev. H. L. Hammond, who
officiated from its organization until June 30, I847, when he was for a
time succeeded by the Rev. 0. C. Thompson, who was compelled to retire. The Rev. R. R. Kellogg supplied the pulpit
for a short time, until the church board found a permanent pastor.
Meanwhile the Rev. W. W. Atterbury was engaged for six months,
when on the ioth of July, i848, the Rev. H. D. Kitchel was called.
He accepted the call and was duly installed on the 6th of December
following. He continued its pastor until the third of November, I864,
when he resigned at his own request. He was succeeded by the Rev.
S. M. Freeland, who remained as its pastor until the organization of
the Woodward avenue Congregational Society, April 3, I866. The
Rev. Dr. A. Ballard was next installed as pastor, October I8, I866,
and served as such until March ii, I872. The Rev. Zachary Eddy
was called and accepted the charge as pastor, November 2, I873, and
discharged the duties as such until December 14, I883, when he
resigned, and was succeeded by its present pastor, the Rev. W. H.
Davis, who entered upon his duties May 20, I884.


26




- 394 -

DA VID CARTER.
The true American is one who, against the disabilities incident to
a lack of inherited wealth, or influential friends, reaches a position
which commands the respect and confidence of all good men, and a
competency to provide liberally for his family and the relief of the
needy. Such has been the experience and such is the standing of the
subject of this sketch.
David Carter is a native of Ohio and was born February 27th,
I832, in Ohio City, now West Cleveland. On the paternal side he is
of French descent, the name being spelled Cartier. His father, John
Carter, was born in Connecticut in i8oo.  The maiden name of
his mother was Mary Louisa Davis. She was born in Canada July
i8th, in I812, and was of English descent.
Mr. Carter's father and mother were married in I828. They had
five children, three sons and two daughters, the subject of this sketch
being the second son. His father died in i840, leaving his mother and
four young children somewhat dependent upon their own resources for
support. David resided with his mother at Ohio City and in the village
of Rockport (four miles west of Ohio City) until the second marriage
of his mother in I843, when he accompanied her and his stepfather to
St. Clair county, Michigan. Here he remained working on a farm
until 1845, when he determined to embark in life for himself, and taking with him a courageous spirit, fortified by a correct sense of moral
obligation, and a small bundle of clothing, he left his mother's home
for Sandusky, Ohio, and found his first employment in a lumber yard
owned by his uncle, Captain John M. Coyle.  His uncle being the
master of a vessel, he spent most of his time, during the season of navigation, away from home, and thus, for one so young, Mr. Carter was
forced to assume grave responsibilities.  He was able, during the
winter, to attend school, and laid the foundation for a business education. At the age of sixteen, his health being somewhat impaired, he
shipped on board a vessel, first as cook and then before the mast,
regaining his health and acquiring a practical knowledge in managing a
vessel. At the close of the season he obtained a situation as clerk and
bookkeeper for the large lumber firm of Pritchard & Coyle, Sandusky.
He remained with this firm until they closed up business, meantime
passing through the cholera season of I849, himself being attacked
by it.
In i85i he accepted the position of bookkeeper and cashier with
E. Sheldon, then lessee and superintendent of The Mad River Railroad
Company and of its docks, warehouses and elevators at Sandusky. He
remained with Mr. Sheldon until his death, in I852, when his relations
with the company terminated.




-395 a5
At this period the steamer Forest City was in process of co'nstruction for the line between Detroit and Cleveland, and Mr. Carter was
engaged as its clerk, and for the first time became a resident of Detroit,
and identified with the steamboat enterprise which to-day is recognized
as the most perfect and successful of any on the western waters.
Mr. Carter served as clerk on other steamers in this line for ten
consecutive years; he then, in i86i, became the general agent at
Detroit and has had the practical management of all its steamers and
business since that date. The vessels connected with this line prior to
i868 were represented by individual owners.  In May, of this year,
the present Detroit and Cleveland Steam Navigation Compamy was
incorporated, the several individual interests being consolidated. The
Hon. John Owen was chosen its president and David Carter its secretary. Subsequently he became, and is at present, its general manager.
A brief review of the history of this line and the culmination of
results favorable to the business and material, interests of Detroit, but
illustrates the energy and enterprise, as well as integrity, of the men
who inaugurated, managed and have conducted the enterprise to its
present eminent success, and may prove of interest to the young men
of coming days and show what true American inheritors of comparative poverty may accomplish by the exercise of pluck, industry and a
due regard for integrity and good morals.
At the age of twenty Mr. Carter became a clerk of the steamer
Forest City. L. A. Pierce was its first commander. In 1852, following, on the St. Louis (Captain Hopkins), Sam Ward (M. H. Easterbrook), Cleveland (J. R. Howe), May Queen (R. G. Evans), Ocean (C.
C. Blodgett), City of Cleveland (J. M. Lundy), Morning Star (E. R.
Viger), R. N. Rice (William McKay), Northwest (E. R. Viger). The
last named took the place of the Morning Star which was lost in a
collision on Lake Erie June 20th, i 868.  The regular vessels in the
line at the organization of the present company were the steamers R.
N. Rice and Northwest. In i877 the Saginaw took the place of the
R. N. Rice. In 1878 the City of Detroit was built of iron at a cost of
$I175,000, taking the place of the Saginaw. Her first commander was
Win. McKay. In i88i the City of Cleveland was built of iron, costing
$I75,000, went into the Lake Superior trade and was commanded by
Albert Stewart.   In 1883 the iron steamer Mackinaw, costing.
$i6o,ooo, was built and placed on the Mackinaw route. The City
of Cleveland in i886 cost $3oo,000. In i888 the new City of
Detroit, costing $350,000, was built and placed on the Cleveland
route in 1889. The company now build the hull only of steel and iron,
and side wheels with "feathering paddles." The City of Cleveland and
Mackinaw average 50,000 miles each, during the seven months,
between Detroit and Mackinaw. Messrs. John Owen and David Carter




have been associated, the former as president and treasurer and the
latter as secretary and manager, since I868.  Prior to that date Mr.
Owen was the practical owner of the steamers composing the line, and
from I85I Mr. Carter has been the practical manager during the
thirty-seven years in which Mr. Carter has been identified with this
line in the capacity of clerk and manager. The losses in property have
been the sinking of the Morning Star by collision, in I868, and the
partial destruction of the R. N. Rice by fire at her wharf in I867.
On Christmas in I856 Mr. Carter married Miss Fannie J. Leonard,
the daughter of the Rev. R. H. Leonard, of Cleveland, Ohio. They
have had four children, of whom two are living.
Personally, Mr. Carter is a genial, courteous gentleman, and is proverbially kind to the unfortunate, rarely withholding his purse or his
sympathy when appealed to. He has been an attendant of the Duffield
Presbyterian church and is now chairman of the building committee on
the new church.
In all the educational, moral and charitable enterprises of the day
his name is found to be one active in promoting their success.
As a citizen he is public spirited and earnest in his advocacy of all
measures tending to improve the city of his adoption, either in beauty
or material growth.
In politics he is Republican, but has never sought or held a public
position, is not bigoted, and while he does not intrude his opinions upon
others, he is ever independent and firm in maintaining them when
attacked.
WILLIAM DUPONT.
William Dupont is a native of Detroit, and was born on Franklin
street in I842. The year of his advent was when John Tyler was
President by reason of the death of William Henry Harrison. John J.
Barry was Governor of the State, and Douglass Houghton was Mayor
of the city.
The population of Detroit was but 7,480, and there were but thirty
miles of railway in operation in the entire State.
Mr. Dupont began his business life as clerk with H. and L.
Simoneau, under the Exchange Block, on Jefferson avenue. Subsequently he was engaged in the business at Kalamazoo for a few months,
but in I867 returned to Detroit, and established on the corner of Michigan avenue and Second street, his present location.
Mr. Dupont is now recognized by the pharmaceutical fraternity of
the State, as being authority on all questions pertaining to the profes



-397 -

sion, and by the citizens of his native town, as an enterprising, honest and
intelligent man. Mr. Dupont married Miss Kate Southard in i862.
They have five children, Richard S. Dupont, who is twenty-two years
of age, Josephine, twenty-one, Walter S., nineteen, Kate S., sixteen, and
Elise, nine.
Although Mr. Dupont has been active in promoting the success of
the Republican party, he is not an office-seeker, except to see that good
men for official positions are selected, and is regarded by both parties in
his ward as being competent to choose those who will best subserve the
public interests.
JOSEPH BERTHELET MOORE.
Humanity, as taught by the great Teacher, and which should be
practised by all who recognize His right to instruct, is the exercise of a
just discrimination in all that we do, connected with our relations to
society and our fellows.
We start first with our own family, and do our duty to them;
second, we have a succession of employees, we should be their friend,
sharing their troubles and commiserating their misfortunes; third, we
may have tenants, consequently occupying subordinate or dependent
positions, we should try to look at life from their standpoint of view.
The exercise of such discrimination would serve as a cure to
bridge over the breach between the rich and poor, and entitles such as
practice it to the cognomen-to distinguish them as "God Almighty's
gentlemen."
While it would be akin to fulsomeness to claim for the subject of
this sketch all that the sentiment of the foregoing expresses, yet having
lived in Detroit since birth, he must have exhibited and been mindful of
many of the precepts taught by it, for otherwise, he could not have
inspired the confidence among business men, and the esteem and respect
of all who know him, which has enabled him to attain the enviable
position he at present holds in his native city.
Joseph Berthelet Moore, was born in the city of Detroit, September
I5, I846. He is the only son of the Hon. J. Wilkie Moore and
Margaret Berthelet Moore, a sketch of whose life will be found elsewhere in this volume. He is descended on the paternal side from
Scotch and English ancestry, and on the maternal, from French.
Mr. Moore has enjoyed and improved the advantages afforded by
the schools of Detroit in acquiring a good business education, and is a
graduate of the High School, and of Detroit Commercial College.
Soon after graduating from the latter, he accepted a situation in




-398 -

the First National Bank of Milwaukee. After remaining there two
years, he returned to Detroit, and was appointed discount clerk in the
First National Bank of Detroit, resigning this position in I88o, to
accept that of Secretary and Treasurer of the Michigan Carbon Works.
He withdrew from this position in I887 (though still a director and one
of the largest stock holders) to take that of Cashier of the Peninsular
Savings Bank, which position he holds at present. He is also President and one of the original corporators of the Commercial Electric
Company, Director and Treasurer of the Detroit Electric Light and
Power Company, and occupies the same relation in the Detroit Sanitary Works, is Treasurer and Director of the Phoenix Accident and
Aid Association, is President of the Mt. Elliott Cemetery Association,
and of the Detroit Catholic Club.
He has been all his life a member of the Republican party, and is
recognized not only in Detroit but throughout the State, as one of the
most active advisers and promotors of party success.
For a number of years he has filled the position as Chairman of
both the County and City Republican Committee. Among the public
positions held by Mr. Moore is that of Alderman. He has been a
member of the City Poor Commission since i882, and is now holding
his third appointment as such, and also one of the Board of County
Superintendents of the Poor, having charge of the County Poor House
and Insane Asylum.
Such are some of the results indicating the manner of his life thus
far, which could not have been reached except by the guidance and
acceptance of the precepts given by the great Teacher of humanity.
In I878, Mr. Moore married Miss Elizabeth W. O'Hara, of Cincinnati, the granddaughter of the venerable Col. James W. Knaggs,
whose sketch will be found in this volume.
7UDGE WILLIAM 7ENNISON.
Judge William Jennison was born December ioth, i826, in the
city of Boston, Mass.
His paternal ancestors were from England, as it is recorded that
William Jennison came with Winthrop in the good ship Arabella, in the
year i630, and the Judge is a direct descendant of William, whose
christian name he bears. It is also a matter of history that his grandfather was an officer in the Revolutionary War, and was wounded at
the battle of Bunker Hill. He died in Boston in I843. His name
appears on the records as a member of the class of I774, Harvard.
Judge Jennison's mother was the daughter of Col. Richard Fowler




- 399 -

of the English army. At the age of seven he was placed in charge of
Dr. Prime, at Sing Sing, N. Y. At seventeen he was prepared to enter
the sophomore class at Princeton, N. J., but severe illness prevented his
taking the collegiate course. On recovering from this illness he turned
his attention to mining for a period of four years, devoting his leisure
time to general reading, writing and the practice of oral discusssion, of
questions relating to the scientific subjects which he had made a
study. Owing to an accident causing a disability to continue his mining
work, he entered the Harvard Law School, Cambridge, and graduated
with the degree of LL. B., in I852. In I853 he came to Detroit, read
for a year with the Hon. Alexander D. Frazer, counsellor at law, and
began the practice of law in Detroit, which he has continued since. He
has published five volumes of Supreme Court Reports. He resigned
the office of United States Assistant District Attorney in I870, was a
member of the Board of Education, I872-3, and chairman of the Public
Library Committee. In I88o he published a work on " Chancery
Practice." For six years prior to I888 he was Circuit Judge of Wayne
county.
As a lawyer he is recognized as the peer of any member of the
bar, and his administration of the law while on the bench has classed
him with the eminent jurists of the State.
In I854 Judge Jennison married Miss Eunice A. Whipple, daughter
of the late Hon. Charles W. Whipple, Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court of Michigan (whose biography appears elsewhere in this book).
Judge Jennison has three brothers and two sisters. Charles E., in
the real estate and lumber business at Bay City; Rev. Joseph F., and
J. Morgan, lawyer; Miss Miriam W. and Mrs. Maria Antoinette, widow
of the late General Burney, of the United States Army.
DR. C. C. rEMANS.
It is providential that the world is made up of peoples, diverse in
mind and characteristics, otherwise it would be monotonous and unendurable.  Some possess marked characteristics which so individualize
them, that on the mere naming of certain qualities we at once determine who is their possessor.
From our observation and acquaintance the following from Dryden
will apply to the subject of this sketch:
" Composed in suffering and in joy sedate,
Good without praise-without pretentions, great."
Dr. C. C. Yemans came to Detroit in I847 as porter on the screw
steamer Boston.  He was then but thirteen years of age, and judging
from the circumstances under which he made his advent into Michigan,




- 400 -

he must have been self-dependent at that early age. That he accepted
the situation from necessity, and not because of inclination, is apparent from what we learn from his after life and the eminent position
attained and held by him at the present time.  How he overcame
obstacles and reached his present state of prominence in the city and
State will be appreciated, and afford an index to the character of the
man of to-day, and furnish an example to others, who at like age are
compelled to submit to similar adverse circumstances.
Dr. Yemans, soon after landing at Detroit, sought some employment which would enable him to pay for food and clothing and give
him an opportunity to gratify his desire for an education.  This he
was successful in.  Availing himself of them, he prepared himself for
college, entering first the normal school of the State, at Ypsilanti, and
meanwhile teaching. Among other school houses and school grounds
which to-day bear evidence of his forethought and care is that in the
village of Dearborn.  The thrifty maple trees which surround the
building and grounds were planted by him and his pupils thirty years
ago and now afford shelter from the sun to the scholars of to-day, and
serve to gratify the eye of the citizen and stranger.
The instincts of the Doctor to serve his fellows (after the completion of his literary education) inclined him to the ministry and he
applied himself to the study of theology. After two years thus spent,
he was recognized by the conference of the Methodist Episcopal church
of Eastern Michigan as a member.  Meanwhile the election of Abraham Lincoln furnished the disaffected and hot-headed Southerners an
excuse to attempt dissolution and thereby precipitated the late civil
war. The Doctor at once abandoned his studies and civil prospects and
enlisted in the Twenty-fourth Michigan Infantry. We find that he
was appointed Second Lieutenant July 2d, I862, that he subsequently
served on the staff of General Meredith commanding the Iron Brigade,
so called, until ill health compelled him to retire from the army in I864;
that on returning and regaining his health he resumed his connection
with the conference and for a time was active in the discharge of his
ministerial duties.
His army experience and the physical suffering he witnessed
created a desire to obtain the knowledge necessary to alleviate bodily
ills, and with his usual determination to know what there was to learn,
he began the study of medicine, and at the end of three years received
his diploma of M. D., A. M. Thus, through his own efforts, unaided
by the wealthy or influential, he has achieved a position ranking as the
peer of the most noted of his brethren in the medical profession.
At the bedside of the sick he is cool, calm but sympathetic.
His manner is such as to inspire courage and cheerfulness to his patients,
and confidence in the skill of their physician.




401


The Doctor has filled the following positions in the line of his
profession: President Wayne County Medical Society, i885-6-7, president Detroit Academy of Medicine, I887-8, surgeon of Detroit House
of Correction, I872-81 inclusive, professor of Dermatology in Michigan
College of Medicine, I882-7 inclusive, lecturer in Chemistry in Detroit
Medical College, I873-7 inclusive.
Dr. Yemans was born at Massena Springs, State of New York, in
I834. In I856 he married Mary Chamberlain, of Brownstown, Wayne
county, Michigan, where she was born in I835. Mrs. Yemans died at
Shaftsburg, Mich., April 22d, 1889.
Mrs. Yemans was devoted to her husband and her children. She
was a woman of more than ordinary refinement and culture, and
during the struggles of the Doctor she greatly promoted his success by
her cheering words and wise counsel.  She left to sorrow for her
departure three children, Dr. H. W. Yemans, of San Diego, Cal.; Mrs.
Robert Henkle, of Detroit, and C. C. Yemans, Jr., also of Detroit, and
a large circle of devoted friends.
William Yemans, the Doctor's father, was born in i8io at Norwich,
Vt. He died in i886. The mother, whose maiden name was Nancy
Lockwood, was born at Massena Springs, N. Y., in i807. She died
in I846. William and Nancy Yemans left two children, the Doctor
and Mrs. C. S. Packard, of Milwaukee, Wis.
RICHARD HA WLEY.
Richard Hawley was of English birth, born at Shrewsbury, Eng.,
December ioth, I8I5. His ancestry dates back to the days of Roger
de Corbet, and Cause Castle, near Westbury, was a part of the family
estate, and until I87o belonged to Thomas Hawley, of Germantown,
Pa., since deceased.
His father, owing to financial reverses, decided to emigrate to the
United States, bringing Richard with him, then three years of age, and
was able to give him a good common school education.
Mr. Hawley was of a literary inclination, but pecuniary circumstances
prevented him from gratifying his desires, and he commenced business at
the age of I7 as a brewer at Cleveland, Ohio, on his own account. The
panic of I837 proved disastrous for him, as with many others, and all
that he had acquired up to that period was lost. He then removed to
Erie, Pa., and began life anew, and was, through his success, enabled
to pay all past indebtedness in full. In I843 he came to Detroit, and
established the business subsequently known as the house of Richard
Hawley & Son, Malsters. He retired from the business in I873, and
was succeeded by his son, Thomas D.




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Mr. Hawley was at this time so circumstanced as to be able to
gratify his early inclination for literary pursuits, making the study of
political economy a speciality. That he was regarded as an authority
by his fellow citizens on all questions relating to the laws governing
trade, or exchange between nations, is evidenced by his having been
repeatedly chosen to represent the Detroit Board of Trade in the
National and Dominion Boards of Trade. He was a member of the
State Legislature in I864, and again in I877, and has served on the
Board of Estimates and as Alderman.
Mr. Hawley was a Whig until I854, since that time he has acted
with the Independent Democrats.
He married in I839, Miss Evangelia Gardner, daughter of Col.
John Gardner, of East Cleveland. They have eight children, of
whom three sons and two daughters were living at his decease. The
workingmen are indebted to Mr. Hawley for the wholesome law
reforms in their interest, which were passed in I877 through his instrumentality; and the unfortunate are also under great obligations to Mrs
Hawley, for her earnest efforts in the establishment of a Woman's Hospital and Foundling's Home in our city.
He died July 7th, I884, but leaves a record which should be preserved for the good of the future, to imitate.
7AMES FANNING NO ES.
"Those plain and legible lines of duty requiring us to demean ourselves to God, humbly and devoutly; to our government, obediently;
to our neighbors, justly; and to ourselves, soberly and temperately;"
would seem to have been the axiom governing the conduct and life of
the subject of this sketch.
James Fanning Noyes, Physician and Surgeon, was born in South
Kingstown, Rhode Island, August 2, I817. He is the fifth son of
Robert Fanning Noyes, born at Stonington, Connecticut, in I770, and
Sarah Arnold, born in I780, in North Kingstown, R. I. They were
married in 800oo. Thirteen children were born to them, eight survived,
five sons and three daughters, dll reared on a farm. He descended
from Rev. James Noyes, who drew up the famous Saybrook platform,
and was Corporator of Yale College. He was born March ii,.640,
at Newburyport, and graduated at Harvard in I659, at the age of
seventeen. He preached and died at Stonington in I7I9. He was the
son of Rev. James Noyes, who was born at Cholderton, Wiltshire,
England, in I6o8; whose father, Rev. William Noyes, a Nonconformist,
Cotton Mather says, was a very learned man. He was bred at Brazen
Nose College, Oxford, and in I654, with his brother, Rev. Nicholas,




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and his cousin, Rev. Thomas Parker, emigrated to America in the ship
Mary and John, from London,-that staunch boat, which brought so
many Puritans to America that it ought to have been christened the
Puritan. They were Puritans and Nonconformists, and had suffered
persecution on account of their religious opinions. They settled finally
in Newbery, in i635, now Newburyport, Massachusetts, where Rev.
James Noyes and Rev. Thomas Parker were associated as teacher and
pastor over the first church established there, and where the Rev.
James Noyes erected, in i647, the Noyes House, in which he and his
colleague lived and died, and which has been occupied by his descendants to the present time.
The name of Noyes is of Norman-French origin, anglicised, history shows, as early as the twelfth century by dropping the "De La "
from Noyer or Noy, denoting the title of nobility. Delano and Noyes
were in French, it is believed, originally the same. It is to be observed
that the name Noyes is found spelled in four different ways, viz.:
Noyes, Noris, Noise and Noy. Noy, Sir William, in ancestral line,
was a celebrated English lawyer, born in 1577, attorney to Charles I.
He wrote several legal works, viz.: the " Complete Lawyer," a treatise
on the rights of the crown, and an ancient law book called " Legal
Maxims," a book containing good law to-day. The name Noyes is
met with also in German biography and literature as early as the tenth
century.  The Noyes ancestors were, history relates, among the
Huguenots who fled from France into England for safety in the trying
times of the Reformation.
In the sixteenth century the family owned vast landed estates in
Wiltshire and Hampshire, including the parish and living of the Rectory of Cholderton, which was originally attached to the Priory of St.
Neats, and the grant confirmed by Pope Alexander III. The Parish
Register there records that Rev. William Noyes was instituted Rector
in i6oi. He married the daughter of Rev. Thomas Parker, the
learned and celebrated Nonconformist, whose family were driven to
Holland on account of their heterodoxy. The Noyes family became
also Nonconformists.
The Noyes' original coat-of-arms granted to William Noyes,
whose son, William Noyes, was Attorney-General to Charles I.,
has been handed down in the family. The crest at the top of the
shield " which is a cap of maintenance," was rarely granted to a lower
rank than earl (Burk's Heraldry). The three crosses on the shield
were cross crosslets entire. It appears from heraldry that crosses upon
escutcheon signified that the family commemorated their participation
in the Crusades, "Fidei Coticula Crux." The cross is the test of faith
and would seem to prove that assertion true. The motto, "2Vuncia Pavis
Oliva," has direct reference to the crest, which is a " Cap of Mainten



- 404 -

ance," surmounted by a dove with an olive branch, or as one authority says, " a falcon close, with a branch of laurel," but the motto would
seem to indicate that the bird was a dove rather than falcon.
Sarah Arnold, mother of the subject of this sketch, was a daughter
of Samuel and Mary (Nicholas) descended from William Arnold, of
Welch origin, born in Leamington, England, in 1587, emigrated to
America. Persecuted and driven from Massachusetts, he finally settled
in Providence, R. I., in I636, and was the ancestor of the Arnolds of
Rhode Island and Connecticut. He was a friend and contemporary of
Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island, and was associated with
him as one of the fifty-four proprietors of the first settlement of the
little Commonwealth. His son Benedict succeeded him as President of
the colony, and for several years from I663 was Governor. He was
buried in I678, near what he calls in his will " My stone-built windmill,"
in Newport, R. I.
Sarah Fanning, his paternal grandmother, born in Groton, Conn.,
in I743, descended from Edmund Fanning, of Irish descent, who emigrated to America from Dublin, Ireland, in I64I, at the time of the
great Irish massacre of the Protestants, and settled in New London,
Conn.
The Noyes' ancestors, history shows, took an active part and held
important positions in the early history of our country, and the Fannings and Arnolds figure prominently in the battles on sea and land in
American history. Nat Fanning, a descendant from Edmund, was a
brave officer on the "Le Bonhomme Richard" at the time of John
Paul Jones' victory in I779 over the British in the Serapis. He led his
men, history relates, across the yards, while the ships were interlocked
in battle, and captured the enemy.
James Fanning Noyes, M. D., the subject of this biographical
sketch, received his earliest education from his oldest sister, of blessed
memory, who kept a Kindergarten School in the summer season for
the small children of the neighborhood, and later on, from his father,
who taught a private school on the farm in the winter. From him he
received his first instruction in mathematics, geometry and practical
surveying. Many of his scholars came to the school from farms three
miles away. At an early day his father had been a noted and popular
school teacher, and conducted a school in Narragansett, and later was
Town Surveyor. In the year i8oo, and earlier, he kept a school at
Tower Hill, north, and near Narragansett Pier, the now famous seaside resort. Among his pupils notably worthy of mention was Oliver
Hazard Perry, who became the hero of the battle of Lake Erie, September 10, I813, and his brother Alexander. Mathew, another brother,
in I852, commanded the expedition to Japan, and opened that closed
country to the world. In politics, his father was an Abolitionist, a




- 405 -

staunch life-long Democrat and Anti-Mason. Upon the strength of the
latter party in I834 he was elected to the State Senate, and served the
State two terms. Dr. Noyes received his academic education at Kingston Academy. His eldest brother, Azael, and Christopher Comstock,
in the English, and Hon. Thomas B. Church, now of Grand Rapids,
Michigan, in the Classical Department, were his teachers. He was
fitted for College (Colby University) at Rev. Thomas Vernor's Latin
School for boys at Kingston; but was obliged to abandon a collegiate
education on account of ill health.
At the age of seventeen years, with the aid of an assistant, he
conducted a school at sixteen dollars a month and board, which in
those days was considered large pay. This was his first and last
experience in teaching.
In 1842, he began the study of medicine under Dr. Joseph F.
Potter, at Waterville, Me., and pursued his studies there till the fall of
1844, when he took his first course of lectures at the Medical Department of Harvard University. He also took that winter, i844-5, private instruction in auscultation and percussion of the eminent teacher,
the venerable Dr. H. I. Bowditch, now living in Boston. He graduated
from the Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, in March, x846. He
also took while in Philadelphia a practical course of instruction in physical diagnosis of diseases of the chest of the noted teacher, Dr. Girard,
of that city. In July following, he was appointed Assistant Physician
for one year in the U. S. Marine Hospital at Chelsea, Mass., under Dr.
George B. Loring, now Minister to Portugal. While he was at
Chelsea he went to Boston, and was present at the Massachusetts
General Hospital on October i6, i846, and witnessed the first public
administration of an "anaesthetic" (ether) in surgery in the world,
then called "Letheon," by Dr. William T. G. Morton, a dentist in
Boston, which has proved to be the greatest discovery and boon to
humanity of the nineteenth century. In the winter of i847, he attended
medical lectures and visited the hospitals and clinics in New York and
Philadelphia. Among the noted men he heard lecture that winter
were Dr. Valentine Mott, the greatest American surgeon of that day,
and Drs. Martin, Payne and Draper, in New York, and Drs. Gibson,
Chapman, Wood and Horner, in Philadelphia.
March 14, i848, he was present and gave important expert testimony in the great trial of Dr. Valorus P. Coolidge, at Augusta, Maine,
for the murder of Edward Mathews, at Waterville, he having been the
first to detect the presence of prussic acid from its odor in the contents
of the stomach and at the autopsy which he himself made, which was
sustained by chemical analysis, and led to his conviction of the murder.
It being the first case in this country in which this deadly poison had




-406


been used to commit murder, it attracted unusual interest and notoriety.
In his trial the prisoner was ably defended by his brother, Edwin Noyes,
and the Hon. George Evans.
In I849 he settled and commenced practice at Waterville, Me., and
promptly adopted in diagnosis and treatment of disease all the instrumental aids then known and in use, and gained a large and successful
practice. Desiring to pursue still further his professional studies, he
spent tht winter of that year again at his "Alma Mater" in Philadelphia.
In 1852, upon the urgent advice of his former preceptor, Dr. Potter,
who, upon his return from Europe, had removed and gained a very
large and lucrative practice in Cincinnati, he sold out his practice and
went to that city and entered at once into a good practice with him.
From there he made, October 3d, I853, his first visit to Detroit, his
brother then being Superintendent of the M. C. Railroad, crossing the
lake from Sandusky, there being at that day no railroad to Detroit.
The city then had a population of about thirty thousand. Returning to
Cincinnati he passed through Chicago, which had a population of about
forty thousand.
The climate and failing health obliged him to leave Cincinnati, and
in June, I854, he embarked in a sailing vessel at New York for
Europe, with special reference to the study of ophthalmology, in company with Raphael Pumpelly, late professor in Harvard University,
author of an interesting book of travels, " Across America and Asia,"
and now of the United States Geological Survey. After a delightful
and remarkable voyage of only eighteen days from Sandy Hook, he
arrived at the mouth of the Elba, leading up to Hamburg. He visited Hanover, and with Pumpelly, entered the Polytechnic School and took instruction in anatomical drawings and pursued the study of the German language. The winter following he visited Berlin and commenced the study
of opthalmology under the celebrated Professor Albrecht Von Graefe,
and opthalmoscopy with his assistant, Dr. Richard Liebreich. It was
while he was a student that Graefe made those discoveries and researches
which have contributed largely to the advancement of ophthalmic science
and immortalized his name. He also took a private course of instruction in operative.surgery of Professor Langenbeck (Baron and afterwards Surgeon-General) of the Empire, and received from him many
courteous favors. He not only visited his clinics and attended his lectures, but was invited and witnessed some of his private operations in
the city. He visited Charity Hospital, and attended the lectures of
Virchow, Traube and others. While in Berlin he had the very great
pleasure of visiting, by invitation (April I7th, I855), at his residence in
the city, the illustrious German savant and traveler, Alexander Von
Humboldt, then in his eighty-sixth year. The conversation was con



-407 -

ducted in English, which he spoke with ease and fluency. He
remarked he preferred the Spanish for conversation to any language
with which he was conversant. He spoke of his visit to America, and
it seemed to him, he said, " almost antediluvian," it was so long ago.
He said it was during the Presidency of Jefferson, a very brilliant
period in American history, and that we had " statesmen in those days."
He was well acquainted, he said, with both Jefferson and Gallatan, and
corresponded with them for a long time. When the visit had lasted
about twenty minutes his servant announced, "The carriage is at the
door." His excellency then said he regretted he must leave, as the
time had arrived for him to go to San Soucie, as was his custom, and
dine with the King. At this point he politely requested his autograph, which he gave, saying he was "half an American himself."
He had also the pleasure of meeting the great American traveler,
George Catlin, whose life and travels among the North American
Indians he had read in his younger days with stirring interest. He
had come to Berlin, he said, with the hope of disposing of his collection
of portraits of North American Indian chiefs and curios which our Government had, in a spirit of questionable economy, refused to purchase.
He had already had an interview with Baron Von Humboldt, who at
once took an interest in his collection, and had brought it to the notice
of the King, who had ordered ten of his Indian portraits to be purchased for the Ethnographical Society of Berlin.
On October 2d, I855, Dr. Noyes went to Prague and attended the
lectures and clinics of Professors Arlt and Petha, to the latter of whom
he bore a letter of introduction, and who entertained him delightfully
at a dinner party at his beautiful home. At the table, conversing upon
" spirit rappings " of the Fox girls, he was greatly surprised to hear
Mrs. Petha, an English lady by birth, hold conversation in four languages with the guests present. He left Prague November 4th, i855,
for Vienna, and after spending nine months there taking instruction of
Prof. Edward Jaeger, in ophthalmology, and attending the lectures
and clinics of Oppolzer, Skoda, Hyrtl and others at the General Hospital, he left the city and returned to Hamburg, and September 5th,
I856, embarked as surgeon on an emigrant ship, with five hundred
emigrants on board, bound for New York. After a very stormy and
eventful voyage of more than thirty days, arrived all well.
He went to Waterville, Me., and entered upon a large practice,
mainly in the line of his specialty. At a meeting of the Maine Medical
Association, convened at Lewiston, he exhibited the first ophthalmoscope and introduced ophthalmology into Maine, and explained its
practical use to the members present, and spoke of the great advance
the great discovery of Helmholtz had already given to ophthalmic
medicine in Europe. He performed, while at Waterville, a, large num



-408


ber of operations for hard and soft cataract and strabismus; and August
15th, I857, he made the first operation (iridectomy, Graefe's operation) for glaucoma in this country. He left Waterville, and January
4th, I858, he again took passage for Europe in the steamer North Star,
side-wheel steamer, and after a very stormy and perilous voyage, the
ship nearly foundering, landed at Havre. The Rev. Mr. Bliss and
wife, and Miss Barbour, missionaries to Constantinople, were among
the passengers on board. Soon after his arrival in Paris he was present and witnessed, January I4th, I858, the attempt made by Orsini and
Pieri to assassinate the Emperor in front of the Opera House. He
stood within thirty feet of the Emperor's carriage, when three hand
grenades were thrown at the carriage and exploded in rapid succession.
Many about him were killed and a large number wounded. Two
months thereafter, March I3th, he was present and witnessed their
decapitation by the guillotine.
In Paris he took instruction in opthalmology of Drs. Desmarres
and Sichel, and attended the lectures and clinics of Prof. Velpeau,
Neleton, Chassaignac, Record and Becerel, at the hospitals, and
instruction at the Ecole Pratique. At the Charita he took private
instruction of the head interne in systematic examination and physical
diagnosis of disease. He was instrumental in i858, in obtaining for
Dr. N. Bozeman, then on a visit to Paris for the purpose of introducing
his method of operating for vesico vaginal fistula, now of New York,
a patient in the service of M. Robert at the Hotel Dieu, and assisted
him in this the first operation for vesico vaginal fistula by the American method performed on the continent of Europe. It was entirely
successful, notwithstanding the patient had already submitted to two
unsuccessful operations by surgeons of Paris. He reported the case
and the operation in the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal. It was
a triumph for American surgery, and the beginning in Europe of a
new and more successful method of operating in this class of cases.
While in Paris, he was elected a member of the American Medical
Society there.
Having completed his studies in Paris he crossed over to London
and walked the hospitals and visited the eye and ear clinics of Bowman and Crichett. While he was in Germany, Austria and France he
had the means and traveled extensively in Europe during the vacations.
June I5th, i859, he took passage on the steamer Europe at Liverpool for Boston, and arrived in eleven days.  He resumed practice in
Waterville and again acquired a large general and surgical practice
and also in his specialty. Patients came to him from distant parts of the
State.  He cut twice successfully for stone, the latter operation being
the recto-vesical using Sims' silver wire suture to close up the wound.




- 409 -

It was the second operation made in this way in this country. It was
at Waterville that he met with and treated his first case of diphtheria
(August i2th, i860), in this country.  It spread and became a very
malignant epidemic in the Kenebeck Valley, and soon thereafter broke
out in different parts of the country.
He was in practice in Waterville when the war broke out, and in
a patriotic spirit he promptly offered his services to Governor Washburn and also to Governor Sprague, of Rhode Island, his native States
but was informed by his adjutant June iith, I86I, that there was no
vacancy in the First Rhode Island Regiment, then about to leave for
Washington. Appointed and commissioned by Governor Washburn,
he examined volunteers at Waterville for the war which went to make
up the Third Maine Regiment, quartered and mustered into the United
States service at Augusta.  The Governor also offered him the
appointment of " government surgeon at $I35 per month, or the place
of surgeon of one of the volunteer regiments then in the field or one of
the new ones being organized," but he did not, out of necessity, accept
these offers, but continued on in practice of his profession, looking forward to a larger field of work.
In i863, March 4th, he settled permanently in Detroit.  He
brought over from Europe and took into Michigan the first opthalmoscope and hypodermic syringe which he brought from Wies, the maker,
in London.  He entered soon upon a large and lucrative practice,
mainly in the line of his specialty, notwithstanding specialties were not
then in favor with the profession. June 8th, I864, he was elected, at a
meeting in New York, an active member of the American Ophthalmological Society, which has labored, from the beginning, to elevate
the standard and cultivate ophthalmology in America, then but recently
so brilliantly and successfully ushered in, in Europe, by the combined
labors of Von Baer, Von Jager, Von Graefe, Arlt, Helmholtz, in
Germany; Donders, in Holland; Sichel, Desmarres, in France, and
Mackenzie, Crichett and Bowman in England, and which is now elevated to one of the most exact and scientific departments of the medical
sciences. He may, therefore, not inappropriately, be called the pioneer ophthalmologist of the northwest, permanently settled in Detroit.
Dr. E. Williams, of Cincinnati, it is true, preceded him two years in his
visit and study in Europe, and was, it must be conceded, at the time he
commenced practice in Cincinnati, in i855, the pioneer classical opthalmologist west of the Alleghany mountains.
In I873 he was appointed professor of ophthalmology and otology
in the Detroit Medical College and ophthalmic and surgeon to the St.
Mary's', Harper and Woman's Hospitals, and held those positions some
ten years. In i876 he was appointed United States Pension Surgeon
and held this position till ti84. He was also tnedical examiner for the
27




-410 -

Connecticut Mutual Life and New York Mutual Life Associations. At
the meeting of the American Medical Association, at Newport, R. I.,
in i889, he was appointed representative of the association, duly accredited, to the British Medical Association and similar bodies in Europe
for one year.
He was an important witness in the malpractice suit at Kalamazoo, and gave unwilling expert testimony in the case exacted by the
court. The case was prosecuted by one Robert Burget, employed on
the railroad, whose hip was dislocated August 27th, I873, while coupling cars, which, after it had been unreduced more than six weeks, he
had the good fortune to reduce by manipulation (Reed's method) after
it had been manipulated and worked on with the tripod and pulley by
half a dozen skilled surgeons.
This case gave rise to a good deal of hard feeling between the
physicians of Kalamazoo and Detroit, who had taken part in the treatment and management of the case, in efforts to shirk or shift responsibility from one side to the other. This would not have appeared here
had not one of the defendants (Dr. Hitchcock) put in print an entirely
garbled and one-sided review of the whole case.
~ Dr. Noyes is an active member of the following societies: American
Medical Association, American Association for the Advancement of
Science, American Ophthalmological and Otological Societies, Michigan State Medical Society, Detroit Academy of Medicine, of which he
was president in I873, Detroit Medical and Library Association, and
the Pioneer and Historical Society.  He is honorary member of the
Ohio, Rhode Island, Maine and Texas State Medical Associations.
He is author of numerous contributions to medical literature. His
life work has been devoted to his profession and his calling has
bounded his ambition.
For sanitary reasons, and (as he believes) in the interest of humanity,
he is strongly in favor of incineration of the dead for burial, and upon the
organization of the Michigan Cremation Association March 3Ist, 1886,
he was made its first president. He is unmarried.
For the past two years Dr. Noyes has found that hard study, and
the arduous duties imposed by his profession, were making such inroads
upon his health as to demand some relaxation, and he has therefore
retired from active practice, and has spent the time in traveling.
His temporary absence from Detroit leaves a vacuum which is felt
by many.   The hope is that he may return with health restored, and
be able to resume his practice.
His education and numerous exalted positions filled by him in the
line of his profession, furnish the evidence of his scientific ability, and
needs no additional comment by the memorialist.




-411 -

He is kind, genial, full of sympathy for the suffering and unfortunate; practices no deception with his patients, is frank to give his
opinion, does not seek to excite hopes which he believes are delusive,
is firm in his convictions of what is just and true, and independent in
their maintenance.
COLIN CAMPBELL.
Colin Campbell was born in Scotland i81r, came to Detroit at an
early age, established the house known for thirty years as that of
Campbell & Linn, and during that period was considered one of the
principal business men of the city.  He was actively engaged in
Detroit for over thirty-eight years.  The last years of his life he confined himself to insurance and real estate.
L rMA N COCHRANE.
Judge Lyman Cochrane was the only son of the Rev. Sylvester
Cochrane, clergyman of the Congregational faith, and was born in the
State of New Hampshire, August 6, I825. He accompanied his
parents on their removal to Michigan in I837, and in i844 became a
permanent resident of Detroit.
His early education and preparation for college was had chiefly
under the supervision of his father and mother. He entered the Michigan
University at Ann Arbor, graduating therefrom in the class of I849.
He had as associates and classmates, T. R. Chase, Hon. J. Logan
Chipman, the late Hon. Dwight May, of Kalamazoo, Dr. Edward
Andrews, of Chicago, Hon. 0. M. Barnes, of Lansing, William A.
Moore and Hon. Thomas W. Palmer, of Detroit. He began the study
of law in the office of Messrs. H. H. Wells and William A. Cook.
After attending the Ballston Law School in the State of New York,
on his return to Detroit, he entered the office of Messrs. Howard &
Toms. In I862, he associated himself with the late William Gray.
This relation continued but a short time, owing to the death of Mr.
Gray, and he then opened an office on his own account, confining his
practice to that branch requiring the preparation of bills in Chancery,
and as the counsellor and adviser of the younger members of the bar,
who relied more on his judgment and knowledge than upon their own.
He was recognized by the entire members of the Detroit bar as a
profound lawyer, and enjoyed their confidence and respect to an
eminent degree.




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In the fall of I870 Mr. Cochrane was elected a member of the
Legislature, and in 1873 was chosen Judge of the Superior Court of
Detroit, and was on the eve of a re-election when death intervened to
deprive the city and its citizens of a just and upright judge, the members of the legal profession of an accomplished jurist, and his personal
acquaintances of a friend whose fidelity and integrity of character was
never questioned.
Judge Lyman Cochrane, died at his house on Winder street,
Detroit, February 5, i879, leaving an only sister, Miss Sarah Cochrane,
whose whole life was devoted to her only brother. She was the one
he relied upon for sympathy when in trouble, for advice when in doubt,
and encouragement when despondent. Miss Cochrane is now occupied
at the Detroit Public Library.
DR. WILLIAM BRODIE.
Bishop King says: " The bed of a sick man is a school, a doctoral
chair of learning and discipline."
Dr. William Brodie, of Detroit, if practical experience is a prerequisite, is now entitled to the degree which Dryden defines as "doctoral"
and which Bishop King employs in the above quotation; at least it
would appear, from the following facts, that if he has not already
received it, the evidence of his medical brethren and the general public
have awarded it him.
Doctor Brodie was born July 28th, I823, at Buckinghamshire,
Eng.   His name would indicate that his paternal ancestor was of
Highland Scotch descent. The Clan Brodie was an ancient one, judging from the tartan which the Doctor has in possession. His father was
at some time prior to his emigration to the United States, horticulturist
to the Fawley estate.  His father first settled near Rochester, N. Y.,
where the Doctor pursued his studies under the tuition of his father.
At the age of twenty-one he entered the collegiate institute of Brockport, N. Y.  After completing a literary course he came to Pontiac,
Mich., in I847, and became a student of Dr. Wm. Wilson, one of the
most celebrated in the State as a medical practitioner.  He also spent
some time in Woodstock, Vt., and Pittsfield, Mass., attending lectures,
and entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York City,
in I849, graduated in I850, and commenced practice in Detroit in I850.
From   i850 to i86i was surgeon to St. Mary's Hospital and St.
George's and St. Andrew's Societies, was at different times vice-president and secretary of the American Medical Association, and its
president in i886, for three years editor of the Peninsular Journal of
Medicine and Surgery, and editor of the Therapeutic Gazette for four




-413 -

years.  As a member of the Audubon Society, he has been active in
securing the enactment of laws for the protection of game and was its
president.
He was surgeon of the First Regiment of Michigan Volunteers
three months in I86I and was subsequently appointed brigade surgeon
by President Lincoln; has been alderman from his ward and president
of the Common Council and of the Board of Health and was one of the
first members of the Detroit Medical Society, and president also of the
Wayne County Society for four years.  In I876 he attended, as a
delegate, the International Medical Congress at Philadelphia, and was
first vice-president of the Ninth International Medical Congress held
in Washington in I887. The many prominent positions held by him
is the evidence of the estimate which the medical fraternity hold, as to
his professional worth, and ability, and by the Masonic fraternity he has
been recognized as a Mason of good repute throughout the State, and
is the oldest Past Master of Zion Lodge.
In November, I85I, he married Miss Jane Whitfield, daughter of
James Whitfield, of Monk Sherbourn, England. They have two sons
and one daughter. The youngest son is at present practicing with his
father. The Doctor at this time is surgeon in chief of the Chicago and
Grand Trunk railway, also of the western division of the Grand Trunk
system, member of the Board of Health, and now its president, member of the Board of Examiners of Pensions for Wayne county, of which
he is its treasurer.
7UDGE H. B. BRO WN.
The paternal ancestor of the subject of this sketch emigrated from
England, and settled first in the Province of Massachusetts, in the latter
part of the sixteenth century, but prior to the war of Independence
removed to the Colony of Connecticut and settled in New London
county.
Judge Henry Billings Brown was born at Lee, Mass., March 2d,
I836. He was the son of Billings Brown, who was largely engaged
in manufacturing in that town. His mother must have been a woman
of Christian culture and refinement, as the Judge has said "he received
his first impressions of religious duty" and acquired his taste for literature and the fine arts from his mother.
After previous preparation he entered Yale College, graduating therefrom in I856. He then spent a year in Europe, and on
his return began the study of law and completed his course, at
the Yale and Harvard Law Schools. On leaving Cambridge he
entered the office of Messrs. Walker & Russell in Detroit, and was
admitted to the bar in i86o.




-414 -

In I86I he was appointed the legal deputy of the late Col. Chas.
Dickey, United States Marshal for the District of Michigan. Serving
two years in this capacity, he was appointed Assistant United States
District Attorney for Michigan. At the end of four years he resigned
this position and entered into general practice, making that of admiralty
a specialty. The Hon. Chas. I. Walker, having meantime resigned the
judgeship of Wayne Circuit, Governor Crapo appointed Judge Brown
to succeed him. At the close of his term of office as Circuit Judge of
Wayne, he resumed his practice in connection with Messrs. Newberry
& Pond, until appointed by President Grant, United States District
Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan in I875.
He brought to this position a logical mind carefully trained by
close study and the practical experience acquired in his long service as
a law officer of the general government, and was thus prepared for
the duties pertaining to it, evincing such ability that one of the present
Justices of the United States Supreme Court has said in respect to his
decisions in admiralty cases: "They need no review by this Court as
to the proper application of the provisions of law."
On the bench the Judge is dignified but courteous, firm but kind,
quick in his apprehension of and in deciding a law point, and careful
of the respective rights of litigants and witnesses. Off the bench he
is genial and pleasant, and prefers to discuss literary, rather than law
questions.
He has made the tour of Europe several times during his vacations
and thus been able to gratify that taste for fine arts so early in life
acquired, and add to his knowledge of the higher order of literature
which he so much delights in.
July I3th, I864, he married Caroline, daughter of the late Samuel
Pitts, a sketch of whose -life will be found elsewhere in this volume.
Judge Brown was a member, and at one time Secretary of the
Historical Society, since merged into and now the Pioneer Society.
BENJ7AM1N F. STAMM.
One of the characteristics of the subject of this sketch is "that
through all the difficulties he may have encountered in life he has
always met them in a serene manner and with entire confidence that if
he could not successfully surmount them, he would patiently submit to
the consequences accompanying them."
Benjamin F. Stamm was born in Washingtonville, Columbia
county, now Montour county, Penn., June ioth, i8I9. As his name
indicates, on the paternal side he is of Swiss descent. His father, John




- 415 -


W. Stamm, was born in Bern township, Berks county, Pennsylvania,
on the 30th day of August, I79I.  His mother's maiden name was
Catherine Elizabeth Kissinger.  She was born in Elsass township,
Berks county, Pennsylvania, in 1795.
Mr. Stamm's parents were married as Kissinger's church or
Tolmers, in Pennsylvania, in I817. They had nine children, of whom
eight are living to-day.  His father died at Northumberland, Pa., in
I868, and his mother died in Monroe county, Iowa, in I873.
When not quite eleven years of age he was apprenticed in a
general store "for bed and board" for two years.  He then worked at
the same business for a short time at four dollars per month and bed
and board. He next was bound boy to the tinner's trade and completed that course in I837.  In i838 he began to keep school in the
township where his forefathers had lived ever since they emigrated,
and finally began to teach, having acquired knowledge sufficient in a
sort of itinerant way. He next went to Meadville Theological School,
in I85o, and graduated as a Unitarian minister in 1853.  He labored
thus in Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa as also in Detroit, Mich., during
the winter of I855-6 under the auspices of the Unitarian Society of this
city. In December, I856, he brought his family to Detroit and
entered the service of the Michigan Central Railroad Company and
remained in their service nine years. He then entered mercantile life
in a small way and still continues in the same occupation.  He has
never failed to pay one hundred cents on the dollar, together with
lawful interest. One debt he paid, the interest amounted to more
than the principal.  He never held office except in a few instances
where boodle was out of the question. He was always a thinker and
a student, and although reared in the German Lutheran and Reformed
churches he afterwards became a Presbyterian, but continued to evolute until to-day he stands outside of all churches, believing what to
him seems true in all, but technically belonging to none. He has been
a student, teacher and preacher, but always faithful to his highest convictions.  In politics he was cradled in that Democracy that still continues to vote for Andrew Jackson and voted the straight ticket from
I840 to i852.  He then voted Free Soil (John P. Hale, standardbearer).  In I854 he was a delegate from Green county, Wisconsin,
that adopted a Republican platform at Madison, Wis., voted that ticket
until i876, when Peter Cooper (the noblest Roman of them all) ran as
the Greenback candidate for the presidency.  He also voted for
Weaver, but finding nothing to suit him better, he yields to the inevitable and votes the Republican ticket.
He was an earnest and working member of the Union League of
America during the recent Civil War.
As a moral and intelligent citizen his walk in life has been upright,
frugal and industrious.




-416 —.... ~FRANCIS ADAMS.
Francis Adams, born at Ellsworth, Maine, in I83I, came to Detroit
in I85I, and engaged in the lumber business with the late N. W.
Brooks, under the firm name of Brooks & Adams, and on the death of
Mr. Brooks, under the name of Adams & Ferguson. Mr. Adams was
one of the original corporators of the Congress and Baker Street Railway Company, and its first President; he is also a director in the
Wayne County Savings Bank. Has been Alderman several times, a
member of the Board of Estimates and of the Park Commission.
GEORGE C. LANGDOV.
In 1877 George Curtis Langdon was elected as a Democrat
Mayor of Detroit. His administration of his functions, was entirely
devoid of anything of a partisan character, and in this respect it was
somewhat distinguished. He was opposed to monopolies, rings, or
combinations favoring the few, at the expense of the taxpayers, and
exercised the veto power to crush all measures partaking of the least
semblance of corruption. He aimed to select his appointments from
those of his own party, but did not hesitate to remove them, when his
judgment determined them to be unworthy or dishonest, and in all his
acts was bold, fearless and independent of either party or popular
favor.
In all his walk before the people of his adopted city, George C.
Langdon is recognized as a firm friend, to all that is honorable and
upright in business or politics, and a warm friend or determined enemy
in social life.
He was born at Geneva, N. Y., in I833. His antecedents are
American. His father, A. M. Langdon, was a native of Geneva, N. Y.,
whose ancestors on the paternal side were French, or rather Norman
French. His father was born at Farmington, Conn., and his mother,
whose maiden name was Adeline Tracy, was born at Beaufort,
North Carolina. They had five children, of whom George was the
first son.
George attended school at Batavia, between youth and manhood,
and subsequently finished his education at Farmington, Conn. At the
age of eighteen he, desiring to learn practical merchandising, entered
the establishment of Messrs. Lord, Warren, Salter & Co., New York.
After a short trial, the business not proving congenial, and his father
having land interest's in Michigan, he decided to try the west, landing
at Detroit in I852, and on completing his investigations in regard to
the land 'interests 'Of his father, he entered Gregory's Commercial




-417 -

College, graduating therefrom as master of the science of accounts and
bookkeeping. His first practical experience as bookkeeper was with
the Detroit and Lake Superior Copper Company, remaining with it
for some time. He accepted a similiar position in the Banking House
of A. Ives & Co., and after continuing with them for some time, formed
a partnership with the late Captain Cary in the general grain and
commission business.
In I864, in company with N. G. Williams, he purchased the Duncan Central Brewery, conducting the business under the firm name of
Langdon & Co. for six years.
In i870 he bought the malt house and business of E. E. Duncan,
No. 37 to 42 Woodbridge street, and has continued dealing in
barley and malt from that to the present time.
The social bearing of Mr. Langdon is that of the frank, independent man, his genial manners, combined with a generous disposition,
have won for him a host of steadfast friends.
In I859 he married Miss Fanny Vallee. She was born at Detroit
and departed this life in May, I887, leaving two daughters, a loving
husband, and a large circle of friends to mourn.
Her death was a great blow to Mr. Langdon, especially as it followed within a short time, that of one of his daughters. These domestic afflictions for a time made it necessary to contract his business somewhat, and seek to recover from their effects by travel, and, accompanied by his daughter, he has visited all parts of the continent.
HEN2RY A. NEWLANVD.
In I854, there came to Detroit a young man barely nineteen
years of age, who entered the wholesale establishment of F. Buhl &
Company as a clerk, and subsequently, in I858, became a partner, and
was assigned the important position of buyer of all goods dealt in by
the house. This position demanded skill and a practical knowledge of
a class of articles considered as the most valuable of any known to
commerce, Furs, in which the house of F. Buhl & Company were large
dealers. He was also required to make frequent visits to the fur
markets of Europe, and attended the annual sales of furs in London
and Leipsic, for the purchase of manufactured, in exchange for raw
furs.
That he discharged the duties imposed by his responsible position,
with profit to himself and the firm, is evidenced by the fact that its
business increased to such proportions that at the expiration of the time
limited in the co-partnership, the credit side of their balance sheet was




-418 -

so large, that the subject of this sketch was able to establish the house
of Henry A. Newland & Company and the senior partner of F. Buhl
& Company to retire from active business, and turn his interests
over to his sons, constituting the firm of Walter Buhl & Sons.
Henry A. Newland was born at Hammondsport, Steuben county,
N. Y., March I7, I835. While still young his parents removed to
Palmyra, Wayne county, New York. When but twelve years of age
he entered a store as clerk, where he remained until he came to Detroit,
in i854.
Mr. Newland, from the time of his advent into Detroit, has, among
the young men of the city, been prominent in his interests for the establishment of influences calculated to improve the moral tone of the community. In i866 he was chosen President of the Young Men's Christian Association, having for several years previously been one of its
Directors. In i865, he was appointed by Governor Crapo, a member
of the State Military Board, serving as Aide-de-Camp with the rank of
Colonel for four years. In I862, he married Miss Emily A. Burns,
daughter of the late Hon. James Burns, whose sketch appears in this
work. She died in June, I87i, leaving two children. He married the
second time March 7, I877, Miss Mattie Joy, daughter of the Hon.
James F. Joy, a sketch of whom also appears elsewhere.
While Mr. Newland is not one of the early pioneers, he has been
long enough a resident of Michigan to contribute much to the establishment and development of its commercial interests, adding thereby to
its material wealth and growth.
BERNARD O'REILL Y.
"The block of granite which was an obstacle in the pathway of the weak,
becomes a stepping stone in the pathway of the strong."-Carlyle.
The block of granite in the early pathway of the subject of this
sketch, was the disability of comparative poverty, which, at a very
early age, compelled him to rely upon his own exertions, for the bread
he ate, for the clothes he wore, and for the education he obtained; and
in the process of surmounting these he has acquired a self-reliance and
strength of will, which has enabled him to discharge the duties imposed
by his positions of honor and trust to the satisfaction of his peers, and
the credit of himself and the public generally.
Bernard O'Reilly is a native of the Emerald Isle, and was born in
Westmouth county, Ireland, May 20th, I832. He attended the parish
schools when a boy, as opportunity offered, and at the age of fifteen
years, came with his parents to Kingston, Canada; subsequently, in
I848, removed with them to Oswego, N. Y., where for a time he




-419 -

attended a school taught by Mr. J. B. Poncher. In i849 he went on
board a vessel and sailed the lakes until 1859, when he entered a shipyard, and has continued to work as a ship builder from that time until
the present. He located his family in the western part of Detroit in
I855, while he still followed sailing. He engaged in shipbuilding, first
with the late John P. Clark, and soon became one of his trusted
employes in his shipyard.
He has served his ward in the Common Council for one term, and
in i886 was elected to the State Senate on the Democratic and Independent' Labor ticket. As a senator he was distinguished for the
practical and common sense measures introduced and advocated by
him, which secured for him the confidence and respect of his fellow
members of the Legislature and the commendation of his constituents.
In i86o he married Miss Ellen Carley, of Detroit. She was born
in County Meath, Ireland, on the first day of August, 1833.
They have five children, four sons and one daughter, to whom
they give all the advantages of the schools of Detroit, and such wise
counsel and advice as will tend to make them good and useful citizens
of this great country.
7OHN HEFFR ON.
John Heffron, was born in the city of Cork, Ireland, and came to
Detroit in I856, and engaged in the oyster trade, and also kept an eating
house on the corner of Woodward and Jefferson avenues, succeeding
the late George Beard. He was a candidate for Congress on the
Greenback ticket in I878, but was defeated. Has for a number of
years been one of the Commissioners of Ionia House of Correction.
He is a genial, active business man; always has a kind word and joke
for all. The following is related of him: That while sitting one day in
his office, a man entered the store and said he wanted to see Heffron,
"the self-made man." John, stepped to the front, saying: "You
see Mr. Heffron; what will you have? " " I want to see how a selfmade man looks, and if you are one, why didn't you make hair on
your head? " John called the drinks.
WYA VDO TTE.
Among the enterprising villages established in Wayne county,
which are of more recent organization than those heretofore mentioned, and therefore should have a place in the fourth period, is that of
the city of Wyandotte. Its name is that of an old Indian chief, anglicised and meaning Walk-in-the-Water, after whom the first steamboat
which navigated the western waters was named.




-420 -

Wyandotte is situated on the favorite hunting grounds of the old
chief, and subsequently became the farm owned by Major John Biddle.
October, I854, an Iron Company was organized, of which the late
Captain E. B. Ward, was President, T. W. Lockwood, Treasurer,
George S. Thurber, Secretary. The principal stockholders were E. B.
Ward, Harmon DeGraff, Silas N. Kendrick, U. Tracy Howe, Silas M.
Holmes, Philip Thurber, Elijah Wilson, Thomas W. Lockwood,
Francis Choate and Sylvester Larned. The style or name was " The
Eureka Iron Company."
The Company purchased from Major Biddle, the site for their
works, and his entire farm, consisting of 2,200 acres. Since that period
they have purchased as much more, from which they cut the timber
for charcoal, and much of the land has been disposed of in town lots
and small farms.
The Company erected their works and began the manufacture of
pig iron in I854, and were very successful. The capital stock at first
was $5oo,ooo. The business so increased that the whole capital or
balance of the stock was paid up from the profits in I873. The erection of these works, and the establishment of a mill for rolling railroad
iron, soon led to an accumulation of the population. The sale of town
lots, and corresponding improvements in educational and moral enterprises, have made Wyandotte a busy and thriving city.
NORRIS.
Norris is another modern village in Wayne county, not before
referred to in this compilation.
The plat of this was recorded in I873. It is located on section
9, town i, south range I2, east, in the township of Hamtramck, partially between the io,ooo acre tract and the old Marsac French Grant at
the forks of Connor's Creek, about six miles north of the City Hall,
Detroit.
The famous Prairie Mound, embracing about four acres, which is
enclosed in the plat, is said to have been the chosen ground of the
hunters, trappers and Indians, for their camp, in the early days of
Detroit, when the surrounding country was called a swamp. That it
was so considered a swamp was fortunate for the city of Detroit,
otherwise Congress might not have donated io,ooo acres for the building of a Capitol and County Jail. About i i,ooo acres of that adjoining
this tract was held for many years in trust for the Connor's Creek
Land Company, of which the late Shubal Conant was the Trustee,
and for half a century was used for pasturage and hunting, as in the
days of Pontiac. The town or village was laid out and the improvements developed by the late Col. P. W. Norris and Seymour Brownell.
It has a population of five hundred, and is a thrifty, enterprising town.




421


PATRICK BLAKE.
This name is significant, and is associated with an enterprise which
provides for the unfortunate stranger who may die away from home
and friends, that considerate care and respect which pertains to the
love and remembrances of those who are related either by the ties of
blood or friendly relations. He was the first to establish, in the city of
Detroit, a place where the remains of the stranger and the unfortunate
could be placed, advertised and identified.
Patrick Blake is a native of the Emerald Isle and was born in
Dublin, November 5th, I833.  His father decided to come to the
Western Continent, and left Ireland, bringing Patrick with him, landing first at Quebec in 1834, from whence he proceeded to Montreal,
where he died while Patrick was but nine years of age.  Then commenced the struggle for life with Patrick, as well as his mother.  She
must have been a mother in every sense, for we find that she looked after
his moral and business education, which developed good results and
induced his emigration from Montreal to Detroit, and his establishment
of an enterprise therein, which has given him a prominent position, not
only in Detroit, but throughout the whole United States, as one to
care for and provide for the last rites to departed friends.
Patrick Blake has done much for the living as well as those whose
remains it has been his office to provide for after death.
In I855 he married Miss Elizabeth O'Rafferty.  She was born at
Armagh, Ireland, in I830. They have twelve children, Harry, James
B., Sylvester A. V., William, Elizabeth, Eliza, Frank, Lucy, Kitty,
Charles and Nelson, the last named being the son of Harry Blake,
whom they have adopted.
Mr. Blake has been successful in business, and by the practice of
frugality and industry has accumulated a competency.
Mr. Blake's mother, whose maiden name was Catherine McCune,
died at Detroit in i86o. His father, John Blake, died in I834.
TAMES LO WRIE.
Among the oldest merchants of Detroit, as well as those of the
present day, James Lowrie was recognized for his fine business qualities and sound judgment in all matters pertaining to the buying and
selling of merchandise. His pleasant and genial manners won for him
the respect and confidence, as well as the personal regard of his
numerous customers, and also of the general community in which he
did business for nearly half a century.;




-422 -

Mr. Lowrie was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1813, and came
to America at the age of twenty. He first engaged as clerk with Mr.
James Dougal, of Windsor, Canada. In I842 he formed a partnership
with a Mr. Hall, went to New York, and purchasing a large stock of
goods shipped them by the Erie canal. Unfortunately the boat sunk
with the goods on board, and he was compelled to purchase another
stock, which he succeeded in landing at Detroit, where the firm opened
a store on the south side of Jefferson, near the corner of Woodward
avenue. After continuing in business a short time together, Mr. Hall
drew out his capital and Mr. Lowrie removed to the corner of Jefferson avenue and Bates street.
He married, while at Windsor, Miss Harriet Dowling, who was
not only intellectual, but also a woman of fine business capacity, and was
thus able to contribute to his success. After remaining in business for
over twenty years or more, he purchased Bishop McCorsky's farm on
Grosse Isle and devoted himself for a time to its cultivation and improvement.   He, however, soon found that farming was not his forte, and
returned again to merchandising, locating himself at the old site, I50
and I52 Woodward avenue, which he occupied for nearly thirty years
prior to his decease, and where his sons still continue the business.
Meanwhile his son, Fred C., took charge of the farm, while his two
sons, George P. D. and William C. D., assisted and were associated
with, and succeeded him in the business of merchandising at the same
locality.
At this writing, the newspapers announce the death of Mrs.
Lowrie at her home on Grosse Isle, January I9th, I890, leaving four
children, Miss Marion, Mr. Fred C., who remains upon the farm, and
George P. D. and William C. D., who carry on the mercantile business
at the old site, and are esteemed as worthy successors of their
respected sire.
Mr. Lowrie was a member of this Society from 1871 to the time
of his death, which occurred at his home on Grosse Isle on the 26th day
of August, i888.
MAR TIN 7. DUNN.
Ancients represented integrity and firmness by a pillar of wood,
metal or stone, standing upright on a strong foundation, with this
inscription: "Let no one despair under his trials, when his strivings
are for good."  The man determined to advance in any legitimate
enterprise which tends to benefit himself or his fellows, must be firm as
a well founded pillar, even when it is broken about half through.
The subject of this sketch, in the objects and purposes of his life,
has exhibited a determination to succeed without having resort to




-423 -

anything dishonorable or dishonest, and though having to contend with
many adverse circumstances, and almost broken down by their weight,
has nevertheless, owing to the strength of the base upon which his
hopes and aspirations were fixed, been able to bear the burdens
imposed, and in the sphere of life chosen, has in a degree, reached a
realization.
Martin J. Dunn is of American birth and Irish ancestry. His
father, William Dunn, was born in the county of Kings, Ireland, in
i8io. His mother, Sarah Flanigan, was born in the same county as
her husband in the year I820.  They were married in I838 and soon
after emigrated to the United States, locating in the town of Oxford,
Chenango county, N. Y., in i840, where they still reside.
Martin J. was born at Oxford, July Ist, 1851.  In boyhood he
attended the public school of his town, and at the age of twelve was
sent to the Oxford Academy, from which, at the age of fifteen,
he started to make his own way in the world. Being a great lover of
the horse, he decided, partly through pecuniary necessities, but mainly
chosen, to practically study the means likely to most benefit the noble
animal (man's best friend), and pursuant thereto apprenticed himself to
a horse shoer and learned the practical part of the art, and studied all the
works he could obtain on veterinary subjects, for a knowledge of the
physiology of the horse. In order to make himself more perfect, he
traveled over a number of the States, and on reaching Detroit engaged
with Mr. Wm. McCarthy, one of the best known horse-shoers of
Detroit. He remained with him from I879 to i88i, when he opened
a shop for himself, first on Brush street and subsequently at 237
Griswold street, which he occupies at the present time and where he
has done a successful business and has acquired a reputation for skill
in the art of horse shoeing, as well as in that of making a perfect shoe
in the shortest time, which is not confined to Detroit alone but extends
all over Michigan and to many of the cities and towns of other States.
He still holds the championship as the most rapid turner of a perfect
horseshoe, won at Detroit in the contest with John Campbell, of
Buffalo, February 8th, i888.
The Neverslip Horseshoe Company, of Boston, having full confidence in Mr. Dunn, constituted him its sole agent in Detroit for the
sale and use of their goods, and notwithstanding the opposition
encountered, he has been successful in establishing their general use in
the city.
Mr. Dunn is well read and possesses a familiar knowledge of
other mechanical arts and sciences in addition to that of properly shoeing a horse.
On Thanksgiving day, I882, he married Miss Delia Sweeny, of
Detroit. She is a native of the city and was born in April, I859. They
have three children, two boys and one daughter.




-424 -

yOSEPH H. LESHER.
It is said of some, when dead, they leave no vacuum, because they
filled no space while living; that is, they accomplished no results by
which the future can know they ever existed.
This cannot be said of the subject of this sketch. True, he may
not have lands, or brick and mortar, as evidences, but will leave a reputation for business integrity, fidelity to friends, consistency in the practice of what he professes, and earnestness in maintaining the rights
based upon the," golden rule," and thus having exemplified them by
his daily life and conduct during the past twenty-six years' residence in
Detroit, his absence from it must leave a remembrance.
Joseph H. Lesher was born in the State of Pennsylvania, at
Easton, on the first day of April, I825. His father, George Lesher,
was born at Nayauthe, Pa., December 29th, I789, and his mother at
the same place, December 3oth, I797. Her maiden name was Elizabeth Kemmerer.
His parents were married October I3th, i813, at Easton, Pa.
They had twelve children, seven sons and five daughters.
In early life Mr. Lesher had not the opportunities to acquire a
classical education, but such as he had he seems to have utilized to the
best advantage, and when young must have imbibed those religious
convictions which have been his guide in subsequent life, and which
cling to him at the present day.
At the age of fifteen he was apprenticed to learn the trade of a
tailor, serving seven years, at the end of which he became connected
as cutter with a leading merchant tailoring establishment in New York
city for several years. He then located for a time at Easton, Pa., from
whence he came to Detroit in i863, and engaged as chief cutter for
Hallock & Sons. He went into business for himself in 1875, and
located on the corner of Jefferson avenue and Bates street, where he
remained, doing an excellent business, until I875. When the Biddle
House closed, business left that portion of the city, and he removed to
i 6 Griswold street. He continued to do a large trade, not only for
citizens of Detroit, but gained many customers in different parts of the
State, when the Hammond estate, having bought the building occupied by him, and desiring to erect a larger one in its stead, he was
again compelled to remove to his present location, 75 West Fort street,
where he has fitted up an elegant store, and where he hopes to regain
and hold his old customers.
During the whole period of his residence in Detroit Mr. Lesher
has been a worthy member of the First Presbyterian church, and is at
present one of the trustees.
As a citizen he has always done good and effective service in the
interests of education, and of benevolent and charitable organizations.




-425 -


He is a Republican in politics, and has faithfully sought to promote its success and that of its representatives. He has been chairman
of the county, city and ward committees several different times, and in
these capacities has won the confidence of his party friends by his honorable and successful management.
Mr. Lesher married Miss Susanna Kosty, of Easton, Pa., in I850.
They have had eight children.
Geo. H. Lesher, the eldest son, has long been clerk of the
Recorder's Court, and very recently been admitted as attorney at the
Detroit bar.
"The gospel allows no such term as stranger, but makes every
man my neighbor," is the practical rule governing most of the acts of
such men as Mr. Lesher.
It may be, and to some is, exceedingly interesting to trace the
genealogy of families. That of Mr. Lesher's on both sides goes back
to Germany. His paternal family were known in the early history of
Pennsylvania by the name of Lescher, and the maternal by that of
Kemmerer. A great uncle of the subject of this sketch was a captain
in the Revolutinary war.
The paternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch, John
Lescher, born near Bethlehem, Pa., Februrary i4th, I864, married
Sally Ann Weitzell, who was born April 27th, I769. He died in I8I7.
Andrew Weitzel, the father of Sally Ann, was born in I725. He died in
1817. They had eight children, George, the father of the subject of this
sketch, being the eldest son. The mother of the subject of this sketch,
Elizabeth Kemmerer, was the daughter of Jacob Kemmerer and Magdelena Becker; the latter was but six weeks old when brought to Philadelphia from Germany. She had two brothers, John Phillip Becker,
who removed to and purchased a large tract of land in Marion county,
Ohio, where some of the descendants now reside. Peter Becker left a
very large property in Philadelphia, which became valuable, and dying
without immediate heirs, his estate has never been settled.
The family of George Lesher and Elizabeth Becker, nee Kemmerer,
were: Henrietta, born May i8th, I814; Anna Matilda, born October
24th, I814, died December I2th, I850; John William, born May 23d,
I817, died January 27, I875; Susanna, born February 28th, I819; William, born February ioth, 182I; George Washington, born March 29th,
I823, died October ist, I86i; Joseph Henry, born April Ist, I825; Benjamin Franklin, born March 2d, 1827, died November I2th, I857;
Theodore Herman, born March i8th, I829; Truman Thomas, born Jannary 23d, I831, died August loth, I86I; Louisa Elizabeth, born September 5th, I833; Mary Ann, born October 5th, I835.
George, the father, died July 9th, I875, and Elizabeth Becker, the
mother, October 25th, I865.
28




-426 -

The family of Joseph Henry, the subject, is as follows: Joseph
Henri Lesher, born April ist, I825; Susanna Kortz, his wife, born
October 4th, i828. Married by the Rev. J. H. Bomberger, at Easton,
Pa., April 20th, i85I.  Children born at Easton, Pa.: Geo. H.,
October I Ith, I852; Wm. Theodore, January 2d, I855; Howard Joseph,
August 9th, i856; Elizabeth Kemmerer, April ist, i859; Freeman
Thomas, August 31st, i86I; Herbert Albert, September 3oth, i863;
born at Detroit: Joseph Henry, August i9th, I865; Charles Augustus,
December 2d, i867. The latter died September 27th, I884.
CLARENCE M. BUR TON.
Every man at his birth becomes subject to the action of three elements. He comes out of water-passes through air-and when he
reaches maturity, is under the influence of fire.
The subject of the following sketch, having submitted to the first
two, is now undergoing the third, while endeavoring to capture a fourth
-the earth, or a portion of it, prior to assimilating and becoming a part
of it. Not, however, is he confining his efforts for himself only, but is
also looking to it, that the title of others to their share is perfect.
Clarence M. Burton was born in the State of California, November
8, 1I853.
His father, Dr. C. S. Burton, and his mother, Anna E. Burton, nee
Monroe, were natives of the State of New York. They came to
Michigan and located at Battle Creek, where, in I849, Dr. Burton
established the Battle Creek Journal. After conducting it a few years
he removed to California, where the subject of this sketch was born,
remaining there two years. He returned to Michigan, bringing Clarence with him, and established the Hastings Banner, at Hastings,
Barry county, where he now resides. Four children were born to the
Doctor and his wife. Charles F. Burton, a practicing lawyer in Detroit;
Clarence, the subject of this, also a lawyer, and proprietor of the
Wayne County Abstract Office, at No. i, Lafayette avenue, Detroit;
Mrs. Ellen B. (Burton) Judson, of Lansing, Michigan, and Edward
Burton, practicing law at Chicago.
Clarence was united in marriage to Miss Harriett Nye at Ann
Arbor, Michigan, December 25, I872. She was the daughter of Mr.
Nelson B. Nye, an old resident, who was for a number of terms Sheriff
of Washtenaw county. Both Mr. Nye and his wife died within a few
days of each other in the spring of I888.
Mr. and Mrs. Burton have six children. Mr. Burton attended the
schools of Hastings, and after a preparatory course entered the literary




-427


department of the Michigan University in I869, but left before the four
years expired, and began the study of law, and entered the law
department, graduating therefrom in I874, too young to be admitted to
the bar. The day following his majority, November I9, I874, he was
examined and received his certificate to practice as an attorney at
Detroit.
He first associated himself with the well-known law firm of Ward
& Palmer, he making that branch of law relating to land titles a
specialty, and when the firm of Ward & Palmer dissolved, retaining his
relations with Mr. Ward, he purchased of Major Skinner the Wayne
County Abstract Office, which he at present conducts to the great
satisfaction of the owners of real estate in Wayne county. He is
recognized as a man of integrity and enterprise, and is considered an
authority on all questions relating to titles, having devoted much time
and money to investigating and providing facilities and authorities
thereon.
WILLIAM McCARTHY.
Before the deluge there was a man named Lameck who had two
wives, one named Adah, the other Zillah. By Adah he had two sons,
Jabell and Juball.  By Zillah he had a son, Tubal, and a daughter
called Mahmah.  These four children found out the beginning of all
the crafts in the world. Jabell found geometry.  He divided flocks of
sheep and lambs and built the first house of stone and timber. Juball
found out music. Tubal found the smith's trade and how to work gold,
silver, iron, copper and steel. Tubal has always held more prominence
in history, because the worker in metals has ever been recognized the
benefactor to humanity, and his trade the most honorable of all.
The subject of this sketch has made himself prominent among his
fellow workmen in iron and steel, as well as with horse owners, by his
skill in the manufacture of a shoe, and fitting it in such a manner as to
give ease and comfort to the horse and satisfaction to its owner.  He
has not only secured this confidence and respect through his skill as a
worker in metals, but also by that integrity of character exhibited by
him in all his business transactions.
William McCarthy was born in the parish of Middleton, county of
Cork, Ireland, in 183I.  His parents were in comfortable circumstances, but William chose the smith's trade at the age of fourteen, and
after serving out his apprenticeship he worked as journeyman until he
had acquired the means when he emigrated to the United States and
settled in Detroit, August 15th, 1856. He was soon able to open a
shop of his own, and speedily established a lucrative business, which he
still continues.




- 428 -


In I858 he married Miss Mary Barry, who was born in the same
county and parish as her husband in the year I833. They have seven
children, Elizabeth, Thomas, William, Frank, Kate, Mary and Rose,
to all of whom they have given the best education which the schools
of Detroit furnish.
In politics, Mr. McCarthy has acted with the Democrats in the
main, but does not feel bound to support party measures if in his judgment they are wrong. He has never held or sought public office, preferring to look to his trade for the support of himself and family.
In his daily life the unfortunate always find a friend and he regards
his word better than a bond.  He is devoted to his family and has
reared them to put their faith in, and govern their actions by the golden
rule: " Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
OHN     I) D. S TANVDISH.
John D. Standish, late of Detroit, who was identified with the
growth of not only the city, but with numerous enterprises throughout
the State of Michigan, contributing to the development of its natural
resources, was born at Granville, Washington county, State of New
York, October I, 1817.
He was descended from a race that took an active part in the
struggle for American Independence. His grandfather, Samuel Standish, served with distinction in the Continental Army, was present at
the surrender of Burgoyne, and was a participator and an actor in the
scenes and events of that period. He died at Granville in I84I. His
great-grandfather, another Samuel, was in direct line in the fourth
generation descended from Captain Miles Standish. He was born at
Norwich, Connecticut, in I817, and died at the age of one hundred and
three years.
The father of the subject of this sketch was also Samuel Standish,
and was a merchant at Granville for fifty years; was postmaster for
thirty years, and Surrogate for Washington county twelve years. He
was born in I782, and died in i862.
John D. Standish inherited many of the characteristics of his
paternal ancestors.
After attending the primary school at Granville, he entered the
academy of Dr. Town, and at the age of nineteen, after a short stay at
Buffalo, landed in Detroit in i837.
Making the acquaintance of the Hon. S. V. R. Trowbridge, soon
after his arrival, he was induced to open a select school near Birmingham, in Oakland county. Many of his pupils became celebrated in after




- 429


times, one holding a Professorship in Yale College; one became a Missionary of the American Board at Constantinople; others, members of
Congress, and of the Legislature.  It always afforded him much
pleasure to review the days spent in teaching that school. In September, I84I, he married at Pontiac, Emma L. Darrow, of Lynn, Conn.;
they had two sons and two daughters.
After his marriage he engaged in the mercantile business in Oakland and Macomb counties, but in 1857, nearly all his property was
destroyed by fire. He then removed to Detroit, and began to operate
in grain, wool and pork, and during the time became identified with
several manufacturing industries. Having purchased large tracts of
pine land in the counties of Bay and Otsego, he built mills and laid out
the town of Standish. He also built the first mill, and was the first to
ship lumber from the county of Otsego. He transferred his provision
business to his son James, and in I875, accepted the management
of a large commercial agency which he continued for some years. He
was afterwards made Assessor of the city of Detroit, and held this position at the time of his death. He was always anti-slavery in his convictions, and assisted in the formation of the Republican party in I854,
and was nominated but defeated for Mayor in I869.
He became a member of the Baptist church, and was active in
promoting its influence until death. By his business contemporaries he
was ever regarded as prompt, never over-reaching, and as a man of
unquestionable integrity. As a citizen, he was alive to all industrial
enterprises, and all movements to encourage and foster education and
improve the morals of society, and elevate humanity.
He died, leaving to his family a competency, earned by practicing
habits of industry, frugality and integrity.
He was a member of the Pioneer Society.
JOHN W. 7OHNS TON.
Those who are wise, exercise the mental powers they possess,
in looking for, and seeking, without a selfish object, to promote the
happiness of fheir fellows, and those who may come after them. This
does not require that the possessor should be a very learned, but a man
of good common sense.
John W. Johnston, the subject of this sketch, will be remembered
by a large class of the older residents of this county as one who utilized
existing circumstances and surroundings in determining future developments and securing beneficial results, not only for himself but
for the general public. Hence we find his name appearing frequently




-430 -

upon our records in connection with lands and their subdivisions in
and adjacent to Detroit. He understood the feeling and desire of even
the poorest of his fellows-to become the possessor of a realty, which
he could call his home, and which he could transmit to his family as
such.
John W. Johnston was born near Toronto, Canada, May ioth,
I826.  When John was a lad he accompanied his father and family
to Ruthven, near Colburn, where they purchased a tract of fourteen
acres of land known as the east part of lot one, fifth concession township of Grossfield, Ontario. This was in I840. He remained with his
father, meanwhile assisting him in looking after the sale of the subdivisions of this tract, until I847, when he obtained a patent from the
Canadian government of the south one-half of lot four, north side of
the middle road, township of Tilbury, containing one hundred acres.
In the fall of that year, leaving his father to look after this land, he
came to Detroit, his capital being just one dollar and one-half in his
pocket.  The next day he invested this sum in a hand basket and a
few small articles of merchandise, and began the life of an itinerant
merchant, and at the end of a year succeeded so well, that he decided
to change his condition " from single to double blessedness," practically
demonstrating what his subsequent life and acts showed to be his belief,
that blessings were not enjoyable unless others participated in
them. He, therefore, on the 6th of August, I848, married Miss Sarah
Wood, at the residence of William Taite, I57 Jefferson avenue.  In
the fall of that year he opened a Yankee notion store at 41 Woodward
avenue (adjoining the present store of A. J. Royce) in connection with
his itinerant business.  In June, I85I, he was called to Colburn,
Canada, to attend the funeral of his father and was detained there for
some time in closing up his father's estate. Being the only son, he
sold the farm January 25th, 185I, and from the proceeds realized sufficient addition to his capital, to start a wholesale and retail jewelry
store on Jefferson avenue, adjacent to the old Joseph Campau homestead.  His principal expert and clerk at this time in the jewelry
department was Charles Latchenson. In I853, finding himself cramped
for room, owing to the increase of his business, he moved across the
street to the building now occupied by Albert Ives. In July, I855, he
established the auction rooms for the sale of Yankee notions and jewelry
at I6o Jefferson avenue. He was very successful, and in I857, deciding to engage in real estate, he sold out his jewelry business to George
Schuler. At this time (July, I857), he lived at 92 Griswold street, and
opened a real estate office in the rear of I6o Jefferson avenue.  His
first purchase was the north portion of the Porter farm, which he at
once subdivided. It will be remembered that Lyle, the banker, failed
this year (1857). Mr. Johnston had sold about $30,000 worth of his




-431


lots and taken Lyle's paper in exchange. When Lyle went to England Mr. Johnston followed him, and was successful in securing a satisfactory adjustment on Lyle's paper held by him. On his return from
England, Mr. Johnston purchased another portion of the Porter and
also of the Campau farm which he subdivided and sold.
In I859 he became interested in Lake Superior mines and also in
mining lands on the north shore, locating some 4,0oo acres, and in I866
organized the North Shore Land and Mining Company. In the
spring of I872 he purchased the Close farm, near Pontiac, containing
iio acres. This he subdivided into 44o lots. His death occurred in
October, I872.
A synopsis of Mr. Johnston's transactions and his business ventures furnish a test, and exhibit the energy and perseverance, as well as
the humanity of the man.
He had $I.50 when he landed at Detroit in I847, and no friends or
acquaintances. The following morning he invested a portion in a small
basket and a few trinkets, which he sold on the streets, renewing his
stock day by day from the proceeds and profits. He at the end of one
year opens a small store for the sale of Yankee notions, and takes as
partner for life Miss Sarah Woods. While she attends to the store, he
pursues the itinerant trade with a stock of goods, going as far as Louisville, Ky. On his return from his second tour in the spring of 1850,
he established a wholesale Yankee notion and jewelry store. In ten
years from his entrance into Detroit, he disposes of the mercantile business and engages in that of real estate. His first purchase being
April 23d, I857, of one hundred and fifty acres of the Geo. W. Porter
farm, which he subdivided into five hundred and eighty lots, and seventy
acres of the C. C. Campau farm, which he subdivided into four hundred and forty-six lots. In October of the same year he bought of J. J.
Wells the La Fountain farm of eighty-eight acres, which he subdivided
into six hundred and sixty-seven lots, and opened up Fifteenth and Sixteenth streets. The entire number of lots which are now occupied by
poor men as homes, and which he sold them on easy terms, is 1,70I.
He also gave land for two parks, and to the Sixteenth street Methodist
church its site, and contributed the greater portion of the money
which it cost to build. As stated, he purchased the farm near Pontiac,
which he subdivided just prior to his death. The foregoing is an evidence of only a portion of what he accomplished in twenty-five years on a
cash capital of $I.5o, by the exercise of a strong will, a sagacious judgment and public spirit, stimulated by a desire to benefit others as well
as himself.
Mr. Johnson was a humane man and gave liberally to the worthy
and unfortunate, and all the various moral, benevolent and educational
associations received his active support and material aid. In religious




-432 -

matters he was a Methodist, in politics a Republican, but never
sought or held office. His business integrity was unquestioned, and
as a citizen he was respected by all classes, poor and rich. His death
deprived the former of a true friend and the latter of a large-hearted
and enterprising co-operator.
Mr. Johnson's widow (nee Sarah Wood) who is still living, was
born in Dumfries, Scotland. Her parents were natives of the north of
Ireland, from whence they removed to Dumfries, Scotland, where her
father carried on the hatter's business and also a small farm adjacent
to the town. When Mrs. Johnson was a babe in her mother's arms,
her parents emigrated to America and settled near Ogdensburg, N. Y.
Of the children left by Mr. Johnston nine are living, and married.
They are: W. F., born June i8th, i850; Cyrus, born February Is5th,
I85I; Sarah, born July 29th, 1854; Mary A., born September I3th,
I857; Collins H., born August 29th, I859; Melinda, born May 6th,
I863; Talitha Cummi, born July 28th, I865; Martha and Geo. W.
(twins), born November I6, I867. Mrs. Johnston is a remarkable
woman; notwithstanding she has had fourteen children, she adopted
three more, and is still enjoying good health, and is full of benevolent acts.
Cyrus, the second son, succeeds his father in looking after his
mother and the estate. He possesses much of the enterprise and
many of the characteristics of John W. Johnston. He purchased from
the heirs their interest in the Pontiac property, and has succeeded in
disposing of it, according to the original intention of his father, and with
profit to himself.
December 24th, I876, Cyrus married Miss Susan Dreury, who is
a native of Lincolnshire, London, Eng., and was born April I3th, I850.
They have two children, Harry and Ethel Gertrude.
THOMAS EGAN.
While gold and silver are regarded as the precious metals by a
large majority of mankind, iron and its product is conceded as being
the most useful in contributing to the demands of all the industrial
needs of humanity. Hence the manipulator or worker in iron must be
regarded as coming nearer the object and purpose of his creation, than
he who simply hoards and accumulates, but does not produce results
beneficial to the general good of his fellows.
" Happy," is the cognomen by which the subject of this sketch is
called. As there is a reason for all things, we must conclude that this
form of address (when applied to an individual) indicates some peculiar




-433 -

trait or characteristic, significant and demonstrative of qualities of mind
and habit, suggestive of its application. If a man is happy with him
self, he infuses happiness to others, making the atmosphere surrounding
him, grateful and pleasant. Such would seem to be the temperament,
aside from his skill in the trade which he practices, of Thomas Egan, a
native of the Emerald Isle, born in the county of Kilkenny, May I8,
I840.
He must have been born of good parentage, because he exhibits
evidences of culture, and a sensible appreciation of what is due to himself, to society, and the intelligence of the age and country in which he
lives.
The early liking for the noblest animal, outside of man, induced
him to choose the trade of a worker in iron, and to so manipulate it,
that it should become a means of happiness and comfort, as well as a
product of usefulness to humanity; for he who is kind to the beast, is a
benefactor to humanity.
Thomas Egan, after the completion of his apprenticeship, decided to
seek his fortune in America, and located in the city of Detroit, October
I, I871.
Soon after, he established the business he has since successfully
prosecuted, and has acquired therein, a competency for his family, the
confidence of h6rse owners, and the friendship of all who have made his
acquaintance.
In April, I872, he married Miss Mary Brennan. She was also
born in Kilkenny, Ireland, in the year i844. They have four children,
William Joseph, John Martin, Margaret May and Mary Jane, to whom
they have given all the advantages in the way of education, which the
schools of Detroit afford.
Mr. Egan, in his manner and address, inspires confidence as to his
mechanical skill, and his desire to benefit the horse, his master, or
owner, and while as to politics, he allied himself to the Democratic
party, he is not a bigot. He neither asks nor expects public office, but
votes for the men whom, in his judgment, will best administer their official duties, honestly, and for the best interests of his adopted country.
HAR VE Y S. REED.
Harvey S. Reed, a native of the Empire State, was born in the
town of Hillsdale, Columbia county, New York, March 8th, I82I.
In April, I854, Mr. Reed moved to Detroit as the master of transportation for the American Express Company.  He has had general
oversight of receiving and shipment of freights at Detroit since, and




-434 -

still continues to look after the interests of that company. That his
services have been acceptable and faithfully performed, is evident from
his long retention in this responsible position.
Personally, Mr. Reed is kind and courteous to all, but firm in the
maintainance of his views and opinions exacting no more from others
than he is willing to give in return.
February 3d, I85i, he married Miss Sarah Ann Fargo, of
Manilus, N. Y. Mrs. Reed was a sister of William G. and Charles
Fargo. They have one son, Charles F., agent of the American and
Canadian Express Companies at Detroit.
HION. DA VID PRES TON.
Hon. David Preston was born in Harmony, Chautauqua county,
N. Y., September 20th, I826, and came to Detroit in i848, and entered
the banking office of Gleason F. Lewis, with whom he remained up to
I852, when he decided to open an office on his own account, and was
successful. He also established a branch in Chicago. He continued
in the banking business up to the day of his death, which occurred suddenly at Detroit, Sunday morning, April 24th, I887.
It may be said of David Preston, that he made his business subordinate to his religion. He demonstrated this during the panic of I873.
This was a trying period; confidence was weakened in all financial
institutions, many suspending never to resume. Mr. Preston, who had
invested in pine lands, found that he could not make them available to
meet the claims of his depositors unless time was given him, and issued
a circular letter, frankly stating his financial condition, and his confidence
in being able to pay all liabilities, providing his friends would give him
time, closing his letter as follows: "I have such faith in God, that I am
certain you will grant me the time asked."
His friends did grant his request, and every dollar of his indebtedness was cancelled within the time specified.
While this incident exposed him to the scoffing of thoughtless
men, the mass of financiers appreciated his integrity and the Christian
simplicity with which he maintained it in life and until death.
May 5th, I852, Mr. Preston married Miss Jane B. Hauk, of
Conneaut, Ohio. They have had fourteen children, seven of whom
are living, Mrs. Helen E. Hayes, Minnie E., William D., Francis B.
Ellery D., Mabel and Bessie.
Mr. Preston never sought political preferment. He was elected
Alderman of the city one term. He became a candidate for Governor
on the Prohibition ticket in i884, purely from his desire to promote the
temperance cause.




- 435 -


Mr. Preston was personally identified with many enterprises
tending to promote the growth, beauty and wealth of Detroit. Among
them was the purchase of a large tract of vacant land, which he subdivided and sold at such a low price as enabled the poor man to own a
home; the erection of the Central M. E. church building on Woodward
avenue and the Simpson church on Grand River avenue; the establishment of the Preston National Bank and the Fidelity Safe Vaults.
His contributions to churches and other benevolent enterprises
aggregated $200,000 and over. He leaves to posterity the evidence of
a successful business life, based upon the application of Christian principles in its conduct.
W. K. MUIR.
W. K. Muir, born at Kilmarnock, Scotland, after acquiring a railway education in Scotland, accepted a railway position in England,
March 20, I829, and at the age of 23, was appointed to the Superintendency of the Great Western Railway of Canada, (then under construction), and after its completion to Windsor, was sent by the Great
Western Railway Company to take the management of the Detroit &
Milwaukee Railway in I857, and to complete it to Grand Haven,
since then has become identified with the following enterprises, which
have had so great an influence upon the growth of our city and State,
in morals, education, material wealth, and population.
First, The completion of the Detroit, Grand Haven & Milwaukee
Railway across the State, and establishing connection with the Wisconsin railways by means of steam ferryage across Lake Michigan.
Second, In I865, as Assistant-General Superintendent of the
Michigan Central Railway, was instrumental in devising the system by
which passengers, baggage, and freight, are transported from Chicago
to New York and Boston intact, without change of cars or transfer.
Third, In I867, as Manager of the Great Western Railway of
Canada, changing the guage of its road from broad to American standard, and thoroughly equipping it with engines and cars, conforming to
those used on American railways.
Fourth, As General Superintendent of the then demoralized
Canada Southern Railway, systemizing its operating management, and
promoting alliances, making it a part and connecting link between the
Michigan Central and the New York Central & Hudson River, and
Boston & Albany Railways.
Since his voluntary retirement as Superintendent of the last named
railway he accepted the Presidency and Management of the Eureka
Iron and Rolling Mills at Wyandotte, the Presidency of the Star Line




-436 -

Steamers, Vice-President of the Belle Isle Ice Company, President of
the Detroit Dix Electric R. R., and of the Detroit Omnibus Company,
President of several car loaning companies, and is also a stockholder in
various other banking and manufacturing enterprises, which have had
so much to do in building up the city and adding to its business facilities. He is at present President of the Board of Commissioners of the
City Poor, and of two other benevolent institutions in Detroit. It is
difficult to estimate the benefits which the city and State have derived
as the product of the energy, genius, and money expended by such
men as Mr. Muir, in the promotion of enterprises and industries such as
he has been engaged in, since his advent to Michigan, but they have
been of sufficient magnitude to entitle him to recognition as being of
the number contributing to make Detroit, and the State prosperous
financially, and progressive in industrial, benevolent and educational
enterprises.
Personally, Mr. Muir is courteous and kind, with no ostentation in
manner or address, and easily approached by poor or rich.
Mr. Muir has been twice married. First in Jersey City, to a Miss
Steele, of Ayr, Scotland. His second wife was Miss Hendrie, sister of
Mr. George Hendrie. They have two children, one daughter and one
son.
ALLAN SHELDEN.
"As for any merchandise you have brought, ye shall have your return in merchandise or in gold."-Bacon.
"A man who cannot mind his own, is not to be trusted with the king's business."-Savelle.
Although not an early pioneer, the subject of this sketch is recognized as one who has contributed to the substantial growth of our city
and State, and therefore this record of early pioneers would be incomplete without his name.
Allan Shelden is a native of the State of New York. He was
born at Kinderkook, July i6th, i832.
The parents of Mr. Shelden, being desirous of making him a business man, his early education was such as to give a practical knowledge
of the laws of business. Like all men of enterprise he came west, entering the wholesale house of Z. Chandler & Co.
The late Senator remarked soon after Mr. Shelden's arrival, pointing towards him, " That young man is destined to become the most successful merchant in the west, and we old heads," turning to Reuben
Town, " will be on the back seat." Mr. Chandler and Reuben Town
were both men of excellent judgment as regards men or business (a




-437


short sketch of the life of each will be found elsewhere in this volume),
and time would seem to have confirmed their judgment of Mr. Shelden,
for we find him at the end of two years a partner in the house, and since
i863 down to this date, the head.
During this time he has maintained a high reputation, adding
largely to its business importance as a Detroit wholesale house, and in
the same proportion increased its income.
Mr. Shelden was the confidential business manager of Mr.
Chandler and all his personal affairs were referred to him.
Mr. Sheldon has been interested in railway matters somewhat, having been one of the builders of the Hillsdale and Indiana and Butler
Railway, which, while not resulting in profit to himself, has been of
value to Detroit and to the farming and business communities traversed
by them. He is one of the directors in the Detroit Union Railroad and
Depot Company, and also a director in the Detroit National Bank.
Mr. Shelden is a man who attends closely to his business, but in doing
so is not unmindful of his obligations to society and public interests,
always heartily and generously responding to the demands which may
be made to encourage movements of a benevolent character.
He is an intelligent politician, in the sense that he keeps thoroughly advised as to party officials and party measures, carefully digesting the conduct and acts of each, that he may judge where to throw his
influence to promote the interests of business and protection to the
people engaged therein.
In I859 Mr. Shelden married Miss Catherine Dusenbury, of New
York. They have one son, who in I888, married the eldest daughter
of Gen. Russell A. Alger.
Mr. Shelden is a life member of this Society.
MAR TIN S. SMITH.
Martin S. Smith is a native of New York State and was born at
Lima, Livingston county, in I834. His father, Ira D., and his mother,
whose maiden name was Sarah Snyder, were both natives of Columbia
county, New York. They spent some years in Livingston county and
in I844 came to Michigan, bringing Martin with them. Mr. Smith
was then ten years of age. Not liking the farm he, at the age of fourteen, decided upon a business life, and commenced as clerk in a clothing
store at Pontiac.
William M. Thompson then published the Pontiac Gazette and
persuaded Mr. Smith to leave the clothing business and become a
printer. He remained with Mr. Thompson two years when Mr. J. C.




-438 -

Goodsell, a merchant at Pontiac, offered him a situation in his store,
which he accepted. In I85I he came to Detroit and entering the store
of Messrs. Holmes & Company, sold goods for them one year, and
then became connected with L. P. Durkee & Company, in the jewelry
business. He subsequently purchased the stock of Durkee & Co., and
continued the business alone until August, I864, when he took his
brothers, Frank G. and Edward J. Smith, as partners, and carried on
the business under the name of M. S. Smith & Company until about a
year ago, when the firm name was changed to Frank G. Smith, Sons
& Company.
Mr. Smith enjoys the confidence of his fellow citizens to almost an
unlimited extent.  He has never sought public honors or office,
although he has been a member of the Board of Police Commissioners
since I872. It was unsought but accepted because of the importunity
of the late Governor Bagley.  That he has filled the position well is
evidenced from the fact of his successive reappointments by Governor
Bagley's successors.
Mr. Smith is vice-president of the American National Bank, vicepresident of the State Savings Bank, also of the Michigan Mutual Life
Insurance Company, treasurer of the Woodmere Cemetery Association, treasurer of the Alger, Smith & Company and Manistique
Lumber Company, and vice-president of the Detroit, Bay City and
Alpena Railroad Company.   He is also prominently identified with
other manufacturing industries of the city and State.
He is a liberal giver of time and money to the literary and benevolent institutions of both city and State, readily responding to all
reasonable demands made upon him.
Personally, his manner is unassuming; he is inclined to reticence,
preferring to act rather than talk.
In I862 Mr. Smith married Miss Mary E. Judson, of Detroit.
His success in business is the result of close attention to details,
strict regard for the rights of others, as well as of his own, economical
but not parsimonious and untiring in the prosecution of whatever he
undertakes. He has thus accumulated a large fortune, which all who
know him concede he is justly entitled to.
7OSIAH DIXON HA rES.
Josiah Dixon Hayes, was born January i6, I825, in Jefferson
county, N. Y.
On the father's side he was of Scotch descent. His ancestors emigrated from Scotland to Salem,. Massachusetts, in the days of the
Puritans. At an early age he removed with his father from Jefferson




-439 -

to Monroe county, N. Y. At the age of thirteen he engaged in the
mercantile business with Messrs. Hopkins & Hewitt, at Pittsford, and
continued with them three years. In settling the estate of Mr. Hopkins,
the business took him to Canada, where he engaged in other business
with John M. Grover, of Colborne.
In I847, he formed a partnership with Messrs. Shaw & Comstock,
of New York City, to which place he then went. In I849 he purchased the interests of his partners, which he subsequently sold, and
returning to Colborne, engaged in the mercantile business until I852,
when he became the agent of the Grand Trunk Railway at Cobourg.
In i859 he came to Detroit, as the General Agent of the Company,
and Treasurer of the Detroit, Canada and Grand Trunk Junction Railway Company. In I86I, he engaged with the Michigan Central Railway Company, and became the General Eastern Freight Agent of
that road, with headquarters at Buffalo.
In i865, he succeeded the late C. H. Hurd, as Assistant-Superintendent of the Michigan Central Railway. To Mr. Hayes belongs the
credit of founding the European Express Freight Line, as up to that
time all freight from or to the West, from or to Europe, was subjected
to detentions and excessive charges at New York and Boston. After
repeated efforts, he induced the railway and steamship companies to
make one bill of lading cover both land and water transportation. This
was the first step toward the enactment by Congress of the law
authorizing "dutiable merchandise to be transported to the interior
port of destination without first going through the appraiser's store
and the bonded warehouse."
Mr. Hayes was also the originator of shipping fresh beef from the
West and to Europe, by means of refrigerator cars on land, and refrigerator apartments on the steamer. In i866 he became General
Manager of the Blue Line. He continued in this capacity eight years,
and meantime, with others, built the largest flouring mill in Michigan.
Mr. Hayes having made the subject of transportation a study, he
was recognized as authority upon all questions relating to it. The
compiler of this book very well remembers his testimony before a
committee of the U. S. Senate, on Transportation Routes, and the favorable impression it made upon that committee; so much so, that his
entire testimony was ordered printed with the report of the committee.
Mr. Hayes was a member of the convention which provided for
the formation of the National Board of Trade, and became a member
of its Executive Council. He was for a number of years President of
the Millers' Association of Michigan. In I87i he largely contributed to
the establishment of the Merchants' and Manufacturers' Bank of
Detroit, and for a number of years was its Vice-President.
He made a very strong argument before the Ways and Means




-440 -

Committee of Congress against the double taxation of banking capital,
February, 1877, as the representative of the National Bankers' Association.
He married Miss Elura Mary Wood, May io, I849, only daughter
of Col. Peleg Wood, of Colborne, Ont., who survives him, as does one
son and one daughter, Frederick W. Hayes, Vice-President of the
Preston National Bank of Detroit, and Mrs. Frederick A. Robinson.
Mr. Hayes was a member of the Wayne County Historical
Society, and by virtue of its having been merged into the Wayne
County Pioneer Society, April 2I, I87I, he has been recognized as a
member of the latter.
He died September 24, I888, and leaves as a legacy to the financial
and railway world, the evidences of what can be accomplished by the
intelligent application of the principles of pure business, morality and
integrity.
RUSSELL A. ALGER.
Russell A. Alger, although not among the earliest settlers of the
State, was born in that portion of the Territory west of the Alleghanies
of which Michigan was once a part, viz: In the township of Lafayette,
Medina county, Ohio, February 27th, 1836, and besides has been, since
I859, so intimately connected with it, and the events and enterprises
which have contributed to make it the third among its sister States in
point of productions and manufactures, that the future will recognize him as entitled to be classed with those pioneers who have made
Michigan what it is to-day.
At the early age of twelve, by the death of his parents, he was
left to depend upon himself and for the seven subsequent years was
able to accumulate, by working on a farm, sufficient means to defray
his expenses at the Richfield Academy during the winter, and thus
obtained a good English education, enabling him to teach and prepare
for the profession of law. He commenced his law studies in the office
of Messrs. Wolcott & Upson, of Akron, Ohio, in March, I857, and was
admitted to the bar by the Supreme Court of that State in I859. Soon
after, he entered the office of Messrs. Otis & Coffinbury, at Cleveland,
Ohio, with whom he remained until the fall of 1859, when he removed
to Grand Rapids, but was compelled, on account of ill health, to abandon the practice of law, and at once engaged in the lumber business.
The General married Annette H. Henry, daughter of W. G.
Henry, of Grand Rapids, April 2d, I86I, and in August following
enlisted in the Second Michigan Cavalry and was mustered into the
United States service as captain.




-441 -


July 2d, i862, he was wounded at the battle of Boonville, Miss.
For his conduct in this engagement he was promoted to the rank of
major, at the same time his colonel (the late General Sheridan) was
promoted to the rank of brigadier general. October i6th, he was promoted to the lieutenant colonelcy of the Sixth Michigan Cavalry and
and was ordered with his regiment to the Army of the Potomac. On
the 2d of June, i862, was made colonel of the Fifth Michigan Cavalry,
which was a part of Custer's Michigan Cavalry Brigade, justly named
"the fighting brigade of the Army of the Potomac." At the battle of
Boonesborough, Maryland, July 8th, i863, he was severely wounded.
He resigned from the army in September, i864.  His record shows
that he was an active participant in sixty-six battles and was breveted
brigadier and major general "for gallant and meritorious services in
the field."
He has resided in Detroit since i865, during which time he has been
actively engaged in dealing in lumbering, in building railroads, developing iron industries and mines, aiding in the establishment of numerous
manufacturing industries, necessitating the employment of a large labor
force and the disbursement of many millions of dollars in order to
utilize the native products of our State, thus adding to its material
wealth and prosperity.
In his public life, as Governor of the State, he administered its
laws, and the responsibilities imposed thereby, with so much wisdom
and discretion as to gain the confidence of the people, irrespective of
party, and had he obtained the Presidential nomination at Chicago,
would undoubtedly have received the largest vote ever given by
Michigan for a candidate for the Presidency of the United States.
It would partake too much of fulsomeness to refer to his personal
generosity to, and practical sympathy for the unfortunate. It is
enough to state that the numerous recipients of his kind acts will do
him justice, and the future history of the man will record them.
Since writing the foregoing the General has been elected Commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, and a life member of this Society.
DEXTER M. FERRY.
Dexter Mason Ferry, of Detroit, is a native of New York, and
was born in the village of Loweville, Lewis county, August 8th, I833.
The name Ferry indicates French origin on the paternal side, but
the family emigrated to America and settled in Springfield, Province
of Massachusetts, at which place the first Charles Ferry took the oath
of allegiance in the year i678. His son Charles married a descendant
29




-442 -

of Richard Montague, whose ancestors accompanied the Norman
invasion of England, and hence this name would seem to be Norman
French in origin.
Dexter Mason, the maternal grand parent of the subject of this
sketch, represented the ultra-Conservative district of Berkshire in the
Massachusetts Legislature, and was own cousin to the late Governor
George N. Briggs.
The paternal grand parents of Dexter M. Ferry removed from
Massachusetts to Loweville, Lewis county, N. Y., where Joseph N.
Ferry was born and reared. He married Lucy D. Mason, of Berkshire county, Mass.
Joseph M. Ferry died at Lowville in I836. Shortly after the
death of his father the family removed to the township of Penfield, near
Rochester, N. Y. There Mr. Ferry spent his early boyhood, and at the
age of sixteen began life for himself. For two years he worked for a neighboring farmer during the summer at ten dollars a month, attending the
district school during the winter; then, having advanced in his studies
beyond the capacity of his teachers, he entered the service of the Hon.
Ezra M. Parsons, who resided near Rochester, in order to avail himself
of the advantages which the higher schools of that city afforded, using
the opportunities thus furnished to good advantage. Through the
influence of his employer he obtained a situation, first as errand boy
and then as salesman, and last as bookkeeper with S. D. Elwood & Co.,
in Detroit.
In I856, deeming himself competent, both by experience and
the accumulation of sufficient capital to warrant it, he organzied, with
Mr. M. T. Gardner, the firm of M. T. Gardner & Co., seedsmen, he
being the junior partner.
The firm continued to do business under this name until I865,
when Mr. Ferry purchased Mr. Gardner's interest, and Mr. Ferry from
that day until the present has remained the head. In I867 some
changes were made in the conduct of the business, by which the style
of the firm became D. M. Ferry & Co., and was composed of D. M.
Ferry, H. K. White, C. C. Bowen and A. E. White. From the year
i867 to the present time these gentlemen have been associated with
Mr. Ferry in the conduct of the immense transactions of the house.
In I879 the business of the firm had become of such magnitude
that it was deemed wise to become incorporated under the State laws.
Accordingly a charter was obtained under the laws of Michigan, with
the official style of D. M. Ferry & Company, limited (as to time) to
thirty years, and with a paid up capital of seven hundred and fifty
thousand dollars. The Detroit Seed Company was then absorbed,
and its principal owners appear as members of the existing corporation,
Senator James McMillan being Vice-President. Mr. Ferry retains a
principal interest and is the President and manager.




- 443 -


It would be impossible in a brief sketch to give in detail an idea of
the huge proportions to which the business of D. M. Ferry & Co. has
been brought, under the managment of Mr. Ferry and his original and
present associates. It is only by comparison that we can approximate.
In I856 the firm of M. T. Gardner & Co. began on Monroe avenue;
the entire sales of the firm were about six thousand dollars, and its
market was confined to the western States. The struggle was hard, but
persistent care, industry and the exercise of firmness and skill triumphed.
Their sales now in a single year reach nearly two million dollars.
Their importations are the heaviest in Michigan, including transactions
reaching tens of thousands of dollars annually, with English, French,
Dutch, German and other European concerns; over one hundred thousand merchants are supplied; more than two hundred and fifty thousand
boxes of seeds are shipped, the boxes alone involving a cost of one
hundred and fifty thousand dollars; four carloads of seeds pass through
the doors of their warehouse daily.
The company have their own printing presses, and consume more
paper than the first-class public journals, their issues being over eight
hundred thousand copies. The number of employees exceeds one thousand five hundred, besides three hundred traveling men.
In January, I886, fire destroyed their immense four story, brick
storehouse, specially designed by them; the building occupied the
easterly half of the block bounded by Brush, Croghan, Lafayette and
Randolph streets, and had five acres of floor space.
This was the first serious loss sustained by the house, but out of
the temporary chaos it was able to bring order, and at once secured other
accommodations, reorganized their force of employees and so systemized
their work that the delay in filling their orders was slight.
JA MES McMILL A.
James McMillan, of Detroit, was born in Hamilton, Ontario, May
12th, i838.  He was the second of a family of six sons and one
daughter born to William and Grace McMillan, who came to America
from Scotland in I834. The father occupied a responsible position in
connection with the Great Western railway, and when he died in 1874,
he left to his children a substantial fortune. James McMillan was
fitted for college, but decided to enter upon a business life. He came
to Detroit and spent several years in the hardware business. Then he
became purchasing agent of the Detroit and Milwaukee railroad, and
afterwards, while yet in his minority, he had charge of the men who
built the railroad piers at Grand Haven. In this service with a firm of
railroad contractors he rapidly developed those powers of financial fore



444


sight and ability to handle men which have been the sources of his success. In i864 Mr. McMillan, in company with John S. Newberry, E. C.
Dean and George Eaton, started the Michigan Car Co., out of which
has grown the Detroit Car Wheel Co., the Detroit Iron Furnace Co.,
the Baugh Steam Forge Co., the Fulton Iron and Engine Works, the
Newberry Furnace Co., the Detroit Pipe and Foundry Co., of all of
which corporations he is the president. He conceived and carried out
what is now the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic railroad, which
opened to settlement the Upper Peninsula; and he is now president of
that road. He is president of the Sault St. Marie Bridge Co., of the
Detroit and Cleveland Steam Navigation Co., of the Detroit and
Duluth and Atlantic Transportation Co., and of the Michigan Telephone Co. He is also a director in the Detroit Savings and the First
National Banks, in the Ferry Seed Co., and in the Detroit Dry
Dock Co.
In I876 and again in I886 Mr. McMillan was a member of the
Republican State Central Committee. He was elected to the United
States Senate in I888, receiving the unanimous vote of his party, in
both the legislative caucus and the election.
In I86o Mr. McMillan married Miss Wetmore, of Detroit. They
have five children living, William C. McMillan, who is associated with
his father in business; James H. McMillan, who is about to enter upon
the practice of law; two younger sons and a daughter. It is not easy to
find words to express the superlative degree of Mr. McMillan's usefulness as a public spirited citizen. Grace Hospital in Detroit, the McMillan
Shakespeare Library at the University, the Tupper collection of insects
at the Agricultural College, are only the more visible signs of a benevolence at once widespread, discriminating, thoroughly helpful and
entirely without ostentation.
DA VI)D WHITNE.
Some writer has given the following significance to the word
"shrewdness " as applied to men and their characteristics:
" Shrewdness is to the man of activity what scholarship is to the
man of thought-the one is a knowledge of the contents of books, the
other is the knowledge of the ways of men."
While it does not follow that a shrewd man in his business transactions is destitute of book knowledge, yet a man may possess that
natural sagacity which enables him to read men, and anticipate the
probable result following from their action, and thereby utilize it to his
advantage.
That the subject of this sketch has exhibited more than ordinary




445 -

sagacity in his business transactions, needs no proof further than to
point to the results achieved by him since his advent into Michigan.
Follow the principal streets of Detroit, and we find magnificent business
blocks bearing his name, and others in process of construction, while his
private residence, now occupied by him, and others claiming him as
their projector, show how he has disposed of his accumulations, to
beautify and adorn our city. Take a steamer at Buffalo for Lake
Superior, and you meet or pass huge vessels whose papers indicate him
as their owner, and that they are carrying the products of his pine and
timber lands and the manufactures of his mills, to supply the Eastern
demand.
They are only a moiety of the instruments employed by him to
further the enterprises which his shrewdness has devised.
Examine the list of manufactories and incorporated companies, and
you will note his name among the prominent stockholders.
The records of the churches, of the benevolent and educational
institutions of the State and city, exhibit the evidence as to his liberality
in promoting their establishment and conduct.
David Whitney, Jr., is a native of the State of Massachusetts. He
came to Michigan in i856, since which he has been engaged in the
lumber and vessel business.
Mr. Whitney is Presbyterian in his religious convictions, and Republican in his political affiliations.
He has not sought or held any public political position, is
thoroughly read in the theory of political economy, forms his own
opinion as to the measures which will benefit public and private interests and protect the rights of the people. He is not arrogant or ostentatious in manner, or conversation, but is cordial, pleasant, placing time
at its true value, is somewhat reticent and cautious, weighing well his
words before uttering them.
Mr. Whitney is not an early pioneer, but has been in Michigan
long enough to be recognized as having done so much to develope its
natural resources, and in adding to its material wealth, that its history
would seem incomplete without the association of his with the names of
those pioneers who have made the city of Detroit and the State what it
is to-day, and hence the name appears in this work.
JOSEPH W. DONOVAN.
Joseph W. Donovan, now widely known as a writer, is a native of
Toledo, was born March 2d, i842, and remained on his father's farm
and in district schools up to I7, and later graduated from the Jonesville
Academy, having paid his way through school by work at the joiner's




446


bench. He was admitted to the Detroit bar in I870, after taking
law lectures in Ohio, and reading the Ann Arbor course with F. A.
Baker. He commenced practice alone; soon he became attorney for a
corporation, and traveled extensively, on a large salary, over the United
States and Canada. Returning in I872, he settled in Detroit and
became a partner of John G. Hawley in I873; was a year and a half with
F. A. Baker in I874-5; in I876 and I88o he was defeated for Prosecuting
Attorney, his county strongly Democratic.  In I88I he published
"Modern Jury Trials," and in I883, "Trial Practice;" in I885, "Tact
in Court." His specialty is jury trials, of which he has prepared for
the bar many rare specimens, his books being very extensively read.
His law books were all written evenings, and after office hours. He is a
well-known writer in all the legal periodicals of the day. His literary
and legal items have been extensively copied, and all his books have a
large sale, the themes being attractive, set in plain, strong terms,
with pointed brevity and intense earnestness, while all illustrations come
fresh from life, from travel, and the experience of excellent advocates,
from whom he receives the latest and ablest arguments in America.
He was married in I865 to Nettie L. Brainard, of Waterville, Ohio.
At home he is a great lover of books of oratory, of whist, and fond of
a good horse.
The father of the subject of this sketch, Michael Donovan, was of
Scotch-Irish descent, and an early settler and pioneer farmer of Hillsdale
county, having spent two years near Toledo, on his way from Syracuse,
N. Y., where he had resided (up to I840) from boyhood. He raised
seven sons and three daughters, all of whom are living in Michigan.
He was a very strong, hearty, friendly man, a great lover of books, and
quite eloquent of speech; a Methodist in belief, who retained his vigor
up to seventy-eight years of age, and died in I873.
His wife, Rhoda Chambers, was of the well-known Chambers'
Encyclopaedia family, and died in I865. Most of her surviving relatives
reside near Toledo; one brother is now hale and hearty and over eighty.
The Chambers family in England is very numerous, many of them
quite wealthy. A large estate is still tied up in Chancery, to await a
future division, a very small part having been distributed.
70HN FITCH.
As the subject of this sketch was at one time a resident of Detroit,
and as he is well known to have first suggested the use of steam as a
motive power, it is deemed proper that he should be referred to in this
compilation.
John Fitch, the inventor, was born at Hartford, Windsor county,
i.




-447 -

Conn., January 2I, I743. In early life he evinced a great love for the
science of mechanics. As early as 1760 he wrote an article on the
employment of steam as a motor. In I785 he exhibited to General
Washington a model for its application to vessels, and in a letter predicted that it would be used in crossing the ocean, and in driving
carriages on land.
His first launch of a steamboat was in I788, when he made a trip
from Philadelphia to Burlington on the Delaware river. On the return
trip the boiler burst. He subsuquently repaired it and made daily trips
between Trenton and Philadelphia. He propelled with paddles and
was no doubt the original inventor.
Prior to this period, in 1782, he was made a prisoner by the Indians
on the Muskingum river, Kentucky, and by them brought to Detroit,
traveling a distance of I,ooo miles, and delivered to the English as
a prisoner of war. After being held as such some time in Detroit he
was sent to Quebec and exchanged.  He and his party were the first
whites captured after Wilkinson's massacre of the Moravian Indians.
John Fitch was a wanderer, and like other inventors, never realized
anything from his inventions pecuniarily.
He died at Beardstown, Nelson county, Ky., in June, I789. His
only son, Shuler, became a farmer near Houlburd, Trumbull county,
Ohio, where some of his descendents still reside.
GE. EL LISON C. D UXCAN.
Gen. Ellison C. Duncan's well-known and strongly marked physiognomy and figure, the expression of the former indicating a kind and
generous nature, combined with courage, independence and frankness,
and the movements of the latter by the firm step and erect bearing
showing that his body is under the control of a strong will, is familiar
to many in Detroit.
Ellison C. Duncan was born at Lyons, Wayne county, N. Y.,
November I2th, 1817. His opportunities for acquiring an education,
were the common schools of Lyons, which he improved to the extent
of securing sufficient knowledge to venture into the world outside of
his parental home at a very early age, and to rely upon himself for his
future. In I833 he took a canal boat for Albany, from thence he proceeded to New York and Newark, N. J., and engaged in the service
of the New Jersey Railroad, which subsequently became known as the
Pennsylvania Railroad, serving from 1836 to i86i. In the latter year
he came to Detroit, where he has since resided and conducted a successful business.




-448 -

His experince as engineer is so full of interest that we insert it as
told by himself; the statements made in regard to most of it are confirmed by General Schuyler, the superintedent of the road during a
great portion of the period named:
"I worked for the Pennsylvania road from I836 to I86I," said
General Duncan. "In I836 the road was not by any means completed
between Washington and New York. Horses, dogs and steam conveyed the mails between these two cities then. I was first employed in
the horse department, and used to gallop from Newark to Jersey City
with the mail. I have occasion to remember this, as I broke three ribs
on one of these horseback rides. Between some of the stations bloodhounds were employed to 'carry the mail matter, the letters being fastened around their necks. Soon after, I was offered an opportunity to
run a locomotive, and I at once bound myself over as an apprentice.
My run was between Jersey City and New Brunswick. In the course
of my long service, I carried the farewell message of President
Jackson, the inaugural address of President William Henry Harrison
and one of President Tyler's messages.
" I built the cab on my engine in I838. Until that time our locomotives, like the English, afforded the engineer no protection against
the cold and wet. We all had to wear tarpaulins, and 'nor' westers,'
like a sailor in mid-ocean, to keep out the rain and cold. When I suggested the idea of erecting a structure on the engine that would do
away with the necessity of wearing these heavy garments, which
seriously impaired the engineer's efficiency, the rest of the boys laughed
at me and pooh-poohed at the scheme.
" I carried it out, however, by erecting four posts, two on each side
of the boiler, roofing the open spaces over, and suspending curtains
from the sides and rear. In front I constructed a frame work, into
which an 8xio window was set. This commanded a complete view
of the track ahead.
"I shall never forget the first run I made with my new fangled
engine. It was a cold, blustering, stormy night. We arrived at the
turn-out switch first, and ran out on the side track to wait for the train
that was coming in the opposite direction, for there were no double
tracks in those days. I was in my shirt sleeves, as it was warm and
comfortable inside my cabin. Pretty soon the other train came by. I
could see my brother engineer standing on the exposed platform, with
his tarpaulin buttoned tight around his chin, his nor'wester pulled down
over his ears and his hand on the throttle. I hailed him as he went by.
He was traveling just slow enough to get a good look at me, in my
shirt sleeves, for I pulled back the curtain on purpose to let him see
how comfortable I was. When he arrived at the end of his route he
said to the boys:




-449 -

"I'm  darned if that cabin ain't a pretty good thing. I saw
'Dunk' standing there in his shirt sleeves as I passed him last night,
looking as warm as could be, while I was nearly numb with the cold."
" Tom Rogers, of the Patterson Locomotive Works, saw how well
my new idea worked, and liked it so well, that he adopted the general
plan and built regular houses over the locomotives."
7OH.N McBRIDE.
When our first parents violated the compact made with their
Creator, their eyes were opened. Decency suggested that they should
cover their offences and seek to make amends by pursuing and adopting such a course as would neutralize the results of their alienation.
They therefore adopted certain moral precepts and laws to govern
their own, and the conduct of their descendants.  The first was their
duty to their Creator. The second, their obligations to society, and the
observance of such rules and laws as would promote moral growth,
physical health, and the development of those intellectual powers which
are a part of that element which their Creator endowed them withto distinguish them from the lower, or brute animals.
John McBride, the subject of this sketch, as will be inferred, when
his ancestry and his personal experience is detailed, could not do otherwise than conform both in spirit and practice to the precepts inculcated
and exemplified by his ancestors.
John is a descendant from a race who suffered persecution at the
hands of the bloodthirsty Claverhouse and the equally bigoted and
remorseless Bishop Sharpe, during the reign of Charles II., on
account of their Cameronian belief and their refusal to part with their
inherent rights: "To worship God according to the dictates of their
own conscience."
John McBride was born in the Province of Ulster (Stewartstown),
Ireland, November 8th, 1820.  His father, Robert McBride, was also
a native of the same locality and died there July 9th, i846, leaving his
widow, whose maiden name was Mary Mulholland, to the care of John,
with whom she emigrated to the United States in i850, landing at
New York in the month of May of that year.  After spending some
weeks in New York they came to Detroit, where his mother, Mary
Mulholland McBride died January I4th, 1882.
March 4th, i850, Mr. John McBride married Miss Mary Cross.
She was a sister of Major Cross, a distinguished physician, chief
inspector in the British navy and surgeon general of the British army,
and was born in the Province of Ulster, Ireland.  They have three




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children, Mary the wife of John Bell, of Detroit; Robert McBride,
agent of the Lake Shore railroad, and John, receiving clerk in the
wholesale drug house of James E. Davis & Company.
Mr. McBride, since his residence in Detroit, has gained the confidence of its citizens and has served the general public faithfully in the
several offices of trust and honor which they have bestowed.
He is Republican in sentiment and Scotch Presbyterian in
his religious views, maintaining both his religious and political opinions
with the same independence and courage as did his fathers before him.
NVOR TH VILLE.
The village of Northville, in this county, was so named because of
its location, in the extreme northwest part of the county, and to distinguish it from the village of Plymouth, immediately south, and within
the township of Plymouth.
It is beautifully situated at the junction of the north and west branch
of the stream known as the Rouge, in the valley of which it lies, surrounded by hills, reaching fine farms, with grand buildings and orchards,
under a high state of cultivation, exhibiting evidences of wealth and intelligence. Its citizens are enterprising and exemplary in their habits,
cultivating and encouraging all influences of a moral and refining character. It has a population of some three thousand, fine church and school
buildings are mingled with comfortable and spacious dwellings in the
midst of handsome grounds, and not one saloon or drinking place.
The following is a sketch of some of its projectors:
To any one now living who experienced the hardships, privations
and sacrifices incident to the settlement of an uninhabited wilderness
as was this portion of the Northwest Territory, prior to its becoming
a State, the following narrative of one who passed through and was
a participant, may prove interesting as well as instructive:
CAPTAIN WILLIAM DUNLAP, late of Northville, in this
county, was born at Ovid, Seneca county, N. Y., February i, I796.
After availing himself of the meagre educational advantages of that
period, at the age of eighteen years he was drafted for service in the
army of General Scott, which he joined at Buffalo, on the Niagara
frontier, a few days after the battle of Lundy's Lane.
As drafted men could not be compelled to cross into Canada, there
was a call for volunteers. Mr. Dunlap was one of the very few who
responded, and crossing the river, took an active part in the siege of
Fort Erie, and the other engagements which followed, serving until
peace was declared.




-- 451


At the close of the war he returned to his home, receiving from
his commanding officer a special certificate of honor, and was soon after
chosen First Lieutenant in the local militia. Three years later, after a
spirited contest, in which a most popular man was opposed to him, he
was elected to the command of the company. Both his commissions are
signed by Joseph Yates and DeWitt Clinton, respectively Governors of
New York.
On the 29th day of December, 18I9, he married Miss Sarah
Nevius, a native of the State of New Jersey, and born in Somerset
county, in that State, May 2r, i8or.
After this event they remained at Ovid until i831, when they
started on their journey to Michigan. Three weeks' time were consumed before reaching their future home, ten days of which were spent
in crossing Lake Erie, and three in getting with ox teams to where the
flourishing village of Northville is now located, where he had purchased
the farm extending to the base line and lying north of the main streets,
and the grist mill formerly owned by John Miller, who had taken up
the land from the Government. He was the first to erect and occupy a
frame dwelling within the present limits of the village of Northville,
he and Daniel Lovejoy Cady laying it out and platting it.
For many years Captain Dunlap ground the grists of the farmers,
for thirty miles distant, and it is related of him that he often forgot to
take toll from the small grist of some indigent pioneer who had come a
long distance, and whose descendants are now in the enjoyment of'
wealth and luxury. It is also said of him, that his house and larder were
open to provide for the physical wants of the pioneer, and his barn furnished care for their oxen. As we remember him, he always had a
kindly greeting and a pleasant word and smile for rich and poor, young
and old.
Mrs. Dunlap was a woman of more than ordinary intellectual capacity. She always impressed one as being possessed of superior culture
and intelligence, and while dignified, she was exceedingly considerate,
and readily accommodated her manner and words to the circumstances
surrounding, devoting herself to good works, for her family, the
church, and the morals of society.
Prior to leaving Ovid, Seneca county, N. Y., Captain Dunlap and
his wife, received into their family under articles of adoption, David
Clarkston. He subsequently became a wealthy and enterprising citizen
of that portion of Wayne county. A brother of Mrs. Dunlap, the Rev.
Elbert Nevius, was long a missionary to India, and is prominently mentioned in the church and missionary history of the past fifty years. He
is now living in New York City, 86 years of age, preaching until last
year.
Captain William Dunlap, died at his home in Northville, April io,




452 -

I878, and Mrs. Sarah (Nevius) Dunlap, May 3, i884. Their surviving
children are Mrs. Mary (Dunlap) Yerkes, Mrs. Gertrude (Dunlap)
Swift, Mr. George Dunlap, at one time an alderman of, now a resident
of Detroit; Emmett, a resident of Montana, Charles, a resident of
Detroit, Henry, a well known Presbyterian clergyman and scholar in
Iowa, Mrs. Jennie (Dunlap) White and Mrs. Alice Yerkes, who still
reside at Northville.
DANIEL LOVEJOY CADY, who was a contemporary of
Captain Dunlap in the platting and organization of the village of Northville, was born November 13, I787, reached his majority in Montgomery county, State of New York, and then removed to Michigan in
I827, purchasing from the Government one hundred and sixty acres of
land lying south of the present main streets of Northville, a portion of
which he dedicated to the village plat. He was a Justice of the Peace,
and received his first appointment as such from General Cass, and was
subsequently elected as Justice after the organization of the township.
He was married three times. By his first wife his children were all
sons: Hiram (living), Anson (recently deceased), Hulse (departed some
years since), and Daniel, Jr., who now resides at Mason, Ingham
county. By his second wife, he had two children, William Henry, who
died before reaching his majority, and Sarah, who is the wife of the
Hon. William P. Yerkes, at one time Probate Judge of Wayne county.
By his third wife, still living and residing at the old homestead in
Northville, he had one daughter, Helen L., to whom the compiler is
indebted for the foregoing information.
Daniel Lovejoy Cady died at his home in Northville, August 30,
i86o.
Among others who participated in the establishing of Northville
are Jabesh M. Mead, Samuel Mead, Jessie Cram, Merritt Randolph,
John Jackson, Thomas M. Ladd and Hiram M. Perrin.
DAVID H. ROWLAND was somewhat aggressive, and did
much toward making it a manufacturing village. He engaged largely
in merchandising, was the owner of the "Argo " and Wayne County
Flouring Mills, was somewhat prominent in State politics, was elected
to the Legislature, and was a warm, personal and confidential friend of
the late Robert McClelland. He was born at Newton, Fairfield
county, Connecticut, in May, i798, drifted to Perrington, Monroe county,
N. Y., and in 1819 married Miss Mary Gregory, a sister of Sherrard
Gregory, who was a member of the Michigan Legislature two sessions
prior to the removal of the Capitol to Lansing, and of Dr. David Gregory, an eminent physician, who practiced in that portion of the county
from i832 up to I857. As stated, David H. Rowland, was aggressive
in business, in church matters, and in politics. He made himself felt in




-453 -

all the directions and interests named. Whatever he undertook he
prosecuted to a definite result. His affiliations in the church and with
his party at that day were strong and influential. Coming to the
township in I830, he experienced all the disabilities incident to pioneer
life. He died June I, I86o. He had nine children, but only one survives him, Mrs. Cornelia Fox, the widow of the Rev. Thomas Fox,
who subsequently married Mr. John Sands, and is still living at Northville. Mr. John Sands, the husband of Cornelia (Rowland) Fox, is
another old pioneer, and was born in West Chester county, N.Y., in
I818, first came to Michigan in 1827, spent a few years in Northville,
then removed to Clinton county. He returned to Plymouth, and settled
in Northville in I848, where he has since resided.
THE HON. CALEB HERRINGTON, another old pioneer of,
and a resident of that portion of Wayne county, was born if the State
of New York, January 24th, I783.  After reaching his majority, he
married Miss Elizabeth Fullam at Penfield, Monroe county, New
York. After spending a number of years of married life in Monroe
county, in the spring of I833 they removed to the Territory of Michigan and located their home on Section 8, township of Plymouth. The
public positions held by Mr. Herrington were captain of a New York
volunteer company serving during the war of I812-15, member from
Wayne county of the Constitutional Convention of 1835, and of the State
Legislature of I837. He was a man who enjoyed the love and respect of
his neighbors as well as an extended circle of friends and acquaintances,
by whom he was esteemed for his official integrity and his fidelity to
his constituents.
Mr. Herrington died at his home on the farm March 3oth, i849,
leaving a widow and six children, five of whom are living at this writing (May 29th, i890). The widow died February I2th, I868.
The village of Northville is very much indebted to one of his sons,
Charles G. Herrington, for his enterprise in the organization and
establishment of its several large manufacturing industries, which have
added so much to its active population, its material growth and
wealth.
HARVEY S. BRADLEY, late of Northville, was an early settler
in that portion of Wayne county, on the northeast X of Section  I,
township of Plymouth, where he reared a large family of sons and
daughters who have become valuable citizens worthy of their ancestral
name and possessing in a large degree many of their virtues.
Harvey S. Bradley was born at Guilford, Connecticut, September
2d, I797. When but seven years of age his parents removed to Bloomfield, Ontario county, N. Y., where there mainder of his boyhood days
were spent and where he married Miss Maria Rose, November 3d,




-454 -

1817. They began and continued their married life in Bloomfield until
I830, when they came to Michigan, reaching the site of their future
and final earthly home May the 5th of that year.
Mr. Bradley was long a prominent member of the Presbyterian
church, as was also his wife.  Both united in good works and greatly
aided in the elevation and establishment of the moral sentiment among
the people for which Northville and its vicinity has been so long noted.
Among the other early settlers who located in that portion of the
county before Northville was named, had we the data, we should
be pleased to make an extended reference, but in its absence can only
mention their names as we remember them.
There was the Yerkes family, well known in many parts of the
State, William, the elder, having been a member of the Legislature.
William P., Judge of Probate of Wayne county, another (George) a
son of Williamn, the elder, has also been a member of the Legislature.
Then there were the venerable Quakers, Alanson and Savil Aldrich;
the Thorntons, Northrups, Noah Dyer and Gannett Ramsdell; the
parents of F. R. Beal, the stirring and enterprising manager of the
Northville School Furniture Company; A. B. Markham, who conducted as attorney most of the lawsuits in early times; Captain Merritt
Randolph, who as commandant of a military company was ordered to
guard the frontier during the patriot war; John McOmber, the skilled
inventor and mechanic; John Ovenshire, Captain John Jackson, the
commander of the Livonia Rifles in the thirties, who is still living, and
is full of incidents of interest to the historian, as showing the privations
and sacrifices encountered and made by the pioneers of the county, as
well as the obstacles overcome by them to secure their descendants
the comforts and luxuries of the present.
We would not omit to mention the name of Clark Griswold, now a
very old man, who was ever regarded a pillar in the Presbyterian
church; also Deacon William Wells, his contemporary in church work,
but whose demise occurred some years since.
WILLIAM SICKELS.-The subject of this sketch was born at
Palmyra, N. Y., in I824, and came with his parents to Michigan in
I836. His father, John F. Sickels, was of Dutch ancestry, and born
in the valley of the Mohawk river. His mother, Hannah Durfee, was
born in Rhode Island.
William Sickels acquired his education at the Northville district
school, and was a pupil of the Rev. Sylvester Cochran, with whom he
took an academic course, fitting himself for teaching.  He taught for
several years and in I85o engaged with David H. Rowland in merchandising. In I853 he removed to St. John's, Clinton county, and for
a time conducted a newspaper and was elected and filled a county




- 455 -


office for a number of years.  In i870 he purchased the farm upon
which he resides in Gratiot county.
In 1846 he married Isabel Kingsley. They had four children,
three of whom (two sons and one daughter) are still living.
Mr. Sickels has spent twelve years in Washington, his wife and
sons meanwhile carrying on the farm.
Mr. Sickels has always been an active Republican and a strong
temperance advocate. In all the public positions held by him, he has
discharged the duties faithfully, with honor to himself and satisfaction
to the people.
PL rMO UTH TO WNSHIP AND VILLA GE.
In addition to the names mentioned on page 77, as being among
the first settlers of this township, were the Berdans. Colonel Hiram
Berdan, who commanded a regiment of sharpshooters during the late
war, and the inventor of Berdan's rifle, was a member of this family.
Then there were the Bradners, who erected a grist and saw mill;
Henry Holbrook, who also built mills, and founded what was
known as Holbrookville, and induced some twenty German families to
locate near him. He was a brother of the Hon. D. C. Holbrook, a
well known attorney now living in Detroit. He died at Grand Rapids
a few years since. He was a man of great enterprise and energy,
highly esteemed and respected.
ERASTUS STARKWEATHER, whose son, George, still
resides at Plymouth, and is a successful merchant. He was the first
white child born in the township.
JONATHAN SHEARER, whose sketch will be found elsewhere, and Hon. E. J. Penniman, former member of Congress, were
old residents of Plymouth. Both deceased.
CALVIN S. CROSBY, an early resident, was born at Pompey,
Onondaga county, N. Y., August 29, I829, and was brought to Michigan by his parents in 1842. He has been twice Treasurer of Wayne
County, a State Senator, President of Plymouth village, and during
the late Civil War raised and commanded a company in the 24th
Michigan Infantry.
JUDGE JOHN FULLER, well known throughout the county,
was born in Leslie, Broom county, N. Y., January 7, I812. He came
to Michigan, and settled in Plymouth, June I5, 1834. He was appointed Deputy U. S. Marshal by Conrad TenEyck, and took the




-456 -

census of Plymouth in i840. Has held the office of Justice of the
Peace three terms, was a candidate for Judge of Probate, but was
defeated in the election by a small vote. Judge Fuller married Miss
Louisa A. Kellogg, July 6, 1836. She was the daughter of Mr. J.
Kellogg, an old pioneer. She is still living, and has borne to the Judge
seven daughters.
ISAAC N. HEDDEN, of Plymouth, was born in the State of
New York, in October, i8o8. Removed to this county, and located at
Plymouth, in I802. March I4, i833, he married Emily Bradner. He
has resided in the town continuously ever since, and held a number of
public positions of honor and trust.
CAPTAIN MYRON GATES, of Plymouth, commanded a
military company during the Black Hawk War, which was called out
and mustered into the State service, but before reaching the seat of war
was ordered by Governor Porter to return, Black Hawk having been
captured. His company was also called out by Governor Mason during
the difficulties between Michigan and Ohio, and marched as far as
Salem. For his services on both occasions he has received no compensation. Captain Gates is a resident of Plymouth.
JACOB LYON, an old settler of this town, was born in the State
of New York, in i8o8, and came to Michigan in I829, where he married in 1837, and he still lives, loved and respected by old and young.
It would afford us much satisfaction to specially refer to many other
old settlers of Plymouth, had we the details of their personal history at
our command.
AMBROSE P. YOUNG, prominent in the early history of
Wayne county, and in later days, enjoying the confidence and esteem
of the older as well as the middle aged citizens of Detroit, was born
May 23, i814, in the town of Phelps, Ontario county, N. Y. His
grandfather, on the paternal side, was from Holland, and emigrated
from there, arriving in New York in I748, in company with Colonel
John Young, or Yonghe, who settled in Montgomery county, N. Y.,
and became prominent as a soldier during the French and Indian War.
There was one other brother, and a sister, Eve. She married Frederick
Croul, the grandfather of Polly (Croul) Carlisle, whose demise occurred
on the i9th of May, I890, at the age of 98 years and 8 months.
The father of A. P. Young, the subject of this sketch, settled in
Ontario county sometime after the close of the Revolutionary War,
where he died, while A. P. Young was but a child. At the age of
nineteen years, Ambrose visited Michigan with an elder brother, and
two other boyhood friends, spending the summer in looking over the
country, returning to New York in the fall. In the spring of I836 he




-457 -

came again to Michigan, and located at Romulus, and for several years
carried on a wagon and blacksmith shop with his brother. On the
22nd day of February, I838, he was married to Miss Eliza Ann Dykeman, of Ypsilanti, and brought her to the home he had prepared at
Romulus, where they resided for fifty-three years, and where they
had born to them six sons and six daughters, all of whom are living at
this date (May, I890), except the firstborn son, who died in infancy.
Mr. Young has held a number of public positions of trust and
honor in Wayne county.
He was a Justice of the Peace for forty years. Meantime, at intervals, was elected Supervisor and Township Clerk. Was chosen a
member of the Legislature for the first session after the removal of the
Capitol from Detroit, I847-8.
In the fall of I840 he was defeated as a candidate for the office of
County Commissioner, by one vote. That, however, was in " Harrison
times," and he says he could not complain, because not a candidate on
the Democratic ticket was elected that year. In I848, he was elected
Associate Judge of Wayne County Circuit Court. Was postmaster at
Romulus, first by appointment of President Polk, in 1844, holding the
office sixteen years thereafter; and again by appointment of President
Cleveland, until he resigned in i889, there being a lapse of just forty
years between his first and last appointment.
In the fall of i88o, he was elected the second time to the State
Legislature.
Mr. Young's military experience is as follows: On the organization under the Territorial Laws of the Militia, he was elected Lieutenant, and appointed Paymaster of the Third Regiment, subsequently
being elected Major, Lieutenant-Colonel and Colonel, which he held
until the Regiment was disbanded. In the different positions held by
him, integrity and honor have governed all his acts, and secured for
him the confidence and esteem of a large and influential acquaintance,
and numerous personal friends. He now resides at Mason, where he
moved in I889, in order to be with and near his children, who are residents of Ingham county.  He was one of the original pioneers of
Romulus. Reference to page 8i will give further information in
regard to that township.
GIDEON P. BENTON is the son of Gideon Benton, who settled
in the township of Plymouth, locating a farm near what was known as
the village of Waterford, now Mead's Mill, in the year I828. He was
the first postmaster appointed in the township of Plymouth.  In 1836
he met with an accident which occasioned his death.  He is said to
have been a man of great energy and force of character.  He left a
wife and three sons, Richmond, whose demise occurred soon after
30




-458 -

reaching his majority; Hiram, and Gideon P., the subject of this
sketch. His widow, Clarissa, in i846, married William Bramble, who
died in the army in i863. She subsequently married a Mr. Rhodes,
whom she now survives at the age of eighty-nine years. On
the anniversary of her eighty-eighth birthday the following named
neighbors and friends gathered at the house of her son, Hiram Benton:
Mrs. H. Thayer, widow of the late Captain Thayer, who resides
with her son Hiram on the farm her husband located and settled on in
i826. Her age is eighty-two years.
Clark A. Griswold, aged eighty-two. He came to Michigan in
I826.
J. D. Yerkes, aged seventy-one, came in i826; his wife, aged sixtynine, in i831.
John Sands, aged seventy years, came in i827; his wife, aged
sixty-eight years, came in i838.
E. S. Woodman, aged seventy-two, came in I837; his wife, aged
sixty-five, in i837.
Mrs. Esther P. Wells, aged seventy-eight, came in 1826.
A. M. Randolph, aged fifty-eight, came in I830; his wife, aged
fifty-seven, in i847.
The united ages of the above named twelve persons is eight hundred and twenty-three years, lacking one year of an average of seventytwo years each.
Mrs. Benton provided a sumptuous dinner, to which all did ample
justice. The pioneers spent the time in relating incidents of their early
pioneer life, the great changes that had taken place since they first
settled there and became acquainted with each other.
After some recitations by Mr. Benton's daughter, eleven years of
age, which would have done credit to a person much older, and a
general hand-shaking, the friends separated for their homes, wishing
the venerable lady many years yet in which to have "birthday parties."
Mrs. Rhodes is a woman of great energy of character and activity
of mind. Her life has been spent in doing good to others, rather than in
securing her own enjoyment.  Few pioneers in this community have
had her experience. Her health is good for one of her age, and she
retains her mental faculties unusually well.
Gideon P. Benton, the subject, partakes much of the energy and
enterprise of his father. He has a son, Howard Benton, who is a well
known law practitioner with Messrs. Wilkinson & Post, of this city.
Mr. Benton carries on milling and farming, and is a man of thrift
and activity.




-459


The following sketches should have appeared in the "Third
Period," but the lateness of their return prevented.-F. C.
DR. GEORGE       B. RUSSEL.
Some writer has said: " We may talk of religion, its doctrines, its
precepts and its privileges, we may talk of philosophy, with all its perfections and human acquirements, but if our religion is destitute of love
to God, which is charity toward our fellow men, His creatures, or if
our philosophy is destitute of philanthropy, away with religious profession! it is but an empty name, our philosophical sentiment sounding
brass, and all our pretensions but tinkling cymbals."
That the subject of this sketch during fifty-four years, has
regarded the object of life from a non-mercenary point in all the enterprises in which he has been engaged, none who have been cognizant
or observed that life, will deny.
Dr. George B. Russel was born in the cross-roads village of Russelville, Oxford township, Chester county, Penn., March 7th, I816,
in the house built by his great-grandfather, Hugh Russel, prior to the
war of Independence, and in which both his grandfather and father first
saw the light. His father, Francis Russel, born June i4th, I783, was
a colonel in the war of I812, serving as such during that war. His
grandfather, Alexander, born July 4th, I756, was a commissioned officer
in the Continental army during the Revolutionary war, and his greatgrandfather, Hugh Russel, born in Ayrshire, Scotland, in I726, escaped
from the battlefield of Culloden in April, I746, fled to Ireland, from
thence to America, where he arrived in November, I746, and after a
temporary residence in Lancaster county, Penn., permanently located,
lived and died in the village of Russelville, where the subject of this
sketch, his father and grandfather were born. The mother of Dr.
Russel, Margaret Whiteside, was born 1783, and died in I866. She
was the daughter of Isabella (Ross) Whiteside, born in I752, and died
in I835. She was the wife of Abram Whiteside, a brother of the Hon.
John Whiteside, a member of Congress from Lancaster district
preceding James Buchanan.
His maternal ancestors (the Whitesides and Rosses) emigrated
from the north of Ireland in I716. The Whiteside lands are and were
in Coleraine, Lancaster county, Penn. As will be seen, Dr. George B.
Russel is Scotch-Irish in descent, his ancestors being among those settlers
of Pennsylvania of whom a very eminent writer says: " They laid broad
and deep the foundations of a great province, and with a master hand,
erected a structure of government that was stable, capacious and elevated; they established free institutions of religious and civil liberty;




-460 -

they were more than ordinary men to hold the plough, handle the axe,
or ply the shuttle; they had enterprise, energy, bravery and patriotism,
and were not surpassed by any people for their lofty virtue and consistent piety." Springing from such stock Dr. Russel could not fail to
establish for himself the character and reputation of one who in all
his acts has demonstrated that he is more anxious to promote general
prosperity to the community than pecuniary, personal success.
Dr. Russel was educated in Lancaster, West Chester and Philadelphia, graduating from Jefferson College, Philadelphia, as M. D., in I836,
prior to which he had taught Latin and mathematics, in West Chester
Academy. After obtaining his degree he came to Detroit, where he
has resided continuously since April I4th, i836. Immediately upon his
arrival in Detroit, and for a number of years, he practiced in the line of
his profession, where his reputation as a man thorougly conversant in
the literature and familiar with the resources of his profession, soon
established for him a position of eminence among the medical men of
that day, his opinions being always received by them with respect and
favorable consideration. The practice of medicine, however, as a
means of promoting the greatest good to himself or the development
of the material interests of the community, was not to his taste, or commended by his judgment. This view, together with the fact that his
physical health was becoming impaired, induced him in i837, to abandon
active practice and engage in enterprises which the necessities of the
growing city and its citizens seemed to demand. At this time the facilities for crossing the Detroit river were exceedingly limited, and his
first venture was the construction of two steam ferry boats; and about
this time he also embarked in the iron business, erecting large works
for its smelting and the manufacture of charcoal iron. These enterprises were begun at a period when great depression existed in financial and business circles; this, together with the near approach of
winter, caused a lack of employment for many poor men, and occasioned much anxiety as to how their families were to be cared for.
Other manufacturing industries had been closed, and gloomy forebodings were indulged in by the business and the laboring classes. It is
related that notwithstanding the friends of Dr. Russel advised him to
stop his work, he persistently prosecuted it during the winter at great
disadvantage and pecuniary loss personally, but relief to hundreds of poor families. Not only did he thus furnish food and clothing
to the healthy, but gave the sick his professional service free.
The iron works established by him subsequently became the
Gaylord and are now the Detroit City. He was the first to build a
boat to ferry cars across the river, the Union Express in 1854, bringing
over the first locomotive. He was the first to establish the manufacture of cars in Detroit in I856, his works being located on Croghan
street, now known as the Pullman.




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The Russel Iron Works are owned and controlled by his sons, of
which George H. Russel is president, Walter S. Russel, vicepresident and John R. Russel, secretary and treasurer; another son,
Henry Russel, is the general attorney of the Michigan Central railroad, and is also a member of the law firm of Russel & Campbell.
The wife of Dr. Russel was the daughter of Louis and Sarah
Davenport, and a sister of Dr. Louis Davenport, whose memoir will
be found elsewhere.
It would have been a source of satisfaction to us, and instructive
and interesting to others, could we have gone more into details in
respect to the incidents connected with the life of Dr. Russel, but
space and time prevents.
WILLIAM ADAIR.
Bishop Beveridge says: " The heart is the seat of the affections,
passions and desires. All the actions of a man's life issue and proceed
from the heart; so that as a man's heart is, so will his life be. If his
heart be kept clean and pure, his life cannot be wicked and vicious."
It is not fulsome to apply the foregoing sentiment as having
been demonstrated in the life and conduct of the subject of this notice,
viz.: that he has kept his heart pure and clean, otherwise, he could
not have acquired and held the confidence of the citizens of Detroit, as
well as that of all who know him throughout the State, in the manner
and to the extent, that he, to-day, seems to possess it. The fact that
public position has ever sought him and not he the position, that never,
when his name has been presented for the suffrages of his fellow citizens, has it been rejected, is evidenced at intervals from I86I to
the present day. He has been elected six times as State Senator and
has repeatedly held local positions of honor and trust, and at present is
a member of the Board of Education.
William Adair is a native of Scotland, and was born in Glasgow in
1815. His father, Thomas Adair, a native of the same place, was
second in the line of descent from Robert Adair, the subject of the
Scottish poem entitled " Robert Adair." He was a carpenter, and after
giving William an opportunity to acquire a fair education, taught him
his trade; so that when he emigrated to the United States and settled
at Detroit in I834, he (William) worked as a carpenter and joiner for a
number of years. Having always had a taste for horticulture, as soon
as the opportunity presented itself he at once adopted it, and has made
it the study and practical business of his life, and it is difficult to estimate how much he has contributed to the adornment of the beautiful
private and public grounds of the city, which are to-day, the pride
of their owners and of the people who claim Detroit as their home.




-462 -

Mr. Adair's name is a synonym for truthfulness and integrity in
business, for uprightness in the discharge of official duties, for unostentation in his intercourse with his fellow men and a dislike for display.
To those intimately acquainted with Mr. Adair, he presents the
character of one deeply interested in all that promotes the good of his
fellow men. While amiable, he is firm in his convictions, somewhat
retiring, yet familiar, peculiarly attentive to his sphere of business and
duty, and yet deeply interested in all that concerns the welfare of his
friends and neighbors, and of the community in which he lives. He is
eminently pacific in his disposition, while firm in maintaining his convictions of right; prudence is one of his distinguishing traits.
In politics Mir. Adair has always acted with the Democratic party;
he is not, however, so committed to it or its interests as to forget
to be considerate of, and recognizes the political rights of, those who
may be of the opposite party, and has never been known to resort to
any subterfuge not honorable and just. As a legislator he was firm
and active in his support of all measures proposed and devised for the
preservation of the general government and the constitution, and during
the recent civil war, was consistent and liberal in all his official acts.
He has always been found on the side of free schools and the education
of the masses, and hence has taken a deep interest in providing the
means and appliances for promoting and securing these benefits to
them.
It may be said of Mr. Adair that he possesses and exemplifies in his
history those characteristics of the Scotch and Scotch-Irish (for he has
Irish blood in his veins), which are revealed in, and have made so
lasting an impression upon, our republican form of government. These
men and their descendants, it is perhaps not too much to say, had
more to do than any other equal number of men, not only in moulding,
but in sustaining, both in the field and in civil life, and in making
successful, the American Republic.
WILLIAM H. CRAIG.
Wm. H. Craig was born in Ticonderoga, N. Y., August 3d, I815.
He emigrated to Michigan in i840, and resided at Plymouth until i846.
He commenced trade in Detroit in i847 and resided here until I876,
when he removed to Colorado, where he at present resides. He was
an active promoter of railroads centering in Detroit. He was an active
Democrat, and was an alderman here for seven consecutive years.
The older citizens of Wayne county will remember the kind and
genial Wm. H. Craig. He was an energetic and honorable business
man, full of good acts, and a desire to promote all objects and enter



-463 -

prises calculated to advance the material interests 'of our city, the
natural resources of Michigan and the intelligence and good morals of
its citizens.
The wife of Wm. H. Craig was a daughter of the Hon. Lucius
Lyon, who was one of the first senators elected to represent Michigan
in the United States Senate, and served as such from I836 to I840,
when he was succeeded by the Hon. Augustus S. Porter.
As stated, Mr. Craig removed to Colorado in i876. This act
alone furnishes evidence of the enterprise so characteristic of the
man, in thus, at the age of sixty-one years, leaving a fine home,
located amid an intelligent and cultivated people, for one surrounded
and made up of a population directly the opposite, and subjecting himself to the hardships and privations incident to an almost uncivilized
region.
Mr. and Mrs. Craig while in Detroit identified themselves with
the First Congregational church, by the members of which they are
held in hearty and affectionate remembrance.
JAMES CRAIG.
James Craig was born December 2d, 1823, in Ticonderoga, N. Y.
He is of Scotch parentage; emigrated to Detroit in I847, and has resided
here continuously since; has always been, and is now, engaged in mercantile pursuits; has dealt extensively in fish. In politics, is a Democrat, and is a firm believer in muscular Christianity. The only office he
ever held was in the State Legislature in I875, the year Z. Chandler
was defeated for his fourth term for the United States Senate.
Those who know Mr. Craig concede him to be a man of enterprise, liberal with his pecuniary means for worthy objects, and while
earnest and firm in the maintainance of his religious and political views,
is nevertheless free to concede others the right to theirs.
While a member of the State Legislature he did much to secure
legislation for the protection of the fish in our lakes and rivers, and also
in prohioting and furthering the establishing of institutions for educating the masses, and for the relief of the poor unfortunates of our State.




OBITUARY.
OBITUARY REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING JUNE IST, I890.
The steps of man as he treads this earth, and the incidents of his
life, abound in strange contrarieties and events. In his passage through
this human existence, though sometimes attended by prosperous circumstances, he is often beset by a multitude of evils, and frequently
reminded of the precariousness of his state on earth; to-day, his feet
tread in prosperity, to-morrow he totters on the uneven paths of weakness, temptation and adversity. Such is human existence, that there is
no station in which pride can be stably founded. All men at birth and
in the grave are on a level; that which is mortal mingles with the
earth, while the immortal part goes to Him who gave it. This being
true in respect to earthly life, yet the "severance of the silken cord "
causes mourning and excites a feeling of sadness, as we are called upon
to record the departure of those we have known and loved. It is a
duty, however, imposed upon us which we owe to their memory,
that recollections of them may be preserved for those who come after.
The following is our record of those deceased during the year:
Yemans, Mrs. C. C., April 24th, I889. Mrs. Yemans was the wife
of Dr. C. C. Yemans, a distinguished physician of Detroit. She was a
woman possessed of many noble qualities of heart and mind, beloved
and respected by all who knew her.
King, Harvey, died June I4th, I889, aged seventy-three. Mr. King
was an early settler in Detroit, where he was much respected and favorably known through his connection with many enterprises tending to
the development of Detroit and the State, in wealth and improvements.
Stigman, Mrs. Charlotte, July 8th, i889, aged seventy.
Vogt, Peter H., a well-known professor of music, June 24th, i889.
Piper, Frederick, July I ith, i889, aged seventy-four.
Lyons, Mrs. Ellen, June 6th, i889, aged seventy-six.
Ruchner, John, July 6th, i889, aged eighty-five.
Isham, Mrs. Maria Wells, July 9th, aged seventy-nine.
James, Captain William V., August iith, i889, aged seventyseven. The Captain was a veteran of the Mexican war. He held
many positions of honor and trust in Detroit, and enjoyed the confidence of many of its citizens.




-465 -

Esselstyne, Henry, August 2d, i889, aged seventy-two.
Vernor, Benjamin, July ioth, i889, aged sixty-nine. He was a
public-spirited, high-minded citizen, foremost in the establishment of
the present Fire Department of Detroit, as well as in numerous other
enterprises tending to promote the growth of the city.
Bush, Mrs. Phebe T., August 4th, i889, aged eighty.
Brueckman, Jacob, July 24th, i889, aged eighty.
Thurber, Mrs. Elsie D., June 25th, i889, aged eighty.
Elliott, Mrs. Margaret F., April 23d, i889. Mt. Elliott Cemetery
takes its name from that of her husband, Robert T. Elliott, its projector and founder.
Playford, I. E., July 4th, I889, aged fifty-nine.
Nowland, Wm. D., at Dearborn, June 3oth, I889, aged sixty-seven.
He settled in Dearborn in I834.
Wells (Campbell) Mary, July i6th, I889. She was the wife of
Hon. Wm. P. Wells, and sister of Judge Campbell.
Lee, Mrs. Eliza, July I5th, I889, aged eighty-seven.
Valmour, Mrs. Gertrude Eliza, August 5th, I889, aged seventyseven. She was the mother of Geo. E. Valmour, 635 Second avenue.
Meakin, Mrs. Margaret, widow of the late John Meakin, July I4th,
I889, aged seventy-one.
Toomey, Thomas, August 6th, I889, aged seventy-one.
Jackson, Mrs. Sarah, in July, I889, aged one hundred and nine.
She was well-known to us and was truly a pioneer of Michigan, and in
her sphere contributed much toward the development of the city and
State.
Clark, Hon. Hovey K., July 2ISt, I889, aged seventy-seven. He
was a man of unblemished reputation, and held many public positions
of honor and trust, and was well known throughout the State.
McPherson, Mrs. John, July 22d, 1889, aged seventy-five.
Kuchner, John, August 7th, I889, aged eighty-seven.
Palmera, Miss Elizabeth, August i6th, I889, aged seventy-two.
Geis, Geo. H., July I4th, I889, aged forty-eight. He was a prominent and active business man, and a member of the U. L. of A.
Snover, Wm. H., August I2th, I889, aged eighty-seven.
Perkins, Mrs. Lucene, August 3d, I889, aged sixty-five. She was
the widow of the late Wm. Perkins.
Waters, James, July ioth, i889, aged seventy-nine. He was a
singular man, and isolated himself from society, living and dying on
Force Island, at the mouth of the Detroit river. His only companions
were two dogs, forty cats, three mud turtles and a woodchuck. He
supported himself by hunting and fishing.




-466 -

McMillan, George, of the firm of G. & R. McMillan, grocers. He
was frank, genial and benevolent; had hosts of friends and was greatly
beloved for his many generous and noble qualities of heart and head.
He had been in ill health, and took a trip abroad in the hope that it
would benefit him, but died at Winzberg, Bavaria, August 5th, i889.
Malicka, Mariana, August i th, i889, aged eighty-five.
Montermain, Paul, August I3th, i889, aged eighty-three.
Dey, Alexander, August 5th, i889, aged seventy. He was long
engaged as a banker, and was president of the American National
Bank. A sketch of his life will be found elsewhere in this compilation.
Riopelle, Josiah, October 31st, i889, aged sixty-nine. He was a
member of one of the old French families, and the founder of Delray.
Crough, Mrs. Isabella S., October 3oth, i889, aged eighty-five.
Closser, Mrs. Sally Ann, August 4th, i889, aged eighty-three.
She was the widow of the late John Closser, and a sister of the Hon. J.
Wilkie Moore. She had suffered for many years ill health, which she
bore with fortitude. She came to Michigan with her husband in i833,
and settled upon a new farm in the town of Brownstown. She was
the mother of eleven children, and was beloved and respected by her
friends and neighbors.
Donner, Mrs. Frederica, October 27th, i889, aged seventy-five.
Brown, Mrs. Nancy, October 27th, i889, aged ninety-three. She
was the mother of the wife of the late Thomas Lewis, known as Governor Lewis.
Merritt, Mattison, October 3d, i889, aged seventy-nine.
Merrill, Mrs. Laura Woodworth, January 3d, i890, aged seventyeight.
Doran, Michael, October, i889, aged eighty-one.
Crimins, Wm., November ist, I889, aged seventy-three.
Merritt, Wm., November ioth, I889, aged sixty-eight.
Smoots, John, died I889, aged seventy.
Horton, Elmer C., January i ith, 189o, aged eighty-nine.
Bowerman, Mrs. Daniel, January 3d, I890, aged eighty-one, at
Grosse Pointe, of which she was an old resident.
Platt, Adam, November 23d, I889, aged seventy.
Van Antwerp, Mrs. Francis, Sr., September 27th, i889, aged
eighty.
Stockton, Henry P., August 3oth, I889, aged seventy-one.
Watka, Mrs. Johanna, August 3oth, I889, aged seventy-one.
Hand, Hon. Geo. E., August 30th, i889, at Madison, Conn.  He
was Judge of Probate for Wayne county during one term.
Andrews, James, September 25th, i889, aged ninety-one.




-467


Chamberlain, Mrs. Desire, August 20th, i889, aged seventy-eight.
Higingbotham, Mrs. Ann, August 2ist, aged ninety-three.
Peltier, Miss Hannah, September 4th, I889, aged eighty-four.
VanZurich, John, pastor of St. Francis parish, Ecorse, died at his
home September 3d, i889. He was indeed a father to his people and
was loved and revered by all. His age was seventy-nine.
Newman, Joseph, December 7th, I889, aged seventy-three.
Germin, Margaret, December 6th, i889, aged seventy-six.
Marker, Mrs. Catherine, on her birthday, January 20th, 1889, aged
eighty-two.
Lowrie, Mrs. Helen, died at Grosse Isle, January i9th, i890, aged
seventy-six. She was the wife of the late James Lowrie whose sketch
will be found in this compilation.
Hunt, Isaac, January i th, i890, aged seventy-five.
Cushing, Mrs. Martha A., January I2th, i890, aged sixty-nine.
She was prominent in good works and a member of the Congregational
church. Her maiden name was Martha A. Johnson.
Dixon, Mrs. Susannah A., November i9th, i889, aged eighty-one.
McFarlan, Alexander, November 20th, i889, aged eighty-three.
Merritt, Daniel H., November i7th, i889, aged seventy-three.
Wood, Mrs. Rebecca, November I7th, i889, aged ninety-six.
Congdon, William, November, i889, aged seventy-five. Mr.
Congdon was quite a prominent man in Wayne county, holding several
public positions, and was at one time a candidate for sheriff of Wayne
county.
Scoville, Daniel J., December I3th, i889.
Markie, Edward, Sr., December 8th, I889, aged eighty.
Jager, Mrs. Mary, December i8th, I889, aged seventy-eight.
Schulte, Anthony, Sr., December i9th, i889, aged seventy-one.
Van Voorhes, John C., December i889, aged seventy-one.
Sheehan, Michael, January 6th, i890, aged seventy.
Wilder Edwin, January 7th, I890, aged seventy-one.
Gardner, Henry, September 29th, I889, aged sixty-seven.
Cicotte, Lewis, September 29th, i889, aged seventy-one.
Shaw, Mrs. Phebe Chandler, October 25th, i889, aged eighty-one.
She was the wife of William Shaw, long a resident and prominently
identified with improvements in Detroit.
Beard, George, October i5th, I889, aged seventy-five.
Wren, James, October I2th, I889, aged seventy-four.
Van Antwerp, Francis, Sr., October i3th, i889, aged eighty-five.
He was an early settler of Grosse Pointe, where he died, and was held
in high esteem by his neighbors and acquaintances.




- 468 -

Shaw, Daniel L., October 4th, i889, aged seventy-seven. He was
a native of New Jersey.
Common, Richard, October 4th, I889, aged sixty-nine.
Fischer, Regina, wife of P. Fischer, October 5th, i889, aged sixtyseven.
Zug, Samuel, December 26th, i889, aged seventy-three. (See
sketch of life elsewhere).
Lyons, Miller M., December 26th, i889, aged sixty-seven.
Monnaghan, Miss Anna, January 4th, i890, at Norris, aged one
hundred and one years. She retained her faculties as well as her physical powers to the end, and was remarkable not only for her great age
but also for her independence of character.  She never employed a
physician and smoked tobacco from a child. Within the year preceding her decease she would walk from Norris to the city and back.
Hough, James S., January I3th, I890, aged seventy-nine.
Tincker, T. W., January 8th, i890, aged sixty-eight. A more
genial, kind hearted man never lived.  He had many friends and was
loved by all.
Baby, Mrs. Alexis, January I3th, 1890, aged seventy-nine.
Kitson, James, January 20th, i890, aged seventy-one.
Paulis, Charles, Sr., January 27th, i890, aged eighty-seven.
Dayton, Mrs. Drusilla, January 28th, i890, aged eighty.
Lester, Mrs. Charles E., died at the residence of her daughter,
Mrs. Sylvester Larned, aged seventy-four.
Oliver, John, January 29th, i89o, aged eighty-seven.
McDonald, Mrs. Margaret, January 2d, i89o, aged seventy-seven.
She was the wife of Stewart McDonald.
Grob, J., January 24th, 4ged seventy-two.
Gamsey, Mrs. Julia Norton, January 23d, i89o, aged eighty-one.
Taylor, Geo. W., February ist, i890, aged eighty-four.
Tillinghast, Mrs. Mary Ann, widow of the late Hon. Henry
Tillinghast, aged seventy-nine.
Ford, Dr. Daniel Ford, February 28th, i89o, at Belleville, Wayne
county, aged sixty-four.
Lansing, Mrs. Anna Dequindre, the daughter of Major Dequindre,
the widow of Edward A. Lansing and the mother of the wife of Judge
J. C. Reilly, a present judge of the Wayne County Circuit Court.
Sprague, Michael, February 6th, i890, aged ninety.
Martin, Mrs. Grace, February 22d, i89o, aged seventy-four.
Guoin, Francis, February 24th, i890, aged eighty-four.
Gilligan, Mrs. Ellen, February I7th, 1890, aged seventy-eight.
Dowling, Thomas, February 26th, I890, aged eighty-eighty.




- 469 -


Fiech, Mrs. Margaret, February 22d, 1890, aged eighty-two.
Porter, R. D., March 22d, i89o, aged seventy-nine.
Dunn, Mrs. Bridget, February 28th, I890, aged seventy-three.
Coyle, Mrs. Jane Belle, March, i890, aged seventy-six. She was
the relict of the late W. K. Coyle, the owner of the Coyle block.
Conley, Baldwin.
Hull, M. M., March 20th, I890, aged seventy-five.
Gravier, J. B. R., March I4th, I89o, aged sixty-eight. His death
occurred in Texas.
Cunningham, Mrs. Mary A., March i6th, I890, aged eighty-two.
Morrison, Mrs. Jane, March I5th, I890, aged seventy-five.  She
was the wife of Hamilton Morrison.
Bechlow, Mrs. Mary, March 26th, i890, aged seventy-seven.
Brooke, Col. E. H., United States Army, March 26th, aged
seventy-two.
Watson, Mrs. Isabella, March 28th, i890, aged seventy.
Schulte, Casper, March 27th, I890, aged eighty-one.
Campbell, Judge James V., March 26th, i890, aged sixty-seven.
See sketch elsewhere in this compilation.
Minor, John S., February ioth, i890, aged seventy-four.
Sullivan, Mary, February ioth, i890, aged seventy-six.
Harrison, Samuel, February 9th, I890, aged sixty-nine.
McDuff, Andrew, February 26th, I890, aged seventy-eight.
Reynolds, Charles E., February 5th, I890, aged fifty. Formerly
connected with the police force and known for the kind, courteous and
efficient manner in which he discharged his official duties.
Bell, Digby V., February i6th, I890, aged fifty-nine.  He was
for a long time collector of customs of the district of Detroit.
Wollenwebber, Anthony, February i6, I890, aged eighty-five
years.
Lee, John, May 4, I890, aged seventy-nine, at Trenton.
Strassburg, Prof. Herman A., May 6, 1890, aged sixty-two years.
Prof. Strassburg has been for many years a resident of Detroit, and
distinguished as an instructor of music and dancing, the most prominent families being his patrons. The Professor was twice married.
He leaves a widow and five adult children. He was a member of the
German Lutheran church.
Wallaster, Mrs. Abby, May ii, I890, aged eighty.
Nestor, Thomas, May I2, I890, aged fifty-seven. Although of
foreign birth, he is recognized as a pioneer, having through his energy
and enterprise done much toward the development of Detroit and the
State.




470 -

Farmer, Mrs. Roxanna, May I, i890, aged ninety. She was the
widow of the late John Farmer, the well known publisher of the Map
of Michigan, and the mother of Silas Farmer, publisher of the History
of Michigan. She was of Scotch lineage, and came to Detroit with her
husband fifty years ago.
Buhl, Frederick, May I2, I890, aged eighty-four. (See sketch
elsewhere in this volume).
Shockran, John, May I3, I890, aged eighty.
Clarkston, Mrs. Ruth A., May I8, i890, aged seventy-nine.
Lambert, William, April 28, I890, the most noted among the
officials of the " Underground Railway," in the days of slavery, and
many a poor fugitive was indebted to him for aid in escaping to Canada.
He himself was born a slave at Trenton, N. J. He was a man of more
than ordinary general intelligence, and possessed extremely correct
views in respect to the social position of the colored race. He was the
first colored man appointed a Notary Public in Michigan. He leaves a
handsome fortune acquired through his frugal and industrious habits.
Falvey, Dennis, April ist, I890, aged seventy-five.
Abbott, Therese, April 2, I890, aged seventy-three. She was the
relict of James Abbott. (See sketch elsewhere).
Richmond, Arnaut, April 9, I890, aged seventy-three.  (See
sketch).
Davis, Mrs. Anna R., April 4, I890, aged ninety.
Freund, Ernest, April I9, I890, aged seventy-six.
Martin, Captain Stephen, April 4, I890, aged sixty-nine. Captain
Martin commanded a company in the Sixteenth Michigan Infantry,
entering the U. S. service August 9, I86I. In the action at Gaines'
Mill, June 27, I862, he was so severely wounded as to disable him from
further active service, and resigned April 22, I863. He was a gallant
soldier, an honorable citizen, exemplary in his personal habits, a prominent member of Father Mathew's Temperance Society, and as a
civil officer, having been a member of the State Legislature, Superintendent of the Poor, and Alderman. He discharged his obligations
with such integrity as to merit the entire confidence ofall parties, which
reputation he maintained and enjoyed at death.
Alterbrandt, Frank, February 26th, I890, aged seventy-two.
Stracke, Marie Catherine, March ist, I890, aged seventy-five.
Lowell, Cyrus B., April 25, i89o, aged eighty-five.
Pauli, Gideon, April i6, i89o, aged eighty-four.
Kullick, Francisca, April i8, i890, aged seventy-six.
Bishop, Mary Ann, April 2I, I890, aged eighty-three.
Church, Mrs. Mary A., April 26, i89o, aged seventy-nine.
Rochen, Christiana, April i8, i890, aged seventy-six.




-471 -

Walker, Mrs. Jane, April 27, i89o, aged eighty-three.
Munson, Samuel C., died in I887. He took a prominent part in
the laying of the comer stone of the old Territorial Capitol in I836.
The Hon. J. Wilkie stood by him at the time.
Clemens, Mrs. Mary Elizabeth, May 2, i89o, aged seventy-two.
Fox, Mrs. Margaret, relict of the late Joseph Fox, died May i,
i890, aged eighty-two.
Borgess, Bishop, May 3, 1890, at Kalamazoo, aged sixty-two. He
was a native of Germany, and came with his parents to America when
a young lad, and received his primary and completed his education at
Cincinnati, Ohio. He was distinguished for his learning, loved and
respected by his people. Upon his own request his remains were
deposited in the public cemetery, rather than in the vaults of the
church (as is customary with the remains of Bishops). Over one hundred priests were present at his burial, and assisted the Bishops and
Arch-Bishops in paying the last rites.
Pethrick, Mrs. Jane, May 19, I890, aged seventy-nine.
Dexter Wirt, a son of the Hon. Samuel W. Dexter, and a native of
Michigan, died suddenly at Chicago, May I8, I890. He was a distinguished member of the Chicago bar, and an early friend of the
compiler.
Sprague, Mrs. W. L., May 20, i89o, aged seventy-three years.
She was a most estimable woman and the mother of Mrs. George W.
Cavalry.
Roby, Captain Henry M., born on the site of the present Michigan
Exchange, on Jefferson avenue, and a brother-in-law of the Hon.
Thomas W. Palmer, died at Monroeville, Ohio, on May 2I, 1890, aged
seventy-two.
Sage, Michael, June i, I890, aged eighty-three. Thus closes the
mortal career of one of the oldest of our pioneers. Mr. Sage came to
Detroit in 1829, from L'Assumption, Quebec. He for a number of
years carried on blacksmithing on Gratiot avenue. For twenty years
past he devoted his time and attention to real estate, and leaves a large
and valuable property as a result of his frugal and industrious habits
and sagacity. He was honest and honorable in his dealings. His
demise will be mourned by a large circle of friends and acquaintances,
and by his townsmen generally.
From the Detroit Free Press, May 20, I890, the following in relation to Mrs. Polly (Croul) Carlisle, is here inserted, at the suggestion of
the publisher of that paper, simply for certain historical events narrated,
and that they may be preserved:




-472 -

In the death yesterday of Polly (Croul) Carlisle, Detroit, and perhaps Michigan, has lost one who was undoubtedly one of the oldest
inhabitants.
Polly Carlisle was born in Montgomery county, N. Y., September
I I, I792. Her father, John Croul, served in the war of I812, was educated at Union Seminary, Schenectady, N. Y., and was the only son of
Frederick Croul (or Krull) a native of Prussia, who came to America
in I732, and of Eve Young or Yonghe, who came with her brother,
Col. Yonghe, from Holland, in I748.
Polly Carlisle, being born at such an early date in our country's
history, and being a woman of unusually retentive mind, as well as a
keen observer, was familiar with the leading events in the first hundred
years of national life; and often in her old age, did she interest her
friends with her graphic recitals of the early days. She well remembered the triumphant visit of Lafayette to this country, after we were
on the highway to prosperity as a nation, and used to relate with
pardonable pride how the revolutionary hero, on one occasion, did her
the especial honor to trot her on his knee. She, too, had been kissed
by the immortal Washington.
The average reader will gain an added interest in Polly Carlisle,
when it is recalled that at the time of her birth Washington had not yet
begun his second term as President. The United States at the time
consisted of but a narrow strip lying along the Atlantic Ocean, comprised in the thirteen states. All that vast territory west of the Mississippi, south of the State line of Oregon belonged to the French, and
was popularly known as Louisiana; indeed, even the French did not
know the vastness of the claim, else they never would have sold the
property for a paltry $1I5,ooo,ooo. The British still held possession of
that vast strip of territory bounded on the south by the St. Lawrence,
the great lakes and the Ohio river; and while, under the Jay treaty
they had pledged themselves to accord the free use of the Mississippi
and the abandonment of the Indian outposts on the Maumee, they had
failed to comply with the treaty. Detroit was a scanty outpost in the
midst of a great wilderness, while over its bastioned redoubts floated
the cross of St. George. The Allegheny Mountains still presented an
insuperable barrier to the tide of western immigration, and in all the
vast intervening country there was not a railroad or postoffice, to say
nothing of telegraphs or telephones. Indeed, even territorial highways
were unknown, and that great public work, for the day, the Cumberland road from Washington to the west, was still undreamed of.
Slavery existed from north to south, and only the good old Maher
society of Philadelphia had petitioned against it as an institution. At
the time of the birth of Polly Carlisle, Washington, Gallatin, Jefferson,
Madison and Alexander Hamilton were famous party leaders, while
Andrew Jackson, John C. Calhoun, John Q. Adams, and Henry Clay,
were still young and unknown.




-473 -

The story of Polly Carlisle's ancestry in their own country is an
eventful one. Her grandfather, who was born in I718, received all the
educational advantages which his age and the schools of Prussia
afforded up to the age of fourteen, when he met with an accident which
made him a cripple. He was then sent to his mother's relatives on the
sea coast, for treatment, and while with others playing on the shore, he
with several of his companions, was kidnapped by the crew of an English emigrant vessel, brought to the port of New York and sold for
~20 for his passage. It was the practice in those days for settlers to
conspire with ship owners to bring on their return voyage, young men
and girls for a stipulated reward, which was denominated "passage
money." Frederick Croul (Krull) being physically unable to perform
severe manual labor, was apprenticed to a tailor for six years, at the
termination of which he taught school until he had accumulated money
enough to buy a farm, when he left New York and purchased a large
tract of land on the Mohawk river, near Amsterdam. After improving
the same, he, in 1758, married Eve Young (or Yonghe). She was a
sister of Col. Youngs (spelled originally Yonghe), and came with him
and two brothers and a sister from Holland, in I748. Col. Abram
Youngs commanded a company during the French and Indian Wars,
and was a personal friend of Sir William Johnson.
Frederick and Eva Croul (Krull) had but one son, John, who was
born June I3, I762. They gave him all the advantages of a classical
education, and he graduated from Union College (or seminary then),
Schenectady. In I782, he married Mary Coss, daughter of Col. Coss.
Polly Carlisle, at the time of her death, lived on Sixth street.
See reference in the sketch of Dr. Lewis Carlisle by the Hon.
Don C. Henderson.


31




1840 COMPARED WITH 1890
Fifty years in the existence and history of Wayne county-from
I840 to I890. It is not only profitable but wise to review the incidents
of our own lives, and thereby obtain guidance for the future. It is also
instructive to compare what existed at one period with that which
exists at the present time, and thus be able to realize the material
changes time has worked in the State, county or city, and thereby be
able to judge the character of the people and influences which have
wrought them. We therefore compare what existed in 1840 with what
exists in i89o, as a fitting close to this compilation.
In 1840 William Henry Harrison was elected President of the
United States. In I89o his grandson, Benjamin Harrison, is the President. The former served just one month as President when the great
Destroyer removed him.   The latter has occupied the Presidential
chair one year and we trust he may continue therein three years
more.
In I840 Wayne county had a population of io,ooo.  In I890 its
population numbers 285,000. It had in I840 twenty-two church edifices
and seating capacity of i,6oo. It has in I89o one hundred and sixtyfive church buildings, which seat 88,ooo. The charitable institutions in
I840 numbered three. In I89o they are one hundred and fifty-six.
In I840 the number of public school buildings was thirty-four, with an
attendance of 9oo. In i89o there are one hundrd and forty-eight, and
the number of scholars 35,000. There were then three private schools
with one hundred and fifty pupils; to-day their number is thirty-five
and 5,000 students. The cost of the public buildings of the city and
county in 1840 was $28,000. Those of 1890 exceed $I6,8o0,000ooo. The
banking capital of I840 was $800,oo000o. In i890 it exceeds $Io,500,000.
The capital employed in manufacturing industries in 1840 was $220,ooo. In i890 in reaches more than $8I,o4I,ooo. The mileage of railways centering here in 1840 was fifty-two. In I890 the mileage is
3,000. There were five newspapers and periodicals published in I840.
In I89o there are sixty-nine.  The public halls for amusement were
but two in I840. In I890 they number ten. The number of benevolent and literary institutions in I840 was two.  They now number
seventy. The medical societies numbered but one. To-day there are
nine. In I840 Detroit had one small circulating library. To-day it has
one public, with Ioo,ooo volumes, and nine society or associated librar



-475 -

ies. It had no regular police in i840. In 1890 it has a force of three
hundred and ninety men and fourteen horses.  The yearly water
supply of I840 was I75,000,000 gallons. The water supply of 1890 is
i6,380,166,670. Detroit was protected against fire in I840 by five
hand engines and two hook and ladder companies operated by volunteers. In I890 it has seven hook and ladder companies, twenty-one
steam fire engines, three chemical, eighty-one horses and a paid force
of two hundred and forty men. The average of paved streets did not
exceed two miles. In I890 it has over one hundred miles of paved
streets, and fifty miles of paved alleys. Then it had no public sewers.
Now it has eighty miles of public and as many more of lateral sewers.
In i840 in had no street cars, no telegraph, no telephone, no improved
parks and no gas.
But while we are gratified at the material changes wrought
between i840 and i890 a spirit of sadness comes over us and mingles
with our gratification, when we reflect upon the havoc which death has
made among those whose labors and influence laid the foundation for
the grand results, which to-day we take so much pride in enumerating.
Among the men who were active in the affairs of that day are the
following: Lewis Cass, William Woodbridge, Solomon Sibley, James
and B. F. H. Witherell, Henry Chipman, John Trumbull, James
Abbott, John Biddell, Elon Farnsworth, Charles C. Trowbridge,
Shubal Conant, Zachariah Chandler, Charles Moran, David Cooper,
A. C. Canniff, Thomas Palmer, John Palmer, Mason Palmer, Charles
Jackson, John Whipple, Thomas Rowland, Henry M. Campbell, Henry
S. Cole, Robert A. Forsyth, Oliver Newbury, Peter J. Desnoyers,
Rev. Noah M. Wells, Alex. D. Frazer, Dr. John L. Whiting, E. A.
Brush, John Roberts, Griffith Roberts, Elias Roberts, Joseph Campau,
Barnabe Campau, Tunis S. Wendell, John P. Shelden, Thomas C.
Shelden, Ebenezer Reed, Thomas S. Knapp, Levi Cook, Orville
Cook, Patrick Palmer, 0. W. Miller, Abram Edwards, Captain
Perkins, John Mullet, E. Chapoton, Timothy Fales, John Farrar, John
Farmer, N. Prouty, J. W. Woolsey, William Stead, Allen Brown, Dr.
William Brown, Augustus S. Porter, Benjamin Woodworth, Reynolds
Gillett, Shadrach Gillett, Chauncey Payne, George McDougal, Eliza
Converse, T. J. Owen, Bethuel Farrand, Jerry Dean, Dr. McCorskey,
Dr. Marshall Chapin, Dr. Ebenezer Hurd, Dr. T. B. Clark, Melvin
Dorr, J. R. Dorr, DeGarmo Jones, H. V. Disbrow, Francis Cicott,
James Cicott, Antoine Dequindre, Julius Eldred, David French, Henry
Sanderson, Felix Hinchman, Major Henry Whiting, General Hugh
Brady, Robert Smart, D. C. McKinstry, Louis Davenport, Dr. Lewis
Davenport, Jeremiah Moore, John Scott, Col. Anderson, Austin E.
Wing, James Williams, John Garrison, John J. Garrison, Michael Hale,
Col. Baker, S. T. Dyson, Richard Smith, John Smith, John Noble, N.
B. Carpenter, Knowles Hall, E. Ray, Obed Waits, P. Cote, Samuel




-476 -

Day, William Durell, Barney Moon, J. T. Penny, Ellis Doty, S. Rossiter, Henry Berthelet, Augustus Berthelet, Charles Wilcox, James
Harmer, Benjamin Chittenden, Addison Madison, Stephen Bain, Alexander Campbell, Robert McNiff, John E. Schwarz, William B. Hunt,
George Hunt, Elliott Gray, Samuel Colwell, Darius Samson, Joseph
Andre, John Pherson, E. P. Browning, Francis St. Aubin, Francis
Rivard, John L. Leib, William A. Fletcher, Samuel Reed, Dominique
Riopelle, Francis Thibault, John Truax, Thomas Stead, Peter Beaubien, John Bronson, Owen Aldrich, James Beaubien, S. Beach, Harvey
Griswold,J. 0. Lewis, Charles Howard, Conrad Seek, L. Phelps, Elias
Hawley, Ambrose Young, Juba Barrow, I. Sears, James Knaggs,
Jonathan Kenny, Chauncy Bush, A. McFarran, W. Hoyte, Stephen
Wells, James Trowbridge, Francis Brewster, John J. Dunning,
William Bartlow, Benjamin Clark, John Lebot, Joseph Amlen, J. W.
Hunter, A. McArthur, Thomas Dare, James Cook, Timothy Dequindre, G. Mott Williams, James A. VanDyke, Orville Dibble, Jacob
M. Howard, George C. Bates, Marcus Stevens, H. H. Emmons,
Samuel Pitts, Buckingham Wight, Ross Wilkins, Robert E. Roberts,
Chauncy Hurlburt, Samuel Lewis, Hugh Moffat, Charles Ducharme,
Doctor George Duffield, Robert Stuart, Daniel Goodwin, Jonathan L.
King, Richard Butler, William N. Carpenter and Henry Doty.
Among those participating in the events of 1840, now living, are:
Colonel John Winder, John Owen, Alexander Chapoton, Edward
Cicott, Eben Wilcox, Friend Palmer, C. H. Buhl, Frederick Buhl,
Alanson Sheley, Jacob-S. Farrand, Alexander Lewis, James F. Joy, J.
Wilkie Moore, Thomas H. Armstrong, James Pittman, H. P. Baldwin,
Theodore H. Hinchman, Doctor Farnsworth, D. Bethune Duffield,
George V. N. Lothrop, Bela Hubbard, John H. King, William A.
Butler, Solomon Davis, H. H. Leroy, Philo Parsons, Daniel Tompkins,
of Dearborn; Clark Griswold, of Northville; E. J. Penniman, of Plymouth; Dexter Briggs, of Livonia; Amos Otis, of Greenfield, Henry
Fralick, then of Plymouth, now of Grand Rapids; Doctor John L.
Near, of Flat Rock; Major Horace Gray, of Grosse Isle, William TenEyck, son of Conrad TenEyck, of Dearborn; E. S. Woodman, of
Northville; John Jackson, of Northville; William S. Hosmer, of Sumpter, John S. Jeness, now of Detroit; Norton B. Rowley, and Seymour
Finney, who still are comparatively active, and are full of reminiscences of that period.




WVAYNE COUNTY
Historical and Pioneer Society.


OFFICERS.


J. WILKIE MOORE,
President,


FRED. CARLISLE,         0.. WALKER,
Secretary and Treasurer,      Chaplain.


LIFE MEMBERS.


HON. H. P. BALDWIN,
GEN. RUSSELL A. ALGER,
DR. WILLIAM BRODIE,
GEN. JAMES E. PITTMAN,
DR. JAMES FANNING NOYES,
CYRUS JOHNSON,
HON. WM. A. MOORE,
HON. DON M. DICKINSON,
WILLIAM J. CHITTENDEN,


HON. JAMES F. JOY,
JUDGE HENRY BREVOORT,
CHRISTIAN H. BUHL,
HON. ELLIOTT T. SLOCUM,
ALLAN SHELDEN,
D. J. CAMPAU,
DAVID CARTER,
JOSEPH BERTHELET MOORE,
HON. JAMES McMILLAN,


HON. THOMAS W. PALMER.
MEMBERS OF COMMITTEE ON TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION.


HON. JACOB S. FARRAND, Detroit,
COL. JOHN WINDER, Detroit,
STANLEY G. WRIGHT, Detroit,
J. P. REED, Brownstown,
ORLANDO R. PATTENGILL, Canton,
DR. E. S. SNOW, Dearborn,
THOS. SAUNDERS, Ecorse,
DAVID TROMBLY, Grosse Pointe,
ECHLIN ROGERS, Hamtramck,
JESSE BUTLER, Huron,
S. B. LAPPEUS, Taylor,


ALEXANDER L. RANSOM, Livonia
MAJOR HORACE GRAY, Monguagon,
CHAS. H. CADY, Nankin,
DR. JOHN M. SWIFT, Northville.
CALVIN S. CROSBY, Plymouth,
JOHN FULLER, Plymouth,
ELI METTETAL, Redford,
JOSEPH BOLTZ, Romulus,
WM. MEYER, Springwells,
W. ATYEO, Sumpter,
JOSEPH MOORE, Van Buren.




-478 -

MEMBERS OF COMMITTEE ON PIONEER PICNIC.


E. S. WOODMAN, Northville,
DR. J. L. NEAR, Brownstown,
H. 0. HANFORD, Canton,
F. CICOTTE, Ecorse,
ALEXANDER MICHIE, Grosse Pointe,
W. S. HOSMER, Huron,
ISAAC C. SAUNDERS, Monguagon,
H. D. THAYER, Plymouth,
GIDEON P. BENTON, Plymouth,
CONRAD CLIPPERT, Springwells,
GEO. W. BEADLESTON, Taylor,
MARTIN D. COAN, Taylor,


F. G. RUSSELL, Detroit,
GEN. JAMES E. PITTMAN, Detroit,
WM. J. CHITTENDEN, Detroit,
DANIEL TOMPKINS, Dearborn,
BYRON OTIS, Greenfield,
JOHN BREYTMERE, Hamtramck,
N. B. KINGSLEY, Livonia,
B. HODGEKINSON, Canton,
EDWARD MINNOCK, Redford,
S. B. KINGSLEY, Romulus,
PERRY D. PEARL, Sumpter,
S. BROWN, Van Buren.


DELEGATES TO THE STATE MEETING.


E. S. WOODMAN,
J. WILKIE MOORE,
FRED. CARLISLE,
WM. ADAIR,
GEO. F. PILLARD,
C. F. CONRAD,
CHAS. H. CADY,
DAVID PARSONS,
E. C. HINSDALE,


JUDGE C. I. WALKER,
0. R. PATTENGIL,
DR. E. S. SNOW,
H. P. BALDWIN,
ALEXANDER MICHIE,
STANLEY WIGHT,
JAMES F. JOY,
E. W. HUDSON,
BERNARD O'REILLY.


4g




ERRATA.
Page 9, read-" I48I instead of I491," Discovery of West Indies
and Bahamas.
Page 200, read-After first paragraph, " His son, John Michael
Conrad, was Secretary of War for the Netherlands," etc.
Page 421, read-After Montreal, "where he died, while Patrick
was a mere infant;" and on same page: "In I855 he married Miss
Eliza," instead of " Elizabeth O'Rafferty."




INDEX.


A
Abbott, James......................
Abbott,  Robt......................
Abbot, James 2d................
Abbott, Samuel....................
Adams, Francis....................
Adams, Alexander H...............
Adair, W illiam.....................
Alger, Russell A...................
Alloueze, Fr. Claude................
Anthon, Dr. George Christian.......
Armstrong, Thos. H................


46
46
47
47
416
318
46I
440
I5
23
136


B
Baby, Jacques......................  24
Bacon, Rev. Dr. David............. 87
Bagg, Dr. Joseph................... 357
Bagley, John  J.....................  369
Baldwin, Henry P.................. 339
Baldwin, Lyman.................... 382
Barthe, Charles....................  24
Barrois, Francois...................  32
Baughman, Rev. John A........... 217
Beaubien, Jean.....................  27
Beaufait,  Louis....................  25
Beadle, George W................. 338
Beller, Jacob.......................  294
Bell, Digby  V...................... 469
Benton, Gideon P.................. 457
Bishop,  Levi.......................  253
Biddle, Major John................. 237
Birchard, Matthew W.............. 337
Blake, Patrick......................  421
Boynton, Judge A. G............... 319
Bourgmont.........................  22
Bordeno, Augustus................. 302
Bordeno, John......................  302
Borsbert..........................  22
Bruisson..........................  22
Borgess, Rt. Rev. Bishop........... 471
Brady, Gen. Hugh................. I38
Brady, Samuel.....................  218
Bradstreet, Gen. Jeremy............ 44
Bradley, Harvey S................. 453
Brevoort, Corn. Henry.............. 218


B
Brevoort, Judge Henry B...........
Bressani, Father....................
Breauf, Daniel and Jean...........
Brownstown Township.............
Brown, Judge H. B.................
Brodie, Dr. William...............
Brown, Dr. James A................
Brooks, Nathaniel W...............
Buhl, Christian  H.................
Buhl, Frederick....................
Burns,  James......................
Butler, William A..................
Butzel, M artin......................
Butzel, Magnus.....................
Burton, Clarence M................
C
Campbell, Major...................
Campau, Michael...................
Cady,  Daniel  L....................
Campau, Joseph...................
Campau, D. C......................
Cadillac, Antoine de la Mothe......
Campbell, Judge James............
Campbell, Collin...................
Carlisle, Dr. Lewis.................
Carlisle, Polly (Croul)..............
Cartier, Jacques....................
Carter,  David......................
Cass, Gen. Lewis...................
Cecyre, Felice......................
Chapman, Alonzo L................
Chandler, Z........................
Chapoton, Dr. Jean................
Chapoton, Alex.....................
Champlain, Samuel.................
Chapin, Dr. Marshall...............
Chesne, Charles...................
Chesne, Pierre......................
Chene Brothers....................
Chittenden, William................
Chope, Edward.....................
Cicotte, Zacharie...................


219
II
I0
63
413
412
355
120
260
262
261
303
389
389
426


57
25
452
98
291
21
215
411
230
471
9
394
I09
36
309
I45
25
25
I4
202
26
26
26
392
349
26


Cochran, Judge Lyman............ 4 I




-481


C
Comparative I840-1890..............
Conrad, C. F.......................
Conant, Shubal.....................
Cook, Levi.........................
Cooper, David......................
Cooper, Rev. David M.............
Clark, Hovey  K.....................
Congregational Church.............
Clark, John  P.....................
Chipman, Judge Henry.............
Chipman, Judge John...............
Cullen, James.....................
Clossar, Sally Ann..................
Craig, W m. H......................
Craig, James.......................
Crosby, Calvin  S...................


474
200
213
206
228
283
465
392
21I
146
146
271
466
463
463
455


D
Dablon, Father.....................  12
Dalzell, Captain....................  59
Davenport, Mrs. Sarah............ 238
Davenport, Dr. Louis............... 239
Davis,  Solomon.................... 23I
Davison,  Crozier.................. 337
De Halle, Father Constant......... 13
Denton  Village.....................  85
Delray  Village.....................  8
Dequindre, Antoine................ 37, 28
Desnoyers, Pierre and Jean......... 29
Desnoyers, Peter...................  38
Dexter, Samuel W.................. 273
Dearborn Township................ 65
Dexter, W est.......................  471
Dickinson, Don  M.................. 357
Dollier, Francoix...................  i6
Donovan, Joseph W................ 445
Downie, Robert.................... 371
Duffield, Rev. Dr. George, Sr....... 334
Duffield, Rev. Dr. George, Jr....... 335
Duffield, Gen. William.............. 335
Duffield, D. Bethune................ 335
Duffield, Dr. Samuel................ 335
Duffield, Col. Henry................ 335
Duncan, Gen. J. Ellison B.......... 447
Dunlap, Capt. William.............. 450
Dunn, Martin  J..................... 425
Dupont, William.................. 396
F:
Ecorse Township.................. 66
Egan, Thomas..................... 432
Elliott, Mrs. Margaret.............. 465
Emmons, Judge H. H.............. 365
English Commanders............... 57
Esselstyne, Henry.................. 465


F
Farrand, Jacob S..................
Farmer, Mrs. Roxanna.............
Farnsworth, Elon...................
Ferguson, Earsly..................
Ferry, D. M........................
Finney, Seymour..................
Fitch, John.........................
Foot, George.......................
Fralick, Henry.....................
Frazer, Alexander D................
Frazer, Thomas....................
French Commanders..............
French of Detroit..................
Fuller, Judge John..................
G
Galinee,  Dr. F.....................
Gamelin, Sussane..................
Garrison, John  J...................
Gates, Capt. Myron.................
Geiger, Martin.....................
Gibraltar, Village of................
Gladwyn, Major....................
Godfrey, Jean Baptist..............
Governors of Michigan..............
Grandport Village..................
Grant, Corn. Alexander.............
Gray, Major Horace................
Granger, Hiram....................
Greenfield, Township of............
Grosse  Pointe......................
Grout, John  R......................
Griffin, William P.................
Guion, J. N......   U  I.........
G ulley, 0. S......................


269
470
II4
280
441
126
446
290
270
115
356
22
40
455
I7
30
ii8
456
302
85
57
30
6i
85
48
216
307
67
68
35I
306
3I
192


H
Hall, Richard H................. 305
Hall, Capt. J. H................. 353
Hallock, Horace....................   208
Hamilton, Governor................ 44
Hammond, Charles G.............. 266
Hamtramck Township............. 70
Hamtramack, Col. J, F............ 210
Harrison, Gen. Wm. H............ 103
Hastings, Eurotas P................ 210
Hawley, Richard.................. 401
Hayes, Josiah D................. 438
Hedden, Isaac................. 456
Heffron, John...................... 419
Heineman, Emil S................. 293
Hennepin, Fr. Louis............... 20
Hennessey, Fr. James.............. 373
Henderson, Don C................. 255
Henderson, Michael................ II6




482


H
Herrinton, David B.................
Herrington, Hon. Caleb.............
Hinchman, Theodore H.............
Historical and Pioneer Society.......
Hodgkinson, B.....................
Holmes, Robert....................
Holmes, John C....................
Hosmer, William S.................
Howard, Jacob M..................
Howard, William A................
Howard, Charles...................
Hoyt, William C..................
Hudson, Elon W...................
Hull, John..........................
Huron, Township of................


267
453
264
477
374
375
305
I I7
I72
346
206
II9
287
390
70


I
Ingersoll, Walter............ 208
J


L
Livonia, Township of...............
Lothrop, George V. N..............
Lowrie, James.....................
Lyon, Edward......................
Lyon, Jacob........................
Mack, Col. Stephen.................
Martin, Jean Babt.................
Martin, Capt. Stephen..............
Marantette, Jacques, Jr.............
Marquette, Jacques Joseph..........
Mason, Lorenzo M...............
May, Judge James..................
M ayhew, Ira.......................
McCarthy, William.................
M cBride, John.....................
McClellan, Robert..................
McGraw, Alexander................
McGraw, Thomas..................
McMillan, James...................
McMillen, Geo.....................
McReynolds, Gen. A. T............
McWilliams, Patrick H.............
Merrill, Charles.....................
Mersac, Jacob L. Ommespron.......
Mesnard, Fr. Reine.................
Millard, Hiram....................
Moore, J. W ilkie...................
Moore, Joseph Berthlet..............
Moore, W illiam.....................
Monguagon Township..............
Monnaghon, Mrs. Anna.............
Morehouse, George.................
Morley, Col. Fred...................
Morand, Pierre.....................
Muir, W m. K......................


73
34I
421
315
456
226
22
470
30
I4
207
52
298
427
449
142
167
286
443
466
278
II3
143
27
ii
145
I98
397
252
75
468
I45
338
32
435


Jackson, Mrs. Sarah................
James, Capt. Wm. V...............
Jenness, John  S....................
Jennison, Judge William............
Johnson, Hiram R..................
Johnson, Sir William...............
Johnston, John W..................
Jogues, Father Isaac...............
Joliet, Father Louis................
Joncaine, Daniel....................
Joy, James  F.......................
PK
Kearsley, Jonathan.................
King,  Harvey......................
King, Robert W...................
Kirby, George......................
Knaggs, James W...............
Knaggs, Whitmore.................
Knaggs, James....................
Knaggs, William...................
L


465
464
376
398
368
44
429
ii
14
25
248


236
464
377
379
48
48
49
49


Labadie, Descomptes...............
Lallamand, Fr. Gabriel.............
Langdon, George W................
Lansing, Mrs. Anna Dequindre.....
Laferte, Antoine....................
Lambert, William.................
Larned, Gen. Charles...............
La  Salle, Robt. D..................
Lesher, Joseph H..................
Lernault, Major....................
Lewis, Alexander..................
Litchfield, Elisha C.................


28
I I
416
468
37
470
323
17
424
45
372
206


N
Nankin Township.................. 76
Navarre, Robert................... 33
Newberry, Oliver.................. 194
Newberry, John S.................. 295
Newland, Henry A................. 417
Norris  Village...................420, 85
Northville Village.................. 450
Norton, John W.................... 204
Noyes, Dr. James Fanning.......... 402
0


O'Reilly, Bernard..................
Otis, Myron.......................
Owen, John........................
Obituary Report, i889-90go...........


4i8
200
I96
464




-483


P
Palmer, Thomas and Friend........ 122
Palmer, Thomas W.................    123
Palmer, Gen. Friend................ I123
Palmer, Ervin...................... 379
Palms, Francis.....................  208
Parsons, David.....................  I28
Pattison, George W................. 223
Pelletier, Francis.................. I2, 34
Penfield, William................... 194
Perrott, Nicholas...................  12
Perry, Corn. Oliver H............... io6
Phelps, Col. William............... 317
Pittman, Gen. James E............. 282
Pizard,  Father............... i.....
Pontiac, Indian Chief............... 53
Preston, David..................... 435
Plymouth Township.............. 77, 455
Plymouth Village,..............  '.85, 455
Rawsonville Village................ 85
Raymbault, Father................ i
Raymond, Francis.................. 316
Reed, Harvey S.................... 433
Redford, Township of.......... 82
Reaume, Rene and Robert.......... 35
Richards, Rt. Rev. Father Gabriel.. I97
Richmond, Arnout.................. 292
Riopelle, Ambroise................ 35
Rivard, Francis.................... 36
Roberts, John......................  141
Roby, Captain Henry M............ 471
Rogers, Major Robert.............. 55
Romeyne, Theodore................ i30
Romulus Township................. 8I
Rowland, Thomas.................. 236
Rowland, David H................. 452
Rowley, N. B......................  I44
Roy, Pierre........................ 12
Russell, Alfred............ 351
Russell, Francis G...............    345
Russel, Dr. George B............... 459
S


S
Smith, Martin  S....................
Springwells Township..............
Stamm, B. F.......................
Standish, J. D......................
St. Aubin, Jean Cass..............
Starkey, Henry....................
Starkweather, Erastus.............
Stead, Robert......................
Stephens, John.....................
Stevens, Marcus....................
Stimpson, Benjamin G..............
Sturgis, Judge John...............
Strasburg, Prof. Herman A.........
Sumpter Township.................
Swift, Rev. Marcus.................
Swift, Dr. John M.................
T
Taylor, Township of................
Taylor, Elisha......................
Thompson, Rev. 0. C..............
Tonti, Commander..................
Trowbridge, Charles C..............
Truax, Col. Abram C...............
V
Van Buren, Township of...........
Van Dyke, James A................
Vernor, Benjamin...................
W
W alker,  Chas. I....................
Walker, Henry N................
Walker, Edward C................
Ward, Eber Brock..................
Ward, Aunt Emily.................
Wayne, Gen. Anthony........
Wayne County, Organization of.....
Waterford Village..................
Wayne, Village of..................
W altz  Village......................
Wesson, William B.................
W ells, John  A......................
Wells, Rev. Noah M................
Wetmore, Frederick................
Whitney, David W.................
Whiting, Dr. Jno. L...............
Wight, Buckminster................
Wight, Stanley G..................
Wight, Henry A...................
Wight, Edwin C...................
Wilcox, Gen. 0. B..................
Williams, Gen. A. S................
Williams, Gen. Jno. R..............


437
82
414
428
36
385
455
230
350
322
386
185
469
83
I82
I83


83
362
I59
12
I78
I50


84
I76
465


163
207
343
240
243
IOI
63
85
85
85
354
204
135
388
444
233
I65
I70
I7I
171
285
i56
I6I


Sanger, H. K....................
Shaw, Daniel  L....................
Shaw, Mrs. Phebe C.................
Shearer, Jonathan..................
Sheley, Alanson...................
Shelden, Allan.....................
Sickels, William....................
Slocum, Giles  B....................
Slocum, Elliott T..................


205
468
467
i88
I90
436
454
152
383




- 484 -

w
Wilkins, Col. Wm. D...............
Wilkins, Judge Ross................
W ilkinson, A. H...................
Winder, Col. John..................
W inchel, John......................
Willard, Luther B..................
Witherell, Judge James.............
Witherell, Judge B. F. H..........


I39
132
323
i6o
136
232
275
277


w
Woodman, E. S.............. I33
Y
Yemans, Dr. C. C................. 389
Yemans, Mrs. C. C................ 47I
Young, Ambrose P................. 456
z
Zug, Samuel......................     321




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