USA > Michigan > Van Buren County > A history of Van Buren County, Michigan a narrative account of its historical progress, its people, and its principal interests Volume II > Part 26
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Mr. and Mrs. Sage are members of the Free Will Baptist church and the former is one of the trustees of Covey Hill church, an his- torical place. He is a prominent member of the Grange, in whose
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affairs he takes an active and interested part. In the field of poli- tics he is found under the standard of the "Grand Old Party," but, although interested in the success of good government, he has never been active in partisan affairs. He has been highway overseer or pathmaster. He has held the position of chairman of the school board for several terms, being the incumbent of that office at the present time, and was one of the founders and at the present time a trustee of the Gobleville Mutual Telephone Company. He enjoys the regard of the community in which his interests are centered and his circle of friends may be said to be co-incident with that of his acquaintances.
ORA F. FULLER .- Among the prominent and progressive farmers of Van Buren county who have made their agricultural enterprises successful because of careful business management and resourceful scientific methods is Ora F. Fuller, the proprietor of the Walnut Knob Farm of Hartford township. Mr. Fuller is a native of Alle- gan county, Michigan, having been born there on June 27, 1857, a son of Riley H. and Mary (Upson) Fuller. The father of Riley Fuller was born and lived his entire life in the state of Connecticut. At his death his wife, in a one-horse covered wagon migrated to Pennsylvania, hauling her household goods in the covered wagon and accompanied by her eight children. Later, when Riley H. was about thirteen years old, she married Mr. Brennand. After some time with his mother and her husband, Riley Fuller returned to Connecticut and there married Miss Mary Upson, of Unionville, that state. Later he returned to Pennsylvania with his wife and two children and there engaged in the lumber business, later still re- moving to Allegan county, Michigan, where he engaged in the lum- ber business also. In 1863, at the call from President Lincoln, he enlisted in the Union army, becoming a member of the Twenty- eighth Michigan Regiment. He served from that time until the end of the war, when he received his honorable discharge with the rank of quartermaster. He returned to Michigan at the close of the conflict and took up his old interests of lumbering and farm- ing. He was the father of eight children, six of whom survive to this date, 1911, namely : Lenetta. now the wife of William McGraw ; Alice, now Mrs. Willis Slocomb; Ora F .; Carrie, wife of Frank Myers; Riley H., Jr., who married Miss Jennie McDonal; Frank, who married Miss Hattie Sargent.
Ora F. Fuller was reared on the home farm and spent much of his boyhood in the heavily wooded timber tracts of Michigan. His education he received at the hands of the grade school teachers of the day. He remained at home until he attained his majority, when he went to take up a homestead in Luce county, Michigan, upon which he remained for sixteen years. At the end of that time he sold his Luce county property and went to Florida for two years, after which he returned to Luce county and bought a farm of one hundred and sixty acres. Mr. Fuller has also spent two years in New Mexico. Mrs. Fuller filed on a desert claim and they lived there for two years. Mr. Fuller came back to Van Buren county,
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Michigan, in the spring of 1911 and purchased the Walnut Knob Farm, where they now live.
On May 5, 1885, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Fuller to Miss Nancy A. Vollick, who was born in the Dominion of Canada, in December, 1865. She was educated in the common schools of Canada. She and Mr. Fuller are the parents of nine children, namely : Everett, Vina, Lena, Alfred, Edith, Maude, Lewis, Roy and Beatrice. They and their family attend the Methodist Episco- pal church, in which church, during his stay in northern Michigan, Mr. Fuller was an active worker and member of the official board.
In the field of politics Mr. Fuller is a Republican, and has served the community as county superintendent of the poor in Luce county, Michigan, as highway commissioner of Lakefield township, and as treasurer and justice of the peace in the township several times. Mr. Fuller has determined to settle permanently in Van Buren county, which will enrich the county 's list of able and public- spirited citizens.
JULIAN HI. ANDERSON .- Among the men who have given Van Buren county its reliable and honorable name in the business cir- cles of the state is Julian HI. Anderson, one of the proprietors of the Anderson Mill. He is a quiet, unassuming man, but has gained the respect of all who knew him, for behind the quiet face they have found invariably strength and integrity. Mr. Anderson was born in Trumbull county, Ohio, in January, 1850, the son of William and Esther Stebbins Anderson and the grandson of John Anderson. William Anderson was born in New York state, as was also his wife. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. William Anderson re- moved to Trumbull county, Ohio, where the husband farmed until 1859. In that year they came to Lawrence. Michigan, where he purchased a saw-mill, and later, the former venture prospering, erected a grist mil. From there he came to Hartford township, where he remodeled the existing saw-mill into a grist mill. The mill is still one of the attractive old land-marks of the county, for it has stood in Hartford township for over sixty years. William Anderson continued to live in the township until his death in 1900, thirty-two years after the passing away of his devoted wife. He was the father of ten children, five of whom are living at this date, 1911, as follows : Julian H., James E., Alphius S., George and Charles. Julian H. and James E. are partnership proprietors of the Anderson Mill, and also of the electric light and power plant, which furnishes light and power for the village of Hartford.
Julian H. Anderson was nine years old when his parents brought him to Michigan and he is now the oldest of the surviving members of the family. He was educated in the public schools of Lawrence, and at a very early age began to work in his father's mill. Except- ing for about five years. three of which were spent in a store, Mr. Anderson has spent his entire life since his boyhood days in the mill business, and it is no wonder that he knows it thoroughly.
In 1871 Mr. Anderson was united to Miss Esther Rowland, sister of the well-known Captain Rowland, and a native of Ohio. She and her husband have three children: Mabel is now the wife of
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Wright Gardner and her sister Louise married Walter Hartman. Mabel was a graduate of the Hartford high school and taught for some time in the grammar school. Marion attended and graduated from the Armour Institute of Chicago and later married Miss Ethel Clinton. They reside in Hartford, he being superintendent of the light and power plant. Mr. and Mrs. Julian Anderson are now the proud grandparents of seven grandchildren. They are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and active supporters of all its good works. Mr. Anderson serves the church as one of its trus- tees.
Fraternally Mr. Anderson is affiliated with the Charter Oak Lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In the field of politics he supports the Republican party, but he has never himself felt any desire for the honors and emoluments of public office. Be- sides his milling interests he owns twenty-five acres of land in Hart- ford township, upon which he and his wife maintain their home.
FRANK McCON, one of the most successful farmers and stock raisers of this section of the country, was born in Galesburg, Kala- mazoo county, October 12, 1857. His parents were Isaac and Eliza Teers McCon, both natives of New York state, the birthplace of the father being Neufield and that of the mother Tompkins county. They were married in New York state and decided that they would go to Virginia to begin life. Isaac McCon was a carpenter by trade, though like almost every one of that generation of Americans he was also a farmer. Virginia lost its attractions when viewed at first hand, and the young couple decided that it was a poor country and, without unpacking their goods, they returned to New York state and stayed several years before starting out again to find a new location. This time they moved to Grand Rapids, which was then only a village, and here Isaac McCon bought two lots, upon which the post office now stands, for what we should consider "a song." For several years he worked at his carpenter trade here and then moved to Galesburg, where he bought ninety acres of land, and it was there that Frank was born. When he was about two years old his father moved to Porter township, near Lawton, and bought another farm, upon which he lived three years. He was always interested in getting a little better place or one which he could make into a better one, so he traded this farm for one near Mattawan and kept that one three years. When he disposed of his third estate he bought another near Paw Paw and lived there two years, then came west of Paw Paw and stayed there for quite a long time before moving back to Paw Paw, where he retired and spent the rest of his days. He lived to the age of eighty-four, his wife surviving him two years and dying at the age of seventy-seven.
There were five children born to Isaac McCon and his wife and four of them are still living : Mary resides on the old home place at Paw Paw; Sarah is the wife of Wesley Hall, who lives south of Paw Paw; George is a carpenter by trade and lives in Oklahoma; Frank is the youngest of the family.
At the age of nineteen Frank McCon decided to go west, and accordingly went to Joliet, Illinois, and secured work on a farm
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there. When he had been there four months his parents persuaded him to come home and he has remained in the county ever since. IIis father gradually gave the entire management of the place over to his son.
On December 8, 1887, was solemnized the marriage of Frank MeCon and Addie E. Christie, the daughter of Charles Christie, for whom Christie lake is named. Their wedding was celebrated at the old place on the banks of Christie lake. Mr. McCon now owns one hundred and sixteen acres of land, having disposed of the re- mainder of his holdings, which at one time amounted to two hun- dred and twenty aeres. He has also been engaged in the stock business buying all over this part of the country and making his trips to Buffalo in the spring with the stock and looking after it personally and always securing the top price.
Both Mr. and Mrs. McCon are charter members of the Eastern Star. Mr. McCon belongs to the Masonic lodge, No. 119, and to the Chapter and Council at Lawrence. He has passed through nearly all the chairs. In politics he is a Republican and a most loyal and devoted supporter of the party. His father was a Dem- oerat, but his son did not find himself in sympathy with the policies of that party and so cast his first vote for Hayes and has never varied in his allegiance to the party.
Consistency and faithfulness to what he undertakes are highly characteristic of Mr. MeCon and the esteem and regard which are his in Van Buren county are but the fitting tribute to his upright and useful life.
TURNER W. HOWARD, the well known agriculturist of Van Buren county has the unique record of having been born in the farm upon which he now lives and which has always been his home. The pleasant acres of the Howard farm are located on section 32. Law- rence township. Turner W. was born November 13, 1841, the youngest son of Ilosea and Elizabeth (Leonard) Howard. Hosea Howard was reared in New York state and was there married. He, with his wife and three sons, came to Van Buren county in 1838 and purchased the farm of one hundred and sixty acres. He was a strong Demoerat and an ardent worker for the welfare of his party. During his residence in New York, he served as a captain in the state militia. His death occurred in 1847. His wife, surviving him thirty-five years, passed to her reward in 1882. Of the four children born to this union Turner. the subject of this review, is the only one now living.
Turner W. Howard was reared on the old farm and attended the donation school which was at that time held in an extra room of one of the neighboring farm houses. Each man had to contribute so much in direct proportion to the number of his children attend- ing the school. The parents also furnished the fuel. Turner at- tended this school until he was thirteen years old, and then spent his entire time learning all there was to learn about farming and assisting in clearing the farm of its timber.
On June 3. 1864. Mr. Howard was united in marriage to Miss Marcia Place. She was born in Pennsylvania, June 3, 1842, the
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daughter of Horace and Fanny (Litchfield) Place. Her father was a native of New York state and her mother of Massachusetts. Her parents were married in New York, moved to Erie county, Pennsyl- vania, and came to Hamilton township, Van Buren county, Michi- gan, in 1848, where they continued to dwell for the rest of their lives. They were the parents of ten children, five of whom are now living. Their daughter Marcia was educated in the local schools, and later spent one year in a Pennsylvania school before becoming a teacher in the Van Buren county schools, where she taught three years prior to her marriage to Mr. Howard. She and her husband are the parents of five children. George E., who, following in the footsteps of his father, became a capable farmer. In 1890 he was married to Lulu Cook and, purchasing the south forty acres of the home farm, made a home for his wife and six children, living there until his death in 1909. Effie, formerly a teacher in the public schools, is now Mrs. Thomas Maxwell. Fannie who was also a teacher in the public schools, is now the wife of John R. Cook. Isa is now teaching in Lawrence township, Van Buren county. Frank is still at home, active in church and Sunday-school work.
Mr. Howard is a member of Rising Sun Lodge, No. 119, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons; of Lawrence Chapter, No. 95, Royal Arch Masons; and is a member of Lawrence Council, R. & S. M., No. 43. Politically, Mr. Howard may be found beneath the stand ard of the Democratic party, in whose counsels he takes a prominent and interested part.
The Howards still own the one hundred sixty acres, which they farm, and where they have their pleasant homes. They are hospit- able and highly esteemed in the county as those who may be called upon when any movement for the general welfare is on foot.
ROLAND B. GRANT .- The subject of this brief review was born in Cook county on St. Valentine's day of the year 1857. His father was Clarence Grant, who was born in Scotland and lived there un- til the age of seven, when he accompanied his father, John Grant, to Canada. They settled on a farm near Montreal and there John and his wife lived and died. Clarence Grant was one of a family of six boys and two girls, all now dead. His wife, Sabrina Farnum, was born in New Hampshire in 1829, and her parents, Roland and Mary Brooks Farnum, were also New Englanders. She became acquainted with Clarence Grant when he came to New England as a young man and went to work on a neighboring farm. They were married there and moved to a farm near Chicago. This was not an unknown country to Clarence Grant, as he had worked in Chi- cago on the breakwater before going to New England. Four chil- dren were born to them, three now living; Waldo, a contractor and builder of Chicago; R. B .; and May, who is the wife of Alfonso Chandler, a contractor and builder of Los Angeles, California. The mother died in 1901, and four years later the father went to live with his son Roland.
Norwood Park, the place of his father's farm, was the home of Roland Grant until he was twenty-one years old. He then worked in the neighborhood of his home for one year, after which he went
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to Chicago. From Chicago he went to New England to engage in the milling business and remained for one and a half years. When he left this he went to Missouri and bought a farm there, which he conducted for two years. It was during this time that he returned to Norwood Park to be married, his bride being Miss Elsie Cheever, the daughter of Benjamin S. and Anna Boise Cheever, the former being a native of New York State and the latter of England. Her grandfather, James Cheever, was born in Massachusetts. The wed- ding of Miss Cheever and Mr. Grant took place September 12, 1881, and the young couple began their married life on the Missouri farm, where they remained a year and a half. They then returned to Norwood Park and for eighteen years farmed their own place there. In 1901 they came to Arlington township, in March, and bought a farm upon which they lived for ten years and in the spring of 1911, came to their present home. They own fifty-two acres in Lawrence township and forty in Bangor. Mr. Grant is occupied extensively in growing fruit and ships some fine crops to the markets.
Two of the four children who have come into the home of Mr. and Mrs. Grant are still with their parents. Chase B. is a graduate of the Lawrence high school and has spent one year in Albion College, taking a literary course. Gordon is attending school. Both the daughters are married; Grace, to Charles J. Hughes, a contractor of Battle Creek. and Frances, to John Robbins, of Arlington town- ship.
Mr. Grant is a member of the Shady Grove Lodge of the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows of Lawrence. He and his family are members of the Methodist church in the same place and are ac- tive workers in it, as they take the keenest interest in all which tends to promote the higher life. Mr. Grant is a trustee in that body. In politics he is not actively interested, but favors the Re- publican principles in matters of national import. During the ten years which they have passed in the county Mr. and Mrs. Grant have made its best interests their own and have won the lasting re- gard of all who have come to know them. They contribute a gen- erous share to the industrial efficiency which places Van Buren county so high in the commercial world and add equally to the moral and intellectual forces which are of even more importance.
GEORGE G. HUTCHINS .- Born in Devonshire, England, on the last day of the year 1846, George Hutchins, the son of George and Jane Hoils Hutchins, spent the first nineteen years of his life across the water. He acquired only a rudimentary education before leaving school to learn the blacksmith trade. He spent two years in the shop as an apprentice and then for a year and a half was em- ployed to shoe horses at the liberal salary of a shilling a week. An uncle and a brother, Richard, had come to America and Richard sent George the money for his passage and in his twentieth year, he joined his relatives at Paw Paw. Here he secured work on a shop owned by Philips and Kelly and was employed there for six months. The following year he worked on a farm and then for two winters and one summer attended school and thus added to his
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educational equipment. He then worked at his trade in Lawrence and in Paw Paw for a year and a half. After this time Mr. Hutch- ins opened his shop in Paw Paw township and for four years he conducted the business at a good profit. This gave him his start and he was presently able to buy a farm in Arlington township with his savings. This place was his home for eight years and dur- ing that time he constantly improved it until he was able to sell it at a good advance and to buy another. He pursued the same policy with his second place and then bought the one he owns at present. This is the estate known as the Sterling Cole farm, a tract of one hundred and twenty-five acres which has been in Mr. Hutchins' possession since 1891. He gives his attention to grow- ing fruit as well as to general farming, and at both is more than ordinarily successful.
Mrs. Hutchins was formerly Miss Flora Cole, the daughter of Sterling Cole of Lawrence township. He came here from New York state in 1852, settling first in Berrien county. In 1854 he was married to Miss Euphemia Crumb, and then they went to Allegan county, making that their home until the year of 1861, when they came to Lawrence, and bought the farm now owned by Mr. Hutchins. Miss Cole became the wife of George Hutchins on February 4, 1874, and they have been the parents of six children as follows: Arthur, in business in the state of Washington : Jennie. Mrs. R. F. Green, of Toledo; Ellen, Mrs. Charles Harris, of Paw Paw township; Mable, the wife of Professor C. M. Jennings, a teacher of Stanton, Michigan; Alice, Mrs. Earl Pugsley, of Hart, Michigan, where her husband is an attorney; and Mary, Mrs. Arthur J. Dunning, of Sedro-Woolley, Washington, where she and her husband are both engaged in teaching.
Mr. and Mrs. Hutchins are both members of the order of the Eastern Star at Lawrence. She has held several offices in that body, including that of worthy matron. Mr. Hutchins belongs to the Rising Sun lodge of the Masons at Lawrence. All the family are members of the Baptist church, where their interest and generous support are highly appreciated. Mr. Hutchins takes no active part in politics but he is a great admirer of Bryan and, although liberal in his views, inclines toward the Democratic plat- form. He and his wife are of the representative people of Van Buren county and are accorded a place of honor by the many friends they have made in the course of their life here.
WILLIAM P. BREEDING .- One of the most enterprising, capable and enterprising young business men of South Haven, and one of the most esteemed citizens of Van Buren county, William P. Breeding commands the admiration of all who know him by the success he has achieved and the promise his ability holds out for future accomplishments of a still more signal and enlarged char- acter, in whatever department of useful labor he may choose as the avenue of his activities. He has already done several things. and done each of them well, winning advancement for himself in each and contributing to the general weal of the community around him in all.
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Mr. Breeding was born in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsyl- vania, on April 20, 1875, and is a son of Elbert T. and Anna M. (Jackson) Breeding, the father a native of Massachusetts, born in 1849, and the mother of the same nativity as her son William. The father died on December 31, 1909, having outlived by only one month his wife, who passed away on January 30, 1910. They had three children, William P., Derwood M. and Florence. The daughter is now Mrs. Thomas A. Kennedy, of Kenilworth, a suburb of Chicago. The family moved to St. Louis some years before the death of the parents, and in that city the father was a mer- chant of good rank and repute. In politics he was a Republican, and in church connection a Baptist.
William P. Breeding early in life secured employment with the Corticelli Silk Company of St. Louis, the family then being located in that city. He went into the employ of this company as an office boy at the age of fifteen, and by capacity, integrity and faithful attention to business worked himself up to the position of general department manager. He acquired a thorough knowledge of the business of the company he was working for, and at the same time attained to a sweep of vision which gave him a comprehensive knowledge of business in general and sufficient confidence in him- self to undertake an enterprise of his own.
In 1907 he moved to Chicago and entered the lumber trade, with which he was actively and profitably connected for two years. Before going to Chicago, however, he had been married, and in 1909 he took up his residence in South Haven, and there became associated with his father-in-law, Lyman S. Monroe, in the South Haven Loan and Trust Company, Mr. Monroe being the president at that time. After his death Mr. Breeding succeeded him in this office, and is still filling it with great advantage to the company and to the full satisfaction of its patrons.
On January 28, 1905, Mr. Breeding was united in marriage with Miss Louise Monroe, a daughter of Lyman S. and Carrie J. (Curtiss) Monroe. Mr. Monroe was one of the leading business men and most prominent and influential citizens of Van Buren county. He was a brother of Hon. Charles Jay Monroe, in a sketch of whose life, to be found elsewhere in this volume, the history of the family is set forth at length. Mr. Breeding venerates the memory of his father-in-law, as he was a man worthy of the highest esteem and confidence in every respect, and he was also very helpful to Mr. Breeding, giving him every possible chance to advance himself, and not only opening the way for him to make headway, but aiding him materially in all his efforts in this direc- tion.
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