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 48
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ANDREW J. WATKINS .- Thomas Watkins, the father of Andrew J., is of German descent and his wife, Malvina Watkins, of Scotch ancestry. They came to Michigan in 1846 and settled at Bangor,
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which was not then in existence as a village. The nearest post office was at Breedsville and life was what we term primitive, by which we mean that the people lived in crude houses and were without a number of material comforts which have come to be regarded as necessities. But things of any sort do not make life and the men who read by tallow candles and lived in log cabins had as keen a grasp of public affairs and as intelligent an interest in the advance- ment of the community as a later and more affluent generation. They had less to work with, but if we accomplish as much with our tools we shall have done our part in passing the torch of progress.
The father of Andrew Watkins died in 1873 and the mother in 1887. on the fourth of July. Andrew was but thirteen when he lost his father, as he was born on April 7, 1860. The other children of the family are: Mart, now living in Bangor; Frances, deceased ; Jane, wife of Hosea Willis, of Goblesville; Charles, deceased ; and Henry, also dead. There were four half-brothers, too, as the father had been married before. These were William. John, James and Levi.
At the age of twenty Andrew took up farming as his occupation and has followed it ever since. In 1881 he bought fifty-five acres and after keeping it ten years and improving it in the interval he sold it and bought the place of one hundred acres which he now owns in Bangor township. General farming and stock raising are his pursuits and he is one of the successful agriculturists of the county.
On New Year's day of the year 1879 Mr. Watkins was united in marriage to Miss Lizzie Findley. She died in 1888, leaving three children. Of these only Ethel is now living. She is the wife of Albert English, of Greely, Colorado. Mr. Watkins' second mar- riage occurred on February 17, 1895, when he was united with Miss Estella Godfrey. There have been five children born of that union. One, Andrew, the next to the youngest, is dead; the others, Ada, Otto, Henry and Dewey, are at home and attending school.
Mr. Watkins is Independent in politics. He has been chosen to fill several township offices, as he is a man who has the public con- fidence and who does not fail to do his part in the administration of the public business. He belongs to the society of the Gleaners.
. ALFRED RENFER .- In naming the representative citizens of any community the biographer invariably finds that among the most prominent and successful are men who started in life with little or no advantages either of an educational or financial nature and have worked their way to the front through their own industry and per- severance. While the soil of Van Buren county is very fertile, water plentiful and easily obtained, and weather conditions nearly ideal, good crops cannot be raised unless the land is properly and scientifically conditioned, and the high standard set by the agricul- turists of the county is therefore of great credit to them. One of the successful farmers of Van Buren county who has gained his present position by his own effiorts, is Alfred Renfer, of section 10, Arlington township. Mr. Renfer is a native of Switzerland, and was born November 4, 1864, a son of John and Elsie Renfer. Mr.
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Renfer's parents died in the old country, and of their nine children only Alfred and three sisters came to the United States.
On first coming to America, in 1883, Alfred Renfer located on Staten Island, New York, where he continued to reside for one year, and then removed to Chase county, Kansas, in which locality he worked on a ranch for nine years. During the ten years that fol- lowed he was a resident of Chicago, and in 1901 he came to Arling- ton township, Van Buren county, where he purchased eighty acres of farming land in section 10. He has gradually developed this property into one of the finest farms of his township, each year adding to its improvements. He has an excellent set of substan- tially built buildings and a valuable equipment of farm machinery, his land is well graded, drained and fenced, and the general neat appearance of the property testifies to excellent management. Mr. Renfer is a self-made man in every sense of the word, and as such is respected and esteemed by his fellow townsmen. He carries on general farming, fruit growing and stock raising, and has been uni- formly successful in all of his ventures.
On April 5, 1902, Mr. Renfer was married to Miss Elsie Snyder, who was born in Switzerland, where her parents were life-long resi- dents, and to this union there have been born three children: Ar- thur, born January 21, 1904; John, born April 19, 1906; and Al- fred, born November 8, 1907. In his political views Mr. Renfer is independent, reserving the right to vote for the man whom he calculates is best fitted for the office, regardless of party ties. He belongs to the Swiss Club, and holds membership in a life insurance company. Religiously he and his wife are affiliated with the Luth- eran church.
JOHN J. NICHOLS .- The name of Nichols is well known in Van Buren county, where the family has resided for half a century, during which time it has been identified with the agricultural pros- perity of Van Buren county. Probably the cause of Mr. Nichols' success as a farmer is attributable to the fact that he has always used both muscles and brains in the management of his farm, has carefully planned before executing, and not left things to adjust themselves in a haphazard fashion.
Mr. Nichols was born in the town of Galen, Wayne county, New York. November 1, 1845. He is a son of James A. and Amelia (An gus) Nicholas, both natives of New York state, where they spent youth and the early years of their wedded life. Father Nichols was a blacksmith by trade, and in 1853 he came to Michigan; he was one of the pioneer settlers in the vicinity of Kalamazoo, where he took up his residence and plied his trade and also engaged in farming. In 1862 he came to Arlington township, bought one hun- dred and sixty acres of land and commenced to farm. For the en- suing eleven years he cultivated the soil and in 1873 he died; his widow survived him eight years, as her demise occurred in 1881. Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Nichols, Sr .; the first born died in infancy and John J., the subject of this sketch, is the only one living today. The names of the other members of the family are,-Ellen, who died in 1879; Mary A., whose death occurred in
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the year 1902; George, who was summoned to his last rest in 1898; and Charles, who died in 1905.
The first eight years of the life of John J. Nichols were spent in his native state, then he accompanied his parents to Michigan and attended the district school near Kalamazoo. When he was seven- teen years old the family moved onto the farm in Arlington town- ship above mentioned, and he assisted his father in the work of cul- tivating the land, remaining at home until he was twenty-two years of age. He then commenced to farm independently on a one hun- dred and forty acre tract of land which for two years he rented. At the expiration of the second year he had been so successful that he was enabled to purchase one hundred and forty-two acres of land in section 31 of Arlington township, where he may be found at the present time. During the years of his residence here he has made many improvements, has built a comfortable home and erected commodious sheds and barns. He does general farming and also stock-raising.
When he was twenty years old Mr. Nichols married Miss Zovicie Northrup, the ceremony having occurred March 20, 1866. The young couple commenced their wedded life in the home of Father and Mother Nichols, and when they had been married two years John J. Nichols took his wife to the farm which he rented in Arling- ton township. Mrs. Nichols is the second of the four children of Perrin and Abbie (Briggs) Northrup, of New York state; they came to Michigan in 1837 and settled in Bangor township, where in 1842 Mr. Northrup built the first grain barn ever erected in the township. Mrs. Nichols' elder sister, Ellen, is making her home with the Nichols family ; the brother resides in Janesville, Wiscon- sin; and the youngest child, Mary, died at the age of thirteen years. Mr. and Mrs. Nichols adopted a little girl, Lizzie, and reared her with all the tenderness and care that they would have bestowed on their own children, if such had been granted to them. The adopted daughter repaid the devotion of her parents by growing to maturity a credit to her training; she is now married to Frank Cleveland, of Arlington township.
In politics Mr. Nichols is a Republican, and in fraternal connec- tion he has been a member of the Masonic order for forty-four years. He has many friends not only in the township which he honors by his presence, but in the neighboring country.
SAMUEL J. AUSTIN .- Van Buren county has its full quota of man- ufacturers, financiers, professional and business men and states- men, but particularly is it noted for the high standard set by its agriculturists who have done so much during the past few years to- ward making this county one of the garden spots of Michigan. Many of its best farmers are men who have come here from other states, with years of experience in agriculture as a valuable asset. One of these farmers is Samuel J. Austin, of Arlington township, who since his residence here has proved himself a useful and public- spirited citizen. Born in Preble county, Ohio, Mr. Austin is a son of James and Anna (Alexander) Austin, the former a native of . Pennsylvania and the latter of Ohio.
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During the early years of his life, James Austin acted as a min- ister of the Christian church, but on removing to Indiana he took up farming and followed that vocation during the remainder of his life. He and his wife both died in Indiana, having reared a family of six children : Gelettia, Gertrude, Allie and Augustus, all of whom are now deceased; Samuel J .; and Virginia, who is the wife of Charles Doan, of Columbus, Ohio.
Samuel J. Austin was born December 7, 1844, and remained on the Indiana farm until he was twenty-three years of age, at which time he entered the agricultural field on his own account and for twelve years rented a tract of one hundred and twenty acres in the Hoosier State. In 1876, having heard of the great opportunities offered by the practically new Van Buren county soil, he located in Arlington township, purchasing twenty acres of land in section 9. Later he added twenty-two and one-half acres, and he is now en- gaged in farming the whole tract. While general farming has occu- pied the major part of his time and attention, he has also specialized in the raising of good stock, and has turned out some of the finest Norman draft horses that Van Buren county has produced. Mr. Austin has always been an industrious, hard-working farmer, and the success which has attended his efforts is but the natural result of well expended effort. He stands high in the esteem of the people of his community, who recognize him as a man who has been the architect of his own fortune and respect him accordingly.
On July 8, 1866, Mr. Austin was united in marriage with Miss Matilda Owens, who died March 4, 1882, having been the mother of four children, namely : Lula, who is deceased; Frank, living in Galesburg, Michigan; John, a resident of Arlington township; and Wilson, who is at home assisting his father in the work of the farm. Wilson Austin was married August 5, 1899, to Miss Bertha Coun- terman, and one child has been born to them: Virginia, born Feb- ruary 25, 1908. Samuel J. Austin is a stanch supporter of Repub- lican principles, but his business interests have kept him so busy that he has never engaged actively in public life, although he is always ready to lend his aid and give his financial support to those movements which show themselves to be of beneht to the community. He is a consistent member of the Christian church. to the members of which he is well and favorably known.
WILLIAM WALLACE, a Civil war veteran and for many years a highly respected citizen of Arlington township, Van Buren county, Michigan, dates his birth in Indiana, April 29, 1840. His parents, Thompson Alexander and Esther (Von Brough) Wallace, natives respectively of Colerain, Massachusetts, and New York, moved from York state to Indiana and from there to Michigan in 1852 and set- tled in Van Buren county, where they spent the rest of their lives and died, the mother's death occurring December 25, 1881, the fath- er's, March 19, 1884. Thompson A. Wallace was a farmer all his life. On coming to Michigan he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in section 26, Arlington township, Van Buren county, eighty acres of which he afterward sold, and at the time of his death was the owner of eighty acres. He and his wife were the
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parents of seven children, namely: Levina, deceased; Maranda, widow of Oscar Church, of Arlington township; William; Harriet, deceased ; Henry Cook, who was killed in the Civil war; Ellen, de- ceased ; and Seymour, of Arlington, Michigan.
William Wallace had just emerged from his "teens" at the time Civil war was inaugurated, and he at once tendered his service to the Union cause. As a member of Company C, Third Battery of Michigan Light Artillery, he went to the front, and for four years he discharged his duty as a faithful soldier. The war over, he re- turned to Michigan, and his honorable discharge is dated, "Detroit, June 22, 1865." Since the war his life has been devoted to agri- cultural pursuits. His first land purchase was eighty acres and he subsequently bought a forty acre tract, making a farm of one hundred and twenty acres, in sections 25 and 26, Arlington town- ship, where for nearly half a century he has been engaged in gen- eral farming and stock raising.
On February 24, 1884, Mr. Wallace and Miss Jennie Palmer were married, and a son and daughter are the fruits of their union-Harmon P. and Esther, the latter, at this writing, being employed as a district school teacher. Mrs. Wallace is a daughter of Hiram and Mabel (Bush) Palmer, both natives of New York. Her father died in May, 1855, and the mother now lives in Pine Grove township, Van Buren county, Michigan. In the Palmer family were eleven children, of whom eight are living.
Mr. Wallace is a member of the G. A. R., and has been a supporter of the Republican party ever since he became a voter. His religious faith is that of the Baptist church, of which both he and his wife are members.
THOMAS CARROLL .- The venerable citizen whose name heads this sketch settled in Arlington township, Van Buren county, Michigan, more than half a century ago, when the land he now owns was un- improved and the country was sparsely settled. Now he gets his mail from a box at the gate, addressed, "Lawrence, R. R. No. 2."
Thomas Carroll is a native of the "Emerald Isle." He was born in county Meath, Ireland, March 16, 1824, a son of Thomas and Mary (Gaffney) Carroll, who lived and died in Ireland, the father's death having occurred in 1839, the mother's in 1856. In the Carroll family were four children, of whom two, Patrick and James, are deceased. Catherine, the youngest, is now a resident of St. Louis, Missouri. Thomas spent his early life at the home of his birth. After reaching man's estate he decided to try his fortunes in America, and in 1850 he landed in New York. For three years he made his home near Rochester, New York, and then, early in 1854, came west to Michigan and settled in Arlington township, Van Buren county, where he bought timbered land and in time he cleared and improved a farm. Here for many years he person- ally cultivated his fields and cared for his stock, and here he still lives, enjoying the comforts which are the result of his early years of energetic effort and good management.
On Saint Patrick's Day, 1856, was celebrated the marriage of Thomas Carroll and Eliza Shanklin, and with the passing years
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sons and daughters to the number of eleven have come to bless their home, their names in order of birth being as follows: Henry, of Benton Harbor, Michigan; Mary Jane, now Mrs. Vanhorn, of Des Moines, Iowa; John, on the home farm with his father; William, of Hartford, Michigan; Gilbert, of Van Buren county; Theresa, wife of Harry Seward, of South Haven, Michigan (Gilbert and Theresa being twins) ; Lottie, wife of John Washburn, of Paw Paw, Michi- gan; Fred, of Van Buren county, and Leo, at home.
Politically Mr. Carroll has always been independent, casting his vote for the one he deems best fitted to perform the duties of the office in question. Religiously he and his family are Catholics.
WESLEY E. NICHOLAS .- It is due to the efforts of the energetic, progressive and intelligent farmers that agricultural conditions in Van Buren county are in such a healthy condition today. Intelli- gent working of the soil, recognition of the value of crop rotation, and the use of modern power machinery have improved conditions wonderfully during the past several decades, and one of these mod- ern farmers who have assisted materially in bringing about present conditions is Wesley E. Nicholas, of Arlington township. Mr. Nicholas was born May 22, 1858, in Arlington township, Van Buren county, Michigan, and is a son of Phillip and Hannah (Payne) Nicholas, natives of England.
On coming to the United States, Mr. Nicholas' parents settled first in Pennsylvania, but after a year or so removed to Ohio, and about 1840 came to Michigan and settled in Van Buren county. The father, who is now living a retired life at Lawrence, was at one time the owner of two hundred and twenty acres of valuable land in Van Buren county. His wife died in 1900, having been the mother of nine children, as follows: George, residing at Lawrence; Ellen and Ann, who are deceased; Wesley E .; Herbert, who is de- ceased; Mary, the wife of John Allen, of Indiana; Sherman and Alfred, agriculturists of Arlington township; and Ellsworth, who carries on operations in Lawrence township.
Wesley E. Nicholas was reared to manhood on his father's farm, and at the age of twenty-three years began farming forty acres of land belonging to his father in section 9. After one year he pur- chased this land, and subsequently added forty acres more to his farm, and he now has one of the finest properties in the township. He is a believer in the use of modern machinery, and has a complete equipment of farm accessories. His residence is large and of mod- ern construction, and his barns, granary, silo and outbuildings are substantially made and well kept. The whole appearance of the place testifies to able management, while the sleek, healthy cattle show that Mr. Nicholas stands high as a breeder of stock.
On May 22, 1881, Mr. Nicholas was married to Miss Minnie Moses, daughter of Judson J. and Sophia (Prater) Moses, and three chil- dren have been born to this union: Roy E., of Bangor; Verne, the wife of Leslie DeHaven; and Marene, living at home. Mr. Nicholas is a Democrat in politics, and fraternally he is connected with the Brotherhood of America.
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FRANK G. CLEVELAND is a cultured farmer residing in Arlington township. At one time that adjective as applied to a farmer would have seemed out of place, but the personnel of the farmer has changed, and hence ideas in regard to his character have become modified. If there is one occupation more than another where there is room for the exercise of a man's intelligence it is in the pursuit of agriculture. People at one time thought that it did not take a man of great ability to farm, but now they have come to the conclusion that if a man is to get out of the soil all that it is capa- ble of producing he must use his head as well as his muscles. This fact can readily be proved by considering the cases of two farmers who own the same amount of land, with the same climatic and other conditions. The one will produce nearly twice as much as the other, and yet both put the same amount of labor on the land. The dif- ference exists in the fact that the one brings his gray matter to bear on the subject, while the other expects his muscles to accom- plish everything. Mr. Cleveland is a farmer who uses both brains and brawn, the result being that he has a farm that is productive to its fullest capacity.
On the 23rd day of March, 1864, Mr. Cleveland began life in Arlington township, Michigan. His parents, Peter and Clarissa (Drake) Cleveland, were both natives of New York state, who came to Michigan soon after they were married. They passed most of their wedded life in this state, engaged in taking care of their farm and in bringing up their children. They had a family of seven; the first born did not survive infancy ; John resides at Lawrence, Michigan; Walter maintains his home at Hartford, Michigan ; Jen- nie is the wife of Charles Mellen, of Lawrence. Michigan; Frank mentioned more at length below; Amelia, the sixth child died in infancy ; and Eva, the youngest, was summoned to the life eternal in the year 1902. In 1869, when some of the children were very young, the husband and father died. Mrs. Clarissa Cleveland later married George Knapp, of Coldwater, Michigan, and became the mother of three more children,-Clarence, living at Grand Rapids; Cora, the wife of Charles Segur, of Lansing, Michigan; and Will- iam, who resides in Grand Rapids. In 1898 the mother's demise occurred.
Frank G. Cleveland was only five years of age when his father died, and he remained with his mother until he had attained the age of fourteen. At that time he had completed the grammar school course and he went to live with a physician at Lawrence, and while residing in his house the lad attended high school, from which he graduated in 1884. He then taught school for one winter and for the ensuing four years he worked in various lines, but after trying different occupations he made up his mind that his abilities lay in the direction of teaching. For eleven years he was known as a suc- cessful teacher, old-fashioned in his thoroughness and up-to-date in his modern methods of imparting knowledge. After the death of his mother he determined to abandon the pedagogical field and give his attention to agriculture. Returning to the farm in Arling- ton township where he was born, he devoted himself to the cultiva- tion of the soil with as much zeal as he had used in his efforts to im-
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part knowledge to his pupils. He now owns ninety-five acres of land in section 29, Arlington township.
On October 17, 1889, Mr. Cleveland was married to Miss Lizzie Nichols, daughter of John and Lovicie (Northrup) Nichols. Mr. and Mrs. Cleveland have two sons and a daughter,-John, Earl and Edna-and they also lost one little one in infancy. In politics Mr. Cleveland is a Republican and his superior abilities are recog- nized by his fellow citizens, who have elected him to various re- sponsible positions in the township. He has served as supervisor, as township treasurer and as school director, his year of experience as an educator having rendered him qualified to offer suggestions of a most valuable nature in regard to school matters. His fraternal affiliation is with the Masonic Order. A man who is a prosperous farmer, a holder of public offices of trust, a loyal citizen, a good neighbor and friend, is worthy of the regard which Mr. Cleveland enjoys in the community.
SETH L. WAKEMAN, who has been engaged in fruit raising in Arlington township since 1898, has one of the finest orchards in Van Buren county. Mr. Wakeman makes a specialty of apples and his fruit always meets with a ready sale in the markets of the big cities, his experience having taught him just what the public wishes in this line. He is a native of Genesee county, New York, and was born October 22, 1858, a son of George W. and Eliza (Hamm) Wakeman, natives of the Empire state. George W. Wakeman was a school teacher in his younger days, but later took up farming, and he was thus engaged at the time of his death, which occurred in New York in 1891. His widow survived him ten years. Mr. and Mrs. Wakeman had four children, namely: George, who is deceased; John P., living in Genesee county, New York; Seth L .; and Henry T., of Niagara county, New York.
Seth L. Wakeman remained on his father's farm until he reached the age of nineteen years, at which time he took up farming in his own account, renting a farm of sixty-seven acres, which he worked for five years. He then purchased eighty acres of land, but after five years sold it and moved to Geneva, Illinois, where for ten years he was engaged in farming a rented tract of one hundred and sixty acres. In 1898 Mr. Wakeman came to Van Buren county, buying forty acres of land in section 10, Arlington township, erecting here one of the finest homes in this part of the state, a commodious frame house which is equipped with all modern conveniences and appli- ances. Mr. Wakeman has found his greatest profit in fruit raising. and he has become one of Michigan's largest shippers of apples. He has two hundred and fifty bearing apple trees and one thousand one hundred and fifty young trees, in addition to one hundred young pear trees and twenty-five plum trees. He sells nothing but the best grade of fruit, and those who have done business with him have learned that his word is as good as his bond, and that his product will reach the market exactly as is stipulated in the agreement. Naturally, such business integrity makes his standing in his com- munity high and no doubt were he to enter the political field he would be placed in high positions of trust, but he has found no
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