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 52
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Leslie Scott is a Canadian by birth. He was born in Ontario, August 4, 1856, a son of Leslie and Elizabeth (Elliott) Scott, both natives of Ireland, who in childhood became residents of Canada and who lived and died there. In the Scott family were five chil- dren, of whom the eldest, Marie, is deceased; William and James are residents of Canada; the fourth born died in infancy; and Leslie, the subject of this sketch, is the youngest.
His father a farmer, Leslie Scott early became familiar with all kinds of farm work as conducted in Canada, and he remained a member of the home circle until he was eighteen years of age. Then he came over into the United States and in Pennsylvania went to work in the oil fields, where he spent two years. At the end of that time he went back to Canada, from there came to Michi- gan, and shortly afterward went to Dakota. That was in 1877. There he took claim to a large tract of land and directed his ener-
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gies to farming, in which he was very successful, in a single year- 1891-his wheat crop measuring up to sixteen thousand bushels. His original Dakota claim was four hundred and sixty acres, to which he added until he was the owner of one thousand two hun- dred acres, which he sold in 1894. As already stated, he had vis- ited Michigan before taking up his residence further west, and in 1894 he returned to the "Lake State" and bought two hundred acres in Arlington township, Van Buren county, where he has developed a dairy and fruit business. The present year, 1911, his apple crop is estimated at one thousand five hundred barrels. His dairy is composed of a high grade of Holstein cattle, and all the buildings and improvements in connection with this industry are first class in every respect. In order to have his sons remain with him and be identified with the business, Mr. Scott offered the in- ducement of a partnership, in which they share, and thus all are personally interested and take a just pride in the fact that they have made Arlington Farm the best improved tract of land in Van Buren county. Bangor is their post office and they are on the line of Rural Route No. 5.
Mrs. Scott was formerly Miss Lillian B. De Haven, and was born and reared in Arlington township. Their children in order of birth are as follows: Leslie, Forest Fayette, Arthur Milton, Frances and Kathleen.
Mr. Scott's religious faith is that of the Episcopal church, in which he has membership, and, politically, he is a Republican.
WILLIAM SCHERMERHORN .- For a period of forty-five years Will- iam Schermerhorn has owned and occupied his farm of over a hun- dred acres in Arlington township, Van Buren county, Michigan, and has been recognized as one of the representative citizens of his community.
Mr. Schermerhorn was born in Syracuse, New York, March 22, 1834, a son of Ernestus and Ann (Johnson) Schermerhorn, both natives of the "Empire State." For twelve years his father was a manufacturer of salt at Syracuse. Then, in 1835, when William was a year old, the family moved west to Indiana and settled in La Grange, where he grew to manhood and where his parents died. In their family were eleven children, as follows: Clarissa Ann, de- ceased; Elizabeth, deceased; Aaron, of Indiana; Orton, deceased ; William; an infant deceased; George W., who died in the Union army during the Civil war; John M., James A., Horace G., all of Indiana, and Isaac, deceased. The mother died in 1863.
When he was twenty years of age William Schermerhorn engaged in sawmilling, to which occupation he devoted his attention for three years. At the end of that time he bought one hundred and sixty acres of land in Clear Spring township, La Grange county, Indiana, which he farmed for six years. Then he sold out and came to Michigan, and here, on April 10, 1868, he bought the one hundred and ten acres in Arlington township, Van Buren county, on which he has since lived. All the improvements on this land have been made by him, and here he has successfully carried on general farm- ing and stock raising. making a specialty of sheep.
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On November 15, 1859, Mr. Schermerhorn and Miss Harriet Day were united in marriage, and to them have been given five children, namely : Mary, wife of L. C. Colburn, of Arlington; Jessie M., wife of S. E. Bridges, of Arlington township ; Lizzie, wife of J. W. Tays, a civil engineer of New York; Gertrude, at home; and Grant, of Van Buren county. Mrs. Schermerhorn's parents, David R. and Aurilla (Blackman) Day, were natives of Vermont and Connecti- cut, respectively. They resided some years in Ohio, and from there moved to La Grange county, Indiana.
Mr. Schermerhorn has always taken a deep interest in any move- ment tending to improve the moral tone of the community, and, while not a member of any religious denomination, has assisted ma- terially in church building in Van Buren county. He has held some township offices, and politically is Independent.
Of the Schermerhorn family it may further be said that they are entitled to claim kinship with Israel Putnam, of Revolutionary fame, from whom they are descended. Other members of their family took part in the wars of this country, and a great uncle of William Schermerhorn, who was a gunsmith in the war of 1812. made the first rifle that was put into the twist barrel.
JOHN B. WILcox, for almost half a century a resident of Van Buren county, has been identified with the agricultural progress of this part of Michigan, and he has also taken an active part in the political life of the community. It is not often that there are found united in one man the qualities which make a successful farmer, an enterprising business man and a jurist, but Judge Wil- cox is the unusual exception. During the years that he has lived in the county the Republican party has found in him one of its most stalwart supporters, and a brief review of his life will serve to recall to the minds of his friends and acquaintances his career of faithfulness, ability and honor.
The birth of Judge Wilcox occurred in Somerset county. New Jersey, December 14, 1828. He is a son of Isaac and Euphamy (Bastedo) Wilcox. both of whom were natives of New Jersey. The father was a freighter and plied his trade between New Bruns- wick and Trenton, New Jersey, until his death, which occurred in 1830. He was survived by his two children .- John B., and Isaac J. (now deceased), and his widow. Mrs. Isaac Wilcox married William Reynolds, who made his first appearance into the world in the state of New York. Of the eight children born to this union. William, Euphemia Ann, Simeon and an unnamed baby are de- ceased, while four sons still live in different parts of the country,- Oscar resides in Bangor, Michigan; Theodore maintains his home in Arlington township, this county ; Alexander lives at Big Rapids, Michigan; and George is a resident of Chicago, Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds were summoned to the life eternal many years ago.
John B. Wilcox, deprived of a father's care before he was old enough to appreciate its value, was carefully reared by his grand- father from the time he was two years old. The schools at that time were scarce and educational advantages were not so common
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as they are today, and the consequence was that Judge Wilcox re- ceived very little schooling. He is now regarded as a well-informed man on all practical subjects, but the knowledge he possesses has been gained as the result of his later reading and his observations as he went along through life. At the age of fourteen he left his grandfather's home and commenced his independent career by farming in his native state. At the expiration of a year he went to Wayne county, New York, there engaged in the fanning mill business, was successful in his efforts in regard to this industry, and he continued to operate a flourishing mill until 1865. In that year he came to Michigan, bought one hundred and sixty acres of land in section 18, Arlington township, and he commenced to farm. He proved as successful in his agricultural pursuits as he had been in his previous undertaking, and he soon added another forty acres to. his holdings. On his two-hundred acre farm he raised grains of various kinds and also stock; during the last few years he has sold all his land except eighty acres of his original homestead ; this he retains and continues to operate.
Judge Wilcox has been twice married ; In October, 1851, he mar- ried Miss Lydia E. Penoyar, whose demise occurred February 11, 1871. She was the mother of six children, two of whom died in infancy ; Charles, Emma and John Adelbert grew to maturity and then entered into the everlasting life; while Willis, the youngest, resides in Wyoming. On the 8th of April, 1875, Judge Wilcox formed a matrimonial alliance with Delia (Brown) Lee, widow of Abiah Lee. of Edwardsburg, Michigan. By this second marriage three children were born,-Isaac, his grandfather's namesake, re- siding in Lansing, Michigan; Carl, deceased; and Alice, who is following the noble calling of training the young. During the past six years she has taught in Van Buren county, and is now teaching in Kendall, Indiana. Her vacations are spent on the old home- stead, in companionship with her father.
In his religious connection Judge Wilcox is a member of the Methodist church; he is affiliated in .a fraternal way with the Grangers and with the ancient Masonic order, holding membership in the Blue Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, in the Chap- ter, Royal Arch Masons, and in the Eastern Star. He has ever been deeply interested in all matters which tended towards the well-being of the state which he honors by his residence. He has held the office of highway commissioner, of justice of the peace, of school commissioner, treasurer and director. Although he lends his support to every good work, he has evinced more interest in edu- cational progress than in anything else; while deprived of a liberal schooling himself, as mentioned above, he is a great believer in the value of educational training, and his suggestions in regard to the schools of his county have been of a most helpful nature.
FRANK EDWARDS ROOD, at one time one of the foremost nursery men of the state, is now making a specialty of horticulture, a great portion of his splendid homestead of one hundred and eighty-five acres being devoted to this pleasant and profitable occupation. He is one of the prominent men of the township, the friend of all just
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causes, and is to be counted among those skilled in horticulture and agriculture who have given the state enduring glory as a pro- ducer of bumper crops and luscious fruits .-
Mr. Rood was born at Glenn, Michigan, October 27, 1864, and is the son of Edward A. and Flora M. ( Warner) Rood, both natives of Plainfield, Hampshire county, Massachusetts. The father was in his earlier years engaged in mercantile business, but eventually took up farming. In March, 1863, he joined the tide of migration to the great, newly opening Northwest, and came to Michigan, locat- ing at Glenn, where he engaged in the lumber business in associa- tion with the Packards. He first became identified with Van Buren county in 1866 and bought land in Covert township, where he re- sided until his death on February 9, 1897. At that time he owned about two hundred acres. The mother, who has been a resident of the county for half a century, survives, making her home with Mr. Rood, of this review, and enjoying the honor which is usually the crown of a virtuous, unselfish life. Lillian A., the only other child of Mr. and Mrs. Rood, Sr., is deceased.
After receiving his preliminary education in the district schools Mr. Rood matriculated in the Agricultural College at Lansing, hav- ing previously decided, almost as a matter of course, to follow farming as his life work, and having become well grounded in this under the excellent tutelage of his father. In the institution men- tioned he took a two years' course and then began farming on an independent basis, as superintendent for A. S. Packard. He con- tinued thus engaged for six years, giving splendid service, and then, on account of his father's failing health, he returned home and took charge of the home place, working one hundred and fifty acres and making a specialty of horticulture. In the division of property ensuing upon his father's demise, Mr. Rood received eighty acres and since then he has purchased one hundred and five. making one hundred and eighty-five in all. In 1887 he took up the nursery business and in 1890 he formed a partnership in this busi- ness with T. A. Lampson, which continued with satisfactory result until the death of Mr. Lampson. In the meantime he built a pack- ing house in Covert and bought and shipped fruit in car-load lots. Although he now devotes the greater part of his time and atten- tion to the affairs of his own extensive and fruitful farm, he still owns an interest in the Covert packing house, and he still continued to ship fruit until the freeze of 1906, when his zeal in this line met with much discouragement.
On New Year's day, 1889, Mr. Rood was united in marriage with Anna E. Atkinson, daughter of Joseph and Josephine (Fish) At- kinson. the former a native of New Jersey and the latter of Ver- mont. Joseph Atkinson, who was a farmer, came to Michigan in 1833, when twelve years of age, and made location in Monroe county. He came to Van Buren county in 1884, and settled in Covert township. He died at a very advanced age, in November, 1909, and the mother's decease was in 1907. They were the par- ents of the following children: Clara O., wife of C. J. Monroe, of South Haven; Charles H., deceased ; George F., professor of botany at Cornell University, residing at Ithaca, New York; Paul J., de-
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ceased; and Mrs. Rood. Mr. and Mrs. Rood share their delightful home with the following promising sons and daughters: Edward A., born December 7, 1890; Paul J., born January 29, 1893; Edith L., born November 19, 1895; Clare A., born February 13, 1898; Josephine F., born January 23, 1900; and Genevieve, born Feb- ruary 6, 1906.
Mr. Rood has ever subscribed to the articles of faith of the Re- publican party and he takes the interest of the intelligent voter in all public issues. In religious conviction he is a Congregational- ist. He and the members of his household enjoy the confidence and esteem of the entire community.
JOEL HAGER CLARK .- Pennsylvania, one of the greatest states of the American Union in the multitude and variety of the indus- tries which employ its teeming population and the value of their products; in the number and importance of the historical events that have taken place within its boundaries; in the contributions of its eminent men to every domain of American thought and ac- tion; and in the sturdy character and fruitful diligence and frugality of its masses of people, was the birth-place of J. H. Clark, one of the enterprising and progressive farmers of Porter town- ship in this county, and it was the home of his ancestors for gen- erations before him.
Mr. Clark's life began in Sullivan township, Tioga county of that great state, on April 3, 1859, and he was the fifth born of the nine children in his father's household. His parents, who have both been dead a number of years, were John and Amanda (Hager) Clark, who passed the whole of their lives in the state of their nativity, where the mother died at the age of forty and the father when he was upwards of eighty years. Of the eight children born to them in addition to the subject of this brief review, Ellen, Cath- erine, Nancy and Mary have died; Julia is living in Sullivan town- ship, Tioga county ; Colin, at Wellsborough, Pennsylvania; Adele, the wife of Samuel Killey, at Covington in the same state; and Hattie, the wife of F. Lanterman, at Covington. After the death of their mother, the father contracted a second marriage, which united him with Miss Estelle McIntyre, and they became the par- ents of six children : Homer, who lives in Pennsylvania ; Gertrude, the wife of Homer Hager, who also lives in that state; Frank, a resident of the same commonwealth; Estella, whose home is in Sullivan township; and William and Melton, who died in infancy.
J. H. Clark remained on the home farm with his father until he reached the age of twenty-one, then left home with a settled deter- mination to make his own way in the world according to his own desires and opportunities. In 1886 he came to Michigan and took up his residence in Porter township, Van Buren county. He at once began farming after his arrival here, and continued to be engaged in that pursuit nine years. He then returned to Pennsyl- vania, and during the next six years was occupied in the same vocation there. Van Buren county had, however, made a pleasant and lasting impression on him, and at the end of the period last mentioned he came back to it and again located in Porter town-
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ship. After his second coming to the county he rented one hun- dred and sixty acres of good farming land, and this he cultivated with industry and good results until 1908, when he bought the farm of eighty acres which he now owns and occupies as his home and the seat of his industries in general farming and raising live stock. He also has a general store in which he does a large and lucrative business. He is therefore contributing to the industrial and mercantile importance of the township in which he lives, and the convenience, comfort and general welfare of its people in two lines of very useful endeavor, and conducting his operations in both on a high plane of enterprise, integrity and public spirit.
On December 26, 1880, Mr. Clark was married to Miss Loretta C. Updyke, a Pennsylvanian by birth and the daughter of Halsey and Adeline (Wood) Updyke, of the same nativity as herself, born in Rutland township, Tioga county. The father died some years ago, but the mother is still living in her native state, at the age of seventy-two. They had three children : Mrs. Clark; her sister Ada, who has died; and her other sister, Edith, now the wife of Dum- mer L. Sweet, and still a resident of Pennsylvania, where she was born and reared.
Mr. and Mrs. Clark have no children of their own, but they have a foster daughter, named Frances, who is now eleven years old. Mr. Clark is a member of the Republican party and gives his ener- gies to the furtherance of its interests in all campaigns, not with the hope of personal reward or prominence in an official way, but because his faith is firmly fixed in its principles and he believes their general application in government, local and general, would be good for the country. In fraternal relations he is connected with the Order of Woodmen, and his religious affiliation is with the Protestant Methodist church, to which Mr. Clark also belongs. In neither of these organizations is he simply one of the silent units. For he is active in his service to both, and his membership is highly valued in each. As a farmer he is in the first rank in his township. As a merchant he has the confidence and respect of all his patrons and the general public. And as a man and citizen he is universally esteemed throughout the county.
GEORGE ALEXANDER WALLACE, one of the enterprising and pros- perous young farmers of Arlington township, Van Buren county, Michigan, dates his birth on the farm on which he now lives, Octo- ber 29, 1879, and is an only son of Seymour and Frances ( Worthy ) Wallace. He has an only sister, Effie, wife of Samuel Kelly, of Lansing, Michigan. As a boy he attended district school in win- ter and in summer assisted his father with the work in the fields, and on reaching manhood he continued work on the home farm, finally assuming the responsibility of the farming operations. He still lives at the old home place with his parents and carries on general farming and stock raising. This farm, comprising two hundred and thirty-five acres, is in Section 26, on the Lawrence Rural Route No. 2.
On October 29, 1898, George A. Wallace and Miss Edna Hinck- ley were united in marriage. Mrs. Wallace is a daughter of Phillip
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and Rebecca (Simmons) Hinckley, and is fourth in their family of five children, her brother and sisters being as follows: Hervey, of Cass county, Michigan; Grace, wife of Claud Peck, of Grand Junction; Gertrude, wife of Floyd Lockwood, of Lawrence, Michi- gan; and Mildred, of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Mr. and Mrs. Wallace have three children: Neva, born December 10, 1899; Clark, January 6, 1905 ; and Frances, September 8, 1906.
Mr. Wallace is an Odd Fellow and a Modern Woodman. He votes the Republican ticket.
MERRITT J. TRUESDELL .- Owning and occupying the homestead farm which his father, the late Erastus Truesdell, cleared from the wilderness, Merritt J. Truesdell has been a resident of Blooming- dale township, Van Buren county, for upwards of half a century, during which time he has witnessed many wonderful transforma- tions in the country roundabout, the pathless forests giving way before the axe of the pioneer, the log cabins of the pioneers being replaced by substantial frame houses, while the hamlets of early days have developed into thriving villages and populous towns and cities. Born in Warsaw, Wyoming county, New York, February 6, 1849, he was but five years old when he came to Michigan with his parents.
His paternal grandfather, Solomon Truesdell, was a descendant of one of three brothers who immigrated to America in colonial times. He spent many of his earlier years in Genesee county, New York, but later took up his residence in Wyoming county, where he carried on farming until his death.
Erastus Truesdell was born, reared, educated and married in Wyoming county, New York. Learning the carpenter's trade when young, he followed it in his native county until 1854, resid- ing in Warsaw. In that year, accompanied by his wife and three children, he came to Michigan in search of a favorable place in which to locate, bravely daring all the hardships incidental to frontier life in his efforts to secure a home. Settling in Van Buren county, midway between Lawton and Paw Paw, he there followed his trade for five years. In 1859 he bought sixty-three acres of heavily timbered land in Bloomingdale township, in section thirty- one, one and one-half acres of which had been cleared. He labored with untiring industry to further improve his land, and in the course of a few years had the greater part of it under cultivation. Farming in those days was carried on in a primitive manner. Paw Paw, fourteen miles away, was the nearest market and depot for supplies, and all transportation of produce was made with ox teams. Devoting his time and energies to the improvement of his property, Erastus Truesdell continued on his homestead until his death, September 9, 1894, at the age of seventy-seven years. His wife, whose maiden name was Roxie Rice, was born in Wyoming county, New York, a daughter of Cyrus and Mary (Harrington) Rice, and sister of Delos Rice, and of Norman Rice, a pioneer of Paw Paw, Michigan. She died January 1, 1887, at the age of sixty-five years, leaving four children, as follows: Lucy, Frank, Merritt J. and Laura Belle.
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A small lad when he came with the family to Van Buren county, Merritt J. Truesdell received a good education when young, and at the age of twenty years engaged in professional labors, for several winters teaching school in Bloomingdale, Columbia and Waverly townships, while during seed time and harvest he was engaged in farming on the home estate. He continued to live with his parents, and when they became enfeebled by reason of age he cared for them as tenderly as they had looked after him in previous years. Succeeding after the death of his father to the parental homestead, Mr. Truesdell has each year added to the improvements already started, through his efforts enhancing the value and at- tractiveness of the estate. During the many years that he has here been employed in farming and dairying, he has kept apace with the times, being a keen observer of men and events and a con- stant reader of the leading periodicals of the day. He appreciates the difference between the modern methods of carrying on the different branches of agriculture, and those in vogue when he was a boy and used to take loads of wheat for his father to Paw Paw with ox teams, days being then required to do work that is now accomplished in a few hours.
Mr. Truesdell married, in 1871, Stella Harrington, who was born in Van Buren county, Michigan, a daughter of Benjamin and Joanna Harrington, and they have two children, Lena and Eva. Lena married James L. Baxter, and has four children, Ralph, Leona, Merritt and Kenneth. Fraternally Mr. Truesdell belongs to Bloom- ingdale Lodge, No. 161, Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
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