USA > Michigan > A history of northern Michigan and its people, Volume II > Part 53
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After fire had thus denuded his farm Mr. Fowler located in the village of Flanders, where he has since been successfully engaged in the general merchandise business. He has a well appointed and well stocked establishment and is the owner of a good residence property in the village in addition to his store. Mr. Fowler has ever manifested a vital interest in all that has touched the welfare of his home con- munity and has given his support to such measures as have tended to conserve progress and cumulative prosperity. His sterling character, mature judgment and genial personality have marked him as one specially eligible for local offices of trust, and that his services in such capacity have met with popular approbation is evident when it is stated that he served six terms as supervisor of Green- township, in which connection he proved a most valuable member of the county board of supervisors. He has also served as justice of the peace and highway commissioner.
In politics Mr. Fowler has ever been found arrayed as a stalwart in the camp of the Republican party, and he is well fortified in his opin- ions as to matters of public import. His wife was a member of the Baptist church, and in a fraternal way his affiliations are with the fol- lowing named bodies: Hopper Lodge, No. 386. Free & Accepted Ma- sons, in his home town; Alpena Lodge, No. 505, Benevolent & Protec-
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tive Order of Elks; Myrtle Lodge, No. 432, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in which fraternity he also holds membership in Bay Encamp- ment, No. 87, Patriarchs Militant; and the Knights of the Maccabees. Hle is well known in the county that has so long been his home and field of earnest endeavor and here his popularity is of the most unequivocal order.
In his native county, on the 16th of December, 1871, Mr. Fowler was united in marriage to Miss Jennie L. Lane, who was born in Skow- hegan, Somerset eounty, Maine, and who died on the homstead farm in Green township, Alpena county, Michigan, on the 12th of June, 1898. She was a woman of gentle and engaging personality and her memory is revered by all who came within the compass of her influence. She was a daughter of George W. and Sarah Jane (Smith) Lane, both of whom passed their entire lives in Somerset county, Maine. Of their five children three are now living,-Mary, who is the wife of John Q. Jordan, residing in the state of Massachusetts; Hannah, who is the wife of Edgar Emerson, of Pittsfield, Maine; and George W., who re- sides at Lewiston, that state. Concerning the three children of Mr. and Mrs. Fowler the following brief record is given. Minnie L. is the wife of Calon P. Turner, a representative farmer of Green township, Alpena county. Mrs. Turner received the best of educational advantages, in- eluding those of the Michigan State Normal School at Ypsilanti and the Alpena Business College, and she has given effective service as a mem- ber of the board of school examiners for Alpena county. George C., who married Miss Ida MeDonald, resides at Onaway, Presque Isle county, where he is engaged in the cedar wood business; Andrew, a bookkeeper and Inmber scaler by vocation, now resides in the city of Duluth, Minnesota. He married Miss Jennie MePhee.
OSCAR PALMER, M. D .- A man of versatile talents and a unique per- sonality, Oscar Palmer, M. D., of Grayling, one of the best known eiti- zens of the village, has led a most strenuous life, in turn being asso- ciated not only with the medical, legal and scholastic professions, but with almost every trade, occupation and business known to the indus- trial world, in addition serving the people in various official capacities. In such a necessarily brief review of his life as this article must be many facts of interest doubtless will be omitted, even the Doctor him- self probably forgetting some things of importance or hesitating to speak of them because of his great modesty, but an appeal to almost any of the village residents will elicit information regarding his varied career.
Born in Westfield, Chautauqua county, New York, November 8, 1841, Osear Palmer was taken by his parents, "Squire" and Mrs. Pal- mer, to Hudson. Michigan, when but two years old, and was there reared and educated. When but sixteen years of age he began his professional career as a school teacher, in the meantime devoting every spare minute to the study of law, for which he had a natural taste and ambition. He was subsequently induced by circumstances to take up the study of medieine, and was graduated from the Georgetown Medieal College in 1861, receiving the degree of M. D. while wearing the "blue."
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Early in 1861 Dr. Palmer enlisted in Company C, First United States Sharpshooters, of which he was made hospital steward. In June, 1861, he was transferred to a similar position in the Second United States Sharpshooters, and a short time later was sent to Wash- ington, D. C., as steward in the government hospitals, which were then filled to overflowing with sick and wounded soldiers. In 1864 the Doc- tor, at the urgent request of his former comrades in the Sharpshooters, was returned to field duty and commissioned assistant surgeon of his regiment, a position which he retained until the close of the war. Mustered out of service in October, 1865, Dr. Palmer returned to Michi- gan, and for five years practiced medicine in Jonesville.
About 1870 the Doctor became one of the promoters of the quarry- ing industry of southern Michigan, assisting in the development of the sandstone quarry at Stony Point, Jackson county, and was afterward for five years cashier and bookkeeper at the Jonesville Woolen Mills. Purchasing an interest in the Jonesville Independent in 1876, he conducted the paper until July, 1881, being quite successful in his jour- nalistic work, his former experience as type setter when helping to get out the first issue of the first newspaper ever published in Hudson, Michigan, having been of value to him in his new venture.
Coming to Crawford county, Michigan, in July, 1881, Dr. Palmer purchased the well-known weekly newspaper of Grayling, the Ava- lanche, of which he has since been the editor and publisher. His work on the paper, however, did not satisfy his energetic ambitions, and in addition he engaged in the practice of medicine, building up a fine patronage; established a planing mill; bought a farm, which he super- intended; and after his admission to the bar in 1882 engaged in the practice of law.
During the first administration of President Cleveland the govern- ment land offices then located at Detroit, Saginaw and Big Rapids were consolidated and moved to Grayling. When Benjamin Harrison suc- ceeded to the presidency he appointed Dr. Palmer registrar of the Gray- ling land office, and he retained the position until twelve days after the inauguration of Cleveland for his second term as president of the United States, when he was removed, as said by President Cleveland in his letter, for "offensive partisanship." "However," says Dr. Palmer, with his genial smile, "when MeKinley became president I sailed in again." He continued in charge of the land office until it was removed to Marquette. The Doctor has also served most acceptably in many positions, having represented his district in the state Legislature, and having filled the offices of notary public, Circuit Court commissioner, prosecuting attorney, school director and justice of the peace. He is now serving his twentieth year as prosecuting attorney of Crawford county, and is widely and favorably known as a lawyer of much ability and skill. He is one of the leading members of the Republican party, and ever ready to advance its best interests.
Dr. Palmer married, in Hudson, Michigan, in 1864, while he was yet a soldier in the army, Miss Nellie E. Taylor, and their wedded life has been one of rare felicity and enjoyment. Their only child lived but a few brief months, but in the kindness of their hearts Dr. and
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Mrs. Palmer have brought up and educated fifteen children, the young- est of whom was graduated from the Grayling High School with the class of 1910.
The Crawford Avalanche, of which Dr. Palmer is editor and publisher, was established in 1879 by Messrs. Maurer, Masters and Brown, it being then a four-page journal, of six columns each. Mr. Maurer, the other gentlemen having dropped out, conducted the paper for a year, when, in 1880, he, too, left the paper, being heavily indebted to the Hanson Company, who, in order to save themselves, assumed its control. In 1882 this company sold out to Dr. Palmer, its present owner and publisher, who has enlarged it to an eight-page paper, of seven columns each, and made it one of the leading journals of the county, with a large and valuable circulation. The Doctor in addition to managing his paper has built up a large and remunerative jobbing business, his time being fully employed in the supervision of his print- ing business.
WILLIAM J. LEWIS, of Boyne City, is one of the pioneers in the busi- ness development of northern Michigan, and in Boyne City no other resident has been more active in fostering commercial enterprise or more public spirited in encouraging the local welfare. Mr. Lewis is a wholesale dealer in produce, wool, iron and other commodities, is pro- prietor of the Boyne City Garage & Machine Shop, is actively con- cerned in political affairs, and has many interests that connect him with this community.
He was born in Washtenaw county, Michigan, at the village of Dixboro, August 6, 1853. His father, Edwin Lewis, was born in Mon- roe, Michigan, in 1833, and died in 1887; while his mother, Alvira C. Clark, was born in New York state and died in 1867. They were married at Dixboro and had eight children, of whom four daughters and two sons are living. The father married for his second wife Mary Taylor, a native of Germany, and by this union there were four chil- dren, only one of them now living. Edwin Lewis was a butcher at Dix- boro, and spent the latter part of his life in Ionia county. He served as deputy sheriff, as justice of the peace and other local offices, being a Democrat in politics.
William J. Lewis when a boy attended a subscription school in Clinton county, and in 1880 came to Boyne City. He established the first meat market in the village. He also has the distinction of having built the second brick store building in Charlevoix county. He con- tinued in the meat and grocery business until 1888, from that time to 1901 was in the hotel business, and then established the general pro- duce and storage business which is still conducted under his name. In 1909 he built his garage and machine shop, a brick fire-proof building 42 by 100 feet. On his arrival here thirty years ago there were only thirteen buildings in the village, and since then he alone has erected thirty-four buildings, including several business structures and a num- ber of dwellings. The Lewis House, built by him in 1895-6, was de- stroyed by fire in 1909. His large warehouse was put up in 1900. He owns fourteen dwellings which are rented.
w= g . Lewis
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His first public office was that of township clerk, in which he served five years, was village treasurer four years, was a member of the city council eighteen years, and on the board of public works three years. At his first election as township clerk there were three hundred and four votes in the village, including only four of his own political faith, the Democratic, and yet he was elected. He has been chairman of the county Democratic central committee for the past ten years and a mem- ber of the state central committee for six years.
Mr. Lewis married, November 25, 1875, Miss Mary J. McWain. She was born in Ontario, being one of the four children of William and Elmira MeWain. Her father came to Michigan in 1862, and although he had not yet taken out his citizenship papers he enlisted in Company D of the Tenth Regiment, United States army. After the end of his army service he settled in Charlevoix county and there spent the re- mainder of his life. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis have one son, Will A., who married Lena Jersey, of Belden, Michigan, and has one child, Fred A.
FLOYD E. OLIVER, cashier of the Farwell Banking Company, who with Elton J. Van Lenven, owns that substantial banking institution, having purchased it in 1909, was born upon a farm in the vicinity of Elm Hall, on the 12th day of November, 1878, and thus may be ac- counted among the younger generation of financiers. His first school- ing was received in the district school of Elm Hall, Michigan, and no matter what the weather, he every day walked two miles to the school house. His parents. George H. and Laura A. (Van Lenven) Oliver, were natives of Michigan. The father eventually left the farm and took up his residence in Elm Hall village, where he became a druggist. The subject finished the second year of the higher department of the Elm Hall school, and then went to Mt. Pleasant where he completed the elev- enth and twelfth grades. Thus in his earlier youth he knew the happy, wholesome experiences of country life and the peculiar joys of sitting behind a desk in the district school room.
Mr. Oliver's banking experience dates from a day somewhat preced- ing his majority. In 1897 he entered the banking house of Webber & Ruel, of Mt. Pleasant and remained within its portals for about two years, proving an efficient assistant. He then entered the law depart- ment of the University of Michigan, but on account of poor health he was obliged to give up his preparation for the profession, which it had been his ambition to adopt. He returned to Elm Hall and having re- mained there for a period of six months, he again took up his residence in Mt. Pleasant and resumed his position in the bank. After a time he was engaged to go to Coleman, Michigan, to act as a cashier of a bank there, but again ill health interfered with his plans and he went to Elm Hall to recuperate. Having in a measure regained his health he went to Mt. Pleasant for a short time and engaged as assistant cashier in a bank. In the meantime he had become quite familiar with the banking business in all its details and he went to Mesick, Wexford county, Michigan, where he organized the Bank of Mesiek and conducted it for five years. This he subsequently sold and took up his residence at Farwell, as pre- viously noted. His connection with the Farwell Banking Company has
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been of the most satisfactory character, for he is an efficient, alert and well-trained banker and has taken an active part in building up the institution.
On the 14th day of July, 1904, Mr. Oliver laid the foundation of a happy household and congenial life companionship, by his union with Miss Jessie Crouse, of Remus, Michigan. Mrs. Oliver is a native of Mich- igan and her father, William Crouse, was a well-known lumberman and native of Ohio.
Mr. Oliver has ever taken an interest in public affairs and can ever be relied upon to give his support to all such measures as are likely to contribute to the general prosperity and progress. While living in Me- sick he was treasurer of the town and at the present time he is a mem- ber of the village council of Farwell. He is a prominent and popular lodge man, holding membership in the time-honored Masonic order, the Knights of Pythias, and the Michigan State Grange. Mrs. Oliver is pleasantly affiliated with the Eastern Star and she like her husband is a member of the State Grange. The subject is liberal in church matters and gives hand and heart to the men and measures of the Republican party. He is personally interested in the agricultural prosperity of Northern Michigan and is the owner of two farms,-one of three hundred acres located in Wexford county, and under the most successful culti- vation, and eighty acres in another section of the same county. He is, in short, a most valuable and representative member of society and he and his admirable wife are held in high regard by all those who know them best.
The father, George H. Oliver, who now resides at Elm Hall, was one of the noble host of young men who risked their lives for the defense of the Union during the dread days of the Civil war. He enlisted in 1864 as a member of the Twelfth Michigan Volunteer Infantry, and was dis- charged at the close of the war.
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