USA > Michigan > A history of the northern peninsula of Michigan and its people; its mining, lumber and agricultural industries, Volume III > Part 22
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Mr. Brown married first, in 1884, Carrie Metcalf, who passed to the life beyond in 1896. He married second Mary Lallie. Politically Mr. Brown is a Republican, and fraternally he belongs to Crystal Falls Lodge No. 385, F. & A. M .; to Crystal Falls Chapter No. 129, R. A. M .; and to Hugh McCurdy Commandery No. 43, K. T.
ED. STEVENS is acting manager of the Musselman Grocer Co. Branch of the National Grocer Company at Sault Ste. Marie. He is a member of the different branches of the Masonic fraternity represented in his home city, serving as Eminent Commander of Sault Ste. Marie Commandery, High Priest of Sault Ste. Marie Chapter and Worthy Patron of "Queen of the North" Chapter, O. E. S .; is also a member of Ahmed Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S. of Marquette.
DONALD W. MCDOUGALL .- Under the title of the McDougall Mer- cantile Company the subject of this review conducts and is the owner of a fine department store in the city of Munising, Alger county, and his establishment is recognized as the most important of its kind in this county, controlling a large and representative patronage. He is known as a reliable and enterprising business man and as a loyal and progressive citizen, well exemplifying the sterling traits of the sturdy race from which he is descended as he is of Scottish ancestry.
Donald William McDougall was born in Bruce county, province of Ontario, Canada, on the 29th of June, 1867, and is a son of Hugh and Mary (Walker) McDougall, both of whom were likewise born in that province. The father died in 1900, at the age of sixty-four years, and the mother now resides at Munising, Michigan. Of the three children the subject of this sketch is the eldest: Matilda is the wife
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of George M. Evans, of Munising, Michigan; and Ellen is the wife of Dr. Charles C. Stone, of Romeo, this state. Hugh MeDougall was a successful merchant at Allanford, Ontario, for nearly a quarter of a century, and was one of the honored and influential citizens of his community. He was a consistent member of the Presbyterian church, of which his widow also is a member.
Donald W. MeDougall is indebted to the public schools of his native county for his early educational discipline and as a boy he be- gan to assist in the work of his father's store. Later he was employed as a clerk in a mercantile establishment at Owen Sound, Ontario, for a period of two years, at the expiration of which he removed to Eddy's Mills, Ontario, where he was engaged in the general merchandise busi- ness from 1890 until 1896, in which latter year he removed to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and established his home at Munising, where he erected the first stone business block and where he estab- lished himself in the general merchandise business under the firm name of MeDougall, Smith & Company. His associates were S. M. Smith, G. M. Smith, H. Smith, and this alliance continued until 1901, when he purchased his partners' interest in the enterprise, which he has since successfully conducted under the title of the MeDougall Mer- cantile Company. In the large and well equipped establishment are handled the following lines of dry-goods, groceries and boots and shoes, and a meat market is also conducted in connection with the enterprise. Mr. McDougall is recognized as the leading merchant of his city and his genial personality and sterling integrity have given him a secure hold upon the confidence and esteem of the community. He is at the present time president of the local business men's organi- zation and is president of the board of education. He is a stanch Re- publican in his political proclivities and both he and his wife hold membership in the Presbyterian church.
On the 15th of February, 1893, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. McDougall to Miss Rebeccah Logan, who was born at Owen Sound, province of Ontario, and who is a daughter of James and Lucinda Logan, both of whom are now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. McDougall have three children,-Gladys, Russell and Hugh.
JOHN P. PETERMANN .- Through his own well directed efforts it has been given Colonel John P. Petermann to achieve a place of distinctive prominence and influence in connection with the industrial and civic affairs of the Upper Peninsula, which section of Michigan has repre- sented his home from the time of his nativity, and he stands, to-day, as one of the leading business men of Houghton and Keweenaw counties. He is the senior member of the firm of J. P. Petermann Company, which conducts well equipped general merchandise stores at Allouez, Kear- sarge, Phoenix, Mohawk, Gay and Mandan, and he gives a general supervision to these interests, in addition to which he has identified him- self with other industrial enterprises of marked importance. The colonel has the distinction of being a veteran of the Spanish-American war and was long and prominently identified with the Michigan National Guard, through his services in which he gained his present military title. He maintains his home in the attractive little village of Laurium, Houghton county, though he divides his time between the various towns in which he has business interests.
Colonel John P. Petermann was born in Ontonagon county. Michigan. in the year 1863, and is a son of Ferdinand D. and Caroline S. (Bast) Petermann. The father established his home in the Upper Peninsula of
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Michigan more than half a century ago and here was long and prom- inently identified with the great copper-mining industry, in connection with which he held positions of marked trust and responsibility, includ- ing that of mining captain with the famous Calumet & Hecla Mining Company. He retired from active business associations about the year 1888 and removed to the city of Buffalo, New York, returning to the copper country in 1905. He and his wife are zealous members of the Lutheran church and he is an uncompromising Republican in his polit- ical proclivities. He is one of the sterling pioneers of the Upper Penin- sula and his name merits an enduring place on the roll of the worthy citizens who have contributed to the development and upbuilding of this favored section of the Wolverine state. Concerning his children the fol- lowing brief data are given : George H., who died in 1904, was associated with his brother, John P., in mercantile business and at the time of his death had charge of one of the stores of the firm; John P., the subject of this review, is the oldest of family ; Fernando D. is individually men- tioned on other pages of this work; Albert E. a member of the well known law firm of Kerr & Petermann, of Calumet, is recognized as one of the representative members of the bar of the Upper Peninsula and is now serving as prosecuting attorney of his county; Caroline is the wife of Rev. Frederick B. Arnold, who is a clergyman of the Lutheran church, and they now reside at Laurium, Michigan; and the youngest daughter, Emma, is with her parents at Kearsarge, Michigan.
Colonel Petermann was five years of age at the time of his parents' removal from Ontonagon county to Calumet, Houghton county, in which thriving little mining city he was reared to adult age, there receiving the advantages of the public schools. For a number of years after leaving school he was in the employ of the Calumet & Hecla Mining Company and during a considerable portion of this period he held the position of locomotive engineer. He finally severed his connection with the company and showed his initiative power and ambition by establish- ing a general store at Allouez, where he began his independent business career in the year 1891. He brought to bear distinctive energy and executive ability and his success in his first venture soon warranted his establishing stores at Mohawk, Kearsarge, Phoenix, Gay and Mandan. He has thus become one of the representative business men of the Upper Peninsula and the various mercantile enterprises are conducted under the firm name of J. P. Petermann. The colonel has found other lines along which to direct his splendid energies. He is president of the Lake Superior Produce and Cold Storage Company, which was organized in April, 1899, and which has built up a large and renumerative business with offices and general headquarters in the city of Houghton. He is also a director of the State Savings Bank of Laurium ; is president of the Keweenaw Savings Bank, at Mohawk ; president of the Keweenaw Print- ing Company, and he has given his encouragement and aid in the pro- motion of other enterprises of distinctive value to this section of the country. He is known as a business man of marked acumen and his careful methods and sterling integrity. as combined with his genial per- sonality, have gained him unqualified popularity in the Upper Peninsula, which has represented his home from the time of his birth and in which he has pressed forward to the goal of large and worthy success.
In politics Colonel Petermann is found aligned as a stalwart in the camp of the Republican party and he has given effective service in be- half of its cause in a local way. He has been called upon to serve in minor offices of local trust, including that of supervisor of Allonez town- ship, Keweenaw county. Both he and his wife are members and zealous supporters of the Lutheran church.
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For fully a score of years Colonel Petermann was actively identified with the Michigan National Guard and, in 1898, at the inception of the Spanish-American war, he volunteered with his command for services in the same. He was chosen colonel of the Fifth regiment of the Michigan National Guard and he was mustered into the United States service as a member of the Thirty-fourth Michigan Volunteer Infantry, in which he likewise held the office of colonel and with which he served in the Cuban campaign. His regiment passed fifty-two days in Cuba and took an active part in the first engagement at San Juan. He was mustered out with his regiment in September, 1898, but the colonel did not receive his final discharge until the 1st of January, 1899, having continued his identification with the Michigan National Guard for the intervening year and having then resigned his commission as colonel. He was known as a most capable tactician and commanding officer and had the unqualified esteem of all the members of his regiment.
In 1890 was solemnized the marriage of Colonel Petermann to Miss Ida Bollmann, the adopted daughter of Ernest Bollmann, who was one of the representative business men of the village of Lanrium, of which he formerly served as president, and of this union were born eight chil- dren, namely : Philip, Paul, Karl, Lydia, George, Ida, Daniel and Martha. All of the children are living except Lydia, who died in 1908.
HON. LEWIS T. STERLING .- Prominent and active in public affairs, possessing marked business ability and judgment, Hon. Lewis T. Ster- ling, of Iron Mountain, ranks high among the more valued citizens of his community, which he is now representing in the state legislature. He is associated with many of the leading enterprises of the city, and is an extensive dealer in real estate, and an authority on insurance matters. A native of New York, he was born, October 7, 1851, in Gouverneur, St. Lawrence county, and is a lineal descendant of one of the early Scotch settlers of Massachusetts. A family genealogy, pub- lished by Albert M. Sterling, says that the branch of the family from which the American Sterlings sprung was living in Scotland in the year 830, from there moving to England, where William Sterling, the emigrant ancestor, was born, his birth occurring in 1637.
On coming to America William Sterling settled in Bradford, Es- sex county, Massachusetts, and the pioneer records of that town show that he was a mariner, and a ship carpenter, and also a miller. He became owner of land in different towns in Essex county, acquiring considerable property. He subsequently removed to Connecticut, and spent his last years at Lyme, in whose ancient burying ground his tombstone is still standing. He was four times married and reared several children. His son Daniel, who spelled the name "Starling," was the next in line of descent.
Daniel Starling was twenty-four years old when the family re- moved to Lyme, Connecticut. He became an extensive landholder, and was prominent in military and public affairs. serving as an officer in the militia, and was a deacon in the Third Church of Christ. An in- ventory of his property shows that he was a slave holder. He married Mrs. Mary Ely, and their son, Joseph, was the succeeding ancestor. Born June 30, 1707, Joseph Starling married Sarah Mack, a daughter of John Mack, a life-long resident of Lyme, Connecticut, and the line was continued through their son, Capt. William Sterling, who re- sumed the original spelling of the family name.
Captain William Sterling was born, May 28, 1743, in Lyme, and died July 22, 1805. He was influential in the management of public
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affairs, and served as captain of the Sixth Company, Train Band, Third Regiment State Militia. He married Jemima Sill, a daughter of Thomas and Jemima (Dudley) Sill. The next in line of descent was their son, Col. William Sterling, who was born May 16, 1768, and be- came a resident of Sterling City, town of Lyme, Connecticut, where his death occurred on May 10, 1827. Like his father and grandfather, he, too, was an officer in the state militia, serving as colonel. He mar- ried Jerusha Ely, a daughter of Robert and Jerusha Ely. She sur- vived him, and spent her last days with a son and daughter in Gouver- neur, New York, passing away May 27, 1839.
Their son, William Erastus Sterling, Mr. Sterling's father, was born in Lyme, Connecticut, June 4, 1801, and was there brought up and educated. Removing to Gouverneur, New York, about 1830, he engaged in mercantile pursuits, and was also interested in iron mines. A man of decided opinions, he wielded much influence in public af- fairs, and was held in high regard as a man and as a citizen. He died March 5, 1861, aged three score years. His wife, whose maiden name was Octavia Parsons, was born at Scipio, New York, a daughter of Lewis B. and Lucretia (Hobart) Parsons. She passed to the higher life December 25, 1881, leaving six children, namely : Maria E., Emily P., Francis J., William E., Anna L., and Lewis T.
Receiving his common school and academical education in Gouver- neur, New York, Lewis T .. Sterling subsequently attended Olivet Col- lege, in Olivet, Michigan, completing his studies at Washington Uni- versity, in St. Louis, Missouri. Embarking then in commercial pur- suits, he resided for a while in Rochester, New York, from there go- ing to New York City, where he remained a short time. Returning to Gouverneur, he was there engaged in the insurance, real estate and loan business for a number of years. Coming to Iron Mountain, Michi- gan, in 1891, Mr. Sterling accepted a position as manager of the in- surance department of the First National Bank, with which he was connected for some time. When the United States Steel Corporation was formed, Mr. Sterling was selected as an expert to make rates for its insurance department in the mining districts, his knowledge of such matters rendering him an authority on the subject. At the pres- ent time he is successfully conducting a real estate and insurance busi- ness which was established sixteen years ago, and is also serving as secretary and treasurer of the Iron Mountain Electric Light and Power Company, and is active in all public matters.
Mr. Sterling married, June 26, 1882, Elizabeth Borden Nichols, a daughter of Rev. James and Sarah Jane Nichols. A life-long Re- publican in politics, Mr. Sterling was elected to the state legislature in 1908, and is serving with credit to himself, and to the honor of his constituents.
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ARCHIBALD MCEACHERN has been a resident of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for thirty years, and has been prominently identified with the industrial and social development and upbuilding of Mackinac county. Here he reclaimed a fine farm from the wilderness and he is now the owner of fully fifteen hundred acres of valuable land in the Upper Peninsula. He has also been actively concerned with the lum- ber industry and has won a large and worthy success through his own well directed efforts, having so ordered his course as to merit and re- tain the confidence and high regard of his fellow men.
Archibald McEachern was born in Argyleshire, Scotland, on the 10th of January, 1844, and is a son of Duncan and Ann (Keith) Mc-
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Eachern, both of whom were likewise born in Argyleshire. Duncan Mc Eachern was a blacksmith by trade and in 1852 he immigrated with his family to America and established his home in the province of On- tario, Canada. In 1859 he secured a tract of wild land in Lambton county, Ontario, opposite the present city of Port Huron, Michigan, on the St. Clair river. There he developed a valuable farm and there both he and his wife continued to reside until their death. He was more than eighty years of age when he was summoned from the scene of his mortal activities and his wife attained to the age of eighty-six years. They became the parents of four sons and five daughters, of whom four sons and one daughter are now living, the subject of this sketch being the eldest child. The father was made a member of the Masonic fraternity in his native land and both he and his wife were devout members of the Baptist church.
Archibald MeEachern gained his rudimentary education in the schools of his native land and was eight years of age at the time of the family removal to America. He continued to attend school in the province of Ontario until he was fifteen years of age and he gave zealous aid to his father in the reclaiming and improving of the home farm, with whose work and management he continued to be associated until he had attained the age of twenty-six years, when he identified himself with lumber operations in Lambton county, Ontario. He finally erected a stave factory in the village of Waterford, Ontario, and in 1870 the property was destroyed by fire with no insurance in- demnity. Shortly afterward Mr. McEachern purchased a saw mill at Dutton, Ontario, where he became a member of the firm of Miller & McEachern, which there continued operations until 1874, when Mr. McEachern erected a flouring mill in the same town. He operated the mill until 1876 and thereafter was engaged in the hotel business at Dutton until 1879, when he went to Kentucky and engaged in buying black walnut timber. In the autumn of 1880 he came to the Upper Peninsula and turned his attention to the getting out of cedar ties and pine logs on St. Joseph Island, in the St. Mary's River. In the spring of the following year he established his home in Ozark, where for three years he held the position of woods foreman in the plant of the Martell Furnace Company. In the autumn of 1881 he secured a homestead claim of one hundred and sixty acres of wild land in New- ton township and in the autumn of 1884 he and his family established their home on this land. Their residence was a log house of the type common to the pioneer days and Mr. McEachern states that some of the happiest years of his life were passed in this domicile, though he and his family necessarily endured the vissicitudes and hardships in- cidental to the reclaiming of new land in a sparsely settled section. Mr. McEachern has developed one of the valuable farms of the county and on his original homestead, where he still resides, he has erected substantial modern buildings, including a large and attractive resi- dence. To his original holdings he has added until he now has fif- teen hundred acres of land all located in Mackinac county. He has labored zealously to raise the standard of agriculture and stock-grow- ing in this section of the state and he shipped the first carload of cat- tle from Corinne on the line of the Sault Ste. Marie & Minneapolis Railroad. He has given special attention to the raising of standard- bred short-horn cattle and he has been continuously identified with the lumber industry during the entire period of his residence in the Upper Peninsula.
Mr. McEachern has shown a loyal and public-spirited interest in
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all that touches the welfare of his home county and state and he has been given distinctive mark of public confidence and esteem. In 1886 he was elected clerk of Newton township, an office in which he served two terms, after which he served two terms as township treasurer, re- signing this office at the time of his election to the state legislature, in 1902. He well represented the interests of his home county and of the entire Upper Peninsula during his one term of service in the state legislature and he has also given service in the office of justice of the peace. He is a stalwart adherent of the Republican party and is well fortified in his views as to matters of public polity. At the primaries held September 6, 1910, Mr. McEachern received the nomination for state representative, Schoolcraft district.
In the Masonic fraternity he is affiliated with the Lakeside Lodge No. 371, Free & Accepted Masons, at Manistique, where he also holds membership in Manistique Chapter No. 127, Royal Arch Masons; and Hiawatha Council, Royal and Select Masters. He also holds member- ship in Escanaba Commandery No. 47, Knights Templar, and De Witt Clinton Consistory, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, in the city of Grand Rapids, in which body he has attained to the thirty-second de- gree; in the same city he is also identified with Saladin Temple, An- cient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He is a mem- ber of the Manistique Lodge No. 632, Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks, and is identified with other social organizations of represen- tative character.
On the 1st of May, 1873, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Me- Eachern to Miss Mary Love, who was born in Elgin county, province of Ontario, Canada, and who died at the old homestead in Mackinac county, Michigan, on the 7th of September, 1906. She was a daughter of Archibald and Margaret (Thompson) Love, both of whom were natives of Argyleshire, Scotland, where the father's family has occu- pied one farm for more than three centuries. Archibald Love came to America in 1849 and located in Elgin county, Ontario, where he con- tinued to be identified with agricultural pursuits until his death, which occurred in 1872. His widow long survived him and was summoned to the life eternal in 1898. Mr. and Mrs. McEachern became the parents of eight children, concerning whom the following brief record is given,-Archibald L. is engaged in lumbering at Hunt Spur; Chris- tina A. is the wife of Donald McLean and they reside at Gould City ; Duncan S. is engaged in farming at home; Margaret died in infancy ; Neil P. is engaged in farming in Alberta, northwestern Canada, where he has a farm of six hundred acres; Donald K. is associated with his father in the work of the farm; Catherine is a member of the class of . 1912 in the high school at Manistique; and Alexander J. remains at the paternal home.
JOSEPH J. O'CONNOR .- A man of marked ability and talent, Joseph J. O'Connor has won for himself a firm position among the successful attorneys of the Upper Peninsula, having built up a remunerative prac- tice at L'Anse. A native of this thriving village, he was born March 29, 1880, a son of Jolin O'Connor.
John O'Connor was born in 1841 in Ireland, and he spent his early life in the Emerald Isle. At an early age he came to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where his sister resided, and attended school there for a number of years. Having completed his education he went to Boston, New York and St. John. New Brunswick, to visit relatives, returning to Boston on November 6, 1861, and on November 13th he shipped on
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board the gun boat "Sagamore" in the United States navy for three years, during which time his ship was engaged in the gulf squadron in blockade service on the coast of Florida. He was honorably discharged from the navy at Philadelphia on December 15, 1864, after having served three years and six months.
In 1865 he came directly to the Upper Peninsula, locating in Hough- ton where he was for some time a mine contractor, later being a con- tractor in the building of the Lake Superior ship canal, likewise in the building of the M. H. & O. Railway from Marquette to L'Anse.
Settling as a pioneer in L'Anse, he became influential as a public official, and served not only as register of deeds, but for twelve years was county clerk of Baraga county. He died at L'Anse in 1898. John O'Connor married Maria Dillon, who was born in Ireland, a daughter of Patrick and Mary (O'Brien) Dillon. Mrs. O'Connor is still living in L'Anse. She reared six children, as follows: Elizabeth, deceased, mar- ried Alfred Gorsbeck, also now deceased, and he was a lumberman of Ashland, Wisconsin; Rebecca, deceased; Molly, Helen, Rose and Joseph J.
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