USA > Michigan > Allegan County > A twentieth century history of Allegan County, Michigan > Part 41
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he can always be found on hand to attend to his business. As he has car- ried on his industrial interests he has also made investment in farms, buying and selling and has thus added not a little to his income. He is a man of unfaltering enterprise, accomplishing whatever he undertakes and his labors have been crowned with a gratifying measure of success.
DR. NELSON E. LEIGIITON, engaged in the practice of medicine in Hop- kins, was born in Sodus, Wayne county, New York, on the 2d of March, 1848. His parents were Israel and Susan (Owen) Leighton, the former a native of Maine and the latter of the Empire State. They were married near Lyons, New York, and became residents of Michigan in 1853, settling upon a farm in Wakeshma township, Kalamazoo county. The father was a stone mason and contractor but after coming to this state turned his at- tention to general agricultural pursuits, which he continuously followed until 1878. He then removed to Kalamazoo, where he lived to be nearly seventy-eight years of age. His death, however, occurred at Milbrook, Michigan, in the home of his eldest son. His wife died upon the old home- stead in 1877. They have three sons, who reached years of maturity : Charles H., a farmer living near Milbrook, Mecosta county, Michigan ; Nel- son E., of this review, and the Rev. Andrew F. Leighton, a minister of the Christian church, now located at Dover, North Carolina.
Nelson E. Leighton was a lad of five summers when brought by his parents to Michigan, and in the public schools he acquired his educa- tion, while in the summer months he worked in the fields. He remained upon the home farm until eighteen years of age and then engaged in teach- ing near the home place. He afterward attended the seminary at Colon, Michigan, for a year and spent two years as a teacher in a private school near the old home. Subsequently he resumed his studies in the Sodus (New York) Academy, and in March, 1873. returned to Michigan. Here he supplemented his more specifically literary education by the study of medicine in Ann Arbor, where he remained as a student for a year. He likewise studied for a time in Rush Medical College, of Chicago, and was graduated from the Long Island Hospital at Brooklyn, New York, with the class of 1881. He had fine hospital experience there, which was a val- uable supplement to the theoretical knowledge of the class-room and thus he was well equipped for the profession which he had chosen as a life- work.
In the meantime Dr. Leighton had entered upon the practice of his profession at Hopkins, where he has since remained, with the exception of a brief period of one and a half years. He now has a wide practice and is acknowledged one of the able members of the medical fraternity in this part of the state. He belongs to the State Medical Society, and for twelve years has been a member of the pension examining board for Allegan county. He keeps in touch with the progress of the profession through wide reading and research and is a physician of broad knowledge and su- perior skill.
On the 2d of October, 1878, Dr. Leighton was married to Miss Frances Butler, a native of New York, who was a telegraph operator at Kalamazoo. They now have one child, Bruce R., who was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Philosophy from the Kalamazoo Baptist College, in the class of 1906.
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Dr. Leighton is a stalwart Republican and takes an active interest in the work of the party. He has also served as a member of the Republican county committee and does all in his power to promote the growth and in- sure the success of the principles which he advocates. He is likewise prom- inent in fraternal circles, holding membership with the Masons, the Elks and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and in the last named he has filled all of the chairs in the local lodge. He is also connected with the Knights of the Maccabees and has represented the local tent in the grand lodge. Dr. Leighton has spent almost his entire life in this state and he early became imbued with the spirit of enterprise and progress which has been the dominant factor in the rapid and substantial upbuilding of the commonwealth. The same spirit of advancement has been manifest in his professional career, in which he has gained a creditable place.
C. ELMER WOLFINGER, postmaster of Hopkins and a prominent repre- sentative of its mercantile interests as a member of the firm of Wolfinger & Gilligan, druggists, has been a resident of this town for twenty-seven years and has been closely associated with its progress and upbuilding. He was born at Milton, Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, on the 30th of July, 1857, and when eight years of age accompanied his parents on their removal to Fremont, Ohio, where they lived for three years. In 1868 they became residents of St. Joseph county, Michigan, and after three years spent upon a farm there located at Mottville. Mr. Wolfinger is indebted to the public school system for the educational privileges which he enjoyed. He began to clerk when sixteen years of age and continued business life in that way until he embarked in business on his own account. For twenty- seven years he has been a resident of Hopkins, at which time he entered the general store of J. W. Braginlon, where he remained for four years. He afterward clerked for three years longer in Hopkins and then opened his present business nineteen years ago, at which time the firm of Wolfinger & Gilligan was formed and has had a continuous existence to the present time. They have a well equipped store and carry a large and carefully selected line of goods, which find a ready sale, owing to their reasonable prices and straightforward business methods. Mr. Wolfinger not only fig- ures conspicuously in mercantile circles but has also been prominent in public life as the postmaster at Hopkins, having filled the position for thir- teen years under the administrations of Presidents Harrison. Mckinley and Roosevelt. There are three rural routes radiating from Hopkins and on their establishment two other postoffices of the county were discontinued. His long continuance in the office proves Mr. Wolfinger's capability and fidelity.
When twenty-seven years of age the marriage of Mr. Wolfinger and Miss Clara Baker was celebrated. She is a daughter of Jason Baker of Hop- kins, and was born here. This marriage has been blessed with two children, Pearl and William Oliver, the former engaged in teaching music. The family is prominent socially and has a large circle of warm friends in Hop- kins and the surrounding country. For years Mr. Wolfinger has been a devoted and exemplary member of the Masonic fraternity, in which he has served as secretary of the local lodge.
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WILLIAM G. MCCLINTOCK .- The life history of him whose name heads this sketch is closely identified with the history of Allegan county, Michi- gan, which has been his home for many years. He began his career in Michigan in its early pioneer epoch, and throughout the years which have since come and gone he has been closely allied with the interests and up- building of this section of the state, his name being prominently connected with the old stage drivers. He was born in Genesee township, Livingston county, New York, on the Ist of September, 1832, a son of Robert and Nancy (Smith) Mcclintock, of Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, where they were married. The father was a soldier in the war of 1812, and for many years resided in Livingston county, New York, where he cleared and improved a farm, but in 1842 he left that county, where he had lived and labored for so many years, and made his way to Michigan, taking up his abode in Irving township, Barry county. He was not long permitted to enjoy his new home, however, for his death occurred six years after his removal to this state. His widow survived him for many years, dying in 1883.
William G. McClintock, whose name introduces this review, was but ten years of age when he was brought by his parents to the wilds of Mich- igan, and throughout nearly his entire life he has therefore been identified with its development and improvement, has aided in transforming its lands into rich farms, and in many other ways promoted the progress and ad- vancement. When but twelve years of age he received five dollars a month for driving a breaking team, and when he had reached the age of fifteen he started out in life on his own responsibility, thus being dis- tinctively the architect of his own fortunes. At that early age he began his career as a stage driver, first on the line from Constantine to Kalamazoo, which was owned by Patterson & Gerard and on which he continued for three years, thence from Hastings to Battle Creek and next from Kala- mazoo to Martin and on to Grand Rapids. But during the first two years on the latter line he would only drive half way to Kalamazoo, but after that made the through drive from Kalamazoo to Grand Rapids ; while dur- ing a special rush he would leave Grand Rapids in the morning, reach Kalamazoo and immediately start on the return journey, reaching his destination at the former city at nine o'clock in the evening. The old Con- cord stages were then in use, drawn by four horses, and for ten years Mr. McClintock continued as a stage driver. During the campaign of 1856 he was placed on a night line, and on one occasion while making his run the coach was overturned on a hill near Martin, and one of the passengers died from the injury which he received in the accident.
On the 10th of June, 1858, Mr. McClintock was married to Jane E. Whitney, a daughter of Ezra and Hannah H. (Dupuy) Whitney, both of New York. In 1854 they came to Allegan county, Michigan, and for many years thereafter the father conducted a hotel at Bradley. He was well known to all the old residents of this part of the state, and Mr. McClin- tock often stopped at his hotel as he was passing through the country on his stage. Previous to this time, however, Mr. Whitney had conducted a hotel at Caledonia, located on the old stage line from Battle Creek, and after removing to Bradley he continued as the proprietor of a hotel there until the advent of the railroad in 1870. His death occurred about four
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years ago, when he had reached the age of eighty-four years, and since that time his widow has resided in the home of her daughter, Mrs. Mc- Clintock, being well preserved at the good old age of eighty-four years. All of their sons are living, namely, Fred, Frank and Charles Whitney, and all make their home in Plainwell, Michigan. Two sons and three daughters have been born to Mr. and Mrs. McClintock : Charles C., who superintends the home farm; Libbie, the wife of Edwin Brewer, of Hopkins Station, Michigan ; Clyde, who operates one of his father's farms; Mabel, the wife of Charles Baughman, proprietor of a meat market at Martin, Allegan county, and Mina, who died at the age of twenty-two years.
After his marriage Mr. McClintock purchased the farm of forty acres where he now resides, located one mile west of Bradley, which he has transformed from an unbroken wilderness to its present high state of culti- vation. As the years have passed by he has also added to his original pur- chase until his landed possessions now consist of one hundred and sixty acres, eighty acres of which lies on the opposite side of the old home farm, while forty acres is located two miles west. His business career has been crowned with a well merited success. He has made good use of his op- portunities and has prospered from year to year, conducting all business matters carefully and systematically, and now in his declining days he can look back over the past with little occasion for regret.
M. W. HICKS is a prominent representative of industrial interests in Allegan county, being proprietor of the Springdale Cheese Factory at Hop- kins, an enterprise which is of much value to the community, furnishing a market to the farmers for their products, and at the same time proving a source of gratifying revenue to the owner. Mr. Hicks was born in Her- kimer county, New York, January 20, 1850. That district has long been celebrated for its cheeses and dairy products and Mr. Hicks became ex- perienced in the manufacture of butter and cheese, and in the dairy busi- ness before coming to Michigan. He conducted a dairy in Madison county, New York, for ten years, and following his removal to this state has de- voted his entire time and attention to the business, which he is now conduct- ing. The factory was established about thirty years ago and was purchased by Mr. Hicks and his nephew, Charles Carpenter, in March, 1888. The former owner was A. E. Chapman, now of Leighton township. The part- ners invested fourteen hundred and fifty dollars in the enterprise, which they conducted together until the fall of the same year, when Mr. Hicks pur- chased Mr. Carpenter's interest and has since been alone. He utilized an excess of one million pounds of milk in a season, making over one hundred thousand pounds of cheese. Each cheese which he sends out averages about forty pounds. His entire output is known as full cream cheese and is sold mainly to the wholesale trade. His enterprise is the medium whereby much money is placed in immediate circulation in this vicinity among forty milk producers, and has resulted in giving them nearly ten thousand dollars net above all expenses. This has enabled farmers to pay off mortgages and make improvements, keeping up the fertility of the land and no enterprise contributes more directly or largely to the general welfare and prosperity than does the Springdale Cheese Factory.
Mr. Hicks was married in Herkimer county, New York, in 1876, to
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Miss Pythena Cramer. His political allegiance is given to the Republican party and he has filled most of the offices in the Masonic lodge, of which he is a member. He is well known in fraternal, business and political circles as a man of worth, enjoying and meriting the esteem and confidence of all who know him. His choice of Hopkins as a favorable business location has been proven a correct one. for he has prospered in his undertakings here. He has recently erected a new residence and he has a splendidly equipped factory, supplied with all modern accessories and facilities for carrying on the business. The factory is characterized by neatness and cleanliness and the quality of its product is such as to insure a ready sale on the market at good prices.
AARON SHAFER, whose intense and well directed activity has been an important element in the improvement and upbuilding of Hopkins. has recently completed a fine business block, which is a valued addition to the village and adds much to the appearance of the business district. He is a young man thoroughly in touch with the spirit of modern business develop- ment and his record reflects credit upon Allegan, his native county. He was born November 23, 1871, upon a farm a part of which he still owns. his parents being George and Margaretha Schafer, who were reared in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The father had settled upon the old home farm when it was covered with the original growth of forest trees and there were but two houses in the vicinity. He placed seventy acres of land under cul- tivation, built three barns upon the place and otherwise improved it, con- tinuing its further development and cultivation until his death, which oc- curred in September. 1905. when he was sixty-eight years of age.
Aaron Schafer remained at home until twenty-five years of age and in the meantime acquired a good practical education in the public schools and also learned the carpenter's trade. His father was also a carpenter by trade. and for four years had carried on business as a contractor. He erected the buildings upon his own farm and his mechanical ingenuity seems to have been inherited by his son Aaron. The latter's business interests are largely represented by his investments in Hopkins, where he has recently completed a fine block fifty by eighty feet and two stories with basement. It is built of cement veneer and is divided into two store rooms, cach twenty-five by eighty feet, while the new postoffice is reached through a side entrance. The ceiling is of steel and the floors of hard wood. The second floor. thirty by fifty feet. is divided into six rooms, and the rear, fifty by fifty feet. is ar- ranged for the Masonic hall. The block cost about seven thousand dollars and is heated by steam. It is one of the finest business structures in the village. Mr. Schafer also owns fifteen acres of the old home place, which he has platted, making a good addition to the village. Watchful of busi- ness opportunities and possessing enterprise and energy that are not thwarted by obstacles or difficulties in his path he is constantly making progress in the business world and his efforts have been richly rewarded. His political support is given to the Democracy.
WILLIAM F. NICOLAI, whose intense and well directed activity has led to the upbuilding of one of the leading business concerns of Hopkins, has extended the scope of his labors and is now dealing in flour, feed. grain and
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hay, and operating the elevator at this point. He is one of the native sons of the county, having been born in Monterey township, on the 23d of De- cember, 1871. His father, John Nicolai, is still living upon the old home farm in that township and is accounted one of the representative agricul- turists of the community. William F. Nicolai spent the days of his boy- hood and youth upon the old homestead and after acquiring his education engaged upon his business career as a clerk, spending seven or eight years in the employ of W. H. Dendel in his store at Hopkins. He then started his present business four years ago, opening simply a warehouse with ma- chinery. That was destroyed by fire on the 2d of February, 1905, causing a loss of nearly one thousand dollars, but with characteristic energy Mr. Nicolai at once began rebuilding and erected a cement structure thirty by sixty feet and two stories in height, with new and improved feed ma- chinery and an elevator with twenty-eight horsepower gas engine. He has about four thousand dollars invested in the plant. He handles grain quite extensively, shipping thirty thousand bushels of wheat in 1905. He also handles that much grain which is made into feed for the local trade. He does an annual business of forty thousand dollars and his trade is con- stantly growing. He has been very successful since starting out on his own account and although he suffered through the fire he has steadily ad- vanced in his business life and is now in control of a profitable enterprise.
Mr. Nicolai was married in 1895 to Miss Emma Lohmolder, who died a year and a half later, in 1897. In 1899, Mr. Nicolai was married to Miss Lizzie Schwartz, who was born in Germany, and they have three children, Hulda, Leta and Cleo. In his political views Mr. Nicolai is a stalwart Dem- ocrat but without aspiration for office. Fraternally he is connected with the National Protective Legion. He has made a creditable record during his connection with the business interests of Hopkins, displaying enterprise and keen discernment whereby he is enabled to overcome difficulties and ob- stacles and make steady progress on the high road to success.
JOHN GOODELL, a resident of Hopkins, Michigan, who for many years has figured prominently in the history of the county in connection with its development and growth, was born in Palmyra, Wayne county, New York, March 15. 1824. and has therefore passed the eighty-second milestone on life's journey. His father, Nathaniel Goodell, was a native of Vermont, and served in the war of 1812. He was married in the Green Mountain state and soon after the close of hostilities in the second war with England he settled in New York. His wife bore the maiden name of Ellen Simpson. When their son John was twelve years of age they removed to Erie county, New York, settling on a farm about twenty-four miles south of Buffalo. He secured four hundred acres of land in the midst of the forest and lived a life of activity and enterprise. He died at the very venerable age of eighty-four years. His wife died at the age of seventy-nine, after passing her last days in the home of her son John in Monterey township. Allegan county, Michigan. In their family were ten children, of whom one son died in Ohio. One daughter went to Indiana and one to eastern Michigan, while seven became residents of Allegan county. Samuel, who died in Cheshire township at the age of seventy-six years on the old home farm that he had cleared from the wilderness, was one of the pioneers of this part of the
MRS. JOHN GOODELL
JOHN GOODELL
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state. He had been a resident of Cheshire township for ten years prior to the arrival of the other members of the family in this county and in fact was one of the first white settlers of the township. His family are all now scat- tered, none being left in this county. Moses, after living for some years in Allegan county, went to the west but returned to Michigan in his old age and died in Monterey township, at the age of eighty-four. Nathaniel followed farming in Monterey township from 1847 and owned a well de- veloped property. He died at the age of seventy-six years. John is the fourth of the family. Helen became the wife of James Stannard, who fol- lowed farming in Allegan and Van Buren counties, Michigan, but both are now deceased. Lydia is the widow of H. W. Durand, of Heath township, who was a veteran of the Civil war and died in 1906. She survives and is living in Mill Grove, Michigan. Louisa is the widow of Elizer Hogmire, and lives at Matawan, Van Buren county.
As previously stated, John Goodell was a youth of twelve years at the time of the removal of the family to Erie county. When sixteen years of age he went to Geauga county, Ohio, settling thirty miles east of Cleveland, where he was employed at farm labor. In 1844 the family came to Allegan county, settling in what was then Trowbridge township but is now Cheshire township, about fifteen miles southwest of the village of Allegan. John Goodell is the only surviving son of the family and after coming to Michi- gan he assisted in the arduous task of developing a new farm. In 1845 he married Miss Rosanna Cooley, whose parents were Royal and Sabra Cooley, both of Vermont, where Rosanna was born. They removed to Geauga county, Ohio, and were neighbors of the Goodell family there, so that the young couple had been acquainted for fifteen years at the time of their mar- riage. In 1845 the Cooley family had also come to Allegan county, driving an ox team across the country and settling as near neighbors to the Goodell family in Trowbridge township. Mr. Goodell had but thirty dollars at the time of his marriage but he possessed a stout heart and willing hands and resolutely set to work to make a home for his bride. He worked in the woods, cutting logs by the day or took jobs at clearing land and within two years he made enough money to buy forty acres of land for one hundred dollars, or two dollars and a half per acre. He and his brother bought eighty acres together. This lay in Monterey township about a mile north of the center. It was rolling land covered with heavy timber, including beech and maple trees. This was a wild and unimproved district. His home was the last on the border and it was sixteen miles to his nearest neighbor on the north. There were only two houses to the east between his home and Wayland, a distance of twelve miles, but Deacon Briggs lived three-quarters of a mile to the south, although the place was reached only by an old Indian trail. Mr. Goodell's first house was a substantial log cabin with a brick fireplace and brick chimney. He hauled the brick from Alle- gan a distance of nine miles. He worked for others in the winter to gain ready money, and the first winter helped clear forty acres of land. The next spring. when the town of Holland was started twenty miles away, he helped build the first house there. A shipload of emigrants from Holland, numbering three hundred families, had landed in the woods at the end of Macatawa Bay. Six settlers, including John and Nathaniel Goodell went to the emigrants to help them build their houses there. This was the sum-
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mer of 1848, and Mr. Goodell worked there during the season. As oppor- tunity offered he also cleared his own place and raised potatoes among the stumps. He thus worked for two years until he had cleared a sufficient amount whereon to raise crops that would yield him a living. He would chop down the trees and cut them up and with the exception of assistance received for a half day he did his logging all alone with a yoke of unbroken steers. When a sufficient amount had been cleared he worked on his place all of the time save during the harvest seasons when he would accept em- ployment from others. His family remained upon the farm all through this time and while he and his brother Nathaniel were absent their two wives lived together.
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