A twentieth century history of Allegan County, Michigan, Part 58

Author: Thomas, Henry Franklin, 1843-1912
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 808

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Trayton Page was a little lad of eleven years when he crossed the At- lantic in company with his uncle, and upon arriving in Michigan he be- came a member of the latter's household, and here he was reared and edu- cated as if he were an own child. He remained with his uncle until his uncle's death. Mr. Page inherited his fine farm of one hundred and twenty- seven and one-half acres, and with the exception of five acres on section fourteen, all is situated on section thirteen, Watson township. Here he has since engaged in general agricultural pursuits and he makes the raising of pure blooded cattle an important feature of his business interests. Since coming into possession of this property Mr. Page has remodeled all of the buildings, and now has one of the finest country residences in this section of the county, in the rear of which stands a large barn and many outbuild- ings for the shelter of grain and stock, and altogether it is a well kept and valuable farm property. All but sixty-five acres of the land is under culti- vation, and each year he gathers good crops as a reward for the care and labor he bestows upon the fields, for he uses only the latest improved ma- chinery to facilitate his work and is progressive in his ideas and methods of carrying on his business affairs.

Wishing to establish a home of his own, Mr. Page was married, May 1, 1878, the lady of his choice bearing the name of Miss Lucy Townsend, who was also a native of Sussex county, England, and a daughter of Sam- uel and Sarah (Siggs) Townsend, likewise natives of the fatherland, who emigrated to America in 1871, first making a settlement in Martin town- ship, Allegan county. After a few years the family removed to Watson township, locating on a farm on section thirteen. The father passed away at Cadillac, Michigan, at the age of fifty years, and the mother still survives and makes her home on the farm where her husband died.

Mr. and Mrs. Page have become the parents of a son and two daugh-

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ters, Pearl E., Earl I., and Marion E. They also reared two nieces of Mr. Page, Carrie and Nellie Honeysett, who are now married.

Mr. Page gives his political support to the principles of Democracy and is quite active in the local ranks of his party, having served for twenty-four consecutive years as assessor of district No. 3, and in April, 1905, he was elected as justice of the peace, and his duties in this office are ever dis- charged in a straightforward and impartial manner.

OTSEGO.

The origin of the village of Otsego has been described on other pages. The platting of a village and the concentration of business and other activi- ties followed naturally upon the development of the water power. The plat, which was completed December 22, 1836, is the most important early rec- ord of the village. It shows the bridge which had just been completed across the river at that point, the dam and mill race, roads converging in all directions, and appended to the plat is the following statement by the sur- veyor of what he considers the principal advantages of the site: "This town is situated on the rapids of the Kalamazoo river, immediately below its junction with Gun river, and at the head of steamboat navigation. The water power at Otsego is not surpassed by any in Michigan, having a fall of fifteen feet, the whole river for a race, and requiring no dam, thus af- fording sufficient power to drive any number of stones that can ever be wanted. Its peculiar location, in respect to other towns and the adjoining country, the concentration of roads leading to it, in connection with its im- mense water power, render it one of the most desirable points in Michigan."

As one of the desirable points in Michigan, Otsego has remained to this day. The Comstock enterprises led in importance for a few years, but as the village and the entire county as well advanced in prosperity beyond the point where capital counted for less in the total than individual energy and ability, village life and affairs were broadened and distributed among the bulk of the citizens. Among the residents and business men in 1840, four years after the platting of the village, were the mercantile firm of S. & S. D. Foster & Co., which began business in 1838, although S. D. Foster had been selling goods since 1836; Samuel Foster was still in the hotel busi- ness; H. H. Comstock had recently completed his flouring mill; Roswell Crane managed the sawmill and the new Exchange Hotel for the Comstock interests ; Dr. Coats in that year succeeded to the office of postmaster, which had been held by Dr. Foster; L. Buckley, the first merchant in the village, was still in business.

During the fifties a resume of the busines enterprise adds the names of George H. Foster, who had a furnace on the mill race; William Mansfield, proprietor of a sawmill; James Norton, a store and gristmill; Osmand Smith, a factory on the race, and the well known names of Joel Batchelor, T. S. Day, Orsamus Eaton, Willard Higgins.

A description of the village in 1880 spoke of several good brick busi- ness blocks, the grouping of the manufactures along the river, the large iron bridge connecting the two sides of town, and the growing importance of Otsego in manufacturing, where over 200,000 bushels of wheat was con- verted into flour each year, where there were factories for making of sash,

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HISTORY OF ALLEGAN COUNTY

doors and blinds, chair factory, fanning mills, implement factory ,and wood- turning and mechanical shops. Among the business men were still some who had been with the village since its beginnings, notably, S. D. Foster. Other merchants named were A. D. Botsford, F. K. Cloud, W. C. Edsell, Albert R. Foster, Nelson W. Mills, George B. Norton, the Rouse brothers, Charles D. Gaylord, Charles Shepherd, E. W. Sherwood, A. J. Van Wyck. Manufacturers were James M. Ballou, the Mills, Peck & Co., C. H. Prentiss & Co., Sprague & Yeckley, A. B. and C. D. Stuart, W. L. Blair, A. and P. G. Hoag, M. D. Prindle, and Edsell & Peck, private bankers. Of these firms C. H. Prentiss and P. G. Hoag are the only ones now in business.

Nearly thirty years passed after the platting of Otsego before a village incorporation was formed. Incorporation was effected by act of the legis- lature approved March 15, 1865, and the following April 15th, the first election of village officers was held. Willard Higgins, who had been lum- berman, business man and a leader in political affairs in Otsego and vicinity for a number of years, was chosen the first president, and the six trustees were William H. Ingram, Franklin Chadsey, Ethan Allen, Lenora Foster, Henry C. Houghton, Wilson C. Edsell. The principal village officers to date are given in the official lists.

For a number of years the village had no protection against fire other than the emergency bucket line and later a hand engine with hook and lad- der apparatus. Water works were installed in the eighties, being completed in 1888 and in the same year the Otsego fire company was organized. There are three hose companies, with a membership of 75, and the apparatus con- sists of three hose carts, one hose wagon, and two hand chemical engines. The officers are: Fred Schoolcraft, chief; Frank Fairfield, assistant chief ; H. Jackson, second assistant chief; William Sweetland, secretary; J. H. Lindsey, treasurer.

In 1905 a village hall, constructed of cement blocks, was completed at a cost of $5,000, being located on Farmer and Orlean streets. Since 1898 the village has had electric lighting for street and domestic purposes, the power being furnished by the Commonwealth Power Company.

Of the business firms of the village mention should be made of the fol- lowing because of the length of their business connections with the village ; Kohlenstein Bros., dry goods: Sherwood Bros., hardware: Woodbeck & Eaton, drugs ; Pipps, hardware : Miss Marcia Hall, shoe store : N. L. Travis, harness shop ; R. V. Monteith, harness shop; Henry Monteith, harness shop.

WILLARD HIGGINS, owning a farm of one hundred and twenty acres on sections one and thirty-two in Otsego township, where he conducts a mill, is one of the oldest settlers of Allegan county, dating his residence here since the fall of 1835, covering a period of more than seventy years. He is the next oldest settler in the county, Chauncey Scott, son of Giles Scott. alone being older. He was born on a farm in Amity township, Allegany county, New York. October 9. 1823. and represents one of the old families of the east, who originated from England but comes of Irish descent. His father, Jabin Strong Higgins, was born in the eastern part of New York. March 9, 1799. and was there reared and married Miss Betsey Aldrich, who was born near Cooperstown, New York, in 1801. The father conducted a sawmill in his native state, and in 1834 removed with his family to Michi-

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gan, making the overland journey, which required twenty-one days, the family home being established in Kalamazoo county, the date of their arrival being October 2d. The father followed farming in Comstock town- ship, where he made his home until March, 1836, when he moved the family to Allegan county. He and a brother had already in 1835 built the sawmill on Pine Creek above mentioned. When the family arrived here the town of Otsego contained but three houses. He was connected with building operations, erecting a house, which he conducted as a hotel for some time, this being the first regular hostelry in the village, Dr. Foster's place not being a public place in the strict sense. He and his brother Gilbert likewise built what are now known as the Leighton Mills, a mile east of where Mr. Higgins now resides, and for many years he was connected with milling and farming interests in this county. In the family of this pioneer couple were eleven children, ten of whom reached mature years, while one died when four years of age. Beside Willard there are three sons-Marvin G., Zenas A. 'and Orlin, the first and last named making their home in Otsego township, while one daughter, Mrs. Harriet Steel, resides in Plain- well. One son of the family, Hugh, served in the Civil war, enlisting in Minnesota, and his death occurred in Plainwell. The mother of this family passed away in Allegan county about 1877, at the age of seventy-six years, while the father spent the last five years of his life with his son, Willard, and died in November, 1881. Thus passed away one of the worthy pioneer couples of this portion of the state, who had aided in much of the develop- ment and progress of their home locality.

Willard Higgins was a little lad of eleven years when he accompanied his parents on their removal from New York to this state, and he still has vivid recollections of many incidents connected with the long and tedious journey. He was reared to farm life, assisting his father in the duties of the fields, and at the early age of twelve years he was employed at farm labor by others for ten dollars per month. He likewise learned the milling business from his father and has been connected with this industry to a greater or less extent throughout his entire life. He spent the period of his boyhood and youth on the home farm and there remained until he reached the age of twenty-five years, being employed the greater portion of the time by his father. He then began work on his own account by rent- ing the Forbes sawmill, in Gun Plains, which was operated by water power, conducting the enterprise for two years. He then disposed of his interests with a view of going to California, for it was during the period of the gold excitement on the Pacific coast. He, however, abandoned that idea and, having accumulated about one thousand dollars, purchased in partnership a stock of goods in the spring of 1850 and engaged in commercial pursuits in Otsego for two years, when his brother-in-law purchased the other party's interest and became a member of the firm, which so continued for one year, when, in March, 1853, the brother-in-law died, after which Mr. Higgins continued the business alone until 1855. He then disposed of his stock of merchandise and engaged in lumbering and farming for a time. He also conducted the first circular sawmill in Allegan county, conducting this enterprise until the spring of 1865, when he disposed of that business and once more entered merchandising in Otsego, conducting a general store there until 1871, in which year he failed, for this was the period fol-

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lowing the Civil war, when prices greatly depreciated and caused a finan- cial panic all over the country. In 1867 he invested twelve thousand dollars in the woolen factory, which had been established a short time before, but sold his interest therein in 1872. He also owned at one time a tract of four hundred and twenty-seven acres of land all in one body adjoining the vil- lage east and south, purchasing this in 1861, and in addition to this he owned fifty lots in the village of Otsego, but he suffered a great loss in this, for after the war prices in property also greatly depreciated. In 1876 Mr. Higgins removed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he assumed charge of a mill for one year, subsequent to which time he again returned to Allegan county, taking up his abode in Otsego township, where he pur- chased forty acres of land on which stood a mill. this constituting a portion of his present home property. He added to his original purchase from time to time until his farm embraced four hundred acres, but he has since disposed of some of it and now retains possession of one hundred and twenty acres. This he has greatly improved, erecting modern and substan- tial buildings, and his place today ranks among the valuable properties of this portion of the county. His mill and barn were destroyed by fire, which caused him a loss of four thousand dollars, as he had no insurance on the mill property. He soon rebuilt the sawmill, however, and has arranged a feed mill in connection.

Mr. Higgins has also been interested in the railroad development of this section of the state, having owned considerable stock in the Grand Trunk Railroad Company as well as in the Grand Rapids & Indiana Com- pany, but he lost several thousand dollars in these investments. He has been interested in various enterprises from an early day, and while some have proved a failure financially he has prospered in others, so that he has acquired altogether a very comfortable competence.

Mr. Higgins has been three times married. He was first wedded August 17. 1850, to Mrs. Eliza A. Cole, a native of Allegheny county, New York. who in her maidenhood bore the name of Fairwell. Her death occurred in the Allegan county home, March 1, 1884. when she had reached the age of sixty-two years, her birth occurring January 11, 1822. There was one son by this union, Morton Willard, who was born September 15, 1853. and died April 15. 1868. Mr. Higgins was married November 22, 1885. to Miss Harriet A. Blackman, who was born in Ohio, February 5. 1827, and came to Michigan with her parents in 1853, her father being John H. Blackman. Previous to her marriage she was engaged for several years in the profession of teaching, having taught for eight years in the Allegan high school. Her death occurred May 19. 1890. February 21. 1891. Mr. Higgins married Mrs. Lovinia Seymour Hurley, a daughter of Frank Seymour. She was born in Clyde township, this county, April 9, 1862. She is a niece of her husband's second wife.

Mr. Higgins supported the Whig party in early years, casting his first presidential ballot for Zachary Taylor, and upon the formation of the new Republican party he supported its principles, voting for its first presidential nominee, Fremont, and has since supported the candidates of that party. He assisted the movement to establish the first Republican newspaper in Kalamazoo county, the Telegraph. He has taken an active and helpful interest in all public affairs, holding the office of school director for many

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years, while in 1850 he was elected township clerk, filling the office for two years. In 1856 he was elected sheriff of Allegan county, being the first Republican sheriff, the nomination having been urged upon him by a com- mittee of citizens. He served in that capacity for two years, refusing a renomination. He was likewise the first president of the village of Otsego, filling the office for three or four terms, while for more than two decades he has served his school district as assessor. He has been identified with the Congregational church at Otsego since 1863, and has served as church trustee for many years. He contributed liberally to the building of the church of that denomination and has since been a heavy contributor to its support. He is identified with the Masonic order, belonging to the Blue Lodge at Otsego and the Royal Arch Chapter at Kalamazoo.

There is perhaps no man in Allegan county who has done so much for the development and upbuilding of various commercial and industrial enter- prises as Mr. Higgins. He has given both time and money, and it is due to his untiring efforts that a great majority of the public enterprises of this section of the state have met with success. When he came to Allegan county as a boy there was every evidence of frontier life to be seen. Many kinds of wild animals were still to be seen roaming over the prairies and one had ample opportunity to indulge his love of hunting. Otsego at that time contained but three houses, but as the years have passed it has now become a thriving and enterprising little village. Mr. Higgins instituted the milling business in his locality and this business has since become one of the most important in this great state. Mr. Higgins has ever followed the most reliable and straightforward methods in his business transactions and has thereby won the confidence and esteem of all with whom he has been associated. He has now passed the eighty-third milestone on life's journey and has lived in Allegan county for more than seven decades, being one of the oldest living citizens at the present time in point of con- tinuous residence in the county.

FRANK FAIRFIELD, who is filling the office of Supervisor of Otsego and is engaged in the livery business there, was born about a mile east of Allegan, July 17, 1863, and has spent his entire life in this county. His father, Abraham Fairfield, was born at Grimsby, Canada west, and when twenty-one years of age came alone to Allegan, where he spent his subse- quent years. His time and energies were always devoted to farming. He continued actively in agricultural pursuits until his life's labors were ended in death, when he was seventy-two years of age. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Mary E. Otney, was born in Sandusky county, Ohio, and is now residing in the village of Allegan. In their family were ten children, all of whom reached years of maturity.

Frank Fairfield, who was the fourth in order of birth, resided upon the home farm with his parents until thirteen years of age, aiding in the labors of the fields when not in school. He afterward spent two or three years in Kalamazoo county working as a farm hand by the month. After his marriage he began farming on his own account in Trowbridge township, Allegan county; and later lived in Montgomery township for seven years, on the expiration of which period he came to Otsego, where he has now lived for eleven years. He first engaged in the butchering business in part-

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nership with C. C. Knobloch for three years and then, selling out to his partner, was employed by others in the same line for four years. On the expiration of that period he joined his brother. Myron A. Fairfield, in the purchase of a livery stable which they have since conducted. They have a well-equipped barn, owning a number of a good horses and vehicles of various kinds. for which they find a ready rental, owing to their obliging- ness and their efforts to please their patrons, combined with their reason- able prices.

In the spring of 1905 Mr. Fairfield was elected to the office of super- visor of Otsego on the Citizens ticket. He has been a lifelong Democrat. unwavering in his fidelity to the party, and has been chosen alderman of the village, but resigned the office because of his business interests. He has never been a politician in the sense of office seeking, but on the con- trary has avoided office, and his present position of supervisor came to him unsought. He belongs to Otsego Lodge No. 78. F. & A. M .; Otsego Lodge No. 82, K. P., and Otsego Lodge No. 23, K. O. T. M.

On the 17th of September, 1884. Mr. Fairfield was united in marriage to Miss Mary E. Tompkins, a daughter of Frank and Hannah ( Kenyon) Tompkins, who came to Allegan county from Ohio and settled in Trow- bridge township, where the daughter was born. Mr. and Mrs. Fairfield now have one child, Edna L. They are both well known in the county. where their entire lives have been passed, and as the years have gone by they have grown in favor with their friends and neighbors and now have many friends in the county.

A. BRINK TUCKER, the present efficient postmaster of Otsego, is a native son of Allegan county, his birth having occurred on his father's farm two miles and a half from the village, in Otsego township, May 19. 1870, a son of Daniel and Susan C. (Brink) Tucker. Both the father and mother were natives of New York, the former having been born in Otsego county, while the latter was born in Steuben county. Both were reared in their native state and were there married, after which they came to Allegan county in 1860, locating on a farm of Otsego township, where the father followed general agricultural pursuits until his death, which occurred on the farm October 17. 1902. His widow still survives and vet makes her home on the farm. Their family numbered five children, all of whom still survive, namely: Fannie, the wife of Allison Richmond, of Otsego town- ship; Mary. the wife of E. S. Hicks, of Gun Plains township: Hattie, the wife of Dorric Hall, a resident of Kalamazoo: Frank S., a resident of Otsego, and A. Brink.

Mr. Tucker was reared on the homestead farm in much the usual manner of lads of that period, assisting his father in the duties of the fields through the period of his boyhood and youth, while in the meantime, dur- ing the winter months, he pursued his early education in the district schools near his father's home, and later attended the high school at Otsego. being graduated in 1889. He afterward took up the study of law. being graduated from the University of Michigan in 1893, subsequent to which time he practiced his profession in Otsego for one year. He was likewise engaged in the profession of teaching in Allegan county for about six years, and was engaged in the drygoods and grocery business in this village for one

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year. He also worked at the carpenter's trade for four years, but on the Ist of April, 1906, was appointed postmaster at Otsego, which position he is now capably filling, giving entire satisfaction to the general public.

Mr. Tucker was married August 12, 1895, to Miss Jennie Allen, a native of Otsego township and a daughter of Ogden and Anna Allen, the former a native of New Jersey, while the latter was born in England. The daughter was reared and educated in Allegan county, and by her marriage has become the mother of one child, Elton B.

Mr. Tucker has been a lifelong Republican and for two years served his township as supervisor. Fraternally he is identified with the Modern Woodmen of America. Both he and his wife have spent their entire lives in or near Otsego and therefore have a wide circle of friends.

LEIGHTON TOWNSHIP.

CHARLES RICE, who has been for years a resident of Allegan county, was born in Gaines township, Kent county, Michigan, September 15, 1852. He is a son of Daniel and Mary (Bennett) Rice, both natives of Niagara county.

Daniel Rice, the father, located on a farm in Gaines, nine miles south- east of Grand Rapids, in the fall of 1843, and remained there for ten years. He then came to Leighton township and purchased the farm which is now the property of his son Charles. The farm was in heavy timber, and it was a mile in either direction to the nearest neighbor. He built a little shanty and prepared to get his land in a condition suitable for cultivation. The old Kalamazoo road ran through this tract of land, and the first stage-coach the Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids stage, ran over this road, and continued to do so until a plank road was built. In 1855 an effort was made to run the roads on section lines. Mr. Rice helped to cut out the lines for the new roads, and he with others felled timber across the old roads and trails, in order to force travel to the new section line roads. Some did not take kindly to this new idea and commenced to clear the fallen timber from the old trails. This led to angry words and precipitated what was known locally as the "road war." Franklin Peck has handed down the account of this "war" in one of his familiar poems.

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A twentieth century history of Allegan County, Michigan, Part 58

Author: Thomas, Henry Franklin, 1843-1912 Publication date: 1907 Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 808

Author: Thomas, Henry Franklin, 1843-1912
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 808