A twentieth century history of Berrien County, Michigan, Part 105

Author: Coolidge, Orville W
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1314

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Nancy Kennedy, who survives him and is yet living in Benton Harbor. Their chil- dren are: Sherman; Ezra, who resides on the old homestead in Bainbridge township; Lillie, the wife of William Denneke, of Ben- ton Harbor ; and Roy.

Porter E. Brant was born in Hagar township, while his father was residing there temporarily, engaged in the manufacture of shingles in order to earn a living for his family. He followed that pursuit through a number of seasons, as it provided him with ready money. He secured three hundred acres of land in Hagar township known as Dansdiggins and located on the shore of Lake Michigan. From his place he here hauled shingles to Niles, where they could be marketed. Under the parental roof Porter E. Brant spent the days of his boy- hood and youth, and when eighteen years of age he began providing for his own support, working six years by the month, receiving thirteen dollars per month for two years, fourteen dollars per month for a year, and afterward twenty-two and thirty and twenty- two dollars per month for the ensuing years. He never saved less than fifty dollars from his wages for a single season and with the capital he acquired through his own labor and frugality he was enabled to purchase when twenty-three years of age the forty- acre farm whereon he now resides, his father having previously secured it.

At that time Porter E. Brant was mar- ried to Miss Harriet I. Moore, the wedding ceremony being performed on the 30th of October, 1866. Her parents were George and Mary (Beagle) Moore, and she was living in the home of Daniel Brant when she gave her hand in marriage to Porter E. Brant. They have since lived upon the same farm, covering a period of forty years. When this place came into his possession Mr. Brant had to cut a road a half mile in order to reach his farm. It was covered with the original growth of timber, not a stick having been cut nor an improvement made but though he realized that an arduous task lay before him, he resolutely set to work clearing, cultivating and improving the land. He cut poles in order to make a shanty

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

twelve by twenty-four feet and in this he lived for about five years, or until he was able to build a part of his present home. . He has since made two additions to the original building and now has a comfortable resi- dence, which stands in the midst of a well developed farm property. He now owns one hundred and nine acres of rich and pro- ductive land all in the home farm and he has likewise given away seventy acres of land to his children, who live near him. He has placed more than eighty acres of land under cultivation and now has.one of the best farms in the township, lacking in none of the equipments and accessories of a model farm property. As soon as he got his land ready he set out apples and has now apple orchards covering eighteen acres. He lost eight acres of peaches which were destroyed by the yellows but as soon as it showed that they could be grown again he once more set out peach trees. He has kept about eighteen acres in fruit of all kinds and each kind that he has raised has paid him. His apples have brought him over one thousand dollars in a single season, selling over one thousand barrels of apples in one year, while his sales of peaches have amounted to between six hundred and one thousand dollars annually. He has placed his dependence largely upon his fruit crops but in addition he has also raised tomatoes for canning for twenty-two years, selling them to the canning factory and between four and six acres planted to that vegetable have yielded him from fifty to sixty dollars per acre. In all his farm work he has followed practical methods, which have resulted beneficially, as he has now a very valuable farm.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Brant have been born four children: Jesse C., who resides upon an adjoining farm; Ella M., the wife of Everett Brant, also living on a farm near by ; Clara B., the wife of Frank Gilbert, of Pipestone township; and Maud E., at home. There is seven years difference between the birth of each child and the succeeding one. The married son and daughters have re- ceived farms from their father and are com- fortably located.

Porter E. Brant is a Democrat, and has

served in several local offices although living in a Republican township, a fact which indi- cates his personal popularity and the confi- dence reposed in him by his fellowmen. He belongs to the Union United Brethren church in Pipestone township, and is a prominent representative of a worthy pio- neer family, his entire life having been passed in Berrien county, covering a period of more than sixty-three years. He is also a mem- ber of the Odd Fellows and has filled all the chairs in his lodge. He was the eighth member to join his lodge which now num- bers nearly one hundred. The name of Brant is inseparably associated with the his- tory of agricultural and horticultural de- velopment here and as the years have gone by the younger generation have continued the work that was begun by their fathers and grandfather and bear an excellent repu- tation for business activity and reliability.

CAPTAIN J. J. BAKER, a traveling representative of the Cleveland Stone Com- pany, devoting about four months each year to that business, gives the remainder of his time to the supervision of his property in- terests in Benton Harbor and Berrien county, where since 1891 he has invested extensively and profitably. He was born on Grand Island, below Buffalo, on the 17th of August, 1844. This island belonged to New York state. His parents, however, removed to Canada, his father becoming superintendent of the shipyards at Black Rock. Captain Baker of this review was at that time about ten years of age. He at- tended school for eight or ten years, and when but a boy went upon the lakes as a sailor, being thus engaged for some time. He afterward turned his attention to the manufacture of fanning mills and when he disposed of the business sold out to good advantage. He acted as superintendent of his own manufacturing plant and when he disposed of it he returned to the lakes as a mate and later became captain. He sailed as captain of seven different vessels and was part owner of some of them. During this period he made his home either in Detroit, Michigan, or Otsego, New York. He sailed

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as master for eighteen years and made money in this way, receiving a high percen- tage for the cargoes carried. He became well known to lake men and was a popular representative of the marine service. He was very careful at all times and never lost a vessel.

In 1870 Captain Baker left the lakes and became agent of the Lake Huron Stone Company, at Chicago, establishing grind- stone yards there. The business was started on a large scale and supplied all the ship- ping trade of the west. He opened in the same line of trade in Chicago for himself and continued for five or six years, when he sold out. On the expiration of that period he became connected with the Cleveland Stone Company as superintendent for a time and as salesman of grindstones. He is still connected with the company, which has eleven quarries in Ohio besides others else- where. He spends about four months of the year on the road in Wisconsin and Min- nesota, also visiting the leading towns in Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri. He like- wise makes business trips to Canada and New York, visiting the jobbers and placing the products of the Cleveland Stone Com- pany upon the market. He is well known to the trade and controls a good patronage.

In 1891 Mr. Baker began to be inter- ested in Benton Harbor property and to in- vest in farm lands in this locality. He has since made his home at his present place of residence two and a half miles north of Benton Harbor. He has invested in three or four farms in this vicinity and when not upon the road he spends his time upon the home place. He is now building in the city of Benton Harbor, where he has considerable property and in his real estate interests he has made judicious investments and good sales.

Captain Baker was married in Chicago, at the age of thirty-six years, to Catherine Cavanaugh, who died on the 29th of Oc- tober, 1904, at their home in Benton Harbor. She was a lady of strong domestic tastes, devoted to her home and her family and the circle of her friends was an extensive one.

She had one child : Catherine, by this mar- riage.

Captain Baker is widely known in Ber- rien county and at many points along the lakes and in various ports to which he sailed when in command of different vessels. His life has been altogether a very active one and viewed from any standpoint he is a strong man, strong in his honor and good name and in what he has accomplished. Fearless and outspoken he does not follow any given course because it is from policy but because he believes it to be the right thing to do.

JOHN DEMPSTER HILL, a veteran of the Civil war, and one of the early resi- dents of Berrien county, now makes his home in Bainbridge township. He was born in Jefferson county, New York, June 19, 1839, and is a son of Amos and Ursula (Wheeler) Hill, both of whom were natives of Jefferson county, where the family settled about Revo- lutionary times. In 1854 they came to Michigan. Mr. Hill had followed farming in the east, and on reaching Berrien county he located on section 29, Bainbridge town- ship, three-quarters of a mile from Spink's Corners. He bought eighty acres of land covered with stumps and timber. The best timber was cut and for it he received six hundred dollars. Clearing the land, he placed the entire farm under cultivation and built good buildings upon the place. There he carried on general agricultural pursuits for some time but eventually sold that prop- erty and bought another farm of eighty acres, of which he cleared forty acres. In his later years he retired to a small house, in which he spent his remaining days in the enjoyment of richly merited rest, passing away June 16, 1892, at the advanced age of eighty-six years. He had survived his wife for about nine years. They traveled life's journey together for fifty-five years, shar- ing with each other its joys and sorrows, and the adversity and prosperity which checker the careers of all.

In their family were nine children, eight of whom reached mature years; Alonzo, .

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who died in childhood; Edward, who died at the age of thirty-five years; Allen, who died when twenty-one years of age, this be- ing the year of the arrival of the family in Michigan; John D., of this review ; William H., of Bainbridge township; Frederick, who served with the Sixty-sixth Illinois Sharp- shooters and was killed in the second battle of Corinth, his grave being made on the bat- tleground in the government cemetery ; Mary, the wife of George Herrington, of Bainbridge; Adeline, who died at the age of twelve years; and Caroline, twin sister of Adeline, and the wife of Henry Thompson, of Millburg. The family was well repre- sented in the Civil war, for the subject of this review was also a member of the regi- ment to which his brother Frederick be- longed.

John Dempster Hill when but four years of age accompanied his parents on their re- moval to Ontario, Canada, the family home being established near Kingston, where they lived for eight years, when they returned to Wayne county, New York. In 1854 they came to Berrien county, Michigan, John D. Hill driving a team through for his father from Wayne county. He left home at the age of sixteen years, starting out in life on his own account. He secured his present farm in 1860 and at once began its cultiva- tion and improvement. It was covered with the original timber. It had ten acres cleared and ready for wheat, however, when Mr. Hill in the fall of 1861 enlisted for service in the Civil war, becoming a member of Company D, Sixty-sixth Illinois Sharp- shooters. His brother Frederick later joined the regiment on the field and was killed at Corinth, Mississippi, on the 4th of October, 1862. He was laid to rest in the government cemetery made on the battlefield there, and his brother John has re-visited the place. He was killed on the advance made by the opening of the battle on the second day, and was but nineteen years of age at the time of his demise. It was the second battle in which he had participated, for he had been under fire at Iuka. John D. Hill of this review went to the front with his regiment and the records of that command also con- stitute the record of his military service, for

he was in all of the battles with the Sixty- sixth Illinois Sharpshooters save one. He was never captured nor wounded and practic- ally saw all of the service of the regiment which included many marches and cam- paigns, in addition to the skirmishes and battles. When the war was ended he was discharged with his regiment in Washing- ton and participated in the grand review, on which occasion there was displayed in the streets of the capital an immense banner bearing the significant words "The only debt which the nation cannot pay is the national debt which she owes to her victorious Union soldiers." Many times since then Mr. Hill has met with his regiment in reunions, two being held at Paw Paw Lake, and one at Leadersburg, Indiana. These have been very enjoyable occasions, as he has renewed acquaintances with those with whom he marched and messed and with whom he faced the enemy's fires. He is now a mem- ber of George H. Thomas Post, G. A. R., Benton Harbor.

On his return from the war Mr. Hill came again to his farm, and now has the entire sixty acres under cultivation. The place lies in Bainbridge township and is well located for the raising of fruits, with good exposure to the sun. He has twenty acres planted to fruit, mainly peaches, pears and apples and has sold thirty-five hundred bushels of fruit in a year, averaging about eighty-five cents per bushel. The land lies high and he has never lost but one crop on account of frosts late in the spring. He carries on general farming in addition to the cultivation of fruit. His present home was erected in 1868, and he has since added to it and improved it. It stands on an eminence or natural building site, commanding a fine view. St. Joseph can be seen in the distance, lying about nine miles away, while Benton Harbor can be seen seven miles away. Mr. Hill has purchased a lot of other land and now owns a fine farm in addition to his home place.

On the 16th of March, 1867, Mr. Hill was united in marriage to Miss Josephine S. Lewis, a daughter of John and Louisa (Bishop) Lewis, both of whom were natives of Erie county, New York. Mrs. Lewis was

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eight years of age when brought by her par- ents to this county, while Mr. Lewis was twenty-two years of age at the time of his arrival. They were married in 1848, and Mrs. Hill is their eldest child, having been born in 1849. They settled a half mile north of Millburg, and for many years were resi- dents of Bainbridge township, but have now passed away, Mrs. Lewis dying in 1881, while Mr. Lewis departed this life on the 16th of February, 1906, at the age of eighty- three years. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Hill has been born a daughter, Loa, the wife of Frank J. Lewis, who is her second cousin, and is a farmer and peach grower, residing in this locality. Mrs. Hill's maternal grandfather well remembered the war of 1812, seeing soldiers in New York who were engaged in that struggle and his mother made mush for them. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis came to his locality in 1865, and continued to reside here until called to their final rest and Mrs. Hill now owns part of their homestead. Our sub- ject and his wife are both representatives of old and prominent pioneer families of this county and enjoys the warm esteem of all who know them.

MATTHEW STOLL. In an analyza- tion of the life record of Matthew Stoll it will be seen that he has depended upon no outside aid or influence for advancement in the business world but has placed reliance upon safe and sure qualities of close appli- cation and indefatigable energy, winning success as honorable as it is creditable. He is now a partner of the Kompass & Stoll Company of Niles, manufacturers of kitchen cabinets, and the business has become a lead- ing enterprise of the city.

He is one of Michigan's native sons. having been born in Ann Arbor in 1861. His father, David Stoll, was a native of Ham- burg, Germany, and came to America in 1847, settling in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He entered the employ of the Michigan Central Railroad Company, continuing in that serv- ice for thirty-three years, during which period he never lost a day's time. He was for many years boss of a section gang and was a hard-working, conscientious man,

ever faithful to his duty to the corporation by which he was employed as is well indi- cated by his long continued service. He reached the advanced age of seventy-seven years, passing away in 1902. His wife bore the maiden name of Flora Weidman, and was born in Hamburg, Germany, where they were married ere their emigration to the new world. They had a family of nine chil- dren, of whom eight are yet living. The mother passed away in 1892, when fifty-six years of age.

Matthew Stoll was the second son and is the only one now living in Berrien coun- ty. He pursued his education in the public schools of Ann Arbor and at an early age began to earn his own living by working in a furniture factory in that city, where he learned the trade of a furniture finisher. When seventeen years of age he went to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he followed his trade in different furniture factories, spending eight years in that city. There he gradually worked his way upward, promotion coming to him in recognition of his faithful service and ca- pable workmanship, and during the latter part of that time he was manager of a fac- tory. He afterward went to Buchanan, Michigan, where he entered the service of the Buchanan Furniture Company, having charge of the finishing room for two years. He afterward went to Rochester, New York, where he was employed in the same capacity in a furniture factory for about two years, at the end of which time he returned to Buchanan, Michigan, and there entered into partnership with Rudolph F. Kompass and George Stone, under the firm style of Kom- pass, Stone & Stoll. They began the manu- facture of furniture, in which they continued for two years, and on the expiration of that period Mr. Stoll and Mr. Kompass pur- chased Mr. Stone's interest, continuing in the manufacture of furniture under the firm name of Kompass & Stoll. They remained at Buchanan until 1895, when they pur- chased land at Niles, built their present fac- tory and equipped it with all modern im- provements and appliances for successfully carrying on the business. It is an excellent

Matthew Strott.

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plant and they here continued in the general manufacture of furniture until 1900, since which time they have made a specialty of manufacturing kitchen cabinets. In this they have been very successful and their product is shipped to all parts of the United States. They employ forty skilled work- men in their factory besides various men on the road, who are selling the output of the house to the trade. They manufacture eight- een different styles of kitchen cabinets after their own patterns and these articles of fur- niture are models of convenience and dis- play the excellent workmanship which has always been characteristic of the products of the firm. The firm has always maintained the policy of straightforward dealing and for the excellence of its products that have gained for it a most enviable reputation in trade circles, and the business has constantly grown until it has reached extensive propor- tions.

Mr. Stoll was married in 1888, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to Miss Hattie Leitelt, and unto them have been born two chil- dren, Charles D. and Arthur F., both born in Buchanan. Mr. Stoll gives his political allegiance to the Democracy, and he is more- over an active factor in public life here. He was alderman of the Fourth ward of Niles and in 1905 was elected mayor of the city and re-elected in 1906, which position he is now filling. He has given to Niles a busi- ness-like, practical and yet progressive ad- ministration, having studied closely the pub- lic needs and possibilities. He exercises his official prerogatives in support of every measure which he deems will prove of prac- tical public benefit and his course has been highly commended by his many supporters. He belongs to the Knights of Pythias fra- ternity, to the Modern Woodmen of Amer- ica and the Knights of the Maccabees. He is a self-made man who has been the archi- tect of his own fortunes and has builded wisely and well. One secret of his success is undoubtedly due to the fact that he has continued in the line of business in which he embarked as a young tradesman, continually progressing in efficiency and skill in that di-

rection until he is thorough master of the trade and capably directing the labors of others. He has ever displayed great energy and adaptability in his work, and in his life record has manifested many of the sterling traits of his German ancestry.

BENJAMIN J. EAMAN recognized as an authority on grape culture in Berrien county, has for nine years carried on farm- ing in Hagar township, on which he now resides. He is the youngest of the living children of James M. Eaman, and was born October 29, 1864, at Pinckney, Michigan. In his youth he remained at home, attending the public schools and college at Benton Harbor, and was early trained to habits of industry, enterprise and honesty, which qual- ities in later years have borne good fruit.

On the 22d of October, 1898, Mr. Ea- man was married to Miss Lydia M. Deleau, a native of Belgium, born in the town of Charleroi. In her girlhood days she was brought to Watervliet, Michigan, and had resided in Hagar township for eleven years before her marriage. Her parents were John B. and Isabelle (Le Page) Deleau, both of whom are still residents of this coun- ty. Mrs. Eaman was married at the age of twenty-one years and has become the mother of two daughters, Susie B. and Marie L.

Since his marriage Mr. Eaman has en- gaged in fruit-raising and has thirty acres devoted wholly to horticultural pursuits. He raises grapes, peaches, apples and pears and his gross income is about three thousand dollars annually. He keeps abreast of the times and works up trade in select fruits. He has a label of Fairview fruits for all that he ships and this label is a synonym for the quality of the fruit which he handles, en- abling him to command the best market prices in Chicago. He is experimenting in select lines and has been particularly success- ful in the production of grapes, raising Con- cord, Worden, Moore's Early and others. He has studied so closely the subject of grape culture and has been so successful in his undertakings that his opinions are regarded as authority upon this subject. For nine

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years he has carried on the farm which is now his home and has brought it under a high state of cultivation.

JAMES M. EAMAN, living in Hagar township, has made his home in Berrien county since 1870. He was born at Port Byron, Cayuga county, New York, Decem- ber 14, 1818. His father, Phillip Eaman, was also a native of the Empire state, and was of German parentage, the ancestors of the family having located in Greene coun- ty, New York, at an early day. In the spring of 1836 Phillip Eaman with his fam- ily of three sons and three daughters re- moved westward to Michigan, settling at Putnam, Livingston county, where he re- sided until his death, which occurred when he was sixty-five years of age. His wife was Rachel Snyder, who survived him for five or six years.

James M. Eaman was in his eighteenth year at the time of the removal of the family to this state. He had engaged in teaching school in New York and had attended an academy there. He taught through the win- ter seasons for six or eight terms in Michi- gan and attended the academy at Ann Ar- bor, while in the summer months he worked at farm labor. In 1843 he established a store at Pinckney, Livingston county, Mich- igan, and later engaged in business at Dex- ter, Washtenaw county. During a portion of the time he was operating a flouring mill at Pinckney, Michigan, and in 1870 he came from Dexter to Berrien county. He was a brother-in-law of Daniel Cook, of St. Joseph, a fruit-grower who had followed the business for several years, and who had married Mr. Eaman's sister. Daniel Cook's nephew, Stephen Cook, had already settled in Hagar township and it was through his representations and influence that in 1870 James Eaman bought land on the lake shore not far from the Cook farm. There he be- gan to grow fruit and to this undertaking devoted his time and attention for twenty- six years, since which time he has lived re- tired with his son, B. J. Eaman.

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A twentieth century history of Berrien County, Michigan, Part 105

Author: Coolidge, Orville W Publication date: 1906 Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1314

Author: Coolidge, Orville W
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1314