A twentieth century history of Berrien County, Michigan, Part 116

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

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and died in Bertrand township, when about forty-eight years of age. There were five children in the family who reached manhood and womanhood, while two died in infancy, Charles H. being the sixth child and the youngest living.

When in his second year Mr. French of this review was brought by his parents to Michigan, the family home being established in Bertrand township. Under the parental roof he was reared, being early trained to habits of industry, thrift and economy, which have borne good fruit in later years. He was educated in the common schools and in the high school at Buchanan, and when not busy with his text-books gave his father the benefit of his services, remaining at home to the time of his marriage.

It was in 1876 that Mr. French was joined in wedlock to Miss Sarah Geyer, a daughter of John and Phebe Geyer. She was born in St. Joseph county, Indiana, and died in 1890, leaving three children: Car- son G., who married Anna Hedges, of Terre Haute, Indiana; Stella, of New York; Charlie F., at home. On the 3Ist of March, 1892, Mr. French was joined in wedlock to Miss Lucy A. Feather, a daughter of Henry Feather, and they have one son, Henry F.

Mr. French owns a farm of two hundred and fifty-eight acres and in addition to the cultivation of the cereals best adapted to soil and climate he is also engaged in the dairy business, keeping eighteen cows for this pur- pose. He is now president of the Buchanan creamery, an enterprise which is proving profitable to the stockholders, for its pro- ducts find a ready sale on the market and command the highest prices by reason of ex- cellence. The farm of Mr. French is well appointed in its various equipments and ac- cessories, such as facilitate farm work, and the fields are well tilled, giving promise of large harvests. Mr. French is a member of the Presbyterian church, in the work of which he takes a very active and helpful in- terest, and he is serving as an elder and trus- tee. His political allegiance is given to the Republican party, and for more than a half century he has stood for all that is upright and just in matters of relations to his fellow- men, for all that is progressive and practical

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in citizenship, and for all that is commend- able in home and social relations.

JACOB E. VITE. The farming popu- lation of Bertrand township is worthily rep- resented by Jacob E. Vite, who lives on sec- tion 14, and who is classed with the enter- prising agriculturists who have acquainted themselves with the methods that produce the best results in the tilling of the fields. He was born in the township where he still resides, his natal day being February 28, 1859. His father, Henry Vite, was a native of Pennsylvania and was a young man when he went to South Bend, Indiana, with his stepfather and his mother. Soon afterward they located in Bertrand township. Henry Vite was married in that township to Miss Catherine Rough, a daughter of Jacob and

Nancy Rough, in 1856. She was born in Pennsylvania and was thirteen years of age when brought by her parents to Berrien county. For many years Mr. and Mrs. Vite traveled life's journey happily together, be- ing separated by the death of the husband when sixty-three years of age, while the wife lived to the age of seventy years. There were three children : Mary E., now the wife of N. Frye, a resident of Huron county, Michigan; Jacob E., of this review; and John C., who is living in St. Joseph county, Indiana.

Jacob E. Vite was reared in his native township and acquired his early education in the common schools, while later he at- tended school in Buchanan. He engaged in teaching for two terms in Bertrand township. Afterwards he turned his attention to the timber and wood business, shipping lumber and selling timber in the stump. As the years have passed and his financial resources have increased he has made judicious invest- ments in property and is now the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of land, about ten acres of which is devoted to the growing of fruit. The farm is well improved with modern equipments and accessories and there are many evidences of careful and practical supervision on the part of the owner.

In April, 1892, Mr. Vite was married to Miss Anna L. Brown, a daughter of

George Brown, of Wesaw township, Ber- rien county. They became the parents of four children, Alma, Merritt, Glenn and Ruth. By a former marriage to Alice Siders Mr. Vite had one daughter, Effie, who is now attending school in Buchanan.

In political affiliation Mr. Vite is a stal- wart Republican, doing all in his power to promote the growth and insure the success of his party in his home locality. His co- operation is withheld from no movement or measure calculated to benefit the community. and during his life-long residence in Bert- rand township he has won the respect and confidence of many friends, who have known him from his boyhood days and are familiar with a life that has been characterized by straightforwardness and activity in busi- ness.

WILLIAM F. BAINTON, a member of the firm of Bainton Brothers, millers and merchants of Buchanan, in which city he was born May 4, 1862, comes of English descent. His father, William H. Bainton, was a native of England. When a young 'man he crossed the Atlantic to America, settling in Oswego, New York, whence he came to Berrien county, Michigan, at an early day, casting in his lot with its pioneer settlers. He built a mill, which was one of the first in the township, and he also owned a mill at Berrien Springs, which he after- ward traded for a farm. He was married in this county to Miss Amanda M. Swift, who was born in Ohio and came to Berrien county with her father, John Swift, who took up his abode in Bertrand township, settling there when the number of its inhabitants was small and when the work of improvement had scarcely been begun. Mrs. Bainton is still living. The father died in 1866. He was a prominent man, closely and helpfully identified with the development of the county. He was engaged extensively and successfully in business as a merchant and miller and he also owned several large farms. He possessed in a considerable degree that quality which is termed commercial sense and through his keen sagacity and indefatig- able energy, together with judicious invest- ments he steadily advanced from a humble

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financial position to one of affluence. In the family were six children, of whom two sons and two daughters are yet living: Em- ma J., a resident of Buchanan; Nettie J., the wife of Dr. J. C. Snyder, of Toledo, Ohio; Charles L., of Buchanan ; and W. F. Bainton.

The last named was the eldest of the sons and the third child of the family. He was reared in Buchanan and acquired his pre- liminary education in the public schools. In connection with his brother, Charles L. Bain- ton, he returned his attention to the milling business in 1886, having built the mill in 1885. He had spent the year 1883 in the milling business in Dayton, Michigan, and thus gained practical knowledge of the trade. He afterward returned to Buchanan and was engaged in farming until 1885, when, as stated, he and his brother built the mill which the following year they placed in optration. They also engaged in merchan- dising until 1903, conducting a grocery and feed store. The capacity of the mill is one hundred barrels and the trade is large, for the output is of such a quality that a ready market is secured. The brothers are also engaged in fruit farming, Charles L. con- ducting the fruit farm, while William F. Bainton has charge of the milling business and the store. He has been very successful in his business ventures and his well directed efforts have been a source of benefit to the city as well as to himself. He is a director of the Niles Building & Loan Association and president of the Buchanan Loan Asso- ciation. In politics a life-long Republican, he has manifested deep interest in the party and its growth but has never been a politi- cian in the sense of office seeking. He has always spent his life in Buchanan and in all matters of citizenship is progressive and helpful, withholding his support from no movement or measure that he deems will prove of general good.

SOLON CUTLER, a resident of Ben- ton Harbor, where he is largely living a re- tired life save for the supervision which he gives to his property and invested interests, was born in Lorain county, Ohio, January I, 1845, a son of Jesse and Temperance

(Crawford) Cutler. The father was born in Vermont, October 4, 1799, and died in Watervliet township, Berrien county, Michi- gan, April 15, 1872, having removed to this county in 1855. He was a farmer by occu- pation and became one of the early residents of this section of the state, who aided in its reclamation for the uses of the white race and in the promotion of its agricultural de- velopment. His political allegiance was given to the Democracy. His wife was also a native of the Green Mountain state and her death occurred in Watervliet township, May 21, 1858. Of the ten children born to Tem- perance and Jesse Cutler eight reached years of maturity, while four are still living, namely : Edwin, who resides in Mason county, Michigan; Myron, of Benton Har- bor: Solon, also living in Benton Harbor ; and Clarissa, the wife of Benjamin Green of the same city.

Solon Cutler, having spent the first ten years of his life in Lorain county, Ohio, ac- companied his parents on their removal to Berrien county in 1855, and became a stud- ent in the country schools. He was reared to manhood upon the home farm, and in 1870 started out in life on his own account. He was thereafter identified with general agri- cultural pursuits for twenty years, or until 1890, subsequent to which time he lived at Pottawattomie Park, seven miles north of St. Joseph, until 1904. This part consists of thirty acres and is a well known summer resort. Mr. Cutler owns the tract but has now leased it, although for many years he was successful and active in its management. In 1904 he removed to Benton Harbor, where he occupies a pleasant home on Mor- ton Hill. He formerly owned several farms but has sold them and and is living a more quiet and retired life.

In 1870 Mr. Cutler was married to Miss Hattie A. Gunsolus, a native of Ontario, Canada, and they have one daughter. Beat- rice Isabell Cutler. In his political relations Mr. Cutler exercises his right of franchise in favor of the principles and policy of the Republican party. He is a member of Lake Shore Lodge, A. F. & A. M., and is one of the well known men of Berrien county, who has made his own way in life and has

Sparc Sybrook

MRS. ISAAC LYBROOK

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

achieved a gratifying measure of success. He is now a stockholder in the Farmers and Merchants Bank, in addition to which he has valuable property interests which return him a very desirable income. His record of more than a half century in Berrien county is well known and his life is an honorable one.

BARNEY KAISER. An energetic and progressive farmer and honored citizen of Chikaming township is Barney Kaiser, who has spent many years of his life in Berrien county. His birth, however, occurred in Saxony, Germany, June 12, 1865, his par- ents being George and Barbara (Smith) Kaiser, also natives of Saxony. The father died on the old homestead in Wesaw town- ship, Berrien county, Michigan, in 1888, at the age of sixty years, but the mother is still living, having reached the age of sixty-two years. The following children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Kaiser: Barney, the sub- ject of this sketch; William, of Montmor- ency county, Michigan; Katie, who died when about twenty-eight years of age ; Mary, who died at the age of two years; John; Annie, the wife of George Hanover, of Bu- chanan, Michigan; Frank, who resides with his mother in Wesaw township; and Rosa, the wife of Louis Mulch, of Lake township.

When eight years of age Barney Kaiser accompanied his parents in their emigration to the United States, the year being 1873, and after remaining in New York city for one year they came to Niles, Michigan, where one year and a half was spent. Their next location was at New Buffalo, but two years later removed to and purchased a farm of forty acres in Wesaw township, where Mr. Kaiser continued to make his home until his marriage. In that year, 1893, he pur- chased a part of his mother's farm, which yet constitutes a part of his present place. He is now the owner of eighty acres of well im- proved land on section 24, Chikaming town- ship, and in addition is the owner of eighty acres in Montmorency county, Michigan. He farms one hundred and sixty acres ad- joining his place for A. G. Childs, which he has conducted for the past twelve years, and he is engaged in both grain and stock

farming. His political support is given to the Democratic party, and he is at present serving as a justice of the peace, while for a number of years he was a school officer. His religious affiliations are with the Con- gregational church at Three Oaks.

In 1893 Mr. Kaiser was united in mar- riage to Katie Smith, a cousin, and she was also born in Saxony, Germany, February I, 1870. When but two years of age she came to the United States with her parents, she being a daughter of William Smith. Five children have been born of this union- May, Lucy, Elmer, Henry and Margaret, but the last named died in infancy.

ISAAC LYBROOK is one of the vener- able citizens of Berrien county and an old settler who has been an interested witness of the growth and development of this part of the State through many years. He now resides on section 30, where he owns a good farm. His birth occurred in Preble county, Ohio, April 30, 1825. His father, Isaac Lybrook, Sr., was born in Giles county. Vir- ginia, and was there reared. He became a farmer and teacher and, removing from Ohio, spent his last days in Preble county, where he died at the comparatively early age of thirty years. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Nancy Burk, was also a native of Giles county, Virginia, and she died in Berrien township, Berrien county, Michigan, in her seventy-fifth year. There were but two children in the family, of whom Baltzer, the elder, died in Cass coun- ty, Michigan, when about sixty years of age.

Isaac Lybrook is therefore the only liv- ing representative of the family. The father died about four months before the birth of his son, who was reared by the mother and was brought to Michigan in 1828. They lived for twelve years in Pokagon town- ship, Cass county, and in 1840 located upon the farm which is now the home of Mr. Lybrook. He and his own brother Baltzer cleared and cultivated the farm, the family home being a log cabin in the midst of the forest. Isaac Lybrook was but fifteen years of age when he located upon this place and he has resided here continuously since, cov-

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ering a period of more than two-thirds of a century.

On the 2d of January, 1851, he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Eliza Os- born, who was born in Preble county, Ohio, September 8, 1831, at a little town called Winchester, and came with her mother to Berrien county at an early age. Her father died when she was three or four years of age and her mother then came to Berrien township with her three small children : Serepta, Mary E. and Delos. In 1840 the mother died and the children were taken care of by their uncle, the late Michael Hand, until they grew up and were mar- ried. Mrs. Lybrook died Sunday, March 2, 1902, at the home which had always been hers since her marriage. She was buried from that home Wednesday, at I p. m., Revs. Charles Ager, of Niles, and John Boone, of Berrien Springs, conducting the services.

Hers is the story of so many noble Christian women who have known the hard- ships of pioneer life, and stood side by side with the husbands who have moulded our glorious county of today from an unbroken wilderness. Reared in the day when need was the claim for assistance, the cry of want or sorrow was never passed by her unheeded, and her death leaves saddened hearts in many besides the family circle.

This worthy couple traveled life's jour- ney together for fifty-one years and were then separated by the death of the wife. They had become the parents of nine chil- dren, Nancy, John B., Martha, Annie, Hen- ley C., William D., Serepta, Flora and Isaac. All were born upon the old home- stead farm on section 30, Berrien township, and with the exception of Martha and Serepta, all are yet living. Mr. Lybrook has always given his political allegiance to the Democracy. For many years he has served as school assessor and through a long period has been identified with Western Lodge, No. 39, A. F. & A. M., at Berrien Springs. Few residents of the county have longer resided in this part of the State than Mr. Lybrook, who came to Michigan seven- ty-eight years ago, being at that time but

three years of age. He has now passed the eighty-first milestone on life's journey and his record is most creditable, for he has lived a useful, upright and honorable life. In the early days he experienced the hardships and trials incident to frontier life and his memory goes back to the times when this section of the State was an almost unbroken wilderness, inhabited by the red men, also wild animals and wild game. Only here and there had a little clearing been made in the forest to show that the white man was venturing into the interior of the country to reclaim it for the purposes of civilization. As the years went by Mr. Lybrook bore his full share in the work of agricultural de- velopment and kept pace with the universal progress which wrought many changes in the mode of living and in the methods of carrying on farm work. He has known what it was to use the scythe in the field, to tie the bundles of grain by hand and to follow the plow afoot, to light the house with candles and to heat it with the fire place. All this has since changed, how- ever, and modern progress has brought many comforts and conveniences which were unknown in former years.

Mr. Lybrook has in his possession three of the old parchment deeds executed by President Andrew Jackson dated April I, 1831, November 5, 1833, and November 4, 1834. These are valuable documents. There are also some of the old souvenirs of the pioneer period, two forks, two-tined, that his mother had-almost a century old. Also a counterpane, for which the cotton was carded, spun and wove, which is a rare curiosity, and it is close to a century old, and he has one of the old hand sickles, and also a cradle of the four-fingered kind.

JOHN T. DEMPSEY. Mr. Dempsey has lived in Berrien county all his life, in fact has lived within six miles of his birth- place in Bertrand township, where he came into the world January 8, 1854. A farmer throughout his active career, he has been successful beyond the ordinary, and is one of the substantial men of southern Berrien county. His present homestead of one hun-

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

dred and sixty acres is the southeast quarter of section 26 in Wesaw township, where he carries on the regular departments of farm- ing, giving rather special attention to horses, of which he owns two splendid specimens of the registered full blooded Percherons.

Mr. Dempsey has been a Democrat all his life, and has served in public office, five years as highway commissioner and two years on the board of review. He affiliates with the I. O. O. F., M. W. A., the Patricians and Rebekahs.

His father, James E. Dempsey, was born in New York April 23, 1831, and having come with his parents to this county when only three years old is rightly considered one of the oldest living pioneers, over sev- enty years having elapsed since his child eyes beheld the wilderness that then covered this region. He has been a farmer by occu- pation, and also operated a threshing ma- chine for twenty-eight years in Berrien coun- ty. He now makes his home with his son John. Mr. Dempsey's mother was Martha E. Lambert, a native of Virginia who came with her parents in a one-horse wagon from that state. She was one of ten children, and a brother now living in Niles is nearly ninety years old and very alert and active for his age. She died at the old home about 1880, aged forty-eight years. Mr. John Dempsey had one sister, Ella Benton, who is now deceased, leaving a daughter, Mrs. A. Burbank.

Mr. Dempsey married in 1878 Emma J. Tremmel, who was born in Niles in Octo- ber, 1853, a daughter of Jacob and Matilda (Wood) Tremmel. Her father was born in Pennsylvania and her mother was one of the first white children born in Berrien coun- ty. Mr. and Mrs. Dempsey have one child, Mae, at home.

RICHARD BENJAMIN METZGER. The late R. B. Metzger, successful farmer and influential business man and citizen, was born near Granger, St. Joseph county, Indi- ana, May II, 1853, and died on his farm in section 25 of Wesaw township, March 23, 1906. Though he was permitted to com- plete little more than a half century of life,

his career was replete with the work and character which lend dignity and value to human existence, and his death removed one whom the community will not soon cease to commemorate.

He had spent most of his life in this county, having been taken by his parents to a farm near Niles when he was six years old, and ten years later, on the burning of the home, the family moved to another place two miles away, where he lived until his marriage. One year of his boyhood was spent in school at Notre Dame, but his active life was devoted to the business of farm- ing. Several years after his marriage he bought his permanent homestead of one hundred and ten acres on Rugg lake, and also owned a place of eighty acres three miles west. Mr. Metzger was a director in the Berrien County Mutual Fire Insurance Company, and its treasurer two terms. Al- though always concerned in the management of his farming interests, he did little of the actual farm work. For twenty years he sold agricultural implements. A Republi- can, he took an active part in political af- fairs, as delegate to conventions and incum- bent of some offices. He affiliated with the Masonic lodge at Buchanan and the I. O. O. F. at Galien.

Mr. Metzger was a son of a prominent German-American citizen of this county. John Metzger came to this country when about twenty years old, and spent most of his life in the vicinity of Niles. His wife Elizabeth was a native of Kentucky. At one time he owned about a thousand acres of land near Niles, but several years before his death he sold most of it and removed to Texas, where he passed away. His wife died near Niles. There were thirteen chil- dren in their family, and five are still living.

Mr. Metzger married, November 14, 1877, Miss Emma Cochran. She was born near Niles, September 13, 1858, and has spent her life in this county. Her parents were William and Betsy ( Robards) Coch- ran, who were reared and married in New York State and came to this county about 1856, passing the rest of their lives near Niles. Of their three children Mary died

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at the age of eight years, Mrs. Metzger is second, and William lives on the home place near Niles.

Mr. and Mrs. Metzger's children are as follows: Charles Leo, who runs the home farm: Arthur Clayton, a R. F. D. carrier fromn Galien : Victor A. ; Julia Blanche : Ray C .: Gertrude Lillian; Richard Benjamin; Florence R. and Esther C.

MAURICE GLAVIN. The family name of this gentleman is one which is in- effaceably traced on the history of Berrien county and which figures on the pages whose records perpetuate the principal events from the early days down to the present time. Edmond Glavin, the father, was born in county Limerick, near Mitchell. Ireland, in 1835, and came to the United States at the age of fourteen years. After spending some time in the east, near New Haven, Connecti- cut, he joined his relatives in Chicago, Illi- nois. In 1855 he settled within the borders of Chikaming township, Berrien county, where he spent the remainder of his life, passing away in death on the IIth of April, 1904. There were few who could more justly claim the proud American title of a self-made man than Edmond Glavin, for at the time of his arrival in this county his worldly possessions consisted of but an axe, but he was industrious, determined, am- bitious and resolute, however, and these qual- ities stood him instead of fortune, enabling him to overcome the difficulties and obstacles in his path and work his way steadily up- ward.

Mr. Glavin's first location was in the woods, and in the early days he was ex- tensively engaged in the wood and lumber business, first shipping by water and then by rail. He assisted in the construction of the Pere Marquette Railroad, and donated to the company the land used for this pur- pose on his farm. His first purchase here consisted of forty acres and at the time of his death he owned over nine hundred acres, the visible evidence of his life of industry and toil. After clearing the land of the tim- ber he began general farming and fruit rais- ing. His political support was given to the

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A twentieth century history of Berrien County, Michigan, Part 116

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