A twentieth century history of Berrien County, Michigan, Part 60

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

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WILLIAM S. MORLEY. Only four residents of Berrien county have longer re- sided within its borders than William S. Morley and no history of this part of the state would be complete without the record of this worthy and honored pioneer settler, who has now passed the eighty-fourth mile- stone on life's journey. He was born in the township of Burns in Allegany county, New York, August 19. 1822. His father, Wil- liam Morley, was born in Pennsylvania near Harrisburg in 1796 and when a young man went to New York, being married in Alle- gany county, that state. He was an Episco- palian minister and also followed the occu- pation of farming. His mother lived to the very advanced age of one hundred and five years, while his sister Betsy reached the age of one hundred and two years. His last days were spent in New Troy. Berrien county, where he departed this life at the age of seventy-six years. In early manhood he had wedded Miss Jane Carroll, who was born in New York and died in Berrien county at the age of seventy-eight years. In their family were five sons: John, who died in 1871; Thomas O., who enlisted in the Union army in 1862 and died while in the United States service; William S., of this review ; Ambrose. who died at the age of seventy-five years ; and Louis W., a practic- ing physician of Nebraska.

William S. Morley spent the first eight years of his life in the state of his nativity and then accompanied his parents on their

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removal to Marion county, Indiana, where they remained for two years. In 1832 the family settled on Portage Prairie in Ber- trand township, this county, at which time there were more Indians that white settlers. The family home was established in the woods on the Carey Mission reserve almost immediately after the government had com- pleted its survey. The trip was made from New York down the Allegany river to Mays- ville, Kentucky, and thence by steamboat to Madison, Indiana, which at that time was the capital of the state. From that city they proceeded to a point twelve miles north of Indianapolis, journeying by wagon, and after two years passed in Marion county they con- tinued on their way to the territory of Michi- gan. On reaching a beautiful country there they decided to locate and the father gave one hundred dollars for a claim of one hun- dred and sixty acres in Bertrand township which had been entered by Eli Grice. Upon this farm William S. Morley remained until twenty-two years of age.

Starting out in life on his own account, he had as his capital good health, an axe and fifty dollars in money after he had paid the minister's fee, for he won a companion and helpmate for life's journey by his mar- riage on the 12th of May, 1844, to Miss Elizabeth Loan, who was born in Licking county, Ohio, November 5, 1827, and came to Berrien county with her parents in 1835. She was a daughter of William and Mary (Bashford) Loan, the former a native of Scotland and the latter of Ohio.

The young couple began their domestic life upon a farm and Mr. Morley operated a breaking team through the summer of 1844. "In that way he made enough money to pay for the team, after which he pur- chased forty acres of land in Lake town- ship and took up his abode thereon. He as- sisting in organizing the township in 1846. Two years were devoted to farm labor, after which he was engaged on the construction work of the Michigan Central Railroad until 1848 and assisted in running the first con- struction train through. After a time he sold his property in Lake township and in 1849 went to Wisconsin, where he purchased a

land warrant for one hundred and sixty acres of land. 'He lived there for nearly two years and prospered in his business there, returning with one thousand dollars in money. This he invested in Michigan prop- erty, purchasing one hundred and sixty acres of land one mile north of New Troy. Here he lived for two years or until 1854, when he sold out and removed to Iowa, where he purchased about a section of land. There he carried on general agricultural pursuits for ten years and on the expiration of that period he disposed of his property west of the Mis- sissippi and in 1865 returned to Michigan, purchasing a farm in Wesaw township, upon which he has resided continuously since. He has ninety acres of land here in the home place, which is operated by his son, who has a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in the same township, eighty acres being on section twenty and eighty acres on section twenty-eight. Mr. Morley has bought and sold many farms and his business deals have usually proved profitable, bringing to him a comfortable income. In all of his business transactions he has been thoroughly reliable and he bears an honorable name in business circles.

In 1902 Mr. Morley was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who passed away on the 3rd of October of that year. Eight children have been born of their marriage: Ambrose, who is living in Buchanan; Mary Jane, the wife of C. O. Rose, of North Da- kota; Alzina L., the wife of William Cole- man, of Bertrand township; Cordelia Ellen, the wife of James O. Cromwell, of Okla- homa; James B., who is living upon the home farm with his father; Hannah Eliza- beth, the widow of William Metcalf, of Van- couver, British Columbia; Harriet E., the wife of John Kelly, of Dumont, Iowa; and William H., who operates the home farm and also a good farm of his own, giving his at- tention to the supervision of two hundred and fifty acres of land altogether. He has taken swamp land and converted it into a fine farm and is one of the active, enterpris- ing and prosperous agriculturists of the community. Mr. Morley also has thirty- two grandchildren and thirty-six great-

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

grandchildren and the Morleys hold annual reunions here, which are delightful occa- sions and keep up the family spirit.

In his political views William S. Mor- ley has been a life-long Democrat, casting his first presidential ballot for James K. Polk. He served as justice of the peace in Wesaw township for six years and was also justice of the peace in Iowa for ten years. He has likewise acted in other official posi- tions and has held some school offices. Long a devoted and faithful member of the Meth- odist Protestant church, he has been active in its work for thirty-five years and has been ordained one of its elders. He has also been a stalwart champion of the tem- perance cause and he belongs to the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows. Only four people in all Berrien county have longer re- sided within its borders. When he arrived here in 1832 there were only three build- ings in South Bend, Indiana, and the village of Buchanan and the city of Benton Harbor had not been founded. He did considerable hunting in his younger days and has killed all kinds of wild animals that haunted the forest here save panthers, which he frequent- ly saw. Many days he hunted with the In- dians and he went through all of the hard- ships, trials and experiences of pioneer life. He retains very vivid recollections of the early days and relates many interesting inci- dents of pioneer times when the work of civilization had scarcely been begun here. At long distances were seen log cabins and little clearings, but the greater part of the county was still covered with the native for- est growth and gave little promise of future development.

WILLIAM W. EAST. It is the enter- prise and character of the citizens who enrich and develop a community, bringing into ef- fective action the enterprising spirit which has wrought the wonderful development of this country. Among the men of energy, de- termination and capability who are classed foremost with the representative citizens of Buchanan is numbered William W. East, of the Pears-East Grain Company, and in the face of such opposition and competition as always meets one in the business world

he has worked his way upward until he is now in control of a profitable trade.

Mr. East is one of Michigan's native sons, having been born in Vandalia, Cass county, on the 28th of October, 1858. His father, J. S. East, a native of Muncie, In- diana, removed to Cass county, Michigan, with his parents, James and Anna East, in his boyhood days, and was there reared. He was married in Laporte, and in Novem- ber, 1869, removed to Niles, this county. By occupation he was a miller and for many years followed that pursuit as a source of livelihood for himself and family. He was respected as an active, energetic business man and one thoroughly reliable in his trade transactions. His widow is still living and makes her home in Buchanan. In their fam- ily were four children, of whom one, a daughter, died in infancy. Charles W. East, another member of the family, is now en- gaged in the milling business in Buchanan. and James F., a motorman, residing in South Bend, Indiana.

William W. East, the youngest, was about nine years of age when he accompa- nied his parents on their removal from Cass county to Niles, where he was reared and educated, continuing his studies through successive grades until he was graduated from the high school of Niles in 1878. He afterward engaged in teaching school in Ber- rien county for about two years and was bookkeeper in a store in Niles, an em- ploye in the J. M. Wells grocery and crock- ery establishment, which is conducted on both a wholesale and retail plan. Mr. East continued in that service for about three years, when he became owner of a half in- terest in a grocery store in connection with M. L. Harter. This relation was main- tained for three years, on the expiration of which period Mr. East sold out and in 1886 came to Buchanan. Here he accepted a clerkship in a grocery store, in which he continued for three years, when he went to Elkhart, Indiana, and was employed by J. J. Hoffman for about a year. Subsequently in Chicago he had charge of the books of the Cairo Lumber Company for eighteen months, or until the failure of the house. after which he was with Peter Van Schaack

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

& Sons, wholesale druggists, having charge of the books until the financial panic of 1893. He then secured a position with Lyon, Pot- ter & Company, with whom he continued for about a year, and in 1894 he returned to Buchanan, where with his father he pur- chased a half interest in a fruit farm, which he still retains. He has built a good home on the place and it is a productive farm, yielding fine fruits in season. In Decem- ber, 1904, Mr. East took charge of the books of the Hatch-Cutter Manufacturing Com- pany, which, however, failed a few months later, but he continued to serve as book- keeper until the business was closed out by the receiver. He then entered the employ of the C. Bishop Grain Company, with which he was connected for three years, and on the expiration of that period, in 1899, he formed a partnership with C. F. Pears and bought out the Bishop Grain Company. The new firm of the Pears-East Grain Company is conducting a wholesale grain and seed business and has secured a liberal patronage, making extensive annual sales.

In December, 1884, Mr. East was united in marriage to Miss Julia B. Toll, a sister of D. H. Toll, of Niles, Michigan. They have one son, Walter J., who is assistant cashier of the branch house of Armour & Company, at Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Mr. East is a stanch Republican and is now serving for the second year as a mem- ber of the city council of Buchanan, in which capacity he exercises his prerogative in support of many progressive movements that tend to promote reform and improve- ment in this city. He is chairman of the finance committee, and is a director and treasurer of the Buchanan Building & Loall Association. He also belongs to two fra- ternal societies. Without any special advan- tages at the outset of his career he has worked persistently and energetically and has achieved gratifying success, being held in high esteem by reason of what he has ac- complished and the methods he has pursued.

PHAY A. GRAFFORT, editor and pro- prietor of the Buchanan Argus, was born in St. Joseph county, Indiana, April 8, 1879. His father, Lawrence Graffort, also a native

of that county, is a shoemaker and harness- maker by trade, and is now engaged in busi- ness in Buchanan. He married Lavina Rit- tenhouse, also a native of Indiana, who died in the year 1898. There were nine children in the family, of whom the subject of this review is the eldest. He was reared in St. Joseph county and pursued a common- school education to the age of thirteen years, when he entered a printing office in the ca- pacity of "devil." He thoroughly mastered the business in principle and detail, gaining a practical knowledge of the work in all of its departments. For a year and a half he worked for twenty-five cents per week. He began the trade in the office of the North Liberty Boon, at North Liberty, where he remained for about a year, after which he became connected with the News of the same place. He spent five years at Walkerton, Indiana, with the Independent, and after- ward went to Jonesboro, Indiana, where he remained for some years. In 1898 he came to Buchanan and entered the employ of the Buchanan Record, with which he was con- nected for three years, when, in 1901, he purchased the Buchanan Argus, of which paper he is now proprietor and editor. It is an excellent country newspaper, devoted to the dissemination of general and local news, well edited and carefully arranged from the standpoint of the artisan. In con- nection with its publication he does all kinds of job printing, and a mail order business as well and his patronage is extensive and constantly increasing.

In 1899 Mr. Graffort was united in mar- riage to Miss Mattie Scott, a daughter of George and Sarah Scott, of Buchanan. The young couple are well known here, occupy- ing an enviable position in social circles, while the hospitality of their own home is greatly enjoyed by their many friends. Mr. Graffort is a member of the Modern Wood- men camp, of which he is a worthy adviser. He publishes his paper as an independent sheet and personally entertains views in har- mony with Republican principles and is ac- tive in support of the men and measures of the party. He is now serving for his sec- ond term as village clerk and is one of the enterprising young men of Buchanan.

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JOHN W. BEISTLE. Judged from the standpoint of loyal citizenship in days of peace and days of war, John W. Beistle well deserves mention in a volume devoted to the representative men of Berrien county and, moreover, his record in business would alone entitle him to prominent mention, for through persistency of purpose and exercise of his native talent he has become one of the capitalists of Buchanan, where he is now well known as vice-president of the First National Bank and as a landholder whose acreage is extensive and valuable.

A native of Pennsylvania, John W. Beis- tle was born in Snyder county, on the 17th of July, 1843, and is of German lineage, his paternal grandfather, Phillip Beistle, hav- ing been born in Germany, whence he came to America, founding the family in the Keystone state. His son, John P. Beistle, was also a native of Snyder county, Penn- sylvania, and, becoming a resident of Ber- rien county, here spent his last days, his death occurring when he had reached the age of seventy-five years. His wife, who in her maidenhood was Miss Elizabeth Collins, was also a native of Pennsylvania. while her parents were born in Scotland. She died in Buchanan, Michigan, at the age of eighty-four years. John W. Beistle was the eldest son and third child in a family of six children born unto John P. and Elizabeth Beistle, all of whom reached adult age.

In the place of his nativity John W. Beistle spent the days of his boyhood and youth and his education was obtained in the public schools. He was a young man of only nineteen years when in response to his country's call for troops he enlisted for service in the Civil war, becoming a private of Company F, One Hundred and Thirty- first Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry in 1862. He served with that command for nine months and then re-enlisted in the Two Hundred and Eighth Regiment of Pennsyl- vania Volunteers, with whom he continued until the close of the war. He participated in many sanguinary conflicts which contrib- uted to the sum total of victories that crowned the Union arms and was always faithful, brave and loyal. He took part in the battle of Antietam, one of the most

hotly contested of the early battles of the war, and in the engagement at Fredericks- burg was wounded, being struck by a piece of shell, and was also wounded in the left leg by a minie ball at Chancellorsville, Vir- ginia. He was in the hospital at Windmill Point for some time. His time expiring in May following he then veteranized and con- tinued with his regiment until the close of the war, taking part in many battles, includ- ing Petersburg, Fort Steadman, Hatches' Run and others, being also present at the time of General Lee's surrender at Appomat- tox. He also participated in the Grand Re- view in Washington,-the most celebrated military pageant ever seen on the western hemisphere, where, suspended across Penn- sylvania avenue in the capital city was a banner bearing the inscription "The only debt which the country cannot pay is the debt of gratitude which she owes to her sol- diers."

Mr. Beistle received his honorable dis- charge at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in 1865, and then returned to his old home in Snyder county. He afterward worked in a sawmill at Selinsgrove, in Snyder county, and in 1866 took up the study of dentistry, which he afterward practiced in that town until 1871, when he came to Michigan, lo- cating at Berrien Springs. There he opened an office and continued in active practice until 1878, when he removed to Buchanan and for a number of years was a successful and able representative of his profession in this town. He soon built up a large practice, which was accorded him until his retirement from active connection with the profession in 1890. In the meantime other business interests were making heavy demands upon his time and attention. He had purchased a farm of eighty acres in Wesaw township, Berrien county, to which he has since added until he now owns about six hundred acres of valuable land in that township. He also has one hundred acres in Bertrand township and about fifteen dwellings in the village of Buchanan, together with real estate in South Bend, Indiana, so that his property holdings are extensive and valuable. He has also been vice-president of the First National Bank of Buchanan for about seven years

John Greenfield & wife

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

and is thus closely associated with the finan- cial interests of the county. His invest- ments have been judiciously placed, arguing well for his keen business discernment, and his property interests now return him a splendid income.

Mr. Beistle has been married twice. He first wedded Phoebe A. Long, a daughter of Isaac and Susanna (Rough) Long, who were natives of Pennsylvania and came to Berrien county during the pioneer epoch in its history. Mrs. Beistle was born in Ber- trand township, this county, in 1852, and died in 1878, leaving three children : Elmer, a practicing dentist of South Bend, Indiana ; Jennie, the wife of Ralph Jennings, of Paw Paw, Michigan, who is engaged in farming and loaning money ; and Clay, who is prac- ticing dentistry in Schoolcraft, Michigan. The sons are graduates of the dental depart- ment of the Michigan State University, at Ann Arbor. After losing his first wife Mr. Beistle married Miss Amanda Burrus, who was born in Preble county, Ohio, a daughter of James and Jeannette ( Holmes) Burrus, who came to this county in 1855, locating first on Terra Coupe prairie, St. Joseph county, Indiana. Mrs. Beistle was an in- fant at that time and her girlhood days were passed in the county in which she now makes her home.

Mr. Beistle is a stalwart Democrat but cast his presidential ballot for Abraham Lin- coln in 1864. He has been treasurer and clerk of Buchanan township, and matters of local advancement and national progress are" causes dear to his heart. He has embraced his opportunity for contributing to general development and stands for municipal de- velopment and civic virtue. Affiliated with the Masonic fraternity, he belongs to the lodge at Buchanan and the chapter and com- mandery at Niles. He also holds member- ship relations with William Perrott Post, No. 22, G. A. R., at Buchanan, of which he has several times served as commander, while in its work he takes an active and helpful part. He was reared in the Luth- eran church and now attends the Methodist church. Reading between the lines of this review one may, by reasoning from effect back to cause, determine the motive power

which has prompted his course in life. He has had high ideals of citizenship, has con- formed his professional and financial inter- ests to a high standard of business ethics, and has displayed toward others the justice and consideration which he desires for him- self, and thus his life has commanded a measure of confidence and good will that places him with those citizens whose virtue and prosperity give rank to the community which he represents.

JOHN GREENFIELD. Few man have achieved more enviable or more gratifying success in the development of farming in- terests than has John Greenfield of Benton township, who has also done much to im- prove city property in Benton Harbor. Sel- dom at error in matters of business judg- ment, he has worked diligently, realizing that persistency and industry constitute the basis of all desirable success. He was born in Brantford township, in Ontario, Canada, March 9, 1846, a son of Edward and Mar- garet (Thompson) Greenfield, the former a native of Devonshire, England, and the lat- ter of Scotland. They became residents of Canada in early life and were married in Ontario. The father cleared and developed a new farm in that country and there he died of smallpox when only forty-eight years of age. John Greenfield was at that time a lad of eleven years and was the third in order of birth in a family of six children.

From that time afterward John Green- field had charge of the farm and the support of the family and though the burden was a heavy one for young shoulders he faithfully performed the duties that devolved upon him, owing to his father's death. He con- tinued upon the old homestead until twenty- three years of age, when, in 1869, he left Canada and made his way to Kansas, set- tling on school land in Nemaha county, and he took out his naturalization papers in Seneca, that county, in October, 1872. He remained in that state for eight years, which covered the period of the grasshopper plague, and it has been said that he was the only Greenfield in that county that they did not eat. He, how- ever, had a field of corn which the

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grasshoppers devoured in two hours. This was in 1874. In the spring of 1875 Mr. Greenfield engaged in breaking prairie, be- ing superior to almost any other settler in Kansas in pioneer days. He drove eight oxen, four yoke abreast, and they were hitched like horses with lines. He broke sod with a thirty-six inch plow and was called upon to exhibit the plan of turning the sod to excursionists of St. Joseph, Mis- souri. He turned over sod like turning over a carpet. The following year, 1876, he sacrificed his interest in Kansas, exchang- ing his farm there for land comprising forty acres on Highland avenue, two miles east of Benton Harbor, and assumed a three hundred dollar mortgage, but later he found that the interest and principal amounted to nine hundred dollars. In those early days he worked at anything that would give him a start. He drove oxen in Canada and broke over a thousand acres of land in Kansas. After coming to Michigan he be- gan the arduous task of developing his farm here and paid off the nine-hundred-dollar indebtedness inside of three years. He set out his land to fruit and in the course of a short time was deriving a good income from the place. He then added forty acres where he now lives, his home being on Ter- ritorial road. He paid for this property in three years by selling wood and the place still has considerable timber on it. His next purchase was a forty-acre tract not far distant, for which he paid twenty-four hun- dred dollars and which was already im- proved. It had been planted to fruit and he has since set out more fruit until he has twenty-five acres of the tract devoted to tht cultivation of small fruit. He has also raised peaches on quite an extensive scale but with small fruits paid for the place. After the peaches began to come in he be- gan to invest his surplus capital in Benton Harbor property, which he has been improv- ing. He erected his present home six years ago, it being a good house on Territorial road, two miles east of Benton Harbor. Here he has a fine farm, splendidly im- proved with modern equipments and the or- chards yield him large crops annually. He has built both business blocks and residences

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A twentieth century history of Berrien County, Michigan, Part 60

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