A twentieth century history of Berrien County, Michigan, Part 67

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

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FRED G. BRIGGS, living on section 19, Wesaw township, where he is devoting his time and energies to general agricultural

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

pursuits, is numbered among the worthy citi- zens that Ohio has furnished to Berrien county, his birth having occurred in York township. Medina county, January 5, 1865. His father, Giles Briggs, was born in Schenectady county, New York, on the 15th of December, 1824, and was a son of Giles and Katharine ( Putnam) Briggs, the former a native of New York and the latter of Penn- sylvania. In their family were twelve chil- dren, including Giles Briggs, Jr., who when a small boy of about twelve years accom- panied his parents on their removal from the Empire state to Ohio. He was a resident of Medina county for a long period and in the spring of 1865 came to Michigan, where he resided continuously until his death, which occurred on the 19th of December, 1885. He prospered in his business undertakings and left a farm of seventy acres. His politi- cal allegiance was given to the Democracy and his religious faith was that of the Meth- odist church, in which he held membership. He wedded Miss Mary Louisa Broadbeck, who was born in Cleveland, Ohio, April 19, 1835, a daughter of Frederick and Christina Magdalena (Annamas) Broadbeck, who were natives of Wurtemberg, Germany, and whose family numbered twelve children. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Giles Briggs were born four children : Orra Deen, the wife of Al- bert Hinchman, a resident farmer of We- saw township; Mary Christina, who died at the age of twelve years; Fred G., of this re- view; and William Benjamin, who is also living in Wesaw township.

Fred G. Briggs was only about three months old when brought by his parents to Michigan, the family homestead being es- tablish in Wesaw township near the farm upon which the subject of this review now resides. Throughout his entire life he has been connected with general agricultural pursuits, having been reared to the occupa- tion of farming, for in his youth he assisted in the labors of the fields when not occupied with the duties of the schoolroom. He is today the owner of one hundred and eighty acres of rich land in section 19. Wesaw township, where he has made his home for twelve years. He has erected all of the build- ings upon the place and has a well improved

property, which returns to him good harvests because of the care and labor he bestows upon the fields. Everything is done in a practical and progressive manner and the work is followed by excellent financial re- sults.

On the 2nd of December, 1891, Mr. Briggs was united in marriage to Miss Orpha Carpenter, who was born in Buchanan township, July 9, 1865, a daugh- ter of Marcus and Martha A. (Lape) Car- penter, natives of Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Briggs have become the parents of six chil- dren : Terry Arthur, Glenn A., Ruth Mary, Raymond C., Marie and Lee Kenneth.

In his political affiliation Mr. Briggs is a Democrat but without aspiration for office. He holds membership in the Christian church at Three Oaks and is well known in the community where he resides as a man of genuine personal worth, while in his busi- ness career he has displayed those traits which are worthy of emulation, his industry and enterprise being the salient features of his prosperity.

IV. A. D. ROSE, living in Benton town- ship, was born in Rosshire in the highlands of Scotland. August 14, 1843, and was reared in his native village to the age of nineteen years. In early boyhood he at- tended school and when about twelve and a half years of age he went into a lawyer's office, where he acted as clerk for about seven years. Two years more were devoted to the study of law and with another two years' study he would have been admitted to the bar in Edinburgh. Crossing the Atlantic to the new world in 1862, he made his way to Oxford county, Ontario, Canada, where he spent five years. On the expiration of that period he went to California, where he remained for five years, mainly devoting his attention to the dairy business in that state. He then returned to Canada, and for two years was engaged in selling goods at Seaforth.

Mr. Rose came to Michigan to engage in the lumber trade at Big Rapids and spent two years in the manufacture of shingles. He was then superintendent of a lumber business at Hungerford for twelve years and

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for seven years at Deer Lake, having also charge of the lumber woods. He became thoroughly acquainted with the lumber trade in all of its departments and he had a con- tract for staking the mill, having from sev- enty-five to one hundred men in his employ with from two hundred and fifty to three hundred men over whom he had supervision. In this business he continued for seven years until the logging was completed, when he came to Benton Harbor to establish a lum- ber trade as a wholesale dealer. He began business on the site now occupied by the present Peters Lumber Company, and he was thus engaged until the financial panic of 1893 which swept over the country, when his busi- ness became involved, as did that of thou- sands of others. He then purchased his present farm of forty-eight acres on the lake shore road two and a half miles north of Benton Harbor. This is an old landmark, being the Parmelee farm. The present house was lighted up for the first time on the night after General Lee's surrender in April, 1865. It is one of the old fruit farms of the county, the entire place being devoted to fruit, including peaches, pears and apples. He has sold fruit to the value of four thou- sand dollars in one season and is a com- mercial grower. The business is proving very satisfactory and he annually harvests good crops from his orchards. His resi- dence stands in plain view of Lake Michigan, less than a quarter of a mile from the shore upon a natural building site and thus com- manding a broad outlook over the water and the surrounding country.

Mr. Rose was married to Miss Isabella Monroe, who was born of Scotch parentage in Canada. They now have a family of two sons and a daughter : James M., who is as- sistant cashier in the Merchant's Bank of Benton Harbor ; George W., a mechanical, mining and electrical engineer, who pursued a course in the Agricultural College at Lansing ; and Daisy Gordon, at home.

Mr. Rose is a Republican, stanch in his advocacy of the party, which he has sup- ported since he became a naturalized Ameri- can citizen. He has served as supervisor and has always been an advocate of good roads and has done much to improve the pub-

lic highways. He was reared in the faith of the Presbyterian church but is not identi- fied with any denomination. Fraternally, however, he is a Mason and has attained the Knight Templar degree. He is now the owner of a good farm which is proving valu- able owing to the care and labor which he bestows upon it, his horticultural pursuits bringing to him a gratifying income.

WILBUR FISK BEHEL is now occu- pying a beautiful home, "LaVinia Lodge" at Fair Plain, Berrien county, but for many years has been a well known contractor and builder, his business being largely in Chi- cago and other leading cities of the coun- try. His operations have been extensive and moreover he has become widely known and gained the approval of many through his strong and stalwart opposition to the domination of the trades unions, believing that the American citizen has the right to employ the men whom he desires and not be dictated to by those who are in his serv- ice. Mr. Behel was born in Mifflin, Penn- sylvania, June II, 1842, and in 1857, when a youth of fifteen years, removed to Earl- ville, Illinois, in company with his father, Jacob Behel, who was a mechanic and was also well known as an inventor of agricul- tural implements. His knotter was placed in use by Manna and adopted by McCor- mick and other companies engaged in the manufacture of reapers and farm imple- ments. This devise is still in use today. As early as 1846 he invented a patent wind- mill which he sold through Ohio, Pennsyl- vania and as far west as St. Joseph, Mis- souri. He kept an account of his travels, the little volume being still in possession of his son, Wilbur F. Behel of this review Although the trip did not prove a financial success Mr. Behel continually visited church services and prayer meetings and thus gave his support to the moral progress of the communities in which he tarried. As early as 1860 he worked out a machine whereby electricity was used for power. Many of his inventions contain splendid ideas, some of which have been used in later years, but he did not make a fortune out of his inven- tions. In Illinois he became a contractor

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and architect. At an early day he built bridges and later gave his attention to the work of a patent solicitor, devoting the last fifteen years of his life to such work and being recognized in Washington as an ex- pert in this line. He died at the age of seventy-two years.

Wilbur Fisk Behel pursued his educa- tion in the common schools and on the IIth of June, 1861, the nineteenth anniversary of his birth, he enlisted for service as a member of Company D, Twenty-third Illi- nois Infantry. This company was formed at Earlville and formed a part Colonel Mul- ligan's Irish brigade, the entire regiment being Irish with the exception of Company D. Mr. Behel enlisted without his parents' consent and with his command went to Jef- ferson City, Missouri, whence he started on the march across the country to Lexing- ton. There the regiment was captured after a nine days' siege by General Price. This was one of the memorable sieges of the war and with the exception of the engagement at Wilson's Creek was the fiercest battle of the war up to that time. The Union troops were paroled the next morning, whence they marched on foot to Hannibal, Missouri, and were thence sent to Chicago, where they were exchanged. After a month spent in the latter city Mr. Behel re- enlisted in the same regiment and was sent to Wheeling, West Virginia. He took part in the West Virginian campaign and re- mained in that state during much of the per- iod of the war. He received promotion, be- coming first sergeant major. On the expir- ation of his second term of enlistment he was mustered out and returned to Chicago, where he assisted in raising a regiment to aid Canada, but the purpose was abandoned and Mr. Behel turned his attention to car- pentering.

In 1865 he was connected with the sash. door and blind manufactory on the west side as superintendent and remained with that company and its successor, the Goss & Phillips Manufacturing Company. for six- teen years, being manager for the latter un- til 1886, when he purchased the business. He continued thus a factor in productive industries of Chicago for ten years, or until

1896, employing one hundred and fifty men and doing a business of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars per year. They made a specialty of interior finishing work and took contracts for interior finishings in many homes, including some of the palatial residences of Chicago, among the number being that of Potter Palmer. In 1896 Mr. Behel closed out the factory but continued as a contractor and builder and as a general builder and still represents this line of busi- ness activity. For thirty years he has been interested in the great questions concerning the unions and trade relations and has been actively concerned in various strikes that have been inaugurated by the carpenters. In the great building strike of 1900 he was chairman of the executive committee and vice president of the building contractors' council, which was organized to oppose the attempted domination of the building trades council. When the Grand Army Encamp- ment was held in Chicago in 1900 he was the lowest bidder on a certain piece of work for the erection of seats from which to view the parade. The contract was awarded to him, but the managers of the encampment refused to sign the contract as he refused to agree to use only union labor. The city council set aside ten thousand dollars to build seats for the spectators. When he re- fused to employ only union labor other par- ties refused to sign the contract, whereon he demanded that the contract be signed by twelve o'clock, else he would secure an injunction restraining them from using the money. This brought them to terms and the contracts were signed by five o'clock. Mr. Behel had five days to build seats on Michigan avenue for twenty thousand peo- ple. He built these in four days with non- union workmen, using twenty-five car loads of lumber or two hundred and fifty thousand feet. Even then the labor was hampered by union crowds, who did everything possible to impede the progress of the work. After the Encampment he secured the contract for the wreckage of seats which stood in the street and hindered the parade of the labor unions. They offered inducements, even to removing the seats without cost if he would allow the removal in time for the parade,

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Heinand A Edwards

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

but he refused to do this and the line of march had to change its course. His firm stand so aroused the opposition of the union leaders that many threats were made against him and for months he was constantly shadowed by detectives whom he employed for the purpose. At one time another man resembling him was slugged and nearly killed. When the mistake was learned the union leaders apologized and paid the hos- pital expenses of the other man.

Mr. Behel had the contract for the in- terior finishing of Marshall Field's new store. The labor troubles, however, became so bad that he decided to finish the work with non-union labor. Almost constant war- fare was indulged in for weeks but he won in the end. He was associated in this work with Mr. O'Brien, and he and O'Brien with thirty detectives were at one time followed by a crowd of two thousand men. Inside of a week, however, they had three hundred non-union men ,at work in the building which was finished with' non-union labor. While Mr. Behel had persevered in his de- termination to hire the men whom he de- sired and not to be dictated to by any trades union the worry has told upon his constitu- tion and his Michigan home affords him chance for rest and recuperation.

In 1900 he bought at Fair Plain a tract of land and in seven weeks in the spring of I90I his present beautiful home was erected. He had previously taken large - ductive land that yields .to him good crops

building contracts in Little Rock and Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and in many other places in the country. He: would spend his win- ters in Chicago but now he is spending both the winter and summer seasons at his beauti- ful home on the bluff of St. Joseph river. He rented the old Spink resort property and removed to Michigan and, as stated, his home was built the spring of 1901, and was called LaVinia Lodge in honor of his daughter.

In December, 1866, in Chicago, Mr. Behel was married to Miss Julia Moody, a native of Brooklyn, New York, who came west in early life and was educated in a high school of Chicago. The members of their family are as follows: Vernon W., is an architect of Chicago and is married and

has two children, Wilbur and Wesley. La- vinia was a student at Lake Forest Uni- versity of Illinois, was highly educated in vocal and instrumental music and also pos- sessed considerable artistic skill, which was especially shown in china painting. She died February 5, 1900, at the age of twenty- three years. Ruth Beatrice, the youngest of the family, died at four and a half years. Mrs. Behel is an artist, painting in oil and china and her home is beautifully decorated with her own and her daughter's work. Both Mr. and Mrs. Behel were for many years members of the First Baptist church of Chicago, in which Mr. Behel served for a long period as Sunday school superintend- ent. For sixteen years, while manager for Goss & Phillips, Mr. Behel. never took but one week off from his work .. He has been devoted to business, never doing anything in a half hearted way, and as the years have gone. by he has become prominent in building circles in the middle west. He has won a large measure of prosperity and well deserves the rest which he enjoys in his Michigan home.

HIRAM A. EDWARDS, is one of the old settlers of Berrien county, who for . forty-seven years has made his home within its borders. He resides on section 2, Niles township, where he has one hundred and ten acres of rich and pro- and makes him one of the successful farm- ers of the locality.

The life record of Mr. Edwards began in Jefferson county,. New York, May 30, 1836. His paternal grandfather was a na- tive of New York City and became a farmer by occupation, following that pursuit throughout his business career. He died in his native state at the age of eighty-one years. Well known for his reliability and progressiveness in citizenship in times of peace, he was also a soldier in the war of 1812 and thus further manifested his loy- alty to the country.

John W. Edwards, father of our subject, was born in Saratoga county, New York, and he too followed farming. He was also proprietor of a hotel in the east and about

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

1867 he came to Michigan, locating in Niles. He died in his seventy-sixth year in Rochester, New York. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Anne Brigham, was a native of Massachusetts. She was about seventy-six years of age at the time of her death. In the family were six children, of wh m one died in infancy, while the others reached adult age and are still living.

Hiram A. Edwards was the fourth child and second son and was reared in his na- tive state. He was educated in the common schools and in Belleville Academy. On the 17th of September, 1856, he married An- gelina Dickey, a daughter of Joseph. F. Dickey. She was born in New York, Feb- ruary 10, 1839, and was there reared. In October, 1856, Mr. Edwards removed to Henry County, Illinois, locating on the prairie, where he opened up and improved a farm, there residing until May, 1859, when he made a visit to New York. In July of the same year he became a resident of Niles township, Berrien county, and the following year took up his abode on the farm where he now resides. He has grubbed out more than forty acres of the place, has improved the property in many ways and for forty years has resided here, giving his time and labors to the develop- ment of the land and the production of the crops. He has one hundred and ten acres which constitutes a good farm and he is justly classed with the representative agri- culturists of the community.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Edwards have been born nine children: William F., a special chemist in the mines of Idaho; Fred B., at home; Elmer E., who is living at Grand Ledge, Michigan; Anna E. and Alice M., both deceased; Kate H., the wife of A. H. Hopkins, of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, who is librarian there; Stella H. and Eugene D., both deceased; and Mary E., at home. The wife and mother died in 1899.

Mr. Edwards is one of the old settlers of Berrien county and has been identified with the work of making the county what it is today. He votes with the Democracy and was supervisor of his township for five years, while for four years he has been town treasurer. He is now a member of the

board of review, with which he has been connected for a long period, and he has taken an active part in public affairs as a useful and progressive citizen, thoroughly imbued with a public-spirit that recognizes and utilizes possibilities. Mr. Edwards is a member of the Masonic order at Niles, belonging to St. Joseph Valley Lodge, also the chapter and the council, at Niles. In the work of the organization he has taken a deep interest and is a worthy exemplar of the craft. For five years he served as mas- ter of the lodge, for a similar period as high priest of the chapter and was master of the council for fifteen years. He is one of the prominent Masons of the county and his efforts in behalf of the organization have been far-reaching and effective. He still carries on the work of the home farm, al- though he has now reached the Psalmist's. allotted span of three score years and ten. In all relations of life he has been esteemed for his devotion to duty and his genuine personal worth, and he well deserves honor- able mention in this volume.

HIRAM WILSON, engaged in raising fruit and asparagus at St. Joseph, was born in this city June 10, 1850. His father, Simeon C. Wilson, was a native of Canaan, New Hampshire, born November 21, 1818, and his boyhood and youth were passed in the old Granite state, where he acquired his. education. Coming to Michigan at an early day he was married in St. Joseph on the twenty-third anniversary of his birth-in the year 1841-to Miss Lydia C. Kingsley, who- was born in Swansea, Massachusetts, Feb- ruary 17, 1822. About 1840, when eighteen years of age, she came to Berrien county with her parents, Barton and Lorane ( Paul) Kingsley, who settled in St. Joseph. Within the year they passed away, there being only eight days difference in the time of their deaths.

During the long years of his residence in this county Mr. Wilson was identified with many business enterprises. In 1850 he went to California, attracted by the discovery of gold on the Pacific coast. Following his re- turn he conducted a hotel in 1853 at the corner of State and Ship streets. It was

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called the American and was the only hotel in St. Joseph at that time. In January, 1856, he removed to what is known as the old Wilson homestead in the south part of the city and here resided continuously until his demise, although at different times he made trips elsewhere. While in California he had gotten the idea of a grout building and in 1852 he erected his residence in accordance with that plan. The home still stands in as good preservation as in the beginning and is one of the landmarks of this part of the county. The residence was erected in oc- tagonal form with pillars at each corner, ex- tending from the ground to the roof. The rooms are also octagonal and the building was constructed upon a plan made by Mr. Wilson. The house is most convenient in its arrangement and became one of the notable architectural features of the locality. It continued to be his home for twenty years. He was also a great entertainer, keeping open house and friend and stranger alike enjoyed his hospitality. In 1859 he visited Pike's Peak, but three years before this time had located upon his present farm. He cleared all of the tract and planted it to fruit, mostly apples, but he did not live to gather crops from his orchards. About the time of the Civil war he was engaged in the grocery business, in which he continued for four or five years, being located at the cor- ner now occupied by Sopker's clothing store. He also owned quite a tract of land in the heart of St. Joseph, which is now valued at thousands of dollars. This he exchanged about 1868 for thirty. acres south of St. Jo- seph and there made his home.

Mr. Wilson was deeply interested in everything that pertained to the welfare and progress of the community and co-operated in many movements for the general good, giving his active aid and support to all plans that were formulated to advance the gen- eral welfare. He attended the Universalist church and aided in building a brick house of worship but the congregation never had a resident pastor. He was a man of do- mestic tastes, finding his greatest pleasure at his own fireside in the midst of his fam- ily. He was also a great reader and kept well informed on all current questions.

All who knew him respected him for his genuine worth, his reliability in business, his kindliness and congeniality. He stood as a high type of the worthy pioneer settler, whose efforts were of lasting benefit to the community. He passed away February 22, 1874, and his widow long survived him, re- siding at the old home, her death there oc- curring September 28, 1899.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Simeon C. Wilson were born five children, of whom two died in early youth, while three reached mature years, these being Jeremiah, Hiram and Angie, who is the wife of William Howard and resides at the old home. Jeremiah re- mained upon the farm with his brother and sister and never married. He died about four months after the mother's death, when fifty-five years of age. He was a very promi- nent Odd Fellow, active in the work of the order and passed all of the chairs in the local lodge. He also spent two years as conductor on the railroad before his father died.

Hiram Wilson was born in St. Joseph during the father's absence in Cali- fornia and the old home in which his birth occurred is still standing. He has always lived upon the farm and his life has been devoted to general agricultural and horti- cultural pursuits. He and his brother wished to keep the family intact and did so even after the sister was married, no division occurring until subsequent to the mother's death, when the property was divided, the sister receiving the home and five acres of land, while Hiram came into possession of fifteen acres and Jeremiah of ten acres.

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A twentieth century history of Berrien County, Michigan, Part 67

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