Biographical history of northern Michigan containing biographies of prominent citizens, Part 107

Author:
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Indianapolis : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 966

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In matters political Mr. Beebe is found stanchly arrayed as a supporter of the prin- ciples of the Republican party, and he takes an active interest in the party cause, being one of the representative workers in the Re- publican ranks in Kalkaska county. He cast his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln, in 1864, at which time he was valiantly serving in defense of the Union, be- ing with his command in front of Peters- burg when he thus availed himself for the first time of his right of franchise. In Au- gust, 1862, Mr. Beebe enlisted as a private in Company H. One Hundred and Forty- third Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, which was assigned to the Army of the Po- tomac. Our subject was with his command in much arduous service and participated in seventeen general battles besides numerous skirmishes, while it was his good fortune to escape wounds and illness while in the serv- ice. He remained with his regiment until the close of the war, when he received his

honorable discharge, having made an unas- sailable record as a leal and loyal soldier of the republic.

Mr. Beebe is a native of the old Key- stone state of the Union, having been born in Forest Lake township. Susquehanna county, Pennsylvania, on the 31st of May, 1841, and being a representative of families which were founded in America in the co- lonial era. His parents, Lyman and Cyntha (Canfield) Beebe, were likewise natives of Pennsylvania, where they continued to re- side until 1869, when they came to Kalkaska county, Michigan, becoming pioneer settlers here and here passing the remainder of their lives. The father was a farmer by vocation and was a man of inflexible integrity and honor, commanding the high regard of all with whom he came in contact. Our sub- ject was reared on the old homestead farm in Pennsylvania, and received his educa- tional training in the common schools, while he continued to be there identified with the great basic art of agriculture until the out- break of the war. At the close of his mili- tary career he returned to Pennsylvania, and he was a young man of twenty-six years when he came to Michigan.

In Pennsylvania Mr. Beebe was united ' in marriage to Miss Elza A. Noteware, who died in .Kalkaska. She is survived by three children, Louis W., who is a resident of Spo- kane, Washington; George L., who is an electrician : and Leah E., who is a student in the home schools. In the city of Oswego. New York, in 1897, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Beebe to Miss Etta E. Dawes, and of this union has been born one child. Avery. In a fraternal way Mr. Beebe is identified with the local lodge and chapter of the Masonic order, in which noble and time-honored organization he takes a deep interest, while religiously he is a Baptist.

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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF

E. E. McKNIGHT, M. D.

The medical profession is well repre- sented in Alpena county, Michigan, and among the younger members of the frater- nity who are noticeable in this community for their professional ability and successful treatment of the ills that afflict humanity will be found the subject of this sketch. Dr. McKnight was born in the city of Grand Rapids, this state, and is the son of Thomas McKnight, who settled in Kent county, Michigan, in 1843 and is still an honored and respected resident of that community. The subject of this sketch received a good practical education in the public schools of his native county, and then entered the Northern Indiana Normal School at Val- paraiso, that state, from which he graduated in 1887. He then engaged for three years in teaching school, after which he took up the study of medicine in the office of a well- known physician and also in hospitals in Grand Rapids and Chicago. He then matric- ulated in the medical department of the Uni- versity of Michigan at Ann Arbor, gradu- ating there in 1894 and receiving his degree of Doctor of Medicine. In 1897 the Doctor came to Alpena and has since that time been engaged here in the general practice of his profession. He has felt no regret at his se- lection of this city as the field for the exer- cise of his ability as a physician, his patrons being of the better class of citizens and his remuneration quite satisfactory. The Doc- tor is a versatile reader and a close student and keeps abreast of the latest advances in the healing art. His courteous manners, kind sympathy and intense interest in every- thing that he undertakes has won for him the well wishes and warm support of a large cir- cle of loyal personal friends.

Dr. McKnight married Miss Elizabeth Potvin, the daughter of Jules Potvin, now deceased, a pioneer settler of Alpena, who built and owned the Alpena House. To the subject and his wife has been born one child, Paul. In politics the subject supports the Democratic party and stands high in the councils of his party. He was at one time the candidate of his party for mayor of Al- pena and, although there is here a normal Republican majority of six hundred and fifty, the Doctor was defeated by only eleven votes, a marked tribute to his popularity. In fraternal circles he is identified with the Be- nevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Knights of Columbus, while religiously he is a member of St. Bernard's Catholic church. Every movement having for its ob- ject the material, moral, social or educational advancement of the community receives his warm support and earnest co-operation.

FREDERIC DENNY LARKE.

Frederic Denny Larke has long enjoyed an enviable prestige as one of the leading and representative citizens of Rogers City, Presque Isle county, Michigan, being in fact one of the founders of the village. He is of Anglo-Celtic extraction and possesses all the shrewdness. industry and persistence char- acteristic of the lineage from which he sprang. He first came to what is now Rog- ers City in November, 1869, being then en- gaged as superintendent and business man- ager for the lumbering firm of Rogers & Molitor. This firm followed the policy of selecting good timber lands and, after strip- ping the timber off, would offer the cleared land to German and other foreign settlers at

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a reasonable price for farming purposes, thus being one of the prime factors in securing the settlement and development of the farm- ing land in this county. William E. Rogers, for whom Rogers City was named, was a lieutenant in the United States army, and a son-in-law of Hamilton Fish. Mr. Mol- itor also was a lieutenant in the United States army, having received his military education at Wurtemberg, Germany, and serving in the United States army during the late Civil war. Rogers and himself were, after the war, at- tached to the lake survey service, with head- quarters at Detroit. Both were able men and this section of northern Michigan owes them a debt of gratitude for their successful efforts in inducing settlers to locate here. Many of the most prominent and well-to-do farmers here now are either these same set- tlers or their immediate descendants. Rog- ers & Molitor disposed of their interests here in 1873 and the former now lives in Garri- son, New York. In 1870 Mr. Larke was en- gaged here in getting out the long timbers used in constructing the government light house and at the same time, with his assist- ants, located the dock site at Rogers City and laid out the site of the future village. He also got out the timbers and cut the boards for the mill and store which were erected in 1870. the construction of the same being superintended by himself. About 1875 Mr. Larke began business here on his own account, at which he was fairly successful, and during the years he also pur- chased from time to time large tracts of land, so that through this means he became one of the well-to-do men of this section. He has not been selfish in his prosperity, but has in every way possible contributed to the general welfare and the advancement of the town.

Among these acts may be mentioned the re- cent donation conjointly with Herman Hoeft, of Rogers City, of three thousand acres of land for the establishment of a large Portland cement works here, which are to be constructed by W. F. Cowhan. It is also worthy of note that the government has had surveys made with a view of creating at Rogers City a harbor of refuge, the esti- mated cost of the necessary works of which will aggregate between two million and three million dollars. The Sault Detour Railway are intending to cross the straits by by means of a ferry, one terminus of which will likely be at Rogers City. In all these projected improvements the hand of Mr. Larke can be seen and he is just as active in the town's welfare today as when he first came here.

Mr. Larke has occupied several public positions of trust and responsibility, having served as county clerk for fourteen years, township supervisor for a long time and other local offices. He was also local state land commissioner and was instrumental in having the roads built that opened up the best part of this county. He has served sat- isfactorily as postmaster of Rogers City for a number of years and has been president of the village ever since it was founded. A stanch Republican in politics, his is a famil- iar face in all local conventions and he has been chairman of the county committee ever since the organization of the party in this county. The foregoing review has neces- sarily been brief, but enough has been said to show unmistakably that Rogers City in a large measure owes its present solid pros- perity to the indefatigable efforts and en- couraging example of Mr. Larke and few men in the community have as many warm and loyal friends as does he.

826

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF

E. G. COLE.

Good old Yankee blood courses through the veins of the subject of this sketch and during his long residence in this county the same sturdy qualities which have perpetu- ated the solid stability of the northeastern states have characterized him. Shrewd and sagacious in business matters and ever on the lookout for opportunities for legitimate investment, he has yet been duly conserva- tive in his operations, never allowing the mere chance of big gains to allure him away from safe channels. Mr. Cole is a native of Winterport, Waldo county, Maine, where on one farm the family had resided for over one hundred years. He is the son of Francis Cole, the grandson of Elisha Cole, and the great-grandson of him who was called "Gov- ernor" Cole, who came from Cape Cod and settled on the spot where the subject was born. Coming to Augres, Arenac county, he engaged in the lumber business, in which he was successful and which occupied his attention until 1902. He also engaged in the mercantile business here, in which he has been consecutively engaged for twenty-eight years. At one time he was the owner of the finest farm in this county, consisting of three hundred and twenty acres, but in 1904 he sold the property to the Tawas Sugar Company, for the sum of twelve thousand dollars. He obtained possession of this inal wild condition into its present magnifi- cent standing. He is also a member of the firm of Cole & Grimore, who are extensively engaged in the manufacture of hoops, and is president of the Augres Bank, one of the solid financial institutions of this county.

An active Republican in political mat- ters, Mr. Cole has been honored by election

to every office in Augres township, and has been school director for fifteen years. Fra- ternally he is a member of the Free and Ac- cepted Masons, having risen to the Knight Templar degree, belonging to Bay City Commandery, and also of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

Mr. Cole married, in Maine, Miss Sarah Twining, a native of that state and a sister of Fred I .. Twining, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this work. Their only child, Blanche, died in 1883, at the age of seven years.

LEWIS DELINE.

Another of the honored pioneers who aided in laying the foundation on which to erect the superstructure of Antrim county's present prosperity and still more magnifi- cent advancement is Mr. DeLine, who came to this section of the state nearly two score of years ago, when Antrim county was prac- tically an unbroken sylvan wilderness. He is the owner of a good farm and also a nice residence property in the village of Ells- worth, where he has resided during the ma- jor portion of the time since coming to the county.

Mr. DeLine was born in Onondaga county, New York, in 1840, and is a son of Abram and Ann (Woodward) DeLine, both tract in 1882, and improved it from its orig- . of whom were likewise born and reared in that section of the old Empire state, where the father continued to be identified with agricultural pursuits until his death. Mr. DeLine is the youngest of the number and the only one living.

Lewis DeLine grew up under the sturdy training of the old home farm and secured a common-school education, his advantages in

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NORTHERN MICHIGAN.

this respect being those usually enjoyed by the farmer boy of the locality and period. After leaving the home roof he found em- ployment in factories and on farms in vari- ous localities, making his way to Pennsyl- vania, thence to Ohio and finally into Michi- gan, while in the spring of 1866 he arrived in Antrim county, shortly afterward deter- mining to cast in his lot with its pioneers. He took up a homestead claim of eighty acres of heavily timbered land, in what is now South Arm township, in Charlevoix county, and began clearing the same and making it gradually available for cultivation. His original domicile was a log cabin of the most primitive type, and in the early days he was compelled to go to a point sixteen miles distant in order to mail letters and secure those addressed to him. Today he has the mail at his door, and other conditions are in marked contrast to those in evidence in the early pioneer epoch, when this section was isolated and its marks of civilization few. A few years after taking up his resi- dence here Mr. DeLine secured a helpmeet and companion, and she has proved a de- voted wife during all the long intervening years, doing well her part in aiding and en- couraging her husband in his efforts. In 1874 the subject married Miss Margaret Brown, who was born and reared in Clinton county, New York, whence she accompanied her parents on their removal to Michigan when a girl. She is a daughter of William and Margaret (Grant) Brown, the former of whom was for many years a sailor on the Atlantic ocean. In the late '6os he re- moved with his family to Michigan, taking up his abode in Antrim county in 1867 and here developing a farm. He here continued to reside until his death, which occurred in 1896. His widow now resides with her son

Henry, a successful farmer of this county, and is eighty-five years of age at the time of this writing, being one of the honored pio- neer women of the county. Mrs. DeLine taught school in Charlevoix county three years and seventeen years since marriage in Charlevoix and Antrim counties. Mr. and Mrs. DeLine have four children, namely : Ann, the wife of Frank Duss, of Wellsburg, New York; Frank married Anna Banderygh and lives in the state of Washington ; Lewis, Jr., and Hazel still remain beneath the pa- rental roof.

The subject still retains possession of his farm, which is well improved and which comprises forty acres. For a brief interval he resided in Charlevoix county, but Ells- worth has been his home during the greater portion of his residence in this section of the Wolverine state. In politics he is an uncom- promising advocate of the principles and policies of the Republican party, and he has been an active worker in its local ranks. For seven years he was incumbent of the office of postmaster at Ellsworth. Mrs. DeLine is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. DeLine rendered valiant serv- ice in the defense of the Union cause dur- ing the Civil war, having served for a time as a member of the Nineteenth New York Volunteer Infantry and later as a member of Battery G, Third New York Heavy Ar- tillery, which was assigned to the Army of the Cumberland. The subject participated in a number of the important battles inci- dental to the progress of the great conflict and continued in active service for nearly three years, having enlisted in response to President Lincoln's first call for volunteers and having received his honorable discharge in the autumn of 1863. He still maintains an interest in his old comrades, and is an ap-

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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF

preciative member of Major Wibber Post, children, of whom the subject is the eldest, the others being Harriet and Edward.

No. 206, Grand Army of the Republic, at Bellaire. He is one of the sterling pioneers of the county and well merits the esteem in which he is so uniformly held in the com- munity.

The first quarterly report of the post- office of Ellsworth shows a gross receipt of twelve cents. There was but one letter registered during that quarter. Mr. De- Line drew up the original petition for the establishment of the office and spent much time in circulating it and was the first postmaster, which office he held for seven continuous years.

GEORGE BRADSHAW.

This well known and representative citi- zen of Echo township, Antrim county, is one of the early settlers of this section and is a scion of one of the pioneer families of the state of Michigan, of which he is himself a native. Mr. Bradshaw was born on a farm in Clinton county, this state, on the 23d of August, 1853, and is a son of Stephen and Winifred (Huggett) Bradshaw, the former of whom was born in Oakland county, Mich- igan, while the latter was a native of Eng- land, whence she came to the United States with her parents when a child. The father of the subject was one of the early settlers of Clinton county, where he reclaimed a farm in the midst of the native forest and where he continued to reside until his death, which occurred when the subject of this re- view was about eight years of age. His wife survived him by a number of years, continuing to make her home in Clinton county. They became the parents of three

George Bradshaw's youthful years were passed on the old home farm and were to a large extent filled with the labors which were common to the farmer boy of the lo- cality and period, while his educational ad- vantages were such as were afforded in the common schools. He continued to be iden- tified with agricultural pursuits in the cen- tral portion of the state until he had attained to his legal majority, when, in 1872, he came to Antrim county and numbered himself among the pioneer settlers in the virgin for- est of Echo township. The land which he originally secured, more than thirty years ago, constitutes his present finely improved homestead farm, whose appearance indicates most significantly the energy and determi- nate effort which he has brought to bear in the long intervening years and also be- speaks unequivocal thrift and prosperity. Mr. Bradshaw has one hundred and twenty acres of most fertile and productive land, of which one hundred acres have been made available for cultivation, while on the place remain seven acres of valuable timber, in- cluding a large number of fine sugar-maple trees, of which two hundred can be tapped for their product each year. Mr. Bradshaw has labored indefatigably and has gained the reward of prosperity and independence, while he may well look with pride upon the tangible results of his labors. In political affairs he is a stanch supporter of the prin- ciples of the Republican party, but in local matters, where no issue is involved, he does not draw the partisan lines strongly. He has been a valued member of the school board of his district. served three years as commissioner of Echo township, and has filled other minor offices of local trust, while

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NORTHERN MICHIGAN.

to him is accorded the fullest measure of popular confidence and esteem in the com- munity of which he is a pioneer.

In 1874, about two years after taking up his residence in Antrim county, Mr. Bradshaw was united in marriage to Miss Nettie Marsh, who was born in Broom, Can- ada, being a daughter of Noble and Mary (Sweet) Marsh, and of this union have been born eight children, one of whom died in early childhood, the other being as follows : Stephen, who married Miss Ella Wilson and who is a successful farmer of this county ; Ira, who married Miss Lucy Somerville and who likewise is a prosperous farmer of his native county ; Gertrude, who is the wife of Louis Colwell, of Traverse City ; Winifred. who is the wife of Loren Marsh, of Echo township: Isabel C., who still remains at the parental home: Harriet and George, at home.

CHARLES HOLDEN PRESCOTT.

The subject of this sketch, though not at the present time a resident of Michigan. was during many of the active years of his life so closely identified with her develop- ment and progress that he is eminently worthy of specific mention in a work of this haracter. Charles H. Prescott is a native of Maine and is the son of Major William and Tryphena (Wilbur) Prescott, both also na- tives of the Pine Tree state, though both were of English descent. The Major was in the war of 1812, at twenty years of age, and was afterward chosen major, while his fa- ther. Elisha Prescott. was a lieutenant in the colonial army during the war of the Rev- olution. The subject of this sketch early in life became identified with the lumber busi- ness in his native state, and in 1853. at the

age of twenty-five years, engaged in the lumber business on his own account in Jef- ferson county, Pennsylvania, retaining these interests until about 1878, owning several mills and some coal lands. In 1870 he had purchased some Michigan timber land and later came here to save the timber. From that time he was actively and closely inter- ested in the development of Iosco and Oge- maw counties and probably contributed to a greater degree to their local welfare than did any other man. He bought more timber land. When S. D). Hale planned to build a narrow gauge railroad from Tawas City into Ogemaw county, Mr. Prescott reluctantly took stock in the project, and eventually be- came the largest stockholder in the company. In 1879 he bought in the road at receiver's sale, at which time the road comprised about twenty miles, its terminus being within three miles of what is now the town of Prescott. Mr. Prescott operated the road about three years, extending it to Prescott. Eventually he sold the property to the Detroit & Mack- inac Railway Company, who made it a standard gauge and extended the line to Al- ger. It is stated that the time the narrow gauge was built there was not a house nor any cleared land in the section from Alger to within two miles of Tawas City.

In 1880 Mr. Prescott bought what was known as the Cameron mill at Tawas City. The mill was thoroughly overhauled and a large force of men were constantly employed here until its destruction by fire in 1904. In 1880 he erected a store building in Tawas City and went into the mercantile business. In 1882, the subject's son, George A. Pres- cott, entered the firm, under the name of C. H. Prescott & Son, and has since remained active in the enterprise here, and in all the local interests of the firm of C. H. Prescott & Sons.

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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF

In about 1883 Mr. Prescott observed the magnificent growth attained by timothy and clover along the roadsides on his Michigan property and at once concluded that the land was adapted for farming purposes. In ac- cordance with this view, he began clearing his land and now is the owner of a ranch of about eight thousand acres, six thousand acres of which are under fence, two thou- sand acres having been cultivated. In poli- tics Charles H. Prescott was first a Whig and then a Republican, and always took a keen interest in public affairs. In religion he was à Baptist, and at the age of forty- two years he received a license to preach. A stalwart and rugged character, as is his, could not but leave its impress upon the community where so many of the active years of his life were passed and in many ways he still exerts a marked influence on the prosperity of this section. In 1884 he moved to Cleveland, where his sons, Charles. Howard and Orville, are in the lumber busi- ness. In the lumber and mercantile busi- ness he and his four sons are all connected both in Ohio and Michigan, but he has had his summer home in Tawas City for about twenty-five years.

A. M. PORTER.

The thriving little city of Onaway, Mich- igan, has during the past few years been making rapid and substantial gain, not only in population, but in industrial and commer- cial resources, and not the least important factor in this advancement has been the sub- ject of this sketch, who, with a commend- able loyalty to his adopted city, has exerted every effort to the end that the advantages

of this section as a place of residence and for business investment may be advertised to those seeking an opportunity to better their interests. That he has been successful in this laudable endeavor is a well-known fact and he now occupies a splendid position among the leading citizens of his commu- nity. Mr. Porter has been a resident of Ona- way but three years, but has already estab- lished here a large and completely equipped shingle mill, with a capacity of fifty thou- sand feet per day. He was formerly located at Marion, Osceola county, where he had a shingle mill of like capacity, but recognizing the advantages afforded at Onaway he re- moved to this point. Aside from his shingle business, he also handles a great deal of tim- ber land and farming land, having bought and sold over nine hundred acres of the lat- ter, mainly to farmers desiring small tracts, in this way inducing the influx of a splendid class of people, who, in turn, by their im- provements have greatly enhanced the ma- terial wealth of the county. The subject is ever loud in his praise of this section as a favorable location for prospective settlers and has seen tangible results from his con- . sistent and persevering policy along this line. In 1905 Mr. Porter was elected mayor of Onaway and is giving the city a good clean administration. He is a stanch Republican in politics and while living at Marion, this state, was a member of the town council. Since coming to Onaway he has erected a neat and convenient residence and is alto- gether very comfortably situated here. Fra- ternally he is an Odd Fellow. holding mem- bership in the lodge at Ravenna, this state.

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Biographical history of northern Michigan containing biographies of prominent citizens, Part 107

Author: Publication date: 1905 Publisher: Indianapolis : B.F. Bowen Number of Pages: 966

Author:
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Indianapolis : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 966