USA > Michigan > Biographical history of northern Michigan containing biographies of prominent citizens > Part 14
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NORTHERN MICHIGAN.
victions, strong in his purposes and ever ready to lend his aid to further the public interests, he has borne well his part in life, and a large circle of friends and acquaint- ances hold him in warm personal regard.
THOMAS H. PAIGE.
Many years have elapsed since Thomas H. Paige came to Antrim county. This dis- trict was then wild, much of its land un- claimed and its resources undeveloped. A few courageous frontiersmen had dared to locate within its borders, but the work of progress and improvement remained to the future. In the years that have passed since Thomas H. Paige came to this county a great transformation has been wrought, and in this he has held a conspicuous place, bearing his full share in the work of de- veloping the county until he is now one of the progressive and enterprising farmers of that locality. Mr. Paige is a native of Canada, having been born in 1849, and is the son of William and Johann ( Western) Paige. William Paige was a native of Canada and his wife of England. They were the parents of ten children, seven of whom are still living. Mr. Paige was a far- mer by vocation and when the subject of this sketch was but thirteen years of age the family removed from Canada to Michigan, first locating in Oakland county and eventu- ally in Macomb, where they remained for seven years and then removed to Antrim county in 1871. Here the father home- steaded land and entered upon the task of clearing it of the dense timber which covered
it and by dint of hard and consecutive labor was enabled to reclaim from the forest a splendid farm, on which he made his home until his death, in 1899. He became well-to- do and attained to a prominent position in his community. He was a staunch Re- publican in politics and held a number of minor offices, including that of justice of the peace.
Thomas H. Paige received his education in the public schools of Canada and Michi- gan and upon attaining to mature years was well qualified to take upon himself the re- sponsibilities of life. He followed the pur- suit of agriculture, of which he had become accustomed during his younger years, and has attained a definite success in this pur- suit. He has one hundred and twenty acres of land, of which sixty are under cultivation, and it may be here stated that so dense was the timber on this tract of land when he came here that it was necessary to cut away trees before even a cabin could be erected. The land in this section of Michigan is par- ticularly fertile and Mr. Paige is not in- sensible of this fact and through the exer- cise of sound judgment in the sowing of crops and care of his ground he has retained its fertility to a marked extent and today his crops are unsurpassed by any farm of similar size in this locality.
Mr. Paige has been twice married. On July 4, 1872, he was married to Miss Eunice McClatchie and to them were born three children, namely: Burton, a farmer, who married Violet Trotman; Ella is the wife of Asa Darling, of Boyne, and Myrtle is the wife of George Cole, a farmer. Mr. Paige's second marriage was to Miss Emma Gif- ford, daughter of Daniel and Susanna Gif-
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF
ford, natives of New York state. Her par- ents were farming people and spent a greater part of their lives in New York, coming to Michigan in 1849 and making their homes in Antrim county, where the father still lives, at the age of seventy-four years. Mr. and Mrs. Paige have two children, Earl and Vern. Mr. Paige is a staunch Republican and gives earnest attention to all questions of the hour, voting intelligently upon topics which are of vital interest. He has not been a seeker for office, though he has served on the school board and as pathmaster of his township. Religiously, Mr. Paige is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and takes a deep interest in all movements looking to the moral and educational wel- fare of the township.
HORACE W. ROSSITER.
It is with marked satisfaction that the biographer adverts to the life of one who has attained success in any vocation requir- ing definiteness of purpose and determined action. Such a life, whether it be one of calm, consecutive endeavor, or of sudden meteoric accomplishments, must abound in both lesson and incentive and prove a guide to a young man whose fortunes and des- tinies are still matters for the future to de- termine. The subject of this sketch is dis- tinctively one of the representative men of Antrim county. For a number of years he directed his efforts toward the goal of suc- cess and by patient continuance in well doing succeeded at last in overcoming the many obstacles by which his pathway was beset.
Horace W. Rossiter is a native of the
old Buckeye state, having been born in Seneca county, Ohio, on the 26th of June, 1855. His parents are William and Mary (McDonald) Rossiter, natives of England and who are still living. Mr. Rossiter comes of long-lived ancestry, as is evidenced by the fact that one of his great-grandmothers lived to attain the remarkable age of one hundred and eighteen years. William Ros- siter was by occupation a butcher, having followed this pursuit for fifty-four years, during a greater part of which time he re- sided in Ohio. He is a Republican in politics and, though active for the success of his party, he has never been induced to accept public office. He has been very successful in the accumulation of means and is today worth about thirty thousand dollars.
Horace W. Rossiter, having weak eyes from infancy, could not attend school to any extent, nine months being the full extent of his time in the school room. He is purely a self-educated man, apart from his veterin- ary education. Mr. Rossiter has not con- secutively followed in one pursuit through- out his life, as is evidenced in the statement that he has at different times practiced veterinary surgery, been connected with the theatre business and was also a railroad em- ploye. Coming to Antrim county on the 20th of July. 1884, he at once took up the practice of veterinary surgery and has been quite successful in the same. Prior to com- ing here, however, he had some experience in theatricals, having been employed in the capacity of a comedian on the road for four years, being connected during this time with several different companies. He afterward entered railroad service, in which he was employed for eight years, but in an accident in Grandville, this state, he was so badly in-
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NORTHERN MICHIGAN.
jured as to be compelled to retire from ac- tive labor and has never fully recovered from the effects of the injury. In 1898 Mr. Rossiter was appointed postmaster of Alden, in which position he has since been retained, performing the duties of the office in an entirely satisfactory manner to the patrons. By persistent ef- forts and wise economy he has been able to accumulate a valuable competency, owning some valuable town property besides the home in which he resides. A Republican in politics, he has ever taken an active in- terest in his party's success and has been honored by election to several public offices, having been justice of the peace for twelve years and also a member of the board of health and the township board, as well as be- ing a commissioned notary public.
Mr. Rossiter was married May 8, 1877, to Miss Allie Walters, the daughter of Josiah and Jane (Earnest) Walters, natives of Ohio. To Mr. and Mrs. Rossiter have been born seven children, namely: J. W., who is still at home, is attending a veterinary college in Kansas City, Kansas ; Essie is and has been for six years assistant postmaster; Monnie, Allie, Eva, Willie and Walter, twins, all of whom remain at home and are being given the advantages of an education. The children are all musically inclined and have been offered every opportunity for cultivating this taste. Mr. Rossiter posses- ses that happy quality of winning and re- taining friends and since becoming a resi- dent of this county he has made a large cir- cle of acquaintances, among whom he is held in very high esteem. All who know him are loud in their praise of his sterling manhood and as a citizen he is keenly alive to the public good, assisting by all the means at 8
his command every enterprise calculated to promote the interests of the community. He has lived to a good and useful purpose and the high position he occupies in the county has been honestly and truly merited.
WILLIAM M. PAIGE.
Plowing, planting and harvesting seem to the superficial observer to constitute the life of the farmer, but to the initiated agri- cultural pursuits mean much more than this. Today the farmer who succeeds possesses much scientific knowledge concerning the best methods of producing crops, the needs of different cereals and of the elements which should be found in the soil. Rotation of crops is practiced, and in carrying on the work today improved farm machinery is utilized which several decades ago was to- tally unknown. Mr. Paige is a represent- ative of the agriculture class of Antrim county and in all that he does or participates in he illustrates the broad and practical life of the farmer. He is a native of the state in which he now resides, born in Macomb county. April 6, 1868. His parents were William H. and Joanna (Western) Paige, the former born in Canada and the latter in England. William Paige was a farmer and followed this vocation in Canada for some years. He then came to Oakland county, Michigan, later moving to Macomb county, and in 1871 he homesteaded a tract of land in Antrim county where he afterward re- sided. He became a well-to-do and influential citizen and was a staunch sup- porter of the Republican party, being elected to several public offices, in all of which he
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF
ably performed the duties thereof. He was the father of ten children, seven of whom are living.
William M. Paige is indebted to the com- mon schools of Michigan for his education and early learned the lessons of industry, which are invaluable accompaniments to farm life. He accompanied his parents upon their removal to Antrim county and upon his father's death assumed control of the old homestead, which he still operates. It con- sists of forty-two acres of land and is prac- tically all under cultivation. Mr. Paige car- ries on general farming, not confining him- self to any specialty, and has attained to a large degree of success in this line. He has made many improvements upon the place since obtaining possession of it and has brought the place up to a high standard of excellence. The well-tilled fields and good buildings indicate a careful and painstaking husbandman. Mr. Paige is an earnest op- ponent to the liquor traffic and gives expres- sion of his views by casting his ballot for the candidates of the Prohibition party, be- lieving in this way the dread traffic can best be abolished. He takes a deep interest in all public matters and has been a leader in many movements for the public good. Fraternally he is a member of the Grange and Independ- ent Order of Good Templars at Alden.
On September 16, 1897, Mr. Paige was married to Miss Clementine Imler, the daughter of John and Mary (Hester) Im- ler. Mrs. Paige's parents were natives of Ohio, but moved to Indiana and later to Michigan. Mr. Imler followed the trade of blacksmithing while in Indiana, but died soon after coming to Michigan, while his widow still makes her home here. They were the parents of six children, of whom
five are living. To Mr. and Mrs. Paige have been born two children, Jefferson and Laura. As a man and citizen Mr. Paige is highly esteemed in his township and few oc- cupy as conspicuous a place in the confidence of the public. He is a man of the people and a representative of the best type of American citizenship. Courteous and kind to all, broad minded in his views as a man of affairs and firm in his convictions, it is a compliment worthily bestowed to speak of him as an upright and Christian gentleman. He is an active member of the Baptist church and has been superintendent of the Sunday school for the greater part of the last ten years. Mrs. Paige is also a member of the same church. Mr. Paige is a member of the Farmers' Institute of Antrim county.
ELI PICKARD.
Success in this life comes to the deserv- ing. This axiom is demonstrated by the ex- pression that a man gets out of this life what he puts into it, plus a reasonable interest on the investment. He who inherits a large estate and adds nothing to his opportunities cannot be called a successful man. He that increases his value is successful in propor- tion to the amount he adds to his possessions. But the man who starts in life unaided, and by pure power of will forges ahead and reaches a position of honor among his fel- low citizens gains success such as represent- atives of the former classes can neither un- derstand nor appreciate. To a considerable extent the subject of this sketch is a repre- sentative of the class last mentioned. He is a native of the dominion of Canada, having
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been born July 22, 1841. His parents were Louis and Eliza (Lince) Pickard. The father was a native of Kentucky, from whence he went to Canada, and in 1867 came to Michigan, locating in Macomb county where he took up land and followed farm- ing until 1874 when he went to Kalkaska county, this state, where his death occurred in 1879. He was a Republican in politics, but steadfastly refused to receive public office, giving his entire time and attention to his farming interests .. He was the father of eight children, namely: Eli, Ira, Esther, Martha, Malcomb, Thomas, Benjamin and Isabel.
Eli Pickard was favored with such edu- cational advantages as could be secured in the common schools and proved an earnest searcher for knowledge so that upon mail- taining his maturity he was well qualified to discharge life's duties. He has followed the pursuit of farming all his life and it may be said he has been fairly successful. He is the possessor of forty acres of land, thirty- five acres of which are in a high state of cultivation and on which he grows all the crops common in this locality. When he secured this tract of land in 1883 it was en- cumbered with dense wood, but he has cleared it so that few places today show bet- ter evidence of painstaking and discriminat- ing care. He has made many improvements upon the place, including the erection of a handsome and commodious residence and outbuildings and is today the possessor of one of the tasty and attractive farms of the township. Mr. Pickard is a Republican in politics and takes a deep and abiding inter- est in all questions of moment and casts his ballot for the measures tending to improve the general public condition.
In 1864 Mr. Pickard was united in mar- riage to Miss Sarah J. Lince, daughter of Edward and Eliza Lince, natives of Canada, who came to Michigan in 1856 and located in Sanilac county. To Mr. and Mrs. Pick- ard have been born four children, namely : Isaac L., a farmer and blacksmith, who married Miss Nellie Sweeney; Martha be- came the wife of W. S. Wilson and resides at Alden ; Maude is the wife of Frank Haw- ley, a farmer, and Blanche is deceased. Mr. Pickard stands high in the estimation of the people of his neighborhood and is never be- hind in upholding enterprises having for their motives the county's best interests. He is a plain and unassuming man and his many acts of kindness as well as his general man- ner have won for him a warm place in the hearts of his fellow citizens.
NELSON UPTHEGROVE.
Among the leading business men and representative citizens of Antrim county, Michigan, few stand higher in the esteem of the public or have exerted a wider in- fluence than Nelson Upthegrove, of Central Lake. Mr. Upthegrove springs from an old and highly respected family that had its paternal origin in Germany, while from the maternal side he inherits the sturdy char- acteristics of a long line of English ances- tors, one of whom came to America in atı early day and settled near Chiniquar, in the province of Ontario, Canada. The paternal grandfather of the subject, although a native of Germany, was partly of Spanish descent; he immigrated to the United States a num- ber of years ago and located near Tona-
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF
wanda, Erie county, New York, where he purchased land, established a good home and in due time became prominent in the affairs of his locality.
Joseph F. Upthegrove, the subject's father, who was born on the homestead in Erie county, was early left an orphan and at a tender age began the struggle of life upon his own responsibility. In his youth he learned carpentry and later took up the trade of millwright and for a number of years devoted his attention to these lines of work, becoming quite proficient in both. In 1860 he settled in Huron county, Michigan, and during the ensuing nine years resided there and also two years in the county of Sanilac, working at his trade in connection with agricultural pursuits, having purchased a tract of land shortly after coming to the state. Disposing of his interests in Huron county in 1868, he changed his abode to the county of Antrim and purchasing a claim at the head of Torch lake, moved his fam- ily to the same the following year and began the work of its improvement. Mr. Upthe- grove was one of the early settlers of Torch Lake and, like the majority of pioneers of this part of the state, experienced the vicis- situdes and many of the hardships which fell to the lot of those who blazed the way of civilization to what has since been one of the finest and most promising sections of the commonwealth. In addition to clearing and developing his land, he devoted considerable time to buying furs in various parts of Michigan and Canada and he also achieved quite a name as a hunter, having long en- joyed the reputation of being the most skill- ful shot in the county of Antrim. For a number of years his home was a favorite stopping place for travellers, prospectors and
land seekers and during certain months sel- dom a night passed that the floor of his cabin was not thickly strewn with blankets, quilts and the skins of wild beast, every square foot of available space being utilized to afford sleeping accommodations for guests who sought his hospitality. His door was ever open and his entertainment ten- dered with a heartiness that sweetened the welcome to all who entered therein, and though by no means in affluent circum- stances, it is said that no poor or needy passerby ever applied to his generosity in vain.
Hannah Adams, wife of Joseph Upthe- grove, was born in Chiniquar, Canada, August 29, 1826, and their marriage took place at Esquerson, Ontario, on August 20, 1844. Her parents died when she was quite young and she knew little of her family save that it was eminently respectable and that the different members thereof did nothing to tarnish the luster of its good name. She is remembered as a true helpmeet to her hus- band during the trying period of their pioneer experiences and to her earnest, self- denying efforts and sacrifices in their be- half her children attribute not a little of their success in life and the honorable repu- tation which they now enjoy among their fellow men. Joseph Upthegrove resided on his farm at the head of Torch lake until 1880, when he sold out and moved west, but after spending several months in Kansas, Texas and the Indian Territory he returned to Antrim county and purchased a place three and a half miles northwest of Central Lake and about two miles from the original homestead. Here he passed in quiet and content the evening of a very active and well spent life and on December 1, 1891,
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NORTHERN MICHIGAN.
answered the summons which must finally come to all, dying at a good old age, re- spected by all who knew him. Mrs. Upthe- grove survived her husband until December 17, 1903, at which time she entered the great beyond, departing this life in the seventy-eighth year of her age. The chil- dren of this excellent couple consisted of six sons and two daughters, whose names are as follows: D -; Joseph G., in the United States signal service with headquarters at Ashland, Wisconsin ; Sarah V., of Bad Axe, Wisconsin, widow of the late Peter Peter- son, of that place; Nelson, whose name in- troduces this sketch; Wellington, whose death occurred on December 10, 1892; Charles died in early youth ; John, a carpen- ter and contractor of Central Lake, Michi- gan; Lavina E., wife of Thomas Mitchell, of Elk Rapids; Peter, a farmer of Central Lake township, Antrim county, and Henry, who owns and resides on the family home- stead.
being, as already stated, a skillful builder, his services were in great demand by the people who gradually replaced their log dwellings with more comfortable and substantial frame edifices. Later he entered the em- ploy of the Cheboygan Lumber Company, in which he soon rose to the responsible posi- tion of foreman and while engaged in this capacity he was put in charge of one of the company's camps with from forty to one hundred and twenty men under his super- vision. He discharged his duties in an able and business-like manner, earned the confidence of his employers and as long as he remained with the company was con- sidered one of its most capable and reliable men. Resigning his position after several years of faithful and efficient service, Mr. 'Upthegrove turned his attention to other pursuits until 1880, at which time he made an extensive tour of the West, spending about three years traveling over various parts of Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona and old Mexico, de- voting a part of the time to prospecting and mining. While in the latter capacity he located and sold several very valuable min- eral properties, including what has since be- come the celebrated Ivanhoe mine in the Black Range mountains of New Mexico and others, which had he retained until the pres- ent time would doubtless have made him more than a millionaire. As it was he profited by his prospecting and upon his re- turn to Michigan in 1883 he was not only richer in knowledge and experience than when he started upon his tour, but also con- siderably better off from a financial point of view.
Nelson Upthegrove, to a brief resume of whose life story the readers' attention is herewith respectfully invited, was born at Esquerson, Ontario, March IT, 1849, and remained with his parents until a little over thirty years of age. He received a common school education, and, like his father, was a natural mechanic, consequently he utilized his skill in this direction by early turning his attention to carpentry, a trade in which he soon acquired marked proficiency and which he followed with decided success for a num- ber of years. Mr. Upthegrove accompanied his parents upon their removal to Michigan and bore his share in the clearing and de- veloping of the homestead on Torch lake. When not thus engaged he worked at his On October 27. 1883, Mr. Upthegrove trade in various parts of the country and was united in marriage with Miss Margaret
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF
Reid, of Saginaw county, Michigan, im- mediately after which he settled down to farming on the family homestead where, with the exception of one year in the dry- goods business at Eastport, he continued to live and prosper until 1892. In the latter year he abandoned agriculture and removed to Central Lake, where he has since resided, his attention the meanwhile being devoted to various lines of business, in all of which his success has been encouraging. For some time he dealt quite extensively in agricul- tural implements and all kinds of farm ma- chinery and at intervals invested judiciously in town and country real estate, making a number of valuable improvements on the former which have added greatly to the ap- pearance and commercial interests of the place. Among the first of his buildings in Central Lake was the corner block now oc- cupied by the Stevens & Stevens Bank, and the postoffice, which he erected at a cost of nearly three thousand dollars ; he also owns the store building adjoining in which the largest stock of hardware in the town is kept. besides several other structures used for business and residence purposes. Mr. Upthegrove is a public spirited man and few have done as much as he towards the ma- terial development of Central Lake and the advancement of its various interests. In addition to his large investments in the town, to which, by the way, he is adding almost constantly, he does a thriving business loan- ing money and dealing in real estate and it is eminently proper to state that nearly every industry in the place has profited by his as- sistance and influence. Energetic and es- sentially progressive, he has long been a recognized leader in the community and to him more perhaps than to any other man
does the public turn for direction and ad- vice when important measures are inaugur- ated and enterprises for the general good are to be carried forward. Mr. Upthegrove was made a Mason in his twenty-fourth year and from that time to the present has been active in the work of the order, having risen to honored positions in the blue lodge, the chap- ter and commandery. He has been worthy patron of F. J. Lewis Chapter, No. 213, Order of the Eastern Star, since its or- ganization and his wife also holds an im- portant official station in the same chapter, both being among its most active and in- fluential members. In addition to his promi- nence in Masonic circles, both subordinate and grand lodge, he is a leader in the Pythian brotherhood at Central Lake and at intervals has held some of the prominent offices within the power of the organization to be- stow.
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