Biographical history of northern Michigan containing biographies of prominent citizens, Part 23

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

USA > Michigan > Biographical history of northern Michigan containing biographies of prominent citizens > Part 23

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Mr. Clow remained on the old home- stead until the death of his wife and oldest child, which sad events occurred seven years after his marriage, and within two weeks of each other, leaving him bereft indeed. Sub- sequently he took a second companion in the person of Elizabeth Covert, of Central Lake, with whom he lived a happy wedded life until May, 1903, when the angel of death

from the devoted wife and mother, since which time he has suffered not only mentally by reason of his grievous loss, but from bodily ailments also, his constantly failing health rendering impossible further manual labor. In consequence of his indisposition Mr. Clow was obliged to turn his farm over to other hands and devoted his attention to lighter pursuits, the principal being the handling of all kinds of nursery stock, a business which he carries on quite exten- sively and which he finds not only to his taste but very profitable from a financial point of view as well.

Mr. Clow's first wife bore him one child, a son, Robert, whose death with that of the mother is noted in a preceding paragraph. The second marriage resulted in the birth of five offspring, the oldest being a daughter by the name of Mabel, an intelligent and popular young lady who now manages his household affairs and in many other ways looks after his comfort and interests. How- ard died in infancy. Percy was called away at the age of eleven, and Ruth, the youngest of the family, a bright miss of ten years, is pursuing her studies in the schools of Celi- tral Lake.

EARLY EXPERIENCES IN CENTRAL LAKE.

AN ENTERTAINING NARRATIVE FROM THE PEN OF WILLIAM MOHRMANN.

The Arkansaw Traveler does not appear on the programme of the Jubilee Singers, the music is too poor. I heard an old Vir- ginia darkey play it, nearly fifty years ago, and it was very funny. It consists mainly

180

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF

of a dialogue between a traveler and an old settler in Arkansas, who is sitting on a stump in front of his cabin playing the fiddle. The traveler desires food and shel- ter for himself and horse, but the old corn- cracker gives him only surly and mocking replies and keeps scraping. When he dis- covers, however, that the stranger can play the fiddle better than himself, nothing is too good for him. One of the questions and answers was: "How long have you lived here ?"

"Stranger, you see that mountain over yonder; when I moved to this country that was there."

When my folks and myself moved here, Keefe's hill was where it is now. The road, such as it was, followed the section line and he who came to the hill, finding he could not go under, around or through it, generally drove over it if his team could make it, but I have no doubt some intending settlers turned around and went back. I do not think John Keefe owned that exact spot called Keefe's hill. If he did he would have disposed of it to some one on condition that the property must be moved at once. I have heard John hold forth on the beauties of this hill very eloquently and forcibly. Others. too, with less eloquence and more force. We had considerable truck to bring in on wheels, and on gaining the top of the divide could look down into the Intermediate valley and congratulate ourselves that the rest of the road would be easy. On the first trip only, for after that we knew better. We followed a gulch that contained a series of spring holes, varied by stumps of all known varieties of hardwood, and also the first les- son in corduroy. We had a good team and my brother drove. When belated on the

road I would listen on still nights for them and could hear them as they passed over the top of the ridge. Then came a short period of quiet, broken by a loud crash-ah, the hemlock stump at the fifth mudhole-shouts to the horses-now they are wallowing through the water-run-thump, bumpeti- bump-they are on the crossway-now quiet -in the sand near the creek-a crash and a groan as the wagon lifts itself over the last obstacle-safely through once more. I want to tell you more about this piece of road. In after years they improved it by chang- ing it to a "hog-back," nearly as steep as a roof of a house. I had been out after deer with a good friend of mine who has been resting under the sod for many days, and we had met the deer and fired at them, but they were not our deer-and we came out at this place tired, hungry and ugly. I pointed to where the road had been changed to go up this impossible incline and asked : "What fool did that?" My friend quietly and meekly replied: "I did that- they wanted it there-it makes no difference anyway; with both hindwheels locked and a stout neckyoke they can slide down all right-and nobody will come here for the second time anyhow."

We had found temporary shelter in the unoccupied cabin of a settler and had before us the task of constructing a road to the homestead we had taken up on the east side of the lake. This meant the making of several miles of road, besides bridging the river. Our practice with axe and saw had been very limited, but our few neighbors gave what help they could at the bridge, and we finally landed at our claim and set about to build a house, of logs of course. The road we had made was a perfect wonder of

181

NORTHERN MICHIGAN.

curves ; we steered clear of all logs and brush heaps. We had it made a public road in the following winter, when the road-com- missioner and surveyor came to establish it. The snow was deep and walking through the cedar swamps very laborious. In order to facilitate matters I laid a small flask on the corner stake and invited Cyrenius Powers, the surveyor, to take a sight through it along the line. This he did and said that while wine is a mocker and strong drink is raging, St. Paul recommends small nips for the stomach's sake, and we all agreed that St. Paul was a scholar and ought to know. Evil-minded gossips have since that time claimed that this was the cause of the crook- edest road in the township, but they are wrong; the kinks were there before.

When we were getting the logs together for the house we were much bothered by wasps that stung our horses and caused them to run away. Therefore we engaged a new- comer, who had brought in a yoke of steers, to snake out the logs, and one fine morning he turned up in our chopping with his animals and a travoy, having wormed him- self through the dense woods. What psychological connection there is between profanity and driving oxen I do not know, but I am certain this man had graduated with high honors at some institution where the driving of oxen is taught. I have heard army mule-drivers, who by a few "feeble re- marks" could raise a blister on a mule's back, but this man was the champion. Now it so happened that his outfit, with a twenty- six-foot log attached, came near a large wasp colony that instantly swarmed out to see who knocked. They alighted on the driver and on the steers. The driver ran up a small hillock and from there spoke his

little piece to the oxen, who floundered along, upset the log and smashed the travoy. This man had a family and was very poor and during the ensuing winter they lived a veritable hard-scrabble existence. A cow he had, but how to find feed became a burning question and he had to fell trees for browse to keep her alive. Then the question solved itself. He sent a tree across the cow's back. This lucky stroke provided beef for the house and made further chopping unneces- sary.

When we had accumulated enough logs we had a raising bee and about fifteen of our neighbors came to build the house, some as far as five miles. It was past ten in the morning before they got together, appointed the cornermen and set the chips flying. Then arose the cry which no one hears nowadays : "Yo-heave! Up with the browse end !" And they worked like Trojans, rolling up the logs and fitting them together. We had pro- vided an ample dinner and supper and they ate for forty men. At ten o'clock in the night I announced that the walls were high enough, though they declared they would put on another round if I gave the word, and the company broke up, going home through the woods in the dark. Some got lost and did not get home until next day. And all this they did for strangers they had hardly ever seen.

At that time the townships had their superintendent of schools and part of his duty was the examination of teachers and granting certificates. I was once elected to serve in this capacity and I will not here question the wisdom of the people who elected me. But it reminds me of a lady in Central Lake who was asked to serve in a clerical capacity, and she declining the task ;

182

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF

it was mentioned as a reason for it that she had formerly been a school teacher. She very neatly cleared the obstruction by saying that in her time teachers did not have to know much. So I will likewise say that in my time superintendents of schools were not required to know much. I had but one ap- plicant to examine during my term, which I did by asking the lady such questions as occurred to me, she doubtless answering them to her best knowledge or belief. Some of the answers went past the mark, but I gave the certificate, and she proved an ef- ficient teacher and gave the district good satisfaction. It may be that some of the conundrums I proposed were of the sort an old pedagogue in the old country would give his scholars to solve occasionally. They knew that their teacher's knowledge had its limitations, and knew also when he crossed the boundary into unknown fields. So he asks one of his pupils: "What is the dis- tance from the moon to the sun?" The boy promptly replies, "We do not know that." "Correct, my son, we do not know that."

I will close with an account of what befell a school inspector in the Central Lake school. This good man had a small portion of con- ceit in his makeup and it led him to pro- pound problems in mental arithmetic to the higher class. The Central Lake girls were then, as they now are, sprightly, good look- ing (more or less) and smart, also more or less. They had conspired against him. He would ask his question and quick as a flash would come the answer, but purposely wrong. Now his mental cogwheels revolved but slowly, and the suddenness of the reply threw them all out of gear, so rather than to commence again he would trust to luck and say : "Ye-e-es, that's right." Then the

mischievous kittens would claw the mouse. "No, I have made a mistake, that's wrong; the right amount is -. "

There is no law against cruelty to school inspectors.

REUBEN W. COY.

Reuben W. Coy was born in Livonia, Livingston county,. New York, April 27. 1843. His boyhood was spent on a farm, with his parents, near that place. He gradu- ated from the schools at Livonia and after- wards took a classical course in Lima Col- lege, at Lima, New York. At the beginning of the Civil war he enlisted as bugler with the First New York Mounted Rifles and served with his regiment until the close of the war. In 1866 he came to Michigan and located at Elk Rapids, where he taught school one year and then entered the em- ploy of Dexter & Noble, as salesman in their store. In 1870 he resigned his position and opened up a general store in Helena town- ship and platted the village of Spencer Creek, now Alden. A few years later he built a grist mill and afterwards a saw mill, which he operated for many years. In 1873 he was married to Helen M. Thayer, 'daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lucius A. Thayer, of Helena. Their children now living are Charles H. Coy, Ernest O. Coy and Mrs. Helen M. Vought, of Alden, and Mrs. Grace Shepperson, of Petoskey, Michigan. In 1890 Mr. Coy disposed of his mill plants and de- voted his time entirely to his rapidly grow- ing mercantile business. Mr. Coy served as postmaster of Alden for twenty-five years and served the township many years as su- pervisor and township clerk. He was a pro-

183

NORTHERN MICHIGAN.

gressive, public spirited citizen and worked hard to advance and develop the resources and interests of Helena. He was a member and a trustee of the Methodist Episcopal church and a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and the Masonic fraternity. He died at his home in Alden, January 12, 1896. The Elk Rapids Progress, com- menting on his death said this :

" 'Death loves a shining mark' and no truer exemplification can be found than in the statement, R. W. Coy is dead. He was an honest, energetic, intelligent, public spirited, Christian gentleman, who labored with and for the best interests of his fellow men. He attended strictly to business and by his economy and thrift accumulated con- siderable property. As a merchant he was honest to the last degree and as a citizen naught can be said against him. He was a born philanthropist and no hungry or needy person who was deserving was ever turned away. As a public benefactor he excelled and always had the best interests of the com- munity at heart."

The mercantile business at Alden is still conducted by the widow, Mrs. Helen M. Coy, and her sons Charles and Ernest, under the management of Charles H. Coy.

FRANCIS HOCKINS.

A score of years has elapsed since the subject of this resume took up his residence in Antrim county, and it is due entirely to his own assiduous efforts and undaunted am- bition that he has here gained so signal suc- cess, having come here as a poor man and being now the owner of one of the best

farms in the county, while he is held in un- qualified esteem as a citizen and as a pro- gressive and prosperous man of business.

Mr. Hockins is a native of Devonshire. England, where he was born in the year 1847, being a son of Richard and Emma (Caldwell) Hockins, who came to America in 1852, locating in the province of Ontario, Canada, where they passed the remainder of their lives, the father having there been engaged in farming. He was summoned to that "undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveler returns" in the year 1865 and his cherished and devoted wife passed away in 1871. They became the parents of nine children, all of whom are living except two.

The subject of this sketch was a lad of about five years at the time of his parents' immigration from England to Canada, and in the province of Ontario he was reared to manhood, early beginning to assist in the work of the home farm and thus learning the lessons of practical industry, while he also duly availed himself of the privileges afforded in the local schools. He continued to reside in Ontario until 1885, when he came to Michigan, and in 1885 he came to Antrim county, settling in Milton township. For the first two years he worked at farm- ing and other occupations in the employ of others, thus providing for the support of his wife and children, and he was compelled to borrow the money to pay for even execut- ing the papers for the first land which he purchased here. Thus it may be seen that he began at the foot of the ladder, having had no financial reinforcement, while the pro- nounced prosperity which he today enjoys not only bespeaks his personal energy and well ordered industry in the past years. but

184

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF

also indicates that he has made proper utilization of the great natural resources of this section. since his prestige and advance- ment have been gained through his active identification with the great basic art of agri- culture. To his original purchase, in Milton township, Mr. Hockins has added until he now has a finely improved landed estate of two hundred and eighty-five acres, consti- tuting one of the largest farms in the county, and of this area one hundred and eighty- five acres have been brought under a high state of cultivation, while sixty acres of the farm were reclaimed from the forest by the present owner. Mr. Hockins gives his at- tention to diversified agriculture and to the raising of a considerable amount of live stock of the best type, preference being given to Durham cattle and Chester White hogs. In the field of horticulture, also, he has been successful in his operations, and he makes a specialty of raising beans and potatoes, in which latter line his average annual crop ag- gregates about eight hundred bushels. Mr. Hockins has made many substantial im- provements of a permanent nature, aside from the erection of his well equipped resi- dence and other farm buildings, for he has put up the best of fences and given such careful attention to every portion of his farm and its work that it is recognized as one of the model places of this section. In poli- tics he accords an unqualified allegiance to the Republican party, and while he has never sought public office he has consented to serve as constable and as a director of his school district. His wife is a member of the Methodist church.

In 1870 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Hockins to Miss Caroline McClintock, who was born in Canada, and of this happy

union have been born eight children, namely : Francis, Jr., William J., George H., James J., Eliza S., Caroline, Emma L. and Nellie R. Eliza S. is the wife of George Odell, a prosperous farmer of this county; Caroline is the wife of Frank Russell, who is suc- cessfully engaged in farming in Milton town- ship; and the youngest daughter still re- mains at the parental home. The children are numbered among the popular young folk of the community, and the pleasant home has long been recognized as one in which hospitality and good cheer at all times pervade.

WILLIAM G. POWELL.

At this point we enter brief record con- cerning another of the representative farmers of Milton township, Antrim county, and aside from the position which the sub- ject occupies as a leading and highly es- teemed citizen of the county there is added interest attached to the resume of his career from the fact that he is a pioneer of this section, having maintained his residence in Antrim county for the past thirty-five years, which fact implies that he located here as one of the advance guard of progress and material advancement.

Mr. Powell is a native of the dominion of Canada, having been born in the province of Ontario, on the 5th of November, 1849, and being a son of John and Rebecca (Drury) Powell, both of whom were born and reared in old Yorkshire, England, whence they emigrated to the dominion of Canada in early life, locating in Ontario, where the father became a well-to-do farmer. He there continued to reside until 1874,

185

NORTHERN MICHIGAN.

when he came to Michigan and located in Antrim county, where he has ever since made his home, being one of the sterling pioneers of the county and owning a good farm in Torch Lake township, though he is now living retired from active labor, having attained to a venerable age. His devoted wife died in Canada, the subject of this sketch having been about eleven years of age at the time. In the family were four children, all of whom are living.

William G. Powell, whose name intro- duces this article, passed his boyhood days on the old homestead farm in Canada, where he was reared to maturity, securing his edu- cational training in the common schools of the locality and period. He was married in 1869, when but twenty years of age. When he came here settlers were few and the clear- ings in the midst of the woods were widely separated in most instances, while deers, bears and other wild animals were to be found in abundance, and the Indians, whose was the original dominion, were to be found in no inconsiderable numbers. Mr. Powell is today the owner of a most fertile farm of eighty acres, nearly all of which is under ef- fective cultivation, and he not only cleared the land but has made excellent improve- ments on the place, including the erection of one of the attractive and comfortable farm residences of this section. In politics he is a stalwart Republican and always shows a lively interest in local affairs of a public order, while he has served as highway com- missioner and as a member of the school board of his district for the long period of · fourteen years. He and his wife are con- sistent and valued members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Miller and he is identified with the Grange of their township.

In 1869 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Powell to Miss Margaret Johnson, who likewise was born and reared in On- tario, Canada, being a daughter of Thomas and Jane (Page) Johnson, native respect- ively of England and Ireland. They con- tinued their residence in Canada for a term of years and then came to Antrim county, Michigan, being early settlers here and here passing the remainder of their lives, honored by all who knew them. Mr. and Mrs. Powell became the parents of seven children, concerning whom we offer the following brief data: Jennie is deceased; Fred is a successful farmer of Milton township; Harry is likewise a prosperous farmer of this county ; Nellie is residing in Elk Rapids at the time of this writing; Alta and Charles remain at the parental home, and the seventh child died in infancy.

CHANCY D. HOLLENBECK.

One of the sterling pioneers and repre- sentative farmers and stockgrowers of An- trim county is he whose name initiates this paragraph. He is the owner of one of the finest farm properties in the county. the same being located in Milton township, and the owner's prestige as a citizen and promi- nent and influential farmer is the more gratifying to contemplate in view of the fact that he came here in the early days. without financial reinforcement, and located in the midst of the virgin forest, in which deers, bears and other wild animals were still in prolific evidence, while the Indians were more numerous than the white settlers, and here he has literally hewn out a farm and

I86

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF

gained a position of unmistakable independ- ence and definite prosperity.

Mr. Hollenbeck is a native of the prov- ince of Ontario, Canada, where he was born on the 16th of September, 1846, being there ` tial and well equipped buildings, while all reared to the invigorating discipline of the home farm and duly availing himself of the privileges afforded in the public schools of the locality. He is a son of Andrew P. and Harriet E. (Hubbell) Hollenbeck, the for- mer of whom was born in the state of Ver- mont, on the 11th of May, 1808, while the latter was born in the province of Ontario, Canada, on the 20th of April. 1817. The father of the subject was a representative farmer of Huron county, Ontario, and was also identified with the lumbering industry in that section, continuing to reside on his old homestead until his death, which occurred in February, 1865. while his devoted wife passed away in 1892. Of their nine children five are living.

The subject continued to be identified with farming and lumbering in Canada until 1878, in which year he came to Michigan and numbered himself among the early set- tlers of Antrim county. He secured a tract of wild and heavily timbered land, in Milton township, and there established his home in the forest, having made a sufficient clearing to accommodate his little cabin, and he then instituted the work of reclaiming his land to cultivation, this involving a strenuous labor of which the pioneers of the prairie states can have no adequate comprehension. This land which he purchased so many years ago is an integral porton of the present fine estate of the subject. He has one hundred and ninety acres of most fertile land, and one hundred and fifty acres are available for cultivation, while the original timber still

stands on ten acres, the remainder of the farm being given over to orchard and pas- ture. On the place Mr. Hollenbeck has erected a good residence and other substan- other improvements are of the best. In 1903 he completed the erection of what is un- doubtedly the best barn in the county, the same being forty by one hundred feet in dimensions in the main, with a wing thirty- four by seventy feet. The barn is supplied with water in all parts, the floors throughout are of cement and the other equipments and accessories are of the most improved mod- ern type, so that the best of accommodations are afforded for stock, produce, etc. Besides conducting a most successful enterprise in the line of diversified agriculture, Mr. Hol- lenbeck has devoted special attention to rais- ing and dealing in live stock, his being one of the best stock farms in this section. He handles and breeds French coach horses and black Percheron horses, in which line he breeds from fine imported animals which he owns, and he also raises the best type of shorthorn cattle and Berkshire swine. while he also deals in live stock aside from this, making extensive shipments each year. On his farm is to be found a good orchard of thirty acres, principally devoted to apples.

In politics Mr. Hollenbeck gives an un- wavering allegiance to the Republican party, and he has ever shown a lively interest in local affairs of a public nature, while he has been accorded unmistakable evidences of popular confidence and esteem, in that he has been called upon to serve as constable, township clerk and supervisor, in each of which capacities he made a reputation for fidelity and earnest devotion to the general welfare. He and his wife are valued mem-

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Biographical history of northern Michigan containing biographies of prominent citizens, Part 23

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