Biographical history of northern Michigan containing biographies of prominent citizens, Part 29

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

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wilderness. The country at that time was is also the original orchard, which was new, settlers were few and far between, and the prospect which greeted the newcomers upon their arrival was by no means encour- aging. After erecting a small log cabin, about twenty feet square, and furnishing it scantily with the few household effects which they brought with them, the father and his two sons, William W. and G. M. Clow, addressed themselves resolutely to the task of clearing and preparing their land for cultivation. The original cabin, which answered the purpose of a shelter until a larger and more comfortable structure could be erected, stood on the site now occupied by the Plattner residence, north of Central Lake, and for a number of years this hum- ble domicile was the only evidence of civilization in what has since become one of the finest and most advanced parts of the prosperous, rapidly-growing county of Antrim.

William W. Clow assisted in clearing and otherwise developing the homestead and remained with his parents until 1871, on September 9th of which year he was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Baker, daugh- ter of Thomas E. and Margaret Baker, who came from Canada in 1869 and settled near the present site of Central Lake. Im- mediately after his marriage Mr. Clow began clearing a farm of his own at Larabus Corners, and during the ensuing ten years succeeded in reducing from the virgin forest about sixty acres on which he made a num- ber of valuable improvements, his place in due time becoming one of the finest farms and most attractive homes in that part of the county. The little cabin in which he and his young bride spent the first few years of their happy wedded life is still standing, as

among his first permanent improvements. The circumstances under which Mr. Clow cleared his land were peculiar to the early period and he recalls with much interest the logging party at which every neighbor for miles was present and took an active part. With the aid of thirty yoke of strong oxen the crowd of stalwart, lusty men piled up into numerous heaps in a small day the logs on fifteen acres which the proprietor had originally cut, the good housewife, assisted by the female portion of the county, pre- paring for the hungry crowd such feasts of good things as might tempt the palate of the epicure. Like many other early settlers, Mr. Clow in his earnest desire to fit his land for tillage destroyed much fine timber, the value of which he did not then appreciate. Tall. stately birches, maples, basswood and other splendid forest monarchs were felled and ruthlessly consigned to the flames and it was not until a number of years later that he began to realize what a source of wealth had been destroyed in his haste to bring the soil to a state of tillage. Mr. Clow re- mained on the above farm until 1881, when he began to improve his present place, which consists of about half of the original Clow homestead. This land, like the former, was also heavily timbered and it required much hard work to remove the same and get the sixty acres now in cultivation in readiness for the plow. The first winter of his resi- dence on his present farm Mr. Clow met with a painful misfortune in the accidental cutting of his foot while working in the woods, and during the following four months he was closely confined to his room by reason of the disability. During this time his neighbors, with kindly intent, came

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in a body and in one day cut and hauled to his home forty-five cords of wood, more than sufficient to last him during the long and severe winter in which he was kept so closely in doors.

In addition to farming, Mr. Clow de- votes a great deal of attention to fruit grow- ing and at this time has a fine orchard of ten acres, containing eleven hundred trees of the choicest varieties obtainable, selected with especial reference to value and adapt- ability to the climate. It was only after re- peated trials and several failures that he finally reached his present high standing as a grower of fine fruits, his first planting, which cost the sum of three hundred dollars, prov- ing absolutely worthless; but he continued experimenting until finding the best and most approved varieties, since which time he has given much time and attention to his orchards, realizing a handsome profit there- from every year.

Mr. Clow has been a hard worker and a judicious manager and his labors since com- ing to Antrim county have in the main re- sulted greatly to his financial advantage. As a farmer he ranks with the leading men of his vocation in this section of the country and recently he made an addition of fifteen and a half acres to the town of Central Lake, which in due time will doubtless prove the source of no small amount of wealth. Mr. Clow is a Republican in politics and since at- taining his majority has been unwavering in the support of his party and its principles. He has ever been prompt and faithful in the discharge of his duties and, keeping the wel- fare of the community and the good of the public at heart, he lends his active support and co-operation to all movements having for their object the welfare of his fellow men.

Of the eight children born to Mr. and Mrs. Clow five are living, namely : Minnie, wife of Sidney Tyler, of Kalkaska; Grace, wife of G. R. Cooper; Robert, who mar- ried Lulu Hammond and lives in the town of Central Lake; Herbert, who resides with his parents, and Leta, who is still a member of the home circle and a student in the Cen- tral Lake public schools.

ISAAC WILCOX.

Success is ambition's answer. There is no prosperity won without ambition, for it is the spur to all endeavor, the moving spirit in all business and industrial activity. Where ambition is satisfied then effort ceases and supine inactivity follows, but where a man has before him a definite goal which he is determined to reach, he so di- rects his labors that his progress toward that goal is continuous. In examining the life record of this honored pioneer of Antrim county we find that laudable ambition for a competence was the potent force and in- centive which led him forward, and that as a result of his strong purpose, determination and energy he has won a place among the substantial citizens of Antrim county, being one of the representative farmers of Custer township.

Mr. Wilcox was born in Lorain county, Ohio, on the 12th of April, 1840, and is a son of George and Catherine (Swank) Wil- cox, the former a native of Connecticut and the latter of New Jersey, while the ancestry in the paternal line is traced to stanch Eng- lish derivation and in the maternal line to sturdy Holland Dutch origin. The Wilcox family was established in New England in

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the colonial era of our national history, and in Connecticut was born Isaac Wilcox, grandfather of the subject of this sketch. This honored ancestor removed to New York and thence to Ohio, where he resided for a number of years, finally coming to Michigan and locating in Monroe county, where he was engaged in farming during the remainder of his active career, his death occurring in that county, in 1870, at a vener- able age. The father of the subject was a cooper by trade, and continued to follow this vocation in connection with farming for many years, having maintained a well equipped shop on his farm. During his residence in Lorain county, Ohio, he was a captain in the state militia, and his political support was given to the Republican party from the time of its organization until his death, while he so fully enjoyed the con- fidence and esteem of the communities in which he lived at different times that he was frequently called upon to serve in minor offices of local order. He died in Kalamazoo county, Michigan, while his wife, Catherine, died at the home of her son in Antrim county. They became the parents of six children, namely : George B., Isaac, John, Emily, Sarah and Elizabeth. The father died in 1870, and was long survived by his devoted wife, who was summoned into eternal rest in 1895, at the venerable age of eighty-three years.

The subject of this review secured his early educational discipline in the common schools of Ohio, and was about fourteen years of age at the time of his parents' re- moval to Michigan, where he has ever since resided. He was reared to the sturdy dis- cipline of the farm, and has found the art of agriculture, in its various branches, well

worthy of his time and attention during the years of his active and successful independ- ent career. He came to Antrim county in 1876 and here secured a tract of wild land, which he has reclaimed to cultivation, mak- ing it one of the most productive and at- tractive places of this section, while he has been very successful in his efforts in raising fruits and vegetables, in connection with the various cereals. He has given special at- tention to the growing of fruit, having set out an orchard in which are found the best varieties of apples, plums, cherries, pears, etc., his expenditure for fruit trees having aggregated fully two hundred dollars. He has also demonstrated the wonderful re- sources of this section in the matter of prop- agating the smaller fruits, having secured one hundred and sixty bushels of straw- berries in one year, and being one of the en- thusiastic fruit-growers of the county. On his place he also secures each year large yields of potatoes of the finest type, this being another product for which this section is celebrated. Mr. Wilcox has been a resi- dent of the county since the centennial year, 1876, and he has not only witnessed but has materially aided in the development of this section, conditions being far different today than they were when he here took up his abode in the midst of the forest wilds. He secured land in section 4, Custer township. and has here continued to reside ever since, having now a well improved and fertile farm of seventy-eight acres, of which sixty are under effective cultivation. Upon taking up his residence here Mr. Wilcox erected a primitive cabin on his place, this little domi- cile being the family home for one year, at the expiration of which additions and other improvements were made on the building,

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which he continued to utilize until 1902, when he erected his present modern resi- dence, which is one of the pleasant homes of the county, while the other permanent im- provements on the place are in harmony therewith and give patent evidence of thrift and good management.

In the matter of politics we find Mr. Wilcox numbered among the uncompromis- ing adherents of the Democratic party, in whose cause he takes an active and intelli- gent interest, though he has never been am- bitious for official preferment of any descrip- tion. His aid and influence, however, are freely given in support of all worthy meas- ures for the general welfare of the com- munity, and he has been one of the school officers of his district. Both he and his wife are prominent and valued members of the Methodist Episcopal church in Pleasant Grove, and take a zealous interest in the various departments of its work. both spiritual and temporal. He has been for some time past superintendent of the Sun- day school, and is also a member of the of- ficial board of the church.

In 1874 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Wilcox to Miss Emma Nixon, who was born in Kent county, this state, being a daughter of Amos and Lucia (Stocking) Nixon, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Michigan, in which latter state the father was a successful farmer up to the time of his death; his wife is still living, at the age of seventy-seven years. They became the parents of eight children, of whom six are living. Mr. and Mrs. Wil-' cox have four children, all of whom remain residents of Antrim county, being popular in the social circles of the community. Clin- ton, who married Miss Cora Jackson, is en-

gaged in lumbering and farming in this county ; Lucinda is the wife of Delbert Ma- son, a successful farmer of Custer township, and Viola and Laura still remain beneath the parental roof.

JOHN H. ADAIR.

At this point we enter a brief memoir of one of the honored pioneers of Antrim county, where he settled in an early day, literally hewing out a farm in the sylvan wilds and becoming one of the substantial and popular farmers of Custer township. where his death occurred on the 4th of March, 1896.

Mr. Adair was a native of Scotland, where he was born in the year 1823, being a son of Alexander and Jane Adair, who emigrated to America when he was a youth. locating in the dominion of Canada, where they passed the remainder of their lives and where he was reared and educated. Mr. Adair possessed in a marked degree the sterling characteristics of the sturdy Scots- man, placing a true valuation upon all things and showing an appreciation of the dignity of honest toil and endeavor. He was a hard worker during his entire life and his success came as the result of his own efforts, while he was unselfishly devoted to his family and was known as a public-spirited and loyal citizen. In the early sixties Mr. Adair came from Canada to Michigan, and in 1867 he and his family took up their abode in Antrim county, being numbered among the first permanent settlers in Custer township, where he took up a homestead claim in the midst of the native forest, said land being

H. W. STEWART AND HORSE.

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now in the possession of his widow, and eldest daughter, who owns forty acres of the homestead. The family lived in a rude brush shanty until Mr. Adair could build a log cabin, which later continued to be the family home until 1899, when the present commodious and substantial farm residence was erected. The subject worked early and late in the reclaiming and cultivation of his land, and in due time ample prosperity crowned his efforts and placed him among the independent and representative farmers of the county, where he was well known and held in unequivocal esteem. He assisted in the carrying forward of public enterprises, in the construction of roads, etc., and was always ready to give his influence and tan- gible support in the promotion of under- takings for the general good of the com- munity. He identified himself with the Re- publican party after coming to the United States, and ever afterward remained a stanch advocate of its principles, and he served for a number of years as a member of the school board of his district, but never desired preferment in any official capacity of a political nature. The attractive little homestead upon which his widow still re- sides comprises forty acres, of which thirty acres are under cultivation. Mr. Adair was a man of impregnable integrity and ordered his life upon the highest plane of honor and steadfast sincerity of purpose, so that he well merited the respect and confidence in which he was so uniformly held, while in his death Antrim county lost one of its best citizens and well known pioneers. His re- ligious affiliations were with the Congrega- tional church.

In the year 1858 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Adair to Miss Sarah E. Huntoon, who was born in the province of

Ontario, Canada. being a daughter of John and Lois (Butterfield) Huntoon. Mr. Hun- toon was a native of Massachusetts, whence he removed to Ontario in an early day, where both he and his wife passed the re- mainder of their lives. In earlier years he followed the potter's trade, but later devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits. Both he and his wife were consistent and devoted members of the Baptist church. They be- came the parents of fourteen children, of whom ten are living at the time of this writ- ing. Mr. and Mrs. Adair became the par- ents of nine children, concerning whom we incorporate the following brief record : Emma J. first married Charles McCanna, and after his death became the wife of Charles Gale, who is a successful farmer of this county ; William is a resident of Lundy. Mono county, California, where he is en- gaged in gold mining, being also the owner of a well improved farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Antrim county, the same being situated across the road from the homestead of his mother; Ella died at the age of eighteen years; Frederick is a pros- perous farmer of this county ; Edward J. was killed in 1900 by a log rolling upon him ; Edgar died at the age of thirty-three years ; George is with his brother William in Cali- fornia : Ida is the wife of John Arthurson, a successful farmer of Antrim county, and the oldest child died in infancy.

HENRY W. STEWART.

A man who boldly faces the responsi- bilities of life and by determined and untir- ing energy carves out for himself an honor- able success exerts a powerful influence upon

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the lives of all who follow him. Such men constitute the foundation of our republican institutions and are the pride of our civiliza- tion. To them life is so real that they find no time to plot either mischief or vice. Their lives are bound up in their duties, they feel the weight of their citizenship, and take pleasure in sowing the seeds of uprightness. Such has been the career of the subject of this brief notice. Henry W. Stewart is a native of Michigan, having been born at Grandville, Kent county, this state, June 29, 1845. He is the son of Daniel and Lucretia ( Maynard) Stewart and on the maternal side is descended from John Maynard, who joined the Plymouth colony in Massachu- setts in 1638. His ancestors were of a stanch stock and during the American war for independence fought valiantly in the de- fense of the colonists. The Stewarts came from Scotland to America, their arrival being subsequent to that of the Maynards. The subject's maternal grandparents were Ezra and Ranney ( Moseley) Maynard, na- tives of New York state who came to Michi- gan in 1820. Daniel Stewart in early life was a cooper and tanner, but during his latter days followed the pursuit of farming. He also was a driver on the Erie canal for a time during his early life, and was noted as a strong advocate of temperance. In politics he was first a Whig and later a Re- publican, while his religious affiliations were with the Scotch Presbyterian church. His death occurred February 23, 1874.

Henry W. Stewart received his educa- tion in the public schools of Grand Rapids and the district schools of that vicinity. His studies were interrupted, however, by the President's call for volunteers to aid in the suppression of the southern rebellion and on

September 5, 1862, at the age of seventeen years, he enlisted in Company B, Sixth Michigan Volunteer Cavalry. His regiment was at once sent to the front and the state- ment that the subject participated in fifty battles and skirmishes is sufficient evidence that his command was at all times in the thickest of the conflict. Mr. Stewart's service embraced all of the important cam- paigns of the war from the battle of Get- tysburg to the final surrender at Appomat- tox. Following the close of the Civil war. his command was sent to the West to sup- press the Indians and their service required the subject's presence in nearly all of the western states, and he received his final dis- charge from the army on the 5th of Decem- ber, 1865, and at once returned to his native state. Upon examination he was granted license to teach and was so engaged for three years, being employed in the common schools. At the end of this time he came to Antrim county and obtained possession of the farm which he has since operated. He started out without the assistance of capital or influential friends and has succeeded in amassing a comfortable competence and is today considered one of the leading agri- culturists of his township. He possesses eighty acres of land, sixty-seven of which are under the plow and in a high state of cultivation. He is engaged in general farm- ing, though he gives special attention to fruit raising, having sold in one year fruit to the value of three hundred dollars. He also deals to some extent in cattle and has on his place some fine specimens of Poland China hogs. In politics Mr. Stewart is a Republican and has taken an active part in the success of his party. That his efforts have been appreciated is shown in the fact

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that he served as sheriff of Antrim county for eight years and was also elected town- ship clerk and supervisor, performing his duties to the entire satisfaction of his con- stituents.

In 1858 Mr. Stewart was united in mar- riage to Miss Addie M. Holden, who died in 1883, and he afterwards married Miss Mary Emma Barker, daughter of George H. and Mary (Horton) Barker. The Barkers were natives of New York state, who came to Michigan in an early day, being among the first pioneers, and Mr. Barker died in 1862, at Covington, Kentucky, at which time he was in the service of his country, being a sergeant in a Michigan volunteer company of engineers and mechanics. To Mr. Stew- art's first union were born the following chil- dren, seven in number, namely : William H. is a printer in the capacity of foreman in the Muskegon Chronicle office and was for two years an alderman in Grand Rapids; Louis E. is a lawyer at Battle Creek, this state, who graduated from the Michigan State Uni- versity, at Ann Arbor, in the class of 1898; James K. is deceased ; Maud is now the wife of Thomas Knight, of Grand Rapids. Michi- gan ; Hoy M. is superintendent in a manu- facturing establishment at Kendallville, In- diana ; Amy is the wife of Robert McCutch- con, agent for the Pere Marquette Railroad at Grand Rapids; Warren, deceased. To Mr. Stewart's second union have been born two children, Mildred and Lloyd D. The living children have all been given the ad- vantage of good educations and are occupy- ing creditable positions in life. Mrs. Stew- art's mother, whose maiden name was Mary WV. Horton, was a daughter of James and Nancy Horton, of New York state. Mr. Horton was a farmer and cooper and died in

Wyoming, Kent county, this state. Mrs. Stewart's maternal great-grandfather was James Bugbee, of New York, while her ma- ternal great-grandmother bore the maiden name of Weltha Delano, descendant of emi- grants who settled in Roxbury, Massachu- setts, in about 1630. Mr. Stewart takes a deep and abiding interest in the progress and improvements in the schools and in all mat- ters pertaining to the walfare of his com- munity. He belongs to the class of substan- tial citizens whose lives do not show to any great brilliancy, but who by their support of the moral, social and political movements for the general good of the community are deserving of honorable mention on the pages of history.

HENRY UPTHEGROVE.

The subject of this review is a native of Michigan, born in Huron county on the 24th of February, 1866. His childhood and youth were spent in Antrim county, where he attended school. Since the year 1869 Mr. Upthegrove has been an honored resi- dent of Antrim county and at this time owns the old family homestead on the Alpana and Torch Lake state road, three and one-half miles from the thriving town of Central Lake. He has brought this place to a high state of cultivation and in addition to gen- eral farming, which he carries on quite ex- tensively, devotes considerable time to stock raising, in which he has met with encour- aging results. For some years past he gives particular attention to thoroughbred Ox- ford-down sheep and Berkshire hogs, which, when exhibited at the different county fairs and stock shows, have invariably carried off

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a goodly number of first-class prizes. In connection with his agricultural, live stock and fruit interests, Mr. Upthegrove for a number of years has been more or less en- gaged in lumbering, the greater part of the time upon his own responsibility, but not in- frequently doing business in this line for other parties. Possessing excellent judg- ment and fertility of resource in his business operations, he is now one of the substantial and well-to-do men of the community. He has added to his real estate from time to time and increased his improvements until his farm is one of the best and most valu- able in the township of Central Lake, being admirably situated and cultivated according to modern methods, while its general ap- pearance impresses the passerby as the home of a man of intelligence and excellent taste as well as of industry and good manage- ment.

Mr. Upthegrove is a Democrat but has always refrained from taking an active part in politics, his interest in his party being confined to supporting its candidates when they prove worthy of the honors to which they aspire and to defending the principles which, in his judgment, make for the great- est good of the people. He is an influential member of the Ancient Order of Gleaners, which has a thriving society in the vicinity of his home, and since its organization, in the fall of 1893, he has been a leading spirit in the management of the Farmers' Tele- phone Company, being also one of its heaviest stockholders. From a small begin- ning this company has gradually grown and extended its operations until it is now one of the best patronized and most valuable plants of the kind in northern Michigan, at this time having exchanges at Rapid City,

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Biographical history of northern Michigan containing biographies of prominent citizens, Part 29

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