USA > Michigan > Biographical history of northern Michigan containing biographies of prominent citizens > Part 64
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110
of supervisors of Emmet county in 1865 it was voted to remove the county seat to Charlevoix, and at the following spring election a majority voted for it. But in the order making the removal, it said "county site" instead of "county seat." So Dennis T. Downing, who was the county clerk at that time and deputy for most of the other offices, resisted the removal and appealed to the courts on a technicality. Judge Rams- dell recognized Charlevoix as the county seat, but Downing appealed. The town of Marion had been organized by an act of the legislature of 1867. So there was a major- ity of the supervisors in favor of removal, four to three, and called the meeting of the board at Charlevoix. It was always cus- tomary for boards of supervisors to meet at one o'clock P. M., but Downing, with three Indian supervisors, came to the place of meeting at nine A. M., called to order, ad- journed to Little Traverse, and when the Charlevoix supervisors arrived they had gone, taking all the records with them. The supervisors from Charlevoix went to what is now Petoskey that night, and in the morn- ing walked around the bay, eleven miles, and got to Little Traverse for the meeting at nine o'clock. As we had a majority we adjourned to meet in Charlevoix the follow- ing day. The four supervisors from Char- levoix-were A. G. Aldrich, from Charlevoix, Hugh Miller, from Evangeline. Mr. Steel, of Eveline, and William Harris, of Marion. There were many other amusing incidents connected with this matter, but which will have to be omitted or this article will be too long. Downing, being convinced that the courts to which he had appealed would de- cide against him, had a bill passed by the legislature, dividing the county and making
the county seat of Emmet county at Little Traverse and that of Charlevoix at Charle- voix. He was able at that time to get the bill through without any one knowing it. The south line of Emmet went through the middle of Bear Creek. In order to get ter- ritory enough to make the new county of Charlevoix, the town of Hudson was taken from Otsego county and, Boyne Valley, Wil- son and South Arm from Antrim county. This settled the fight between Emmet and Charlevoix and everything was quiet for a time. But in 1873 the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad was completed through the eastern part of Charlevoix county to Pe- toskey, and that part of the county which had been a wilderness rapidly filled up and what had been unorganized territory at- tached to Evangeline, was organized into townships. New townships were also or- ganized in the western part, making sixteen in all before 1880. So about that time Boyne City, at the head of Pine lake, think- ing Charlevoix too much one-sided, began to agitate the subject of removal. As it would require eleven of the sixteen to secure a vote on the question it was slow work. They could get ten, but the other was hard to get. So they went at it in another way. At the October session, 1884, they got eleven super- visors to designate East Jordan, in South Arm township, for the county seat, and in the spring of 1885 a majority of the votes was given in favor of East Jordan, and Charlevoix mourned the loss of the county seat. At the October session, held at East Jordan in 1885, Boyne City secured the necessary two-thirds vote to designate that place for the county seat. So what they had been unable to accomplish by direct means they did by taking it by way of East
492
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF
Jordan. Now while the removal of the county seat from Charlevoix to East Jor- dan had been rather a quiet affair, that from East Jordan to Boyne City was far from tame, and was fought with much bitterness on both sides, especially in the towns of South Arm and Evangeline. Much illegal voting was charged to these towns; both polled a large vote and likely about as much illegality on one side as the other to the time of the closing of the polls. It was claimed, however, by the East Jordan peo- ple that Boyne City held back her vote till after enough of the county had been heard from to show they were beaten; then one hundred and fifty votes were placed in the ballot box and the returns made accord- ingly. On the face of the returns Boyne City had won. Whether the charge was true or not, it caused a bitter feeling all over the county. A majority of the board of su- pervisors were in favor of Boyne City and ordered the removal to that town. Judge Ramsdell recognized Boyne City as the county seat. The county clerk, S. B. Thatcher, and Captain Berdan, the sheriff, were in favor of Boyne City and moved their offices there. The register of deeds, Fred J. Meech, and Orlando Blair, the treasurer, refused to move. There were one or two ineffectual attempts made to steal the records and move them by force. The state board of equalization met that year, 1886, so it was necessary for the board to get together to equalize the rolls in August, but they could not agree on a place of meet- ing, so part met at East Jordan and part at Boyne City. To avoid trouble with the state board the rolls were left as assessed by the supervisors. Not much business was done by either side. Boyne Falls, thinking
they might be able to get the county seat through on a compromise, went in with East Jordan, but not enough votes could be secured and the East Jordan contingent next tried Bay Springs, in the township of Bay, and the treasurer and register of deeds moved their offices there. At the October session, 1886, eight supervisors met at Bay Springs and eight at Boyne City. They were only one mile apart, but it was a dead- lock. But Oscar Upright, supervisor of Charlevoix, finally went over to the side of Boyne City. This gave them a majority and ended the fight and Boyne City had won. "And all was quiet on the Potomac." Things were quiet for a time and Boyne City, having won, naturally thought they were secure for all time, deeming it impossi- ble that a two-thirds vote of the board for removal could ever be obtained. But about 1890 there began to be disaffection near home, and Charlevoix, taking advantage of this, began to scheme for removal to that place once more and several attempts were made, and at one time but for the failure of one man, who was thought sure, it would have succeeded, and Boyne City never knew till the resolution was offered that anything was being done in that direction. The towns of Boyne Valley, Bay and Chandler, all near them, voted for it. The final and successful attempt was made at the meeting of the board at the January meeting, 1897, and came about in this way: Petoskey, which had grown much faster than Harbor Springs, began to lay wires for removal of the county seat to that place (they have since been successful). The towns of Bear Lake, Spring Vale and Resort were near Petoskey and they wished to be set off into Emmet county. This Petoskey favored and of
493
NORTHERN MICHIGAN.
course Little Traverse, or Harbor Springs, opposed. Now if these towns could be let go to Emmet they would vote for removal from Boyne City to Charlevoix. At the same time there were bills pending in the legislature to disorganize Manitou county and attach the Manitous and Fox Island to Leelanau county and the Beavers either to Emmet or Charlevoix counties. Charle- voix county did not want the Beavers very badly, thinking it not a very good trade to take the Beavers in place of territory let go to Emmet county. But while at the spring election there was a majority in favor of the removal of the county seat to Charlevoix, two or three of the towns whose supervisors had voted for removal had been defeated at the spring election, and men who would op- pose removal elected, and Boyne City would have a majority on the board. Former ex- perience had shown what a majority of the supervisors meant in a county seat fight. The bills pending in the legislature were passed and Beaver Island, composed of three townships, was attached to Charlevoix county and Resort, Bear Lake and Spring- vale went to Emmet county, and the county seat went back to Charlevoix after an ab- sence of about thirteen years. Boyne City of course felt sore for a time, but they have long since gotten over it, and they are now on the boom, and have many other indus- tries that are of much more value than the county seat. And now will Charlevoix al- ways retain it. It doesn't seem possible that a two-thirds vote could ever be gotten to remove it to Boyne City again, and yet as strange things as that have happened in the past. Boyne City lost it from dissen- sions at home; like causes produce like ef- fects. WILLIAM HARRIS.
LORENZO DOW PORTER.
The subject of this sketch was born in St. Joseph county, Michigan, on November 26, 1843. He is the son of Barnabas and Mary (Dickson) Porter, who came to this state and settled in St. Joseph county among its earliest residents. Their first location was at Sturgis, where Mr. Porter followed the dual occupations of cooper and mason and also clearing of the farm. He remained on this place during the balance of his years and died at the age of fifty-three years, when the subject of this sketch was about thirteen years old. leaving a widow and three children. The subject's widowed mother remained on the farm of Lorenzo, and being the eldest of the sons it was in- cumbent upon him to assume control of the home place, upon which he remained until he was twenty-four years old. His mother and sister both died and as his brother lived in the same township the subject sold his interest in the farm and in 1884 engaged in the farming business nearby for fourteen years. In 1884 he came to Charlevoix county, where he had spent a part of the pre- vious summer, and bought seventy-six acres of land comprising a part of his present farm. With the exception of fifteen acres, it was all wild land and in this place Mr. Porter erected a log house. This place had been operated by Robert Miller, as a home- stead. who had also erected on it a small brewery, selling the products at Charlevoix and Irontown. The subject has improved this place until it now comprises sixty acres of excellently cultivated land and from this place he cut nearly all of the original timber which he converted into ties, posts and cord- wood. The place is located three miles from
1
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF
494
Charlevoix and one and one-half miles from Lake Michigan, being composed of a fine, sandy loam and is highly productive. The place is being conducted by the subject in the prosecution of general farming. Mr. Porter has erected on the place a commod- ious house and has made many other sub- stantial improvements which has brought the place up to a high standard among the farms of that community.
Mr. Porter is a stanch Republican and has given keen attention to public matters. He is an ardent lover of outdoor sports, hav- ing killed a good deal of game within a mile of his home and keeps a fox hound and visits "North Shore" every year, having won many valuable trophies as a skilled huntsman. Fraternally he is affiliated with the Baxter Post, Grand Army of the Re- public, at Charlevoix, his membership in this order being made possible by the fact that he served two years in the war of the Rebellion under Admiral Porter, having seen service on the Mississippi river, between Cairo and New Orleans. He was a member of the gun crew on the ironclad turtle boat "Pittsburg."
Mr. Porter was married in St. Joseph county, Michigan, to Miss Adelia Graham, a native of Seneca county, and to them has been born one son, Harry, who now assists his father in the conducting of the farm.
ASA A. KEISER.
Asa A. Keiser, who is efficiently serving as custodian of the finances of Emmet county, Michigan, is a native of the Hoosier state. having been born in Marshall county,
Indiana, February 14, 1875. His parents were Franklin and Mary C. (Selby) Keiser, both of whom were natives of Ohio but mar- ried in Indiana. When the subject was in his first year the family removed to Bliss township, this county, their home being lo- cated six miles from the nearest wagon road, the father being compelled to cut his way through the wood to reach the new lo- cation. They still reside on the old home- stead, which now consists of one hundred and sixty-eight acres of splendid land. Franklin Keiser has been a prosperous and enterprising resident of the locality and has served as township supervisor, treasurer and in other public capacities. The subject spent his boyhood on the homestead and attended the district schools and also gained some knowledge through the medium of the home reading course. He was eager to gain knowledge and such was his progress that at the age of seventeen years he began to teach school, being engaged in that line for eight years, all in that county. At the age of twenty-seven years he was ordained to the ministry in the Michigan conference of the United Brethren church, preliminary to which it may be stated that at the age of sixteen years he had served as Sunday- school superintendent and at the age of twenty-two years was admitted to the an- nual conference in which he was engaged in preaching for about one year and a half at Deerfield, Michigan, though compelled to abandon because of ill health. He again engaged in teaching school until 1900, when he was elected to his present office, that of county treasurer, in which he has since effi- ciently served. He had previously served as township treasurer and also as school in- spector and had thus become familiar with
495
NORTHERN MICHIGAN.
business methods. His majority was decis- ive and in 1902 he was practically nomin- ated by acclamation and received in the en- suing election the second largest majority of any candidate on the ticket. In connection with his financial duties, he also to some extent devotes some attention to his minis- terial duties, though mainly as an associate to other ministers. He is an effective and forceful public speaker, both on the political platform and the pulpit, and is a keen and logical talker on all public topics. He is es- pecially fond of history and has read widely along the lines of ancient and modern his- tory and other current topics.
On September 22, 1896, Mr. Keiser was united in marriage to Miss Orpha E. Over- holt, the daughter of Martin and Catherine Overholt, of Bliss township, though Mrs. Keiser was born in Elkhart, Indiana. This union has been blessed with the birth of two children, Florence E. and Adith A.
Fraternally the subject is a member of the Knights of Pythias and takes a deep in- terest in the welfare of the order. Mr. Keiser enjoys out-of-door life and has spent one winter in southern Arizona. In all re- lations of life he has proved signally true to every trust and among his acquaintances, who are many, he has won a splendid repu- tation for honesty and integrity in his deal- ings with his fellow citizens.
E. L. J. MILLS.
The life of the subject of this review has been such as to bear aloft the high stand- ard which had been maintained by his father, who was one of the early residents of Tus-
cola county, this state, and whose life was signally noble, upright and useful,-one over which falls no shadow of wrong in thought, word or deed. Such was the type of men who laid the foundation and aided in the development of this state, and to their memories will ever be paid a tribute of reverence and gratitude by those who have profited by their well-directed endeavors and appreciated the lessons of their lives.
E. L. J. Mills, who has for several years been connected in an official way with the Antrim County State Savings Bank, at Mancelona, is a native of this state, having been born at Mayville, Tuscola county, Michigan, on the 15th of February, 1863. He is descended from old colonial stock, several of his ancestors having taken part in the American war for independence. Many of the male members of the family were seafaring men, some of whom later retired to farms. The subject's grandfather on the paternal side was Elihu Mills, a native of Maine, while his parents were Charles B. and Ann (Morrison) Mills, the father a na- tive of Bangor, Maine, and the mother of Springvale, Maine, it being thus seen that the subject is possessed of sterling Yankee blood in his veins. Charles B. Mills left his New England home and for a time occupied a professorship in Geauga Seminary, in Ohio, but in 1856 he came to Michigan and engaged in farming in Tuscola county, be- ing the first settler in the township of Fre- mont and taking up about three hundred acres of land. Later he became secretary and treasurer of Hillsdale College and also held the chair of history in that institution for a number of years. He was held in high esteem by the citizens of his county and served them in public offices of much re-
496
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF
sponsibility, having been probate judge for eight years, a member of the state house of representatives for two years and a state senator for two years. His death occurred in 1895 at Maysville. His widow now makes her home during the summer months in Bellaire, Michigan, spending the winter seasons in Little Rock, Arkansas. They were the parents of ten children, of whom the immediate subject is the eighth in the order of birth.
E. L. J. Mills received his elementary education in the district schools and high school, graduating from the latter in 1882. He then entered Hillsdale College, from which he graduated in 1887, and then took a post-graduate course in the State Univers- ity at Ann Arbor in 1888-89, taking up the study of history, literature and pedagogy with the view of taking up teaching, hav- ing before this time taught some. How- ever, at this time he entered the Bank of Mayville, at Mayville, this state, where he continued until the autumn of 1891, being a member of the banking firm of Eveland, Knickerbocker & Company, a private banking house. In the year named he came to Mancelona and promoted and organized the Antrim County State Sav- ings Bank, with a capital of twenty thou- sand dollars, and he has since remained identified with this institution, being the present cashier. This institution has from the beginning enjoyed a very satis- factory patronage and its deposits have grown from ten thousand dollars the first year to about two hundred thousand dol- lars at the present time. The bank's direc- tors are all active and wide-awake business men, who take a personal pride and interest in the success of the bank. In 1892 the
banking company erected the brick build- ing they now occupy, and in numberless ways have they contributed to the up- building and stability of Mancelona.
Fraternally, Mr. Mills is identified with the Free and Accepted Masons and also the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and he takes a deep interest in advancing the wel- fare of these beneficent organizations. He possesses a social nature and by his genial and kindly attitude to those about him, has won for himself a host of warm personal friends. He has been very successful, being known as an able and careful business man and one whose integrity of purpose is be- yond question.
HIRAM O. ROSE.
The gentleman whose name appears above bears distinction as being the pioneer of Northport, Michigan, having located there in 1854. He was born at Pekin, Ni- agra county, New York. November 27, 1830. Four years later his parents brought him to Bronson Prairie, Branch county, Michigan. As soon as of sufficient size and strength, he assisted in the task of clearing a new farm. His father kept a tavern at Bronson Prairie and at that time the travel to Chicago from the west passed through that point by stage, consequently he became widely known. He died when the subject of the sketch was but twelve years old, con- sequently the latter was early compelled to labor for the support of the family. Hiram attended school as he was able to in the old "rote hill" and has since childhood practi- cally made his own way in the world. At
HIRAM O. ROSE.
497
NORTHERN MICHIGAN.
the age of fifteen years he obtained employ- ment, but was compelled to pay board and clothe himself, though while in school he worked for his board. A year later, at the age of sixteen, he learned the printing trade, working two years at it, and then spent three months in an institution of learn- ing. He went to southern Illinois and set type on the old St. Louis Globe, working by the piece. Jenny Lind, the famous Swedish nightingale, visited St. Louis about that time and the subject absenting himself from work, received his discharge upon return to the office.« He then took a steamboat to St. Paul and on the way came in contact with a number of families who were enroute to Iowa where they were to take up home- steads, McGregor being their objective point. In consequence of their representa- tion, he with two others took homesteads two miles back from the Mississippi river and entering at once upon the work of im- proving the claims. They broke a few acres and put in sod corn, giving one-half the product for plowing. The three lived to- gether in cabins in true bachelor style, which was well enough during the summer, but in winter the subject got homesick and started to Michigan, expecting to return to his new claim in the spring. However, about this time the California excitement was at its highest and when Mr. Rose reached Cold- water, Michigan, he also caught the fever. He had received a small piece of property from his father's estate and, selling this, went to California in 1851, by the isthmus route, reaching the objective point with but twenty dollars in his pocket. He engaged in mining for two years and also secured several claims. Amos Fox, also of Cold- water, accompanied Mr. Rose to California
and together they prosecuted their search for hidden treasure. They were fairly success- ful upon their return home and had about five thousand dollars apiece saved from their toil. Mr. Rose intended to return to his Iowa cabin in the following autumn, but in the meantime heard of the wonderful work- ings of the Calumet and Heckley mines in the Lake Superior region and determined to go there and see for himself. There was at that time but one line of boats running from Chicago to Lake Superior, running two weeks apart, and he was two days late for the boat he intended taking. The captain on the Ogdensburg boat told him that all northbound boats wooded at North Manitou island and took him without cost to the island where he caught the next boat to Su- perior. A storm drove that boat into South Manitou so that Mr. Rose was compelled to remain on the North island until the follow- ing boat came. This boat was likewise driven by a storm into South Manitou where it wooded and failed to stop at the North island. The schooner enroute to Bet- sey river on the peninsula, now Frankfort, called at the North Manitou island to get a load of goods and the subject embarked on this boat, expecting to take another schooner at Northport for Mackinaw; however, a heavy wind blocked the mouth of the Betsey river while the schooner lay inside and they were compelled to lay there a week, the crew and passengers running out of provisions in the meantime. Manistee, thirty miles dis- tant, was the nearest settled point and the captain secured an Indian to go to that point for provisions. The captain being short of money, the subject loaned him five dollars in gold. Eventually they got the channel shov- eled out and sailed to Northport, which even
32
498
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF
at that time was famous for its fine bay. The subject thought it the prettiest place he ever saw, especially as the land was heavily tim- bered clear down to the shore. The captain of the schooner lived at this place and the subject spent a week looking over the coun- try. At that time there was no settlement there but a missionary and few fishermen, though the land had been surveyed. Mr. Rose fell in love with the country and con- cluded to buy an eight-hundred-acre tract here. The land office was at Duncan, below Sheboygan, and Mr. Rose paid one thousand dollars for the land. He went on several small sailboats as a hand, but eventually re- turned to Northport. Mr. Rose determined to build a dock and sell wood to steamboats, employing seven men in the enterprise, building also a large log house in which he set up a little store. Next season steam- boats called at this point to purchase wood of Mr. Rose, in consequence of which the season proved profitable. This was the fin- est harbor in Traverse bay and he found it an easy matter to induce steamers to call here for their wood. Two years later the subject's old California partner, Mr. Fox, visited him and bought a half interest in the business. Mr. Rose remained at that point nineteen years and in the meantime bought more land. In 1861 Mr. Fox took charge of the Charlevoix interests of the firm and the partnership which existed until 1894 was a successful one. In 1873 Mr. Rose came to Petoskey and started a dock there at the head of the Little Traverse bay, being the first dock there and from which he shipped wood, timber, etc. The firm of Fox & Rose opened business on Pine river at what is now Charlevoix in 1861 by erecting a dock. John S. Dickson donated eighteen acres of
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.