Biographical history of northern Michigan containing biographies of prominent citizens, Part 66

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

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and all laudable enterprises and progressive measures for the good of the community and the welfare of the people have found in him an ardent supporter and liberal con- tributor. Mr. Walbrecht is easily one of Central Lake's most energetic and up-to-date business men and it is needless to state that he combines the sterling qualities of head and heart which win success and gain the good will and applause of his fellow citi- zens. Vigorous in action, resolute of pur- pose and with a will that hesitates at no op- position, he has made his presence felt as an influential factor of the body politic and the high esteem in which he is held by all classes and conditions of people has been well and honorably earned.

Mr. Walbrecht has been twice married, the first time at Maryland, this state, to Mate Sigler, who died some years ago in the city of Cadillac. On February 1, 1888, he mar- ried his present wife, whose maiden name was Ella Stevenson, in Oakand county, the union being blessed with five children, Gus M., F. Raymond, Gladys, Ruth and How- ard L.

CARL M. TINKHAM.

It is with marked satisfaction that the biographer adverts to the life of one who has attained success in any vocation requiring definiteness of purpose and determined ac- tion. Such a life, whether it be one of calm, consecutive endeavor or of sudden meteoric accomplishments, must abound in both les- son and incentive and prove a guide to young men whose fortunes and destinies are still matters for the future to determine. The subject of this sketch is distinctively one of the representative young business men

of Rapid City, Kalkaska county, Michigan. For a number of years he directed his ef- forts toward the goal of success and by pa- tient perseverance succeeded at last in over- coming the many obstacles with which his pathway was beset.

Carl M. Tinkham first saw the light of day at Grand Ledge, Eaton county, Michi- gan, his natal day having been March 24, 1873. His parents were Porter and Polly (Campbell) Tinkham, the latter of whom died in Sumnerville, Cass county, this state, when upwards of fifty years of age. The subject was reared largely in Cass county, where he received the advantage of attendance at the public schools. Upon attaining mature years he entered a drug store owned by an uncle at Grand Ledge, where he remained several years, gaining a thorough insight into cor- rect business methods and also a compre- hensive knowledge of pharmacy. He then went to Chisholm, Minnesota, in February, 1901, and for three years was general man- ager for a large mercantile establishment. In July, 1904, he came to Rapid City and purchased the drug business of William A. Seger and has since that time enjoyed a gratifying share of the public patronage. Mr. Tinkham's abilities and strong charac- ter were promptly given recognition in his new home, as is evidenced in the fact that in October, 1904, he received the appoint- ment as postmaster of Rapid City, the du- ties of which office he has since discharged in an eminently satisfactory manner. Mr. Tinkham possesses high business qualifica- tions and a genial and urbane manner that at once commend him to those with whom he has dealings and at the same time forms friendships that are not easily broken.

On December 23, 1895, at Grand Ledge,

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Michigan, Mr. Tinkham was united in mar- for a number of years after he had come to riage with Miss Gertrude Goodale, a native of Grand Ledge and a daughter of Hiram K. and Rosellen (Vandewalker) Goodale. Mr. and Mrs. Tinkham are both people of high social qualities and their home is a center of a gracious hospitality. Mr. Tink- ham is a man of strong mentality, keen dis- cernment and resolute purpose and com- mands the respect of his fellow men by reason of his sterling worth of character.

GUYER BROTHERS.

The publishers of this historic compila- tion are gratified in being able to present at this point a most interesting genealogical review and personal sketch of two of the honored citizens of Antrim county, Theo- dore and Thomas Guyer, the carefully pre- pared article having been written for and contributed to this work by Theodore Guyer.

"Our father, Jacob Guyer, was born near the city of Zurich, Switzerland, in 1820, and as his parents died when he was a mere boy, leaving him nothing in the way of patri- mony, he was thrown upon his own re- sources, but by hard work and untiring ef- fort he gained a liberal education, both in German and French. Politically he was so- cialistic in his attitude and convictions. He believed that the great God of man gave the earth and the fulness thereof to all mankind worthy to eat at his table, and not to the greed of man or to the favored few. While yet a young man he became general mana- ger of a workingmen's co-operative mercan- tile enterprise, which continued to flourish

America. In 1859 he determined to cast in his lot with the people of the new world, and accordingly, in October of that year, he left the fatherland, in company with his wife and their three children,-Bertha, born in 1852; Theodore, born in 1856; and Thomas, born in 1858,-and crossed the At- lantic in a sailing vessel, which consumed sixty-five days in making the voyage,-a distinctive contrast with the facilities of the present day, when the great ocean steamers accomplish the same voyage in from seven to nine days. The family disembarked in the city of New Orleans and proceeding thence by steamer up the Mississippi river to St. Louis, our father soon afterward set- tled on a farm in Clinton county, Illinois, near Jamestown, becoming a pioneer of that section. There, in March, 1862, our young- est brother, Herman, was born, and in the autumn of 1864 our loved and devoted mother was summoned to the life eternal. In 1866, on account of his impaired health and his desire to avail himself of 'Uncle Sam's' offer of free homesteads, father con- cluded to move to northern Michigan, and on the 3d day of May, that year, he, with his sons, arrived in Traverse City, the boat on the bay having not been running at the time. Thus we walked from Traverse City to Elk Rapids, on the 4th of May, and the next day we continued our journey on foot from the latter place to a point near that where father took up his homestead, in the northwestern part of Antrim county. There were a number of settlers around about and north of the head of Torch lake, and to the home of one of these, of whom father had heard through correspondence, we wished to go. When a mile north of what is now

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Eastport father, with the aid of a German tunes in store for our little pioneer family, and English dictionary, asked a boy of the for in March, 1869, father was caught un- der a falling tree and was so badly injured that he was unable to do any active work during the entire spring. In the locality there was little or no work that we boys could secure for the purpose of earning money during that summer, as about the only employment to be had in this section of the state at the time was in the saw-mills, none of which were located near our iso- lated home. We planted some corn and po- tatoes and had some wheat sown. The last of May our supply of provisions became ex- hausted, but we had a cow and some chick- ens, and from this source supplied our meager larder, cooking leeks in milk and killing a hen every other day, while we also cooked basswood leaves for greens. Some time in June a boat ran ashore on Fox island, throwing a large amount of flour overboard. From this source, through the kindness of some fishermen, bread was added to our supplies. name of Oliver Powers to direct him to the home of John Schneider, the man in ques- tion. The boy told us to go west along the section line to a small clearing, and said that back of the little shanty we would see a trail which would take us to Schneider's shanty. · We found the trail, but as the darkness had fallen by this time we soon lost trace of the trail and, after wandering about obscurely through the woods until after eleven o'clock, we again found ourselves at the little shanty from which we had started. In this exi- gency we entered the primitive building, which had no floor. Father discovered a small pile of potatoes in one corner and said he would bake some for our belated supper, but we children were too weary and tired by this time to care for the promised food, go- ing to sleep on the earth floor of the hut long before the potatoes were baked. The next morning we pushed through to the home of Mr. Schneider and took breakfast with our new friend. While in Traverse City father bought a barrel of flour and one of corn- meal, paying eighteen dollars for the former and nine for the latter, while he arranged that the products should be shipped to An- trim City, with our other household effects, on the first trip of the bay boat, the 'Sunny- side.' Kerosene oil sold at one and one- quarter dollars a gallon ; tea at from two to two and one-quarter dollars per pound ; mess pork at forty-five dollars a barrel; and other needed provisions in proportion.

"In the fall we moved into our newly constructed log house, on the homestead. In November, 1868, our sister Bertha died, which was a most severe blow to father and to us boys, but fate still had other misfor-

"In the winter of 1869-70 we sold the first shipping wood from our place. In March, 1870, our little house burned, to- gether with all its contents, so it may be seen that we had our full share of vicissi- tudes and misfortunes in the pioneer days. We built a roof over the small cellar of our ruined dwelling and there did our cooking, while we slept in the diminutive loft over the cow stable until we completed our new house, the following summer. In the fall we had the first threshing machine on our farm. We threshed fifty bushels of wheat, the incidental cost being ten dollars per one hundred bushels or fraction thereof for the threshing. while in addition we had to pay the help and provide food for the men and

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horses, there having been eight of the latter. We were to have furnished two horses, but were unable to secure them, and in this emer- gency endeavored to utilize oxen, but the circle of the power apparatus was so small that they became dizzy and unavailable for use. We now had our own bread, potatoes and pork, and went at the cordwood again that winter, with good spirit. In the spring of 1871, while we were clearing land for po- tatoes Thomas broke his leg, the injury be- ing a most severe one, the bone being driven far out through the flesh. No physician was to be found nearer than Traverse City, and several days would be required to make the trip to that point. Under these very dis- quieting conditions father went to L. M. Kanagy, living four miles from our place, who had made medicine and surgery some- what of a specialty in an amateur way and who later became a most successful and honored physician, and sought the aid of this neighbor. Mr. Kanagy told father that he was neither a physician nor a surgeon and that he did not feel justified in taking the responsibility of ministering to the sufferer, but said that if he did take charge of the case the risk must be taken by father and Thomas. It was the best that could be done and so father requested him to put forth every effort he could for the relief of the in- jured man. With the aid of some of the neighbors Mr. Kanagy set the limb, but the fracture was so serious that after five or six days it became evident that the work was not a success. Mr. Kanagy then sent for Dr. Ashton, of Traverse City, who put in an ap- pearance at our place on the eleventh day after the accident occurred. He made an ex- amination and stated that the only thing to

be done was to reset the limb. We sent for some of the neighbors and Dr. Ashton, with the aid of Mr. Kanagy, did the work over again, the operation being performed with- out the aid of chloroform or other means for lessening the pain of the poor sufferer, but as Thomas was of vigorous constitution he withstood the operation bravely and after the lapse of many months was again able to walk. In the fall of 1872, while putting the top on a grain stack, father lost his balance and fell to the ground, injuring his spine, the result being his death on the 26th of the following January. Our little family circle was now a sad one, indeed, but fortunate it was that imperative necessity and duty kept us employed and obviated gloomy intro- spection and foreboding. We boys kept bachelors' hall until March, 1878, when the writer (Theodore) was united in marriage to Miss Lucy C. Powers, who assumed charge of the domestic economies.

"In the autumn of 1874 I became a mem- ber of the first grange organized in Antrim county, while Thomas joined the same somewhat later. We thank Providence for the order of the Patrons of Husbandry, since it furnished us some means for social, intellectual and educational development, particularly in the pioneer days, when we were practically isolated. In the winter of 1874 Thomas and I went to school in our little log school house for eighteen days, but seeing that we would again be pressed for means the following spring and summer, we then withdrew and again turned ourselves vigorously to grappling with the cordwood. Herman went to school the remainder of the winter, as well as during several winters thereafter. In the winter of 1875, Thomas

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and I attended school thirty-six days, mak- ing the total number of our school days fifty- four.

"This narrative would not be complete, nor would it be satisfactory to the writer, were there failure to make special mention of one dear and noble woman, whose kind- liness and sympathy brightened our lives and aided us in the early days. Mrs. Mary Bence, wife of our neighbor, David C. Bence, is the one to whom I would pay a tribute of gratitude and appreciation. Though she and her husband were poor and had to struggle with all the disadvantages of pioneer life and though she had eleven children of her own, all at home, yet her tender woman heart had room for three more, and no mother could, under the cir- cumstances, have done more for us three boys than did she.

"In the winter of 1877 we got out fur- nace wood for the Elk Rapids Iron Com- pany, receiving one dollar and fifteen cents a cord, banked on the shore of Torch lake. Good hemlock logs were worth one and one- quarter dollars per thousand feet, and other logs accordingly. In 1878 we lumbered on land adjacent to the old homestead, having purchased the property, which was covered with cedar, pine, birch and hemlock. We banked the cedar ties and posts on Grand Traverse bay and the logs on Torch lake. Ties sold for twelve cents each and posts for three cents, while pine brought four dollars for surface clear and three dol- lars for the balance. In 1883 Herman, who had attained his legal majority and wished to start in life for himself, sold his share of the property to Thomas and myself. He was married, a year later, to Miss Lucy Archer, and his death occurred in 1886. He

is survived by his wife and their only child, Roy, who is now a young man of nineteen years (1905). In 1885 Thomas was married to Miss Lucinda Powers, a half sister to my (Theodore) wife. Thinking it best for each to own his own business, we divided the farm and all the remainder of the property by casting lots. We placed together two ar- ticles of as nearly equal value as possible and then cast lots to determine which each should have, and where two articles of such comparative equality in value could not be selected a price was set on each one and lots were then cast to determine which of us should buy, the settlement thus being made amicably and justly. We now settled down to make the best possible use of our lives, working on the farm in summer and lumbering in the winter. We both filled various positions in the Grange, both the . subordinate and county organizations, while we have also been called upon to serve in township and district offices of trust. Thomas was secretary of our home Grange for eight years and was again elected to this position in the autumn of 1904, while he is also record keeper of Uriah Tent, Knights of the Maccabees, at Eastport, of which we both are members. Thomas is also a trus- tee of the First Baptist church of Eastport, of which we are both members, as are also our families, and Thomas is a member of the directorate of the Patrons' Fire Insurance Company of Antrim county. I have at- tended various state conventions as dele- gate to the state Grange, the Knights of the Maccabees and the Anti-Saloon League. We, like our father, are strong socialists, believing in democracy pure and simple. In 1898 I was appointed organizing deputy for Antrim county by the State Grange, and in

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1899 I was granted a state commission, un- ies, canning factories, cement works and der which I have worked for the State Grange the better part of the past three years, having proved the most successful or- ganizer in the state in 1901. However, on account of illness in my family, I was finally obliged to abandon this interesting work. Both I and my brother are firm believers in co-operative effort along all lines and stand ever ready to lend a helping hand. I am now president of a co-operative telephone company, comprised of farmers and busi- ness men, there being more than two hun- dred stockholders.

"While the early years of our residence in northern Michigan were years of hard- ship and care, yet they are not lacking in pleasant memories as we review the past. Marvelous, indeed, are the changes which have been wrought in this portion of the state within the time of our residence in An- trim county. The great and unbroken for- est has given place to orchards, meadows and fields of corn and waving grain; the trail through the dim forest aisles has given place to well graded roads; the red man's canoe is no longer seen gliding along the shores of the lakes and bay; the deer and the bear no longer challenge the sportsman's aim nor supply the family larders; and in- stead of the weekly mail, carried by an In- dian and delivered when the weather was not too tempestuous, we now have the rural free mail delivery service, our mail being brought to our doors daily, while we also enjoy the privileges of the telephone and have otherwise conquered the isolation which marked the pioneer era, the county being dotted with thriving towns and villages. The sawmills of the early industrial epoch are being displaced by gristmills, creamer-

beet-sugar manufactories, while potatoes and garden seeds are grown and shipped out by train loads. While personally the writer and his brother may not have accomplished as much as our contemporaries and co- workers, yet we feel that we have not la- bored in vain and have been the means of adding something to the wealth and civic advancement of northern Michigan and, we trust, to the betterment of mankind. I have two daughters, Bertha and Cyrena, and Thomas likewise has two, Clara and Grace, -all grown to gracious young woman- hood."

ELISHA W. CLEMENT.

This venerable pioneer and represent- ative agriculturist of Kalkaska county has lived on the farm which is now his home for about thirty-five years, and thus he has witnessed and taken an active part in the de- velopment of this section of the state from a sylvan wild to its present status as an opulent agricultural and industrial com- munity. He early began to contribute to the work of clearing the land of its primitive forest, later assisted in the establishing of schools and better public improvements and facilities, while his course has been so di- rected as to retain for him the unqualified approval and esteem of the community in which he has so long made his home.

Mr. Clement is a native of Brantford, Ontario, Canada, where he was born on September 7, 1839. He lived in different places in Canada until he was about twenty- three years old, securing such education as possible in the public schools. He was em-

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ployed at farming, and also learned the trades of carpenter and stone mason, ac- quirements which have since been of great practical use to him. When he left Canada he first came to St. Clair county, Michigan, where for three years he worked at the car- penter's trade, and then he went to Traverse City, this state, where he was employed at his trades about a year. In 1870 he came to Kalkaska county and settled on a farm in section 14, Clearwater township, where he has since made his home. He has applied his energies chiefly to farming, with very grati- fying results, but has also to some extent fol- lowed the lumbering business. He built the saw-mill now known as Clement's Mill, which is located on his farm and which has been of great practical utility and fully ap- preciated by his neighbors. His present farm comprises about eighty acres, of which about half is under the plow. Mr. Clement is energetic and all his life has been a hard worker, being able now to some extent to enjoy the results of many years of toil. His place is fully up to the requirements of the latest ideas as to successful agriculture and bountiful crops reward the owner for his in- dustry.

In Macomb county, Michigan, Mr. Clem- ent was married to Miss Amelia Fox, also a native of Canada, born at London, On- tario, on May 29, 1840. Mr. and Mrs. Clement have four living children, namely : Minnie J. is the wife of George Wright; Delia J. is the wife of Thomas Evert ; Allena A .; Anna M. is the wife of Owen Champ- ney. Charles W. died on April 28, 1898, when twenty-nine years old, and Mary died in infancy. Mr. Clement has ever taken a deep interest in local affairs, having exerted every effort toward the upbuilding of the

community along material, moral and edu- cational lines. He has never sought official position, though at one time he served as highway commissioner. For several years he served as postmaster of Clearwater post- office, and has in other ways contributed to the welfare of his fellow citizens. His in- tegrity is of the sterling kind that success- fully bears the test of the severest scrutiny, his character has always been unassailable and his good name gives him marked pres- tige in the community as a neighbor, friend and citizen.

HON. HIRAM B. HUDSON.

There could be no more comprehensive history written of a city or even of a state and its people, than that which deals with the life-work of those who, by their own endeavor and indomitable energy, have placed themselves where they well deserve the title of "prominent and progressive," and in this sketch will be found the record of one who has outstripped the less active and less able trodders on the highway of life, one who has taught the golden lesson of a career unsurpassed by that of any other in northern Michigan.

Hiram B. Hudson was born February II, 1835, at Battle Creek, Michigan, and is the son of Polydore and Harriet (More- house) Hudson, the former born in Vermont on October 11, 1799, and the latter in New York in 1797. These parents came to Mich- igan among the early pioneers, in 1833, and settled on a farm at what became Battle Creek, and Mr. Hudson built there the first log house and was also the first postmaster

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there. Polydore Hudson was a direct de- scendant from emigrants on the "May- flower," his ancestors subsequently serv- ing in all the American wars, while his wife Harriet was descended from German ances- try.

Hiram B. Hudson was reared on the home farm and was early inured to the toil incident thereto. He attended the little log school house of that primitive day, with its simple and rude equipment, but at the early age of fourteen years he left home and started out into the world for himself, not having the opportunity after that of attend- ing school. However he was ambitious to acquire knowledge and improved every lei- sure moment in the perusal of every text- book that came to his hands, and such was his progress that at the age of eighteen years he was competent to teach school, which call- ing he followed through sixteen terms, ac- quiring a splendid reputation as an educator. Thus it will be seen that while his early ex- periences were apparently not those most naturally conducive to rapid advancement in life, yet each step was an upward one and they better prepared him for his life work. Nights, mornings and rainy days were all devoted to earnest, conscientious study and to these early habits of economizing time. concentrating his mind and persisting in any course once decided upon Mr. Hudson largely attributes his subsequent success in life. From the beginning he has been a close reader and student of history and civil gov- ernment and is today considered an author- ity on these subjects.

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Biographical history of northern Michigan containing biographies of prominent citizens, Part 66

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