Biographical history of northern Michigan containing biographies of prominent citizens, Part 79

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

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other parties, but in 1881 he began operating upon his own responsibility and in due time succeeded in establishing the large and flour- ishing business which he continued to man- age with success and financial profit for a period of twenty-three years. The business twenty years ago was considerably in excess of what it is at the present day, two hundred boats plying in the vicinity of the island, giv- ing employment to from five hundred to eight hundred fishermen, according to the season and state of the market. However, the industry at this time is falling off.

Mr. Gallagher is familiar with every de- tail of the fish industry, as is attested by his thirty-three years of continuous experience therein, which fact enables him to speak with authority on everything relating to the business. In addition to his interests on the water he is, as already indicated, quite exten- sively engaged in other lines, notably among which is the real estate business, of which he is easily in the lead on Beaver island, own- ing thousands of acres of improved and un- improved lands, besides handling still larger tracts for other parties. He has made a number of extensive deals, both in purchas- ing and trading, all of his transactions being characterized by a devotion to the interests of those concerned and in every instance in which he has effected a sale or an exchange the parties thereto have expressed them- selves entirely satisfied not only with the re- sult but with his honorable and upright busi- ness methods, also with the courteous man- ner in which he brought the deal to a success- ful consummation.

Mr. Gallagher is a public-spirited man and as such has been for many years actively identified with the affairs of St. James and Beaver island. He has been honored with

important trusts from time to time and has been the chairman of the board of supervis- ors of Charlevoix county. He has also been instrumental in inaugurating and pushing to completion various public improvements such as the laying out and constructing of roads and highways, the building of side- walks, etc., besides filling a number of of- fices, including that of deputy county clerk and township supervisor, the former of which he still fills. In his political views he is an Independent and his efforts in be- half of his party have made him a recognized leader on Beaver island, besides leading it to victory in more than one important local contest, to say nothing of his able and faith- ful service during the progress of state and national campaigns. While zealous in up- holding his opinions and defending his views, and earnest and self denying in pro-

moting the interests of his party's candi- dates, he has never been an office seeker in the sense the term is usually understood, only consenting to accept public position at the earnest solicitation of his friends, and not then unless convinced that by so doing the interest of the people could best be served. Religiously Mr. Gallagher is a Catholic, be- longing with his wife and children to Holy Cross church at St. James, in which organi- zation he has long been a leading and influen- tial worker, also a liberal contributor to its various lines of endeavor.

Margaret Boyle, who became the wife of Mr. Gallagher and who has since been his faithful adviser and efficient help-meet, is a native of Beaver island and the daughter of William Boyle, a well-known citizen whose residence in this part of Michigan dates from quite an early day. To Mr. and Mrs. Gal- lagher the following children have been

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born : Sarah, James H., Eddie, Ida Belle, William J., Mary, Martha, Joseph Earle, Margaret Irene and Susannah Veronica, all living but the oldest daughter who departed this life at the age of eighteen years. Mr. Gallagher is a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, is county president, and is commander of Beaver Island Tent, No. 834, Knights of the Modern Maccabees.

PHILLIP C. GALLAGHER.

It is no doubt true that Ireland of all countries of the world has sent more emi- grants to America in proportion to her pop- ulation than any other country. Conditions being unfavorable for advancement in their own country, they began to come in large numbers as soon as possible after the Revo- lution in the hope of finding a home of greater freedom in America, an emigration which has continued until the present time. They have settled in every state, built com- fortable homes, attained competences and are today among our first teachers and busi- ness men and occupy many of the proudest positions within the gift of the people of the country.

The subject of this sketch is a native of the Emerald Isle, having been born in county Donegal on the 4th of August, 1852. He attained a fair education in his native land and shortly after attaining his major- ity, in 1874, he emigrated to the United States, coming directly to Beaver island in June of that year. In his native land he had been reared on a farm and also followed fishing. the parental home being located on the Aronmoc island, four miles from the

mainland. He came to the United States through the inducement of an uncle, Capt. Owen Gallagher, superintendent of the life saving station, who sent for him and paid his passage. Upon reaching his new home, he at once engaged in fishing in the employ of others and was so employed for four years. He then engaged as a sailor and for four years was on the schooner "Henry A. Smith," under the captaincy of I. N. Gal- lagher, then of Beaver island. He then re- engaged in the fishing business, working for John Day, of Green Bay, Wisconsin, after which he spent nine years in pond-net fish- ing on Sandy Bay beach on this island. He had already taken up a homestead on the beach, devoting it mainly to fishing pur- poses which he had up to this time found a profitable business. In 1882 he purchased forty acres of his present farm, which is partly improved, and in 1886 added to it another forty acres and in 1890 purchased ninety acres more and also the ten acres where he now lives, three miles south of Beaver harbor. He has also other lands, making his entire real estate holdings about two hundred acres. He has been engaged in farming for twenty-two years and has achieved a most commendable success in this line as a result of sound judgment in the conduct of the enterprise. He is up-to- date in his methods and exercises sound discrimination in the rotation of crops and in other items which to so large degree con- tribute to successful agriculture.

Mr. Gallagher was married to Miss Mary Gillespie, the daughter of John Gil- lespie, who conducts the farm adjoining that of the subject. To this union has been born fifteen children, seven of whom are deceased, while the living are Charlie,

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Mary, John, Neil, James, Dominick, Daniel and Catharine, all of whom remain under the parental roof. Mr. Gallagher has taken a deep interest in the public affairs of Beaver island and is now serving his seventh term as township clerk, having also served three years as supervisor of the township. At one time he served as sheriff of Manitou county, which at that time included the Manitou islands, the Fox islands, the Beaver islands, Gull islands and others, fif- teen in all. In all offices to which he was called he proved a most capable and faithful public servant. Clearly defined purposes and consecutive effort, with sound judg- ment and keen foresight, are among Mr. Gallagher's most prominent characteristics, and as a business man or official they have been factors in the success he has attained. He is one of the public-spirited citizens of the islands, always ready to contribute toward the improving of its interests, and is one of the best known agriculturists. He bears a fine reputation and is deservedly respected by the community.

WILLIAM W. BOYLE.

The subject of this review is a native of the island which with slight exception has always been the field of his endeavor, having been born in the town of St. James, Michigan, on the Ist of January, 1868. His parents, William and Honora (Mallory) Boyle, were natives of Ireland but moved to Beaver island from Canada in 1859. from which year until his death, 1899, the father was one of the prosperous merchants and leading business men of St. James.

William W. Boyle spent his early years in the above town and after receiving a good education in the public schools, entered his father's store where in due time he became familiar with the more practical duties of life and accustomed to the line of trade to which his attention has since been largely devoted. With the exception of three years spent in Petoskey, he literally grew up under the direction of his father, and from him learned the ethics of business life, which with other equally commendable lessons have so influenced his career as to make him today not only one of the prominent busi- ness men of the island, but also a leader of thought and a director of opinion in all mat- ters pertaining to the material, social and moral advancement of the thriving town in which he has so long resided. On arriving at the proper age Mr. Boyle purchased an interest in his father's business and the firm thus constituted lasted for eighteen years, during which time they built up an exten- sive and lucrative patronage and became widely and favorably known in commercial circles throughout the northern part of the state. At the expiration of the period noted the subject became sole proprietor of the business, succeeding to the same on his father's death and since that time he has commanded the large trade with which the name of Boyle has so long been associated.

Mr. Boyle is a man of broad capabilities and extensive resources, and in addition to his private interests has been for a number of years an influential factor in the public affairs of St. James and Beaver island, hav- ing at various times been called to import- ant official positions, including among others the offices of township clerk, town- ship treasurer and commissioner of high-

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ways. In these several capacities not only did he display sound judgment and business ability of a high order, but manifested an unselfish devotion to the interest of his fel- low citizens and by so doing won the confi- dence of the people irrespective of party, also the reputation of an upright, honorable official who ever lost sight of self in his efforts to prove true to the trusts reposed in him by his fellow citizens. Mr. Boyle is proud of his native island and has given an ardent support to every enterprise for its improvement and advancement. His ideas and views are essentially in keeping with the times, many measures tending to promote the material welfare of the community have been inaugurated by him and his voice and influence are ever on the side of progress in all the term implies. He is well versed in local lore, being an authority on the early history of Beaver and other islands and within the last few years he has compiled and written quite an extensive account of the Mormons in Michigan which in due time will doubtless be published and given to the public.

Mr. Boyle was married at Harbor Springs, Michigan, to Miss Helen F. Line- ham, sister of Hon. Thomas Lineham, the present probate judge of Emmett county, the union resulting in the birth of two chil- dren, William Carlton and Frances Cres- centhia, the latter being an old and favorite name in the family of Mrs. Boyle. In his political affiliation Mr. Boyle is a Republi- can, and in religion subscribes to the Roman Catholic faith in which he was born and reared, being an active and influential member of the Holy Cross church at St. James, to which parish his family also be- longs. An ardent sportsman, he finds his

most agreeable recreation with dog and gun, and seldom does he return from one of his incursions through the woods without ample reminders of his skill as an expert shot.

HON. WILLIAM HARRIS.

Few men in northern Michigan have led more active and useful lives than Hon. Wil- liam Harris, of Norwood, whose long and distinguished career in civil affairs has made his name a household word in the county honored by his citizenship and won for him a conspicuous 'place among the representa- tive men of his adopted state. Mr. Harris is a native of Saratoga county, New York, and was born on June 7, 1832, being the youngest in a family of eight children whose parents were Rev. John and Sarah (Water- bury) Harris. The Harris family is of Welsh descent and was first represented in America in colonial times, the original ancestors set- tling in the eastern part of New York many years before the struggle for independence. Rev. John Harris, a well-known minister of the Baptist church, immigrated to Michigan in 1836 and settled five miles south of Battle Creek, Michigan, being one of the early pio- neers of Calhoun county. In addition to the duties of his holy office he cleared and de- veloped a good farm, took an active part in the affairs of the community and to him is due the credit of organizing the first churches of his denomination in the towns of Battle Creek and Climax Prairie and vicinity. He was a man of fine mind and high character and the impress of his strong personality is still felt in the community which he founded and in which his death oc-

WILLIAM HARRIS.

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curred in 1864, at the age of seventy-four years, his wife having preceded him to the grave in 1850.

Of the family of John and Sarah Harris but two survive, the subject of this review and John G. Harris. The latter, a resident of Iowa, was for over twenty years engaged in the United States mail service in this state, being at this time the oldest mail car- rier in the state. William Harris was about four years old when his parents moved to Michigan and he spent his early life on the family homestead in Calhoun county, at- tending during his childhood and youth such schools as the country afforded. In 1860 he was united in marriage with Miss Marion Angell, whose parents were also among the pioneers of Calhoun county, settling at Battle Creek as early as 1833.

In 1866 Mr. Harris came to Norwood with Adams, Wood & Company, in whose interest he opened a boarding house, which under his efficient management soon became a favorite stopping place for the traveling public besides obtaining a large and lucra- tive local patronage. After serving about one year in the capacity of "mine host," he resigned the position and purchasing land in the vicinity of the town addressed himself to the task of clearing a farm. Not long after locating at Norwood he began taking an ac- tive part in the affairs of his neighborhood and in due time became a leader among his fellow citizens in matters of public import. Through his efforts the township of Marion was organized and named in honor of his wife, and for a number of years he served as supervisor of the same, later being elected to the same position when Norwood town- ship was created a separate jurisdiction, holding the office in the latter until 1872.

Mr. Harris was a leading spirit in the county seat controversy of 1880 and was again elected supervisor of Norwood, which position he held continuously for a period of twenty-three years, discharging his duties in an able and impartial manner and winning the highest of praise as a faithful and unusu- ally efficient public servant. Previous to his removal to Norwood he served two years as supervisor in the township of Battle Creek, county of Calhoun, making in all a career of thirty years in this office, during which time he came in close touch with the people, be- came familiar with their wants and to the extent of his ability supplied the same in a manner highly creditable to himself and sat- isfactory to the public. For ten years he was chairman of the board, serving longer in this capacity than any other man in the county and it is a fact worthy of note that during his long and creditable official career his record was ever above reproach and his good name beyond the shadow of suspicion.

In the year 1889 Mr. Harris was further honored by being elected to represent the district composed of the counties of Charle- voix, Antrim and Manitou in the state legis- lature, in which body he distinguished him- self by faithful and efficient service, besides becoming one of the leaders of his party on the floor of the house. In 1895 he was re- elected and two years later again became his own successor, his several terms as a law maker reflecting great credit upon himself and the district which he represented. While a member of the general assembly, Mr. Harris was instrumental in bringing about much important legislation, and served on several of the leading committees, including among others, those relating to railroads, public health, and the state institution for

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the feeble-minded, having been chairman of but throughout many other states of the Union.

the last two. He also took a leading part in the general deliberations of the body, proved a strong and fearless debater and made his influence felt in whatever depart- ment of the public service he was engaged.

Mr. Harris is a Republican and has long - been one of the leaders of his party in Char- levoix county. He had the honor of voting for the first Republican governor of Michi- gan and in 1854 cast a ballot for General Fremont, the party's first presidential nom- inee. In addition to the public positions al- ready noted he served one year as deputy game warden of Michigan, held the post of deputy swamp land commissioner one term and ever since the establishment of a post- office at Norwood he has been identified with the same as postmaster or deputy. From 1867 to 1872, inclusive, he had charge of the office, and after serving for a number of years in the capacity of deputy was re-ap- pointed postmaster in 1901, thus making an unbroken record of thirty-seven years in this important branch of government service. Mr. Harris also held the office of school commissioner for about fifteen years, being secretary of the board a part of that time.

An interesting and pleasing incident of Mr. Harris's legislative career was the reso- lution which he drafted and presented to make the apple blossom the state flower of Michigan, in consequence of which he was dubbed "Apple Blossom William." The matter was taken up by the state board of education and many articles relative thereto have appeared in the leading educational journals, the idea meeting with general favor on the part of the intelligent and pro- gressive people and giving the author of the bill a wide reputation not only in Michigan,

Mr. Harris has manifested considerable zeal in the prosecution of his private inter- ests and is now one of the well-to-do men of his town and county, being in easy finan- cial circumstances with ample competency laid aside for his declining years. He still keeps abreast the times on current events and public questions and stands high in the esteem of all as a neighbor and citizen and among the notable men of his part of the state. Fraternally he is a member of the Masonic order, belonging to the blue lodge and chapter at Charlevoix.

The family of Mr. Harris consists of two loving children: Bertha, who was the first white child born in Norwood township and who is still at home, and Ernest, a merchant of Elsworth, this state, a second daughter by name of Carrie dying at the age of four- teen. Mrs. Harris departed this life in 1877, since which time Miss Bertha has managed the househod and looked after her father's domestic interests.

JAMES McCANN.

This leading representative of the fish industry at St. James and one of the most enterprising business men of Beaver island, also a public-spirited citizen of influence and wide repute, is a native of county Mayo, Ireland, where his birth occurred on September 28, 1838. He spent his child- hood amid the pleasing scenes of the beau- tiful Emerald Isle, attended as opportuni- ties afforded the schools of his native land and when a youth of ten accompanied his

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parents upon their immigration to the United States, landing on February 2, 1852, in the city of New York. In 1855 he moved with the family to Mackinac island, Michi- gan, and about one year later made his first trip to Beaver island, which he decided to make his permanent place of residence and on which his subsequent career as one of the successful business men in the region of the great lakes has been triumphantly wrought out. Shortly after his arrival in Michigan, Mr. McCann began life for him- self as a cooper, which trade he followed until 1865, when he turned his attention to fishing, a business he has since conducted with such success and financial profit that he is now considered one of the leaders of the industry in this section, his outfit for a num- ber of years past being reputed the most complete of the kind on the lakes besides having won high honors at the World's Expositions in the cities of Chicago and St. Louis.

From a rather modest beginning Mr. McCann gradually extended the scope of his operations and, notwithstanding sharp competition was soon at the head of a flour- ishing business and on the high road to prosperity. His advancement has not been without its difficulties and drawbacks, how- ever, and one of the earliest and most serious of which was the destruction of his cooper- shop by fire in 1876, two years after it came into his possession, the disaster resulting in a complete loss of all his available capital and so crippling his business that he was obliged to start in anew at the bottom of the ladder. Endowed with an energy and de- termination that hesitated at no obstacle and with a spirit that refused to succumb to dis- couragement, he soon rallied from his loss

and in due time resumed fishing, forming a partnership with a friend which lasted one year, at the expiration of which time he es- tablished a business of his own which con- tinued to grow in magnitude and import- ance until within a few years he commanded the bulk of the fishing trade on Beaver is- land and vicinity besides extending his op- erations into other and more distant waters. During his most prosperous years, when the fishing industry was considerably in excess of what it is today, he sailed several boats, gave employment to a large number of men and caught every year from two hundred to two hundred and fifty tons of fish, for which he found ready demand in the markets of Chicago and other large cities in different parts of the country. For the last ten years Mr. McCann has con- ducted his actual fishing by means of a single tug, the "Margaret McCann," to op- erate which requires a force of fifteen men and five gangs of nets, and his annual ship- ments during the time noted has averaged from two hundred and twenty-five to two hundred and fifty tons, the sales running from twenty-eight thousand dollars to thirty thousand dollars, Chicago furnishing the principal market. Being supplied with ample facilities for handling fish Mr. McCann in addition to his own catch buys quite extensively from other parties and about twenty-five per cent. of his cargoes are salted previous to shipment. His trade at this time is far in excess of that of any other man on the island, more in fact than all the rest combined, representing as it does fully five-sevenths of the entire shipment from St. James, others comparing favorably with the business of any other port on the Great Lakes.

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In addition to the fishing industry Mr. McCann has long been interested in an- other important line of business, being the proprietor of a large general store at St. James, which he started about eighteen years ago and which during that time has been the leading establishment of the kind in the town. He carries a full and carefully se- lected stock of miscellaneous merchandise, buys and sells all kinds of produce and his house is amply supplied to meet the de- mands of his numerous patrons, besides be- ing in readiness to fill orders for posts, piles, ties, timber and building materials, all of which he handles in sufficient quantities to suit the trade. While giving personal at- tention to the multiform business referred to, he also deals in real estate, handling town property and improved and unim- proved lands on Beaver island and else- where, besides owning considerable real estate of his own, his agency in St. James being the scene of a large and constantly in- creasing business.

While first of all a business man and as such ranking with the most enterprising and successful of his compeers, Mr. McCann is not unmindful of his duties as a citizen, as is attested by the deep and abiding interest he has ever manifested in the material ad- vancement of St. James and Beaver island and the active part he has taken in the pub- lic affairs of the same. All enterprises for the general welfare enlist his sanction and co-operation, and, having the social and moral good of his fellow men at heart, he has not been slow in giving his influence and support to every progressive measure for the promotion of these ends. Mr. McCann is to all intents and purposes as loyal an

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Biographical history of northern Michigan containing biographies of prominent citizens, Part 79

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