Biographical history of northern Michigan containing biographies of prominent citizens, Part 84

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

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much unreasonable opposition. It was mainly through his efforts that the roads of Hayes township have been resurveyed, straightened and improved and instead of a number of crooked roads, running in every direction, the country is now well supplied with an excellent system of highways which compare favorably with those in much older and better developed parts of the state. He has also manifested an abiding interest in the schools of his township and recently through his influence a fine building was erected in his neighborhood, thus obviating the necessity of walking a distance of two miles, which the children were formerly obliged to do in order to enjoy the educa- tional advantages to which they are en- titled.

On February 10, 1869, at Allegan, Mr. Tillotson entered the marriage relation with Miss Ardennes Geer, who was born in On- . tario, Canada, and came to Michigan when a young lady of nineteen, the union being blessed with six children, namely: Ashare G., of Bay Shore; Margaret lives with her parents ; John Edmund, an engineer who is still a member of the family circle; Nelson Allen, who manages the farm; Oscar Silas, a mechanic residing at Boyne City, and Sa- bra Clarissa, whose presence adds interest and zest to the household.

SIM BAKER.

One of the prosperous and highly re- spected farmers of Charlevoix township, Charlevoix county, Michigan, is Sim Ba- ker, who was born in Canada near Mon- treal, April 15, 1838, but who since came

to "the states" and has proven a loyal citi- zen to his adopted country. He was reared in his native community and early set him- self to the task of learning the blacksmith trade under the preceptorship of his father and he has followed this trade more or less closely for fifty years. At the age of twen- ty-one years he set up in business for himself and in 1872 came to Michigan, locating first at Grand Rapids, where he conducted a blacksmith shop until 1879, in which year he came to Charlevoix and opened a shop. I.ocating in Norwood township, this county, he cleared eighty acres of land from its orig- inal wild condition, it having nearly all been covered with dense timber and for which he paid seven dollars per acre. He remained on this farm for fifteen years, during which period he erected the buildings and made other improvements which have given the farm a position among the best in the county. He increased its acreage until it composed one hundred and twenty acres, of which about seventy were in actual cultiva- tion, and was finally able to dispose of it at a price of forty-two dollars per acre. Upon quitting the farm he engaged again in the blacksmith business at Charlevoix. In con- nection he opened a store for the sale of ag- ricultural implements, his son John being associated with him as partner. About five years ago he removed to his present farm, locating two and one-half miles southwest of Charlevoix and which contains eighty acres of valuable land, thirty-five of which are in cultivation and about forty devoted to pasturage. He here erected necessary buildings, made other improvements and has devoted himself assiduously to the con- duct of the farm, meeting with very gratify- ing success in this enterprise. He thor-

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oughly enjoys agricultural life and conducts it according to the most improved methods of the twentieth century.

In politics Mr. Baker is a stanch Repub- lican, though he has never aspired to public office. However, his abilities led his fellow citizens to choose him as a member of the city council of Charlevoix, in which body he served with ability and great benefit to his constituents. Fraternally he is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, having been initiated, passed and raised in the blue lodge at Charlevoix, in which he still retains his active membership. In Ontario, Canada, Mr. Baker was united in marriage to Miss Isabel Matheson, and to them have been born three children, namely: John F., who married Miss Martha Elston, is proprietor and manager of the Beech Hotel at Charle- voix, a popular summer resort; Jane is the wife of Arthur Chase, of Norwood township; Mary Ann is the wife of Joseph Clark, who now owns the Norwood home farm. By a life of sterling honesty and faithful attention to all of life's duties the subject of this sketch has merited and retains the warm personal regard of all who know him.

WILLIAM J. McGEAGH.

The subject of this review has well earned the honor to be addressed as one of the progressive, public-spirited men of Charlevoix county, since from the beginning of his career he has been conspicuously active in promoting important enterprises, besides laboring for the welfare of his com- munity in other lines of endeavor, the mean- time securing for himself the comforts of.

life and home and an ample competence for his declining years. William J. McGeagh was born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, on March 29, 1835, the son of James and Elizabeth (McMillan) McGeagh, natives re- spectively of Aberdeenshire and county An- trim, Ireland. By occupation the father was a tiller of the soil. In 1841 he brought his family to America and settled in Pickering township, Ontario, where he bought a tract of wild land, which in due time he converted into a good farm and on which he spent the remainder of his days, the place being still in possession of the family.,

William J. McGeagh remained under the parental roof until his eighteenth year and assisted with the labor of the farm when old enough, devoting the winter months to study in such schools as the country at that time afforded. At the age noted he entered upon an apprenticeship to learn milling, re- ceiving for his work while thus engaged the sum of ten dollars per month and his board, and by steadily applying himself he soon became skilled in the trade and enabled by its means to make his own way in the world without difficulty. Finishing his apprentice- ship, he went to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he worked for several months in a large flouring mill, after which he started on a tour of observation through various parts of the country, visiting during the following year a number of the middle western and southern states, going as far south as New Orleans. While traveling he would stop at different cities and towns to replenish his means as a miller and in this way found it easy to meet his expenses, as the services of proficient flour makers were almost every- where in demand.

While the great Rebellion was in prog-

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ress Mr. McGeagh engaged with a govern- ment contractor to repair various railroads throughout the South and at the close of the war came to northern Michigan, of which region he had previously heard much and read many flattering accounts. Shortly after his arrival he secured a homestead in section 18, of what is now Norwood township, in the county of Charlevoix, the land selected being two miles from Lake Michigan and six miles southwest of the county seat. Building a comfortable log house, he at once began clearing a farm, a task which he did not attempt to accomplish single handed, as so many of the early settlers were obliged to do, being the possessor of sufficient means to hire help while making the necessary im- provements. By this means he soon reduced the greater part of his place to cultivation and in due time raised a large crop of winter wheat, the first grain of the kind grown in the township, which yielded upon an average of forty-five bushels to the acre and sold at a dollar and thirty-five cents to a dollar and a half per bushel. After clearing and im- proving fifty acres of the original homestead and living on the same until 1876, Mr. McGeagh purchased an eighty-acre tract in the same township containing fine water power, on which he soon afterwards erected a flour and saw-mill which under his direc- tion were operated with profitable results during the several succeeding years. In con- nection with these enterprises he also built a broom-handle factory, investing in the dif- ferent industries the sum of six thousand dollars, on which he realized liberal returns as long as they were in operation. The stream which furnished the motive power for these plants took the name of McGeagh creek and from that time to the present the locality has

been known as the McGeagh Mills neigh- borhood. During the fourteen years the grist mill was in operation it did a large and flourishing business and was extremely well patronized. The flour was of a high grade and until the erection of mills for the manu- facture of flour by the roller process it com- manded a high price in the markets of the county, the supply seldom equalling the de- mand. With the introduction of new and improved machinery in the city mills, how- ever, the old buhr process became obsolete, causing the country mills to close and gradu- ally fall into disuse, such being the fate of the one which Mr. McGeagh had operated with such encouraging success. He still con- tinued the manufacture of lumber, however, and in order to supply the local demand for building material, bought several tracts of land, to remove the timber from which and convert it into lumber required the labor of eight or ten men for a number of years.

In connection with his lumber interests Mr. McGeagh carried on agriculture to a considerable extent on the home place and in addition cleared a second farm, which re- turned him a liberal profit on the investment. Meanwhile he devoted much of his attention to speculating in real estate and other prop- erty, and it is a fact worthy of note that every undertaking in which he engaged proved profitable, so that he is now not only in independent circumstances, but one of the financially strong and reliable men of this township and county.

Some years since Mr. McGeagh turned the mill property over to his son and moved back to the old homestead. He now lives in the city of Charlevoix on account of his health. The farm, which contains about one hundred and sixty acres, is highly improved,

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the buildings being among the best in the county, while the fine appearance of the well cultivated fields and the excellent condition of every feature of the premises impress the passer by as the dwelling place of a progres- sive agriculturist of the better class who is not only familiar with every detail of scien- tific farming but who also knows how to beautify and make attractive the home. Mr. McGeagh is a believer in good live stock as a source of wealth and on his farm may be seen as fine breeds of horses, cattle, sheep and hogs as this part of Michigan can pro- duce. A part of his land is well adapted to pasturage being amply watered by wells and never failing streams in addition to which there is a boiling spring that adds much to the interest and value of the farm.

On October 16, 1866, occurred the mar- riage of Mr. McGeagh and Miss Esther J. Ridley, the ceremony being solemnized at Pickering, Ontario, of which place the bride was a native and near which the groom had formerly lived. Five children are the fruits of the union, namely: James, who owns the McGeagh mill, but whose residence is in Charlevoix, where he has a wide reputation as a contractor ; Louisa married Albert Wells and lives in Assiniboia, Canada; Allen, an engineer, served in the Spanish-American war and was one of the guard officers who removed the Spanish flag from Malolos and ran up the stars and stripes ; Lillian, the wife of Fred Clover; Esther married Sherman Morse, while the youngest of the family died at the age of fourteen months.

In politics Mr. McGeagh is a Republican and as such yields a potent influence for his party in local affairs, having been elected at various times to important public positions, including among others those of township

treasurer and justice of the peace. He has always been an advocate of good roads and other improvements, is an ardent friend of the public schools and has ever stood for or- der and strict enforcement of the law. To say that he has long been one of the most en- terprising men in his part of the country is but to repeat what all who know him cheer- fully concede and it goes without saying that his activity and influence have done more for the general advancement of Nor- wood township and the welfare of its people than any other agency. With characteristic foresight, Mr. McGeagh a few years ago went to the newly opened county of Assini- boia, Canada, and entered a fine tract of land near a town site on the Canadian Pacific Railroad. He sent his son-in-law to take charge of the claim and under the latter's management a good home has been estab- lished, a fine farm put in cultivation, now containing one hundred and eighty acres, the enterprise proving the wisdom of the subject in taking advantage of an opportun- ity which promised such beneficial results.

ABEL W. CHEW.

Charlevoix county lost one of the fore- most citizens of its community in the death of A. W. Chew, county school commissioner. who died at a Petoskey hospital, January 9, 1904. He was a native of New Jersey, born in Blockwood, Camden county, November I, I843. In his early youth he removed to Indiana, where he acquired a well rounded education and for several years was engaged in school teaching in that state. About twenty-three years ago he removed to Hayes

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township, Charlevoix county, Michigan, and purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land which was largely covered with dense timber. He entered upon the task of clear- ing his land and in due time developed his place into one of the best farms in his town- ship. He was not only a good mechanical farmer, but a scholarly one as well. In farmers' institutes he was always conspicu- ous in discussions of matters pertaining to agriculture or pomology. Mr. Chew was at the time of his death serving his third term as school commissioner and it was a tribute to his worth that his last election occurred while he was critically ill. In the super- vision of the schools of Charlevoix county he inspired the teachers with his own energy and had much to do with the present high state occupied by the schools, being regarded by the state board of education as one of the best school commissioners in the state. He was a student, a teacher and a Christian gentleman.

Mr. Chew was made a Master Mason in Charlevoix Lodge September 17, 1895, and on May 27, 1901, was exalted to the degree of Royal Arch Mason in Charlevoix Chap- ter. In all of life's relations, business, fra- ternal, social and religious, he was honored with the sincere respect of all who knew him. He was honorable, courteous, kindly and benevolent and few men lived in Charlevoix whose death was more deeply regarded.

JOHN NEWMAN.

John Newman was born in White Hall, New York, in 1830, and was brought by his parents to Buffalo, that state, in 1840, and

from thence to Detroit, where he grew to manhood and received his common-school education. His father was a cooper by trade and followed that profession until 1865. He came to Traverse bay as a cooper in 1855, having contracted to manufacture fish bar- rels. He worked at his trade a while at Harbor Springs and was also at Beaver island for a while in the employ of Charles Knight. In 1859 he secured his present homestead, though he was employed on the islands a part of the time. His brother, Cap- tain Clifford Newman, who had the good fortune to be one of the prisoners who es- caped from Libby prison, also came to this region and entered upon the vocation of car- pentering and coopering. The subject had a shop on his farm and was here, in addition to his agricultural work, employed in the making of fish barrels and in the manufac- ture of cooperage materials which he mar- keted on Beaver island. He secured eighty acres of homestead land, to which he added by purchase until he had one hundred and nine acres, of which twenty or more are cleared. Mr. Newman has devoted the greater part of his attention to the growing of fruit and berries, of which he has made a distinct success, the demand for his prod- ucts being far greater than the possible sup- ply, his raspberries, blackberries and straw- berries having far more than local reputation for their superior excellence. In politics Mr. Newman is a stanch Republican and has held nearly all of the township offices. He was supervisor for four terms and is at pres- ent holding the office of justice of the peace.

In 1858 Mr. Newman was united in mar- riage to Miss Harriett Thompson, the daughter of Medad and Phoebe (Hobart) Thompson, the former a native of New

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York state and the latter of New Hampshire. From their native section they emigrated westward to Iowa, but in 1854 came to Mich- igan and settled on the present site of the Cram & Whitford sawmill. The subject's wife was born in Iowa and married at the age of sixteen, her residence since marriage having been continuously on her present home. Their five children are as follows : John Henry, who is an apiarist; Edward W. is a farmer and berry grower; James A. is also engaged in farming and Charles Her- bert and Julia E. are at home.

FRED SMITH.

Fred Smith, supervisor of Hayes town- ship, Charlevoix county, and one of the en- terprising farmers and representative citi- zens of the community in which he resides, is a native of Europe, but was brought to the United States by his father when a child, his mother having died shortly after his birth. On coming to this country young Smith was taken to Wisconsin, where his father soon afterwards died, leaving him to the cold charities of the world when but ten years old. Early thrown upon his own resources, the lad determined to improve his opportun- ities and prepare for the future; accordingly he apprenticed himself to a carpenter at She- boygan and after serving as such for a per- iod of three years was sufficiently skilled in the trade to earn remunerative wages and make his own way in life.

In 1862, when nineteen years of age, he enlisted in Company H, Twenty-first Wis- consin Infantry, with which he served until the close of the Rebellion, taking part dur-

ing that time in many of the most noted cam- paigns of the war and participating in some- thing like twenty regular battles to say noth- ing of numerous skirmishes and minor en- gagements. During his military experience he served under Generals Buell, Rosecrans, Thomas, Sherman and others and was in every action in which his several commands took part from Perryville and Stone River, through the Atlanta campaign, receiving while engaged in the latter a severe wound by an explosive musket ball which shattered his jaw and otherwise greatly disfigured his face. He was in the skirmish line when struck by the enemy's missile and for a while it appeared as if he would bleed to death, but in due time he succeeded in staunching the flow of blood and making his way to the rear. He was absent from his command three months on account of his injury, but when sufficiently recovered left the hospital and rejoined his regiment at Savannah, Georgia, where he remained until the army moved to Bentonville, North Carolina, the scene of the last battle in which he partici- pated. From Bentonville Mr. Smith's com- mand was sent back in pursuit of General Joe Johnston, but after marching three days and learning of the surrender of the Confederate force it was ordered to Louisville, Kentucky, at which place the regiment disbanded and the men returned to their homes. Mr. Smith's military career is an honorable one and he feels justly proud of the part he took in suppressing the greatest rebellion known to history and restoring the union to the original condition in which the father of the Republic founded it. He carried a musket from start to finish, was prompt in respond- ing to every duty and never shirking a re- sponsibility, however great the danger into

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which it led him. On leaving the army Mr. Smith returned home and resumed his trade, in connection with which he also carried on farming to a considerable extent, meeting with fair success in both lines of labor. In 1878 he disposed of his interests in Wiscon- sin and came to Charlevoix county, Michi- gan, settling on a tract of virgin land in Hayes township, consisting of one hundred acres which he purchased at ten dollars per acre, paying the sum of seven hundred dol- lars down and going in debt for the balance. The land being heavily timbered much hard labor was required to clear and reduce it to cultivation, but, with an energy born of a determination to succeed, Mr. Smith reso- lutely set to work and in the course of a few years had a well-improved farm of sixty acres with good buildings, fine fences and other evidences which characterize the home of the intelligent and enterprising American agriculturist. The place is beautifully situ- ated on Pine lake, about a quarter mile be- ing contiguous to this fine body of water, and the house, which occupies a pleasant site sixty rods from the shore, commands a ro- mantic view of the lake and the country for many miles around. The land is gently roll- ing, well suited to general agriculture and in many respects is one of the most beautiful and desirable as well as one of the most pro- ductive and valuable farms of its area in the county of Charlevoix. While clearing his land Mr. Smith destroyed much fine tim- ber, the value of which he did not then real- ize, but he made up for this in part at least by selling large quantities of cordwood, for which there has been a ready demand at fair prices, his earnings from this source enab- ling him to meet the obligations of his on his place when they became due. Mr. Smith

served five terms as supervisor of his town- ship and is the present incumbent of the of- fice, and he also held the position of town- ship treasurer for a period of two years. He has always advocated public improvements, especially in the matter of good roads, and it was mainly through his efforts that the present excellent system of highways was brought about, having spent upon the work from one thousand to twelve hundred dol- lars every year during his incumbency as supervisor. Since moving to Hayes town- ship Mr. Smith has devoted considerable at- tention to carpentering and nearly all the res- idences, barns and other buildings along the north shore of Pine lake bear witness to his efficiency and skill as a master of his trade. He is a Republican in politics and one of the leaders of his party in Hayes township, but, being eminently honorable in his political methods, he has the confidence and esteem of the people of his jurisdiction irrespective of party, as is attested by his frequent re- elections to the same office by such decisive majorities.

Mr. Smith was married in Sheboygan county, to Miss Etta Clemme, a native of this state, and is the father of the following children : Walter, a farmer of Hayes town- ship; Fred, who was drowned in Pine lake in 1902, being a young man of twenty-two at the time of his sad taking off : David lives at home; Anne married James McNeill and resides at Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Lillie. who is the wife of Floyd Bartholomew, the manager of the family homestead.

Fraternally Mr. Smith is prominent in Odd Fellowship and during his thirty-eight years in the order has passed all the chairs in Pine Lake Lodge, of which he is also a charter member, besides representing the or-

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ganization at different times in the grand lodge of the state. Mrs. Smith is a mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal church at Hortons Bay, and is interested in all lines of good work under the auspices of the same. While not identified with any religious or- ganization himself, Mr. Smith has a pro- found respect for the church and is a fre- quent attendant and liberal contributor to the congregation with which his wife is identi- fied.

JAMES NIXON.

The gentleman whose name appears above is widely known as one of the hon- ored citizens of Missaukee county, Michi- gan, where for many years he has been prominently identified with the agricultural interests of his community. Mr. Nixon was born in Oswego, New York, on December 24, 1839, and the following spring he ac- companied his parents upon their removal to Detroit, Michigan, where he was reared to the age of about seventeen years, receiving in the meantime a good practical education in the common schools. At the age mentioned he gave evidence of that independence which has characterized his subsequent life by bravely starting out in life on his own ac- count. He was variously engaged, in differ- ent places for a number of years, but in 1872 he made a definite and permanent location, coming to Missaukee county and taking up CHARLES C. DUDLEY. a homestead of eighty acres in sections 24 and 25, West Branch township. At once his Among the leading citizens of Alba, An- trim county, Michigan, who have won for themselves the respect and confidence of their associates and acquaintances and at the same energies were devoted to the task of clear- ing the land and rendering it fit for cultiva- tion, a task involving an immense amount of labor. At present Mr. Nixon is the owner time have demonstrated their value to the

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Biographical history of northern Michigan containing biographies of prominent citizens, Part 84

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