Biographical history of northern Michigan containing biographies of prominent citizens, Part 85

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

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of one hundred and fifty-four acres of land, of which he has about sixty-five acres under the plow and producing abundantly all the crops common to this section of the state. He is careful and methodical in his opera- tions and allows no detail of his work to escape his attention, the result being his farm is the equal of any in the township. Good buildings adorn the place and in many ways Mr. Nixon has shown himself to be a man of good judgment and sound ideas.

In Cadillac, Michigan, Mr. Nixon was united in marriage with Miss Jennie Becker, a native of Ontario, Canada, and to them have been born four children, Maggie and Emma, twins, and James McKinley and Eva. The shadow of sorrow was cast over this home in the death of the faithful wife and loving mother, which occurred on May 2, 1898, in the forty-third year of her age. Fraternally Mr. Nixon is a member of Star City Grange, No. 1146, Patrons of Husban- dry. In local affairs of a public nature he has at all times taken a commendable inter- est and has been honored by his fellow citi- zens by election to several responsible posi- tions, having served as township treasurer, township clerk and in several of the school offices. Mr. Nixon has an extensive ac- quaintance throughout the county and the name of his friends is legion.

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community, may be mentioned Mr. Charles C. Dudley, who is now occupying the respon- sible position of foreman for Tindle & Jack- son, of Alba, manufacturers of staves, head- ing, hoops, handles and all kinds of lumber. Mr. Dudley is a native of the Wolverine state, having been born at Berlin Springs, Berrien county, Michigan, on the 16th of July, 1852. His parents were Oscar A. and Eunice (Carpenter) Dudley, the former a na- tive of Hartford, Connecticut, and the latter of Greenwich, Ohio. The father was a soldier for the Union in the war of the Re- bellion and was held in the highest esteem by all who enjoyed his acquaintance. Charles C. Dudley was given the benefit of attend- ance at the Berrien Springs high school and Ypsilanti Seminary, being thus well equip- ped for the practical duties of life. After leaving school he conducted successfully a mercantile business at Berrien Springs for a number of years. Disposing of this he went to Grand Rapids where he was employed as check clerk by the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad for five years. He then resigned his position and entered the lumber business with his father at Kalkaska, the firm being known as O. A. Dudley & Son. After a time they sold their sawmill to a Mr. Camp- bell and moved to Alba. Since coming here Mr. Dudley has been employed by the An- trim Iron Company, W. L. Roseboon & Company and Cheney & Stratton. A thor- ough and intimate knowledge of lumber and its manufacture has well qualified Mr. Dud- ley for the work in which he is now engaged and combined with this is a distinct capacity for directing and controlling men, elements which have much to do with his success in his present capacity.

On December 10, 1873, Mr. Dudley was

married to Miss Frances I. Phillips, the daughter of William W. and Melinda ( Rob- ison) Phillips, of Saline, Michigan. To them have been born the following children : Jesse C., Walter, Frances M., Maude I., Wlliiam D., Clara E., Oscar A., and Flor- ence B. In politics Mr. Dudley is a Repub- lican and is serving his third term as clerk of Star township, this county. His fraternal relations are with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Daughters of Rebekah, the Knights of the Modern Maccabees and the Modern Woodmen of America. His re- ligious connection is with the First Congre- gational church at Alba, of which he is the present clerk. Mr. Dudley is widely known and is highly regarded by all who know him.

JACOB GAUKEL, JR.

There have come to the United States from other lands many men of limited finan- cial resources, but imbued with sturdy inde- pendence and a laudable ambition to succeed, and who have taken advantage of the won- derful possibilities afforded here and grad- ually step by step have risen to places of prominence in various lines of activity. Among these is the subject of this sketch, who now resides on section 25, West Branch township, Missaukee county, Michigan. Mr. Gaukel was born in Gray county, On- tario, Canada, on August 6, 1866, and is the son of Jacob and Fredericka (Merkle) Gau- kel, natives respectively of Canada and Ger- many. In 1896 they came from Canada to Missaukee county, Michigan, and settled in West Branch township, where the moth- er's death occurred on October 2, 1898, when

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sixty-two years old. The subject of this sketch is the fifth born of their eight chil- dren and was reared under the parental roof in Canada until his eighteenth year, in the meanwhile receiving a good practical com- mon-school education. At the age men- tioned he came to Michigan and until 1892 was employed at different occupations in various locations. In December, 1892, he came to Missaukee county and first pur- chased forty acres of land, which he has subsequently increased by purchasing from time to time as he has been prospered, until he is now the owner of four hundred and seventy-seven acres, besides being interested in other farm property. He has about sev- enty acres in a high state of improvement and has erected a good set of farm buildings. He is thoroughly versed in the science of ag- riculture and has achieved a satisfactory de- gree of success in this enterprise. A diversi- fied system of agriculture is pursued and all the crops are raised here that may be found in this section. Some attention is also given to the raising of live stock, so necessary on all well-regulated farms, and a fine orchard of well selected trees is a pleasing feature of the place.

At Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, on Au- gust 18, 1890, Mr. Gaukel was married to Miss Hannah Gilder, who was born in Gray county, Ontario, Canada, on July 20, 1870, the daughter of Richard and Mary (Noble) Gilder. The subject and his wife are the parents of four living children, Elda, Archi- bald, Lulu and Walter, while two are de- ceased, Willie, who died at the age of four years, and Beulah, at the age of two years. Mr. Gaukel has evinced a lively interest in the trend of passing events and has taken an active part in local public affairs, having been

justice of the peace and highway commis- sioner and held several of the school of- fices in West Branch township. His fra- ternal relations are with Star City Grange, No. 1146, Patrons of Husbandry. He is public-spirited to a degree and gives his most earnest support to all measures which prom- ise to advance the public welfare.

CHARLES A. MILLER.

A clearly defined purpose and consecutive and persistent effort in the affairs of life will almost surely result in the attainment of a due measure of success. The subject of this sketch has, without ostentation or display, achieved success in life and is regarded by his fellow citizens as a leading and repre- sentative farmer. Mr. Miller is a native of Plainfield township, Kent county, Michigan, where he was born on the 13th day of De- cember, 1839. His parents, George and Anna Miller, settled in Kent county in 1837 and became the parents of sixteen children, of whom the subject of this sketch is the fourteenth in order of birth. Charles Mil- ler was reared in the home of his nativity and secured a good practical education in the public schools, which has been supplemented by subsequent reading and observation of passing events, so that he is today consid- ered a well informed man. In 1875 he came to Missaukee county and took up a home- stead of one hundred and sixty acres of land in section 24, West Branch township, where he has since resided. While living in Kent county, in June, 1861, Mr. Miller enlisted in Company F, Third Regiment Michigan Vol- unteer Infantry, and went at once to the

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scene of action in the Southland, taking quently delights his friends with his rendi- part in the first battle of Bull Run. He tions. Few men in the community have more warm and loyal friends than has the subject of this sketch, a standing well mer- ited.

served his country three years, taking part in twenty-one general engagements, and was wounded in the right shin at the siege of Yorktown. The land Mr. Miller took up in Missaukee county was at that time all wild and unimproved, but he has succeeded in re- ducing about forty acres of it to a fine culti- vable condition and is reaping abundant har- vests of hay and grain. He has a good dwel- ling, substantial barn and other out-build- ings and has in many ways brought the place up to a high standard of perfection. Besides his field crops, he also gives some attention to live stock and fruit, having a good or- chard, which, though not as large as some others in the locality, is productive in degree.

In Newaygo county, Michigan, on March 2, 1867, Mr. Miller was united in marriage with Miss Annette Bell, who was born in St. Lawrence county, New York, July 12, 1847, the daughter of David and Lucy (Blodgett) Bell. To them have been born eleven children, namely: Winnie, the wife of Robert H. Blair, Charnette, Leon, Cecil, C. C., Clare, Guy, Inez O., Earl and Charles. In public affairs of a local nature Mr. Miller takes a healthy and serviceable in- terest and has served as supervisor of West Branch township and as justice of the peace and a school officer. His 'fraternal relations are with the Caldwell Post, Grand Army of the Republic, at Lake City, and with Star City Grange, Patrons of Husbandry. Mr. Miller has a wide and well-earned reputa- tion as a musician. He served in the army in the capacity of a musician and since his return to peaceful pursuits he has maintained his interest in the art. He is the possessor of a number of valuable instruments and fre-

WASHINGTON REEDER.

The gentleman to a brief review of whose life this article is devoted holds distinctive prestige as a progressive agriculturist and as Missaukee county's first treasurer he made a record which reflected credit upon him- self. Mr. Reeder was born in Victoria county, Ontario, Canada, on the 4th day of July, 1841. His parents were Emon and Elizabeth (Randall) Reeder, also natives of Ontario. They came from Canada to Mis- saukee county, Michigan, and spent their last days with their children in Lake City, where they both died, the father being up- wards of eighty years old and the mother about ninety-one at the time of their deaths. The subject of this sketch was the youngest of their four children and was reared in Vic- toria county, Ontario, Canada, until he came to Michigan in the fall of 1868. Locating in Missaukee county he took up a homestead of one hundred and seventy-four and one- half acres in section 4, Reeder township, where he has since made his home. The township was named in honor of his family, which was the third family to settle in Mis- saukee county. From the early 'seventies until 1888 Mr. Reeder was engaged in the mercantile business in Lake City, in com- pany with his brother William, but has since then devoted his attention mainly to his farming interests. He has seventy acres of his farm under the plow and producing

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abundant crops of hay and grain. He has a well-improved property in every respect and is considered one of the enterprising and successful farmers of his locality.

Mr. Reeder has been twice married, his > kle) Gaukel, the father a native of Canada first union being with Miss Mina Loucks, by whom he had two children, Clarabella E., the wife of Percy Chick, and a son who died in infancy. The subject's second union was with Miss Emma Whitney, and to them was born one son, who also died in in- fancy. Mr. Reeder's third wife was in her maidenhood Miss Anna Barry, by whom he has had two children, Washington R. G. and Lillie M. It is worthy of note that Mr. Reeder assisted in the organization of Mis- saukee county and was the first treasurer of the county, and he has also served as treasurer and clerk of Reeder township. In everything affecting the public welfare he takes the keenest interest, lending his sup- port to all movements for the betterment of the community, morally, socially or educa- tionally. His fraternal relations are with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Up- right and strictly honest in all his transac- tions, his name is synonymous with honor and integrity and his relations with his fel- low men have always been of the most pleasant and agreeable character.

WILLIAM GAUKEL.

The gentleman whose name furnishes the caption for this brief article is a leading farmer of West Branch township, Missaukee county, and though of foreign birth, is nevertheless today a fine specimen of Amer- ican citizenship, being none the less loyal to

his adopted country than are her native- born citizens. Mr. Gaukel was born in Gray county, Ontario, Canada, on May 23, 1864, and is the son of Jacob and Fredericka ( Mer- and the mother of Germany. They came from Canada to Missaukee county, Michigan, in the summer of 1896 and settled in West Branch township, where the mother's death occurred on October 2, 1898, when sixty- two years old. The subject was the fourth born of their eight children and re- mained in his native land until his sixteenth year, receiving in the meanwhile a fair edu- cation in the public schools. Upon coming to Michigan he first located in Montcalm county, where for two years he labored in the woods and followed this by nine years spent in the woods of Wexford county, this state. He then came to Missaukee county and about two years later he purchased eighty acres of land on section 24, West Branch township, which has been the scene of his subsequent labors and successes. He has made many substantial and up-to-date im- provements on the place and has succeeded in bringing it up to a high state of cultiva- tion. He added to the original tract from time to time until he is now the owner of three hundred and twenty acres of as good land as can be found in the township. He is methodical in his operations and has been rewarded with gratifying results. He de- votes his attention to a diversified system of agriculture, raising all the crops suited to the soil and climate, and also giving some attention to live stock and fruit.

In Traverse City, Michigan, on July 3, 1887, Mr. Gaukel wedded Miss Martha Gard, a native of Mecosta county, this state, and to them have been born three children,

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Phebe, Ethel and Thelma. Mr. Gaukel takes a deep interest in the welfare of the community and has served acceptably as a justice of the peace and a member of the board of review of West Branch township, besides several minor offices. His fraternal relations are with Star City Grange, No. II46, Patrons of Husbandry. Personally Mr. Gaukel is devoted as a husband and father, kind and obliging as a neighbor and friend, unassuming in demeanor and wholly without ostentation or vain display. He has won and retains the warm friendship of all who know him.

PAULLUS LUX.

Commanding especial attention, not only from the fact that he is probably the most extensive farmer and stock raiser in Missau- kee county, but also from the fact that dur- ing the two decades of his residence here he has consistently and effectually labored for the advancement of the best interests of this region, this volume would be incomplete without mention of Paullus Lux, who re- sides on section 14, West Branch township. Mr. Lux is a native of far-away Prussia, where he was born May 6, 1850. When he was but five years old he accompanied his parents upon their removal to America, their first location being in Wright township, Ot- tawa county, Michigan, where the subject passed his boyhood days and where he se- cured a fair education in the common schools. When about sixteen years old Mr. Lux gave evidence of his independence of spirit by leaving home and striking out for himself. He came to the Muskegon river

region and for about ten years he was suc- cessfully engaged in hunting and trapping, acquiring a reputation as one of the best trappers in that entire region. Subsequently he followed farming and logging for a pe- riod. In the fall of 1884 he settled on the farm where he now lives and where he has resided continuously with the exception of about five years, during which period he was engaged in lumbering in Wisconsin. He has added to his landed possessions from time to time as he has been prospered and is now the owner of about seven thousand acres of land, his home farm in this county containing about three thousand five hun- dred acres, of which fully four hundred acres are under the plow and in a high state of cultivation. Mr. Lux has uniformly met with success since taking up the battle of life for himself, and surely no one envies him his success, as it has been solely the result of his own persistent and indefatigable ef- forts-efforts characterized by a wise and discriminating judgment. In addition to general farming operations, Mr. Lux gives considerable attention to the breeding and raising of live stock and has from the be- ginning found this a pleasant and profitable occupation. No detail of his business is too trivial to enlist his attention and to his per- sonal supervision of all. departments of his work is no doubt due his success in a large degree.

At Evart, Michigan, on August 6, 1877, Mr. Lux was united in marriage with Miss Estella Whiting, who was born in Van Bu- ren county, this state, on October 11, 1862. To the subject and his wife have been born four children, Paul, James, Frank and Ma- bel. In local public affairs Mr. Lux has always taken the keenest interest and has

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served his fellow citizens in the positions of township treasurer, township supervisor and highway commissioner, performing the du- ties of these positions to the eminent satisfac- tion of his constituents. Primarily inter- ested in his own affairs, he is also public- spirited and stands ready at all times to give encouragement and support to any legiti- mate movement for the material and moral well-being of his community.

ANDREW R. STRUTHERS.

In placing the subject of this sketch be- fore the reader, simple justice is done one of the progressive men of Charlevoix county. as all who are familiar with his history will cheerfully testify. Andrew R. Struthers, to whom belongs the honor of being one of the earliest settlers of the township in which he resides, is a native of Scotland, born in the historic city of Glasgow on the 18th day of June, 1841. His grandfather, a sturdy highlander, was a sergeant in a Scottish reg- iment during the Napoleonic wars and took part in the battle of Waterloo, and his father. John Struthers, who spent much of his life in Glasgow, was by occupation a cot- ton spinner.

In 1845 John Struthers brought his family to America and settled at Schreves- ville, New Jersey, where he worked at his trade, and it was there that the subject spent his childhood, receiving his education principally in Victoria, Canada. While still a youth Andrew learned to operate a steam engine and when a young man of twenty- one became a marine engineer on the Sagi- naw river, having come to Michigan in

1861. Immediately after his arrival in this state he accepted the position of engineer and fireman in the salt works at Saginaw, but later severed his connection with that concern to take charge of an engine on a river steamer, which post he held until 1864.

On November IIth of the latter year Mr. Struthers was united in the bonds of wedlock with Miss Elizabeth Walker, of Stratford, Ontario, and the following spring took possession of a claim in Charlevoix county which he had entered the preceding fall. Mr. and Mrs. Struthers spent the first summer of their married life in a squatter's cabin on the present site of South Arm vil- lage and during that time the husband ob- tained a livelihood principally fishing and hunting, in connection with which he also raised about two hundred and forty bushels of potatoes on what ground he cleared, be- sides a sufficiency of other vegetables to keep the table well supplied with eatables. The experience of the couple while living in this isolated locality was beset with many vicissi- tudes, the nearest neighbor being four miles away and a still greater distance had to be traversed in order to procure groceries and the few other articles necessary to their com- fort while struggling for a start in a new and undeveloped country. After harvesting his little crop in the fall Mr. Struthers left the humble home in which he and his good wife had spent many happy days and squat- ted on a tract of railroad land, where he erected a cabin with the expectation of ulti- mately obtaining possession of the place se- lected. Realizing that there was no pros- pect of purchasing this land, he left it at the end of the first year and moving to his orig- inal farm and addressed himself to the task

MR. AND MRS. ANDREW R. STRUTHERS.

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of improving and establishing a home on the same. This farm was sold in 1878, and then he purchased his present home. Mr. Struthers' land lies in sections 29, 30, 28 and 21, Hayes township. The only residents of South Arm township in the spring of 1867, when he began improving this land, ivere Elijah Holben, a Mr. Clark and a gentle- man by the name of Roe and their respective families, of whom Mr. Holben is still living where he originally located, being in point of continued residence the oldest settler in this part of the county.

Mr. Struthers began farming under rather discouraging circumstances, being without a team, as were also his neighbors, and in order to raise a crop he was obliged to dig among the logs and deadened trees with a hoe, the ground thus broken yielding an abundance of potatoes the following fall. In 1868 South Arm township was organized as a part of Antrim county, and the subject elected supervisor of the, same; with the sal- ary earned during his first year in office he secured in the fall of 1869 the much needed team, consisting of an unbroken steer, for which he paid the sum of sixty-five dollars, and a cow, which cost ten dollars in excess of that amount. He then traded the cow for an ox and in due time the animals were trained to the yoke and with them the work of clearing and cultivating the farm pro- gressed much more rapidly and satisfactor- ily than before. This being for a consid- erable time the only team in the township, it was generously loaned to the neighbors to break their ground and put in their crops and during the ensuing four or five years Mr. Struthers by this means did the most of the logging in his part of the country, a work in which the yoke of cattle were found

especially valuable. Five years after buying the team, a wagon was procured and the advent of this vehicle marked the beginning of more satisfactory labor and better days for the pioneer farmer. With the passing years, the area of cultivable land increased, substantial improvements were made, and notwithstanding the disadvantages and vi- cissitudes experienced, a goodly home was finally established and prosperity achieved.

Mr. Struthers relates that during the winter of 1867 he went six miles from home to cut wood, leaving his wife alone from Sunday until the following Saturday, the nearest neighbor being several miles dis- tant and the country wild and fierce. Like a true heroine, she resolutely faced the sit- uation and made the most of it, never once becoming discouraged or cast down, because she knew her husband was doing everything for the best and that in the end a better day would surely dawn. He also relates that upon one occasion he was obliged to go to Charlevoix, nine miles away, to procure cer- tain provisions which were greatly needed, and after obtaining these he started on the return trip, carrying on his shoulders a sack weighing seventy pounds, the contents be- ing about equally divided between the vari- ous articles of merchandise in one end and a live pig in the other. To walk such a dis- tance in mid-winter through deep snow, which in many places was unbroken, with such a heavy burden was a severe test to the strength and endurance of a man who could stand up under almost any kind of hardship, but the task was duly accomplished and it serves to show the nature of the difficulties which beset the pioneers in their efforts to provide home for themselves and their pos- terity.

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In addition to clearing and developing his farm, Mr. Struthers took a leading part in the internal improvement of Hayes town- ship, especially in the matter of good roads, several of which were projected by him and constructed under his able direction. He also manifested a lively interest in the cause of education, and used his influence to have comfortable school buildings erected in every district, and in addition to these evi- dences of civilization and advancement there has been no progressive measure for the good of the community that has not had his sanction and liberal support. As already stated, Mr. Struthers was supervisor of South Arm township when it formed a part of Charlevoix county in 1869.

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Biographical history of northern Michigan containing biographies of prominent citizens, Part 85

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