USA > Michigan > Kalamazoo County > Compendium of history and biography of Kalamazoo County, Mich. > Part 18
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HENRY E. BROOKS.
The late Henry E. Brooks, one of the early dwellers in Portage township, was born there on September 28, 1837. His parents, Isaac A. and Amelia F. (Bushnell) Brooks, the former born in Connecticut, and the latter in New York state, came to live in this state in 1836, and entered a tract of government land in Portage township, this county. The father had previously been a merchant doing business at Livingston, N. Y., for a number of years. Ile cleared and improved his land here and transformed it into a fine farm equipped with everything needed for the proper conduct of its operations. On this farm he died in about 1882, and his wife is also dead. They had four sons and three daughters, all of whom have passed away but their son Albert and their daughter, Mrs. Glynn, both residents of Kalama- 200. Their son Henry was reared and educated in this county and began farming when he was a young man. This occupation engaged his at- tention until the end of his life, which came in 1886. when he was but forty-nine years old. His early death cut short an honorable career and re- moved from the active productive forces of the county one of their most enterprising and use- ful factors. For he was a man deeply imbued with the spirit of progress and devoted to the promo- tion of all the best interests of his community. He was married in 1863 to Miss Harriet Howard, a daughter of Stephen and Catherine E. (Payne) Howard. pioneers of this county, an account of whose lives will be found in another place in this volume. In political affairs Mr. Brooks took no active part, his time and energies being given up to his farming operations. Fraternally he was a zealous Freemason, and in all parts of the county he was well known and highly respected.
JOHN GIBBS.
No publication which purports to be in any considerable degree the life story of the progres- sive men of Kalamazoo county, would be com- plete without some mention, more or less ex- tended, of one of its most resolute, resourceful.
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serviceable and inspiring pioneers, the late John Gibbs, who died in the county in 1881 after a residence here of forty-nine years, during which he made his mark in deep and durable characters on the industrial, commercial and educational in- stitutions so great in number, varied in kind and prolific in good results which this people have erected. The narration of a career like his, al- though familiar to the American people as an oft- told tale, with differing names and differing fea- tures in the various sections of the country, al- ways inspires the young, encourages the strug- gling, consoles the good and cheers the patriot with an example that is elevated and elevating, strong and stimulating, pure and purifying. John Gibbs was born in Middlefield, Otsego county, N. Y., on July 3, 1796, and came of a family of pioneers. His grandfather was an early settler in Cherry Valley, Otsego county, N. Y., and in his day dared as many dangers, endured as many hardships and won as many triumphs as most pioneers have done anywhere. He was living in that beautiful valley on November II, 1778, when the village was sacked and its inhabitants mas- sacred by the Tories and Indians under command of the notorious son of Col. John M. Butler and the Mohawk chief Brant, and in that awful trag- edy saw his wife murdered and scalped by the infuriated savages. The father of John Gibbs was a farmer and his son remained with him, working on the homestead until he reached the age of manhood. He then learned the trade of a carpenter and joiner and also that of a mill- wright. And thereafter, although in this county an extensive and leading farmer, he wrought at these trades until old age admonished him to lay aside the tools of his craft and take a long-needed and well-earned rest. In the autumn of 1832 he came to Kalamazoo county in company with his brothers Isaac and Chester, and they together entered two hundred and forty acres of land, all they had money to purchase. John and Chester at once settled on this land, while Isaac went back to New York to settle up their business in that state. A small log house was built and the clear- ing of the land was begun. But it chanced that
John was the most capable millwright and builder in the county at that time, and his services were in constant requisition in the erection of dwell- ings, barns, mills and bridges. He raised the third frame house put up in Kalamazoo, and built the first three barns on Grand, Genesee and Dry prairies. He also assisted in building and equip- ping many of the first mills in the county, and was always called in when others failed to make a mill dam stand, and he always succeeded. When the railroad reached Kalamazoo he helped to erect the first bridge across the river, and countless other works of great utility and merit stand yet to his credit in all parts of the county. In 1850, in company with his son William, he fitted out a team of horses and a wagon with a liberal supply of provisions and started for California, following thither his brother Isaac, who had gone with ox teams the year before. The party spent months on the way and suffered untold hardships. They remained three years in California engaged in mining, then they returned home by the isthmus route. In 1859, accompanied by his second son, John, Mr. Gibbs made a trip to Colorado, and in 1860 he again visited that territory. The next year he came home to remain for the rest of his days. In 1881, at the age of eighty-five, sur- rounded by his family, all of whom are in afflu- ent circumstances and in the enjoyment of every comfort, he surrendered the trust he had so faith- fully administered and was laid to rest in the soil that was hallowed by his labors amid universal . testimonials of public esteem and regard. On January 29, 1824, he united in marriage with Miss Miranda Kinne, a native of Braintrem, Pa., born on March 25. 1805. Their family com- prised eight daughters and five sons, Jennette D .. Marcia V., William A., Rosa Annis, Josephine K., John, Jr., James O., Emeline P., I. W. Wil- lard, James Martin, Alice M., H. Elizabeth, and L. Isinella. Of these the first four were born in New York and the others in Kalamazoo. There are now living three of the daughters and four of the sons.
WILLIAM A. GIBBS, the third born of these children, is a native of Monroe county,
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N. Y., where his life began on October 4, 1828. He was but four years of age when the family moved to this state, and yet he well remembers the first night spent here, which was in the house of Squire John Hascall. He attended a primitive school in the neighborhood of his home known by the suggestive but inelegant name of "Toad Hollow," and aided the rest of the family and his parents in clearing the farm and making it pro- cluctive, as soon as he was able driving an ox team in breaking up the land. Indian children were his playmates and wild game abounded on every side in the wild domain in which his boy- hood and youth were passed. But while his early path was choked with difficulties, his body and soul were hardened to meet them ; while it was be- set with dangers, these were the very spice of his life. Here in those days nature opened a theatre of boundless existence, and held forth to the soul properly attuned a cup brimming with redundant pleasure, furnishing with every draught new vig- or and a heightened zest, and with no dregs of bitterness at the bottom. Mr. Gibbs remained at home until he passed his legal majority. and the next year, 1850, made a trip with his father across the plains with teams to California, starting on March 15th, and arriving on August 17th. They had no trouble with Indians, but experienced al- most every other difficulty and danger, and had a long, hard trip. The first winter was passed at Nevada City, California, and in the ensuing spring the party began mining on Snake bar, north of Sacramento. Mr. Gibbs passed three years in that state and returned home with about four thousand dollars in gold, with which he bought his present farm of two hundred and forty acres. This he has by his own efforts made into a valuable home from its condition of untamed nature, and to its development and improvement he has devoted all his time since he made the pur- chase. He was married in Allegan county, on May 10, 1854, to Miss Jennette Prouty. They have four living children, Helen F, wife of Mau- rice Weed, of Kalamazoo, Gilbert P., living on the farm, Harvey B., also a farmer, and Leon, a resident of Kalamazoo. One of Mr. Gibbs's brothers, James O. Gibbs, was a Union soldier in
the Civil war, serving in a Colorado regiment. In politics Mr. Gibbs is independent.
ANDREW JACKSON STEVENS.
This esteemed pioneer of Kalamazoo county, who has lived within its borders seventy years, having come here with his parents when he was but six years okl, was born in Oneida county, N. Y., on August 25, 1828. His parents were Isaac and Betsey E. (Pelton) Stevens, also natives of Oneida county, N. Y., where the father was born in 1800 and the mother in 1799. The father was a blacksmith and farmer. He brought his family to this county in 1834 and entered a tract of land at Lakeview which he cleared and reduced to cul- tivation from its state of primeval wilderness and lived on it to the end of his life, which came in 1879. his wife dying there two years before. He was the first blacksmith to settle in Kalamazoo and worked at his trade thirty years there. While living in New York he was a captain in the state militia, and lie took an earnest interest, both there and here, in political affairs as a Democrat, but was never desirous of holding public office. There were five sons and seven daughters in the family, all of whoni are now deceased but Andrew and one of his sisters. The Stevens family is of Irish origin, but has lived long in this country. Mr. Stevens' grandfather, Jonathan Stevens, became a resident of this county in 1844 and died in Osli- temo township. He was a soldier in the war of 1812 and made a good record in the struggle. An- drew Jackson Stevens reached man's estate in Kalamazoo township, attending the primitive schools of the early days and assisting in clearing and cultivating the home farm, driving an ox team in the first breaking of the land and content- edly sharing the close quarters and inconven- iences of the family in its little log house which was its dwelling for a number of years. This cabin had a puncheon floor and greased paper window lights, with a rude mud chimney to carry off the smoke. As a young man and later in life the son was a great hunter. He kept the family well supplied with game and by his enterprise and success in this way aided considerably in adding
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to the health and enjoyment of its members. And as his fowling piece, which was the family meat market. never failed in its bounty to the table, so the labor of his hands in the fields also yielded its tribute to the domestic commissariat. In 1852 he bought his present farm and here he has lived ever since, clearing his land of its wild growth and bringing it to an advanced stage of develop- ment, and enriching it in time with commodious and well-arranged buildings and other improve- ments, until he has made it one of the attractive and profitable homes of the neighborhood. In 1861, when armed resistance threatened the in- tegrity of the Union, he enlisted in response to the first call for volunteers in its defense, but his company was not accepted for the service. For a period of twenty-five years he was engaged in threshing grain throughout this and adjoining counties, his first outfit being one of horse power and his last one of the most modern and complete steam patterns. He was married in 1855 to Miss Martha Ray, a native of Pennsylvania, the daugh- ter of James and Elizabeth (Blaine) Ray, who became residents of this county in 1847. Her mother was a cousin of Hon. James G. Blaine. Three children have been born in the household and two of them are living, Elizabeth B., wife of E. P. Walter, of this county, and Maud E., wife of G. H. Kindall, of Kalamazoo. Mr. Stevens is an active Democrat in political faith and has served as school director and pathmaster. He is now among the oldest settlers in the county, and his reminiscences of his early life in the county, when Indians were plentiful on its soil and their children were his playmates, and when the wild game of the region haunted even the doorways of the settlers and the beasts of prey threatened their lives by night and day, are full of interest to a generation which has never seen such conditions.
FREDERICK LUCE.
While a vast majority of the men and women who confronted the conditions of untamed nature in this state and began its conquest and the trans- formation of this fair domain into a region of peace, prosperity and advanced civilization were
from other states, it can not be denied that their immediate descendants also found life hard to support and full of difficulties and danger, and had almost the same toil and trouble their par- ents experienced ; for the subjugation of a new country is not accomplished in a few years, how- ever enterprising the people may be who are en- gaged in the work. The first generation born on its soil is from its infancy face to face with the very circumstances its parents find in a new home and must take its place in the ranks of the sub- duing army and aid with all its powers in the ef- fort to push forward the triumph. Frederick Luce, although born on the soil of this county, was one of the early residents here and grew to manhood amid the very essence of frontier life; and as he has lived in the county during all his years so far, he has borne his part in its progress and development and shared with others the ar- duous toil and ever present danger of the early days. Mr. Luce was born in Texas township on March 22, 1841, at a time when the settlement of that portion of the county was scarcely ten years old, his parents, Levi and Lydia (Stanley ) Luce, who were among the very first settlers here, hav- ing taken up their residence in the township in 1833. The mother was a native of New York state and the father of Martha's Vineyard, Mass. He was a tailor, but followed farming the greater part of his life. In 1833, as has been noted, he brought his family to Michigan and located on one hundred and sixty acres of land he bought in what is now Texas township, this county. Some time later he bought an additional tract of one hundred and twenty acres, and with the aid of his children he cleared all of both tracts and im- proved them into a good farm and a comfortable home. On this land he lived until his death in December, 1850. His widow died December 10, 1904. in Kalamazoo. They had a family of three sons and two daughters, of whom only their son Frederick and one of his brothers are alive. Frederick remained at home with his parents until 1866, assisting in the work of the farm in their interest. He attended the schools of the district at irregular intervals, such as they were, and in them received the rudiments of an English educa-
-
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tion. In the year last named he bought his pres- ent farm of one hundred and fifty acres in Port- age township, he being then twenty-five years old and having been married two years before, to Miss Susan Jackson, a daughter of James and Sarah (Swift) Jackson, the father a native of England and the mother of Canada. Mrs. Luce came to Kalamazoo county in her childhood, and has lived here ever since. They have two children, their sons Ralph H. and Burton J., both of whom are farmers. In political faith Mr. Luce is a Democrat, but he has never taken an active part in party contests and has had no desire for public office. He is a quiet, peace-loving citizen who has the respect of all who know him, and although full of energy and enterprise, is mainly occupied in pushing his own affairs and promoting the general welfare of his township and county.
EMANUEL E. HENIKA.
Portage township, this county, has a body of high class, enterprising and progressive farmers who are building up their township, enlarging the development of its resources and advancing it in every way by individual efforts on their farms and by aggregate activity in all works of public improvement. Among them none stands higher or is more worthy of a high regard than Emanuel E. Henika, who is a native of the township, born on April 12, 1848. He is the son of Emanuel and Julia (Scramlin) Henika, natives of the state of New York. The father was born in Genesee county, that state, and was the son of John and Hannah (Overrocker) Henika. John Henika came to this county in 1833 and purchased one hundred and sixty acres of government land in what is now Kalamazoo township. In June of that year he moved his family, comprising his wife, five sons and three daughters, to this land, and on it he lived twenty years, laboriously clear- ing and cultivating it, and enriching it as time passed with valuable improvements. His wifedied on this farm in 1847. In 1853 he moved to Kal- amazoo, where he died in about 1871, at the age of seventy-nine years, he having been born in 1792. One of their sons and two of their daugh-
ters are living. Their son Emanuel, the father of the immediate subject of this review, was ten years of age when the family came to Michigan. He grew to manhood on the farm, then learned the trade of blacksmith, which he followed for several years in different parts of the county, dy- ing in 1847. He had but one child, his son Eman- uel E. The latter was also reared in this county and educated in its public schools. He began life as a clerk for Charles Bell in the grocery trade in Kalamazoo. After remaining with Mr. Bell twelve years he engaged in business as a baker, in which he was occupied eighteen years. and since the close of that period he has been farming. He was married in 1890 to Miss Jennie Pierce, a native of New York. They have three children, Elwilda J., Louis E. and Irma A. The parents are members of the First Baptist church at Kalamazoo. An uncle of Mr. Henika, James Henika, was living for a time with them. He was born on December 20, 1819, and came to this county many years ago. He assisted in building the asylum in Kalamazoo, and for twenty-five years was connected with the institution as its carpenter. He also lived at Big Rapids twenty- five years. At eighty-five years of age he was hale, hearty and active, and exhibited an energy and zeal that might put many a much younger man to the blush. His death occurred on March 0. 1905.
Ac. M. BRYANT.
One of the oldest, best known and most re- spected residents of Cooper township, Mc. M. Bryant has long been prominent in the history and industries of his section of the county, and has made an enviable record for uprightness of character, business capacity, practical public spirit and social worth among its people. He was born at China, in that part of Genesee county which is now Wyoming county, N. Y., on Janu- ary 11, 1826. His parents were Damon and Anna (McMaster) Bryant, the former a native of Col- chester, Conn., and the latter of Antrim, N. Y. The father was a farmer and moved to Orange county. Vt., with his parents in his childhood. His father, Daniel Bryant, was a Revolutionary
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soldier and served as General Washington's bag- gage master. He died in Vermont from the effects of exposure in crossing the Delaware on the mem- orable occasion which preceded the battle of Trenton. The father grew to manhood in Ver- mont and in 1812 moved to western New York. The stirring activities of the period and the mar- tial and patriotic spirit he had inherited from his father led him into the war of 1812 and he saw active service in the contest. After a residence of some years in Livingston county he changed to Allegany county, N. Y., and afterward became a resident of Wyoming county, N. Y., where he died at the age of seventy-three. His offspring numbered six sons and six daughters. Nine grew to maturity. but all are dead but the subject of this memoir, and one of his sisters who lives at Plainwell, in Allegan county. The father was a Whig in politics and filled a number of offices in his locality. While he was a young man he taught school a number of years and assisted in rearing his father's family. He reached man's estate in Wyoming county, N. Y., and engaged in farming there until 1865. when he came to Michigan and bought his present farm, which has ever since been his home. On this he has built a comfort- able dwelling, commodious barns and other neces- sary outbuildings, and by assiduous and wisely applied industry has transformed a practically un- cultivated tract of land into one of the most de- sirable farms in the township. He was married in New York in 1853, to Miss Marintha M. Smith, of the same nativity as himself. She died on May 15, 1880, and in 1883 he married Mrs. Augusta O. 'Chappell, whose maiden name was Gill, and who also was born in the same county as Mr. Bryant. They have one daughter, Helen Louise, who is now attending Kalamazoo Col- lege. Mfs. Bryant had two sons by her first mar- riage. Fred L. and Earl W. Chappell. Mr. Bry- ant is independent in politics, but he has often been nominated for office although he never sought a nomination. He is a member of the Ma- sonic order, belonging to the lodge at Cooper Center. In his religious views he is classed as a liberal. From every point of view he is a worthy and useful citizen, and now has in abundance
"such things as should accompany old age, as honor, love, obedience and troops of friends."
GEORGE A. HOLMES.
George A. Holmes, of Cooper township, who is widely and favorably known all over this county, has been a resident of the township in which he now lives ever since he was one year old. coming hither with his parents in 1847. He was born at Strongsville. Cuyahoga county, Ohio. on January 3, 1846, and is the son of John H. and Rocena C. (Beebe) Holmes, natives of the state of New York. The father was a shoemaker and farmer. He removed to Ohio when he was but twenty years old and remained there until 1847, when he came to this county, bringing his family, making the trip with a team and conveying all his worldly possessions in one wagon. The fam- ily settled in Cooper township on the farm on which their son George A. now lives. The land on which they located was without improvements of any kind. The keen edge of the pioneer's axe had not been felt in its deep woods of long stand- ing, the gleaming plowshare of the husbandman had not entered its soil, no sound of the approach- ing civilization had as yet frightened with the foretokening of their inevitable doom the wild beasts which made it their lair. These hardy ad- venturers took the domain as nature gave it to them, and proceeded with the all-conquering spirit of their class to transform it into a culti- vated farm, fruitful in the products of civiliza- tion and smiling with the comforts and the blandishments of a comfortable home. The par- ents lived here to see the change wholly effected, the mother dying on this farm in 1894 and the fa- ther in 1899. They had two children, their sons George A. and Alva W., of Schoolcraft town- ship. The father took his place and performed his part of the public life of the community and as an earnest and loyal Freemason contributed es- sentially to its fraternal enjoyments and benefits. The grandfather was a soldier in the war of 1812 and died at West Bloomfield, N. Y. His name was John Holmes. George A. Holmes grew from in- fancy to manhood in Cooper township, working
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on the farm and gathering a few of the priceless nuggets of book knowledge in the primitive schools of his boyhood. He has lived on this farm, which he helped to redeem from the wilder- ness, all his life so far, and has always been ac- tively engaged in farming except during a period of five years when he worked at his trade as a carpenter. He was married in Cooper township. in 1868, to Miss Adelia Souser, a daughter of Jacob P. and Lavina ( Patry) Souser, who be- came residents of the county about 1852. They have three children, Albert H., Lillian A. and Raymond C. The head of the house is a Republi- can in political alliance, but he has never been either an office seeker or an active party worker.
ORLENA BEEBE, an uncle of Mr. Holmes, who lived in this county at various times and for various periods since 1837, and who died in Kala- mazoo on Thanksgiving day. 1904, was born in Ontario county, N. Y., on March 26, 1819. His parents, Abraham W. and Dorcas ( Fuller) Beebe, were natives of Waterbury, Conn., where they farmed until 1792, then moved to New York state, locating at what is now the town of Cort- land and some little time afterward changing their residence to Ontario county. Later they moved to Medina county, Ohio, where the father died in 1860. aged eighty years. There the mother also clied. They had a family of six sons and five daughters. Three of the sons and one daughter became residents of Cooper township in this county. Mr. Beebe reached his nineteenth year of life in Ohio, and after obtaining a common-school education there learned the trade of a carpenter. In 1837 he came to this county and from then un- til 1852 lived in Cooper township. He then went back east and remained until 1860, when he again came to Cooper township, and this time remained until 1878. In that year he removed to Van Buren county, where he engaged in fruit growing until 1002, when he became a resident of Kalama- 200, where he afterward lived. He was twice married, the first time in 1840 to Miss Lucinda J. Haines, who bore him four sons, two of whom are living and were in the Union army during the Civil war and one died in the service at Raleigh, N. C. The second marriage occurred in 1858,
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