USA > Michigan > Kalamazoo County > Compendium of history and biography of Kalamazoo County, Mich. > Part 60
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and owned a part of the land on which the village of Scott now stands. Mr. and Mrs. Howard have no children of their own, but have an adopted daughter, named Zella V. Mr. Howard is a Republican and served as township treasurer in 1896 and 1897, and two years as township assessor. He has been a Freemason forty-one years, and was master of his lodge eight years. From the time of his arrival at years of discretion and self-reliance his energies have been devoted to the development of the township and county, and while vigorously pushing his own fortunes, he has been ever ready to assist in any good un- dertaking for the good of the community and the advantage of its people.
SAMUEL H. TOBEY.
This well known and long successful farmer of Climax township, now retired from active pursuits and taking a well earned rest from the arduous labors which attended him through the greater part of his life, is a native of Genesee county, N. Y., where he was born on October II, 1832. He is the son of Silas and Julia A. (Harding) Tobey, who were born in Massachu- setts and New York, respectively. The father was a shoemaker by trade, but started in life as a school teacher and pedlar of tinware. Later he moved to Genesee county, N. Y., where he mar- ried and remained until the spring of 1858, when he came to Climax and made his home with his son John B. until his death, in August, 1864. His wife also died here, and their remains were buried here. They had nine children, of whom three sons and three daughters are living. Samuel and two of his sisters reside in this county. Samuel grew to manhood in his native county and farmed there until 1864, when he came to Michigan, but returned to New York the same summer on ac- count of illness. In 1868 he came back to this state and located in Montcalm county near Green- ยท ville, where he improved a farm of two hundred and forty acres and lived until 1891. He then moved to Climax township, this county, and bought a farm which he still owns, though he now resides in the village of Climax. He was married
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in 1858 to Miss Ann J. Rappleye, a native of the state of New York. They have had three chil- dren, Laura A., deceased, Archer R., who lives on the farm, and Blanch I., also deceased. Mr. Toby is a Democrat politically and a Knight of Pythias fraternally. He is known throughout the county, and there is no one that does not respect him.
THOMAS S. LAWRENCE.
The present dwellers in southern Michigan, who occupy its comfortable homes, furnished with all the conveniences and many of the elegances of life, and who behold the splendid development and forward striding progress of the region, can form but a faint conception of the hardships, dan- gers and arduous struggles of the pioneers who laid the foundations of the present conditions. But there are men and women yet living here who saw and took part in those times of privation and difficulty, who helped to bear their burdens and aided materially in overcoming all the trials inci- dent to them. Among these is Thomas S. Law- rence, of Climax township, who is perhaps now the oldest inhabitant of the township by continu- ous residence, and who was born in the village of Climax on March 17, 1836. His parents, Dan- iel and Amy (Eldred) Lawrence, were pioneers in this county, being among the first of the in- vading whites who located here. They were natives of the state of New York, where the father was born in 1796 and the mother in 1804. After their marriage they farmed in their native state until 1834, when they came to Michigan and set- tled in the town of Climax, his being the sixth family in the town. The Lawrence family trace their ancestry to three brothers who came to this country in early times, and located in the Atlantic states, Richard in New Jersey, John on Long Island, and Jonathan in Westchester county. N. Y. The last named, who was the great-great- grandfather of Thomas, had a son named Jona- than, who emigrated to Orange county, N. Y., where he took up five hundred acres of land and raised a family of fourteen children. Five of his sons followed the sea and became captains of vessels. One of them, John, was a man of unusual
strength, and it is related of him that on one occasion, when he was returning from New York to the Jersey shore in a boat, he was discovered by an English man-of-war, and pursued by a barge manned by ten sailors, who soon overtook him. As the barge pulled up alongside, Mr. Lawrence suddenly quit rowing, and using the heavy end of his oar for a weapon, knocked a number of the enemy overboard and took the rest prisoners. He then sent word to the English commander that if he wanted him he must send a fleet to capture him. Thomas Lawrence's father, Daniel, whose father was also named Daniel, re- mained on his father's farm until after his mar- riage in 1828, when he embarked in life for him- self. He bought a farm in Ulster county, N. Y., but not liking the location, sold it, and in the autumn of 1834 came to Michigan, reaching De- troit by water, and there finding teams sent by Judge Eldred awaiting him. After renting a farm for two years in Climax township, he moved on one he had bought in 1835. It was all new and unbroken ground, not a furrow having been plowed or a rail split on it when he took posses- sion. He improved it with good buildings and reduced it to an advanced state of productiveness. In the public life of the new community he took an active and leading part, being one of the first township treasurers, and holding other local of- fices. On July 17, 1828, he united in marriage with Miss Amy Eldred, a daughter of Judge and . Phebe ( Brownell) Eldred. Six children blessed their union, three of whom are known to be liv- ing, Thomas S., Mary, widow of William Toby, and George W., who lives in Kansas. George and a son named Blackman E. were soldiers in the Union army during the Civil war, and the former rose to the rank of captain for meritorious service. Their mother was the daughter of Judge Caleb Eldred, and was born at Laurens, Otsego county, N. Y., on February 25, 1804. Her father was one of the early settlers of Climax township, and one of the most prominent men in its early life. While living in New York he was a mem- ber of the legislature two terms, and during one was a potential factor in securing the election of Martin Van Buren to the United States senate.
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KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
He also supported vigorously the policy of Gov- ernor De Witt Clinton, especially that part of it that involved the construction of the Erie canal. He was a man of indomitable energy and great personal courage, and on his arrival in Michigan in the fall of 1830, after recovering from a severe illness, he was prepared to transplant into the soil of the new region the qualities which had made him prominent and useful in his former home. After making a prospecting tour of portions of Michigan, and locating several tracts of land, he went back to New York, and in January, 1831, came again to this state with his son Daniel, with whom he passed the rest of the winter in a new house he had built. In the spring his family arrived, and from that time until his death, in 1877, he was one of the leading citizens of Kala- mazoo county, being especially active as a leader of the temperance cause, and almost suffering personal violence for his stern and vigorous advo- cacy of the issue. His wife died in April, 1853. The father of Mr. Lawrence died on his first Climax farm on July 18, 1880, aged eighty-seven years, one month and twenty days. His wife passed away on September 12, 1887, at the age of eighty-three years, six months and fifteen days. Their son Thomas S. was reared and educated in his native township, and early in life began to assist his father in clearing the farm, remaining at home until he was twenty-six years old. He then rented a farm four years and afterward bought one of his own west of the village. This was partly improved at the time, and after making additional improvements, he sold this place and bought the one he now owns on section 28, on which he lived until 1905. He was married in November, 1862, to Miss Jennie S. Loomis, a native of Cattaraugus county, N. Y., and a daughter of early pioneers of Barry county, this state. Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence have two chil- dren : George, a farmer of Climax, who married Miss Dollie Pierce and has two children; and Wellis L., who lives in the village of Climax and is married to Miss Ida Selby. While a loyal Re- publican in political faith, and earnestly inter- ested in the public life and general welfare of his community, Mr. Lawrence has never sought
or had any great fondness for official life. He has, however, at times consented to fill local of- fices, and has met their requirements with decided ability and credit to himself. Like all the rest of his family in this section, he has lived a very acceptable life among this people, and he enjoys in a marked degree their continued confidence and good will.
ALBERT JEROME SAGER.
This prominent and influential farmer of Cli- max township is a native and product of the county, born in the township in which he now lives on December 22, 1852. His parents were Joseph and Mary (Foote) Sager, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Michigan. The father was a miller and sawmill man, and came to this state when he was a young man. Soon after his arrival he bought the Wilson sawmill, which he operated for many years. He also cleared up a farm in the same neighborhood, and in 1898 died at the home of his son Albert Jerome. The mother died in 1864. They had a family of six children, four of whom grew to maturity and are living, three sons and one daughter. The father was one of the original surveyors of the Lake Superior region, and for a number of years before coming to this county was a sailor on the great lakes. His son Albert reached manhood in this county, assisting on the farm and at the mill, and attending school at Plainwell, Battle Creek and Hillsdale. For fifteen years after leaving school he followed milling, and then his mill was de- stroyed by fire. He also, during the greater part of this period, manufactured staves and headings. In 1892 he located on his present farm and since then he has been engaged in general farming and raising Galloway cattle. On June 20, 1883, he was married to Miss Hattie J. Eldred, a daughter of Stephen and Emily (Spencer) Eldred, who were among the early settlers of this county. Mrs. Sager's father was born at St. Lawrence, N. Y., on March 28, 1810, and in 1831 joined his father, Caleb Eldred, in this state, to which he had come a year earlier. On this trip Mr. Eldred was ac- companied by his brother Thomas and his sisters
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Louisa and Phebe. They went to Utica in a wagon and loaded their effects on a boat which took them by way of the Erie canal to Buffalo. where their father met them. From there they journeyed by boat to Detroit, and then were six days getting by wagon and team to Comstock, where their father had entered land. He built the first sawmill in the county, and the next year erected the first flouring-mill, which his son Stephen helped him to operate. The country was very wild, ferocious beasts were plentiful and Indians were numerous. Mr. Eldred slept by the fireside with them many times. Ile learned their customs and habits and acquired a fair knowledge of their language. He was obliged to drive to Detroit two or three times a year for provisions, and it usually took him two weeks to make the trip, such was the condition of the roads. By industry and frugality he flourished and grew to be a man of wealth and consequence in the neighborhood. He was very liberal in the support of religious and educational interests, and warmly encouraged all enterprises likely to build up the county. On October 24, 1836, he was married to Miss Emily Spencer, who was also a native of New York. They had five chil - dren, two of whom are living-Hattie, now Mrs. Sager, and Charles L. From his early manhood Mr. Sager has been a Republican. He has served as highway commissioner, and has long been one of the most determined and effective agitators in favor of the good roads movement. having started that movement more than thirty years ago. He was appointed by Governor Bliss as a delegate to the national convention held at St. Louis in behalf of this movement in 1903. and again in 1904, and he has also contributed many forcible articles to the press and farm papers in favor of the movement, and did much valuable work at farmers' institutes and dairy meetings in different parts of the state in defense and promo- tion of this issue. Mrs. Sager is a devoted mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal church, and for some years was an ardent worker for the Woman's Christian Temperance Union and the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society, being secretary of these organizations for a long period.
ALBERT LATTA.
Many of the early settlers of southern Michi- gan migrated to this section from the state of New York, bringing with them the spirit of rest- less and all-conquering energy which character- izes the people of that mighty commonwealth; and among them came Albert Latta, now one of the esteemed and most representative farmers of Oshtemo township, this county, whose life began in Niagara county, of the Empire state, on April 6, 1821. His parents, John and Parmelia (Smith) Latta, were long resident in that section of the state, where the former was a native, the latter having been born in Vermont. The father was a farmer and also a tanner until his tannery was burned by the British soldiers during the war of 1812. After that event he devoted himself wholly to farming. He died on a boat, the "Mayflower," running between Detroit and Buffalo, in 1854 while on a visit to Michigan. The mother sur- vived him five years, passing away in 1859. They had cight sons and two daughters, all now dead but Albert. Albert grew to manhood, was edu- cated and began life for himself in his native county, farming there until 1853, when he came to Michigan and located on the farm which he now lives on and which has been his home ever since he purchased it on his arrival in this county. It is on Grand Prairie and is accounted one of the valuable and attractive homes in that beautiful and fertile section of this county, having been made so by his efforts and continued and skillful industry. He was married in New York on Oc- tober 21, 1847, to Miss Lois Orton, a native of that state, born in Niagara county, and the daugh- ter of Dr. Myron and Mary (Hoyt) Orton, who were born and reared in Vermont. The father was a prominent physician and surgeon in Niag- ara county and rode the rounds of an extensive practice for many years on horseback. Mr. and Mrs. Latta have had nine children, seven of whom are living, Willard A., Myron O., Susan A., wife of William F. Montague (see sketch on another page). Delacey A., Walter, Addison J. and Clara A. Mr. Latta is a Republican in political affilia- tion, but although he gives his party loyal support,
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ALBERT LATTA
MRS. ALBERT LATTA.
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KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
he does not seek or desire official station of any kind, being devoted to his farming interests and wishing for no other occupation. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
MORRIS ROOF.
Although but a single span of human life as measured out by the sacred writer has passed since the first settlements were made in this county, the time has been sufficient for the produc- tion of two generations of sons and daughters of the soil, who have bravely carried forward the work of redeeming the wilds from savage do- minion and transforming them into beneficent activities for the sustenance and comfort of man- kind, and the augmentation of all forms of in- dustrial life and the swelling tides of commerce. A well-known member of the first generation, who has long been one of the progressive and success- ful farmers of Climax township, is Morris Roof, who was born in Charleston township on Decem- ber 1, 1861. His parents, Robert and Martha (Hallett) Roof, were natives of New York state. The father was a farmer and came to this county about the year 1842, locating in Charleston town- ship, where for some time he worked for D. C. Reed and afterward bought a farm which he cleared and lived on until 1867, then moved to another one mile north of Climax. This com- prised three hundred and twenty acres and in buying it he went in debt $14,000. He subse- quently paid the debt and bought more land, until at the time of his death, in 1897, on this farm, he owned over a section of first-rate land, all well improved and highly productive. His wife died a day or two after him, and the remains of both were buried in the same grave. They had two sons and a daughter, all of whom are living in this county. The father was a leading Democrat and influential in the councils of his party, but he was never an office seeker. The mother belonged to the Methodist Episcopal church. Her father was A. V. C. Hallett, an early settler in Charles- ton township. Mr. Roof grew to manhood and was educated in this county, attending the public schools. He has followed farming through life,
and has made a success of his industry. On May 22, 1884, he was married in this county to Miss Luna Peep, a native of Charleston township. They had three children, Fred, Leo and Clela. The mother died on July 16, 1892, and the father married a second wife on July 30, 1893, being united on this occasion with Miss Lura Rundel, a native of Calhoun county. They have two children, Martha and Merritt R. In connec- tion with his general farming Mr. Roof has car- ried on an extensive and profitable dairy business. He keeps regularly thirty-five milk cows, and gives this branch of his industry the closest and most careful attention. Fraternally he is a Mas- ter Mason, and in religious belief is a Baptist.
FRANK L. BROWN.
This leading farmer of Oshtemo township, this county, whose farm is a model of thrift and skill- ful cultivation, a silent but most effective preacher of the benefits of forecast and calculation, thorough knowledge and faithful application, is a native of Berkshire county, Mass., born on Sep- tember 1, 1856. He is the son of Laurin and Caroline J. (Parker) Brown, who were also born and reared in Massachusetts where the father, who was born in 1811, was a baker and gardener and where he died in 1896. The mother died on January 17, 1905. Their son Frank remained in his native state attending school and assisting his father until he reached the age of twenty-two years, then, in 1878, he moved to Michigan and began work for Mr. Hill and later rented the farm which became the property of his wife and which has ever since been his home. On Christ- mas day, 1878, he was united in marriage with Miss Lily Hill, a daughter of the late Daniel H. Hill, who became a resident of this county in 1853 and lived here until his death on July 26, 1901, and whose wife died here in 1888. Mr. and Mrs. Brown have one child, their daughter Ethel K., wife of Edward A. Campbell, of this county. Born and bred in an atmosphere of thrift and in- dustry in a section of the country wherein the fields of industry have long been worked and are somewhat crowded, Mr. Brown found in the new
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country to which he brought his inherited traits and his acquired knowledge as a young man a wider latitude and a better chance for persistent effort, and applying himself with energy and sys- tem to the work before him, he has achieved a substantial success which is alike gratifying to him and beneficial to the section in which it has been won.
JAMES PATTISON.
James Pattison, who is a prominent factor in the body of proficient and progressive farmers who are making Oshtemo township, this county, a veritable garden spot, teeming with every prod- uct suitable to the soil and fruitful also in all the better forms of educational and moral agencies that benefit and enlarge a free people, was born in county Roxburgh, Scotland, in April, 1832. His parents, James and- Nancy (Ledlow ) Pattison, were natives of the same place as himself, and there the father farmed until 1854. then brought his family, comprising his wife, three sons and two daughters, to the United States and settled in this county, which they reached by way of Quebec and Detroit. They rented land for a number of years, then purchased a tract in Osh- temo township on which the parents lived until death ended their labors, the father passing away in 1883 and the mother in 1860. Of their five children the only survivors are their son James and his brother William, who is living at Mitch- ell, S. D. James was about twenty-two when the family came to this country. He remained at home and assisted his parents until the death of his father. He had, however, been married in his native land, before coming to America, and had brought his young bride with him. She was Miss Helen Forsyth, a native of Scotland, and they were married in Edinburgh in 1854. They set- tled on the place on which Mr. Pattison now lives in 1858, and he has since lived there. His wife died on this place in 1903. They had five chil- dren, three of whom are living, James, John and Edward. In religious affiliation Mr. Pattison belongs to the Congregational church of Kalama- zoo ; in politics he is a Republican, but he is not an active partisan.
GEORGE BUCKHAM.
George Buckham, the capable and energetic supervisor of Oshtemo township, who has lived in this city for more than thirty years, and has made an excellent record for good citizenship among its people, is a native of Buckingham- shire, England, born on September 28, 1853, and the only representative of his family living in the United States. His parents were James and Re- becca (Ruder ) Buckham, the former a native of Scotland, and the latter of England. The fa- ther was steward of a large estate in Scotland and afterward one in England. Still later he was em- ployed in the same capacity in Ireland, where he and his wife both died. They were the parents of two sons and one daughter, all of whom are living. George passed his boy- hood and youth in Ireland and received his education in the schools of that country. He remained at home and assisted his father until 1873, then, at the age of twenty years, he came to the United States, and at once made Kalama- zoo county his residence. Here he found em- ployment as a farm laborer for a number of years, then purchased the farm of sixty-three acres on which he now lives. It was all improved land when he bought it, but he has made more improvements and heightened the character of its soil for farming purposes. He later purchased sixty-seven acres of wild land, which he cleared and improved, keeping pace with the advance in the county and using all the knowledge gained in his long and varied experience to secure the best returns, for his labor. In 1886 he was united in marriage with Miss Agnes Pattison, a native of. this county, whose parents, James and Helen (Forsyth) Pattison, were carly settlers here. By this marriage Mr. Buckham became the father of one child, his son Valentine, who is living at home. His mother died in 1888, and in 1889 Mr. Buckham married a second wife, Miss Clara Scott Kingsley, a native of Kalamazoo county, born in Oshtemo township, the daughter of Moses Kingsley, a pioneer in the county and the founder of the Farmers' Mutual Insurance Com- pany, of which he was secretary for many years.
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KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
By his second marriage Mr. Buckham has three children, James R., Harold K. and Agnes M. In politics he is an ardent Republican, and as such he was elected supervisor of the township in 1903, and at the end of his term in 1904 was re- elected, and again in 1905. He also served as township clerk, holding the office eight years be- fore he became supervisor. In all parts of the county he is a well known man and everywhere he is highly respected and well spoken of.
BRADLEY RANDALL.
The variety of altitude and soil in Oshtemo township, when it became known, soon attracted settlers of various tastes and intentions, who found within its limits food for their differing desires and capacities, while all united to push forward the general development and progress of the section. Although settlement, in this town- ship began about the year 1830, it was still' a sparsely populated region in 1866, comparatively speaking, when Bradley Randall, after a military and patrolling service of four years in the Civil war, came to this state and here he has since con- tinuously resided, having found conditions large- ly to his taste and ample opportunity for the prof- itable employment of his energies. Mr. Randall was born on June 4, 1837, in Cattaraugus county, N. Y., and is the son of Jerome and Abigail (Hooker) Randall, natives of Vermont and rep- resentatives of families resident in that section of the country from colonial times, their Ameri- can progenitors having been among the early Puritan arrivals in New England. The parents were farmers and moved to the state of New York soon after their marriage, and there they lived until 1852, when they, still moved by the spirit of the pioneer and the frontiersman, took another flight into the newer regions of the coun- try, locating in Ashtabula county, Ohio, where the father died in 1874 and the mother in 1882. In Ohio they conducted a hotel for a number of years in addition to their farming operations. Their family comprised ten children, of whom three are living, Bradley being the only resident in Michigan. He remained with his parents until
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