USA > Michigan > Kent County > Grand Rapids > Grand Rapids and Kent County, Michigan: History and Account of Their Progress from First. Vol. II > Part 10
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Willard M. Burleson, M. D .- The men who have given of their energy, skill, ambitious vigor and enthusiasm in the building up of an institution for the preservation of health are the benefactors of a community and their names cannot be held in too high esteem. In every undertaking there must be a logical beginning, and the man who lays the foundations of what afterwards becomes a great health-giving enterprise must have the courage of his convictions, and not only unlimited faith in his own ability and in the venture which he is founding, but in the community in which his enterprise is build- ed. Dr. Willard M. Burleson, some years ago, looked far beyond the narrow horizons of his day and easily read the signs of a dawning enlightenment. To him belongs the distinction of having planned, founded and built to its present proportions of usefulness the great Burleson Sanitarium, at Grand Rapids, where thousands of people every year come to find relief and cures for the ailments that assail the health of mankind. Prior to entering upon this great venture, Dr. Burleson had attained a position of distinction in his profession, but his activities as a private practitioner were somewhat proscribed, and it was not until he had founded the sanitarium which bears his name that he was able to give to his fellow-men the full advantages of the gifts given him by Nature and developed by long years of study and experience. Willard M. Burleson was born at Saginaw, Mich., March 20, 1868, son of Charles and Elizabeth (Spalding) Burleson. His parents moved to Shiawasee county, Michigan, in 1873, where they purchased a farm, but ten years later the father re- turned to Saginaw and there passed away, while the mother died in Grand Rapids. There were seven children in the family: George S., a practicing physician and surgeon of Buffalo, N. Y .; Frank A., man- ager of the Burleson Hotel, Grand Rapids; Dr. Willard M .; Jesse C., who died at the age of seventeen years; Mae, wife of C. A. Dan- iels, of Grand Rapids; and Drs. Frederick E. and John F., who are identified with the Burleson Sanitarium. The public schools of Sagi- naw furnished Willard M. Burleson with his early education, and his medical training came in the Saginaw Valley Medical College, in which he was graduated with the degree of Doctor of Medicine in the class of 1899. At that time he came to Grand Rapids, where he car- ried on a general practice for something over two years, but Jan. 1, 1892, he began specializing in rectal diseases. For some years it had been the intention of Dr. Burleson to found an institution such as the one which bears his name, but it was not until 1911 that he found himself able to give himself whole-heartedly to this magnificent work. In that year he purchased the present building, which he repaired and remodeled throughout. This is now one of the finest institutions of its kind in the country and is visited annually by an average of 3,000 patients. It has 350 rooms, with seven operating rooms, and thirty-two rooms for office business. The medical staff comprises Dr. Willard M. Burleson, Dr. John F. Burleson, Dr. Frederick E.
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Burleson, Dr. Ward S. Ferguson, Dr. James C. Droste, and Dr. L. A. Ferguson, all men of the highest standing and reputation in their pro- fession. The company behind the sanitarium is incorporated at $650,- 000, the officers being Willard M. Burleson, president ; W. S. Fergu- son, vice-president ; and John F. Burleson, secretary and treasurer. Dr. Burleson is accounted a skilled practitioner, a sure and steady- handed surgeon, and a student of his calling who keeps fully abreast of its marvelous advancements. He is a Republican in his political views and a member of the Fountain Street Baptist church, belong- ing to the official board. Fraternally, he is affiliated with the Ma- sons and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and also holds membership in the Grand Rapids Automobile club. He has a good military record, having served for five years in the regular army as a member of Troop G, Sixth United States cavalry, of which regiment "Black Jack" Pershing was a member. Dr. Burleson, enlisting as a private May 2, 1886, was subsequently advanced to corporal and later to sergeant, being stationed at Fort Bayard, N. M. Dr. Burleson was married Aug. 21, 1900, to Miss Mary Morris Comstock, daughter of Tilston Comstock, of Grand Rapids, and of this union there has been born a child, Ellen Elizabeth, who resides with her parents.
Roger W. Butterfield, who has been a practicing attorney in Grand Rapids for nearly half a century, was born April 23, 1844, a son of Rev. Isaac and Sarah A. Butterfield, his father having been a minister of the Baptist faith for over fifty years. From his boyhood home at Elbridge, Onondaga county, New York, Mr. Butterfield was taken to Davenport, Ia., where he attended Griswold College, and subsequently was a student at Adrian (Mich.) College. In 1865 he entered Princeton University, New Jersey, being graduated in June, 1866, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, and in 1869 received the degree of Master of Arts from the same institution. In the mean- time he had entered the law department of the University of Michi- gan, being given his degree of Bachelor of Laws in 1868, in which year he commenced practice at Grand Rapids. He became a partner of Willard F. Keeney, Jan. 1, 1887, and this association still contin- ues, the firm having been engaged in some of the most important litigation ever brought before the courts of the state. In the same year Mr. Butterfield was elected one of the regents of the University of Michigan. Occupying an eminent place in his profession, Mr. Butterfield is also well known in business circles, where he has given of his ability in the building up of some important enterprises. He is president of the Grand Rapids Chair Company, the Clallam Lumber Company, the Florida Cypress Lumber Company, the Drew Timber Company and the Buffalo River Lumber Company, vice-president of the Imperial Furniture Company, and a director of the Grand Rapids Savings Bank. He belongs to the Peninsular and other clubs of Grand Rapids and to various fraternal orders. In May, 1876, he was married to Miss Leonora I., daughter of Moses Drake, of Fort Wayne, Ind., and of this union there were born four children: Mary B., Isaac L., Roger Champlin and Archibald D. A native of Grand Rapids, Roger Champlin Butterfield possesses in marked degree the persistent energy which animates the sons of this thriving Michigan city. The popularity and prominence which he enjoys are not of the superficial or ephemeral order, but the result of more than fifteen
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years of social and professional establishment at Grand Rapids, where he is now a member of the firm of Butterfield & Keeney. If there be in fact anything like the influence claimed within the theory of heredi- tary mental tendencies, its logical result would have led Mr. Butter- field to select the law as his life profession, and his success in this di- rection conclusively proves that in him personal characteristics, tem- perament, mental qualities and literary training have combined to make the study and practice of law a congenial pursuit. A lawyer, Roger C. Butterfield is a son of a distinguished member of the pro- fession, and thus comes quite naturally by his preference and capacity for that career. He was born May 30, 1879, attended high school at Grand Rapids, the Powell School, a private institution, and the Uni- versity of Michigan, where he was a member of the Upsilon Psi fra- ternity, and graduated in law in 1903. He was admitted to the bar in June of that year and at once began practice with Butterfield & Keeney, being admitted to membership in the firm Jan. 1, 1906. Mr. Butterfield is a member of the Grand Rapids Bar Association and the Michigan State Bar Association, and his social connections include membership in the Peninsular, Kent County and O-Wash-ta-nong clubs. He has connected himself variously with the life and activi- ties of Grand Rapids, having been president of the Schubert club for six years and secretary of that organization for a like period, a direc- tor thereof for some time, and a member of the Falstaff club. He is also a member of and active worker in the Anti-Tuberculosis Society, and belongs to the Grand Rapids Association of Commerce, of which he was a director for one term. His offices are in the Michigan Trust Building.
Thomas Byrne .- Emerging from the background of the early history of Kent county, and later of Grand Rapids, is the strong and forceful personality of Thomas Byrne. The passing of thirty-six years since his death has not sufficed to lessen in the minds of those who survive him their appreciation of a man whose name was synony- mous with integrity, honor, justice and business capacity, and who, although a resident of Grand Rapids for only five years, had in that time permanently identified himself with the best material and civic advancement of the city. Mr. Byrne was a Canadian by birth, but his training and business experience were both gained in the United States. He was born Feb. 17, 1837, a son of William Byrne, and was a child when brought to Michigan, his education being secured in the public schools. Of rugged physical build, as a youth he found em- ployment in the lumber camps, where he passed through the strenu- ous training that only the most hardy can withstand, and gradually developed into a dealer in lumber. On coming to Kent county, in 1864, he settled on a farm, and for thirteen years was identified with agricultural pursuits, making a success of his operations, developing a fine property, and accumulating a satisfying reward from his la- bors. In 1877 he left the farm and came to Grand Rapids, where he embarked in the lumber business with De Los Blodgett and was rap- idly forging to the forefront among the men of prominence in the business world of the city when his death suddenly occurred, in Feb- ruary, 1882, when he was but forty-five years of age. Mr. Byrne was a Democrat, but business so filled his life that he found no time for public matters, nor did he care for the doubtful honors to be
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gained in the political arena. His religious connection was with St. Andrew's Catholic church, and he was a liberal contributor to all worthy enterprises, of a religious, moral or educational character. On May 2, 1884, Mr. Byrne was united in marriage with Miss Catherine, daughter of Terrence and Mary (Briody) Brady, of Saint Thomas, Ontario, Canada, and they became the parents of five children, name- ly: Eva, who is the widow of Dr. Brandt, of Grand Rapids; Cathe- rine, who died at the age of three years; Thomas, who died when eight years of age; John T., a resident of Grand Rapids, and a son who died in infancy.
Antoine B. Campau, one of the talented architects that Grand Rapids has produced, possesses a very large circle of professional and social friends. He belongs to a family which has long been noted for professional achievement, and his name has been connected with the erection of some of the city's most impressive and beautiful structures. He was born at Grand Rapids, March 2, 1878, and is a son of A. S. Campau. He received his primary education in the pub- lic schools of Grand Rapids and early showed artistic talent and a predilection for the architect's profession. After a comprehensive course at the Boston Technical Institute, in which he was graduated with the class of 1901, he went abroad, and during the two years which he spent as a student at the Ecole des Beaux, Paris, France, his fine genius and brilliant talents were thoroughly developed. Re- turning to Grand Rapids, he became a member of the firm of W. G. & F. S. Robinson, and when W. G. Robinson died, in 1907, the firm of Robinson & Campau was formed, and it still continues in exist- ence. Among the structures accredited to Messrs. Robinson & Cam- pau may be mentioned the First Methodist Episcopal church, the Central, West Side and South High schools, the Steketee, Murray and Manufacturing buildings, and many other public and private edi- fices, a sufficient number of them to make an interesting chapter of the active duties of their years of busy and responsible professional life. Mr. Campau is a member of the Peninsular club. He has al- ways abstained from anything that could possibly be called active political life, but takes an interest in those things that affect the wel- fare of his city and gives his support to men and measures which he believes will benefit the general welfare. Mr. Campau was married Jan. 28, 1904, to Miss Kathryn A., daughter of P. J. Britton, of Grand Rapids, and of this union there have been born two daugh- ters, Marianne and Antoinette.
Francis D. Campau .- Of the native sons of Grand Rapids who have achieved success in the legal profession, one of the most suc- cessful is Francis D. Campau, a member of a family that has been identified with the city since 1827. In that year the paternal grand- father of Mr. Campau, Antoine Campau, who was born at Detroit, Mich., came to this community and engaged in farming on the tract of land now occupied by Campau Park. There he remained the rest of his life, engaged in agricultural pursuits, and died in 1871, one of the best known and most substantial of his locality's citizens. He married Sarah Cotrell, of Cotrellville (now Marine City), Mich., who died in 1881. The father of Francis D. Campau, Andrew S., was born at Grand Rapids in August, 1838. He received good educa- tional advantages, attending first the public schools and later Notre
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Dame University, Indiana, and in 1852 journeyed overland to Cali- fornia, where the gold seekers from all over the world were engaged in search for the precious metal. After a short period as a miner, he accepted a position in the perilous service of the Wells-Fargo Ex- press Company, for which he drove a stage for several years, and then took the equally dangerous employment of United States gov- ernment scout for the Territory. of Nevada. A man of unquestioned courage, his career in the West was featured by many interesting experiences among the Indians and "bad men" of that newly settled region, where he remained until 1871. In that year the death of his father made it imperative that he return to Michigan, where he took charge of the Campau estate and engaged in the real estate business. He is now retired from active affairs, being in his eightieth year, and makes his home at Grand Rapids. He is a Republican in his po- litical views, and a member of St. Andrews Catholic church. Mr. Campau was married at Grand Rapids to Miss Mary Elizabeth Black- well, who was born at Union City, Ind., in July, 1856, and died at Grand Rapids, Feb. 9, 1916, and they became the parents of two sons, Antoine B., of this city, and Francis D. After attending the graded and high schools of Grand Rapids, Francis D. Campau began a course at the University of Chicago, in which he was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Philosophy, in 1902. He is a Har- vard man, having taken his law course there, and a member of the class of 1905, with which he received his degree of Bachelor of Laws. Following his graduation, he returned to the city of his birth and em- barked in the practice of law with Walter Drew, but after a short time the partnership was dissolved, when Mr. Drew left the city, and Mr. Campau has since practiced alone. He has carried on a general professional business and has attracted a large and important clien- tele. In political matters Mr. Campau is a Republican, but his only connection with public affairs is that maintained by every good citi- zen who seeks to secure good men in office and good laws made. He belongs to the various organizations of his profession, and is a popu- lar member of the Peninsular club and an active worker in the As- sociation of Commerce. Mr. Campau was born at Grand Rapids, Sept. 8, 1880, and was here married, Aug. 2, 1909, to Ethel Lauren Dunn, daughter of William C. and Mary Marsh (Shropshire) Dunn, of Jackson, Tenn. They have one daughter, Jacqueline Denise, born Sept. 10, 1913.
Major Edgar H. Campbell was born at White Oak, Mich., July 5, 1871, son of William Rodell and Helen (Austin) Campbell. He was reared on a farm and educated at the high school at Lawton, Mich. In civil life he followed the profession of pharmacist, being employed for nine years at Ludington, coming to Grand Rapids in 1896, and being known here as a skilled decorator. He enlisted for service with the American troops in the Spanish-American war, as a private in Company B, on May 4, 1898. The following February he was made a corporal and in April a sergeant, in which capacity he served until the close of hostilities. Upon the reorganization of the regiment he was commissioned second lieutenant, filling this office for two years, when he became first lieutenant, and after eighteen months was transferred and served as commander of Company M. He re- signed this position and was appointed first lieutenant and battalion
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adjutant, which rank he held for six years, and during the Mexican border service served as captain and regimental adjutant. On Feb. 7, 1917, he was promoted to major in the adjutant-general's depart- ment, and assigned to the first Michigan infantry brigade as adjutant. He was appointed a member of the state military board and now holds the position of major on the staff of Brigadier-General Covell.
Rev. Edward K. Cantwell .- Were a record kept of the daily trials, of adverse circumstances overcome and responsibilities faith- fully carried out by those who labor in spreading among mankind the principles of humanity, morality and right living, much valuable and enlightening information would be preserved, for it is such things that serve as an index to a man's character and determine his worth to his community. The majority stand forth advantageously under stress of powerful circumstances, and on the spur of the moment de- velop into heroes, but it is the one who can endure the every-day burdens, discharge insignificant duties acceptably and come out of it all successfully, who can be accounted a real man. The life of the minister of the gospel serves to develop many of this class, and to them is accredited the spiritual welfare of the communities in which they live and labor. Stone-by-stone they build the foundations for their life work, not in a single moment of emblazoned glory, and be- cause of this fact their structures stand firm no matter what winds and storms of adversity, prejudice and ignorance beat against them. Kent county has numbered among its dependable citizens men of the . above class, and one who is held in the highest esteem is the Rev. Ed- ward K. Cantwell, rector of St. Alphonsus' church of Grand Rapids, and a man widely and favorably known in the missionary and lecture field in the Middle Western states. Reverend Cantwell was born at Madison, Wis., May 2, 1871, and is a son of Michael J. Cantwell. His father was one of the prominent men of his community in Wisconsin, won success in business and honor as a citizen, and as a member of the Wisconsin State Senate was the author of a number of bills which added to the welfare and betterment of his locality. During the Civil war he fought bravely as a wearer of the uniform of the Union, and for many years after that struggle was prominent in affairs of the Grand Army of the Republic and served as commander of his post for several terms. He has now passed away, as has also the mother of Reverend Cantwell. The public and parochial schools of Madison furnished Edward K. Cantwell with his early education, following which he began his theological studies in seminaries at Kansas City and St. Louis, Mo. He was ordained a priest of the Order of Re- demptorists in 1896, and his first appointment was at the Rock church, on Grand avenue, St. Louis, where he remained for a period of four years. He then went as superior and rector to St. Joseph's Redemp- torist parish, at Denver, Colo., where he spent three years in earnest and useful labors, and was next placed as assistant at St. Alphonsus' church, New Orleans, La., where he remained two years. His next location was at Portland, Ore., where he founded the House of Re- demptorists and remained six years in building up a large and repre- sentative congregation, and in 1912 came to Grand Rapids as rector of Saint Alphonsus' parish. Here he has been exceptionally success- ful in the accomplishment of worth-while things in his field, guiding his people well in a material as well as a spiritual way. Since his
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arrival he has built a rectory, has erected a school, which is modern in point of system, and has established a playground, several acres in extent, on Lafayette avenue. In addition to carrying on his work in this immediate field, he has continued to be engaged in conducting missions in the Middle and Western states, and has likewise met with much success as a lecturer, possessing a fine presence and convincing power of oratory. Reverend Cantwell has won a firm place in the hearts and confidence of his people, and his activities at Grand Rap- ids are being productive of good results.
John F. Cardwell, M. D .- Prominent among the members of the medical profession of Kent county who are following their calling as specialists is found Dr. John F. Cardwell, than whom there are few better or more favorably known in the treatment of diseases of tbe eye, ear, nose and throat. He has brought to the practice of his profession a thorough and comprehensive training, both along gen- eral and special lines, a natural respect for its responsibilities, and a devotion to its highest ethics, that have at the same time given him high reputation and prestige and the confidence of the public and of his fellow-practitioners. Dr. Cardwell was born at Owosso, Shia- wassee county, Michigan, April 14, 1873, a son of John L. Cardwell, who died in 1880. His early education was secured in the public schools of Owosso, following which he entered the Detroit College of Medicine, in which he was graduated in 1900, with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. After engaging in practice at Durand, Mich., for two years, in 1902 he came to Grand Rapids and carried on a general practice for nine years, building up an excellent practice and displaying the possession of talents that bid fair to take him far in his profession. In the meantime he had become particularly inter- ested in the subject of diseases of the eye, ear, nose and throat, and their treatment and cure, and eventually decided to enter this diffi- cult field as a specialist. In order to better prepare himself for this special work, in 1911 he went to Europe, where he remained one and one-half years, receiving instruction and attending clinics and lec- tures in some of the most famous institutions of the Old World, spending nine months at Vienna, two months at Berlin and four months at London. Thus equipped, in October, 1912, he returned to Grand Rapids, where he has steadily advanced to a commanding po- sition among the specialists of the city. He now maintains well ap- pointed offices in the Widdicomb building, and has a large, remuner- ative and representative practice. He belongs to the Kent County Medical Society, the Michigan State Medical Society and the Ameri- can Medical Association, is well known in fraternal circles, and be- longs to the Country club and other social organizations. Dr. Card- well was married Sept. 7, 1904, to Miss Jennie M. Coe, daughter of Samuel H. Coe, of Salamanca, N. Y., and they have four children : Edith J., Grace M., Jean E. and Douglas A.
Charles C. Cargill .- One of the foremost business men of Grand Rapids is Charles C. Cargill, president of The Cargill Company, printers and engravers, and additionally identified with many impor- tant interests in Kent county. He was born at Grand Rapids, Mich., May 5, 1863. His parents were Hawley N. and Frances (Kraal) Car- gill. His father was born in Cayuga county, New York, in 1830, and now lives at Grand Rapids, one of the city's most venerable and much
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esteemed citizens. The mother of Charles C. Cargill was born in Holland and is deceased. Their children were nine in number: Hen- ry is deceased; Hawley is a resident of Saint Ignace, Mich .; Frank K., Charles C., George T., Joseph D., Mary Elizabeth and Edward M. reside at Grand Rapids; Eva is deceased ; and William O. is in busi- ness at Grand Rapids. Hawley N. Cargill came to Grand Rapids in 1854 and for a time had charge of the steamboat freight house on Grand river. Later he engaged in a contracting business in which he continued for many years, retiring only when the infirmities of old age fell upon him. He became locally prominent, taking an active in- terest in civic matters and for some years served as a member of the board of health. Charles C. Cargill has always led a busy life. Reared with the American idea of personal independence, as soon as his school days were over, in 1884, he went to work in the lumber camps as a timekeeper and general clerk and bookkeeper and finally became gen- eral superintendent of a logging railway. Thus, when he returned to Grand Rapids, in 1894, he was a well seasoned business man. He had contended with conditions that brought out his perceptive faculties, increased his caution, developed his administrative ability and served to make him a fair judge of men as well as of business issues. It was at this time that he first became identified with the company that bears his name. The Cargill Company, succeeding the Grand Rapids Engraving Company, was founded in 1881 by F. K. Cargill and Mr. Reed, the latter shortly afterward selling his interest to F. K. Car- gill, who carried on an individual business until 1892, when it was incorporated with a capital of $10,000, F. K. Cargill being president. In 1902, when the capital was increased to $150,000, the officials of the company were all Cargills: F. K. Cargill, president ; George T. Cargill, vice-president ; and C. C. Cargill, secretary and treasurer. In 1908 Charles C. Cargill purchased his brothers' interests, and the present officers of the company are: Charles C. Cargill, president ; C. N. Jaqua, secretary and treasurer, the present incorporation capital being $210,000. In 1903 the company erected its present commodious building which affords 50,000 square feet of floor space. Employment is given 100 people and four traveling salesmen visit all parts of the United States. The rapid and substantial development of this enter- prise reflects great credit on the business ability of Mr. Cargill and his associates. He is active also in general business circles and is a member of the Association of Commerce and of the Credit Men's Association. He was married April 12, 1888, to Miss Ida May Hub- bard, daughter of George Hubbard, of Georgetown, Mich., and they have three children: M. Frances, wife of Leman O. Lindsey, of At- lanta, Ga .; Lieut. Charles Roger, of the aerial division, National army ; and Richard Irving, who is serving in France as an orderly on the staff of General Pershing, commander-in-chief of the American forces in Europe. The patriotism of these young men who, like many of their comrades, left homes of luxury and brilliant business prospects to serve their country in her time of need cannot fail to arouse ap- proval and admiration in the hearts of all loyal Americans. Mr. Cargill and his family are members of Grace Episcopal church. He is a Thirty-second degree Mason. His social connections are with the Peninsular, the Highlands Country and the O-Wash-ta-nong clubs.
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