USA > Michigan > Lenawee County > History and biographical record of Lenawee County, Michigan, Volume I > Part 23
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53
220
HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
necticut. Her father and mother were born in Litchfield county, where they died. David C. King, her father, was a soldier in the war of 1812, and died soon after its close. Her mother died in 1821.
- -0-
EACON ASAPH K. PORTER was born in Covert, Seneca county, New York, March 26th, 1812. His father, Lewis Porter, was born in Connecticut, May 24th, 1786, where he lived until he was a young man, and where he learned the carpenter's trade. He afterwards removed to the State of New York, stopping for a short time in the Catskill mountains, but soon followed his parents, who, some time previous, had settled in Tompkins county, New York. Soon after his settlement there he purchased a new farm in Seneca county, but followed the carpen- ter's trade for a business, hiring men to clear his land. He follow- ed building for several years, but finally gave it up and went to farming, which he followed until his death, December 9th, 1862. About the year 1808, he married Miss Samantha King, daughter of Asaph King, of Covert, Seneca county, New York, by whom he had six children, Asaph being the oldest son and third child. Mrs. Samantha Porter was born August 15th, 1791, and died in Covert, Seneca county, New York, March 21st, 1817. About 1818, he married Miss Thurzy Cole, daughter of John and Mary Cole, of Covert, New York, by whom he also had six chil- dren. Mrs. Thurzy Porter was born September 22d, 1797, and died in Covert, New York, October 20th, 1867. Asaph K. Porter lived with his father until he was twenty-one, and was brought up a farmer, receiving a common school education in the town where he was born. In the spring of 1833, he came to Michigan, arriving in Adrian about the middle of May. He was in company with his father and two or three other men, all of whom had in- tended, when they left Seneca county, to settle in Huron county, Ohio, where they stopped for the purpose of locating land, but after looking around for some days they were somewhat disappoint- ed, not finding things what they had expected. It was finally decided to look further, Michigan being the ultimatum. The party started on foot, going west into Seneca county, Ohio, where Asaph purchased eighty acres of land, but continued with the rest of the party, who could not suit themselves there. They kept on through
221
OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
the woods, walking the entire distance, until they arrived in Adrian, coming through the woods from Huron county to Maumee, with- out any thing happening worthy of note. They started from Mau- mee for Whiteford (now Sylvania), where they intended to stay over night, but they missed the trail, and were lost in the woods, spending the night in the Cotton Wood Swamp, coming out the next day about ten o'clock, at what was then called the big bend in the Raisin, where there was a house or two, and where they found something to eat. After a few days spent north and west of Adrian, they finally went south and west, where they were so well pleased with the country that Asaph located the n. e. } of section 7, in the present town of Fairfield, his father locating four hundred acres on sections 6 and 7. After this purchase, Asaph sold his land in Seneca county, Ohio, and, with his father, returned to their home in New York. In the following November, Asaph returned to Michigan with Hartwell Russell, his brother-in-law, since which time he has resided on his farm in Fairfield. Since that time he has cleared up over one hundred acres of land, and built good buildings. In religion, he is a Baptist, and was one of the found- ers and active workers in the erection of the church which stands on the north-east corner of his farm. Soon after the formation of the society, which worships in this church, he was made a deacon, and since that time he has merited the distinction by his consistent
christian life. April 6th, 1836, he married Miss Rachel Glazier, daughter of Walker and Cornelia Glazier, of Covert, Seneca county, New York, by whom he has had nine children, as follows : Edwin C., born February 24th, 1837, a farmer of Fairfield: Walker G., born October 19th, 1839, now a farmer of Fairfield, but was about three years a soldier in the war of the Rebellion, being a member of the Eighteenth Michigan Infantry ; James T., born December 12th, 1841, and died October 7th, 1851; Sarah C., born June 24th, 1844, and died September 26th, 1851; Lewis T., born Sep- tember 27th, 1846, a farmer of Chesterfield, Fulton county, Ohio ; Emma L., born November 7th, 1849, and died February 3d, 1850; Jane, born August 17th, 1851, now the wife of M. L. Foster, of Pittsford, Hillsdale county ; Rosalia, born October 22d, 1855, now the wife of E. C. Chandler, of Steubenville, Ohio; Ezra H., born January 31st, 1859, at home. Mrs. Rachel Porter was born in Peekskill, New York, May 10th, 1818. Her father was born June 16th, 1789, and died September 7th, 1873. Her mother was born April 1st, 1791, and died March 18th, 1856.
222
HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
SAAC RANDALL was born near the city of Portland, Maine, April 18th, 1787. His father, John Randall, born July 5th, 1747, was of English origin, (being the son of one of three brothers who landed in New York in the year 1600), was a bridge builder by trade, served his country as a soldier during the war for Independence, receiving an honorable discharge and a pension ; he died October 28th, 1825, in the town of Leroy, New York. Isaac Randall, when of a proper age, commenced learning the trade of bridge building and carpentry, working with his father for that purpose, but did not perfect his trade by reason of near-sightedness. At the age of twenty-one-in 1807-he mar- ried Miss Mercy, daughter of William and Rebecca Haskell, who was born near the city of Portland, Maine, December 25th, 1787, by whom he had five children, as follows: William H., born November 26th, 1809, in Clarkston, New York; Chester J., born December 28th, 1819, in Clarkston; Emily S., born February 9th, 1821, in Clarkston; Isaac Jr., born December 9th, 1822, in Clarkston ; Francis M., born March 1st, 1829 in Blissfield. During the autumn of 1808 Isaac Randall, with his wife, emigrated to the State of New York, and settled in the township of Clarkston, Monroe county, three miles directly north from Clarkston village, where he, like many others, bought land from what was then known as the "Holland Purchase Company." With plenty of ambition and energy, he immediately began the laborious work of making for himself and family a home on land thickly covered with a large growth of beech, maple, oak, hickory, and occasionally hemlock, timber. The war of 1812 breaking out about this time, Isaac Randall, together with his neighbors, was called out upon a draft of the United States, under orders to rendezvous at Buffalo, where he, with many others, volunteered to go into Canada with General Brown, for the purpose of giving our English cousins a chance to fight, providing they were so disposed. A few days after their arrival in Canada, the battle of Fort Erie took place, when he and many of his comrades were made prisoners of war. The next day, under a strong guard of British regulars, the prisoners were started on a march for the head of the St. Lawrence river, where they were placed in open boats and sent down said river to the city of Quebec. During this journey, wherever night over- took them, they stopped, and in many places took whatever rest could be obtained in the open fields, with only a scant supply of blankets and rations, suffering greatly. At Quebec they were put on board transports and sent to Halifax, where they were kept in a large stone prison (not altogether unlike our Union soldiers at Libby prison), until the close of the war. During the
223
OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
winter, many of the prisoners died for lack of proper food, cloth- ing, and other necessary care. At the close of the war, the prison- ers were exchanged for British soldiers, who had been taken prisoners by the Americans. At New London, Connecticut, our volunteer soldiers were duly discharged from further service. Isaac Randall returned to his family (wife and one child) and his farm in Clarkston, where he remained until the fall of 1826, having in the meantime chopped, cleared and fenced fifty acres of heavy timbered land and erected a good, substantial frame house and barn. Having heard very flattering accounts of the Territory of Michigan, early in August, 1826, he landed at Monroe. He traveled on foot along the River Raisin until he arrived at the new settlement (Blissfield) of which he had been told at Monroe. After looking around the neighborhood a day or two, and being much pleased with the large growth of corn, potatoes and other vegetables which he saw growing in the small fields which had been cleared by the first pioneers, viz: John Preston, Gideon West and Hervey Bliss, on the north side of the river, and Almond Harrison and George Giles on the south side, with their respective families; he returned to Monroe and purchased at the United States land office, the east ¿ of the s. e. ¿ of section 29, in the present township of Blissfield. Returning to Clarkston he began making preparations to move his family to his new purchase in the wilds of Michigan. Early in November, following, he, with his wife and four children, together with his brother Samuel, with his wife and four children, bade their friends in Clarkston adieu and started via the Erie Canal, and Lake Erie for Michigan. Reaching Buffalo in due time, they took passage on the schooner Amaranth, Captain Ransom, master, bound for Monroe. Owing to a severe storm which came on soon after leaving Buffalo, the vessel could not make the port of Monroe, as was intended, but was forced to go on to Detroit, which place was reached after a stormy passage of four days. At Detroit the two families were detained more than a week, and while there, occupied a part of the officers' quarters in an old fort, which had been used and occupied by our soldiers during the war of 1812. By his contract, Captain Ransom was bound to carry the two families to Monroe, i. e., the pier in La Plaisance bay, as at that time it was the only safe landing place for Monroe, but not wishing to go to Monroe himself, Ransom engaged the owner of a small sloop to perform this part of the contract. The families and goods were put on board the sloop, and in a few hours unloaded upon the above named pier, four miles from Monroe (then not a large village,) where they remained until one of the brothers could go to Monroe and get teams to
224
HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
transport them to the residence of Robert G. Clark, in that place, who was an old acquaintance, and with whom they remained two or three days, until an ox team could be purchased and the wagon they had brought with them, could be fitted up. When all was ready the two families, and a limited supply of provisions, were loaded upon the wagon, and soon these sturdy pioneers were on the march toward their future home in the then dense forest of Bliss- field. It being rather late in the morning when they left Monroe, and their wagon heavily loaded, their march was necessarily slow. The going down of the sun found them at the house of Isaac Farewell, eight miles from Monroe, Mr. Farewell being an old acquaintance of theirs from "York State," and his the last house, for many miles, on their road. They stayed with him until the next morning, when after a good night's rest and a "hearty" breakfast, they again started on their way westward, which now lay through oak openings, to the house of Richard Peters, which was located on the site of the present village of Petersburg ; liere they put up for the night. Early next morning they were again on their way (which was an Indian trail and very crooked,) and soon entered the dense forest, which at that time covered a large part of Lenawee county. The ground in this forest was soft and yielding, making their march slow and toilsome, yet all went well until they arrived at what was then known as Floodwood creek, which was a water course with a channel eighteen or twenty feet wide, and at that time contained running water eight or ten inches in depth. While fording this creek, on reaching the opposite bank, the wagon stuck fast, and with the united strength of two stout men and a good pair of oxen, it could not be forced to roll one inch further, and the more the oxen "pulled and tugged " the more the wagon settled down into the soft, black mud; by this time the sun had gone down behind a curtain of black clouds. Meantime Samuel Randall had started to go to the house of Almond Harrison, three miles distant, to get a light, (the flint and stcel could not be found, and matches were not yet invented,) and return to help his friends out of trouble; soon after starting, a thick darkness overspread the forest, and Samucl was obliged to feel his way along the trail to Harrison's, with his feet. Having procured a torch made of hickory bark, he soon returned to the creek where his friends were patiently waiting his coming. A large fire was soon blazing on the creek bank, and when the wagon was unloaded, its forward axle was found fast against the stunip of a small tree, just at the water's edge. The wagon was soon placed on terra firma, re-loaded and again the toilsome march for Harrison's taken up, where, with the aid of the hickory torch,
225
OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
they arrived near ten o'clock, P. M., all well, but very tired. The Harrisons received our pioneers very kindly and soon set before them a good, warm supper, of which the new-comers partook with the best of appetites. The supper things were set away, beds were made upon the floor and all hands retired to rest the remaining part of the night. The next day Samuel Randall moved his family effects across the river to the house of Hervey Bliss there to remain until a cabin could first be provided for his brother Isaac, and then another for himself. Meantime Isaac Randall moved his family and effects into a shanty one and a half miles down the river, which had been built and occupied the previous winter by lumbermen from Monroe, where they remained until he could, on his own land, build a cabin for himself. Assisted by his brother, the walls of a log house were soon erected and covered with shakes, which were held in place by weight-poles instead of nails, and without doors, windows or floors, his family was now-Decem- ber 1st, 1826-moved into the house. This much accomplished, Isaac, in turn, helped to build his brother's house; meantime his wife and children gathered moss and "chinked " the cracks in the walls of their house to keep out the wind, while blankets were placed over the openings for doors and windows. Hickory bed- steads were made in the usual style and filled with cords made from basswood bark. The lower floors were made by cutting logs of a suitable length, and thirteen to fifteen inches in diameter ; they were then split in halves, and with a common ax tlieir split sides were hewn to an even surface, reducing their ends to a proper thickness to be laid on sleepers; when this work was well done, a good "substantial" floor was produced, although not so smooth as if planed and matched, yet answering a good purpose. The upper floors were made of oak shakes, three feet long, four to eight inches wide and one and one-fourth inches thick. Isaac Randall made for his house, one outside door and a small table by using the boards used as a temporary box on his wagon when the first trip was made in moving from Monroe; he also made a door for the back side of his house by hewing, with a narrow ax, inch boards from basswood logs about sixteen or eighteen inches in diameter, nailing these boards to battens, which also served for a hinge on which the door turned; the latches were of wood and raised with a buckskin string. Three or four evenings after moving into this new house, a visit was received from an Indian chief named Whisney, his son, eighteen or twenty years old, accom- panying him. They brought with them a ham, taken from a deer and wanted salt in exchange for it. These were the first " children of the forest " seen since arriving. They appeared very friendly,
226
HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
and from this time, for many years they often called to barter veni- son or wild honey, for salt, corn meal, flour, and sometimes cows' milk, and tobacco. The winter of 1826-27 was remarkably mild and pleasant, but little snow falling during this and several suc- ceeding winters. In the fall of 1826, '27, and '28, cattle were driven here from Monroe, and passed the winter without feeding, there being on the river flats a sort of wild rye and wild onions, etc., on which the cattle fed, coming through the winter in good condition. Having finished their log cabins, each Randall brother, for himself, began chopping and clearing off the timber from the land in order that a quantity of corn, potatoes, and other vegetables might be planted when the proper time arrived. By the first of May, besides making two journeys to Monroe, for the purpose of getting home a part of their goods which could not be carried for want of sufficient conveyance, at the time they moved, each had about four and one-half acres of land ready for planting. This was no small job for two men, without pecuniary assistance, to perform. During the summer and autumn a fair crop of corn and potatoes had been grown and harvested, which was at least a great help toward the coming years' sustenance. These pioneers now considered themselves pretty well established in their new homes. Wild turkeys, deer and raccoon were very plenty in the forests. The deer and turkey were often killed, and made quite an item in the meat line of provisions, while the raccoon proved very annoying and destructive in corn fields, often destroying one-tenth of the crop before it could be harvested, thus entailing quite a serious loss to the pioneer. Suffice it to say, these pioneers endured all the privations and hardships, which in those days were the common lot of all making their homes in the then western country. On April 7th, 1828, Isaac Randall was elected a commissioner of highways and assisted in laying out and estab- lishing many new roads throughout the township, which at that time comprised the south one-third of Lenawee county. He was elected school inspector April 5th, 1830; again elected and served as highway commissioner from April 1st, 1832, to April 4th, 1836, when he was elected a justice of the peace for the term of four years, which he filled with credit to himself and to the entire satisfaction of all doing business with him. He had cleared up his farm and erected good frame buildings thereon, when after a short illness his wife died, April 25th, 1842, much regretted by all in her circle of acquaintance, and whose loss was severely felt by her husband and family. Mrs. Randall emigrated with her husband to the State of New York, in 1808, where she resided with him until 1826, experiencing, during that time, the privations
227
OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
and hardships so common in the settlement of a new country, and for more than a year (her husband being a prisoner of war,) sustained herself and one child (her first) by her own labor in spinning and weaving cloth for her neighbors. In 1826 she came to Michigan with her husband, helping to make for herself and family, a home in the wilderness, and undergoing the many priva- tions which the hardy pioneer must submit to before the. comforts of an old improved country are obtained. After many years of toil, and always looking forward for better times, she saw the farm cleared up and good substantial buildings erected, and herself and family moved into the new house, which was occupied by them scarce six months, when she sickened and died. She was a loving mother, a true wife; kind and obliging to her friends and neigh- bors, visiting the sick and helping the needy, and withal a christian. In 1844 Mr. Randall married a widow lady, named Hawks, of Adrian township. In 1849 he sold his farm to Richard McFarlane, and going into the town of Raisin, Michigan, he bought a small place a little north of Holloway's Corners, where he died, December 8th, 1852. Immediately after his marriage with Miss Haskell, the two united with the Wesleyan Methodist church, in which both were working members, he serving as class leader. After coming to Michigan, Mr. Randall dropped his connection with the church, yet the Bible was his book for leisure reading. As a citizen he was unobtrusive and quiet, obliging as a neighbor, honest and just in his deal. As a husband and parent he was kind and indulgent, and died regretted by all who knew him.
-
AVID WOODWARD was born in Manchester, Ontario county, New York, February 28th, 1825. His father, Lewis Woodward, was born in Manchester, Bennington county, Vermont, August 12th, 1788, where he lived until 1793, when he moved to Manchester, Ontario county, New York, where he purchased a new farm, and raised a family. He resided there until the spring of 1835, when he came to Michigan, and purchas- ed a farm on sections six and seven, in Clinton, this county, now owned by J. W. Bradner. This was a new farm and Mr. Wood-
228
HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
ward cleared and improved it, and made it one of the most desirable and productive farms in the township. He resided there until 1849, when he sold out, and purchased a farm in Bridge- water, Washtenaw county, three miles north of Clinton, and finally moved to the village of Clinton in 1867, where he died, March 11th, 1878. In January, 1824, he married Miss Mary Glimps, daughter of Benjamin Glimps, of Phelps, Ontario county, New York, by whom he had four children, David being the oldest. Mrs. Mary Woodward was born in New Jersey, April 18th, 1799, and moved to Ontario county with her parents, who were pioneers there. She died in Clinton, this county, June 27th, 1879. David Woodward lived with his parents until his twenty-fourth year. He received a common district school education, in his own town- ship. At the age of twenty-five-in 1849-he engaged in the mercantile business at Grass Lake, Jackson county, Michigan, and continued for one year. In 1850-1 he was in the daguerreotype business. In 1852 he purchased a farm in Bridgewater, Washte- naw county, where he resided until the spring of 1859, when he sold his farm, and purchased a foundry in Clinton, which he still carries on, and where he learned the moulder's trade. Although he came to Clinton in an early day, and passed through all the different phases of pioneer experience, his life has been an even and. comparatively prosperous one; being blessed with an even temper, and a happy disposition, trials and hardships were enjoyed, rather than being an annoyance to him. He has always been active and enterprising, and alive to the best interests and prosperity of his township. Although he never was an office seeker, he was, in 1853, elected justice of the peace, in Bridgewater. He always refused all offers of office in Clinton. November 17th, 1847, he married Miss Ann Caroline Larzelere, daughter of William and Mahala Larzelere, of Clinton, by whom he had one child, as fol- lows: William, born in Bridgewater, November 30th, 1858, and died in Clinton, March 2d, 1860. Mrs. Ann C. Woodward was born in Seneca county, New York, January 30th, 1828, and came to Michigan with her parents in 1836. She died in Bridgewater, December 7th, 1858. October 11th, 1859, he married Miss Lois Hemphill, daughter of Nathaniel and Jerusha Hemphill, of Franklin, this county, by whom he has had two children, as fol- lows : Frank L., born in Clinton, February 4th, 1865, at home ; Ina May, born in Clinton, August 13th, 1872, at home. Mrs. Lois Woodward was born in Malta, Saratoga county, New York, October 13th, 1834, and came to Michigan with her parents in 1836, and settled in Franklin. Her father died in 1837, and her mother died September 22d, 1849. Mr. Woodward was one of
229
OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
the victims of the grand stand, which fell during the county fair, at Adrian, October 2d, 1879, and received painful injuries about the head and neck.
-0.
HARLES L. THOMAS was born in Pennfield, Ontario county, New York, June 21st, 1814. His father, Ransom Thomas, was born in Connecticut, December 31st, 1787, and moved to Saratoga, New York, with his parents, when he was a child, where he lived until he was about twenty-five years old, when he moved to Ontario county, and purchased a farm. He lived there about twelve years, and sold out, and moved to Orleans county, and purchased a farm. He lived there until 1833 when he came to Michigan, and settled in Adrian township, this county, where he died in 1850. In 1810 he married Miss Katie Cure, daugh- ter of John and Eleanor Cure, of Saratoga, New York, by whom he had nine children, Charles L. being the third child. Mrs. Katie Thomas was born in the State of New York, near the Hudson river, in 1792, and died in Adrian, in 1865. Charles L. Thomas lived with his parents until he was twenty-three years old, and was brought up a farmer. His education consisted of what he could learn in a country district school, during the winter seasons. He came to Michigan with his parents, in 1833, in his twentieth year. In 1837 he purchased eighty acres of land on section nine- teen, in Adrian. This was a new farm, and he commenced by clearing a spot large enough to erect a log house. He, with his young wife, moved into it, and commenced the battle of life. He soon cleared enough to get in some crops, and in the course of a few years, had a good, productive farm. He afterwards added eighty acres more new land to his first purchase, and erected a good house, barns, etc. He was a thrifty, enterprising farmer ; a man of good judgment, a careful calculator, and a successful, hon- orable, prominent citizen of his township. He always followed farming, never attempting any speculation, or scheme by which he might make money, but gloried in his calling, and was satisfied with what he could make off his farm, in a legitimate way. He was a good neighbor, and friend, professing nothing, but made a strong distinction between right and wrong, and aimed to do the right thing under all circumstances. For about five years he suffer- ed greatly with neuralgia, and finally, June 14th, 1876, died with
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.