USA > Michigan > Lenawee County > History and biographical record of Lenawee County, Michigan, Volume I > Part 32
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
accumulated a competency, and died May 1st, 1860. Elizabeth, his wife, died March 20th, 1863. Guy Carpenter attended school at St. Lawrence academy, where he acquired a knowledge of the higher mathematics and fitted himself for civil engineering, and on the 4th day of November, 1830, started from his home to seek his fortune, in the wilds of Michigan. He came by water from Ogdensburg to Lewiston, at the outlet of Niagara river, visited the falls and went thence to Detroit by schooner, where he ar- rived November 12th. During the winter of 1830-31 he taught a district school, in the township of Saline, and in the spring and summer of 1831, worked on a farm in Raisinville, Monroe county; 1832 he purchased a farm in Blissfield, (now Palmyra,) near the village. In the winter of 1832-3 he sold out and pur- chased a farm near Kedzie's grove, near the present village of Deerfield. Late in the fall of 1833 he re-visited his home in St. Lawrence county, New York, and on May 2d, 1834, was mar- ried to Lucinda Levings, widow of Edward Levings, of Madrid, in said county, and daughter of Solomon Stone, of that town. Returning at once with his wife to his farm in Michigan, he worked at farming till the fall of 1835, when he removed to the present village of Blissfield and went into the mercantile business, and was successively the senior partner of the firms of Carpenter & Bailey, Carpenter & Stacy, and Carpenter & Pratt, till the fall of 1838, when he formed, with his brother, David Carpenter, the firm of G. & D. Carpenter, in the same business, which was suc- cessfully prosecuted till his death, which occurred June 18th, 1849. He held the office of supervisor of Blissfield; many times was a justice of the peace, county commissioner, and was a member of the Lower House of the State Legislature in 1843. He was an anti-slavery Democrat in politics, well read and posted in all political matters and his influence was widely felt in the politics of this county. Mr. Carpenter was a man of great energy in business enterprises, and to him more than to any other man, is due our State laws for the drainage of swamps, marshes, and other low lands. He was the first man to see the necessity for such a law, and him- self, assisted by Hon. Henry Wyman, his brother-in-law, and Joel Carpenter, his brother, both of Blissfield, drafted the first drain law that ever passed in the State. This was in 1845, at which time Dr. Wyman was a member of the State Legislature and secured the passage of the law. It only applied to six townships in the southern part of Lenawee county. Mr. Carpenter, for his great benevolence, kindness of heart and charity to the poor and needy, has left a memory fragrant with love in the hearts of all who knew him.
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
ON. FERNANDO C. BEAMAN was born in Chester, Windsor county, Vermont, June 28th. 1814. His father, Joshua Beaman, was born in Lancaster, Massachusetts, and was baptized March 12th, 1769. Joshua Beaman was the descend- ant of Gamaliel Beaman, who settled in Dorchester, Massachusetts, with his parents, when twelve years of age, in 1635, but removed to Lancaster, the same State, in 1659. He had eight children, four sons and four daughters. Elijah Beaman was the son of John Beaman, who represented the third generation from Gamaliel Beaman, and was born October 10th, 1736, at Lancaster, Massa- chusetts. He married Miss Thankful Nichols, of the same place, in 1759. Joshua Beaman was a son of Elijah and Thankful Bea- man, who were Fernando C. Beaman's grandparents. Joshua Beaman lived in Lancaster, Massachusetts, until 1787, when he was called out by the government, to assist in quelling Shay's rebellion, soon after which he moved to Chester, Vermont. He resided in Chester until about 1819, when he removed to Chateau- gay, Franklin county, New York, and purchased a farm, where he died, April 26th, 1829. About the year 1791 Joshua Beaman Married Miss Hannah Olcott, daughter of Timothy Olcott and Hannah Chandler, by whom he had fourteen children, Fernando C. being the sixth son and twelfth child. Mrs. Hannah Beaman was born in Windsor county, Vermont, in 1773, and died in Chateaugay, New York, March 19th, 1829. Fernando C. Bea- man lived at home until the death of his parents, which occurred in his fifteenth year. At that time he had received a good com- mon school education, afterwards working himself through Frank- lin Academy, of Malone, New York, teaching school seven winters and three summers. He went to Rochester in 1836, and in the following year entered the law office of Haight & Elwood, subse- quently reading, also, with Wm. S. Bishop, a prominent member of the bar of that city. In 1838 he came to Michigan, and early in 1839 was admitted to the bar in Lenawee county, and first set- tled in Manchester, now in Washtenaw county, where he entered upon the practice of his profession. Later in the same year he moved to Tecumseh, and formed a partnership with Hon. Consider A. Stacy. In 1843 Mr. Beaman was appointed prosecuting attor- ney of Lenawee county, by Gov. Barry, and removed to Adrian, the county seat, where he has ever since resided. He was twice re-appointed to this position, holding it for six years. During this time he formed a law partnership with the Hon. A. R. Tiffany, and later he became a member of the law firm of Beaman, Beecher and Cooley, composed of himself, the late Hon. Robert R. Beecher, and the Hon. Thomas M. Cooley, one of the present Justices of
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the Supreme Court. Subseqeuntly Judge Cooley dropped out of the firm, the remaining members continuing until after Mr. Bea- man's election, in 1856, as judge of probate for Lenawee county, which office he held for one term. In 1871, soon after retiring for the first time to private life, he was appointed judge of probate again, to fill a vacancy caused by the death of Judge Beecher, and in 1872 and 1876 was re-elected to the same office. In early life Mr. Beaman was a Democrat, of the liberal sort, and afterwards, in 1848, became a Free Soiler, and made a vigorous canvass of Lenawee county, in favor of Van Buren and Adams, the presiden- tial candidates of the party. In 1854 he attended the Jackson convention, which organized the Republican party, in Michigan, and was one of the vice presidents of that assembly. He was also a delegate to the National convention, at Pittsburg, which met for consultation, and paved the way for the organization of the Repub- licans as a National party. The same year he served as one of the presidential electors for this State, casting his vote for Fremont and Dayton. In 1856 he was also a delegate to the Philadelphia convention, which nominated Fremont and Dayton. In 1860 Judge Beaman was elected to Congress, in the Second district, com- prising Monroe, Lenawee, Cass, Hillsdale, Branch, and St. Joseph counties, receiving 19,173 votes against 12,699 cast for the Hon. S. C. Coffinberry of St. Joseph. For four succeeding and consecutive terms was he re-elected In 1862 the district was changed, Branch St. Joseph and Cass being detached from it, and Wayne added. This was the year when the " Union " movement came so near sweep- ing the Republicans from their footings, and Judge Beaman only won by one hundred and ninety-two majority over Hon. E. J. Penniman, of Plymouth. In 1864 he defeated the Hon. David A. Noble, of Monroe, in the same district, by 2,314 majority ; in 1866 he was elected over the Hon. J. Logan Chipman, by 3,876 majority, and in 1868 was chosen over the Hon. M. I. Mills, by 1,602 majority. In none of these years had Judge Beaman sought the nomination. Of the nominating convention which convened at Monroe to nominate Mr. Beaman's successor, in 1871, J. Fred Meyers, editor of the Dennison, Iowa, Review, who attended the convention, says :
" The Wayne delegation didn't want any change, and urged the Lenawee county delegation to unite with them, (they having a majority over Hillsdale and Monroe counties,) to secure Mr. Beaman's nomination, but Mr. B. stood by his previous declaration. When meeting him subse- quently, we reported that if he had only given the word, he would have been certainly and eagerly nominated. To this he replied, that all public men wear out, sooner or later, and that it is the part of wisdom to retire while the public yet desired their services, and not to wait until their welcome was worn
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
out. He felt that ten years of Congressional life was enough for him, and that he ought to retire voluntarily, and not wait defeat either before a convention or be- fore the people."
In May, 1872, he was elected president of the First National Bank, of Adrian, and held the position until the bank went into voluntary liquidation. November 13th, 1879, Mr. Beaman was appointed, by Gov. Croswell, to the exalted office of United States Senator, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Hon. Zachariah Chandler, but owing to ill health, did not accept the position al- though it wys one of the highest encomiums to his ability, fidelity, and personal worth that could be tendered him, coming, as it did, unsought and unexpected. This is not the first time he declined to accept high official stations. Gov. Kinsley S. Bingham tender- ed him the appointment of Justice of the Supreme Court, to fill a vacancy on the bench, which Mr. Beaman declined. When Sen- ator Chandler was Secretary of the Interior, he tendered Judge Beaman the position of Commissioner of Indian Affairs which was also declined. May 10th, 1841, Mr. Beaman married Miss Mary Goodrich, daughter of Ira and Fear Goodrich, of Brockport, New York, by whom he has had three children, as fol- lows : Mary A., born in Clinton, this county, March 4th, 1842, now the wife of Rienzi H. Baker ; Elwood C., born in Adrian, March 12th, 1845, died July 5th, 1846; Roscoe W., born in Adrian, July 18th, 1847, died in Chicago, August 31st, 1877. Mrs. Mary Beaman was born in Granville, Washington county, New York, March 16th, 1818. Her father was a native of Owego, New York, and died in Rochester, New York, in 1825. Her mother was a native of Vermont, and died at Brockport, New York, in 1851.
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ENSSELAER W. INGALLS was born in Middlefield, Ot- sego county, New York, in 1809, receiving a common school education, and graduating in the printing office of H. and E. Phinney, book publishers, in the village of Coopers- town, New York. In April, 1830, he engaged his services to William Hewes, publisher of a newspaper in Potsdam, St. Law- rence county, New York, remaining with him until the fall of 1831, when he purchased an interest in the St. Lawrence Republican,
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
printed at Canton, subsequently selling out to the Hon. Preston King, of Ogdensburgh, who moved the establishment to that place where it was republished, retaining the original name. In the spring of 1832, he engaged with William Williams, book publish- er, at Utica, New York, and on the 2d of September following, was married to Asenath, daughter of Silas Coburn, Esq., of Utica. In the fall of 1834 he moved to Adrian, Michigan, where lie com- menced the publication of the Adrian Gazette and Lenawee County Republican. The first number was issued October 22d, 1834, it being the first paper published in Lenawee county, and was neutral in politics, but subsequently, however, he changed its name to the Adrian Watch Tower, advocating Jacksonian Democracy. In 1849 he was elected, by the suffrages of the people of Michigan, State Printer, commencing the duties of the office at Lansing, the 1st of January, 1850, continuing to perform the same for four years, when he returned to Adrian, again taking charge of the Watch- Tower, in which position he remained until 1864, when he disposed of the establishment to Champion, Applegate & Larwill, having conducted its publication for thirty consecutive years. He then retired to his Dairy Brook Lodge farm, in the township of Dover, this county, where he remained until 1874, when he returned to the city of Adrian and engaged in the crockery trade, where he now resides. Asenath Coburn, wife of R. W. Ingalls, was born in Utica, New York, August 16th, 1818, and died in the city of Adrian, March 20th, 1855, leaving four children, as follows: Frances Maria, born August 20th, 1837, married to George L. Bid- well, June 15th, 1855, now residing in Adrian; Sarah Eliza- beth, born August 17th, 1842, married to George C. Gantley, Sep- tember 1st, 1857, now resides in New York city ; Rensselaer W., Jr., born November 1st, 1848, and resides in Adrian ; Ada Louise, born August 30th, 1851, and married to Charles L. Betts, March 30th, 1876, and resides in Chicago. Mr. Ingalls was again married, May 8th, 1856, to Mary S., adopted daughter of Ralph Waldby. She was born in Cooperstown, Otsego county, New York, April 18th, 1822, and by this union two children were born to them. Mary Waldby, born September 19th, 1861, and George Bidwell, born April 14th 1866, now at home. Ebenezer Ingalls, father of the subject of this biography, was born in Cheshire, Mass- achusetts, in 1785, and moved with his parents to Cooperstown, Otsego county, New York, while he was in his minority. Ruth Driggs, consort of Ebenezer Ingalls, was born in what was known as Oblong, Columbia county, New York, August 16th, 1787, came to Middlefield, Otsego county, New York, with her parents in 1802, and was married in 1804, She lived with her husband, at
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
that place, until 1855, when they took up their abode in Adrian, where he died in 1857, but his venerated companion still survives at the advanced age of ninety-two years. Forty-five years ago the 15th of June, 1834, R. W. Ingalls sailed from the harbor of Buffalo, on board the steamer New York, in search of a home in the wilds of Michigan. While on the passage, one of the most fearful and disheartening gales that was ever encountered on Lake Erie was his to witness. It most assuredly proved quite a serious novelty to those who were thus being initiated into its mysteries. After enduring the stress of weather for several days and nights, he arrived at Detroit, and being eager to gain the objective point of his journey, got astride an Indian pony and wended his way through the low, heavily timbered land, lying between Detroit and Ypsilanti, sweltering in an atmosphere heated to a degree which became almost insufferable, the sun's rays pouring between the tops of the tall trees, rendering locomotion for man or beast almost intolerable. But emerging from the timbered land, and gaining the oak openings, a most delightful view presented itself that no one but the early pioneers of Michigan can appreciate. The earth was covered with a verdant carpet of flowers, in comparison with which no artist could paint a landscape so beautiful. The season of the year and surroundings were most propitious to impress one with a love for the country. There was, however, but one road, if it could be called such, leading to the prospective city of Adrian ; the others were indicated by blazed trees, or the Indian trail. On arriving at Adrian he found the people friendly and hospitable, ever ready to share their blessings with those of their neighbors less favored. Since that period, time has been on the wing, and in its evolutions has built up and destroyed, and the primitive settler becomes amazed in contemplating the obliteration of the early land-marks that were, in times past, his guide while travel- ing on the way. And yet, in the midst of all the privations of a pioneer's life, and the afflictions the early settler was compelled to endure in the process of acclimation, the memory of the Eden-like beauty of that charming sight, with its emerald foliage and flowery verdure, solaced all sorrows, and mitigated in a great degree the tribulation that encompassed their career.
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ENJAMIN BEEVERS was born in Yorkshire, England, November 23d, 1811. His father, Benjamin Beevers, was born in Cowick, near Snaith, Yorkshire, England. In his younger days he was a laboring man, but later in life, became a 41
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
farmer, and owned several teams of horses, which he worked on the canal between Gool and Wakefield. He always lived in York- shire, and was a man well known there for his honesty and industry. He married Miss Mary Killenbeck, of Gowdle, near Snaith, Yorkshire, by whom he had nine children, five sons and four daughters, Benjamin being the fifth son and eighth child. Four of the family came to America, three of whom live near St. Mary's, Canada. Mr. Beevers died at his home in Yorkshire, in 1861. Mrs. Mary Beevers was born at Gowdle, Yorkshire, and died there in 1863. Benjamin Beevers, the subject of this sketch, was brought up in Yorkshire, and lived at home until he was thirteen years old, when he was apprenticed to the carpenter's trade for seven years, at Thorn, in Yorkshire. At the expiration of the seven years he set up for himself at Cowick, where he car- ried on business for seven years, when his father retired from labor and Benjamin took the farm and worked it until August, 1846, when he emigrated to America with his family, and came directly to Ridgeway, where Mrs. Beevers had relatives. He at once purchased a farm of Charles Strong, it being the e. } of the n. e. 4, and the n. e. ¿ of the s. e. 4, of section 12, in Raisin. It was a new farm at that time, with a log house and a frame barn. Since that time Mr. Beevers has erected a large brick house and four barns, set out a large orchard of choice fruit, and now has a well fenced and productive farm. Since his first purchase in 1846, he has added to his farm and now owns the e. } of the n. e. ¿ of section 18, in Ridgeway. This was new land also, when he pur- chased it, but he now has thirty acres of it under cultivation. In 1839 he married Miss Ann Hardin, of Sykehouse, Yorkshire, by whom he had one daughter: Mary Ann, born in Cowick, November 23d, 1841, was the wife of Charles Cox, of Ridgeway, and died August 13th, 1866. Mrs. Ann Beevers was born at Sykehouse, Yorkshire, in 1815, and died at Cowick, in 1843. February 12th, 1845, he married Miss Elizabeth Lee, daughter of Robert and Elizabeth Lee, of Sykehouse, Yorkshire, by whom he has had twelve children, as follows: William, born in Cowick, Yorkshire, England, November 5th, 1846, a farmer of Ridgeway; Ann Elizabeth, born in Raisin, July 19th, 1849, wife of Stephen Ball, of Ridgeway; Sarah, born in Raisin, May 6th, 1851, wife of Charles DuBois, of Ridgeway ; Hannah, born in Raisin, January 10th, 1855, wife of John Stone, of Hillsdale, Michigan; George S., born in Raisin, August 23d, 1856, a farmer of Raisin; Jane, born in Raisin, July 16th, 1857, at home; Capitola, born in Raisin, April 13th, 1859, wife of David Boyd, of Clinton ; Harriet E., born in Raisin, July 8th, 1862, at home; Leona, born
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
in Raisin, November 15th, 1869, at home. Three children died in infancy. Mrs. Elizabeth Beevers was born in Sykehouse, York- shire, England, February 12th, 1823. Her father was born in Syke- house, in 1783, and died there December 19th, 1865. Her mother was born in Sykehouse, in 1782, and was living there at last accounts.
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TILLIAM STILL was born in Ulster county, New York, November 28th, 1830. His father, James Still, was born in the same county, January 13th, 1801, and was a black- smith by trade. He was a resident of New York city at one time, and worked at his trade in Poughkeepsie, New York, and came to Michigan in 1834, settling in the town of Palmyra, Lenawee county, where he took up eighty acres of government land. He lived on his land but a short time, when he sold it and opened a black- smith shop in Palmyra village, and did the iron work on the old Palmyra grist-mill. He did the work on several other mills in the county, in an early day. About the year 1838 he purchased the e. ¿ of the n. e. ¿ of section 30, in Palmyra. This was a new farm, with only a log house on it at that time. He moved upon this land, improved it, and built good buildings, before his death, which occurred March 5th, 1863. In October, 1829, he married Miss Elizabeth Tompkins, of Ulster county, New York, by whom he had eleven children, William being the oldest. Mrs. Elizabeth Still was born in Ulster county, New York, December 18th, 1803, and died in Raisin, this county, June 29th, 1869. William Still was brought up a farmer, and has always followed that occupation. His education was limited; he left home when he was about four- teen years old, since which time he has always attended to his own affairs. In January, 1850, he went to California, sailing from New York on the ship "Saratoga," and went "round the Horn," being six months in making the voyage. He remained there until the spring of 1853, when he returned home. After remaining here about four months, he again returned to California, this time by the Nicaragua route, making the trip in about thirty days. In the spring of 1858 he again came home. In the spring of 1859 he was attacked with the "Pike's Peak fever," and started from Pal- myra on the 14th of March, driving his team as far as Fort Camey, when the reports from the mines did not suit him, and he turned
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
about and drove back, arriving home the 14th day of June following, with the same team he started with, and they did good work on the farm for several years afterwards. December 8th, 1858, he married Miss May Baker, daughter of Thomas and Sarah Baker, of Madison, this county, by whom he has had three chil- dren, as follows : William E. D., born March 16th, 1865, at home ; Mary E., born September 15th, 1867, died February 9th, 1870 ; Ethel M., born September 19th, 1870, at home. Mrs. Mary Still was born in Ifield, Sussex county, England, December 25th, 1832, and came to America with her parents in 1834. Her father, Thomas Baker, was born in Shipley, Sussex, England, December 21st, 1792, and died in Madison, this county, September 3d, 1858. Her mother, Mrs. Sarah Baker, was born in Charlwood, Surry, England, October 7th, 1799, now living with her daughter, Mrs. Still, in Palmyra. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Baker settled in Lena- wee county in 1835, on the land now occupied by Oakwood ceme- tery. That year he took up land on section twenty-four, in Madi- son, where he lived until his death. William Still now owns and occupies his father's old homestead in Palmyra.
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AMES R. CAIRNS was born at Seneca Falls, Seneca county, New York, August 28th, 1832. His father, William Cairns, was of Scotch descent, and was a pioneer of Seneca county, and cleared up a farm there. His mother was Miss Abigail Wil- son, of New Jersey. William Cairns was married to Miss Abi- gail Wilson, by whom he had eleven children, seven sons and four daughters, only five of whom are now living. In 1836 Mr. Cairns emigrated to Michigan and settled in the township of Tecumseh, where he died in 1840. Mrs. Cairns died in January, 1877, at the age of eighty-three, in the full vigor of her mind. James R. Cairns, at the age of sixteen, went to learn the carpenter and joiner's trade, and followed it for a business until 1862. August 19th, 1857, he married Miss Emily A. Greenleaf, daughter, of John Greenleaf, of Cambridge township, Lenawee county, a pioneer of this county, by whom he has had eight children, as follows : Jennie A., Arthur W., Ellsworth W., one infant son, Nora Dell, and Dora Bell, (twin sisters,) Florence H., and Sadie, three of whom are dead. In the fall of 1862 J. R. Cairns, with
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Samuel Morey, raised a company and went into the 9th Michigan cavalry, and served through the war of the Rebellion. He went out as First Lieutenant, and was afterwards promoted to Captain. This regiment was first assigned to General Coleman's department of the Ohio, where they participated in the Morgan raid. During this raid, at Buffington's Island, on the Ohio side of the river, Lieutenant Cairns created a great excitement by marching Colonel Basil Duke and Colonel Dewitt Howard Smith, with about one hundred men, into camp. The only men with the Lieutenant at the time were Sergeants Doke and Burnett. In 1863 the regiment was assigned to Burnside's department, and participated in the East Tennessee campaign, and was in all the battles of East Ten- nesse during the winters of 1863 and 1864, the regiment being reduced in the spring of 1864 to 180 men. His commission as Captain is dated. March 15th, 1864. During this winter the regiment suffered terribly from exposure and disease, and Captain Cairns did not escape. He was attacked with rheumatic fever and other diseases that disabled him, and he was honorably discharged, January 26th, 1865, a few months before peace was declared. He was appointed deputy sheriff under William R. Tayer, in 1871, and served two years. In 1873 he was again appointed a deputy under John G. Mason, and served two years. He was elected sheriff of Lenawee county in 1876, and re-elected in 1878, his term expiring December 31st, 1880. Mr. Cairns has filled the office, to which the people have twice elected him, with honor to himself and to the satisfaction of the entire county.
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