USA > Michigan > Lenawee County > History and biographical record of Lenawee County, Michigan, Volume I > Part 37
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
county, when Isabella was but three years old. She lived there until she was about twenty-three years of age, when her parents moved into Walworth, an adjoining town, where she was married, and the next year moved to Michigan. Mrs. Clark, by her econo- my, and attention to the interests of her home and family, is deserving of at least, her share of credit, for the success of her husband in business. During the war of the Rebellion she was an active worker in the Ladies Aid Society, devoting much time and money in that patriotic cause. She has also been an active and judicious worker in the cause of temperance, and a liberal donor to the church, which has not been entirely confined to the one of which she is a member. She devoted much time and means to the Orphans' Home, which was afterwards located at Coldwater, having been treasurer of that society for three years. The last year the society was held in Adrian, she was its president. Elihu L. Clark has been identified with the business of Adrian for a long time, where he accumulated nearly all of his immense fortune, which is by far the largest of any in the county, if not in Southern Michigan. He was elected to the Michigan Legislature in the year 1848, and served one term. When the Lenawee County Savings Bank was organized, he was elected president of the institution, and served in that capacity for several years, and resigned in consequence of poor health. Mr. Clark's grand-parents were in the Revolutionary war, and served all through that eventful period, which, after seven years of struggle, privation, and hardship, resulted in victory from oppression.
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USTIN S. WILCOX was born in Saybrook, Middlesex county, Connecticut, April 22d, 1812. His father, Capt. Austin Wilcox, son of Edmond Wilcox and Elizabeth Scranton, was born in Madison, Connecticut, August 28th, 1779. He learned the blacksmiths trade, and resided in Westbrook, Con- necticut,until May 21st, 1815, when he went to Bergen, Genesee county, New York. At Bergen he carried on a blacksmith shop and a farm, but afterwards kept a public house, and was for seve- ral years postmaster of the village. He was a prominent and active man, and died in Bergen, August 18th, 1856. March 27th, 1805, he married Miss Clarissa Nettleton, daughter of Ezra Net- tleton and Damaris Seward, by whom he had eight children, three
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
sons, Austin Scranton, William Seward, Henry Hamilton, all of whom now reside in Adrian. There were five daughters, all of whom are now dead except Mrs. Harriet Church, widow of Sam- uel Church, of Bergen, New York, where she now resides. Mrs. Clarissa Wilcox died in Bergen, June 10th, 1829. Austin S. Wilcox lived with his father until he was twenty one, and was always a farmer, having a natural taste for that business. He came to Michigan in the fall of 1837, and immediately purchased of Luke K. Bennett, 80 acres of land on section 31, in the town- ship of Adrian, with a log house, and ten or twelve acres cleared. He has lived upon this land ever since, and has added to the origi- nal purchase until now he has 186 acres well improved, with good buildings. The farm is situated in the south-west corner of the township of Adrian, on the south side of the old Territorial road, better known as the Plank road, four miles west of the city of Adrian. April 1st, 1836, he married Miss Hannah Bodwell, daughter of William Bodwell, of Bergen, New York, by whom he has had nine children, seven sons and two daughters, as follows : Homer A., died in infancy ; Henry N., of Detroit, born October 22d, 1839 ; Sarah F., born June 2d, 1842, at home; Theodore H., died at the age of six years; Louisa E., born January 29th, 1847, wife of Wm. S. Knapp, of Topeka, Kansas; William S., died at the age of 12 years; Herbert A., born May 15th, 1854, at home; Lewis T., died in infancy; Ira Bidwell, at home, born December 11th, 1857. Mrs. Austin S. Wilcox was born in Verona, Oneida county, New Yrok, November 21st, 1815. She is a sister of the late Justus H. Bodwell, an old and prominent merchant of Adrian, who died suddenly in 1864. Mr. Wilcox has always been a farmer, and has given his attention exclusively to that business, never hav- ing held any office, but has always voted the Democratic ticket. When young, he was quite a military man, having risen from a private in the ranks to captain, of a company in the New York State militia.
ON. JOHN K. BOIES was born in Blandford, Hampden county, Massachusetts, December 6th, 1828. His father, Lemuel Boies, was born in the same place in 1787, and lived and died in Blandford. His father, David Boies, also lived in Blandford, where he was a farmer, and raised a family
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of seven sons and two daughters; among these sons were two eminent clergymen, one eminent lawyer and judge, the balance being farmers, and quite prosperous for tillers of the soil in a mountainous country. The ancestors of the Boies family were French Huguenots, and came to America from France at the time of the persecution. At that time the name was DeBoies, but the "De" was afterwards dropped. Samuel Boies was a farmer of Blandford, and about the year 1813 married Miss Experience Keef, daughter of Samuel Keef, of Long Meadow, Mass., by whom he had three sons, John K. Boies, the subject of this sketch, being the youngest. Mrs. Experience Boies was born in Long Meadow, in 1789. She was the youngest of a family of eight children, her par- ents being Puritans, and her ancestors, for several generations, lived in New England. Her brother, Rev. John Keef, was an eminent divine in Western New York and Northern Ohio, and was one of the founders of Oberlin college, and a Birney abolitionist. Her parents lived and died on their old homestead in Long Meadow. John K. Boies lived on the mountain farm in Bland- ford until he was about four years old, when his father died. The farm was soon after sold, and his mother moved to Westfield, Massachusetts, in the Connecticut river valley. Here John K. was educated in the Westfield academy, and lived until he was seventeen years old. After he was fourteen years old he com- menced working on farms during the summer, and going to school winters, until the spring of 1845, when he came to Oberlin, Ohio, to attend the college there, intending, ultimately, to study law. He entered the college at the spring term and continued until the following December vacation, when he came to Hudson, this county, where his brother, Henry M., was then engaged in merchandizing, arriving in December, 1845. The village of Hudson was then just developing into a business point, and as Henry M. Boies was one of the principal merchants of the village, John K. found employment with him, his plans for the future being changed, and as a business life seemed to be somewhat congenial to him, he remained with his brother until he was twenty-one, when he formed a partnership with him, the firm being then known as H. M. Boies & Brother, and subsequently as Boies & Bro. This firm continued until about the year 1857, when they sold out to a "stock store company," or farmers co- operative organization. In 1855 Boies & Bro. built a three story brick building on the corner of Main and Church streets, 24x85 feet, which has since been extended fifteen feet. In 1858 J. K. Boies & Co. bought out the "stock store" and resumed business at the old corner and have carried it on ever since. During the
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
past twenty years this firm has done an extensive business, the largest sales of any one year being as high as $160,000. They have always been heavy dealers in grain, wool, pork, and all kinds of farmers' produce, doing a business some years exceeding $300,000, in these commodities. In 1855 the banking firm of Boies, Rude & Co. was established, the partners being H. M. Boies, Nathan Rude, now deceased, and J. K. Boies. This busi- ness has been continued ever since, the firm now being Boies & Co. J. K. Boies has been a director of the Michigan State Insur- ance Company, of Adrian, for the past ten years, and has always been an active business man. At one time he and his brother, Henry M., were largely interested in farming lands in Lenawee and Hillsdale counties; also in unimproved pine and farming lands in the western and northern part of the State. One of their operations in this line was the purchase of 10,000 acres of State lands, which have mostly been disposed of, settled upon and improved. John K. now has a fine farm three miles north of Hudson, which he carries on and devotes considerable attention to. In 1863 he was elected president of the village of Hudson, and re-elected to the same position in 1867. In 1864 he was elected a member of the House of Representatives of the Michigan Leg- islature, and was re-elected in 1866, when he was chairman of the committee on banks and incorporations. In 1868 he was elected to the State Senate, and re-elected in 1874, and during both terms was chairman of the finance committee. During the last term he was president pro tempore of the Senate. He was for four years a member of the Republican State Central Committee. In 1871 he was appointed, by Governor Baldwin, a member of the State board of control of Railroads, which position he held four years. He has been twice chosen as president of Republican State con- ventions. He served six years as a trustee of the public schools of Hudson, and has for many years been a trustee of the Congrega- tional church. October 22d, 1852, he married Miss Sarah Amelia Spear, of Hudson, by whom he had three children, as follows : Eva A., born November 4th, 1853, now the wife of Frederick A. Wing, of Galesburgh, Michigan -; Clara E., born July 16th, 1857, now the wife of Herman V. C. Hart, of Adrian; John Henry, born July 16th, 1864; at home. Mrs. Sarah A. Boies was born in Palmyra, New York, November 26th, 1831, and died in Hud- son, January 5th, 1870. August 26th, 1875, he married Miss Mary Colton, daughter of Rev. T. G. and Jane Colton, of Hudson. She was born in North Haven, Connecticut, September 23d, 1850.
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
TEPHEN C. BAKER, now a resident of Ogden, came to Michigan in May, 1832, with his uncle, David Baker, from Churchville, Monroe county, New York, where he was born, March 26th, 1822, and where his parents always resided. His father, Stephen Baker, was born April 14th, 1788, and on the 14th of April, 1808, he married Miss Abigail Sherman, who was born April 2d, 1791. They resided at Churchville upon a farm until their death, Mr. Baker dying April 1st, 1825, and Mrs. Baker survived him but three years, dying in April, 1828. Both were members of the society of Friends, and greatly esteemed. The subject of this sketch was but a boy of ten when he reached Adrian, and his life was a busy one from the outset. He always worked upon a farm, and most of his time was spent, during 1834-5, in piloting land viewers, and in this work he experienced all the rigors of a pioneer life. He used to make the trip from Phillips' Corners to Sylvania two or three times a week, as many of those looking up land, wished to get to Monroe without coming back to Adrian. One night he camped out on Bear Creek, near Metamora, with seven Indians, and with no white person within four miles of him. When he was about twenty-two years of age he purchased a farm of eighty acres in Fairfield, and since then has several times bought and sold farms, his last purchase being on section seven, in Ogden, where he now resides, having lived there about twelve years. November 21st, 1844, he married Miss Elsie Jane Northrup, at Fairfield, Elder John J. Carpenter officiating. Mrs. Elsie Baker was born September 12th, 1823, near Seneca Lake, in the State of New York, and came to Michi- gan in 1832, with her parents, Stephen and Phebe Northrup, who settled in Fairfield. Her father was born July 25th, 1783, and died in Fairfield May 15th, 1857. Her mother was Phebe Clark, born May 28th, 1796, and still lives in Fairfield, being the recipi- ent of a pension for services rendered in the war of 1812, by her husband. Mrs. Baker died at Fairfield, January 8th, 1862, and was the mother of nine children, as follows: Silas C., born September 4th, 1845, now a farmer of Fairfield; Nathan A., born February 18th, 1847, now a carpenter and joiner, residing at Grand Rapids, in this State; Phebe M., born July 28th, 1848, died March 18th, 1850; Andrew S., born January 21st, 1850, died in infancy ; Phebe Jane, born August 21st, 1852, now the wife of William T. Wilson, a farmer of Madison; Mary M., born July 27th, 1854, now the wife of John Stumbaugh, of Madison ; Charlotte A., born November 23d, 1856, now the wife of Henry Coller, a farmer of Ogden; Della Ann, born November 13th, 1858, now the wife of Frank Goodsell, a farmer of Ogden;
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Stephen Dwight, born August 4th, 1860, now at home. Mr. Baker, on the 20th, day of March, 1862, married Miss Huldah E. Jordan, who was born in Royalton, Lucas county, Ohio, October 19th. 1837, and was the daughter of Henry C., and Louisa Jordan. Her father was born in Chester, Vermont, March 7th, 1812, and her mother, Louisa Brown, was born in Palmyra, New York, March 25th, 1815. Her parents were married January 1st, 1835, at Tecumseh, Michigan. Mrs. Huldah Baker, while residing upon the same farm, has lived in three towns, two coun- ties, and two States, the farm being a part of the disputed territory between Michigan and Ohio. By his second marriage Mr. Baker has four children, as follows: Alzada L., born June 18th, 1863; Joseph C., born September 4th, 1866; Darius C., born July 29th, 1869; Hattie R., born October 5th, 1873. These children now live at home with their parents. Mr. Baker now owns a fine farm of one hundred and eighteen acres, with good buildings and modern improvements, and is himself in the prime and vigor of his manhood. He is an energetic man, and devotes himself to his farm, which he manages successfully. He is a man of good judg- ment, and has frequently served as juror, both in the United States court at Detroit and in the Lenawee county circuit court. In politics he has always been an earnest, consistent Democrat.
OHN SAGE was born in Middlesex county, Connecticut, March 10th, 1805. His father, James Sage, was probably born in Connecticut, and was a shoemaker. About the year 1798, he married Miss Sarah Fowler, daughter of Gerdian Fowler, of Connecticut, by whom he had four children, John being the youngest. Mrs. Sarah Sage died in 1806, in Connecticut. James Sage was married a second time to Miss Anna Ackley, of Connecticut, and afterwards moved to Warren, Trumbull county, Ohio, where they both died. John Sage lived at home until he was eight years old, when his father bound him out to Daniel Bigelow, a neighbor, until he was twenty-one. His mother died when he was but one year old. When he was twelve years old, in 1816, Mr. Bigelow died, and John was transferred to his son, Epaphroditus Bigelow, who lived in Geneseo, Livingston county, New York, where lived until he was twenty-one. After this time he worked by the month for about five years, until the spring of 1831, when he came to Michigan and settled in Macon, this county, and took up the e. } of the n. w. 4, and the w. ¿ of the n. e. 4 of
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section 9. He was obliged to cut a road through from Penning- ton's farm about 14 miles, to get his team through to his land. His nearest neighbor was Dr. Joseph Howell, over one-half mile west. There were no settlers or roads for twenty miles east. Mr. Sage immediately erected a log house and commenced work upon his future farm home, full of hope and anticipation. He says that it requires a young man (without family or dear friends dependent, to spur him on) with a strong will and undaunted courage, to go into the woods alone, and "start in" with the idea that some day, if he lives, he will have a farm. He remembers the early days of his settlement in Macon with pleasure, and looks back with pride and satisfaction, to the time when he cut the first tree and planted the first vegetable. He has never met with any very hard experi- ence, and his life has been a comparatively even and pleasant one, flavored with any amount of hard labor, and some sickness. Octo- ber 24th, 1833 he married Miss Hannah Marshall, daughter of Joseph and Sarah Marshall, of Livonia, Livingston county, New York, by whom he had seven children, as follows: Milan S., born October 3d, 1834, owns a saw mill and brick and tile yard at Pen- nington's Corners, Macon ; Sarah, born December 26th, 1835, wife of Duncan Robison, of Saline, Washtenaw county. She died February 22d, 1872. Revilo, born March 8th, 1838, was a mem- ber of Company D. 3d Michigan Cavalry, in the war of the Re- bellion, and died in New Orleans, September 24th, 1865. Caro- line, born July 18th, 1840, now the wife of Duncan Robison, of Saline, Washtenaw county ; Rufus, born May 22d, 1842, a member of Company I, 11th, Michigan Infantry, died at Chattanooga, Tennessee, April 1st, 1865; Joseph E., born June 16th, 1845, at home ; Mary E., born February 12th, 1850, at home; Mrs. Han- nah Sage was born in Livonia, Livingston county, New York, February 11th, 1812, and died March 30th, 1879. Her father and mother were born in the State of New York, and died in Mount Morris, the same State.
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ON. THOMAS H. MOSHER was born in Union Springs, Cayuga county, New York, October 18th, 1815. His father, John Mosher, was born in White Creek, Washing- ton county, New York, February 23d, 1785, where he resided until 1810. He received a good education, and studied medicine. In 1809 he was elected a member of the Washington County Medical Society. In 1810 he removed to Cayuga county, then a
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
wilderness, where he commenced the practice of his profession, and continued about ten years. About 1820 he opened a store in the village of Union Springs, Cayuga county, and carried on general merchandizing until 1840. He became a prominent man in the county, filling important offices, and having the respect of the en- tire community. 1842 he came to Michigan, and settled in Somer- set, Hillsdale county, where he again commenced the practice of medicine, and continued until his death, which occurred in Addison, this county, November 5th, 1856. About 1812 he married Miss Mary Swift, daughter of Jabez and Hephzibah Swift, of Springport Cayuga county, New York, by whom he had nine children, Thomas H. being the second child and oldest sou. Mrs. Mary Mosher was born in Keene, New Hampshire, April 7th, 1794, and died in Hudson, this county, in 1875. She moved with her parents from New Hampshire to Cayuga county, New York, and settled in the wilderness. Thomas H. Mosher lived with his parents until he was about twenty-one years old. He received a common school education, and was one year a student at the Cayuga Academy, at Aurora, New York. In 1831 he went into his father's store, as a clerk, and remained there until 1836. In August, 1836, in com- pany with John Hart, he came to Michigan, and settled in Cam- bridge. He immediately opened a store in Springville, in company with Mr. Hart, and carried on a general store, under the firm name of Hart & Mosher, until 1848, when the firm was dissolved. In 1840 Hart & Mosher built a large store in Springville, the build- ing now being used as a public hall. In the fall of 1848 Mr. Mosher built the store which he now occupies. He claims to have been in the mercantile business more consecutive years than any man in Lenawee county, or the State of Michigan, having com- menced as a clerk in 1831, and has been in business for himself, in Springville, for forty-three years. In 1856 Mr. Mosher in company with Ambrose S. Berry, built the " Lake Mills," near Springville, which have been in successful operation ever since. Mr. Mosher purchased the entire property in 1856, and still owns and operates it. In 1844 he was a member of the Michigan Legislature, and served on the Ways and Means Committee. At this time the question of disposing of the State railroads came up. These roads consisted of the Michigan Central, then running from Detroit to Jackson, and the. Michigan Southern, running from Monroe to Hillsdale. The committee took the initiatory steps, which finally resulted in the sale of the roads. In the years 1843 and 1845 he served as supervisor of the township of Cambridge. In 1838 he was elected clerk of the township, and was re-elected for several years. He served several years as township treasurer. Mr. Mosher has always been a prom-
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inent man in his township, and is well known throughout the county. July 7th, 1842, he married Miss Harriet N. Moore, daughter of Henry and Rachel S. Moore, of Springport, New York, by whom he has had one child, as follows : Rachel S., born in Springville, August 10th, 1843, at home. Mrs. Harriet N. Mosher was born in Aurelius, Cayuga county, New York, Octo- ber 24th, 1817, and died in Springville, May 5th, 1875. Her parents were natives of Long Island, and were among the earliest settlers of Cayuga county New York, settling there about 1790. Her mother's name was Rachel Stewart.
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ON. DARIUS COMSTOCK was born in Cumberland, Rhode Island, July 12th, 1768. At an early day he went with his parents to Massachusetts, where he was married to Miss Phebe Smith, who was born in Adams, Mass., March 25th, 1772. Mr. Comstock resided in that State until about the year 1790, when he emigrated to the State of New York and settled in Farmington, Ontario county, which was then "way out west among the Indians," Nathan Comstock, his father, coming at the same time. Here the Comstock family must have resided about thirty years, or until about 1820, when we find several of the family at Lockport, largely engaged in land speculations and lay- ing out village lots. Here Darius Comstock had a large contract of excavating the rocks and building a portion of the Erie canal, which he completed, and on the 26th of October, 1825, the great thoroughfare, which was commenced near the village of Rome, on the 4th of July, 1817, was finished and opened for navigation from the Hudson river to the waters of lake Erie. That same year Mr. Comstock and his son Addison J., came to Michigan, where he pur- chased of the government, a traet of land in the then town of Logan, (now Raisin,) which he christened " Pleasant Valley." His son, Addison J. at the same time purchased of the government the land where a large portion of the city of Adrian now stands, which was then a wilderness. In the spring of 1826, Darius Comstock moved with his family to Michigan, and settled on the land he had pur - chased the year previous. Mr. Comstock had been twice married. His first wife died April 27th, 1820, in what is now Palmyra, New York. By her he had nine children, all of whom were born in Palmyra, as follows: Hannah, born February 4th, 1792; Mi- nerva, born May 27th, 1794; Milo, born October 19th, 1795; Maria, born March 2d, 1798; Sidney P. born March 15th, 1800;
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Addison J., born October 17th, 1802; Roby, born January 27th, 1806 ; Stephen, born September 2d, 1808; Mary, born November 12th, 1810, all of whom are now dead. Mr. Comstock married for his second wife Mrs. Anna Brooks. By this marriage two children were born, as follows: Joseph, born at Lockport, New York, about the year 1822, and died in infancy. Phebe Ann, born at the same place, February 10th, 1825. She married Arte- mas J., Dean, June 2d, 1846, and they now reside in the city of Adrian. In the year 1827, Mr. Comstock was elected the first supervisor of the then town of Logan, and in the year 1835, he was chosen one of the eight delegates from the county of Lenawee to frame the first State constitution of Michigan. He was after- wards for one or more terms chosen supervisor of the township of Raisin after that town was organized. His old home is what now constitutes part of the buildings of the Raisin Valley Seminary. Mr. Comstock was born a birthright Quaker, and until his death, lived a member of the society of Friends. He was for many years a very prominent man of that society. When the Adrian Quaker meeting house was built, which stands near the town line between Adrian and Raisin townships, he subscribed and paid one half of the expense which the building was estimated to cost, and which was found to be inadequate to build the same, and he subsequently gave a sufficient amount to finish the house. With all the early history of Michigan, and especially that of Lenawee county, Mr. Comstock was closely identified. He was always prominent in the early settlement and development of the county. At an early time, when the strife between Adrian and Tecumseh was going on, for the removal of the county seat, he gave his immense influence, with others, in favor of Adrian, thereby securing the location there, after several years of contention, legislation and hard work. There never lived a man in Lenawee county more respected and esteemed than Darius Comstock. He was honest, enterprising, and liberal to a fault. No one ever went from his house hungry, if he knew it. Many, and many are the stories told of him by the early pioneers, of his liberality and goodness of heart. He was a man of far more than ordinary ability. The writer of this sketch has often seen him engaged as attorney in law suits, when his brother, John Comstock, was engaged on the opposite side. John was a shrewd lawyer and full of scathing jokes and sarcasm, but Darius would retort to his wit in a most gentlemanly and impressive way, which would always get the laugh upon his brother. Darius Comstock died at his homestead in Raisin, June 2d, 1845. His death was deeply regretted by thousands who knew him and had so often partaken of his hospitality. He was looked upon by many
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