USA > Michigan > Lenawee County > History and biographical record of Lenawee County, Michigan, Volume I > Part 45
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
at onee improved the water power, and rebuilt the old saw-mill, and run it until his death. His intention was to build a woolen factory when the county improved sufficiently to warrant farmers in raising sheep to furnish wool to work with. He owned a full set of machinery for a factory, and had it stored in the State of New York until it was destroyed by fire in 1841. In September, 1842, he was taken ill with cholera morbus, and after an illness of about six days he died. About the year 1811 he married Miss Deborah Weleh, of Livingston county, New York, by whom he had eight children, one son and seven daughters, James being the fifth child. Mrs. Deborah Simonds was born in Livingston county, New York, about 1792, and died in Raisin, February, 1861. James N. A. L. Simonds always lived with his father until his death, and received a good common school education. He was brought up a farmer, and has always followed that avocation. He now owns the old homestead, and two hundred acres of the original purchase made by his father. In the spring of 1847 he enlisted in company K, 3d Dragoons, U. S. A., Capt. Alexander T. McReynolds, of De- troit, and Lieut. John T. Brown, son of Gen. J. W. Brown, of Te- cumseh, and served through the Mexican war. Companies K, of the 3d, and F, of the 1st Dragoons, constituted Gen. Scott's body guard, and from these companies his select body guard was chosen, which consisted of ten men, Mr. Simonds being one of the ten. He served on this guard until the war was over, and Gen. Scott re- turned to Washington. While on a scout at Toyacan, near Ori- zaba, they routed Gen. Santa Anna and captured his effects, among which were one hundred and twenty-five dresses belonging to his wife and daughter, two very valuable canes, and one trophy which he still has, and delights in showing, which was taken by himself and "chum," Carlisle Soper, now of Palmyra, this county-old Santa's boot, a most tasty and neat affair. It was taken from his quarters by them. It was worn on the right foot-the only one old Santa had, and was nearly new when taken. After the war, in 1848, Mr. Simonds returned home, and from that time up to the breaking out of the rebellion, in 1861, he followed farming. He was one of the very first men in Lenawee county to offer his services to the government, and afterwards assisted in raising a company of men for a Lancer regiment. The regiment was dis- banded, but he subsequently recruited one hundred and four men for the 6th Michigan Infantry, and was commissioned 1st Lieuten- ant by Gov. Blair. Since the close of the rebellion he has attended closely to his farming, and has had little to do with public affairs. May 4th, 1859, he married Miss Adelia Masten, daughter of Cornelius and Eleanor Masten, of Raisin, this county, by whom
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
he has had three children, two sons and one daughter, as follows : Carlisle M., born March 9th, 1860, at home; Maud A., born Oc- tober 28th, 1863, at home; Bret E., born May 4th, 1865, at home. Mrs. Adelia Simonds was born in Sparta, Livingston county, New York, December 26th, 1838. Her father, Cornelius Masten, was born in New York in 1812, came to Michigan in 1855, and now resides in Raisin. Her mother, Mrs. Eleanor Masten, was born in Livingston county, New York, in 1811, and now lives in Raisin.
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DMUND B. VAN DOREN was born in Shelby, Orleans county, New York, July 12th, 1825. His father, Cornelius Van Doren, was born in Hunterdon county, New Jersey, in 1785, where he lived until after he was twenty-one years old, when he moved to Romulus, Seneca county, New York. He lived there until 1816, when he sold out and moved to Shelby, Orleans county. He lived in Orleans county until 1835, where he owned a farm. In June 1835, he sold his farm there and came to Michigan and purchased eighty acres of land of Samuel Hopper, on section 22, in Adrian township. There was a log house on the land, and about twelve acres chopped over. He cleared this farm and erected good buildings, and it is now in the hands of his widow and children. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, but never participated in any battle. He was always a farmer and a hardworking, honest, per- severing man, a good neighbor and warm friend. He lived on his farm in Adrian from 1835 until his death, which occurred August 14th, 1857. In 1810, he married Miss Nelly Hagaman, daughter of Francis Hagaman, of Romulus, Seneca county, New York, by whom he had ten children, as follows: Abram, born in Romulus, Seneca county, New York, November 14th, 1811, now a resident of Adrian township ; Isaac, born in the same place, October 14th, 1813, now a farmer near St. Francis, Minnesota; Jacob, born in the same place, September 19th, 1815, died in Adrian in 1868 ; Elizabeth, born in Shelby, Orleans county, New York, in 1817, now the widow of Nathaniel Blain, of Anoka county, Minnesota ; Francis, born in the same place, May 12th, 1820, now a farmer of Adrian ; William D., born in the same place, November 4th, 1822, now a farmer near Ft. Dodge, Iowa; Edmund B .; Catharine, born in the same place, February 29th, 1828, died July 10th, 1842; John W., born in the same place, in 1830, died in 1859; Lydia A.,
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
born in the same place, October 18th, 1834, now the wife of George Stout, of Anoka county, Minnesota. Mrs. Nelly Van Doren was born in New Jersey, April 27th, 1791, and is still living on the old homestead in Adrian. She moved with her parents to Seneca county, New York when she was a child. Both Mr. and Mrs. Van Doren's ancestors came from Holland and settled in New Jersey. Edmund B. Van Doren lived with his father until he was about twenty-four. He commenced teaching school when he was nineteen, and taught for twenty-three terms, mostly in Adrian, but taught a few terms in Madison, Woodstock and Franklin. He followed carpentry for several years, but in 1855 he purchased eighty acres of land on section sixteen in Adrian, where he now resides. He has erected a good house and fine barns. He also owns another farm of fifty acres on the same section. He has been elected clerk of Adrian township for seven years. June 5th, 1849, he married Miss Almira E. Warren, daughter of Solomon and Mary Warren, of Adrian, by whom he has had five children, as follows: Mary A., born August 4th, 1850, now the wife of Cor- nelius W. Van Doren, of Adrian ; Addie R., born February 7th, 1859, died March 26th, 1861 ; Horace E., born March 4th, 1862, at home; Arthur M., born July 6th, 1864, died October 5th, 1865; Flora L., born January 8th, 1872, at home. Mrs. Almira E. Van Doren was born in Steuben, Oneida county, New York, March 22d, 1831, and came to Michigan with her parents in 1836. Her father was born in Connecticut September 9th, 1797, and died in Kansas, November 4th, 1874. Her mother, Miss Mary Chase, was born in the State of New York, October 9th, 1797, and died in Kansas, November 18th, 1877.
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RA J. HAGAMAN was born in Shelby, Orleans county, New York, August 2d, 1816. His father, Joseph Hagaman, was born in New Jersey, May 11th, 1783, his ancestors coming from Holland. When quite a young man he moved to Seneca county, New York, where he lived a few years, and finally settled in Shelby, Orleans county, where he purchased a farm. He was one of the pioneers of Orleans county, and a prominent man in the early settlement there. He was a thrifty, prosperous farmer, and an honorable and respected citizen. He lived in Orleans county until 1832. He had three sons, all of whom had been brought up as farmers, and being solicitous for their welfare, finally decided
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
to sell his property and go to Michigan where he could purchase the best of land for one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. In 1832 he came to Michigan, arriving in Adrian in June. He soon after purchased the n. w. ¿ of section 34, in Adrian, of Carey Rogers, it being the splendid farm now owned by N. S. Wheeler, just north-west of the city limits. Within the year, he took up eight hundred acres of government lands, in the townships of Seneca, Medina, Fairfield and Adrian. He lived on his farm near the city until 1855, when he sold to Silas Holloway. He lived in the city a few years, when he purchased a small farm in Raisin, and resided there until within about one year previous to his death, which occurred May 29th, 1861. About the year 1807 he married Miss Elizabeth Stout, of New Jersey, by whom he had eleven children, Ira J. being the second son and fifth child. Mrs. Eliza- beth Hagaman was born in New Jersey, August 2d, 1788, her ancestors coming from Ireland. She is still living in St. Joseph county, Michigan. Ira J. Hagaman came to Michigan with his parents in 1832. He lived with his father until he was about twenty-two, when he took possession of one hundred and sixty acres of land in Fairfield, which his father located in 1832. Since that time he has purchased forty acres. He has resided on this farm ever since, and has built a good house, barns, &c. He has always been a prominent man in his township, and with one ex- ception, perhaps, has administered on more estates than any man in Fairfield. In 1851 he was elected supervisor of Fairfield, and re-elected the following year. He was again the choice of his township, for the same important office, in 1861. In 1874-5 he was elected again. He has twice been the nominee of his party for member of the Legislature, but being in the minority, was de- feated. During the past twenty years he has been quite an enter- prising stock-dealer, and during the past few years has disposed of his stock in Buffalo, shipping it directly there. March 23d, 1838, he married Miss Elizabeth Paddock, daughter of Nathan and Mary Paddock, of Adrian, by whoni he has had four children, as follows : Mary Ann, born January 18th, 1839, now the wife of Lewis P. Mead, of Jasper county, Iowa ; Edgar S. and Edson B., (twins) born January 25th, 1844. Edgar is a farmer of Fair- field, and Edson is a merchant of Mitchellville, Iowa ; Joseph D., born October 29th, 1854, of Weston, this county. Mrs. Elizabeth Hagaman was born in Scipio, Seneca county, New York, March 13th, 1819, and came to Michigan with her parents in 1837. Her father and mother were natives of the eastern portion of the State of New York. Her father died in Blissfield, August .25th, 1866. Her mother died there, March 27th, 1875.
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
HARVEY THOMPSON. was born in Duanesburg, Scho-
harie county, New York, September 12th, 1814. His father, Judge Jeremiah D. Thompson, was born in Dutchess county, New York, in 1790, where he resided until he was about twenty-one, when he, with his father, Silas Thompson, moved to Sehoharie county, where they purchased a large farm. Jeremiah lived there until 1823, when he moved to Periuton, Monroe eoun- ty, and again purchased a farm. He lived there until 1834, when he came to Michigan, and arrived in Adrian, on the first day of March, having traveled the entire distance, through Canada, with a four horse team. After looking around for a week or two, he purchased, of Anson Jackson, one hundred and twenty acres of land, on the prairie, in Madison, on section nine. This farm was afterwards bought by Eber Adams, and one of the finest raee traeks in the West, was construeted there, known as the " Prairie Cottage Raee Course." The property is now owned by Jaeob Gander. He owned several other farms in Madison, but finally moved into the city, where he resided several years. Previous to 1840 he was appointed a "side judge," under the old law, which position he held until the present judiciary system was adopted. He was twice elected a member of the Michigan Legislature. He was elected supervisor of Madison in . 1837-8-9, and again in 1843 and 1853. He also served a great many years as justice of the peace, of the same township. He died at the residence of his son- in-law, William Hart, of Hudson, February 16th, 1873. In 1810 he married Miss Elizabeth Hoag, daughter of Benjamin and Zillar Hoag, of Duanesburg, New York, by whom he had fourteen chil- dren, J. Harvey being the second son and fourth ehild. Mrs.
Elizabeth Thompson died in Palmyra, this eounty, February 17th, 1860. She was a life-long member of the society of Friends, and died in the full relianee of her faith. J. Harvey Thompson made his home with his parents until he was twenty-four years old, and was brought up a farmer, receiving only a common school educa- tion. In 1840 he purchased a new farm, on section twenty-four, in Madison, cleared and improved it, and resided there about fif- teen years, ereeting good buildings. He then purchased a farm on section eighteen, in Palmyra, now owned by Wm. McDowell. He owned this farm only about two years, when he purchased a farm on seetion 15, in Hudson, which he owned about four years, and in 1870 he purchased the farm upon which he now resides, on seetion fifteen, in Dover. In the spring of 1833, le, with Alan- son Woolsey, now of Madison, went to learn the earpenter's trade, with a man named Gage, who lived in Perinton, New York. They worked at the trade until fall, and progressed in the myste-
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
ries of the business as rapidly and satisfactorily as most young men, but, when fall came, they were notified by their employer that there would be no more work for them until the next spring. Some time after this, one winter evening, the two boys got together to compare notes, and to find out whether there was a carpen- ter in all that section of country, that was worth enough to buy sufficient powder to blow him to eternity, but after a thorough can- vass of the matter, they could not hear of one, and they each, then and there, declared the trade a failure, and abandoned it forever. March 4th, 1841, Mr. Thompson married Miss Phylena W. Buell, daughter of William and Polly Buell, of Madison, this county, by whom he has had four children, as follows : Erasmus D., born in Madison, this county, April 19th, 1842. He was a soldier in the war of the Rebellion, and died in the hospital, at Lexington, Kentucky, December 3d, 1862; Martha P., born in Madison, September 24th, 1845, now the wife of Gilbert Vanderpool, of Adrian ; Sarah B., born in Madison, October 16th, 1850, died in Madison, August 25th, 1851; Hulda A., born in Madison, Sep- tember 1st. 1854, now the wife of A. C. Perkins, of Dover. Mrs. Phylena W. Thompson was born in Parma, Monroe county, New York, February 2d, 1826, and came to Michigan with her parents in 1835. Her father was born in Elizabethtown, Leeds county, Canada, November 18th, 1796, and is still living, in Dover, this county. Her mother was born in Parma, New York, in 1783, and died in Quincy, Branch county, Michigan, November 12th, 1860.
REDERICK G. BEAGLE was born in Baden, Germany, February 11th, 1834. His father, George Beagle, was born in Baden in 1808, and in 1833, he married Miss Barbara Burck, of Baden, where they lived until 1847, when they emigra- ted to America, and landed in New York, in May, that year. They made no stop there, but came immediately to Michigan, and arrived in Adrian the latter part of May, 1847. The family con- sisted of five children, as follows: Fred. G .; Lewis, who was a volunteer in the war of the Rebellion, and was in the first Bull Run battle, in Company K, 1st Michigan volunteers, and after- wards enlisted for three years in the 3d Michigan Cavalry, and after serving nearly two years, was discharged for disability, and came home, only living about seven days, dying the 15th of Octo- ber, 1863; Barbara, wife of A. C. Harrison, a farmer of Palmyra ;
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
John M., a farmer of Ogden, who was also a soldier in the Rebel- lion; Katie, now the wife of John Drake, of Blissfield. George Beagle died on his farm in Ogden, April 12th, 1872. Mrs. George Beagle is still living with her children. Fred. G. Beagle shortly after his arrival in Adrian, went to live with the Rev. James V. Watson, then the publisher of the Christian Visitor, and Family Favorite, and was familiarly known as " Watson's Fred." He lived with Mr. Watson about three and a half years, when he went to learn the carpenter's trade, with Paulding and Hazen, but he only remained there about one year. He then went into Cushing & Chaffee's dry goods store, and afterwards worked three and a half years for Freedman & Goodkind, and subsequently spent about five years in Jonesville and Hillsdale in connection with Freedman & Goodkind, in the fancy goods trade. In 1858, when Freedman & Goodkind quit business, Mr. Beagle formed a partnership with Morris Bamberger, and continued the business for about eighteen months. Mr. Beagle then went to Blissfield on his own account, and with a limited capital, he rented the Car- penter building in that village, and opened a general store October 31st, 1859, where he has resided ever since. At that time it was hard doing business in Blissfield, the township being comparatively new and undeveloped, the people poor, and the circulating medium being principally railroad ties, stave bolts and headings, with occa- sionally a few dollars of Wisconsin and Illinois "wildcat " cur- rency. It was only with the most careful and economical way of doing business that he got along. The Rebellion soon afterwards broke out, his brother left him, and he expecting to be a " soldier boy " himself, made arrangements to close out his store, but some- thing occurred that changed his mind, and he afterwards opened a grocery store, and through the war did a good business. In 1872 he associated hinself with H. D. Ellis, and opened a hardware store, and in 1875 he purchased his partner's interest, and since that time has run a large hardware business on his own account. At one time he was engaged largely in the root and herb trade, and he thinks the whole township of Blissfield was dug over for ginseng, cranes- bill, sarsaparilla &c., and all the slippery-elm trees were skinned for their bark. He is now a prominent wheat, wool and apple buyer, claiming to have done more business and worked harder than any man in the eastern portion of the county. November 12th, 1852, he married Miss Catharine C. Beagle, daughter of Christopher Beagle, of Adrian, by whom he has had seven chil- dren, as follows : Catharine B., born in Adrian, January 3d, 1854, now the wife of D. P. Wheeler, of Blissfield; Charles L., born at Jonesville, March 11th, 1856, with his father in the store; Ella
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
C., born in Hillsdale, January 24th, 1858, died in Blissfield, May 23d, 1876; Ida, born in Blissfield December 7th, 1859, at home; May, born in Blisseld, May 17th,1861, at home; Frederich H., born in Blissfield, May 9th, 1863, at home; Burton H., born in Blissfield, April 28th, 1865 at home. Mrs Catharine Beagle was born in Baltimore, Maryland, December 28th, 1833, and came to Blissfield with her parents in 1836, where they lived about a year, and then moved to Adrian. Her father was one of the first German settlers of Adrian. About 1850 he was appointed freight agent at Jonesville, which possition he held for about three years, when he purchased a farm in Blissfield, where died April 28th, 1874. Mrs. Catharine Beagle died at Adrian, January 24th, 1849. Christopher Beagle, George Beagle and John Brugger, were the founders of the Evan- gelical church of Adrian, and also of Blissfield.
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ILLIAM B. AMES was born in Petersham, Massachu- setts, December 7th, 1808. His father, Peter Ames, was born in Framingham, Massachusetts, in 1754, where he lived until he was of age, when he went to Petersham and pur- chased a farm. His ancestors came from England in the 17th century, and settled on the farm in Framingham, where Peter Ames was born. The old farm is still in the possession of the family, and is located on the banks of Farm pond, which partly supplies Boston with water. Peter Ames was one of the patriots who assisted in quelling Shay's rebellion. He died in Petersham, February 15th, 1816. In 1793 he married Miss Sarah Clark, of Petersham, Massachusetts, by whom he had eight children, Wil- liam being the fourth son and seventh child. Mrs. Sarah Ames was born in Petersham in 1771, and died there September 26th, 1815. William B. Ames lived with his parents until their death, which occurred when he was about eight years old. He then went to live with his uncle, Jotham Ames, in Swanzey, New Hampshire, and remained there until he was twenty years old, being brought up a farmer. He then went to Londonderry and learned the cloth- dressing and carding business with his brother, Clark Ames, and remained there until 1831. He then went to Geneva, New York, where he worked with his brother Charles, at shoe-making, until the fall of 1833, when he came to Michigan in company with his brothers, Charles, Henry and Ezra, Charles' wife and her sister,
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
and his brother-in-law, Alpheus Pratt, and settled in the present town of Pittsford, in Hillsdale county. William B. Ames took up two hundred acres of land there. His brothers, who came to Michigan with him, took up land here which aggregated one thou- sand and sixty-seven acres. All of the brothers are still living except Charles, and reside in or near Hudson. There are also two sisters still living in Hudson. Mr. Ames was deputy postmaster in 1837, and has held several township offices. During his early settlement he commenced the practice of medicine, learning the science from the Indian medicine men who lived in this vicinity. He is also a healing medium, and has performed some wonderful cures. William went to Detroit and worked at shoe-making with Thomas J. Pennock for three months, when a partnership was formed under the firm name of Pennock & Ames. They immedi- ately removed to Adrian-February, 1834,-and opened a shop over E. C. Winter's store, and continued for about two years. In the spring of 1836 W. B. Ames and James Dalton formed a part- nership, and erected a store in Jonesville, where they intended to settle and do business, but the cholera raged that year, and other circumstances occurred which caused them to abandon the project. In the fall of 1839 W. B. and E. Ames purchased a stock of goods and opened a store at Keene's Corners, in Pittsford, Hillsdale county, and continued in business three years. In 1842 W. B. Ames went upon his farm and spent seven years in clearing and improving it. In 1849 he moved to the village of Hudson, where he has resided ever since. In 1867 he formed a partnership with M. B. Perkins and J. M. Osborn, under the firmn name of Osborn, Perkins & Co., for the purpose of doing a banking busi- ness, and continued until 1874, during which time they built the bank building. In 1849 Mr. Ames erected a store on Main street, and every year for twenty years he did more or less building in the village. He was instrumental in building the first church edifice in the village. September 28th, 1839, he married Miss Maria Ames, daughter of Jotham Ames, of Swanzey, New Hamp- shire, but they have never had issue. They brought up one or- phan girl, Miss Clara J. Ludlow, now the wife of Dr. C. P. Brown, of Spring Lake, Michigan. Mrs. Maria Ames was born in Swan- zey, New Hampshire, November 24th, 1810, and came to Michi- gan with her husband in 1839. Her father was born in Framing- ham, Massachusetts, January 20th, 1756, and died in February, 1841. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, enlisting when he was seventeen. He participated in the battles of Bennington, Ticonderoga, and many other historical engagements. Her mother was Miss Eusebia Goddard, who ,was born in Westmoreland, New
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Hampshire, July 13th, 1776, and died in Swanzey, April 11th, 1856. She was the mother of seven children, Mrs. Maria Ames being the youngest and only survivor, except one sister, now living in New Hampshire.
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ILLIAM GRAVES was born in Aurelius, Cayuga county, New York, January 21st, 1821. His father, Capt. Elisha Graves, was born in Vermont in 1791, and when a young man, learned the wagon-maker's trade. He removed to Cayuga county, New York, about 1812, worked there for several years, and then moved to the town of Sparta, Livingston county, New York, where he carried on the wagon and carriage business until his death, in July, 1831. At one time he owned and commanded a boat on Cayuga lake. About the year 1813 he married Miss Catharine Vanderpool, daughter of Garret Vanderpool, of Albany, New York, by whom he had six children, four sons and two daughters, William being the fifth child and third son. Mrs. Catharine Graves was born in Albany about 1798, and came to Michigan in 1837, and he settled in Tecumseh, soon afterwards going to Marshall, Calhoun county, Michigan, where she married Hiram Pritchard, and died there in 1859. William Graves came to Michigan with his mother in 1837, and settled in Raisin, this county. He at once engaged to work for Thomas J. Faxon, then of Raisin, and stayed with him four years on his farm. He then worked two years for Horace Hoxie in Palmyra. In the spring of 1844 he purchased the s. w. ¿ of the n. e. ¿ of section 2, Pal- myra, all new land, being valued at that time at about ten dollars per acre. He has since added to it until he now has one hundred and sixty acres, with one hundred and thirty acres under good im- provement. He has cleared and fenced all of this himself, from a wet swamp and dense wilderness, putting in four miles of tile, and he now has as productive a farm as there is in the township. He has a large, fine dwelling house, as good as there is in the town- ship, together with the best and handsomest barn in the township, besides a horse-barn, sheds, &c. In the spring of 1853 he went to California, and remained there for two and a half years. In 1873 Mr. Graves became interested in the Farmers' Fruit Preserving company, of Palmyra, became one of the stockholders, was made its vice-president, and is now one of its directors. The factory was burned in 1874, when a new company was formed, through
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