USA > Michigan > Lenawee County > History and biographical record of Lenawee County, Michigan, Volume I > Part 52
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
has been a pleasant one, always having enough to eat and drink, and to make himself and family comfortable. He thinks his selec- tion of a farm and home was a good one, and rejoices in the fact that he came to Michigan a pioneer, and had the good judgment to settle in Lenawee county, and has lived, and assisted in develop- ing and making the county what it is-one of the most desirable and productive in the entire State. February 19th, 1835, he mar- ried Miss Angeline M. Comstock, daughter of Joseph and Sally Comstock, of Raisin, this county, by whom he had four children, as follows : Laura J., born November 15th, 1835, now the wife of E. N. Converse, of Dover; Oscar C., born September 10th, 1837 ; Edwin L., born September 1st, 1845, died October 1st, 1868 ; Mary A., born December 14th, 1847, now the wife of John B. Masten, of Raisin. Mrs. Angeline Mckenzie was born in Farmington, Ontario county, New York, March 20th, 1812. She was a sister of Edwin Comstock, of Adrian, She died in Dover, June 16th, 1850. March 30th, 1854, he married Miss Maria L. Converse, daughter of James and Huldah Converse, of Medina, this county, by whom he has had one child, Angie M., born No- vember 25th, 1864, at home. All of the children were born in Dover. Mrs. Maria L., Mckenzie was born in Northampton, Massachusetts, May 2d, 1832, and came to Michigan with her par- ents in 1840. Her father and mother were born in Northampton, Massachusetts, but now reside in the village of Morenci, this county.
OHN C. PALMER, of Ridgeway, was born in Walworth, Wayne county, New York, December 20th, 1816. His father, John Palmer, was born in Washington county, New York, in October, 1788. He was brought up a farmer and owned a farm in Walworth, where he lived until the spring of 1831, when he emigrated to Michigan with his family, arriving in Tecumseh on the 17th day of May. On the same day he went to Ridgeway, and stopped in a shanty with Calvin Brown, until he could build one. Four years previous to this-in 1827-Mr. Palmer came to Michigan and located one hundred and sixty acres on sections five and six in Ridgeway, and it was upon this property that he built his shanty. From the time he moved his family here he always lived upon this farm, and previous to his death, he had purchased four hundred acres, and cleared two hundred and fifty acres
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
building a large frame house, with barns and everything that was needed. The same year he settled here, he cleared off twenty acres of heavy timber and put it into wheat, and the following year he reaped four hundred bushels, which he sold for $2.50 per bushel. He also raised fifty bushels of potatoes among the stumps and trees, the first year. About 1810 he married Miss Nancy Lamb, of Rutland county, Vermont, by whom he had eleven children, all sons, John C. being the third child. The death of Decatur Palmer was the first that occurred in Ridgeway. He was drowned in the river Raisin. Mrs. Nancy Palmer was born in Rutland, Vermont, in November, 1791, and died in Ridgeway, April 25th, 1865. John Palmer died in Ridgeway in 1864. John C. Palmer was brought up a farmer, and only received a common school education. He has always been a farmer, and assisted his father largely in clearing and cultivating his land. He carried the first bag of corn into the Globe Mill in Tecumseh, after it was ready to run, and also assisted in raising the mill. He remembers very vividly, that during the first year of their settlement here, a wild-cat came to the pork barrel, which stood near the door of the shanty, several times, but they watched, with the dog, until they caught the thief " in the act" and chased him to the woods and killed him. He also says a large black bear called upon them one night, paying his special respects to some ten thrifty young hogs, and during a fight with the watchful dog, he came into the shanty among the children. He went away without any ceremony whatever. Mr. Palmer now lives upon the first purchase his father made, on section five. He has one hundred acres under a high state of cul- tivation, well fenced, with good barns, and he is now ready to build a good house. He has a large, choice orchard, of his own planting. In October, 1839, he moved to Nottawa, St. Joseph county, Michigan, where he purchased a farm and lived for seven years. He came back to Ridgeway in 1846, where he has resided ever since. August 22d, 1839, he married Miss Bertha M. Simonds, daughter of Nooney and Deborah Simonds, of Raisin, by whom he had two children, as follows: Martha Emeline, born in St. Joseph county, Michigan, August 7th, 1840, died in Ridgeway, June 19th, 1853; Deborah A., born in Raisin, March 8th, 1843, now the wife of George W. Jackson, of Ridgeway. Mrs. Bertha M. Palmer was born in New York, February 2d, 1824, and died in St. Joseph county, May 22d, 1845. April Ist, 1846, he married Miss Nancy Frederick, daughter of David and Mary Frederick, of Farmington, Oakland county, Michigan, by whom he has had five children, as follows : Sarah M., born September 26th, 1847, now the wife of Leander Cheever, of Ridgeway; Henry, born
515
OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
February 17th, 1849, at home; Albertus E., born August 10th, 1851, of Reading, Hillsdale county ; Martin, born August .16th, 1863, at home ; Edward M., born August 8th, 1868, at home. All of these children were born in Ridgeway. Mrs. Nancy Palmer was born in Barre, Orleans county, New York, December 16th, 1825. She came to Michigan in 1830, with her parents, who settled in Farmington, Oakland county.
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ILLIAM SERVICE, of Madison, was born in Lanark- shire, Scotland, February 23d, 1807. His father, James Service, was born in the same place, in 1784, and was brought up a farmer and gardner, and lived in Scotland until 1816, when he came to America, and lived near Philadelphia on a farm for about two years. He then moved to Susquehanna county, Pennsylvania, and took up a farm and lived there seven years. In the spring of 1825 he sold out and moved to Canandaigua, On- tario county, New York, and lived until about 1840, when he came to Michigan, and resided in this county until his death, in 1867. About 1806 he married Miss Jeanette Scott, of Lanarkshire, Scotland, by whom he had nine children, William being the oldest. Mrs. Jeanette Service was born in Lanarkshire, and died in this county. William Service lived with his parents until he was about eighteen years old, when he commenced for himself. In the spring of 1825 he engaged to work for John Greig, of Canandai- gua, and continued in his service for nineteen years. Mr. Greig was a Scotchman, a wealthy and a prominent lawyer and Whig politician, and was once elected to Congress. In the month of June, 1825, Gen. La Fayette, of Revolutionary fame, passed through Canandaigua, on his way to New York. He had been to Cincinnati, and other places in Ohio, and as it was previous to the present wonderful railroad system of our country, the manner of travel was somewhat novel, especially to the people of this genera- tion. He was the guest of every city, village and hamlet that he passed through, the populace giving him the entire freedom of the country. From Buffalo he was carried in state, by a delegation, to a point half way between that city and Rochester, where he was met by the Rochester delegation, and conveyed to that city. From Rochester he was conveyed to Victor in great pomp, where the Canandaigua delegation received him. A very fine equipage with four beautiful grey horses had been sent from Canandaigua, to con-
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
vey him to that place, but the old General was an intimate friend of Mr. Greig, who had visited him at his home, in France. The General excused himself from riding in the carriage intended for him, and rode with Mr. Greig, in his elegant carriage, William Service being the coachman. The party accompanying the General, occupied the carriage with the four grey horses, and were the re- cipients of much homage, as it was supposed that La Fayette, of course, was among them. In 1836 William Service came to Mich- igan, and located one hundred and sixty acres of land in Fairfield, and eighty acres in Seneca. In August, 1842, he moved his fam- ily from Canandaigua, New York, and settled on section thirty- two, in Madison, where he now resides. It was entirely new when ne purchased it. He has cleared the land, built all the buildings, and made all the improvements. July 9th, 1830, he married Miss Ann Bulrees, daughter of John Bulrees, of Canandaigua, New York, by whom he had eight children, as follows: Marion, born in Canandaigua, New York, June 6th, 1831, now the wife of Eli Sparhawk, of Madison ; William, born in Canandaigua, New York, April 17th, 1833, died August 23d, 1873 ; Clarissa G., 1st, born in Canandaigua, New York, July 30th, 1835, and died April 5th, 1836 ; Clarissa G., 2d, born in Canandaigua, New York, April 25th, 1837, and died October 18th, 1838; James B., born in Canandaigua, New York, March 25th, 1840, runs the home farm ; Ann Eliza, born in Canandaigua, New York, May 29th, 1842, now the wife of Charles Gaumer, of Madison ; Clarissa G., 3d, born in Madison, August 16th, 1844, and died June 8th, 1848 ; Alexander, born in Madison, April 27th, 1847, died February 28th, 1878. Mrs. Ann Service was born in Canandaigua, New York, July 10th, 1808. She died in Madison, February 17th, 1869. Her father was a soldier in the war of 1812, and was killed in battle in 1814. Her mother died soon after. Mrs. Service was brought up by Mr. and Mrs. John Greig, of Canandaigua, and lived with them at the time of her marriage.
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ON. CONSIDER A. STACY was born in Hamilton, Madison county, New York, January 6th, 1817. His father, Dr. Consider H. Stacy, was born in New Salem, Hampshire (now Franklin) county, Massachusetts. He was born and reared on the farm, near the Green mountains, where his an- cestors had resided for a number of generations. He lived there
517
OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
until 1814, when he went to Hamilton, Madison county, New York, where he taught school for several years, studying medicine with Dr. Havens, in the meantime. He afterwards commenced the practice of his profession there, and followed it until his death, in September 1840. His ancestry is traced back to a Stacy that came to New England, from Lincolnshire, England, and settled on Cape Ann. The family have always been laborers-farmers and sailors-and were of genuine Puritan stock. For many genera- tions the oldest son of the family has been named Consider, a Puritan custom, and the subject of this sketch followed the custom. August 21st, 1815, he married Miss Polly Bass, daughter of Seth and Polly Bass, of Hamilton, New York, by whom he had nine children, Consider A. being the oldest. Mrs. Polly Stacy was born in Pittsfield, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, in 1795, and moved to Madison county, New York, with her parents in 1801. She died in Tecumseh, this county, in 1876. Consider A. Stacy attended a district school until he was eleven years old, when he . was admitted to Hamilton Academy, and remained there until he was about fifteen years old. He spent his spare time in his father's drug store, making " pills," and attending the postoffice, his father being postmaster under Gen. Jackson, and was known in those days as a "buck-tail " Democrat. At the age of seventeen he commenced the study of law, with Peter Morey, who then lived in Eaton, Madison county, New York. Mr. Morey afterwards came to Michigan, in 1835, and the following year was appointed, by Gov. Stevens T. Mason, the first attorney general of Michigan. Mr. Stacy came to Michigan in August, 1836, at the solicitation of Mr. Morey, and was admitted to the bar the following April, at the age of twenty. He settled in Tecumseh, and has resided there ever since. In the spring of 1837, he commenced the practice of law in Tecumseh, in company with Peter Morey. In 1838 he was elected justice of the peace and served four years. In 1839 he formed a partnership with Fernando C. Beaman, which continued three years. In 1844 he was elected judge of probate, and served twelve years. In 1845 he formed a partnership with Thomas M. Cooley (now a Judge of the Supreme Court), which continued about three years. In 1849 he was appointed, by Gov. Ransom, prose- cuting attorney of Lenawee county, under the old constitution, and held the office until the new constitution came into force. For twenty-six years he was a member of the school board of Tecumseh, his oldest son being his successor. In 1858 he was the Democratic nominee for Congress, but was defeated by Henry Waldron, of Hillsdale. In 1850 he was appointed, by Gov. McClelland, a member of the State Board of Education, and was active in organ-
66
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IIISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
izing the State Normal School, and erecting the building, at Ypsi- lanti. He has practiced his profession in this county for forty- three years, and is the oldest resident lawyer now in active practice. August 19th, 1838, he married Miss Mary M. Walker, daughter of David S. and Lois Walker, of Broome county, New York, by whom he has had seven children, as follows : Consider Scovel, born August 2d, 1841, a graduate of the Michigan University ; he practiced law six years, and is now proprietor of the Tecumseh Herald ; Lois Loana, born May 20th, 1845, at home; Alphonzo D., born July 11th, 1850, killed by the cars, in Tecumseh, December 16th, 1876 ; James A., born March 4th, 1853, a graduate of the law department of the Michigan University, and now practicing law in company with his father, and is city attorney of Adrian ; George N., born June 18th, 1859, a resident of Tecumseh ; two daughters died in infancy. Mrs. Mary M. Stacy was born in Madison county, New York, September 19th, 1819. Her father, David S. Walker, was born in Berkshire county, Massachusetts, and died in Raisin, this county, April 6th, 1869. Her mother, Miss Lois Scovel, was born in the same county, and died in Broome county, New York, October 9th, 1862. Her ancestors were English.
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RA ROGERS, of Rome, was born in Grafton, Rensselaer county, New York, May 8th, 1804. His father, Clark Rogers, was born in the State of New York, in 1766. He owned a farm in Fabius, Onondaga county, New York, and lived there until his death, which occurred in 1820. About the year 1788, he married Miss Rebecca Taylor, of Grafton, New York, by whom he had eight children, Ira being the youngest, and only survivor of the family. Mrs. Rebecca Rogers was (probably) born in Grafton, in 1763, and died in Chittenango, Madison county, New York, in 1841. Ira Rogers lived at home until he was seventeen, and never had over nine months schooling. In 1822 he commenced to learn the blacksmith's trade in Pultney, Steuben county, New York, where he lived and followed his trade, until 1836. In the spring of 1836 he came to Michigan and pur- chased eighty acres of land on section thirty-five, in Cambridge. In 1837 he built a log blacksmith shop, and carried it on two years. In 1839 he bought out Stephen Codner, who owned a small black- smith shop at Springville. He run this shop about thirteen years, when he sold out, and went upon his farm. He resided there
519
OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN,
until 1870, when he traded with Ephraim Bates, for one hundred and ten acres of land, on sections two and three, in Rome, where he now resides. Since his residence here he has rebuilt his house, and now has a large and fine dwelling. During his residence in Cambridge he filled nearly all the town offices. In 1847 he was elected supervisor. When Mr. Rogers came to Michigan he brought his own family, his wife's sister, with eight children, and her mother, making fifteen women and children for him to look after. He had money enough to purchase eighty acres of land, two cows and a yoke of oxen. Pork was twenty-five cents per pound, and he was obliged to kill squirrels partridge or turkeys, to feed his family of sixteen. He worked on his farm four years, cleared forty acres of land, built a frame barn, and set out one hundred apple trees. In the fall of 1840 he made a vendue and realized five hundred dollars for his personal property. Mr. Rogers is the oldest of four generations now living. October 8th, 1828, he married Miss Nancy Tomer, daughter of John and Martha Tomer, of Pultney, New York, by whom he had eight children, as follows: Martha R., born in Pultney, June 16th, 1829, was the wife of Reuben Butterfield, of Cambridge, this county. She died March 4th, 1854; Robert L., born in Pultney, February 3d, 1831, a farmer of Cambridge; Adelsa, born in Pultney, January 15th, 1833, now the wife of Thomas Alderdyze, of Cambridge; William C., born in Pultney, April 4th, 1835, a mechanic of Clinton ; John C., born in Cambridge, October 9th, 1837, was a member of the 18th Michigan Infantry, was promoted to Captain of a Cavalry company in the 12th Tennessee regiment, and was shot by a "bushwhacker," while on a scout in Tennessee. He was killed June 14th, 1864; Wesley, born in Cambridge, March 10th, 1841, a farmer of Rome; Emily H., born in Cambridge, June 22d, 1845, now the wife of David Galloway, of Adrian ; Joel born in Cambridge, January 11th, 1847, at home. Mrs. Nancy Rogers was born in Pultney, New York, in 1808, and died in Cambridge, January 19th, 1847. March 5th, 1849, Mr. Rogers, married Mrs. Clarissa Russ, daughter of John and Martha Tomer, of Cambridge. She was born in Pultney, New York, in 1801, and died in Cambridge, June 14th, 1866. November 21st, 1866, he married Mrs. Delana Hathaway, daughter of Gilbert and Lametta Gulick. She was born in Romulus, Seneca county, New York, September 30th, 1820, and was the widow of Benjamin Hathaway, of the city of Adrian. Mr. 'Hathaway was killed, by a horse running away, February 1st, 1858. Mrs. Delana Rogers is the mother of one son, Cassius M. C. Hathaway, who was born in Dover, July 6th, 1850, and died December 15th, 1852. She also
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
brought up four children for Mr. Hathaway, as follows: Emily, now the wife of Newton McLouth, of DeWitt, Michigan ; Ben- jamin, a farmer of Dover ; Daniel D., a farmer of Dover ; Mary E., now the wife of A. B. Hopper.
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HARLES BOWERFIND was born in Arzberg, Bavaria, Germany, February 7th, 1831. His father, Christopher Bowerfind, was a prominent man of Arzberg, and was mayor of the city for ten successive years. Charles Bowerfind received a careful elementary education, his school days closing at the age of thirteen ; but being possessed of studious, industrious habits, he soon obtained a good business education, and being naturally ambi- tious and economical, he never has been without employment, and
has constantly added to his worldly store. In his thirteenth year he was apprenticed to his uncle to learn the baker's trade. This apprenticeship was a severe one, but during the three years which he served, he acquired the most exemplary habits, which he has profited by during all his active life. From the time he was sixteen until he was twenty-one, he lived in Gratz, Austria; he then, according to the German custom, entered the army, but after serving a little over a year, he procured a substitute, and immedi- ately came to America. He arrived at Monroe, Michigan, in 1854, where he worked six weeks at his trade, as a journeyman. He found many difficulties in his way, and soon learned that money was not to be gained, even in America, without the severest strug- gle. Not being satisfied with his prospects in Monroe, in the fall of 1854 he came to Adrian, his entire capital being a dollar bill, worth only about fifty cents, and worked in a bakery for John Avery, for six dollars per month for six months. He remain- ed with Mr. Avery seven years, and during the last year received thirty dollars per month. After many ups and downs, he finally, with a capital of less than three hundred dollars, associated himself with two others, and bought out J. W. Helme, in the well estab- lished " Old Settlers" bakery, on South Main street. The firm was known as Bowerfind, Weisinger & Co., who, after a nine months' trial of the business, bought the building they occupied, and paid $6,400 for it. The firm continued for six years, when the "company" retired, and Bowerfind and Weisinger run the busi- ness until May, 1877, when Mr. Weisinger retired, and Mr. Bow- erfind is now running the business alone. Mr. Bowerfind is an attendant of the Lutheran church, and has always been a useful
521
OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
and active member. He early identified himself with the Republi- can party, and cast his first vote for John C. Fremont, in 1856. In April, 1876, he was elected by the Republican party, to the office of city tax collector, which office he filled to the satisfaction of all classes, two years. He has led an active life, and been closely confined to business, but in 1876 he visited Philadelphia, the great exhibition, and most of the eastern cities. He was married April 6th, 1856, to Miss Elizabeth Gippert, who died February 16th, 1865, leaving a family of six children-four of whom are still living. March 1st, 1867, he married his second wife, Miss Elizabeth Rehklau, by whom he has had six children-five of whom are still living. Mr. Bowerfind is a successful business man, and a leading German citizen, honored and respected by all, and has ever evinced a cheerful willingness to do his part to promote the welfare of the city and county.
ALVIN CRANE, the third and youngest son of George and Charity Crane, was born on the 25th day of December, 1816, in the town of Macedon, Wayne county, New York, where he remained with his parents, on a farm, until the spring of the year 1833, when, with his parents, he removed to Blissfield, (now Palmyra,) Lenawee county, Michigan, and remained with them, the greater part of the time, on what was then a new farm, until the year 1844. His opportunity for an education was only that of the common or district school, while living in the State of New York. After moving to Michigan, he was deprived of the privilege of even the district school, but was sent three months to a select school, taught by Joseph Gibbons, in the town of Raisin. In the fall of 1836, he was allowed to return to the State of New York, to spend the winter, for the final completion of his school education. While under the tuition of Mr. Gibbons, he devoted his time to the study of mathematics, geometry and surveying, as a necessary qualification to fit him for the practice of surveying and civil engineering. During the construction of the Erie and Kalamazoo railroad, in the year 1836, he assisted his father, who was chief engineer of that portion of the road between Ottawa Lake and Adrian, in that capacity. In the fall of 1837 he assisted John Hopkins in running a line from Toledo, Ohio, to the east line of Indiana, under the direction of the Buffalo and Mississippi Rail- road Company, it being substantially the line occupied by the Air Line division of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern railroad.
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
In the spring of 1838, he was appointed an assistant engineer, under Joseph S. Dutton, chief engineer of the Michigan Southern railroad, and assigned a division of that road at Petersburg and Deerfield, which position he occupied until the suspension of the work the following winter. For several years succeeding this, he was engaged in farming, and surveying and engineering on the Erie and Kalamazoo railroad, as his services were required. He also held official positions in his township. On the 7th day of February, 1844, at Farmington, Oakland county, Michigan, he married Miss Deborah Power, daughter of Arthur and Mary Power. She was born in Farmington, Ontario county, New York, November 19th, 1820. Her father was born in Adams, Berkshire county, Mass., November 14th, 1771, and died in Farmington, Oakland county, Michigan, in 1836. He was one of the early settlers of Oakland county, and named the town of Farmington. Mrs. Mary Power (Mary Dillingham,) was born March 20th, 1788, and died in Farmington, Ontario county, New York, in 1823. In the spring of 1844, Mr. Crane settled on a farm, it being a part of his father's old homestead, in Palmyra, where he devoted the principal part of his time for several years. Mr. and Mrs. Crane are the parents of one child, Arthur P. Crane, now a practicing lawyer of Toledo, Ohio. Mr. Crane was elected County Surveyor in the fall of 1850, but did not qualify. In May, 1850, he was appointed assistant engineer of the Michigan Southern railroad, by L. W. Ashley, Superintendent, and had charge of the change made in the line of the road near Adrian, and also of the con- struction of the depot buildings, and in 1852 he had charge of the work of relaying the track with T rail between Toledo and Adrian. When this work was about completed, near the close of the year he was appointed to the position of resident engineer, by J. H. Sargent, who was then acting as assistant Chief Engineer of the Michigan Southern and Northern Indiana railroad, (John B. Jervis then being Chief Engineer,) and was put in charge of the construction of the new station on the " middle ground " at Toledo, and also of the first division of the Air-Line railroad, which position he held until the construction account closed, about the first of January, 1858, at which time he was appointed Pur- chasing Agent for the road, by John B. Jervis, then president, which position he held until the following July, when he resigned. In October, 1857, he was elected a director of the Erie and Kalamazoo railroad, and has held that position continuously to the present time In 1858 he returned to his farm, where he remained until the spring of 1864, when he removed to Adrian, where he now resides. In December, 1867, he was appointed, by the City Council of Toledo,
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