USA > Michigan > Lenawee County > History and biographical record of Lenawee County, Michigan, Volume II > Part 20
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HARLES F. SMITH (Carl Frederick Schmidt) was born in Niedernhall, Oberamt, Kunzelsau, Wurtemberg, Ger- many, December 5, 1832. He lived in Niedernhall until he was twelve years old, when his father died. He then went to live
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
with his uncle, in Sindringen, and went to school for two years. In 1846 he went to Kunzelsau, where he engaged to learn the con- fectioner's trade, and served four years. He then went to Heidle- berg, where he followed his trade until March, 1852, when he came to America, landing in New York, July 16th. He soon found employment in Newark, N. J., and after remaining there long enough to gain a residence, and take out naturalization papers, he returned to Germany to settle up his father's estate. He only remained there about three months, and returned in the spring of 1853 and remained in New York city for one year, acting as head cook in a hotel during that time. In the spring of 1854 he came to Detroit, and found employment with Mr. Egner, then a large confectioner in the old Fireman's Hall building. After about a year he went to the National hotel as cook, and during the boating season of 1855 he was engaged as chief pastry cook on the mag- nificent passenger steamer "Mayflower," plying between Detroit and Buffalo, in connection with the Michigan Central railroad. The following season he occupied the same position on the steamer " May Queen," running between Detroit and Cleveland. The next season, in 1857, he was engaged on the steamer " Buckeye State, ' which sailed between Chicago and Collinwood. That fall he went to Kentucky, and found employment on the Ohio and Mississippi river boats as cook, running between Cincinnati, Louis- ville, Cairo and New Orleans. He finally went from New Orleans to Mobile and cooked on a "cotton steamer" until spring. In May, 1858, he returned to Detroit, and was immediately employed as chief cook on the passenger ferry "Union." About the the 1st of November, 1858, Mr. Smith came to Adrian and stopped at the old Franklin house, which then stood on the site of his present elegant store. He immediately opened a confectionery store on Maumee street, and continued about one year, when a partnership was formed with John Kinzel. The firm was known for many years as Smith & Kinzel, and was one of the prosperous and thriv- ing institutions of Adrian. This firm existed until 1874, when Mr. Smith retired from the business, and was engaged for three years exclusively in the floral business, but in 1877 he again opened a large confectionery store on North Main street, Adrian, where, in connection with his green house, located on Church street, he is still doing a thriving business. Since his residence in Adrian Mr. Smith has done much toward building up and im- proving the city, having built a fine brick residence on the corner of Church and Locust streets, besides a frame house on Church street, and in company with Mr. Kinzel erected three good brick stores. He has always been liberal in assisting all public enter.
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prises, and felt a lively interest in the growth and prosperity of Adrian. June 14, 1857, he married Miss Christiana D. F. Fischer, of Plymouth, Wayne county, Mich., by whom he has had ten chil- dren, as follows: Emma A., born June 2, 1858, now at home; Julius F., born March 1, 1864; Carl A. L., born April 4, 1866; Paulina, born January 18, 1867; Edward F. G., born July 14, 1872; Bertie M., born September 5, 1873; Oscar H., born Janu- ary 30, 1878; three children died in infancy. Mrs. Christiana D. F. Smith was born in Bittenfeld, Wurtemberg, Germany, Febru- ary 24, 1835. She came to this country with her parents in 1854, first settling in Ohio, and in 1856 settled in Plymouth, Wayne county, Mich., where her parents still reside. Charles F. Smith's father, John Philip Schmidt, was born in Wimpfen-on-Berg, Hes- sen, Germany, January 5, 1800. He was for ' many years employed in the government salt works, but in the latter years of his life was a hotel keeper. He died at Niedernhall, January 1, 1845. His wife was Miss Sophia Burkhardt, who was born in Forchtenberg, Wurtemberg, Germany. She was the daughter of a hotel keeper. She was born in 1804, and died in Niedernhall, in 1838.
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ON. WITTER J. BAXTER, son of Levi Baxter, Jr., and Lois (Johnston) Baxter, was born at Sidney Plains, Delaware county, N. Y., January 18, 1816 He removed with his father's family to Tecumseh, Mich., in 1831, and attended school there, then under the charge of the Hon. Sirrell C. Le Baron, in 1832-33. Afterward, with his brother, Benjamin L., he pursued his academic course at Tecumseh under Benjamin Work- man and the Hon. Perley Bills, and in 1840 became associated with Andrew Harvie in the charge of the Tecumseh High School, then a local branch of the Michigan University. He removed to Detroit, studied law with Barstow & Lockwood, was a co-student, and admitted to the bar at the same time as the now Hon. Judge Campbell, entered into law partnership with Andrew Harvie, in 1844, and in 1848 removed to Jonesville, where he has ever since resided, entering into an extensive law and land partnership with the Hon. W. W. Murphy. This partnership was continued until
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
1874, since which time he has continued the practice by himself. July 28, 1852, he was married at Jonesville to Alice Beaumont, by whom he has had four children. Benjamin, since deceased ; Nellie, now Mrs. George Peabody, of Jonesville; Walton M., and Witter, J., Jr., all still living at Jonesville. His wife, Alice, died at Jonesville, April 2, 1872, since which time he has remained un- married, cherishing, as only a loving heart can do, the memory of the departed one. He has always been largely interested in educa- tional enterprises, having been for over twenty-six years a member of the Jonesville school board, for many years and now is a mem- ber of the State Board of Education, a prominent member of the State Agricultural Society, and for two years, 1876-77, a member. of the State Senate. He has been for years prominently identified with the Presbyterian church of Jonesville, (being a ruling elder,) the Odd Fellows and Masonic order, and the State and County Pio- neer societies, having been President of each. He has probably the best private library in western Michigan, consisting of 4,000 well se- lected volumes, and one of the finest law libraries in the State. Al- ways genial, generous, earnest and active, with ability to carry out his plans for good, being one of the banking firm of E. O. Grosvenor & Co., he has necessarily acquired a very large share of popularity and influence, which he has always nobly devoted to the best inter- ests of education, humanity, and the State.
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EVI BAXTER, Sr., son of Francis Baxter, was born in Connecticut, August 14, 1764; was married to Mary Wash- burne (who was of Welsh descent,) at Tolland, Conn., and removed from there to East Windsor, Conn., where his eldest son, Levi Baxter, Jr., was born, October 5, 1778. He was one of the heroes of the revolution, and retired from his military service with the rank of Captain. While his son, Levi Jr., was yet a young. child, he removed to Delhi, Delaware county, N. Y., and remained there until 1803, when he removed to Sidney Plains, Delaware Co., N. Y., where he was engaged in lumbering, owning several mills, and also farming until his death, May 26, 1851. He was an active man in society, an active and influential member, and at the time of his death an elder in the Presbyterian church of Sidney Plains.
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ON. LEVI BAXTER, Jr., son of Levi Baxter, Sr., was born at East Windsor, Conn., October 5, 1778, removed with his father's family while a child, to Delhi, Delaware county, N. Y., and again in 1803, to Sidney Plains, Delaware Co., N. Y. He was married at Sidney Plains, Delaware county, N. Y., January 12, 1814, to Lois, eldest daughter of Col. Witter John- son, who was a colonel in the revolutionary war, and one of the first settlers of Sidney Plains, having come there when a child with his father, the Rev. Wm. Johnston, of Scotch Irish descent, as early as June, 1812, and was engaged in farming, lum- bering and merchandizing until 1831, when he removed with his family to Tecumseh, Lenawee county, Mich., arriving there July 4, 1831. Here, in connection with his partners, Selleck C. Boughton and Gen. Joseph W. Brown, he built the first flouring mill of any size west of Monroe, in the then Territory of Michi- gan. During his residence at Tecumseh he was appointed Chief Justice for the county of Lenawee, and thus obtained his familiar title of "Judge." In 1834, he, with Cook Sisson, built the flour- ing mill at White Pigeon, Mich .; also in connection with Henry L. Hewitt, the flouring mill at Jonesville, and removed to White Pigeon in 1835, and during the making of extensive repairs on his mill at Jonesville in 1840, he received an injury from a stick of timber falling upon and crushing one of his limbs, from which he never fully recovered. Previous to this, in October 26, 1834, his wife, Lois, died at Tecumseh, and he again married Elizabeth M. Orton, at Albany, N. Y., and removed from White Pigeon to Jonesville in 1848, where he continued to reside until the time of his death, in 1862. Mr. Baxter was prominently connected with the Whig party until the organization of the Free Soil, or Repub- lican party, in 1848, was made their candidate for State Senator, and being endorsed also by the Whigs, was triumphantly elected ; was regarded as a ready debater, and was in reality one of the leaders in the Senate. By his first wife he had ten children, Benjamin L., Witter J., Mary Jane (Kellogg), Lois F., (Selfridge) still living; George Harvey Baxter, James Henry, Francis, Mary Ann, Nar- cissa, and an unnamed infant, deceased, and by his second wife a large family, besides several of whom died in infancy. Mr. Bax- ter was widely known as a man of large discernment, great energy and resolution, and of excellent judgment, in his opinions always decided, and in carrying out his projects bold and unyielding, and by these qualities he attained that social, political, industrial and re- ligioas influence, which he possessed to an unusual degree.
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
ENJAMIN CARPENTER was born near where the city of Elmira, N. Y., now stands, June 1, 1807. He lived there until 1810, when his parents moved to Shelby, Orleans county. His father, James Carpenter, purchased a farm in Shelby, and Ben- jamin lived there until the fall of 1832, when he came to Michigan and settled on section 2, in Fairfield. This is the farm now owned and occupied by Rufus Baker, and was the second farm located in the township, being taken up in 1829 by Abram Carpenter, a brother of Benjamin. In September, 1832, Benjamin moved on this land, having purchased it of his brother, and after building a log house he moved his family, consisting of his wife and three children, and lived there twenty-one years. This was heavy tim- bered land, and Mr. Carpenter cleared and subdued 120 acres, and fenced it into ten acre lots, with his own hands. He built a good house and barn, hewing the timber and framing the barn mostly himself. The barn is still standing on the farm. When Mr. Car- penter went into Fairfield, there were but five families in the town- ship, as follows: Newman Terry, John Arnold, Nathan Weath- erby, William Weatherby, and Orrin Baker. In June, 1833, a bear visited some of the settlers and carried off their pigs, and one evening as Mr. Carpenter was going by John Baker's house, Moses Baker asked him what he would do when the bear came after his pigs. "Why, I'll kill him, of course," said Mr. Carpenter. "Just send him there and I'll show you." That very night, sure enough, the bear came to Mr. Carpenter's after his pigs; captured a small one and carried it into a swamp and devoured it, and came back after another, when Mr. Carpenter shot him, and the next morn- ing (Sunday) he was prepared to supply all who came to meeting, with bear meat. Mr. Carpenter also killed a great many deer and furnished the settlers with meat. He never attempted to see how many deer he could kill, but only hunted when meat was a neces- sity, and when he went after a deer he seldom failed. He once set four traps in his sheep yard and caught a wolf, the old fellow hav- ing got into every one of the traps. In March, 1853, he sold his farm to Alfred Bailey, and in May he purchased a farm on section 22, in Madison, where he now resides. Benjamin Carpenter's father, James Carpenter, was born in Orange county, N. Y., in 1785. He was a pioneer of Orleans county, and came to Michi- gan, and settled in Fairfield in 1833. He located a large tract of land in the southwest part of the township, where he died in 1857. About the year 1806 he married Miss Catharine Striker, who was born in New Jersey in 1785, by whom he had eight children, Ben- jamin being the oldest. Mrs. Carpenter died in 1873. January 13, 1828, Benjamin Carpenter was married to Miss Eliza M. Wil- (24)
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cox, daughter of Silas and Cynthia (Taft) Wilcox, of Shelby, Or- leans county, N. Y., by whom he has had thirteen children, as fol- lows: James B., born in Shelby, February 19, 1829, was a soldier in the war of the rebellion, a member of Co. B., 4th Mich. Cav- alry, and participated in the capture of Jeff. Davis. Mary J., born in the same place, October 24, 1830, now the wife of William H. Smith, of Gratiot county, Mich .; Silas B., born in the same place, July 1, 1832, also a soldier in the rebellion, and member of the 11th Mich. Cavalry, died June 26, 1875; Abram S., born in Fairfield, this county, July 13, 1835; Lucretia M., born in same place, September 19, 1837, now the wife of Henry Regless, of Fairfield ; Thomas J., born in same place, December 19, 1839, was in the rebellion, a member of the 4th Mich. Infantry, and died at Huntsville, Ala., in March, 1875; Jerome B., born in same place, September 11, 1849, was in the rebellion, a member of the 9th Mich. Cavalry; Charles A., born same place, January 14, 1845, was in the rebellion, a member of the 11th Mich. Cavalry ; Wil- liam H., born same place, September 14th, 1847, died in his 8th year ; Allen B., born in same place, February 22, 1850; George J., born in same place, March 18, 1853; Lucy A., born in Madi- son, August 30, 1855, now the wife of Edward Donaldson, of Mad- ison; Emma A., born in Madison, September 19, 1858. Mrs. Eliza M .. Carpenter was born in Palmyra, Wayne county, N. Y., May 2, 1812. Her father, Silas Wilcox, was born in Rhode Island, February 13, 1787, and died in Fairfield, this county, Au- gust 5, 1837. Her mother, who was Miss Cynthia Taft, was born in Chesterfield, Mass., January 1, 1790, and died September 8, 1855.
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EACON ELIJAH BARBER was born in Smithfield, (now Fenner) Madison county, N. Y., February 23, 1808. His father, John Barber, was born in Worcester county, Massachusetts, May 4, 1775. He was left an orphan at an early age, and penniless, and was dependent on relatives, going here and there to live; as they directed. In his old age, when relating his experience, he said: "I soon learned the necessity of depending
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on myself. I had no bringing up; I had to do that myself, and I learned how to observe. I had no schooling as children now have -a few months for several winters, when a boy, was all I ever had. I knew when quite young that I must take care of myself, and that others would have to trust me, and I saw so much deception and dishonesty in the world, that I resolved no one should be sorry for trusting me, and that I would be faithful and stick to my business, so that I might find employment." When he was about sixteen he went to Oneida county, N. Y., with a family, driving oxen for his board and passage. He said: "I hadn't as many trunks and bundles as people have now when they travel, for all the clothes I had were on my back, and I had nothing to leave behind." He lived in Oneida county until 1799, and worked in the vicinity of the towns of Paris and Waterville, and cleared some of the ground where Waterville now stands. He purchased a farm in Smithfield, (now Fenner) Madison county, cleared it up, and lived there until his death, which occurred November 30, 1869. He was a promi- nent and respected man in that vicinity, and was for many years a consistent member of the Baptist church. March 14, 1799, John Barber married Lovina Thompson, daughter of Elijah and Da- marus Thompson, of Madison, Madison county, N. Y., by whom he had fourteen children, Elijah being the sixth child and third son. Mrs. Lovina Barber was born in Worcester county, Mass., in 1782, and moved with her parents to Madison county, N. Y., in 1794, where she died in August, 1867. Elijah Barber was brought up a farmer, and lived with his parents until after he was married. In 1834 he went to Barre, Orleans county, purchased a farm, and re- mained there between two and three years, and in 1838 he came to Michigan, and stopped in Napoleon, Jackson county, nearly three years, when he came to this county and purchased a farm on sec- tion 18, in Rome, in June, 1840, where he now resides. The land was entirely new at that time, but Mr. Barber knew how to make a farm out of the wilderness, and to-day he enjoys the comforts of a large frame house, plenty of good barnsand sheds, a large, choice orchard, with eighty acres of highly improved land, all of which he has cause to be proud of. Mr. Barber has been a member of the Second Baptist church of Rome, since 1841; was a consistent mem- ber of the Naville Baptist church, was made deacon there in 1839, and was ordained as deacon in the Second Rome Baptist church in 1841, and has served in that capacity ever since. De- cember 11, 1828, Elijah Barber married Mary Woodworth, daugh- ter of John and Sarah Woodworth, of Lenox, Madison county, N. Y., by whom he has had six children, as follows: Amelia L., born in Fenner, Madison county, N. Y., November 27, 1829, was
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the wife of Charles H. Smith, of St. Louis, Mich., died December 3, 1875; Alfred T., born same place, Cetober 16, 1833, now a farmer of St. Joseph county, Mich .; Olive W., born in Lenox, Madison county, N. Y., December 2, 1836, now the widow of Ed- ward Marks, and resides in Clayton village, this county ; John, born in Rome, this county, May 14, 1843, was a soldier in the war of the rebellion, a member of Daniels' battery. He was killed at the battle of Gettysburg, July 3, 1863, being shot through the head by a sharpshooter; Cyrus, born in Rome, July 21, 1845, a farmer of Rome; Edward H., born in Rome, September 13, 1847, runs the home farm. Mrs. Mary Barber was born in Lenox, Madison county, N. Y., March 5, 1807, and came to Michigan with her husband in 1838. Her father was a native of Massachusetts, and was born February 24, 1775, and died in Manlius, Onondaga coun- ty, N. Y., December 16, 1856. He was a farmer, and was for many years a member of the M. E. church. February 28, 1799, he mar- ried Sarah May, daughter of Daniel and Mary May, by whom he had seven children, Mrs. Barber being the third child and second daughter. Mrs. Sarah Woodworth was born in 1782, and died in Lenox, Madison county, N. Y., June 9, 1816.
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AMUEL E. HART was born in Albion, Orleans county, N. Y., August 13, 1823. His father, Deacon Joseph Hart, was born in Berlin, Conn., November 20, 1773, where he lived until 1779, when he moved to Durham, Greene county, N. Y., and lived until 1812, when he moved to Orleans county and erected a log cabin in the wilderness, where the village of Albion now stands. He located 364 acres of land from the government, at $1.25 per acre, a portion of which has been sold at $800 per acre. His son and grandson still own and occupy a large portion of the purchase. He was a deacon in the Presbyterian church, he being the originator and promoter of the first church in Albion, the first meeting being held in his barn, where an organization was made. He was a worthy, honorable, prominent man, and enjoyed the re- spect and confidence of the entire community. He died at his old homestead, in Albion, July 22, 1853. May 3, 1798, Deacon Joseph Hart married Miss Lucy Kirtland, of Saybrook, Conn., by
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
whom he had ten children, Samuel E. being the youngest. Mrs. Lucy (Kirtland) Hart was born in Saybrook, Conn., November 11,
1778, and died at Adrian, Mich., at the residence of her daughter, Mrs. A. S. Berry, Jannary 4, 1867. Samuel E. Hart, the subject of this sketch, lived with his parents on the farm until he was nearly seventeen years old, when, through the solicitation of his brother-in-law, L. G. Berry, he came to Adrian, Mich., in May, 1840. He acted as clerk in Mr. Berry's dry goods store for three
years. During these three years he was the only clerk in the store,
and during two years kept the books, and had never known what his
wages were to be. Finally, when his time expired, he was informed that he was to have no pay for the first year, five dollars per month for the second, and ten dollars for the third year. He then returned to Albion, N. Y., to visit his parents, and after a few days rest again started for the west, and went to Alton, Ill., and engaged as clerk in the drug store of his brother, Dr. B. K. Hart, remaining there a little over two years, when, owing to sickness, he was obliged to take a trip south and east. He again visited his par- ents in Albion, and on his road back to Alton stopped at Adrian
to visit his sisters, Mrs. O. M. Roode, Mrs. A. S. Berry, and Mrs. L.
G. Berry, and was persuaded to go into business with the Berry
brothers, with a little capital his father had given him. He re- mained with them one year, made $500, which he gave to the Berrys to let him out of the business, and immediately purchased Dr. D. K. Underwood's interest in the drug firm of Raymond & Underwood, where he remained two years and a half. At this time Caleb Woodbury purchased Mr. Hart's interest. This was in 1848, and Mr. Hart again went to Alton, Ill., to join his brother and go to Chicago, purchase property and locate there per- manently, but, owing to some differences in opinions in regard to the value of Chicago real estate at that time, Samuel E., after about
six weeks, returned to Adrian and purchased the store he now oc- cupies, and has remained there in the drug business ever since. Since that time Mr. Hart has been one of Adrian's prosperous, solid business men, and has added perhaps more to Adrian's good reputation as an honest, fair dealer, promptness in paying bills and meeting all obligations, than any man now in the city. There is not a blemish against his name as a tradesman, and his guaranty is sufficient in all matters of deal with any man in Lenawee county. He has served the city as member of the common council, and was treasurer of the Lenawee county Agri- cultural society for several years. He assisted largely in the erec- tion of the Presbyterian church, of which he has been a member since 1845, filling all the offices of the church. He assisted
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largely in the erection of the Opera House, and regrets being one of the largest paying subscribers to the defunct " Adrian and Saline railroad." He was greatly interested in the location, erection and construction of the State reform school for girls, and the Detroit & Butler railroad. October 7, 1852, at Astoria, Long Island, he married Miss Anna D. Crissey, daughter of E. A. Crissey, by whom he had two children, as follows : Otho S., born January 9, 1856; Kate Elizabeth, born August 21, 1861; both born in Adrian. Mr. Hart was again married at Palmyra, N. Y., to Mrs. Harriet G. King, March 11, 1872, by whom he has had one child, Charles G., born in Adrian, June 6, 1873. Mrs. Harriet G. Hart was born at Palmyra, N. Y., May 20, 1841. Her parents, Thomas and Aruba Galloway, are still living in Palmyra, N. Y., where they were pioneers.
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AYDEN W. MAYNARD was born in Adrian township, Lenawee county, Mich., July 20, 1833. His father, John Maynard, was born in Connecticut, December 4, 1798. He left Connecticut when he was a boy and went to Coalville, Broome county, N. Y., where he learned the trade of cloth dresser and wool carder, which he followed for several years. He came to Michigan in 1832, and settled on section 32, in Adrian township, and cleared up a farm, where he resided until his death, which occurred Au- gust 21, 1840. December 14, 1820, John Maynard married Char- lotte Merchant, daughter of Jedediah and Hepsebeth Merchant, of Coalville, Broome county, N. Y., by whom he had nine children, Hayden W. being the seventh child. Mrs. Charlotte Maynard was born (probably in New Hampshire) October 12, 1801, and died in Adrian, January 24, 1879. Hayden W. Maynard Jived at home with his mother (his father having died when he was seven years old) until he was twenty-one, and worked the farm with his broth- er, John O. In the spring of 1856, Hayden went to Minnesota with the idea of locating land, and making that State his home. He finally located 160 acres of government land in Anoka county. He resided there five years, and made considerable improvements. In the spring of 1861 he came back to Michigan, and worked a arm two years, when he purchased a farm on section 5, in Dover,
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