USA > Michigan > Lenawee County > History and biographical record of Lenawee County, Michigan, Volume II > Part 36
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EWIS B. CANNIFF was born in Ridgeway, Orleans county, N. Y., January 17, 1819. His father, John Canniff, was born in Sullivan county, N. Y., but Lewis knows very little of his history, as he died soon after Lewis was five years old. About the year 1810 John Canniff married Lydia Morse, daugh- ter of Edward Morse, of Riga, Monroe county, N. Y., by whom he had five children, Lewis B. being the third child and second
son. Mrs. Lydia Canniff was born (probably) in Riga, in 1794, and died in Clayton, this county, in 1859. Lewis B. Canniff lived with his parents until he was only about five years old, when he went to live with his grandfather Morse. When he was about eight years old he went to live with a man in Ridgeway, named Josiah Tanner, where he lived until he was about twenty. In the spring of 1840 he came to Michigan, stopped in Pittsford, Hills- dale county, and worked until the following spring, when he re- turned to the State of New York. During the following three years he lived in Barre, Orleans county, where he was married. In the spring of 1844 he again returned to Michigan, and settled in Eaton, Eaton county, where he purchased a new farm. Eaton county at that time was very new, and was just being settled up, Mr. Canniff and wife were among the early settlers of the county. Eaton Rapids was the largest village in the county, and consisted of a small flouring mill, blacksmith shop, and a few stores and residences that could be counted upon your fingers. He lived there until the fall of 1845, when he sold out and went to Grand Rapids, where he taught school during the winter. During that summer he moved to Battle Creek, and that winter went to Litch-
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field, and resided until January, 1850, when he moved to Clay- ton, this county, where he found employment on the Michigan Southern railroad, and in 1851 he was made station agent at Clay- ton, and remained there about three years, when he went to Osseo in the same capacity, and served the company there as agent for eight years. In the fall of 1860 he purchased a farm on section 29, in Dover, where he now resides. Since 1862 he has paid his attention exclusively to farming, and now has no desire to change his calling. May 25, 1843, Lewis B. Canniff married Matilda Hatch, daughter of Solomon and Esther Hatch, of Barre, Orleans county, N. Y., by whom he has had five children, as follows: William H., born October 22, 1847, is track-master on the west- ern division of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern railroad, and a resident of Englewood, Illinois .; Ladora Aurelia, born December 12, 1849, died April 27, 1864; Solomon Lewis, born November 2, 1856, died January 21, 1864; two chil- dren died in infancy. Mrs. Matilda Canniff was born near Roch- ester, Monroe county, N. Y., August 16, 1825. Her father was a native of New York, was born in 1789, and died in Barre, April 26, 1854. He was twice married, first to Sally McElwain, by whom he had four children, and October 7, 1829, he married Es- ther Dryer, of Cazenovia, N. Y., by whom he had seven children, Mrs. Matilda Caniff being the eldest. Mrs. Esther Hatch was (probably) born in Cazenovia, March 20, 1799, and died in Battle Creek, Mich., July 8, 1876.
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LLIS, WILLIAM, born in Scotland. Freeman May 13, 1640, removed from Braintree to Hatfield, Mass., 1661.
2-Allis, John, born March 5, 1642; married Mary, daughter of Thomas Meekins.
3-Allis, Ichabod, born July 10, 1675; married, 1st, Mary, daughter of Samuel Belding; 2d, Sarah, daughter of Benjamin Wait.
4-Allis, Samuel, born December 12, 1705; graduate of Har- vard College, 1724, ordained first pastor of the church in Somers, Conn., 1727; married Hannah Sheldon.
5-Allis, Lucius, farmer; one of the first settlers of Conway,
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Mass., born May 9, 1737. Married 1st, Jemima Bliss; 2d, Mary, daughter of Thomas Wells; 3d, Mehetible Graves.
6-Allis, Solomon, farmer of Conway, born October 26, 1769. Married Anna B., daughter of Israel Dickinson; children : Par- thenia D., born January 17, 1795; married Willard Crittenden. Lucius, born September 2, 1796, married Fanny Griswold. Thomas Wells, born August 28, 1798, married 1st, Sarah Mun- son, daughter of Bezaleel and Levina (Munson) Smith; 2d, Pa- melia, daughter of Roswell and Pamelia (Dickinson) Root. John D., born June 22, 1801, married 1st, Lydia Smith; 2d, Hannah Hall; 3d, Delia Taylor. Emily, born October 1, 1803, married Lyman Smith. Elijah, born March 14, 1805; died in Adrian township April 16, 1871; married 1st, Melissa, daughter of Benjamin Tobey, 2d, Sarah J., widow of Julius A. Brown. Lois, born April 3, 1807, married Ashbell Stone. Mary W., born July 3, 1809, married Lot Hall. Elliot C., born February 16, 1816, married 1st, Elvira Dickinson, 2d, Cornelia A. Johnson. Ed- ward P., now a resident of Madison, this county, born February 9, 1819, married Hannah Jennings, Their children are Elliot W., Lucius F. and Mary C.
7-Allis, Thomas Wells, son of Solomon and Anna B. (Dickin- son) Allis, born in Conway, Mass., August 28, 1798. From the age of sixteen to twenty-one he was apprenticed to learn the trade of tanner, currier and shoemaker. He followed shoemaking until he was thirty years of age, and farming the remainder of his life. His home was at Conway until he was twenty-five, at York, Liv- ingston county, until he was thirty, at Riga, Monroe county until he was thirty-eight, Alabama, Genesee county, until he was fifty- six, Cambridge, Lenawee county, Mich., until he was sixty-eight, where he died March 18, 1867. He married May 16, 1823, 1st, Sarah Munson, daughter of Bezaleel and Levina (Munson) Smith, who died in Riga, N., Y., July 10, 1829, aged twenty-eight. Their children were Solomon W., born at York, N. Y., February 6, 1825, and George R., born at Riga, N. Y., April 26, 1829. Married 2d, February 10, 1830, Pamelia, daughter of Roswell and Pamelia (Dickinson) Root, who died in Cambridge, this county, August 25, 1873, aged 72. Their children were Sarah M., boru at Riga, N. Y., March 24, 1831; Mary Eveline, born in Riga, N. Y., October 17, 1834; Edgar, born in Alabama, N. Y., Feb- rnary 20, 1838; Solomon W., married 1st, Maryette Corbet, 2d, Elizabeth Blackman. Sarah M. died April 1, 1862. Mary Ev- eline married Harry Gillette. Edgar died October 31, 1860.
8-Allis, George R., son of Thomas W. and Sarah Munson (Smith) Allis, born in Riga, Monroe county, N. Y., April 26,
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1829. Lived at home, until the age of twenty-one, at LeRoy, N. Y., and at Romeo, Mich., until he was twenty-six, after which he spent eight years as clerk in the hardware store of George L. Bid- well, in Adrian, twelve years on a farm in Cambridge, this county. four years as treasurer of Lenawee county, and is at present a jus- tice of the peace in Adrian, and secretary of the Farmer's Mutual Fire Insurance Company, of Lenawee county. He married April 11, 1859, Susan F., daughter of David B. and Sarah J. (Davis) Treat. Their children are: George Lee, born September 13, 1862, and Sarah Pamelia, born January 17, 1877.
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ORATIO G. POPE was born in Burlington, Otsego county, N. Y., February 2, 1806. His father, Arnold Pope, was born in the same place, March 5, 1778, and was the son of Gersham Pope, who was born in Bennington, Vt., and afterward lived in Burlington, N. Y. Arnold Pope was always a farmer, and owned a farm in Hamilton, Madison county, N. Y. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, and participated in several battles. About the year 1802 Arnold Pope married Hannah Thompson, daughter of Elihu and Desire Thompson, of Burlington, N. Y., by whom he had seven children, Horatio G. being the oldest son and second child. Mrs. Hannah Pope was born in Burlington, N. Y., in March, 1782, and died in Hamilton, Madison county, N. Y., July 4, 1865. Arnold Pope died in the same place, December 21, 1868. Horatio G. Pope lived with his parents until he was twenty-one, and worked on the farm. He worked four years by the month, and in 1830 he purchased forty acres of land in Ham- ilton, Madison county, where he resided until 1856. He added to his farm until he owned 150 acres of land, with good buildings, and owned a half interest in a saw mill. For eleven years he manufactured cheese, and carried on a large hop yard. He also carried on quite an extensive cider mill. During the winter of 1855-6 he sold all his effects, and in the spring of 1856 came to Michigan and purchased of Joel Walker, a farm on section 12, in Palmyra, where he now resides. In the spring of 1869 the Pal- myra cheese factory was built on his farm, he being the projector and half owner. Mr. Pope has always been an active, hard-work-
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ing man, with plenty of his own business to attend to, his farming being always done at the proper time and in the best manner. Since his residence in Palmyra he has erected a good frame house and three barns. January 23, 1831, Horatio G. Pope married Diana Thayer, daughter of Hosea and Hannah Thayer, of Ham- ilton, Madison county, N. Y., by whom he has had two children, as follows: Hosea T., born in Hamilton, Madison county, N. Y., January 13, 1835, died in Palmyra, January 14, 1872; Arnold, born in the same place, May 23, 1837, a farmer, and runs the home farm; Lucy H., an adopted child, born in the same place, February 17, 1848, now the wife of Charles D. Conklin, of Quincy, Ill. Mrs. Diana Pope was born in Hamilton, Madison county, N. Y., April 14, 1812. Her father was born in Plain- field, Mass., November 26, 1784, and died in Hamilton, January 14, 1872. His ancestors came from England and were among the early settlers of Massachusetts. He married Hannah Torry, of Plainfield, Mrs. Pope being their only child. She died in Hamil- ton, N. Y., January 6, 1847. Arnold Pope is the only son or heir of his father, and has for some years taken charge of the farm. He has always followed farming, and July 19, 1862, he married Eliza C. Street, daughter of Robert and Elmira Street, of Pal- myra. They have had four children, only one of whom, Ralph T., born in Palmyra, June 20, 1867, is now alive. Mrs. Eliza C. Pope was born in Palmyra, this connty, July 30, 1840. For her family record see Robert Street's record in volume 1 of this work.
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ONATHAN E. INGERSOLL was born in Victor, Ontario county, N. Y., May 20, 1820. His father, Stephen Inger- soll, son of Aaron and Lydia Ingersoll, was born in Lynn, Mass., April 17, 1782, where he resided until he was a young man, when he went to Victor, Ontario county, N. Y., and, although being a miller by trade, he owned a farm and resided there until 1843. In the spring of that year he came to Michigan and pur- chased a farm on seetions 2 and 3, in Ransom, Hillsdale county, where he died August 30, 1858. He traced his ancestry back to William Ingersoll, who was born in 1724. William settled in Massachusetts, and was married December 11, 1746. September (45)
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15, 1803, Stephen Ingersoll married Joan Root, daughter of Deacon Isaac and Mary Root, of West Stockbridge, Mass., by whom he had nine children, Jonathan E. being the fourth son and eighth child. Mrs. Joan Ingersoll was born in Stockbridge, Mass., January 23, 1780, and died in Hillsdale county, Mich., April 20, 1853. Her parents were natives of Massachusetts, and her father participated in the Revolutionary struggle. Jonathan E. Ingersoll lived with his parents until their death. He came to Michigan in the fall of 1842, and settled on a farm in Ransom, Hillsdale county. He had about $70 in money when he got to his father's land, and during that fall and winter he built a house, purchased a cow and a hog, and bought wheat enough for his father's family (who came on in the spring), to live on until after harvest in 1843. He cleared up the land himself, as his father was crippled with rheu- matism. He had no team during the first two years, but he strug- gled on, determined to make a home, until he cleared 110 acres, built good barns, etc. In 1852 he went to California overland, where he "mined it" for two years, and returned in November, 1854. He came home by the Nicaragua route, having left San Francisco on the steamer "Yankee Blade," then one of the very best vessels on the Pacific coast. After twenty-three hours' sail she was wrecked on a reef during a dense fog, about five miles off shore. There were 1,300 passengers on board, all of whom were safely landed except about fifty persons, who were lost by the swamping of small boats and other causes. Mr. Ingersoll was among the last to leave the wreck, twenty-two hours after the ves- sel struck. The day following the wreck a small coasting steamer came along and carried 800 passengers to Santiago. After remain- ing in Santiago eight days a steamer arrived, and carried them all back to San Francisco. On the 20th of October the survivors again left San Francisco, and after a passage of twenty days and twelve hours arrived in New York. In 1860 Mr. Ingersoll erected a large brick house on his farm. In 1866 he sold his farm and came to Lenawee county, and purchased of John Patterson a farm of 200 acres on sections 5 and 6, in Palmyra, for which he paid $11,000. He resides there now. In the fall of 1875 he again went to California overland, but by a far different convey- ance than that in use during his first trip. In 1852 he was four and one half months going from Chicago to Sacramento, and in 1875 he was five days making the same trip. He merely went on a visit to his children, having two daughters living there, and re- turned the same season. December 31, 1844, Jonathan E. Inger- soll married Maria Hammond, daughter of John and Permelia Hammond, of Ransom, Hillsdale county, Mich., by whom he has
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
had nine children, as follows: Edgar J., born in Ransom, Hills- dale county, May 17, 1846, a farmer of Palmyra; Lydia A., born same place, July 20, 1847, now the wife of Harrison Crommer, of Colusa, Cal .; Cyrus B., born same place, December 13, 1848, a farmer of Palmyra ; Phebe P., born same place, January 3, 1850, now the wife of Christopher C. Crommer, of Colusa, Cal .; Edna M., born same place, February 21, 1852, now the wife of Charles Miller, of Raisin; Esther F., born same place, January 1, 1856, now the wife of Frederick W .. Nichols, of Palmyra; John S., born same place, October 13, 1858, at home; Heber D., born same place, September 15, 1863, at home; Thomas H., born same place, December 22, 1865, at home. Mrs. Maria Ingersoll was born in Freetown, Cortland county, N. Y., June 15, 1824, and came to Michigan with her parents in 1838, and in 1840 settled in Ran- som, Hillsdale county. Her father was born August 18, 1791, on Long Island, and now resides in Ransom. His ancestors came from England, and were among the first settlers of Long Island. Her mother was Permelia Dickinson, was born in Connecticut, January 18, 1796, and died November 3, 1838.
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ILLIAM C. HOLMES was born in Franklin, Lenawee county, Mich., February 25, 1837. His father, Jeremiah Holmes, son of Jeremiah and Ann Holmes, was born in Massachusetts, March 29, 1806. He resided in Massachusetts until he was about ten years old, when his parents moved to Woodstock, Windsor county, Vt., where his father followed mill- ing. In the spring of 1835 he came to Michigan, and purchased a farm on sections 4 and 5, in Franklin, this county. He learned the miller's trade with his father in Vermont, but never followed it after coming to Michigan. He located his land in Franklin from the government, and lived upon it until his death, which occurred May 25, 1874. He took the land just as nature had made it, covered with oak timber and stone, and after a few years made a good farm. He came to Michigan a poor man, with only money enough to buy his land, but he was determined to have a home, and possessed the courage and perseverance that made the pioneer successful. He was a good citizen, neighbor and friend,
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and did what he could to improve and develop the country. He was always a consistent member of the M. E. church, and was one of the active members of the Franklin church. February 18, 1836, Jeremiah Holmes married Emily S. Baldwin, daughter of Leonard Baldwin, of Manchester, Washtenaw county, by whom he had five children, William C. being the oldest. Mrs. Emily S. Holmes was born in the State of New York, May 23, 1812, and came to Michigan . with her parents in 1835, and settled in Man- chester, Washtenaw county. She died in Franklin, September 8, 1848. . William C. Holmes, is a native of Lenawee county, and has always lived upon the farm where he was born. He was brought up a farmer, and now owns a portion of his father's home- stead, besides 44 acres adjoining. He has grown up with the township of Franklin, and feels himself a part of it. He was a soldier in the war of the rebellion, and enlisted under Captain Clarkston, at Manchester, in 1862, and was a member of Co. B., 17th Michigan Infantry, being in the battles of South Mountain and Antietam. He was wounded in the battle of Antietam, a ball passing through his left forearm, destroying one bone. The wound disabled him for service, and he was discharged the following No- vember 6th. He now draws a pension from the government. April 5, 1869, William C. Holmes married Mrs. Ann Harrison, daughter of John and Mary Grogan, by whom he has had two children, as follows: William I., born in Franklin, January 10, 1870; Mary E., born same place, November 4, 1877. Mrs. Ann Holmes was born in Kings county, Ireland, July 9, 1844, and came to America in 1856. In 1863 she was married to Michael Harrison, by whom she had one child, Fannie, born in Rondout, N. Y., July 9, 1864. Michael Harrison died in Rondout, N. Y., in 1867. Mrs. Holmes' parents were natives of Kings county, Ireland, where they always resided until their deaths.
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R. DANIEL KINGSLEY UNDERWOOD was the fourth son of Kingsley and Elizabeth (Allen) Underwood, and was born at Enfield, Hampshire county, Mass., June 15, 1803. There, amid the hills of Central Massachusetts, his boyhood and youth were passed. He prepared for college at Am- herst Academy, and about the year 1822 entered Williams' Col-
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
lege, where he spent two years, spending his time in vacation in teaching school. From Williams College he went to Dartmouth College, at Hanover, N. H., to attend medical lectures, graduating there as a Doctor of Medicine, about the year 1826. During his school and college days, Doctor Underwood was a diligent student, and thoroughly mastered every branch of learning he undertook. As an illustration of this, it is remembered of him that forty years after leaving college he could fluently read the Latin and Greek anthors, which he had read during those days. After graduating in medicine he went to Yarmouth, on Cape Cod, in Massachusetts, to practice his profession. Here he continued about two years, when his health failing him, he returned to Amherst and entered the drug business in company with one Dr. Gridley, of that place. Here he remained until 1836, when he removed to Adrian and commenced the drug business. . This he carried on until the year 1849, when, owing to ill health he sold out. After this, for some years he was engaged in no business pursuits whatever, and from that time until his death, in 1875, he was engaged in busi- ness here but for a short time, when in company with Abel Whit- ney, Esq., a banking business was carried on. During almost the whole time from 1849 until his death, he spent his time in reading and study, and in particular devoted a large measure of time and labor to horticulture and amateur fruit raising. He made a study of the kinds of fruit and varieties best adapted to this climate, and was employed by the United States Pomological Society to prepare a work for publication on that subject, which was after- wards published by the United States government. After remov- ing to Adrian, Dr. Underwood became acquainted with Miss Maria A. Mitchell, of Montgomery county, N. Y., who was visiting her sister here, Mrs. E. H. Winans, and in 1843 they were married, and in a few months removed to the house which the Doctor had commenced to build before his marriage, on the corner of Broad and Church streets, being the present residence of his son, W. A. Underwood, Esq. Here he continued to reside until his death. Of this union were born two sons, the eldest, William Allen, at present (November, 1880,) Prosecuting Attorney of this county, born in 1846, and Charles Mitchell, now deceased, born in 1849. Doctor Underwood died May 6, 1875, leaving him surviving, his widow and the two sons above mentioned; in three years more Mrs. Underwood died, and in another year Charles M., the young- er son, followed his parents, and was laid beside them, leaving only the oldest, William A., living. While Doctor Underwood was well known as a business man to almost all the old settlers of the county, and was known by them as of the strictest probity and
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integrity, socially he had but few intimates. He lived largely within himself. He inherited from his father a love of literary pursuits, and was one of the best informed men to be found any- where. From his parents he also inherited an intense persever- ance, and no obstacle seemed too great to be overcome. He was one of the earliest abolitionists. His hatred of the institution of slavery was even in those days, when it was unfashionable to be an abolitionist, of the intensest description. This he came by natu- rally, having imbibed these ideas in his early youth. It is related of his father that as early as 1820, and from that time on until his death, in 1848, he refused to vote at any general election, because neither of the political parties at that time favored abolition. Doctor Underwood was liberal, both in public and private. Among his acts of public liberality, was the gift to Adrian Col- lege of ten acres of its site, and a money contribution of about three thousand dollars. Toward Plymouth church he gave about seven thousand dollars, and gave it when he could ill afford to spare the money, denying himself many things in order to give it. His private benevolence was large, but quietly and unostentatiously performed. No worthy object of charity ever appealed to him in vain. In early life he professed the christian faith, denomination- ally inclining to Congregationalism, in which he had been reared, and in that christian faith he consistently lived, and died having the confidence of a certain faith, the comfort of a reasonable relig- ious and holy hope, in charity with his neighbors, and as we trust, in favor with his God.
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E DGAR C. VAN VLEET was born in Lodi, Seneca county, N. Y., October 15, 1829. His father, Peter P. Van Vleet, son of Peter and Mary (Blue) Van Vleet, was born in the same place, February 23, 1779. He resided in Seneca county, where he owned a farm, until the spring of 1832, when he sold out and came to Michigan. He came with his wife and family of eight children, his friends bringing him by team to Buffalo, where he took passage on a sailing vessel, and after beating about in Lake Erie for two weeks, landed in Detroit about the 1st of May. He brought a lumber wagon, which was built in New Jersey some
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
thirty years previous. He purchased a yoke of oxen in Detroit, and hired a man with another yoke of oxen to bring him to Len- awee county. He loaded all of his effects on the wagon and attached both teams. The roads were so bad that most of the family walked. He arrived in Macon May 5th, and settled on sections 29 and 30, on land he had located in 1828. The wagon he brought with him he used over twenty years, when he had new wood work made for the wheels. The hubs of the wheels are still in use in Ridgeway, after a constant service of seventy-eight years. After a residence on sections 29 and 30 of about eighteen months, he sold to Isaac Miller, and purchased a farm on section 31, of the old town of Macon, on the La Plaisance Bay turnpike, where he lived until his death, which occurred January 31, 1879. He kept house over sixty years, raising a family of thirteen children, and his own death was the first that occurred in his house during that long period. He was a very active, rugged, vigorous man, and in his prime weighed 230 pounds, being a remarkably fine specimen of a perfect type of manhood. He was naturally a pio- neer, and gloried in the work of subduing and reducing nature to a state of productiveness and beauty. He came to Michigan not because he was obliged to on account of poverty or circunstances, but because in his philosophical reasoning he believed he could be more useful in a new country than an old one, and because his tastes lead him where the game roamed at will, and the hunter was unrestrained. He had also a large family growing up, with a helpmeet who, like himself, was a wonderful type of perfect womanhood, with health and strength and fearless trust in him, and believed he could come to Michigan, where land could be pur- chased for $1.25 per acre, and live a more useful and far happier life, and put his family in more comfortable circumstances, than to remain in Seneca county comparatively circumscribed. How well he succeeded in fulfilling the dreams of his early manhood is well known to every early settler of Lenawee county. He was known to all as a friend and benefactor. His house was always open to the settler, and many a night the floors were covered with beds of weary travelers on their way to a western home. As a neighbor, friend and assistant to those who settled around him, he will be kindly remembered as long as any person lives who received his bounty. In 1818 Peter P. Van Vleet married Lois Swarthout, daughter of Ralph and Lois (Halstead) Swarthout, by whom he had thirteen children, seven sons and six daughters, Edgar C. being the seventh child and fifth son. Mrs. Lois Van Vleet was born in Lodi, Seneca county, N. Y., May 23, 1802, and died in Ridgeway, this county, July 2, 1879. She was a true woman, and
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