USA > Michigan > Lenawee County > History and biographical record of Lenawee County, Michigan, Volume II > Part 41
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
EORGE F. PAYNE was born in Knook, County of Wilt- shire, England, November 3, 1821. His father, Robert Knight Payne, was born in Crockerton, in the parish of Long Bridge, Deverill, in the same county, and about five miles from Knook, December 15, 1796. R. K. Payne's great grandfather, Abraham Reuben Payne, was born in 1680; his grandfather, Reuben Payne, in 1719; his father, Simeon Payne, in 1770. They were all born and died in Crockerton. Simeon Payne died in 1845. The family all lie buried in the Long Bridge, Deverill, church-yard. R. K. Payne married Ann Garrett, daughter of John and Sarah Garrett, of Heytesbury, Wiltshire, in 1815, by whom he had four children, as follows: Sarah, who died in Mor- peth, Ontario; George F .; Ann, wife of William Thomas, died in Toronto, Ontario; Mary Ann, wife of William Betts, of Chatham, Ontario. R. K. Payne emigrated with his family to America in 1831. They settled in Little York (now Toronto), where his wife, Mrs. Ann Payne, mother of G. F. Payne, died September 4, 1834. He married Mrs. Sarah Crown, and removed to Toledo in 1836. In 1838 he removed to Chatham, County of Kent, Ontario. He was the first governor of Kent County Jail, and held that office . seventeen years, when he retired to private life. He was also a member of the school board of the town of Chatham for twenty- five years. The Payne School of Chatham is named after him. He still lives in Chatham, respected by all. George F. Payne, the subject of this sketch, when his father left Toronto, was learning the book-binding and blank book business. He lived in that place until 1847, when he removed to Detroit and formed a copart- nership with A. Richmond (now of Richmond & Backus). In 1848 he sold his interest to Mr. Richmond, and removed to Adrian, where he has lived ever since. In 1848 he established the Adrian Blank Book manufactory and book-bindery, and is still its proprie- tor. October 25, 1842, he married Caroline Bartley, daughter of William and Mary Ann Bartley, by whom he has had eight chil- dren, as follows: George L., born in Toronto, Ontario, December 15, 1843, died May 20, 1848; William, born June 2, 1848, pro- prietor of the Herald bindery, Cleveland, Ohio; Robert K., born October 4, 1849. In the late rebellion he enlisted in the Fifteenth Michigan Infantry, and after their march with Sherman to the sea, was honorably discharged. He enlisted in the Fourth U. S. Cav- alry, and died on the march between Victoria and San Antonio, Texas, in August, 1866; George F. Jr., born February 15, 1852, now lives in Elkhart, Ind .; James G., born June 3, 1854, now lives in Toledo, Ohio; Albert W., born April 16, 1856, now lives in Toledo, Ohio: Edwin B., born April 19, 1860, now with his
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father; Carrie, born October 29, 1862, at home. Mrs. Caroline Payne was born in Newport, Isle of Wight, October 25, 1826. Her father, William Bartley, was born in Motcomb, County of Dorset, England, July 6, 1794. Her mother, Mary Ann Bartley, was born in Newport, Isle of Wight, February 4, 1799, and died at her son's, in Butler, Mo., January 9, 1873, where her father still resides. All of Mr. Payne's children except the oldest were born in Adrian.
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ULIUS H. BENEDICT, son of Daniel and Polly Bene- dict, was born in St. Albans, Vt., in 1804, where he lived until he was a young man, when he went to Niagara county, N. Y., with his parents. Julius H. assisted in building the locks on the Erie canal at Lockport, and afterward settled in Royalton, where he purchased land, clearing and owning several farms, and remained there until 1839, when he came to Michigan, first stop- ping in Brest, Monroe county, where he was engaged in the gro- cery business, and dealt quite extensively in shipping staves east by lake. He afterward went to Franklin, Oakland county, where he engaged in the mercantile business with his brother-in-law, the Hon. Wm. A. Pratt, carrying on a general store. They also built and operated a large flouring mill. Mr. Benedict remained there until the spring of 1843, when he came to Lenawee county and engaged in farming, on the farm now owned by Samuel Tingley, four miles north of thecity of Adrian. He remained there until the spring of 1845, when he moved into the then village of Adrian, and pur- chased a building and stock of groceries on the south side of Mau- mee street, of Blackman & Murray. After a few years he sold his building to Ira Bidwell, and purchased of Underwood & Newell, another on the same side of the street, a few doors west, where he carried on business several years. He at one time owned a large tract of land in Tennessee, besides owning a farm in the town of Rome, and some village property in Hudson. He was an active, energetic, business man, and was one of the first who purchased furs in Adrian, doing a large business with the hunters and trap- pers of this region. When he was a young man and lived in Ni- agara county, N. Y., he was a successful trapper and hunter, spending considerable time with the Indians to learn the business.
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
For thirty years he handled furs in Adrian, during which time he went as far northwest as St. Paul, Minnesota, mingling with the Indians there, where he purchased at one time, $20,000 worth in one lot. He was a man of sterling integrity and probity, and until old age and feeble health came upon him, his time was spent in active business pursuits. He died in Adrian, April 19, 1876. June 12, 1831, Julius H. Benedict married Olive Crego, daughter of Rnluf D. and Elsie (Strenihan) Crego, of Clarence, Erie county, N. Y., by whom he had five sons as follows: Daniel, born in Roy- alton, Niagara county, N. Y., April 2, 1832; Julius, born in same place, June 20, 1834, a merchant of Adrian; Oscar, born same place, March 9, 1837, also a merchant of Adrian; two sons died in infancy. Mrs. Olive Benedict was born in Clarence, Erie coun- ty, N. Y., January 9, 1810, came to Michigan with her husband in 1839, and died in Adrian, February 1, 1871. Ruluf Crego and wife were among the early settlers of Erie county, going in there from New Canaan, near Albany, in 1816. Mr. Crego pur- chased land of the Holland company, where he resided until 1854, when he sold out, came to Michigan and settled in this county. His wife died soon after she came to Michigan. He finally went to Cass county and lived with his children until his death.
Daniel Benedict came to Michigan with his parents in 1839, always lived at home, and followed all of the business pursuits in which his father was engaged. Daniel, with his brothers, Julius and Os- car, were engaged in business in Adrian for about twenty-five years, dealing in general groceries, furs, fruits, etc. During one year they were engaged exclusively in the shipping and commis- sion business. In 1866 the Benedict brothers built a large stone front store on Maumee street, having previously erected. a wooden store on the north side of Maumee street. In 1871 a dissolution of partnership took place between the brothers, Daniel engaging in the clothing business in the stone front store, having continued there successfully ever since. Daniel served four years as deputy sheriff under F. J. Hough, and was elected alderinan one terin from the Fourth ward of Adrian. He was one of the early mem- bers of the old Adrian Guards, being an active member of the com- pany until 1861, when the company was disbanded. He is an ac- tive business man, alive to the wants of the community, and suc- cessful as a merchant. December 26, 1872, Daniel Benedict mar- ried Margaret Elizabeth Thompson, daughter of Charles and Sa- rah Thompson, of Ypsilanti, Mich., by whom he has had one child, Olive S., born in Adrian, May 4, 1876. Mrs. Margaret E. Benedict was born in Conway, Shiawassee county, Mich., October 19, 1846. She went to Ypsilanti with her parents in 1850, where
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she resided until 1866, when she came to Adrian as a teacher in the publie schools, where she remained for six years. " Her father was born in Mendham, Morris county, N. J., January 10, 1807, came to Michigan a young man, and married at Ypsilanti, Decem- ber 15, 1842, Sarah A. Van Fossen, daughter of John and Eliza Van Fossen. Mr. Van Fossen was a military man, and was a general commanding in the war of 1812 Mrs. Sarah A. Thomp- son was born at Livonia, Livingston county, N. Y., August 6, 1822, and now resides with her husband in Ypsilanti, where they have been residents for thirty years.
Angust 17, 1859, Julius Benedict married Harriet C. Munger, daughter of Algernon S. and Adaline Munger, of Bay City, Mich., by whom he has had two children, as follows: Charles S., born July 7, 1861, at home; George C., born October 2, 1865, and died September 18, 1866. Mrs. Harriet C. Benedict was born in Franklin, Lenawee county, Mich., October 1, 1842. Her father was born March 1, 1821, in Bergen, Genesee county, N. Y. When he was young he learned the cooper's trade. He came to Michigan and lived in Lenawee county for a few years, and in 1846 went to Newberg, Cass county, where he purchased a farm, and resided until abont 1850, when he sold his farm and went to Elkhart, Ind., and engaged in the mercantile business. He after- ward went to Bay City, and for eighteen years was engaged in the dry goods business, being one of the prosperous business men of that city. Mrs. Adaline Munger was born in Clarence, Erie county, N. Y., and died in Newberg, Cass county, December 25, 1849. Julius Benedict is now engaged in the boot and shoe busi- ness in Adrian, and has for many years been a successful business man. He has also sinee his father's death, dealt largely in native furs.
April 26, 1877, Oscar Benedict married Mattie Mirick, daughter of Hiram T. and Rowena (Gardner) Mirick, of Lyons, Wayne county, N. Y. ' Mrs. Mattie Benedict was born in Lyons, N. Y., November 17, 1853. Her father was born in Buffalo township, Perry county, Pa., August 22, 1828, and when a child went to the State of New York with his parents, where for many years he has been engaged in farming and mercantile business. August 22, 1849, at Geneva, N. Y., he married Rowena Frances Gardner, of Lyons, N. Y., by whom he had three children, Mrs. Bendict being the youngest and only surviving child. Mrs. Rowena Frances Mirick was born in Salem, Washington county, N. Y., August 15, 1825, and died in Lyons, N. Y., May 14, 1854. Mr. Mirick still resides in Lyons. Oscar Benedict is engaged in the clothing busi- ness, and is one of the popular and responsible merchants of Adrian.
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
RANCIS VOORHEES was born in Cherry Valley, Ot- sego county, N. Y., April 4, 1811. His father, William Voorhees, was born in New Jersey, in 1776, but during his boyhood he removed with his parents to Montgomery county, N. Y. William lived in Montgomery county until about the year 1800, when, after he was married, he located and cleared up a farm in Cherry Valley, and resided there until his death, which occurred in 1864. He married Lucy Dodge, of Johnstown, Mont- gomery county, by whom he had eleven children, Francis being the fifth child. Mrs. Lucy Voorhees was a native of Johnstown, and died in Cherry Valley, about the year 1828. Francis Voor- hees resided in Cherry Valley until he was about eighteen years old, when he went to learn the hatter's trade, and after following the ยท trade in different places in the State of New York, until the spring of 1837, he came to Michigan. He first located in the village of Clinton, this county, and carried on the business there, making hats of different kinds, as was customary in those days. He was, perhaps, the first man to manufacture silk hats in Michigan, as he never heard of any being made in the State previous to that time. He remained in Clinton until the spring of 1843, being elected justice of the peace there in 1841. In the spring of 1843 he re- moved to Adrian, where he opened a hat store on Maumee street, and for several years carried on the business of manufacturing. From 1843 until 1861, he was in business continuously, and was also quite extensively engaged in the fur trade, which in those days was considered a part of the business. In 1861 he disposed of his stock to Parsons & Smith, and remained out of business, except buying furs during the season, until 1866, when he again opened a hat, cap and fur store, and has continued ever since, and now carries on one of the largest and most complete stores in his line in Southern Michigan. He served two years as alderman of the Third ward of Adrian, and has always taken an interest in the material welfare of the city. Mr. Voorhees has always en- deavored to live a correct life, and at the age of eighteen, after reading a temperance lecture of the Rev. Lyman Beecher, he walked five miles one evening, alone, to join the first temperance society he ever heard of. He has been a member of the M. E. church for about forty years, assisting in organizing the first society in Clinton, and erecting the first church edifice there. April 19, 1842, Francis Voorhees married at Cleveland, Ohio, Hope H. Nickerson, daughter of Capt. Vincent and Rebecca B. (Bassett) Nickerson, by whom he has had eleven children, as follows: George V., born September 3, 1845, now a practicing physician and surgeon, of Coldwater, Mich .; Ellis D., born July 14, 1847,
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now a merchant of Tonia, Mich,; Stephen F., born June 9, 1849 ; Lucy Josephine, born October 16, 1851; Carrie L., born Novem- ber 28, 1853; William B., born November 22, 1855; Eliza Cor- nelia, born April 23, 1858, died December 10, 1863; Nathan, born April 24, 1860. Three children died in infancy. All were born in Adrian. Mrs. Hope H. Voorhees was born in Chatham, Barn- stable county, Mass., September 14, 1823. Her parents were na- tives of Harwich, Mass. Her father was a seafaring man, being a captain for many years, commanding a whaling vessel for several years, and sailed twice around the world. He raised a large fam- ily, all of his sons becoming seamen, some of whom commanded on the western lakes, during the palmy days of the steamboats. Capt. Vincent Nickerson died in Centreville, Mass, December 2, 1854, aged 77 years. His wife died in the same place, in 1837, aged 37 years.
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ILLIAM ALDRICH was born in Augusta, Granville county, Canada, June 26, 1803. His father, David Ald- rich, Jr., was born in Providence, R. I., and was the son of David and Alice (Grover) Aldrich, Sr., also natives of Provi- dence, David, Sr., being a soldier in the Revolutionary war. When David Aldrich, Jr., was a young man he went to Canada, where he followed farming, and was married. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, in the British army, and was in several skirmishes and battles. He resided in Canada until 1818, when he removed to Mexico, Oswego county, N. Y., where he purchased a new farm. He resided in Oswego county until about 1850, when he came. to Michigan and resided until his death (which occurred in 1851), with his son, Daniel B., in Algonac, St. Clair county. He married, about the year 1801, Rachel Dingman, daughter of Richard and Jane Dingman, of Cornwall, Canada, by whom he had ten children, nine sons and one daughter, William being the oldest (who with one brother, Silas G., also a resident of Cambridge), are the only survivors of the family. Mrs. Rachel Aldrich was born near Quebec, and died in Mexico, Oswego county, N. Y. Her parents were drowned in the St. Lawrence river, at Cornwall, while eross- ing the river in a canoe. They had been visiting some of their
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neighbors, with their youngest child, and while returning home the canoe was capsized in a gale and all were drowned. William Aldrich lived with his parents until he was twenty-one years old, and was brought up a farmer. He worked several years in a distillery, and for five years had charge of a distillery in Mexico. He resided in Mexico until 1837, when he came to Michigan, arriving in Adrian June 9th. During the summer of 1836 he came to Lena- wee county and purchased a farm on section 32, in Cambridge, and brought his family the following spring and settled on it. The land was wild and entirely unimproved, Mr. Aldrich erecting the first buildings upon it, and has cleared and improved seventy acres. He has erected a good frame house and barns, and now has a pro- ductive farm and comfortable home. Mr. Aldrich was among the first to settle in his neighborhood, and during the first few years was active in laying ont roads, establishing schools, churches, etc., and always bore his part of the burdens that then fell upon the few pioneers. He has never held public office or desired it, but has ever felt an interest, and exerted his influence for the welfare and prosperity of his township. September 9, 1830, William Aldrich married Roxana Killam, daughter of Aaron and Eunice Killam, of Mexico, N. Y., by whom he has had five children, as follows: Martha R., born in Mexico, July 5, 1832, was the wife of Peter Onsted, of Cambridge, and died November 26, 1870; Martin, born same place, January 23, 1837, died August 17, 1844; Matilda J., born in Cambridge, September 13, 1841, now the wife of Calvin W. Faling, of Tecumseh ; Mariette O., born same place, February 5, 1844, now the wife of James K. Aldrich, of Metamora, Lapeer county, Mich; Milo O., born same place, August 6, 1848, married Sarah A. Taylor, daughter of Norman and Armita Tay- lor, of Rome, this county, now works the home farm. Mrs. Roxana Aldrich was born in Peru, Bennington county, Vt., Feb- ruary 22, 1809. Her father was a native of New Hampshire, and her mother was born in Vermont. Mrs. Aldrich's great grand- father on her mother's side, David Cross, during the Revolutionary war, was captured by the Indians while at work in his fields, and, after suffering untold tortures, was taken to Canada, when he was so weak and feeble that the Indians thought he would die, and they sold him to the French for two loaves of bread. He was afterward ransomed by friends and returned home. In August, 1871, while Mr. and Mrs. Aldrich were on their way to visit friends in Dover they met with a terrible accident, very narrowly escaping death. While crossing a bridge near the residence of Horatio Swords, their horse became frightened and unmanageable, plunging off the bridge, going down several feet. Mr. Aldrich
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escaped with slight injuries, but Mrs. Aldrich sustained injuries from which she can never recover, both limbs being broken, one above and one below the knee, besides receiving a bad injury to the spine.
-: 0: ILLIAM CAMBURN was born in Cape May county, N. J., September 10, 1793, where he resided until he was five years old, when his parents, Levi and Mar- garet Camburn, moved to Ontario county, N. Y., where a new farm was purchased. The county was subsequently divided, and the Camburn farm was in the township of Macedon, in the pres- ent county of Wayne. Levi Camburn was a straightforward, earnest, hard-working man, of good principles, and endeavorcd- to live according to the best light and teachings he had. At the age of cighteen he was converted to the Methodist faith, and soon after commenced exhorting, ever afterward preaching more or less in Barnegat, in Wayne county, N. Y., and in this county. Besides doing the work on his farm he preached nearly all the funeral ser- mons in his township; also, preaching from two to three times each Sunday. He resided in New Jersey until 1804, and in New York until 1834, when he came to Michigan and lived in Frank- lin, this county, but died in Moscow, Hillsdale county, in 1853. March 23, 1786, he married Margaret Mount, daughter of Mat- thias Mount, by whom he had twelve children, William being the oldest son. Mrs. Margaret Camburn was born at Cape May, N. J., in 1772, of German parents, and died at Lockport, N. Y., in 1826. William Camburn resided in Ontario county until after he was married, when he went to Niagara county and purchased a farm of the Holland Land company, in Lockport township, two and a half miles northeast of the present city of Lockport. He resided there for six or seven years, when he sold out and came to Michigan in the spring of 1831. He first located 160 acres of land in Raisin, this county, but the following year he sold and located 160 acres on section 21, in Franklin. During the winter of 1832-3 he put up a log house, and moved his family on from Tecumseh in the spring of 1833. He owned a yoke of oxen and a cow or two that he purchased in Detroit, in the spring of 1831.
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He resided in Tecumseh two years, and worked leased land. He never worked on the land he purchased in Raisin, not liking it because he thought it was too light and sandy, the idea being prev- alent at that time that openings land was worthless. When he went to his land in Franklin to build his house there was no road cut through, and he drove his oxen along an Indian trail, a dis- tance of five miles, and carried the yoke on his back. That win- ter a small subscription was raised in Tecumseh to cut out a road along the survey, which had been made the summer previous by the government surveyors for the La Plaisance Bay turnpike. Mr. Camburn cleared up 120 acres of land, built good buildings, raised a good orchard, etc. He resided there until his death, which occurred April 8, 1872. He was always a prominent man in Franklin, honorable, manly, just and impartial. He was active in all matters of public interest, never waiting for others to move, but was ready to assist from the first. He was postmaster and justice of the peace for over thirty years. He married Sabra Hill, of Macedon, Ontario (now Wayne) county, N. Y., by whom he had sixteen children (including triplets at one birth and twins at two), fourteen living to become men and women, as follows: Ira H., born June 1, 1815; Betsey, born June 1, 1817; Harlow, born August 17, 1821, died November 21, 1880; Albert and Almon (twins), born August 12, 1823; Ann Maria, born February 6, 1826, died January 21, 1850; Levi, born February 7, 1828; Martha J., Mary J. and Margaret J. (triplets), born August 24, 1830; Julia A., born December 22, 1833; Thomas M., born Sep- tember 6, 1835; Melissa, born February 1, 1838; William Har- mon, born February 4, 1842. Mrs. Sabra Camburn was born in Macedon, N. Y., July 27, 1795, and died in Franklin, this county, September 4, 1848. Mr. Camburn was married the second time to Mrs. Elsie Millard, of Wheatland, Hillsdale county, who still sur- vives him. Albert Camburn, who came to Lenawee county when he was eight years old, has resided in Franklin for forty-seven years, and owns a farm on section 30. He was a soldier in the war of the rebellion, and member of Company E, Eighteenth Michigan Infantry, and served three years. March 22, 1848, he married Elvira German, daughter of Deacon William B. and Catharine German, of Franklin, by whom he had one child, which died in infancy. Mrs. Elvira Camburn was born in Ovid, Seneca county, N. Y., January 29, 1827, came to Michigan with her parents in 1836, and settled in Franklin, this county. Her father, Deacon German, was a native of Dutchess county, N. Y., born May 2, 1808, being the son of Andrew and Rachel German. William B. German married Catharine Swick, born in Monmouth
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county, N. J., in 1808, daughter of Thomas Swick, of Schuyler county, N. Y., by whom he had three children, Mrs. Camburn being the oldest. Mr. German was a prominent resident of Franklin, being one of the pioneers, and at one time owned 280 acres of land on section 30. He died October 19, 1864, and his wife died August 6, 1866.
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ALVIN DANIELS was born in Arcadia, Wayne county, N. Y., March 12, 1827. Amos Daniels, his father, was born in New London, Conn., June 5, 1787, whose parents moved, when he was a small boy, to Cherry Valley, State of New York, where Amos lived with his father on a farm until he was twenty-one years of age. He then moved with his small effects to the town of Arcadia, Wayne county, N. Y., where he purchased fifty acres of land in the woods, cleared it up, and raised nine chil- dren. He resided there until the year 1825, when he sold his farm and moved to Urbana, Steuben county, N. Y. He lived there until the year 1837, when he emigrated to Michigan and purchased the west half of the northeast one-quarter of section 35, in Cambridge, this county, where he lived until his death, which occurred August 4, 1876. In 1809 he married Nancy Carothers, youngest daughter of John and Betsey Carothers, of Phelps, Ontario county, N. Y., by whom he had nine children, Calvin being the eighth child. Mrs. Nancy Daniels was born in Half Moon, N. Y., of Irish parents, December 12, 177-4, and died in Cambridge, February 4, 1872. Calvin Daniels lived with his parents until he was twenty-one years of age. He then worked out by the month for two or three years, farming and coopering, wherever he got a chance, until he was twenty-six years of age, when he purchased the east one-half of the northeast one-quarter, and the east one-half of the southeast one-quarter of section 26, in Can- bridge. He afterward added to his first purchase until he now owns 212 acres, 160 acres well improved, good buildings, and one of the best barns in the town of Cambridge. July 1, 1858, he married Miss Mary Monagan, daughter of Edward and Nancy Monagan, of Armagh, Ireland, by whom he has had five children, as follows: Eva S., born May 15, 1856, at home; Bayard J., born
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