USA > Michigan > Bay County > History of Bay County, Michigan, and representative citizens > Part 47
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Several years after coming to Bay City, in 1865, he was elected village treasurer, in the year that the place took its present name of Bay City. A special election was held and he continued as treasurer for four years. An active Democrat, Mr. Frank was frequently appointed and elected to offices of responsibil- ity. During the first administration of Presi- dent Cleveland, he served as deputy postmaster of Bay City, and in 1889 he was elected city treasurer, and served four years in this office. He also was supervisor of the town and served two years as a member of the School Board.
After closing out his tobacco business, Mr. Frank became the representative for many of the leading insurance companies of the coun- try, and at present represents 12 of the strong- est fire insurance companies, among which may
be mentioned the Buffalo German; Concordia of Milwaukee; the Milwaukee Mechanics'; the Prussian National, of Stettin, Germany; the Cooper of Dayton, Ohio; the Spring Garden and the Mechanics' of Philadelphia ; and others. He also represents the well-known and substan- tial Germania Life Insurance Company of New York, and occupies one of the finest offices in Bay City, having a suite of rooms in the Crapo Block.
Since 1902, Mr. Frank has had his son, Ernst Edward Frank, in partnership with him, and the business is conducted under the firm name of Ernst Frank & Son. The younger member of the firm was born in Bay City, June II, 1875. His education was secured in the common and high schools. Previous to becom- ing associated with his father, he was employed in a clerical position in one of the city banks.
Our subject was married October 20, 1859, to Emma Scheurmann, who was born in Baden, Germany, February 21, 1840, and is a daughter of Ernst Scheurmann, of Nagold-Wurtem- burg. Eleven children were born to this union, seven of whom reached maturity, namely : Ottilie Sophie, born April 27, 1865, who mar- ried William A. DeMars on January 5, 1893; Bella Emilie, born March 19, 1869, who mar- ried Charles Neil Ghent, of Alpena, Michigan, on June 9, 1892 ; Emma Stephanie, born Jan- uary 20, 1871, who married William J. Hogan, of Warren, Pennsylvania, on February 19, 1901 ; Marie Lina, born October 4, 1873, who married Ubald R. Loranger, of Bay City, on October 2, 1895; Ernst Edward, of Bay City; Bertha Christiana, born April 4, 1877; and Martha Johanna, born September 23, 1879, who married Emil Etzold, of Bay City, on June 9, 1904. The family belong to the Ger- men Lutheran Church. It is one of the leading German families of Bay City.
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ON. ANDREW CROSBY MAX- WELL. After a long and useful life of 70 years, crowned with hon- ors and blessed with family affection and public esteem, the late Judge Andrew Crosby Maxwell died at his home in Bay City, Michigan, on February 15, 1901. Judge Max- well was born on July 11, 1831, at Pompey Hill, New York, and was a son of Robert and Margaret (Crosby) Maxwell.
The parents of Judge Maxwell were born and reared in Scotland, which country they left on their wedding day, in the year 1819, taking passage for New York, which port they safely reached and subsequently established a home at Pompey Hill, where our subject was born. In 1844 Robert Maxwell removed with his family to Oakland County, Michigan, where he died in 1864. His widow died three years later. Their family consisted of three sons and five daughters, Andrew C. being the fourth in order of birth. One of his brothers, Judge Samuel Maxwell, became very distinguished, a member of the Supreme Court of Nebraska and a law lecturer in the University of Mich- igan and Northwestern University at Chicago.
Until the family removed to Michigan, An- drew C. Maxwell attended the Pompey Hill schools, and then assisted his father for a year in clearing up the Michigan farm, returning then for two years to New York, where he also engaged in farm work. In 1847 he came again to Michigan and worked for two years, earn- ing the money with which to pursue certain studies at Oberlin College, where he remained until 1852. By this time his choice of life work had been made and when he returned to Oak- land County, he entered upon the study of the law, under the direction of Lieutenant-Gov- ernor O. D. Richardson. During the winter of 1852-53, while teaching school in Lapeer "County, he continued his law studies and in
1853 was admitted to practice. In the fall of 1854 he was elected prosecuting attorney of Lapeer County, an office he resigned after capably filling it for one year. In 1857 he moved with his family to Bay City. He had been admitted to practice before the Supreme Court at Washington, D. C., and frequently argued before that august body.
In the meantime he had entered actively into politics, identifying himself with the Dem- ocratic party, which was not in the majority in this section. His personal popularity, how- ever, made him a formidable antagonist in the political field, and in 1864 he was elected to the State Legislature. In 1866 his party, on the strength of his fine record in the lower house, made him its candidate for the State Senate, and in the ensuing contest at the polls he came within a very few votes of election. He continued to be one of the party leaders and in 1876 he was sent as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention at St. Louis. In 1882 he was again honored by being selected by his party as their congressional standard- bearer, but the Republican forces were too strong in this section to allow any Democrat, however popular, to be elected. His only other public office was that of circuit judge to which he was elected in 1893, a selection agreeable to all factions.
During the many years that Judge Max- well was active in public life, his personal char- acter was never assailed nor his legal knowl- edge or judicial impartiality questioned. He was public-spirited to a marked degree and was tireless in his efforts to secure good govern- ment for Bay City and to promote her best in- terests to the extent of his ability. It was mainly through his efforts and influence that the city secured the large government appro- priation, which assured the dredging of the mouth of the Saginaw River for the first time.
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He also was mainly instrumental in securing the construction of the famous stone roads of Bay County and the Third street bridge between Bay City and its neighbor across the river,- West Bay City.
Judge Maxwell was a man of charming personality, dignified and courteous in manner, yet so filled with the milk of human kindness that he is best recalled on account of his loyal friendships and genial generosity. He had a penchant for practical jokes and few of his intimates could boast of ever excelling him in this line.
In December, 1853, Judge Maxwell was married to Sarah Hart, of Lapeer, Michigan, who died December, 27, 1891. She was a lovely Christian character, a daughter of Oliver B. and Amanda (Harrison) Hart, a pioneer family of Lapeer County. They had five chil- dren, two of whom are living: Robert and Jeannette. The former has large business in- terests, both at Bay City and at Rochester, New York, and divides his time between the two points, spending his summers at Rochester and his winters at Bay City. The daughter is Mrs. James B. Hammond, of Boston, Mas- sachusetts. In June, 1896, Judge Maxwell married Mrs. Edna Merrill, of South Bay City, who survives him.
YRUS A. GAIL, one of the promi- nent and substantial citizens of Bay County, Michigan, an experienced lumberman and now filling the re- sponsible position of head filer for the Diamond Match Company of Biddeford, Maine, also owns a fine farm of 80 acres, which is situated in section 8, Merritt township. Mr. Gail was born in Erie County, New York, Nevember 30, 1849, and is a son of Hugh A. and Electa M. (McKeen) Gail.
The father of Mr. Gail was born in Erie County, New York, and died in the Pennsylva- nia oil regions in 1864, aged 45 years. He was a farmer, and well-digger and after coming to Michigan, in 1861, he dug many wells and salt- pits and subsequently was engaged in digging- oil-wells in Pennsylvania. The mother of Mr. Gail has reached the age of 78 years and resides at Pequaming, Michigan. The children in the parental family were : Allen W., of Bay County ;. Cyrus A., of this sketch; Arthur A., Frank A. and Edwin D., of Pequaming; Ida E. (Mrs. Sanders), of Mobile, Alabama ; Ellen D. (Mrs. Osterhout), deceased; and Annie, who died young.
Cyrus A. Gail was seven years old when his parents came to Bay City in the spring of 1861, and he attended school here, during the winter seasons, until he was 18 years of age. Since the age of 11 years he has spent but one sea- son out of a sawmill, beginning work at the bottom of the ladder, making shingles at 50 cents a day. Now, as head filer with one of the great corporations of the world, he commands a large salary. Mr. Gail has held all interme- diate positions, has been sawyer, superintend- ent in the woods, foreman in the woods, pros- pector and selector and was employed for three years as head filer in the "Spanish Mills," on Georgian Bay, Ontario. For a period of 10 years, he was paid at the rate of $6 per day by N. B. Bradley, the great lumberman of this. section, and he still follows this business in which he has become an expert. Some six years ago, Mr. Gail purchased his farm for his sons, who conduct general farming operations upon it.
In 1872, Mr. Gail was married to Elnora Rhodes, who was born at Battle Creek, Mich- igan, and died at Bay City, at the age of 30 years. She was the mother of three children : Hugh A., of Bay City; Louis H., living at:
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home; and Gertrude, who died aged 17 years. In 1892, Mr. Gail. married Carrie Darling, who was born November 20, 1850, in Seneca Coun- ty, New York. She is a daughter of Lewis L. and Jane ( Miller) Darling, natives of Seneca County. Mrs. Gail came to Bay County at the age of 19 years. She is a member of the Bap- tist Church at Bay City.
Mr. Gail has lived too busy a life of indi- vidual effort to have had time to devote much attention to politics. He is a valued member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Bay City. In time of service, Mr. Gail prob- ably holds the record, in his line of head filer, and his retention by the great company with which he is connected places him at the head of the list in point of skill.
€ RNST A. WITTWER, M. D., a phy- sician and surgeon of Auburn, Bay County, Michigan, was born in Switzerland, February 27, 1876, and attended the schools of Wurtemberg, to which kingdom his father moved from Switzerland, and later a gymnasium, which corresponds to a high school of this country. He then attended a business college to fit himself for handling the commercial end of his father's cheese busi- ness, but continued only three months after graduation.
Coming to America in 1893, our subject located at Elkton, Michigan, and there attended school to perfect his knowledge of the English language. In 1896 he visited his parents in Germany, returning to this country in the fall of the same year and locating at Saginaw. He began the reading of medicine under the pre- ceptorship of Dr. Otto Frenzel, of Pigeon, Michigan, and in 1900 completed a four-years course in the Saginaw Valley Medical College
which has since been consolidated with the Michigan College of Medicine and Surgery at Detroit. After graduation, Dr. Wittwer settled at Auburn, in Williams township, Bay County, where he has built up a good practice. His territory is wide and professional compe- tition limited. He has the confidence and re- spect of patients, and has a wide acquaintance- ship throughout this section. He is a member of the Bay County Medical Society, Michigan State Medical Society and American Medical Association.
On October 18, 1900, Dr. Wittwer was united in marriage with Anna Bryce, of Sagi- naw, and they reside in a large and comforta- ble home which he erected. Religiously, they are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The Doctor is a Republican in poli- tics, and serves as health officer of the town- ship, and as physician of the poor of Williams and Beaver townships.
B OEHRINGER BROTHERS, leading florists of Bay City, Michigan, where they have erected a large number of greenhouses, have attained promi- nence and established an extensive trade throughout the part of the State lying north of Bay City. The firm consists of Albert G. and Rudolph G. Boehringer, who have studied and experimented in horticulture in a scienti- fic manner, thereby acquiring a knowledge by which they have been enabled to excel and meet every kind of competition in their line of busi- ness. They are men of energy and enterprise. and their success has only come through their own persistent efforts. They are natives of Wurtemberg, Germany, and sons of Rudolph and Barbara (Widner ) Boehringer.
Rudolph Boehringer, a son of Gabriel Boeh-
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ringer, was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, and died there on February 18, 1885, at the age of 48 years. He was a prominent farmer and principally engaged in the culture of sugar beets and hops, although he raised grain enough to keep the cattle and horses, with which his farm was well stocked. He also con- tracted with a beet sugar factory to take charge of the annual crop of sugar beets from 12 to 15 villages,-pitting, storing and protecting them from frost until the factory was ready to use them, when he would be required to hire scores of teams and send the beets to the factory by the wagon load. He was united in marriage with Barbara Widner, who was born October 8, 1840, and now resides in Bay City. She is a member of the German Lutheran Church in Bay City ; her husband belonged to the Luth- eran Church in Germany. They were parents of seven children, four of whom grew to ma- turity, namely : Pauline, wife of George Nus- selt, of Bay City; Albert G .; Rudolph G .; and Amelia, of Bay City.
Albert Boehringer, an uncle of our sub- jects, came to America in 1868, and located in Bay City, Michigan, where he thereafter lived throughout the remainder of his life. In 1885, he made a visit to Germany, and having no children of his own, persuaded Albert G. Boeh- ringer, his nephew, to come to Bay City with him.
Albert G. Boehringer was born September 20, 1868, and was educated in his native land. After coming to this country with his uncle, he secured employment with the John C. Irvine Greenhouse Company and continued to work for them for five years, in the meantime attend- ing night school in Bay City three winters, after which he took a course of special studies in the Michigan Agricultural College at Lansing. In August, 1893. he formed a partnership with his brother, Rudolph G. Boehringer, under the
firm name of Boehringer Brothers, and built two small greenhouses in Bay City. They first gave their attention equally to vegetables, such as lettuce and radishes, and to cut flowers and potted plants. Almost every year since the in- ception of the business, they have added a greenhouse, until at the present time they have 12, all of which are modernly equipped and devoted to the culture of flowers for cutting and to potted plants. There are more than 35,000 square feet of glass covering the green- houses; two horizontal tubular boilers of 40 horsepower each furnish steam heat, which is supplied to the different houses through more than one and a half miles of steam pipes. They are growers of new varieties of carnations, for a period of 10 years having been growing and improving seedlings of carnations by hybridi- zation and fertilization, a record of each plant being kept from one generation to another. They give employment to five men and two girls, in addition to which they devote their own attention exclusively to the business. Their re- markable success may be attributed to their technical knowledge and the scientific methods they pursue.
Albert G. Boehringer was united in mar- riage with Marguerite Weber, a daughter of Philip Weber, of Bay City, and they have the following offspring: Alma M .; Anne Dora Minnie; Nelda Gertrude; Edwin Oscar; and Carl Herman. They are members of the Ger- man Lutheran Church, of which Mr. Boehrin- ger is trustee and financial secretary. He is also vice-president of the Bethel Aid Society.
Rudolph G. Boehringer was born June 23, 1872, and received his educational training in his native land. He came to America in 1888 and located in Bay City, Michigan, where he entered the employ of the John C. Irvine Green- house Company. He continued with that com- pany four and a half years, and then, after
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spending one year in the employ of Charles Breitmeyer, formed the partnership with his brother, above mentioned. He is a man of ability, honesty and integrity, and has forced his way to the front through merit.
Rudolph G. Boehringer was united in mar- riage with Emma Gansser, a daughter of Au- gust Gansser of Bay City, and they have three children, as follows: Elsie, Clara and Ru- dolph E. Religiously, they are members of the German Lutheran Church. Fraternally, he is a member of the Knights of the Loyal Guard.
ILLIAM McEWAN, deceased, was for many years one of the promi- nent business citizens of Bay City, Michigan. He was identified with many different enterprises, was one of the promoters of the present street railway system of Bay City and was a lumber manufacturer for many years. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, March 10, 1824, and was a son of William and Margaret (Hunter) McEwan.
William McEwan, Sr., who was a native of Scotland, came to America in 1848, and lived first in New York City a few months, then in Detroit two years, and still later in Chicago, but never engaged in business in this country. He died in 1860, aged 78 years. He married Margaret Hunter, a daughter of Alex- ander Hunter, of Scotland, and they became parents of seven children, who grew to matur- ity, namely: Alexander, deceased; Mary, de- ceased; Margaret, deceased; Elizabeth, de- ceased; Mathilda, wife of Solomon Presley, of Bay City; John, deceased; and William. Re- ligiously, the family were Presbyterians.
William McEwan in early life learned the trade of a pattern-maker and machinist at the great steamship-building plant of George Na-
pier in Glasgow. The noise atending the work was probably what caused a slight deafness with which he was afflicted in after years. After coming to America he followed his trade in Chicago and Detroit, and during spare time he and his brother, Alexander, built sawmill ma- chinery which they brought to Bay City. They purchased a mill-site of James Fraser, who afterward became father-in-law of our subject. Alexander and William McEwan formed a partnership under the name and title of Mc- Ewan Brothers, and later another brother, John, was taken into the partnership. After the death of Alexander, which occurred about 1854 or 1855, William and John continued the business until 1872, when John purchased the former's interest and continued in the business until his death in 1882. They were extensive manufacturers of lumber and in the early days shipped largely to Sheriff, Shepherd & Smith, of Chicago. About 1865, William McEwan formed a partnership with John J. Fraser, under the firm name of McEwan & Fraser, and operated what later was known as the "Fulsom & Arnold Mill," continuing about one year until Mr. Fraser's death. In the meantime he had continued the partnership with his brother. In addition to his other interests he helped in promoting the street railway system of Bay City and superintended its construction. In 1857 he built the first grist mill in Bay City, operated it for some years and then sold to Harry Griswold. He and his brother opened a salt-block and operated it for a number of years. From about 1868 until his death in 1887, Mr. McEwan was retired from business activity, with the exception of looking after the property of himself and wife. As a busi- ness man he was unexcelled, success attending his efforts on every hand. His life consisted of business and home affairs to the exclusion of all else, and when he was not found at his
HON. GEORGE P. COBB
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place of business he was almost certain to be at home in the happy companionship of his wife and children.
On February 4, 1858, Mr. McEwan was united in marriage with Annie Fraser, who was born July 30, 1836, and is a daughter of James and Elizabeth (Busby) Fraser. A biographi- cal record of her father and his family appears elsewhere in this work. She is a woman of estimable character and has many friends in the vicinity of Bay City, where she has lived so many years. This union resulted in the fol- lowing offspring : James, born December 4, 1858, deceased May 13, 1877; William H., born October, 23, 1860, who is a resident of Seattle, Washington; Alexander F., born De- cember 29, 1862, who with his brother, Wil- liam H., is in the lumber business in Seattle; Allan, born March 29, 1865, who lives in Bay City; Jessie, born January 29, 1868, who mar- ried Walter Tompkins of Tomkins' Cove, New York, and died June 6, 1895; and Marion, born September 28, 1878, and deceased November 15, 1894.
ON. GEORGE P. COBB, a lawyer of high repute, residing in Bay City, Michigan, whose portrait accompa- nies this sketch, was formerly judge of the 18th Judicial Circuit of Michigan, com- prised of Bay, Arenac and Gladwyn counties.
Judge Cobb was born April 13, 1841, in York township, Livingston County, New York, and is the only son of Elijah V. and Lucy H. (Pomeroy) Cobb. Elijah V. Cobb, who followed the profession of a teacher, was born of New England parentage in Oneida County, New York, in 1814. He moved with his family to Rochester, New York, in 1842. There they lived until 1855.
The father of Elijah V. Cobb was a native
of Massachusetts. He was drafted in the War of 1812, and died from disease contracted in the service. Of his two children, Albert died at the age of 76 years, and Elijah V. is still living, in his 91st year. The latter was reared on a farm and came to Michigan in 1855. For five years he lived in Lenawee County, and then moved to Ann Arbor, where he remained until 1884. At that period he retired from active life and has since made his home with his children.
Elijah V. Cobb was married in January, 1840, in New York State, to Lucy H. Pomroy, who was a native of Ontario County in that State. She died at Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1877. Their union resulted in three children, namely : George P .; Mrs. Mary A. Pomeroy, a widow of Bay City; and Mrs. Augusta T. Wood, who died in Bay City in 1893.
George P. Cobb was reared on a farm, and received his early mental training in the public schools. In 1855 he accompanied his parents to the northern part of Lenawee County, Mich- igan, where he remained on the farm for five years. During that period he spent the winter months in attendance at the Ypsilanti Semi- nary, pursuing, in the meantime, an extended course of study under his father's supervision at home. Subsequently, he moved with his parents to Ann Arbor, where he attended high school and also received private instruction.
In the spring of 1860, Judge Cobb began teaching school and continued in this occupa- tion until 1865, having charge of schools in Macon, Lenawee County, in the city and town- ship of Ann Arbor, and in Salem, Superior and Pittsfield. Early in 1865, he enlisted in the Fifth Regiment, Michigan Vol. Cav., and was at City Point, Virginia, at the time of General Lee's surrender. After his service in Virginia, he marched West from Leavenworth, Kansas, having been transferred to Company B, Sev-
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enth Reg., Michigan Vol. Cav., and accompa- nied the expedition sent across the plains to Salt Lake City, riding an old cavalry horse 1,200 miles. The route was from Leaven- worth, Kansas, by way of Fort Kearney and Julesburg, to Fort Collins, Colorado, and thence to Fort Bridger and Salt Lake City. He was honorably discharged February 16, 1866, at Camp Douglas, Utah Territory.
In the fall of 1866, Judge Cobb entered the law department of the University of Michigan, where he graduated with the class of 1868. In September of that year he located at Bay City, and shortly afterward opened a law office. His reminiscences of the then small city of about 7,000 population would fill a chapter. He re- members the time when there was but one bridge across the river at this point.
In July, 1870, Judge Cobb became a mem- ber of the firm of Grier, McDonell & Cobb. In 1871, Mr. Grier became circuit judge, and died in 1872. The firm continued as McDonell & Cobb until 1874, and is now McDonell & Duffy. In 1873, Mr. Cobb was elected supervisor of the Third Ward of Bay City and served as such during 1873 and 1874. In 1880 he was elected State Representative and served in the House during the two sessions of 1881-82. From the spring of 1879 until January 1, 1888, the Judge was associated in practice with Hon. J. W. Mc- Math. He assumed the duties of circuit judge on the latter date, having been elected to that office in the spring of 1887.
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