History of Bay County, Michigan, and representative citizens, Part 56

Author: Gansser, Augustus H., 1872-
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago : Richmond & Arnold
Number of Pages: 738

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Windsor Sugar Company, of Windsor, Colo- rado, and built their house, being president of both companies. He was also vice-president of the Wallaceburg Sugar Company, of Wal- laceburg, Ontario. Other companies which have been promoted and assisted by him are. the Mount Clemens Sugar Company, the West Bay City Sugar Company and the Menominee Sugar Company. He was one of the original promoters of the Michigan Chemical Company for the manufacture of alcohol from the refuse of the beet sugar houses. Captain Boutell was. one of the originators of the Pacific Portland Cement Company and is one of the three capi- talists who control this business. This indus- try has grown from an original output of 500 barrels a day to 2,500. In 1905 he organized the Boutell Steel Barge Company, which owns eight steel whaleback barges and four steamers, having a carrying capacity of 34,000 tons per trip, that are engaged in carrying freight on the Great Lakes and on the Atlantic Ocean. This company is made up of himself and his. sons. He was also the organizer of the Excel- sior Foundry of West Bay City and is part owner in the Craig Foundry Company of To- ledo; was one of the promoters of the Saginaw Valley Telephone Company, of which he is a director and is one of the directors of the. Elm Lawn Cemetery Company. He has large interests in various coal fields in Bay County.

On December 21, 1869, Captain Boutell was united in marriage with Amelia C. Dut- linger, of Pine River, Michigan, who died in December, 1902, the mother of two sons : Frederick E. and William H., who are partners. in a large mercantile business at Bay City. In February, 1904, Captain Boutell married Cornelia Dutlinger, the twin sister of his first wife.

For years Captain Boutell has been a very liberal supporter of the Madison Avenue Meth-

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odist Episcopal Church, of which his vener- ated mother was a devoted member from its founding until her death. Fraternally, his Masonic connection is important. He belongs to Joppa Lodge, No. 315, F. & A. M., to the Masonic Scottish Rite bodies at Bay City, to Bay City Commandery, No. 26, K. T., to the Michigan Sovereign Consistory, S. P. R. S., at Detroit, and to Moslem Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., at Detroit. He is also a member of Lodge No. 88, B. P. O. E., at Bay City, and of the Bay City Club. In matters of civic moment he has always been actively interested and there are few benevolent institutions here which have not been assisted by his generosity.

RTHUR D. BAILEY, secretary and treasurer of the American Relief Society, at Bay City, Michigan, was born in Tuscola County, Michigan, August 21, 1866, and is a son of Henry and Mary (Hall) Bailey and grandson of Ezra Bailey.

Ezra Bailey, who was born in Vermont and moved to Canada at a very early day, was a large lumber operator. In 1855 he came to the lumber districts of Michigan and later set- tled in Tuscola County, taking up a large body of land and continuing extensive lumbering to within a few years of his death. He married Ann Wintemoot, who was born in Germany but was reared in Canada. She was six years old when the battle of Lundy's Lane was fought and she could recall that her father's house was used as a hospital.

Henry Bailey, father of our subject, was born in 1840 in Canada, near Niagara Falls, and was reared in Tuscola County, Michigan. Upon his father's decease, he succeeded to the latter's lumbering and farming interests. Later

he operated a hotel at Mayville and also en- gaged in railroad construction. He married Mary Hall, who is a daughter of Benjamin W. Hall, of Tuscola County, Michigan, and to them were born seven children, six of whom survived to maturity, viz : James M., who died in July, 1898, at Detroit; Arthur D., of this sketch; Charles A., of West Bay City; George D., of Chicago; and Margaret N. and Harry H., of Detroit. Mr. and Mrs. Bailey have resided at Detroit since 1887. They are mem- bers of the Christian Church. Mr. Bailey is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows.

Arthur D. Bailey was educated in the public schools of Mayville, and began his business career as a clerk in a hardware store. In 1887 he accompanied the family in its removal to Detroit, and secured employment for himself in a Detroit hardware house, with which he remained until 1891, when he came to Bay City. Here he was employed for about five years as a bookkeeper with a crockery and wall paper company, in which he owned stock. When he became bookkeeper and cashier for the Home Security & Life Association of Sagi- naw, in 1896, he sold his crockery interests. He remained at Saginaw until 1898 and then came back to Bay City and entered into partner- ship with George E. Markham, under the firm name of Markham & Bailey. Soon after this, Mr. Bailey was offered a desirable position with the National Protective Society of Bay City, and he sold his partnership interest and became superintendent of an agency for the above-mentioned organization. He continued in that position until the founding of the Amer- ican Relief Society.

The American Relief Society was organ- ized and incorporated in May, 1900, under the laws of the State of Michigan, with Israel Ruelle as president and Arthur D. Bailey as

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secretary and treasurer. The original board of directors included these gentlemen with Mar- tin L. De Bats, Silas Forcia and Benjamin F. Reed. The only change made since then has been the election of Franklin P. McCormick as attorney and director in place of Benjamin F. Reed. The aim of this organization is to furnish benefits for sickness, accidental injury and death. Its charter permits it to operate in any State by complying with the laws of such State. Its home office is in the Phoenix Building, Bay City.

Mr. Bailey was married to Neva Hilliker, who is a daughter of Sanford and Sarah Bar- ton) Hilliker, of West Bay City. They are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church on the West Side.

Politically, Mr. Bailey is a Democrat but is not active in party affairs. He is fraternally associated with Wenona Lodge, F. & A. M .; Othello Lodge, Knights of Pythias, West Bay City; the Maccabees; the Modern Woodmen of America; the Knights of the Loyal Guard; the Modern Archers of America, having been chief clerk of the organization until 1904; and he also belongs to the Bay County Mutual Insurance Association of F. & A. M. Socially, he is a member of the Bay City Club.

Mr. Bailey justly stands high in the estima- tion of his fellow-citizens, and the company with which he is identified occupies an import- ant place in the insurance world.

E RASTUS LORD DUNBAR is super- intendent of the Bay City water- works, and in point of continuous service is the oldest official of Bay City, having served in that capacity since Jan- uary, 1872. He was born in Ellsworth, Con- necticut, August 13, 1846, and is a son of Hon.

Horace and Jeannette (Lord) Dunbar, and. grandson of Aaron Dunbar. He comes of an old Scotch family which was established in Amer- ica in the 17th century, and has been prominent in various States of the Union.

Hon. Horace Dunbar was born in Connec- ticut in 1817, and became owner of 100 acres of land in Litchfield County, Connecticut. He was a man of prominence and wide acquaint- ance in that section, and was frequently called into public service. He was a Republican after the organization of that party, and served in the State Legislature of Connecticut and as select- man of his home town for many years. Relig- iously, he was a member of the Congregational Church. His death, which occurred in May, 1891, was sadly mourned by his fellow-citizens as an irreparable loss to the community. His wife, Jeannette Lord, was a daughter of Eras- tus Lord, who was of English descent and a prominent farmer in Connecticut. She was born in 1819, and died in May, 1891, just three weeks before her husband. Five children were . born to them of whom four grew to maturity, our subject being the youngest. One son, Everett S., was a Ist lieutenant in the 13th Regiment, Connecticut Vol. Inf., and served three years in the Union Army during the Civil War.

Erastus L. Dunbar was reared on the home farm and received a common-school education. When the Civil War broke out, he wished to enlist in the service but being the only one left at home, his parents would not consent to it. In 1864, he left his home for Bay City, Michi- gan, where he studied civil engineering under the preceptorship of Andrew Huggins. Before this he had pursued studies along this line at home, and was therefore able to make rapid progress, soon becoming Mr. Huggins' assist- ant. He continued with that gentleman for" one year, then formed a partnership with Wil-

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liam Mercer in civil engineering and surveying, which continued until Mr. Dunbar was ap- pointed superintendent of construction of the water-works system of Bay City in January, 1872. He had charge of the construction of all the buildings and the installing of the machinery, and has superintended the laying of all the mains throughout the city and in all the additions to the present time. The "Holley" system has been completely installed. There are 50 miles of pipe laid and the plant has a capacity of 10,000,000 gallons per day. Mr. Dunbar has also served as secretary of the Water Board since the inception of the plant. This is one of the best systems in the State of Michigan. He meets every requirement of the office perfectly, and has given unqualified satis- faction to the critical public. During all these years of connection with the Water-Works, he has also served as assistant chief of the Fire Department. From 1866 until 1870, he served as county surveyor, refusing reelection, and from 1870 until April, 1872, served as city surveyor. He is a member of the American Water-Works Association, attending all na- tional meetings; a member of the New England Water-Works Association; and of the Michi- gan Society of Civil Engineers.

In 1870, Mr. Dunbar was united in mar- riage with Jennie Mckay, who was born in Spring Arbour, Canada, and is a daughter of James McKay, who was a native of Scotland and settled at Spring Arbour, Canada, where he farmed until his death in 1894. Three children were born to them: Jessie M., who graduated from the Bay City High School and attended the University of Michigan,-she married George B. Little, D. D. S., of Palo Alto, Cali- fornia, and has one son, Jean; James H., a graduate of the University of Michigan, class of 1895, who is a civil engineer of Cleveland, «Ohio, where he lives with his wife, Marie, and

his daughter, Marie Elizabeth; and Everett S., who is attending Leland Stanford University, being a member of the class of 1908 in the civil engineering department. Fraternally, Mr. Dunbar is a member of Bay City Lodge, No. 129, F. & A. M. In politics, he has always been a stanch supporter of Republicans prin- ciples and policies.

SCAR F. BENTLEY, who was the second pioneer settler of Gibson town- ship, Bay County, Michigan, resides in the town of Bentley, which was named in his honor. He was born in Monroe County, New York, in 1833, and is a son of Thomas and Sarah (James ) Bentley.

Thomas Bentley was born in New York State and lived there many years. In 1847, accompanied by his wife and children, he moved to Michigan and located near Flint, where he purchased a tract of 80 acres, now known as the Roat farm, the second best farm in Genesee County. Additions were made to this prop- erty from time to time and the members of the family became large property holders. Twelve children were born to Thomas Bentley and his wife, Sarah James, and of these our subject is the IIth in order of birth and the sole survi- vor at the present time. The mother died on the old homestead at the age of 68 years. Thomas Bentley formed a second marital union and with his wife spent his declining years on the farm of his son, Nelson. He died in his 7Ist year.

Oscar F. Bentley's educational training be- gun in the public schools of New York State, was completed in the schools situated in vicinity of Flint, Michigan. He remained on the home farm in Flint township, where his father and four brothers had cleared farms of dense forest

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and placed them in a tillable state, until his marriage in 1854. He then became a pioneer settler in Saginaw County, where he farmed until 1859. In that year he took up govern- ment land in Blue Earth County, Minnesota, and there maintained his homestead for 12 years, at the end of which time he moved to Northern Kansas and lived two years.

While a resident Minnesota at the time of the Civil War, he enlisted in the Union Army, but the outbreak of the Sioux Indians kept his regiment in the West. He served three years as a member of the Second Regiment, Minne- sota Vol. Cav. At the time of the New Ulm massacre, he resided on a farm 20 miles from New Ulm, and with his neighbors moved to a place of safety to live until the depredations ceased.

Upon leaving Kansas, he returned to Gen- esee County, Michigan, and in April, 1887, made his last pioneer stand at Bentley, Gibson township, Bay County, where he has since resided. When Mr. Bentley first came here, he erected a large sawmill, which burned four years later. He rebuilt it at once and two years later the second mill burned. He again rebuilt this mill, which is now owned and operated by his son Frank. He has three farms, con- sisting of 320 acres, and is one of the substan- tial men of his section.

On February 8, 1854, Mr. Bentley was married to Matilda Anderson and they have spent 51 years in happy companionship, to- gether braving the struggles of pioneering in different sections of the United States. They have reared six children, as follows : Adelbert, born in 1855; Murray G., born in 1858, who married Annie Smythe and has one son,- Hebert M .; Perry Oliver, born in 1861, de- ceased October 15, 1880; Frank, born in 1863, the proprietor of a general store at Bentley,

who married Cora Edmund and has one child, -Norma; Fred A., born in 1867, deceased in 1899; and Effie M., born April 30, 1870, who died May 2, 1894, leaving a husband, Meade Burlingame, and one son,-Floyd. Adelbert Bentley, the oldest child born to our subject and his wife, first married Effie Kent, by whom he had five children, two of whom are now living, namely: Alice, who married Edward Genreaux and has two children,-Alta and Walter ; and Roy. Mrs. Bentley died in 1898, and the following year Adelbert Bentley formed a second union with Jane Hannah; four children have been born to this union : Nona, who died in infancy; Russell, born July 3, 1897; Nina, born in 1899; and Stanley, born in 1901.

Oscar F. Bentley has always been an un- swerving supporter of Republican principles, and takes an earnest interest in his party's suc- cess. He is a man of pleasing personality, and stands high in the regard of his fellow-citizens, among whom he has lived so many years.

HRISTOPHER HEINZMANN. The memory of the pioneers in his State, -the men who made the paths through the wilderness and, through hardship and persevering industry. wrought out its present peace and prosperity,-must always be of interest to a true and patriotic lover of his country. The pioneers in Bay County are not yet so far removed from the present generation as to be forgotten, but there are those whose achievements are of more than usual interest. This was the case with the late Christopher Heinzmann, than whom Bay City had no more esteemed or valued citizen. He was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, March 13,

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1830, and was a son of Jacob and Barbara Heinzmann.

In 1846 the parents of Mr. Heinzmann left their home in Reicheneck, Germany, and came to America, settling at Ann Arbor, Michigan, where the father died shortly afterward; the mother's death occurred at a later date. Our subject was an intelligent, well-educated youth of 15 years when the family came to Michigan. He continued to live at Ann Arbor, learning the English language and becoming accus- tomed to American usages, until 1849, when he started out to make his own way. At that time Lower Saginaw (now Bay City) was a nucleus of the lumbering interests and to this place Christopher came in search of work and found it in one of the sawmills. Here he was em- ployed for some time, not only earning, but also saving his wages; as soon as he had accumu- lated sufficient capital, he invested it in farming land which was then all wild, swampy and un- cleared. The mere clearing of his land was no great task to him as he was accustomed to hard work, but to any one less prepared and hardy, it would have seemed a difficult under- taking. Finally his land was cleared and well- cultivated and he then owned a most excellent farm.

Mr. Heinzmann then embarked in a meat business and here again was shown the same steady perseverance that had previously brought him success. In 1854 he gave up his meat business and purchased a frame building on the corner of Saginaw and Sixth streets, which he fitted up as a hotel and named it the "Forest City House." This hostelry, which became justly popular on account of its excel- lent management, was finally destroyed by fire. He then bought the property on the corner of Washington avenue and Sixth street, refitted the building and named the establishment the "Forest City House." This hotel he success-

fully operated until the winter of 1887, when he retired from an active life. These interests did not, however, include all his business enter- prises. He owned and operated both a saw and a grist mill for some five years, and was inter- ested in real estate and in building. The beau- tiful residence at No. 604 Columbus avenue, Bay City, the home of Mrs. Heinzmann, was erected in 1874. Here Mr. Heinzmann's life closed September 8, 1902. His friends were numerous for he possessed the kind heart and genial temperament of the true German. He was kind to the unfortunate and generous to the needy.

Mr. Heinzmann was married first to Chris- tina Reinhardt, of Bay City, who was born in Germany. They had three children: Kath- erine, Christopher, and Christina, all deceased. Christopher left one son,-Fred. Christina married Hans Baumbach, a resident of Salz- burg, Bay County, and they had four children : August, Katherine, William and Otto. Mrs. Heinzmann died March 3, 1881. She was a charter member of the Bay City German Luth- eran Church.

On November 3, 1881, Mr. Heinzmann was married to Mrs. Margareta Sert. Mrs. Heinzmann was born in Madsmansdorf, Ger- many, September 4, 1829, and is a daughter of Andreas Bayer. She came to America with her sister and brother-in-law, George Meckler. They settled at Bay City in 1852 and in the fol- lowing year she was married to Eustace Sert, who was a miller by trade. After four years at this business in Bay City, Mr. Sert built the hotel at Sebewaing, Michigan, long known as the Sert House. Mr. Sert died November 8, 1872, and Mrs. Sert continued to manage the hotel until her marriage with Mr. Heinzmann. Mrs. Heinzmann had three children born to her first union, namely: Louisa, who married Simon Hoffman and died six months later ;

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Margareta, who married Myron Tuttle and died September 1, 1901; and Eustace, who died aged eight months. Mrs. Heinzmann is a very highly esteemed lady. She is very charit- able and is one of the charter members of the Bay City German Lutheran Church.

R EV. THOMAS RAFTER, whose por- trait accompanies this sketch, has been pastor of St. James' Catholic Church, of Bay City, Michigan, for a period of 32 years and is a man dearly be- loved by his congregation, among whom he has labored so faithfully. It was under his direction that the handsome church edifice was erected and it was under his guidance that the congregation has grown to its present large proportions.

Father Rafter was born in Monroe County, Michigan, in 1846, and is a son of William Rafter, a pioneer of this State; both of his parents are now deceased. His educational training was received at Montreal College, and at Louvain University, Belgium. He was or- dained to the priesthood in Belgium, in 1869, and filled his first pastorate at Fenton, Michi- gan, where he remained two years. In 1873, he came to Bay City, where he has since re- mained. He is assisted by Rev. J. J. Walsh, a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan. The latter received his theological education and train- ing in Montreal College and came to St. James' Church in 1902. Father Rafter was appointed dean in 1903, his deanery embracing several counties.

The history of St. James' Church is a most interesting one. Catholic missionaries visited the Saginaw Valley in their religious work as early as 1829, at a time when the settlement was composed mainly of French. Prior to

1848, Lower Saginaw (now Bay City) was visited only occasionally by priests from vari- ous other localities of the State, mainly from Flint and Detroit. Father Kundig and Louis and Father Peter Kindekens ( the vicar-general of the diocese) made frequent visits during the period from 1848 to 1852. Father Min- ayhan, of Flint, also made occasional visits to what is now the city of Saginaw; and on most occasions had a Frenchman or Indian paddle him down the river to Lower Saginaw. These were gerat events for the people of the valley, who would gather and eagerly watch the ap- proach of the priest in his canoe, carefully holding the vestments and altar vessels. Some- times the trip would be made in the winter, by sledge over the frozen waters of the Saginaw River. Father Joseph Kindekens, brother of Father Peter, and Father Kilroy, formerly of St. Clair County, had charges among the Cath- olics of the valley. In 1848, there were but eight families here, mostly French, and in 1851, 14 families. During 1850 and 1851, the Catholics of Lower Saginaw built of native timber, which they procured from the woods, a church on Washington street below Second. Rev. H. J. H. Schutjes arrived in 1852 and assumed charge. He had great difficulties with which to contend, as the church was not only in its infancy, but no place was provided as the pastoral residence. He chiefly lived at the old Wolverton House, and the remainder of the time was the guest of some friend. In- cluded in his charge was the entire Saginaw Valley, and this necessitated frequent trips, which were quite hazardous and difficult of ac- complishment, as there were no roads at that time. He was relieved of a part of his charge in 1863, when pastors were secured for Sagi- naw and East Saginaw. His parishioners included Hollanders, Germans, French and those speaking English, and this made it nec-

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essary for him to speak several languages. In 1868, a new church was erected on the site of the present St. James Church by the Eng- lish-speaking portion of the parish and was dedicated under the patronage of St. James the Apostle. In 1873, Father Schutjes was called to Detroit to assist the Bishop, and Rev. Thomas Rafter became his successor in May of that year.

Up to 1868, no service for the Catholics was held in any church except in the old St. Joseph's Church which was situated on Washington street below Second. In 1868 the St. James' Church which occupied the site of the present edifice, was dedicated for the English-speaking Catholics living on both sides of the river. In 1873, St. Mary's congrega- tion was formed and a church built, which was attended by all the Catholics of the West Side. In 1874 the Germans and Poles began the building of churches for themselves, which were completed in 1875. In 1884 the Hol- landers of Essexville and the surrounding country, as well as the French of the same ter- ritory, erected a church for themselves. The German church is located on Lincoln avenue, and this congregation is now building a splen- did convent known as the Holy Rosary, one of the finest brick buildings in Bay City. There are now eight churches in Bay City and West Bay City, all with large congregations.

The St. James' Parochial School was begun by Father Schutjes and completed by Father Rafter, and was then taken in charge of by the Sisters of Charity, from Cincinnati, in Sep- tember, 1873. It has 12 grades and is at- tended by nearly 500 pupils. The old St. James' Church was a frame building and was replaced by a brick edifice, the corner-stone of which was laid in June, 1885. It was dedi- cated by its pastor on Christmas Day of 1886, and opened for services. It has a seating

capacity of 1,400. The beautiful brick resi- dece adjoining the church on the east was erected in 1902, and in June of the following year Father Rafter took up his residence there. Under his direction, five societies were organ- ized in connection with the church work, namely : The Catholic Mutual Benefit Asso- ciation, Altar Society, Young Ladies' Society, Children of Mary and St. Vincent de Paul Society. The English-speaking Catholics of Bay City are exceedingly fortunate in that they have had but two pastors, both of high character and scholarly attainments, during the 52 years existence of the church here.

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History of Bay County, Michigan, and representative citizens, Part 56

Author: Gansser, Augustus H., 1872- Publication date: 1905 Publisher: Chicago : Richmond & Arnold Number of Pages: 738

Author: Gansser, Augustus H., 1872-
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago : Richmond & Arnold
Number of Pages: 738