History of Bay County, Michigan, and representative citizens, Part 63

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

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HARLES F. ENGELHARDT, who owns and operates a finely improved farm of 60 acres, situated in section 25, Hampton township, Bay County, Michigan, was born in Hampton township, Oc- tober 16, 1859, and is a son of Michael and Katherine (Wistpinter) (Bridaur) Engel- hardt.

Michael Engelhardt was born in Germany in 1827, and came to America in young man- hood. He followed farming all his life. His death took place on February 14, 1890, at the age of 62 years. He did not marry until 30 years of age, and then was united to Mrs. Kath- erine (Wistpinter) Bridaur, who was born in Germany and who still survives, at the age of 81 years, a resident of Hampton township. The three children of her marriage with Mr. Engelhardt are: Charles F., of this sketch; Frederick, of Hampton township; and Au- gust, of Portsmouth township. She had two children born to her first marriage: Caroline; and a daughter that died in infancy.

In 1885 our subject bought his present farm, which at that time was covered with burned stumps and heavy underbrush. He has cleared it all off and has placed it under a fine state of cultivation, has set out orchards and

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has as comfortable a residence and as substan- tial barns as any of his neighbors in his section. It has all been his own work as he has always been entirely dependent upon his own resources.

On May 16, 1889, Mr. Engelhardt was married to Louisa Feinauer, who was born Sep- tember 16, 1863, and is a daughter of Michael and Barbara (Sexlinger) Feinauer, natives of Germany. Five children have been born to this union, namely : Lidia Annie: Elma Katherine ; Edward Martin; Mabel Annie and Oscar John. Mr. Engelhardt and wife belong to the German Lutheran Church. Politically he is a Re- publican.

OHN M. KELTON, one of the leading citizens and prominent business men of West Bay City, Michigan, presi- dent of the Lumberman's State Bank, president and treasurer of the Standard Hoop Company, and vice-president of the West Bay City Sugar Company, is a native of Pennsyl- vania, born in Chester County, in October, 1840.

Mr. Kelton came to Michigan in February, 1867, locating at West Bay City where he has been more or less identified with the lumber interests ever since. During the Civil War he was engaged in a commission business at Phil- adelphia and prior to coming West had resided in his native State and New Jersey.

The Standard Hoop Company, which is the largest industry of its kind in the country, has a plant at West Bay City that covers over IO acres and is completely equipped with mod- ern machinery. Its product is immense, the output being from 12,000,000 to 15,000,000 hoops annually. Elm wood is used in the man- ufacture of these hoops and the raw material is secured all over the country. This plant has been in successful operation since 1886 and em-

ployment is given to 60 men and boys. In that year John M. Kelton, Harrison Miller and E. J. Kelton formed a partnership and built a mill which was put into operation in July of that year. In 1896 the business was organized under the name of the Standard Hoop Com- pany, for the manufacture of hoops and lum- ber, with this official board: John M. Kelton, president and treasurer, and H. B. Aurand, sec- retary. Mr. Kelton devotes his personal atten- tion to the business and it is ranked as one of the most important industries of West Bay City. His other business interests, named in a preceding paragraph, are of an equally im- portant nature.

Mr. Kelton married Mary E. Smith, a sis- ter of Capt. P. C. Smith, of West Bay City, and they have three children : Frank P. S., who is engaged with the West Bay City Sugar Com- pany ; Earl C., a student at Ithaca, New York, who is preparing to enter Cornell University ; and Sarah S., who is also at school. Mr. Kel- ton owns one of the handsome homes of West Bay City, situated at No. 408 West Midland street. The family attend the Presbyterian Church.

Politically, Mr. Kelton is identified with the Republican party. He has been a member of the Board of Education of West Bay City. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity.

H VERTON EDMUND MUNGER, one of the well-known architects of Bay City, Michigan, a member of the firm of Clark & Munger, was born at York, Medina County, Ohio, May 25, 1867, and is a son of Wallace W. and Mary J. (Chase) Munger.

The father of Mr. Munger was also a native of Medina County. He became a practical

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stone-mason and started in business for himself in young manhood. He followed contracting in Medina County until 1880, when he turned his attention to veterinary surgery. After graduating at the Veterinary College at Tor- onto, in 1881, he began practice at Galesburg, Kalamazoo County, Michigan, where he is still established. Dr. Munger married Mary J. Chase, who is a daughter of Edmund Chase. The Chase family was one well-known in New York, while the Munger family came originally from Connecticut, where the grandfather, Averton Munger, was born in 1802. Dr. and Mrs. Munger had three children, the two sur- vivors being our subject and a sister, Mary A. The parents are members of the Congregational Church, in which Dr. Munger has been a dea- con for many years.

Averton Edmund Munger was given a good common-school education and then spent some time in teaching, at one period being an instruc- tor in the Galesburg High School, but his nat- ural inclinations led him in another direction. He took up the study of architecture in the office of his present partner, a sketch of whom will be found in this work. Later he devoted three years to the study of civil engineering, with George S. Pierson, of Kalamazoo, and then returned to Mr. Clark's office. His knowl- edge of civil engineering has made him a still better architect, for it is no drawback to be con- versant with both professions. From August, 1893, to 1897, he practiced architecture at Saginaw, Michigan, and then closed out his business there to enter into partnership with Mr. Clark. This firm has done much of the architectural work which has given Bay City its fair name for stately and beautiful struc- tures.

In 1892, Mr. Munger was married to Mary C. Sperry, who is a daughter of Lavaille P. Sperry, of Bay City. They have one daugh-

ter, Lois M., a bright little maiden at school. The family belong to the Congregational Church. Fraternally, Mr. Munger is a Knight of Pythias, a member of Bay City Lodge, No. 23.

APT. PETER C. SMITH. Among the prominent citizens of West Bay City, Michigan, is Capt. Peter C. Smith, president of the West Bay City Sugar Company, who has been more closely identified with many of the successful business enterprises of this section than any other individual. He was born at St. Clair, Michigan, May 1, 1844, and is a son of Peter and Sarah (Cross) Smith.

Few men in Bay County were better or more favorably known than the late Peter Smith. Born in Scotland, he accompanied his parents to Canada in childhood, and in young manhood, about 1836, he located at Port Huron, Michi- gan, where he was married to Sarah Cross two years later. In 1842 they removed to St. Clair and resided there for 12 years. Mr. Smith worked at his trade of millwright and built sev- eral of the first mills in that locality. In 1854 he came to what is now Bay County and built a mill in what was then the hamlet of Bangor and what was later, until the union of the Bay Cities, the First Ward of West Bay City. He was a member of the mill-building firm of Moore, Smith & Vose, which later became Moore & Smith and of which he subsequently became sole proprietor. This firm then became Peter Smith & Sons and under this style did an immense business in this line. In 1864 he engaged in the production of salt and contin- ued his interest in this line until his death, No- vember 28, 1880. After that event, two of his sons, C. J. and H. J., carried on the business under the firm style of Smith Brothers.

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HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY

Mr. Smith was survived by four children : C. J., H. J., Peter C., and Mrs. John M. Kel- ton, of West Bay City. Mrs. Smith survived until April, 1890, dying at the age of 81 years.

Peter C. Smith was 10 years of age when his father removed to West Bay City and erected a sawmill. After completing his edu- cation eight years later, he worked four years in the mill and then started out to make his own way in the world, choosing a maritime career. Purchasing a small steamboat that plied on the Saginaw River, he managed it himself and later added a tug and a steamboat, this little fleet being the nucleus of what became the Saginaw Bay Towing Company. This company was a copartnership of Captain Smith and Capt. Ben- jamin Boutell and was entered into in 1884; the business developed into the largest towing business of any firm on the Great Lakes. The partners acquired interests in steamers on all the Lakes, a large barge line and a powerful fleet of tugs. A specialty was made of towing rafts to different points along the Canadian shore, in both peninsulas of Michigan north of the Saginaw River, and they delivered to the mills also on this river and at Detroit, Cleve- land, Buffalo and other Eastern points. They averaged 300,000,000 feet of logs per annum.

Captain Smith was only 21 years of age when he secured his papers as captain and for years his rank was recognized on the water. In 1883 he established a general store and coal docks in West Bay City and also became finan- cially interested in various manufacturing en- terprises, among which were a stave and head- ing mill at Gladwin, the West Bay City Sugar Company, and the Bay City Michigan Sugar Company. In March, 1902, he sold his inter- ests in the Saginaw Bay Towing Company to Captain Boutell.

In 1864 Captain Peter C. Smith was mar- ried to Sarah I. Orton, who is a daughter of

Thomas S. Orton, of Luzerne, New York. Their one son, Capt. Charles O. Smith, who married May Miller, of Bay City, is now en- gaged in looking after our subject's large farm- ing interests in Bay County.

Captain Peter C. Smith has long been prominently identified with the various Ma- sonic bodies and is a 32d degree Mason. Form- erly he was a very active member of Bay City Commandery, No. 26, K. T. In 1891 he was one of the recipients of a very signal mark of fraternal esteem, being one of a party of 16 Knights Templar invited by the Temple Com- mandery of Albany, New York, to partake of its hospitality on an excursion which included a two-months trip through the most interesting parts of Europe.

During many years Captain Smith was an active politician here, serving four years as a member of the City Council and four years as a trustee. He has always been identified with the Republican party. His property and social interests are all centered in Bay County. His beautiful, modern home is situated at No. 701 West Midland street, West Bay City. With his family he is connected with the Presbyterian Church.

OHN P. ITTNER, whose farm of 320 acres in Beaver township takes up one- half of section 27, is one of the pros- perous and intelligent farmers of the county. Mr. Ittner was born in 1856 in Frank- enlust township, which was then in Saginaw County, Michigan, but is now included in Bay, and is a son of John George and Margaret (Ouerox) Ittner.

The father of Mr. Ittner was born in Ger- many and came in young manhood to America, where he subsequently married and settled, tak- ing up his home in Frankenlust township, Sag-

HON. SYDNEY S. CAMPBELL

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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.

inaw County (Now Bay County, Michigan), where he died aged 63 years.

John P. Ittner was educated in the schools of Saginaw and Bay counties and was reared to be a practical farmer. He settled in Beaver township, Bay County, in 1883 and has been a representative man of the locality for a long time. His fine farm is being gradually put under cultivation ; about one-half of it is now improved. He is one of the leading Demo- crats of his section and has frequently been called upon to fill responsible official positions in the township. For three years he served as supervisor, for three years was clerk and for six years he was township treasurer. For 12 years past he has been a school officer. Mr. Ittner is a man noted for his integrity and en- joys the full confidence of the public in his hon- esty and ability.

In 1884 Mr. Ittner married Margaret B. Oeder, of Bangor township, who was born in Germany and came to Michigan with her parents when she was six years of age. They have had six children : Hannah, born February 21, 1885; Andrew, born April 13, 1887; Chris- tina, born May 7, 1889; Frederick, born June 15, 1891 ; Henry, born December 1, 1894; and Elsie, born July 30, 1897. Mr. Ittner is a mem- ber and a liberal supporter of the German Lu- theran Church.

ON. SYDNEY .S. CAMPBELL, de- ceased, whose portrait accompanies this sketch, was one of the pioneer cit- izens of Bay County, Michigan, and located at Lower Saginaw (now Bay City) as early as 1838. He was actively iden- tified with the growth and progress of the com- munity, and conducted the first tavern here, long known as the Globe Hotel, which still stands.

Sydney S. Campbell was born in Paris, Oneida County, New York, February 29, 1804, and was a son of Moses and Phoebe (Stewart) Campbell, being the youngest of five children. He was of Scotch descent. He received his early intellectual training in the common schools of his native county, then attended col- lege at Utica, New York, where he graduated from the law department. In 1830 he came to Michigan, settling first at Pontiac and then at Cass River Bridge, where, in 1836, he laid out a town and called it Bridgeport, his partner in this venture being Judge G. D. Williams. A post office was established with himself as post- master, but the town was blighted by hard times in the winter of 1837-38. He was in- duced by James Fraser and Judge Williams to remove to the new city on the Saginaw, known as Lower Saginaw, and start a hotel. He ar- rived on March 1, 1838, and the following day killed a large buck on the opposite side of the river, the last one seen by him for a period of five years. That month, as described by Judge Campbell afterward, was as warm as is usual for the month of June. His family lived in the block-house on the bank of the river for a short time until the tavern was completed, it being located on Water street, where it still stands as a relic of Bay City's early history. It was often difficult to get the provisions necessary for his table, but Judge Campbell was always a liberal provider. Often he found it necessary to paddle a canoe 16 miles to Saginaw for a pound of tea or some equally small article. A year or two after his arrival, he and his brother Harry borrowed the government team of oxen and plowed a piece of land near where the Fol- som & Arnold old sawmill stood, which they sowed to buckwheat. When the time came to gather it, he and his wife would go down the river in a canoe to the field, and as they pro- ceeded he would shoot ducks, which were plen-

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HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY

tiful in those days. Arriving there, he would spread out a sail-cloth upon the ground and on this thresh out the buckwheat as his wife car- ried it to him. They then placed it in bags and took it to the tavern in the canoe, emptying out the bags of grain in an upstairs bedroom. The following winter there was a scarcity of flour and in February the supply in Lower Sag- inaw became exhausted and none could be ob- tained from Saginaw or Flint. To the people of the settlement, Judge Campbell's store of buckwheat was indeed welcome. Frederick Derr, who lived in the "wild-cat" bank build- ing opposite the tavern, owned a large coffee- mill, of which the settlers soon took advantage, taking the amount of buckwheat needed and grinding it in this mill. In this way the only flour used in the settlement for a period of three weeks was made, and none was obliged to go hungry. In those days Judge Campbell was very friendly with the Indians, and traded ex- tensively with them. He conducted the tavern for a number of years, and in after years when retired from business activity he formed the habit of going to the hotel for a social visit twice a day. In 1873, he built a brick busi- ness block, just north of the hotel, and in many ways was prominently identified with the de- velopment of the city. He made many inter- esting notes with regard to the early history of this vicinity, and these appear in the historical portion of this work. He witnessed the grad- ual change of Bay County from a wild and sparsely settled state to its present condition, with its richly cultivated farms and populous towns and cities. He was the first supervisor of Hampton township. the first meeting being held in his tavern. He held that office a num- ber of years and when the county was organ- ized, became probate judge, serving as such for a period of 12 years, from 1857. He was elec- ted on the Democratic ticket, and was always

a consistent member of that party, frequently serving as delegate to county, State and con- gressional conventions.

In March, 1830, Judge Campbell was joined in the bonds of matrimony with Catherine J. McCartee, one of those sturdy pioneer women who bravely faced the hardships and thrilling experiences of the early days in this country. She was of Scotch-Irish descent and was a daughter of William James and Clara (Dun- lap) McCartee. Judge Campbell died August 10, 1887, aged nearly 84 years, and his wife died June 1, 1888. They were parents of the following children: Margaret, deceased, who was the wife of Bernhardt Witthauer; Emily, who resides in the old family home at No. 1704 Woodside avenue, and is the only one of the children living in Bay City; Edward McCartee, deceased, was the first white boy born in Lower Saginaw : William James, a farmer residing in Pinconning township; and Catherine, who died in infancy. Judge Campbell was a man of the highest character, and had his influ- ence in the moral, intellectual and financial af- fairs of the community. He and his wife were Presbyterians. Miss Emily Campbell is a lady of literary attainments and accomplish- ments, and has always occupied a prominent place in the refined circles of Bay City.

REDERICK WILLIAM DUNHAM, whose post office address is West Bay City, is a prominent and pros- perous farmer living in section 21, Monitor township. He was born in Madison County, New York, October 18, 1832, and is a son of Alpha and Freelove (Mathewson) Dun- ham. His education was obtained mostly in the district schools of the "Empire" State and in an academy at Hamilton, New York. He then

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engaged in teaching a short time near Adrian, Michigan. From Adrian he went to Higgins- port, Ohio, as instructor in the High School, of which he later became principal, which posi- tion he held for four years. In the winter of 1858-59 he was in New Orleans, and in flat- boats traded in produce along the bayous of the lower Mississippi River.

In 1860 Mr. Dunham visited his early home in New York, where he remained until 1861, when he came to Bay City to take charge of the public schools as superintendent. There was then but one public school building in Bay City ; it had three departments. Two years later he resigned this position and opened a grocery on Water street, under the firm name of Phil- lips & Dunham. On account of ill health, he sold his interest to Mr. Phillips four years later, and engaged in farming in Barry County, Michigan. In connection with his brother-in- law, he bought 200 acres of land. This was but- partly cleared, and they built a house and barn ; on this property Mr. Dunham lived three years.

At the request of his former business part- ner, Mr. Phillips, who was then postmaster under President Grant, Mr. Dunham returned to Bay City, to act as assistant postmaster. In this capacity he served eight years. Under the Hayes administration he was appointed post- master of Bay City, and continued thus for one term. He then located on a farm of 320 acres, which he had purchased in connection with Herschel H. Hatch, now an attorney of De- troit. They cleared, fenced and drained most of this land. On it they built two houses and what was considered in those days a very large barn, its dimensionns being 80 by 80 feet.

Mr. Dunham has been twice married, his first wife being Mary E. Haughton, of Madison County, New York. His second wife was Emma A. Haughton, of the same county. They were sisters, both being daughters of Augustus

and Meribee C. (Mills) Haughton. The first marriage resulted in one son, Eugene, who died when 13 years old; and two daughters,-Mrs. James Wilcox, of Monitor township, and Flor- ence, who lives with her parents.

The subject of this sketch gives consider- able attention to dairy farming, the production and sale of milk being the main feature of his farm. He is the possessor of a good library, and spends a great deal of time with his books. In politics, Mr. Dunham is a stanch Republican, and voted for Gen. John C. Fremont, the first presidential candidate of that party in 1856. In local political matters, he acts independently. He is a member of the Patrons of Husbandry, and is past master of Subordinate Grange, No. 1,036.

ON. HAMILTON MERCER WRIGHT, B. A., M. A., LL. B., of Bay City, Michigan, whose long and honorable official career in Bay County has made his name familiar all over the State, and whose scholarly attainments have made him a conspicuous figure for years in every noted gathering of lettered men, was born in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, October 26, 1852, and is a son of Hamilton Mercer and Virginia (Huckins) Wright.

The Wright family is of Scotch-Irish ex- traction. They came from the North of Ire- land and settled in Fishkill Plains, New York, in the first half of the 18th century. Our sub- ject's grandfather, Isaac Wright, a descendant of the original emigrant, married a daughter of Mercer Hamilton who came to America with Thomas Addis Emmet, a brother of the noted Irish patriot. Robert Emmet. The former, un- like his famous brother, escaped to America after being apprehended and tried for treason

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and later became a distinguished citizen of the State of New York.

The father of Judge Wright was born in 1808 in Dutchess County, New York. When he reached manhood he went to New Orleans, where he engaged in business and amassed a fortune as a cotton factor, which placed him with the foremost capitalists of the State. The misfortunes incident to the outbreak and con- tinuance of the Civil War made great inroads upon this fortune and Mr. Wright did not long survive after the close of hostilities, his death taking place in 1869. In 1850, Mr. Wright was married to Virginia Huckins, who was born in Virginia, and died in Dinan, Brittany, France, in 1897, aged 87 years. The two chil- dren of this marriage were our esteemed sub- ject and a sister, Nina, who is the widow of the Marquis of Potestad, of France.

Immediately following the capture of New Orleans by the Federal forces, Mrs. Wright and her children left the turmoil then existing in that city and took a steamer for Europe. She established a home at Geneva, Switzerland, and in that old historic city her son laid the founda- tion of an education that has covered many lines. Later, he spent two years taking a col- legiate course at Cheltenham, England. The death of his father, in 1869, recalled him to America, where he soon became a student at Yale. While in his junior year he married and with his bride returned to Europe. Dur- ing the two years passed on the Continent, he studied medicine at Heidelberg, Germany and at Pisa, Italy, and upon his second return to America he reentered Yale, where he was grad- uated in 1875,-the third in rank in a class of 150 students.

The young physician then entered upon the study of the law, earning the means by which he could follow this course by teaching modern languages, being master of seven. In 1877,

when he was graduated from the law school, Chief Justice Waite took occasion, when hand- ing him his diploma, to pay him the unusual attention of complimenting him on having passed the best examination of any student that had ever come to his knowledge. His high scholarship won for him the coveted reward of the Jewell gold medal. Subsequently he passed the bar examinations in Connecticut and in New York, and was admitted to practice in both States. When he came to Michigan, in 1877, he found that the laws of this State required an- other examination. After a few months spent in the office of Windsor Schofield, in order to familiarize himself with Michigan practice, he was admitted to the bar here. He then opened an office in partnership with Carl Drake, also a Yale graduate, under the firm name of Wright & Drake, which was dissolved six months later, since which time Judge Wright has practiced alone.

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History of Bay County, Michigan, and representative citizens, Part 63

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