USA > Michigan > Bay County > History of Bay County, Michigan, and representative citizens > Part 67
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Wisconsin ; John, who is engaged in ranching in the West; Ellen, of Bay City; Michael, of Minnesota; Charles, who is engaged in lumber- ing ; and Patrick, who is at home.
In 1894 Mr. Keating married his present wife, Mrs. Christine Clifton, widow of Frank D. Clifton and daughter of Captain John and Jane (McAlpin) Graham, natives of Scotland. When our subject was at Clinton, Ontario, he served as a member of the 33rd Battalion of Canadian Volunteers, under Captain Murray. Politically, he has been a Greenbacker and a Populist, and is now a Democrat. He is a charter member and was the first commander of Munger Tent, No. 423, K. O. T. M.
RS. SELINA POWELL, widow of the late Capt. John Powell and a most highly esteemed and capable lady, owns and manages a magnifi- cent farm of 280 acres, situated in sections 22 and 27, Monitor township. Mrs. Powell was born at Bristol, England, in October, 1854, and is a daughter of Thomas and Sarah Gardner.
Mrs. Powell was reared in a home of plenty, her father being engaged in an excellent busi- ness in Bristol. She was educated in a private school and was given a chance to acquire many accomplishments. She was scarcely through school, being only 17 years of age, when she married Capt. John Powell, who was a deep-sea sailor and a man of means and ability. In 1870 Captain and Mrs. Powell came to Bay County and took possession of the present farm, which at that time was all timberland, with the excep- tion of 25 acres of clearing. Mrs. Powell has had charge of the farm for many years. Cap- tain Powell was engaged in a lumber business at Bay City and for 18 years owned an interest in and was master of the steamer "Racine,"
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which plied between Tonawanda and Buffalo.
Captain and Mrs. Powell had these chil- dren : Ellen, deceased ; Mary Florence, wife of James McGuill, of Indianapolis. Indiana ; John Howard, deceased; Ralph; Alice, wife of Frank Shaller, of Bay City; Margaret, wife of Nicholas Dean, of West Bay City; Nellie, wife of Lee Walsh, of West Bay City; and Elsie, who resides with her mother. Mrs. Powell successfully operates this large estate, with the assistance of her son Ralph. The family home is a beautiful brick residence, built in modern style, with all the comforts and conveniences of a city home.
Mrs. Powell is a member of Grace Protes- tant Episcopal Church, Bay City, West Side.
ICHAEL GARLAND, one of the representative business men of Bay City, Michigan, president of the M. Garland Company, and major- ity owner of the stock in the Valley Iron Works, of Bay City, of which he is president, was born at Cape Vincent, Jefferson County, New York, January 17, 1838, and is a son of William H. and Aurelia (Cross) Garland.
William H. Garland, father of our subject, was a native of Leeds, Yorkshire, England, where he was born March 11, 1808. Seven years of his life were given to learning the machinist's trade, but just as he was prepared to make the knowledge profitable, he was pressed into the English naval service. After some years before Constantinople and other ports, he was sent to Canada as one of a body of surveyors working in the mountains, and then his service ended. He first settled at Clay- ton. New York, but subsequently removed to Cape Vincent, where he built a machine shop and was engaged as its superintendent for a
number of years. About 1845 he erected for himself a sawmill at Warren Settlement, New York, and he operated this mill during the re- mainder of his active life. He died July 21, 1871. Politically he was a stanch Whig.
William H. Garland married Aurelia Cross, who was a daughter of Moses H. Cross, who was in the military service of the United States during the War of 1812. Of the II children born to this marriage, nine reached maturity, viz .: Michael, of Bay City; Sarah E., born February 1, 1840; Jane, born May 29, 1842; James and Edward (twins), born November 4, 1843, the former of whom died November 3, 1864; William Harry, born August 21, 1848; John, born May 26, 1850; Aurelia, born April 10, 1852; and Cynthia, born August 23, 1855, who is the wife of Capt. E. T. Rattray, of Cleveland, Ohio. The parents were worthy members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The father was a whole-souled man, full of generous impulses.
Michael Garland was educated in books in the local schools, but his natural mechanical abilities were encouraged in his father's mill, very little of its construction or operation be- ing unknown to him while he was still a child of tender years. When but 12 years of age he was perfectly competent to operate a steam en- gine. Naturally he learned the business of millwright and steam engineer and the knowl- edge of these trades has been the basis for much experimenting and for innumerable inventions, Mr. Garland and his fellow stockholders at this time owning some 60 patents for improvements in sawmill, windmill and other kinds of ma- chinery.
At the age of 17 years, Michael Garland left home for the West, going first to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from which point he sailed on Oc- tober 17. 1857, for Mainstee, Michigan. He had been engaged to put up a double-cutting
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circular sawmill for Adam and James Stronach, at Old Stronach, Michigan. This contract he satisfactorily completed, but when its owners were ready to opearte it they could not find sawyers of sufficient knowledge to run it. Mr. Garland consented to run it through the winter, filing for himself and the other sawyers, but in the spring returned to his parents' home in New York, where, at their earnest solicita- tion, he remained through the summer. In the following year he went to Dubuque, Iowa ; from there he proceeded by boat to Cassville, Wis- consin, and shortly afterward went to Turkey River, Iowa. The summer was spent in that locality, full of work, erecting sawmills and building freight barges. As operator of a mill for Brown LeGraff & Company, at Cassville, Wisconsin, he remained in that village about two years, and during this period he also com- pleted the manufacture of a number of barges, in association with Homer Smith, a partnership having been formed under the name of Smith & Garland.
About 1859 Garland sold out to his partner and returned to Manistee, Michigan, where he engaged with the firm of Canfield, Coles & Company (lumbermen) and had sole charge of the mechanical departments of two mills, in- cluding the engines as well as all mill machin- ery. He remained in this important and re- sponsible position until 1860, when he went to Chicago. During his stay there he had the pleasure of seeing the Prince of Wales, on his visit to the United States, who is now King Edward VII, of Great Britain.
From Chicago, Mr. Garland went to what was then a more progressive place, one where business opportunities were better, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and there he operated a mill until June 15, 1862. The Civil War was then at its height and the military spirit penetrated every industry and aroused patriotic feelings
in every loyal breast. Mr. Garland was now a young man only 24 years of age and had ac- complished more than ma ny men succeed in doing in double the time. He was known all through the section where he had followed his line of work as a thoroughly competent man and most reliable engineer. Openings were ready for him with many companies, but he decided to offer his services to his country, and on the last-mentioned date enlisted in Company I. 30th Reg., Wisconsin Vol. Inf., and con- tinued with that organization until it was mus- tered out October 28, 1865, at Madison, Wis- consin.
Mr. Garland spent the winter of 1864-65 at Fort Union, at the mouth of the Yellowstone River, and during this period was in a number of Indian skirmishes. His mechanical skill was frequently called into play in the building of boats designed to carry four companies of soldiers down to Fort Randall, at Sioux City, and he also had charge for 60 days as a non- commissioned officer with a guard of privates, of a steamboat on the river. He made a trip from Fort Union to St. Louis, on the steamer "Yellowstone." While at Fort Union he built and operated for the government a portable sawmill, fitted with circular saws. Another experience, far from pleasant, was an attack of smallpox, at Yankton, Dakota.
After his final discharge from military serv- ice, Mr. Garland returned to Eau Claire and resumed his place in a machine shop there, that of superintendent, but later gave it up to rebuild a sawmill at Gravel Island, Wisconsin, which he had originally assisted in building and which had been destroyed by fire. This mill was owned by Taylor & Bussey and was fitted with gang and circular saws: after he rebuilt it, he remained two years as superintendent of all its departments. In 1867 he returned to Eat Claire, resumed his old position of superin-
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tendent and built a comfortable home for him- self and wife there. He next took charge of a mill for Ingraham, Canada & Dole, which he operated until 1869. During the two years he had spent at Gravel Island, he had been in part- nership with Samuel Sykes, under the firm name of Sykes & Garland, and it was during this period that he patented his first invention, a sawdust feeder for furnaces. A patent was granted June 15, 1869, and a second patent on May 28, 1872.
In the fall of 1869, Mr. Garland went to Muskegon, Michigan, looking up opportunities to sell his sawdust feeder patents, but returned to Eau Claire for the winter, returning to Muskegon in the spring of 1870. He installed a sawdust feeder for O. P. Pillsbury & Com- pany, founded an agency there and then came on to Saginaw and Bay City. On March 17, 1870, he entered into a contract with A. Rust & Company, for the introduction of the sawdust feeder in their mill. This feeder was installed and remains in the mill, which has passed into the control of the Kneeland-Bigelow Company, of Bay City. In the spring of 1871 he returned to Eau Claire and worked through that summer for Ingraham, Canada & Company, but came back to Bay City in 1872, leaving his family at Eau Claire. He entered into the manufacture of his invention and of mill machinery. He was kept busily occupied in putting up sawmills and installing his sawdust feeder all over Mich- igan and other lumbering States. For many years his office in Bay City was on Water street, opposite the Fraser.
The M. Garland Company as organized has Michael Garland as president, H. W. Garland as secretary and treasurer, and Maude G. Gar- land as vice-president. With the exception of two shares, the stock is all owned in the family. The plant covers 13 city lots, on both side of 23d street and includes a fully equipped foun-
dry and machine shop, with every facility for manufacturing machinery. Employment is given 71 men and the product includes all kinds of machinery. Mr. Garland's conveyors are in use in all sorts of manufactories all over the United States, in sugar, houses, wood pulp mills, coal mines, etc. In July, 1903, Mr. Gar- land and wife purchased the Valley Wind En- gine & Iron Works, the product of which is windmills, grain grinders and pumps, and here also is a splendid foundry and machine shop. This plant covers a space of 375 by 100 feet. The business was incorporated October 28, 1903, with Mr. Garland as president; Mrs. Garland as secretary and treasurer; and W. H. Shapley of Toronto, vice-president.
Mr. Garland was married first to Cyrena L. Vradenburg, who was a daughter of Christo- pher Vradenburg, of Durand, Wisconsin. One child survives this union, Harrison W., who is secretary and treasurer of the M. Garland Company. Mrs. Garland died February 26, 1901. Mr. Garland's present wife was for- merly Emma Collins, of Bay City, Michigan.
Mr. Garland votes with the Republican party and takes much interest in politics, but is not a seeker for office. He was a charter mem- ber of the Bay City Club and is a stockholder and regular member of the new club, in which his son is also actively interested.
Mr. Garland has an immense volume of accomplished work behind him. In addition to his other business associations just mentioned, he is a member of the firm of Oaks & Garland, of West Bay City, manufacturers of a new de- vice, in the way of a metal nozzle for a fire hose, so constructed that it can be driven into a solid wall of wood. This has met with approval all over the country and it is destined to be used in every fire department in the world because of its general utility. The largest mill Mr. Garland ever built, among the many scattered
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all over the lumbering districts, was the Whit- ney & Batchelor mill at Melbourne, Saginaw County, Michigan, erected in the winter of 1878-79. This mill has cut 30,764,000 feet of lumber in a season, not running nights, and during a season of 202 days of 1114 hours each has cut an average of 166,666 feet per day, the record for the Saginaw Valley.
Mr. Garland is not only a man of excep- tional business ability, but of most remarkable mechanical talent. Personally he possesses a winning, courteous manner, is the dispenser of generous hospitality and is in the enjoyment of universal esteem.
ILLIAM CUTHBERT, who oper- ates a successful dairy in Bay City, Michigan, and is conveniently lo- lated at No. 2494 Center avenue, is a citizen who enjoys the esteem of all who know him and they are many. He was born May 1, 1864, at Probus, Cornwall, England, and he is a son of William and Mary (Grieve) Cuthbert.
The Cuthbert family is an old one in Corn- wall, the grandfather, Henry Cuthbert, having been born there, where he established a large brewery. The father of our subject was born at Falmouth. He was reared there and subse- quently was made inspector of the county con- stabulary stationed at Torquay. He died in 1873.
At the time of his father's death, William Cuthbert of this sketch was a child of only II years, but he found a home with an aunt with whom he remained until he was 13 years old. At this early age he started out to grapple with the world for himself, and he was fortu- nate in finding employment with a farmer who was kind and considerate to him and with
whom he remained for 13 years. In 1890 Mr. Cuthbert crossed the Atlantic to Canada and located near Simcoe, Ontario, where he worked on a dairy farm for three years and thus gained a practical knowledge of the milk and dairy business which has since proved of such ad- vantage to him.
In 1893 Mr. Cuthbert came to Bay City and went on the Culver farm for one year and then purchased his present milk business, which he has operated ever since. Mr. Cuthbert purveys his own milk and has a 12-year record on the wagon, without missing a single day. This means a great deal of consideration for his patrons, few of whom can show as fair a title to fidelity to business. He has a very large trade, handling some 60 gallons per day of milk and a large quantity of cream. He deals both wholesale and retail.
Mr. Cuthbert married Mrs. Grace (McDon- ald) Culver, widow of the late W. H. Culver, who left one daughter, Lou. The family at- tend the Congregational Church and are liberal contributors to its support.
Mr. Cuthbert is a Republican in politics, but he does not take any very active part in cam- paign work, his business absorbing the greater part of his time. He is a member of the Ma- sonic fraternity, being a member of Joppa Lodge, F. & A. M.
RS. YETTA VANBUSKIRK, wid- ow of the late Richard Vanbuskirk, is one of the highly esteemed ladies of Merritt ownship, Bay County, where she resides on her fine farm of 100 acres which is situated in section 36. Mrs. Vanbus- kirk was born March 4, 1869, in Tuscola County, Michigan, and is a daughter of Henry and Elizabeth ( Betram) Schultz.
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The late Richard Vanbuskirk was a son of Samuel Vanbuskirk, who was a native of Penn- sylvania. Richard was born in Canada, July 16, 1836. He lived on a farm there until about 20 years ago, when he came to Bay County, where he lived until his death on May 9, 1899. When he came here his land was covered with timber and it required years of hard work to put the home place under its present state of cultivation. Mr. Vanbuskirk left several farms to his widow, one of these being the home place as mentioned, which borders on Tuscola and Saginaw counties, and another farm of 40 acres at Fair Grove. Mrs. Vanbuskirk sold the latter and with the proceeds paid the claims of the other heirs. Mr. Vanbuskirk made many im- provements on the home farm, put up good buildings and left his widow and children sur- rounded with much comfort.
Mrs. Vanbuskirk's mother was twice mar- ried and had four children by her first union and six by her second, our subject being one of the former. In 1885 she married Richard Van- buskirk, and they had six children: May. Ida (deceased), Orpha, Fred, Lottie and Grace. By a former marriage, Mr. Vanbuskirk had three children ; Samuel, Isaac and Elisha (de- ceased ).
ON. PETER LIND, formerly mayor of West Bay City, Michigan, and a prominent citizen of Bangor town- ship, where he, in association with his brother Charles, owns a fine estate of 200 acres, located in section 4. was born in November, 1851, on an island in Lake Vanern, Sweden, and is a son of John and Catherine Lind.
The father of Mr. Lind was born in Sweden in 1822 and died in 1876. The mother was born in 1826, came to America in 1880 and now resides in Bangor township. The six children
of John and Catherine Lind were: Peter ; Mary, wife of Frank Sandquist, of Williams township; Emma, wife of Charles Johnson, of Beaver township; John, a draftsman in the West Bay City shipyards; and Charles and Lena (twins), the former employed in the shipyards and also a joint owner of property with our subject, and the latter, the widow of John Larsen of West Bay City.
Our subject had made such progress in the schools of his native land by the time he was 15 years of age, that he was given a teacher's certificate and prior to coming to America, in 1870, he had taught school for four years. He sailed from Sweden for a port in the State of Maine and first had a farm in Aroostook County, but subsequently went to lumbering in the great timber regions along the Penobscot River. In the fall of 1872 he came to Bay City and worked first in the woods and in saw- mills and then in various shipyards, engaged in building boats. From 1887 to 1888 he carried on a mercantile business in Bay City and was one of the leading business men of the place. From 1896 to 1902 he served as mayor of West Bay City. He was also a member of the City Council for several terms and had much to do with shaping political affairs in his part of the county. He served also as supervisor from West Bay City for two terms and probably has refused every local office in the gift of his fel- low-citizens.
Since 1902 Mr. Lind has been interested with his brother Charles in the management of their 200-acre farm in section 4, Bangor town- ship, 100 acres being under a fine state of culti- vation. General farming is carried on and Mr. Lind has proven himself just as capable a farmer as he has been a valued public official.
On November 23. 1892, Mr. Lind was mar- ried to Ellen Croft, who was born at Kingston, Canada, and is a daughter of John and Emma
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Croft, the former of whom was born in Ger- many and died in 1899. The latter was born in England, accompanied her husband to Bay City in 1879, and still resides here. Mr. and Mrs. Lind have five children : Earl, Jennie, Elmer, Jessie and Oliver.
Politically, Mr. Lind is a stanch Republican and has always been active in politics. For a number, of years he was a member of the Li- brary Board of West Bay City and has taken a public-spirited interest in all matters of civic improvement. Coming here unknown and de- pendent upon his own efforts, Mr. Lind has shown very conclusively what can be accom- plished by enterprise, industry and honest busi- ness methods. His fraternal connections are with Wenona Lodge, No. 296, F. & A. M., and Wenona Lodge, No. 221, I. O. O. F., both of West Bay City. Mrs. Lind is a member, of the Rebekahs.
L OUIS KNECHT, one of the older res- idents of Portsmouth township and the owner of a well-improved, valu- able large estate, consisting of 60 acres, in section 13, where he resides, 40 acres in section 14 and 70 acres in section 12, aggre- gating 170 acres of fine land, is a well-known and much esteemed citizen. He was born on February 13, 1849, at Windsor, Ontario, dur- ing a short period of residence there of his parents, who were Casper and Margaret Ro- sina (Kutz) Knecht.
Casper Knecht was born at Wittenberg, Germany, and died in Michigan in 1902, aged 82 years. He had a long, useful and eventful life. At the age of 24 years he came to the United States in company with two brothers, Louis and Martin. They settled first at De- troit, where Casper found work in the car
shops, having learned the wagon-making trade in Germany. He entered the government serv- ice as a mechanic during the Mexican War and later went to Canada, while his two brothers were sent to the front; one of them while in the army was shot three times but survived in spite of these wounds, and lived to a good old age; the other brother died from the hardships of the service. From Detroit, Casper Knecht moved to Howell, Michigan, after a year in Ohio, and then came to South Bay City, Bay County. He was employed as a clerk in the establishment of Charles Sherman for 12 years and then purchased a large body of land. At one time he owned 160 acres in one tract. Prior to his death he sold his land to his children, with the exception of 20 acres. He was a good manager and left his family well provided for. In politics he was a Democrat. In religious views he was a Lutheran.
The mother of our subject was also born at Wittenberg, German, and crossed the At- lantic Ocean on the same ship that brought Casper Knecht to America. They were mar- ried in Detroit. She was a most estimable wo- man, a worthy wife and good mother. She died in 1900, aged 83 years. They had these children : Mrs. Mary Shilling, who died aged 19 years; Louis, of this sketch; Charles, who died young at Detroit; Mrs. Caroline Partridge, of Detroit; and John and William, both resi- dents of Portsmouth township.
Louis Knecht was one year old when his parents moved to Ohio, and was six years old when they settled permanently in Bay County in 1855. Mr. Knecht has been on his present farm for the past 33 years. When he took his portion of the estate from his father, it was totally unimproved and the handsome and commodious dwelling and the substantial barns and all other excellent improvements have been put here by Mr. Knecht himself. They repre-
HON. SPENCER O. FISHER
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sent many years of industry and management and the result is seen in this being one of the most attractive rural homes and valuable farms of Portsmouth township. Mr. Knecht has car- ried on a general line of farming and has given some attention to raising sugar beets, devoting about 40 acres to this industry.
In 1875 Mr. Knecht was married to Elea- nor Conoly, who was born December 20, 1852, at Chatham, Ontario, and they have seven chil- dren : Casper W., of Bay City; John J., of South Bay City; William, Jr. ; Louis C .; Asa F .; Emanuel and Ansel M.
Politically Mr. Knecht is a stanch Demo- crat. He is a leading member of the Munger Presbyterian Church and one of the board of five trustees.
ON. SPENCER O. FISHER. In the practical days upon which we have fallen, thus early in the 20th cen- tury, the men who make possible the rapid development of great industries, the pro- motion of vast enterprises and the successful carrying out of what once would have been deemed but the visions of an over-heated brain, attract and hold our attention and excite our admiration. We feel more than a passing in- terest in these men of mental strength and per- severing activity, of far-seeing judgment and broadened view. A prominent factor in the remarkable growth of West Bay City, Michi- gan, has been the personal effort of Hon. Spen- cer O. Fisher, whose life has been incorporated, more or less, with almost everything of a public nature here, for the past third of a century. His life history is more interesting than that of many of his contemporaries in that it shows the accomplishment of great undertakings and the honorable and successful career of a busi-
ness man, capitalist, statesman and public bene- factor.
Spencer O. Fisher was born at Camden, Hillsdale County, Michigan, on February 3, 1843, and is a son of Benjamin and Rosette J. (Sutton) Fisher.
James Fisher, the paternal grandfather, was born in New Jersey in 1781, and died July II, 1838, aged 57 years. His wife Charity was also born in New Jersey, in the same vil- lage as her husband, in 1773 and died June 9, 1838. James Fisher followed the trade of shoemaker in his earlier years, but after his marriage he removed to Wayne County, New York, where he bought a farm. His subse- quent life was passed there.
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