USA > Michigan > Bay County > History of Bay County, Michigan, and representative citizens > Part 68
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Robert Blaine Sutton, the maternal grand- father, was a native of New York and he re- sided for many years at Lyons, Wayne County. He was born in 1787 and died at Hillsdale, Michigan, March 2, 1876. By trade he was a cooper and at Lyons he owned a large cooper shop, doing such a great business that it is re- corded that he worked 17 and 18 hours a day, ate four or five meals and manufactured by hand heavy casks for wine. Only a man of strong constitution could have followed such a life and that he possessed this was shown during the War of 1812, in which he took part. He suffered from bayonet wounds in the legs and was later shot in the chest. After lying neglected on the battle-field for more than 24 hours, he was taken off supposedly dead, but his strength rallied and he lived through many subsequent years of usefulness. He was a man of excellent business judgment and of industrious, frugal life. He early in- vested his means in government lands in Mich- igan and moved to the State in 1866. In the following year he entered into a lumbering business with Benjamin Fisher, the father of our subject.
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Benjamin Fisher was born March 22, 181I, in Wayne County, New York, and died June 5, 1882. His attendance at school was cov- ered by 12 days, but he had ambition and an active mind and he succeeded in educating him- self. At the age of 17 years he left the home farm and accompanied Robert Blaine Sutton to Michigan and subsequently married his daughter. The trip was made by boat from Buffalo to Monroe, and the rest of the way by following an Indian trail through the woods to Camden township, Hillsdale County, on the tract where Michigan corners with Indiana and Ohio. There he built the log house in which our subject was born, the comfortable, pict- uresque little cabin to which Mr. Fisher's thoughts often return with tender recollections, sweetened by memories of venerble grandpar- ents, honored and beloved father and mother and other kindred. Benjamin Fisher cleared about 15 acres of land and set out a beautiful grove of locust trees which were nourished by the rich soil and grew luxuriously, throwing their grateful shade over the happy little pio- neer home. When all was prepared, Mr. Fisher went back to New York, married and brought his bride to the backwoods cabin. He later became one of the largest farmers and most important men of that locality, taking part in public matters and serving a number of years as township supervisor. When the vil- lage of Hillsdale was incorporated as a city, he was elected the first alderman from the Third Ward, and through his whole life he continued a wise counselor to his family and community. Like other men of success, he possessed a strong personality, great courage and keen business perceptions.
Benjamin Fisher was twice married, first to Rosette J. Sutton, and second to Adeliza Leach. The five children born to the first union were: Spencer O., of this record ; James
K .; Mary, deceased, formerly wife of C. E. Underhill, of Deerfield, Michigan; Benjamin B., of Chicago; and Rosette J., wife of George W. Thompson, of Grand Rapids, Michigan. The mother of this family died in 1856, aged 36 years. She was possessed of all those quali- ties which make the memories of her children dear and lasting. Her religious belief made her a devoted member of the Methodist Church. The one daughter of Mr. Fisher's second mar- riage, Sarah Leach Fisher, resides at Hillsdale, Michigan.
Our subject's early childhood was spent in the little log house mentioned and then the father moved into the village of Hillsdale for a time. Later the father's large lumbering operations took him to various parts of the State and into Canada, and thus the son's edu- cation was pursued in various villages. One school and its elderly master, at Port Burwell, Canada, Mr. Fisher recalls on account, partly. of the very unique manner in which the teacher rewarded good scholarship. He had a neck- lace made of silver pieces, from a dollar to a five-cent piece, and it was the proud privilege of the pupil who stood at the head of his class to wear this decoration. In recalling these old incidents of his school-boy life, Mr. Fisher in- sensibly shows the deep feelings which, under the calm exterior of a hardened business man, might not always be suspected.
In 1856 his parents returned to Michigan and he completed his public-school course at the Hillsdale High School and subsequently spent parts of two years at Hillsdale College, of which his father was one of the founders, and parts of two years at Albion College. He then entered the employ of his father and grandfather Sutton and for about five years was engaged in shipping hardwood lumber for them. After he had reached his majority, he decided to embark in merchandising, and to
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that end entered the employ of Hall & Marvin at a salary of $240 a year ; but from the start he displayed so much energy and business ability that, without demand from him, the firm paid him $600. After working for them about a year and a half, he entered into part- nership with Chauncy W. Ferris under the firm name of S. O. Fisher & Company. This continued until 1868, during which period Mr. Fisher had complete charge of the business. He was now 28 years old, at an age when many young men of our day are but looking about for an entrance into business. This alert young merchant was already a good finan- cier and had acquired sufficient knowledge of business probabilities and possibilities in his section to make him feel confident that he could carry out a contract he signed that fall, for the building of a railroad between Hills- dale and Ypsilanti, an extent of 30 miles. This road was built according to contract, including bridges, fences and all things pertaining to a finished railway. Through the unqualified suc- cess of this undertaking, Mr. Fisher not only secured a large amount of capital, but he also proved the quality of his business ability. In 1871, Mr. Fisher entered into partnership with his father under the firm name of B. & S. O. Fisher, and came to Wenona (now West Bay City). The firm purchased a one-fourth inter- est in the timber in Williams township and took the contract to cut the timber off the entire tract of 4,000 acres. At the close of the first year's work, the junior member of the firm bought the senior's interest and continued to conduct the business by himself for several years. As his other interests increased, he found it desirable to have a partner, and on July 15, 1877, he formed a new partnership with Alfred Mosher under the firm name of Mosher & Fisher. Sub- sequently, Mr. Fisher disposed of his interest. In the meantime he had founded the village
of Fisherville, which continues to be a lumber- ing point.
In 1889, Mr. Fisher became interested in another large enterprise, this being the promo- tion and building of the electric street railway in West Bay City. He was the main owner of this road and when he later acquired a con- trolling interest in the horse-car system in Bay City, he consolidated the two companies under the name of the Bay City & West Bay City Street Car Company. Another instance of business enterprise was the purchase, with Ben- jamin Burbridge, of large tracts of land at Sebawaing. The company put down the first shafts and mined the first coal in this part of the State. Being the pioneer company in the field, it had to face conditions which took away profits, but it was the means of discovering to the residents of this section of the State the fact that great veins of coal awaited the capitalists who, since then, have mined to the extent of immense fortunes. Mr. Fisher's activities have continued in almost every developing way. He was one of the first to promote, foster and en- courage different business enterprises which, with his clear foresight, he could see would contribute to the general welfare, and one of these was the founding of The Lumberman's State Bank, of West Bay City. This bank suc- ceeded the private bank of H. H. Norrington, in which Mr. Fisher was interested. He was the first president of the new organization and remained its head continuously for 25 years. He was also the promoter and organizer and also president of the Home Light Company of Wenona, which was later consolidated with the company in Bay City and now bears the name of the Bay County Electric Light Company.
During its first year of existence, Mr. Fisher was vice-president of the Michigan Sugar Company, but closed out his interest in 1899 and in one day organized the West Bay
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City Sugar Company, of which he became president. At present he is president and man- ager of the Michigan Land & Lumber Com- pany and of the Morgan Lumber Company, owners of standing pine timber in the Georgian `Bay district of Ontario. His public spirit and devotion to the interests of West Bay City has been shown all through his business career in Bay County. During the period when he was manager of the street railway company, he spent thousands of dollars of his own fortune in the development of that beautiful and popu- lar summer resort,-Wenona Beach, which has proved a successful financial enterprise, whose advantages to the city in every way can- not be over-estimated.
Mr. Fisher's activities have been in no way limited to a business career. He has won de- served reputation not only in his State but in the halls of Congress and has not hesitated to raise his voice in the interests of his constitu- ents as well as to defend the great principles of his party. Politically, he is a Democrat. When he moved from Hillsdale to Wenona, he had served two years in the former village as alder- man and his influence was immediately felt in his new home. It was mainly through his efforts that a consolidation of the villages of Salzburg, Wenona and Banks was effected. The leaders from each of the villages sought to give the new municipality the name of their village, but the "Grand Old Man of Greater Bay City," realizing that the two distinct com- munities on opposite banks of the Saginaw River, were in reality but one city, named the new city "West Bay City," and for weeks con- tended against the opposing factions until the name he had chosen was adopted. That was in 1877, and in every session of the Legislature from that time he agitated the consolidation of the two cities. He was instrumental in having passed by the Legislature the first bill to unite
Bay City, West Bay City and Essexville, the same to take effect in 1891. The bill was signed by the Governor on June 21, 1887. This act provided for the appointment of a commit- tee of three from each city to fix the equaliza- tion of debts and taxes and to adjust other matters of importance to the united cities. In case of disagreement, Hon. Spencer O. Fisher was named as arbiter, with power to decide any controversy. The opposition, however, managed to manipulate a special election which gave an adverse vote on the matter of consoli- dation, and so the subject was dropped for a time. When the new movement for consolida- tion was started in 1903, Mr. Fisher again led the consolidationists. He was looking after his lumber interests in the Georgian Bay region in January, 1905, when the bill to repeal the consolidation act was railroaded through the Legislature. When he learned that the realiza- tion of one of his fondest hopes was in danger of being set back for another twenty years, he hurried back home, rallied enough prominent business men to make sure that consolidation still had many loyal supporters, and called for an open meeting in the parlors of the Fraser House. The "antis" pretended to laugh at Mr. Fisher's efforts; but when on a few hours notice hundreds of representative business men and leading citizens went on record as still favoring the 1903 agreement, they found that all the movement required was a powerful and earnest leader. Governor Fred M. Warner was wired to hold up the repeal act, which he did, although not of Mr. Fisher's political faith. Mr. Fisher was spokesman for a committee that went to Lansing to arrange for a public hearing before the Governor. Public meetings were held in the two cities, and such a senti- ment was created, as indicated by the stream of letters and telegrams with which the Governor was deluged, that the Governor vetoed the
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repeal act. During all those days and hours when so much trembled in the balance, Mr. Fisher was the soul of the consolidation move- ment. He gave the energy and vitality to the movement that carried it to victory when all seemed lost ; and in the celebrations which fol- lowed, the lion's share of the credit was ac- corded to the "Father of Greater Bay City."
In 1887, Mr. Fisher was a candidate for the honor of being the first mayor of West Bay City. He was defeated by only two votes. He was subsequently elected alderman of the Third Ward and served several terms to the benefit of the city. Later he was elected mayor and during his administration of the office, during three terms, the city increased in prosperity along every line. In 1884 he was sent as a district delegate to the National Democratic Convention at Chicago, and in the same year he was elected by his district as a member of the 49th Congress, and was returned to the 50th Congress by a majority of 2,000 votes. At Washington he became closely identified with measures which provided for the general welfare and, with characteristic energy, worked for the improving of his own district. His suc- cess is seen in the establishment of the United States District and Circuit courts and in the large appropriations for the Government Build- ing at Bay City. In affairs of general interest he was not silent, and he gave assistance in bringing about the forfeiture to the govern- ment of unearned land grants in favor of home- stead settlers; in obtaining needed appropria- tions for the improvement of rivers and har- bors and in the establishment and maintenance of lighthouses.
In 1894 Mr. Fisher was the Democratic candidate for Governor of Michigan, and al- though his defeat in a Republican stronghold was a foregone conclusion, the large vote he received was a flattering testimonial of the
high esteem in which he is held throughout the State.
For 21 years Mr. Fisher served as a mem- ber of the School Board of West Bay City. He was appointed president of the Sage Library Board by its founder, Henry W. Sage, and has served in that capacity and as trustee since the library was established. For many years he has been a trustee of the Westminster Presby- terian Church and gave freely and liberally to the erection of the new church edifice. His charities have always been large and he has been a benefactor on many occasions when the fact never became public.
On June 26, 1867, Mr. Fisher was married to Katherine H. Crane, who is a daughter of D. P. Crane, of Hillsdale, Michigan, and they have three daughters, viz .: Grace, wife of Floyd A. Goodwin, of Bay City; Nellie Jose- phine, wife of Edwin M. Eddy, of San Fran- cisco: and Kate, who lives at home. A portrait of Mr. Fisher accompanies this sketch.
R EV. R. G. VAN ROOY, pastor of St. John's Catholic Church at Essexville, Bay County, was born October 18, 1867, in the Province of North Bra- bant, the Netherlands, and is a son of Henry and Petronella Van Rooy.
The parents of Father Van Rooy still re- side in the Netherlands. The father carried on a business as merchant and dealer in iron and iron castings, from which he has now retired, being succeeded by his four sons, who continue to be interested in that line. The family con- sisted of five sons and one daughter, and of these Father Van Rooy was the only one to come to America.
Until he was 26 years of age, Father Van Rooy remained in his own land, attending the parochial schools until 12 years of age and en-
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joying collegiate advantages in North Bra- bant until 18 years of age, when he entered a Belgian convent college. Upon his return to the Netherlands, he completed his theological studies at the convent at Heeswijk, following which he was sent to America by his church su- periors. He arrived in the city of New York on August 4, 1894, and proceeded at once to Wisconsin to take up work in the Diocese of Green Bay, being settled at Dyckesville. There the young priest had a congregation of 180 families and during his 10 years' season of work built a new church and parish house and be- came known in all that section for his religious zeal and executive ability.
Father Van Rooy came to Essexville on April 1, 1904, taking charge of a parish of 360 families, made up of many nationalities, including 200 French, 160 Hollanders and Bel- gians, with a considerable sprinkling of Irish and German. This large parish provides the faithful priest with many duties. The parochial school, which has an average attendance of about 270 children, is under the care of the Dominican Sisters. He is now engaged in building a new residence for the Sisters on the site of the academy, which was burned just be- fore Father Van Rooy took charge. The first church was what was erected for a school house by Father Thomas Rafter, of Bay City, in 1884. The first resident pastor here was Father Roche, who came in 1887 and built the present parish house in 1888 and the present church in 1892. Father Roche died here in 1900 and Father Kenny supplied until Father Bresson came to take charge. He fell ill and was suc- ceeded by Father Van Rooy, who has made many friends, both within and without his con- gregation, and has impressed all who have come within the sphere of his influence, as a man of superior intelligence, great learning and excellent Christian character.
ON. WORTHY LOVELL CHURCHILL, one of the strong men who has stood at the head of financial affairs and great business in- terests in Northern and Eastern Michigan for many years, still dominates the policies of many of the prospering commercial enterprises of va- rious parts of the country. As president and treasurer of the Bay City-Michigan Sugar Company ; as president and general manager of the Tawas Sugar Company; president of the Onoway Limestone Company and as a director of the Stearns & Culver Lumber Company, of Bagdad, Florida, he demonstrates the same un- bounded business capacity of younger years and a thorough comprehension of all questions of vital interest to these great concerns. Mr. Churchill was born at Batavia, Illinois, Decem- ber 14, 1840, and is a son of Joseph W. and Delia S. (Wilson) Churchill.
Along with personal traits and physical re- semblance, our subject also inherited the name of his grandfather, Gen. Worthy Lovell Churchill, who was named in honor of the heroic General Lovell, of Revolutionary War fame. At the time of the birth of General Churchill, in Vermont, the daring exploits of this young soldier of that State were being cel- ebrated in story and song as those of the Worthy Lovell.
In 1802, after his marriage with a member of the old family of Whelpley, the grandfather removed from Vermont and settled in the Hol- land Purchase in New York State, where the city of Batavia now stands. He took a prom- inent part in the War of 1812, a comrade of General Warren, and both he and Warren gal- lantly led their commands at the battle of Black Rock, where the brave Warren was killed. Gen- eral Churchill's life closed at his home at Ba- tavia, New York.
The maternal grandfather of Mr. Churchill
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was a distinguished jurist, Judge Isaac G. Wil- son, who was a son of Judge Isaac Wilson. The judicial toga has fallen upon the son of the second Judge Wilson, who occupies a seat on a judicial bench in Colorado. The mother of Mr. Churchill was born at Batavia, New York, in June, 1808, and died September 17, 1898.
Joseph W. Churchill, father of the subject of this record, was born in 1800, at Hubbard- ton, Vermont, and was two years old when his parents removed to Western New York. There he grew to manhood, perfected himself in the law under the direction of Judge Moses Tag- gart, and, in 1835, decided to cast in his lot with that army of immigrants flocking from North, East and South, into the rich lands of Illinois. Such men as Joseph W. Churchill, coming with an abundance of means, social prestige and acknowledged superiority of in- tellect, were welcomed. He settled in a hamlet to which he gave the name of his formed place of residence, Batavia, now a beautiful little city which is noted for the elegance of its homes, many of them owned by Chicago magnates. Mr. Churchill made rapid progress in the law, and with others of the same profession, Morris, Wentworth, Douglas and Lincoln, traveled the circuit, weighed down with their saddle bags of legal documents. He was intimately associated with Douglas and Lincoln both in professional work and political campaigns. Soon after com- ing to Illinois, Judge Churchill was elected to the State Legislature and was prominently identified with the making of the laws that sub- sequently resulted in developing the State in the way of opening up means of transportation, both by rail and water. Judge Churchill was still a resident of Illinois when the trouble arose concerning the settlement of the Mormons there, but before political discord reached its height between the northern and the southern portions of the State, he removed, in 1853, to
Davenport, Iowa. There he confined his at- tention for the remainder of his active life to the practice of his profession. His death took place in 1884. His three children were : Georgia, who died at Davenport, January 8, 1892; Worthy Lovell, of this sketch; and Ho- bart D., who died March 1I, 1904. The last named was a very astute business man. He was closely associated with our subject in vari- ous important enterprises for a long period. Judge Churchill and wife were devoted mem- bers of the Protestant Episcopal Church, strict in their observance of its usages. From youth he was a Free Mason, like the majority of the prominent intellectual men of his day.
In taking up the personal history of our subject, we meet with many interesting inci- dents. He was reared at Davenport, Iowa, where he attended first the local schools and then entered Griswold College until his parents placed him in a noted Episcopal school, con- ducted by Dr. Reid at Geneva, New York. After two years of careful training there, he entered the office of a civil engineer and con- tinued his studies for several years. In 1858 the discovery of gold on the Platte River in Colorado created great excitement throughout the country. Many a prairie schooner, in- scribed with the words "Pike's Peak or Bust," crossed the Western plains for the El Dorado of the gold seekers. Only those who lived through those exciting days can realize the hold the stories of fortunes made in a few days se- cured on the imaginations of young and ambi- tious men, especially those, who, like Mr. Churchill, had been directing their studies in the line of engineering. With little difficulty he and others organized the Cherry Creek Mill Company, of which he was made secretary, and the party set out for Cherry Creek, which was the original name of Denver, well equipped, as they imagined, with a portable sawmill. They
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had only reached Grand Island, Nebraska, when all the members of the pioneering party became discouraged at the difficulties of the enterprise and turned back, except Mr. Churchill, who was made of sterner stuff. Prob- ably by this time his hopes of success were not so high, but, instead of turning backward, he joined forces with a man who owned an ox- team, and they were joined by still another ox- team and the party resumed the journey.
This true story continues through Mr. Churchill again being left alone on his way, climbing the lonely trail on the back of a mule, determined to reach the point for which he started. Human endurance, however, has a limit and he came to the day when he could progress no further. He then made his way to the old California trail to Salt Lake City, and reached California in 1860. Conditions were not such as he had expected and he soon left California and went to the South, but before he had entered into business there the Civil War broke out and he returned to Davenport. The growing importance of Chicago as a business center led him to go there, where he accepted a position in a mercantile house which he held during the Civil War. The Chicago fire, in 1871, opened up a great business in lumber and its possibilities were early recognized by Mr. Churchill. From a local lumber business he became interested, about 1874, with the lumber mills at Alpena, Michigan, to which point he removed, with the expectation of re- maining six months. His residence extended to 28 years, his removal to Bay City being in 1902. His brother's failing health caused the dissolution in 1903 of the firm of W. L. & H. B. Churchill, a firm which had done much to develop the lumber business in Northern Michigan. They had purchased extensive tracts of timber land and towed logs from Canada to Michigan, where they were manufactured into
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