USA > Michigan > Bay County > History of Bay County, Michigan, and representative citizens > Part 84
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Mr. Buck was married on April 23, 1884, to Margaret Lewis, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. D. M. Lewis, two of Bay County's oldest and most esteemed pioneers. Seven children have blessed their home : Homer Clifford; Mary A .; David Justice; Alma Blanche; Harold Lewis; Edna Marguerite and Helen Esther. Mrs. Buck is a true type of American womanhood, a loving, dutiful wife and mother, charitable to a degree, and beloved and respected by the community.
The Buck family on the paternal side trace their ancestry back to 640 in Holland, the head of this branch going to England in 1500, a later sprig to Boston in 1647, and to New Amsterdam shortly after. The family is very prolific, members being now found all over the country, being especially noted for the number of civil engineers and surveyors it has has produced.
P AULUS GREUL, who owns a fine farm of 80 acres in section 24, Mon- itor township, is one of the highly esteemed citizens of this locality and one of its well-informed men. Mr. Greul was born in Bavaria, Germany, August 7, 1836, and is a son of George and Margaret (Winter) Greul. The parents of Mr. Greul spent their lives in Germany, Paulus and Adam being the only ones of the family of seven children to come to America.
Our subject was only 16 years of age when he left Germany and came to America with his uncle, John Winter. The travelers came right through to Saginaw City, where the youth found work at the Webster House for two years. He then came to Lower Saginaw, as Bay City was originally called, and was em- ployed for seven and a half years teaming for Charles Fitzhugh. About this time he was married and embarked in hotel-keeping, hav- ing learned much about the business at the Webster House. With the asistance of his good wife he made money in this business and for 15 years conducted the Detroit House in Bay City. In the meantime he had bought his present 80-acre farm and had it cleared and put under cultivation, and when his hotel burned in 1878 he moved upon the farm, where he has been comfortably settled ever since. He has
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here everything a reasonable man could desire, -a fine home, two substantial barns and good out-buildings, a productive orchard and fields full of cattle and stock.
Mr. Greul was united in marriage with Margaret Meckler, who was born in Bavaria, Germany, October 31, 1841, and is a daughter of George and Christiana (Beyer) Meckler. Three children have been born to them: Eus- tace, who died in infancy ; Margaret, who died aged six years and eight months; and Mary, who married Henry Gies. Mr. and Mrs. Gies live with our subject and wife; their only son, Oscar Gies, died when aged almost a year.
Mr. Greul has never taken any active part in politics, preferring to vote more for the man than the party and satisfied if an honest citi- zen is elected who will execute the laws with- out any party bias. He has been one of the board of trustees of the German Lutheran Church at West Bay City for the past 12 years and is a man who is respected by all who know him. His industry and good management have brought him large returns and he is one of Monitor township's substantial men.
ILLIAM W. SIMPSON, one of the early settlers of Portsmouth town- ship, owning a fine farm in section 5, was born March 23, 1847. at Glasgow, Scotland, and is a son of William C. and Janet (Wingfield) Simpson.
William C. Simpson was born October 27, 1816, at Glasgow, Scotland, and came to the United States with his family in 1850. He came five years later to Bay County, where he died November 8. 1879. He was an experi- enced machinist and set up the first millstone in Bay County and ground the first corn at Mc- Ewan's mill. He was a fine man, one who de-
served, as he received, the respect of all who knew him. He was a justice of the peace dur- ing two terms, was overseer of the highways for a number of terms and was one of the first officers of School District No. 5. Portsmouth township. He identified himself with the Re- publican party and supported its principles. The mother of our subject was born at Straven, Scotland, July II, 1821, and died in Bay County on March 27, 1902. Nine chil- dren were born to William C. Simpson and wife.
A tourist making his leisurely way over Portsmouth township, at the present day, would very probably select as the finest land in view what was, when our subject came with his parents to Bay County, land all covered with water. The tourist would be right, for these former swamp lands, like the valley of the Nile, are undoubtedly the most fertile in this locality, but only those who have been en- gaged in the draining, clearing and cultivating of them, really know their value.
Mr. Simpson was three years old when his parents reached New York and cannot recall the long overland trip to Detroit and thence to Carmeltown, Canada, where the family lived three years. In 1855 the father led the way to Bay County, the family following in Septem- ber, 1856. The father was engaged in lum- bering at that time and they lived in Bay City until February, 1862. His rapidly increasing family made the father consider the advisabil- ity of securing land while plenty was in the market, and he took up 120 acres of swamp land in Portsmouth township, securing it under the swamp land act. We may imagine the little family supplying their needs from Bay City, walking a "blazed" trail, the only high- way by which they were able to reach Bay City for seven years after they settled here. Enough lumber was taken around by boat and then
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carried across the prairie, with which to build a house 16 by 26 feet in ground dimensions and eight feet high. There were no dwelling houses between the family home and Bay City and this fact alone presents a most convincing picture of the lonely life and hardships which this worthy family lived through in those pio- neer days. This was by no means all. When the spring rains came, the water in the un- drained territory rose waist high, occasioning untold hardships, many thrilling adventures and a number of serious accidents.
Mr. Simpson and his father cut the hay growing wild on the prairies during the sum- mers and in the winters the sale of this brought in an income. They hauled it over the ice in hand sleighs. They also hauled the hay for many of their neighbors who came later, and during a prosperous season hauled 15 tons in this way. In 1870, after years of hard and un- remitting toil, almost everything was swept away by a forest fire. In addition to their buildings, the family lost 33 tons of hay, all their machinery and a great quantity of rails and cord wood. Following came sickness, the inevitable chills and fever associated with a wet country, and the result is that Mr. Simpson, in spite of his life of unvarying industry, has but a part of the original farm. This, however, is in a fine state of cultivation and, as noted, is of great fertility. He has worked in sawmills, and in lumbering camps and has cut the lumber off a large territory in Bay County.
In October, 1890, Mr. Simpson was mar- ried to Alice C. Collin, who was born at Bay City, July 20, 1868, and is a daughter of Will- iam and Eliza (Burbridge) Collin, who were natives of England. They came to America on January 1, 1850 and to Bay City in 1862. Mr. and Mrs. Simpson have adopted three children from the Coldwater Home, giving
them parental love and care: Mary, Roland and Ethel.
Mr. Simpson's political sympathies have always been with the Republican and Prohibi- tion parties. He has taken an active part in the county's affairs, served for six years as overseer of highways and at present is justice of the peace, making an admirable official. Both he and his estimable wife belong to the Presbyterian Church.
OHN HEARIT, deceased, who was a prosperous and substantial farmer of Kawkawlin township, with farm in section 19, was born at St. Clair, Michigan, and is a son of George and Bar- bara (Pribster) Hearit. George Hearit died when 32 years old, and his widow is now living at the age of 85 years.
In 1883, the subject of this sketch bought the farm of 80 acres that he left to his widow and children. Previous to this he owned an- other farm in Kawkawlin township, where he lived six years. He had been married just 20 years at the time of his death, which occurred February 9, 1898, in his 43d year. He was an upright and worthy man, and was much re- spected. In politics, he was a Republican. He was a member of the Catholic Church.
Mr. Hearit married Annie Cook, a daugh- ter of William and Elizabeth ( Harris) Cook, and eight children resulted from their union, namely : Frank, Elizabeth, George, William Bertha, Mamie, Arthur and Charles. Frank was born in 1880. He married Annie West- ern, and they reared two children,-Elva and Ethel. George was born March 19, 1887. William was born November 19, 1888. Eliza- beth, deceased, was the wife of William West-
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ern. Bertha, Mamie, Arthur and Charles are aged, respectively, 14, 12, 10 and seven years. Mrs. Hearit was married August 1, 1904, to Charles Baker, who was born in Canada, and lived for a time at Au Sable, Michigan.
EORGE RUEGER, SR., who resides on his 40-acre farm in section 16, Frankenlust township, owns four 80-acre farms in the township, and is one of the representative citizens. He was born June 2, 1835, at Gunzenhausen, Bavaria, Germany, and is a son of Michael and Anna Barbara (Schu) Reuger.
Mr. Rueger's parents were farming people in Germany and passed their whole lives there. Of their six children, our subject is the only one that came to America. The others were: Andrew, Leonard, Michael, Barbara and Mary.
Our subject came to America in 1852, and after reaching Bay City secured employment in the sawmills, where he worked some three years. Then he bought 40 acres of land in section 16, Frankenlust township, for which he paid $160, as it was school reservation land. It was entirely unimproved, but he built a small home in which he lived alone for about five years, being mostly engaged during this time in clearing and hauling timber. There were no roads then where now fine stone highways invite transportation, and Mr. Rueger, like his neighbors, had to give many days' work to get roads of any kind over which they could drive their heavy wagons. Mr. Rueger has bought other farms, all in Frankenlust township, and is considered one of the substantial men.
In 1859 Mr. Rueger married Anna Bar- bara Eichinger, who was born on June 2, 1834, near the same town in Germany as was our
subject. She accompanied her parents to America on the same ship in which Mr. Rueger crossed, and they came directly to Bay City. She was a daughter of Andrew and Anna Bar- bara Eichinger, and died February 22, 1900. She was the mother of these children : George, who is operating a farm in section 8, Franken- lust township; Michael, who married Mar- garet Lutz, a daughter of Adam and Margaret Lutz, and operates the home farm; Andrew, whose farm is in section 18, Frankenlust town- ship; Margaret, wife of George Seidel, of Sag- inaw County ; and John, who is farming in sec- tion 8, Frankenlust township.
Mr. Reuger has been a Democrat ever since he has taken an interest in public affairs. He is a leading member of St. John's German Lutheran Church at Amelith and has been one of the most liberal contributors to the building of a new church structure. He has been one of the trustees of the church for six years.
ARVEY GILBERT, M. D., a prom- inent physician and surgeon at Bay City, Michigan, who, on account of his remarkable success in the treat- ment of that dire disease, smallpox, is gener- ally considered smallpox specialist, is a native of the Dominion of Canada. He was born at Simcoe, Ontario, January 28, 1846, and is a son of John Wyckoff and Christine (Smith) Gilbert.
Col. Isaac Gilbert, the grandfather of Dr. Gilbert, was one of the United Empire Loyal- ists. He was born in Connecticut, but during the Revolutionary War adhered to the cause of the English Crown and removed to New Brunswick, and subsequently to Western Canada, and died in 1848 at Simcoe, Ontario. He acquired his title as a member of the
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Canadian militia. His wife was Margaret Wyckoff, of Long Island. Her ancestors were born at Flatbush in an old mansion which was built there 22 years after the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. Its ruins still are in ex- istence. The family originated in Devonshire, England, and Great-grandfather Gilbert, a lieutenant on a man-of-war, was the original settler in New Brunswick, under the proclam- ation from the English Crown in favor of loyal Tories.
John Wyckoff Gilbert, father of Dr. Gil- bert, was born on his father's farm at Simcoe in 1813. He became a man of influence, served for a long period as a justice of the peace, and died full of years and honors. He married Christine Smith, who was a daughter of An- drew Smith, of Paterson, New Jersey, and they had nine children, six of whom reached maturity, namely : Samantha, wife of William V. Culver, of Simcoe, Ontario; Peter, of Sterling, Michigan, formerly a member of the State Senate; Harvey, of this sketch; Isaac, an attorney at Bay City; Albert, operating the homestead farm; and Frank O., who is a den- tal surgeon at Bay City. In religious connec- tion the parents of this family were Metho- dists, the mother having been a devoted mem- ber of this church for 56 years. The father had been reared in the Protestant Episcopal Church, but attended religious services with his wife. They were in every way worthy, estimable people and their descendants have reason to recall them with both pride and affection.
Dr. Gilbert obtained his education in the common schools and the High School at Sim- coe, and then entered upon the study of med- icine with Drs. York and McDonald, in that city, subsequently graduating from a medical college in the city of New York, and also
from the New York Ophthalmic Hospital. In 1874 he came to Bay City where he practiced for six years as an eye, ear, nose and throat specialist. Since 1880 he has been a general practitioner and since 1900, he has been en- gaged in caring for contagious diseases.
Dr. Gilbert was one of the first health of- ficers appointed by the Bay City Board of Health as now constituted. He holds an ap- pointment under the Board of Supervisors as smallpox specialist, his remarkable success in handling this disease having brought him into prominence in this line. He has reversed the old methods of treatment. He favors light, air and water for the afflicted and depends mainly upon the skilled use of antiseptics. Very few of his patients show any marking after recovery. To have conquered, through zeal, watchfulness and personal courage, a dreaded scourge which has afflicted the human race, certainly since A. D. 572, one which has at- tacked the king on his throne as surely as the child of the slums, is something which justifies a feeling of pride, and clearly testifies to the supremacyy of skill and talent in the medical profession. Dr. Gilbert has handled over 1,600 cases in the present epidemic without any fatal cases.
Dr. Gilbert married a daughter of a well- known citizen of Simcoe, Ida A. Beemer, and they had three children: Carlton, who died at the age of nine years; Leta, a student at Alma College, a member of the class of 1905; and John Van Campen, who will graduate from the Bay City High School in the class of 1905.
Dr. Gilbert is a member of the city and county medical societies and of the American Medical Association. He is fraternally asso- ciated with Bay City Lodge, No. 129, F. & A. M. and Blanchard Chapter, No. 59, R. A. M. In politics he is a Democrat.
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OHN ENDLINE, one of the represen- tative citizens and large farmers of Beaver township, has a beautiful home located in section 22 and owns 200 acres which extend through sections 22, 23 and 15. Mr. Endline was born in Ger- many, in 1849, and is a son of Paulus Endline.
The father of Mr. Endline was a native of Germany. His death took place when his son John was 13 years old, at the comparatively early age of 41 years. Three years later, the mother remarried, and she died aged 62 years.
Our subject reached Detroit, Michigan, with his uncle on June 6, 1869, and during the following year he worked for the latter. In 1870 he came to Bay City, where he was em- ployed in the Brooks & Adams mill until July, and worked for Miller Brothers in South Bay City until the fall of the year, when he was taken down with malaria and was obliged to remain idle, much against his wishes, all the succeeding winter. In the spring of 1871 he was engaged by Mr. Staudacher, of Salzburg, who owned a salt-block, store and farm, and he remained with him until January, 1872, when he went to teaming for Mr. Hecht. Since then he has devoted his attention to farming.
In November, 1872, Mr. Endline married Dorothy Betcolt, who was born in Germany and was a daughter of Simon Betcolt. She died in 1886. The six children of this mar- riage were: Annie; Barbara, wife of Gus Nitzchke; Andrew; Michael; John and Fred- erick. In 1888 Mr. Endline married, as his second wife, Kate Conrad, who was born in Germany and is a daughter of Vitus and Mar- garet (Colner) Conrad. They have six chil- dren : Dora, born January 22, 1890; Johanna, born February II, 1891 ; Mary, born July 16, 1893; George, born August 4, 1895; Trongott and Maggie (twins), born December 6, 1900; and Katie, born May 7, 1903.
Mr. Endline is a stanch Democrat and has been one of the important men of the township for a number of years. In 1877 and 1878 he was township treasurer; in 1880, 1881 and 1882, and from 1884 to 1893 he was super- visor, and then was reelected treasurer for two years more. He was elected township clerk in 1901 and still holds the office, and has been a school director or assessor for the past 25 years. These frequent elections to responsible positions testify plainly as to the confidence and esteem in which he is held by his fellow-citi- zens. He belongs to the German Lutheran Church.
A DNA G. LEWIS, one of the active and enterprising business men of Bay City, and manager of the Lewis Manufacturing Company, one of the city's most flourishing industries, was born at Bay City, and is a son of Hon. George and Frances (Merrill) Lewis.
The Lewis family is of Welsh extraction, but for many generations it has been estab- lished in the State of New York. Its founders in America settled in Orange County, in the vicinity of West Point. There the paternal great-grandfather, John Lewis, died at the age of 86 years. The grandfather, James Lewis, was of less sturdy constitution, his death oc- curring at the age of 56 years. James Lewis married Elizabeth Thorn, who was a daughter of David Thorn, and a granddaughter of Jesse Thorn, an old and prominent English Quaker. Mrs. Elizabeth (Thorn) Lewis died at the age of 36 years, leaving six children, all of whom have long since passed away, the death of the youngest, George Lewis, the father of our subject, on January 29, 1897, closing that page of the family record.
The late George Lewis was one of the early
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and able business men of Bay City, one whose energy and enterprise left its mark in the firm founding of business concerns that still con- tinue. He was born November 8, 1827, in Orange County, New York, and remained at home until the age of 21 years, securing as fair . an education as was possible in the poineer log school house of his native locality. He was very likely better acquainted with farming and lumbering than with books. Prior to 1849 he came to Michigan which was then consid- ered as the far, far West, and pleased with the outlook in the Saginaw Valley he located at Zilwaukee and embarked in a lumber business. At this time the most pressing demand in this locality seemed to be for fish barrels, and these Mr. Lewis resolved to make, despite the fact that he had no capital with which to buy ma- chinery. He had, however, plenty of lumber, two strong and capable hands and inherited mechanical genius and until his removal, about 1857, to Bay City, he made fish barrels by hand, successfully competing with those who used the clumsy machinery of that day. Prior to leav- ing Zilwaukee he had served in a number of the local offices and was looked upon as one of the representative men of that place.
After coming to Bay City, Mr. Lewis was superintendent of a mill for about five years and then bought a one-half interest, with Will- iam Peter, in the Partridge sawmill which was then on the site now owned by the Campbell- Brown Lumber Company, on 26th street, and they started into the manufacture of lumber. Subsequently he disposed of this interest and opened the Bay City Savings Bank, contin- uing for two years sole proprietor, and then taking in George Young as a partner. Later it was incorporated with a capital of $50,000 and became the Bay City Bank. Mr. Lewis remained president of this institution until he
resigned the position, in 1886, but he continued on the directing board until 1890.
Mr. Lewis was interested in other success- ful business enterprises. In 1879 he formed a partnership with Albert Miller, under the firm name of Miller & Lewis, which did business until 1891, when it was reorganized as George Lewis & Company. This company operated a large shingle mill on 26th street, which had capacity and facilities for turning out 40,000 shingles a day. During this same period, Mr. Lewis became connected with the lumber firm of G. H. Merrill & Company, which developed into and still continues as the Lewis Manufac- turing Company.
It is interesting to note the rise and devel- oping of large enterprises, typifying as they do the foresight and judgment of those who ul- timately bring about their prosperity. The Lewis Manufacturing Company had its begin- ning in 1882, when Hyde & Trombley erected a planing mill at Lafayette and James streets, and that firm operated it for some two years. It then fell into the hands of the firm of Merrill & Campbell. The death of W. M. Campbell made a change in the firm style and for a time the business was conducted as G. H. Merrill & Company, George Lewis purchasing Mr. Campbell's interest. The status of the com- pany continued thus until the death of G. H. Merrill, in 1895, when the Lewis Manufac- turing Company was organized and incor- porated, with George Lewis as president; G. H. Lewis as vice-president, and Adna G. Lewis as secretary and treasurer. The control of the mill remains in the hands of Adna G. Lewis, as manager. The business is the manufacturing of and dealing in all kinds of lumber, sash, doors and interior finishings. As a substantial, well-managed concern, it stands as a leader among the many great industries of Bay City.
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Politically the late George Lewis was always identified with the Republican party. In Bay City he served two years as supervisor from the Sixth Ward, and two years as a member of the Board of Education. In 1872, without undue effort on his part, he was elected a member of the State Legislature, and served consistently through the session of 1874 which was memorable, as it saw the revision of the State constitution. He was a liberal, broad- minded man and an ideal citizen. He owned much Bay City property, especially in the resi- dential districts and, as he conducted his busi- ness enterprises with marked ability, he became one of the largest capitalists of this section.
Mr. Lewis was twice married. His first union was with Martha Campbell, who died in Michigan. In 1866 he married Frances Mer- rill, who was a daughter of Alonzo Merrill, of Detroit, and who still survives. Six children were born to this marriage : Jennie, who is the wife of H. R. Albee, of Portland, Oregon; Adna G., who is the immediate subject of this sketch; Elizabeth, who is the wife of W. W. Chapman, of Bay City; George H., deceased; Frank, a resident of Bay City; and Marjorie. Mrs. Lewis is a member of the Methodist Epis- copal Church.
Mr. Lewis held fraternal associations with the Knights of Pythias and the Masons. For eight years he was worshipful master of the Portsmouth Lodge, No. 190, F. & A. M., of which he was a charter member ; he was also a member of Blanchard Chapter, No. 59, R. A. M .; and Bay City Commandery, No. 26, K. T.
Adna G. Lewis was educated in the public schools of Bay City, and had the benefit of his father's teaching and experience in entering upon business life. From the beginning he was associated with some of his father's enter- prises, and in 1895 he became manager of the Lewis Manufacturing Company. It is a pretty
good test of a man's business capacity, in these days of fierce competition, to safely and se- curely guide a great business enterprise, avoid- ing labor complications and capitalistic en- croachments, and still not only continue but add to the concern's prosperity. Mr. Lewis has the satisfaction of knowing, on consulting his balance sheet, that such is the case.
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