USA > Michigan > Calhoun County > History of Calhoun County, Michigan, a narrative account of its historical progress, its people, and its principal interests, Volume II > Part 41
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.W. H. Haughey attended school in Kalamazoo county in boyhood and youth and later, when his choice of career had been made, entered the Detroit College of Medicine and completed his medical education in that well known institution. In the spring of 1888 he came to Battle Creek to enter into practice and here he has remained, building up his reputation as a medical practitioner and skillful surgeon and making and cementing connections with all that is important and pleasant in the city's life. In his professional connections he has frequently been honored by different bodies. He has served the city one term as health officer ; belongs to the American Medical Association; is a member and for nine successive years was secretary of the Calhoun county Medical Society, and for ten years has been secretary of the council of the Michigan State Medical Society. He has long been identified with the Knights of Columbus.
Dr. Haughey was married August 6, 1879, in St. Augustine Church, Kalamazoo, Michigan, to Miss Elizabeth E. Converse, who is a daughter of William H. and Sarah (Cooley) Converse. The parents of Mrs. Haughey were early settlers in Ross township, Kalamazoo county, where they still reside, being now in the enjoyment of the home comforts which their earlier efforts provided. Both are natives of New York, the father having been born in Cayuga county, not far from Jordan, New York, February 14, 1826, and the mother in the same vicinity, July 6, 1835. To Dr. and Mrs. Haughey five sons and one daughter have been born, namely: Wilfrid, who is a practicing physician at Battle Creek, with office with his father, in the Kapp Block, No. 24 Main street, West; Charles B., who has resided on his plantation in Cuba, since 1905, was married in that island; Anna W., who fills the position of license clerk in the city recorder's office; Walter J., who is superintendent of the Buick Auto Company, at Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Louis J., who is in the sales department of the above firm at Buffalo, New York; and Frank, who is a student in the Battle Creek High School. All the children were pupils in the parochial schools when young and several are high
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school graduates. The family residence is at No. 24 Poplar street, Bat- tle Creek. Dr. Haughey and family are members of St. Philip's Roman Catholic Church at Battle Creek.
GALUSHA E. LAMB. A man of undoubted business sense and qualifi- cations, Galusha E. Lamb, head of the firm of G. E. Lamb & Son, at Marshall, is carrying on a substantial trade as a dealer in lumber, coal, and builder's material of all kinds, being an active and influential fac- tor in advancing the mercantile prosperity of this part of Calhoun county. A native of Michigan, he was born, April 1, 1842, in Fenton, Genesee county, and there grew to manhood.
His father, Hiram L. Lamb, was born in Wayne county, New York, a son of Peter Lamb, a prosperous farmer, who was descended from one of three brothers named Lamb, who emigrated from England to the United States, one settling in Massachusetts, one in New York, and in Ohio, the latter having been, without doubt, the Peter Lamb that lo- cated in Fairfield county, that state, in colonial days. Hiram L. Lamb learned the trade of a millwright when young, and subsequently located in Michigan, where he followed his chosen occupation many years. Having a thorough acquaintance with every detail relating to his trade, he built many of the flouring mills and saw mills between Pontiac and Genesee, in each mill installing all of the necessary machinery. He spent his last days retired from active work, passing away in 1894. His wife, whose maiden name was Martha Eldred, was born in Wayne county, New York, and died in Genesee county, Michigan, in 1875.
Laying a good foundation for his future education in the common schools of Fenton, Michigan, G. E. Lamb continued his studies in the Literary Department of the Ypsilanti College, after which he took a commercial course at Bryant & Stratton's Commercial College, in De- troit. The following five years Mr. Lamb conducted a general store at Saint Johns, Michigan. Selling out at an advantage, he went to Stanton, Montcalm county, where for seventeen years he carried on. a good business as lumber manufacturer and dealer. Wishing to enlarge his operations, Mr. Lamb formed a partnership with Lewis Thompson, of Saginaw, Michigan, and was there in business as a member of the firm of Thompson, Lamb & Company from 1890 until 1903. Disposing of his Saginaw property in the latter year, Mr. Lamb moved with his family to Marshall, where he had financial interests in several lumber yards, in this part of the county, and here he has since built up a very large and ever increasing trade, being senior member of the well- known firm of G. E. Lamb & Son. This firm carries an extensive and well selected stock of lumber and builders' supplies, including all distinction in both sides of his house, and with traditions and examples judiciously to the affairs of the township greatly to his own credit materials used in building, and also dealing in coal.
Fraternally Mr. Lamb belongs to Saginaw Lodge, No. 77, Free and Accepted Order of Masons, of which he is past master. He invariably supports the principles of the Republican party at the polls, but has never been an aspirant for official favors. He is fond of outdoor sports, his special delight in the way of recreation is to go with his rod and tackle to some nearby lake, where he can sport with the finny tribe, the catching of bass being the most exciting and amusing entertainment which he can imagine.
Mr. Lamb married, in 1866, Oracy M. Marlatt, daughter of Murray Marlatt, a prosperous agriculturist of Farmington, Oakland county, Michigan. Two children have blessed their union, namely: Mary L.,
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wife of S. C. Jackson, now of Seattle, Washington; and George M., junior member of the firm of G. E. Lamb & Son.
COLLIN SINCLAIR. Endowed by nature with much mechanical abil- ity, keen perceptive faculties, and a resolute spirit, Collin Sinclair has won unquestioned success in his chosen occupation of a railroad carpenter, and is now living retired from active pursuits in Marshall, Calhoun county, having a pleasant home at No. 333 North Linden street. Coming from honored New England ancestry, he was born, May 7, 1856, in Manchester, New Hampshire.
His father, Collin Sinclair, Sr., was a New Hampshire railroad man in early life, for awhile resided in Lowell, Massachusetts, working at his trade of a boiler maker. Coming to Michigan, he was employed in the Michigan Central Railroad shops at Marshall for a number of years, and subsequently lived retired until his death. His wife, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Radford, outlived him many years, passing away in 1902. She was the mother of three children, of whom Collin is the only survivor.
Having acquired a practical education in the common and high schools, Collin Sinclair began his active career as soon as through with his early studies, for a number of years thereafter being employed in the bridge department of the Northern Pacific Railroad Company. Returning to Marshall, Mr. Sinclair was here similarly employed for awhile, later superintending the building of the Cincinnati, Jackson and Mackinac, now the D. T. and M., continuing with that company for twenty years. Later accepting a position with the Santa Fe Railroad Company, Mr. Sinclair located at Temple, Texas, where he remained one year, at first having control of the building of tracks and bridges, but afterwards serving as general railway master, having under his direction about thirteen hundred men along the different lines. Re- turning north, Mr. Sinclair had charge of the building of the Lima & Northern shops at Tecumseh, and in 1909, when he retired from rail- road work, settling in Marshall. A man of sterling integrity and worth, Mr. Sinclair has won well-deserved success by his thorough mastery of his chosen work, and fidelity to his trusts, the respect in which he is held throughout his community giving evidence of his upright and manly life. He was formerly owner of two valuable farms, but those he has sold, his financial interests being now centered in Marshall.
A Democrat in politics, Mr. Sinclair was elected a member of the Electric Light and Water Board Commission, and is now serving as its chairman. Fraternally he belongs to Marshall Lodge, No. 179, Knights of Pythias, of which he was a charter member.
In June, 1890, Mr. Sinclair was united in marriage with Miss Bertha Wirtz, of Marshall, Michigan, and they have one child, Edna M. Sinclair.
LYMAN PITTEE. When the death of Lyman Pittee occurred Battle Creek lost a citizen who had aided materially in making her the beauti- ful city she is today. He came to this part of the country in pioneer times and, without money or property, set to work to make a success out of his life. He suffered numerous reverses, his mill being twice destroyed by fire but with indomitable pluck he went forward, with a serene trust in the God he served and a belief that all would be well in the end. He built some of the finest homes in the city, and the present condition of these structures is a striking proof of the honesty and uprightness of the man. He has left behind him monuments that will last for many years yet, and how many builders of the present
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flimsy structures can be sure of such a reward of labor. Although he never complained of the buffets he received from the hand of Fate, the struggle evidently was too much for him, for he was not an old man at the time of his death. A fitting tribute was paid to his work and to his noble character, at the time of his death, in the text from which his funeral sermon was preached "Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel ?"
Lyman Pittee was born in Pike, Wyoming county, in the state of New York, on the 19th of February, 1821. His boyhood was spent in the state of New York, and it was when Battle Creek was a tiny village that he came to Michigan. This was in 1843 and he and his two brothers, all of whom were carpenters by trade, had to face all the privations of life on the frontier. At this time letters were sent on the C. O. D. plan and a letter from home cost twenty-five cents. Often they went to the postoffice, knowing that if a letter was waiting for them they could not have it because they did not have the money. In fact few people in the little settlement did have any money in those days and work was poorly paid, though prices were exorbitant. The brothers struggled on and such courage and perseverance as theirs could not fail to meet with success. Hiram went into the employ of the Nichols and Shepard company and remained with them until his death. Silas con- tinued at the building trade until his last illness. Lyman took advan- tage of the fine water power at the corner of Jackson street and Jeffer- son avenue, and built a large planing mill here. This is now the site of the Turner property. The mill began to prosper, and times were be- coming easier for Mr. Pittee when the mill burned to the ground one night and not only the building itself was lost but all of the valuable and costly machinery. The loss was great and Mr. Pittee was staggered at first but only for the moment. With splendid courage he rebuilt and for two years the busy hum from his sash, door and blind factory was heard. Then this too, met with destruction by fire. The excessive rates for insurance in those days had made it impossible for him to carry any on either of the structures which had been destroyed, but when he built for the third time he took out an insurance policy. He never fully recovered from the effects of these heavy losses, but he was still the same cheerful man, whose presence was a welcome one in the homes of so many people.
He continued after the destruction of his mill to work as a con- tractor and builder, and among the most important of his contracts, though the buildings that he erected might be numbered by the scores, are the following: the home of Dr. Spencer and that of the Neale Brothers, on West Van Buren street; the Miss Roe home on Green street; the brick residence on the corner of Yuba and Marshall streets; the Peter Hoffmaster home, the O. S. Clark residence on East Main street and his own beautiful and costly residence at the corner of East Main and Pittee streets ; the Mayor Zelinsky, Foster and Hickman prop- erties on Bennett street, the flat adjoining his own home on Pittee street, the properties of ex-Mayor Green and Mr. La Fever on Mar- shall avenue, the Bathrick home on Upton avenue, all of which were handsome and well planned residences, even before the installing of the modern improvements that were not then in existence. In repairing these homes and putting in electric lights and plumbing, the carpenters have found lumber used that nowadays would be nearly priceless or at least beyond the reach of the person of moderate means, showing how conscientious Mr. Pittee was in all of the work that he did. Worn out by a life time of toil, he died on the 27th of February, 1889. The fol- lowing is an extract taken from an issue of one of the newspapers,
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published at the time of his death: "Mr. Lyman Pittee, whose death occurred early Wednesday morning, after an illness of several months was born in Pike, Wyoming county, New York. He came to Michigan in 1843. He at once entered upon that business career which in time made him one of the men of mark in our community. What he lacked in means he made up in perseverance. He met with business reverses and repeated losses by fire, but he met them in that brave, determined spirit which plucks victory from the jaws of defeat, and while he never fully recovered from these losses he did what was far better, and rare under the circumstances; he maintained his honor and paid his honest debts. He took a deep interest in the prosperity of Battle Creek, and did what he could to advance its interests materially and morally. He was an active member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and for more than forty years was connected with its officiary either as steward or trustee. He held the latter office at the time of his death.
He was a man of strong convictions politically ; originally a Whig, he very naturally became a Republican when that party was organized, and to that party he remained true to the last. The only time he was out of his house, for six months prior to his death, was when he was taken in a cab to the polls, to vote for General Harrison.
"He had his share of domestic affliction, having lost two wives and three children by death. His second wife and her only child, a bright little boy, died within two weeks of each other. Mrs. Lina A. Benedict, of Brooklyn, New York, is the only surviving child of his first marriage, and Clarence H. Pittee, the only one of his last union.
"His strong frame and indomitable will held death at bay for many months; he only yielded to the inevitable. A man of less strength and resolution must have succumbed long before. He was brave and patient throughout his long illness. If he expected to live he said little about it and still less about death, he was not a man to shirk the one or fear the other. His trust was in the Lord Jesus Christ, and more than once he expressed perfect acquiesence in the Divine will. His mind was bright and clear to the last. His last words to his weeping family were ' All be good.'
"His funeral was held from the Methodist church Friday afternoon, and notwithstanding the storm, was largely attended. The pew he had occupied regularly for twenty-nine years was vacant and draped in mourning. The funeral sermon by Reverend James Hamilton, from II Samuel, third chapter, thirty-eighth verse, though eulogistic of a strong man's character was not over drawn or undeserved. The floral offerings, the singing and the ritual services were all in keeping with the proprieties and the solemnities of the occasion. Thus one after an- other of our pioneer citizens are passing away, may those who succeed them be as noble and as upright as they."
The widow of Lyman Pittee now resides at the old home at 185 East Main street. She was Charlotte Dwinnell, and her marriage to Mr. Pit- tee took place on the 13th of September, 1859. She is the daughter of the late Henry L. Dwinnell. Her father and his brother were closely connected with the history of the town of Wheatfield, which is situated in the Kalamazoo river valley, and is surrounded by some of the richest lands in the state of Michigan. In 1831, during the month. of August, the two Dwinnell brothers took up the land, which later became the town site. The farm upon which they located had at one time been an old Indian village, and the burying ground and the corn fields were near by. During the early days of the white race in this country the farm had been the site of a French trading post, and a number of graves of these French settlers were found. Each of these graves had
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little pens built of poles around them, and at the head was a wooden cross. Henry Dwinnell was the first person to be married in Emmett township. He married Celista L. Warren, a daughter of Stephen War- ren. The ceremony took place on the 18th of December, 1834, and the justice of the peace, who performed the ceremony was Benjamin T. Dwinnell, the brother of the groom. The first bridge across the Kala- mazoo river in this township was one built of poles, by the Dwinnell brothers. Mrs. Pittee, having a father who was so active in the early days of the state, has a right to feel a very real interest in the affairs of the community. She is proud of the work that her father and his family did in the building of the state, and no less proud of the record which her husband left behind him. Her only surviving child, Clar- ence H. Pittee, who is route agent for the National Express Company, lives in his home next to his mother's at 10 Pittee street. Her daugh- ter Mrs. O. A. Allen died very suddenly, while apparently in the best of health, leaving two children. Louise M. is now the wife of Frank W. Calvert who is connected with the post-office in Battle Creek. The son Charles H. Allen lives with his grandmother, Mrs. Pittee.
JERVIS H. WATTLES, M. D. In point of years of consecutive prac- tice in Battle Creek Dr. Wattles is now the city's oldest active repre- sentative of the profession which he has signally dignified and honored by his character and services, and he has long held precedence as one of the distinguished physicians and surgeons of this section of the state, even as he has stood for the highest ideals of citizenship and has retained secure place in the confidence and affectionate regard of the community in which he has lived and labored with much of self-abnega- tion and with great ability, his circle of friends in Calhoun county being coincident with that of his acquaintances and few citizens being better known. For nearly half a century has he been engaged in active professional work in Battle Creek and the surrounding coun- try, and while in recent years he has attempted to retire in large degree from his arduous labors he has found it impossible to resist the demands of many of the families to whom he has ministered long and faithfully and by whom he is regarded as "guide, philosopher and friend." He has achieved specially high reputation as a surgeon and has been a close observer of the highest ethical code of his profession. Further interest attaches to his career by reason of the fact that he is a native son of Michigan and a scion of a family whose name has been identi- fied with the annals of the state since the territorial epoch in its his- tory.
Dr. Wattles was born in Troy township, Oakland county, Michigan, on the 7th of September, 1840, and is a son of Harper and Emeline (Dewey) Wattles, the former of whom was born at Binghamton, Broome county, New York, and the latter at Franklin, Delaware county, that state. The parents were numbered among the sterling pioneers of Oak- land county, Michigan, where they established their home in 1837, the year which marked the admission of Michigan as one of the sovereign states of the Union. The lineage of the Wattles family is traced back to staunch Scotch origin, and the original orthography of the name was McWattles, this being retained by the founders of the family in Amer- ica, where the prefix was eliminated from the name, which has been linked with the history of the nation from the colonial era.
Alexander Wattles, grandfather of the Doctor, first came to Michi- gan in 1835, making the trip by way of the Erie canal to Buffalo, where he purchased a pony, which he rode through Canada to Windsor, from which point he crossed on the ice over the Detroit river to Detroit, on
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Christmas day of that year. He made his way into Oakland county, to explore the district in search of land, but he was not at the time pleased with the conditions and opportunities presented, with the result that he returned to Detroit, from which point he rode his pony through to Chicago, which great western metropolis was then represented by Fort Dearborn and the few log buildings surrounding the same. From Chi- cago he returned to Oakland county, Michigan, where he finally took up a tract of government land, in Troy township, but he did not remove his family to this new home in a virtual wilderness until 1837. Both he and his wife passed the closing years of their lives in Oakland county, and he was eighty-four years of age at the time of his death. He became a citizen of prominence and influence in the county, did much to foster its civic and industrial development and at one time served as its representative in the state legislature. Both he and his wife were devout members of the Baptist church, and in the early days, in the absence of a regular clergyman, he frequently occupied the pulpit and gave earnest sermons. Of his five sons and five daughters, none are now living. The youngest of the sons, Silas B., died from accident July 2, 1912 aged 84, still owning and residing upon the old homestead farm.
Harper Wattles, father of the Doctor, came with other members of the family to Oakland county in 1837, the members of the party and the household goods being transported by way of the Erie canal to Buffalo and thence by sailing vessel on Lake Erie to Detroit, from which point the transfer to the new home in Oakland county was made by means of team and wagon. He became prominently identified with early development and progress in southern Michigan and devoted con- siderable attention to work as a civil engineer, in which he had much proficiency. He had assisted in the construction of the Erie canal, and after coming to Michigan he was engaged for two years in the work of surveying for the canal from Mount Clemens to Benton Harbor across the state. In these operations he was assistant to John B. Jervis, who was a man of much ability and prominence at the time and in whose honor the subject of this review was named. Harper Wattles continued to be successfully identified with agricultural pursuits and other in- terests in Oakland county for many years, but his health became much impaired and he passed the closing years of his life in the home of his son Dr. Jervis H., in Battle Creek, where he died at the age of sixty- four years, his loved and devoted wife having passed away in Oakland county, at the age of forty-four years and both having been zealous members of the Baptist church. The remains of both rest in the ceme- tery of their old home township in Oakland county. They became the parents of three children, of whom Dr. Wattles is the eldest; Emma G. is the widow of Eugene Harbeck, and resides in Chicago, the youngest of the number, Ralph D. Wattles, resides in Battle Creek. Dr. Wattles gained his early education in the common schools of his native county and after due preliminary discipline along academic lines he entered the medical department of the University, which he attended during the years 1864 and 1865. He then returned to Oakland county and en- gaged in the practice of his profession in the village of Birmingham, in the meanwhile continuing his medical studies. In the autumn of 1865 he entered the Cleveland Medical College, at Cleveland, Ohio, the medical department of the Western Reserve University, and there he distinguished himself by special proficiency in all branches, so that he was graduated with high honors, as a member of the class of 1866. In addition to the regular curriculum he pursued a thorough course in the manual of operative surgery, under Professor Milton
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J. Woodworth, and he was in this connection one of the first class in this or any other medical institution to receive separate diplo- mas for qualification in special surgery. His precedence in the knowl- edge of anatomy obtained him further recognition, as during his college course he served for a portion of the time as demonstrator of anatomy.
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