USA > Michigan > Wayne County > Detroit > History of Detroit and Wayne County and early Michigan: A Chronological Cyclopedia of the Past and Present, Vol. II > Part 40
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As a business man he has few superiors. Far- sighted, experienced, bold, active, and energetic, his quick perception, keen intellect, and marvelous knowledge of the detail of many branches of busi- ness, make him a safe counselor and a successful financier. He is able to generalize rapidly and to reach conclusions, which, to slower minds, might seem hasty, but his judgments are unusually sound, and in scarcely any instance has he made a failure in his investments. He believes in integrity and fair dealing as the foundation of business success, and has the reputation of having well illustrated these principles in all his business transactions. He is public-spirited as a citizen, liberal toward worthy benevolent objects, and has used his means freely in helping deserving young men to start in business. In political faith he is a Democrat, and opposed to a protective tariff ; has never sought or held any elec- tive office, but since July 1, 1885, has been one of the inspectors of the Detroit House of Correction.
He was married October 28, 1868, to Gertrude, daughter of Augustine Hovey, of Pontiac, Michigan.
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EDMUND A. BRUSH, the eldest son of Elijah Brush, was born in 1802, graduated at Hamilton College, and upon his return home assumed active charge of his father's estate. He was admitted to the bar, but never practised law. Mr. Brush was early identified with the management of Detroit's municipal affairs. He was City Register in 1823, Recorder in 1832 and 1833, and in 1852 was selected by the Legislature as a member of the Board of Water Commissioners, then created for the purpose of enlarging the city Water Works. His services were given to this interest for more than sixteen years, and his counsel and efforts were of great value. In all departments of city administration he was actively and zealously interested, and pro- moted many measures that tended to the public good, and checked, in a vigorous way, much that promised evil. He assisted in the organization of the volun- teer fire department, of which body he was an active member, and was a leading spirit in the promotion of several railroad lines centering in Detroit.
His large estate, however, enlisted the most of his attention, and made him one of the very wealthiest landholders that Detroit possessed. In the sale of city lots, he almost invariably made it a condition that the improvements thereon should be in thorough keeping with advanced and liberal enterprise, thus aiding not only himself but the city generally.
The habits which Mr. Brush formed as a student, during his college days, he maintained to the end of his life. He was devoted to literature, but also found much enjoyment in the amenities of social life. His friendships were strong and deep, and in a large circle he was an honored figure. While quite set in his ways of doing things, he was any- thing but cold-hearted and ungenerous. He did not parade his charities, but gave very largely and wisely, and relieved many destitute families. He never took advantage of his tenants, nor enforced forfeitures against them, or deprived them of the protection of a home when misfortune prevented them from meeting their engagements.
He married Eliza Cass Hunt, daughter of General John E. Hunt, and niece of General Cass. They had five children, only one of whom is living. The death of the others fell with crushing force upon the heart of Mr. Brush, and his grief was so intense, that it is believed his own death was thereby has- tened. He died suddenly, July 10, 1877, at Grosse Pointe, leaving his wife and one son, Alfred E. Brush. The next nearest relative is a daughter of William G. Thompson, whose first wife was a daughter of Mr. Brush.
WILLIAM N. CARPENTER, the eldest child of Nathan B. and Betsey Carpenter, was born at
Cooperstown, New York, July 22, 1816. His par- ents removed to Detroit in 1825, and his father, who died in 1868, was at the time of his death one of the oldest and best known citizens. He was a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity and of the Mechanic Society, and occupied various posi- tions of honor and trust connected with the city government.
William N. Carpenter was educated in the public schools of Detroit, and at the age of thirteen be- came a clerk in the store of Franklin Moore, with whom he was afterwards associated as partner. He was also employed in the store of Elliott Gray. After acquiring a good commercial education, he began business for himself, opening a dry good store on the south side of Jefferson Avenue, be- tween Bates Street and Woodward Avenue. His business venture was soon rewarded with a sub- stantial success, and in 1834, having accumulated a considerable fortune, he retired from mercantile life.
His naturally active temperament, however, de- manded employment, and he soon found congenial fields for his business energies in other enterprises. With ex-Governor Bagley, he became interested in the manufacture of tobacco, and during the earlier history of the extensive tobacco factory of J. J. Bagley & Company, he did much to establish the business on a prosperous basis. He also became a large stockholder in the Peninsular Stove Company, was for several years vice-president, and by his assistance in the management of its affairs, con- tributed greatly to the success of the corporation. For many years also he was a director of the Peo- ple's Savings Bank. In connection with ex-Governor Henry H. Crapo, he engaged extensively in the lumber business, and owned large tracts of pine land in the town of Vassar, Michigan. He was also a stockholder and officer in the Eureka Iron Company and held considerable real estate in De- troit. In 1879 he erected the large store on the southwest corner of Woodward and Jefferson Ave- nues. In his varied business projects he evinced excellent business judgment, and his keen business foresight, added to strict integrity, made him a wise counselor and one whose advice was often sought.
He is, however, best remembered because of the possession of the qualities which characterize a good and useful member of society. He was a man of large benevolence, and a judicious friend to the really needy. He believed in organized charities, and as a member of the executive board of Associated Charities, was ever ready by personal labor and pecuniary contributions, to further that organization. His benevolence was free from osten- tation. He had faith in the practical usefulness of
EaBrush
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the church, and supported it with his fortune, per- sonal labor, and by the example of a life of singular purity and faithful devotion to duty. Early in life he united with St. Paul's Episcopal Church, and at the time of his death his membership in the church antedated that of any other person in the diocese. In 1845 he became one of the founders of Christ Church, and remained continuously a member of the vestry, and for twenty-nine years served as warden. The highest offices it was possible for the church to confer upon a layman, were frequently bestowed upon him. He served as trustee of the diocese, deputy to the general convention, and member of the standing committee of the diocese. The direc- tion made in his will that $25,000 of his estate be appropriated to the building of a free chapel or church, was in accordance with a long cherished purpose, and the carrying out of the project will furnish a most fitting monument to his memory.
During the latter years of his life, Mr. Carpenter devoted much time to travel, both in his own and foreign countries. He was deeply interested in the development of the commercial interests of the Southern States, and was pecuniarily interested in the reclamation of portions of the Everglades of Florida, in furthering orange culture, and in pro- moting the extension of railroads in that State. The only political office he held was that of mem- ber of the Board of Estimates.
He was married in 1845 to Amanda Gibbs, daughter of William Gibbs, of Skaneateles, New York. They had five children, two of whom died in infancy. The names of those living are: Rev. Samuel B. Carpenter, archdeacon of the Episcopal Church of south Florida ; Edith, wife of Rev. S. H. Gurteen, of New York, and Clarence Carpenter, treasurer of the Peninsular Stove Company of De- troit.
Mr. Carpenter's death on November 10, 1885, was the result of an accident, which shocked the entire community. While driving, his horse be- coming frightened, ran away, and he was thrown from the carriage, and sustained injuries from the effects of which he soon died. His sudden and tragic death, while in the possession of good health and with apparently years of usefulness before him, caused universal sorrow among a host of friends. Expressions of sorrow came from many portions of the State, and warm tributes of respect were paid to his memory by the various business corporations, religious and charitable organizations with which he was identified.
JOHN PERSON CLARK was born on the Hudson River at a small town a few miles below Catskill, on April 10, 1808, and was the son of John and Sarah (Person) Clark. His parents, in 1812,
moved to Black Rock, near Buffalo, where his father was carrying on the grocery business, at the time the British crossed the river and burned the city of Buffalo.
His father, with a few neighbors, procured a small cannon, and from a bluff back of the town, fired on the troops as they were crossing the river. Before the war had closed, the family moved to Cleveland, Ohio, and the elder Mr. Clark engaged in keeping a hotel. He was a member of the Masonic order, and the lodge met in one of the rooms on the second floor of the hotel, and in order to drown the voices, so that what was said could : not be understood by the uninitiated, they rolled a large cannon-ball over the floor during their meet- ings.
In 1818 the family moved to what is now known as Wyandotte, and attempted farming, but after a three years' struggle, gave it up, and bought tim- bered land three miles back from the river, and there three of the brothers cleared up a farm. John P. Clark, at this time, was only thirteen years old, but learned to build a comfortable log house, with- out nails or boards. He worked out by the day or month, and, at the age of sixteen, could do as much work as a man. While yet a boy, he con- cluded that it was not necessary to be as extremely poor as many were with whom he was acquainted, and therefore he eagerly improved every opportunity for employment, and when not engaged at farming, went to Ohio, and worked upon one of the canals at $13 per month and his board. It was then cus- tomary to furnish whiskey to the men three or four times a day, and Mr. Clark partook with the others. The taste of the liquor was at first very unpleasant. He soon found, however, it was becoming palatable, and therefore decided to leave it entirely alone, and holding to his resolution, he came back to Michi- gan, richer in both experience and money. The only schooling he was able to obtain was in the winter, when he was not employed on the farm. In 1825 his father died, and left five small children. The older sons, however, kept the farm, and ran it for the support of the children.
The year after his father's death, Mr. Clark bought a part interest in a fishing company, and continued to have investments in that business until his death. His first shipments were made to vari- ous places in Ohio, where he had attended school. The lack of facilities for traveling in those days, and Mr. Clark's energy, is illustrated in the fact that, in 1828, he started from Mount Vernon, Ohio, and traveled through the Black Swamp to Perrys- burg, on the Maumee River, on foot. At the latter place he met some acquaintances that he had known in Cleveland, and with them formed a company to fish on the Maumee River, with a seine, which he
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had made the winter previous. The Maumee River was a noted spawning ground, and there were great numbers of fish in that locality. Upon one occa- sion, Mr. Clark went to a small island up the river, and in three nights speared twenty-one barrels of fish. The following year he went into the fishing business on his own account, hired a number of men, and continued in the business of fishing for twelve seasons. While he was fishing he worked two crews, one at night and one during the day, and seldom slept more than twenty minutes at a time. On one occasion he and his men put up one hundred barrels in a day, Mr. Clark himself doing all the coopering. In the spring of 1832 he bought some timber land, and supplied wood for the fish trade along the canal, and during the year built a a barge. The next year, with his own barge, he busied himself with towing on the canal.
In 1836 he went on an exploring tour to Lake Michigan, traversing the distance from Green Bay to Milwaukee many times, and nearly always on foot. The Indians in that region showed him where they and their fathers before them caught fish in the fall and winter. They usually smoked and dried the fish which they caught, and then put them into sacks and carried them to their wigwams. They also sliced and dried their potatoes for winter use. Profiting by the knowledge he had gained, Mr. Clark, the next year, returned to Lake Michi- gan, and engaged actively in fishing, and in the spring of 1838 he employed fifty men, and went into the business on quite an extensive scale. At this time his brother George and Mr. Shadrack Gillett were associated with him. In the same year he purchased a vessel, and has owned one or more ever since. From being a vessel owner he naturally drifted into the business of repairing ves- sels, and in 1850 he relinquished part of his fishing business, came to Detroit, and built a dry dock, erected a saw-mill, and built and repaired vessels. He also raised sunken vessels. For some years past the shipyard has been leased to other parties, and a number of the largest vessels on the lakes have been built in his yard. Up to the time of his death, he was engaged to some extent in fishing, and had ponds or pools along the river where his fish were stored, and occupied one fishing ground that he located fifty-six years ago. He employed between forty and fifty men, and, in addition to his other busi- ness, cultivated five extensive farms. He was one of the oldest residents in this locality, and was in every sense the architect of his own fortune. By his perseverance and his constant personal super- vision of his business, he accumulated a handsome property. Like almost all men who achieve suc- cess in any sphere of life, he doubtless made some enemies, but he also made warm and strong friends.
Mr. Clark was married to Susan E. Booth, on February 20, 1838. She was born in England, on June 1, 1815, and died on May 18, 1860. Their children were Avis S., Alice E., Alvin S., Florence M., Arthur J., Walter B., Norman S. On February 19, 1863, Mr. Clark married Eliza W. Whiting. She was born in Amherst, Vermont. She died January 14, 1883. Mr. Clark died on September 3, 1888.
DARIUS COLE was born in Wales, Erie County, New York, October 11, 1818. His parents, Benjamin and Ruth Cole, removed from Rhode Island to Erie County just before the War of 1812, and settled on a new farm. They had four chil- dren, Melissa, Phœbe, Benjamin, and Darius, who is the youngest and the only surviving member of the family. His father died when he was six weeks old, and his mother, with the assistance of hired help, cleared the farm, and supported the family until her death, in 1824. After her death, Darius, who was then six years old, went to live with his grandfather on an adjoining farm, and remained there until he was sixteen. Although his health was quite poor, he worked and saved a small sum of money, with which he came to De- troit in September, 1835, and for a year he worked on a farm in Macomb County.
In the fall of 1836 he went with his uncle, Judge William A. Burt, on a surveying expedition west of the Mississippi River, to what was then known as the Black Hawk purchase, in Iowa Territory. He was there about eighteen months, and then re- turned to Detroit, and went with Mr. Burt to survey the tract of country lying between Cheboygan and Manistee, on the Straits of Mackinac. For the six months which intervened between these expe- ditions, he kept a grocery on the site of the old Board of Trade Building, at the corner of Shelby and Woodbridge Streets, which he abandoned on account of failing health. In the fall of 1839 he made another venture in the mercantile business at Lexington, Michigan, and continued there with fair success until 1850. In that year he became inter- ested in the steamboat business, with which he has ever since been identified. He first bought the James Walcott (afterwards rebuilt and called the Scott), and put her on the Saginaw River. She was the first steamboat that plied between what is now Bay City and Saginaw. In 1855 he bought the steamer Columbia, started the first line between Detroit and Saginaw, and extended it to Cheboygan and points along the lake shore. His enterprise had much to do in settling that part of the country, and the early settlers of that region, and their goods and provisions, were principally conveyed by his line of boats. In 1852, Captain Ward put on the Huron, the initial boat of his line,
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and soon after added the Forest Queen. Deter- mined not to be outdone, Captain Cole, in the winter of 1856, purchased the Northerner, the finest boat that had yet appeared on the lakes, and put her on his line in the spring. While making her first trip on Lake Huron, with a heavy cargo and some two hundred persons, including passengers and crew, on board, she was run into and sunk by Captain Ward's steamer, the Forest Queen, the ves- sel and cargo being a total loss, and the second engineer drowned. The passengers and crew were saved. The next year Captain Cole fitted up the Columbia, which had been laid aside, and ran her over the route until 1861, when she was replaced by the steamer Huron, which continued to run until the consolidation of the river and lake shore lines. In 1874 the company was dissolved, and since then Captain Cole has continued the Saginaw and Alpena, or lake shore line, the boats at present being the iron propeller Arundel and the Metropo- lis. In 1885 the Darius Cole was built by the Globe Iron Shipbuilding Company of Cleveland, Ohio, for and under the supervision of Captain Cole, being finished and fitted out by him in De- troit, in the spring of 1886, at a cost of $1 50,oco. This steamer is two hundred and thirteen feet in length over all, her hull is thirty-two feet beam, depth of hold ten feet, and breadth of beam over guards, sixty feet. Her hull is built of iron and steel, having five water-tight compartments or bulkheads, with iron decks, which renders her perfectly safe in case of collision. Her boilers and machinery are completely incased in iron, making her absolutely fire-proof. She was placed on the route between Port Huron and Detroit in 1886.
Captain Cole is one of the enterprising, self- made, successful business men of Detroit, and has become one of the best known men on the lakes. He has made hosts of friends and is deservedly popular. He is unostentatious in his manner, and at all times courteous and agreeable. He has won his own way from boyhood, and has earned the right to enjoy the fruits of his success. He pos- sesses good business talents, his integrity is unques- tioned, and he has a warm and kindly sympathy for those less fortunate than himself.
Originally he belonged to the Whig party, but has been a Republican since the latter party was organized.
He was married at Lexington, Michigan, in April, 1841, to Ann Wilcox. They had four children, none of whom are now living. His wife and two of the children died in 1848. Benjamin, one of the sons, lived to be nineteen years old, and died sud- denly on board the steamboat, at Bay City, in 1861. The daughters were Ruth, Ann, and Cordelia. In
1849 he married Hannah Lentz, of Lexington. By this marriage there is one son, Frank Cole, of West Bay City.
EBER W. COTTRELL was born February 17, 1841, in the township of Cottrellville, St. Clair County, Michigan. In 1753, his great grandfather, Henry Hoofer, while residing in Schenectady County, New York, when only seven years old was captured by the Indians, together with an elder sis- ter. The Indians tomahawked and scalped the rest of the family, five in number, one an infant in its cradle. No tidings were ever heard of the sister, but, three years later, Henry's captors took him to Montreal, where he was ransomed, adopted and educated by an English army officer, named Cott- rell, which name was assumed by young Hoofer. In 1774, when he became of age, he went to his native place in search of his family, but soon re- turned to Montreal, his quest having been in vain. He came to Detroit in 1779, traded with the Indians along the river to the north, and married a French lady of Detroit, in 1781. They had nine children, of whom the eldest, George, lived and died on the banks of the St. Clair river, and was the father of thirteen children, the eldest of whom, George H. Cottrell, was a very popular and well- known pioneer lake captain, more particularly iden- tified with the Detroit, St. Clair River, and Saginaw commerce and travel. He was married to Submit Ward, daughter of the Hon. Zael Ward, at Buffalo, N. Y., on board the schooner Harrison, in May, 1838. They had five children.
Eber W. Cottrell, the eldest of the children, was educated at Newport (now Marine City) Academy, and at an early age commenced a mari- time life upon the great lakes, where he became proficient in all branches of that pursuit. He also made several sea voyages and spent some time upon the Mississippi and other southern rivers. His career as a sailor was marked by many thrilling and interesting incidents. - In 1868 he married Miss Nellie Smith, and removed to Greenfield, Wayne County, Mich. Entering upon agricultural pursuits, he became interested in and successfully managed one of the finest stock-farms in the State. He also engaged in the growing of small fruits, owning a fine vineyard and fruit farm within two miles of Detroit. He is a prominent member of the State Horticultural Society, and has written ex- tensively upon agricultural topics for the press. In 1866-67 he made a tour to the West Indies, visit- ing all the islands, and spending six months at Jamaica. While there he wrote a series of letters upon those islands for the Detroit Tribune. His articles were marked by a clear, forcible style, and were of high literary merit. Having decided
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predilections for political life, he early entered poli- tics, and his strong character and rare powers of organization soon raised him to the leadership of the agricultural element of the Republican party in Wayne County. He has filled the offices of Justice of the Peace, Supervisor, and Superintendent of Schools for the Township of Greenfield, and was a member of the Republican State Central Committee for two terms. He was also nominated by Presi- dent Grant, and confirmed by the Senate, as Re- ceiver of Public Moneys for the Detroit District of the U. S. Land Office, but declined the position. In 1879 he was elected Representative to the State Legislature from the Third District of Wayne County, and so well did he fulfill the duties of his office, that on his return home at the close of the session he was tendered a public reception, and was presented with an elegant gold watch and chain by his constituents, " for faithful and efficient services in the Legislature." At the end of his term he was re-elected by an increased majority. While a mem- ber of the Legislature he introduced and secured the passage of the bill that secured to Detroit what will eventually prove one of its most attractive features : the grand Boulevard that girdles the city, and which will remain a monument to his efforts and memory as long as Detroit shall exist. In the Legislature he served as chairman of the Agricultural College and Prison Committees, was a prominent member of the Railroad Committee, and took a leading part in all matters of legislation.
Mr. Cottrell was a trusted friend of the late Sen- ator Zach Chandler during the latter part of his life, and was also a friend and adviser of Ex-Gov. H. P. Baldwin during his political career. While in the Legislature of 1879, a warm and lasting friend- ship grew up between him and Thomas W. Palmer, then State Senator, and later United States Sena- tor, and United States Minister to Spain, and the most confidential relations have ever since existed between them. Mr. Cottrell was an active leader in Mr. Palmer's contest for the gubernatorial nomi- nation in 1882, and after the defeat of United States Senator T. W. Ferry, he bent his energies towards securing Mr. Palmer's election to the United States Senate. After this achievement had been accomplished, he accompanied Senator and Mrs. Palmer upon an extended tour through Europe. During this trip they selected many of the fine and valuable Percheron horses and Jersey cattle that have since formed the chief attractions of the celebrated Log Cabin Stock Farm, which farm was made beautiful and attractive largely under the supervision of Mr. Cottrell. In 1887 he again visited Europe, extending his travels to Africa and Asia, through Syria, Palestine, and far into the Arabian desert, bringing with him
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