USA > Michigan > Genesee County > History of Genesee County, Michigan, Her People, Industries and Institutions, Volume II > Part 48
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85
To Israel and Alice L. (Seelye) Hill eight children were born, of whom two died in early childhood and six are living, namely: Emerson, a pros- perous farmer of Saginaw county, this state, who married Esther Hill, who died, leaving five children, Roy Laverne, Emerson Israel, Iva, Robert and Lila, after which he married Mrs. Lottic (Savage) Comfort; Rose, living about a mile from Montrose, widow of Freemont Gillette, who died in
(31a)
482
GENESEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
October, 1913, leaving one child, a daughter, Mrs. Alice Byrn; Joseph, a well-known farmer living a half mile west of Richfield Center, who mar- ried Anna Patterson, who died, leaving one daughter, now Mrs. Mabel Coggins, after which he married Sevilla Switzer; Arthur, a farmer living a half-mile west of the center of Davidson township, who married Mary Bush and has three children, Harry, Hazel and Donald; Daisy, who married Will- iam Cartwright and lives in Flint, and Walter H., who lives with his mother in Davison. Mrs. Hill has a very pleasant home in Davison and retains her active interest in church and other benevolent works in the neighborhood. Her memory of pioneer days is as clear and vivid as though the events of that early day had occurred but yesterday and she is a veritable storehouse of information regarding the early settlers and the early days of the Davison settlement.
MRS. MARY RUSSELL.
Mrs. Mary Russell, of Mt. Morris, widow of Thomas Russell, for years one of the best-known and most substantial farmers of Genesee township, this county, is a native of this county and has lived here all her life, hav- ing thus been a witness to the wonderful development of this region during the past generation. She was born on a pioneer farm a little more than a mile east of the village of Mt. Morris, July 4, 1841, daughter of Robert and Beatrice (Jordan) Ferguson, natives of Ireland, the former of whom was born in 1808, son of Alexander Ferguson, a native of Scotland, and the lat- ter the daughter of Andrew Jordan, also a native of Scotland. Robert Fer- guson and Beatrice Jordan were married in Ireland and came to this coun- try, for awhile after landing here making their home in Washington county, New York, whence, in 1837, the year Michigan was admitted to statehood, they came to this county and settled at Flint. Robert Ferguson homesteaded a tract of land in Genesee township, a little more than a mile east of where the village of Mt. Morris later sprang up, and began to clear the same, mak- ing his home in Flint until he could get a clearing made on his place and erect a home. Upon taking his homestead there he had to blaze a trail from Flint to the place he had homesteaded. At that time there were still quite a few Indians in that part of the county, while the wolves were plentiful. After making a clearing he established his home there and there spent the remainder of his life, at the time of his death, he then being eighty-eight years of age, having resided continuously on that farm for a period of sixty-
483
GENESEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
one years. He was a good farmer and prospered in his farming operations, becoming the owner of seven hundred acres of land, and was long regarded as one of the most substantial farmers in the northern part of the country. He and his wife were members of the Catholic church and their children were reared in that faith. They had six children, one of whom died at the age of eight years, the others being Alexander, Mary, John, Thomas and Robert.
Mary Ferguson was reared on the old homestead farm where she was born, receiving her schooling in the schools in that neighborhood, and re- mained at home until her marriage on October 26, 1887, to Thomas Russell, who was born in Ireland, October 19, 1840, son of Thomas and Ann Russell, natives of Ireland, who came to Michigan in 1855 and located in Genesee township, this county, where the elder Thomas Russell became a substantial farmer. The younger Thomas Russell was about fifteen years of age when his parents settled in this county and here he grew to manhood. He en- gaged in farming on his own account upon reaching man's estate and became the owner of quite a bit of land. After his marriage in the fall of 1887 he established his home on his farm and there he and his wife lived until the last of March, 1914, when they retired from the farm, bought a house in Mt. Morris and made their home in the village, where, a little more than a year later, on June 1, 1915, Mr. Russell died, he then being past seventy-three years of age. Mr. Russell was a member of the Catholic church, as is his widow, and they ever took an earnest part in local parish affairs, as well as in all local good work. They had an adopted daughter, Susie, who married Earl Chabot and is now living at Buffalo, New York. Mrs. Russell has a very pleasant home at Mt. Morris and is quite comfortably situated there.
EDGAR J. SWART.
It is well to appreciate the value of good ideals. Edgar J. Swart, of the village of Montrose, Genesee county, seems to be guided by them in all relations of life and therefore he is known as a good citizen. He was born on a farm in Montrose township, this county, January 1, 1875, and is a son of Rufus and Anastasia (Ensign) Swart. The father was born in 1845 in the state of New York, and when he was about four years old his parents moved with him into this county, being thus pioneer settlers, and here his pa- rents spent the rest of their lives on a farm in section 23 of Montrose town-
484
GENESEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
ship. They were parents of five children, namely: Menzo, who established his home in Flint; Jennette, who became the wife of Andrew Smith; Ru- fus, the father of the subject of this sketch; Nancy, who lives in Montrose, and Edgar, who lives in Sault Ste. Marie.
Rufus Swart grew to manhood on the home farm, where he continued to reside until a year prior to his death when he sold the homestead and bought the MeAlpin farm of eighty acres, two miles north of the village of Montrose, and there his death occurred in 1893, at the age of forty-eight years. He was a Republican and had served as township treasurer and as a member of the school board. He belonged to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His wife was the first white child born in Montrose town- ship, this county, and there she spent her life, dying at the early age of twenty-four years, leaving two children, Clarence M., who lives in Virginia, Minnesota, and Edgar J., the subject of this sketch. After the death of his first wife, Rufus Swart married Edna Wood, who was also born in this county, where she grew to womanhood, and two children were also born to this union, Clara, the wife of A. V. Way, who conducts a general store in the village of Montrose, and Floyd, who is engaged in farming in Mt. Morris township.
Edgar J. Swart grew up on the home farm, where he worked when a boy. He attended the district school and later studied at Ferris Institute at Big Rapids. After leaving school he worked one year on the home farm and two years on a farm in Vienna township, then went to Twining, Michi- gan, where he worked several years in a general store. He finally went to work in a lumber yard in the village of Montrose, where he spent one year, then in 1902 he was appointed rural mail carrier, which position he held with satisfaction to all concerned until July 1, 1915, when he gave up the work and eventually took a position in the general store of A. V. Way, in Montrose, where he is still employed. He has lived in the village since 1901, owning a comfortable home and thirteen acres of land there.
On December 27, 1904, Edgar J. Swart was married to Florence Pol- lard, who was born on October 31. 1882, a daughter of Frank P. and Anna (Horning) Pollard, both natives of Genesee county, where they grew up and were married and established their home. They were of English de- scent and both members of early pioneer families. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Swart, E. J. Franklin, born in July, 1909, and Thelma M., January 7, 1912.
Mr. Swart is a Republican and is active in the affairs of his party. In the spring of 1916 he was elected clerk of Montrose township. Fraternally,
485
GENESEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
he belongs to the Masonic lodge at Montrose, of which he is past master ; also to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of which he is past noble grand.
PETER F. O'HARE.
Peter F. O'Hare, a well-known and well-to-do farmer of Mt. Morris township, former clerk and supervisor of that township and the owner of a fine farm of one hundred and forty acres on rural route No. 9, out of Flint. was born on the farm and in the house in which he now lives and has lived there most of his life. He was born on July 20, 1869, son of Francis J. and Bridget (Logan) O'Hare, the former a native of the state of New York and the latter of Ireland, for many years prominent and substantial resi- dents of Mt. Morris township, whose last days were spent in the city of Flint.
Francis J. O'Hare was born on a farm near Avon, in Livingston county. New York, son of Peter O'Hare and wife, natives of Ireland, who had come to this country, settling in Livingston county, New York, whence, after a few years, they returned to Ireland, but presently came back to the United States, remaining in New York for some time, at the end of which time they came to Michigan with their family and settled in Genesee county. Here Peter O'Hare worked on the grading of the Pere Marquette railroad for some time and then bought a farm in section 14, Mt. Morris township, where he lived for some time, but which he later sold and then moved to Flint, buying a house on Fifth street, where he spent the rest of his life, being past seventy-five years of age at the time of his death. Francis J. O'Hare was but a boy when he came to Genesee county with his father and he remained with the latter until his marriage, after which he began lumbering in the Otter Lake district, making his home at North Branch, his last lumbering job having been in connection with the extensive works of Begole, Fox & Company, after which he engaged in the ice, coal and wood business at Flint and was thus engaged for some years, at the end of which time he moved onto a farm in section 23, Mt. Morris township, the farm on which the subject of this sketch was born and where the latter now lives. There Francis J. O'Hare lived for years, or until his retire- ment from the active labors of the farm and removal to Flint, his last days being spent at his home at 713 Paine street in that city, where he died at the age of fifty-nine years. He was a member of the Catholic church,
486
GENESEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
having been connected with St. Mary's at Mt. Morris and with St. Michael's at Flint, was a member of the Catholic Mutual Benefit Association, a Demo- crat and a strong party man. His widow survived him many years, she having been seventy-two years of age at the time of her death on July 6, 1910. She was born, Bridget Logan, in County Down, Ireland, and eame to this country alone, settling at Flint, where she married Francis J. O'Hare. To that union four children were born, of whom the subject of this sketch was the third in order of birth, the others being Sarah, who married Joseph Walsh, a farmer, and is living at Flint; Frances, who is living in Detroit, and William A., also of Detroit.
Peter F. O'Hare was reared on the paternal farm in Mt. Morris town- ship, where he was born, and received his schooling in the old Beecher dis- trict school in that neighborhood, in St. Michael's school in Flint and in the high school at the latter place, after which he took a course in the normal school at Fenton and then resumed his place on the home farm and has been there ever sinee. After his marriage in the summer of 1898 Mr. O'Hare bought the interests of the other heirs in the home place and there he established his home. He has a fine farm of one hundred and forty acres, which he has improved in excellent shape and which he is oper- ating along modern lines of agriculture and is doing very well. Mr. O'Hare is a Democrat and for years has given close attention to local civic affairs, for three terms having served his home township as clerk and for five terms as supervisor. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus, of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, of the Knights of the Maccabees and of the Grange, in the affairs of all of which organizations he takes a warm interest.
It was on June 15, 1898, that Peter F. O'Hare was united in marriage to Mary A. Mannion, who was born in Saginaw township, in the neigh- boring county of Saginaw, December 7, 1871, daughter of Frank and Mary A. (Egan) Mannion, for years well-known residents of Saginaw township. who are now living with Mr. and Mrs. O'Hare. Frank Mannion was born in County Galway, Ireland, November 9, 1842, and when seven years old came to this country, growing to manhood in the home of a sister in New York state. He then came to Michigan and was for some time engaged in the boot-and-shoe business at Flint, later going to Saginaw county, where for some time he operated a salt works, later buying a farm in Saginaw township, that county, where he lived until his retirement, since which time. as noted above, he has made his home with the O'Hares. Mr. Mannion is a Democrat and was for years active in local political affairs, having for
487
GENESEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
nineteen years been a school director, serving also, at one time and another, as township clerk, supervisor and justice of the peace. He and his wife are members of the Catholic church. Two children were born to them, Mary A., who married Mr. O'Hare, and John Francis, who died at the age of five years. To Mr. and Mrs. O'Hare six children have been born, Francis J., born on February 28, 1899; Raymond, September 8, 1900; Herbert W., May 28, 1901; Mary Geraldine, March 9, 1903; Dorothy M., February 20, 1907, and Mildred Elizabeth, October 28, 1909. Mr. and Mrs. O'Hare are members of St. Mary's Catholic church at Mt. Morris and take an active interest in parish affairs as well as in all local good works.
SYLVESTER J. POUND.
Sylvester J. Pound, one of the prominent young farmers and busi- ness men of this county, was born on October 6, 1880, in Vienna township and is the son of John and Lucy ( Baker) Pound.
John Pound was born on Prince Edward Island, on June 10, 1854. It was there that he received his education and lived until he was seventeen years of age. when he came to Michigan. He settled in the town of Mundy, where he was later employed by his uncle, James Ellis, a farmer. John Pound remained on his uncle's farm for eleven years, at the end of which time he moved to Clio and later purchased his present farm of eighty acres, in section 17, Vienna township. The farm was undeveloped and was yet to be cleared. Mr. Pound at once began the work of clearing and improving the place, and today he has a highly cultivated and well-improved farm.
In the fall of 1879 John Pound was united in marriage to Lucy Baker, who was born on January 25, 1857, in Flint township. To this union have been born two children, Sylvester J., the subject of this sketch and H. G. Pound, a salesman, of Flint, who was born on March 7, 1873.
Sylvester J. Pound grew to manhood on the home farm and received his early education in the district schools. He later entered the high school at Clio, and was graduated from the same. After completing his schooling he taught in the district schools for six years, after which he was engaged with his brother in the hardware and grocery business at Lennon. The store was later sold and Sylvester Pound was engaged for two years as principal of the Lennon schools. After completing his school work, Mr.
488
GENESEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Pound returned to his father's farm where the two are engaged in general farming and the raising of Holstein cattle. In connection with their other work, they have a large dairy and in this they specialize to a great extent.
Sylvester J. Pound is a Republican and at the last election was elected township treasurer by a large majority. Mr. Pound is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons and of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In the latter order he is a past noble grand. Sylvester Pound's father is a stanch Prohibitionist and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He has been superintendent of the West Vienna Sunday school. for the past thirty years.
PHILIP P. HILL.
Philip P. Hill. a well-known and well-to-do retired farmer of Davison township, this county, now living at Davison, one of the heaviest taxpayers in that township, former highway commissioner, former supervisor and a former member of the board of review, is a native of New York state, but has lived in this county since he was an infant and therefore has been a witness to and a participant in the wonderful development that has marked this region during his lifetime. He was born on a farm in Genesee county, New York, November 4, 1845, son of Joseph E. and Sarah (Smith ) Hill. natives of Vermont, who moved to New York and thence to this state, be- coming earnest pioneers of this county, where their last days were spent.
Joseph E. Hill came of a long-lived and vigorous family. He was one of a family of ten children, five sons and five daughters, born to his par- ents, all of whom lived to old age, all having been alive when the youngest, Ransom Hill, was past sixty-one years of age. Two of the members of this remarkable family are still living, Mrs. Clarissa Buell, aged ninety-three, and John Hill, aged eighty-nine, both of Burton township, this county. In the fall of 1846 Joseph E. Hill and his family came to Michigan from New York and settled in Davison township, Genesee county. Upon coming here Mr. Hill bought a farm of eighty acres two miles south and one and one- fourth miles west of the village of Davison and there established his home. There was a shanty on the place, standing in a clearing of two or three acres, but the rest of the tract was undisturbed woodland. At that time there was no road ont to that section, nor was there one established until about seven years later. Joseph E. Hill selected as the site of his new home in the wilderness a knoll on the banks of Kearsley creek, about the center of
Philip S. Will
Eliza
Hill
PHILIP P. HILL HOMESTEAD, DAVISON TOWNSHIP.
480
GENESEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
his tract, regarding that as the most likely spot for a home, but when the road finally was put through there he found himself eighty rods off the highway. He was a successful farmer and an excellent manager and as he cleared his place and extended his farming operations, gradually added to his holdings until he became the owner of nearly three hundred acres of well-improved land. He was able in his later years to deal generously with his children, to each of whom he gave five hundred dollars when they started out for themselves; a few years later he gave to each an additional five hundred dollars, before his death giving to each another thousand dol- lars and then had left a goodly estate to be divided among them and his widow. Though not a politician in the general acceptance of that term, Joseph E. Hill ever took an active part in local civic affairs and served his township as treasurer and in other official capacities. He was a consistent member of the Free-Will Baptist church at Davison and for years was one of the deacons of that congregation, holding that office to the time of his death. His death occurred on June 7, 1898, he then being nearly eighty- four years of age.
To Joseph E. and Sarah (Smith) Hill ten children were born, eight of whom grew to maturity, as follow: Israel, for many years a well-known farmer of Davison township, this county, who died on May 6, 1914; Mar- cena. who married Nelson Knapp and died on January 10, 1907; Lyman E., also a Davison township farmer, who died on April 1, 1894: Philip P., the immediate subject of this biographical sketch; Harriet, who married Will- iam M. Knapp and died on March 28, 1916; Olive, now living in the village of Davison, widow of Charles W. Long; Smith E., who died on December 4. 1914, and Arvilla, who married William J. Leach and died on June 21. 1897. The mother of these children died on July 24, 1872, and about two years later Joseph E. Hill married Mrs. Ann (Wiley) Calkins, who died on October 10, 1890.
Philip P. Hill was eleven months old when his parents came to this county from New York and he grew to manhood on the paternal farm in Davison township. After his marriage, in the spring of 1872, he started farming for himself on a forty-acre tract he had bought in section 16 of that same township. After clearing and developing that tract he extended his operations by buying more land until he became the owner of two hun- dred and eighty acres, which he still owns. It is excellent land, assessed for taxation at one hundred dollars the acre, Mr. Hill's taxes now amount- ing to about five hundred dollars a year. Mr. Hill is a good farmer and during the thirty-five years he was actively engaged in farming his place he
490
GENESEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
kept his land up to a high state of fertility, some of it yet producing one hundred bushels of oats to the acre and other crops proportionately. Mr. Hill has on his farms five never-failing flowing wells and his place has long been regarded as one of the model farms in that section of the county. On July 6, 1907, Mr. Hill retired from the farm, turning the management of the same over to his sons, and he and his wife moved to the village of Davison, where they have since made their home and where they are very pleasantly and very comfortably situated. Mr. and Mrs. Hill are members of the Baptist church of Davison. Mr. Hill has served the public as high- way commissioner, as supervisor and as a member of the board of review. He also has for years been called on to act from time to time as administra- tor or executor of estates or as guardian and numerous such trusts have been faithfully discharged by him. He also has on numerous occasions been called on to act as appraiser of estates, his keen knowledge of values and excellent judgment in such matters long having recommended him in such a capacity in his home neighborhood.
On May 19, 1872, Philip P. Hill was united in marriage to Eliza Mann, who was born near Sparta, about ten miles from St. Thomas, in the dominion of Canada. She is a daughter of George and Keziah (Lasam) Mann, natives of England, who left their home near Kingston, in that coun- try, and came to the New World about 1839, settling in Canada. They remained there until 1852, when they came to Michigan, settling on a farm in section 4, Davison township, this county, land now owned by Mr. and Mrs. Hill. There they spent the rest of their lives, Mrs. Mann dying on March 17, 1875, and Mr. Mann living until January 22, 1900, he then being nearly ninety-one years of age. The Manns were members of the Church of England in their home country, but upon coming to this county affiliated with the Christian church. Mr. and Mrs. Hill have three children, George P., William E. and Edith S. George P. Hill, who now lives in the village of Davison, is farming a part of his father's land. He married Dolly Grif- fin, and to that union five children have been born, two of whom are living. ("laud E. and Leona, Edith having died at the age of ten months; Howard, at the age of five weeks, and Dorothy, at the age of eight years, on April 21, 1914. William E. Hill, who lives on his father's farm in section 16, mar- ried Phoebe Goodenough and has two children, Helen V. and Lois. Edith S. Hill maried William J. Leach, who lives in Davison, and has one child. a son, Bernard C. Mr. Leach owns farm lands in Davison township and property in the village. Mr. and Mrs. Hill are members of the Baptist church.
49 1
GENESEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
JOHN BERNARD RUSSELL.
John Bernard Russell, treasurer of Mt. Morris township and one of the best-known and most progressive young farmers of that part of the county. is a native son of Genesee county and has lived here all his life. He was born on a farm in Mt. Morris township, February 14, 1884, son of James and Mary (Loonam) Russell, the former a native of Ireland and the latter of Michigan, both of whom are still living on their home farm in Mt. Morris township, James Russell being ably assisted in his farming opera- tions there by his eldest son, the subject of this sketch.
James Russell was born in County Kildare, Leinster, September 22, 1845, son of Thomas and Ann ( Archbold) Russell, natives of Ireland, who came to the United States with their family in 1850, landing at New York City and proceeding directly to Michigan, locating in Genesee county in that same year. From Flint, Thomas Russell went up into the wilderness north of there and homesteaded a tract of land in Mt. Morris township, where he established his home and where he and his wife spent the rest of their lives. He had to blaze a trail to his land, for there were no roads in that part of the country in those days, the first real road, the plank road, not being com- pleted to that section until 1857. He and his wife were the parents of eight children, of whom James was the last born son and of whom all are now dead but three. These children were Elias, William, Thomas, James, Marie, Anna, Ella and Libbie.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.