USA > Michigan > Lapeer County > History of Lapeer County, Michigan : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 30
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Died April 4, 1878, A. D. 5878, Brother Seth Hall, aged ยท seventy-seven years.
WHEREAS, It has pleased the Supreme Ruler of the universe in the dispensation of his Divine Providence to call from this life our worthy and beloved brother, Seth Hall, and
WHEREAS, We deem the occasion appropriate to express the sentiments of affection entertained for him by every member of this order who enjoyed his acquaintance while living, and especially those of Dryden Lodge, to which he belonged, and of which he was a faithful and active member; therefore be it
Resolred, That in the death of our aged Brother Hall we recognize that inscrutable wisdom, which, while it removes from our midst an esteemed brother, from the family circle a kind hus- band and indulgent father, from society a valuable citizen and good neighbor, admonishes us not only of the uncertain tenure of life, but of the utility of the practical virtues which he exhibited in his daily intercourse with the world, and in his attachment and devo- tion to the principles of his profession as a man and a Mason.
Resolred, That in this dispensation of the great Father of Life which has deprived us of a brother and friend, we are reminded of the solemn injunction, "In the midst of life we are in death."
Resolred, That while we regret our own loss we tender to the bereaved relatives and friends of our deceased brother our deepest sympathy for their bereavement.
Resolved, That in token of our respect we will attend the funeral of our deceased brother wearing the usual badges of our order.
Resolred, That the foregoing preamble and resolution be re- corded on our books and that a copy be presented to the widow of the deceased, and that a copy be sent to the county papers for publication.
By order of the lodge.
THOMAS WILLIAMS, W. M. J. C. LAMB, Secretary Dryden Lodge No. 150, F. & A. M. April 6, 1878, A. D. 5878.
He was a thorough and successful farmer and accumulated a handsome property during his life. He did much to im- prove the region in which he lived, and always manifested a lively interest in the welfare and prosperity of the town. Mrs. Hall occupies the homestead in the village and is an active member of society. She has been president of the Dryden Ladies' Library . Society since the year 1875.
BENJAMIN TERRY, deceased, was born in Livingston County, N. Y., in 1816, and when sixteen years of age, came to Michigan, and located in Washtenaw County, where he remained till 1835. He then came to Dryden with his parents and took up 160 acres of land from the government, on section 25, which he cleared and resided upon until his death in 1878. He was married in 1842 to Miss Sarah Ferguson, of Oakland County, by whom he had two
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HISTORY OF LAPEER COUNTY.
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sons who are now living. W. H. Terry was born on the home- stead, in 1843, and in 1879 purchased 116 acres of land on section 26, where he now resides. He was married in 1868 to Miss Bell Watson, of Dryden. Geo. B. Terry, the youngest son, was born on the homestead, in 1847, where he has since resided. He was mar- ried in 1875 to Miss Sarah E. Baker, of Dryden, and has one child.
JOHN HEENAN was born in New York City in 1852, and came to the township of Imlay with his parents the following year. He remained at home until fourteen years of age, when he started out in life for himself, first as a chore boy at the Imlay Hotel, and after- ward as clerk, remaining there one year. He then went to Black's Corners aud engaged as a clerk in the hotel there, which position he held till April, 1871. In that year he came to Almont and engaged in the same business for D. C. Bacon, going from there to Flint, and in 1874 came to Dryden and engaged as a salesman with the firm of Bacon, Emmons & Co., acting in that capacity till November, 1878, when he formed a partnership with the firm of Lamb, Emmons & Co., which he continued until 1879. They then formed a partnership with J. C. Lamb and Emmons, and pur- chased a stock of goods at Imlay City, where they opened a branch store under the name of Lamb & Co. and Emmons & Co., which they conducted till October, 1881. Mr. Heenan then purchased the Dryden branch and sold his interest in the Imlay store. He is do- ing an extensive business. In 1876 he married Miss Rachel Austin, of Romeo, and has one child.
RICHARD BREDIN, M. D., was born in Lanark County, Ont. He graduated from the academy at Perth, received a diploma from the Toronto Normal School in 1864, attended the Toronto School of Medicine, from which he graduated in 1869, and also received a certificate from the Lying-in Hospital of that city the same year, and a certificate for instruction in eye and ear deseases from M. F. Miltendorf, of New York. In 1870 he came to Dryden, and has a very extensive practice in his profession. He was married in 1875 to Miss B. Morrison, of Canada.
JAMES D. BROPHY was born in the province of Quebec, Canada, in 1833, remaining there until 1843, when he went to Ontario, where he resided until 1856. He then came to Michigan and located in Almont, where he remained but a short time, when he removed to Attica, and after a year's residence there came to Dry- den and engaged in the shoe business, which he carried on until 1878, since which time he has been engaged in farming. He was married in 1860 to Miss Melvina Squier, daughter of E. Squier, of Dryden, and has one son.
JOHN GORDON was born in Scotland, in 1808, remaining there until 1837, when he came to Canada and settled in Oxford County, Ont. In 1856 he came to Lapeer County, and after a three years' residence in the township of Almont came to Dryden and purchased eighty acres of land on section 19, where he now resides. He was married in 1835 to Miss Maxwell Mc William, of Scotland, and has eight children.
JOHN BRAIDWOOD was born in Scotland, in 1842, and the same year came with his parents to Michigan, who settled in the town- ship of Almont. In 1864 he went to Metamora and worked that year on a farm, returning to Almont, and in 1868 went to Wiscon- sin, where he remained but a few months, again returning to Al- mont. He spent 1870 in the township of Lapeer, and the following year moved to section 13, in Dryden, where he remained up to 1879, when he purchased eighty acres of land on section 24, where he now resides. He was married in 1873 to Miss Mary Taylor, of Meta- mora, and has two sons.
WILLIAM MATHEWS was born in Niagara County, N. Y., in 1828, remaining there until 1840, when he came to Michigan with
his parents. In 1845 he went to Bruce, Macomb County, and remained until 1852, when he came to Dryden and located on see- tion 23. He remained there until 1863, when he removed to section 25, where he purchased eighty-four acres of land, upon which he still resides, also owning fifty-four acres in Almont. In 1852 he married Miss Mary E. Ferguson, of Oakland County, and has two children.
GEORGE W. FISHER, deceased, was born in Vermont in 1816, remaining there until 1839, when he came to Michigan and settled in Dryden on section 36. He purchased wild land, which he im- proved and resided upon until his death, which occurred in 1882. In 1838 he married Miss Eliza Brown, by whom he had thirteen children, five of whom are now living-Lois N .; George H., who married Miss Lucy Mitchell, daughter of Rev. L. Mitchell; Sally A., who married B. Snyder, of Macomb County; David E., who mar- ried Lewis McCollins, of Macomb County; and Caroline I., who married L. Soules.
JAMES HINES, deceased, was born in Massachusetts in 1782, and in 1836 came to Lapeer County and settled in the township of Dry- den, on section 23, where he remained until his death in 1856. He was married in 1808 to Miss Phoebe Hill, by whom he had seven children.
SAMUEL ELLSWORTH was born in New York in 1843, remaining there until 1852, when he moved to Ohio with his parents, residing there till 1855. He then came to Dryden and staid one year, thence to Attica, and in 1862 to Indiana, where he remained till 1870. He then came back to Michigan and located in Oakland County, and two years thereafter came to Dryden, where he now resides, on sec- tion 30. He was married in 1873 to Miss Alice M. Shaw, of Dry- den, and has one son.
NATHANIEL SMITH, deceased, was born in Monroe County, N. Y., in 1788, remaining there until 1833, when he came to Michi- gan. He stopped the first year in Macomb County, then came to Lapeer County and located in Almont, on section 32, where he took up land. After remaining there two years he removed to section 33, and in 1853 to section 28, where he resided with his son until his death in 1856. He married Miss Ruth Pettis, of New York, by whom he had twelve children.
ETHAN SQUIER was born in the Province of Quebec, Canada, in 1804, moved to Vermont in 1811 and a year later to Oxford, Onta- rio, where he remained three years. He then resided near London until 1817, when he came to Michigan and located near Utica, Ma- comb County. In 1836 came to Dryden and took up 160 acres of government land on section 11, where he remained until 1879. He then removed to the village of Dryden, where he now resides. In 1830 he married Miss L. Huntley, of Macomb County, who died in 1858 leaving two children. Was again married in 1860 to Miss Lucinda Churchill, of Almont, who died in 1874, and has since married Miss Churchill.
JAMES FREER, deceased, was born in Ontario County, N. Y., in 1798, remaining there and in Genesee County until 1839, when he came to Dryden and built the first grist and saw-mill in the township. He held the office of supervisor and associate judge at the time of his death in 1848. In 1824 he married Miss Lucretia Dexter, of Genesee County, N. Y., by whom he had fourteen children, of whom three are now living.
CHANCY MORGAN, deceased, was born in Vermont in 1794, and from there went to Canada where he remained until 1835 when he came to Michigan. He located in the township of Almont and in 1840 came to Dryden and settled on section 26, where he remained until his death in 1873. About the year 1826 he married Miss Sylvia Burdick, of Canada, by whom he had nine children. She died in 1880.
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HISTORY OF LAPEER COUNTY.
JOHN BLOW was born in Herkimer County, N. Y., in 1810, re- maining there until 1828 when he went to Tioga County. In 1834 he came to Michigan viewing, and in the following Spring locating in Almont with his family, where he resided one year, going from there to Rochester, Oakland County. He remained there until 1841 when he came to Dryden and settled on eighty acres of land on section 6 which he took up from the government in 1837, and where he now resides, having added forty acres by subsequent pur- chase. He was married in 1833 to Miss Charity Herrington, of Otsego County, N. Y., and has five children, four sons and one daughter. Mr. Blow, it is claimed, struck the first furrow in the township.
H. H. TERRY was born in New York in 1836 and when about two years of age came with his parents to Michigan and settled in Macomb County. In 1843 removed to Oakland County and in 1850 returned to Macomb where he remained till 1860. In 1862 he came to Dryden and after remaining a short time returned to Ma- comb County and in 1865 came to Dryden and settled on wild land on section 35 where he still resides. He was married 1859 to Miss Lucy P. Ferguson, of Addison, and has one child.
HON. FRANK KENDRICK, deceased, was born in Waterford, Maine, in 1843 and came to Michigan with his parents when six years of age. He received an academic education and engaged in teaching. In 1861 he enlisted in the Fifth Michigan Cavalry and served to the close of the war, being discharged in 1865. During his service he participated in upwards of forty battles and was wounded three times, returning home in poor health and with a broken constitu- tion. He engaged in farming, but had to abandon it on account of the state of his health, and engaged in teaching which he fol- lowed for three years when his health failed completely and he had to abandon that and all other business pursuits. In 1880 he was elected justice of the peace and in 1881 a member of the State Legislature by the Republican party, and died before his term of office expired. He was married in 1866 to Miss Phidelia Foote, daughter of J. H. Foote. They had three children.
JOHN H. FOOTE, deceased, was born in Washington, Mass., in 1806 and remained there till 1827. Up to 1832 he spent most of his time in Salisbury County, going from there to Niagara County, N. Y., where he purchased a farm and resided until 1837. He then came to Michigan and located in the township of Almont remaining there till 1844 when he came to Dryden and settled on section 23 where he lived up to 1878, when he gave up the farm to his son and moved across the way on section 27 where he died two years later. He was married in 1832 to Miss Sarah Mercer who died in 1844, leaving a son and daughter. Was again married to Miss Salley Hines by whom he had three children.
P. H. FOOTE, the only son of J. H. Foote, was born on the old homestead on section 23 where he now resides. He was married in 1869 to Miss Maria L. Gray of Dryden and has four children. Mr. Foote has held the office of commissioner of highways.
WILLIAM F. LAUGHLIN was born in New York in 1837, remaining there until 1853 when he went to Canada. In 1860 he came to Michigan and in 1863 settled in Dryden on section 27 where he remained three years. He then went to St. Clair County where he resided up to 1868, going from there to Almont, where he located on section 17. In 1879 he came to Dryden and purchased 240 acres of land on section 26, where he now resides. He was married in 1860 to Miss Lucinda Zavits of Canada and has seven children.
R. C. ELLSWORTH was born in DeKalb County, Ill., in 1838, remaining there until 1858 when he came to Michigan. He has resided in Lapeer County generally since that time, and in 1861 located on section 22 in Dryden where he now resides. In 1868 he married Miss Laura A. Watson of Dryden, and has two children.
Mr. Ellsworth was elected a justice of the peace in 1882 which office he still holds.
J. MILLER, deceased, was born in New York in 1794, remain- ing there until 1839, when he came to Michigan. After his arrival he spent one year in Macomb County and then came to Dryden, where he settled on section 25 and resided until his death, which oc- curred in 1873. He was married in 1815 to Miss Elizabeth Bloomer, of New York, by whom he had eleven children.
J. N. MILLER, third son of J. Miller, deceased, was born in 1832, and remained at home until 1854, when he purchased wild land on section 21 in Dryden, which he cleared and improved, and resided upon until 1872, when he returned to the old homestead, where he now resides, his farm containing 180 acres of land. He was mar- ried in 1853 to Miss Electa Morgan, and has three children. Mr. Miller has held the office of justice of the peace for the past four years.
EDWIN SMITH, son of Nathaniel Smith, was born in Macomb County in 1834, and came with his parents to Lapeer County, where he settled in Almont and resided in that township up to 1863. He then came to Dryden and located on section 26, remain- ing there till 1870, when he purchased fifty-six acres on section 24, where he now resides, and to which he has added forty acres. In 1854 he married Miss Mary A. Balch, of Almont, and has three children.
GEORGE W. MILLER, son of J. N. Miller, was born in the town- ship of Dryden in 1853, remaining at home until 1875, when he moved on section 22, where he had eighty acres of land, and to which he has since added 220 acres. In 1882 he removed to sec- tion 15, where he now resides. He was married in 1878 to Miss Florence Cooley, daughter of D. Cooley, of Dryden.
J. W. MILLER was born in Greene County, N. Y., in 1830, and remained there until 1840, when he came to Michigan with his pa- rents. They stopped the first year in Macomb County, then came to the township of Almont where they resided up to 1845, when they removed to Dryden. Mr. Miller remained at home till 1848, and from that time till 1853 worked on a farm. He then went to Macomb County, and in 1855 returned to Dryden and purchased 100 acres of land on section 21, where he now resides. He added largely to his farm by subsequent purchases, and after giving each of his sons a farm still retains 180 acres of the old homestead. He married Miss Sarah C. Powell, of Macomb County, in 1853, and has two sons and one daughter.
HENRY SCHANCE was born in Washtenaw County, Mich., in 1835, and in 1842 moved to Macomb County, where he remained until 1856. He then came to Dryden and located on section 29, where he purchased land, and has subsequently increased his original pur- chase to 240 acres located on sections 29 and 30. Mr. Schanck has one of the finest improved farms in the township, and one that for good buildings and valuable improvements has but few equals in the county. He was married in 1860 to Miss Euphemia Cheney of Macomb County and has one son and one daughter.
ROBERT SWAIN was born in St. Lawrence County, N. Y., in 1799, and remained there until 1852, when he came to Dryden and took up eighty acres of land on section 30, which he cleared and im- proved and has since resided upon. Although Mr. Swain has passed the allotted time of threescore and ten, he is still robust and active, and bids fair to enjoy several years yet of useful life. He was married in 1839 to Miss Margaret Connell, of New York, who died in 1842, leaving one son. Was married a second time to Miss Mercy Cooper, of New Jersey, by whom he had two sons, both of whom are dead.
JOHN M. ANGLE was born in New Jersey in 1834, remaining there until 1860, when he came to Michigan and located in Addison,
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HISTORY OF LAPEER COUNTY.
where he resided till 1866. He then went to Oxford, remaining there one year, thence to Orion, where he resided up to 1872, when he came to Dryden and settled on eighty acres of land on section 31, where he still resides. He was married in 1865 to Miss Nancy J. Gaton, of Addison, and has four children.
R. B. GOVAN was born in New Hampshire in 1836, remaining there until 1842, when he came to Michigan with his parents who settled in Macomb County. He resided there till 1844, removing then to Oakland County, and in 1869 came to Dryden and purchased 190 acres of land on sections 31 and 32, where he now resides. He was married in 1869 to Miss Euphemia J. Moore, of Dryden, and has three sons.
ISAAC NEWTON, deceased, was born in Vermont in 1806, and when about ten years of age, moved to New York with his parents. He remained there until 1833, when he came to Michigan and settled in Macomb County, where he resided up to 1840, when he came to Dryden and settled on wild land on section 30, which he cleared, fenced and improved, residing upon it until his death in 1881. He was married in 1829 to Miss Whitbeck, who died in 1830, leaving one son. Was again married in 1834 to Miss A. Goff, by whom he had one son. Mr. Newton held the office of justice of the peace many years.
FRANCIS NEWTON, second son of the late Isaac Newton, was born in Macomb County in 1835; came to Dryden with his parents, and has since resided on the homestead. He has held the office of constable five years. In 1857 he was married to Miss A. Swain, of Dryden, and has two children.
ALLEN HOSMER was born in Monroe County, N. Y., in 1824, and at eighteen years of age came to Michigan and located in the township of Washington, Macomb County, where he remained un- til 1849. He then came to Dryden and took up wild land on sec- tion 32, which he improved, and still resides upon, having added to his original purchase until he owns 260 acres on sections 31 and 32. He was married in 1845 to Miss Jane Schauck, of Macomb County, and has three children-Orrin G., married Miss Hannah Miller, of Dryden; Richard N., married Miss Eva J. Whitbeck, of Dryden; and Retta still remains at home. Mr. Hosmer has held the office of commissioner of highways for three years.
EBENEZER KITTRIDGE, deceased, was born in Vermont in 1780, and about 1812 went to Canada, where he remained until 1818, when he came to Michigan and settled in Romeo, Macomb County. In 1831 he came to Lapeer County and settled in the township of Almont, remaining there until 1846, when he removed to St. Clair County, residing there until his death in 1864. He married Miss Dina Washburn in 1814, by whom he had ten children. Harriet, the youngest daughter, was born in Macomb County in 1825, and in 1841 married Seymour Carpenter, who died in 1847, leaving one daughter, who is now Mrs. Joshua Gillings. In 1849 she was again married to Thomas Hogan, who died in 1875, and in 1877 married her third and present husband, Norman Fuller, and now resides on section 21 in Dryden.
NELSON ZAVITS was born in Canada in 1845, remaining there until 1862, when he came to Michigan and settled in St. Clair County. After remaining there a short time he removed to Ionia County, where he resided until 1869, when he came to Dryden and lived in Thornville one year. He then purchased 130 acres of land on section 28, where he now resides. In 1870 he married Miss Maria A. Wood, of Dryden, and has six children. Mr. Zavits added forty acres to his farm on section 27 in 1879.
SANFORD C. ALLEN, deceased, was born in Cayuga County, N. Y., in 1815, and came to Michigan in 1837 and settled in the town- ship of Almont, where he remained until his death in 1852. He married Miss Mary Atwater, of Cayuga County,'N. Y., who died in
1846, leaving four children, and was again married to Miss Helen Stone, of Macomb County, by whom he had three children. Jason Allen, the eldest son, was born in the township of Almont in 1839, remaining there until 1852. He then went to Macomb County, residing there till 1864, when he returned to Almont, and in 1867 came to Dryden. In 1878 he purchased 110 acres of land on sections 27 and 34, upon which he now resides. He was married in 1862 to Miss Margaret J. Murray, of Ohio, and has five children.
JOHN DELANEY was born in Ireland in 1836, and when four years of age came to New York with his parents. He afterward went to Vermont and remained till 1854, when he came to Macomb County, residing there the greater part of the time up to 1866, being engaged principally in staging. He then came to Lapeer County and resided in Almont till 1870, going from there to Lapeer, where he remained two years; then came to Dryden in 1872 and settled on section 26. He then purchased eighty acres of land, which he has greatly improved, and still resides upon. In 1867 he married Miss Mary Ferguson, of Oakland County.
JOHN FREER, farmer on section 18, was born in Ontario County, N. Y., in 1834, and came to Michigan with his parents in 1839. In 1818 he returned to the State of New York and engaged in milling till 1854, when he again came to Michigan and followed milling in Macomb and Lapeer Counties until 1862, when he located on section 18 in the township of Dryden, where he now resides. In 1870 he engaged in mercantile business in Thornville, which he carried on until 1880, holding the office of postmaster during the greater part of the time. Mr. Freer served his town- ship in the capacity of supervisor from 1866 to 1876 and as treas- urer in 1864 and 1865. He was married in 1858 to Miss Rebecca Wallis, of London, England, by whom he has four children.
THOMAS RICHES was born in England in 1814 and remained there until 1836, when he came to the United States and located near Rochester, N. Y. After remaining there one' year he came to Michigan and settled in Macomb County near Romeo, and took up from the government 102 acres of land in what is now the town- ship of Berlin, St. Clair County, which he soon thereafter sold. In 1842 he took up two forty acre tracts on section 17 in the township of Dryden, and after spending the winter of 1842-'43 in Almont he settled on the land, where he has since resided, and to which he has added by subsequent purchase until he now owns 160 acres, 100 acres of which is cleared. Mr. Riches has made many valuable improvements on his farm, among which may be mentioned a wheat barn 34x46 feet and a hay barn 24x60 feet, besides other out-build- ings. He was married in 1837 to Miss Mury Twite, of England, who died in 1841, leaving two daughters. Elizabeth, the eldest, married John Van Kleek, and Mary is the wife of James Lee, of Metamora. Mr. Riches was again married to Mrs. Sarah Chap- man, of St. Clair County, Mich.
WILLIAM C. DAY was born in Otsego County, N. Y., in 1812, and in 1814 with his parents moved to Chautauqua County, where they remained until 1825, when they removed to Pennsylvania. He remained there until 1838, when he came to Michigan and settled on section 9 in the township of Dryden, Lapeer County, taking up from the government eighty acres of land, upon which he still resides, and to which he has added, until he now owns 160 acres. In 1842 he was married to Miss Emma Phelps, of Steuben County, N. Y., who died in 1852, leaving four children. In 1853 he was again married to Mrs. Lucretia Sprague, of New Jersey, daughter of Adam Manwaring. Mr. Day now holds the office of justice of the peace. His eldest son, George C., was born in 1843, and still remains at home; Virginia N. was born in 1846 and Caroline V. in 1850, who is now the wife of George Lamb, of the township of Lapeer.
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