USA > Michigan > Lapeer County > History of Lapeer County, Michigan : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 31
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HISTORY OF LAPEER COUNTY.
HENRY BARTLETT Was born in Canada in 1825, and in 1839 with his parents moved to Genesee County, N. Y., where they re- mained until 1840. In that year they came to Michigan and settled in the township of Dryden, Lapeer County, where they re- mained until 1845, when they removed to Oxford, Oakland County. In 1852 he went to California, remaining there four years, when he returned to Michigan and again became a resident of Dryden, locating on his present home on section 15. He first purchased eighty acres of land, but subsequently added to it until he now owns 198 acres. He was married in 1858 to Miss Eliza Lamb, of Dryden, and has three children-two sons and one daughter.
AUGUSTUS DITTMAN was born in Prussia in 1839, remaining there until 1855, when he emigrated to the United States, locating in Macomb County, Mich. In 1861 he enlisted in the Ninth Mich- igan Infantry and served until the close of the war, being under General Thomas most of the time. He was married in 1866 to Miss Maria Kohler, of Macomb County, and has a family of three children.
JOSEPH MANWARING was born in New Jersey in 1829, and in 1835 came to Michigan with his parents, who settled in Orion, Oakland County. In 1852 he came to Dryden, and engaged in the mercantile business, which he has since continued. In 1867 he was married to Miss Ella S. Snover, of Oakland County, and has one daughter. Mr. Manwaring has held the office of supervisor since 1880; and the office of town clerk at various times. Was appointed postmaster in 1861, and has since had charge of the office.
JOSEPH DARWOOD was born in Burlington County, New Jersey, in 1822, where he remained until 1852, when he came to Michigan, and located in the village of Dryden. Mr. Darwood is an architect by profession, and has done a large business in building in his vicinity, besides being interested in other branches of business. He was one of the promoters of the P. O. & P. A. R. R., and is at present a member of its board of directors. Has also held the office of township treasurer for ten or twelve years. Was mar- ried in 1847 to Miss Mary H. Randolph, of Burlington County, N. Y.
J. MERRITT LAMB, son of the late John M. Lamb, was born in Dryden in 1843. In 1862 he enlisted in the Eighth Michigan Cavalry, and served until the close of the war. Was promoted to sergeant, and afterward received a lieutenant's commission. Return- ing home after the war he engaged in mercantile business in Dryden, and for a time was also engaged in lumbering, besides dealing extensively in real estate. He was married in 1868 to Miss Helen Hemingway, of Lapeer, and has one son. In 1869 he engaged in farming on section 12 where he now resides.
ALPHONSO CLARK was born in Ontario County, N. Y., in 1810. He moved with his parents shortly afterward to Genesee County, N. Y., where they remained until 1823, when they removed to Monroe County, N. Y. Remained there until 1829, when he came to Michigan, and located in Macomb County, in the township of Bruce, moving again in 1838 to the township of Berlin, St. Clair County, taking up land from the government, which he improved and resided upon until 1848. In 1850 he came to the township of Dryden, and located on section 17, where he now resides, owning a farm of 145 acres. In 1837 he married Miss Emily Bannister, of Almont, and has six living children.
JOSHUA GILLINGS was born in the State of Illinois, in 1839. When three years of age he came with his parents to Lapeer City, Mich., and shortly after moved with them to Pontiac, Mich., where they resided seven years. They then returned to Lapeer County, and located in the township of Lapeer, where they remained one year, coming at the end of that time in the spring of 1851 to the town-
ship of Dryden. In 1855 he took up forty acres of wild land on section 16, which he has improved and added to until he now owns 197 acres on sections 16 and 17, where he resides. He was married in 1860 to Miss Calfernia Carpenter of Dryden, and has one daughter.
MRS. MARTHA WEBSTER was born in England in 1814. Coming to America she first located in the State of New York, where she remained two years, then went to Illinois. In 1842 she came to Michigan and now resides with her son, Joshua Gillings. She has been twice married, first to Abraham Gillings, of England, who died in 1840, and second to Isaac Webster, who died in 1872.
GEORGE H. KENDRICK was born in Vermont in 1810, remaining there until about 1831. From that date until 1848 he was in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and New York, when he came to Michigan and settled in the township of Dryden, Lapeer County. He located on section 22, where he remained until 1880, when he removed to his present place on section 15. In 1836 he was married to Miss Abigail W. Proctor of Cambridge, Mass., and has two children.
D. COOLEY, farmer, on section 15, was born in Niagara County, N. Y., in 1819, remaining there until 1832, when he came to Michigan with his parents and remained in Macomb County with an elder brother till 1844, when he came to the township of Dryden, Lapeer County, and settled on section 23, where he now resides. He at first purchased 160 acres of land, to which he has made additions until he is the owner of 340 acres on sections 23, 20, 16, and 15. He was married in. 1844 to Miss Fidelia M. Hills, of Macomb County, who died in 1856, leaving two daughters. He was again married in 1857, and by her has two daughters.
JAMES BLOW, deceased, was born in Herkimer County, N. Y., in 1806, and about 1827 moved to Tioga County, N. Y., where he remained until 1838. In that year he came to Michigan, and settled in the township of Dryden, Lapeer County, taking up 160 acres of land from the government on sections 6 and 7, which he improved and lived upon until his death, which occurred in 1883, and had added to his first purchase until his farm comprised 220 acres. He was married in 1839 to Miss Maria Gibbs, daughter of Jason Gibbs, of the township of Dryden, and has four sons and one daughter. Alonzo and Otis reside in Metamora, while Perry, Norman and Lydia, remain on the old homestead with their mother.
WILLIAM H. BLOW, son of John Blow, was born in Tioga County, N. Y., and came to Michigan with his parents as above described. In 1856 he engaged in farming on the old homestead and in 1857 went to Illinois where he remained until 1859, when he returned to the township of Dryden, and the following year purchased eighty acres of the old homestead where he now resides. He was married in 1863 to Miss Lois Parker, of Flint, Mich., and has five sons. Mr. Blow has held the office of constable for nine successive years, has been highway commissioner and has held other minor offices.
EZRA EOFF was born in Erie County, N. Y., in 1828, and in 1838 with his parents moved to Evans County, N. Y., and about 1843 came to Michigan and settled in the township of Dryden on section 7, taking up 120 acres of land from the government upon which he still resides. He was married in 1850 to Miss Nancy Seelye, of Dryden, by whom he has one son, and five daughters. Anna Maria was born in 1851, and married Charles Grinnell, of Dryden; Mary E. was born in 1853, and married Wallace Sanburn, of Dryden; Estelle was born in 1857, and married James Went- worth, of Macomb County; Huldah was born in 1862, and married George Morrison, of Canada; Henry and Jennie still reside at home.
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Seth Hall
Charlotte Hall
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HISTORY OF LAPEER COUNTY.
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JACOB EOFF, deceased, was born in the State of New York, in 1793, and came to Michigan in 1843. He settled in the township of Dryden, Lapeer County, on section 7, where he remained until his death in 1876. He married Miss Polly Sutherland, of New York, by whom he had seven .children.
ALBERT HILLIKER was born in Erie County, N. Y., in 1836, and the following year came with his parents to Michigan. They first located in Macomb County, where they resided but a short time when they came to Lapeer County, and some time afterward purchased wild land on section 3, in the township of Dryden, which they partly improved, but subsequently sold and purchased land on section 7. In 1861 the subject of this sketch purchased land on section 9, where he remained until 1870, when he pur- chased his present place of eighty acres on section 5, where he ncw resides. He was married in 1860 to Miss R. Conley, and has one son and two daughters.
G. P. EMPEY was born in Canada in 1836 and the following year moved with his parents to the State of N. Y., where after a short residence they removed to Michigan and located in Macomb County. In 1858 they came to the township of Dryden and pur- chased eighty acres of land on section 8, remaining there until 1865 when he sold the farm and returned to Macomb County. The year following he came back to Dryden, and once more located on the farm he had previously occupied, where he has since resided. In 1857 he married Miss Ann L. Snover of Macomb County, and has a son and two daughters.
MARSHAL MAHAFFY was born in Oneida County, N. Y., in 1832, and in 1833 came with his parents to Michigan. They settled in the township of Bruce, Macomb County, taking up land from the government on section 24, where they engaged in farming up to 1863, when he came to the township of Dryden and purchased 120 acres of land on section 7, where he now resides. He was married in 1861 to Miss Mary L. Bostick, of Almont, and has seven children living-Byron M., Myron C., Carrie, Cassie, Marcia, Mary and Lydia. In 1864 Mr. Mahaffy was elected justice of the peace, holding the office until 1880; has also held the office of highway commissioner.
JOSEPH SMITH was born in the township of Almont, Lapeer County, in 1838, and remained there until 1866, when he went to Lake Superior and worked at blacksmithing one year. He then came to the township of Dryden, and settled on 160 acres of land on section 17, and to which he has made an addition of forty acres on section 8, where he now resides. He is a son of the late Joshua Smith, of Almont.
PERRY ARNOLD was born in Macomb County, Mich., in 1831, remaining there until 1853, when he went to California and engaged in mining till 1857, when he returned to his old home, where he resided until 1864. He then came to the township of Dryden and located on section 4, where he remained four years, then re- turning to Macomb County he remained there one year, and then returned to Dryden and settled on sections 5 and 6, where he now resides. He was married in 1858 to Miss Lucy Wentworth, of Oakland County, and has two children-a son and daughter.
TIMOTHY UTLEY, deceased, was born in Connecticut in 1797, and in 1837 came to Michigan and settled in the township of Dry- den, Lapeer County, taking up 160 acres of land from the govern- ment on section 9, which he cleared, fenced, improved and lived upon until his death in 1857. In 1836 he married Miss Mary Loree, of Pontiac, by whom he had five children, three of whom are living. Timothy, the eldest son was born in 1839 on the old homestead, where he still resides. He was married in 1858 to Miss Mary C. Lewis, of Dryden, and has four sons and one daughter.
JAMES HINKS, deceased, was born in the State of New York in
1804 and came to Michigan in 1837, and settled in the township of Dryden, where he remained until 1846, when he went to Illinois. In 1851 he returned to Dryden, where he resided until his death, which occurred in 1874. He was married in 1823 to Miss Lucy Swift, of New York, by whom he had nine children, five of whom are living. Charlotte, the eldest, married Seth Hall, of Dryden, in 1842, and had eleven children, six of whom are living. Of her children, Martha (the eldest) married Jacob M. Sherman; Seth J. married Miss Maria Wells ; Fred married Miss Clara Manley ; Lucy married Mark D. Billings ; Nellie married Willis Dodge, and Clarence E. still remains at home. Mrs. Hall had three sons in the army. Theron and Wesley were in the 8th Michigan Cavalry, and the following winter after his enlistment Theron died. Seth J. enlisted in the Tenth Michigan Cavalry, and served two and one-half years.
ELIJAH BARTLETT was born in Canada in 1837, and in 1839 with his parents moved to Genesee County, N. Y., where they resided one year previous to coming to Michigan in 1840. They located in the township of Dryden, Lapeer County. He remained there until 1858, when he removed to Pontiac, and in 1860 went to California, where he lived until 1864. He then returned to Dryden and settled on sections 9 and 16, where he has since resided. In 1859 he was married to Miss Ellen Dutton, of Oakland County, and has one son and three daughters.
J. J. RUPERT was born in Canada in 1831, and remained there until 1857, when he came to Lapeer County and located in the township of Attica, at Mattoon's Corners. In 1865 he came to Dry- den and engaged in blacksmithing, which he still carries on, having worked at the trade since 1850. He was married in 1858 to Miss Mary J. Johnson, of Attica, who died, leaving a son and daughter. In 1865 he was again married, his second wife being Miss Anna M. Randolph, of Dryden, and by whom he has had one child. Miss Martlia E. Rupert is engaged in school teaching, and Arthur E. Rupert is at Reed City, Mich., in the employ of the G. R. & I. R.R. He married Miss Dora M. Filkins, of Imlay City, and has one child.
WILLIAM H. H. CHEASBRO was born in Erie County, N. Y., in 1842, and during that year came with his parents to Michigan. They settled in the township of Elba on section 29, where he re- mained some time, then went to the township of Lapeer, and resided with his grandparents for five years. He then spent one summer near Hunter's Creek, and from there went to New York, where lie spent some time, and then returned to Lapeer County and settled on section 34, township of Elba, remaining there until 1858. He then went to Hadley and learned the shoemaker's trade, and in 1866 came to Dryden and worked at his trade for James D. Brophy until 1871 when he purchased the business, which he still continues; his present trade is in boots, shoes and harness. He was married in 1868 to Miss Mary J. Everton, of Almont. During the years of 1881-'82 Mr. Cheasbro held the office of township clerk, and was elected justice of the peace in 1882.
JAMES WHITAKER, deceased, was born in the State of Rhode Island in 1800, remaining there until 1832, when he came to Michi- gan and settled in Wayne County. He remained there until 1836, when he came to Lapeer County and took up 320 acres from the government on sections 4 and 9 in the township of Dryden, which he improved and lived upon until his death in 1872. About 1830 he was married to Miss Eliza J. Utley, of Connecticut, by whom he had seven children.
ELISHA WHITAKER, son of James Whitaker, was born on the old homestead in 1840, and is still a resident of it. He enlisted in the Fourteenth Michigan Infantry during the late war, and was with Sherman's command in his celebrated " march to the sea," serving
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HISTORY OF LAPEER COUNTY.
till the rebellion was ended. He was married in 1866 to Miss Bella Dickenson, of Almont, and has four children.
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J. T. PHELPS was born in Elgin County, Canada, in 1844, re- maining there until 1865, when he came to Michigan, and engaged in the lumber business in the township of Oregon, Lapeer County. He continued the business till 1868, and in 1869 purchased a farm on section 6 in Dryden, where he has since resided. He was mar- ried in 1870 to Miss Harriet Lander, of Almont, and has three children.
JOSEPH WINSLOW, deceased, was born in Vermont in 1788; went to New York in early life, and afterward came to Michigan and settled in Oakland County, residing there about five years, when he came to Dryden and settled on section 11, where he re- mained until his death in 1858. He was married in 1827 to Miss Polly Hait, by whom he had four children, of whom Wesley Wins- low was one. Mrs. Winslow died in 1877.
WESLEY WINSLOW was born in Clyde, N. Y., in 1833, and the same year came with his parents to Michigan and settled in Oak- land County, near Romeo. In 1838 they removed to Dryden and took up eighty acres of wild land, upon which Mr. Winslow still resides. He was married in 1857 to Miss Eleanor Weaver, of Canada, who died in 1881, leaving three children.
WILLIAM J. REYNOLDS was born in New Jersey in 1842, and in 1852 came to Michigan with his parents and settled in the town- ship of Dryden. He resided there until 1878, when he removed to Imlay and purchased a farm, residing there three years, when he returned to Dryden and located on section 10, where he now re- sides. In 1866 he married Miss Harriet Lewis, daughter of O. A. Lewis. They have five children. Mr. Reynolds is the present (1883) township treasurer.
OLIVER A. LEWIS was born in Middlesex County, Conn., in 1813, and about. 1815 moved with his parents to Pennsylvania, remaining there until 1819, and thence to Erie County, Ohio, where he remained until 1836. In that year he came to Dryden and took up from the government on section 10 one hundred and twenty acres of land, where he now resides. He was married in 1837 to Miss Eliza J. Howe, of Dryden, who died in 1879, leaving seven children. Eliza J. married James Alverson, of Dryden; Harriet, W. J. Reynolds, of Dryden; Esther, Charles Hodges, of Dryden; Alice, Frank Scott; Marian, Amos Hanlon. Florence and Will- iam still remain at home.
HOLDEN TRIPP, deceased, was born in New York in 1800, where he remained until 1837, when he came to Michigan and settled on wild land on section 12 in Dryden. He remained on the land which he cleared and improved until his death, which occurred in 1867. When he first came to Dryden there were but two or three families in the township. He was married to Miss Julia Butter- field, of New York, by whom he had five children, three of whom are living. L. H. Tripp, the youngest son, was born in the old homestead in 1840 and still resides there, having improved the place to the extent of making it one of the finest in the township. He was married in 1864 to Miss L. Baker, daughter of E. H. Baker, of Dryden, and has one son.
WALDEN CLARK was born in St. Clair County in 1844, and in 1849 came with his parents to Dryden, where he remained till 1864. He then enlisted in the Fourteenth Michigan Infantry, and was in General Sherman's command, participating in the battle of Benton- ville, siege of Savannah and several minor engagements, serving until the close of the war. From 1865 to 1869 was engaged in the lumber business, and in 1872 purchased land in section 2, remain- ing there till 1876, when he located on section 1, where he now owns a farm of 180 acres. In 1876 was married to Miss Jane Ball, of Dryden, and has four children.
WILLIAM REYNOLDS was born in Scotland in 1811, moved to Ireland in 1830, and in 1832 came to America. He landed in New York, and remained there and in New Jersey till 1842, when he came to Michigan and settled in Dryden on section 7, taking up new land which he has cleared, fenced, and otherwise improved and still resides upon. He was married in 1833 to Miss Margaret Fleming, of Ireland, who died in 1869, leaving five children, and was again married in 1872 to Mrs. Sutton, of Lapeer. Mr. Reynolds' son, Robert, enlisted in the Tenth Michigan Infantry, and after serving nearly three years was killed in the battle of Buzzard's Roost.
JAMES MORE, deceased, was born in Scotland in 1816 and came to America in 1841. He stopped in New York until 1851, when he came to Michigan and located in the town of Almont, re- maining there until 1853, when he removed to Metamora and settled on section 1. In 1857 he was elected sheriff of Lapeer County and removed to Lapeer City and resided there until the ex- piration of his term of office. He then returned to Metamora, making that his home until 1865, when he removed to Thornville, where he resided until his death in 1870. He was married in 1851 to Miss Cynthia Richmond, of New York, by whom he had six children.
JOHN COURTER, deceased, was born in New Jersey in 1798 and remained there until 1840, when he moved to New York and re- sided there until 1843, when he came to Michigan and settled in the township of Dryden on section 6, where he remained until his death in 1882. He was married in 1835 to Miss Elizabeth Smith, of New York, and by whom he had three children.
WILLIAM H. COURTER, son of John Courter, was born in New York in 1837 and came to Michigan with his parents and now, re- sides on the old homestead in Dryden. In 1860 he married Miss M. Cunningham, of Dryden, and has four children.
J. W. COLE was born in Jefferson County, N. Y., in 1838, and in 1849 moved to Canada with his parents, where he remained until 1859, when he came to Michigan and located in Dryden, where he has since resided. He has been quite an extensive dealer in real estate, having owned nine different farms in the county, and now owns 210 acres on sections 12 and 13. In 1875 he took a trip to California and spent the winter. He was married in 1861 to Miss Louisa Fancher, of Attica, and has one son.
JOHN H. PORTER, deceased, was born in Oneida County, N. Y., in 1800, remaining there until 1836, when he came to Michigan and settled in Macomb County, taking up land from the govern- ment. He resided there till 1853, when he came to Dryden and settled on section 12, remaining there until his death, which oc- curred in 1881. He was married in 1828 to Miss Sarah Price, of Maryland, by whom he had seven children, four of whom are living.
JULIUS A. PORTER, son of John H., was born in Macomb County in 1841, came to Dryden with his parents, and now resides on the old homestead. In 1863 he married Miss Anna E. Van Kleek, daughter of Henry Van Kleek.
PETER ULRICK, deceased, was born in Germany in 1807, and came to America in 1838. He landed in New York, and the follow- ing year came to Lapeer County and settled in the township of Metamora on section 12, taking up 120 acres of wild land. A few months thereafter he was murdered by a neighbor by the name of Henry Daum. Mr. Ulrick was twice married in Germany.
PETER ULRICK, son of Peter Ulrick, deceased, was born in Ger- many in 1837 and came to Michigan with his parents, but remained at home but a short time after the shooting of his father, but went to reside with Andrew Farrell, with whom he remained until 1855. He then went to Macomb County, where he remained a few months, and the following winter attended school in Metamora. The next
6
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HISTORY OF LAPEER COUNTY.
year he spent in Oakland County and the lumber woods, when he returned to Metamora and followed well digging. The year 1858 he spent in Dryden and South Branch, and in 1859 engaged in farming in Dryden, and the same fall purchased eighty acres of land on section 28, where he remained till 1874. He then pur- chased forty-six acres on section 14, and in 1876 a tract of forty acres adjoining. In 1878 he purchased a farm of 120 acres on section 11, where he now resides. He was married in 1855 to Miss Samantha Townsend, of Dryden, and has two children.
YATES FERGUSON was born in the State of New York, in 1847, and when quite young moved with his parents to Canada, and about 1853 came to Michigan and settled in the township of Dryden. In 1869 he engaged in the mercantile business in Dryden which he continued up to 1872, when he went to Imlay and remained until 1876. He then returned to Dryden and settled on a farm of 120 acres on section 15 where he now resides. He married Miss Anna B. Sargent, in 1876, and has three children.
WASHINGTON MAYNARD was born in Canada in 1832, and in 1844 came to Michigan with his parents and settled in Dryden taking up wild land on section 23. In 1854 he purchased eighty acres on section 22, upon which he has since resided. He was married in 1854 to Miss Julia Ann Townsend, of Macomb County, and has four children, two sons and two daughters. C. F. May- nard, the eldest, married Miss A. Loomis, of Lapeer, Caroline married Fred Kendrick, of Dryden, while Elmer and Lillie are still at home.
HORACE BARTLETT was born in Whitby, Ont., in 1827, and in 1840 came to Michigan with his parents, who settled in Dryden. In 1848 he went to Oxford and worked on a farm, going from there to Avon, where he remained until 1852. In the spring of 1853 he came to Dryden and purchased sixty-six acres of land on section 14, where he resided until 1863, then changed to 100 acres on the same section, and in 1873 purchased eighty acres on section 15, where he now resides, and owns 180 acres on sections 14 and 15. He was married in 1853 to Miss Adelaide Whitaker. of Oakland County, and has six children, Eliza A., Mary Ellen, Frank, Adel- bert, Carlotta and May.
J. S. KENDRICK, son of G. H. Kendrick, was born in Maine in 1837, and came to Michigan with his parents and settled in Dry- den. He remained on the homestead until 1871 when he pur- chased sixty acres of land on section 16, where he remained ten years. In 1881 he purchased his present place of eighty acres on section 22, where he has since resided. He was married in 1861 to Miss L. J. Hubbard of Macomb county, and has one son and daughter.
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