USA > Michigan > Lapeer County > History of Lapeer County, Michigan : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 35
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S. D. GROOVER was born in Sussex County, N. J., in 1821, re- maining there until 1861, when he came to Michigan and settled in Oakland County. He resided there until 1881, when he removed to the township of Hadley and in 1883 came to Metamora and located on section 14, where now resides. He was married in 1842 to Miss Harriet F. Sutton, of New Jersey, and has eight children.
ROBERT DUDLEY was born in Oakland County in 1829, where he remained until twenty-one years of age, when he removed to Ad- dison and resided there until 1845. He then came to the township of Dryden and 1857 to Metamora, locating on section 14 where he remained till 1865, when he removed to section 15 where he now resides. He was married in 1852 to Miss Maria Thomas, of Met- amora, and has three sons and one daughter.
ALBA THOMAS was born in Ontario County, N. Y., in 1804, and at four years of age removed with his parents to Monroe County. He remained there until 1844, when he came to Michigan and set- tled in Metamora on section 12, removing two years thereafter to section 14 where he now resides. He was married in 1827 to Miss Selinda Harding, of Genesee County, N. Y., by whom he has one son and two daughters. David M., the son, was born in 1836 and in 1867 was married to Miss Harriet Buxton, of Lincolnshire, Eng- land; Anna married C. R. Chapman, who now resides in the town- ship of Metamora; Maria married Robert Dudley, also of Metamora.
ELI LUNDAY, deceased, was born in New Jersey in 1811, re- maining there until 1837, when he came to Michigan and settled on section 8 in the township of Metamora, where he resided until his death in 1878. He was married in 1838 to Miss Ann Van Gelder, of New York. Of their children three sons are living: A. V. G., the eldest, was born in Metamora in 1838 and now resides in the village. He was married in 1868 to Miss Adeline Carpenter, of Almont, by whom he has two children. Samuel, the second son, was born in 1840, remaining in Metamora until the present (1883) year, when he moved to Dakota. He was married in 1862 to Miss Mary McGregor, of Metamora, who died in 1865; was again mar- ried to Miss Melinda Bullock, of Elba. Franklin, the youngest, was born 1842, remained in Metamora until 1868, when he moved to the township of Lapeer where he now resides. He was married
ALVIN PORTER, Deceased.
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HISTORY OF LAPEER COUNTY.
in 1871 to Miss Edna Hall, of Metamora, who died in 1881; was again married to Miss Stella Loomis, of Dryden.
JAMES O. PERKINS, proprietor of the Hoard House, Metamora, was born in the township in 1843. He was proprietor of the Far- rell House in Columbiaville from 1868 to 1870, when he returned to. Metamora and engaged in farming until 1874, when he took charge of the Hoard House one year. In 1875 he went to Almont and engaged in farming until 1879, when he became proprietor of the Harrington House, remaining in charge two years. He then came to Metamora and took charge of the Hoard House where he has since remained. In 1866 he was married to Miss Caroline Thomas, of Metamora, who died in 1871 leaving three children. He was again married in 1872 to Miss L. Hoard, of Metamora, by whom he has one daughter.
JAMES L. MORE, son of the late James More, was born in the township of Metamora in 1856. He has since been a resident of the township, his principal occupation being farming; his farm is located on section 12. He was married in 1876 to Miss Rosa B. Farrar, of Genesee County, and has one child.
C. J. SMITH was born in the township of Addison, Oakland County, in 1842. In 1878 he purchased 180 acres of land in that township on section 7. He afterward purchased 100 acres in Albee, Saginaw County, and soon thereafter 160 acres in Addison, upon which he remained one year, when he came to Metamora and settled on forty acres on section 25 where he now resides. He was married in 1867 to Miss Caroline Mckenley, of Dryden, and has four children.
Mrs. L. PRICE, daughter of James Scott, deceased, was born in Oxford, Canada, in 1811, where she remained until 1818, when she came with her parents to Michigan. They settled in what is now Utica, Macomb County, and came on a scow on the River Thames from London to Lake St. Clair, where they were frozen in, having to remain until teams could cross the lake. They took up land from the government-being the first settlers in Utica-which they improved and which Mr. Scott resided upon until his death in 1853. She was married in 1830 to George Price, of Monroe County, N. Y., and remained in Macomb County until 1854, when she and her husband came to Metamora and settled on section 22 where he died in 1872, leaving four children. Mrs. Price still re- sides on the homestead.
NELSON CADY, deceased, was born in Chatham, N. Y., in 1799, remaining there until 1836, when he came to Lapeer County and settled in Hadley on section 13. He remained there until 1858, when he came to Metamora and remained until 1862, when he re- moved to Oakwood, Oakland County, and a year thereafter to Flint where he died in 1863. Mr. Cady held the office of justice of the peace for several years.
ANDREW JOHNSON, farmer on section 35, was born in Cayuga County, N. Y., in 1820, remaining there until 1844, when he came to Michigan. He engaged in farming summers and teaching school winters until 1848, when he settled on the old Jenkins homestead, where he now resides. He was married in 1848 to Miss Sophia J. Jenkins, and has three children. Mr. Johnson has been school inspector for years, beside holding other minor offices.
PRESCOTT VARNUM, deceased, was born in Middlesex County, Mass., in 1796, removing from there to Genesee County in 1816, thence to Canada, where he remained until 1848. He then came to Michigan and took up new land in Metamora on section 36, where he resided until his death. He was married in 1820 to Miss Elizabeth Clemmons, of Genesee County, N. Y., by whom he had six children. Elvira was born in Canada in 1835 and came to Michigan with her parents, still residing on the old homestead.
F. PRICE, farmer on section 22, was born in Macomb County
in 1833, where he remained until 1854, when he came to Meta- mora with his parents who settled on the farm where he now resides. He was married in 1856 to Miss Sarah E. Thomas, of Metamora, and has one son and one daughter. Virginia E., the daughter, married J. W. Wilder, of the firm of Wilder Bros., Metamora.
THOMAS STEVENSON, farmer on section 22, was born in Scotland in 1819, and emigrated to America in 1838. He settled first in Macomb County, where he remained until 1866, when he came to Metamora and located on the farm where he now resides. In 1841 he married Miss Agnes Grant, a native of Scotland, who died in 1849, leaving four children. Was again married to Miss Annie Howard, of Macomb County.
JOHN A. WILLIAMS is a native of Canada, and was born in 1831. He remained there until 1857, when he came to Michigan and settled in Macomb County, residing there until 1862. He then removed to Marlette, where he remained till 1881, when he came to Marathon and settled on section 26, where he now resides. He has been twice married, first in 1856, and second in 1882 to Miss Samantha Porter, daughter of Albert Porter. His first wife died in 1881, leaving a family of eight children.
DAVID LAMONT, farmer on section 12, was born in Scotland in 1828, and in 1857 came to Michigan. He at first located in the township of Almont, Lapeer County, and after a few months' resi- dence there removed to Macomb County, two years thereafter to Oakland County, and a year later returned to Macomb County. He resided there until 1867, when he came to Metamora and settled on section 12, where he now resides. In 1859 he married Miss Janet Morton, of Almont, and has three sons and four daughters.
THOMAS PALMER was born in Kent County, England, in 1813, and in 1821 moved with his parents to Surrey, where he remained until 1844, when he came to Michigan and located in St. Clair County. He resided there until 1864, when he came to Metamora and settled on section 26, where he now resides. His first pur- chase of land was eighty acres, to which he has since added until he is now the owner of 330 acres. He married Miss Phoebe Wells, of England, and has three sons and three daughters.
JAMES E. PALMER, son of Thomas Palmer, was born in the township of Almont in 1849. Resided in St. Clair County with his parents till 1864, when he came to Metamora with them and settled on section 26. He was married in 1876 to Miss Martha Stocker, daughter of D. Stocker, removing to section 32, where they now reside.
C. R. CHAPMAN, farmer on section 11, was born in England in 1818, and in 1834 came to New York, where he remained two years. He then came to Michigan and settled in the township of Almont, when after a few months' residence he removed to Romeo, Macomb County, residing there until 1848. He then removed to Dryden, remaining there till 1853, when he came to Metamora and settled on section 11, where he now resides. He was married in 1842 to Miss Eleanor Woodbeck, of Macomb County, who died the following year. In 1849 he was again married to Miss Anna D. Thomas, of Metamora, and has one son and three daughters. He has held the office of commissioner of highways several terms and was a constable in Dryden.
JACOB S. HENDERSON was born in Washington County, N. Y., in 1800, remaining there until six years of age, when he moved with his parents to Jefferson County, town of Rutland, afterward removing to the town of Henderson, where he remained until 1818. He then went to the town of Lime, remaining there until 1837. when he went to Canada, where he remained two years. His next move was to Monroe County, N. Y., remaining until 1844, when he came to Metamora, taking up wild land on section 15, where he
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HISTORY OF LAPEER COUNTY.
now resides. He was married in 1818 to Miss T. Case, of Jefferson County, N. Y., who died in 1876, leaving five sons and five daugh- ters, all of whom are still living.
E. P. BARROWS was born in Livingston County, N. Y., in 1827, and in 1835 came to Michigan, locating in Oakland County, where he remained until 1842, when he came to what is now Metamora village. He settled on section 8, remaining there until 1865, and in 1867 removed to section 17, where he now resides. He was elected supervisor in 1874, holding the office five years; has also been town clerk many years, beside having held other minor offices. In 1854 he married Miss Ervilla Griggs, of Metamora, by whom he has one daughter.
EDWARD GROFF, farmer on section 15, was born in Oneida County, N. Y., in 1833, and while young moved with his parents to Ontario County, where they remained until 1843, when they came to Michigan and settled on section 2 in Metamora, taking up land from the government. They resided there till 1847, removing then to Livingston County, where they remained till 1853, when they returned to Metamora and located on section 11. He remained there until 1859, when he returned to Livingston County, and in 1865 came back to Metamora and located on section 22. In 1872 he removed to section 11, and in 1876 to section 15, where he now resides. He was married in 1859 to Miss Marcia M. Henderson, of Metamora, and has two children.
JOHN A. MERRITT, deceased, was born in Monroe County, Pa., in 1811, remaining there till 1836, when he came to Michigan and settled in the township of Hadley, Lapeer County, where he resided two years. He then came to Metamora and made a settlement on sections 6 and 7, taking up land from the government, upon which he resided until his death in 1881. He was married in 1833 to Miss E. Klingingsmith, of Monroe County, Pa., by whom he had one son and one daughter. A. B. Merritt, the son, was born on the homestead, where he now resides. In 1864 he enlisted in the Thirtieth Michigan, and served to the close of the war. He was married in 1856 to Miss Dorcas Thomas, who died in 1869, and by whom he had three children. He was again married in 1872 to Miss E. Darling, of Oakland County, by whom he has three children. Miss C. Merritt, daughter of John A., married Leander Lee, son of Jesse Lee, and is now living in Saginaw.
JAMES JENKINS, deceased, was born in Columbia County, N. Y., in 1799, and about 1820 moved to Buffalo, where he worked at the carpenter's trade until 1831. He then moved on a farm in Erie County, remaining there till 1838, when he came to Michigan and settled in Metamora, taking up 200 acres of land from the govern- ment on section 35, where he resided until his death in 1841. He was married in 1822 to Miss Polly Dale, of Cayuga County, N. Y., by whom he had two children who are now living. Sophia, now Mrs. Johnson, resides on the homestead, and Lester E. resides in Iowa.
WILLIAM CLARK was born in England in 1816, and came to Michigan with his parents, locating at Hunters Creek, where he re- sided until 1840. He then took up new land in the township of Elba, on section 24, where he now resides. He was married in 1840, to Miss Irene Perry, of Genesee County, and has one son and one daughter.
B. W. CLARK, son of William Clark, was born in the township of Elba, in 1841, remaining there until 1865, when he moved to the township of Lapeer. He resided there until 1867, when he re- turned. to Elba and settled on section 25, where he remained until 1873, then went to Hunters Creek, remaining till 1876; he then came to Metamora, where he now resides, but intends removing to Lapeer City the coming fall. In 1867 married Miss N. Grow, of Canada.
A. C. BROWNE was born in the township of Metamora in 1849. In 1869 he went to Wayne County, N. Y., and attended school there one year, when he returned and engaged in teaching school winters and farming summers, which he continued until 1878. He then went to Lapeer and engaged in the grocery business, remain- ing there one year, when he returned to Metamora and located on section 6, where he now resides. In 1876 he married Miss Esther M. O'Brien, and has one son.
ANDREW MAIR was born in Scotland in 1823, and in 1845 came to America and located in Lapeer County. About 1850 he came to Metamora and took up wild land on section 3, where he now re- sides. He was married in 1855 to Miss Marian Stephens, of Scot- land, and has four children.
JAMES FRENCH was born in Scotland in 1818, remaining there until 1844, when he came to Lapeer County and settled in Metamora, on section 4, taking up wild land, which he has improved and upon which he has since resided. He was married to Miss Jane Stephens, of Scotland, in 1843, and has five sons and five daughters.
ALEXANDER STEPHENS, farmer, on section 4, was born in Scot- land in 1833, and came to Michigan with his parents in 1843, and settled in Metamora on the farm where he now resides. He was married in 1861, to Miss Cornelia Schuneman, of the township of Lapeer, and has two sons.
CHARLES F. MORSE was born in Madison County, N. Y., in 1825, and in 1835 came to Michigan with his parents and settled in La- peer County, where he remained until 1855. He then removed to Genesee County, remaining till 1869, when he went to Illinois and located in La Salle County, making that his home until 1873. He then removed to Kalamazoo County, Mich., where he resided till 1880, when he came back to Metamora and has since resided on the old homestead. In 1855 he was married to Miss Anna Lang- land, of Pontiac, and. has three sons and one daughter.
JAMES McGREGOR was born in Scotland in 1816, where he re- mained until 1841, when he came to Michigan and settled in Ma- comb County. He remained there till 1846, when he came to La- peer County and located in the township of Metamora, on section 3, where he now resides. He was married in 1834, to Miss A. Mc- Gregor, of Scotland, and has two sons living.
A. B. CORYELL, farmer on section 28, was born in Seneca County, N. Y., in 1821, and in 1823 moved to Steuben County with his parents, where they remained until 1827, when they re- moved to Livingston County. In 1844 he came to Michigan, and in 1848 settled in Metamora, taking up wild land on section 28. He was married in 1847, to Miss C. Hammer, of Oakland County, and has two sons and two daughters.
ORRIN LEE, deceased, was born in New York, in 1829, and came to Michigan with his parents in 1832, locating in Metamora, where he remained until 1852, when he settled on sections 33 and 34, tak- ing up 161 acres of land which he improved and resided upon until his death, in 1870. He was married in 1850 to Miss Amanda M. Deming, of Oakland County, by whom he had two sons and one daughter, Alice, who married Morris Stanton, of Detroit, the sons remaining on the homestead.
OLIVER MOSES was born in Livingston County, N. Y., in 1842, and came to Michigan with his parents in 1846. They settled in the township of Hadley on section 24, taking up wild land, upon which they resided until 1857, when they came to Metamora and settled on section 19, where he now resides. He was married in 1863, to Miss L. Sage, of Metamora, and has four children.
W. L. BAYLEY was born in Clinton County, N. Y., in 1813, re- maining there until 1833, when he went to Ohio, thence, in 1837 to Indiana, and from there came to Metamora, in 1857, and located on
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HISTORY OF LAPEER COUNTY.
section 21, removing four years thereafter to section 17, where he now resides. He was married, in 1836, to Miss Selinda Hoard, of Yates County, N. Y., by whom he had six children. Mrs. Bayley died in 1860, and in 1862 he was again married to Mrs. Anna West, of Canada.
LOREN TAINTER, deceased, was born in Connecticut in 1799, re- maining there a short time when he moved to Jefferson County, making that his home until 1834. He afterward resided in Livings- ton County two years, when he came to Lapeer County and settled in Dryden, on sections 3 and 4, taking up land from the govern- ment, upon which he resided till 1856. He then went to Missouri, where he remained until the beginning of the war, when he removed to Minnesota, residing there until his death, in 1863. He was mar- ried in 1821, to Miss Ruth C. Graves, of Watertown, N. Y., by whom he had eight children. Mrs. Tainter died in 1834, and the following year he was again married to Miss Mary Forbes, of Lester, N. Y., by whom he had eight children.
BENJAMIN D. TAINTER was born in Watertown, N. Y., in 1822, remaining there until 1834, when he moved to Livingston County with his parents. In 1836 he came to Michigan with his parents and settled in the township of Dryden, where he remained until 1852, when he came to Metamora and settled on new land on sec- tion 1, where he now resides. He was married in 1849, to Miss Nancy Hillard, of Connecticut, and has five children.
MRS. JULIA ANN PEASLEE was born in Connecticut in 1814, and in 1818 moved to New York with her parents, where she remained until 1833. She then returned to Connecticut, remaining there until 1837, when she came to Michigan and located in Lapeer County, stopping the first year and a half in Almont. She then came to Metamora, and settled upon section 12, where she resided until 1870, when she removed to Thornville, where she now resides. In 1839 she married J. A. Church, of Connecticut, by whom she had four children. He died in 1854, and in 1856 she was again married to Luke Peaslee, of Canada.
L. H. READ, farmer on section 4, was born in Sussex County, N. J., in 1810, remaining there until 1837, when he came to Michi- gan and settled in Macomb County, where he remained until 1860. He then came to Metamora and settled on section 4, where he now resides. In 1840 he was married to Miss Elizabeth Perry, of Oak- land County, and has one son and three daughters.
THOMAS DIRSTINE was born in Pennsylvania in 1826, and at four years of age moved with his parents to Genesee County, N. Y., where they resided until 1840, when they came to Lapeer County. They took up land from the government on sections 12 and 13, upon which he still resides. He was married in 1851 to Miss L. J. Barrows, of Metamora, who died in 1863, leaving one child. Was again married in 1866 to Mrs. M. M. Colson, by whom he has two children.
"SAMUEL DIRSTINE, deceased, was born in Montgomery County, Pa., in 1789, remaining there until 1830, when he moved to Gen- esee County, N. Y. He remained there until 1840, when he came to Lapeer County and settled in the township of Metamora, taking up land from the government, upon which he resided until his death in 1845. He was married to Miss Ann Horning, of Montgomery County, Pa., by whom he had ten children.
HIRAM TRAVIS was born in New York in 1803; moved at an early age to Wayne County, Pa., where he resided until 1836, when he came to Michigan and settled in Oxford, Oakland County, where he took up land from the government. He was married in 1825 to Miss Lodency R. Jacks, by whom he had eleven children.
AUSTIN TRAVIS, son of Hiram Travis, was born in Wayne County, Pa., in 1827, remaining there until 1836, when he came to Michigan with his parents. In 1851 he came to Metamora and
settled on section 9, where he now resides. He took up new land, on which he cleared a place for a house, and within six days from the time he cut the first tree, had erected a house and was living in it. He was married in 1851 to Miss C. Lombertson, who died in 1863, leaving three children. Was again married to Mrs. E. J. Whidden, of Dryden, by whom he has three children. He has held the office of commissioner of highways for three years.
GEORGE W. PITCHER, farmer on section 9, was born in Catta- raugus County, N. Y., in 1818, and in 1825 moved to Niagara County with his parents, and to Genesee County in 1833. He came to Michigan in 1837 and settled in Oakland County, where he remained until 1839, when he came to Metamora and settled on his present home, taking up wild land. In 1841 he was married to Miss Sophronia E. Porter, who died in 1881, leaving two sons and three daughters. As a township officer, he has served as commis- sioner of highways and constable. His first residence in the town- ship was known as "Pitcher's shanty" from Lapeer to Detroit.
JOHN READ, farmer on section 3, was born in Scotland in 1812, where he remained until 1842, when he came to Michigan and located in Macomb County. He resided there until 1849, when he came to Metamora and settled on section 3, taking up wild land, where he has since resided. In 1842 he was married to Miss Stephenson, of Scotland, and has six sons and one daughter.
DAVID HODGE, farmer on section 25, was born in Jefferson County, N. Y., in 1810, remaining there until 1845, when he came to Michigan. In 1853 he returned to Jefferson County, and the following year came to Lapeer County, and finally settled in Meta- mora on section 25, taking up new land which he improved, and where he now resides. He married Miss Hannah Carpenter, of Jefferson County, N. Y., and has four sons and four daughters.
E. L. CONNER was born in Joliet, Ill., in 1843, where he re- mained until 1861, when he enlisted in the Twentieth Illinois and served two years, participating in the battles of Fredericktown, Britton's Lane, Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, Big Black River and Vicksburg. He had three brothers in his company, one of whom was killed at Atlanta, and another died soon after his discharge. After leaving the army he came to Michigan, and was in Macomb County for a year, when he came to Metamora and located on sec- tion 22, where he now resides. He was married in 1867 to Miss Harriet Price, and has one son and two daughters.
EARLY HISTORY OF FARMERS CREEK.
This place is located on the line between Metamora and Hadley and occupies territory of both townships. Its glory has departed, and it is chiefly important now as a historic point. The following sketch of its early history is made from the recollections of Mr. John Look and Mrs. E. C. Comstock :
In the fall of 1833 J. B. Morse, then residing at Lapeer, located land upon section 6, in what is now the township of Metamora, and the following spring made a clearing and erected and enclosed a frame for a dwelling. Early in May, 1834, Mr. John Look, who had just arrived with his family from western New York, moved into this skeleton of a house, and lived there alone, Mrs. Look not seeing the face of a white woman for several weeks after their ar- rival till the first of July following, when Messrs. Morse and H. M. Look moved here, the three families occupying one house till the Messrs. Look could put up houses of their own.
These families were closely connected by ties of kindred and marriage. Mr. H. M. Look and Mrs. Morse were brother and sister, John Look their cousin, and the Looks had married sisters: John Look, Ann Hopkins, and H. M. Look, Charlotte, daughters of Solomon Hopkins, long a resident of Flint, Mich. This was
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HISTORY OF LAPEER COUNTY.
about the time of the Black Hawk war, and they were not without apprehensions of Indian troubles, and Mrs. Morse was the only woman of them who was not afraid of Indians. These families lived here alone for a year, shut in on all sides by a wilderness, the nearest settlement being at Lapeer, and the wolves were all around them, and so bold that they would come around the houses at night. It was very evident the savages watched their movements with a jealous eye, and were sometimes very insolent. One day, while the three families were living together, the men of course being all from home, a large masculine looking squaw came to the house and demanded provisions. She was promptly refused by Mrs. Morse, when she had recourse to threats, telling them if they did not yield to her demands they would be murdered that night, at the same time brandishing her knife. These threats failed to produce the desired effect, and she finally left; but her words and manner greatly terrified the younger members of the household, and created some excitement among the older ones. The gun was quickly loaded, and everything collected that could serve as a weapon of defense, a great fire built in the huge old-fashioned fire- place, and several large kettles of water hung on the crane, with a view of giving the savages a warm reception should they make an attack upon them; but just before nightfall the hearts of all were gladdened by the return of the husbands and fathers, and no In- dians were of course to be seen that night.
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