USA > Michigan > Lapeer County > History of Lapeer County, Michigan : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 47
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The pastor in 1883 is Rev. Henry King.
THE CONGREGATIONAL SOCIETY was the next to form, which took place early in the fall of 1870. The Sunday-school was organized October 16, 1870, with William Townsend, superintendent.
In 1872 the school divided, a portion forming the Baptist Sunday-school.
By invitation of the society a Congregational Council was called, which met September 3, 1872, and organized the First Con- gregational Church of Imlay City, which consisted of the following members: William Townsend, Mrs. Augusta Townsend, John Robinson, Mrs. Anna E. Robinson, N. B. Eldredge, Mrs. Laura A. Eldredge, Mrs. Orrilla Albro, Mrs. Anna Jones, Mrs. Lydia Smith, Mrs. Hattie Cook, Mrs. Elizabeth Hulsart, Miss Emma Hulsart, Miss Elizabeth Hulsart, Mr. J. W. Griffin, Mrs. J. W. Griffin, Mrs. Effie Palmer, Rev. J. A. Woodruff, Miss Sarah Woodruff, Mr. Ed. T. Woodruff, Mrs. M. E. Campbell, Miss Belona Warner, Mr. Alanson Holcom, Mr. William Griffin.
John Robinson and William Townsend were elected deacons; J. W. Griffin, clerk; N. B. Eldredge, treasurer; Robert McRoy, George W. Jones, M. D., John Robinson, Charles Palmer, William Townsend, N. B. Eldredge, trustees.
The society first held services in a small school-room; after- ward by the kindness and generosity of Charles Palmer, services were held in the hall of the Bancroft House (since burned). After the erection of the present public union school building, through the kindness of the school board services were held there, until the completion and dedication of the present spacious church edifice, February 3, 1876.
Revs. John Armstrong, William Simkins, J. A. Woodruff, W. H. Osborne and A. R. Laing, officiated as supplies for the church and society until January 1, 1876, when Rev. J. B. Dawson became pastor. The present pastor is Rev. O. A. Kosser.
THE M. E. CHURCH was organized in October, 1879, with Rev. Francis Berry as pastor. Some time prior to this services were held in the village by Rev. Laing, of Attica, but after a while were sus- pended. In 1879-'80 a chapel was built, and in 1882-'83 the pres- ent brick church was erected. Rev. Philip Price became pastor in September, 1880, and the following year was succeeded by Rev.
Austin Wilson, the present pastor. The membership is fifty- seven.
SECRET ORDERS.
ODD FELLOWS.
Imlay Lodge No. 116, I. O. O. F., was organized at Imlay, March 27, 1868. First officers: N. G., A. Porter; V. G., John H. Boulton; R. S., R. Farnum; P. S., Z. P. Marx; Treas., D. Pace. In 1876 the lodge was moved to Imlay City. There are, in 1883, fifty-three members. Officers: N. G., H. G. Thurstin; V. G., A. Haines; R. S., M. J. Haskin; P. S., John Robinson; Treas., H. C. Wells.
Imlay City Encampment No. 56, I. O. O. F., was organized January 20, 1873. There are, in 1883, thirty-eight members. Principal officers: C. P., John Robinson; H. P., H. C. Wells; S. W., George Ewen; scribe, Jacob Cohn; Treas., A. P. Campbell.
MASONIC ORDER.
Imlay City Lodge No. 341, F. & A. M., was instituted August 6, 1876, with fourteen charter members. Officers: W. M., John Robinson; S. W., W. T. Dodge; J. W., N.J.Krusen; Sec'y, George P. Scranton; Treas., William Quatermass. There are, in 1883, forty-five members. Officers: W. M., Frank Calkins; S.W., H. H. Lyons; J. W., John J. Lamb; Sec'y, John Robinson; Treas., D. V. Yerex.
ROYAL ARCANUM.
Eureka Council No. 28, R. A., of Imlay City, was instituted in November, 1877, with the following officers: Regent, John Rob- inson; vice-regent, John Manwaring; past regent, Dr. George W. Jones; orator, Prof. R. V. Langdon; Sec'y, E. R. Reed; Col- lector, H. H. Terwilliger; Treas. H. C. Wells; chaplain, J. F. Staples; guide, Henry Sanford; warden, H. A. Bartlett; sentry, A. P. Campbell.
KNIGHTS OF THE MACCABEES.
April 30, 1883, a meeting was held in the fire hall and a tent of the K. of T. M. of the world, was formed by Joseph T. Marks, district commander, assisted by F. C. Hoskins, of Amos Tent No. 35, of Sarnia, Ontario. The tent bears the name of Imlay City Tent. The following officers were elected for the ensuing term : Ex. Sir K. G. C., W. F. Berry; Sir K. C., James F. Perry; Sir K. Lt. C , A. Rutherford; Sir K. P., Frank Smith; Sir K. F. C., G. W. Jones; Sir K. R. K., R. H. Ransford; Sir K. sergeant, William Weir; Sir K. M. at A., R. Gaylor; Sir K. 1st M. of G., J. McIntosh; Sir K. 2nd M. of G., W. C. Hoskins; Sir K. sentinel, W. E. Bowen; Sir K. picket, Hiram Blow. A meeting will be held as soon as the charter and books arrive.
IMLAY CITY NEWSPAPERS.
The first journalistic effort in the village of Imlay City was the Sentinel, a seven column newspaper, established by J. K. Fairchild, now proprietor of the Rerier, at Harrisville, Alcona County, Mich. The first number of the Sentinel was issued Decem- ber 13, 1872. Its publication was continued about four months when it was suspended. The experiment was again tried and the Sentinel was succeeded by the Adrance. This was published for a time by George R. Manwaring and afterward by E. B. Griffith. While he was publisher the office was entirely destroyed by fire. Mr. Griffith purchased new material and continued the paper for a time, but its publication was finally suspended.
The Imlay City Herald was started in January, 1880, by C. F. & E. F. Gee. In 1882 E. F. Gee withdrew from the business which has been continued by Charles F. Gee. The Herald is a five column quarto and does a good business.
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HISTORY OF LAPEER COUNTY.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
JACOB C. LAMB was born in the State of New Jersey in 1829, and came in 1854 to Michigan and settled first in the village of Dryden, Lapeer County, where he engaged with his brother, John M., in mercantile business, which he continued till October, 1882. He also owned lands and was extensively engaged in farming in that township. In May, 1878, he came to Imlay City and bought the grain elevator he had built in 1871, which he has since owned and operated and has also done a large produce business under the firm name of Lamb & Sons. In 1880 he established a dry goods business and organized the firm of Lamb & Co. The two firms have since been consolidated under the firm name of J. C. Lamb, Sons & Co., and is composed of J. C. Lamb, J. J. Lamb, Horace Lamb and W. F. Hall. The combined business is one of the largest in the county, the general store having reached an annual sale of $75,000, and the yearly business at the elevator aggregating a quarter of a million dollars. They also do an exchange and banking business under the name of J. C. Lamb & Sons. Mr. Lamb was married to Miss Caroline Roberts, of New Jersey. They have four sons and one daughter.
JOHN J. LAMB, of the firm of J. C. Lamb, Sons & Co., was born in the State of New Jersey in 1850 and in 1854 came to La- peer County, Mich., with his parents. His first business venture occurred when he took an interest in the partnership firm of J. C. Lamb & Sons, produce dealers, at Imlay City, and with whom he remained until 1883, when his company was merged in the firm of J. C. Lamb, Sons & Co., general merchants and dealers in . grain, wool and produce, and of which he is a inember. He was married in 1869 to Miss Frances Eldredge, of Dryden, Lapeer County. They have one son and one daughter.
HORACE LAMB was born in the State of New Jersey in 1851 and came to Michigan with his parents in 1854. They located in the village of Dryden, Lapeer County, where he was engaged with his father on the farm and in the store until the spring of 1873. He then commenced a tour of the Western States and Territories, which he extended over two years. On his return to Dryden he engaged in farming two years; but soon thereafter moved to Imlay City, where he engaged with his father and brothers in the grain, wool and produce business. In 1883 he became a member of the firm of J. C. Lamb, Sons & Co., doing a mercantile, grain and elevator business. He was married in 1878 to Miss Julia V. Parcell, of Flint, Mich. They have one daughter.
W. B. CHURCHILL, the present supervisor of the township of Imlay, was born in Oxford County, Ontario, in 1837, and came to Michigan with his parents when about three months old. They settled first in the township of Almont, Lapeer County, but in Jan- uary, 1842, came to Imlay and settled on section 21, where he lived until 1870. The death of his father (William Churchill) occurred in 1870, and that of his mother (Susan Churchill) in July, 1873. Mr. Churchill received a deed of the farm from his father in 1858, and resided upon it till 1870, when he removed to Imlay City, but kept the homestead till 1878. He built the National Hotel in Imlay City -- has been justice of the peace fourteen years, treasurer five years, is serving his sixth year as supervisor and was deputy sheriff four years. He was married in August, 1858, to Miss Maria J. Best, of the township of Imlay, but a native of Canada.
W. F. HALL, of the firm of J. C. Lamb, Sons & Co., was born in the township of Almont, Lapeer County, in 1856. When sixteen years of age he engaged as clerk with the firm of Townsend Bros., who were keeping a general store in Imlay City. At the end of one year the business was transferred to N. B. Eldredge & Co., with whom he also made an engagement and remained in their employ
two years, when Mr. Eldredge failed and he was employed to close up the business. In 1880 Mr. Hall became a member of the firm of J. C. Lamb & Co., general merchants, and continued in the same up to 1883, when the extensive grain, wool and produce business of J. C. Lamb & Sons was consolidated with it and the firm of J. C. Lamb & Co. was merged in the firm of J. C. Lamb, Sons & Co., of which he is a member. He was married in 1880 to Miss Maggie McRae, of Cornwall, Ontario.
JOHN N. DENEEN Was born in Trumbull County, Ohio, in June, 1816, and came to Michigan in the fall of 1840 and settled in what is now the township of Imlay, that time being before the township was organized, it then forming a part of Almont. He bought eighty acres of his brother on section 21, which he had taken up a short time before from the government. Here he lived until 1860. then went into the army, and on his return in 1866 purchased a farm on section 11, where he resided till 1882, when he removed to Imlay City. His principal occupation since coming to Michigan has been land surveying. He enlisted in 1861 in Company L. First Michigan Cavalry, and served in that regiment to the close of the war, re-enlisting as a veteran in 1863. Was wounded by a sa- ber cut on the hand at the battle of Gettysburg and was taken pris- oner at White Sulphur Springs, Va., and saw confinement in Libby Prison and Belle Isle. He was in fifty-three regular engagements. Mr. Deneen has held the offices of supervisor, township clerk, school inspector, county surveyor and other minor offices. He was married in 1837 to Miss Ann Chapman, of Ohio, and to his present wife, Miss Sally E. Hennessy, in 1867.
WILLIAM QUATERMASS was born in Livingston County, N. Y., in 1811 and came to Michigan in the fall of 1835 and was for a time in Rochester and afterwards in Auburn. In 1838 he came to Lapeer County and settled in the township of Dryden, where he was engaged in milling, and in the village of Dryden was interested in wagon-making. Was associated with J. H. Lamb in business and also conducted a store individually. In 1868 he went to Black's Corners and opened a general store, which was conducted under the firm name of Manwaring and Quatermass, and in 1872 came to Imlay City and engaged in the hardware trade which he continued about two years, when he retired from active business. He has been supervisor of Imlay four years, is the present treas- urer, and has held other offices of minor importance.
SIDNEY WALKER WALTON, fourth son and sixth child of Jonathan Trumbull and Anna Walton, was born in Attica, Lapeer County, February 8, 1840. Jonathan Trumbull Walton and Miss Anna Rus- sell, of New York, were married when about eighteen years of age, emigrating to Michigan and locating near Shelby, Macomb County, in 1827. During their stay of ten years at Shelby, two sons and two daughters were born to them. In 1837 they came to Lapeer County, then a wilderness, locating in the south part of Attica, on the farm since known as the Homestead. As years rolled on four sons and one daughter were added to the family, making in all nine children. Only the few survivors of early settlers can describe the privations and hardships endured by those early settlers who were first to fell the forest trees and make way for the great sun to shed its rays upon the face of a rich and productive soil.
J. T. Walton was born March 26, 1808, and from the time he settled in the township of Attica until his death, he resided in the same place, the Homestead farm. He held the offices of justice of peace and supervisor several terms, and did considerable justice court law practice.
Anna, first wife of J. T. Walton, was born August 6, 1808, and died February 9, 1853, of apoplexy. Nearly a year after her death Mr. Walton married Mrs. Sarah Osborn, sister of Senator J. Manwaring, of Lapeer City. Mrs. Sarah Walton was born in
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HISTORY OF LAPEER COUNTY.
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New Jersey, October 9, 1809. She was the mother of two sons by her first husband, but had no children after her second marriage. She was a kind mother and devoted wife. After her marriage to J. T. Walton she continued to live on the Homestead farm until after his decease, which took place January 27, 1872, of paralysis, he receiving his first stroke in 1865, from which time to his death he was entirely unable to do any kind of manual labor.
S. W. Walton from early boyhood was principally engaged in farming until twenty-two years of age, having appropriated only a small portion of his time to acquiring an education. On account of poor health quit farming and gave his attention to study and reading law, and in October, 1865, entered the law department of the Michigan University. After taking two courses of lectures graduated with his class March 27, 1867, returning home from Ann Arbor the same year, and in 1868 made a tour of the Western country. Not being very much pleased with Western life, re- turned to Michigan the following winter, and the following spring, March 24, 1869, married Miss Mary Starmer, of Dryden, and lo- cated at Black's Corners, where he carrried on the drug and gro- cery trade in connection with his law practice, until June, 1872, when he sold out there and moved to Imlay City, since which time he has been exclusively engaged in the practice of his profession.
Samuel Milson Starmer, father of Mrs. S. W. Walton, was a native of Lincolnshire, England, and was born February 21, 1807. He came to Ontario, Canada, when nineteen years of age, and there married Miss Esther Perkins. In the year 1836 he came to Mich- igan, and located in the township of Dryden. Mr. Starmer is one of the few now living who were among the first to settle in this county. His wife, Esther, the mother of eleven children, died April 12, 1850.
Mrs. S. W. Walton was born March 13, 1844. She is the mother of three children; Esther, the eldest child, was born January 15, 1871, and Byron was born July 31, 1872. Frank was born March 18, 1880.
GEORGE W. JONES, M. D., was born in Durham County, Onta- rio, in 1839. He graduated from a medical college in Buffalo, New York, and also passed an examination before the Provincial Medi- cal Board in the city of Toronto, Ontario. He spent one year at the hospital in New York City, and is a member of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. He practiced his profession ten years in Port Perry, Ontario, and in 1870 came to Imlay City, where he has since resided, and is known as a successful medical practitioner and was the first in Imlay City. He was the first president of the Corporation Board and was elected to that position a second time. He was married in 1870 to Miss Anna E. Paxton, of Port Perry, Ontario. They have three daughters.
JOHN P. EGGLESTON, M. D., was born in the county of Went- worth, Ontario, in 1851. He received his medical education at the University College, or Toronto School of Medicine, as it has since been called, in Toronto, Ontario. He graduated in 1879 and came to Imlay City the same year, where he has since practiced his profession.
GEORGE R. MANWARING was born in the township of Dryden, Lapeer County, in 1833. On leaving school he took a position in the printing office at Imlay City, and afterward published the pa- per for a year. It was at that time called the Imlay City Idrance. In 1872 he took the place of Mr. Bancroft in the dry goods firm of Manwaring & Bancroft, which was then changed to Manwaring & Son, in which he continued until 1879, and since that time he has been engaged in farming and lumbering. He has been president of the village board and also clerk two terms. Has held the office of township clerk seven years in succession. He was married in 1874 to Miss Amy Kinnee, of Drayton, Ontario. They have one son and three daughters.
ROBERT L. GARK was born near Ingersoll, Ontario, in 1849, and came to Michigan with his parents in 1855. They settled in the township of Lapeer, Lapeer County, first, but afterward lived in the townships of Hadley and Metamora. Mr. Gark learned and worked at the carpenter and joiners' trade, and has traveled considerably, being variously engaged. He was in the sewing machine business about six years, and in 1880 came to Imlay City and established himself in the watch and jewelry business, which he has since con- tinued and is constantly adding to his stock in trade. He was mar- ried in 1878, to Miss D. Beardsley, of Dryden. They have two daughters.
W. T. DODGE was born in the Province of Quebec, in 1828, and in 1835 came with his parents to Michigan. They stopped one year in London, Ontario, on their way out, and on arrival in Michi- gan settled in Romeo, Macomb County. In 1853 Mr. Dodge moved to Barry County, Michigan, and engaged in farming up to 1871, with the exception of one year spent in Illinois and the time he was in the army. He then went to Plainville. Allegan County, and engaged in the dry goods trade, remaining a little over a year, when he went to St. Louis, Missouri, thence to Romeo, Michigan, and in 1874 to Imlay City, where he has since been engaged in the harness and livery business. He enlisted in 1862 in Company F, Seventh Michigan Cavalry, and received a saber wound in the hip in the battle of Gettysburg, which caused his discharge on account of physical disability. In February, 1865, he re-entered the service, receiving a second lieutenant's commission, and was afterward pro- moted to a first lieutenant.
W. H. McENTEE, proprietor of the National House, Imlay City, was born in Wyoming County, New York, in May, 1818. He was reared on a farm and at the age of eighteen went to learn a trade. He afterward worked at making fanning mills for a time, and in 1845 came to Michigan and located in Utica, Macomb County, where he resided three years, from there he went to the township of Wash- ington in the same county, and formed a partnership with a Mr. Andrews for manufacturing fanning mills, which they continued four years. He soon thereafter moved to Almont where he con- tinued the same business for a time and was also engaged in farming two years. In 1873 he came to Imlay City and purchased the hotel known as the National House, which he has since owned. In 1875 he gave up the management of the house and devoted his attention to the practice of law, which he followed six years. He then returned to the hotel and has since had the management of it. He was married in 1848, to Miss Mary Porter, of Utica. They have one son. Mr. MeEntee, while living in Almont, held the office of magistrate.
ROBERT S. BABCOCK WAS born in Pennsylvania, in 1827, and in 1828 went with his parents to Ashtabula County, Ohio, where he resided until 1855, when he came to Michigan and settled in Lapeer City. About a year following he moved to the township of Burnside, Lapeer County, and purchased a farm on section 16 but soon there- after returned to Lapeer City, where he engaged in mechanical work until 1863, when he enlisted in Company I, First Michigan Engineers, and served to the close of the war. While in the ser- vice he contracted disease from which he never recovered. He was discharged in June, 1865, and returned to Lapeer City where he resided till 1875, when he moved to the township of Attica where he remained about a year. In the spring of 1877 he came to Imlay City and in 1878 returned to Attica, where, after spending another year, he removed to Imlay City where he has since resided. He was elected a justice of the peace in 1881 and still retains the office, and is also one of the village trustees. He was married in July, 1878, to Miss Selinda Riedy, of Attica.
H. E. TRIPP was born in the township of Dryden, Lapeer
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HISTORY OF LAPEER COUNTY.
County, Michigan, in 1859. In the spring of 1882 he came to Imlay City and purchased an interest in a furniture and undertaking bus- iness and organized the firm of Ransford & Tripp, which contin- ued about one year when Mr. Tripp took the business individually and which he has since conducted. His parents were among the earliest settlers in the township of Dryden. He was married in 1881 to Miss Rose Utley of that township.
JOHN F. MUIR was born near Paisley, Scotland, in 1837, and came to the United States with his uncle's family in 1844. They settled in the township of Almont, Lapeer County, Michigan. When he was fourteen years old he started out for himself and engaged in lumbering and farming. In 1859 he purchased a farm in the township of Imlay where he has lived up to the present time. Since 1875 he has been engaged in the sale of agricultural implements, and has warerooms in Imlay City. He was married in 1858 to Miss Sarah J. Rogers, of Lapeer County, formerly of Macomb Coun- ty. They have three sons and two daughters. Mr. Muir still owns 40 acres of land where he originally settled.
DANIEL MCGILLIS, proprietor of the Bancroft House, Imlay City, was born in Glengarry County,Ontario, in 1844. He came to Mich- igan in 1861 and was in different parts of the States up to 1870 when he came to Imlay City, and in 1873 engaged in the hotel bus- iness, first taking the National Hotel, which he conducted until 1879 when he bought his present stand-the Bancroft House- which he rebuilt and refurnished, and now has one of the most commodious public houses in this section of country. He was married in 1873 to Miss Anna Powell, of Lexington, Michigan, whose people came there from Canada in an early day. They have three sons and one daughter.
H. H. LYONS was born in 1840 in Ashtabula County, Ohio, and came to Michigan in 1862. He purchased a farm in the township of Elba, Lapeer County, Michigan, near the site of the railroad sta- tion, remaining upon it but a year when he engaged in lumbering near Saginaw City. Soon thereafter he returned to Ohio, and a year later came back to Saginaw, where after stopping a short time, he came to the township of Oregon where he engaged in mercan- tile business a year, when he again returned to Ohio remaining two years. In 1871, he again came back to Lapeer County and located in Imlay City where he has since resided. He engaged first in the sale of groceries and boots and shoes which he continued for five years, when he purchased of N. J. Krusen a half interest in his drug business. In 1878 Mr. Krusen retired leaving Mr. Lyons the sole owner and proprietor of the business which he has continued up to the present (1883) time. He was married in 1861 to Miss Martha Brooks, of Ashtabula County, Ohio, and has one son. Mr. Lyons is serving his third term as president of the board of trustees of the village, and has been a member of the common council for five years.
D. V. YEREX, M. D. was born in Picton, Prince Edward County, Ontario, in 1846, and in 1864 went to Toronto, where he attended the normal training school for a year, when he entered the medical university of Toronto, remaining two years, after which he went to Bellevue Hospital, New York City where he graduated at the end of a year. In 1869 he came to the township of Imlay and practiced his profession, removing in 1877 to Imlay City where he has since resided. He is the oldest practitioner in the township, and is also a notary public.
HASKIN BROTHERS, who are conducting a general mercantile bus- iness in dry-goods, groceries, boots and shoes, clothing and custom tailoring, are the successors of John Borland & Co. The business was established in 1871 by John Borland, but in 1874 Nelson Has- kin took an interest and has since continued in the business. The firm of Haskin Brothers was organized in 1881 and is composed of
Nelson Haskin and M. J. Haskin. Since that time they have enlarged their store from 22x65 to 45x105 and increased their business from $20,000 per year in sales, to more than three times that amount, their pay roll for help alone amounting to about $400 per monthı.
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