USA > Michigan > Lapeer County > History of Lapeer County, Michigan : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 55
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56
CHRISTOPHER MIDDAUGH was born in Ulster County, N. Y., in 1814. Settled in Elgin County, Ontario, in 1822, and Burlington, Lapeer County, Mich., in 1856, and now lives on section 10. Married in 1835 to Diadama House, born in the Niagara District, Ontario, in 1816. Seven children: Maria, born in 1837, and married in 1856 to Jonathan Rychman; Cynthia A., born 1840, married in 1860 to Edgar Brazie; Elizabeth, born in 1843, married in 1860 to Ardian Lyman ; Prudence, born in 1846, married in 1861 to Alson Congdon ; Charles W., born in 1848; Sarah M., born in 1854, married in 1872 to Daniel McInnis; John F., born in 1858, married 1881 to Cor- nelia Kinney, who was born in 1863.
WILLIAM C. SMITH was born in Canada in 1838. Settled in Burlington on section 28, in 1858. Married in 1869 to Margaret Scrimminger, who was born in Canada in 1842. Four children, William, Alexander, Rosa Belle, David.
L. H. M. COMSTOCK was born in Durham County, Ontario, in 1845; in connection with his father's family moved to Wisconsin in 1847, returned to Ontario in 1853, from thence in 1863 to Saginaw, Michigan, and in 1867 settled at North Branch, Lapeer County, Mich., and engaged in the hardware business. He now lives on section 30, Burlington Township, farming 320 acres, also engaged in lumbering. Married in 1871 to Sabra A. Newstead, who was born in Oxford County, Ontario, in 1852. One child, L. H. A., born in 1876.
A. W. LYMAN was born in Leeds County, Ontario, in 1831. Settled in Burlington, Lapeer County, Mich., in March, 1857, and at present resides at Clifford, doing a mercantile business in con- nection with a saw-mill. Married in 1851 Caroline Phelps, who was born in Leeds County, Ontario, in 1829. Their family con- sists of Seldon, George L., Rodney, Money, Luther, Cora. His father, Horace, was born in 1803, and is still living in Burlington. His grandfather, Benjamin, was born in 1761. Was a Revolution-
ary soldier and died in 1846. His great grandfather, Benjamin, was born in 1729 and died in 1799, being of the fifth generation from his grand ancestor Richard, who landed in Massachusetts in 1631.
D. H. F. MURNIHAN was born in Toronto, Ontario, in 1837. Moved to Cincinnati in infancy. Received his education at Wood- ward College, Ohio. Went to California in 1850, and in all made four trips across the plains from St. Louis. In 1861 enlisted in the Mechanics and Engineers Corps. Served a year and a half and now lives at Clifford, in the mercantile business. Married in 1858 Lydia M. Allen, who was born in Ypsilanti, Mich., 1839. Has four living children, Anna T., Allen C., Berenice, Dot.
ANDE PEARSON, born in Glenville County, Ontario, 1818. Set- tled in Hastings County in 1849, and in Burlington Township in 1856, locating on sections 3 and 4, which form the present village site of North Clifford. Married in 1842 Jane Ann Bellamy, who was born at North Augusta, Ontario, in 1825. Their family con- sists of Hiram B., born in 1845; Herbert A., 1848; Mary J. and Sarah R. (twins) born in 1858. Mary J. married N. Stover in 1877; Sarah R. married William Spencer in 1883. Martha, born in 1860, married F. Bentley in 1880.
C. G. CASE was born in Oxford County, Ontario, in 1840. Settled in Burlington Township in 1863 on section 29, where he still owns his farm, but at present is engaged in the hotel business at Clifford. Married in 1860 Emily Spencer, who was born in Ox- ford County, Ontario, in 1843. Four children: Eunice A. Mc- Laughlin, Esther Buel, C. G., Albert D. Lost two, Charles A., born 1862, died 1873; Hays, born 1876, died at six months of age.
WILLIAM BENTLEY was born in Monroe County, N. Y., March 27, 1825. Settled in Burlington Township, Lapeer County, Mich., in 1856, locating some 400 acres of land. As early as 1858 he had a cooper shop at his residence on section 22, and subsequently owned and operated a saw-mill, which was destroyed by fire during his absence, while attending the Centennial Exhibition in 1876, in which he sustained a loss of over $10,000. He also owned and improved several farms in Burlington, building no less than seven large barns. He diel April 10, 1883. In his locality Mr. Bentley was regarded as a business man of the most strict integrity and his presence is very much missed by all.
He married in 1857, Ellen R. Ney, who was born in Oregon Township, Lapeer County, in 1841. One adopted daughter, Blanche, born in 1863, and adopted in infancy.
Of his ancestry nothing can be learned. Mrs. Bentley's father, Edward Ney, was born near Hartford, Conn., in 1816. Settled in Oregon Township, Lapeer County, in 1840. Her mother, Rebecca Robinson, was born in Oneida County, N. Y., in 1818. Settled in Lapeer County in 1839. They were married in 1840, and lived in Lapeer County till 1880, when they moved to Isabella County, where they now reside. Their family consists of Ellen R. Bentley; Tacy D. Halsey, who lives in Oregon Township; Sarah E. Bough- ner, who lives in Isabella County; Edward E., who lives in Mack- inaw County; Cynthia S. Jackson, who lives in Gratiot County; Will H., who lives in Isabella County; George, unmarried and lives at home.
TOWN OF ARCADIA.
Arcadia lies nearly in the center of Lapeer County. On the north is the town of North Branch, Attica on the south, Goodland on the east and Mayfield on the west. Scattered over its surface are numerous bodies of water, at least twenty-three of which are large enough to be dignified with the name of lake or pond. In
6
HISTORY OF LAPEER COUNTY.
203
these head various tributaries of Flint River and Mill Creek, the former flowing to the westward and into the Saginaw River; the latter to the eastward into Black River, this town with Attica and Dryden being on the divide between the waters of the East and the West. The soil of the eastern and western part of the town is a clay loam; between these two portions is generally a sandy loam. The town was originally covered with a heavy growth of the best quality of pine, bodies of which were found on every section. This has now been all cut off, a portion being manufactured into lumber at the saw-mills in the town and at Fish Lake and Five Lakes, but the main body of it driven out by Flint River and Mill Creek. This product of the soil, so valuable to commerce and the lumbermen, has yet been the means of delaying the advent of the actual settler and the agricultural development of the town. The land was bought for its pine, and in large tracts, of the government, and necessarily withheld from settlement until the pine should be re- moved, its value and price placing it beyond the reach of those who sought only a home and to cultivate the soil. Only lately has this barrier been removed. The pine timber having been exhausted the owners have sought and are finding purchasers of the soil.
The development of Arcadia in population and agriculture to 1874, is shown by the following statistics from the census of that year: Population, 621; number of acres of taxable land, 23,000; of improved land, 1,918; number of sheep, 551; of horses, 103; of cows, 152; bushels of wheat raised the preceding year, 3,862; of corn, 6,500; of other grains, 5,475; of apples, 2,388; of potatoes, 3,302; of tons of hay, 515; of pounds of wool sheared, 2,065; of pounds of pork marketed, 35,580; of butter made, 15,900.
In 1880 the population of the town was 1,043.
The aggregate valuation of real and personal property as equal- ized by the board of supervisors in 1882, was $324,000.
ENTRIES OF LAND.
The following are the entries of land to 1861.
TOWNSHIP 8 NORTH, RANGE 11 EAST.
SECTION 1. Lucius Lyon, May 28, 1836.
SECTION 2. Lucius Lyon, May 28, 1836.
SECTION 3. Lucius Lyon, May 28, 1836.
SECTION 4. Lucius Lyon, May 28, 1836.
SECTION 5. Lucius Lyon, May 28, 1836.
. SECTION 6. Lucius Lyon, May 28, 1836.
SECTION 7. Lucius Lyon, May 28, 1836.
SECTION 8. Lucius Lyon, May 11, 1836.
SECTION 9. Lucius Lyon, May 11, 1836.
SECTION 10.
Lucius Lyon, May 11, 1836.
SECTION 11. Lucius Lyon, May 28, 1836.
SECTION 12. Lucius Lyon, May 28, 1836.
SECTION 13.
Lucius Lyon, May 28, 1836.
SECTION 14. Isaac N. Jenness, April 22, 1853. Martin Cohnan, February 28, 1853. James Stanton, September 7, 1854.
SECTION 15. Lucius Lyon, May 11, 1836. John Groover, November 7, 1850. Francis Ruby, August 12, 1852.
SECTION 16.
Eber B. Ward, October 11, 1853. Eber B. Ward, January 10, 1854.
SECTION 17. Lucius Lyon, May 11, 1836.
SECTION 18. Lucius Lyon, May 28, 1836.
SECTION 19. Charles Rich and Gasca Rich, May 16, 1836. Lucius Lyon, May 28, 1836.
SECTION 20. Lucius Lyon, May 11, 1836.
SECTION 21. Lucius Lyon, May 11, 1836.
SECTION 22. Lucius Lyon, May 11, 1836. William Patrick, May 22, 1850. William Shotwell, November 19, 1850.
SECTION 23. Byron Moses, September 9, 1850. Alvah June, March 5, 1853. Isaac N. Jenness, April 22, 1853. Samuel Carpenter, Jr., September 28, 1853. Francis Ruby, November 28, 1854. William Shotwell, November 29, 1854. Alvah June, December 4, 1854.
SECTION 24. Lucius Lyon, June 30, 1836. Elihu T. Rice, November 27, 1851. Cyrus Humphrey, June 7, 1852. Elisha Fornan, July 27, 1852. Isaac N. Jenness, April 22, 1853. Samuel Carpenter, Jr., September 15, 1853. William C. Matthews, October 26, 1858.
SECTION 25. George Frink, July 5, 1851. James Baldwin, December 1, 1851. George S. Osborne, May 17, 1852. Lafayette W. Giddings, June 8, 1852. Samuel Carpenter, Jr., September 28, 1853. James B. Woodward, December 4, 1854. Zeburs June, December 10, 1856. John Groover, December 10, 1856.
SECTION 26. Alexander Livingston, December 7, 1850. Jonathan Kindall, April 21, 1851. Samuel Carpenter, Jr., September 15, 1853. James R. June, December 4, 1854. George M. Rutherford, July 1, 1858.
SECTION 27. Lucius Lyon, May 28, 1836.
SECTION 28. Lucius Lyon, May 28, 1836.
SECTION 29. Lucius Lyon, May 28, 1836.
SECTION 30. Clark C. Boutwell and Benjamin J. Boutwell, May 13, 1836. Thomas Haskill, March 1, 1842.
Major H. Haskill, March 1, 1842.
Isaac D. Coon, October 18, 1848.
Lucius M. Lyon, November 20, 1848.
Isaac Vorheis, March 1, 1850.
Barnibus Terry, November 16, 1850. Isaac D. Coon, November 25, 1850. Joseph Wager, August 6, 1852.
SECTION 31. Charles and Gasca Rich, May 16, 1836. Almon B. Pratt, February 17, 1838. Elbridge G. Deming, November 28, 1839. Joseph B. Hart, August 18, 1840. Jerome Davis, August 24, 1849. James Goodrich, July 5, 1852.
SECTION 32. Lucius Lyon, July 15, 1836. Horace C. Weston, April 27, 1847. Ralph Gates, October 26, 1849. William W. Bachelor, October 20, 1852.
Joshua Terry, 2d., December 7, 1853. Albion Whitney, November 28, 1854. Peter Grosbeck, November 28, 1854. John A. Battays, June 20, 1849.
SECTION 33. Lucius Lyon, May 28, 1836.
SECTION 34. Lucius Lyon, May 28, 1836.
SECTION 35. Nicholas Gass, Jr., June 11, 1836. Peter Hagner, June 15, 1836. Ebenezer Gould, June 21, 1836. Lucius Lyon, July 15, 1836.
5
0
.
204
HISTORY OF LAPEER COUNTY.
SECTION 35. Samuel Carpenter, Jr., September 15, 1853.
SECTION 36. Nicholas Gass, Jr., June 11, 1836. M. Healey and B. B. Kercheval, June 15, 1836. John Barber, February 27, 1845. John Barber, August 21, 1845. William W. Barber, January 12, 1852. Asael Whitcomb, August 23, 1853. John M. Vincent, December 3, 1853.
EARLY HISTORY.
For reasons heretofore given, viz., the purchase of the land `of the government for speculative purposes, very few of the actual settlers of the town made entries of government land. The first settler, so far as can be learned, was Thomas Haskell, who, in 1839, settled on section 31, where for several years he kept a hotel. He died in Arcadia. In 1847 came Peter Grosbeck, who also set- tled on section 32 and died here. His family still reside in the town. In 1848 came Nicholas Gass and John B. Wilson, the for- mer in section 36 and the latter in section 31.
J. B. WILSON was born in Greenfield, Erie County, Pa., Octo- ber 21, 1822, and came with his parents to Detroit in 1824. On the death of his father in 1831 he returned with his mother to her former home in Vermont. In 1847 he came to Lapeer and in 1848 removed to the township of Arcadia and located on section 31, where he has since resided. Since coming to the county he has been engaged in lumbering and farming and built the first saw-mill erected in the township. He has done an extensive business, own- ing at one time fourteen hundred acres of land in the county, be- sides large tracts in other sections of the State. Has been super- visor of Arcadia eleven years, justice of the peace sixteen years, and from 1860 to 1864 was a member of the State legislature. In 1859 was one of the commissioners appointed by Governor Wimer to lo- cate the State road from Lexington to Lapeer and in the discharge of his duties was obliged to camp out and lie on the ground thirty nights during the month of March. His farm buildings are com- modious and his grain barn, which is 50x100 feet on the ground, standing on a wall ten feet in height, ranks as one of the best in the county. He was married in 1845 to Miss Clara Rich, a native of Shoreham, Vt., who was born Nov. 5, 1824. Their children were John D., born July 18, 1846, died October 26, 1867; Affia J., born Dec. 8, 1852; Charles H., born April 30, 1857; Clara, born April 4, 1860; Mary E., born January 19, 1862; Julia B., born Aug. 5, 1864, and was killed by the kick of a horse Dec. 9, 1869.
NICHOLAS GASS, deceased, was born in Greene County, N. Y., in July, 1800, and first purchased land in the township of Arcadia in 1836. He moved upon the land in 1848 and resided there until his death, which occurred in 1855. He was county surveyor during the greater part of his residence in the county and laid out the vil- lage of North Branch and made a survey of the plank road from Lapeer to Port Huron. His books show that his first work as a surveyor was done April 21, 1849, and his last just prior to his death, Sept. 20, 1855. He died in Macomb County and is buried in Brooklyn. He was married January 28, 1836, to Miss Almira Whitcomb, of New York, who resided in the vicinity of the Cats- kill Mountains. She still survives him and resides upon the orig- inal homestead in Arcadia. Of four children born to them none are now living, except Mrs. Rood, of the township of Lapeer. Ro- main M. Gass, the youngest son, always resided on the homestead and married Miss Mary St. Thomas, of Cynthiana, Harrison County, Ky., Oct. 27, 1869. He died April 16, 1878. His widow and two sons still survive him and remain in his former home. William Lee Gass, eldest son, died Aug. 26, 1872. His home was
on section 36, and he married Miss Annie M. St. Thomas, also of Cynthiana, Ky. They also had two sons. She is again married and is now a resident of Dakota.
In 1850 came William Shotwell, settling on the southeast quarter of section 22, Munson Pendleton on section 19, William Eastman on section 23, and Joseph Wager, first township treas- urer, on section 30.
It will be seen that settlement of the town began in the south- west and southeast parts of the town, to which it has been mostly confined until recently. Settlers in the southeast came in by the State road by way of Almont; and in the southwest by way of La- peer.
During the administration of President Buchanan, a postoffice was established in section 30, M. K. Haskell being appointed post- master. It was, however, subsequently discontinued.
The first school-house in the town was a frame building, built in 1850, the lumber being furnished by Wilson's water-mill. The contract was let to John Sands and Stephen Warren. The cost was $115. It is still standing, weather-beaten and showing signs of age and long service, but still serviceable and in use. It is lo- cated on the town line in the southwest quarter of section 31.
The first child born in the town was Elizabeth, daughter of M. K. Haskell, about 1842.
There is no church building in Arcadia, but classes of the Methodist Protestant Church have been formed and services are held at the DeGroat school-house in section 22, and at the Hask- ell school-house.
There is neither lawyer nor physician in the town.
In the summer of 1883 a postoffice was established in section 36, being moved from the neighboring town of Attica. Mrs. R. M. Gass is postmistress.
The town-house of Arcadia was originally built for a school- house and was bought by the town in 1879 for general town pur- poses. It is located in section 22.
The healthfulness of the town is shown by the fact that no town in the United States has a lower death rate.
Besides a productive soil, Arcadia possesses undoubted mineral wealth in beds of marl which appears here and there. It is said also to have beds of what appears to be kaolin or porcelain clay which in digging wells are frequently penetrated.
The annual report of the school inspectors of Arcadia for the vear 1882 shows the number of school-houses to have been seven; total number of school children, 351. The school inspectors for the ensuing year as follows: Solon W. Bentley, George Winslow, Solo- mon Edwards, Moses M. Trenamen, Samuel Bearinger, John P. Ryan, Charles D. Hough.
The Red Ribbon movement in 1877 reached Arcadia, and in December the Arcadia Reform Club was organized with the follow- ing officers: President, W. A. Mckinley; secretary, Mrs. S. C. King; treasurer, W. Stockham.
Early in 1877 a man by the name of Davis came from Canada and commenced preaching the Mormon doctrine in Arcadia and Goodland. He claimed to be a prophet sent from God, invested with miraculous power, able and willing to heal the sick, etc. The skeptical and curious went to hear him. In the spring he went back to Canada, but returned the following fall, bringing with him another prophet, named Cornish. They made an aggressive war- fare, and for a time awakened some interest, but it was temporary and soon became a thing of the past.
The first town meeting was held at the house of William Shot- well in section 22, April 6, 1857. Of the large number of voters for a first town meeting, J. B. Wilson's mill furnished fourteen. Prior to this the township had been organized with Lapeer.
HISTORY OF LAPEER COUNTY.
205 .
At this first election the whole number of votes for supervisor was forty and they were given for the following named persons, viz: John B. Wilson received sixteen, William Barber, six, and William Barbour, eighteen. John B. Wilson declared elected.
For clerk, William W. Barber received nineteen votes and Samuel Fitch, eighteen; William W. Barber was declared elected. For treasurer, William W. Wilson received nineteen votes and Joseph Wager, twenty-one. Joseph Wager was declared elected.
For justices of the peace, John B. Wilson received twenty-one votes, James H. Abbott, twenty-two. James Stanton, twenty-four, Elisha C. Pendleton, sixteen, Samuel Perkins, twenty- four and Don A. C. Hungerford, nineteen; John B. Wilson, James Abbott, Samuel Perkins and James Stanton were declared elected.
For commissioners of highways, James Abbott received twenty- seven votes, Samuel Fitch, twenty-one, A. H. Jones, thirteen, M. R. Haskell, nineteen, James Charles eleven, and Zebard June, twenty- one; Samuel Fitch, James H. Abbott and Zebard June were declared elected.
For school inspectors, William W. Wilson received forty votes, Elisha C. Pendleton, twenty and James H. Abbott, sixteen; William W. Wilson and Elisha C. Pendleton were declared elected.
For overseers of the poor, Samuel Fitch received twenty-one votes, William H. McDade, nineteen, James June, nineteen, James -received three and William Shotwell, one; Samuel Fitch and James June were declared elected.
For constables William H. McDade, Alexander Steward, James B. Woodward and Aaron Hunt received each twenty-one votes and were declared elected.
It was voted to raise one hundred dollars for town expenses; that the town pay four dollars bounty on each and every wolf caught and killed in the town. William Shotwell and Samuel Fitch were appointed a committee to select a suitable lot for a burying ground.
At a regular meeting of the board of school inspectors at the office of the town clerk, May 16. 1857, Lydia Jane Garvey received a certificate to teach a primary school. And on the 25th of May a beginning was made of the town library by the purchase of thirty- two volumes of a miscellaneous character the list beginning with Josephus, 1 vol.
TOWN OFFICERS.
1857-Supervisor, John B. Wilson; clerk, William W. Barber; treasurer, Joseph Wager. Number of votes, 40.
1858-Supervisor, John B. Wilson; clerk, William W. Barber; treasurer, Joseph Wager. Number of votes, 32.
1859-Supervisor, William W. Barber; clerk, Samuel Fitch; treasurer, William W. Wilson. Number of votes, 43.
1860-No record.
1861-Supervisor, Joseph Wager; clerk, Abner C. Folsom; treasurer, William W. Wilson. Number of votes, 46.
1862-Supervisor, William W. Wilson; clerk, William W. Barber; treasurer, Samuel Fitch. Number of votes, 54.
1863-Supervisor, Joseph Wager; clerk, Abner C. Folsom; treasurer, James H. Abbott. Number of votes, 45.
. 1864-Supervisor, William Y. Mead; clerk, Lorenzo D. Bur- ton; treasurer, James H. Abbott. Number of votes, 51. 1865-No record.
1866-Supervisor, John B. Wilson; clerk, Samuel Fitch; treas- urer, William N. Batchelder. Number of votes, 65.
1867-Supervisor, John B. Wilson; clerk, Samuel Fitch; treas- urer, Samuel Bevens. Number of votes, 74.
1868-Supervisor, John B. Wilson; clerk, Samuel Fitch; treas- urer, Samuel Bevens. Number of votes, 80.
1869-Supervisor, William Y. Mead; clerk, Orson Gould; treasurer, David Ingersoll. Number of votes, 58.
1870-Supervisor, William Y. Mead; clerk, Orson Gould; treasurer, Pierce N. Rood.
1871-Supervisor, William Y. Mead; clerk, Samuel Fitch; treasurer, Walter S. Lyons.
1872 -Supervisor, Truman H. Rice; clerk, Samuel Bevens; treasurer, Lewis Mitchell.
1873-Supervisor, Oscar M. Dodge; clerk, Harvey Goodrich; treasurer, Walter S. Lyons.
1874-Supervisor, Oscar M. Dodge; clerk, Horace D. Good- rich; treasurer, Walter S. Lyons.
1875-Supervisor, Oscar M. Dodge; clerk, Horace D. Good- rich; treasurer, Walter S. Lyons.
1876-Supervisor, Oscar M. Dodge; clerk, Leonard S. Fitch; treasurer, Walter S. Lyons.
1877-Supervisor, Lewis Mitchell; clerk, Orson Gould; treas- urer, Samuel Bevens.
1878- Supervisor, Oscar M. Dodge; clerk, Orson Gould; treas- urer, Samuel Bevens.
1879-Supervisor, Samuel Bevens; clerk, Orson Gould; treas- urer, Lewis Mitchell.
1880-Supervisor, John B. Wilson; clerk, John P. Ryan; treas- urer, John Dyer.
1881-Supervisor, John B. Wilson; clerk, John P. Ryan; treas- urer, John Dyer. 1882-No record.
1883-Supervisor, John P. Ryan; clerk, George M. Selleck; treasurer, Francis M. Haines.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
JOHN P. RYAN was born in St. Clair County, Mich., February 26, 1856, where he remained until 1860, when he moved with his parents to the township of Lapeer, Lapeer County, and resided there until 1879. He then purchased his present farm on section 26, township of Arcadia, and has since made that his home. In 1878 he married Miss Leve West, of Attica, Lapeer County. Mr. Ryan attended the St. Clair union school for a time, and subse- quently taught school for a number of terms in various places. Since his residence in the township has represented the voters in some official capacity; superintendent of schools in 1879, township clerk, 1880-'81-'82, and supervisor in 1883.
REUBEN PURDY is a native of Ontario, Canada, where he was born March 4, 1828. He remained in Ontario until February, 1856, when he moved to Port Huron, Mich., and remained there until 1871. In that year he came to Lapeer County and engaged with Jenness & Co. as engineer in their mill at Attica. He continued with them until 1878, when he moved on his farm on section 33, where he has since resided. In 1852 married Miss Elizabeth Purdy, also a native of Canada, and has a family of seven children.
GEORGE M. SELLECK was born in Macomb County, Mich., July 15, 1845, and at six months of age came with his grandparents to Lapeer County and located in the township of Almont. His grand- father was James Hills, the first settler of the township of Good- land. At nine years of age he removed to Goodland, remaining there about eighteen months, after which he lived in Dryden, gen- erally, until 1865, when he enlisted in the Eighth Michigan Cavalry, and was with that organization fourteen months in Tennessee, Ala- bama and Mississippi. Returning from the army he again located in Dryden, but subsequently went to Bay City, and from 1874 to 1878 was with Smith, Ballard & Co., in charge of their branch land plaster mill in West Bay City. He returned to Lapeer County in
206
HISTORY OF LAPEER COUNTY.
1878, and located on section 13, of Arcadia, where he has since re- sided. He is the present town clerk, having been elected at the spring election of 1883. Married Miss Emma C. Jones, of Bruce, Macomb County, Mich., October 25, 1871.
FRANK M. HAINES, the subject of this sketch, was born in Greene County, N. Y., September 10, 1844, and when eight years of age came to Michigan with his parents, and located in the township of Addison, Oakland County, where he remained ten years, at the end of which time he removed at Macomb County, but soon thereafter returned to Oakland County, where he remained three years. Return- ing again to Macomb County, he remained there until he came to Lapeer County, and settled on section 30 of the township of Good- land, at the same time purchasing land lying opposite in the town- ship of Arcadia, where he now resides. Mr. Haines is the present (1883) township treasurer. He was married December 4, 1872, to Miss Lucy J. Nelson, of Macomb County, Michigan.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.