USA > Michigan > Macomb County > History of Macomb County, Michigan > Part 81
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HISTORY OF MACOMB COUNTY.
ton; and Nelson M., married Caroline Dixon, residing at Mt. Clemens. Mr. Miller was married. in 1842. to Miss Hannah Wheeler. He moved to Romeo in 1867, and in 1869 bought his present residence on Benjamin street. His wife died in 1873. He was a third time married. in 1873. of Mrs. Joanna Smith, daughter of Jacob Beekman. Mr. Miller was a Democrat about thirty years of his life, but later he became a Republican. He has been a member of the Methodist Church sixty four years. Mrs. Miller is a mem- ber of the same church. Mr. Miller has experienced all the vicissitudes of pioneer life, and observed and participated in the advancement of this portion of the country to its present creditable and prosperons state. He is a zealous temperance advocate; was a sol- dier of the war of 1812; enlisted in 1814, just before it closed, for which service he re- ceived a pension under aet of March 9, 1878. His religion is of a type that will and has endured the test of trial.
J. R. MORLAND was born May 3. 1839, in town of Berlin, St. Clair Co., Mich. His parents were natives of Ireland. His father died in the year 1858, and his mother is now living at Romeo, at the age of sixty-three years. In 1840, Mr. Morland came to this country, and received his education at the public schools, and was bred a farmer until he was twenty-two years of age. He enlisted in the war of the rebellion January 7, 1862, as a sharp-shooter; served three years; his period of enlistment expired just before the close of the war. He was in the following engagements: Yorktown, Hanover Court House. Gaines' Hill, Malvern Hill. and all through the seven-days' battle before Richmond. Chancellorsville, Alder, Middlesburg, Gettysburg. His regiment marched forty miles in one day, reaching Gettysburg in time to help check the advance forces of the rebels, and, after the battle of Gettysburg was over, drove the retreating rebels across the Rappahan nock. The next engagement was at Mine Run, and then the regiment fell back to the Rappahannock River and went into winter quarters. The next engagement was in the spring of 1864. the battle of the Wilderness, which lasted three days; and next a flank movement was made to Laurel Hill, where they encountered the rebel force and fought them two days, and the second day the battle lasted until 10 o'clock in the evening, and ended in a hand-to-hand contest in the darkness. The regiment's next engagements were at Spottsylvania and Cold Harbor, Petersburg. Erecting large forts on the lines of breast- work, they were under fire at the latter place about sixty days, and next made a flank movement and captured and held the Waldon Railroad. The next engagement was near South Side Railroad, where they succeeded in routing the enemy, and captured a fort, with a loss of Col. Walsh, commanding his regiment; he was struck with a rifle ball in the head and killed instantly. This was the last engagement. Mr. Morland's time of enlistment expired shortly, and he was honorably discharged January 20, 1865, and re- turned to Romeo, and, after a short visit to Oil City, returned. He bought a half inter- est in a general mercantile enterprise, in which he was engaged about thirteen years, when he disposed of his interest. and, shortly after, embarked in the hardware trade, in 1878. He has a full line of goods; carries a large stock, and is having a reasonably successful trade. He has always been a Republican, and acted with the party. He was elected Vil- lage Marshal for four years; was married, January 25, 1872, to Avis Humphrey, a native of Almont, Lapeer Co., Mich. They have four children-Myrtle, Howard. Grace and Lue. His residence is on First street, Romeo, Mich.
MATHEW MORTON, son of James Morton, a native of Scotland, was born in Ayr- shire May 5, 1836; at the age of eight years, emigrated to America with his parents, set- tling on Section 7, Armada, where he resided until attaining his majority, attending the schools of the locality. His tastes and inclinations were mechanical, and the leisure time of his youth was spent in the study and erection of some piece of machinery, often to the vexation and against the wishes of his father. Soon after arriving at age, he engaged in
Y
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HISTORY OF MACOMB COUNTY.
the business of foundry and machine-shop at Armada Village about one year; from here he removed to Lapeer City,'engaging on a larger scale in the same business (building and repairing engines). which he continued fourteen years, a portion of the time in connection with other parties: in 1871. he removed to Romeo and engaged in engine and railroad work, in company with A. Hamblin: his first engine was built in 1861, for a party in La- peer City, on a conditional contract; when it was completed. it filled all the conditions, and is still in use; he made the drafts and patterns, melted the iron and executed the mechanical work, and set it running unassisted; on the completion of his first marine engine. the contracting parties made him a voluntary bonus of $100; in 1870, he made an improvement in the engine of a flonring-mill in Detroit, by which a saving was gained of half in fuel, and more than half in time; upon two weeks' notice, he invented and made a machine with which he bored out four cylinders for locomotives in twenty hours -- a saving of 75 per cent in time, and making as fine a job as could be made in any lathe. In 1875, the company (Morton & Hamblin) removed their business in St. Clair, and continued for three and a half years. returning at that time to Romeo. In May, 1879, he invented a check valve, on which he was granted letters patent. and soon after a company was organized for this manufacture, which, together with the manufacture of tread-powers, upon which he also secured a patent, forms the work of the company at the present time; the valves are now used upon the rolling-mills at Cleveland, Ohio, the Mississippi, in Col- orado and Australia, and are very popular. Mr. Hamblin retired from the firm in 1879. Mr. Morton was married, July 4, 1859, to Sarah T., daughter of Lorenzo and Harriet Strong, of Lapeer City, born April 29, 1841; the fruit of this marriage has been Harriet, born April 3. 1860, married J. Milliken and lives in Lapeer County; Henry E., born Sep- tember 16, 1863; and Mason, born August 29, 1873. Both Mr. and Mrs. Morton connected themselves with the Protestant Methodist Church in 1859, and are still in sympathy with it.
FREEDOM MUNROE was born January 24, 1796. in Dutchess County, N. Y .; is son of Lemuel and Anna (Potter) Munroe. His father was of Highland Scotch descent, and was a soldier in the Revolution, and fought through six campaigns; he was also in the war of 1812. and fought at Queenstown. He died at Howell. Livingston County, in 1853, aged ninety-six years; his wife died a few years previons. Mr. Munroe's parents moved to Otsego. N. Y., when he was six years old. and six years after to Bloomfield, On- tario County. In 1816, he went to Cincinnati, Ohio, returning after a short time to Bloomfield and remained with his parents until 1824. In the spring of that year. he came to Michigan, crossing Lake Erie in the steamer Superior, the only one then run- ning. He located in Bruce and took up 160 acres of land, built a shanty and lived alone two and a half years. He was married. in 1827, to Mary E. Cooper, of Lima, N. Y. They had seven daughters and three sons, all of whom are living. His wife died October S, 1854. and he was again married, September 30, 1867, to Mrs. Lucinda Doty, of Ohio. In 1868, he sold his farm and came to Romeo, where he now resides, with his daughter, Charlotte H .. wife of Ephraim Vanburger. He is eighty-six years old; cast his first Pres- idential vote for Harrison, and joined the Republican party on its formation. He served a term as Postmaster of Bruce; never used tobacco in any form.
DEXTER MUSSEY was born in Worcester County, Mass., January 12, 1811. He is the son of Eli and Persis Prontey Mnssey, whose ancestors were the first settlers in that county and State. He was reared there, and educated as liberally as the facilities of that day allowed, and spent five years in Lowell. Mass. In the fall of 1836, he came to Michigan, and in January, 1837. settled at Romeo. In 1845, he entered public life, and was elected Justice of the l'eace, which office he has filled continuously ever since. In 1854. he was elected by the Republicans to represent this district in the Legislature, re- taining the position for eight years. In the sessions of 1861 and 1862. he served as
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HISTORY OF MACOMB COUNTY.
Speaker of the House. He was Collector of Internal Revenue for this district during the war, and was actively engaged in local politics. He was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1867, to revise the constitution of the State. He has acquired much popu- larity in his native neighborhood, and all throughout the State, through his disinterested efforts for the permanent benefit of the people. He was married, in 1836, in Lowell, Mass., to Lydia Russell. They have three sous and three daughters. Mr. Mussey was chosen Deacon of the Congregational Church of Romeo in 1838.
CHARLTON B. NEWBURY, deceased, was born June 9, 1809, at Mansfield, Tolland Co., Conn. About the year 1832, he went to Amherst, Mass .. and in 1840 settled at Romeo, where he spent the remainder of his life. October 2, 1831, he married Mary H. James, of Brooklyn, Conn., and they had a family of four children, rearing three of them to maturity. Mr. Newbury came to Romeo with Nathan Dickinson, an old settler and prominent business citizen of Romeo, and they formed a copartnership with E. W. Gid- dings, under the style of Dickinson, Giddings & Co., which existed about eight years. On the dissolution of the firm, Mr. Newbury established his well-known mercantile house, and in 1852, associated with himself Watson Loud. In 1865, Mr. Newbury retired, and Edward C. Newbury, his son, became junior partner of the concern. Five years later, Charles F. Newbury purchased the interest of Mr. Loud, and the firm of Newbury Bros. was organized. This is a business house of known and tested probity. Their stock com- prises a large and fine assortment of dry goods, carpets and clothing, representing a capital of $20,000. Edward C. Newbury, senior member of the firm of Newbury Bros., was born November 13, 1838, at Amherst, Mass., and came to Romeo with his parents. He was educated there, and received his business training in his father's store, to the proprietorship of which, with his brother, he eventually succeeded. He was married, September 14, 1864, to Lucy Doan, of Kenosha, Wis. They have three daughters. Mr. Newbury has always been a Republican. Charles F. Newbury was born August 19, 1845, at Romeo, where he obtained his education and grew to manhood. He was clerk with Loud & Newbury five years, and afterward purchased the interest of the former. He was married, at Kenosha, Wis., May 8, 1867, to Ella M. Doan. He has always been a Republican, and in 1876 was elected Warden of the village fire department; at present, is First Assistant Engineer of the Romeo steamer.
GEORGE P. NEWBURY, son of Elihu and Rhoda (Phelps) Newbury, was born No- vember 24, 1817. in Oneida County, N. Y. His parents were natives of Connecticut. He was reared to the age of fifteen in New York, and, in the autumn of 1832, went to Detroit, remy ining until the summer of 1833, when he went to the city of New York. There he engaged in the coast service about six years, mean while making a trip to London. In the autumn of 1841, he came to Romeo, where he has since resided, with the exception of two years, which he spent on the lakes. In 1845, he learned harness-making, in which bus . iness he has since been engaged. He was married in New York, to Active C. Boynton, a native of Oswego County, N. Y. After her death Mr. Newbury was married again, to Rebecca Ann Scramlin, of Macomb County. They have six children-John S., George E., Minnie P .. Alfred M., Fannie E. and Margaret A .- all at home but the eldest, who is in Detroit. Mr. Newbury was an adherent of the Whig party until the fusion of political elements in which it was merged, when he became a Democrat. During the rebellion. he was special agent of the Provost Marshal, looking after deserters. He has been a member of the Board of Village Trustees.
JOHN F. NICHOLS was born March 9, 1809, in Fort Ann, Washington Co., N. Y .; he was married, March 29, 1832. to Louise Terril, born June 12, 1816, in Pittsford, Mon- roe Co., N. Y .; their children were born as follows: Fidelia, July 1, 1834; Harriet, De- cember 3, 1836; David, March 13, 1838; Isabell, April 14, 1840; James, November 16,
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HISTORY OF MACOMB COUNTY.
1842; John F., July 1, 1845: Georgiana, February 4, 1848: Manless, March 18, 1851: Thyrza, November 17, 1853; Wallace, April 28, 1857. Elisha Nichols, father of the above, was born January 10, 1773: his wife, Mary Hyde Nichols, was born September S, 1776; her maiden name was Bolton; she married Rawsel Hyde, and had one child-An- nie. Mr. and Mrs. Nichols moved from Middlebury, Genesee Co., N. Y .. September 3, 1824, and reached Detroit September 11; they settled at Curtiss Corners, Shelby, Macomb County. Mr. N. died January 29, 1847; Mrs. N. died August 10, 1851; their children were born as follows: Huldah, April 2, 1799: Lucinda, October 29, 1802; Philena. Sep- tember 6, 1803; William, February 6, 1805; Weltha. July 21, 1806; Daniel B., September 30, 1807; John F., March 9, 1809, died April 14, 1873; Ona, October 7, 1810; Minerva, July 12, 1811.
ISAAC N. OWEN was born in Genesee County. N. Y., November 12, 1823; is son of Abijah and Sally (Davis) Owen. In June. 1825, his father settled in Shelby, Macomb Co., Mich., taking a farm of eighty acres, where he resided until his death, in 1837. His mother reared seven of a family of nine children, on the farm which passed into the hands of her son, L. D. Owen, of Romeo, with whom she resided until the end of her life, in September, 1880. At the age of thirteen, Mr. Owen, of this sketch, began to learn the chair-maker's trade at Rochester, Oakland County, at which he worked several years, after- ward learning the business of a wood-turner, which he pursued twenty years. In 1861, he enlisted in Brady's Sharp-shooters, commanded by Col. Dygart, of Detroit, and attached to the Sixteenth Michigan Infantry. He was discharged in February, 1863, having been disabled June 27, 1862, in the swamps of the Chickahominy. He receives a pension. Mr. Owen was a Democrat at the outbreak of his political career, but has adopted the principles and measures of the Republican party. He has served as Deputy Sheriff of Macomb County two years, and for several terms as Constable, which office he still holds; also was Assistant Census Marshal in 1870. He was married, September 5, 1867. to Mind- well A. Tindall, a native of Michigan, and the following year, built his present residence on Bailey street. Mr. Owen came to this county among the pioneers, and has ob- served its gradual development from its primeval condition to its present prosperous state. There were Indians in those days, and the younger aborigines were the playfellows among their peers in years among the white settlers.
AMOS PALMER was born January 26, 1810, at Granville, Washington Co., N. Y .; is son of Amos and Laura White Palmer, the former a native of Connecticut, the latter born in New York. Both died in the Empire State at an advanced age. Mr. Palmer spent the first twenty-five years of his life in Granville, and, in the autumn of 1835, Io- cated at Romeo, Mich. His first business enterprise was in wagon-making, which he pur- sued one year. In 1838, he established a cabinet-shop, which he operated successfully, and sold out a prosperous business in May, 1881. His brother, Abijah Palmer, was asso- ciated with him twelve years. He is now engaged in the manufacture of patent window- shades, of which he is making a specialty. He belongs to the Republican party. He was married, in September, 1835, in the State of New York, to Lydia M. Felch, who died in Angust, 1836. In 1837, Mr. Palner was married to Ruth Barker. Their only surviving son, Amos W. Palmer, resides at Romeo; married Lucretia Dake; they have one dangh- ter. A son, John B., died at Milwaukee in 1859, aged twenty-one years. Mr. Palmer's residence is in the north part of the village.
IRA S. PEARSALL was born August 1, 1810, in Cayuga County, N. Y. He is the son of Henry and Phoebe Sommerton Pearsall, the former a native of Saratoga County, N. Y., and the latter of Connecticut. They had a family of four sons and two daughters, and in 1831 they settled in Troy, Oakland Co .. Mich. Mr. Pearsall was in a law office in Moravia, Cayuga County, six years, and, on coming to Michigan, he settled in Washington
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HISTORY OF MACOMB COUNTY.
Township, and engaged in mercantile business; afterward located a farm in Shelby, where he lived for thirty-four years, engaged in agricultural and other pursuits. He carried the mail for two years from Royal Oak, Oakland County, through Rochester, Orion, Oxford and Metamora to Lapeer, which place he furnished with all the mail received there. He went on horseback. and was also engaged extensively in stage contracts, driving from Port Huron to Lexington and Port Sanilac. In this he continued for four years. In 1869, he gave his farm to his children and came to Romeo, where he was connected with the stage mail routes through this part of the State. He was married, in 1835, to Celia White, a native of New York, and moved to Cleveland, Ohio; she died in 1867. They had three children- Dwight E., married Mary Smith, of Missouri, and lives on the homestead; Adelia W., wife of John M. Snook, of New York City, resides at Jackson, Mich .; Celia A., died at thirteen years of age. Politically, Mr. Pearsall was in early life a Whig, but identified himself with the Republican party, and, though not an office-seeker, has always taken a lively interest in politics. He has been connected with the Masonic and Odd Fellow orders many years. He was married, in 1869, to Augusta V. Lake, a native of Macomb County. Mr. Pearsall is a highly respected citizen of the county, and is spending the latter days of his life in well-earned comfort. His residence is on Benjamin street.
JAMES PHELPS was born October 2, 1821, in Rush, Monroe Co., N. Y. He was the son of David and Mary Merritt Phelps. They moved to Michigan October 24, 1829, and bought 160 acres of land, where they passed the remainder of their lives. Of their family of nine children, three are living. The father died in Romeo, in April, 1868; the mother, in February, 1860. Mr. Phelps remained on his father's farm until he was twenty-seven years old, when he went to Lapeer County, on a farm in Dryden, 180 acres, where he remained fourteen years. He was married, December 30, 1848, to Esther Dus- ing, and, after leaving Dryden, moved to Washington, on the farm owned by his wife's mother, then a widow, adding to it other land adjoining. The family moved thither to take care of Mrs. Dusing in her old age, and resided there eighteen years. In February, 1881, he bought his present residence on Benjamin street. His political views are of the Independent stripe. He represents the issues of no party, and votes as his judgment die- tates, irrespective of party. Mr. and Mrs. Phelps have reared three children-Christina M., now Mrs. Smith Taft: Helen E. and Eugene V. John J. died December 24, 1851, and Frederick died October 4, 1855.
IRA F. PRATT was born Angust 29, 1844, at Romeo, Mich. He is the son of Ariel and Harriet Hopkins Pratt. His father was born November 12, 1801, at Bridgewater, Vt .: went early in life to Middlebury, Genesee Co., N. Y., and was there married, May 18, 1826, to Harriet M. Hopkins. He went to Eden, Erie Co., N. Y., and afterward came to Romeo, where he opened a general store. After a few years, he engaged in farming in Bruce, two miles north of Romeo, where he remained until 1858; returned to Romeo and stayed until 1862, when he sold his farm and moved to Laingsburg, Shiawassee County. In IS64, he went to Lansing, and, four years later, to Cedar Creek, Muskegon County, where he died on his farm, October 1, 1870. He had two sons and two daughters: the daughters are deceased. Mr. Pratt, of this sketch, was brought up and educated at Romeo. At the age of nineteen, he entered a dry goods house at Detroit as a clerk, but, after two months. went to Laingsburg, Shiawassee County, where he embarked in mer- cantile business with his brother, Emory A. Pratt, under the firm style of E. A. & I. F. Pratt. In 1864, they sold out and went to Lansing, and opened a drug store under the name of Pratt Bros. They were burnt ont in the spring of 1866, but immediately started business again. I. F. Pratt sold out April 1, 1866, came to Romeo and went into trade in com- pany with T. A. Smith. After three years, he engaged with Mr. Smith on a salary, and in 1871 bought out the crockery store of Caleb Nye, where he has since been in business.
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HISTORY OF MACOMB COUNTY.
He has built up a prosperous trade, and carries a finely selected, valuable stock of goods. He was married, April 5, 1865, to Cornelia A. Prentiss, daughter of Azariah Prentiss. They have three sons -Clarence A. I., Frank and Herbert P. They have buried one child, Alfred D., who died in infancy. Mr. Pratt is a Republican. His residence is on St. Clair street.
JAMES E. PRICE was born October 18, 1830, in Washington Township. His par- ents, Peter and Emma (Hopkins) Price, were old settlers in the county, coming here from New York in 1824. Peter Price came to Washington when he was seventeen years old, and married a sister of Orman W. Hopkins, of Romeo. He purchased a farm of 160 acres from the Government August 1, 1831, patented by Andrew Jackson. In 1838, he removed his family to Romeo, where he engaged in mercantile business under the firm style of Pratt & Price. This relation existed until 1844. In the spring of that year, he started a foundry in Almont, which he operated until 1850, when he moved on the old Philip Price farm, three miles south of Romeo. January 2, 1868, he went to Bronson, Branch County, where he died in October, 1873, in his sixty-seventh year. His wife is now living with her son, aged seventy-two. Mr. Price, of this sketch, was associated with his father in the foundry at Almont, and, in the spring of 1850, went to Rochester, Oakland County, and entered the employ of Jennings & Bro., merchants, and remained until November, 1853, when he went to California. After about two years in the gold regions, he returned, in June. 1855. He spent a few months in Wisconsin, and then returned to the employ of Jennings & Bro. at Rochester. He was married, in November, 1857, to Ella Duncan, a native of this county, who died July 26, 1861. They had a daughter, the wife of Elliott R. Wilcox, of Pontiac, Oakland County. In April, 1859, he went a second time to Cali- fornia, and returned to his old employ at Rochester April 15, 1861, coming to Romeo Sep- tember 15, 1862, going into company with O. W. Hopkins in crockery and grocery store. He sold out February 20, 1863, and afterward opened a store in the frame building south of the Commercial House, where he did business twenty months. April 22, 1865, he bought the premises where he is now located, called the Chapman property. Here he was mar- ried again, September 10, 1867, to Lucy A. Van Blarcom, of Newton, New Jersey. They have one daughter, Lulu A., twelve years old. Mr. Price has always been a Republican. From 1870 to 1874, he was Village Trustee; resides on Chandler street.
AARON B. RAWLES, deceased, was born April 14, 1812, near Albany, N. Y. His mother was born in New England; his father was of English descent. Mr. Rawles was brought up and educated in Albany, and served an apprenticeship in the crockery and glass store of Henry L. Webb. At the age of twenty, he came to Detroit and engaged in the drug store of John Truax. While there, he was one of the organizers of a young men's society devoted to literary pursuits. In 1834. he came to Romeo and opened a general merchandise house, which he operated a few years and closed, engaging in the purchase of pine lands. He owned a mill north of Almont, where he manufactured a great amount of lumber. Three years after, he disposed of his lumber interests and opened a hardware store at Romeo, which he managed as long as he lived. Mr. Rawles took a zealous, active interest in politics and temperance, and was concerned in all matters pertaining to the public welfare. He was Commissioner for the construction of the turnpike road from Capac to Clyde, St. Clair County: was County Coroner several terms; was delegate in county and State conventions on several occasions. and always shunned wire-pulling and trickery of political factions. He was an adherent of the Republican party after the decline of the Whigs, whose principles he previously adopted. He was a radical in temperance affairs, and never lost an opportunity to further the cause. When he traveled, he patron- ized temperance houses, and built the American House at Romeo, in December. 1837, with the intention of establishing a temperance hotel, but sold it before completion. He was
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