History of Macomb County, Michigan, Part 88

Author: Leeson, Michael A., [from old catalog] comp
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago, M. A. Leeson & co.
Number of Pages: 952

USA > Michigan > Macomb County > History of Macomb County, Michigan > Part 88

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).

BENJAMIN F. PROCTER is the son of John and Sarah Freeman Procter: was born in Armada Township June 24, 1832. He attended the schools of Romeo and worked upon the farm, and in 1865 went to Pontiac and joined the firm of Procter & Co., merchant and custom millers, whose mill was situated on the Clinton River near the city. This continued for about six years, when he purchased the farm in Armada, known as the Howell farm. on which he is still living. He also owns a large farm in St. Clair County. He was married, in Pontiac, Mich., October 2, 1865, to Sarah A. Barkham. They have children as follows: Ada A., born August 11, 1867: Edmond J., born April 13, 1869; Reed, born September 4, 1871; Clarence, February 14. 1874. Mrs. Procter was born September 3. 1833: her father brought his family from England, and settled in Can- ada, and from there moved to Michigan in 1836: settled in Rochester, as a miller, in which business he is still engaged. Mr. Procter is a Republican in politics, having voted for Fremont in 1856.

JOHN L. PROCTER. one of the first settlers of Armada Township, was born at Alstead, N. H., July 18, 1799. He was the son of Benjamin Procter, of New Hampshire, whose wife, Sarah Freeman, of Berkshire, Vt., was born April 13. 1805. He removed to Ma- comb in 1824, settled on Section 31, Armada Township, on land now occupied by the family.

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HISTORY OF MACOMB COUNTY.

He was married in 1827; had seven children, six of whom are still living. The deed of his land bears date as first purchased in the township. The farmhouse, one of the first in the locality. is a monument of stability, having withstood the storms of more than forty- eight years, and is still in good condition. John L. Procter, son of the above, inherited the homestead: is unmarried, and lives with his two sisters. He is a successful farmer, and a dealer in fine cattle and sheep for Eastern markets.

JOSEPH ROWLEY was born in Livingston County, N. Y., February 13, 1812. He is the son of Erastus and Lydia Richardson Rowley, of Westfield, Conn. The father started to move to Michigan in 1835, but died on the way, in Ohio, and was buried there. The mother died in Armada Township in 1864. Mr. Rowley bought land on Sections 7 and S, in Armada, on which he still resides. He was married, August 4, 1839, to Eliza- beth, daughter of A. Smith, and they were the first couple married in Berlin Township. St. Clair County. Their children are Ory, born November 12, 1840: Polly B., born June 6, 1842: Marianna, born August 17, 1844, died December "5, 1865: Franklin, born August 26. 1846; George H., born Angust 20, 1848: Joseph, born June 1, 1850; Nettie O., born February 11. 1852: Sarah E., born May 1. 1854, died June 30, 1881: Elias. born May 29, 1856: Lydia, born October 9. 1858; Willie J., born June 22, 1861. Mr. Rowley was a keen and successful hunter. He killed 180 deer the first three seasons on the place, and thirty per season for many years after. He is a Jackson Democrat.

NATHAN ROWLEY was the son of Erastus Rowley, of Westfield, Conn., and was born May 17. 1802. He removed to Macomb County in June, 1831, and was married. November 5, 1834, to Abigail, daughter of Frederick Aldrich. In 1836, he took up land on Sections 7 and S. Armada, which he improved, and where he lived up to 1880. He died at Good- rich, Genesee County, July 27, 1881. Mrs. Rowley was born in Canandaigua County, N. Y., August 12, 1809, and died October 5, 1877. The grandfather is a survivor of the Rev- olution, and they are from a long-lived race of people.

LIBERTY ROWLEY was born at Armada Township October 10, 1838. He was the son of Nathaniel and Abigail Rowley, of same place: was married, December 25. 1863, to Mary L. Banfill, who was born at Ypsilanti, Mich., December 20, 1847. Their children are as follows: Arthur T., born October 31. 1865, died August 7. 1872: Carrie E., born December 2, 1871: Rubie, born January 21, 1874, died in November. 1875; Mary L., born November 8, 1878. Mr. Rowley purchased a part of his father's farm, on Section S, Ar- mada, on which he lives, and keeps a stock of general merchandise. Mr. Rowley and wife have been members of the Methodist Protestant Church for fifteen years, and he has always been a Republican.

SAMUEL SHEPARDSON, son of Samuel Shepardson, a native of Vermont, was born in Windham County. in that State. November 10, 1819. At the age of twenty-one, he re- moved to Canada, and thence to Macomb County, arriving in the spring of 1853. He pur- chased a farm on Section 3. Armada Township, where he has lived ever since. He has cleared up the farm, built all the buildings and added forty acres. He married, January 13. 1853, Elizabeth M., daughter of Abel Sumner, of New Brunswick. They have no chil- dren. Mr. Shepardson is a cheese-maker, and has turned his farm to the production of that staple. He has furnished a store in Romeo with cheese for the past eighteen years. His father served his country in 1812, and was honorably discharged.

ALVAH SIBLEY was born in Berkshire, Mass .. in March, 1796, where he lived un- til he was twenty-one years of age. He then removed to Brighton, Monroe Co., N. Y., where he was married to Mary, daughter of Joseph Corbin. of Woodstock. Conn. She was born March 4. 1803. Her parents were pioneers of Western New York. Mr. Sibley removed his family to Macomb County in October, 1835, and settled on Section 25, town- ship of Armada, where his widow still resides. His father, Ezra Sibley. was a Revolu-

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HISTORY OF MACOMB COUNTY.

tionary soldier, having served in the conflict for seven years, during six of which he passed without sleeping outside of camp. His grandfather was a British officer in the West India service, and died of yellow fever. The family are of Norman origin. Mr. Sibley was a man of stern principles of honesty and adherence to the Christian faith: a Deacon in the Congrega- tional Church of Armada from its organization until his death. which occurred in February, 1870. Deacon Sibley is remembered with affectionate regard. His family consisted of three sons-Alfred I. Sibley, born in Brighton, N. Y., September IS, 1824, and is now a resident of Cass County, Iowa; Ezra F. Sibley, still a resident of Armada; and William H. Sibley. born in Armada December 2. 1838. He remained with his father's family and attended school at Mt. Clemens and Romeo until the commencement of the civil war, when he laid aside his great ambition for an education and went forth in defense of his country. He enlisted in Company A. Ninth Michigan Infantry, under Col. Duffield, and died of typhoid fever in January, 1862, at Elizabethtown, Kv. He is remembered as a worthy Christian soldier.

EZRA F. SIBLEY, son of Alvah and Mary Sibley. was born in Brighton, N. Y., November 29. 1827. He removed with his father's family to Macomb County in 1835, where he attended school and remained at home until he attained his majority. He then began working at the carpenter's trade for a few years, and was married. September 13. 1853. to Adaline A. Pierson, a native of Rush. Monroe Co., N. Y. In 1859, he engaged in mercantile business, in company with William H. Clark, in Armada Village, and at the opening of the civil war, he enlisted in Company A. Ninth Michigan Infantry, under Col. Duffield; served as a musician most of the time, and was captured, July 13, 1862, by Gen. Forrest: was paroled. and soon after discharged by general order mustering out all regimental bands from the service. He again engaged in carpenter work until 1869, when he was appointed station agent on the Michigan Air-Line Railroad at Armada. Mich., which office he has held since that time. His family consists of two daughters- Lillian M. Sibley, born May 1, 1859, married, 1876, to Austin H. Phillips, and resides in Armada: Minnie A. Sibley, born August 22, 1867.

COLBY AND PHILIP' SHORT, born in Ontario County, N. Y. Their father's name was Colby Short, who died in Ontario. Colby was born January 11, 1838; Philip, De- cember 25, 1839. Colby came to Macomb in the autumn of 1860; Philip. in 1862; set- tled on Section 12; afterward bought land on Section 2, Armada Township, where they now live. Philip married, July 10, 1867. Angeline Woolman, born at Mt. Clemens Sep- tember 20, 1846; had five children, four of whom are now living. Colby is not married. They are extensively engaged in the sale of farm implements. Colby enlisted. September 19. 1861, in Company L, First Michigan Cavalry, and served four years; was Gen. Banks Private Orderly three months. The company was body guard to Gen. Banks one year. He reached home in August, 1865.

LEWIS SMITH, son of Calvin Smith, was born in Tolland County, Conn., Decem- ber 27. 1832: came with his father's family to Macomb County in 1842: was engaged upon railroads three years, and then returned to the homestead, where he now lives; mar- ried, July 9, 1864, Frances Curtiss, daughter of Harry Curtiss, of Richmond Town- ship. They had one child, which died in infaney. Mrs. Smith died August 18, 1876. He married again, April 3. 1877, Anna Skidmore, of Troy, Oakland County; no children. Mrs. Smith was born June 28, 1837. Mr. Smith has held offices in township and agri- cultural societies. He built a good house on his farm, and added eighty acres to the same. Before the war. he was a Democrat in politics: since that time, he has been a Republican. His great-grandfather. James McNary, was in the war between England and France. Be- ing taken prisoner, he was confined in the hold of a vessel for seven days without food. except a pair of calf-skin boots, which, being cut in small pieces, was eaten by himself

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HISTORY OF MACOMB COUNTY.

and his comrades. They afterward overpowered the crew, brought the vessel to America. entered the American Army and served in the war of the Revolution, being honorably dis- charged at its close; was also in the war of 1812.

CALVIN SMITH was born in Tolland County, Conn., in 1793; entered the army in 1812 as a private, and was promoted to Sergeant in 1814: served during the war, and was discharged with a land warrant, which he located in St. Clair County; moved to Macomb, and stopped a short time in Ray Township, then settled on a farm in Section 12, which he cleared up, and where he died in 1853. He was married to Mary McNary, of his native place, by whom he had eight children, three of whom survive. She died at the homestead in 1872, aged seventy-eight years. His father. David Smith, was a soldier in the war of the Revolution, and two of his sons served in the civil war, and in the Indian troubles in Minnesota, and were wounded there.

SETH SMITH, son of Asa Smith, was born June 10, 1825, at Dighton, Mass .; moved to Ontario County, N. Y .; thence to Michigan in September, 1863; settled in Lenox Town- ship three years; moved to Armada Village in 1866, where he has since lived. He was married. July 26, 1852, to Sarah S. Hubbell, of Ontario County, who was born September 4, 1534. They have six children. The grandfather of Mrs. Smith, Nathan West, served in the war of 1812. Mr. Smith has been a dealer in fat stock. In politics, he is a Dem- ocrat.

DR. JOHN S. SMITH was born March 26, 1822. His father, Asa Smith, was a na- tive of Massachusetts, and moved to Macomb County in 1854, and settled on Section 24. Armada, where he died in 1865. Dr. John Smith graduated from the Medical School at Cleveland, Ohio, in 1844; practiced medicine at Ontario County, N. Y., two years, then removed to Macomb County in 1847 and engaged in the practice of his profession at Ar- mada Village. This was continued until 1860. In 1858, he read and studied law, and the same year began the practice of law. He graduated from the Law Department of Ann Arbor, and was admitted to the bar; in the spring of 1863, entered the army as Quartermaster and remained for one year. On retiring, he engaged in farming and as a dealer in hops, buying annually large quantities and sending them to distant markets. In 1867, in company with Mr. H. Barrows, he began the erection of a brick block in Armada Village, which was to be completed the next year: when the walls were nearly completed. they fell, and Dr. Smith was killed. This took place September 19, 1568. He was mar- ried, in 1845, to Linda B. Jones, of Ontario, N. Y. They had no children. Dr. Smith was always ready to promote the interests of the village and township: was an honorable man, and a consistent Democrat.

HORACE H. SPENCER, of Armada, was the son of Ira and Sally (Earl) Spencer, and was born in Trumbull County, Ohio, June 17, 1822. His father was a native of Spencertown, N. Y., and gave the name to that place. The family removed to Macomb in 1539, and settled in Richmond Township, where the father died in 1876, at the age of eighty-five; the mother died in 1866. The subject of this sketch was married, June 12, 1844, to Mary Chamberlin, who was born in Ontario County, N. Y., March IS, 1818. After marriage, he bonght land on Section 27, Armada, which he partly cleared, and then sold, buying again on Section 14, which he kept till 1871, when he removed to the village of Armada, where he still resides; have had seven children, four of whom, sons. are still liv- ing. Mr Spencer has held office in the township twenty-eight years (Justice of the Peace); always a Democrat, but often elected by Republicans.

JAMES STEPHENS, son of James Stephens, of Scotland, was born in that country September 2, 1817; left his fatherland in 1841 to become a farmer in Michigan. He bought land in Lapeer County, on the line of Macomb, in 1848, where he resided some years. He afterward bought a farm on Section 7, Armada Township, where he now re-

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HISTORY OF MACOMB COUNTY.

sides. Married, January 6, 1848, Anna Morton, danghter of James Morton. Their chil- dren's record is as follows: Margaret, born November 11, 1848, married and lives in Armada Township : Agnes W., born August 27, 1850, married and lives in Bruce Township; James B., born March 16, 1860, married and lives in Romeo; Thomas M., born November 24, 1855, married and lives in Vassar, Mich .; Anna M., born March 23, 1858, married and lives in Bruce Township; Andrew H., born April 3, 1860; John W., born May 21, 1863: Merton H., born September 8, 1866; George B., born September 28. 1868. Mrs. Stephens was born January 28, 1825, in Scotland. Mr. Stephens is a farmer, and owns 325 acres, and is a successful grower of wheat. He has been a promi- nent member of several organizations; a professor of religion, with his wife, for many years: a leader in Sunday school, and a Republican in politics.

JOHN H. STUMP, son of Levi Stump, of Ontario County, N. Y., was born in Ar- mada Township April 23, 1855; moved to his present farm, known as the Albert Aldrich farm, consisting of 140 acres, in the fall of 1877; was married, Angust 29, 1877, to Fran- ces A. Arnold, of Armada; they have no children. He is a general farmer and dealer in grain. Mrs. Stump was born April 15, 1858.

ABEL SUMNER, born in New Brunswick June 17, 1793. In early life he moved to Vermont, thence to Canada, coming to Macomb in 1841; settled on land on Section 2, Armada Township, which he improved and occupied previous to 1871, since which time he has lived with a daughter, Mrs. Ingraham, Mrs. Sumner, formerly Miss Ruth Orms- by, born at Middlebury, Vt., in 1803, died in Armada February 10. 1860, at fifty-seven years of age. The children of this marriage are five in nuumber, four now living. Mr. Sumner is a pensioner of the war of 1812: was a musician at that time, and is still liv- ing.

DR. JOHN M. SUMNER, son of Abel and Ruth (Ormsby) Sinnner, was born in Lon- don, Westminster, Canada West, September 3, 1836; was a farmer till reaching the age of twenty-four, when he began the practice of medicine as the result of his own study and observation, and is engaged in practice at the present time. December 11, 1859, he mar- ried Julietta Holms, and has two children-Sarah J., born September 15, 1865, and John S., born August 16, 1867. Mrs. Sumner was born in Armada January 27. 1838. The Doctor has a small farm in connection with his practice.

JONAS S. SUTTON, son of Amsey and Abigail (Dowd) Sutton, he a native of Massa- chusetts and she of Connecticut; was born in Genesee County, N. Y., March 17, 1835; removed to Macomb County in 1837, with the family, and settled in Ray Township. where they lived for eight years, then to Section 32 in Armada and lived nine years, then to Richmond and lived for eighteen years, then again to Armada, where he has lived the past twelve years. Married, March 20, 1856, Calista, daughter of Asahel Bernard, who was a native of Connecticut; she was born March 9, 1835: their children are as follows: Hattie A., born January 18, 1857, died March 26, 1858; Hattie J., born April 27. 1858, died November 18, 1802: Willie A., born August 27, 1864; Eddie W., born July 24, 1866. After his marriage, Mr. Sutton engaged in business as a machinist and engineer for twenty years; since that time, has followed the occupation of a painter. He is a fine singer, and teaches music, and leads the church music. In politics, he is a Republican. Mrs. Sutton's parents were natives of Connecticut, and moved to Macomb in 1844; father died in 1866, and mother died in 1872.

HIRAM TAYLOR, son of Levi and Rhoda Madison Taylor, of Connecticut, was born at Rutland, Vt., September 10, 1811. His mother's people were from Rhode Island, and were of English descent; came from the township of Clarendon. Vt., to Macomb County, Mich .. June 17. 1846, and bought a farm of 200 acres on Section 32. Armada Township, for which he paid $3,600, on which he still resides. Mr. Taylor was married, October 44

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HISTORY OF MACOMB COUNTY.

31, 1834, to Ann Melissa Walker, of Clarendon. Rutland Co., Vt. They have had two children-Melissa Ann, born at Clarendon, Rutland County, March 19, 1836, married Mr. Moses Wyman, of Ontario County. N. Y .; he died in October, 1872; she married again. Andrew Adams, and now resides in Auburn, Oakland Co., Mich .; Sarah, born August 23, 1837, and died September 24. 1881, at the old home. Mrs. Taylor died October 4, 1873, aged fifty-eight. When Mr. Taylor moved from Vermont, he brought forty thorough Merino sheep, for which he paid from $10 to $15 a head. He has been a careful breeder of fine sheep, and has made several importations, at a later date bringing, at one time, a flock of nearly one hundred sheep. He was a member of the Baptist Church in Vermont. and. although not uniting with any church here. his preference has been toward that church; cast his first vote for Jackson, and has been a Democrat since.

MRS. MARCIA THURSTON, daughter of Jesse Bishop, of Bruce Township, was born March 16. 1845: married to Manly Thurston. son of B. H. Thurston, October 15, 1862; after marriage, resided on the farm of his father one year, then bought the farm on Section 18 known as the Donaldson farm, on which the family still reside. Mr. Thurs- ton died March 3. 1870. They had four children, three of whom are still living on the homestead. Mrs. Thurston has erected a fine and commodious residence, and has a fine and prosperous farm business. She is and has for many years been connected with the Christian Church of Romeo: a fine musician, vocal and instrumental, and a prominent worker in the Sabbath school. Lillian, born October 29, 1863, died October 24, 1879; Henry J., born August 2, 1865; Abbie L., born September 27, 1867: Manly W., born Jan- uary 6, 1870.

BENJAMIN H. THURSTON, son of Joseph Thurston, was born October 22, 1816: removed from New York to Macomb with his parents about 1832 and settled on Section 19, in Armada Township: spent his boyhood at home and received the homestead farm; was married. September 29, 1839, to Electa Sperry, of Pennsylvania, who was born Sep- tember 14, 1820. They had three children, one of whom is still living. Mrs. Thurston died June 14, 1849. He then married Mrs. Ruth B. Brown, April 28, 1852, who died March 1. 1873: married again. September 23, 1873. to Mrs. Caroline Hamilton, who died October 20. 1875. Mr. Thurston has always been a firm supporter of the anti-slavery movement, and a Christian in form of worship.

SETH E. WALKER, youngest son of Richard Walker, was born in Armada May 21, 1851. He came into possession of the home farm in 1872, and still occupies the same. It consists of 200 acres, situated on Section 16, Armada Township. He was married. November 16. 1875, to Carrie I. Draper, of Warsaw, N. Y. They have one child, Charles R., born September 13. 1877. Mr. Walker is a successful farmer, and has always been a Republican in politics, and Congregational in form of worship.

RICHARD WALKER, deceased, was born at Georgetown, Md., September 4. 1797, removed with his father's family to Ontario County, N. Y., where he married Elenor, daughter of John Ray, of the latter place, and removed to Macomb County in the spring of 1844 and bought a large farm on Section 16, Armada, which he cleared and improved, and where he died April 23, 1879. Mrs. Walker was born in Bennington County, Vt .. who died at the home in Armada, and he afterward married a Mies Tibbits, who still survives. They had ten children, four of whom still live.

IDDO WARNER, son of John Warner, of Vermont, was born February 11, 1796. and came to Macomb June 12, 1824. in Washington Township, where he lived three years, then moved to Armada and settled on Section 31, on the North Branch of the Clinton River, where he lived up to the time of his death, which took place August 15, 1852. He was married, July 13, 1819. to Sophia Phillips, at Lima, Livingston Co., N. Y., and had three children-Julia, born August 1. 1820, married J. Smithi. and died July 9, 1878;

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James. born September 11, 1824, living in Armada Township; Elizabeth. born March 9. 1835. married Robert Coykendall and lives at Romeo. Mrs. Warner still lives with her son.

JAMES L. WARNER. son of Iddo and Sophia (Phillips) Warner, was born at Wash- ington Village, Macomb County, September 11, 1824; moved with the family to the farm on the " Branch." where he lived till June. 1856. when he purchased the Gates farm, Section IS. Armada. where he still resides: was married, June 29. 1847. to Spedee Bishop, who was born at Ontario County. N. Y., and died July 9. 1852. They had two children- Ellen. born April 22, 1848, married Norman Perry and lives in Armada Township; George I., born June 26, 1852. and lives in Armada Township; married again. June 28. 1854. to Jane Walton, who died April 13. 1860; had one child. Terry, born November 9. 1857. died April, 1862; again married, July 2. 1872. to Phobe Wilder, of Armada Township. Mr. Warner has added to the original purchase of land 784 acres, situated in various parts of the State. He has erected one of the finest and most substantial farmhouses in the county, good barns and sheds, wind-mills, and all the requirements for a first-class farm business: in politics, always a Republican.

REUBEN WARRENER was born at Royal Oak, Oakland County, July 29, 1832. He is the son of John Warrener. of Brighton, near London, England. Reuben came to this county in 1855. and married. July 4, 1855. Lydia, daughter of Nathan Rowley, and bought a portion of the farm of his father-in-law, where he now resides. Section 7, Armada Township. They had two children-Mary, born October 5. 1856, died January 11, 1857; Abbie, born July 25, 1862, married E. J. Cross and lives on the homestead. Mr. War. rener enlisted. August 9, 1862, in Company B. Twenty-second Michigan Volunteer In- fantry. and served three years. He participated in six engagements, and served in military prison, and contracted diseases from which he still suffers: is Republican in his politics.

STEPHEN S. WELLS was born November 3. 1813. in Ulster County, N. Y. His father, Charles Wells, of the same place. moved to Macomb County in 1828: settled one and a half miles south of Romeo: after some years, removed to Section S, Armada, which he cleared from the stump, and where he died in 1844. Mrs. Wells was Anna Hood, a relative of Thomas Hood, the poet, and was born in Ulster County, and died in 1859. They had nine children, four of whom still live. On the death of his father, Stephen as- sumed control of the homestead, and married Sarah Stiles in 1838; she dying, he married Sarah Hunt, who died in [847; next married Isabella Tuttle. in 1860; he then married Lemira Church, who, with her husband. still lives on the farm. They have had six chil- dren, four of whom still live.

JOHN WILDER, son of Artemus and Catherine Sherburne Wilder, was born at Lan- caster. N. H .. January 1, 1812. His grandfather, Artemus Wilder, a native of England. was a Major in the war of the Revolution, served to its close, and died at Lancaster in 1808. The father was born at Lancaster in 1767 where he lived until the year IS10, then removed to Quebec, thence to Kingston when that place was a small village, surrounded by a brush fence, and was engaged in the business of butchering. He died of cholera in 1832. His mother was a native of Portland, Me., daughter of Harry Sherburne, of that place. of English descent. She died at Wolf Island, St. Lawrence River, in 1858. John moved with the family to Kingston, where he lived till the time of his marriage, which took place August S, 1835, to Mary, daughter of Henry and Hannah (Wright) Harvey, of English descent, who came to Kingston, Canada, in 1822. Mary was born September 25, 1815. When he moved to Wolf Island, St. Lawrence River, he cleared up a farm of fifty acres from a wilderness, which he bought for $5 per acre and sold for $52 per acre. As a sample of what Macomb people can do, we mention the following: Reaching Wolf Island, Mr. Wilder, with his wife, moved into a fisherman's hut, which had a fire-place in

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History of Macomb County, Michigan, Part 88

Author: Leeson, Michael A., [from old catalog] comp Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Chicago, M. A. Leeson & co. Number of Pages: 952

Author: Leeson, Michael A., [from old catalog] comp
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago, M. A. Leeson & co.
Number of Pages: 952