USA > Michigan > Mason County > History of Mason County, Michigan > Part 36
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RHODES WILLETT was born in Monroe County, N. Y., April 12, 1844. Settled in Shelby, on Section 20, in 1867. Has been twice married: first, February 23, 1865, to Olive Esten, who was born in Monroe County, N. Y., August, 1845, and died March 25, 1874, leaving two children-Ida Viola, and Olive. Second marriage, July 4, 1875, to Minnie Smith, who was born in Monroe County, N. Y., June 8, 1856.
DANIEL H. RANKIN was born in Dundee, Canada East, July 12, 1834. Moved to London, Ont., in infancy, remaining there till 1865, when he settled at Marquette, Mich., and engaged in making D. M. CUTLER was born in Lambton County, Ont., October 17, charcoal, which he has ever since followed. Came to Shelby, ' 1855. Settled in Shelby, on Section 15, in 1874. Married, November 17, 1880, to Adrie B. Anthes, who was born in Welland County, Ont., July 15, 1856.
Oceana Co., Mich., in 1879, and at present is making 45,000 bushels a month of charcoal. Married, September 22, 1857, to Christie Rankin, who was born in Montreal, Canada, October 21, 1838. Six children-Kittie, Angus D., Daniel D., Jessie, Burt J., Mary; has lost one by death, Duncan, born September 26, 1865, and died October 12, 1867.
DAVID A. REED was born in Norfolk County, Ont., September 10, 1854. Early learned the trade of blacksmith, and'settled in Shelby, Oceana County, in 1877, where he carries on business in connection with wagon making. Married, July 31, 1874, to Mary Charlotte Geddes, who was born in Norfolk County, Ont., July 29, 1860. One living child, Mary Ann, and has lost two by death; viz., Jennie Belle, born January 22, 1879, died July 13, 1880; William A., born March 11, 1881, died August 9, 1881. His father, Robert, still lives in Ontario; one brother, Samuel C., born March 16, 1846, residing in Allegan County, Mich., is also'a blacksmith by trade.
J. M. WILSON was born in Oswego County, N. Y., September 11, 1827. Settled in Adrian, Mich., in 1844; thence to Clay Banks, Oceana County, on Sections 1 and 12, in 1857, and at present is living at New Era, Shelby Township, and doing a mercantile business, and keeping the post office, also buying and shipping lumber of all kinds. Married, March 1, 1848, to Jane Knapp, who was born in Rensselaer County, N. Y., May 6, 1828, and died August 29, 1865, leaving five children. Second marriage, November 15, 1866, to Eliza Lewis, born in Chautauqua County, N. Y., November 1, 1841. Five children by second wife.
MARION E. HILLS was born in La Grange County, Ind., July 12, 1857. Settled in Grant Township, Oceana County, in 1866, and is now engaged in the mercantile business in New Era. Mar- ried, August 15, 1875, to Mary A. McCauley, who was born in Cat- taraugus County, N. Y., April 1, 1849. Two children, Willie E., Dazie C.
LEVI S. GAYLORD was born in Delaware County, N. Y., Septem- ber 25, 1810. Settled in Lorain County, Ohio, in 1847. His occupation was principally farming, though he learned the trade of hatter, at which he worked for eight years. Settled in Adrian, Mich., in 1865, and in Shelby, in 1866, on Section 7. At present, (1882) has retired, and lives in Shelby village. Married, October 25, 1835, to Julia Baldwin, who was born in Oswego County, N. Y., December 10, 1816, and died May 15, 1879. Two living children-
Edward B. Gaylord, born June 9, 1845; married, March 17, 1870, to Miranda Jackson, who was born in Trumbull County, Ohio, June 15, 1851, and Sarah E., born July 19, 1836; married, March 18, 1859, to Truman Penfield, and lives in Chicago.
CHARLES E. PETERSON was born in Herkimer County, N. Y., September 29, 1828. Settled in Shelby, Oceana Co., Mich., in 1879, on Section 3, where he now resides, being engaged in general farming and fruit growing, having 1,300 peach trees, besides cher- ries, pears, plums, quinces, apples, etc.
CORNELIUS WHITBECK was born in Columbia County, N. Y., December 19, 1821. Moved to Wayne County in 1831, and to Mon- roe County in 1834; thence to Allegan County, Mich., in 1865, and to Shelby, Oceana County, in 1878, on Section 3. Married, March 6, 18 44, to Harriet Manderville, who was born in Columbia County, N. Y., May 6, 1819. One child-George II.
ROBERT COLE was born in Ontario, Can., September 29, 1834. Settled in Shelby, in 1869, on Section 10; is a farmer; also buys and sells stock. Married, first, in 1856, to Margaret J. Cahoon, who was born in New York, in 1834, and died June 28, 1875; second marriage, August 9, 1877, to Mrs. Margaret J. Young (Tibbitts); nine children.
THADDEUS C. FLEMING was born in Seneca County, N. Y., September 3, 1835. Settled in Adrian, Mich., in 1844, and in Shelby, Oceana County, in 1868. Married, first, January 28, 1857, to Harriet Kelley, who was born in La Grange County, February 14, 1838, and died May 26, 1877, leaving four children-Ozro, William L., Ida E., Elmer K. Second marriage, April 30, 1878, to Rosaltha Wilcox, born in Ontario, N. Y., April 30. 1849.
TOWNSHIP OF WEARE.
This town, formerly a part of Pentwater, was organized April 2, 1860, at the house of Charles Mears, forty-three voters being present. The following is the first list of officers: Myrtle B. High, super- visor; A. D. Boomer, clerk; W. P. Harding, treasurer; N. Rogers, F. Hartman, F. Von Holmrich, and James G. Blowers, justices of the peace; N. Rogers, M. B. High, highway com- missioners; N. Rogers, school inspector; C. Dumaw and H. O. Neal constables.
The following is the list of supervisors, clerks, and treasurers: SUPERVISORS: Myrtle B. High, 1860-'62-'70; Norman C. Smith, 1861,-'65-6-7-8-'73-4-5-6-7-8-9-'80-1-2; A. J. Benson, 1863; A. J. Smith, 1864; E. P. Gregory, 1869; George Tiffany, 1871; Samuel Graham, 1872.
CLERKS: A. D. Boomer, 1860; F. Von Holmrich, 1861; James Dexter, 1862; James R. Mooney, 1863-'64; D. R. Gifford, 1865-'66-7; John Glading, 1868; D. Fulton, 1869-'70-1-2-4-5-6; James Walker, 1873; R. C. Roberts, 1877; E. M. Roberts, 1878-179- 1880-'81; S. Andrus, 1882.
TREASURERS: F. J. Hartman, 1861; Hiram Blowers, 1862-'63; W. Jenning, 1864-'68-'70-1-2-3-4-5-6-7; E. B. Burrington, 1865; James Walker, 1866; N. Suyder, 1867; S. R. Wilson, 1869; James Schaner, 1878-79; H. La Fevre, 1880-'81; C. M. Jensen, 1882.
EARLY EVENTS.
Among the early settlers was Dr. Daniel G. Weare, who came in 1855, settling on Section 27, where E. A. Benjamin now resides. He was a man of some ability, and took an active part in developing
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the town, planting a peach orchard, importing a trotting stallion, and making extensive agricultural improvements. He now resides in New York State. The town is named from him.
Among the early lumberers were Cobb & Rector and Charles Mears, who had a logging camp, and built the first log shanty.
W. P. Harding was the first settler, in 1856; William Jennings in the same year. Norman Rogers was the next, in 1857; James G. Blowers, fourth. Jensens came in 1858; N. C. Smith in the Fall of 1859, and settled the following Spring.
. The first school was taught by Emma Daniel, in 1858.
The first child born in Weare was Emily Harding ( Mrs. Bur- rington), and the first white child born in Mason County was Irene Harding (Mrs. W. Leslie), now of Weare.
In 1879 a brewery was established on Section 7, by Christopher Fricke, producing 400 barrels annually.
SOIL, ETC.
Among the largest agricultural farms may be mentioned that of Joseph Schaver; also the farms of C. N. Jensen, N. D. Snyder, and N. C. Smith. In fruit farms, A. J. Brillhart has eighty acres nearly all in fruit, W. P. Harding has a fine fruit farm, as has also E. A. Benjamin, on the old Weare place. In the Spring of 1860, Mears, Harding, Rogers, Weare, on the south of the river, and Jensen on the northwest, were the only farmers in the town. Dr. Weare planted the first peach trees.
The soil is of a mixed character, sandy along the crecks and river, with clay on Section 6, and on part of Sections 2 and 3; also, on 32, 83, 35, 36, and a little of 25 and 27.
SCHOOLS.
There are six school districts in Weare, No. 1 being in the north- west. W. S. Stoddard is chairman of school inspectors; J. Cargill, inspector. The directors for 1882 are: F. J. Hartman, for No. 1; E. P. Gregory, No. 2; E. A. Benjamin, No. 8; E. L. Town, No. 4; J. W. Barber, No. 5; J. Cargill, No. 6. The pupils were respect- ively 53, 46, 26, 82, 24 and 30 in number. No. 6 is the only log school, and the schools were all taught about four months by males and three or four months by females. One school, No. 3, was open six months, and paid $90 for three months of a male teacher and $60 for three months of a female.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
LOUIS TANK, farmer, Section 15, was born in Prussia, April 10, 1837, settling in Chicago in 1856, where he labored at his trade as mason. In 1860 he came to Pentwater, but has now forty acres in Weare. He married, in 1872, Riga Conklin, who was born in Prussia in 1852, and they have a family of five children.
ARNOLD GOODNO was born in New York State, June 16, 1809; moved to Broome County, N. Y., in 1817; thence to Oswego Co., in 1831; returned to Broome County in 1884, where he lived till 1865, when he settled in Weare Township, Oceana Co., Mich. Married, April 4, 1831, Emily Esury; nine children.
CHRISTOPHER FRICKE was born in Germany, July 16, 1827; set- tled in Chicago in 1852 and in Pentwater in 1860, being a brewer by trade. He established a business in his line in Weare Town- ship, Section 7, in 1879. Married, March 14, 1857, Lisetta Tank, who was born in Prussia, July 27, 1832; seven children.
F. J. HARTMAN was born in Alsace, Germany, January 11, 1831; came to New York in 1853, from which he engaged to work on the Panama Canal, which he did for a year. Returning, he set- tled in Chemung County, where he remained until 1857, when he
settled at Pentwater, Mich., and engaged in lumbering. In 1858 he located his farm on Section 7, Weare Township, where he now lives. Married, May 31, 1854, Anna Straub; five children.
D. H. WEAVER was born in Columbiana County, Ohio, July, '32; moved to Noble County, Ind., in 1848, and engaged in wagon mak- ing, where he remained till 1865, when he settled in Hart, Oceana Co. In 1867 he settled on Section 16, Weare Township, where he now resides. Married, December 25, 1857, Catherine Hutchinson.
E. M. ROBERTS was born in Medina County, Ohio, November 20, 1855; settled on Section 26, Weare Township, in 1875. The same year, December 23, he married Abbey L. Benjamin, who was born in Wayne County, Ohio, September 29, 1853; three children, Rosie L., Mand and Effie J.
NICHOLAS GREINER was born in the Province of Lorraine, France, April 14, 1824. In connection with his father's family, he came to Wayne County, Mich., near Detroit, in 1832, where he resided, carrying on farming, till 1878, when he made Weare, Oce- Iana County, his home, where he settled on Section 27, and is the owner of 160 acres of first-class land, and keeps a variety of stock, ete. Married, October 16, 1849, Elizabeth Diegel, who was born in Germany, October 7, 1831, and settled in Wayne County, Mich., in 1832. Seven children, Catherine (Le Fevre), Sebastian, John, Peter, Vincent, Agnes and Paulina.
A. L. CARR was born in St. Lawrence County, N. Y., February 6, 1841; settled in Weare, Section 86, in 1866. He is quite an extensive farmer, paying considerable attention to fruit culture, hav- ing some ten acres of different varieties. Married, February 8, 1865, Amelia L. Hazelton, who was born in St. Lawrence County, N. Y., May 28, 1843, and died February 1, 1875, leaving three children, Bower M., Etta P., Edgar A. Second marriage, March 1, 1876, to Naomi A. Ervin, who was born in Camden, Ont., January 31, 1846.
JOHN DENNART was born in Bavaria, August 10, 1840; settled in Detroit in 1870, and in Weare Township, Oceana Co., in 1880. Married, May 5, 1881, to Margaretta Schleyer.
CYRENIUS W. CUNNINGHAM was born in Erie County, N. Y., August 6, 1830; settled in Hillsdale County, Mich., in 1850; in Weare Township, Oceana County, Section 32, in 1865. Married, Septem- ber 6, 1852, to Elizabeth Estes, who was born in Adrian, Mich., June 11, 1834; three children, E. Lowella, Ira D. and Viola.
SAMUEL ANDRUS was born in Washtenaw County, Mich., August 15, 1848; settled in Hillsdale County, in 1855; by trade a carpenter and joiner. In 1879 he made Weare, Oceana County, Mich., his home, where he now resides, on Section 29; is the present township clerk. Married, March 28, 1876, to Nellie J. Hartwick, who was born in St. Joseph County, Ind., November 3, 1856; one child, May.
GEORGE DENNART was born in Bavaria, Germany, November 29, 1830; settled in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1848, and in Detroit in 1859. Enlisted in the Second Michigan, three months' service, in 1861; re-enlisted in the same regiment, in three years' service, till the close of the war, in the Army of the Potomac.> Settled in Weare Township, Section 33, in 1878. Married, August, 1865, to Ellen May; two children, Paul and Rosa.
ANDREW BRILLHART was born in York County, Penn., February 18, 1830; settled in Stark County, Ohio, in 1831. In 1858 he went to Fort Wayne, Ind., and engaged as head miller in one of the large city mills, where he remained for some years. Finally, in 1873, he settled in Oceana County, Mich., and now resides on Sec- tion 31, Weare Township, where he carries on farming, and is also a large fruit grower, having some thirty acres in different kinds. Married, November 12, 1855, to Almira Johns, who was born in Wayne County, Ohio, August 29, 1832; seven children, Levi A.,
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Mary E., Emma N., Almer L., Ida May, Sarah A. and James McClellan.
WILLIAM JENNINGS Was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1822; set- tled in Chicago in 1855, and in Weare Township, Oceana Co., Mich., in 1856, being one of its very first settlers, and now resides on Section 27. He has been township treasurer for nine years, having received the office without opposition. Married, in 1870, to Caroline Johnson.
HENRY LEFEVRE was born in Belgium, November 12, 1849; set- tled in Wayne Co., Mich., in 1855 and in Weare Township, Section 28, in 1835; farmer. He has been township treasurer two years, and justice of the peace three years. Married, November 25, 1875, to Catherine Greiner, who was born in Wayne County, Mich., July 6, 1854. Three children, Amelia E., John N. and Peter P.
JOSEPH BACHER was born in Alsace in 1811; settled in Weare Township in 1857. Married in 1862, to Christina Warner, who was born in Germany. Two children, Joseph Bacher, Jr., and Lawrence.
E. A. BENJAMIN was born in Green County, N. Y., June 19, 1822. Settled in Lorain County, Ohio, in 1831; thence to Wayne County, Ohio, in 1843, and to Weare Township, Section 27, Oceana Co., Mich., in 1867. Is extensively engaged in farming and fruit growing, owning 240 acres of land, and cultivating fifteen acres of fruit. Married, May 21, 1851, to Margaret Gray, who was born in Montreal, Can., December 18, 1830. Eight children-De Witt Clinton, born February 26, 1852; Abby L., born September 29, 1858 (married E. M. Roberts, December 23, 1875); Mary S., born September 12, 1855; Clara J., born August 28, 1857, and died May- 21, 1859; James G., born October 2, 1859; E. A., Jr., born Decem- ber 2, 1863; Effie J., born June 10, 1867; died June 15, 1879; Margaret, born June 13, 1873. Mr. Benjamin's father's name was B. V. Benjamin, born in Chatham, N. Y., in 1800; married in 1821, and died at Pike's Station, Ohio, April 4, 1874.
WILLIAM P. HARDING was born in Lincoln County, Me., August 7, 1822. Settled in Grafton County, N. H., in 1832; thence to Erie County, N. Y., in 1835, and to Jackson, Mich., in 1838. From there he went to Mason County, Mich., in 1849, and to Pentwater in 1851; engaging in lumbering. In 1856 he located on Section 32, Weare Township, being the first settler in what is now Weare. Was its first township treasurer; also has been commissioner, etc. Married, June 17, 1848, at Racine, Wis., to Mary A. Vanvalken- burgh, who was born in the city of Rochester, N. Y., March 6, 1829. Eight children-Mary (Wilson), Irene (Leslie), Lavina (Shores), Emily (Burrington), Orsino, William P., Jr., Grace (Hubball) and Henry.
TOWNSHIP OF CRYSTAL.
In the Winter of 1865, Jared H. Gay, who had been a set- tler since July, 1861, made an effort to have the town set off from Weare. There not being enough legal voters, he contracted to deed lands on Section 16 to George Lammon, Charles Willet and Albert O. Aldridge. A remonstrance against separation was got up by par- ties in Elbridge and Weare, but Mr. Gay employed Charles W. Deane, a lawyer of Pentwater, to advocate his cause, and was suc- cessful. The first town meeting was held in the following April, at the government blacksmith shop, at Crystal Valley, which was burned, along with the sawmill, in May, 1877. Dr. Kittredge was elected first supervisor; David K. Foster, a half-breed Ottawa Indian, teaching the government school, was elected clerk. He is now a Wesleyan Methodist preacher, near Bradley, Mich. Jared H. Gay was the first treasurer, and continued in office three years, when Henry Cole succeeded to the office.
There were but few white voters; the voters being chiefly In- dians.
The records of the town are imperfect. The first record of an election is at a special meeting, held at the schoolhouse, District No. 1, June 7, 1869. The cause of this special election was the resig- nation of officers, except Dr. Kittredge, the supervisor. The result was the election of Ed. F. Avery, clerk; Henry Cole, treasurer; D. K. Foster, Peter N. Cole, F. Kittredge and J. H. Gay, justices of the peace; and Wilson Cole, Alva Hickock, I. Chatfield, Hiram Gay, constables. Alva Hickock, J. J. Kittredge and George Crouch, were the inspectors of election. There were but thirty-one voters present.
SUPERVISORS .- Dr. James J. Kittredge, 1866-'68-'69; William Murch, 1867; George C. Crouch, 1870; James Corsant, 1871; Charles Willet, 1872-'73; Henry Cogill, 1874-'75-'6-'7-'9-'80-'1-'2; T. T. Jones, 1878. .
CLERKS .- David K. Foster, 1866-'67; William Murch, 1868-'69; Moses F. Stone, 1870; George Lammon, 1871; Henry Cogill, 1872- '78; F. B. Kittredge, 1874; Joseph Cogill, 1875; John Webster, 1876-'77; C. A. Noble, 1878-'79-'80; E. F. Avery, 1881-'82.
TREASURERS .- Jared H. Gay, 1866-'67-'68; Henry Cole, 1869; Paul Bashaw, 1870; J. J. Kittredge, 1871-'72-'3-'4-'5-'6-'7-'8-'81; F. B. Kittredge, 1879-'80; D. P. Kelly, 1882.
The first permanent white settler in Crystal was Jared H. Gay, who came in July 27, 1861, having been appointed blacksmith to the Indians, by the United States government, which position he held for six years, at a salary of $600 a year, and material furnished. For two years he was alone, until the Fall of 1863, when Dr. James J. Kittredge, of Morenci, Lenawee Co., Mich., came in, and located land on Section 16. He came to get relief from the practice of medicine, but it was of no avail, as the settlers were urgent for his services, and the demands of suffering humanity were too much for the kind-hearted doctor, who had previously tried to abandon practice; having purchased a farm previously, but having been com- pelled to resume practice.
Charles Willet was the next to come, August 1, 1863, and set- tled on his present location. He was from the same place as Dr. Kittredge. A. O. Aldridge, his brother-in-law, a youth of eighteen, accompanied him. George Lammon came in November, 1864. He homesteaded 160 acres on northwest quarter of Section 8. William Murch, from Paw Paw, was next, in 1866, and took up land on Section 7. He died in 1874,-a man highly respected.
Marion Huff, a son-in-law of W. Murch, accompanied him, and homesteaded on Section 7.
Henry Myers and Henry Cole, from Chesterfield, Ohio, arrived together, in the Fall of 1866, and settled on Section 16, each on forty acres of school land. Henry Cole went, in 1882, to Arkansas. Mr. Myers still lives on his place. About the same time George C. Crouch settled close beside them. E. F. Avery, the present town clerk, was a settler about this time. D. P. Kelly and Peter Cole were also early settlers. All these early settlers moved into the hospitable house of Mr. Gay, and commenced by working for him, mostly in the sawmill and woods.
In 1863 there was great excitement among the Indians in con- sequence of the attempt to pay them off in greenbacks-nearly 1200 remaining from three to four weeks at Gay's; and during that period he butchered five fat oxen, one cow and one heifer, and the aborigines consumed, besides, sixteen barrels of pork, all the above being cooked at Mr. Gay's. Mrs. Gay had the superintendency of five female cooks. John Bean, Jr., sent in eighteen barrels of cider, at 80 cents a barrel, at this time, to drown their grief; but John R. Robinson knew what would do better than this, as he had stronger liquors. He kept a barrel. The Indians were paid in greenbacks.
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EARLY EVENTS.
The first marriage was that of Edwin Rich to Kittie Fray, in the Summer of 1869, Elder Parsons officiating.
The first death was in 1865, a son of Henry Cole. The first birth was that of Dewitt C. Gay, in August, 1864. The first preacher was Elder Bliss, now of Hart.
The first white school was taught in Dr. Kittredge's house, Frances Murch (Mrs. Marion Huff) being the first teacher, in the Fall of 1867. There was but one Indian school in this town, taught first in 1859, by James Selereg, who died next year in Allegan. The school was only a bark shanty. The next school was of logs, built on D. P. Kelly's place, and taught four years by David K. Foster, now a Methodist missionary.
One of the most wonderful affairs that ever transpired in the town was in May, 1871, when Henry Cole was walled up with stone at the bottom of his well, thirty-two feet deep, and stood in three feet of water, wedged in with the mass of stone, from morning until late at night. The diggers, at 3 P. M., heard him praying, and worked on with renewed vigor, until he was rescued. His head was actually bruised out of shape. Some think it would have been as well if he had passed away when he was a "praying man," as he afterwards went back on the record. He is now in Arkansas.
The first sawmill in the town was built in 1872, by Gay & Bean, at Crystal Valley, which was burned about eight years ago, and a new mill was erected on the site, by Sands & Maxwell, of Pentwater, who had an interest in the former mill. It is a steam mill, with upright saw and patent edger, and a shingle saw; capacity, about 1,000,000 feet of lumber monthly, and 250,000 shingles per month. Robert Hyde has been manager for the last five years. There is also in Crystal Valley village a general store, by Sands & Maxwell. In the Valley there is preaching by the Methodist Episcopalians and the Wesleyans.
E. F. Avery is postmaster, and the office was established in 1876. An old man named High was in 1872 the first mail carrier from Pentwater, and in 1875 Mr. Weaver carried the mail.
There is a society of the Grangers, Crystal Valley, No. 600, instituted about 1876. Dr. Kittredge was the first and is the present Master. Henry Cogill and George Lammon have also been Masters, and they have now about thirty members.
Beanville consists of a sawmill, store, and a few houses for the use of the mill men, and was founded in 1878, by John Bean, Jr., who built a steam mill on Section 32 of Crystal, with one upright saw, cutting about 7,000 feet per day, and a shingle saw-capacity, 40,000 A 1 shingles per day. In the Fall of 1880, Nickerson & Col- lister, of Pentwater, purchased the mill, of which W. N. Sayles is the manager, and also of the store in connection. It is thirteen miles from Pentwater.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
JARED H. GAY was born in Rochester, N. Y., July 2, 1830, and educated at St. Helene, in Livingston County, N. Y. When eleven years of age, he removed to Fulton County, Ohio, where he served six years at wagon making, and also worked at sawmilling. On April 18, 1863, he married, in Lenawee County, Mich., Catherine Carr, and on May 20, following, he started for Lyons, Mich., where he ran a sawmill for one year; then he ran an engine in Fulton, Ohio; after which he came to Muskegon, where he erected and ran, until 1857, the "Gay Mill." He then purchased the blacksmith shop of Mr. Maxim, and thoroughly learned the trade at his own expense, and at the same time carried on farming. He piloted the first steamer, commanded by Capt. Park, that ever ran up the Muskegon. His family consists of three sons-Henry Homer, Dewitt Clinton,
and Edgar Watson. In July, 1861, he was appointed blacksmith to the Indians, and as the shop was at Crystal Valley, he become the first permanent white settler in the town. He has had a leading part in all that concerns the town, nearly all the settlers commencing by working in the sawmill or woods for him. He is now wealthy, and is erecting the finest house in the town. He owns a splendid farm, besides a large quantity of pine lands.
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