USA > Michigan > Montcalm County > History of Montcalm County, Michigan its people, industries and institutions...with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families Volume II > Part 37
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 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64
Ilenry Rader and his wife are the parents of these children: Lena, Lizzie, Emma, Malinda, George and Herman, deceased, and Henry. Politic- ally, Henry Rader is a stanch Republican and the entire family are devout members of the German Lutheran church, at Howard City, Michigan.
WILLIAM McHATTIE.
William McHattie, farmer and representative citizen of Montcalm county, Michigan, possesses many of the admirable qualities and character- istics of his sturdy Scotch ancestry. He was born on June 28, 1852, in Morayshire, Scotland, and is the son of Alexander and Marguerite (Taylor) McHattie, also natives of Morayshire, Scotland. Alexander McHattie was a shoemaker by trade and followed that vocation for many years, later accepting a government position as mail carrier. When he had reached an advanced age he retired to the village of Kingston, Scotland, where he remained until his death.
William McHattie is one of eleven children born of his parents' union, and is the youngest of the family. After completing his education in the common schools of his native country he engaged in agricultural pursuits in the interest of others. In 1873 he immigrated to Canada where he located in Grey county, Ontario, intending to prove a claim, but later removed to Michigan without doing so. In 1878 he located in Pine town- ship, Montcalm county, Michigan, where he was employed in the woods for some time. In 1882 William McHattie purchased one hundred and thirty-two acres of cut-over timber land in section 20, of Pine township. which has since become one of the best equipped farms in the county. He
WILLIAM McHATTIE.
MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN. 385
has always been exceptionally active in extending the principles of the Republican party, and was elected, in 1904, to serve as county treasurer of Montcalm county. He served in this capacity for four years and was then elected to serve as township supervisor for five years, having been elected in 1895, 1896, 1911, 1912, and again in 1913. In 1914 he was county delegate to the Republican state convention at Kalamazoo, Michigan, and has also represented the county twice in Detroit and once in Bay City, Michigan. He is affiliated with the Free and Accepted Masons and in his religious faith is a Presbyterian, in which church his family are also members.
On October 8. 1879. in Grey county, Ontario, Canada, William Mellattie and Marguerite Story were united in marriage and three children were born of this union: Walter, married Gladys Ellsworth and is the clerk of Pine township, Montcalm county, Michigan: Annabell, and Mar- guerite. Marguerite (Story) McHattie was born on November 4, 1850, in Grey county, Ontario, Canada, and is the daughter of Walter and Jessie ( Douglass) Story, who were natives of Roxburgh county, Scotland. They located in Canada previous to their marriage. the mother coming with her parents when but a small child.
LYMAN HUNT.
Lyman Hunt, a well-known and prosperous farmer of Douglass town- ship, this county, who for years was regarded as one of the most experienced and expert lumbermen in this section of the state, is a native son of Mich- igan, having been born on a pioneer farm in Kalamazoo county, this state, May 26, 1843, son of Aaron and Emmaline (Card) Hunt, both natives of Vermont, who lived north of Buffalo, at Clarence Hollow, New York, and became early settlers of Michigan, coming from Kalamazoo county to Mont- calm county at an early day in the settlement of this county. being among the very earliest pioneers of Douglass township. Aaron Hunt having been one of the men who cut out the road from Stanton out in the direction of his homestead. Aaron Hunt homesteaded a quarter of a section of land in Douglass township, besides which he bought forty acres of state swamp land at one dollar an acre and proceeded to develop the same. He did a large business in pine timber during his clearing operations and it was while
(25b)
386
MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
thus engaged, in 1862, about five years after having settled in this county, that he met with a fatal accident, a falling log crushing his body so severely that he died five days later. IIe and his wife were the parents of eleven children, of whom the following besides the subject of this sketch grew to maturity: David, deceased; Stanton; Mary, who died in 1912; Eli, who died in 1914: William, now deceased; Sarah, who lives at McBride; Henry, who lives in St. Johns, Clinton county. this state; Gardner, of Douglas town- ship; Albert, of McBride, and Mrs. Elizabeth Prall.
Lyman Hunt had grown to manhood when his parents came to Mont- calm county and had had even then a somewhat extensive experience in the lumber woods. Instead of accompanying the family to this county he went to Rockford and was engaged there and at Grand Rapids in lumber mills until the death of his father, after which he joined the family in their home in Douglass township and ever since has lived there. During the summers he worked in the mills and during the winters in lumber camps, early becom- ing widely known as an expert "timber cruiser." In company with his brothers, Henry and William, Mr. Hunt presently went into the lumber business and this partnership continued for five years, after which Mr. Hunt continued in business alone and was very successful, remaining actively con- nected with the lumber business in Montcalm county for a period of twenty- eight years, or until the available timber hercabout was practically exhausted, most of the time working a crew of from seventy to one hundred men. Since retiring from the lumber business Mr. Hunt has confined his atten- tion pretty largely to the development of his fine farm of eighty acres in Douglass township, and has one of the best-appointed and most thoroughly cultivated places in that part of the county, long having been recognized as one of the best farmers thereabout.
On December 12, 1871, Lyman Hunt was united in marriage to Rizpah Auten, who also was born in Kalamazoo county, this state, and whose par- ents, natives of New York, had settled in Montcalm county on August 25, 1870, and to this union seven children have been born, as follow: Edna, who died at the age of seven years : Minnie, who taught school in this county for eight or ten years and is now cashier in the Hotel Ponchartrain at Detroit : Grace, who married Harvey Lee, died in 1914: Jennie, who mar- ried Chester Henry, of Chatham, Ohio, and has two children; Myrtle, who married Harry Broughton and lives at Detroit; Morris, who married Mary Singleton. lives at Detroit, where he is a car inspector on the Michigan Cen- tral railroad: and Harold, who makes his home on the paternal farm, but
387
MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
spends his winters in Detroit with the Hudson Automobile Company. The Hunts ever have been active in the general social life of their community, actively interested in all movements designed to advance the common good thereabout, and are held in the highest esteem throughout that entire section of the county. Lyman Hunt is a Democrat and is active in the interests of that party. He and his wife are members of the Maccabees.
ELI SQUIRE.
Among the well-known farmers and stock raisers of Bushnell township, Montcalm county, Michigan, is Eli Squire, the owner of "Brookside Farm," who was born in Gratiot county, Michigan, on October 27, 1858, a son of Franklin and Eliza A. ( Harrington) Squire, the former born in Geauga county, Ohio, on February 15. 1827, the latter near Adrian, Michigan, at which place they were married on February 23, 1851.
After their marriage Franklin Squire and his wife located in Lenawee county, Michigan, where they lived until 1854, and then moved to Gratiot county, the elder Squire there homesteading one hundred and sixty acres of land, a place on which he built the first frame house of the community and where he lived as a successful farmer until 1902, when Franklin Squire and his family came to Montcalm county, and located in Bloomer town- ship, where he lived for the remainder of his days, dying on August 31. 1913, his wife having died in 1866. Franklin and Eliza A. Squire were the parents of eight children, three of whom survive: Eli, the subject of this sketch; Alice, the wife of Nehemiah Hayner, of Clinton county, Mich- igan, and John, a resident of Hastings, Michigan.
Eli Squire received his education in the schools of Gratiot county, Michigan, after which he lived on the home farm until he was sixteen years of age and then he worked on neighboring farms for one summer, after- ward going into the woods of the region, where he was employed for twenty- three years, rising from a humble position to that of head sawyer for one of the great mills of the Michigan lumber interests. In the year 1904, Eli Squire came to Montcalm county, and located on a farm of two hundred acres which he had purchased three years previously, and on this farm Mr. Squire has placed a number of improvements and has added land until now he is the owner of two hundred and eighty acres, which was formerly known as the old Porter farm, now known as "Brookside Farm." On his
388
MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
farm Eli Squire is now engaged in general agricultural pursuits, he being known as one of the more progressive and one of the most successful farm- ers and stock raisers of the township and county.
On November 25, 188r, Eli Squire was married to Anna Shuttleworth. and to this union have been born four children: Alida, who was educated in and graduated from the Ferris Institute of Big Rapids, Michigan, and who now is the wife of R. D. Lamie, a chemist with the Stearns Company, of Detroit, Michigan; Alta, a high school graduate and a graduate of the Detroit Conservatory of Music, now the wife of W. J. Tripp, who is superin- tendent of the public schools at Rockland. Michigan: Earl, who is a graduate of Albion College, and who was a student of Harvard University, for one year, he now being superintendent of the Western Packing Company, of Chicago, and Lyle, who now is a student in the public schools of Carson City. Montcalin county.
Eli Squire is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. carry- ing insurance in this organization. In politics. Mr. Squire is a Republican. being well known in the ranks of this party.
WILLIAM MADER.
One of the prominent and influential farmers of Pierson township. Montcalm comty, is William Mader, the son of Carl and Christena (Strenger ) Mader. William Mader was born in Pommern, Germany, on August 22. 1867. and came to the United States in 1882, having at first located in Wisconsin, where he remained but a short time and later came to Montcalm county. For the next three or four years he was employed on a farm near Howard City and in the woods of that section. After his resi- dence of some few years in Montcalm county he returned to Wisconsin where he remained for one year, after which he returned to his former home in Michigan.
William Mader was married on October 3, 1898, to Angusta Paasch. Mrs. Mader was born in Germany and came to the United States alone. Having settled in Michigan she met and married Mr. Mader. By their united efforts and hard work, they have built for themselves a most com- fortable and pleasing home. When Mr. Mader first became a resident of the county he purchased their original forty acres and since added to this another forty acres in Pierson township and fifty acres in Maple Valley
389
MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
township. By his diligence and close application to the duties of his farm he has succeeded in bringing it into a high state of cultivation. Coming to the United States, without money or inthience, Mr. and Mrs. Mader have by hard work won recognition by their own efforts.
Mr. and Mrs. Mader are the parents of one child. Arnold, who was born on February 11, 1900. William Mader and wife are active and influential members of the German Evangelical Lutheran church at Howard (ity and take great interest in all church work. Politically, Mr. Mader is a Democrat. but is not active in the political affairs of the community.
GEORGE R. BANTON.
Numbered among the essentially representative business men of Mont- cahn county, is George R. Banton, whose family name has been linked with the industrial advancement of this part of the state for almost sixty years. The subject of this sketch has contributed his share of honor to the family whose reputation has always been one of highest regard. He was born in Bloomer township, this county, on the 25th of May, 1874, and is the son of Edwin R. and Samantha ( Holcomb) Banton.
Edwin R. Banton was born in 1836, in Bangor. Maine, and at the age of fourteen moved with his parents to the state of New York. From that state he moved to Ionia, Michigan, where he made his home with his brother, Alfred Banton. In 1864 he came to Bloomer township, this county, where he located on a tract of land one and one-half miles northwest of Butternut, on the north edge of the township. At the beginning of his residence in this locality Indians were still inhabiting the remote sections of the forests and wild animals were common. In the year 1900 Edwin R. Banton went to Flint, where for three years he was engaged in the music business, which he eventually gave up and returned to his farm. Samantha (Holcomb) Banton was reared near the lakes of Seneca and Cayuga, in New York, and moved to Ionia with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Holcomb, when she was still a child. Her father built a dam at Ionia and during the process of installing a woolen-mill on the dam caught a severe cold which resulted in his death. Aside from the subject of this sketch, Mrs. Edwin Banton reared a daughter, who is now Mrs. Ella J. Smith. Mr. Banton is a mem- ber of the Masonic fraternity and is a communicant of the Methodist church, of which church his wife was a member.
390
MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
George R. Banton, after completing the course in the common schools of Bloomer township, attended the Collegiate Institute at Waterloo, lowa, and later entered the Yerington Business College, at St. Louis, Michigan. For two years following his graduation from the school just mentioned he followed the occupation of a farmer in the northwestern part of Bloomer township. Mr. Banton then decided to enter the business world and man- aged a general merchandise store for five years. At the end of that time he sold the store and invested in the grain buusiness of Butternut, a field of endeavor which has proved to be extremely profitable. As the business grew Mr. Banton felt the need of a partner in the management of affairs and two years ago gave the place of partner to William F. Kerr. In 1905 they built the elevator at Butternut. The road to success followed by the subject of this sketch has not always been smooth, it has been set with discouragement and disappointment, but these things have never fostered despair in the heart of Mr. Banton. Two years after the elevator had been completed it burned to the ground, but since that time has been rebuilt and the best of mechanical equipment installed.
On the 30th of January, 1895, the marriage of George R. Banton and Grace Morey took place. Mrs. Banton was born in Ronald township, Ionia county, Michigan, the daughter of John and Mary ( Lester ) Morey. John Morey, who was born near Schuylerville, in Saratoga county, New York, on the 17th of July, 1839, was the son of Nelson and Catherine (Simmons) Morey, and came to Michigan as early as 1861, where he entered the pro- fession of school teaching. Before coming to this part of the country Mr. Morey had experience as a teacher in the public schools of the East. Dur- ing his teaching term at Fremont he was married and for some time follow- ing continued to practice his profession in Ronald township, of Ionia county. In March, 1892, after he had spent over thirty years as a farmer and teacher in this community, Mr. Morey returned to New York, where his death occurred in the following July. Upon his return to the place of his birth Mr. Morey bought back the old home farm of his father's.
Mary Lester was born in Saratoga county, New York, and was the daughter of George and Elizabeth ( Fitzsimmons) Lester. Her father, who was one of the most prominent lumbermen of his time, was born near Rome, Oneida county, New York. As early as 1850 he moved to Newago, Mich- igan, where he engaged the lumber business which was one of the most thriving industries of that locality. He took charge of the business estab- lished by a lumber company of Glenns Falls, New York. which he con-
391
MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
ducted for ten years. In his native state he had also been interested in the grain business and devoted part of his time in Michigan to that line of work. As a result of an attack of pneumonia which he contracted during a trip to Chicago, Mr. Lester died in the spring of 1861. Two years after his death his wife moved to lonia county where she bought a farm and where she lived a short time before moving to Detroit where she passed away in April, 1903. Mary Lester completed her education in the Saratoga Semin- ary, in New York. She became the mother of five children, one of whom died in infancy; Jessie, the widow of William Mckean, lives in Detroit; Grace became the wife of the subject of this sketch; Nelson Claire resides in Grand Rapids; Leon J. died in 1913.
George R. Banton is deeply interested in the affairs of his home and takes a true delight in planning the future of his children. The eldest child, Ronald, is a graduate of the Carson City high school and Glenn and Mary are still attending school. The members of the family attend the Congrega- tional church and participate in all movements for its welfare. Fraternally, Mr. Banton is affiliated with the Masons and with the Maccabees.
JOHN M. FITZPATRICK.
Imbued with a strong desire for achievement and possessing those sterl- ing attributes of character which are the elements of the best in citizenship, John M. Fitzpatrick has steadily climbed the ladder of success until he has reached a place of prominence in the community in which he lives. His business ability and manifestation of high principles of living have given him a position of the highest esteem in the county which has been his home for over twenty-five years. John M. Fitzpatrick was born on the 17th of September, 1856, in Boston, Erie county, New York, and is the son of Thomas and Mary (Cottrell) Fitzpatrick, the former of whom was a native of County Clare, Ireland. Thomas Fitzpatrick was born in 1815 and upon arriving in this country settled in Springville, New York, where he estab- lished his residence until 1859, when he went to Sardinia, in the same state. Mr. Fitzpatrick followed the occupation of a farmer and a blacksmith, until his death which occurred on the 12th of May, 1876. Mary Cottrell was a native of Utica, New York, and became the mother of thirteen children. Three years after the death of her husband, in 1879, Mrs. Fitzpatrick passed away.
392
MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
The early life of John M. Fitzpatrick was spent in Sardinia, where he learned the first principles necessary for cheese making, a branch of the agri- cultural industry which he followed for over forty years with marked suc- cess. In the year 1800 John M. Fitzpatrick left his native home and came to Butternut, in Montcalm county, for permanent residence. Upon arriving in this section of the state he worked for Cross & Isham, who were at that time in the act of erecting their cheese factory. After working for this firm for one year. Mr. Fitzpatrick had accumulated sufficient funds to enable him to buy out one of the partners, Mr. Isham. Several years later he bought out the interest belonging to Mr. Cross, and ran the business inde- pendently until 1915, when he sold the factory to the Campbell Brothers Company, of Detroit.
When the business was opened in 1890 only five or six patrons brought milk for cheese making, and after a short time the managers decided to sell cheese in Stanton. This decision gave evidence in the beginning of meeting disappointment, as it was difficult for a new factory to take the place of one which had been established in that community for twenty years, and whose goods had been giving entire satisfaction, however, Mr. Fitzpatrick proved that he was even able to meet courageously, strong competition. ITis business continued to increase from time to time until the management now handles twenty thousand pounds of milk a day. Mr. Fitzpatrick has extended his business until he owns aside from the main factory, three cheese fac- tories in other localities.
In partnership with his brother, H. P. Fitzpatrick in 1894, the subject of this sketch bought a creamery in Carson City, which they converted into a cheese factory. After selling out to his brother. Mr. Fitzpatrick opened a new cheese factory at Fenwick, with Chauncey Case as his partner in the business. Later this factory was sold to William Eaton, one of the employees. In the year 1900, Mr. Fitzpatrick carried on the most extensive interests in cheese making that he had attempted since entering that field of endeavor. Ile managed three factories, located at Butternut. Fenwick and Crystal. The Crystal factory was at last sold to Mr. Case and the subject of this sketch began to devote more time to the interests of general farming. The farm owned by the subject of this sketch is situated a short distance north- cast of Butternut and extends over one hundred and twenty acres of land. The family residence, however, is maintained in the village of Butternut.
The marriage of John M. Fitzpatrick to Luella Hopkins was solemnized in 1880. Mrs. Fitzpatrick, who is a native of Sardinia, New York, is the
393
MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
daughter of Daniel W. and Lucinda ( Reynolds ) Hopkins. Daniel Hopkins was born in 1839. in Pennsylvania, but spent most of his life in Sardinia. where he followed the occupation of a farmer. He passed away in 1913, and his wife. Lucinda, who survives him and who is also a native of New York, resides in Yorkshire, New York.
Mr. and Mrs. Fitzpatrick are the parents of the following children : Cora ML., who was born in 1886 and who became the wife of Lewis Ligrow, resides in Carson City ; Eva Marie is the widow of Harry Wilson, and lives in Toledo, Ohio, and has one child, Louise, born on February 28. 1913; Vera C. is the wife of Elmer F. Barret and has two daughters. Helen and Genevieve. and they reside in Toledo. All the children of Mr. and Mrs. Fitzpatrick were born in Sardinia, New York.
Although he has never aspired to political offices, Mr. Fitzpatrick enters heartily into every movement for the betterment of the community in which he lives and gives his firin support to affairs for civic welfare. Fraternally. he is a member of the Maccabees and in his religions views he is a follower of the teachings of the Catholic church and attends St. Mary's church at Carson City, Michigan.
LUCIUS B. SCHERMERHORN.
Lucius B. Schermerhorn, because of his sterling qualities of character and honest endeavor, has won a place of high regard in the community in which he lives. His birth occurred on November 9, 1856, in Channahon, Will county, Illinois, and he is the son of Isaac and Jane ( Baccus) Schermer- horn. Isaac Schermerhorn was a native of Schenectady, New York, and was the son of John B. Schermerhorn, who was a native of Holland. Jane ( Baccus) Schermerhorn was born in Oakland county, Michigan. She came to Montcalm county, Michigan, with her husband and family in 1868, where Isaac Schermerhorn was engaged in the lumber business. He specialized in large square timbers, which were used in the construction of large build- ings, but he later engaged in agricultural pursuits in Montcalm township, of this county, and remained here until his removal to Stanton, Michigan, where his death occurred.
Lucius B. Schermerhorn was reared as a farmer and after completing his schooling, engaged in the vocation in which he has since remained. In 1880 he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of partially cleared land, in section 36, of Pine township. of this county, for which he paid sixteen
394
MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
dollars. One hundred and ten acres of this land is now cleared and under cultivation, and is devoted to general agriculture and stock raising.
On April 20, 1883, Lucius B. Schermerhorn was united in marriage to Charlotte Churchill, daughter of John and Henrietta S. ( Wilcox ) Churchill, and of the four children born of their union only one is now living, namely, Alva W., who was born on December 19. 1892, and assists his father with the work on the home farm. The names of the other children follow : Ivan, born on January 9, 1884, and died on April 11, 1888; Gladys, born on January II, 1889, and died on April 24, of the same year, during an epidemic of diphtheria, and Guy, whose birth occurred on June 23, 1902, died on January 28, 1905. The mother of these children was a native of Montcalm county, Michigan. She died on June 27, 1902. Politically, Lucius B. Schermerhorn votes independent of party. His fraternal relations are with the Knights of the Maccabees, who hold him in high esteem.
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.