History of Oakland County, Michigan, with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, palatial residences, public buildings, fine blocks, and important manufactories, Part 52

Author: Durant, Samuel W
Publication date: 1877
Publisher: Philadelphia, L. H. Everts & co.
Number of Pages: 553

USA > Michigan > Oakland County > History of Oakland County, Michigan, with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, palatial residences, public buildings, fine blocks, and important manufactories > Part 52

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Mr. and Mrs. Webster became the parents of five children,-one son and four daughters,-all now living. The following are their names and dates of birth :

ELMER RANDOLPH, born February 10, 1855.

EMMA JANE, born August 1, 1865.

CHLOE MATILDA, born January 2, 1869.

HATTIE MAY, born February 5, 1872.

ADA J., born April 22, 1876.

Elmer, the oldest, is now taking a classical course at the university at Ann Arbor, and the others are all at home.

Mrs. Webster was born in the town of Galen, Wayne county, New York, Sep- tember 27, 1829, and in 1836, when seven years of age, came with her father, John Richmond, to White Lake. Mr. Richmond settled in the western part of the township, and had a family then consisting of his wife, four sons, and four daughters ; two children, a son and a daughter, had died previously in New York while small. Mrs. Webster was next to the youngest in age. Her father died in the fall of 1869, aged eighty-four years.

Mr. Webster was a member of the Baptist church at Waterford, as is also his wife. They united with the congregation at Clarkston about 1860, and after- wards changed to Waterford. He was also a member of the Masonic fraternity for nearly twenty years preceding his death. He at first joined at Clarkston, and then became a member of the lodge at Waterford.

Politically Mr. Webster was a Democrat, and a very popular man with all classes. In the fall of 1870 he was elected to the representative branch of the legislature, and served one term. In White Lake township he held numerous important offices : was elected supervisor in 1860, and served three successive terms ; elected a fourth time in 1865, and held the office continually fordfive terms; in 1871 and 1872 he also filled the position, and was the last time chosen in 1875, his term not yet having expired when he died. He was township treasurer once, and in 1870 was elected justice of the peace, but did not qualify for the position.

For some time before his death he had been troubled with a severe cough, and finally was subjected to a violent attack of bleeding at the lungs, after which he constantly weakened, until in a few weeks death ended his sufferings. He was much esteemed by all who knew him or had ever transacted business with him, and at his funeral, which was held in the Webster school-house, the building was entirely inadequate to accommodate the throng of friends who had gathered to listen to the last sad rites and take a parting glance at the features now stamped with the seal of the Great Destroyer.

" Leaves have their time to fall, And flowers to wither at the north wind's breath, And stars to set,-but all, Thou hast all seasons for thine own, O Death !"

JAMES THOMPSON

was born on " Erin's green isle," in county Donegal, and in 1839 came with his father, John Thompson, to the United States, landing at New York on the 15th of June. From New York they proceeded a few days afterwards to Albany via the Hudson river, thence to Buffalo by canal, and from Buffalo to Detroit by boat. From Detroit to Royal Oak they came on the old railway, thence to Bir- mingham by stage, and from Birmingham they drove to Commerce township with a team they had hired. The trip from New York to Commerce occupied two

weeks' time. There were seven children in the family, including James,-three sons and four daughters,-of whom four are now living. They settled on section 4, in the township of Commerce.

About 1845, James Thompson located upon the farm he now owns, in sections 28 and 33, White Lake township, having purchased the property from third hands. Part of it, a forty-acre lot on section 33, had been entered from government by Joel Parker.

On the 30th of December, 1857, Mr. Thompson was married to Syene M. Phillips, a native of Milford township, where her father, Pliny Phillips, had settled as early as 1836-37, coming from Rochester, Monroe county, New York. About 1838 or 1840 he moved into Commerce township.

Mr. and Mrs Thompson are the parents of four children,-three sons and one daughter,-all living at home with their parents. They are WILLIAM PLINY, GEORGE, JAMES EDGAR, and EMMA Z.

In politics Mr. Thompson is a Republican, and was always bitterly opposed to human slavery. He has always worked at farming, following that business on a general plan, and has been very successful. His present farm consists of two hundred and eighty acres of fertile and finely-improved land. He and his wife are both members of the Presbyterian church at Commerce, in which Mr. Thompson has held the office of elder for about two years.

ROBERT D. VOORHEIS.

The subject of this sketch was born in the township of Pultney, Steuben county, New York, January 20, 1816, and in 1834 removed to Michigan with his father, Joseph Voorheis, who settled in Pontiac, about three miles northeast of the village. Robert was one of a family of twelve children who came with their parents to Oakland County, and four others were born afterwards. Joseph Voorheis died in Pontiac township.

Robert D. Voorheis was married March 18, 1840, to Lucinda Stockwell, and in 1842 came with his wife and infant daughter to White Lake township, and located on the farm where he now resides, owning land in sections 21 and 22. His father had purchased the place from the government about 1836, and it had been occupied by R. D. Voorheis' brother, Dr. Andrew Voorheis, for some time. The latter built a log house, which stood on the opposite side of the road from Mr. Voorheis' present residence, and a short distance farther west. This house was occupied by Mr. Voorheis and family until 1854, when they moved into their present frame dwelling.

Mrs. Voorheis was born in the town of Ira, Cayuga county, New York, July 6, 1815, and is one of a family of eight children. Her father, Levi Stockwell, brought his family to Michigan in 1837, and located a mile north of the village of Auburn, in Pontiac township. Mrs. V. lived with her father until her mar- riage, and taught several schools in the county, including two years in her own district. Her father has been dead over twenty years, and her mother died in February, 1875.

Mr. and Mrs. Voorheis are the parents of three children, of whom two are now living, both daughters; a son died in infancy. The elder daughter, Harriet, married Charles Wesley Lyman, who afterwards died, and after living a widow for six years she was married to Thomas D. Bartholomew, a Presbyterian minister, and they are now living in Huron county, Ohio.

Lavangy, the younger daughter, is the wife of Charles Harger, now living in Pontiac.

Mr. Voorheis had followed farming from his youth, and owns a fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres where he is now living. He is a Democrat in poli- tics. In 1854 he was elected to the office of justice of the peace, and served one term. He and his wife are both members of the First Presbyterian church of White Lake, with which organization they have been connected since their set- tlement in the township. Mr. Voorheis was formerly a member of the Presbyte- rian church at his native place in New York, and Mrs. V. united with that denomination at Pontiac.

SEBRING VOORHEIS.

This gentleman was born in the town of Fayette, Seneca county, New York, January 7, 1815. He came to Michigan in 1836, and for three years lived in the neighborhood of Ypsilanti, Washtenaw county. His father, Peter Voorheis, had come to the State about 1828, and purchased land in the township of Van Buren, Wayne county, but never settled upon it, and never in fact settled in the State.

Sebring Voorheis was married on the 11th day of September, 1839, to Sarah Bachman, in Steuben county, New York, he having returned to that State after a stay of three years in Michigan. Soon after his marriage he brought his wife

192

HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

to Michigan, and located the same year (1839) in White Lake township. After residing one year on the farm belonging to his cousin, Harrison Voorheis, he settled on the place where he now lives, section 8. He also owns land in section 9. The property was purchased from second hands, although he made the first improvement upon it. He erected a log house, sixteen by twenty-four feet, in which he lived a number of years. He now occupies a brick dwelling, which stands some forty or fifty rods cast of the site of the old log house, which gave way to the ravages of time and the elements about 1871-72, and has been removed.

Mr. Voorheis has been twice married. By his first wife he was the father of two children, both sons :

MYRON, born December 10, 1840; now living in White Lake township.

PETER, born September 11, 1843, is a graduate of the State university at Ann Arbor, and now engaged in the practice of law at Grand Rapids.

Mr. Voorheis' first wife died April 14, 1866, and on the 11th of September, 1867, he was married to Julia A. Yerkes, of Plymouth, Wayne county. Since this union a son, CARL STEWART VOORHEIS, has been born to them, his en- trance into life occurring March 29, 1872. Mrs. Voorheis' father, John Yerkes, was one of the pioneers of Plymouth township, Wayne county, Michigan, having settled there in 1826. He was one of a party of sixteen persons who came at that time, part of the number being the family of his brother, William Yerkes. They were from Romulus, Seneca county, New York. Mr. Yerkes died February 14, 1877, aged seventy-eight years. Mrs. Voorheis was born in Plymouth, Michigan, February 20, 1832.

Mr. Voorheis' first wife was born December 6, 1818, in the township of Pult- ney. Steuben county, New York, where her father, Jacob Bachman, was an early settler.

Mr. Voorheis has always followed general farming. Owns one hundred and fifty acres of finely improved land where he lives. He and his wife are members of the First Presbyterian church of White Lake, he having united with that organization in 1840.

In politics he is a Republican, and in 1876 was elected supervisor of the town- ship, although it is usually strongly Democratic. Has held the same office a number of terms previously, having been elected first in 1843. In the fall of 1862 he was chosen to represent his district in the lower house of the legisla- ture, and served one term.

Mr. Voorheis' life has been void of over-excitement upon any cause outside of death‹ in his family, and his years rest lightly upon him. He is much esteemed by all who have an acquaintance with him, and when the grim "reaper whose name is Death" calls for him, he will take to his final home one of the best of White Lake's citizens.

PETER VOORHEIS,

son of Peter and Catharine (Sebring) Voorheis, and brother of Sebring Voorheis, of White Lake township, was born in the town of Fayette, Seneca county, New York, February 19, 1820. In the autumn of 1841 he came to Michigan, leaving home October 9 of that year, and arrived in the State on the 15th, after a six days trip. For three years thereafter he lived during the summer season in the township of White Lake, and taught school winters in White Lake, Waterford, and Pontiac. On the 17th of April, 1845, he was married to Miss Arvilla E. Barr, then on a visit to the State. She had come in the fall of 1843 to Lapeer

county with relatives, and in some mysterious manner Mr. Voorheis finally per- suaded her to stay in the " Wolverine State." They were married in White Lake township, to which Miss Barr had come in 1844. Her father, Rufus Barr, was a native of Massachusetts, and a descendant in a direct line from the ancient Puritan stock. He had settled in the town of Westport, Essex county, New York, previous to his daughter's birth, near the now famous Adirondack Springs. Here in the picturesque valley of Lake Champlain, in the

"Shade of the mountains, cold and gray,"

the first cry of the child, who is now living so far from her native place, was heard, and the grand old hills, frowning forth upon the placid waters of the lake, welcomed the being just born in their midst. Her earliest recollections savor of the beauty of her mountain home, and the old place still has greater attractions for her than any other spot of her acquaintance, with perhaps that of the one where she has so long lived in Michigan. In common with her husband she takes great pride in beautifying their home, and both are exemplars of the great class who believe, with the poet, that

"'Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam, Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home."

Mr. Voorheis' father, Peter Voorheis, Sr., was born in that land of fruitful pro- duction, the State of New Jersey, and when eight or ten years of age moved with his parents and the rest of the family to Virginia. When twenty-one years old, or in 1804-5, he turned his footsteps northward, and finally settled in Seneca county, New York, where he was married to Catharine Sebring, whose parents lived in the town of Ovid. Mr. Voorheis lived in Fayette.

Peter Voorheis, of White Lake, is one of a family of ten children,-eight sons and two daughters,-of whom six are now living, all in Michigan. Since their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Voorheis have been blessed with two children, both sons, only one of whom is at present living. Their older son,

GEORGE P. VOORHEIS, was born August 20, 1847, and is now an attorney-at- law, residing at Port Huron, St. Clair county. He was married May 14, 1874, to Miss Anna Boyce, of Ypsilanti. He was graduated from the State university at Ann Arbor, in the class of 1872.

DARIUS S. VOORHEIS was born September 3, 1849, and died August 25, 1855. Mr. and Mrs. Voorheis are members of the First Presbyterian church of White Lake, with which Mr. Voorheis united in 1844, and Mrs. Voorheis in 1855. She had previously been a member of the Methodist society, and from her youth was an earnest worker in the " Master's vineyard."

Politically, Mr. Voorheis is a Republican. He has always worked at farming. In the spring of 1844 he purchased one hundred acres of his present farm (con- sisting of two hundred and twenty acres), and settled upon it in 1845. The per- son from whom he bought, Samuel Arthur, had made some improvements. A log house, which stood a short distance west of his present residence, was first occupied by Mr. Voorheis, and in 1849 he built the frame dwelling which he now occupies. By patient and enduring labor he has made the surroundings of his home very pleasant. The orchard, shrubbery, etc., now growing, were all set out by him, and his home of to-day is emphatically the work of his own hands, aided, of course, by the partner who has lived with him " lo ! these many years."

But a few minutes' walk to the westward, at the foot of a gentle slope, the clear waters of White lake roll up to the sandy beach, and " Voorheis' landing" is one of the pleasantest spots to be found in the township. With its fine improvements and picturesque surroundings, there is no wonder that Mr. Voorheis and his family are so strongly attached to their home.

HOLLY TOWNSHIP.

THE territory embraced within the limits of Oakland County was divided, in 1820, into two townships, named respectively Oakland and Bloomfield. The former included the north three-fifths of the county, and the latter the south two- fifths. This arrangement was continued until 1827, when these two townships were subdivided and five townships erected from the same territory. These were Oakland, Bloomfield, Farmington, Troy, and Pontiac. The latter included, with others, within its limits the present townships of Groveland and Holly. Grove- land township was organized in 1835, including what is now Holly. The legis- lature passed an act on the 6th of March, 1838, creating a new township, called

HOLLY, from the west half of Groveland, or the congressional township desig- nated on the government surveys as "town 5 north, range 7 east." Strenuous efforts had previously been made to organize a separate township for civil pur- poses, but the project was opposed by several of the settlers in better circum- stances, from the fact that the population within its limits was then so small that they would have the bulk of the taxes to pay if the parties for the division should attain the object they were seeking for. Principal among the opposition party was Peter Fagan, then the largest property-owner in the township. Finally he withdrew his opposition, as did the others, and the new organization was effected.

PETER VOORHEIS.

MRS. PETER VOORHEIS.

SKETCHED BY R CAUGHEY )

RESIDENCE OF PETER VOORHEIS, WHITE LAKE TP, OAKLAND CO., MICHIGAN.

"VOORHEIS LANDING, WHITE LAKE, WHITE LAKE TP, OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

RESIDENCE OF HERMAN A. WYCKOFF, WHITE LAKE TP, OAKLAND CO., MICH.

193

HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

The township was named by Jonathan T. Allen, after Mount Holly in New Jersey.

THE SURFACE

of the township is much diversified, and the landscape is dotted with hill and valley, lake and stream, marsh and swamp, smiling fields and green forests, while in nearly every part the improvements which have been made keep pace with the general advancement of the country, evince the taste of its inhabitants, and lend a pleasing variety to the view. The higher lands, though not rising to the alti- tude reached in other parts of the county, are of sufficient elevation to be classed as hills, and are of the formation so common in the southern peninsula of Michi- gan,-merely upheaved piles of gravel and bowlders, the latter worn smooth in their tossings and grindings during the period of glacial drifting, when the mighty com- motion of ice and water which swept over the land hollowed out the depressions where now are found lakes and swamps, and rolled together promiscuously the deposits of rock and mineral which were borne on their icy car from regions far- ther north and west. Holly township contains a considerable number of lakes, mostly surrounded by marsh and tamarack swamp. All abound in fish of a fine quality, and the disciple of Izaak Walton here finds rare sport in angling for the varied members of the finny tribe, while in their season vast numbers of wild fowl frequent the country, seemingly created for their especial benefit, and the crack of the sportsman's gun is heard far and near. Principal among the lakes are Bush, Crotched Pond, Gravel, Fagan, and Bevins. There are in the township about fifty lakes and ponds, and by them and their outlets, including Swartz creek and the Shiawassee river, it is well watered. The soil is generally sandy. Through a system of summer fallowing and persevering labor it is made to produce excel- lent crops of wheat, which is the staple grain of this part of the State. Other small grains are raised with very good success, and corn averages fairly with that raised in any other township in the county. Much land-plaster is used, its fer- tilizing properties being of great assistance in preparing the land for successful returns for the labors of the farmer.

IRON ORE

appears in places in the quality known as " bog ore," but not in sufficient quanti- ties to pay for working. The township contains in the western part many min- eral springs, some of their waters possessing strong medicinal qualities. By a small outlay some of these springs might be made the source of a considerable income, and the " Holly Springs" become as famous as those of Saratoga, New Bedford, or Berkeley.

THE TIMBER

of the township is principally of the several varieties of oak, and in but few places are there any remains of the heavy timber, it being generally of a second growth. When the country was first settled the underbrush was kept down by the extensive fires which swept over its surface, and only since the fires have ceased has the new supply been allowed to grow. As a result the young timber stands thick upon the ground, and the supply is unlikely soon to be exhausted.

EARLY SETTLEMENTS.

William Gage, a pioneer from the State of New York, had the honor of being the first white man who made a settlement within the limits of what is now Holly township. Some time during the year 1831 he came with his family and located on section 6, where he built the first house in the township. It was of the same description as all the houses built at first upon the then borders of civili- zation,-a small structure of logs, with the various peculiarities so well known to those who yet remember their own experience in the settler's log cabin.

Mr. Gage's son John, born in the latter part of 1832 or early in 1833, was most probably the first white child born in the township. The following story has been related to us, but as it is not known where the child was born, and the exact date of its birth is not given, it is proper to conclude that John Gage was the first. As the " Patriot war in Canada" mentioned did not occur until 1837, it is not possible that this was the first child ; but we give the story : A company of soldiers, on their way to Canada to participate in the " Patriot war," stopped one morning at the old Beach hotel, on section 12, and partook of some liquor. On their departure they left an old, ragged, and sleeveless coat rolled on the table, and the landlord seized it and was about to toss it out of doors, when the wail of an infant was heard from its interior. It is said "mine host of ye inn" became very faint for a moment or two, but finally recovered sufficiently to examine the bundle. His surprise may be imagined when he found a healthy female infant, of an extremely tender age, wrapped up in the dirty old garment. . It had evi- dently been born but a very short time previously, and had not as yet been washed nor dressed. Mrs. Peter Ingersoll took the child and cared for it, and the set- tlers came from all directions to see the little stranger, cast so unceremoniously upon the charity of the world. A number of applications were made by persons

wishing to adopt it, and finally the child was delivered into the custody of Mrs. James P. Allen, who lived with her husband on the shore of what is now known as Simonson's lake, within the present limits of the village of Holly. The child grew and prospered, and ultimately earned a worthy reputation as a school-teacher. Mr. Allen finally removed from the place, for the reason, it is said, that he feared the child might learn that he and his wife were not its parents.

The second settler in the township was Nathan Herrick, who erected his log dwelling on section 1, and moved into it in the spring of 1832. He had pre- viously lived for some time in Bloomfield township. He became a prominent personage among the settlers, and in April, 1835, at the first election in Grove- land, was elected supervisor of that township, which then included Holly.

Terrence Fagan, from the town of Worcester, Otsego county, New York, was the third settler in the township, locating with his family in 1833. He came and entered land on sections 2, 3, 10, and 11, in the spring of that year, and moved his family soon afterwards. His log house was the third one erected in the township. His son, Peter Fagan, visited Michigan in October, 1832, on a tour of inspection. He examined the land in Holly, which both he and his father afterwards purchased, and returned to New York. He came back with his father's family, and in 1834-35 entered the land he now owns. He is re- siding on section 15. In the fall of 1832 he worked for Nathan Herrick, on the Detroit and Saginaw turnpike road. This was a military road, laid to accom- modate the soldiers passing between Detroit and Saginaw. It was finished in 1834 to Mount Morris, six miles north of Flint, Genesee county, that point being as far as the Territorial government had charge of its construction. Terrence Fagan was a native of Ireland, and died on the 20th of January, 1852, when within but three days of eighty-five years of age. His wife, Bridget Fagan, died December 10, 1857, aged eighty-two.

The first marriage in Holly township was that of Peter Fagan and Eliza L. Dains, which was consummated on the 18th of November, 1838. The ceremony was performed by Ira C. Alger, justice of the peace, now a physician, living in Holly. Mr. Fagan and his bride moved immediately after into his log house, said building being ten feet square and about six feet high, with a huge fire- place in one end, while the other was occupied by a bed, a flour-barrel, and a pork-barrel. Mr. Fagan had for some time " kept bachelor's hall" in this im- posing edifice, and his newly-made bride perhaps remembered the old saying, " What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander," and correctly reasoned that she could live in it for a time if he could. They are now pleasantly situated, and have around them the accumulated comforts which are the results of thirty- nine years of patient toil, together with a rigid practice of economy, and a faculty for making everything go to its uttermost extent. It was a cause for thankful- ness in those days to be the possessors of a barrel of pork or a barrel of flour, although either could be purchased for three dollars. Many were often without even a cent of money, and, as a sample of the hard times, the fact may be stated that people were very often without the necessary amount of funds to pay the postage on letters which came to them, and were obliged to work and earn it be- fore they could take the letters from the office. Postage on letters from the east was then twenty-five cents each, and if a man were so lucky-or unlucky-as to have three or four arrive for him at once, it is possible that the satisfaction of re- ceiving news from friends may have been overbalanced by the regret caused at being obliged to pay so much postage. All were not left in such condition, many of the settlers having plenty to live upon, and never seeing the time when there was not sufficient provision in the house to set a comfortable table. In matters of dress, and the obtaining of the necessary implements with which to cultivate the soil, the supply was sooner brought to their doors than in localities farther east, which were settled at a much earlier day. Stores were more quickly started, and it was not necessary for the settlers to make long, weary trips across a hilly or mountainous country to secure the needed articles for either household or farm use. A ready market was near by, at Detroit, although a trip to .that city " by the blue and rushing river" was attended, before the era of turnpikes and railways, with trials which would make many persons flinch from the ordeal at the present day.

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History of Oakland County, Michigan, with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, palatial residences, public buildings, fine blocks, and important manufactories, Part 52

Author: Durant, Samuel W Publication date: 1877 Publisher: Philadelphia, L. H. Everts & co. Number of Pages: 553

Author: Durant, Samuel W
Publication date: 1877
Publisher: Philadelphia, L. H. Everts & co.
Number of Pages: 553