History of St. Clair County, Michigan, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development and resources, its war record, biographical sketches, the whole preceded by a history of Michigan, Part 117

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Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, A.T. Andreas & Co.
Number of Pages: 818

USA > Michigan > St Clair County > History of St. Clair County, Michigan, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development and resources, its war record, biographical sketches, the whole preceded by a history of Michigan > Part 117

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EUGENE SMITH was born at Amherst, Mass., July 26, 1821, and is a son of Elisha Smith, also a native of Amherst, and was born in the same house. Our subject came to St. Clair with his parents in 1836, where he has since lived. The elder Mr. Smith erected a saw mill at St. Clair in 1876, which afterward became the property of Mr. Smith. He run this mill for many years. He has been engaged in lumbering until 1881. He owns a large farm on Smith Creek Station, on the Grand Trunk Railroad, one three and a half miles above St. Clair, on the St. Clair River, one in China Township and one in East China Township ; in all about 1,100 acres. Mr. Smith was married in 1855, to Miss Mary R. Goffe, a native of Bedford, N. H. They have had five children, three living, viz .: Lizzie E., George B. and Frederick H. Mr. Smith was Mayor of St. Clair one year and Supervisor several years. When the Smiths came to St. Clair, the Indians were their nearest neighbors, and the wild animals were roaming over an almost unbroken forest, while the wolves made the nights hideous by their terrible cries.

CHARLES E. SOLIS, attorney at St. Clair, was born in Vernon Centre, Oneida Co., N. Y., September 4, 1848, and is a son of Daniel E. Solis, also a native of Vernon Centre. Our subject came with his parents to Detroit in 1853, and to St. Clair in 1854. His father run the City Hotel in St. Clair unil 1861, when he died. Mr. Solis graduated from the law department of the Michigan University, at Ann Arbor, in 1879, and was ad- mitted to the bar the same year. In 1864, he enlisted in Company F, Fifteenth Michigan Infantry, and served until the alose of the rebellion. He was three weeks in Andersonville prison, when he was exchanged. Mr. Solis was one of the pioneers of the Black Hills. He and others were arrested by a United States officer for trespass on Indian lands. He was made the test case for all concerned in a similar way, and he came out vic- torious in the United State Court. He spent the winter of 1868-69 in Salt Lake City, during which time he was bookkeeper for Zion's Mercantile Co-operative Institution. He also spent some time in Kansas, Mo., Illinois and other Western and Southern States. He returned to St. Clair in the fall of 1869.

CHARLES H. SOUTHWICK. manager of "The Oakland," was born in Rochester, N. Y., on June 13, 1836, was educated and resided there until April, 1856, then left the paternal roof and spent seven years of com- mercial life at Detroit; removing from there to Grand Rapids, where he remained twenty years, engaged in mer- cantile pursuits, when he removed to St. Clair and assumed the management of "The Oakland" in May, 1882. He was married in the year 1860 to Miss Debby J. Sturtevant. They have two children-Blanche and Margaret Castle.

GUSTAVUS STRAUSS, of the firm of G. Strauss & Sons, leading grocers, was born in Bavaria, Ger- many, in August, 1825. He came to St. Clair in 1854, and clerked in the general store of his brother Fred- erick, who was a leading merchant of St. Clair at that time. In 1856, he went to Port Huron, and to Grand Haven in 1859 ; from thence, in 1860, he went to Grand Rapids. In the fall of 1864 he went to Detroit, where he remained until August, 1865, when he returned to St. Clair and established a small grocery store in a lit- tle, old, one-story frame building. His business gradually increased until March, 1870, when his store and a portion of the goods were burned ; but he was fully insured and did not sustain much loss thereby. He built a large brick block the same year, which he has since occupied. They are doing an annual business of $55, - 000, which is gradually increasing. Mr. Strauss was married in 1854 to Miss Rosina Hueber, by whom he has had four children ; of these three are living, viz .: Frederick C. and Christian R., who are his partners in business, and Amelia M. Mr. S. is a member of the Lutheran Church.

ALEXANDER THOMSON, farmer, Section 20, P. O. St. Clair, is a native of Scotland, and was born July 24, 1824. After coming to this country, he lived one year on the Hudson River above West Point; then lived in Binghamton four years; then removed to Canada and lived there four years; and then came to Port Huron. He is a carpenter and millwright by trade, and has been connected with sawmills for the past twenty- five years. Was with Avery, Murphy & Co., sixteen years Superintendent of their mills. He owns a good farm of forty acres well improved. In 1847, he married Miss Jane Given, a native of Scotland; she died in 1876, and left five children -William, Robert, Jane, George and Alexander. In 1877, he married Elizabeth Johnson; she is a native of Scotland.

B. V. VAN EPS, farmer and mill owner, Section 25, P. O. St. Clair, is a native of New York State, and was born in Schenectady County, February 19, 1808. His parents removed to Herkimer County in 1810, and he grew up there until nineteen years old; then removed to Jefferson County, and lived there until 1849, when he came to this State and settled in this county at St. Clair, and in the spring of 1853, bought the land where he now lives; it was all covered with timber; he cut the road from Jordan Creek to his place. He cleared his land and made his farm, and engaged in farming for twenty-five years. In 1878, he bought a mill and en- gaged in milling at St. Clair, and carried on the business four years, until his mill property was destroyed by fire. He married Miss Harriet Caswell, a native of New York State; she died July 5, 1881, leaving one daughter, now Mrs. Charles McMillen, living in this county. Mr. Van Eps married Mrs. Caroline Loomis, July 13, 1882, she is a native of New York State, and has one son-Charles Loomis, living in Rock County, Wis.

CHARLES H. WATERLOO, was born in Lincolnshire, village of Wrawby, England, January 11, 1821, and is a son of George Waterloo, a native of the same county. His mother's maiden name was Aley Bell.

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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.

Our subject is the second of six children. The family came to Detroit in 1830, when the Indians and wild animals were numerous, and in a few months removed to Redford, thirteen miles west of Detroit. In 1837, the family came to Columbus Township, this county, and cleared up a farm. For the past twenty years Mr. Waterloo has lived in St. Clair. He was married November 14, 1844, to Mary J. Beebe, a cousin of Judge Beebe, of New York City. They have eight children-W. Stanley, Althea (Campbell), A. Belle (Flower), Hattie, Charles B., Minnie J. (Conway), Lucy K. and Willis B. The latter is on the Chicago Tribune; Stanley is editor and part owner of the Evening Chronicle, of St. Louis, Mo., and Charles is in the First National Bank of St. Clair. From 1862 to 1866, he held the office of Register of Deeds of St. Clair County. He is now serving the third term as City Assessor for St. Clair. Mr. Waterloo still owns a farm; in politics he is Democratic, and in religious views liberal.

COL. H. WHITING was born February 7, 1818, at Bath, Steuben Co., N. Y. His parents John and Nancy Carter Whiting, were both natives of Massachusetts, and of English descent. Col. Whiting received his early education in the district schools. At the age of thirteen, he left school and engaged for about four years as clerk in the store of Whiting & Boardman, of Steuben County. Rev. W. E. Boardman, Secretary of the Christian Commission at Philadelphia during the late war, was a'member of the firm. During his clerkship, Mr. Whiting improved his leisure hours by reviewing Kirkham's grammer and Rollin's history. He entered the Military Academy at West Point, in 1836, passing the first examination, No. 51. He graduated in 1840, No. 17, in the same class with Gens. Sherman, Thomas and others, who have since become distinguished. At the time of his graduating. there were very few vacancies to be filled. Mr. Whiting was assigned as Second Lieutenant to the Fifth Infantry, then stationed at Fort Snelling, on the Mississippi. Here Lieut. Whiting took a course of Latin, and continued his studies until he was ordered to Florida. In 1841, his regiment was sent to Jefferson Barracks below St. Louis, and soon after was assigned to the upper lakes. Lieut. Whiting's company was ordered to Mackinac, and during his stay here he was appointed Assistant Commissary and Acting Assistant Quartermaster. He went with his regiment to Texas in September, 1845. and remained at Corpus until February, 1846. Having tendered his resignation, he obtained leave of absence from Gen. Taylor for sixty days, with privilege to extend it sixty days more on application at Washington. He joined his family at St. Clair, and within a week took charge of Thompson's Academy at that place. The following spring he opened a grammer school in Bath, Steuben Co., N. Y., continuing to teach a little over a year. In 1848, he engaged in the lumber and mercantile business in St. Clair, with Willard Parker and Justin Rice, under the firm name of Parker, Whiting & Co. In 1849, Mr. Rice died, and the firm was known as Parker & Whiting until 1851, when Mr. Parker took the luniber business, and Mr. Whiting became sole pro- prietor of the mercantile business. At the outbreak of the war in 1861. he offered his services to the Governor of Michigan, but was informed that the Colonels for the Fifth Regiment appointed to Michigan, had already been appointed. He was immediately afterward appointed Colonel of the Second Vermont Regiment. His regiment moved to the front at once, and took part in the first battle of Bull Run; they received a note of thanks from the Vermont Legislature for their gallant conduct during that disastrous day. This regiment covered the retreat from Centreville to Washington. Col. Whiting received from the men under his com- mand a handsome present, consisting of a costly sword, sash, set of pistols and full equipments for his horse. It was wholly unexpected, and coming from such a source, it was naturally very gratifying to him. His regiment participated in the battle of Lee's Mills, Williamsburg and covered the retreat from Richmond to Savage Station, October 23, 1862. The Colonel was placed in command of the Vermont Brigade, and took part in the battle of Fredericksburg, under Gen. Burnside. In 1863, he resigned his position in the army and resumed business as a merchant in St. Clair. Here he still resides surrounded by a happy family. Col. Whiting has been twice married. His first wife died January 26, 1858. In October, 1859, he married Mary T. Rice, sister of his former wife. He has had a family of eleven children, of whom nine are living. He was himself one of a family of twelve children. In 1858, Mr. Whiting was elected Regent of the University of Michigan, and served in that capacity for nearly six years. While on the Board he was Chairman of the Committee on the Scientific Course in the University, and during his term the standard of admission to that course was raised; the course of study in French and German was also extended from one to two years. It would be in keeping here to remark that at that time, Mr. Whiting advocated the admission of women to the University, which measure was not adopted until ten or twelve years later. The Colonel has been a member of the Methodist Church for thirty years. His son Justin R. Whiting, became partner in the business in 1871, and the firm is Whiting & Son: they carry a large stock, doing an annual business of $75,000. It is the pioneer business house of St. Clair, now located corner of Front and Jay streets, in Whiting's three story brick block.

JUSTIN R. WHITING, of the firm of H. Whiting & Son, St. Clair, was born in the village of Bath, Steuben County, N. Y., February 18, 1847. He came to St. Clair with his parents in 1849. His early educa- tion was obtained in the Union Schools of St. Clair, and afterward attended the Michigan University at Ann Arbor; he entered the class of 1867, and left at the close of the sophomore year. The following year he re- turned to St. Clair and became a partner with his father in the mercantile business, in which they are still successfully engaged. He was married in 1868, to Miss Emily F. Owen, by whom he has six children ; viz. : Nellie, John, Pamelia, Blanche, Bruce and Rosamond. Mr. Whiting is a Mason of the highest order, viz. : that of Knight Templar, and has been a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church of St. Clair for the past ten years. He was elected Mayor of the city in 1879; has been a member of the School Board for the past four years, and is a member of the City Council. Mr. Whiting took an active part in causing the mineral well to be sunk at this place, and the founding of the Female Seminary of St. Clair is largely due to his efforts, both by earnest labor and assisting with money. He is a public spirited man, and labors for the general good of St. Clair and vicinity.

E. C. WILLIAMS, farmer, Section 6, P. O. Smith Creek, is a native of Canada and was born February 4, 1821. After reaching manhood he was united in marriage January 25, 1842, to Miss Polly Hubble, a native

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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.

of Canada, and two years later, in 1844, they started from Canada for Illinois; upon reaching Ypsilanti they concluded not to go further west. He traded a yoke of oxen for eighty acres of land where he now lives, and started to settle upon it, and it took them eight days. The night before they arrived here their bill was $ 1.50 and he only had $1 to pay it with. They arrived at their destination, where they now live, in March, 1844. The land was all covered with timber and he began clearing it; he began cutting logs, and then engaged in lumbering, and afterward went in the stave business, and all the time clearing his farm, and since then has been engaged in farming and lumbering. Mr. and Mrs. Williams are among the oldest and most successful settlers here. They have ten children-George. Reddick, Charles, Wilmer, Guy, Althea (now Mrs. Simpson, Detroit), Maria (now Mrs. Brayman), Ida (now Mrs. Staley), May (at home), Belle (at home).

MIRON WILLIAMS, capitalist, Marysville, is a native of Bennington County, Vt., and was born in the town of Bennington June 6th, 1813. When only three years of age his parents came to Ohio and located on the Western Reserve. He lived there until seventeen years of age, then worked at carpenter trade at Canton, and Massillon and also at Cleveland. While at the latter place he hired out to a millwright, named Wells, for three years. In June, 1832, he came to St. Clair County on the old steamboat Gratiot and landed at Uncle Billy Brown's place on the river. He began working at his trade. The same year helped build the old Black River steam mill. Built several mills in Canada and many in this State. He built more mills while in the business than any other millwright in the State. He bought out and ran a saw mill, grist mill and carding mill at Belle River. He afterwards bought a share in a saw mill at Newport (now Marine City). He built a mill at Detroit and was there two years, then returned to Newport. He was there but a short time when he engaged more extensively in the lumber business; bought a large amount of pine land; bought one mill and built another at Marysville and an interest in another at Algonac; had lumber yards in Huron, Fremont, Toledo, and Chatham, in Canada, and also shipped to Chicago and transacted a large and extensive trade, owning from eight to ten thousand acres of pine land, and during his business life lost a large fortune by fires and by the failures of others. He continued in the lumber business until 1875. Disposed of his pine and lum- ber business and retired to his farm on the river where he now lives. He is one of the oldest settlers in the County, and his success in life is owing to his own efforts. Mr. Williams married Miss Mary Gallagher, of Belle River, this County, in February, 1838. They had ten children-William (died when two years of age), John G. (was killed in the lumber woods January. 1870, he was thirty years of age), Mary (now Mrs. N. Mills), Hannah (now Mrs. C. Neal), Emma (now Mrs. H. McMorran), Prudence (now Mrs. C. Dale), Florence (now Mrs. G. Kimball), David (married and living in Port Huron), Adaline (at home), and Emeline (now Mrs. A. J. Beardsley).

HENRY WOLF, Section 21, P. O., St. Clair, was born in Mechlinberg, Germany, 1817. Emigrated to America in 1855 and came to this county the same year, and bought the land where he now lives, cleared it of timber and made his farm, and since then has lived here and engaged in farming -- owns his farmi of ninety- nine acres. In 1870 he married Miss Julia Christ. She was born in Prussia. They have two children-John and Bertha.

JOHN F. WOLVEN, proprietor of Wolven's planing mill, sash, door and blind factory, Front street, was born October 5, 1840, in New York State. He received a common school education, and at the age of eighteen years began to work at the manufacture of sash, doors and blinds. which business he has pursued until the present time. He first began the business by hand, but as success attended his efforts and business increased, he began to add machinery. (For a description of his factory see the chapter on manufactories.) Mr. Wolven's parents were of German descent, and located at St. Clair about the year 1845. He married Miss Delila Stevens, who afterward died. He afterward married Caroline Ballamy, by whom he has two children-George E. and Bertha E.

PETER WOLVEN. farmer, Section 23, P. O. St. Clair, is a native of. Ulster County, N. Y., and was born September 7, 1818. He was brought up to manhood in that State, and was married November 18, 1842, to Miss Mary Ann McCartney, of Yates County, N. Y. In September, 1845, they started for Michigan, came by team to St. Clair, and were fifteen days on the way. The following year they settled on the place where they now live ; it was all covered with timber ; he built a shanty and cleared the land and made his farm, and since then, for the past thirty-seven years they have lived on the farm, and are the oldest settlers now living here. He owns a farm of eighty-six acres. When they came to this county, they only had money enough to buy one barrel of flour and one hundred pounds of pork. During the war, Mr. Wolven enlisted in the Light Artillery, and served three years. Was in the siege of Vicksburg and siege of Atlanta, and other engage- ments. His eldest son, Joseph, served in the Battery of Artillery. Mr. and Mrs. Wolven have four children -Cornelius, Horace, Peter, Charles ; and have lost four children-Joseph died of disease contracted in the army. Maria, infant son, William H.

SAMUEL H. WOODRUFF was born December 31, 1814, in Troy, N. Y .; his parents were Cyrus and Miriam Woodruff, the former a native of Connecticut, and the latter of New Hampshire. Mr. Woodruff re- ceived his education in the common schools of Massachusetts ; when yet a boy, he learned the carriage and wagon maker's trade. In 1832, he came to St. Clair, and worked at his trade until 1855. when he went to New York City, and worked under instruction at the carpenter and joiner trade until 1841, and then returned. In 1840, he married Miss Elizabeth Walker, by whom he has had four children ; three of these are living, viz .: John S., Cyrus H. and Elizabeth Solis ; one daughter, Jennie, died in August, 1871, at the age of twenty-two years.

JAMES P. WORDEN, livery, was born in China Township, this county, September 14, 1832. He is the son of Clark Worden, and the youngest of six children. He left home at the age of twelve years, and went on the steamer Huron, then the property of E. B. Ward ; he learned the business of steamboat engineer, which he followed all his life until 1880. He saw some rough times while on the waters. The boat was wrecked on Lake Ontario in 1875, and picked up by another boat. He was on the Atlantic just prior to her being wrecked, when 400 people were lost. He was married January 23, 1853, to Miss Esther Houston, by

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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.

whom he had one daughter-Florence (deceased). Mr. H. has held first-class certificate as chief engineer for over twenty years. He run some of the best steamers on the lakes, and was always successful.

JAMES G. WORTZ, City Marshal, was born in Chatham, Ontario, December 30, 1848, and is a son of Martin Wortz, of China Township, who was born in Wurtemburg, Germany, in November, 1822, came to New York in 1831, went to Ohio in 1842 and lived there three years, then went to Canada, where James G. was born. Our subject was brought up on a farm, and received a common school education. He came to Michigan in April, 1857, and to St. Clair in 1860. For eleven years he engaged in lumbering; while lumber- ing in Iosco County, Mich., he held the offices of Justice of the Peace for four years, and Supervisor one and one-half years. He was elected to his present office in May, 1882.

NICHOLAS WUNDERLEICH, farmer, Section 15. P. O. St. Clair, was born in Bohemia August 8, 1816 ; he emigrated to the United States in 1850, and came to this county the same year, and bought eighty acres of land, and put up a little house, and began clearing his land and made a farm ; in 1859, he went to Memphis, and the following year came on the land where he now lives, and cleared it and made this farm, and since then for the past twenty-two years has lived here. In 1841, he married Miss Catharine Geosler, a native of Germany ; she died April 4, 1860 ; they had six children, four of whom are living-Catharine, Fred, Nicho- las, Lucetta ; he has lost two sons-Charles and Michael; they both served in the army, and Charles was killed in battle. Mr. Wunderleich has accumulated what he owns by his own industry. He and Peter[ Bell are the oldest German settlers in this town.

NICHOLAS ZIMMER, farmer, Section 20, P. O. St. Clair, is a native of Germany, and was born in Prus- sia November 5, 1834. He emigrated with his parents to this country in 1853, and they came to this county the same year, and settled in this town, where they now live; cleared the land and made their farm. Nicho- las went up to Lake Superior and was in the copper mines two years ; then returned and went in saw-mill and was engaged in lumbering until 1865 ; then came on his farm, and since then has resided here, owns a good farm of 120 acres. He has held the offices of Town Treasurer three years, and Highway Commissioner. He married Miss Margaret Kessler January 17, 1863 ; she was born in Prussia ; they have seven children-Mat- thias, Barbara, Joseph, John, Charles, Regina, Peter.

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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.

COTTRELLVILLE TOWNSHIP AND MARINE CITY.

A reference to the Organic Chapter of the general history points out the organization of this town so early as 1822, with A. Hemminger as Supervisor. In the general history also ap- pear the names of its pioneer settlers -- the Cotterals (Cottrell's), Wards, Browns, etc. The land rises gradully from the river; is fertile, and must be considered among the rich agricultural lands of the county, the marsh, running back from the river, being perhaps the only exception, and this is capable of cultivation. Marine City and Roberts' Landing are the only centers of popu- lation in the township. The population in 1845 was 727; in 1854, 1,442; in 1864, 1,930; in 1870. 2,371; and in 1880, 2,904. The equalized valuation is $600,000; number of acres, 13,- 011, and number of children of school age, 941.

EARLY LAND BUYERS.

The land buyers on Section 10 were: Sardem Smith in 1832; John Smith in 1833; Reu- ben Smith, Job L. Smith, William Smith. in 1835; Samuel Ward, W. A. Bacon in 1836. On Section 11, James and William Brown and Samuel Ward located lands in 1833. Bosiel Petit and Gabriel Richards located lands on Section 12: William Brown on Section 14, in 1833. J. Wright, J. Broadbridge, D. F. Healy, and Edward Kean in 1833-34, on Section 15. James McIntire, R. Smart, George McIntire, James P. Mini, R. Clark and George Clark on Sec- tion 19, in 1836; David Seuter, Warner Stewart, Darius Lamson, H. Wilcox, J. Dunlap and D. F. Healy on Section 18, in 1836.

Lands on Section 19 were purchased by A. Westbrook in 1831-32, and Samuel Haywood, Ira Marks and Healy in 1836. Section 20 was entered in 1835-36 by John Cook, Robert Harlow, Phillip Rikert, Mathias Rikert, Isaac F. Vanderbilt, George McIntire, Elisha Tyler and R. Clark. Nathan Ward, Elliot Gray and George W. Gallagher entered 277 acres on Section 21, in 1835-36. Silas Campbell located on Section 22 in February, 1833; Peter Hart, on Section 27 in 1835; James Pitcairn, John K. Smith, Abraham Smith, Angus Smith and John R. Smith on Section 28, in 1835-36. Gurdon Kimball, C. W. Newhall, Frederick Thompson, Benjamin Barker and R. Stewart on Section 29, in 1835-36. Westbrook, Stewart and Dunlap entered Section 30 in 1828-36. Jones and Luce located lands in Section 31 in 1836.

Samuel Ward located eighty acres in Section 2 in 1833; Louis Chortier, William Brown, Jr., in 1834; Thomas Emerson and L. Beardsley in 1836. John Rector, Chester Kimball, C. W. Newhall, John Landon, B. H. Norton, Luce and Jones and James Pitcairn on Section 33, in 1834-36. George Preston located on Section 3 in 1834; Elisha Fish, W. B. Ranke, Daniel F. Hart, Peter Hart in 1835; Joel Tucker, B. U. Sharp, Thomas Emerson and Thomas Fin- cont in 1836. Aaron G. Peiry, G. Kimball, W. H. Drake entered lands on Section 32 in 1835- 36. Jacob Warner, Anne Richards, W. A. Bacon, S. Ward and Lorin Baldwin located lands on Section 4 in 1836. Mary Peckham, Jerry Marks, L. Beardsley and Bowen Whiting on Sec- tion 5, in 1836. Robert Pringle on Section 6, in 1836. Henry Wilcox, James Loomis, Felix M. Williams, on Section 7 in 1836. Dan Wilkins, Dan H. Hathaway, Darius Lawson, Henry Wilcox, George Clark, Kerchewall and Healy on Section 8, in 1836; Henry Cottrell, Robert R. McNiff on Section 9, in 1836. Daniel Hart, Jacob Kendall, Lucia A. Tucker, and Enoch Jones located on Section 34 in 1833-36. The private claims in this township are known as Nos. 186, 187, 188, 190, 191, 196, 197, 198, 200, 202, 203, 204, 206, 245, 252, 253, 301, 308, 309, 311, 318, 568, and 598. A description of each of these claims is given in the general history of the county.

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History of St. Clair County, Michigan, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development and resources, its war record, biographical sketches, the whole preceded by a history of Michigan, Part 117

Author: Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Chicago, A.T. Andreas & Co. Number of Pages: 818

Author:
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, A.T. Andreas & Co.
Number of Pages: 818