USA > Michigan > Wexford County > History of Wexford County, Michigan, embracing a concise review of its early settlement, industrial development and present conditions > Part 44
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GEORGE A. LAKE.
George \. Lake is now a well-known, prosperous and enterprising merchant of Sherman, where he is engaged in the hard- ware and grocery business. His success in all his undertakings has been so marked that his methods are of interest to the commer- cial world. He has based his business prin- ciples and actions upon strict adherence to the rules which govern economy, industry and unswerving integrity. His enterprise and progressive spirit have made him a typi- cal . American in every sense of the word and he well deserves mention in this history. What he is today he has made himself, for he began in the world with nothing but his own energy and willing hands to aid him. By constant exertion, associated with good judgment, he has raised himself to a credit- able position in trade circles, having the friendship of many and the respect of all who know him.
Mr. Lake was born on a farm in Penn
township, Cass county, Michigan, Septem- ber 18, 1857, a son of George and Sarah (Cate) Lake. The father was a farmer by occupation and was killed by a stroke of lightning on his farm, in April, 1866. His widow still survives him. They were the parents of five sons and a daughter, George A. being the second in order of birth. He was only about eight years of age at the time of his father's death and from that time he has made his own way in the world and he also assisted in the support of his mother and the younger children of the family. He remained a resident of his native county un- til fourteen years of age, when he removed to Manistee county, Michigan, settling on a farm six and a half miles west of Wexford Corners, in Cleon township, where he made his home for several years, although during that time he was employed at farm labor by others and also worked in the lumber woods. When he was about twenty years of age he began business on his own account, but fate still held in store for him many hardships and difficulties, but he has met these with a resolute spirit and strong deter- mination and has at length come off con- queror in the strife. His first venture on his own behalf was in lumbering at Walton Junction, where he remained for a brief period. He purchased logs and had them sawed into lumber, but had the misfortune to lose three carloads. This was a severe blow to the young man just starting out for himself. For three summers he was em- ployed in the operation of a threshing ma- chine in Wexford township and during the winter months he worked in the lumber woods. He was also employed by different farmers in Wexford township and operated rented land for a season. About that time
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he secured the agency for the sale of wind- mills and horse rakes and was thus engaged for a time, traveling on foot through the northwestern part of Wexford county, but becoming ill almost two years passed before he was again able to work. Upon his re- covery he walked to Sherman, where he ar- rived without money and was forced to pawn his overcoat to pay for a week's board, but by doing various chores he was able to redeem the garment at the end of that time. Mr. Lake obtained employment with a man who was buying cattle through the county and after several weeks spent in that way he worked at whatever he could find to do that would yieldl him an honest living, saving from his earnings sixty dollars, which he added to seventy-five dollars which he had made on the sale of three yoke of cattle. thus becoming the possessor of a capital of one hundred and thirty-five dollars. Sub- sequently he sold agricultural implements for four or five years and at one time he employed six men to assist him in putting up the implements and constructing the windmills. This was a period of prosperity, well merited by Mr. Lake, who had made such a determined and strong fight to gain a start. His attention was directed to the implement business through the summer sea- sons and in the winter months he engaged in lumbering, taking off the timber from small tracts of land which he had been able to purchase. For several years he thus fol- lowed lumbering, realizing a fair profit from his labors. Purchasing a livery stable, he conducted it for seven or eight years, at first having but six horses, but gradually he in- creased the number until he kept from thir- ty five to fifty head in order to meet the de- mands of his patronage. Before selling his
livery stable he became interested in mer- chandising in Sherman, entering into part- nership with II. B. Sturtevant under the firm name of G. . 1. Lake & Company, dealers in shelf and heavy hardware and groceries. They carry a large line of goods, carefully selected in order to meet the wishes of a varied class of patrons, and are now enjoy- ing a large trade which returns to them a gratifying income.
Surely this era of prosperity is deserved by Mr. Lake, for he has had his share of hardships and difficulties. His educational privileges were extremely limited, he having the privilege of attending school for only four months after he was eight years of age. vet he acquired much knowledge of law, and now does quite an extensive law business. During the first winter he spent in Cleon township he did shoe repairing. He had never learned the shoemaker's trade, but he possessed much natural mechanical in- genuity and as there was no shoemaker in the district he did much work. The ob- stacles he has encountered have seemed to serve as an impetus to renewed effort and now he is in possession of a comfortable com- petence as the reward of his perseverance and untiring industry.
Mr. Lake was married in Manton, Mich- igan, to Emma Cornell, a daughter of Aus- tin and Julia ( Davison ) Cornell. Her father is now deceased. Mrs. Lake was born in Steuben county. New York, but was reared in Wexford county and in January, 1886, gave her hand in marriage to Mr. Lake. They have two living children, Raymond and Urban, and they lost a son and daugh- ter in early childhood. The family have a pleasant home in Sherman, celebrated for its gracious hospitality. In addition Mr.
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Lake owns other village property and several hundrd acres of land, and hokls large inter- ests in several large marble and clay beds, and is making arrangements for operating the same in the near future. His possessions are the visible evidence of his life of tire- less energy and perseverance, his sound judg- ment and industry, and his life record should serve as a source of encouragement and in- spiration to others, showing what can be accomplished when one has the will to dare and to do and when honorable purpose gnides unfaltering effort.
Mr. Lake is one of the most public spir- ited citizens of the community, as is attested by the fact that every enterprise looking to the advancement of the interests of the village has received his hearty support. He conceived the idea that a spur line of rail- road, running up the river from the Ann Arbor line to a point one and one-half miles west of the village, would be a decided in- (lucement for factories to locate here. The river is very crooked at this point and by straightening it the old channel could be used for the storage of logs. He succeeded in his efforts to have the improvement made and results have proven the wisdom of his judgment, among the new enterprises being one of the largest stave and heading factories in the state. Industrial progress at this point was so rapid that more railroad facilities soon became necessary and he again set about to meet the demand. He succeeded in interesting the Manistee & Northwestern Railroad Company and induced them to ex- tend their line to this locality. The survey for this line is now completed and grading has been done to within about four miles. When completed, which will be during the present summer (1903), the road will be
about fifty-five miles long and will prove in many ways a blessing to the section of coun- try through which it runs. Mr. Lake now has capitalists interested and hopes to be able to construct a dam across the Manistee river at this point ( Sherman ), which will furnish an inexhaustible power for factories, elec- tric light and electric railway. If his success in this proves to be as fruitful as other enter- prises to which his energies have been di- rected, it will be a great boon to the village as well as to a large area of country sur- rounding it. He has never blundered into victory, but won his battles in his head be- fore he won them in the field.
WILLIAM ROSE.
There could be written no more com- prehensive history of a county or of a state and its people than that which deals with the life-work of those who by their own en- deavor and indomitable energy have placed themselves where they well deserve the title of both "prominent" and "progressive." In this sketch will be found the record of a citizen of Wexford county whose career has been honorable alike to himself and his kin- dred and a credit to the community in which he labored and prospered. Born in a for- eign land, reared in Canada to manhood, the most useful and productive part of his entire life has been spent in the state of Michigan, the last twenty-three years of it being passed as a resident of Wexford county.
William Rose, the subject of this review. is the person referred to in the foregoing paragraph. Ile is a native of Scotland, born
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in AAberdeenshire, October 1, 1846. The first eight years of his life were spent in his na- tive land. In 1854 the family emigrated to America, settling in Wellington county. On- tario, Canada, where they resided until 1865. when they came to Michigan and took up their residence on the Grand river, in Otta- wa county, about fourteen miles west of Grand Rapids. The parents of William Rose were James and Jane ( Davnie) Rose. both natives of Scotland. Both are now dead, each being about seventy-three years of age at the time of their demise, although the mother survived the father some ten years. They were residents of Allendale, Ot- tawa county, at the time of their death. They were the parents of eleven children, of whom the subject of this review was the third child.
The subject's education was mainly re- ceived in Scotland. On locating in Ottawa county he readily secured employment in the woods and on the rivers, "driving" logs from the camps up in the northern woods down the currents of the streams to the mills where they were to be converted into lnumber. There are few callings more haz- ardous, more laborious or trying upon the constitution than that which the subject fol- lowed for years. Had he not been a man of remarkable physical health and strength he would have succumbed to the hardships he was obliged to endure. In July, 1880. he decided to take up farming and devote him- self to that vocation. Accordingly he moved to Wexford county, purchased eighty acres of land in section 4, on the Manistee river. in Greenwood township, and proceeded to prepare it for a home. He built a pleasant home, cleared the greater part of his land and resided thereon until the spring of 1899. when he moved to Manton. AAgricultural
pursuits still occupy the greater part of his time. He is the owner of sixty-two acres of fine land, all of which lies within the cor- porate limits of Manton. More than two- thirds of it is clear and under cultivation. It is constantly increasing in value and as the town spreads ont there is little doubt that eventually the tract will be laid out into lots, each of which will certainly com- mand a good price. On the most beautiful and sightly part of this tract the subject has erected a handsome and substantial resi- dence, which is richly and tastefully furnish- ed, and this constitutes the family home- one of the most pleasant homes to be found in all Wexford county.
Willian Rose was twice married. His first wife was Miss Susan Sheridan, a na- tive of Ireland, born in 1848. The marriage was solemnized AAugust 6, 1870, at Allendale, Ottawa county, Michigan. The bride was a daughter of Thomas and Susan Sheridan, both natives of Ireland. Immediately after marriage the young couple took up their res- idence on the farm on Grand river, four- teen miles from Grand Rapids, where they continued to reside until 1880, when they moved to Greenwood township, Wexford county. Eight children were born to this union, three of whom died in infancy. Those living are: Philip S .. Daisie S., Colin W., Katie W. and Grover D. After remaining a widower for more than a year, on April 2. 1896. William Rose was again united in mar- riage, his bride on this ocasion being Mrs. Chloe J. Winer, a daughter of Elon and Eliz- abeth Kingsley and widow of Benjamin J. Winer, who died in Little Rock, Arkansas. Mrs. Rose is a native of New York, born in Monroe county, July 2, 1851.
The people of Greenwood township have
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shown their confidence in Mr. Rose's abili- ties and the regard in which they hold him as a man by electing him, at different times, to every office there is in the township ex- cept that of constable. He has held the im- portant position of county drainage com- missioner for a number of years and at the present time is serving as a member of the board of education at Manton. He has al- ways been deeply interested in the public af- fairs of not only his township but of the county and has contributed much towards its growth and development. Until the cam- paign of 1900 he always voted the Demo- cratic ticket. Since then, however, he has cast his political lot with the Republican party, believing that the best interests of the country will be subserved by permiting polit- ical power to remain in the hands of that party. In April, 1902, he was chosen sec- retary of the Patrons Mutual Fire Insurance Company for the counties of Wexford, Mis- saukee and Osceola. He is also secretary of the Wexford County Pomona Grange at Manton. There are few men who enjoy the confidence, respect and esteem of their fellow citizens more implicitly than does William Rose. His life has been one of strict probity and integrity. He has estab- lished a reputation in the county of Wex- ford for honesty and truth that is more to be prized than the richest fortune of which he could be possessed.
LEWIS J. TRIPP.
The complexity of business life is con- tinnally increasing and those who are found capable of controlling successfully important
business interests are well worthy of being termed "captains of industry." Such a man is Lewis J. Tripp, who stands at the head of one of the leading industrial interests of Wexford county, being the proprietor of the Mesick Turning Works, of Mesick, in which he employs forty workmen in the manufac- ture of broom handles.
Mr Tripp is a native son of Michigan, his birth having occurred in Kalamazoo county, on the 26th day of March, 1867. His parents are Allen C. and Sarah A. (Kil- gore) Tripp, the former a native of Onon- dlaga county. New York, and the latter of Kalamazoo county, Michigan. They are still residing in the latter county and their two sons, Joseph S. and Lewis J., are also living, so that the family ciricle yet remains unbroken by the hand of death.
Reared under the parental roof, LewisJ. Tripp pursued his education in the schools of Kalamazoo and in Parsons Business Col- lege, of which he is a graduate. On putting aside his text-books he entered upon his business career, being at that time seventeen years of age. He began bee culture in Pa- vilion township. Kalamazoo county, having then but one swarin, but within seven years he had increased his apiary to one hundred and forty colonies and his annual sales of honey brought to him a good financial re- turn. At the end of that time he sold his apiary for nine hundred dollars and with the proceeds of the business he went to Jackson, Michigan, where he purchased an interest in the bee hive and box factory of W. D. Soper, the firm name of W. D. Soper & Company being adopted. Mr. Tripp was connected with that business until a year and a half had passed, when he sold his interest and came to Wexford county, arriving here in the
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spring of 1892. Here he began the manu- facture of coiled elm barrel hoops and soon afterward added another department to his business- the manufacture of broom han- (lles. Subsequently he discontinued the manufacture of barrel hoops and now gives his entire attention to making broom han- (les, his industry being conducted under the name of the Mesick Turning Works. This has grown to large proportions, necessitating the employment of forty men in the factory and he annually turns out six million broom handles, his product finding a ready sale on the market. He has equipped his factory with the latest improved machinery needed in his line and now has a large and profit- able business which adds not a little to the commercial activity of the town.
Jn Jackson, Michigan, on the 16th of September. 1801, Mr. Tripp was united in marriage to Miss Esther Gee, who was born in Monroe county, this state, July 14, 1868, a daughter of Luman and Maggie .A. Gee. Two children have been born unto Mr. and Mrs. Tripp: Oliver A. and Leo C. Mr. Tripp is one of the leading Republicans of Springville township, believing firmly in the principles of his party and doing everything in his power to promote its growth and in- sure its success. Fraternally he is promi- nent, being a valued member of Sherman Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons ; Sherman Camp No. 2240, Modern Woodmen of Amer- ica, and Cadillac Lodge No. 680, Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. A man of great natural ability, his success in business from the beginning of his residence in Wexford county has been uniform and rapid. As has been truly remarked, after all that may be done for a man in the way of giving him early opportunities, he must nevertheless
essentially formulate, determine and give shape to his own character, and this is what Mr. Tripp has done. He has persevered in the pursuit of a persistent purpose and has gained a most satisfactory reward, and his business methods, being in strict conformity to the highest commercial ethics, have gain- ed him uniform confidence and regard.
CARROLL E. MILLER, M. D.
Among the leading physicians and sur- geons of northwestern Michigan the subject of this sketch has long held a deservedly conspicuous place and his distinguished career since locating in Cadillac entitles him to honorable mention as one of the rep- resentative professional men of Wexford county. The Miller family is an old one and its history is traceable to the early Puritan settlement of New England. the Doctor's ancestors having been among the first white men to seek freedom of worship on the shores of Massachusetts in 1620. On the maternal side the subject's lineage de- scends in an unbroken line from the cele- brated Maryland family of Carrolls, of which Charles Carroll, of Carrollton, one of the signers of the Declaration of Inde- pendence. was perhaps its most distinguished representative, and there is well established proof that that eminent statesman and patriot was the Doctor's direct antecedent. Dr. Miller's grandfather was a seafaring man who commanded a ship which plied the waters of many oceans and spent the greater part of his life on the waves. Among his children were two sons, Charles Carroll and Judson J., both of whom became
Canali 8. Miller
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eminent Baptist divines, the latter having labored in the cities of Worcester and Bos- ton, Massachusetts, for upwards of thirty years, during which time he rose to stations of prominence in the church and earned much more than local repute as a scholarly and eloquent preacher of the Word. Charles Carroll Miller was born in Maine and re- ceived a liberal education and after his ordi- nation as a minister served as a pastor of different churches in the various parts of New England, his chief field of labor, how- ever, being confined to the state of Massa- chusetts. About the year 1853 he came to Michigan and for some time thereafter ministered to a congregation in Grand Rapids, subsequently holding pastorates in Stanton, this state, and Augusta, Wisconsin. lle is still actively engaged in the work of his holy office.
Politically Rev. Miller has long been an influential factor in the Republican party and has frequently appeared on the hustings in the campaigns of more than ordinary im- port. his well-known forensic ability caus- ing his services to be much sought after by party leaders throughout the state. For many years he was in close touch with the most prominent Republicans of Michigan, among whom was Hon. Zachariah Chandler, a man of national repute, between whom and himself feelings of the warmest personal friendship existed as long as the former lived.
The maiden name of Mrs. Charles Car- roll Miller was Miriam C. Dyer, who bore him four sons and two daughters, the sub- ject of this review being the oldest of the family: the others are Frank, a lawyer practicing his profession in Montcalm county, this state, and has just been elected
mayor of Stanton for the fourth time: Judson, a resident of Cadillac : Rev. Ashley, a Baptist minister located in Idaho: Fanny. wife of Frank Ashley, of Big Rapids, and Jessie. who is living with her parents.
Dr. Carroll E. Miller was born February 1, 1851, in Portland, Maine, and was a small child when his parents exchanged their resi- (lence in New England for a home in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After attending the common and high schools of that city he entered the State .Agricultural College at Lansing, where he prosecuted his studies un- till completing the prescribed course, gradu- ating in 1872 with the degree of Bachelor of Science. Leaving college, he devoted some time to teaching and subsequently was elected superintendent of the public schools of Neillsville, Wisconsin, which position he held for a period of three years, the mean- while establishing a creditable record as an efficient educator and capable manager. While a mere youth the Doctor manifested a decided preference for the medical pro- fession and the laudable ambition to make it his life work was ever uppermost in his mind. With this object in view he prose- ented his educational work and as soon as he had accumulated sufficient means he en- tered Rush Medical College at Chicago. He paid his way through that institution by working in the Times office from two to six o'clock every morning, earned an honor- able record as a close and critical student, and was graduated in 1879 with one of the highest grades in his class. He was elected president of the class, being well qualified for the course by reason of a well stored mind and a fitness for the duties of the po- sition. The same year in which he finished his course Dr. Miller opened an office in
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Cadillac and here he has since remained, con- ducting a steadily increasing practice, as suc- cessful financially as it has been profession- ally, and establishing a reputation which, as stated in a preceding paragraph, has won him distinctive prestige, not only among lewdling physicians of his city and county but also among the most distinguished medi- cal men in the northwestern part of the state. In addition to his large general practice he served for some time as United States ex- amining surgeon for the pension depart- ment, also held the post of assistant surgeon for the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad. . and in these responsible positions added very materially to his standing in every branch of his profession. Dr. Miller is one of the oldest physicians in Wexford county and to say that he is also one of the most success- ful is abundantly demonstrated by the uni- form advancement which has characterized his career from the beginning to the present time. Ile has never ceased to be a student and availing himself of every opportunity to increase his knowledge and familiarize himself with the art of reducing the same to practice, he has kept fully abreast the times in all things relating to medical science and stands today the peer of any of his professional brethren in a fieldl where talent and skill are recognized at their true value. The Doctor is essentially a self-made man. as he began life with no financial help and with nothing in the way of social prestige or the power of influential friends to stimu- late him in his chosen sphere of endeavor. As we have already learned he was obliged to rely entirely upon his own resources for his professional training and to this perhaps as much as to any other circumstance is he indebted for the sturdy self reliance and
determination to conquer obstacles, which are among his most pronounced character- istics. He mounted rapidly the ladder of success, managed with consummate skill that which he carly set about to accomplish, and from the modest beginning alluded to he has advanced step by step until reaching the present proud position he occupies as one of the eminent medical men of his day. He is a member of the State Medical Society. in the deliberations of which he has been much more than a passing spectator, and at one time he was honored by being elected a member of the Ninth Inter- national Medical Congress, which con- vened in 1888 in Washington, D. C. Clear perception, correct judgment. comprehen- sive thought and stainless honor have marked the Doctor's career outside his pro- fession and as a citizen, deeply interested in everything calculated in any way to promote the interests of the community. he is easily the peer of any of his fellow men in the city of his residence.
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