History of the St. Clair County, Michigan, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development and resources.., Part 114

Author: Western historical company, Chicago. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, A. T. Andreas & co.
Number of Pages: 814

USA > Michigan > St Clair County > History of the St. Clair County, Michigan, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development and resources.. > Part 114

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JOHN HORN, farmer, Section 34, P. O. St. Clair, is a native of Germany, and was born April 27, 1811. Emigrated to the United States in 1850; the following year went to Canada and lived there eleven years, and came to this county in 1861, and settled in this town where he now lives; cleared the land and made his farm, and since then has been engaged in farming, and owns his farin of eighty aeres He was married in November. 1836. to Miss Jane Schanberg, she was born in Germany. They have six children-William, lives in Tennes- ste: August lives in Bay County; Charles lives in Bay County: Rosa in this county: Edward in Tennessee; John at home; they lost five children. Mr. Horn went back to his native land and spent several months in Germany the present year.

IHRAM HUBBLE, farmer, Section 6, P. O. Smith's Creek, is a native of Canada, and was born April 30, 1826, he grew up to manhood and lived there until 1851, when he came to this county and settled in this town on the land where he now lives; it was all covered with timber, he cleared his land and made his farm, and since then for over thirty years has resided here. He owns a good farm of eighty acres. In 1953, he married Miss Mary E. Langley, a native of Vermont. They have ten children-Richard, Nancy, now Mrs. Allen: James, Cora. Bion, Ella, Elba, Elsie, Edson and Harvey, all at home but one.

EDWIN K. HUNGERFORD, farmer, Private Claim 406. P. O. Marysville, is a native of Lower Canada, and was born December 30, 1853, his early boyhood was spent there, when fourteen years old he came here to this county, and sailed on the lakes four years, and since then has been engaged in farming. He has a farm of eighty acres finely located on the St. Clair River, and is devoting a part of it to raising vegetables and small fruits. He has served as Inspector of Highways. He was married January 1, 1879, to Miss Ida A. Hammond. a native of this county, and danghter of Horace N. Hammond, of East China. They have one son Fred C.

J. E. B. HUNGERFORD, farmer and stock-dealer, Private Claim 406, P. O. Marysville, is a native of Canada. and was born in 1856. His father was a native of Swanton, Vt. He went to Canada and while there married Miss Margaret Ecklin, of Perth, Upper Canada, in 1819, lle was a mill owner and lived there until 1867; then came to this county, lived at Abbotsford one year; then came down here on the river, where he lived on his farm until his death, which occurred in May, 1873. He left six children-Sarah L., now Mrs. Miles; Edwin K .. Joseph E. B., Alier M., now Mrs. Smith : Horace, at Ann Arbor; Minnie, at Ann Arbor. Mrs. Hungerford has a home in Port Huron, Joseph E. B., who lives on the home place came to this county with his parents during his early boyhood, and grew up and attended school here. Since reaching manhood he has been en- gaged in farming, and stock dealing, buying and selling and butchering stock. fle farms his mother's farm and owns forty acres. In 1881, he married Miss Emily J. Smith, a native of Maple Valley, Mich. They have one son-George B.

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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.

DAVID P. INGLES, proprietor of the St. Clair City Barber Parlors, was born in Upper Canada, Septem. ber 24, 19B, and is a son of Orlando Ingles, a native of Vermont, and an old settler of St. Clair County. now a resident of Lapeer County .- Mr. Ingles' mother's maiden name was Mary Jane Mills, and was born in Nova Scotia. Our subject's father met her in Canada, married her, and remained there a few years. They removed to Port Huron in 1856. Mr. Ingles was a soldier in the late war, serving for about three years in Company E, Twenty-second Michigan Infantry. He participated in the battle of Chickamauga, where on the 20th day of September, 1863, he was taken prisoner. He was taken to Belle Isle, thence to Richmond. Dan- ville and thence to Andersonville. He entered this den of starvation on the 19th of April, 1861, and was sent away September 9, the same year: from there be was taken to Charleston, S. C., and paroled in December. 1861. In April. 1865, he joined his regiment, and was discharged at the close of the war. He was married in 1862, to Susie E. daughter of Capt. Coyle (deerased). Mrs. Ingles died while our subject was in Andersonville. His present wife was Mary Borntrager. Mr. Ingles is the father of five children, but one of whom is living. viz. : Ira.

HON. BELA W. JENKS was born in Crown Point, Essex Co., N. Y., June 6, 1824. His father Jeremiah W. Jenks, was of Welsh, and his mother lester Jenks, of English descent. His early education was ob- tained at the common schools ; he afterward attended the Ferrisburg and Shelburn Academies in Vermont, and the State Normal School of Albany, N. Y., attending the latter while the renowned D. P. Page was prin- cipal of that institution. Mr. Jenks emigrated to Michigan in 1848, and settled in St. Clair, St. Clair County. where he established a select school, which he conducted for three years. In 1853, he formed a partnership with his brother. R. Il. Jenks, in the mercantile business, which lasted for ten years. Later, he entered the lumber business, and also commenced dealing quite extensively in real estate. He is still engaged in the last named pursuits and general traffic. He owns a large farm in St. Clair Township, adjoining the city of St. Clair, also a farm in Columbus Township, besides other real estate. Mr. Jenks was married to Miss Sarah Carleton, of Granville, N. Y., November 3, 1833. They have seven children - Charles C., of Detroit, William Lee, of Port Huron, Mary E. Anna B., Frank D., Russ S. and George S. In the fall of 1869, he was elected State Senator from the Twenty-fourth Senatorial District, comprising St. Clair County, and was re-elected to the same position in 1871. He has also hold a number of important official positions in the government of the city of St. Clair. Mr. Jenks has always taken an active part in educational affairs , he was a member of the School Board of St. Clair City for a number of years, and was the first Director of the Union school. Hle is now a member of the State Board of Education, having been appointed to that office by Gov. Jerome in 1881, and elected in 1882 for six years.

ROBERT IL JENKS, Manager and Treasurer of St. Clair Navigation Company, was born at Crown Point, Essex Co., N. Y .. April 28, 1897. He is a son of Jeremiah W. Jenks, a native of Newport, N Il .. and is of Welsh descent. Mr. Jenks was educated in the common schools of New York, and at Castleton Semi nary. Vt. In ISIS. he went to Sutton, N. H., and studied medicine with his uncle, Dr. Robert Lane, nine months ; when. his health failing, he came to Michigan. landing at Clark's Dock, St. Clair, November 4. 1819. Here he taught school five months, then engaged as clerk for HI. Whiting. In the fall of 1850 he went to Lexington, Mich., where he again taught school two years and clerked for I L. Woods one year. Returning to St. Clair in 1-53. Mr. Jenks formed a partnership with Dr. Dickie in the drug business, which lasted two years. He then engaged in the mercantile business, which he carried on successfully till 1867. Since that time, he has lumbered in the Saginaw Valley with his brother. B. W. Jenks, and they are at present exten. sively engaged in the hay business. He also deals largely in real estate. Mr. Jenks held the office of post- master about fifteen years, having been appointed by Lincoln in 1863, removed by Johnson in 1865 re-ap- pointed by Grant in 1868, resigning the position in March, 1881. He has been President and Treasurer of the Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Company, of Macomb and St. Clair Counties since 1867, and has held the Presidency of the Michigan State Insurance Company since its organization in 1876. He was elected Mayor of St. Clair City in the spring of 1882, and re elected in 1983. He owns a large farm of 200 acres on the river road, one and one-half miles above the city, which he carries on successfully by a superintendent. Ile also owns a large amount of property in the city. He joined the Masonic fraternity in 1852, and has held nearly every office in the order from the Blue Lodge up to the Commandery. Mr. Jenks was married to Mary S .. daughter of John ( larke. April 13, 1851. They have had nine children, six of whom are living, viz . Aun( now Mrs. B. F. Crampton: Lucy A .. Helen C., John IL .. Ben L. and T. Owen.

WILLIAM JUSTIN, farmer, Section 10, P. O. St. Clair, is a native of Herkuner County, N. Y . and was born September 13, 1834; his parents came to this county and settled in this town in 1939, during his early childhood , he grew up here and engaged in lumbering, rafting and chopping wood, and has chopped the tim ber off of one hundred acres of land When the war broke out. he enlisted as a private in October. 1961. in the First Michigan Light Artillery, and was promoted until he was commissioned captain, and had command of the Battery ; was slightly wounded : had two horses shot under him, one in the siege of Vicksburg. Served three years and eight months, and was mustered out at Nashville. Tenn. After return, engaged in lumbering : was with Mr. JJenks even ye irs, foreman, and four years for Mr Woods as foreman : owns a farm of rights acres. Has held the office of Highway Commissioner. In 1873, Capt. Justin married Mis Ellen Irvin. of Ontario. Can .: they have five children -- Willie. Bertha. Dora, Maggie and Phila.

THOMAS L. KEMP. farmer, Section 34. P. O. St. Clair, is a native of England, and was born January 23, 1811; his parents came to this country in 1852, and came the same year to this county, and settled in this town, and are now living here. Thomas grew up and attended school here, and after the war broke out. at the age of eighteen, he enlisted in Company E. Twenty second Regiment Michigan Infantry ; was wounded and taken prisoner at the battle of Chickamauga, was taken to Richmond and afterward to Andersonville, where he was confined nine months After the war returned here. and since then has been engaged in farm- ing. and owns a farm of ninety acres He has held the offices of Town Clerk. Township School Inspector and School Director. Mr. Kemp was married March 31. 1879 10 Miss Helen J. Crampton, a native of the city of St. Clair ; they have three children- Mattie E., John N . Justin W.

678

HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.

ALEXANDER KENNEDY, farmer, Section 22, P. O. St. Clair, is a native of Scotland, and was born in 1812 ; he emigrated to this country in 1848, and the following year came to this county and settled in this town on the place where he now lives, and moved in a log house, and began clearing his land and made his farm, and has lived here over one-third of a century, and is the oldest settler on this road. He owns 160 acres of land. In 1849, he married Miss Christine Campbell, a native of Scotland ; they have five children- John. James, Alexander. Elizabeth, Neil.

JACOB KROMENAKER, farmer, Section 2, P. O. Port Huron, is a native of France, and was born April 3, 1832. He emigrated to this country in 1853, and came to St. Clair County in August of the same year. He began work in the saw-mill of Williams & Mills, and remained with that firm thirteen years, ex- cept one summer, then bought land and engaged in farming on his present location, and since then has car- ried on that business. He made a good farm, and owns 172 acres, and has it well improved with good build- ings-all the result of his own industry. He has held school offices for many years. He married Miss Julia Grant, a native of the city of Detroit, September 22. 1862; they have nine children-David II., Frank J .. Charles W., Louise A., Emily E., Edward J .. Jacob M., Agnes E., George A. The parents of Mr. Kromena- ker are both living. IHis father was a soldier under Napoleon Bonaparte, and was wounded at Leipsic and Dresden, in the battle of Waterloo. He and his wife have been married about sixty years.

GEORGE KRUGER, owner Kruger's Flour Mill, Section 7. P. O. Rattle Run, is a native of Germany and was born December 7, 1820 ; he grew up and learned the milling business there. He was burned out and lost all he had, and emigrated to America in 1859 and came to Detroit ; he began chopping wood to support his family, though he had never ent a tree in his life. After remaining there four years, he came to his county. and lived at St. Clair on a farm nine years, and in 1878 came here and bought the mill property, and since then has carried on the business here. Also owns a good farm of eighty acres, all of which he has accumu- lated by industry and good management. In 1847, he married Miss Sophia Hebner, a native of Germany ; they have five children-Mary, Sophia. Henry, Charles, Johanna.

FREDERICK LAYLE. farmer. Section 2, P. O. St Clair, is a native of Germany, and was born October 11, 1830. After reaching manhood, he emigrated to the United States, and the following year came to this county, and in 1856 bought the land where he now lives; it was all covered with timber; he cleared it him- self and made his farm, and since then, for twenty-seven years, has lived here and has been successfully engaged in farming; owns 130 acres of land, and has excellent improvements-all the result of their own indns try. He had nothing when he came to St. Clair, and was in debt $8 which he borrowed to pay his fare. He married Miss Baumgartner March 23, 1856. She was born in Germany, and came to St. Clair in 1854. They have four children-Emma, now Mrs. Littlefield, Rachel, Fred W., Frank W.

HENRY LUCK, farmer, Section 14, P. O. St Clair, is a son of William and Jemima Luck. Ilis father was a native of Albany, N. Y .. and his mother was born in England. They came to this country in 1846, and settled in this town and on this land; it was all covered with timber and there were no roads except lumber roads. He engaged in lumbering, and cleared his land and made his farm. They were early settlers here. and Mr. Luck was, during his life, actively identified with the interests of the town; he held the office of Supervisor several terms, and also that of Highway Commissioner, and was Village and Town Treasurer. Lle died May 11, 1875; his wife survived him a few years, and died April 17, 1881. Henry was born in Hudson, N. Y , May 30, 1834, and came to this county with his parents during boyhood, and has lived here thirty- seven years. After reaching manhood, has been successfully engaged in farming and lumbering, and is the oldest settler on this road He owns a good farm, and has held the office of Town Clerk and Justice of the Peare. He married Miss Harriet Oaks, a native of the town of China, January 1, 1856. They have three children William J., living in Toledo; Charles E .. at home: Emily E.

1. C. MCCUTCHEON. Farmer, Private Claim 406, P. O. Marysville, is a native of Canada, and was born at Kingston June 12, 1828; when six years of age went to Coburg, and grew up and lived there until 1858. when he came to this county and settled on the place where he now lives, and since then has been engaged in farming and the wood business ; his farm is finely located on the St. Clair River, and he has made excel- Ient improvements. Ile married Miss Eliza J. Mitchell September 26, 1856 ; they have five children-Charles, JTattie, George, Lilly, Herbert.

IION. CROCKET MCELROY, merchant and manufacturer, was born December 31, 1835, in the township of Dundas, province of Ontario. Can. His father, Frances McElroy, was born in the North of Ireland in 1802, and was of Scotch descent. Mr. Francis MeElroy came to this country with his father in 1810, settling in New Jersey. He worked for some time in a cotton factory at Paterson, N. J., and was once cruelly beat- en with a cat o' nine tails by a brutal overseer for some slight offense, such punishments being quite common at that time. He subsequently lived in the State of New York, where he learned the blacksmith trade, at which he worked for more than fifty years. He lived about twenty-five years in Ontario, and about twenty- seven years near Eagle Harbor, and Bayfield, Lake Superior. He had a strong constitution, was abstemious in his habits, and enjoyed excellent health nearly all his life. Ilis education was limited, but being a great reader, he became noted for his intelligence and general information. He was an effective public speaker. and often lectured on temperance and other topics. He died of old age in October, 1880. in the seventy-ninth year of his age. In the year 1827. Francis MeElroy was married to Mary Surerus, then eighteen years of age. Mary Surerns' father was a German, and her mother was of Irish descent. Mrs. Mary McElroy, who is still living- March 28, 1882- was the mother of ten children. She wasa kind mother, but required obedience from her children. She has always been noted among her neighbors for her strict honesty and wonderful industry. Crocket MeElroy, the subject of this sketch, received his early education in Gault, Ontario, and when twelve years old removed to Detroit. There he attended one of the public schools for a short time, and afterward a commercial academy. He was a good grammarian, and had a good common education be- fore he was eleven years old. When thirteen years of age, he was employed as clerk in a wholesale and re. tail grocery, where he remained about three years ; he then worked about two years for a firm engaged in the

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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.

manufacture of small beer, and part of the time drove a peddling wagon. In 1853, he was sent from Detroit to Ira, St. Clair Co., as clerk, to take charge of a general store ; and for the next five years served as clerk and taught school, spending the summer months of 1854 and 1855 in the Lake Superior region. In the spring of 1858 was elected Justice of the Peace, but defeated by three majority for the office of Supervisor. This defeat was owing to his age, he being then only twenty-two. His opponent declining to serve, he was ap. pointed Supervisor by the Township Board ; and at the meeting of the Board of Supervisors that year, he was called the "Boy Supervisor ;" notwithstanding his youth. he discharged the duties of Supervisor so satisfacto. rily, that the next year he was elected without opposition, and received every vote that was polled. In IS58. he engaged in the mercantile business in Ira, which he continued until 1865, when he soll out and embarked in the business of manufacturing staves and heading at New Baltimore, Macomb Co. This business proved to be congenial to his tastes, and profitable. He gradually extended his operations at this place, purchasing a second stave mill in 1868 : and in 1871, he bought a third mill at Marine City. St. Clair Co. In November. 1873, he sold out his business at New Baltimore, and in January, 1874, removed with his family to St. Clair, retaining his interests in Marine City. In December, 1874, he organized a joint stock company, called the Marine City Stave Company, to which he transferred his Marine City business, retaining a controlling inter- est, and of which company he is the President and general manager. He resumed the mercantile business in 1873, and has for some years been interested in vessel property. Besides the business of the Marine City Stave Company, to which Mr. McElroy gives most of his time, he runs a ware house at St. Clair, a steam ferry, and deals in coal. In his manufacturing and mercantile operations, he has been eminently successful. With good executive abilities, and an excellent knowledge of human nature, he has been fortunate in the se- lection and management of the men in his employment. As an evidence of the care he devotes to his busi- ness, it may be mentioned that, although conducting a large business, and making most of his sales of staves and heading in distant markets, he passed through the panic of 1878 to 1878, without any loss from such sales. lle gives close attention to all his business affairs, and keeps thoroughly posted upon their minutest details ; he has a remarkably retentive memory, being able at any time to give almost the exact amount of merchan- dise and manufactured stock he has on hand, without referring to either figures or dates. Mr. MeElroy, with all his business enterprises, has found considerable time to devote to reading and literary pursuits, and has taken a deep interest in the establishment and sustenance of literary associations in the communities where he has resided. In 1558, he founded a literary society, known as the "Society of Brothers," and in 1867, at New Baltimore, he founded another, the "Freemen's Club." He has repeatedly read before them original poems and essays. Before his business reached large proportions, he frequently wrote short pieces of poetry. several of which have been published. Enough poetical talent has been displayed to show that he would have made quite an acceptable poet had he made poetry his business. Ile belongs to no denomination, Int is a believer in the Christian religion, and contributes liberally to the support of the Protestant churches. In politics, he has always been an active Republican, but is not a strong partisan, and refuses to vote for unwor- thy men, even when the candidates of his party. He has held office more or less for more than twenty years, having been Supervisor for two years, Justice of the Peace four years. Commissioner of Highways two year-, Trustee of the Village of New Baltimore two years, Mayor of St. Clair city one year, and State Senator four years from January 1. 1877. He married in the township of Ira, when he was only eighteen years old Julia Chartier, who is of French descent. They have had thirteen children, four of whom died young. The nine living children are named as follows . Frank. Julia, Mary, David C .. Carrie, Worthy, Flora, Etta and Grace. The oldest son is the Secretary of the Marine City Stave Company, and lives in Marine City. The oldest daughter is married to Joseph 12 Gearing, and lives in Detroit. The other children live with their parents. Mr. MeElroy is about five feet seven inches in height. is stout, and weighs about 200 pounds. He is of a san guine, nervous temperament. Ile is a constant and thorough worker, having early acquired habits of indus try, and has done a vast amount of work in the past thirty years. He has aimed to be strictly honest in all his transactions, and, in consequence, is known as a man of strict integrity. With firmness of decision, and strong personal and moral courage, nothing can move him from acting in accordance with what he believes to be right , he has frequently sacrificed personal gain rather than do what he believed to be wrong or unjust to others. He is devoted to his family, and makes many special efforts for the well being of hischildren. He has never used intoxicating liquors, never uses tobacco, and by practice and precept is a strong temperance man. Ile is a forcible, fluent and effective speaker, using language that is plain, convincing and often elo- quent. In the past ten years, he has made many political speeches, and while in the State Senate made sev oral sperches that attracted considerable attention, one of which, his speech in support of his bill to provide for uniform and cheaper school text books was given the exceptional honor of being ordered printed in the journal, by a unanimous vote of the Senate. While he is a restless, active and enterprising business man. he is also popular, a fact which has been fully tested on various occasions when he has been a candidate for of- fice. He has been several times elected to office without opposition, and received a larger majority when elected Mayor of St. Clair than was ever obtained by any other person. In every position he has been called upon to fill, he has discharged the duties of the office with credit and ability, and to the satisfaction of the public. Ile belongs to that class of men, too seldom found, who have the moral courage to labor for a good cause, even though it be unpopular. While in the State Senate, Mr. MeElroy introduced and secured the passage of a number of bills, among the more important of which are the following . A bill to amend the highway laws, providing a way to proceed in laying out highways across railroads ; a bill for the protection of travel on public highways, which gives Commissioners of Highways additional power, and subjects them to a fine for neglect of duty. A bill to provide for the safety of persons attending public assemblies This was a very important measure, and well calculated to prevent the needless sacrifice of human lives. A bill for the collection of damages sustained by reason of defective public highways, streets, bridges, crosswalks and cul- verts. Previous to the passage of this bill, a citizen of another State or a foreign country conld recover dam- ages by suing the municipality liable in the United States Court, under the common law ; whereas, the citi-

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History of the St. Clair County, Michigan, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development and resources.., Part 114

Author: Western historical company, Chicago. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Chicago, A. T. Andreas & co. Number of Pages: 814

Author: Western historical company, Chicago. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, A. T. Andreas & co.
Number of Pages: 814