USA > Michigan > Lenawee County > Illustrated history and biographical record of Lenawee County, Mich. > Part 30
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ILLUSTRATED HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL
WILLIAM A. WHITNEY was one of the earliest settlers in Adrian. He came to Mich- igan with his parents in 1828, and after that date called Adrian his home. He was a man of honor, integrity and intelligence. His pioneer ex- perience was always an inter- esting theme with him, and his recollections of the first events, the original settlers, etc., etc., were most vivid. In his later life he devoted much time to pioneer work. He called the first meeting to or- ganize a County Pioneer So- ciety, and was the first secre- tary of the society. He devoted two years of hard work in as- William A. Whitney. sisting in preparing and pub- lishing the first history of Lenawee County. [For a his- tory of his life see Whitney & Bonner's History and Biographical Record of Lenawee County, Vol. 1, pages 280 and 86. Also see Biographical Album of Lenawee County, page 183.]
JOHN A. BENNETT was born in Scioto County, Ohio, March 17, 1830. His father, Rev. Moses Bennett, was born in the State of New York, September 6, 1787. [For further history look at Lena- wee County Album, page 758.] John A. Bennett, the subject of this sketch, removed with his parents to Rollin township, Lenawee County, Mich., in October, 1835, where he lived until 1853, when he married Miss Rhoda M. Smith, daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth (Reed) Smith. He then moved to his present farm of 80 acres, on Section 32, in Cambridge township, Lenawee County, Mich., where he has resided ever since. They had born to them eight children, and have four now living named as follows: George E., born May 17, 1854; Eugene T., born October 20, 1855; Elizabeth M., born August 2, 1859; J. William, born January 2, 1870. George E. Ben- nett, March 9, 1882, in Cambridge, married Miss Helen Maxwell, daughter of John and Charlotte Maxwell, and they had four chil- dren, named as follows: Lynn M., Dewitt, Inez and Lotta. Mrs. Helen Bennett died August 3, 1894. Lynn M. Bennett died September
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6, 1888. Eugene T. Bennett, June 1, 1880, married Miss Frances Humphrey, of Rome, Mich., daughter of John and Rhoda (Bennett) Thompson. They had two children, as follows: David E., born April 21, 1889; Nettie, born September 12, 1892. Elizabeth Bennett, December 27, 1881, married Eugene C. Turner, of Woodstock. They had three children, named as follows: Roy J. and Ray G., twins, born September 24, 1887; Edward B., born April 30, 1890. J. William Bennett, June 3, 1896, married Mabel Church, of Wheat- land township, Hillsdale County, Mich., daughter of Alonzo and Helen (Potter) Church. They had one child, named Elery La Vere Bennett, born July 22, 1897. Mrs. Rhoda M. (Smith) Bennett was born in Kent County, England, February 13, 1829. Her father, Jo- seph Smith, was born in Kent County, England, April 13, 1786. He married Elizabeth Reed who was born April 12, 1786, about the year 1810, in Kent County, England. They had nine children, Mrs. Rhoda (Smith ) Bennett being the youngest. She emigrated to the United States in 1837, coming to Cambridge, Lenawee County, Mich. Joseph Smith died in Cambridge, Mich., April 20, 1861. Elizabeth (Reed) Smith died in Cambridge, September 22, 1865.
JOHN E. CARR was born in Baltimore, Md., May 28, 1865. His father, James Carr, was also a native of Baltimore, where he was born, December 3, 1830. His parents, natives of Glasgow, Scotland, came to the United States about 1828, and settled in Bal- timore, where they ever after resided. James Carr lived in Balti- more until 1868, when he removed to Chicago. While a boy he was "bound out" in Baltimore to learn pattern-making. He was in the employment of the government at Washington, and assisted in re- pairing the Monitor after the famous encounter with the Merrimack in Hampton Roads in 1862. On going to Chicago he became con- nected with the Illinois Manufacturing Company and came to Adrian in the winter of 1869-70, when that institution established itself here. After the destruction of the company's works by fire, Mr. Carr went to Cincinnati, in the pattern and foundry department of a large railroad supply house, and remained there until 1883, when he returned to Adrian. Here he engaged in the manufacture of a fountain pen, and carried on business for some years. He was, at the time of his death, January 10, 1903, in the experiment de- partment of the Page Woven Wire Fence Company. July 6. 1854, James Carr married Miss Annie E. Colton, daughter of William and Elizabeth Colton, and they became the parents of eleven sons, only two of whom are living, John E., born as above, and Charles H., born in Baltimore, June 17, 1867. Mrs. Annie E.
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ILLUSTRATED HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL
(Colton) Carr was born in Leicester, England, May 3, 1836, and came to America in childhood with her parents. Her father, William Colton, was a native of London, and her mother, Elizabeth Cooper, a native of Leicester, England. Mrs. Carr still resides in Adrian. John E. Carr, subject of this sketch, came to Adrian when he was about four years old, and with the exception of a few years, he has spent his life here. He was educated in the public schools of Adrian, and West Covington, Ky. He also graduated from a business college in Cincinnati, with high honors. He spent about two years in a law office in Cincinnati, and then went to learn the trade of pattern- maker, with his father. But the avocation was not con- genial, and upon his return to Adrian, in 1883, he drifted into newspaper work, serving for several years with the Adrian Times and the Tele- gram as reporter. Then he went into merchandizing and book-keeping. In February, 1895, he became a clerk in the cashier's office of the Page Fence Company. In August, 1895, he was made cashier of the company, which position he still holds. In 1902 he be- John E. Carr, Adrian, Mich. came a director of the com- pany, and was re-elected in 1903. Mr. Carr has inaugurated a system of book-keeping for the company that is quite unique. It meets the peculiar necessities of the large and complicated business, and has proved very satisfac- tory. He is a charter member of Lenawee Tent, No. 452, K. O. T. M., was the first Record Keeper, and subsequently Sir Knight Com- mander. He is the Grand Treasurer for Michigan, of the Fraternal Mystic Circle. He has been for many years an active member of the Baptist church, having united with it in Covington, Ky., March 5, 1882. He has been an earnest worker in all departments, and has served several years as trustee and clerk of the board. He has been three times president of the local B. Y. P. U., and twice president of the Associational Union, In 1898 he was elected secretary and treasurer of the State B. Y. P. U., and in 1902 treasurer. In 1903
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he was elected State President. For about nine years he was ed- itor of a monthly publication called "Our Church." He was one of the foremost promotors of the building of Dorcas Chapel, and was secretary of the building committee. He has been active in Sunday school work, and has served as assistant superintendent for five years. At the National B. Y. P. U. at Baltimore, in 1895, he pre- sented a paper, the subject being, "Our Conventions; How Can We Increase Their Efficiency." He was a candidate for Mayor of Adrian, on the Democratic ticket, in the spring of 1903. He has also been the candidate of his party for other important offices. September 6, 1888, John E. Carr married Miss Kate Decker, daugh- ter of John and Kate (Miller) Decker, of Adrian, and they have two children, as follows : George Lee, born February 12, 1890; Ralph Lavere, born July 28, 1897. Mrs. Kate (Decker) Carr was born in Adrian July 23, 1869. Her father is a native of Germany, and came to the United States a child. Her mother is a native of Adrian, and was born, February 7, 1847. Her parents were natives of Ger- many.
CLARK L. BURDICK was born in Fairfield, this county, Jan- uary 29, 1839. His father, Arunah Burdick, was born in Connecti- cut, in June, 1801. When a young man he removed with his par- ents, Joshua and Sarah Burdick, and settled near Utica, N. Y. He resided there until 1833, when he came to Michigan and settled on Sec- tion 32, in Fairfield, this county, taking up 60 acres of government, land. He resided thenceforth on this farm, where he died in his 87th year, in November, 1887. In 1829 he married Miss Cornelia Crosby, of Brookfield, N. Y., and they had five children, Clark L. being the fourth child. Mrs. Cornelia (Crosby) Burdick was born October 9, 1810, and died in Fairfield, this county, February 25, 1901. Clark L. Burdick has always lived in Fairfield, and resides on Section 29. He also owns a portion of his father's homestead, on Section 32. He was educated in the schools of his district, and the High School at Lyons, Ohio. He taught school for eighteen successive winters, but always has considered he was a farmer. He has done his share of clearing up the country and improving it, and his home is a com- fortable and happy one. June 17, 1866, Clark L. Burdick married Miss Angeline Jameson, daughter of Daniel and Harriet Jameson, of Fairfield, and they have two children, as follows: Harriet, born in Fairfield, April 13, 1870, married Lemuel M. Thompson, April 2, 1896, has two children, and resides at Lyons, Ohio; Helen, born in the same place, August 7, 1877, married John Paulson, January 5, 1899, and resides in Fairfield. Mrs. Angeline (Jameson) Burdick, born at Trumansburg, Tompkins County, N. Y., April 24, 1849, came to Michigan with her widowed mother in 1864. Her father,
1
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ILLUSTRATED HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL
Daniel Jameson, was born in Trumansburg, N. Y., May 24, 1812, was a merchant for many years, and died at Trumansburg, June 15, 1836. Her mother, Mrs. Harriet (Russell) Jameson, was born July 10, 1817, and died in Fairfield, this county, January 1, 1900.
Alton F. Pratt.
Mrs. Mary E. Pratt.
ALTON F. PRATT was born in Palmyra, Lenawee County, Mich., September 20, 1846. His father, Harvey Pratt, was born in Dryden, N. Y., July 8, 1816, and was the son of John and Eliza Pratt, who were farmers of Dryden, N. Y. Harvey Pratt was brought upa farmer, and when a boy worked for a farmer named Deacon Blossom on land now covered by the city of Rochester. He lived there un- til he was twenty-one. In 1836 he came to Michigan and settled in Palmyra, this county, having a sister, Mrs. Eliza Pierce, who had settled there some little time before. He afterwards purchased 80 acres of land on Section 16, in Bliss- field, where he resided until his death, May 30, 1885. In 1845 Harvey Pratt married Miss Chloe Barrett, daughter of Benjamin and Chloe (Har- rison) Barrett, of Williamston, Mass., and they had seven children, as follows: Alton F., born as above; Albert H., born in Blissfield, this county, January 22, 1848 ; Seymour B., born same place, May 4, 1850; Henry J., born same place, August 6, 1855; Ida Belle, born same place, February 22, 1857; John T., born same place, November 21, 1858; Minnie Arline, born same
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RECORD OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
place, March 18, 1866. Mrs. Chloe (Barrett) Pratt was born in Man- chester, Bennington County, Vt., June 22, 1826, came to Michigan with her mother and brother, Seymour Barrett, in the spring of 1832, and still (1903) resides in this county. Alton F. Pratt, sub- ject of this sketch, was brought up on the banks of the Raisin river, in Blissfield township. Here he was educated in a log school house, with slab seats, where he graduated the spring he was ten years old. His services were then needed in the capacity of ox driver, etc. In 1861 he commenced work for the Monroe branch of the Michigan Southern Railroad. He was afterwards employed on the survey of the Canada Southern Railroad, between Trenton, Mich., and Fayette, Ohio. In 1869 he went with the Elkhart Railroad shops, where he remained for ten years, mastering the trade of locomotive machinist. In 1880 he entered the employ of the N. Y. P. & O., now the Erie Railroad, and remained in the shops at Galion, Ohio, for twenty-two years. He is a member of Galion Lodge, F. and A. M., 414, and Crawford Chapter, 142, R. A. M. He is also a member of Eastern Star Lodge, No. 47, of Galion. September 22, 1870, Alton F. Mrs. Chloe Pratt. Pratt married Miss Mary E. Letter, daughter of Hugh and Mary Ann Letter. They became the parents of one child, Carrie, born in Elkhart, July 11, 1876, and died July 19, 1879. An adopted child, Edna A. Pratt, born near Akron, Ohio, April 8, 1885, now at home. Mrs. Mary E. (Letter) Pratt was born in Leicester, England, in 1840, came to this country with her parents in 1843, and settled in Concord, N. H. Her father was a native of Leicester, England, was born April 19, 1812, and died in Blissfield, this county, October 3, 1879. Her mother, a native of the same place, was born February 27, 1815, and died in Blissfield, May 5, 1895. Mrs. Mary E. (Letter) Pratt died in Galion, Ohio, May 20, 1899. November 12, 1902, Alton F. Pratt married Mrs. Joan (Mitchell) Letter. She was born in Dayton, Ohio, January 31, 1853. Her father was the Hon. Thomas D. Mitchell, and her mother was Rachel Clark, whose father, Amos Clark, was a pioneer of Montgomery County, Ohio.
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ILLUSTRATED HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL
THOMAS G. MEAD was born in Macedon Center, Wayne County, N. Y., May 10, 1848. His father, Thomas W. Mead, born in Dutchess County, N. Y., August 23, 1814, was from a lineage of Friends. His ancestors were Friends, he was raised a Friend, and was a leading member of the society. He was a farmer all his life. He came to Michigan in 1870, and resided in Raisin township, on Section 16, where he died March 27, 1888. November 1, 1837, Thomas W. Mead married Miss Sarah S. Hoag, daughter of Ben- jamin and Anna Hoag, of Macedon, Wayne County, N. Y., and they had three children, as follows: Richard T., born in Macedon, Wayne County, N. Y., May 11, 1839; John H., born in the same place, September 29, 1844, and Thomas G. Mrs. Sarah S. (Hoag) Mead was born in Macedon, Wayne County, N. Y., November 13, 1819, and still resides in Raisin. Thomas G. Mead came to Michi- gan in 1869, and settled on Section 16, in Raisin, this county. His brother, Dr. Richard T. Mead, had come to Michigan in 1865, and settled in Adrian. The doctor was a graduate of the Albany, N. Y. Medical College, was a surgeon in the 79th New York Highlander regiment. during the Civil War, and after the discharge of the regi- ment he was in the Grant General Hospital of New York City until the close of the war. He became one of the most noted and success- ful surgeons in Michigan. He resided in Adrian until 1871, when he went to Manistee, Mich., where he ranked among the most prom- inent physicians in that part of the state. In 1866 he married Miss Jennie A. Young, of Adrian. She died in February, 1898. The doctor died October 10, 1900. The doctor's coming to Michigan and favorable impression of the country, was what induced Thomas G. to come. He has followed farming since his residence in the county, and is one of its prosperous and wide-awake citizens. September 9, 1875, Thomas G. Mead married Miss Elizabeth R. Sutton, daughter of Asa U. and Sarah A. Sutton, of Raisin, and they have two chil- dren, as follows: Olive S., born January 14, 1877, married Janu- ary 14, 1897, James Hageman, has one child, and resides at Oxford, Mich .; Richard T., born March 8, 1882, married, May 27, 1903, Miss Anna McClure. Mrs. Elizabeth S. Mead was born in Raisin, this county, November 22, 1854. Her father was born in New York city, January 2, 1818. He was the son of Isaac and Sarah Sutton, who were very early settlers in Battle Creek, Mich. He died in Raisin, October 27, 1871. Her mother was Sarah A. Satterthwaite, daughter of Samuel and Hannah Satterthwaite, who were among the first settlers of Tecumseh. She was born in New Jersey, Janu- ary 15, 1820, and died in Raisin, December 26, 1873.
LORENZO DOW MEECH was born near Rochester, N. Y., September 24, 1824, and came to Michigan with his parents in 1836. His father, Peter Meech, was a native of Scotland, and came to
-
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RECORD OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
America when a young man. He first settled in the State of New York. He lived several years in Monroe County, where he married Miss Catherine Wells, daughter of Andrew and Lettie Wells, and they raised a family of nine children. Peter Meech and his family came to Michigan in 1836, and for a short time stopped in Madison, but finally settled in Rollin, where they both died. Lo- renzo D. Meech came to Mich- igan when he was twelve years old, and settled in Madison, this county. He was educated in the district schools of the township, and always followed agricultural pursuits. Com- ing here as he did in the early settlement of Michigan, he grew up with it and became an active and thrifty citizen, taking a lively interest in the growth and development of the county. He always resided in Madison township, where he filled several public offices and positions. For nine years he was overseer of the county in- firmary, and was efficient and active during the construction Peter L. Meech. of new buildings which were erected during his administra- tion. He was a man of strong characteristics, and showed his Scotch ancestry in his tenacity to anything he be- lieved, or any cause he es- poused. During his active ca- reer he owned six different farms, and still owned three at the time of his death. He was a self-made man, having earned every dollar he ever possessed. He died at his home on Sections 19 and 30, in Madison, October 1, 1886. January 13, 1847, Lorenzo D. Meech married Miss Clara Robbins, daughter of Thomas and Catherine (Wilson) Rob- bins, of Madison, this county. Mrs. Carrie Meech.
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ILLUSTRATED HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL
They had three children, as follows: Cyntha J., born August 20, 1847, married H. C. Cunningham in 1866, have one child, and reside in Madison ; Peter L., born May 29, 1856 ; Emma A., born February 25, 1860, married John Cadoo, December 3, 1883, have three children, and reside in Madison. Mrs. Clara (Robbins) Meech was born in Portlandville, Otsego County, N. Y., February 12, 1824, and died in Madison, this county, December 11, 1902. Her parents, Thomas and Catherine (Wilson) Robbins, were natives of Hempstead, Rock- land County, N. Y., came to Michigan in 1836, and settled in Madi- son, this county. They had nine children. Peter L. Meech, the subject of this sketch, is a native of Lenawee County, and now owns and resides on the farm where he was born. He was reared a farmer, and follows that avocation, together with the handling and feeding of cattle for the market. His home is on Section 30, Madi- son. He is a member of Madison Grange, the Gleaners and the Maccabees, Tent 145, Adrian. September 28, 1876, Peter L. Meech married Miss Carrie Saunders, daughter of Charles F. and Mary (Nevin) Saunders, and they have six children, as follows: Clarence D., born December 10, 1878, died October 5, 1880; Nora May, born November 23, 1882 ; Forest L., born December 30, 1885; Florence Hazel, born April 19, 1887; Floyd L., born December 7, 1891 ; Blanche D., born April 7, 1894. Mrs. Carrie (Saunders) Meech was born in Adrian City, April 7, 1855. Her parents were early settlers of this county, and came from the State of New York.
HENRY C. PRATT was born in Reading, Seneca County, N. Y., December 5, 1832, where he resided until 1838, when his parents removed to Peru, Huron County, Ohio. His father, Franklin Pratt, was a native of Connecticut, and was the son of Russell Pratt, who was also a native of Connecticut, but became a pioneer upon the shore of Cayuga Lake, in Seneca County, N. Y. He became a pros- perous farmer, and owned several negro slaves. During the war of 1812-14 he was U. S. Quartermaster under General Knox. He was born and raised under Puritan influences, and traced his ancestry back to the Mayflower. Franklin Pratt was reared a farmer, but after his removal to Ohio, he engaged in the timber and lumber bus- iness, and became a successful dealer in ship timber. In 1855 he sold his interests in Ohio and came to Michigan, purchasing a farm on the n 12 of s e 14, Section 33, in Fairfield. This became the fam- ily home, and is still owned by one of his sons. During his resi- dence on the "Western Reserve" in Ohio, he was an active aboli- tionist and one of the "stockholders and directors of the under- ground railroad." As a resident of Fairfield he was highly re- spected, and was regarded as an honest, enterprising and exemplary
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RECORD OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
man. He died in Fairfield, April 20, 1874. Franklin Pratt married Miss Hannah Holloway, daughter of Benjamin and Susan (Willson) Holloway, of Ovid, N. Y., and they were the parents or nine chil- dren. Mrs. Hannah Pratt was born in Ovid, N. Y., and died in Fair- field, this county. Her parents were natives of Pennsylvania. Her grandfather was a native of Valley Forge, Pa., and was very famil- iar with the scenes and sufferings of Washington's army during that memorable winter. Henry C Pratt, subject of this sketch, was ed- ucated in the district schools of his neighborhood, with the excep- tion of nearly two years spent at the Academy at Norwalk, Ohio. He taught his first school when he was seventeen years old, follow- ing that occupation for six years in Ohio. He came to Michigan in 1856, and at once opened a select school in what is now known as District No. 7, Fairfield. During the following twenty years he fol .. lowed teaching. In 1859 he purchased his father's farm in Fair- field, which he still owns. He has been elected Justice of the Peace, served two years as Supervisor, and has filled township school offices for many years. In January, 1882, he was admitted to the bar, and for several years he practiced law in Adrian. He has always been an ardent Republican in politics, and during the past thirty years has been employed by the Republican State Committee as a speaker during political campaigns. He is one of the oldest campaign speakers in Michigan. He was a candidate for the Leg- islature in 1880, but was defeated by only 92 votes by William Cor- bin, Democrat. He retired from active practice in 1890 and is now living a quiet life upon his farm in Fairfield. July 5, 1858, Henry C. Pratt married Miss Sarah M. Nash, daughter of Mar- vin and Abigail Nash, of Madison, this county, and they are the parents of six children, as follows : Orland F. and Orville L., (twins) born April 15, 1863 ; Arthur H., born October 13, 1871; Vinnie R., born April 20, 1874, married Dr. Sion H. Jurden, and resides in Clayton, this county. Two children died in infancy. Mrs. Sarah M. Pratt was born in Macedon, Wayne County, N. Y., September 13, 1835. She came to Michigan with her parents in 1840, and settled in Madison, this county. Her father, born in Ham- ilton, Madison County, N. Y., in 1804, died in Madison, in 1879. Her mother was born in Perrington, Monroe County, N. Y., March 4, 1813, and died in Madison, this county, in June, 1875.
DAVID A. PRICE was born in Genoa, Cayuga County, N. Y., May 10, 1832, and came to Michigan with his parents in 1838. His father, Aaron Price, was born in Newark, N. J., August 19, 1799. He lived in Newark until he was about twenty-four years old, and learned the weaver's trade. About the year 1823 he went to Cayuga
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ILLUSTRATED HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL
County, N. Y., where he purchased a farm and carried on the weav- ing business. He prospered there reasonably well, until 1837, when he emigrated to Michigan, but finally settled just over the line in the town of Gorham, Lucas County, Ohio. At this time the Indian chief Bawbeese was located in a temporary camp nearby, and many notable incidents occurred during the first winter. Just about the time cold weather set in, Chief Bawbeese had two deerskins tanned and ready for use, and was about to start for Canandaigua village, in the southwestern portion of Lenawee County, to sell the skins to
Mr. and Mrs. David A. Price.
Philo Wilson, who kept a general store there. The chief, who could talk English very well, told Mr. Price what he was about to do. Mr. Price said if he could make moccasins he would buy the skins. The chief said "you pay hard money and buy the skins, I send squaw to make moccasins." The trade was made, and in a few days the family was provided with moccasins for the winter. Baw- beese was a very friendly and intelligent Indian. In the spring of 1864 he came to Adrian, where he died July 12, 1889. In 1825 Aaron Price married Miss Jemima W. Barrows of New York city, and they had seven sons, three of whom are living. Mrs. Jemima (Winings- Barrows) Price was born in New York city, November 15, 1800, and died in Adrian, February 19, 1889. The ancestors of the Price fam- ily came from Germany, while Mrs. Jemima W. Price's parents came from England. David A. Price, the subject of this sketch, was only six years old when he came to Michigan, and since that time he has resided in or near Lenawee County. He was educated in the district schools, and learned the carpenters' and builders' trade, which he followed in Adrian for many years. He was in the employ of the
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