USA > Michigan > Lenawee County > Illustrated history and biographical record of Lenawee County, Mich. > Part 9
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RECORD OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
WILLIAM GREEN was born in Fairfield, Lenawee County, Mich., December 3d, 1850. His father, James Green, was born in Antrim County, Ireland, May 3d, 1809. He was brought up on a farm, but when a boy he went to learn the linen weaver's trade, which he followed until 1830. May 3d, 1830, he married Miss Eliza McConnell, daughter of David and Eliza (Farr) McConnell. That
Mrs. Amelia J. Green.
William Green.
same year, Mr. Green, with his young wife and her father, mother and eight children, came to the United States and first settled in Clinton County, N. Y., where they lived until 1836. That year they removed to Toledo, Ohio, and in 1838 came to Lenawee County, and settled on section 35, in Fairfield ; but, after six or seven years, he traded for a farm on section 34, where he ever after lived. In 1865 he took the most active interest in founding the South Fairfield Christian Church, giving largely of his own means, and interested many others in the undertaking. He was an active member the bal- ance of his life, and a trustee for many years. He died September 27th, 1888. His wife, Mrs. Eliza Green, is still living (1903) with her son, William, on the old homestead in Fairfield. She was born in Antrim County, Ireland, June 26th, 1814. She is the mother of ten children, five of whom are now living. She is eighty-nine years old, and still enjoys her faculties to a remarkable degree. William Green, the subject of this sketch, has always lived in Fairfield town- ship, and owns the old homestead where he was born. He was educated in the schools of his township, and always followed farm-
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ing. His farm consists of 280 acres of land, with an abundance of buildings. He has been a successful farmer, has made his property by his own exertions, and never gave a mortgage or neglected an obligation. He is a stockholder in the Fulton County, Ohio, Savings Bank, of Lyons. He owns the bank building, consisting of three store rooms, besides other busi- ness places in Lyons. He is an active member of the F. & A. M. Lodge No. 434, of Lyons, also of I. O. O. F. Lodge No. 622, of Lyons, and Fairfield Grange No. 278. He is largely interested in dairying and gen- eral farming. There are four brothers with families, all of whose wives and children are on the most harmonious terms. There has never been any envy, jealousy or wrangle among them. There has never been a quarrel in the family. Decem- ber 20th, 1875, William Green married Miss Amelia J. Smith, daughter of George and Caro- line Smith, of Fairfield, and James Green. are the parents of six children, as follows: Ralph, born May 15th, 1877, and died December 9th, 1883; Pearl, born June 10th, 1880, died August 28th, 1880; Sylvester, born July 18th, 1882, died September 22d, 1891; Welcome S., born June 17th, 1889; Caroline E., born March 23d, 1893; Frank D., born Oc- tober 21st, 1895. All born in Fairfield. Mrs. Amelia J.
Mrs. Eliza Green.
(Smith) Green was born in Fairfield, this county, April 7th, 1857. Her father was born in Candor, Tioga County, N. Y., January 13th, 1826. He went to Sherman, Huron Coun- ty, Ohio, in 1834, and came to Fairfield, this county, in 1853, where he died February 27th, 1865. Her mother was born in Fleming, Cayuga County, N.
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RECORD OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Y., January 2d, 1828, and her parents moved to Huron County, Ohio, in 1835. April 8th, 1868, she married Francis Davenport, and resides on section 15, in Fairfield.
Family Homestead and Residence of William Green, Fairfield.
GEO. W. BOND was born in York, Livingston County, N. Y., February 22d, 1839, and came to Michigan with his parents in the spring of 1848. His father, Josiah Bond, was born in Conway, Mass., September 25th, 1799, and was the son of Jonas and Laura (Howes) Bond, of the same place. The Bond family in the United States is in three branches, originating from three brothers, who were descendants of a Lord Bond, of England. Many years before the Revolutionary War three brothers came to America, one finally settling in Massachusetts, one in Maryland, and the other in one of the Carolinas. This branch of the family came from Massachusetts. The Revolutionary records show that Col. Bond, of Massachusetts,
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served on Washington's staff in the Revolutionary War. Early in 1800 Jonas Bond and family emigrated to the State of New York, settled in Sullivan, Madison County, and resided there until about the year 1832, when he disposed of his farm and removed to York, Livingston County, where he and his wife, Laura, died about 1840. Josiah Bond bought a farm of the Holland Land Company, in York, cleared it up, and lived there until 1848. In the spring of that year he came to Michigan with his family of wife and four children, and settled on section 15, in Rome township, this county, purchasing 80 acres of land. He resided here until 1863, when he sold out and purchased a home at Rome Center, where he died February 25th, 1898, aged 98 years and 5 months, retaining his faculties until the last. In 1832 Josiah Bond married Miss Fidelia Flagg, daughter of Samuel Flagg, of Conway, Mass., and they had two children, Geo. W. being the youngest. She died in September, 1839, aged about thirty years. In 1841 Josiah Bond married Miss Tabatha Flagg, sister of Fidelia, and they had two children. Tabatha (Flagg) Bond died in Rome, this county, in July, 1861. George W. Bond, the subject of this sketch, has resided in Lenawee county since his first advent here in 1848. He lived with his parents on the farm in Rome until he was 23 years old. In. 1862 he engaged in the mercan- tile business in Rome Center. In 1864 he, in company with Robert Sager, established a store at the Center, where he continued until 1874. In 1867 he was appointed postmaster, which office he held for seven years. In the fall of 1874 he removed to Adrian and engaged in the farm implement business, continuing for about four years, when he engaged as traveling salesman, which he has followed for many years. In 1890 a United States patent was granted him on a steel fence post, now known throughout the world as "The Bond Steel Post." In 1894 he succeeded in organizing a company for its manufacture in Adrian. It has proved a great success, is largely used by the Government for street mail boxes, sign posts, fences, etc. It was through the efforts of Mr. Bond the company was located in Adrian. The business is one of the utmost importance to the city. October 24th, 1861, George W. Bond married Miss Jane E. Marks, daughter of Cornelius and Fanny (Litts) Marks, of Rome, this county, and they are the parents of two children, as follows: Myron C., born in Rome February 5th, 1863, married January 8th, 1895, Miss Emma Siebeneicher, daughter of Wenzel and Magdeline Siebeneicher, of Grand Rapids, and they are the parents of two children, as follows : Loraine, born May 21, 1896; George C., born June 26th, 1898, resides in Adrian. March 20th, 1881, Myron C. Bond enlisted in the Michigan National Guard. May 8th, 1898, he was mustered into the United States service as second lieutenant, and served in the Spanish-American war for thirteen months. In March, 1899, he was promoted to first lieutenant in Cuba. Upon . his return home he was elected captain the following March, and served one year. Fanny F., born in Adrian, September
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RECORD OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
12th, 1876, married December 9th, 1898, Henry R. Houser, has two children, Irene E., born August 25th, 1900; Alma L., born August 3d, 1902, and resides in Adrian. Mrs. Jane E. (Marks) Bond was born in Rome, this county, April 2d, 1840. Her father, Cor- nelius Marks, was born at Brainard's Bridge, near Oswego, N. Y., April 6th, 1805, and came to Michigan, settling in Rome, this county, in 1835, and died in Rollin, October 20th, 1879. January 30th, 1828, Cornelius Marks married Miss Fanny Litts, and they had eleven children. Mrs. Fanny (Litts) Marks was born at Brainard's Bridge, N. Y., August 10th, 1811, and died in Rollin, this county, December 2d, 1870.
DANIEL WELCH was born in Mandana. Onondaga County, N. Y., August 15th, 1817. His father, Samuel Welch, was born in Fort Ann, near Lake Champlain, about 1773, and died there in 1825. His mother, Mary (Washburn) Welch, was also born at Fort Ann,
Mrs. Rhoda M. Welch.
Daniel Welch.
and lived until she was 94 years old. Daniel Welch was brought up a farmer, and lived in the State of New York until 1847. In the spring of that year he came to Michigan and purchased a farm of eighty acres in the township of Brooklyn, Jackson County. In 1848 Mr. Welch engaged James Mills and Wm. L. Smith, then residents and builders of Adrian, to go to Brooklyn and build him a house,
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which they did in the good old way. The house stood there until February, 1902, when it was destroyed by fire. Mr. Welch resided in Brooklyn until the fall of 1849, when he removed to Adrian, where he has resided ever since. During his long residence in Adrian he was deputy sheriff, and had charge of the county jail for ten years. The first two years he served under J. R. Bennett, four years under Col. S. B. Smith, and four years under Wm. R. Tayer. Mr. Welch was in attendance at every term of court during this ten years' service. Since that time he has devoted himself to his personal in- terests, looking after his farm property, finances, etc., etc. June 30th, 1847, Mr. Welch married Miss Rhoda Maria Love, daughter of Calvin and Rhoda (Moore) Love, of Brooklyn, Jackson County, Mich., by whom he has had two children: Francis L., born in Adrian, June 22d, 1857, who resides in that city; Nellie C., born in Adrian October 6th, 1862, now the wife of John F. Navin. Mrs. Welch was born in Locke, Cayuga County, N. Y., September 25th, 1828, and came to Michigan with her parents when she was six years old. Her father, Calvin Love, was born in Washington County, N. Y., April 16th, 1791. He came to Michigan in 1834, and settled on a new farm in Brooklyn, Jackson County, where he lived until his death, June 30th, 1843. Her mother, who was Miss Rhoda Moore, was born in Heath, Mass., July 18th, 1790, and became the mother of six children. She died in Adrian, August 18th, 1854. Mr. Welch has resided in his present home on South Main street for thirty years. He is surrounded with all the comforts that modern improve- ments suggest, and enjoys his ripe old age with his wife and family.
JAMES C. LINNELL was born in Pittsford, Monroe County, N. Y., December 11th, 1834, and came to Michigan with his parents in 1837. His father, Elijah Linnell, was born October 30th, 1799, in Barnstable, Mass, where he resided until after he had learned the trade of shoemaker, when he emigrated to Western New York, and settled in Pittsford, Monroe County. Here he purchased a farm, and afterwards established a tannery and opened a boot and shoe store. He was reasonably successful in his first business venture, but the reports from Michigan were so favorable that he was "taken with the fever," sold all his holdings in Pittsford, and came to Mich- igan, arriving in Adrian July 2d, 1837. Upon his arrival in Adrian, he was so well pleased with the outlook that he at once purchased a home on East Church street, now known as number 40. The house was just completed, and was considered a palatial home in those days. His next move was to open a shoe store on Maumee street, which he carried on for twenty years. He also purchased a farm of 160 acres in Madison, about two miles south of Maumee street. He
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RECORD OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
was an active, enterprising business man, and was well and favor- ably known throughout the county. In religion he was a Presby- terian, and was an active member of the Adrian church, filling all the important offices at different times, and assisted largely with his means in building the first brick edifice the society erected. He was practical in all things, and devout and generous. His home life and relations with his fellow man were exemplary to a degree. In 1825
Mrs. Martha (Lothrop) Linnell. Elijah Linnell.
he married Miss Martha Lothrop, daughter of Alden and Mary Lothrop, of Enfield, Mass. By this marriage there were four children, as follows: Martha Ann, born in Pittsford, N. Y., in 1828, and died in Adrian in 1840; Uriah Lothrop, born in Palmyra, N. Y., in 1830, and died in Minneapolis, Minn., March 28, 1868; Caroline Eliza, born in Pittsford in 1832, and died in Adrian, November 22, 1854; James C., born in Pittsford, N. Y., December 11, 1834. Mrs. Martha Linnell was born in Enfield, Mass., February 26, 1798, and died in Adrian, August 18th, 1866. Her father, Alden Lothrop, was a direct descendant of John and Priscilla Alden, of the "May- flower" of 1620. Elijah Linnell died in Adrian, June 29th, 1857, and was a direct descendant of Robert Linnell, who landed at Ply- mouth in 1636. James C. Linnell is the only survivor of Elijah Linnell, and has resided in Adrian continuously since 1837. He followed farming until he was about thirty years old, when he be- came a commercial traveler, and has visited nearly every state in the
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Union. His business career has been successful, and he is now en- joying the results of a provident life. He became a member of the Adrian Presbyterian Church at the age of fourteen and has always endeavored to live in accordance therewith. June 11th, 1859, James C. Linnell married Miss Martha E. Hard, daughter of Augustus and Martha Hard, of Murray, Orleans County, N. Y. By this marriage there were four children, as follows: Fannie M., born in Adrian, May 19th, 1860, married Leon E. Townsend December 24th, 1888, and resides near Jamestown, Stutsman County, North Dakota; Lillian Hard, born in Adrian, August 5th, 1862, died in infancy ;
James C. Linnell.
Mrs. Martha E. Linnell.
Minnie Ida, born in Adrian, November 5th, 1865, died in infancy ; James Arthur, born in Adrian, September 28th, 1872, a physician of Chicago. Mrs. Martha E. Linnell was born in Pittsford, Monroe County, N. Y., June 6th, 1838. Her father, Augustus Hard, was born in 1809, and his parents resided in Penfield, N. Y. July 21st, 1832, Augustus Hard married Martha Freer. of Seneca, N. Y., by whom he had three children, as follows : Francis Jane. born Octo- ber 4th, 1833, married E. P. Linnell, December 28th, 1855, and died in Adrian, March 14th, 1891; Elizabeth, born October 24th, 1835, and died April 19th, 1841; Martha E., born in Pittsford, N. Y., June 6th, 1838. Mrs. Martha (Freer) Hard was born in Seneca, N. Y., in 1814, and died in Adrian, March 10th, 1891. Augustus Hard, died in Adrian, January 26th, 1880.
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RECORD OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Residence of James C. Linnell, No. 15 Allis street, Adrian. This building was originally a store, and stood on the corner of Maumee and Main streets, now occupied by Waldby & Clay's bank building. It was one of the first buildings erected east of Main street, was occupied by several parties as a general store, and finally by the late F. J. Buck as a hardware store.
EBENEZER I. WALDBY was born at Cooperstown, Otsego County, N. Y., August 17th, 1828. His father was Ralph Waldby, (born in England, 1801, and died in Adrian, 1878), a printer by trade. His mother, Mary Ann Waldby, (born in Cooperstown, 1805, and died in Adrian, 1871), was the daughter of Ebenezer Ingals, a farmer of Otsego County, New York. Mr. Waldby resided with his parents until eighteen years of age-two years at Cooperstown, then at Utica, N. Y., until the fall of 1838, then at Rome, N. Y., (where his father established the Rome Sentinel), until the spring of 1845, then at Utica until the summer of 1846. During this period he received a common school and academic education, and spending, in all, several years in learning the printing business in his father's office. In August, 1846, in company with his brother, William H., he came to Adrian, taking a position in the Adrian Watchtower office, then owned by his uncle, R. W. Ingals, which he held until March, 1847, returning to Utica for the purpose of learning the
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telegraphic art. He gave close and attentive study to this then new calling, and received the appointment in 1848 of chief operator in the New York office of the New York and Boston Telegraph Com- pany, which position he resigned in nine months, and accepted that of superintendent on "Morse" lines radiating from Cincinnati. In 1852, at the solicitation of his brother, William, who had established a banking house in Adrian (being one of the few at that time in Michigan, outside of Detroit), he accepted an engagement and was subsequently (excepting a period from 1858 to 1862, when he, the said E. I. Waldby, was in the banking business with Ira Bidwell, in St. Paul, Minnesota, ) associated with him as partner, under the firm name of W. H. Waldby & Company. In 1872 the business was dis- posed of to the First National Bank of Adrian, of which E. I. Waldby was the cashier and a director. In 1877 the stockholders of said bank organized the State Savings Bank of Adrian, in which he occupied the same position. May 1st, 1878, Mr. Waldby and Frank W. Clay bought the business, good will, and bank building, and con- tinued the banking business under the firm name of Waldby & Clay. Mr. Waldby was married in Adrian, May 3d, 1855, to Miss Emeline S. Backus, daughter of Clark B. and Alpa (Keeler) Backus. They have had three children, Harry B., Nellie A., and William G., all of whom are living. E. I. Waldby died at his home in Adrian, October 30th, 1887. Harry B. Waldby was born in Adrian, April 30th, 1857, married Emily Jane Radcliffe, daughter of John T. and Elizabeth Radcliffe, of Detroit, and they have three children, as fol- lows: Elizabeth Emeline, born in Alma, Mich., February 21st, 1887; Frances Mildred, born in Adrian, May 6th, 1888; Marjorie Ethel, born in Adrian, January 22d, 1891. Mrs. Emily Jane (Rad- cliffe) Waldby was born in Detroit, June 17th, 1857.
AMAZIAH DE ESTINE ELLIS was born near Plessis, Jeffer- son County, N. Y., November 16, 1845. The Ellis' are of Welsh descent, our great-grandfather coming from Wales and settling in Massachusetts, in an early day, near Deerfield. The name was spelled Allis, but by common consent of our grandfather's family, it was changed from Allis to Ellis. Our grandfather moved into Jef- ferson County, N. Y., from the Massachusetts home, and settled there. The father of the subject of this sketch, Amaziah P. Ellis, was born there March 13th, 1813, and died at Plessis, Jefferson County, N. Y., August 15th, 1890. He was married there to Joanna S. Peck, January 5th, 1837. She died at the same place August 8th, 1898, where they had lived for nearly sixty years. To them were born four children : Cythere C., who still resides in the old home- stead ; Cyrena O., who married Jason C. Morrow, and died October
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RECORD OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
21st, 1869 ; Amaziah D., and Catherine D., who married the Rev. Martin E. Grant, who died at the Plessis home, March 8th, 1892. Mrs. Grant afterwards moved to Blissfield with her two daughters. Amaziah DeEstine Ellis was educated at the district school, after which he became a school teacher and farm hand. March 21st, 1871, he came to Blissfield, Mich., and the next day, March 22d, 1871, he was married to Thirza J. Parker, only daughter of Alpheus
Mrs. A. D. Ellis, Blissfield.
A. D. Ellis, Blissfield.
and Lucinda Parker, who with their family had moved from the same place in Jefferson County, N. Y., some four years previously. The Ellis' still live in the old Parker home, the place where they were married. A. D. Ellis got his first employment with Carpenter & Brown, who ran a general store in West Blissfield. The firm did a large business in those days, They owned a half interest in the broom handle factory. They bought railroad ties, timber and wood for the company, and oak staves and flat ash hoops on their own account, which were brought in by the farmers, who were clearing up their land. The firm sold to them everything to feed their fam- ilies and teams while doing this work to improve their farms. In less than two years the firm name changed, F. H. Brown and A. D. Ellis buying out the entire business-store, broom handle factory, planing mill, and all. Brown & Ellis did a larger business than the old firm. Having bought out the other partner in the factory, they soon became the largest manufactory of basswood broom handles in the United States, if not in the world. Beside their business in Blissfield, they bought flat ash hoops at Antwerp and Convoy, Ohio,
1
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and the second year they bought and sold 2,700,000 black ash hoops. In December, 1876, Ellis traded his store interest to Mr. Brown for the factory and planing mill, thinking he would quit merchandising; but after a year he got uneasy, leased the store on the east side of the river, and opened up the corner store, April 6th, 1878, with a general stock. He sold his factory and mill two weeks later, and he is still merchandising at the same store, having occupied this place for a quarter of a century. There is but one merchant to-day doing business that was here when Mr. Ellis came to Blissfield in 1871. Thirty-two years in Blissfield have wrought many changes, and in these improvements he has been one of the leaders and contributors, to make the village, town and county what they are to-day. He has been a prominent elder and churchman in the Presbyterian Church at Blissfield for many years. He is vice and acting president of the Jipson-Carter State Bank of Blissfield, stockholder and director in the State Savings Bank, and Lamb Wire Fence Company, and stock- holder of the Citizens' Telephone Company, of Adrian; stockholder and director in the Security and Trust Company, of Toledo, Ohio, and also stockholder in the Tefft, Walker Co., and Sweetzer, Pem- broke & Co., of New York city, wholesale dry goods companies.
Everiss Building, 8 West Church St,, Adrian.
JOSEPH E. EVERISS was born in Cheltenham, England, in 1832, and came to America when he was about fifteen years old. He learned the cabinet- maker's trade in Troy, N. Y., and followed that vocation, to- gether with building and con- struction, until 1867, when he established his present business of undertaking. He came to Adrian with his family in 1854, where he has ever since re- sided. In 1863 he went into the great Rebellion, and served two and one-half years with General Sherman, in the com- missary department, General Beckwith being the chief com- missary officer. Soon after his return home from the army, he
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RECORD OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
commenced the study of undertaking, embalming, etc., and in March, 1867, established the business in a modest way. By persistent effort and constant attention he has built up a large patronage and constantly increasing business. He is active, progressive and up-to- date in his calling ; hence his success and prosperity. In 1895 he purchased the choice property on the corner of Church and Winter streets, in Adrian, owned and occupied so many years by W. H. Cleveland, and the same year erected a brick building for his busi- ness, on a portion of the Church street front, but afterwards sold it to the Bell Telephone Company. In 1899 he erected the fine building he now occupies, a picture of which is here seen. This building is one of the best constructed and appointed in Adrian, and is said to be the most complete undertaking establishment in Michigan, being planned and arranged especially for that purpose. April 29th, 1852, Mr. Everiss married Miss Margaret Berry, at Troy, N. Y. Six children have been born to them. Two daughters reside in Rome, N. Y., three sons in Adrian and one in Chicago. April 29th, 1902, Mr. and Mrs. Everiss celebrated their golden wedding at their home on Chestnut street, in Adrian, their entire family and descendants being present. Mrs. Everiss was born in Patterson, New Jersey, in 1832, and is a sister of the late James Berry, so well known during the early days of Adrian.
MRS. MARIA H. HIXON was born in Amenia, Dutchess County, N. Y., June 26th, 1800. She was the daughter of Isaac and Rebecca (Huff) Ketcham. In 1823 she was married to Daniel Hixon, and came to Michigan and settled at Tecumseh, this county, in 1826. She resided in Tecumseh for about two years, when Mr. Hixon located government land in what is now the township of Bridgewater, Washtenaw County, just north of Clinton village. Here the family resided until 1872, when Mr. Hixon died, September 23d. Mrs. Hixon is undoubtedly the oldest person living in South- ern Michigan. The writer visited her on her one hundred and second birthday, and was much surprised at her well preserved ap- pearance, activity and vitality. She conversed in a clear, strong voice, and seemed to retain all her mental faculties to an astonish- ing degree. Her vision was somewhat obscured, but her hearing was good, and her memory remarkably retentive. Her recollections of the war of 1812 were vivid and distinct. She related the fact that three of her brothers were soldiers in that conflict, together with many incidents of that stirring period in our national history. She has always enjoyed good health, although she is quite lame from receiving an injury to her hip many years ago. Her husband was a soldier in the Blackhawk War, and when she was about one hundred
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