USA > Michigan > Men of progress : embracing biographical sketches of representative Michigan men with an outline history of the state > Part 20
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70
In 1887 he sold his hardware business and commenced his lumbering operations. In 1893-95 Mr. Wagar was a representative for the First district of Montcalm county, and State senator from the Eighteenth district, 1897-99. In 1897 Mr. Wagar found himself in condition to close up all his lumber deals and enter into his present business as private banker under the name of E. S. Wagar's Bank, at Edmore, Michigan, in which busi- ness he still continues and has been eminently -necessful.
129
HISTORICAL SKETCHES.
HILL, JOSHUA. A good education has been the basis of success in the life of Joshua Hill, and to his parents and his own personal energy he is largely indebted for the position he has taken among the men of progress in this state, and the success which has greeted his efforts in life. Ile was born in Newton, New Jersey, October 18, 1847, and educated in Newton Collegiate Institute and the Chester Institute in Chester, New Jersey. Like many of the other successful men of this state, Mr. Hill in his early life was d school teacher, being only 17 years of age at that period of his career.
He has been interested in banks since 1865 and is at present still engaged in the banking and real estate business. He assisted in the organization of several successful banks, namely, the Commercial Bank, also Wilson County Bank, at Fredonia, and the Oakland County Savings Bank, of Pontiac, Michigan. Mr. Hill went to Pontiac in 1891, his health being somewhat impaired at the time, and bought the fine home he now occupies in that city, with the intention of retiring from ac- tive business life. He has not entirely retired as yet, for he is now the president of the Oak- land County Savings Bank and of the Pontiac Investment & Promotive Company.
To Mr. Hill Michigan is indebted for one of the most unique preserves in the State, Forest Lake Park, where many varieties of those wild animals that were rapidly becom- ing extinct before the march of civilization, may be found. Ile purchased the magnifi- cent tract of three hundred acres enclosing that beautiful sheet of water, Forest Lake, in 1892, and it is stocked with wild game of every description. A large herd of Wyom- ing elk roam undisturbed over the park, and a small herd of buffalo has been added to the preserve in the past few years. Several varieties of duck inhabit the lake, and the woods are stocked with a number of English ring neck as well as Mongolian pheasants. Nothing has been done, in improving the park, that tends to rob it of its wild and pie-
JOSHUA HILL,
turesque character. Mr. Ilill is vice-presi- dent of the Michigan Game Protective Asso- ciation, and has been instrumental in protect- ing the wild game of Michigan from rabid inroads of the pot hunter. He is also a mem- ber of the Huron Mountain (lub, which owns thirty square miles in game and fish preserves and tront and fish hatcheries on the Upper Peninsula near Marquette.
Ile is a member of the executive commit- tee of the National Bankers' Association of the United States. Having been an extensive traveller in this country and abroad, he was appointed general agent of the American Ex- change in Europe, and for Messrs. Thos. Cook Sons, world's tourists.
In 1882 Mr. Hill married Miss Helen Pre- witt, of Lexington, Kentucky, in that city, and six children, three boys and three girls, have been the issue of that uniou. In the literary world, he is known as a forcible writer, having contributed many articles to the press. His best known work is "Thought and Thrift," which was published in 1889.
It is a strongly written book in which the writer has shown his own strength of char- acter and thought.
130
MEN OF PROGRESS.
WILLIAM W. POTTER.
POTTER, WILLIAM W. William W. Potter was born at Maple Grove township, Barry county, Michigan, August 1, 1869. Ilis father, Lucien B. Potter, was a farmer. He worked on the farm of his father until he was 21. When he was 20 years of age he attended the public school at Nashville, Michigan, starting in the ninth grade, but at the end of seven weeks he was stricken with typhoid fever and compelled to return home. Ile resumed his studies at the same school the following year, and when spring ar- rived he worked on the farm until the follow- ing autumn. Then he received a third grade teacher's certificate, and taught school during the winter of 1890 in Assyria township, at $22 per month. He returned to the family farm in the summer, and in the fall attended the Nashville high school for eleven weeks; then taught the same district again. That
spring he was given a teacher's certificate of the first grade, and in April was tendered the position of principal of the city schools at Harrison, Michigan. He remained at the Nashville school until June, and then gradu- ated. He was graduated on Friday, and the following Monday entered the Summer Nor- mal School at Ypsilanti, where he remained until his school opened at Harrison, in Sep- tember, 1891. He taught there until vaca- tion, earning $550 a year. He was reap- pointed the following term at Harrison, at an increased salary. He followed this course the next year, and his salary was increased to $850 a year. During all this time he had been studying law in the office of Ilon. George J. Cummins, at. Harrison, and June 26, 1894, in Judge Dodds' court, he was admitted to the bar. During that sum- mer he again worked on the farm, and the following term entered the University of Michigan senior law class, and was graduated in June, 1895.
He opened his law office in Hastings, Michigan, in August, 1895. He formed a partnership with J. Edmund Barrell in No- vember, 1895, under the name of Barrell & Potter, which continued until August, 1896, when he became associated with Hon. Philip T. Colgrove; the partnership continues up to date.
In November, 1898, William W. Potter was elected on the Republican ticket to the State senatorship by a majority of 596.
He married, at Harrison, Michigan, Mar- guerite, daughter of Charles J. Richardson, and they have two daughters, Louise, aged five years, and Dorinne, aged nine months.
Mr. Potter is a Royal Arch and Chapter Mason, and a member of the K. of P.
131
HISTORICAL SKETCHES.
OSBORN, CHASE SALMON. Chase S. Osborn, Railroad Commissioner of the State of Michigan, was born in Huntington county, Indiana, January 22, 1860. The senior Osborn, George A., was one of the earlier pioneers of Indiana and a leading abo- litionist during the agitation of that question. Mr. Osborn's grandfather, Captain Isaac Os- born, who navigated the Ohio River between the Ohio ports and New Orleans for many years, was one of the pioneers of the Ohio Valley, and his great-grandfather, John Os- born, was a doctor and chaplain in the Con- tinental Army during 1776 and 1780.
Chase S. Osborn started his edueation in a little red school house, and from 10 to 14 years of age attended the public sehools of Lafayette, Indiana. He took three years at Purdue University, of that city. His first business venture was picking up old bones. rags and iron, which he sold to junk dealers. During his vacation, while attending the pub- lie schools, he had learned to set type, so he found a job in a newspaper office, setting type and turning the press on Saturday night, at $2 per week. He also peddled papers, and at one time had a monopoly of the sale of Chicago papers in Lafayette.
At 16 he went to Chicago filled with the idea that in that eity he would make his for- tune. After hunting about for a time, he found work as a bell boy in a hotel, and so earned enough money to return home. Upon leaving the University he again went to ('hi- cago and succeeded in finding a position as reporter on the Chieago Tribune, but he went homo shortly afterwards to see his sister mar- ried and lost his place. He hung around in Chicago for about four weeks, and finally went to Milwaukee looking for another posi- tion. Here his money was exhausted, and at last he was compelled to go to work as a roust- about in the lumber yards of Durr & Rugee, unloading and piling lumber. He didn't like the job, but as it was a case of pile lumber, beg or starve, he piled lumber. Later he seeured a place with the Evening Signal, of Milwaukee, and then with the Milwaukee
CHASE SALMON OSBORN.
Chronicle. For the next year he did general assignment work on the Evening Wisconsin, and for the following two years was city editor of the Sentinel. Purchasing a paper in Florence, Wisconsin, he started in on his own account, publishing this paper for four years and selling out in the spring of 1887. In the fall of that year he bought the Sault Ste. Marie News, of which he is still the owner and manager.
He was State Game and Fish Warden from February 1, 1395, until January 1, 1899, and was appointed Railroad Commissioner Janu- ary 1, 1899.
Ile married Miss Lillian G. Jones, daugh- ter of Edward Jones, at Milwaukee, Wiscon- sin, May 7, 1881. Mr. Osboru is a Mason, having taken 32 degrees, and is a Knight Templar. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias, the B. P. O. E., and I. O. O. F. Hle also belongs to the Fellowcraft Club, of De- troit, and the Detroit Club.
Mr. Osborn is one of the leading and influ- ential citizens of Sault Ste. Marie. He held the position of postmaster there from 1890 until 1894.
132
MEN OF PROGRESS.
GEORGE L. MALTZ.
MALTZ, GEORGE L. Brooklyn, New York, is the birth place of George L. Maltz, who was born in that recent addenda to New York City, September 30, 1842. In 1845 the family moved to Michigan, taking up their residence in the city of Detroit, where until he was 16 years of age young Maltz attended the public schools.
His first employment was that of ticket agent in the office of the Grand Trunk Rail- road. When 18 years of age he enlisted in Company I of the Fourth Michigan Infan- try, and was made a corporal in that company when it was mustered into service. Septem- ber 1, 1861. he was promoted to the rank of sergeant, and a few months later was again promoted to first sergeant.
His next step was to the rank of sergeant- major in March, 1862, and he was com- missioned second lieutenant of Company E, December 13, 1862. The official records show that he was the commanding officer of his company during nearly all the year of 1863, and was acting adjutant of the regi- ment during a portion of that year and 1864. On March 21, 1864, he was commissioned first lieutenant of Co. E, Fourth Michigan
Infantry, and he was mustered out with that rank, June 28, 1864.
Lieutenant Maltz served through the war with the Fourth Michigan Infantry, being in the Army of the Potomac, and distinguishing himself several times during the campaign. His regiment saw considerable service and hard fighting and took part in some of the fiercest and most stubbornly contested engagements in the Civil War. On be- ing mustered out of service, Mr. Maltz was appointed cashier in the Internal Revenue Office at Detroit, a position which he filled most ably for several years. In 1872 he re- moved to Alpena, Michigan, where he opened a private bank under the firm name of George L. Maltz & Co. In 1883 he or- ganized and was made president of the Alpena National Bank, which place he occu- pied until 1896. From 1876 until 1880 Mr. Maltz was Regent of the University of Michi- gan. He was made State Treasurer of Michigan in 1886 and remained such until 1890. He returned to Detroit from Alpena in 1892, and that same year he was a mem- ber of the Republican National Committee at the Minneapolis Convention.
In 1898 Governor Pingree appointed him State Bank Commissioner, in which position he is acting today.
Mr. Maltz was the chairman of the com- mittee that located and dedicated the monu- ment placed by the state of Michigan in the battlefield of Gettysburg, in commemoration of the Fourth Michigan Infantry. The monument was erected in 1898.
While in Alpena he was thrice elected mayor of that city.
He married Elvira E., daughter of Joseph P. Whiting, of Detroit, at the close of the war in 1866, and is the parent of three daugh- ters. Cora is the wife of the late Hon. Albert Pack, of Detroit; Mable is the wife of J. G. Farwell, of the same city, and Grace lives with her parents. Mr. Maltz has taken all the degree in Masonry, is a K. T., and a Shriner of Moslem Temple, Detroit. He belongs to the Loyal Legion and Detroit Post, G. A. R.
133
HISTORICAL SKETCILES.
STEARNS, HON. JUSTUS SMITII. Jnstus Smith Stearns comes from old Ver- mont stock, his forefathers having been farmers and woolen manufacturers in the Green Mountain State for many generations. His father, Heman S. Stearns, was a farmer in Chautauqua county, New York, and owned and operated a small water-power sawmill. Justus Stearns attended the dis- triet schools near his home, getting three months' education in summer and three in winter, and when he was old enough to work he was given a job in his father's mill on Saturdays, wheeling sawdust and piling slabs. The father's work increased and as he needed some one to help him in his mill, young Stearns abandoned all his ideas of getting a city school education and left school to join his father. For six years he worked in the saw mill, tallied Inmber, piled and loaded it, until, as his father remarked, he had the busi- ness thoroughly "pounded into him."
In 1861 the father determined to move to Erie, Pennsylvania, where, together with his son, he established a retail lumber yard, which turned out to be a most profitable under- taking.
During the oil excitement of 1860-63 the elder Stearns invested considerable money in oil lands, where he sank a great many wells and eventually a great deal of money. Those were days when fortunes were made and lost rapidly, and in 1864 the father failed and the son, when affairs were settled, found himself in almost the same predicament. He re- moved to Michigan in 1875 and found work in the office and general store which was con- nected with the lumbering plant then oper- ated by Mrs. E. B. Ward, where by working with his customary zeal he was soon advanced to a position paying him $75 per month and expenses. He remained with the company four years, and in 1881 determined to branch out in the lumbering business on his own account. He controlled at that time a tract of land containing six hundred aeres, lying east of Ludington, and having saved $3,000 he built a small saw mill capable of cutting
HON. JUSTUS SMITHI STEARNS.
thirty-five thousand feet of lumber per day and employing about thirty men. The place where the first mill was put up is now known as Stearns.
In 1891 Mr. Stearns built a large mill on the Flambean Reservation in Wisconsin, and in 1892 erected another one on the Odanah Reservation near Ashland, in the same state.
Mr. Stearns has recently acquired the ex- tensive mills and plant known as the E. B. Ward property, at Ludington, Michigan. With these several plants he is now mannfac- turing 150,000,000 feet of lumber per year, making him by far the largest manufacturer in the state.
Mr. Stearns was an elector from Michigan in 1891, when Gen. Harrison received the Presidential nomination, and in 1898 he was elected Secretary of State in Michigan, in which capacity he is acting at the present writing. His wife was formerly Miss Pauline Lyon, daughter of Robert Lyon, of Con- neant, Ohio, where they were married in 1871. Their only son, Robert Stearns, is connected with his father in business, and is a well-known designer of title pages for lead- ing publications in the United States.
134
MEN OF PROGRESS.
JOSEPH LEVI COX.
COX, JOSEPH LEVI. Joseph Levi Cox, commissioner of labor, state of Michi- gan, was born at Oxford, Illinois. March 24, 1858, and was educated in the free schools of Indiana. His grandfather, Joseph Cox, was one of the earliest pioneers of Indiana, settling near where Richmond is located to- day, when there was not a white settler within 30 miles of him.
While attending school, young Cox also turned his attention toward helping swell the family exchequer by selling papers on the streets when his little arms were scarcely long enough to encompass the bundle. In the fall of 1878-9 he first came near to the machine that in after years he was to do so much toward perfecting. Ile seenred a posi- tion as printer's devil on the White County Banner, at Reynolds Station, Indiana, and worked at that until his family moved to La- fayette, Indiana. At the age of 15, while still a schoolboy in the Lafayette schools, he founded the "Monthly Bee," which was favor- ably received. In 1873 he launched the "Weekly Bee," and as this venture also met
with success he was encouraged to, three years later, issue the "Bee" as a one-cent daily paper. Hle got on the opposite side of the suc- cessful county political party, and gave up journalism to devote his attention to perfect- ing a web printing press.
Shortly after this, June 3, 1877, he mar- ried Miss Katherine Sherwood. The same vear he built the first wood printing press-a machine for printing on wood, tin or glass. In 1878 he invented two flat-bed web printing presses, duplex in action, for job work. He took out his first American patent in 1879. In that year, also, he was made city editor of the "Daily Journal," in Lafayette, Indiana, a position he held until 1882. In 1883 he founded the "Daily Call," but during all this time he had not relinquished his ideas on printing presses. In 1883 he placed his in- ventions with a company-The Duplex Print- ing Press Company, of Battle Creek, Michi- gan, capitalized at $300,000. This company built the first successful donble web printing press in 1885. During his connection with the company Mr. Cox took out many foreign and American patents,
Mr. Cox was elected mayor of Battle Creek on the Republican ticket in 1892-3, and it was under his administration that the water works supply was perpetuated. Later he opened an office as patent solicitor and mechanical ex- pert in patent causes, and found himself very much in demand. One day a sign was found on his office door, which read, "Closed until Pingree is elected," and from that time on Mr. Cox devoted his whole time to aiding the election of H. S. Pingree. After this was accomplished he served for some time as chief clerk in the railroad commissioner's office, and in May, 1897, he was appointed commissioner of labor, to which position he was reappointed for second term in 1899. He has five chil- dren, his son Earl being a clerk at Lansing, his daughter Stella the wife of S. Evart Holmes, of St. Louis, and his other three children, Jay, Mabel and Genevieve, living with their parents at Battle Creek, and attending school in that city.
135
HISTORICAL SKETCHIES.
HON. FRANK ARTHUR HOOKER.
HOOKER, HON. FRANK ARTHUR. In the history of the United States the name of Hooker will be found to have played an important part. It was the Reverend Thomas Hooker who, in 1736, led his little colony into and settled the town of Hartford, Con- neeticut, and it was this same Hooker who was the first colonist to formulate a constitu- tion for government by the people. Hooker was obliged to go to the Netherlands before coming to American to escape the fury of Archbishop Land on account of Hooker preaching non-conformist sentiments while in England.
To the Reverend Thomas Hooker, the sub- ject of this sketch, Judge Frank Arthur Hooker, traces his ancestry. Judge Hooker was born June 16, 1844, at Hartford, Con- necticut, in which city his father was at one time a prosperous contractor, but meeting with business reverses he was foreed to leave the home of his ancestors and remove to De- fiance, Ohio. Here young Hooker attended the district schools, and his education was furthered by an elder sister, who had been educated in Hartford. It was the boy's origi-
nal intention to embark in the mereantile business, and with this end in view he at- tended a local business college, where he learned bookkeeping and penmanship. When 15 years of age he also began to learn the trade of mason under his father, and in the winter time he taught school. He worked steadily at this trade during the summer months until he entered the University of Michigan.
He continued teaching school and working as a mason until the autumn of 1863. One day he consulted with his father as to the advisability of studying law, and the elder Hooker, rather prond of the boy's ambition, told him to go ahead. For over 200 years the Hookers, with the exception of Judge Hooker's father, had been professional men, and as the young man had been reading law during his school teaching days he decided to follow in the footsteps of the Hookers who had gone before him, and adopt the law as his profession. He entered the University of Michigan in 1863, taking the law course, and graduated in 1865.
His first venture in his new profession was made in Bryan, Ohio, where, with a partner, he established a law practice which was a success the first year. At the end of the year Mr. Hooker decided to return to Michigan, so the partnership was dissolved, and leaving Bryan, Mr. Hooker went to Charlotte.
In 1867 he was made county superinten- dent of schools for Eaton county, and in the years 1872-6 he held the position of prosecut- ing attorney in the same county. He was made circuit judge of the fifth judicial eircuit in 1878, and elected to supreme justice in 1892. Ile occupies the supreme bench at the present writing.
He belongs to the Masonie fraternity.
In 1868 Judge Hooker married Emma E. Carter, daughter of William Carter, of Defi- ance, at that city. Both his sons are follow- ing professional careers, Harry Eugene Hooker, the eldest, being an attorney-at-law in Lansing, Michigan, and Charles Eggleston Hooker a physician in Grand Rapids.
136
MEN OF PROGRESS.
J. EDGAR ST. JOHN,
ST. JOHN, J. EDGAR. As superinten- dent of the Michigan School for Boys at Lan- sing, Michigan, J. Edgar St. John is doing his share towards the future of the state of Michi- gan by helping to make of the boys under his charge the kind of men needed in the prog- ress of every country. Hle has held this posi- tion six years, managing its affairs with gen- tleness and skill and winning praise from all who have watched his work since he has been superintendent of the institution.
JJ. Edgar St. John was born at Somerset, Ilillsdale county, Michigan, May 30, 1848. His father was a brick and stone mason, who came to Michigan in 1836, locating at Brook- lyn, Jackson county, where he followed that profession. Young St. John was not giveu much chance to go to school, for he was taken away at 14 years of age, and put to work to learn the moulding and machinist trades. For over a year he was employed at this trade in the foundry of George II. Felt, of Brooklyn, during which time he earned $6 a month. His work was extremely arduous. He brushed and cleaned castings for twelve months, and at the end of that time was given
a little respite from his hard labor and sent to visit relatives in Connecticut. Here he was taken down with brain fever, and hovered for a long time between life and death, being unable to work for nearly a year. As soon as he could get abont he secured a position at $5 a week in a provision house and grocery. At 17 years of age he carned $50 per month, including his board.
Returning to Michigan a few years later, he entered the employ of D. L. Crossman at Dansville, Michigan, and later on entered into partnership with D. L. Crossman. At the expiration of three years of this partnership he bought out the interests of Mr. Crossman, and taking another partner again started in business. The new firm went into debt to the extent of $4,500, and in scarcely a year Mr. St. John found that in order to save him- self he was compelled to buy out his partner. Alone he managed and conducted the busi- ness for another year, clearing off some of the indebtedness, but he was forced to sell out the business, owing to ill-health. He had on his books over $4,500, of which he managed to collect all except some $90, and in less than a year he had paid off all his creditors.
In 1873 he accepted a position as overseer in the cigar shop at the Industrial School, but after six months had to vacate on account of bronchitis caused by inhaling tobacco dust. During the following year he was assistant farmer; then followed a promotion to over- seer of the chair shop, a position which he held until again promoted to bookkeeper and superintendent's clerk, where he remained eleven years. During this time Mrs. St. John was teacher in cottage No. 2, where they were located. Mr. St. John then left the in- stitution, moving on his farm near the Agri- cultural College, after having filled nearly every subordinate position at the Industrial School.
August 1st, 1893, Mr. St. John was ap- pointed to the office of superintendent and his wife matron, positions which they have occu- pied since, looking carefully after the 650 boys in the school.
137
HISTORICAL SKETCHIES.
BACON, M. D., HON. AUGUSTUS EGBERT. It required a strong constitution to pass through the many ills that bestrewed the path of Augustus Egbert Bacon, and an equally strong amount of reserve will power.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.