USA > Michigan > Men of progress : embracing biographical sketches of representative Michigan men with an outline history of the state > Part 47
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
At the end of the year on the farm he returned to Mason, and was employed in the groeery of A. L. Vandereook of that city, with whom he remained for six months and
ALBERT JAMES HALL.
left to aceept a position which had been ten- dered him as bookkeeper in the Farmers' Bank of Mason. His advance was rapid. The next year he was made teller and then assistant eashier, and when the hard times came to all bankers he was elected to his pres- ent position, that of cashier. He married Miss Katie E. Smith, of Mason, in 1883, and her death occurred in 1892. In 1895 he mar- ried Mrs. Ada A. Cook, daughter of Simon Roekham, of Leslie. Mr. Hall has two ehil- dren, Winnie the eldest attends sehool in Mason and Horace A. lives at home, being as yet too youthful to commence his studies.
Mr. Hall has been treasurer of the city of Mason for two terms. He is a director in the Farmers' Bank of Mason, and is also pro- prietor of the Mason Cold Storage plant at Mason, Michigan, engaged in buying and storing eggs and butter. He is a Mason, also a member of the Independent Order of Fores- ters, the Royal Arcanum and the Knights of the Maecabees. He takes an active interest in church matters, being a member of the First Baptist Church of Mason, and has been for the past 14 years superintendent of the Sunday school of that church. He is also chairman of the finance committee. He is ready at all times to promote any scheme for the betterment of the eity in which he was born and where he now holds such an honored position in society.
344
MEN OF PROGRESS.
ALBERT BARNES SIMONSON, M. D.
SIMONSON, ALBERT BARNES, M. D. All the large mining companies engaged in operating through the copper country have in their employ many thousands of men, and in order to properly care for the health of these employees, employ skilled and practiced physicians and surgeons. The employees and their families of the Calumet & Heela Min- ing Company are divided into three divisions, and Dr. Albert Barnes Simonson, of Cahmet, has charge of the South Hecla division, and has under his medical care over 3,000 people.
The Simonson family came to Michigan in 1843, from Roxbury, New York, where Al- vin Simonson, the father of Dr. Simonson, had for his schoolboy friend the late Jay Gould. When the family came to this state they settled on a farm near Birmingham, Oakland county, where, October 31, 1857, Albert Barnes Simonson was born. The boy first attended the district school, and later the Birmingham High School, until 1874, when he became a student at the Michigan Agricul- tural College at Lansing until 1877. He worked his own way through college and taught school during his vacation periods,
earning enough to pay his own tuition, as his parents were unable to assist him. The end of the first term he had to walk all the way back to his home in Rochester, as he did not have enough money to pay his fare. The last year of his college term he decided to take up the study of medicine. He had $300 from his mother's estate, so he entered the office of Dr. D. O. Farrand, of Detroit, and read medieine for a year, teaching school dur- ing the summer months and entering the University of Michigan the next year, where he took a year's tuition, and then, just before vacation, he was tendered and accepted the position of bookkeeper for the Mining Cop- per Company, on Isle Royale, at a salary which enabled him to complete his edneation. He remained with this company for two years, the first winter being the longest he had ever spent, as the island was without mail for a period of six months, and had no con- nection with the outside world. At the con- clusion of his two years spent on Isle Royal, he returned to his studies at the U. of M. and remained there during the fall of 1881 and winter of 1882. The following spring he accepted the appointment of assistant house physician at Harper Hospital, in Detroit. He graduated from the Detroit Medical College in that city in 1883, and then, in the June following, went to the Upper Peninsula as assistant physician to Dr. F. E. Fletcher, at Lake Linden. In 1885 Dr. Simonson was appointed physician for the South ITecla branch of the Calumet & Hecla hospital, and he still acts in that capacity. While with the Mining Copper Company on Isle Royale, Dr. Simonson was super- visor, postmaster, township treasurer, super- intendent of schools, and, in fact, looked after all the political offices in the township. IIe married, in 1893, Miss Elizabeth M. Evans, daughter of William Evans, superintendent of smelters for the Boston & Montana Cop- per Company, at Great Falls, Montana.
Dr. Simonson is a member of the Phi Delta Theta society of the U. of M., and he also belongs to the Knights of the Maccabees.
345
HISTORICAL SKETCHES.
HANDY, HON. SHERMAN T. Sher- man T. Handy, of Crystal Falls, Michigan, has gained considerable renown in this State as a prosceuting attorney of unusual ability and as one of the youngest members of the Michigan Legislature.
He was born in Morpeth, Ontario, Canada, April 3, 1867, on a farmn, and when he reached the proper age he attended the pub- lie school near his home during the winter months and in 1880 entered the Ridgetown Collegiate Institute. His college year was one of privation, as the money he possessed to pay his way through the term was earned by him during the summer, and he made it go as far as possible by renting a small room and boarding himself. By continuing this method of working during the summer months and attending school in winter he graduated from the Stratford University in 1889. After leaving college he then went to work on the fam the following summer and in the fall, with some assistance from home he entered the Law Department of the Uni- versity of Michigan at Ann Arbor in 1889 and graduated from there with the class of '91. In February of the following year, Mr. Handy started practicing law at Crystal Falls, Michigan, with W. F. Cairns, under the firm name of Cairns & Handy, and in July of that year he bought out Mr. Cairns' interest and praetieed alone until June 1, 1895, when a partnership with Fred H. Abbott was formed, which continued until October, 1897, sinee which time Mr. Handy has been practicing alone.
In 1894 Mr. Handy was elected eireuit court commissioner, and he was elected to the office of prosecuting attorney in 1896. . It was while in this office that he prosecuted Peter Bons, the noted eriminal who is now serving a life sentence in Marquette for hav- ing murdered Miss Pearl Morrison of Crystal Falls on July 26, 1897. This was considered one of the most outrageous erimes ever eom- mitted in Michigan and a reeent writer has classed Bons as being one of the worst crim- inals in America.
HON. SHERMAN T. HANDY.
In 1898 Mr. Handy was again nominated for prosecuting attorney of Iron County. The Legislative Convention of Diekinson Dis- triet, after being in session for several days, had been unable to agree upon a candidate, and at last they came to an agreement and a unanimous nomination was tendered to Mr. Handy, who accepted, and at the same time being obliged to decline the renomination for prosecuting attorney. Mr. Handy was elected on the Republican tieket for the House from Dickinson distriet, sessions of 1899-'00.
December 31, 1895, Mr. Handy married Miss Leora A. Anderson, daughter of Rev. D. R. Anderson, at Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Hle has one child, Theodore A. Handy, three years old.
Mr. Handy's earliest ambition was to be a lawyer. He has been gifted with rare powers as a speaker, and when the specific tax bill, putting a tax of two eents on every ton of iron, passed the House, one of the most fore- ible and convincing arguments delivered in the House during that session was made by Representative Handy in opposition to the tax.
346
MEN OF PROGRESS.
HON. ALFRED CRUSE.
CRUSE, HON. ALFRED. Mayor Alfred Cruse of Iron Mountain, Michigan, and who also acts as postmaster of that place, was born February 1, 1848, in Cornwall, England. His father, William Cruse, and his ancestors as far back as the family can be traced, were all miners in Cornwall. Mr. Cruse's educa- tion was commenced in the National School, about two miles from his home, but when he was 10 years of age his parents were no longer able to pay for the lad's tuition, so he was sent home, and put to work on a farm at eight cents per day. The following year he was raised to 12 cents. When only 12 years of age he went into the Kit Hill copper mine, together with his brother, and earned 30 shil- lings a month. He remained at this labor for three years, and toward the latter part of this period was earning two-thirds of a man's pay. The two brothers then took what is a "tribute job" at the Homebush mine, work- ing gratis for the first ten weeks and then get- ting one-third of the product of the mine. Young Cruse attended night school for four nights every week for as many years, and in 1866 started for America. There were ten
people in the little party and all the funds were merged into a general fund and divided equally among them. The party come west to Michigan, and when they reached Detroit their money was exhausted and they had to travel on their baggage to Ontonagon. They invested all the money they had left, $1.60, in crackers, butter and dried herring, which kept them from hunger until they were one day out from Ontonagon, where they got one meal on credit. There was not a penny in the party when they reached their destina- tion, and the tug that took passengers ashore there demanded fifty cents each. A hotel man who knew some of the relatives of the party made the necessary advance.
Mr. Cruse then found employment at the Ridge mine and then on the Pennsylvania mine, where he worked until spring, when the company failed and the employees were left unpaid for their winter's work. He then found work on the Central mine, where he remained for four years. The first air drill ever put in operation was introduced on this property and Mr. Cruse was the first oper- ator. From the Central he went to the Al- louez mine and in 1872 became a delivery clerk in Frank & Frued's store at Eagle River. Michigan. The following year he bought out the meat and provision department of this firm and operated the same for nearly three years. He then, in company with Charles Briggs, of Calumet, built and opened markets at Central and Delaware mines. He sold out all his interests in 1887 and moved to Iron Mountain, where he opened a market at the Chapin mine, which he continued to manage until May 20, 1897, when he was appointed postmaster and sold out his interests in Janu- ary, 1899.
Mr. Cruse is a Republican. He was alder- man of the city of Iron Mountain 1895-'96; treasurer 1897, and elected mayor in 1898. He is a director in the First National Bank of Iron Mountain. Mr. Cruse married in 1869 Miss Mary S. Jackson at Central Mine. Michigan. He has four children. Mr. Cruse is a Mason of high standing.
347
HISTORICAL SKETCHES.
AUSTIN, EDWARD. Although at pres- ent residing in Marshall in the discharge of his duties as Clerk of Calhoun County, Mr. Austin's residence and home is in the city of Battle Creek. He is a native of Ontario Coun- ty, N. Y., where he was born April 8th, 1861, removing with his parents to Michigan in the spring of 1866, and locating upon a farm near the city of Battle Creek. Mr. Austin enjoyed the usual country school advantages available to a farmer boy until fifteen years of age, when he entered the Battle Creek High School, graduating therefrom in 1879. He then en- tered the literary department of the Univer- sity of Michigan, and attended the University nearly two years with the class of 1883, being obliged to give up his studies on account of a sun-stroke received while in the harvest field during his summer vacation the previous year. January 3rd, 1883, Mr. Austin was married to Elmora Fuller, of Battle Creek, who with their three children, Ethel L., aged 14; Clarke, aged 12, and Marjorie, aged 9, respectively, make up their present family. Upon leaving school Mr. Austin soon commeneed the world for himself, in the way of handling stock and running a dairy farm, which business he still delights in, priding himself as being one of the oldest dairymen connected with the city of Battle Creek. Mr. Austin has always been friendly to fraternal organizations, and has always taken a very active part in the organiza- tion of the Farmers' Alliance and Patrons of Industry, having represented them in their State meetings several times. At the present time he is a member of the Masonic fraternity, being a Knights Templar and a member of Marshall Commandery, No. 17, also a member of the Knights of the Maccabees and of the Modern Woodmen of America. In 1894 Mr. Austin, in order that his family might enjoy the privileges of the graded schools, built a residence with all the modern improvements near the Union School building in the city of Battle Creek and removed his family thereto, expecting to enjoy the advantages connected with the city surroundings.
EDWARD AUSTIN.
In politics Mr. Austin has always been of Democratie faith, but at the same time was never ready to affiliate with the Democratic party until 1896, when the party for the first time for several years adopted the principles of reform for which he had been working since 1878, "Free Coinage of Gold and Silver at 16 to 1." Mr. Austin was elected Township Clerk when 21 years of age and afterwards to all the minor offices of the township; he was
a delegate from the Farmers' Alliance to St. Louis in 1892, when the People's party was organized, was a delegate at large to the Omaha convention in 1892, when James B. Weaver was nominated for President, and a delegate from the third district to St. Louis convention in 1896, when Bryan was endorsed, and was one of Michigan's five delegates that stood for Bryan from the beginning. In 1896 he was elected County Clerk of Calhoun County and re-elected in 1898, being the only Democrat on the ticket elected. Mr. Austin does not believe in life tenure in office, there- fore is willing to retire into private life. When that time comes it is his intention to interest himself in the stock business.
348
MEN OF PROGRESS.
FRANK H. LATTA.
LATTA, FRANK HI. The little town of Lewiston, N. Y., situated on the Niagara River, is where Mr. Latta first saw the light, July 18th, 1851. His father, Alfred Latta, was a native of New York and moved with his family to Kalamazoo, Mich., in 1853. Mr. Latta received his early education at the pub- lic schools of Kalamazoo and at the Battle Creek High School, from which he graduated in the spring of 1873. He also attended Olivet College during one year. After leaving school he went to Chicago, remaining there two years. Upon returning to Battle Creek in the spring of 1875, he at once opened a repository for the sale of carriages and farm implements, which business he conducted suc- cessfully and continuously until the winter of 1898-99, when, in order to give his individual attention to his official duties, he disposed of the business of which he had been the origin- ator and sole manager for nearly a quarter of a century.
Aside from his business career Mr. Latta has manifested his public spirit in many enter- prises affecting the welfare and prosperity of his city, and has found a congenial field in politics, in which he has been especially active
although not to a degree that might be termed "offensive partisanship." Being a staunch Republican, he has always subordinated per- sonal preferences or prejudiees to the good of his party. He has done veteran serviee as chairman of the county committee of Calhoun County and of the city committee of Battle Creek, serving therein four and eight years, respectively. He has never aspired to political office, although frequently urged to offer his candidacy. He has always felt that he could do more effective service in behalf of his party as a private in the ranks than if handicapped by official position. He does not by any means confine himself to local politics, but takes an interest in national and state affairs, always attending the state conventions and nearly always as a delegate. One year as an alderman of his ward is the only elective political office that he ever held.
Mr. Latta has taken no small interest in mili- tary affairs. He was for four years aide on Gov. Rich's staff, with the rank of colonel, and while serving was instrumental in obtaining the ac- ceptance of the local military company into the state service as Co. L, the quota of state troops being otherwise full at the time. The credit of the formation of this company is largely due to Mr. Latta. It is composed of the very best young men in the city and ranks with the best in the enrollment of the state troops. During the Spanish war, Mr. Latta ยท devoted both time and money in enlisting re- cruits, personally conducting one squad to Island Lake. He was a member of the Execu- tive Board of the State Agricultural Society for eight years, is president of the local branel of the Standard Building and Loan Associa- tion of Detroit, and also a member of the Bat- tle Creek Board of Trade. In 1898 his busi- ness ability and his party fealty were recog- mized by President Mckinley by his appoint- ment as postmaster at Battle Creek, in which position he is doing a service to the publie and an honor to himself.
Mr. Latta's church connections are Presby- terian. His society connections are Masonic, including the Knights Templar, Knights of Pythias and Elks. Miss Kittie Upton, daugh- ter of Stephen Upton, a well known citizen and manufacturer of Battle Creek, became Mrs. Latta November 10, 1882. They have one daughter, aged thirteen years.
349
HISTORICAL SKETCHES.
CUTLER, FRED JR. Fred Cutler, Jr., of lonia, Michigan, was born in that city, Oct. 2nd, 1862. His father, George Cutler, was born in Germany and came to Michigan, lo- cating in Ionia during the building of the D., G. H. & M. Railroad in 1859. He is now one of the leading shoe dealers of Tonia. Fred Cutler, Jr., began his education in the district schools just outside of Tonia, and when he was twelve years of age in the public schools of that city. He then took a commercial course at the High School and graduated from there at the age of seventeen. After finishing school he was offered a position in the dry goods store of A. S. Wright of Ionia and started in at a salary of $100 a year. After six years in the employ of Mr. Wright, being then twenty-one years of age, young Cutler entered the dry goods trade on his own account and conducted it most successfully for ten years. He was then elected City Clerk of Ionia and later sold out his business to attend to his new duties. He served three years in this capacity. Mr. Cutler had become associated with the Knights of Pythias. He was appointed Deputy Grand Chancellor and State Instructor of the K. of P. in 1894 and as such visited 113 K. of P. Lodges in that year. Later he was made Grand Keeper of Records and Seals of that fraternity. After leaving this office he re- turned to Tonia and established a real estate and insurance office, and was prominently identified with the progressive element in the city of Tonia in an effort to secure new indus- tries for that city and build up its commercial strength. He is at present a member of the city common council. He also acted as secre- tary of the Ionia County Agricultural society for a period of three years. In 1896 he be- came associated with Thomas A. Carten as superintendent and bookkeeper of the latter's extensive dry goods business in Tonia and as such is at present engaged. Mr. Cutler be- came identified with the Maccabees in 1885, when he joined Wabassis Tent, No. 144. He served as Finance Keeper for three years and was then made Commander. He was re- elected to this office in 1896-'97 and during his term as such he increased the membership
FRED CUTLER, JR.
from 125 to over 400. He had been a delegate to the Great Camp, K. O. T. M., since 1886. Mr. Cutler was elected Great Chaplain of the Great Camp in 1887 and was re-elected as such three terms. In 1896, when the Great Executive Committee was enlarged from three to five members, Mr. Cutler was elected to the committee from the floor of the convention. At the recent Great Camp Review, held in Grand Rapids, he was elected Great Lieuten- ant Commander.
Among the Maccabees, Mr. Cutler enjoys the reputation of being one of the most ener- getic and hustling members in Michigan.
During the past two years he was chairman and business manager of the building con- mittee of Wabassie Tent's new lodge rooms, the finest in this state.
In 1898 Mr. Cutler was nominated for County Clerk of Ionia county on the Republi- can ticket, but was defeated by a small minor- ity. He has served as secretary of the county committee for four years. He is Past Com- mander of the Knights of Pythias, and a mem- ber of the Grand Lodge of that body, and is also associated with the I. O. O. F., Elks, F. & A. M., Modern Woodmen, Royal Arcanum and Court of Honor.
Mr. Cutler married in 1887 Miss Allie M. Ryerson, daughter of Abraham Ryerson of Tonia. The marriage took place in that city. They have one daughter aged eight years.
350
MEN OF PROGRESS.
WILLIAM BALL.
BALL, WILLIAM. Mr. Ball is essentially a Michigan man and has made his impress upon the political, social and industrial life of the state. Born in Cayuga County, N. Y., April 7th, 1830, his parents, Samuel H., and Olive (Seeley) Ball, came to Michigan in 1836 and located on a farm in the township of Web- ster, Washtenaw county. His was the usual experience of farmer boys-alternating farm work with attendance at the local school. When nineteen years of age he became a teacher and followed that profession most of the time for the next ten years. During the time, he took a preparatory course at Albion College and entered the literary department of the University in 1855, remaining there for a year, paying his way by means earned in teaching. He was principal of the graded schools at Otisco, Ionia county, two years, 1856-'58. In 1857 he invested his savings in a farm of 150 acres near the village of Ham- burg, in Livingston county, and the next year began his career as a farmer. He gradually increased his holdings until he was at one time operating a farm of 700 acres. For the past thirty years he has been a noted breeder of American Merino sheep and has a national
reputation in that line, having been one of the first to introduce that grade of sheep in the west. He was also an early introducer and extensive breeder of short horned cattle. He has been a director in the State Agricultural Society for the past twenty-one years and served as president of the society continuously for six years. He is chairman of the Finance Committee of the society and is well known throughout the state in connection with his work in the society. For the past five years Mr. Ball has devoted much of his time to the Farmers' Institute work and his aid and ex- perience is much sought after by those in charge of these gatherings.
Mr. Ball has, however, made his impress upon the civil and political life of the state. He served three terms in the State Legislature as Representative, during the regular sessions of 1865, '67, '81 and the special session of 1882. At the session of 1881 he was elected Speaker pro tem of the House. He was elected to the State Senate in 1888 and was chosen President pro tem at the session of 1889, and upon the death of Lieutenant-Gov- ernor Me Donald, two months after the session began, he became President of the Senate and Acting Lieutenant-Governor. In 1890 he was the Republican candidate for Congress from the sixth district, but was defeated by the nar- row margin of 500 votes. He was a member of the Board of Control of the Industrial School for Boys at Lansing, 1885-88. Mr. Ball be- longs to the Masonic fraternity, including the Howell Commandery, Knights Templar, to the order of Oddfellows, including the Can- tonment and to the Delta Kappa Epsilon fra- ternity of the University. Miss Catherine Powers, daughter of David B. Powers of Ham- burg, became Mrs. Ball in 1858. Their family mimbers one son and four daughters-Erwin, a farmer near Hamburg and a graduate of the State Agricultural College; Sarah, wife of L. 1. Saunders, a merchant at Hamburg; Inlia A., at home; Kate, wife of Henry M. Queal, a farmer near Hamburg; Alice H., wife of Henry M. Osborn, a railroad employe residing at Grayling. The girls are all graduates of the State Normal School at Ypsilanti.
351
HISTORICAL SKETCHES.
ALWARD, DENNIS ELDRED. Mr. Al- ward is a product of the excellent county of Berrien, having been born at Niles, January 26th, 1859, his father, Cyrus M. Alward hav- ing been a well known attorney at that place. Dennis E. attended school in Niles, graduating from the Niles High School in 1876, and then entered the literary department of the Michi- gan University but soon left to teach school. In 1878, in company with Martin E. Brown, he started the little daily paper at Battle Creek called the Battle Creek Moon. The enterprise, at first regarded as a doubtful ven- ture, proved a gratifying success and became a valuable property. In 1880 he sold his in- terest to his partner and purchased the Clare Press, then a struggling Republican weekly, in a new county, which paper he published sue- cessfully for ten years. He received a prac- tical introduction to state polities by his ap- pointment as clerk to the Senate Committee on Railroads, at the Legislative Session of 1887. His aptness for that class of work and his careful attention to details, aided not a little by a personal popularity that is an insep- arable part of his make-up, advanced him to the position of Assistant Secretary of the Sen- ate in 1889, and to the full secretaryship in '93 and '95. He served as secretary of the Republican State Central Committee under Senator McMillan in the campaign of 1894, and was continued in that position under Chairman Dexter M. Ferry in the memorable campaign of 1896. Retiring from the secre- taryship in 1898 he was recalled to it in 1900, being named therefor by Chairman Diekema and unanimously elected by the State Central Committee.
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.