USA > Michigan > Shiawassee County > Past and present of Shiawassee County, Michigan, historically; with biographical sketches > Part 28
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In 1866 our subject came to Michigan with his brother and located on the place where he resided at time of death. Between them they purchased nine eighty-acre tracts, all wild lands, and established a saw mill. At that time there were no buildings upon the land, Elijah erecting the present frame house. The brothers finally oper- ated both a saw mill and a heading mill, and for many years the Michigan Central Railroad was their largest customer. At one time every stick of timber used in con- structing the line from Laingsburg to Jack- son was supplied from the Babcock Brothers' mill, which also furnished the timber for the first "Blue Line" cars operated on that road; it not only furnished long timbers for the Michigan Central cars but also the ma- terial for the bridges. The saw mill business was very profitable, but with the death of his brother and his own advancing years, Mr. Babcock decided upon retiring from it and devoting himself to general farming. Of the original tract purchased for agricultural pur- poses, the brothers cleared two hundred and forty acres, and of this amount our subject was the proprietor of one hundred and twen- ty acres, when he was called to eternal rest. In January, 1880, Elijah F. Babcock was
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united in marriage to Miss Eva V. Berry, a native of California, born January 31, 1854. She is a daughter of Wilmot W. and Louisa S. (Phelps) Berry, her parents coming to Michigan from the state of Maine about 1866. Her father still resides in Sciota town- ship. Mrs. Babcock's maternal grandfather, Selwin Phelps, was one of the early Shiawas- see county pioneers, her mother being a na- tive of that county.
Mrs. Babcock is the first of five children. The second is Ida, who married E. D. Lewis, of Perry, and is the mother of one child, Beulah. Walter, the third born, married Annette Houghton, and they have one child, Wilmot. The fourth child died in infancy. Louisa S., now Mrs. Allen, is the mother of two children, Bert and Beulah, and resides in Detroit.
To our subject and wife one child was born, Julia G., who is the wife of Herbert See and the mother of one child, Eveline, born September 22, 1904. Their son-in-law and his family live on the old homestead. Mr. Babcock died October 11, 1905. He was a natural mechanic and was the in- ventor of several devices in common use to- day. He was the first man to use a thresh- ing machine with belt power. Naturally modest and reserved, few knew his worth and ability. He seemed to understand in- tuitively machinery of any kind, and he often helped out neighbors and others when their mechanical devices went wrong. He will be remembered as an exemplary, upright citi- zen, just and honest in all his dealings.
FREDERICK BAESE
This gentleman hails from the land which gave to the world Frederick the Great, Mar- shall Blucher, Bismarck, Von Moltke, Von Schiller, Goethe, Richter, Mozart, Beethoven, Humboldt and Copernicus, -- all great men in their various spheres, and all men who laid their indelible impress upon the pages
of history, greatly adding to the fame of the nation which claims them as her own rich heritage. Frederick Baese, a substan- tial farmer of Bennington township, was born in Mecklenburg, Germany, April 11, 1828. He bears the name of his father, who was also a native of the Fatherland, where he was born in 1799, and where he died in 1846; the maiden name of our subject's mother was Mosicky, and she died when her son Frederick was but two years old. His father, who was a farmer, married for his second wife Christina Brand, and he passed his entire life not far from his native place.
Mr. Baese is one of four children, having one sister, one half-sister and one half-brother, but he alone founded a home in America. After his marriage, in October, 1853, he set sail with his wife, from Hamburg, for the United States, their passage being aboard an old freighter which had been transformed into a sailing vessel for passengers, who, upon this occasion, numbered two hundred and twenty. The crew was composed of Americans, but only three of these, two sail- ors and the cook, could speak German. Six weeks passed before land was sighted and these were weeks of lonesomeness and dreari- ness. The captain himself, who had been taken sick, was brought upon the deck when the lookout reported land ahead, and, after taking the bearings of the ship, announced his belief that it was Newfoundland. After continuing the voyage another three weeks, however, the New York harbor came into view, nine weeks and three days having thus been spent in crossing the ocean.
When Mr. Baese landed in the metropolis he had one hundred dollars United States money, although he did not know the value of a single piece which he possessed or how to change one denomination into another. Except his wife and her brother he did not have a relative or known friend in the United States, and, to add to his dismal condition, before leaving New York he was seized with chills and fever. In a little while his money
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was all gone and he was sixty dollars in debt to a physician. His cure came unexpectedly, however, through an instinctive and intense craving for water, which he used freely, and thus recovered. A few weeks afterward he removed to Buffalo and for five years found employment with a railroad company there. In 1858 he became a permanent resident of Michigan. He spent one year in Oakland county and three in Genesee county before settling in Bennington township, March 11, 1862. His first location was two miles east of his present residence, where he bought forty acres of land, about twenty of which he cleared, improving the same to the extent of a log house and barn. This tract re- mained his homestead for eleven years, dur- ing which time his buildings were destroyed by fire and rebuilt.
Our subject then purchased the farm of eighty acres which he still owns. Although he has not added to its size he has made many improvements upon it. About twenty acres of the original piece was improved, having a log house and barn. In 1881 he built a large barn, in 1885 a commodious residence, and in 1892 another house. The last named structure was intended to accom- modate a tenant, but proved to be so conven- ient that he has made it his own home. The entire eighty acres is now improved, with the exception of a wood lot; the farm is free from encumbrance, which it has always been, and in his declining years Mr. Baese has the satisfaction of realizing that his industry, economy and sound business sense, as well as his strict honesty, have enabled him to achieve an honorable place in the con- munity.
Mr. Baese's first wife died February 22, 1875, leaving him with a family of eight children. Within a year he married Caroline (Samuel) Rarn, a widow with two chil- dren,-Caroline and Minnie. Both of these are now married and living in Owosso. His second wife is still living, at the age of seventy-three years. Both Mr. and Mrs.
Baese are in excellent health. To Mr. Baese eight children were born by his first wife: Herman, a native of the Empire state, was born in 1854, is married and is living on a farm in Nebraska; Mary, born in 1854, is the wife of Newton Hutchings, and is a resident of the state of Washington; Charles, born in 1861, is married and is a farmer of Ben- nington township; William, born in 1862, is a farmer, is married and is located at Elsie, Michigan ; Pauline, born in 1864, is now Mrs. Charles Green, of Bennington, Michigan ; Franklin is a farmer of Bennington; Jennie is Mrs. Trask, of Benton Harbor, Michigan ; Fred R., who was born in 1874, joined the United States army and during the Spanish- American war, on the way to Cuba, he dis- appeared and has not been heard from since.
Mr. Baese regrets that he cast his first vote for James Buchanan, as he has since been an ardent member of the Republican party. He has never been a candidate for office, how- ever, although his friends have often urged him to accept various nominations. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist church and are universally esteemed.
ALEXANDER M. BAILEY
Alexander M. Bailey is a native of Can- ada, having been born in Yarmouth town- ship, Ontario, March 9, 1840. His father was Richard Bailey, who was born in Lower Canada, in 1803, and who died in 1890; his wife, Theressa ( Flowers) Bailey, was a New Yorker by birth. They were married in Can- ada and removed from Lower to Upper Canada. In 1846 Richard Bailey found his way to New York, where he bought a farm of one hundred acres and where he lived three years. He then sold out and re- turned to Canada, where he bought a farm of seventy acres near London, and where he remained for three years. He then sold and removed to Macomb county, Michigan, where he purchased one hundred and twenty acres
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. of improved land. This was in 1851. He kept that farm until 1856, when he sold and returned to the same location in Canada where he had previously lived, there buying three hundred and twenty acres, one hundred and fifty acres being covered with pine timber. He owned that for nine months and then sold the same and bought one hundred and twenty acres. He lived on the latter place four years, when he sold and bought again near there. He did not keep this long, however, but sold out and returned to Mich- igan. After Lincoln's election to the presi- dency, in 1860, his face was again turned towards his native heath, where he lived most of the time afterward, meanwhile lum- bering in Michigan. At the time of his death he owned seventy acres and a grist mill.
Alexander M. Bailey started for himself at the age of twenty-six years. He worked his father's farm in Canada. In 1867 he re- moved to Oakland county, Michigan, and rented a farm of three hundred acres for eight months. He afterward bought eighty acres at Oxford, in the same county, twenty acres of this being improved. He cleared twenty acres, and sold the property in 1870. He then located in Hazelton township, where he started a grocery store, which he con- ducted for three years. He then bought eighty acres on section 5, all of which was wild. He built a shanty, and has cleared all of this land. Later he added twenty acres and sold forty. He then removed to Tuscola county, where he bought eighty acres, clear- ing fifteen acres of the same; he finally sold it and returned to Hazelton, when he was forced to take back his farm, which he had sold on contract.
He has since lived there. In 1886 Mr. Bailey was married to Mel- vina Campbell, who was born in Canada, October 31, 1846. Her parents, George and Ann Campbell, removed to Lapeer county, Michigan, in 1866; there they bought seventy acres of improved land. They lived there three years, then sold and went to Oxford
township, Oakland county, where they bought a seventy-five-acre farm, all im- proved ; they sold this, however, and located in Hazelton township, Shiawassee county, buying forty acres. This the father finally sold, and after the death of his wife he lived with his children. Our subject's wife was one of seven children. James, deceased, married and had five children; Mary, who lives in Flint, married John Connell and had five children; Martha, who lives at Roches- ter, married John Hawkins, and they have six children; Menderna and Melvina were twins; John, who lives in Easton, Michigan, married Joanna Wilson, and they have one child. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Alexander M. Bailey: Wilson G., born March 18, 1866, lives at Lothrop, Mich- igan, being a mail carrier; he married Min- nie Wilson and they have two children, Jay and Josie; Edwin A., born April 9, 1868, lives on a farm; he married Hattie Falls, and they have two children, Ernest and Al- vin Leslie.
Mr. Bailey now owns a forty-acre farm, on section 5, Hazelton township. He is a Democrat in politics and is recognized as one of the industrious and progressive farm- ers of the township. He has never been a seeker for place or preferment but rather a modest worker in the ranks. He is an active Granger and an enthusiastic Maccabee. In short Mr. Bailey is a good citizen and a suc- cessful farmer, being highly esteemed by his neighbors.
E. HERBERT BAILEY, M. D.
The standing of a right-minded and skill- ful physician in an intelligent community is one of great honor and repute, but it is one which must be attained through years of hard labor and conscientious pursuit of the work which has been presented. No one knows better than a physician how true it is that a man who would obtain a good standing in
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his profession must work hard and devote himself unflinchingly to duty through all the years of his career. Negligence on the part of the physician is criminal, and is justly considered unprofessional, while the devotion of his best knowledge and highest powers to every case which comes to his hands is only his duty. Such devotion has brought Dr. Bailey to the foremost rank among the physicians of Corunna, which city is proud to claim him as one of her prominent citi- zens.
Dr. Bailey is a Canadian by birth, having been born in the province of Ontario, No- vember 20, 1858. He is the son of Samuel R. and Mary (Long) Bailey, also natives of Canada. The father was born October 28, 1837, and the mother in Toronto, May 14, 1840. They are now residents of Guelph, Canada, the father being a toolmaker and being now engaged in the work of his trade.
Our subject was the oldest of five chil- dren, the others being: Erminie, who is the wife of Rev. G. J. Powell, superintendent of missions at Fargo, North Dakota; Ernest, who is a resident of New York City; Annie Ethel, who is the wife of Arthur Gausby, a chemist of Cleveland, Ohio; Gertrude, who is at home, being a teacher in the schools of Guelph, Canada.
Dr. Bailey attended the Toronto public schools until eleven years of age, thereafter pursuing his studies in a collegiate institute at Guelph for eight years. He taught in the Wellington county schools for one year, and finally was graduated in the Ottawa Normal School, in the class of 1880. After this he went back and was principal of a school in Wellington county. He matriculated in a med- ical college at Toronto in 1881, and he was graduated in the medical college in the year 1884. After this he came to Corunna and has since given his undivided attention to the practice of his chosen profession.
June 5, 1887, Dr. Bailey was united in mar- riage to Bertha Malcolm, who was born September 17, 1866. Mrs. Bailey is a daughter
of Dr. J. R. and Saphronia Malcolm, both of whom were natives of Scotland, Ontario. The father died ten years ago at the age of fifty-five years, and the mother is now living with Mrs. Bailey, at the age of sixty-one years. Our subject's wife was one of two children, the other one having died in in- fancy. Dr. and Mrs. Bailey have one child, Herbert, Born July ?, 1895. Both our subject and wife are prominently identified with the Order of the Eastern Star. Their influence for good is felt in the community and they are loved and respected for their sterling character and uprightness of their lives. The Doctor is a member of the Ma- sonic order, is a charter member of the lodge of Elks at Owosso, a member of the Macca- bees at Corunna, and is also allied with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Dr. Bai- ley takes an intelligent interest in public movements but is not in politics, as he pre- fers to devote his time and thought to his professional duties.
JOHN BARKER
John Barker is a native of Cayuga county, New York, and was born April 13, 1838. He is a son of Orlando Barker, a Vermonter, who died at the age of forty-four years, in New York state, and of Catherine ( Eadie) Barker, who was born in Mohawk county, New York, and who died in the same state at the age of seventy-four years. The sub- ject of this sketch was quite young when his father died. It was necessary for him, there- fore, to begin work at an early age, to help support the rest of the family,-a labor of love he did manfully, thus giving practical evidence of his duty to his widowed mother, who was enabled to exclaim, "Thanks to the gods! my boy has done his duty." He re- mained at home until twenty-two years of age, when he began working on the Erie canal, thus continuing for three years. In 1855 he came to Michigan, and worked in
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saw mills near Dearborn, about nine years. While there he was married to Harriett Be- miss, in 1857. She was born in Shiawassee county, December 14, 1840. Her parents, the names of whom she cannot give, were early settlers of that county. Mrs. Barker is now dead. She had six children, two of whom died in infancy: Albert, who was born March 1, 1864, married Carrie Dean, and they live in Saginaw county, having two children; Nettie, born October 2, 1866, mar- ried John Spitlee, and they live in Rush township; Frank, born September 15, 1868, married Lillie Davis and they live in Gene- see county, where he is a farmer, their children being five in number; Lester, born September 30, 1880, is single and is at home.
In 1864, Mr. Barker came to Rush town- ship and bought forty acres of land, five acres of which had been plowed, and a log house had been built. The country was then in its primitive state, all woods and few neighbors. Mr. Barker has since bought forty acres adjoining his first purchase, and has cleared it all, the whole being now under a high state of cultivation. He has a large brick house, built twelve years ago. For two years he occupied the log house found on the place when he bought it. He then built another log structure. This he lived in until twelve years ago, when he removed from the old into the new. He has fine barns and other buildings. His son Lester lives at home and assists in working the place. He bought eighty acres of wild land in Saginaw county, and this he has had converted into a good farm; his son Albert lives on the same. Mr. Barker has always been engaged in general farming, and for several years dealt quite extensively in sheep and cattle. He is a Republican in politics, but has never been an office-seeker, nor held any office save that of a member of the school board. He served on the board of review of his township for 1904. He formerly attended the Baptist church, but is not a member. He
is a member of the Grange. His grand- father, Christopher. Eadie, was a soldier in the Mexican war. Mr. Barker's father owned a farm of thirty-five acres in New York state, where he always lived. He was a Whig in politics.
L. W. BARNES
The gentleman whose name heads this sketch lives on section 26, Burns township, and is the proud son of a father, Ezra D. Barnes, of whom he has reason to be proud, because he was a man of sterling character, of push, of energy, of affairs, of results ; and results are everything in this life. As the great Carlyle has said: "Everywhere in life the true question is not what we gain but what we do." The pioneers of a country, especially a timbered country like Michigan, achieved results in felling the mighty forests of this state and making it what it is to-day. Few men did more in this line than Ezra D. Barnes, and no pioneer of Shiawassee county has left a better record,-a more lofty mon- ument. Mr. Barnes settled four miles south- west of Burns in 1836, about seventy years ago, and secured from Uncle Sam four hun- dred acres of virgin land, covered by a dense forest. What a Herculean task to undertake the work of reducing the forest into a cul- tivated, stumpless farm! He first built a shanty and several years afterward a log house was added, when he moved from the old house into the new, and in those days a good log cabin was considered an up-to-date luxury,-a veritable home in the wilderness! In 1850-51 a large frame house was made to adorn the farm. This, indeed, was a sub- stantial evidence of prosperity and of the on- ward march of progress. When this sturdy pioneer died he was the happy possessor of two hundred and twenty acres. And these broad acres had been awarded the premium as constituting the best farm in Shiawassee county. This, indeed, was a distinction to be
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proud of. Here were the actual results of hard toil and a high order of good judg- ment. Yea, it was in keeping with one of the great laws of nature, for
All' things journey, sun and moon, Morning, noon and afternoon ; Night and all her stars, 'Twixt the east and western bars Round they journey,
Come and go! We go with them.
The father of our subject was married, in New York state, to Sally Durkee, and they had two children when they removed to. Michigan, and later several others were born to them. After the death of his first wife he married Mary Whitcomb, by whom he had one child, but this wife also died. His third wife was Sarah (Mattoon) Barnes, our subject's own mother, who died in 1822, one year after her husband. To the third mar- riage there were born five children,-L. W., Hattie C., Oscar P., Lester C., and J. F. The last named still resides on the old liome- stead. Ezra D. Barnes was active in politics and had filled nearly all the offices in the township. He was also one of the origina- tors of the Shiawassee County Insurance company.
Our subject was born February 10, 1852. He started his bark in 1873 to navigate life's journey "on his own hook," so to speak. This was after he had passed his twenty-first birthday. He then leased his father's farm on shares, without a dollar in his pocket. Three years afterward, September 22. 1876, he was married to Ella Barnum, a daughter of Isaac Barnum. She was born in 1858, on the farm where she now lives. He built a new house and while absent at Howell, af- ter new furniture, his father suddenly died, although apparently in good health when he went away. Not long after this his mother, while engaged in sweeping, fell to the floor and soon expired. Our subject and his brother then formed a copartnership and were known as L. W. & O. P. Barnes. They
engaged in general farming but made a specialty of handling merino sheep, short- horn cattle and Poland-China hogs. They exhibited their stock all over Michigan. in- cluding the Detroit exposition, and sold it in South America and in nearly all the states and Canada. The largest sale made went to Australia. This business venture proved successful but during the Cleveland panic things with them fell pretty flat, as they did all over the country. In 1891 Oscar fell from a windmill and was killed, leaving a wife and two children. The unfortunate man was aged thirty-four years. Deceased was a member of the Knights of the Maccabees and had just paid his first assessment. He left his wife two thousand dollars insurance, besides other property, making his family comfortable.
Nine children have blessed the home of Mr. and Mrs. L. W. Barnes, namely: Earl, who was educated in the Byron school, went from farm to Boston where he remained fourteen months on the Trades Journal of Domestic Engineering. after which he was advanced to the office in New York city : he taught school before going to Boston: Al- fred L., a successful farmer, married Nora Boyce, on Christmas day of 1904: Clara A. married Frank Skinner : and Lillie is the wife of George Skinner, a farmer and a brother of Frank : O. Milan is a farmer in Burns town- ship; Riley C. follows clerical work; Alger B. is in school; as are also Grace and Bur- nice.
In politics Mr. Barnes is a pronounced Republican, and he has been a member of the executive committee of the State Agricultural Society. He is also a Mason and is the sec- ond officer in his lodge. He is a member of the Knights of the Maccabees of which he was commander for five years; is a patron of the Order of the Eastern Star and a Granger. Besides all this, he is, as already remarked, an honorable and popular citizen, and has the right to be, because he sprung from good stock.
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ALLEN BEARD
This gentleman, now in the "land beyond the skies," had the honor of being among the first white settlers in Antrim township. He was a native of Ontario county, New York, where he first saw the light of day 011 the 11th of January, 1810. He was a son of Joshua Beard, who was born in Maryland, February 8, 1787, and who died March 21, 1861. Martha (Blake) Beard, mother of the subject of this sketch, was born in Saratoga county, New York, August 9, 1790. Our subject remained at home until reaching his majority, when he was married to Hannah Arnet, the event taking place March 10, 1831. He began for himself by farming on shares, continuing this for one year, when he sold his interest and with three hundred dollars started for the west "to grow up with the country." He first went to Lake county, Ohio, and re- mained there eighteen months, then starting for Michigan. April 25, 1836, he reached Lodi, Washtenaw county, and on the 28th of the following May arrived in Antrim town- ship, his final objective point ; for it was here that he rested his "ark"-the scene of his future conquests and glory, so to speak. He was accompanied by his brother- in-law, Lyman Melvin. They built a log house-the pioneer's castle-on the lat- ter's land and lived there until our subject could construct a house on his own property. He sold a team of oxen to pay for the first eighty acres of land he ever owned, and in the winter of 1836-7 he built on his newly acquired purchase a log house, into which he moved. But six years afterward, in 1843, he met with a great misfortune, in the death of his wife, which occurred in August of that year. He continued to live in the log house for many years, however, but in 1884 built a large, square frame residence,-the largest and finest in the entire neighborhood. When enough settlers had joined him he helped to organize the township. While Mr. Beard
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