USA > Michigan > Shiawassee County > Past and present of Shiawassee County, Michigan, historically; with biographical sketches > Part 30
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If any of the old settlers has fairly earned the title of the "Father of Durand," James C. Brand should certainly have that distinction, because he has so entwined his life with the carly history of the village that it is difficult to separate one from the other. He was first instrumental in inducing Uncle Sam to locate a postoffice here, but before he could do this it was necessary for him to provide a name for the new aspirant for postal honors ; hence the name selected, Durand. It was only nec- essary to add one letter more than his own name and, with a little transposition, the de- sired result was reached, and at the same · time giving both names a pleasing rythmical sound,-"Brand-Durand." This theory of the matter sounds very well in print, and perhaps this is the way it should have been done, but Durand was not thus christened. It seems that soon after Mr. Brand located at "Vernon Center," he met the congress- man of that district at Flint and laid before him the necessity for a postoffice at the local- ity named. He was told by the representa- tive that the first requisite necessary would be to select a name, so that the matter could be brought to the attention of the postoffice officials in the regular way. Upon his re- turn home, therefore, Mr. Brand conferred with William Jewell, Delos Jewell and Wil- liam Putnam, and suggested that they christen the place in honor of Hon. George H. Du- rand, a Flint lawyer, and ex-member of con- gress. So the settlement at the center of Vernon township thus became Durand, and the postal guide thus recorded it. The first mail was handled from a plain pine bench, but later the postoffice was installed in a
little building on the north side of Main street, east of Oak street.
James C. Brand was born in Brookfield, Madison county, New York, August 30, 1821. Of his parents we shall speak later in this article. In 1858, when about thirty-seven years of age, he came to Michi- gan, buying before this removal, eighty acres in Allegan county. The land he had never seen, however, but it proved to be all right. He subsequently secured one hundred and thirty-two acres in Ingham county, paying three dollars and thirty cents per acre for the same. He next bought a yoke of oxen, for eighty dollars in gold, erected a house on his land and cleared seventeen acres. Having partially improved this tract, he traded it for a house in Lansing, which he retained for about three years, exchanging that property for one hundred and sixty acres in Barry county, with a money consideration, the en- tire transaction netting him some one thou- sand one hundred dollars. He again invested in Lansing real estate, the outcome showing his usual good business judgment. He first bought two city lots, for which he paid two hundred and fifty dollars, selling them at a profit respectively of one hundred and nine . hundred dollars. Trading his oxen for seven lots on Cedar street, he sold four of these for more than the entire number had cost him, and then sold the remaining three at a respective profit of one hundred and twenty-five, two hundred and three hundred and twenty-five dollars. These, and other similar details, are given as a proof that Mr. Brand's success in business transactions is not a matter of luck. but has been the result of unfailing good judgment, coupled with quick action. He subsequently embarked in the manufacture of staves, having previously investigated the matter very carefully, as was his custom. With only seventy dollars in money and some wooded land, therefore, he commenced busi- ness in the township of Ovid, Clinton coun- ty. He first bought the necessary tools and twenty oak trees, paying for the latter one
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dollar and fifty cents apiece. His brother, in the meantime, purchased one hundred hogs, in Detroit, and turned them out in the woods to feed on beech nuts. In those days "beech-nut pork" was common in Michigan. While, therefore, Mr. Brand, our subject, as- sisted his brother in the care of his swine, the latter helped the former during the win- ter, making staves. About this time our sub- ject obtained other land in the vicinity, amounting to over fifty acres. Some of this tract he cleared and planted to wheat. In the meantime he made a profit of six hun- dred dollars by converting eighteen trees into staves. The wheat which he raised on his cleared land yielded him two hundred and forty bushels, and this he sold for two dol- lars a bushel. He also got one dollar per pound for his wool from a small flock of sheep. To cap the climax, he dis- posed of his original tract of fifty-three acres for one thousand dollars. These transactions placed him in a position to undertake the manufacturing of staves on a larger scale. He therefore removed to Linden for this purpose and there bought timber and began work. He remained at Linden five or six years. He next went to Vernon, where he continued in the same line. Later he located at Clayton, and bought one hundred and sixty acres of land, much of which was timbered with oak. He erected a stave mill, with a portable engine costing one thousand eight hundred dollars, and his business was now so well established that he not only used all the timber from his own land, but also all he could buy from his neighbors. His chief difficulty at Clayton was in obtaining water, but after the expenditure of consider- able money this obstacle was overcome. Mr. Brand then went to "Vernon Center," as it was then called, a little settlement in the center of the township of that name, buy- ing first forty and then two hundred and forty acres in that locality.
He was now the proprietor of four "eighties" in Vernon and two "eighties" in
Gaines, having cleared and planted to crops some eighty-three acres and having erected a house and barn. In 1873 Mr. Brand built a large stave and saw mill upon the forty acres which he originally owned in Vernon Center. The size of the saw mill was eighteen by eighty feet, and that of the stave mill twenty- four by fifty feet. The two plants cost eight thousand four hundred dollars. This left him in debt only three hundred dollars. From the first the business continually ex- panded, and with its development the set- tlement grew into the proportions of a flour- ishing village. When Mr. Brand first lo- cated in Vernon Center the settlement con- sisted of only seven houses, four of which were unoccupied, but when his factory was an established fact, these residences were at once occupied and there was a demand for more on the part of those who desired to be connected with the enterprise. Mr. Brand even bought whoop-pole timber in Canada, and made shipments to the east. As a sam- ple of the magnitude of some of his ship- ments it may be stated that those to one customer alone, in New York city, amounted to nine thousand eight hundred dollars, the freight on which cost two thousand two hun- dred dollars. He continued this line of man- ufacturing for a period of eighteen years. During this time he sold considerable lum- ber to the Michigan house of correction, in Detroit, taking as payment furniture and clothes made in that institution and selling the goods to his employes. He thus disposed of the first furniture ever sold in Durand.
Both of the parents of our subject, Bar- ton and Charlotte (Crandle) Brand, were natives of Rhode Island, the father having been born November 18, 1790, and the mother, April 7, 1794; they were not only born in the same little state but within half a mile of each other. The families subse- quently removed to Brookfield, Madison county, New York, where the lifelong friends became husband and wife, and where their industrious son, James C., was born, as we
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have previously stated. Barton Brand was a farmer, and settled upon a piece of heavily timbered land which was the nucleus of the homestead which has now been in possession of some member of the family for more than a hundred years. It is at present owned by the family of James Brand's brother. The entire farm now consists of two hundred and forty acres. The original tract amounted to only one hundred and forty-four acres. The land was at first heavily timbered with beech, maple, elm and hemlock. This land Barton Brand cleared and improved, erecting a sub- stantial house thirty by thirty-two feet, with a wing sixteen by thirty-two feet, and ten barns-three of them of very large dimen- sions ; he enclosed this farm with one thou- sand rods of stone fence, five feet high. At his death, in 1865, there were few homesteads in the locality which had a greater air of solid comfort and prosperity. Before his death he paid a visit to his son, who lived in Clinton county, Michigan. The father was a Whig and a Republican. In religious mat- ters he was a Seventh Day Baptist. His wife's death occurred in 1870. There were ten children in the family, of whom our sub- ject was the third. The names and respec- tive dates of birth of the others are here entered: Anna Maria, February 23, 1817; Roswell E., October 26, 1818; Welcome P., September 27, 1824; Lucy L., July 26, 1826; John A., June 18, 1828; Jared C., February 28, 1830; William M., February 1, 1832; Mary A., June 27, 1833; and Roxania O., April 18, 1835.
James C. Brand, the third in this old-fash- · ioned family, laid the basis of his future fortune by working on his brother-in-law's farm, Brookfield, New York, at eleven dollars per month during the harvest, and for seven dollars per month at threshing time, also taking care of the stock in winter. In those days the threshing was done by hand, so that the young men gave full value in work for money received, both winter and summer.
In every way possible Mr. Brand has bent
his best energies toward the practical devel- opment of Durand. Among other improve- ments which he has assisted in furthering is the establishment of railroad communica- tion between it and the surrounding country. Personally he has given the right of way to several lines, one railroad passing through four of his "eighties." The result has been that the entire community has not only been benefited, but property in and around the vil- lage has also advanced in price and Mr. Brand himself has shared in the increased prosper- ity. He bought five and a half acres near the depot and paid five hundred and fifty-six dollars for same. He still owns six lots, having disposed of the remainder for over seven thousand dollars. He is also owner of fifty-four acres, in section 15, village of Perry. Of this he has platted twelve acres.
An incident is related concerning one of Mr. Brand's real-estate transactions, showing him to be a man of pluck as well as of good judgment and decision. While negotiating for the purchase of two of his "eighties" in Vernon, he found that a man held tax titles upon the property, for which he asked one thousand six hundred dollars. This seemed an exorbitant price. Our subject offered six hundred dollars and, upon that sum be- ing refused. he proceeded to look up the original deed. He then went to Clayton, put together the frame of a house, hauled it up to Vernon, cleared a space for it on the land which he wished to purchase, raised it and slept there that night. He completed the house the following day, thus coming into legal possession of the property. He completed the chain of his title by afterward buying the tax title at his original offer, six hundred dollars.
Mr. Brand is almost as well known in the Masonic fraternity as in business, having joined the order in 1867. in Linden. He was also for a long time much interested in mili- tary matters, especially in the cavalry branch of that service, with which he was connected for a period of fourteen years. He was
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within a few days of having reached the sixty-ninth mile stone in life's journey be- fore he seemed to have a "quickening of conscience," so to speak, touching love af- fairs, and on August 20, 1890, led Maryette Kitchen, a native of Canada, to the hymeneal altar. Mrs. Brand's parents were natives of Canada, where they lived and died. While no children have come to bless the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Brand they are blessed with mutual love and confidence in their advanced years. Mrs. Brand is a consistent member of the Baptist church of Durand, of which Mr. Brand is liberal in his support.
Mr. Brand relates with pardonable pride that he built the first saw mill, stave mill, feed mill and blacksmith shop in Durand, and was the first dealer in lumber, furniture, and clothing. With a consciousness of hav- ing by his own efforts contributed to the material wealth of his home town, he is en- joying the declining years of an active life.
WILLIAM J. BROOKINS
We do not often find a farmer in these days who has attained the age of thirty-seven years or upwards living on the same place where he was born, but an exception is found in the case of the gentleman whose name heads this sketch. His home is in Middle- bury township, Shiawassee county, where he was born January 10, 1868. His father, John C. Brookins, was a native of the Em- erald Isle beyond the sea, where he was born, in Donegal county, in 1828. He died Octo- ber 2, 1895, on the farm now owned by his son, at the age of sixty-seven years. His wife, a native of New York state, where she was born October 16, 1831, also died on the same premises as her husband, October 15, 1901. Our subject's mother went to Ohio in her younger days and taught school there for several years. She then removed to Shi- awassee county, a few years prior to her marriage, and taught there for some little
time, before and after her marriage. She was a lady who possessed a fine education and an extraordinary memory. John C. Brookins came to America when he was twenty-three years old. He was accompanied by a sister and her husband, whose name is Ramsey. They first located at Great Bar- rington, Massachusetts, where his brother-in- law engaged in blacksmithing. Mr. Brookins assisted him in winter and in summers he worked on a farm. He remained there seven years, and in 1858 journeyed to Michigan, spending his first winter with a relative named William Crowe, who had settled on what is now the Slocum farm, in Middlebury township, this county. The next year he bought forty acres of unimproved land, on section 36, in the same township. He built a frame house, now a part of the structure in which our subject lives. He cleared that forty acres and afterward bought another forty, which he also transformed into a part of as good a farm as there is in the town- ship, showing him to be not only a good farmer but a thrifty business man. He after- ward enlarged the original house and erected other needed buildings. The parents of our subject were married December 28, 1860. They had three children, as follows: Alice, who is the wife of Walter Wadsworth, of Owosso township; Mary, who married A. A. Schultz, an implement dealer in Laingsburg, Michigan; and William J., whose name initi- ates this article.
William J. Brookins secured his early education in the district schools of Middle- bury township, and supplemented this by two years in the Ovid high school. He taught school for nine winters in his home district and those surrounding. The last place in which he showed "the young idea how to shoot," was in his home district, where he most successfully officiated for five years in succession. "'Tis education forms the com- mon mind; just as the twig is bent, the tree's inclined." He believed in those days, and be- lieves now, that a boy were better unborn
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than untaught. As a writer of some note has said, "The true purpose of education is to cherish and unfold the seeds of immortality already sown within us; to develop to their fullest extent the capacities of every kind with which the God who made us has en- (owed us."
Mr. Brookins was married November 21, 1900, to Gertrude Mathewson, who was born in Bancroft, Michigan, January 21, 1880.
She is a daughter of Omar and Emma (Sul- livan) Mathewson. Her father is now a resi- clent of Flint, Michigan, aged forty-eight years. He is a wagon maker and is a native of New York. Mrs. Brookins is the second in a family of six children, five of whom are still living: Wesley resides in Battle Creek ; Gertrude is the wife of the subject of this review; Adi lives in Owosso; Leila married Homer Rose and they live in Flint; J. B. lives in Easton, Shiawassee county; and Emma died when four months old. Mr. and Mrs. Brookins have two children,-Dorothea, born September 23, 1901, and John Richard, born September 12, 1905. The eighty-acre homestead now owned by our subject was left him by his father. He has since added forty acres to this, all of which is improved. Extensive improvements have been made on the premises, including a large barn and other buildings. Our subject, like his father, is a strong Republican and is now serving his fourth term as clerk of Middlebury town- ship. He has served three years as school inspector. Mr. and Mrs. Brookins are mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal church, while the parents of Mr. Brookins were Episcopalians. For ten years prior to his death John C. Brookins was in poor health and unable to perform manual labor. The immediate cause of his death was paralysis. He died October 2, 1895, and his wife passed away October 15, 1901. The influence of this worthy family is proving potent for good, socially and morally, as touching all with whom its members come in contact in the varied relations of life.
DAVID E. BROOKS
David E. Brooks first saw the light of day in Ovid township, Seneca county, New York, March 10, 1830. At the age of twenty-two years he embarked on his own business ca- reer, resolved to make for himself a place in the world, and, if possible, collect a little money in an honorable way. With this laud- able purpose in view it was not strange that his attention should be turned toward Cali- fornia when the gold excitement broke out in that state. So he crossed the isthmus of Panama in going and coming, and was fairly successful. He conducted a general store for one year while there, chiefly handling provisions. After an absence of four years he returned to New York state and there bought fifty-three acres of land, in Romulus township, Seneca county. This farm was mostly improved and he lived on it until 1820, when he sold it and turned his face toward Michigan. He landed in Owosso township, where he bought eighty acres of cleared land, on section 23. This he sold the same year and purchased sixty acres on section 22, upon which he now lives. Fifty acres of this was wild. A small house and barn were on the place. There are only six acres of this now unimproved. The house has been rebuilt and barns and other buildings added. When Mr. Brooks first located in the township it was no uncommon thing to see wild turkeys in his yard, and one night when returning home he encountered a lynx.
October 18, 1854. Mr. Brooks married Rebecca Johnson, who was born in Romulus township, Seneca county, New York. March 30, 1834. In October, 1904, they celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. Mrs. Brooks' father, Joseph Johnson, was born in Romulus township, Seneca c county, New York. July 10, 1299. and died at Geneva, that state, October 19, 1881. Mr. Johnson's wife was Clarica Hogarth, who was born in Ovid township. Seneca county, New York, May 1 ?. 1804, and who died January 22, 1883.
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Mrs. Brooks was sixth in a family of thir- teen, as follows: Minerva, was born March 25, 1822, and lives in Interlaken, New York, married De Witt Vorus and had two chil- dren, Electa and Augusta. Bradner was born March 30, 1827 and died July 11, 1868; married Elizabeth Knowles and had one son, Scott. Emily was born August . 23, 1828, died March 30, 1869, married John R. Stone, and had six children-Carleton, Laura, Emma, Minnie, Guy and Roy. Demott was born April 15, 1830, and died September 28, 1837. Andrew was born October 18, 1832, went to California when gold was first discovered there and has not been heard from since. Hogarth was born February 11, 1836 and died February 24, 1841. Susan was born February 2, 1838 and lives in Seneca county, New York ; married Archibald Banker and had two children, both dead. Carleton was born December 12, 1839, and died October 26, 1841. Cordelia was born March 15, 1841, and lives in Geneva, New York; married John Markell and had two children-Eleanora and Grace. Joseph, Jr., was born June 19, 1842, and died October 19, 1881. James P. was born August 6, 1844, and died April 25, 1845. James I. was born October 3, 1845, and died December 25, 1864.
Mr. Brook's father was born and died on the same farm. Mr. and Mrs. Brooks had eight sons, three of whom are living. Eras- tus was born September 21, 1856, and died February 2, 1857; Erastus D. was born December 12, 1858, and lives on a farm in Owosso township ; he married Susan Cramer, and they have four children,-George Le Roy, born January 5, 1891; Harold G., born in May, 1894; Mary E., born in June, 1897; and Ashley T., born October 2, 1899. Elmer, born March 21, 1850, died March 19, 1893. He first married Eva Bigelow, who died within the next two weeks; his second wife was Mary Williams, who likewise died in a short time after marriage. Andrew H. was born October 5, 1863, and died December 7, 1899. He married Jennie Bradley and they had
four children, Iva Pearl, born March 18, 1887 and three who died at birth. James was born December 25, 1868, and lives in Montana being a farmer. He married lda Tucker, of that state, and they have four children, -- Eva B., born in January, 1898; David Leo, born in July, 1894; James E., born in July, 1902, and Rebecca, born in June, 1904. Wil- liam and Willis, twins, were born August 16, 1870, the former dying in 1870, and the lat- ter in 1873. Leo. D. was born March 18, 1877, is married and lives in Montana.
Mrs. Brooks' father was a Presbyterian and Republican, and Mr. Brooks' father was a Democrat and member of the Dutch Re- formed church. The ancestors of
Mr. Brooks were Irish on his father's side and German on his mother's side. The ancestors of Mrs. Brooks came from Scotland. Mr. and Mrs. Brooks are members of the Congre- gational church. He is a Democrat, but is independent in his choice of men for office. He was justice of the peace for one term. Mrs. Brooks' brother James enlisted in the Thirty-fourth New York Infantry and served in the civil war. He died in the hospital at Norfolk, Virginia.
EDWIN E. BUNTING
Edwin E. Bunting was born in Scio town- ship, Washtenaw county, Michigan, Novem- ber 22, 1838. His father, John L. Bunting, was a native of Quentin, Lincolnshire, Eng- land, where he was born in 1792, and he died at the age of eighty-two years; his first wife, Mary Ann (Binington) Bunting was born in London, England, and was about ten years younger than her husband. Both came to America, locating in Canada, but they later removed to Washtenaw county, Michigan, some years before Michigan became a state. Soon after reaching this state, however, Mrs. Bunting was called to join the majority. Shortly after this sad calamity Mr. Bunting returned to England and in the course of events married a second wife, whose name
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was Mary Ann Todd and she became the mother of the gentleman whose name heads this article. Edwin E. Bunting's early edu- cation was very limited, as he attended school scarcely one year in all, for at the age of seven he began driving oxen for neighbors, in breaking land, also working at teaming, sowing, cutting timber and getting out wood and hauling the same to the old distillery in Lenawee county. He worked in this way until he reached the age of fourteen years, and remained at home one year, at the ex- piration of which he began learning the trade of a carpenter, with Wm. S. Carns and later became a partner of Chas. Haire. While working for the first-named gentleman he learned to write his name from a copy made by his employer on a smooth board. He kept practicing in this way, smoothing the board with a plane when it needed it and then having the copy reproduced on a clean board, until he acquired the art of making his own name satisfactorily. He continued to work at carpentering for more than thirty years. At the age of twenty-one he became a contractor and employer of other men. He chiefly confined his operations to Lenawee county and Shiawassee counties, but did some work in Illinois. When engaged in farming he took great pride in improving his breed of stock in both cattle and sheep. Durham cattle were his favorite and he spent much thought and effort in producing a cross adapted for butter and beef; while in sheep- raising he devoted thirty years to develop- ing a species containing qualities best fitted for mutton and wool. The breeds showing the best results in the latter are Cotswold and Merino. In these particulars Mr. Bunting has proven a genuine benefactor to his race. He has not merely drifted with the current of affairs in life but has struggled to solve problems that would add to the world's knowledge and thus benefit mankind. Con- sidering, therefore, Mr. Bunting's limited education, he has proved a strong character in his sphere of activities.
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