USA > Michigan > Shiawassee County > Past and present of Shiawassee County, Michigan, historically; with biographical sketches > Part 36
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 | Part 71
Our subject received his early education in the district school at Armada, Macomb coun- ty, and at the age of seventeen started out in the world as an independent worker. For two years he was a wage earner by the month and for the succeeding six years was employed in a saw mill in St. Clair county.
Soo11 he was operating it himself, his cousin being the proprietor. Still later he moved to his father's farm, in Armada town-
285
SHIAWASSEE COUNTY
ship. A good story is vouched for relating to this period of his life. The country was then very wild and abounded in game of all kinds, big and small. One night soon after assuming the responsibilities of a benedict. he was com- ing home from the harvest field with a sack of flour over his shoulder. Ahead of him was what appeared in the uncertain light to be one of his very fat hogs waddling down the road. He drove the animal along until near the pas- ture, when to Mr. Curtis's astonishment the beast took to the woods and went up a tree : the fat hog proved to be a big bear. Our sub- ject worked his father's farm, in Armada township, about two years, and then, in 1856, removed to Fairfield, Shiawassee county, and purchased a tract of one hundred and sixty acres. He cleared most of the farm, brought it to a good state of cultivation, erected suit- able buildings thereon and made it his home for fifteen years. He afterward rented the place and located upon a farm of one hundred and fifty-two acres in Bath. Eventually sell- ing both properties, in 1878 he bought his present farm of one hundred and eighty-three acres, in Woodhull township. It was partly improved at the time of purchase. and Mr. Curtis himself erected a handsome brick house and a good barn.
Besides being comfortable in this world's goods, our subject has gathered a fair store of worldly honors. He has served his com- mitinity as highway commissioner for two terms, is justice of the peace, to which office he was elected in 1901, and, as has been stated. has been a member of the school board for a period of more than thirty years. He is a Democrat of the old school, has been for many years affiliated with the Odd Fellows' order. and, despite his years, is quite thoroughly in the active "swim" of life.
Mr. Curtis has been twice married. By his union with Mary Ann Blanchard, in 1853. he had eleven children, eight of whom are living: Curtis, the first born, lived but a few months, being born September 15, 1851, and dying January 1, 1855; Charles, who was born
March 4. 1856, and who is a farmer in Batil township. Clinton county, married Alice Sar- gent, and they had one child. now deceased ; the third child. Samuel. was born May 14. 1852. married Louie McKay, lives in Kansas and is the father of five children: Asa. the fourth, married Milly Schroeder, has one child and is a resident of Owosso : Edwin, who was born January 27. 1860, married Melissa Machinay, has three children, and is a stock- man in Colorado: the sixth child. Willie W++ who was born March 3. 1863. and who is a farmer in section 16. Woodhull township. married Minnie Sergent, and is the father of two children. Mary, born in 1884, and Floyd. a school teacher, born in 1886: Doctor and Henry both died young, the former having been born August 16. 1862. and having died October 6. 1863. and the latter having died eleven days after his birth, which took place November 14. 1863: Manly G .. a farmer. at Chapin. Saginaw county, was born July 9. 1868, married Cora Brown and has two chil- dren. John and Eva : the tenth born, George. lives on a farm of forty acres in section 16. Woodhull township, his natal day being April 21. 1820: Delbert, the eleventh, was born De- cember 25, 18:1. married Maggie Country- man, has one child. a daughter, and is a Kan- sas farmer and stock-raiser.
Mr. Curtis's second wife was Emogene ( Rush) Webb. She was born August 12. 1851. and married Alfred J. Webb in 1813 : her first husband died in April. 1895, and she married Mr. Curtis. December 18, 1902. Mrs. Curtis is the mother of seven children by her first husband : Addison Webb, born June 15. 1814. is an Elsie farmer and married Florence Hammond : Edmond, born June 3. 18:5. mar- ried Florence llarvey, has one child and lives in Perry township: Elmer, who was born Sep- temiber 19, 1826, and who is a farmer, living on section 1 :. Woodhull township. married Myrtle Coss and has one child: Frank, born December 16, 1811. is a farmer whose resi- dence is in Perry township : Cora. born Aug- ust 12. 1879, married Charles Harvey, a rural
286
PAST AND PRESENT OF
mail carrier of Shaftsburg; Caroline, born December 31, 1882, married Harry Cushman, a farmer of Bath township; May, born May S, 1885, is living at home. As will be noted above, Mrs. Curtis's maiden name was Rush. It should be stated that Rush township is named after the grandfather, who was the first settler in that township. For a period of six years after her first marriage she lived in Williamston, Ingham county. Mrs. Curtis's first husband, Albert Webb, was a member of the Fourth Michigan Cavalry, followed the fortunes of his regiment for three years and was discharged by reason of the close of the war. He was with the command that cap- tured Jeff Davis, and stood guard over the Confederate president one night.
DAVID HENRY CUTLER
David Henry Cutler, of section 20, Hazel- ton township, was born in London, Canada, February 4, 1846. His father, William Cut- ler, was a native of Lawrence county, New York, where he was born February 4, 1821, and he now lives in Sanilac county, Michigan ; his wife, Mary Ann (Skuyse) Cutler, was born in Ireland in 1820, and died in Sanilac county years ago. At the age of twenty the subject of this sketch began hustling for him- self, and bought 35 acres of land in Sanilac county. He worked in the lumber woods win- ters and sailed on the lakes summers, to raise money to pay for his land, but in 1862, the great civil war being then in progress, young Cutler, like thousands of other loyal men, has- tened to the front at his country's call.
In peace, there's nothing so becomes a man As modest stillness and humility, But when the blasts of war blow in our ears Then imitate the action of the tiger,- Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood.
Mr. Cutler did "stiffen the sinews," and en- listed in company B, Sixth United States Cav- airy, at Detroit, September 10, 1862. In 1863. he was discharged and transferred to Com-
pany B, Eleventh Michigan Cavalry. He was with his command in rendezvous at Kalama- zoo and afterward at Lexington, Kentucky. He took part, with the Eleventh Cavalry, in the battles of Mount Sterling, Cynthiana, Kentucky ; Big Sandy 'and Saltville, Virginia ; and Crab Orchard and Macon, Georgia. While with the Sixth Cavalry he was in the engagements of Fairfax Court House and Brandywine Station. From the time of join- ing that regiment until his transfer he was in all the battles in which it took part. He was mustered out and discharged at Pulaski, Ten-
nessee, in August, 1865, and at once returned to the civil activities of life, taking up farming where he had left off, some three years before, to battle for country. His father removed to Canada and embarked in the hotel business in London. He did not remain there long, how- ever, but removed to Sanilac county, Michi- gan, where he bought 40 acres of native for- est, built a board shanty and converted the land into a fruitful farm; but some thirty years ago he sold the farm and bought his present homestead farm and engaged in the lumber business. He retired some time ago, however, and now owns two farms of eighty acres each.
In 1875 our subject removed to Hazelton township and bought forty acres of timbered land, where he now lives. He was the first man on the side of the section on which he is situated. There were no roads nor had there been even a tree cut. He built a log house, which is now used for a stable, cleared forty acres and later added forty acres more. Twenty acres of the latter tract had been im- proved, and he reclaimed the remainder. He afterward bought eighty acres, forty acres being across the road on the east. Some of these tracts were under cultivation at the time he secured them. In 1902, Mr. Cutler and his son again added eighty acres of improved land to their possessions on section 17.
July 3, 1872, Mr. Cutler married Mary Ann Gilmer, daughter of John and Sara (Peasley) Gilmer. The parents lived in the east and
287
SHIAWASSEE COUNTY
never came to Michigan. The children born 10 Mr. and Mrs. Cutler are enumerated below : Elizabeth, who was born in 1823, is the wife of James Little, of Hazelton township, and they have three children, James, William and Tennie ; Willie, born in 1815, died at the age of one year ; John, who was born in 1872, and who resides in Hazelton township, married Stella McGar, and they have two children, David and Annie; Henry, who was born in 1879, married Ella Boyd, and they have two children, Mary and Kermeth; Annie, born in 1881, died at the age of six months ; Ella, who was born in May, 1884, is the wife of George Shannon, of Saginaw county, and they have two children, David Henry and Mary Ann ; Eddie, born in 1886, died at the age of eiglit years ; Jennie, born in 1888, died at the age of five years.
In addition to his farming, Mr. Cutler has worked for the Deering and the Champion Machine Companies, and he also bought stocks of goods throughout the country. He was also in the employ of H. N. Ainsworth, of Flushing, Michigan, for several years. He has owned a number of valuable stock horses, such as "Young Napoleon," "Gray Percher- on," "Clyde," "English Shire," and "Young What's Wanted," better known as "Nixon Horse."
Mr. Cutler was the first of twelve children ; John died at the age of two years: Edward, who lives in Sanilac county, married Mary Kirk, and they had six children : Katherine, who died at Applegate, Sanilac county, mar- ried James Fair, and had one child ; Thomas, who lives in Huron county, is a money loaner and dealer in stocks and farms, being one of the wealthiest men in the county : he has three children by first wife, none by second : Jane is the wife of James Matteson, of Parsonville, Sanilac county, and they have five children : Vernu, who lives in Alpena, married Maria Boyce, and they have no children ; William, who lives in Applegate, Sanilac county, mar- ried Atta London, and they have two children ; Jacob lives in Manistee. is married and in the i mother.
employ of a lumber company : Margaret, de- ceased, married Charles Wood; Fred, a bach- elor, died in Applegate ; Lucy is the wife of James Peeks, and they have two children.
Mr. Cutler and his son now own two hun- dred and forty-five acres of land. In politics he is a Republican, and is a member of the board of review. He is a member of the Free Methodist church. Hle also belongs to the Grand Army of the Republic, and it goes without saying that he is one of the foremost men in his township, honest and reliable in all respects.
JOHN R. DANN
In section 8, Hazelton township, is located the homestead farm of John R. Dann, who was born in London, Canada, on the 21st of July, 1846. He is a son of William Dann, who was born in Tipperary, Ireland, May 2, 1799, and his mother, Sarah (Rawlins) Dann, who was born in Queens county, Ireland, is now living in Ontario, Canada, at the age of 93 years.
William Dann came to America at the age of twenty-six years, his wife having come to this country when she was a small girl. Soon after our subject's father landed in America he was married, and took up a homestead of one hundred acres of land in Ontario, C'an- ada. Ile cleared up this land and marle im- provements, residing upon it until the time of his death. He was a member of the Church of England, as is also his venerable widow. They became the parents of eight children. The eldest, Susanna, married George White and resides in the northwest territory of Canada : Robert is now living upon a farm in Ontario. Canada ; Mary is the wife of Daniel Burnett. of Ontario, Canada: Eliza was the wife of William Wigglesworth, of Hazelton, and is now deceased ; the fifth is the subject of this sketch ; Edward is living in Ontario, as is also William; Jane is living in a village in On- tario, Canada, and with her resides her aged
288
PAST AND PRESENT OF
-
Subject lived with his parents at home until he had reached his twenty-sixth year. He re- ceived his early education in the common schools, and at the age of twenty-six he pur- chased an improved farm of fifty acres, in On- tario, Canada, and was united in marriage with Lizzie Moore. She was born in London, Canada, on the 13th of December, 1848, and is a daughter of James and Margery (Ander- son) Moore. Her father was born in Ireland, and her mother in Canada. Both of them are dead. They had seven children, all of whom are living except John. James resides in Pe- toskey : Robert resides in Hazelton township; Lizzie is the wife of the subject of this sketch ; Louise is the wife of John Beemish, of Hazel- ton township; Anna is the wife of E. Beemish, of the same place ; and William B. also resides in Hazelton township.
John R. Dann and wife moved to Michigan and purchased eighty acres of land near Flushing, on which they resided for one year. The land was only partly improved and sub- ject disposed of it and removed to Hazelton postoffice, where for the next four years he was engaged in the mercantile business. He then purchased eighty acres of land on section 8, where he now lives. The land when sub- ject purchased it was all wild and he rented buildings on an adjoining farm until he could erect a suitable home on his own land. He now has a pleasant country house, and good, substantial barn and other farm buildings. He has redeemed the farm from its wild state and has it all under cultivation.
To Mr. and Mrs. Dann have been born six children: Nida died at the age of thirteen years ; Alfred, who runs a hotel at Flushing, married Blanch Hills and has one child, Ken- neth; Margery is the wife of Fred Jacobs, of Toledo, Ohio; and Bert, aged twenty-seven, Viola, aged fifteen, and Ray, aged thirteen, are all living at home.
Politically Mr. Dann is a Republican, and he has served as justice of the peace for a period of six years. He was agent for the Shiawassee Mutual Insurance Company eight
years, and is a member of the Masonic lodge and of the Order of the Eastern Star at New Lothrop.
BUTMISTER W. DARLING
Probably Michigan does not contain to-day a gentleman who has been more strong and active physically, when in the vigor of his early manhood, than the one whose name heads this sketch.
Atlas, we read in ancient song, Was so exceeding tall and strong, He bore the skies upon his back. Just as the peddler does his pack ; But as the peddler overpress'd Unloads upon a stall to rest, Or, when he can no longer stand, Desires a friend to lend a hand ;
So Atlas, lest the ponderous spheres Should sink and fall about his ears, Got Hercules to bear the pile, That he might sit and rest awhile.
Our subject is not an Atlas or a Hercules. but a skilled blacksmith, and when no one else could be found to shoe refractory horses and oxen, he would invariably do the work successfully. In "endurance, foresight, strength and skill," he was a marvel. He could seize the reach of a wagon weighing nine hundred pounds and lift it bodily from the ground ! He was born in Louisville town- ship. St. Lawrence county, New York, July 5, 1825. His father also was a native of the same state ; while his mother, Sophia (Wood) Darling, was a Vermonter, but died in Colum- bia, Ohio. They were married in the east. When our subject was yet a mere lad, his par- ents removed to Ohio, where his father bought some wild land, part of which he afterwards cleared. In 1852 father and son journeyed to Fairfield township, Shiawassee county, Michi- gan, where the latter bought one hundred and twenty acres of government land, on section 27. On this he built a log house. The Indians used to frequent the place and remain over night with him. He improved and fenced the
MILTON A. DAVIS
MRS. MILTON A. DAVIS
289
SHIAWASSEE COUNTY
land, built a frame house and barn and lived there until 1901, when he sold the property and bought twenty acres on section twenty- one, where he has since remained. In early days he pounded corn in troughs made from maple trees, to get meal for "Johnnie cake." Our subject has been twice married-first, to Mary Wells, who was born in New York, iti 1827, and who died in Fairfield, in 1898. Ten children were the issue of this union, as fo !- lows: Eliza, who was born in 1850, and who lives in Owosso, married Riley Hubble, now dead, and had four children, Irvin (dead), Let, Arch and Nancy ; Orrin, who was born in 1852, and who lives in Fairfield township. married Nancy Reed, and they have seven children, Earl, Nora, Ray, Ina, Paul, Vern and Grace ; Ellen, born in 1851, lives in Owos- so ; Delia, born in 1856, lives in Chicago : My- ron, born in 1858, lives in Fairfield ; Albert. who was born in 1860, and who lives in Fair- field, married Lottie Swider: Olie, born ir 1862. died in 1825; Cora, who was born in 1864, is the wife of Richard Warner, of Owosso, and they have one child. Mildred : Leon, who was born in 1866, and who lives in Saginaw county, married Melvin Netheway, and they have three children ; and Mary, born in 1866, lives in Ohio.
Mr. Darling's second marriage occurred February 17, 1899, when he wedded Hattie Greenfield, then a widow, and a daughter of Thomas F. Austin, a native of Kent county, England, where he was born January 17. 1835. Mr. Austin is now a resident of Fair- field, where he owns a farm, which he bought in 1870 and which he cleared. By the second marriage Mr. Darling has one child, Verl, born November 10, 1904. When he first came to Fairfield there were only ten families there and they were pretty well scattered. He used to walk to Owosso, twelve miles distant, that being the nearest trading point in early days, The journey occupied two days. The first re- ligious meeting in the township was attended by him and he drove to the meeting with an ox team and cart. His first wife was a mem-
ber of the Baptist church, as is also his pres- ent wife.
Our subject is a Republican in politics. He was deputy sheriff of Shiawassee county for fifteen years. At one time he arrested three men and marched them to Owosso, a distance of twelve miles, where they were locked up. He has also been constable, highway commis- sioner and a school officer in his township. He is a Mason and an Odd Fellow.
MILTON A. DAVIS
One of the most prominent and successful farmers of Antrim township is the enterpris- ing gentleman whose name heads this sketch. He is located on section 23 and his well cul- tivated fields and handsome and attractive farm buildings are a source of pride to tiie community. Mr. Davis is a native of the town- ship in which he now lives, having been born June 26, 1855.
His father. Allen Davis, was born in Ire- land in 1803. His mother, Rebecca (Coles) Davis, was a native of Cataraugus county, New York, where she was born in 1806. Our subject does not remember ever having seen his father, who came to America with his par- ents and settled in Oakland county, Michigan. Subsequently our subject's father removed to Shiawassee county and purchased two hun- dred acres of land, in Burns township. This lic cleared, erecting farm buildings thercon. Here he continued to live until the date of his (leath, which occurred in the fall of 1855. His widow afterward married Ebenezer Brewer. who lived near Knaggs Bridge, where the sub- ject of this sketch was educated. Ile also at- tended school in Antrim township. For about ten years he lived with his uncle. Charles Cole. Before his death his father willed his mother eighty acres of land on section 1. Antrim township. In later years Mr. Davis bought the interests of his mother and brother in this land. Little of it was cleared at the time. It had simply the pioneer beginning of a log
290
PAST AND PRESENT OF
house and a log barn. The intervening years have brought wonderful changes to the place. Mr. Davis not only cleared the land but he has also built a large frame house and barn and other commodious buildings. He was but twenty years of age when he became a land- owner. One year of his life he spent in Cali- fornia, where he worked on a ranch and in a vineyard. He then returned to his farm in Antrim, where he remained for the term of eleven years, then selling the place to R. T. Stone. He subsequently bought the eighty acres on which he now lives. This farm was partially improved when purchased by him, but the buildings were old and badly out of repair. He has since erected a handsome new residence, enlarged the old barn and built a new one, with other necded structures. He has also thoroughly underdrained the land, rc- paired the fences and put the premises gener- ally in first-class condition, making the farm, as a whole, a thing of beauty to the eye and a credit to the taste and enterprise of the own- er. About four years ago he purchased forty acres adjoining, known as the Armstrong farm. Upon this is a small frame house and barn. Mr. Davis congratulates himself that there are no debts against the property. This condition of affairs is due to the good judg- ment and business management of the owner.
Mr. Davis was united in marriage March 16, 1882, to Alice, daughter of Smith and Catherine (Dutcher) Holcomb, who are resi- dents of Antrim township. Her natal day was May 29, 1856, and the place of her birth, Deerfield, Livingston county, Michigan. She was the first of eleven children, born to her parents, four of whom are still living. Mr. Davis was the younger of two children born to his parents. His elder brother, Frank E., is a resident of Fentonville, Michigan. To his mother by her second marriage were born four children; Peter died in infancy ; Truman is a resident of Deerfield township, Livings- ton county ; Nelson was killed in a railroad accident ; Charlotte married J. J. Rasbach, and they reside in New York. Two half-brothers
of Mr. Davis did valiant service for their country in the great civil war. Mr. Davis re- grets that he has no data at hand respecting their service. Allen was killed in battle. James was wounded. He is now an inmate of the Michigan Soldiers' Home, in Grand Rapids. The following incident related by his brother James indicates that he served in the cavalry. He remembers having heard him tell that on a certain occasion, when it became necessary for the force to cross a swollen stream, he spoke to General Custer, commanding the force, remarking. "What am I to do, General, 1. can't swim." "Catch on to my horse's tail and he will carry you safely over," replied the General. He adopted the suggestion and was landed safely on the other side.
Among the treasured relics in his posses- sion, Mr. Davis has an old shotgun, which is in good repair, and which is said to be over a hundred years old. It was brought into the county by his father. It was thought to be the first gun brought into the county by a white man. His father supplied the family with fresh meat from the forests when the country was new. Another prized relic is an English bull's-eye watch, carried by his father. Mr. Davis has had this watch in his possession for half a century.
In politics, Mr. Davis lines up with the Democratic party. He has served as highway commissioner for five terms and has repeated- ly been urged to accept public office, but pre- fers to look after his own private affairs on the farm, a fact 'that has not a little to do with his success and present prosperity.
Mr. Davis is treasurer of the South Antrim Telephone Company, also treasurer of his own school district. He is a member of the Macca- bee lodge, No. 172, of Bancroft, and also of the Knights of Pythias lodge, No. 138, of the same place. While farming is the main busi- ness of, his life, he buys and sells horses as a side issue, thus adding a snug sum to his an- nual revenue. A fine flock of Rambouillet sheep are his special pride. About seven years since he spent a winter in Florida, going there with
WEBSTER DAVIS
293
SHIAWASSEE COUNTY
the intention of growing tobacco, but later changed his mind and returned home to Mich- igan.
Mr. and Mrs. Davis are still in the prime of life and should live to enjoy many years of happiness and prosperity.
WEBSTER DAVIS
Carlyle says: "Biography is the most uni- versally pleasant and profitable reading." The histories of the leaders of men and of nations can be written from permanent records but the incidents that go to make up the biography of the average individual can only be written from personal knowledge and. if neglected until after death, the history passes away with the individual and is lost to the world forever.
Rich as we are in biography, a well written life is almost as rare as a well spent one. The cold material facts of a man's life are not his history. A man's life is what he is, and his biography is the harmonious grouping togeth- er of the incidents of the spirit that moved him. Back of it all lies the motive, and the motive is the man. "A life that is worth writ- ing at all is worth writing minutely and truth- fully." says Longfellow. This brief review of the activities of him of whom we write has about it all the charm and interest of romance. A noble birth and fortune, though they make not a bad man good, are a real advantage to a worthy one. He of whom we write lays no claim to nobility of birth, though he was wel! born. His parents were common folk, intelli- gent and industrious, such as form the warp and woof of society in any well regulated com- munity.
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.