USA > Michigan > Shiawassee County > Past and present of Shiawassee County, Michigan, historically; with biographical sketches > Part 42
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Mr. Grennell has lived an industrious but rather quiet life, although he has been promi- nent in the Grand Army of the Republic, hav- ing been for several years commander of the post at Laingsburg. Uncertain health has forced him to sever his connection with that patriotic order. He is also a Republican, a deacon in the Baptist church, and is a substan- tial and honored member of the community in general.
In 1866 our subject was united in marriage to Miss Cordelia M. Reed, the ceremony oc- curring at Williamston, Michigan. His wife is a native of Washtenaw county, Michigan, where she was born on the 11th of December, 1848. Mrs. Grennell's parents were Hiram Reed, who was born at Walpole, Vermont, in 1806, and Martha (Shattuck) Reed, who was born in the Granite state, in the year 1812. They were married in Vermont, in 1832, and were the parents of ten children, as follows: George (deceased) married Sally Sulfin, lived at Elba, Gratiot county, Michigan, and died childless ; William, the father of two children, is a resident of Laingsburg; Clarissa (de- ceased) married Justice Kellogg, had four children and resided in Leelenaw county; Ly- man, who married Addie Sperbeck, has four children and lives in Chicago; Mary (de- ceased) married D. R. Grennell, had two chil- dren and resides in Williamston; Edwin (de- ceased) married Mary Fryer, had three children and lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan ; Henry married Emeline, a sister of our sub- ject ; the wife of Mr. Grennell was the eighth
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child ; Frank married another sister of our sub- ject, Euphema ; and Horace died at the age of seven years.
Mrs. Grennell's parents came to Michigan in 1832 and settled on eighty acres of wild land located in Washtenaw county. Mr. Reed erect- ed a log house, cleared nearly all the land, and subsequently exchanged it for seventy acres of partly improved land in Williamson township, Ingham county. He placed twenty acres more under cultivation, and lived upon the home- stead until his death, August 21, 1886 ; his wife died on the 20th of the preceding April.
The great-grandfather of our subject was Benjamin Smith Grennell, a sea captain, who came to this country from France during the early portion of the eighteenth century. He retired several years before his death. Mr. Grennell's grandfather also bore the same name, but was a Massachusetts farmer for thirty-five years after his marriage, then re- moved to New York state, and thence to Ash- tabula county, Ohio, where he died at the age of seventy-six years. His maternal grandfath- er, Pierce, was a soldier of the war of 1812. Mr. Grennell is of Scotch and Welsh descent. and has reason to be proud of his genealogy.
To Mr. and Mrs. Grennell seven children have been born, of whom five are living. Ly- man, born March 28, 1867, married Emma Pease, and has two children,-Ruth, born March 16, 1894 and Ralph, born in November, 1899 ; they reside in Woodhull township. Effie, born April 24, 1869, is married to John Brink, and is the mother of three children,-Ellery, born March 11, 1895 ; Zella, born January 27, 1898, and Sidney, born July 26, 1900. Mr. and Mrs. Brink live in Victor township, Clin- ton county. James, the third, died January 16, 1876, aged three years and three months. The fourth child, Happy, died in 1876 at the age of two years. Mildred, now Mrs. Wesley Pease, of Sciota township, was born September 3, 1877 ; she has no children. Sidney, born July 16, 1879, is single, and lives with his parents. Vida, the seventh, was born October 26, 1890, and lives with father. Mrs. Grinnell died
September 23, 1905, at the age of fifty-seven years. Mr. Grennell's grandmother on his father's side was named Shepardson. Her brother was governor of Massachusetts. One brother was adjutant general and was a noted astronomer in his day and a writer on the sub- ject of astronomy.
ADELBERT J. GULICK
The primary purpose of the subject of this sketch in introducing his biography in the present volume is to perpetuate the memory of his honored father, and to give a brief history of his mother, who shared the hardships and privations of pioneer life.
Adelbert J. Gulick was born May 23, 1874. in Burns township, Shiawassee county, Michi- gan, being the youngest child of Jacob and Ju- lia (Hammond) Gulick. Jacob Gulick was born in Warren county, New Jersey, on the 17th of April, 1820, and died in Burns town- ship, Shiawassee county, Michigan, April 11, 1893. At the age of thirteen years he left the state of New Jersey with his parents and came to Oakland county, Michigan, where he lived for a period of nineteen years. There he met and married the noble woman who was his loved and devoted companion during the re- mainder of his life,-through joy and sorrow. sickness and death. She stood by his side when he felled the first tree upon the farm, in Burns township, that was destined thereafter to be their home.
The one hundred and sixty acres of land . which they located, on section 5, was patented to them by Franklin Pierce, then president of the United States of America, and the proper- ty has never been transferred, except to their direct heirs. The condition of the land at that time was the same as all other land of the same date, entirely wild. The Indians were plentiful, but fortunately never molested Mr. or Mrs. Gulick.
Jacob Gulick was the seventh in a family of ten children. He was united in marriage to Julia Hammond on the 3rd of October, 1852. On the 14th of March, 1862, a cyclone visited
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the section in which they lived. They had just completed their log cabin, the lumber and shingles having been hauled from Flint. The storm bore the entire top of the house away, carrying it for a distance of two miles and lit- erally destroying it. Mr. Gulick's father had to return to Flint for lumber and shingles to repair the damage. It entailed a loss upon him of about six hundred dollars, a great sum at that time. What would the young man of the present generation do if he had difficulties, of which this is but a single illustration, confront- ing him? Our subject's father worked upon a farm for fifty cents the day, and out of this sum saved sufficient money to purchase the land from the government.
Ten children were born to Jacob and Julia (Hammond) Gulick. The eldest, George, was born September 15, 1853; Henry Joel was born September 2, 1855 ; Joseph was born No- vember 23, 1857, and died February 3d, 1858; Emma Jane was born November 6, 1858 ; Mar- tha was born March 22, 1860; Sarah A. was born May 16, 1861, and died on the 30th day of the same month; Jacob P. was born May 31, 1863 ; William Franklin was born May 31, 1868, and died August 9, 1868; Louis Edwin was born January 14, 1870 ; and the tenth child is the subject of this sketch.
Adelbert J. Gulick was united in marriage to Celia Gunter, in the year 1901, and she passed to the life eternal in 1904. He is en- gaged in general farming, and is recognized as one of the best young farmers in Shiawas- see county. At the present time he is working the old homestead, having already purchased the interests of a part of the heirs, and he ex -. pects in time to procure the title to the entire farm of his father.
CLARENCE HAIGHT
Clarence Haight was born in Steuben coun- ty, New York, October 9, 1857. He is a son of George W. Haight, also a native of the same county, where he was born May 28, 1833. He died in 1901. His wife, Mary A. (Stet-
son) Haight was born in Yates county, New York, August 16, 1827. They were married in the Empire state, where they owned a farm and continued to reside until 1866, when Mr. Haight journeyed to Michigan, locating in Clinton county, where he bought eighty acres, mostly improved, four miles north of Ovid. He did not remain there long, however, but sold after one year and bought eighty acres in Middlebury township, Shiawassee county. About one-half of this was cleared, but it con- tained no buildings. He constructed a log house and barn, and these were subsequently torn 'down to give way to frame buildings, larger and better, as a natural consequence. Mr. Haight afterward added forty acres more and also cleared the same. He continued to live there until four years ago, when he passed to the other shore.
Leaves have their time to fall, And flowers to wither, at the north wind's breath,
And stars to set,-but all, Thou hast all seasons for thine own, Oh, Death !
The deceased was a Republican in politics and was treasurer of his township for two terms. He did not affiliate with any church, and was always engaged in farming. He was a good citizen and was highly respected by the community generally. He had four children, only two of whom are now living : Louise died in New York state, aged seventeen years ; Lib- bie also died in New York state; Mrs. Geo. Stanlake lives in Middlebury township, and Clarence is the subject of this sketch.
Mr. Haight was a lad of eight years when his family moved to Michigan ; hence most of his education was acquired in the schools of Middlebury. He always lived at home until he reached the age of twenty-six, when he married Sophia Schley, a native of New York. Her mother was Katharine (Schwingle) Schley, who was born in the land through which flows the romantic Rhine. The parents of Mrs. Haight are both dead, the father pass- ing away in New York state, and the mother
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died in the home of her daughter, in Middle- bury township. She came to America while yet young and was wedded in New York state, where she lived until Mr. Schley's death, after which she came to live with her daughter, in Middlebury. Mrs. Haight, our subject's wife, was one of five children : Mary is the wife of Nicholas Seiss, of Sciota township, Shiawassee county ; Henry died in Owosso ; Kate married Henry Fess : Mrs. Haight was next in order of birth ; George lives with his sister in Canada.
After the marriage of our subject he worked his father's farm for two years and then bought forty acres of improved land, in Mid- dlebury. He lived there four years and then purchased eighty acres, all improved, and con- taining present buildings. This was known as the Hyde farm. He has lived on this for twelve years. It is very good land, indeed. and is under a high state of cultivation. This is a natural result because Mr. Haight is an excellent farmer, and everything is kept in fine order, with a luxurious farm house and fine, well kept, handsome buildings. His chief products are stock and grain. He never be- longed to the "Know Nothing" party, as that existed before he was an actor in the affairs of life ; but he now figures conspicuously in the "No's." so to speak, having no children, no church, no office, no society membership. He is a Republican, however, in politics, and stands high in his community, by reason of his true worth and uprightness.
CHARLES E. HERSHEY
The gentleman whose name heads this sketch was born in Seneca township, Ontario county, New York, August 20, 1837. He was educated in the Geneva high school and in a commercial college at Oswego, New York. When twenty-four years old he commenced working for himself on his father's farm, and in 1868 he visted Ohio and Michigan, but soon returned to his native state. Later he came to Owosso township, Owosso village being then quite small, and he bought two hundred
and forty acres of wild land, on section 15. At that time there was a log house and granary on the place, and he subsequently reclaimed all the land. In 1862, when he made a visit to Michigan, the entire township of Owosso was a wilderness and game was very plentiful. In 1870-72 he was postmaster of Owosso, having been appointed to that office by President Grant. For five years he was assistant cashier of the First National Bank of Owosso, of which he was cashier eight years. During this long period he lost only ten days' time from his desk. and nothing detrimental was ever asso- ciated with his name or official record. He verified the Chinese moral maxim, that "hon- ors come by diligence ; riches spring from economy."
In 1901 he sold one hundred and twenty acres, the west one-half of his original pur- chase, and bought one hundred and ten acres on section 14. The latter extends to the lim- its of Owosso city. It has been chopped over and most of it is stump land, but must eventu- ally become quite valuable.
Mr. Hershey's father was John Hershey. who also was born in Seneca township, On- tario county, New York, in 1804, and who died there. His father was Joseph Hershey, who removed to Ontario county from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, October 5, 1802. He forded every stream between the two places, excepting the Susquehanna and Juniata rivers. He took up and bought from the government seven hundred acres of land in Ontario county, New York, all of which he cleared and some of which is still owned by the family. The amount of taxes on this property was only one dollar and eighty-three cents and at that period it was said the government would be- come so rich in a few years that there would be no taxes at all. But what a delusion was this, in view of the present general complaint about high taxes in every part of this broad land. Charles E. Hershey's mother, Azulah (Hill) Hershey, was born at Waterloo, New York, in 1806, and died in Ontario county, New York. She and her husband were mar-
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ried in Ontario county. Her father was Rob- ert Hill, who served in the war of 1812. While he was in the army his wife was often terrified by the Indians, being threatened once with a tomahawk because she had no pickles to give them! At one time she and her mother, while after some goods which had been left behind. were overtaken by darkness and forced to sleep in a tree all night to escape the wild ani- mals of the forest, then existing in great num- bers. John Hershey came into possession of one hundred acres of his father's purchase, re- ferred to above.
Charles E. Hershey was the first of two chil- dren, the second being Salina, who was born in 1849. She still lives on the old homestead and is the wife of John Tilton. They have one child, Carleton. Mr. Hershey bought fifty acres of improved land, adjoining that of his father, and in 1862 married Emma F. Snyder. who was born May 7, 1838, in Gorham town- ship, Ontario county, New York. Her father was George Snyder, a native of the same coun- ty, where he was born June 25, 1811, and he died there August 7, 1888. He was a farmer. Her mother was Emeline (Densmore) Snyder. who was born July 21, 1818, and died April 1, 1894, in the same place as her husband. Mrs. Hershey was the second in a family of nine children : Mary married William Easton, and lives in Saratoga, New York; William, who lives on the old homestead, married Emma Harmon, and they have four children,- George, Frank, May and Ford. Charles mar- ried Lottie Cleveland. Julia lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is the widow of Vedder De Graff and has two children,-Fred and Emma. Florence died at the age of seven years. Clar- ence (first) died in infancy ; Clarence (sec- ond) lives at Racine, Wisconsin; he married Belle Elkins of that city and has one child, Ha- zel. Fred died at the age of seven years. George Snyder, Mrs. Hershey's grandfather, was a resident of Ontario county, New York, and was in the war of 1812. One child, Ora E., was born to Mr. and Mrs. Hershey, Octo- ber 9, 1862 ; he is now living in Kentucky.
Mr. Hershey is a Republican. His father cast the first Republican vote in his district and was known as a "black" Republican ; his great grandfather was beheaded, on the Rhine, by German Catholics.
WILLIS E. HALL
It has been maintained by some that every man is endowed by nature with the elements of success, and that if his talents are properly cultivated and the individual finds in life the niche for which he was intended, success is as- sured. It then follows as a natural conclusion the reason so many do not succeed is because of their endeavor to fill a place in life for which they were never designed.
The subject of this sketch, Willis E. Hall, · was born and reared upon a farm in Shiawas- see county, but while yet upon the threshold of his young manhood he decided to engage in business. His schooling, after the usual course of training in the country district school, was rounded off with the Owosso high school. His first venture was clerking in a grocery, for C. C. Duff. Here he remained for three and one- half years,-a very complimentary apprentice- ship for a young man. This was followed by a five years' term with F. H. Bannister in the grocery trade. Having acquired a good knowl- edge of the business, in the year 1891 he formed a copartnership with his brother, L. C. Hall. They purchased the stock of groceries of H. H. Hall and launched out for themselves. For twelve years the firm conducted a whole- sale and retail trade, each year adding some- thing to their exchequer. In 1903 our subject sold out his interest in the business to the Na- tional Grocery Company, of Durand, but was retained as manager of the new concern.
In October, 1904, he purchased the business of Hookway & Son, which is now conducted under the firm name of W. E. Hall & Son. The stock consists of a complete line of gro- ceries, dry goods, boots and shoes-in brief, a general store. The firm keeps two finely
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. equipped wagons on the road. selling through the country and gathering up produce. Mr. Hall is recognized as one of the solid men of Owosso, being financially interested in several business enterprises. He is a director in the Citizens Savings Bank and is president of the Burnett Knitting Works.
Politically Mr. Hall lines up with the Re- publican party and is proud of its record. While never an aspirant for office, preferring to give his time to personal matters, he has served two terms as city treasurer, acceptably to his constituents.
Mr. Hall's parents, Earl S. and Angeline (Fox) Hall still live upon the farm. in Owosso township, where our subject was born, April 16. 1859. His parents were natives of the Empire state, the father having been born in Rochester.
To Mr. and Mrs. Earl S. Hall were born three sons and a daughter, Willis E. being the eldest ; L. C. born August 31. 1856, is engaged in the grocery trade in Owosso; B. C. Hall, M. D .. is a practicing physician, being a grad- uate of the Detroit College of Medicine; the youngest, a daughter, is the wife of O. G. Waugh, of Owosso.
Willis E. Hall was united in marriage April 19, 1883, to Miss Carrie Langerwisch, a na- tive of Germany, where she was born in Feb- ruary. 1859. Three children have come to bless their lives and brighten their home. Earl F., born January 30. 1884, is engaged in busi- ness with his father. He married Miss Anna Lyt- tle. Lora N., born June 8, 1889, and Helen W., born June 6, 1900, are both at the parental home.
Mr. Hall has reason for personal congratu- lations for the success with which he has met in the business world. He is still on the bright side of life and many years of profit and pleas- ure may yet be in store for him. He counts his friends by the number of his acquaintances.
HENRY P. HALSTED, M. D.
A distinguished family of men and women. holding positions of prominence and honor,
surrounds a man with somewhat of a halo of glory. His own ability, however, crowns him with the true glory, and his own good charac- ter is the only passport to fame and fortune.
Dr. Henry P. Halsted, while belonging to a distinguished family, has the personal merit which has added lustre to the name. He was born on a farm in Cayuga county, New York, April 18, 1850. His father, David Halsted. was a native of the state of New York, and conducted a farm in Venice township, Cayuga county. The Doctor's mother, Mary (Mech- em) Halsted. was likewise a native of the state of New York. In the family of David and Mary Halsted there were eight children. The oldest, Milton A. Halsted, was born in New York. Like the subject of this sketch, he was educated for the medical pro -. fession, and he was surgeon of the Nineteenth New York Volunteer Cavalry during the civil war. Charlotte, married George T. Fairchild, who was president of the Manhattan Agri- cultural College, of Kansas, for a period of eighteen years. They moved to the state of Kentucky, where Mr. Fairchild was professor of English literature. He died in 1903. Stan- ley. who is now dead. was lieutenant in the Seventy-fifth New York Infantry, during the civil war. Adelia died in the state of New York. She was a graduate of Oberlin Col- lege, of Ohio. George died at Leaven- worth, Kansas. The seventh child is the sub- ject of this sketch. Byron is professor of bot- any at New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Dr. Halsted's paternal grandparents were Johnathan and Elizabeth (Powell) Halsted, natives of the state of New York. Dr. Hal- sted's grandparents upon his mother's side were Mr. and Mrs. David Mechem. Both were natives of the state of New York and belonged to distinguished families. They had seven children of whom the Doctor's mother was the youngest.
The subject of this sketch has spent many years of his life in school and college, his edu- cation being largely acquired from his own resources. In early boyhood he worked upon
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his father's farm in the summer, and attended school during the winter season. He acquired a splendid rudimentary education in the schools at Aurora, Union Springs and Case- novia, in the state of New York.
He worked upon the farm until he had at- tained the age of seventeen years when he entered the Michigan Agricultural College, in which he was graduated with the class of 1871. After his graduation he taught school at Bed- ford, Calhoun county, one winter. He then went to Denver, Colorado, and from there to Park, Colorado, where he engaged in prospect- ing and placer mining. The mining did not prove profitable and he abandoned his claim and went to the state of Kansas, where he en- gaged in his old vocation of school teaching. The following year he returned to Michigan, entering the medical department of the Uni- versity of Michigan and graduating with honor in the class of 1877. He began the practice of his chosen profession with the knowledge and experience that but few men acquire in a lifetime. Locating at Morrice, in Perry township, he practised there for fifteen years, then removed to Guthrie, Oklahoma. where he held the position of medical examiner for the territory. He returned to Michigan, in 1894, and resumed the practice of medicine at Perry, where he now resides. Politically he is a Republican. Dr. Halsted has the honor of being the first president of the village of Morrice.
Dr. Halsted was united in marriage with Jane Northrup, in Michigan, in 1878. She is a daughter of George and Mary Ann (Allen) Northrup of Fayetteville, New York. Mrs. Halsted has two brothers, Fred and Howard.
Dr. and Mrs. Halsted have two sons. Paul, who was born January 22, 1881, in Perry township, was graduated in the Perry high school and later attended Olivet College. He is now connected with the Perry Journal. Thaddeus, born July 5, 1884, in Morrice, is also a graduate of the Perry high school and is at present editor and publisher of the Perry Journal.
Dr. Halsted is at present a member of the pension board at Owosso and has held many honorable positions. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Dr. Halsted may congratulate himself that he has met with more than average success in his professional career ; and enjoying the con- fidence and esteem of his fellow citizens to a marked degree, he is to be congratulated upon the outlook for the future.
D. E. HAMMOND
This gentleman is a native of Middlebury township, where he first saw the light of day on the 18th of November, 1859. He is a son of Dennis Hammond, who hailed from the „Green Mountain state, where he was born January 23, 1809. He died February 13. 1898. The mother of our subject was Fannie (Woodmansee) Hammond, who was born in New York state, April 20, 1816, and who joined the "silent majority" August 5, 1883. Our subject's father was twice married be- fore he took Fannie Woodmansee "for better or worse." He first married Sally Rice Dodd, who was born September 14, 1805, and who died November 15, 1840. The issue of this union was five children. Susan, born August 1, 1830, married John Smith, and her death occurred in November, 1905. Mary Eliza, who was born March 20, 1832, and who died March 9, 1864, married John Putnam; they lived in Sciota township, Shiawassee county. Phoebe E., born April 17, 1834, died January 28, 1852.' single. Rhoda E., born March 27, 1836, died December 8, 1841. Daniel Webster, born April 18, 1838, is a minister of the Methodist Episcopal church and lives in Arenac county. Michigan.
For his second wife Dennis Hammond mar- ried Eliza Woodmansee, who was born Sep- tember 9, 1814, and who died July 15, 1844: she was a sister of his third wife. Two chil- dren were born to this marriage: Sally E.,
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