USA > Michigan > Shiawassee County > Past and present of Shiawassee County, Michigan, historically; with biographical sketches > Part 56
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Mr. and Mrs. Perry have had two children, one of whom is living-Roy, who was born December 3, 1889, and who is attending school at New Lothrop. Floyd, born Decem- ber 4, 1884, died February 25 1902.
Forrest B: Perry was born in Hadley, La- peer county, Michigan, November 5, 1857. He is a son of Oliver H. Perry, who was born in the state of New York August 11, 1831, and who died January 2, 1893. Our subject's mother, Rachel (Praigg) Perry was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1837. She now lives in Flint. Michigan. The subject of this sketch is a Mason and a Republican. He has been greatly honored by his fellow-citizens in the way of local positions of trust. He was a member of the board of review for seven years, treasurer of his township two years and supervisor four years, and all of these offices he filled with honor and great credit to himself.
FRANK H. PETTIBONE
One never realizes the truth of the saying that all is not gold that glitters as much as when standing before the enticing window of a hardware store, glittering with its bright pans and pails and numerous cooking utensils, and for all that one knows perfectly well that the resemblance to the precious metal is spe- cious, there is seldom a housewife that is not fascinated.
Frank H. Pettibone is extensively engaged in the hardware business in the city of Co- runna and also in connection with this a plumbing business is conducted. He is a na- tive of Corunna, having been born January 11, 1859. He is the son of Ozro and Amarilla (Root) Pettibone, natives of New York. The father was born in 1829 and died at Corunna in 1861 at the age of thirty-two, and the mother died in 1870 'at the age of forty-two. Ozro Pettibone and his brother Seth were en- gaged in the manufacture of fanning mills at the time of the former's death. Frank H. Pettibone was the second of three children:
Clarence is living in New York, and Ozro lives in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
The subject of this sketch attended the vil- lage schools of Corunna until eleven years of age, when he went to work in the dry-goods store of Alexander Commins, with whom he remained three years. He then worked in a hardware store for ten years, for J. H. Shick & Company, after which he engaged in busi- ness with Green Brothers, being a partner in the business for seventeen years. Two years ago he purchased the entire business and is now sole owner of the general hardware and plumbing business.
December 9, 1885, Mr. Pettibone was united in marriage to Luella Wilcox, who was born September 29, 1852. She is a daughter of Louis H. and Mary (Bradley) Wilcox, who were early settlers of Michigan. The mother died on January 11, 1888, and the father is now living in Washington, D. C., employed in the government printing office. Our subject and wife have two children-Louis Howard, born November 11, 1892, and Mary D., born June 5, 1897.
The principles of the Democratic party em- brace the views of our subject and receive his support. Ten years ago lie was alderman of the city and for two years he held the posi- tion of city treasurer. Fraternally, he is al- lied with the Masonic order, several insurance societies and the Elks lodge at Owosso.
Frank H. Pettibone is an upright man and a good citizen. He began life at the bottom round of the ladder, and by his industrious and persevering energy has attained to the possession of a handsome property.
MILTON A. PHELPS
The gentleman whose name we give at the head of this article has the distinguished honor of being the oldest pioneer in Shia- wassee county, if not also the oldest man in the county. He may say with Shakespeare, in "As You Like It":
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Though I look old, yet I am strong and lusty ;
For in my youth I never did apply Hot and rebellious liquors in my blood ; Nor did not with unbashful forehead woo The means of weakness and debility ; Therefore my age is as a lusty winter, Frosty, but kindly.
Mr. Phelps is still living on the land which he bought from the United States government seventy years ago, before ever a railroad had penetrated the territory of Michigan, then a frontier wilderness of the west. When this young Buckeye farmer, then just of age, lo- cated in the county there was a bare trail to his log cabin, from whose rough windows he often saw many species of game which roamed the forests. Deer, bears, wolves and wild tur- keys were in abundance. Soon after he be- came a resident of Sciota township the terri- tory was admitted as a state, and during the long stretch of the after years he had the privilege of seeing the wilderness literally "bloom and blossom like the rose." Mr. Phelps was born sixteen miles west of Co- lumbus, Ohio, on the Big Sciota river, De- cember 14, 1814. His father, James Phelps, a native of New York state, was born in 1782 and died in Sciota township in 1844. In 1813 he migrated from Cortland county, New York, to the Buckeye state. Purchasing a tract of wild land, he commenced to clear the same and mold it into a family homestead. A por- tion of the farm he broke and planted to corn, and, incidentally, it may be remarked that forty years ago, when Milton A. Phelps was on a visit to his birthplace, he found trees fully a foot in diameter, where his father had raised this crop.
In 1832 the father of our subject became a resident of Michigan, settling in the township of Saline, Washtenaw county, on a tract of one hundred and ten acres of land, eighty acres of which were wild. There was a log house on the place and after he had cleared twenty acres and made other improvements it proved a very comfortable homestead. But the prospects were not sufficiently inviting to
induce him to remain in that locality, so he sold his farm, removed to Shiawassee county and took up one hundred and sixty acres from the government. He then prepared to found a home for himself and family, building a log house and barn and clearing a quarter of his section. Again he changed his plans, how- ever, removing to Sciota township, where he purchased forty acres of wild land. He cleared a quarter of this tract and passed the remainder of his days upon the little farm. All this is a very fair illustration of the strenu- ous, plucky life of the pioneer of those days. He had a family of ten children. Rachael married a Mr. Killgore, had sıx children and died in Shiawassee county; Sally, who be- came Mrs. Ackley, and who died in Ohio, had one child; Seldon married Manda Chappell, was the father of six children, and passed his closing days in Shiawassee township; Silas, who was twice married, had one child by each wife, and died in Sciota township; Dyer, who married Almira Sody, had by her one son and one daughter, and he died in Shiawassee town- ship ; our subject and Mason were twins and the latter is now dead; Liza died unmarried in Shiawassee township; Melissa married Oliver Westcott, lives in California and is the mother of three: Sara, who married Lorenze Dexter, lives in California and had three children, one of whom is living.
When Milton A. Phelps was nineteen years of age he and his twin brother cleared twenty acres of the land for his father "for their time," thereby gaining two years for them- selves. As each owned at this period thirty acres of land, they found themselves in fair position to make a good start in life. In 1833 they visited Shiawassee county for a short time, and two years later our subject returned and purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land from the government. He first built a log house and in the following year a frame barn, and then commenced a systematic clear- ing of the land. Fortunately, game was plen- tiful in those days; but even with this ad- vantage he was many times short of provi- sions, which could not be purchased at a
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nearer market than Ann Arbor or Pontiac. For many years he sold virtually his entire grain crop at the latter place. During much of that period he hauled it to market with a team, as there was no railroad either in that vicinity or in the entire state of Michigan. It must be to Milton Phelps a source of deep satisfaction now, to compare his condition then with his present status, as the proprietor of a fine farm of one hundred and ninety-six acres, all improved except twenty acres of swamp, including a small body of water known as Wolf lake, while he is enjoying all the comforts of modern life, as well as many of the luxuries which the metropolitan citizen is denied.
In 1844 our subject was united in marriage to Frances D. Kinney, of Rochester, New York, the ceremony occurring at the place named. The young couple started for Michi- gan the third day after the happy event. The bride was born in Cortland county, New York, March 17, 1819, her father being Elezer Kinney, who passed his entire life in the county named. Her mother's maiden name was Esther Fuller. Mrs. Phelps was the second of five children, the other mem- bers of the family being Polly, Henry, George and Charles. George is the only one living. No children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Phelps.
Although Mr. Phelps never received more than a primary education, in the district schools of New York and Michigan, he was endowed by nature with sound sense, good judgment and a natural disposition to make the best of the opportunities presented. The result was success. Recognizing that he was able to forward his own interests, his fellow citizens have called him, upon several occa- sions, to assist in the management of public affairs. He served as constable for many years and highway commissioner for several terms. In politics he has invariably been a stanch Republican and in religion is a con- sistent member of the Baptist church society. He has also been prominent in the temperance reforms of the community, being especially
identified with the Washington Temperance Society.
The great sorrow of Mr. Phelps' life came to him January 21, 1906; in the death of his life companion, after they had shared together, through sunshine and shadow, the joys and sorrows of life for sixty-one years. Mrs. Phelps lived to the advanced age of nearly eighty-six years. Mr. Phelps though in his ninety-second year is still hale and hearty re- taining all his faculties to a remarkable de- gree. An adopted daughter, Mrs. Burt, a widow, cares for the home. Like the forest tree standing alone, its fellows having gone down amid the onward march of the passing years, Milton A. Phelps, the revered pioneer, nearing the close of an active and upright life, is able to look out into the vista of the future with a good hope in the life to come.
JAMES N. PHILLIPS
James N. Phillips was born in Dummeress- ville, Northumberland county, Ontario, Can- ada, October 21, 1848. His father, Van Ran- sler Phillips, was a native of Canada, being born about 1815; he died when James N. was a mere lad. The maiden name of our sub- ject's mother was Hannah Howard. She was born in Saratoga, New York, in 1820 and died in 1860. Mr. Phillips' father was a shoe- maker and worked at that trade near Col- borne, Canada, the greater part of his life. Near there he owned a farm, which came to him by inheritance. The subject of this sketch was the fifth of ten children. The first was Emeline, who died in Sanilac county, Michi- gan. She married Solomon Bradley, and the union resulted in four children,-Maletta, Champion, Jefferson and James. Next was Eunice, who now lives at Owosso. She was first married to Isaac Bradley, and they had one child, Isaac. She was married a second time, becoming the wife of Isaac Tucker and nine children were the issue of this union. Joseph, the third, lives in Detroit. He has been twice married; had three children. The
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fourth child was Barton, who passed to the great beyond when a small boy. The fifth was James N. Phillips, whose name appears at the head of this sketch. George was the sixth link in this prolific and notable family, but joined the silent majority while yet a young and unmarried man. The seventh was Lina, who is now a resident of Duluth, Min- nesota. She has been twice married and is the mother of three children. The eighth was Sara L., and she is now living in Aberdeen, Scotland, with her husband, Charles Cronton. The ninth and last in this widely scattered family was Martha, who is now dead. She married Charles Hyde and had three children, -Lillie, Carrie and Philip.
In view of the fact that Mr. Phillips' father died when he was yet young, the family was soon scattered, and as a result the record of births, marriages and deaths was not kept. At the age of twelve years, our subject com- menced working by the month, and two years afterward removed with his sister Emeline, to Lexington, Sanilac county, Michigan, where he worked in the lumber woods and as a hoopmaker, for nine years. He then re- moved to Armada township, Macomb county, Michigan, where he worked by the month on a farm for four years during the summer, while the winters were spent in the lumber woods. He then began buying hoop timber and making hoops in that county. In the meantime he bought a small farm, which he sold in 1877, and bought ninety-six acres in Armada township, that county. This was im- proved and contained good buildings. In the fall of the same year, however, he sold this farm and removed to Hazelton township, Shia- wassee county, and bought eighty acres, thirty acres of which were improved. He cleared twenty-two acres more and in 1877 sold the property and bought seventy acres, mostly im- proved. This is where he now resides. In 1888 he added, by purchase, forty acres on the east to the original seventy, making one hundred and ten acres in all. He subsequently secured sixty-seven acres in Flushing town- ship, Genesee county. This was all improved
and his son George is now living on the prem- ises. On his homestead Mr. Phillips has erected a fine residence and a barn thirty-six by eighty feet.
February 22, 1877, Mr. Phillips was mar- ried to Frances I. Youngs, who was born June 5, 1857. Her father, Darius Youngs, was born in Armada, Michigan, October 1, 1826. Her mother's maiden name was Julia Aldrich. She was born in Massachusetts, October 30, 1830, and came to Michigan with her father, Seth Aldrich, in 1835. The par- ents of Mrs. Phillips were married March 15, 1855. His wife's father was a farmer and owns a farm, which he purchased and cleared when a young man. He still lives on the premises. When the maternal grandfather of Mrs. Phillips came to Michigan the country was all new,-practically a wilderness, in fact. He was one of the first settlers in Ar- mada and experienced the privations and hardships incident to life in a new country. Mrs. Phillips was the second of seven chil- dren. The first was George, who is now a resident of Armada. He married Stella Cal- well, and they have three children,-Matilda, Ella and a baby. The third was Cassius and he lives in Armada. He married Susie Cham- berlain and they have no children. Israel was the fourth. With his sister Minnie he still lives on the old homestead in Armada and. thus far has escaped the darts of Cupid. The fifth was Seth, who still lives in Armada, en- joying "single blessedness." Dwight, the sixth, is a resident of sunny Mississippi. He is married but has no children. The seventh link in the chain is Minnie, who, as stated above, enjoys the old homestead with her brother Israel and is unmarried.
Mr. and Mrs. Phillips have six children in the order named below: Wade, who was born June 20, 1878, is a Methodist Episcopal clergyman and is now stationed at Holton, Michigan. He married Myrta Averel, Sep- tember 16, 1903, and they have one child, Zella, who was born July 2, 1904. George was born December 26, 1879, and lives on his father's farm in Flushing township, Gene-
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see county. He married Maggie Darling October 13, 1903, and they have no children ; Edith was born Julv 19, 1903; Mary Cecilia, October 5, 1883; Guy, October 18, 1885; and James, February 1, 1888.
In politics Mr. Phillips is a Republican. He has been a school officer for a period of twenty-two years,-a fact that speaks volumes for his standing among his fellows. He is a member of the American Association of Equity. He does a general farming business, his chief products being stock and grain. His grandfather on his mother's side was English; and his grandfather on his father's side was German; his grandmother was Irish. The maiden name of his wife's mother's step- mother was Lamisee Wyman. She. was born in Massachusetts August 23, 1817, and mar- ried Seth Aldrich in 1845. She died March 18, 1905, at Armada, Macomb county, having been the last survivor of eleven children, and at the time of her death she was the eldest member of the Congregational church at Ar- mada.
MAXFIELD GEORGE PHOENIX
Maxfield George Phoenix, of Bennington township, is a native of Tompkins county, New York, where he was born April 6, 1830. His parents were Ralph and Catherine (Daw- son) Phoenix. The former was born in New Jersey, February 4, 1805, and died August 6, 1837, and the latter was likewise a native of New Jersey, where she was born February 14, 1804, her death occurring June 29, 1879; her marriage was solemnized April 16, 1824. The father of our subject settled in St. Joseph county, Michigan, in 1835, and died when Maxfield was only six years old. The latter then went to live with an uncle, Lyman Ben- nett, who brought the lad to Shiawassee county, where he lived until he reached his sixteenth year. He then felt that it was time to go to his mother. With the poet he ex- claimed in his inmost soul :
Mother, O mother, my heart calls for you, Many a summer the grass has grown green,
Blossomed and faded our faces between; Yet with strong yearning and passionate pain Long I to-night for your presence again.
He therefore returned to his mother's home, at White Pigeon, Michigan, where he re- mained until 1854. He had not forgotten his early impressions of Shiawassee county, and in 1854 he returned here and bought eighty acres of wild land ten acres of which were cleared and contained a log house. The con- sideration for the property was eleven hun- dred dollars. He paid six hundred and fifty dollars of this cash. Owing to circumstances over which he had no control he subsequently experienced unusual difficulties. He worked for others summers and chopped wood on his own farm winters. He finally surmounted his difficulties and now boasts of a magnificent home and a farm of one hundred and twenty acres, finely improved. His house is situated on a commanding eminence, presenting a pic- turesque view of the surrounding country for a considerable distance in all directions. His residence cost twelve hundred dollars and his barn nearly as much. His buildings are sup- plied with well water through pipes from a wind mill, and the land is in a high state of cultivation, being thoroughly underdrained with tile.
Mr. Phoenix was married March 29, 1865, to Wealthy Brandt, who was born in Perry township, August 26, 1847. She is a daughter of Frederick Brandt, who was born in Ger- many, November 25, 1794, and who died in 1875. Her mother Dorothy (Weazy) Brandt, was born in Hamburg, Germany, and was killed in a tornado, March 14, 1868, at the age of fifty-four years. Mr. Brandt was a butcher by trade and after becoming a farmer worked at that business for his neighbors. He was married in Germany and came to Michigan in 1840, locating on an eighty-acre farm in Perry township. At that time the country was a wilderness, with no roads and only In- dian trails to guide the traveler. Mr. Brandt first built a log house, which had no doors or windows,-merely openings for the same. At night they hung blankets over the same to
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keep the wolves out. But they carved out a good home there and subsequently added forty acres to the farm and replaced the log house by a good frame one.
Mrs. Phoenix was the fifth in a family of eight children. John died in infancy; Eliza- beth died at the age of thirty-five years ; Henry lived in Perry township and died at age of fifty years; Lyman lives in North Dakota ; Sarah is deceased; Louise, now Mrs. A. Able, lives in North Dakota; Mary died at the age of five years.
Mr. Phoenix is the second of six children. John, born January 17, 1825, died many years ago; Elizabeth, born August 17, 1826, is now dead; Sophia died in North Dakota; Samuel and Henry were twins, the former being de- ceased and the latter being a resident of North Dakota. Lyman (1st) died in infancy, having been born April 29, 1828. Mr. Phoenix's mother married second and third husbands. The former was Nathaniel Loder and they lived for many years on the old homestead in St. Joseph county. Later she married Mr. Hebbard and after his death removed to Corunna, where she died.
There are three children in the family of Mr. and Mrs. Phoenix. One, Jennie, is by a former marriage, and is now the widow of Charles Beemis, of Henderson, Rush town- ship. The other two are by his second mar- riage : Bertha, born Feburary 17, 1872, is the wife of William Horton and lives on a farm in Perry township; and John H., who was born February 14, 1882, married Lina Van Wormer, April 20, 1904, and they live with Mr. and Mrs. Phoenix; they have a little daughter, Thelma Theo, born August 4, 1905.
Mr. Phoenix is a Republican in politics, a school officer and highway commissioner. He and his wife are members of the Baptist church.
Being now past the activities of farm life, Mr. Phoenix and his estimable wife are en- joying the fruits of their toil and, surrounded by friends and relatives, are reaping as they have sown, being specially blest in their social relations.
CARL PICKERT
Germany has furnished hundreds of thous- ands of excellent men to help populate Uncle Sam's wide domain. Many of these have- reached great prominence in various spheres of activity in their adopted land. But whether they have been prominent or otherwise, they are all, generally speaking, numbered among our best citizens. Few, however, have reached. a higher standard for honesty and integrity than the gentleman whose name is given above. He was born about ten miles from the city of Berlin, Prussia, February 8, 1862. He is a son of Ferdinand Pickert, who was born. in the same place, November 16, 1826 and who died August 8, 1904; his wife, Emelia (Heise) Pickert, was born August 28, 1839, and she is now a resident of Detroit. Ferdi- nand Pickert was a soldier in the German army and held the rank of sergeant major in the infantry. Later he received a commission. as second lieutenant in the heavy cavalry. He became connected with the army in 1848 or- earlier. Our subject has his father's dis- charge papers, covering the period mentioned, but for aught he knows he may have been in the army prior to the date above stated. He came to America in 1874 and located in De- troit. He was a writer and student and taught school in Macomb county for several years. He assisted in platting Elmwood cemetery in Detroit. Ferdinand Pickert was a liberalist. or social democrat in Germany but in his adopted land he was aligned with the Repub- licans. He was originally a Catholic in his re- ligious convictions.
Our subject was engaged in the handling of real estate in Detroit from 1887 to 1892. From then until 1894 he devoted his energies- to the music business. This not proving profit- able he concluded to remove to Corunna,. where for two and one-half years he con- ducted what is now the Central Hotel. In 1897 he was appointed postmaster of Corunna, holding the office five years. He then as- sumed the management of the coal mines near that city, and was afterward receiver of the.
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industry, the company having failed. He re- cently wound up its affairs, since when he has not been in business.
Mr. Pickert was married June 21, 1893, to Mildred H. Smith, born in Corunna, a daugh- ter of Clark D. Smith, proprietor of the Cen- tral Hotel. She died July 25, 1898; they had one child Mildred M. Our subject was mar- ried a second time, September 19, 1904, when he was united to Ella M. Seeley, who was born in Barry county, Michigan, April 18, 1867.
Mr. Pickert was the first of the five children born to his parents, and all are living: Ferd E. is a clothing sales- man and lives in Detroit; he is mar- ried. John lives in Detroit, is engaged in selling automobiles, is married and has three children. Henry A., single, is city sales- man in Detroit for the Fletcher Hardware Company. Clara is the wife of Gus Letzer- ing of Detroit.
Mr. Pickert secured his early education under the direction of his father in Germany and also in America. He is a Republican in politics, but aside from being postmaster at Corunna, as referred to above, he has held no office. He is a member of the Masonic order, including the thirty-second degree of the Scot- tish Rite. He affiliates with Blue Lodge, No. 115, Free and Accepted Masons; Corunna Chapter, No. 33, Royal Arch Masons; is re- corder of Corunna Council, No. 38, Royal and Select Masons; and past eminent commander of Corunna Commandery, No. 21 Knights Templar. He is also a member of the Knights of Pythias, subordinate and uniform ranks; a charter member of Chapter No. 200, Order of the Eastern Star, Corunna; was one of the organizers of the Owosso lodge of Elks, of which he is past exalted ruler. Mr. Pickert laid out and platted Middletown addition to Corunna and erected some of the first build- ings there. He stands high in the community, being not only a "prince of good fellows," but a gentleman of the strictest integrity and honor. He owns one of the many pleasant homes in Corunna.
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