USA > Michigan > Shiawassee County > Past and present of Shiawassee County, Michigan, historically; with biographical sketches > Part 67
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I have seen this state grow from a popula- tion of two hundred and twelve thousand two hundred and sixty-seven in 1840 to two million, four hundred and twenty thousand, nine hun- dred and eighty-two in 1900, and from almost a wilderness to a great and one of the most prosperous in the United States. When we came to Howell the state had less than a hun- dred miles of railway and now it has between six and seven thousand miles. I am often sur- prised that I could have lived to see such
changes and improvements both in wealth and in education. JOSIAH TURNER.
GEORGE W. URCH
Although not a native of this country, the gentleman whose name is at the head of this sketch was not slow in springing to arms at the call of his adopted country, for on Sep- tember 2, 1862, at the age of sixteen years, he enlisted in Company L, Tenth Michigan Cavalry, at Clarkston, and subsequently, at Grand Rapids, was mustered into the regiment at its organization. He participated in every engagement of his regiment. After the close of the war he worked by the month for four years and nine months. Then he rented a farm for five years. He next bought a house and lot at Springfield, Michigan, in which he lived for one and one-half years ; he then hired out by the month for one year. He worked seven years by the day for one man. He was born in Somersetshire, England, February 3, 1847. His father, George Urch, was likewise born in the same country, in 1827, and he died in Oakland county, Michigan, in 1883. Our subject's mother, Emma (Green) Urch, was a native of the same place as her husband, hav- ing been born in 1828. She also died in Oak- land county. They were married in Somerset- shire, England, whence they came to Oakland county, Michigan, in 1850. The father bought forty acres of wild land in Independence town- ship, on which he built a log house and barn, afterward clearing all the land. After the death of his first wife, George Urch married a Mrs. Lumber.
The subject of this sketch was the sixth of eight children, all of whom were born in Eng- land, except the last one. Sara married Nelson Vliet and died in Oakland county, hav- ing had no children. John is living in Chi- cago, where he was married, having no chil- dren. Hannah, who lives in Clarkston, is the widow of Joseph Kerton and has six chil-
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dren,-Charles, Carrie, Lizzie, Edward, Nor- man and Emma. Morris, who lives in Me- costa county, married a Miss Close, now dead, and they had two sons,-Chester and A. V .; by a second marriage he had one daughter. Edward, who lives at Clarkston, was married first to Helen Green, and after her death he wedded Sara Clark; no children. William lives on the old farm; he married Sara Du- mont and has two children,-Clara and Rose.
Mr. Urch started in life for himself at the age of fourteen years, working on a farm, shoveling in a gravel pit and braking on a gravel train. In 1885 he came to Hazelton township and bought forty acres of wild land, on section 17. He built a house eighteen by twenty-four feet in dimensions and a small stable, cleared all the land and subsequently added twenty acres. In 1895 he sold the prop- erty and bought eighty acres, mostly improved, on section 26, where he now lives. He has re- modeled the house and barn on the property, thus adding greatly to their appearance.
September 2, 1870, Mr. Urch married Emma Phillips, who was born in New Jersey, July 20, 1848. Her father was Adam Phillips, also a native of New Jersey, where he was born in 1818; he now resides in Springfield, Michi- gan. Her mother, Elizabeth (Wheeler) Phil- lips, was born in New Jersey, In 1819, and died in 1902. Mrs. Urch was the third of a family of four children: Austin, who lives on a farm in Springfield township, Oakland county, married Maria Dates and they have no children. Marietta, who lives in Hazelton township, married Axford Gulick and they have no living children. Charity, who lives in Springfield, Oakland county, married Henry Muzzey and has three children,-Guy, Leslie and Ethel. In 1849 Mrs. Urch's father came to Oakland county and bought eighty acres of wild land, part of which he cleared. He then removed to Clarkston township and rented land. Later he bought a house and lot in Springfield village, where he resided, with his son Austin, until his death, October 11, 1905.
Mr. and Mrs. Urch had one son, Willie. He was born September 2, 1870, in Oakland county, but died February 4, 1895. He mar- ried Cora Austin, February 10, 1884. She was born in Hazelton township, May 15, 1872. Mrs. Urch is a member of the Methodist Epis- copal church. Mr. Urch was a Republican in politics and has been highway commissioner for eight years. Both his brothers were also in the army, Morris served three years in the Eighth Michigan Cavalry, and John served four years in an Ohio regiment.
LYMAN W. VAN ALSTINE
That persistent industry and good business judgment almost invariably win success is a fact whose truth has never been disputed, and the possessor of these traits usually has for- tune smile upon him. Through long contin- ued effort the subject of this sketch has at- tained a position where he can reflect upon the past with satisfaction and look forward to the future with assurances of enjoyment and comfortable competency.
Lyman W. Van Alstine was born in Scho- harie county, state of New York, on the 2d of December, 1839. He is a son of John L. and Catherine (Collins) Van Alstine, both natives of the same county in which he himself was born. They were pious, well-to-do farmers, belong- ing to the Lutheran church. The father was . born January 31, 1816, and died October 12, 1900. The mother was born January 24, 1823, and died August 15, 1882. Their union was blessed by the birth of six children. The first born was Alexander (deceased). The subject of this sketch was the second born of the fam- ily. Then came Ephraim, Helena, Maria and Esther.
Our subject received his early education in the district schools, remaining at home until his marriage, November 1, 1865, when he and his happy bride commenced life for themselves. His wife, Sophia Elizabeth, is a daughter of
MR. AND MRS. LYMAN W. VAN ALSTINE
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Mr. and Mrs. Gideon Empie, of the state of New York, both of whom were members of the Lutheran church and highly respected in the community in which they lived. Of their five children Mrs. Van Alstine is the oldest. Then followed Myron, Luther, Martha and John J.
Mr. Van Alstine was fortunate in his first undertaking, for he secured a good helpmate. After his marriage he worked a rented farm for a time and then purchased a farm of his own, in the state of New York. Upon this place they resided for a period of about seven- teen years. This farm was located in Mont- gomery county. Mr. Van Alstine came to the state of Michigan on the 10th day of March, 1883. He purchased a fine farm of one hun- dred acres, on sections 5 and 6, Vernon town- ship. The land was improved but our sub- ject has done much to enhance its beauty and value since it came into his possession, having remodeled and improved the buildings. Gen- eral farming has been the order with Mr. Van Alstine and he has kept abreast with the pro- gressive spirit of agriculture in the state, and each year has added to the comforts and en- joyments of life. Though still in good physi- cal health, he has practically retired from the more active operations of farm work, leaving its management to his son Charles, who has a farm joining that of his father. Like his father, Mr. Van Alstine is a Democrat. He has been honored by his fellow townsmen with several local offices. For the past four years he has been president of Vernon village, which position he occupies at this date.
To Mr. and Mrs. Van Alstine three children have been born : The oldest, John L., born May 14, 1869, is a stockholder and assistant cash- ier in the First National Bank of Durand. Previously to coming to Durand he was for ten years in the upper peninsula of Michigan, in the railroad service. August 21, 1895, he was united in marriage to Florence Ballard, of Oakland county. They have two chil- dren,-Vivian, born March 9, 1897, and Ly-
man Warner, born December 29, 1904. The second, Charles, was born December 22, 1870. He married Mertie Martin, of Vernon town- ship. Martha, born July 26, 1873, is a gradu- ate of the Vernon high school, as is also John L.
Mr. and Mrs. Van Alstine have been for many years consistent and highly respected members of the Methodist Episcopal church, to which they give loyal support. .
JAMES R. VAN DYNE
The gentleman whose name heads this sketch is a native of Michigan and was born in Novi township, Oakland county, April 12, 1836. He may truly be classed among the pi- oneers of the state of his nativity. His parents were married in Oakland county. His father, Abram Van Dyne, was born in New York, and came to Michigan with his parents while yet a young man. His mother, Harriet (Eddy) Van Dyne, was born in New York November 20, 1813. Our subject's father bought one hundred and twenty acres of gov- ernment land in Novi township and cleared the tract. He built a house and lived in the same until his death, in 1845.
Our subject received his education in a dis- trict school in Oakland county district. This country school turned out many teachers, nearly all of them remarkably good ones, too! Few young men in the rural districts of Michigan have had more bitter experience than did Mr. Van Dyne in starting his inde- pendent career. When he had reached his ma- jority he bought two hundred and forty acres of timbered land in this state for six hundred dollars, three hundred dollars of which was cash down. He had never seen the property, relying upon the representations of others as to its worth. He afterward ascertained, how- ever, to his great sorrow, that the land was almost worthless, so he never paid any more on it, thus losing his three hundred invested.
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He then bought the eighty acres on which he now lives. It was then all heavily timbered. He at once let the contracts to cut the tim- ber and clear the land, after which he re- turned to Oakland county,' where he lived for nine years, renting land and working it on shares. He then removed to his Middlebury farm and built a frame house. At this time about sixty acres were cleared. He has since lived there. Meanwhile, however, he specu- lated a good deal in lands, buying and sell- ing and paying as high as fifty dollars per acre for some of it. He has never done any clear- ing or chopping himself, preferring to have this work done by others, under contract or otherwise. While this was being done, how- ever, he found other employment which proved more remunerative for his efforts. He also had all his buildings erected in a similar man- ner. Many pioneers boast of the number of rails they have split, but Mr. Van Dyne takes great pride in telling that he never split a rail on these premises. Indeed, one can not help but admit that our subject has been a "wise guy" in this regard, if we may be al- lowed to use a phrase more expressive than elegant. Some twenty-three years ago he built the fine house in which he now lives, at a cost of three thousand dollars. It is com- posed of the best quality of white pine, with all its appointments first class. He says it could not now be replaced for less than five thousand dollars. He also has a larger num- ber of farm buildings on his farm than any other farm in the township, and pays more taxes on land than any other resident of Middlebury. He has assisted each of his children to buy farms, or given them money instead, cheer- fully and bountifully doing all that was need- ful by his household. This is indeed a good record! What a monument to leave behind to keep his memory green in the minds of his children after his body has been consigned to mother earth !
. Mr. Van Dyne was married September 20, 1867, to Mary Herrick, a native of Middle-
bury, where she was born November 20, 1856. She is a daughter of Nathan and Sylvia (Doane) Herrick, honored pioneers of Mid- dlebury ; both her parents have passed to the other shore. In this township Nathan Her- rick cleared a farm of two hundred acres, upon which he lived and died. He was a splendid farmer and a sterling citizen.
Mr. and Mrs. Van Dyne had seven children, six of whom are living : 1. Albert E., who mar- ried Georgie Doe, lives on a farm adjoining that of his father ; they have three children,- Lucy, James and Alice. 2. Agnes, who died at the age of thirty-two years, married Henry Gillett and they lived on a farm of our sub- ject. 3. Lucy married A. H. Moulton and they live on a farm near that of her father; they have three children,-Ida, Hattie and James. 4. Ellen married Justin Babcock and they live on a farm in Middlebury ; they have four chil- dren. 5. Hattie married George Warren, of Middlebury, and three children have been born to them. 6. Edward owns a farm of two hundred acres in Sciota township, Shiawassee county. 7. Anna married Spencer Seaman and they live with Mr. Van Dyne.
Mr. Van Dyne was one of a family of six children, five of whom lived to maturity. 1. Louis, who died at the age of sixty-six years, lived on a farm in Middlebury. 2. Lucy mar- ried Emery Glass, who died at the age of sev- enty-one years ; they lived on a farm fourteen miles from Detroit. 3. Our subject. 4. Charles B. lives in Colorado. 5. George enlist- ed in Company D, Fifth Michigan Cavalry, in Oakland county, Michigan, and served in the civil war; he was kicked in the knee by a horse and was discharged for disability. He draws a pension and now has a position in the patent office at Washington, D. C.
Mr. Van Dyne conducts general farming. He has good grades of stock and makes a spe- cialty of raising sheep. He has been highly successful, but never overworks his men or teams. Verily, in the language of another, he can exclaim, "I am a man, and I have an in-
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terest in everything that concerns humanity." In politics he is a Republican and he has been town treasurer for two years, highway com- missioner several years and has. held other po- sitions.
The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Ovid, and Mr. Van Dyne has been an ardent supporter of the church for years. Indeed, for twenty-eight years he has led the singing in his church. He is in good health with the exception that cataracts upon his eyes greatly affect his sight. Mrs. Van Dyne has been in delicate health for sev- eral years. With a consciousness of having made his impress upon the world, he is liv- ing in the enjoyment of the fruits of his years of toil.
. VOLNEY C. VAN LIEW, M. D.
Imbued with the same spirit that caused Lin- coln to utter in thunder tones at Gettysburg, "This nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth," Cornelius Van Liew, with four of his brothers, shouldered his musket and did battle in the great civil war. It is a remarkable record that one family should furnish five sons for the desperate struggle, but such was the case with the Van Liews. Descendants of good old Holland stock, they did not stop for consequences. but heroically hastened to the front at their coun- try's call, preceded by Cornelius, who enlisted in Company F, Sixth Michigan Cavalry, in 1862, and was with the regiment until taken prisoner at Brandy Station. He was sent to prison at Andersonville, where he died of sick- ness, after having been incarcerated for eleven months. He was a private soldier. His four brothers were Daniel, Martin, James and William, and strange to say, not one of these was ever wounded in battle or taken prisoner. Two of them are still living,-William in Kal- amazoo and James in Montcalm county.
Volney C. Van Liew, the subject of this article, is a native of Kent county, Michigan, where he was born March 31, 1858. Both his parents were born in New York state. The Van Liews originally came from Holland, the Doctor's grandfather having been born in that country. Our subject's father came to Michi- gan about fifty years ago and located on a farm near Rockford. He was one of a family of five sons and three daughters. His wife lived to be forty-eight years old and died in 1884. After the death of her first husband she mar- ried a man named Nicholson. Their home was in Kent county.
Cornelius Van Liew was married prior to becoming the husband of Volney's mother. Two children were the issue of that union,- Winfield was married and lived in Montcalm county, but is now dead ; Franklin, the second son, studied for the ministry, at Albion col- lege, and died soon after completing his stud- ies. The Doctor was the third in a family of five children : 1. Estella, Mrs. Sperry, is now living on a farm in Muskegon county, and has three children,-Minnie, Cornelius and Mabel. 2. Jesse, who is living on a farm in Kent county, was formerly a mill man. 4. Lafay- ette is employed in a shingle mill in the state of Washington. 5. Cornelius lives in Cedar Springs, Michigan, and is a blacksmith.
Dr. Van Liew acquired his early education in the district schools in Kent county and in the high school of Rockford, spending two years in the latter institution. He also at- tended the Advent College at Battle Creek for two years and was one year at the Central Normal College in Indiana. He was gradu- ated in the Michigan College of Medicine, now the Detroit College, in 1884. He prac- ticed for three years at Croton, Michigan, be- fore completing their course at college and was there for one year after securing his diploma. From Croton he moved to Vestaburg, Michi- gan, where he remained seven years. In 1892 he located at Lennon, Michigan, and has been there ever since. At the time he began prac-
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ticing medicine he also embarked in the drug business, and he is still engaged in it. He was appointed postmaster of Lennon in 1896 and still holds the position. This, with his practice and drug store, makes him a very busy man.
Dr. Van Liew was married February 16, 1885, to Nettie Routson, who was born in Ohio, January 7, 1862. Her father, William Routson, now dead, was a cooper by trade and always worked at this until the last fif- teen years of his life, during which he was en- gaged in farming. Her mother is still living. Mrs. Van Liew was one of six children, all of whom are living. The Doctor has no chil- dren. He has always been a Republican but never held office except his present one. He is a member of the Knights of the Macca- bees and was at one time an Odd Fellow. A physician of the old school, he enjoys a large and lucrative practice and is highly esteemed by the entire community.
JOSEPH VARCO
Michigan contains very many Canadian- born farmers whose ancestors were of English stock. These are quite generally among our most prosperous and enterprising citizens. One characteristic which they possess is very commendable, and that is their desire to have a home and to stay there. There is little of the roving disposition in their make-up. It was Shakespeare who said :
I'll still stay, to have thee still forget, Forgetting any other home but this.
The gentleman whose name is given at the head of this article was born near Hamilton, Canada, January 21, 1843. His father was Richard Varco, a native of England. He died in Canada at the age of seventy years. Our subject's mother, Hannah (Wier) Varco, was born in Canada and died at the home of her son Joseph, subject of this sketch, with whom she lived after the death of her hus-
band. She was seventy years of age at the time of her death. Richard Varco came to America from England when yet a young man. He was married in Canada and located in North Cumberland, near Hamilton, where he continued to live until his death.
Joseph Varco's early education was very limited, as he attended school but a short time. But he is well informed, however, hav- ing acquired a good fund of knowledge in after years, by reading and observation.
All rests with those who read. A work or thought
Is what each makes it to himself, and may Be full of great, dark meanings, like the sea, With shoals of life rushing.
When but six years old our subject went to live with a brother, but commenced working on a farm by the month when a mere lad. At the age of twenty-one years he found his way to Michigan and for two years afterward worked by the month on a farm in Owosso township. He then decided that he had toiled for others long enough, that the hour had ar- rived when he should "paddle his own canoe," so to speak. He therefore bought eighty acres of native forest land, on section 12, Middle- bury township, and began the Herculean task of converting it into a farm. In this he was successful, despite the fact that it took a "long pull and a strong pull" to accomplish this result. But he did his work well, clear- ing fifty-five acres, and the result is shown in his present cultivated fields and fine build- ings. He has since lived here. He first built a log house and log stable and occupied the former until fourteen years ago, when he erected a good frame residence and replaced the old log stable with a large frame barn and other needed structures. Some of his land is somewhat low and swampy, but will even- tually be of the best, after proper drainage.
The year after he located on his present farm Mr. Varco was married to Harriet De Long, now fifty years old. She is a native of
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Canada, and is a daughter of Osra De Long, who was a farmer in Canada. Mrs. Varco comes from a family of twelve children, none of whom are in this country except herself. To Mr. and Mrs. Varco have been born ten children, nine of whom are living, one having died in infancy: 1. Osra, a farmer in Owosso township, married L. Denison, and they have no children. 2. John, who lives in Owosso and is a brakeman on the Ann Arbor Railroad, is married. 3. Bertha is the wife of James Wiggins, of Owosso, and they have three children. 4. Charles is a farmer in Fairfield township. 5. William works in Bentley's fac- tory in Owosso, is married and has two chil- dren. 6. Joseph, single, works by the day. 7. Elmer is single and at home. 8. Elva attends school and is at home. 9. Blanche is at home.
Mr. Varco was one of five children, of whom these are living: James resides in Canada. Mary Ann, who lives in Pennsylvania, mar- ried Walter Butler.
Our subject has always been a Republican in politics, in which he takes great interest, but has never held office, excepting that of Pathmaster. He is also greatly interested in all matters pertaining to pioneer days, but is not a member of the county pioneer society as yet. He intends to join it soon, however. His health has not been the best for two years past, but he still manages his farm.
G. BURTON WADE, M. D.
Among the younger practitioners of medi- cine in the village of Laingsburg, Shiawassee county, we find none more progressive than our subject. He is ambitious to stand at the head of his profession and is alive to the in- terests of the community, always ready to push with a good will any enterprise for the upbuilding of the town. To the young men we must look for such aggressive action, and to this class does our subject belong.
Dr. Wade was born at Montgomery, Frank-
lin county, Vermont, April 16, 1863, a son of George R. and Ruth (Smith) Wade, na- tives of Vermont, where they were born in 1823 and 1828 respectively. Our subject is a descendant of English stock. The father was a millwright and farmer and died Febru- ary 19, 1899, and the mother passed away June 13, 1876.
Our subject was the youngest of the three children of George R. and Ruth Wade : Leonora, born May 16, 1849, married first E. W. Hopkins, by whom she had five chil- dren,-Frank E., Henry W., Nellie, Stephen (dead) and Charles. She later married F. P. Sawyer, who lives at Essex, Vermont. Homer, born April 23, 1856, is married and lives at Montreal, Canada. He is the father of three children,-Ella, George and Felice. Our subject is the third member of the family. The mother of our subject was a member of the Baptist church. Politically the father affili- ated with the Republican party.
Dr. Wade started for himself at the age of eighteen years, working in a butter-tub fac- tory for one year, on a farm one year, and then in a general store, after which he went to Leominster, Massachusetts, and worked in a cabinet factory two years. Thence he went to Lynn, Massachusetts, where he worked at making pasteboard boxes for a shoe factory. Through an accident to one of his fingers he was sent to a hospital and while there he was engaged as a nurse, remaining thus engaged for four years, from November, 1885, to No- vember, 1889. He then went to Burlington, Vermont, and entered school, taking up two courses, and completing two years' work in a single year. At the end of the school year he accepted a position as nurse in the insane asylum at Middleton, Connecticut, where he remained six months. He also performed a like service for the same length of time at a hospital in Albany, New York. In September, 1891, our subject commenced a course of study in the medical department of the Balti- more University, where he remained until he
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