USA > Michigan > Ingham County > Lansing > Past and present of the city of Lansing and Ingham county, Michigan > Part 22
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In 1876 Judge Cahill was elected County Prosecuting Attorney and efficiently served for two terms. In 1887 he was appointed by Gov. Luce as a member of the State Board of Pardons, which office he resigned in 1890 to accept the position of Justice of the Supreme Court. In the fall election of 1890 he was nominated for this office by the Republican convention, but was defeated, as was the entire Republican State ticket, for the first time in thirty-five years.
On the IIth day of June of 1867 Judge Cahill was united in marriage to Miss Lucy
Crawford of Milford, Oakland county, a native of Wayne county, Michigan. This union has been blessed with five children, of whom two are now living, namely, Clara, who became the wife of Prof. Robert E. Parks of Harvard College, and Margaret, who married Henry S. Bartholomew, who is now identified as sales manager with E. Be- ment & Sons of Lansing.
To say of Judge Cahill that he is an earn- est man, who has made a success in life, seems trite to those who are familiar with his history. Beginning at an early age with- out pecuniary advantages, save that of a good name established by a worthy father, Judge Cahill has carefully, studiously and honorably carved out his own fortune. Be- ginning at the bottom of the ladder, he has gradually ascended to the top, step by step, until he now stands as one of the foremost men of his time in Michigan. In recognition of his professional efficiency, he has been re- tained by the State in a number of important cases. In 1894 he was appointed by Gov. Rich to assist the Prosecuting Attorney in the cases of the Secretary of State, State Treasurer, Commissioner of State Land Of- fice and Attorney General, who were indicted for offenses against the election laws, and also in the proceedings brought against them by the Governor in the Supreme Court to remove the first three named officers from office.
Prior to this time, or in 1888 and 1889, he was retained by the Attorney General of the State in the prosecution of the Swamp Land Cases, by which the State sought to recover from certain railroads lands claimed under the Swamp Land Act, and was also retained as Counsel in 1899 in the prosecution of what was known as the Military Cases. which resulted in the conviction of the Quar- termaster General, and the Inspector Gen- eral, as well as several other persons who
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were implicated. As a jurist and as an at- torney, his reputation is unquestioned. He is able, painstaking and conscientious in his work. He is a man of many warm friends, and, it is possible, some enemies. What man has not, who possesses any force of char- acter ? As a citizen, he has been ever ready to assist in any and everything that would tend to the advancement of his adopted city and county. Evidence of that interest has been shown on every hand.
OLIVER EDWARDS.
Among the residents of Leslie township, who have by their own force of character and energy, risen to positions of independence and influence is Mr. Oliver Edwards, the subject of this sketch. Mr. Edwards was born in the old Empire State April 23, 1828, and was one of a family of six children, born to Calvin (born in 1794) and Phoebe (born in 1795) Edwards, two of whom are now living, Stephen, born June 12, 1821, and our subject.
The father, Calvin, was born in New York, while the mother came from New Jersey. Calvin Edwards was a mason by trade and came from Cayuga county, N. Y. to the Township of Leslie, with his family in 1838 and settled on the farm upon which our subject has lived since he was eleven year sold. The father improved the farm and lived there until the time of his death, which occurred in 1851, the mother having died in 1848.
Our subject's two brothers, Ogden, who is dead, and Stephen, now a resident of Jack- son county, living at the advanced age of eighty-four years, chopped the first tree felled on their father's place, upon which no improvement had been made.
Oliver Edwards received his education in an old log school house in his township.
which building he helped to erect. After at- taining to manhood, by his thrift and char- acteristic energy he added to his possessions from time to time until he now owns one hundred and forty acres of well improved and highly productive land. A modern home and fine barns are found on the farm, of which he may justly feel proud.
On March 9, 1854, occurred the marriage of our subject to Catherine Beech of New York, whose death occurred April 13, 1902. Unto this union were born six children : Ettie, born in 1856, died at the age of six years ; Cora L., born in 1858, died at the age of two years; Mary A., born June 12, 1860, died January 16, 1861 ; Ogden D. and Oliver A., twins, born August, 1862, and both are deceased, and Allen R., born April 30, 1869, who. April 23, 1889, married Miss Anna Sayers of Leslie. Two children have blessed this union, Ralph Allen, born June 1I, 1892. and Roscoe Oliver, born February 5, 1897.
Mr. and Mrs. Allen Edwards now run the farm, allowing the father to live in ease, en- joying the fruits of his former toil, and are both members of the M. E. church in Leslie, to which the father also belongs.
Allen Edwards is a very successful farmer and is making a specialty of thoroughbred short horn cattle.
Oliver Edwards came here with his par- ents in covered wagons and five weeks was the period of time it took to make the trip. They travelled through Ohio and could make about thirty miles in three days. At the time of our subject's arrival in this country, every- thing was in the wildest state, forests abounding on every side and sixty-five years of residence in a township, where one has lived a life of thrift and energy, lending his efforts to the settling and upbuilding of the country, have brought Mr. Edwards the high esteem of a large circle of friends, who wish for him, during the remaining years of his
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life, the comfort and happiness which he has justly earned.
DANIEL M. COOK.
Germany has given to America many of its sturdy sons and energetic daughters, who through their many hard days' labor and in- terest taken in their adopted country, have helped to make this new world what it is today-the most prosperous country in the world. John and Catherine (Zick) Cook were among those who came from Germany to seek their fortune in the wilds of America. The former's birth occurred April 7, 1832, and the latter's June 10, 1837. Mr. Cook had one brother who came to America with him. Upon his arrival in America, Mr. John Cook settled in New York, living there for two years, when he came to Okemos, Michigan, where he lived for two years, when in 1859 he bought forty acres of wild land in Williamston township, which he cleared and improved and made his home.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. John Cook were born two children, one, the subject of this sketch, Daniel M. Cook, whose birth occurred in this State, April 29, 1859, and a sister, now thir- ty-six years old, who is the widow of Clare Sullivan, and now resides at home.
Daniel Cook acquired his early education in the district schools of Williamston and started out in Ann Arbor, but was called home at the time of his father's death in February, 1894. to take charge of the farm, where he has since resided, caring for the farm and making a home for his mother and sister.
The father at the time of his death had ac- cumulated a comfortable fortune and a fine property, consisting of one hundred and six- ty acres of highly cultivated land, due to the characteristic energy and ability of the Ger- man farmer. He was a staunch Democrat
and both he and his wife were German Luth- erans and lived their lives in harmony with the teachings of that church.
Mr. Daniel Cook is active in political af- fairs, casting his vote and exerting his influ- ence for the Democracy. He was honored by the position of School Inspector at one time. In fraternal relations he is a member of the Masonic order, in which he takes an active interest. In 1904 he ran for Repre- sentative against Martin Hanlon, but was defeated.
Mr. Cook is successfully engaged in gen- eral farming and the raising of graded stock and he and his sister are the owners of one hundred and twenty acres of improved land. He lives in the high esteem of his friends.
FRANK E. CHURCH.
Frank E. Church, private secretary to E. W. Sparrow, and general superintendent of that gentleman's large property interests in the United States and Canada, was born in Lockport, New York, in the year 1864. He is the son of Charies W. and Sarah Church. His father, a native of the Green Mountain state, being thrown on his own resources when only about twelve years of age. Upon the death of his father (our subject's grand- father) he went to Yates, New York, and remained there until 1854. Having learned the trade of a merchant tailor he settled at Lansing and followed that occupation for a number of years before embarking in the mercantile business. In 1873 he became connected with the State Board of Health office and continued in that department un- til 1902. He is now retired from active work, and has well earned his retirement. He is a Republican -- one of the first in Mich- . igan.
Of Mr. Church's 'six children, two are still living : Frank E. and Arthur W., a resi-
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dent of Caro, Michigan. Our subject has passed most of his life in Lansing. He was educated there, attending its high school and graduating from its commercial college in 1881. For a time he worked upon a farm and applied himself to the car- penter's trade.
In 1883 E. W. Sparrow secured Mr. Church's services as bookkeeper and after- wards appointed him his private secretary in' active charge of his large and varied inter- ests. Some idea of the responsibilities thus assumed may be gained when it is stated that the former holds large tracts of timber in the West and South of the United States, as well as in Canada. He is also the owner of considerable mineral land and has an ex- tensive real estate business in Lansing. The thirty houses which are in course of erection are under the personal supervision of Mr. Church, who himself buys the material and hires the workmen, none of the building be- ing done by contract.
Our subject was united in marriage in 1890 to Miss Bertha L. Waterbury of Gene- see, New York. They have two children, Julia and Margaret. Mr. and Mrs. Church are members of the Central M. E. church. Mr. Church is a Mason and Forester. He is a Republican, a good citizen, husband and father, and a successful and honored busi- ness man.
J. S. JENKINS.
J. S. Jenkins, who is now successfully en- gaged in general farming on section one, Aurelius township, is a native son of Mich- igan, his birth having occurred in Living- ston county Sept. 2, 1855, his parents being Nelson and Phebe Howard-Jenkins, who were natives of New York. It was at an early date that the father and mother emi- grated westward to Michigan and bought
eighty acres of the government, where the town of Grass Lake now stands. This he sold, however, and took up land in Living- ston county, where the Township of Put- nam, near Pinckney now stands. Here the father and mother spent their remaining days. The mother died Jan. 14, 1882, at the age of sixty-eight, and the father Oct. 6, 1870, aged sixty-three, and both were in- terred in the cemetery at Pinckney, Living- ston county.
J. S. Jenkins was one of a family of four children, two of whom are living: W. B., a resident of Bay View, and our subject, who acquired his early education in the com- inon schools of Livingston county, where he attended until at the age of seventeen years, he found employment with his father on the farm. In 1872, desiring to start out in life himself, he purchased sixty acres, where he now resides and afterwards bought forty additional acres, owning now in all one hundred acres of land. Mr. Jenkins has practically made all the improvements on this place and has cleared the greatest por- tion of it.
Our subject has been twice married, the first union being with Miss Adelaide Far- num, daughter of Carlton Farnum of Liv- ingston county, and unto this union one child was born, Eugene F., born Sept. 2, 1869, in California. The second wife bore the name of Mary E. Webb, daughter of Sheldon Webb of Livingston county, and one child was born to this second union, Charles S., born Dec. 14, 1882, now twenty-two years of age and a partner with his father in the farming business. In this they engage in general farming, also giving particular at- tention to the raising of stock.
Mr. Jenkins is a man who has done con- siderable traveling, having made two trips to California, the first being made in 1869, and was one of the passengers on the first
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train, that had a through ticket from the East to San Francisco, as his ticket read "From Detroit to San Francisco, Califor- nia."
Eugene, who is now a resident of Nevada and the owner of a large stock ranch, was born in California and is a member of that organization called "The Native Sons and Daughters of the Golden West," an organi- zation for those who were natives of that state only. Eugene is extensively engaged in stock raising and is a man of considerable wealth, having come into considerable prop- ertl from his mother's side of the family, being heir to the Avondale Coal Mines in Pennsylvania.
Mrs. Jenkins and the son, Charles, are inembers of the M. E. church and have taken an active interest in the maintenance and development of it in this locality. Mr. Jenkins affiliates with the Republican party, believing that its men and measures are best fitted for the government of the people. He is also a member of the Grange.
Mr. Jenkins is in every way a self-made man, as he started out in life with little ex- cept strong determination, perseverance of purpose and a pair of willing hands. He has steadily worked his way upwards until he has now a desirable property.
ROMAIN CUSHMAN.
Romain Cushman was born March 20, 1853, at Sylvan, Michigan, and was the son of Consider and Charlotte (Smith) Cush- man. His parents were natives of the Eni- pire state, where the mother was born November 18, 1817, and the father, June 1, 1818. His father was reared on a farm, and came to Michigan in 1835 and located in the Township of Lima, Washtenaw county. Af- ter marriage they went to farming for four years, then ran a hotel for a term of years,
then sold out and purchased a farm of eighty acres in the Township of Sylvan, stayed there four years, then sold out for sixteen hundred dollars and purchased a farm in Sharon of one hundred and sixty acres. Here they stayed for six years, when they rented the farm and again moved back to Lima and purchased what is known as the old Cushman homestead of one hundred and forty-five acres. He kept buying land and adding to the old homestead until he had four hundred and forty acres, then he sold out to his three sons, all but one hundred acres, then later they all sold out, the father moving to Chelsea, and the sons came to Ingham county, where they purchased farms. Later the father purchased one hundred and sixty acres in Sylvan, where they both lived until their death. The father died Novem- ber 21, 1891, and the mother three years later in November, 1894, leaving the farm to the youngest son. Both were members of the M. E. church. To them were born nine children, two daughters and seven sons, four of whom are living: James, Jerome, Romain and Oliver; Jerome and Romain being twins. The names of the deceased are : Byron, Wesley, Louis, Maria and Eliza- beth.
The old Cushman homestead was in the family for over fifty years; was regarded as headquarters for all the social features in that section of the country. About twen- ty couples were married at the Cushman homestead. Our subject and wife started housekeeping here and their daughter, Anna, was there born.
Our subject was educated in the district schools in the township where his father resided, until the years of his majority. In 1879 Mr. Cushman started out for himself in life, purchasing with his brother a por- tion of the old homestead, consisting of eighty acres of choice land, all improved.
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ARTHUR J. TUTTLE
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In March, 1882, he sold out and bought his present farm of one hundred and twenty acres on section twenty-three in Williamston township. Since purchasing this place, Mr. Cushman has built one of the finest resi- dences in the township and two large stock barns. His farm is under a high state of cultivation, denoting thrift and enterprise.
Mr. Cushman was united in marriage June 20, 1880, to Miss Minnie, daughter of Frederick and Frederica Roedel of Sylvan, Washtenaw county. Mrs. Cushman's parents were natives of Saxon, Germany, and after coming to this country first settled at Mich- igan City, Michigan, afterwards locating in Washtenaw county. Mr. Roedel died in 1863 and Mrs. Roedel in 1883. The father was a blacksmith by trade, which occupation he followed throughout life. He was also an active local M. E. minister. To Mr. and Mrs. Roedel were born seven children, six of whom are living.
To Mr. and Mrs. Cushman were born two children : Anna M., born December 31, 1881, and Ruby E., December 26, 1884. Anna was married December 10, 1902, to Mr. Alonzo Hill, and they make their home with her parents. In addition to general farming, Mr. Cushman has been engaged in buying stock for the past twenty years. He ships to Detroit, Buffalo and Chicago. He is also a heavy feeder for the Eastern market ..
The name of Cushman has become a synonym for successful business enterprise.
ARTHUR J. TUTTLE.
Arthur J. Tuttle was born November 8. 1868, on section six of Leslie township in this county. He is a son of Ogden Valorous and Julia Elizabeth Tuttle, of whom mention is made elsewhere in this work. His mother, who had been a school teacher, taught him at home until he had finished Sander's sec-
ond reader. He then attended district school No. 2 of Leslie until the spring of 1885. when he entered the Leslie high school. He still continued to live at the home of his parents, driving to the Village of Leslie, a distance of four and one-half miles for school each morning. In June, 1888, he was graduated from the Leslie high school, and in the following October entered the literary department of the University of Michigan. He became a member of the Michigan Iota Beta Chapter of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity ; was elected Presi- dent of Province Delta of that fraternity, and founded the Landa Pi Chapter at the University of Nebraska. He was Historian of the senior literary class of 1892, and Sec- retary of the 1893 Palladium board. He was graduated from the literary department of the University of Michigan in June, 1892, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Philoso- phy. In the fall of that year he entered the law department of the University of Michi- gan. The following year he studied law with Messrs. Cahill & Ostrander of Lansing, returning to the University of Michigan for his senior year. He was graduated with the law class of 1895, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Laws.
Immediately after leaving the University he returned to Leslie and opened an office for the practice of law. In the fall of 1898 he was elected Prosecuting Attorney of Ingham county, and in January, 1899, opened a law office in the City of Lansing. He was re- elected in the fall of 1900, and many im- portant criminal cases were tried by him dur- ing the four years he held that office. He is now serving his second term as Chairman of the Republican County Committee, to which office he was first elected in 1902. He was elected President of the Village of Leslie in the spring of 1905, and now holds that office. He has been President of the People's Bank
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of Leslie since January 1, 1900. He is inter- ested in farming and various other business enterprises, but devotes nearly all of his time to the legal profession, maintaining his office at both Leslie and Lansing.
He is President of the Sigma Alpha Epsi- lon Alumni Association of Michigan, a member of Leslie Lodge No. 212, Free and Accepted Masons; Leslie Chapter No. 100, Royal Arch Masons; Leslie Council No. 50, Royal and Select Masters; Leslie Chapter No. 155, Order of the Eastern Star; Jack- son Commandery No. 9, Knights Templar ; Michigan Sovereign Consistory Ancient Ac- cepted Scottish Rite ; Moslem Temple Nobles of the Mystic Shrine; Foster Lodge No. 95, Independent Order of Odd Fellows ; Ingham Encampment No. 22, I. O. O. F .; Leslie Rebekah Lodge No. 317, I. O. O. F .; Ma- son Lodge No. 70, Knights of Pythias; Mecca Temple No. 56, Dramatic Order Knights of Khorassan ; Jackson Lodge No. 113, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; Leonard Art Tent No. 585, Knights of the Modern Maccabees; Leslie Camp No. 1707, Modern Woodmen of America.
On March II, 1903, he was married to Jessie B. Stewart, a daughter of William K. and Amanda (Gaulton) Stewart, of Grande Pointe, Michigan. Following their mar- riage they spent the spring and early summer in Europe, since which time they have lived at Leslie. Their only child, Ruth Beatrice Tuttle, was born March 21, 1904.
JOHN J. TUTTLE (DECEASED).
The life of John J. Tuttle is closely inter- woven with the pioneer history of Ingham county. His life was a busy one and from the year 1837, when he located on section 7 of Leslie township, until the time of his death on January 20, 1903, he was intimate- ly associated with the affairs of this county.
He was the son of Jabez and Bessie ( Ayres) Tuttle, natives of New York and New Jersey, respectively. Jabez Tuttle was born in 1761 and shortly after his marriage located at Mentz, New York, where he and his good wife came as pioneers. He divided his time between carpenter work, farming and oper- ating a distillery. He served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War and also in the War of 1812. They were blessed with four sons and three daughters, namely : Phoebe, Sallie, Hannah, Benjamin, James B., John J., and Samuel. Our subject remained at home un- til he reached the age of 16 years at which time he was bound out to learn the black- smith's trade at Auburn, New York, but not liking the man to whom he was apprenticed he ran away and went to Weedsport, New York, and there served an apprenticeship at the tanners' and curriers' trade for three years. He then engaged in the tanning busi- ness, using his father's old still-house as a tannery and for two years conducted that business.
During the Black Hawk War he took a contract from the government as butcher to supply the friendly Indians with meat, and was located at Chicago, which was then a village of about 1,000 inhabitants. In the meantime he was looking for land which would be suitable for farming purposes. He was disgusted with the low, marshy lands about Chicago, and in November, 1834, re- turned to New York and there followed farming for two years. It was in the year 1836 that he purchased the east one-half of the northwest quarter of section 7 in the Township of Leslie, and in the fall of the following year he brought his young wife from the comfortable home of her father, to their log cabin in the wilderness, without door, floor or window. His wife's maiden name was Emma Warren, and they were married March 12, 1836, at Palmyra, New
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York. She was born at Camden, New Jer- sey, April 6, 1812. She was a daughter of William and Mary (Horn) Warren, and grand-daughter of General Warren of revo- lutionary fame. They brought with them from their home in New York a very mea- ger outfit for housekeeping, a good axe and three dollars in money. His best assets were an indomitable will, good sense, and a robust constitution. It was five years af- ter taking up his abode in this western home before a team passed his door or before he was able to see the smoke from any dwell- ing save his own. His good wife was al- ways ready to help outdoors as well as with- in and to her good judgment and earnest efforts he gave much credit for the degree of success and prosperity which came to them in later years. In his later years he enjoyed telling his friends of the difficul- ties and hardships of that pioneer life, and his acquaintances never tired of what he had to say, for he told it well and in an entertaining manner. He would recall how in the winter season with sixteen inches of snow upon the ground he and his wife would roll the great logs into heaps, burn them for the ashes, which they scraped to- gether. The ashes were placed in large sycamore gums holding thirty bushels or more. The lye obtained from these was boiled down in what he called black salts. This was the only article of commerce they were able'to produce except maple sugar. The black salts and maple sugar were taken to Jackson and Detroit, and there ex- changed for the necessaries of life. One of the interesting stories which he used to tell was that of making and marketing his first sugar crop. During the winter season he chopped out the troughs in which to catch the sap and made the wooden spouts for carrying the sap from the tree to the trough. He cut the wood which would be
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