USA > Michigan > Ingham County > Lansing > Past and present of the city of Lansing and Ingham county, Michigan > Part 38
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For a period of. twelve years our subject has been a member of the Common Council of the city and the County Board of Super- visors. He was first elected to the Lower House of the State Legislature in 1882 and was returned by a large increased majority in 1884. He was a member of the Judiciary State Affairs and other important com- mittees. His course has been most highly commended by such leading papers as the Detroit Tribune, News and Free Press and the Lansing Republican, the latter speaking of his work during the first session of his service in the following words: "During the session just closed, Mr. Dodge introduced forty-one bills and resolutions ; each of these, in their turn, received his personal care and attention, and he was absent from his place during the entire session, but one and one- half days. Some of the bills introduced by Mr. Dodge were among the most im- portant legislation of the session as regards their direct influence for the correction of abuses in the execution of the laws."
Of the important legislation which Mr. Dodge fathered while a member of the House of Representatives may be instanced, the bill (which he introduced and had passed) giving Lansing two terms of the Circuit Court : also that by which an appro-
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priation was obtained from the State for the fire and police departments of the city. He introduced the measure, over which there was so great a contest, providing fire escapes for hotels, theaters and other public places. Thirty other bills which he introduced were passed, largely through his influence and constant watchfulness.
In 1890 he was a candidate for State Sen- ator on the Democratic ticket, carrying his ward, city and county against Hon. John Robson, and running far ahead of his ticket. He voted with the other Lansing members in favor of a courthouse at Mason, on the ground that an agreement had been made to that effect, when the Governor signed the bill giving Lansing two terms of court, an act pre-eminently fair to do. Mr. Dodge was appointed a member of the building committee and drafted the resolution includ- ing the contract, which made the possibility of any wrong-doing out of the question. For his very efficient work in the matter the citizens of Mason presented him with a handsome gold-headed cane, together with numerous other gifts by individuals of Mason.
On November 20, 1888, our subject was united in marriage to Abby Turner, daugh- ter of the late Hon. James Turner, and youngest sister of the late Hon. James M. Turner. Their five children are: Sophie Dane, Franklin L. Jr., Wyllis Osborne, Josephine Nicholson and Marion Elizabeth. All are at home and attending school.
Mr. Dodge was the original promoter and incorporator and secretary of the Lansing, St. Johns and St. Louis Railway Company and worked zealously at the project until the line was built to St. Johns. Very great credit is due him for his efforts, which, more than any other person, resulted in the building of the railroad which is of great importance to the interests of Lansing and
the people north of this city. He is still secretary, stockholder and director of the above company, and the line is now known as the "Lansing and Suburban Traction Company."
Mr. Dodge has a wide connection with secret and benevolent societies, being a meni- ber of the Masonic fraternity, the Knights of Pythias, the Maccabees and Foresters.
Outside of his professional and public life (and always including his domestic sphere) he is most absorbed in the care of farming land and at one time owned as high as one hundred head of beautiful horses, being closely associated in his livestock enterprise with his brother-in-law, the late James M. Turner, under the firm name of Turner and Dodge. His prosperity, ceaseless activity and love for wife and children are evidenced by the beautiful residence which he has re- cently completed at 106 North Street, Lan- sing, which his many friends trust will be the home of an unbroken family for many years to come. He is also the owner of other valuable real estate in the city, which he has done so much to honor and adorn.
HON. JAMES M. TURNER (DECEASED).
Hon. James M. Turner was born at Caze- novia, N. Y., April 1, 1820, and was a lineal descendant of Humphrey Turner, who emi- grated from Devenshire. England, and set- tled in Plymouth, Mass., in 1628. His fath- er. Francis S. Turner, and his mother, De- borah Morton, were married at Middle- bury, Vermont, in 1799. His grandfather, Jonathan Turner, married Bridget Arthur in the year of 1772. His great-grandfather. Paine Turner, was married at New London, Conn., November 3. 1745. to Eleanor Haines. Samuel Humphrey Turner, of the seventh generation, now owns and occupies the old farm in Scituate, Mass., where his
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ancestor, Humphrey Turner, lived and died, the farm never having passed out of the fam- ily.
Mr. Turner's early educational advant- ages were quite limited ; but, having a great love for books and an ardent desire to ob- tain such an education as would fit him for the active duties of business life, he improved every opportunity that came his way. In 1840 he removed to Leoni, Michigan, where he became clerk in a store. He afterwards traveled through the country with a wagon, selling goods and buying produce. In 1841 he removed to Mason and engaged in the mercantile business, in which he continued until 1847. When the capital of the State was located at Lansing, he removed to that place, and erected the first frame house in the north part of the city. For sometime he carried on the mercantile trade, and then engaged in the construction of the Lansing and Howell plank-road, of which company he was treasurer and manager. The build- ing of this road was of vast importance to this section of the State. Mr. Turner car- ried it through against many obstacles, se- curing a large amount of foreign capital to complete the work. In 1860, upon the elec- tion of John Owen as State Treasurer, Mr. Turner was appointed Deputy State Treas- urer, the duties of the office being under his exclusive supervision for six years. In 1864 he originated the project of a railroad from Jackson, which was subsequently known as the Jackson, Lansing and Saginaw Railroad, and devoted the greater portion of his time to the successful prosecution of the work. He was treasurer and land commissioner of the company from its organization until his death. Mr. Turner was also interested in the construction of a railroad from Ionia to Lansing, of which company he was treas- urer, superintendent and a member of the first board of directors. For a .number of
years he was agent of Eastern holders of Michigan lands, by whom he was intrusted with large sums of money for investment. During a period of several years he was agent for the Society of Shakers in the in- vestment of money. In 1866 he was elected a member of the State Senate from the dis- trict embracing Ingham and Clinton coun- ties. He was prominently identified with the railroad legislation of that session, and was a member of the finance committee and chairman of the committee on the Asylum for the Insane. Mr. Turner was greatly inter- ested in the educational interests of Lan- sing, having been one of the founders of the first Union school in the city, and also of the Michigan Female College. Upon the organ- ization of the Board of Education in 1851 he was elected member, and held the posi- tion during life. His business ability, unim- peachable honor, and integrity gave him a financial power in carrying forward great public works, which few men in the State possessed. He was a warm friend of the temperance cause and an earnest Christian. He was an active member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and for nineteen years was superintendent of the Sabbath school. In politics he was identified with the Republican party from its organization. He married October 1, 1843, Miss Marion Monroe, daughter of Jesse Monroe of Eagle, Clinton county, Michigan. Ten children were born to them. Mr. Turner died at his home in Lansing. October 10, 1869. The board of directors of the Jackson, Lansing and Sagi- naw Railroad passed a series of resolutions expressive of their regret at his death, among which was the following: "As one of the originators and managers of the pub- lic improvements placed under charge of this board of directors, this company and the communities benefited by the construction of the Jackson, Lansing and Saginaw Railroad
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oive to the deceased a debt of lasting grati- tude for his early earnest, unyielding, and well-directed efforts in behalf of this enter- prise, for his persevering industry and ster- ling integrity; for the wisdom of his coun- sels and the vigor of his execution. Mr. Turner was a man of commanding personal appearance, being six feet four inches in height and well-proportioned, weighing two hundred and forty-five pounds. He pos- sessed great strength and remarkable powers of endurance. He was kind-hearted and benevolent to a fault, and a real friend and helper to the poor.
GODFREY FOLER.
It has often been noted that the German- American citizen has more than ordinary qualities of industry, enterprise and ability to succeed in life. We find in this class some of our most worthy and desirable citi- zens. Germany was the birthplace of our subject, the date being Nov. 2, 1834. He was the son of Christian and Marie Foler, both natives of Germany. The father fought under the great Napoleon. He was engaged in the occupation of a miller and lived and died in the old father- land.
Our subject is one of ten children, five of whom came to Michigan. He acquired his education in the common schools of Ger- many, where he lived until twenty-one years of age, when he came to the New World and coming to Mason, worked for six years on a farm by the month and in the meantime bought and paid for a farm of eighty acres in Wheatfield township. Twenty-five acres of this land were cleared and upon it was an orchard and a log house. He has added to his possessions from time to time and at present owns one hundred and twenty acres of improved land.
Mr. Foler was made a follower of the Republican party by reading "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and "Twelve Years a Slave." He is a member of the Lutheran church.
In 1870 Mr. Foler was united in marriage to Miss Isabelle Phelps, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Phelps, who came to this locality in 1850. Mr. Phelps served in the Civil War and was a member of the 7th Michigan Infantry, having enlisted at Ma- son on New Year's day of the year 1864, and he served until the close of the war. Mrs. Foler has five brothers and sisters in Ingham county. Her parents died : Mother, April 6, 1869; father, April 25, 1888.
To our subject and wife have been born four children, two deceased, and Percey, born March 10, 1877, married Edith Shaw, daughter of William Shaw of Mason, and they live in Wheatfield township, and Alma, born Dec. 26, 1881, and still lives at home. Our subject's wife's mother was the first school teacher in the township. The Foler family are known throughout the county as honest and industrious farmers.
IRVING JOHNSON.
Irving Johnson, the subject of this sketch. resides on the farm where he was born De- cember 1, 1853. A half century's continual residence in one locality is an occurrence rather unusual among the pushing. progres- sive Americans. He was the son of Marcus and Mary (Slatt) Johnson. The parents were natives of Canada, where the father was born in Canada and the mother in York state. They first came to Michigan in 1835, purchasing a farm of eighty acres in the Township of Onondaga. At this time im- provements in that locality were of the most primitive kind, small clearings here and there, with rude log huts for houses. The changes that have come to the physical coun-
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try during the last half century are most marked and remarkable.
To Mr. and Mrs. Marcus Johnson were born twelve children, nine of whom are still living. For the benefit of posterity, our sub- ject has had recorded here his family gene- alogy, as follows : H. D. Johnson, born No- vember 30, 1843. now resides in Eaton coun- ty, married to Miss Jane Michaels and they have had five children, two of whom are liv- ing ; Martin, born in 1845, now a resident of California, he married Mrs. Sarah Harlow and they have one child ; Harriet C. Content, was born in 1846, now the wife of Mr. Nel- son Forbes, living in Colorado, Mr. Forbes is a contractor and builder and they have one child; George M., born in 1848, is married and lives in Saginaw county; Isaac, born in 1849, married Miss Hattie Wool, also living in Saginaw county and they have two chil- dren ; Narcissus, born in 1851, was the wife of Jefferson Hill of Leslie township, Mrs. Hill died in 1898; Leroy, born in 1852, lives . in Washington : Ella, born in 1855, married Samuel McIntyre of Crawford, Michigan, and they have three children. The follow- ing: Jessie, Dean and an infant, are the de- about. ceased.
Mr. Johnson had the misfortune to lose his father when he was but nine years of age. He early assumed the responsibility of caring for the family and the farm. After the death of his mother he bought out the heirs, 'squared up the debts and has since owned the place. His opportunities for edu- cation were but meager, but being possessed of good business ability he has been able by dint of economy and frugality to win for himself a comfortable competence.
The event in our subject's life was his marriage April 5. 1877, to Miss Mary, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Thurlow, who were natives of England. Mrs. John- son was born June 22, 1854. Three children
were born to this couple, Marcus Ervin, bear- ing the name of his grandfather, was born June 27, 1881, is still at home with his parents, assisting on the farm; Lillie Mae, born January 6, 1880, now the wife of Fay Boody and they reside in Calhoun county and have one child named Ruby; Jessie George, born June 22, 1887, lives at home.
Mr. Johnson has always been an energetic and robust man, having the powers of en- durance, enabling him to perform the ardu- ous duties of the farmer. He is now the happy possessor of two hundred broad acres of well improved land. He carries on mixed farming and is recognized as an up-to-date and prosperous farmer. He cooperates with the Republican party in the discharge of his prerogatives as an American citizen. He is not an office seeker, although always taking an active interest in the general welfare of society. He was reared in the Protestant faith, his parents being members of the Bap- tist society.
Mr. Johnson belongs to that class of American agriculturists that are well to do and have a very clear idea of how it all came
LANSING J. COOLEY.
Among the prominent and industrious farmers of Lansing township we find none more widely known and more highly re- spected than Lansing J. Cooley. He was born in Trenton, Oneida county, N. Y., No- vember 3. 1834, and the son of Jacob Fred- erick and Lucy (Barnes) Cooley. The father was born in Germany February 23, 1807, and the mother at Hartford, Connecti- cut, April 1, 1804. The father learned the trade of tailoring in Germany. He came to Michigan May 6, 1836, staying one year, when he returned to New York, and then in 1837 returned to Michigan. He located in
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1836 in Leslie and when again coming to Michigan in 1837, leaving his family in New York, he stopped in Jackson and finally came to Lansing township. His first investment here was in one hundred and twenty acres in Lansing township, and the City of Lansing as well as the township was named after our subject. This land was all timber and no improvements whatever were upon it. An extensive history of Jacob F. Cooley, one of the earliest settlers of this county, is given in the historical portion of this volume.
The parents were Close Communion Bap- tists and were devotedly attached to their church. They lived and died in this faith. The father died at Lansing June 9, 1865, and the mother February 21, 1870.
Lansing J. Cooley is the third in a family of six children. His early education covered a period of three days. In the early days there was no school in the locality which the Cooleys occupied and when one was started our subject was sixteen years old and had to work to help support the family. At the age of twenty-four he went to farming on the present place which was the original homestead and all the present modern im- provements are due to the energy, ability and activity of our subject. To start with, the father of our subject gave him forty acres and he has added to it from time to time as he prospered. The Cooley home- stead has never been out of the Cooley name. Our subject's father took it from Martin Van Buren and handed it down to the son, our subject. He is pleasantly located upon eighty acres of good farming land and is highly respected for his many good qualities of heart and mind. He is strongly allied with the Protestant Methodist church and politically is a member of the Democrat party.
March II, 1858, our subject was married to Rebecca Wall, whose father was a native
of England, and never came to America. She died in 1896. November 1, 1900, Lans- ing J. Cooley was married to Mrs. Mary M. Taylor.
Our subject takes a citizen's interest in politics, but never cared for office, preferring to give his time to his personal affairs.
Lansing J. Cooley takes pleasure in re- cording with his history his experiences upon coming to this "Western Country" when its inhabitants were mostly the red men. His only playmates when a child were Indian boys and girls. In front of their pioneer home was an Indian trail, which was sometimes traveled day and night for weeks at a time. The father was en- gaged in his trade at Jackson, leaving our subject and a brother with the mother at home, with only the trusty axe as protection. The Indians were generally of a friendly nature and often walked into the Cooley home and dined with them at their dinner of corn-bread, which had been prepared by pounding up the corn with a wooden mortar and pestle, leaving in exchange for the meal wild game which they had shot. The mother of our subject would often sit with the squaws, trying to teach them the language of the white man, while the children played together. Upon being asked by Mrs. Jacob Cooley what their religion consisted of, they would get down and pray to the "Great Spirit." An Indian funeral covered a period of three days, as it took that long to reach the Spirit Land. It was customary for them to place with a dead person a small kettle of provisions, tobacco, pipe, tomahawk and some sugar for it to use on the way, and they would take a hollow log. cut it cross- wise, stretch a deer hide over it, to make a drum, and then pound on this day and night for the three days and then the body was buried wrapped in the bark.
The home of the Cooleys was of the most
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rustic sort, there being cracks in the floors wide enough for snakes and weasels to crawl through, and to find them in the beds and chairs (which were mostly blocks of wood) was a common occurrence. Wild game on every hand was in abundance. A bear caught the first hog owned by Jacob F. Cooley. He drove the bear away, but the hog died soon after. Our subject distinctly recalls the event, as he climbed onto a fence to see the bear with the pig, but happened to be just over it and will never forget the look in the bear's eye when he looked up and saw him. Animals came at a high price in those days-the first cat cost five dollars ; also five dollars was the price paid for the first rooster and hen.
When our subject was first married they were too poor to buy a team and all the tools they had were an axe and hoe. They soon possessed an ox team, which was used for everything, and also owned a cow. In har- vest time Lansing Cooley would mow the hay with a scythe and his wife rake it up and haul it on a sled to the stack and our subject would pitch it while his wife stacked it. When he got a cradle he would cradle and she would bind the grain. The first thresh- ing was done with a flail on the ground. A short time after their marriage they bought a team of colts and gave a note for them. They could not make money enough here to pay for them so he went to Saginaw and boiled salt for a time, then to Thunder Bay on Lake Huron, and worked at get- ting out logs in the pine woods and received in compensation twenty-five dollars per month, working all winter to pay for the colts. In the Spring he returned home and bought forty acres from the father and had to take a job of clearing timber at five dollars per acre to pay the interest on that until after the Civil War, when times were better. Dur- ing this time it took all the money one could
get to hire substitutes for the war, as it would take from six to seven hundred dol- lars. After the war our subject purchased a box wagon at the cost of one hundred four dollars and this was more of a curiosity than an automobile at the present time. Their modes of conveyance were of the most rustic sort for many years. From the pioneer times, with all its methods of farming and the many inconveniences which the farmer had to put up with, our subject has by per- severance and energy worked up to the top of the ladder and today is a prosperous farmer with all modern tools, conveyances, buildings, including a commodious house, and owes no man a dollar. The man who has lived through all the stages of civiliza- tion can well appreciate the comforts of the present prosperous County of Ingham.
Mr. Cooley has adopted Paul Ford Tay- ler, making him his heir, whose name is now Lansing Paul Cooley.
DANIEL R. JESSOP.
Daniel R. Jessop was born December 20, 1838, at Genoa, Livingston county, and was the son of Daniel and Hannah (Tompkins) Jessop. His father was born September 30, 1803, and his mother, November 8, 1808. The parents were natives of New York and came to Michigan in 1833 and settled where our subject was born. His parents were united in marriage February 6, 1827. The first home in the Michigan wilderness con- sisted of one hundred and sixty acres of wild land; a log house was rolled up, im- provements began and being a man of energy and pluck, he soon gathered about him the necessary comforts of life and after a time enlarged his possessions by the pur- chase of eighty acres of land in Shiawassee county and forty more in Livingston county. He made substantial improvements in the
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MRS. LANSING J. COOLEY (Deceased)
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meantime and here reared a family of ten children. He early allied himself with the Democratic party, to which he has always given hearty support. In religious faith he was a Universalist. He died July 21, 1877. The family genealogy is as follows : Harriet. born January 7, 1828; Emeline, May 13, 1829; Chauncey, June 30, 1831, died De- cember 26, 1862; Martin V., November 9, 1833, died February 15, 1901 ; Lucy, Octo- ber 27, 1836, was the wife of Joshua Doane and died June 24, 1898; Daniel R., our sub- ject ; Laura, July 27, 1841, the wife of Sey- mour Allen-her first husband was Lucian Waldo; Isadore, July 24, 1843, wife of Dwane Havens; George, July 17, 1845, re- siding in Ingham county ; Charles, August 24, 1848, died November 11, 1855.
Daniel R. Jessop received his early educa- tion in the district schools, and started out for himself at the age of twenty years, being first employed as a month-hand in a saw mill for his brother. At this he worked two years, and then enlisted in Co. A, Twen- tieth Regiment, Michigan Volunteer Infan- try, being discharged December 17, 1862. The following spring he went to Saginaw and engaged in well-boring for one year, af- ter which he engaged in milling lumber with his brother, M. V., at Dansville; then working in a salt mill, boring for salt, for one year. He was for several years engaged in this work with his brother, until the year 1888 when he bought the plant and conducted the business alone. In 1884 he purchased a portable sawmill, which he ran in both Leroy and White Oak townships for several years, and later took the plant to Missaukee county, Michigan, where he remained until 1891, when he sold out and bought a farm of one hundred and twenty acres on section 23 in Williamston township, where he has since resided.
Probably the most important event in Mr.
Jessop's life was his marriage, July 3, 1864, to Martha Jane, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel A. Hewes, some of the earliest set- tlers of Ingham county, having located in the State as early as 1833. Mr. Hewes was also for some years engaged in the saw-mill business, up to 1845, when the family moved to Ingham township, upon the place which has since been their residence, now occupied by her brother, Darwin. Daniel Hewes' death occurred April 15, 1898, and his wife passed away January 28, 1901. Her maiden name was Sarah Ann McChes- ney and she was born August 31, 1812. Mr. and Mrs. Hewes were married June 19, 1831, in Otsego county, at Springfield, N. Y. To them were born eight children, six of whom are living : Calista, born August 16, 1832, wife of E. J. Smith; Daniel, born November 25, 1834; Darwin S., October 9, 1836; Wallace, November 24, 1839; Mar- tha, July 7, 1842, wife of our subject; Ada- line, February 9, 1843, wife of Charles Heald ; Maryette, July 3, 1845, died October 20, 1847; Eliner, April 30, 1853, died Octo- ber 2, 1863. Politically Mr. Hewes' views harmonized with the Democracy, with which party he always affiliated. The fam- ily are Spiritualists.
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