USA > Michigan > Ingham County > Lansing > Past and present of the city of Lansing and Ingham county, Michigan > Part 50
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Mr. and Mrs. Pulling were married Octo- ber 15, 1854, and this union was blessed with eight children: Medora, August 10. 1855. died December 3, 1862; Burdell, born August 25, 1857, died March 14, 1860; our subject's wife: Fred E., August 20, 1861, married Emma Blackney, November 21, 1883, and she died May 4, 1904. Fred is a member of the M. P. church : Cassius M., born October 14, 1863, married Nina Wright, May 31, 1891, and they have one child living, James, one child having died in infancy : Miles, June 19, 1866, married Della Parks, May 14, 1893: Lee, February 18, 1869, died January 10, 1870; L. B., October 30, 1873. died January 17, 1874.
George Pulling came to White Oak in 1853, and located where he died. He en- listed in 1864 in Co. K, 20th Michigan In- fantry, and served until the close of the war. Mr. Pulling was a staunch Republican, and his wife a member of the M. E. church. The mother of Mrs. Binding was one of six chil- dren, the others being: Lucius and Andy Wilson, not married; Emily, (dead) mar- ried Henry Atwood, a lawyer, and their chil- dren were Theron, at present a railroad com- missioner : Martha: Lydia: Myron; Mable and Nettie. Martha (dead) married John Pulling and they had three children, Wil- liam, Porter and Minnie. Charles was killed in a sawmill. William died at the age of thirty-seven years.
The father's brothers and sisters were: John, who lives in White Oak; Harrison, lives in Bay City, he served in the Civil war; Fordice, went to Utah, and is supposed to have been killed by the Indians; Ann, mar- ried Isaac Davis, lives in White Oak and has two children, John and Celestia; Fran- ces, married Asher Spaulding, and lives. in Charlotte, and has two children, John and Myrta Elizabeth, married LaFayette An- drews (dead), lives in Williamston with the only child who conducts the Andrews House : Caroline, married Warren Harvey (dead) and they had two children, George (dead) and Mary.
James Binding the father of our subject had two brothers and one sister -- John, Wil- liam and Sally-who remained in the home country. The experiences of this pioneer were common to those of the early settler. In early days he used to plow with an ox and cow. Experiences of this sort were continually coming to the early settler, who endured so much that we might today dwell in peace and enjoy the prosperity that sur- rounds us on every side.
Mrs. Binding's grandparents, Wilson,
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INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
came to Michigan in 1837 and settled on two hundred and forty acres of wild land and improved all of it, adding to it a frame house and good barns. He once drove to California from his home in Michigan. From here he also went to Ann Arbor to do his trading. His wife died while he was in Colorado.
In political views, our subject is a Pro- hibitionist, and fraternally he is allied with the Grange, being its overseer. His landed possessions now consist of one hundred and thirty acres, well improved and in a high state of cultivation. By honesty, industry and perseverance he has accumulated this property and established a reputation which entitles him to the distinction of being one of the representative men in White Oak.
FRANK H. BARRETT.
Frank H. Barrett is a product of Onon- (laga township, where he was born in June, 1865. His parents were Samuel J. and Elizabeth Hall Barrett.
Mr. Barrett received his early education in the district schools of Winfield, and at the age of twenty years struck out for him- self, empty-handed, and for six years found employment in a grist mill located at Kin- neysville, and for four years was head mil- ler at the Eaton Rapids Mills. This mill was for many years one of the old land- marks of the place. It was erected by Steven Van Kinney, who came here in 1849 and laid out the village, naming it after his own birthplace, "Nova Scotia." The town how- ever, has always borne the name of its founder. Mr. Van Kinney built both a grist and saw mill. At the time of Mr. Barrett's employment in the mill, it was owned by Samuel Stettler, for many years one of the representative men of that locality, a man of public spirit and enterprise. Mr. Stettler
always took a lively interest in everything pertaining to the welfare of his community.
The important event in the life of Mr. Barrett was his marriage to Miss Kate, daughter of Samuel and Kate (Matthew) Stettler, who were natives of Wayne county, Michigan. To Mr. and Mrs. Barrett were born three children : Morton, Oct. 23, 1888: Carl, July 3, 1890; Anna. April 6. 1894. Miss Anna lives with an aunt at Highland Station, Oakland county. Carl and Morton are at home with the father. Mrs. Barrett died at Eaton Rapids, Aug. 19, 1894.
Mr. Barrett was again married Sept. 27, 1897, to Miss Winnifred Myers, who was born in Tompkins, March 10, 1871.
Mr. Barrett is engaged in general farm- ing, which has been his business continu- ously since leaving the mill. In politics he is a Republican. He belongs to the fraternal organization of the K. O. T. M.
Mr. Barrett is regarded by his friends as a man of upright character, conscientious scruples and one worthy of confidence.
SAMUEL J. BARRETT, JR. .
Samuel J. Barrett, Jr. is the son of Samuel J., Sr .. and Elizabeth ( Hall) Barrett, na- tives of the Emerald Isle. The father was born February 1, 1814, and died April 11, 1872. He was the son of an English officer, who was a soldier of considerably reputa- tion. He was a man of remarkable physical development, tall. straight and broad of shoulders. He died at the age of eighty years.
Mrs. Samuel J. Barrett, Sr., was the daughter of Hugh Hall, also a native of the Emerald Isle, who died at the age of eighty- six years. The mother of our subject had two brothers who came to America and fought for their adopted country in the Civil war, namely, Samuel J., who enlisted in the
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3d Michigan Cavalry and Frank H., who enlisted in Co. K, 17th Regular Volunteers' Infantry, and both were wounded while in service. They could not have endured more or fought with more bravery, had they been natives of the country for which they were suffering.
The marriage of our subject's father and mother took place in Ireland, May 24, 1851, and they soon after embarked for America. In their family were seven children : Lyman L., born April 14, 1853; the subject of our sketch; 'A. D., born January 23, 1857; Sarah, born March 3, 1860; the fifth and sixth, Fred and Frank, were twins, and the seventh, A. T. Barrett, born September 23, 1868.
In politics the Republican party embraced the principles for which Mr. Samuel J. Bar- rett. Sr., stood. He was also an Orangeman and both he and his estimable wife were members of the Episcopal church.
Our subject is a farmer residing on one hundred and thirty acres of highly cultivated land in Onondaga township and makes his .
home with his brother. He is counted as one of the prominent men of his community and always ready to lend a helping hand to the welfare of his township. He is pro- gressive and industrious, and his farm and residence speak in high terms of his abilities in the art which he has chosen.
MARTIN C. BALDWIN.
Martin C. Baldwin was born November 15, 1847, on his present home farm. He was the son of Thomas P. and Ursula (Coleman) Baldwin. The father was born in Dorsett, Vermont, in 1810, and the mother a native of New York, where they were married in Genesee county, January, 1836. Thomas P. Baldwin settled in the Township of Onondaga in 1836, the entire
town at that time being practically in a state of nature. The father was a man of great physical endurance and of strong attachment for home and friends. He first located four hundred acres of land. He made a trip on foot to the land office at Ionia at the time of taking up his land. He used to go from his primitive home in the wilderness all the way to Jackson by Indian trail, to get the mail from his wife who was still in New York.I
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Baldwin were the parents of seven children, four of whom are still living. Mrs. Baldwin died March 14, 1854, and Mr. Baldwin was again married to Mary Andrews. The family of Thomas Baldwin were as follows: James T., now a resident of Toledo, Ohio, was a soldier in the Civil War. He enlisted in an Ohio Regi- ment from Toledo; Lovan, the wife of George Harwood of Onondaga, she being deceased ; Rachel, wife of William Harwood, resides in Leslie: Mary, the second wife of George Harwood, living in Onondaga; and our subject, who is the youngest of the fam- ily, living.
Martin C. Baldwin received his early edu- cation in the common district schools of On- ondaga. He later attended the high school at Toledo for one year. At twenty-one years of age he began farming for himself, purchasing a small tract of land in Jackson county, upon which he never built, however. He was married to Miss Eva Strang, De- cember 24. 1872. Mrs. Baldwin was born April 18, 1853. Her father, James Strang, was a native of New York, and died while Mrs. Baldwin was yet a little girl. Her mother, Alvira Field, was a native of Ohio. Mrs. Baldwin was of a family of four chil- dren : Charles married Miss Hattie Wight, is a printer by trade and resides in Lansing ; Clement is a minister of the Gospel and lives in Charlotte, Mich. The youngest, C. J. Grier, was an adopted child of the family,
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and previous to 1903, he was one of the edi- tors of the American Digest.
Mr. and Mrs. Baldwin first took up their residence on a farm near Leslie, but in the year 1886 they returned to the old home- stead where they have since resided. They are the parents of three children : Martin J., born November 7, 1873, married Agnes Glover and resides in the Village of Onon- daga ; Jasper A., born January 12, 1882, at home with his parents; Thomas C., July II, 1888, also at home. Mr. Baldwin's father departed this life April 23, 1895, at the ad- vanced age of eighty-four years and ten months.
Our subject is in sympathy with the prin- ciples of the Democrat party. He has served as a member of the County Committee from his township. Fraternally he affiliates with the I. O. O. F. and A. O. U. W. He has been a member of the school board for fifteen years.
Mrs. Baldwin was the originator and the organizer and first president of the Knowl- edge Seekers' Club of Onondaga, organized in September of 1898, and was also chair- man of the committee who wrote the con- stitution.
Mr. Baldwin belongs to one of the oldest families in the township. They have been industrious and prosperous people and their accumulations demonstrate their good judg- ment and sound business acumen.
CHARLES E. SWIFT.
Charles E. Swift first saw the light of day upon the banks of the far-famed Hudson river in the Empire State, July 18, 1826, of which state his parents were also natives ; his father having been born Nov. 7, 1803. and his mother, Feb. 3, 1806. Charles was one of three children born to his parents, he being the oldest. His brother, Milo, born
Oct. 18, 1828, died in infancy ; Nelson, born Sept. 10. 1836, in Monroe county, N. Y., and here he followed the pursuit of agricul- ture through life. He died on Oct. 11, 1891, leaving a widow and seven children.
Edgar Swift, the father came to Michi- gan in 1837 and settled upon a farm of eighty acres in Eaton county and lived there until the time of his death in Feb. 23, 1878.
Charles E. Swift was united in marriage, April 15, 1852, to Jane A., daughter of Lewis and Fidelia ( Williams) Ward. Her father died May 10, 1862, at the age of sixty-two years. He was a pioneer of Mich- igan, having settled here in 1838. His na- tivity was New York. The mother was a native of Vermont, where she was born May 29, 1800, and died March 7, 1883.
Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Swift: Fidelia C., July 19, 1856, mar- ried Robert G. Banks. Mr. Banks was a native of New York, where he was born June 2, 1850, and died at Onondaga, Mich- igan, Sept. 2. 1877. Mrs. Banks has al- ways made her home with her parents. Marcus V., the second child, was born Sept. 19. 1858, and died May 17, 1876.
The principles of the Republican party have guided both Mr. Swift and his father in the discharge of the functions of Ameri- can citizens. It is recorded of him that he is an honorable and upright man. though not a member of any church organization. His character and conduct have been such as to win for him the confidence and esteem of his fellow citizens.
JAY BALDWIN.
, The farm upon which the subject of this sketch resides in section 32, Onondaga town- ship, was the scene of his birth, Sept. 13, 1846. His parents were Grove and Sarah (Thatcher) Baldwin. The father was a na-
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tive of Vermont and came to Michigan in its pioneer days, being one of the first set- tlers, and was also his brothers, Mosely and Thomas.
Grove Baldwin was married three times, first, to Sarah Thatcher, a native of New York; to this marriage two children were born : our subject, and Addie, who lived to be nine years old. The second marriage was to Miss Esther Willis, also a native of New York, and unto them were born two children : George, living in Onondaga, and Beecher, a banker in Omaha, Neb. The third time Mr. Baldwin was united in mar- riage to Miss Helen Montgomery, who was a native of Eaton Rapids, and is still living. One child was born to this union, Charles, a doctor in Omaha.
Our subject acquired his early education in the common schools of Onondaga. July 3. 1868, was the important event of his life, it being his marriage to Martha, daughter of Henry and Jane (Goodfellow ) Willis, the father being a native of New York. where he died June 30, 1904, at the ad- vanced age of eighty-one years. Mrs. Bald- win was born April 21, 1850. She was one of seven children born to Mr. and Mrs. Wil- lis : Orpha, died at the age of eleven years ; Charles, living in Onondaga : Mrs. Martha Baldwin ; Mary, now Mrs. Nelson of Onon- daga; Frank, ticket agent at Onondaga; Jennie, now Mrs. Boucher of Onondaga ; the seventh, John, died when three weeks old.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Jay Baldwin were born five children: William, married Miss Maude Green and lives in Onon- daga ; Frank, married Emile Rossman, and they have two children and live in Onon- daga : Alice, born 1878, now Mrs. Corwin, and they have one child and live in Onon- daga: Jane, born 1883: Grove, died when fourteen years old.
Jay Baldwin's grandfather took a piece of
land from the Government, which consisted of two hundred and twenty-three acres. Grove Baldwin still holding one hundred and seventy-seven acres in his own name. His son. Jay, has always resided on this farm, working with his father for many years.
The father of our subject, at the age of eighty-six, is hale and hearty, and takes great pride in his knowledge of the Bible.
Jay Baldwin, following in the footsteps of his father, casts his vote for the principles of the Democracy. Mr. and Mrs. Baldwin are highly respected citizens of Onondaga township, the history of which community would be incomplete without the life of the Baldwins.
SOLOMON B. PIKE.
The old adage, that a rolling stone gathers no moss, has not been verified in the experi- ence of Solomon B. Pike. He has been a regular "Merry-go-round" from start to fin- ish, engaging in many kinds of business en- terprises, which have usually shown profit. He is what is known as a hustler from way back. Mr. Pike was a son of a farmer, and was born the 18th day of June. 1838. His parents, Ruddy and Martha Pike, were of English extraction, and at the time of his birth lived in Vermont.
There are those who contend that the phy- sical surroundings of one's birth and early life have much to do with the character of the individual. However, much there may be in this, Mr. Pike is a rugged, frank, firm, good natured sort of a man, whom it is a pleasure to meet. His parents removed from his native town of Whitingham, Windham county, when their son, Solomon, was but two years of age, and settled in St. Law- rence county, N. Y.
His school advantages were very limited.
SOLOMON B. PIKE
379
INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
and as he puts it, "I graduated from the public schools after six weeks' experience." Be this, as it may, he has shown keen busi- ness perception, good judgment and the necessary push and energy to win out. Be- fore reaching the years of his majority, Mr. Pike struck out for himself, hired out to a farmer for $150 per year, and as he says, with an emphatic shake of his head, "I put in the hardest year's work of my life." Fol- lowing this he rented a farm in St. Law- rence county, which he conducted for two and one-half years. He then purchased a farm of seventy-eight acres, kept this for a year and a half and sold out, doubling his investment. Returning to his native state he launched out as a contractor and builder, and for three years followed that enterprise with success. From this place he transferred his interests to Shelbourne Falls, Mass., and took a contract for erecting a block, for which he was to receive $22,500. The com- pletion of this job occupied one year, and his health being somewhat impaired he re- turned to New York. He then continued his business after he returned for two years, when he had the misfortune to receive a severe fall, which incapacitated him for hard manual labor for a time. Closing up his business, he went on the road as a travel- ing salesman for a furniture company, and remained in their employ for seven years. Here another accident occurred, and after being laid up for some months, and upon his recovery, he was employed by a firm in Iowa, with whom he remained for seven years. He was also employed for two years by a firm of traveling salesmen in Milwau- kee.
In the year 1883 he drifted into Michigan, and located in Mason, Ingham county. Two years later he purchased a farm of ninety- two acres. This improved by time and otherwise until it became a valuable prop-
erty. This he later sold, and built a fine residence in the city of Mason, which he occupied for some time. He is at present very pleasantly located on a farm on the Columbia road, about one mile from the new court house. He also has a thirty acre tract in Aurelius township, and owns land in Wis- consin and New York. Mr. Pike is a local agent for the Page fence, manufactured at Adrian.
November 28, 1859, he was united in mar- riage to Miss Nancy, daughter of Josiah and Lucena Briggs. Three children have been born to them : Martha, Charles, who died in infancy and Ada. Mr. Pike is in no sense a politician, but is a good and strong Repub- lican, and is also a member of the Grange, which organization has a large active local lodge.
This brief outline of the life work of Solo- mon B. Pike has shown him to be a man of perseverance, pluck and energy.
ANDREW J. CHAMPION.
In looking over the names of the prosper- ous and prominent farmers of Lansing township, we find that of Mr. Andrew Jack- son Champion, who resides on and operates a fruit and stock farm on section twenty- four. He was born in Hamilton county. Ohio, December 18, 1829, and is the son of Robert S., born in New Jersey. December, 1800, and Sarah ( Moore) Champion, born in Hamilton county, Ohio, in May. 1808. The parents were married in Ohio in No- vember of the year 1828. Robert Cham- pion's father was the owner of vessels on the Atlantic ocean. Our subject's father started for himself at the age of sixteen or eighteen, but never learned a trade, though he was a natural mechanic. When Andrew was five years old the father moved to the northwestern part of Ohio and took up
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eighty acres of wild government land in Paulding county, midway between Ft. Wayne and Ft. Defiance. They built the first log house in the community, hewing the logs and splitting the lumber by hand. At that time there were only five families within a radius of twenty-five miles. Our subject's father was one of eight children. seven sons and one daughter, and the mother was one of eight children. The father was a Jacksonian Democrat, though not an office seeker. They were members of the M. E. church. The father died in March of 1847 and the mother in 1879. When our sub- ject was five years old, he saw Andrew Jack- son on a steamboat on Ohio river, and well remembers him to the present day.
Andrew J. Champion was the eldest of eight boys, the second being R. W., born February 4. 1833, married first Martha Clemmer, deceased, to whom were born thir- teen children, and afterwards married Eliza- beth Smith. They lived in Oklahoma, near the City of Oklahoma, and have two chil- dren, Joseph S., born April 12, 1839, living in Ohio, married Miss Alzada Pond and they have four children; John M., born in 1840, died when seven years old: Richard B., born March, 1842, married Miss Jane Rogers and lives at Antwerp, Ohio; George W., born 1843, married Miss Mary Ely, died at the age of fifty-seven years in Ohio; Thomas J., born September 24, 1845, mar- ried Julia Purdy and lives in Antwerp, Ohio.
Our subject's mother after the death of his father married William Gordon in 1849, and to them a son was born, Charles Wesley Gordon, who holds diplomas from three medical colleges and is a practising physician in Ft. Wayne, Ind. He together with all the Champion family were teachers in the public schools in Ohio.
Our subject never went to school until nine years of age, but attended until he
reached the age of twenty, during three months of each winter. At this age he was forced by his friends to teach the home school, and continued in this work during the winters, building up a home and farm in the summer for twenty-five years.
At the age of twenty-four he was united in marriage October 2, 1853, to Anna N. Hughes, who was born November 22, 1838, and was the daughter of Henry Hughes, an early settler of Ohio and was one of a family of six children, four of whom are now liv- ing.
At the age of twenty-eight Mr. Champion sold off all of his property, and he and his wife attended a seminary near Battle Creek. After this he again engaged in teaching in the country and city schools in Ohio, dur- ing winters and improved and worked the farm during the summers. This farm he had purchased while teaching. In this local- ity he lived until 1882, when he moved to Michigan and bought sixty acres in Alaie- don township, where he lived for two years, when he bought sixty-six acres in Lansing township, where he now resides.
To our subject and wife four children were born: Flora E., born November 2, 1855, married C. M. Schooley, lived at Paulding, Paulding county, Ohio. She died five years ago. They had six children, three girls and one boy are living; Elmer E., born June 1, 1861, married Elizabeth Gilroy and they have four children and live in Wexford, Wexford Co., Mich. : Geo. T., born September 17, 1864, married Ella Ben- nett and they have had three children and were residents of Gratiot county, Michigan. He died at the age of thirty-four ; Daisy E., born March 31, 1870, is principal of the Bingham St. School of Lansing, and is a graduate of the M. A. C. in the class of 1893. She was married to Selby Coffeen, December 21, 1904. The mother of these
MR. AND MRS. W. M. PRATT
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children died February 10, 1880. August 7. 1881, Mr. Champion was married to Mrs. Elizabeth Jane McCurdy, who was born in Ohio, June 26, 1844. She was the daughter of Henry Cook Ayers, born in New Jersey, October 10, 1812, and Lydia (Wood) Ayers, a native of New York, born June 20. 1816. Henry C. Ayers was an early set- tler of Ohio, where he lived until 1862, when he moved to Meridian township, Ing- ham county, where he died April 13, 1886. His wife died July 26, 1888. In the Ayers family were four children : Charles W., born April 4. 1843, lives in Lansing; Elizabeth Jane, our subjects's wife, born June 26, 1844; Augustus, born December 21, 1846, lives in Lansing; William F., born Novem- ber 7, 1856, is a manufacturer of gasoline engines, of Saginaw.
J. W. McCurdy, our subject's wife's former husband, was born March 20, 1836. and was the son of Thomas McCurdy, an early settler of Meridian township, having come there in 1846. J. W. McCurdy and Elizabeth Ayres were married January 7, 1866, and to them were born four children : Gertrude, died in infancy; Mary Annette, born August 27, 1868, is the wife of G. J. Hume of Alaiedon township; Thomas H .. born March 29, 1872, lives in Meridian township: Katherine Agness, born April 5. 1876, is the wife of Dr. F. A. Booth now of Seattle. Katherine is a graduate nurse of Harper's Hospital, Detroit. Dr. Booth is a graduate of Detroit Medical College.
To our subject and second wife were born two children : William C., born August 27, 1882, has just finished four years' marine service as machinist in the Philippines and in Chinese and Japanese waters, and Ralph W., born January 20, 1886, is at home.
phenomena of Spiritualism. He is engaged in general farming and fruit culture and is counted as one of the successful men of his township.
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