USA > Michigan > Ingham County > Lansing > Past and present of the city of Lansing and Ingham county, Michigan > Part 54
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INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
HIRAM SMITH.
Hiram Smith was born in Bath township, Steuben county, N. Y., Oct. 22, 1828. He is the son of James and Betsey (Tooker) Smith, also natives of New York, the father having been there born Dec. 6, 1796, and the mother June 8, 1799. Mr. and Mrs. James Smith were married in New York and came to Michigan in 1835. They stopped at Ann Arbor for two years, then came to Clinton county in what was afterwards called Bath township, named such because James Smith, our subject's father, was its first settler and he came from Bath township, N. Y. In 1837 he took up three hundred and twenty acres of wild land and built a log house and stables. With the help of his sons he clear- ed up the land and here made his home un- til death. He was a Democrat and served as Highway Commissioner.
Hiram Smith was the sixth of a family of fourteen children, five now living: Stephen, born Dec. 2, 1819, lives with his son in Meridian township. His deceased wife was Emaline Cushman. Nellie, Oct. 10, 1821, was the wife of Jake Estey and has been dead many years; Julia died when a child ; Jonah, June 14, 1825, died when a child ; James M .. August, 1827, died many years ago; our subject ; Martha, the wife of Robert Rose of Bath township. They were the parents of four children and all are dead. Mary, was the wife of Albert Smith, lived at Bath and had two children ; Nancy, Mrs. Pultz, lives in Missouri, and has three children, James, Frank and Rhoda ; Emaline and Caroline, the latter dead, and Emaline is Mrs. G. L. Carter of White Oak: Bemsley, died when a child, and the thirteenth and fourteenth died in infancy.
Our subject acquired his early education in the district schools of Bath township. lived with his parents until twenty-five years
of age, and July 3, 1863, was married to Margarette Vanatta, born at Northfield, Washtenaw county, Aug. 25, 1833. She was the daughter of Aaron and Syntha ( Banghart) Vanatta, both natives of New Jersey. Aaron Vanatta was born in 1804 and died Dec. 27, 1877, while the mother died at the age of twenty-three of consump- tion, when our subject's wife was an infant. Mr. Vanatta married for his second wife Nellie Dowers, who was born in New York. He settled in Michigan near Ann Arbor on three hundred acres of wild government land and here always lived. The farm is now owned by a son, James, who has there a beautiful home. Mr. Van- atta was always a Democrat and usually held some office .- He was also a member of the M. E. church. Mr. Vanatta had three chil- dren by the first marriage: William, who died at the age of nine years; Mrs. Smith and George B., who live in Meridian town- ship. By the second marriage there were seven children : Caroline, died when a child ; Ann, the widow of Elam Worden, lives at South Lyons : Albert, married Mila Walker, and lives at Salem Station ; James lives on the old farm, and Rosie, the wife of Dwelly Smith, lives at Salem Station.
After Mr. Smith's marriage he settled on eighty acres of land near his father, where he built a frame house and resided for many years. The farm, upon which he now lives, our subject gave to his son and upon the death of the son's wife came there to live. He, however, lived in Haslett Park three years previous to coming to this farm. Mr. Smith has been an extensive land owner and at one time owned five hundred acres of land.
To our subject and wife six children have been born: Aaron J., born in Bath town- ship, March 21, 1854. He first married Mary L. Andress of Williamston and after-
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wards Kittie Hobbs, of Lansing. There was one child by the second marriage, Elsie, three years old. Aaron lives in Lansing and is timekeeper for the Olds Automobile works; George H., born in Bath township, Aug. 31, 1859, married Eva Heath, and they have two children, Leota, born in 1889, and Carl, born in 1893 : Carrie E., born Dec. 14, 1862, is the wife of Arthur Carl and lives at Ortonville, Minn. They have four chil- dren : Parker, died at the age of three years ; Carlie, at home; Cora, eleven years old, and Marcie, four years old; Charles H., born Nov. 18, 1865, married Hattie Monroe and they live in Lansing, and he travels for the Sugar Beet Factory. They have four chil- dren, Monroe, Earl, Chester and William; Rosie, born June 18, 1867, married W. O. Buchner, and was the mother of one child, Irene, twelve years old. The wife died Sept. 21, 1904: Cora Virginia was born March 21, 1873, and died June 1, 1877.
Our subject is an old line Democrat, yet not an office seeker. Both he and his wife are members of the Baptist church and both are enjoying good health, though quite ad- vanced in years, and have the highest respect of the community in which they reside.
A. C. STEBBINS.
A. C. Stebbins was born in Lansing, July 16, 1860. His parents were Cortland Bliss and Eliza (Smith) Stebbins. His father was a native of Vermont, and learned in early life the trade of a cabinet maker. He worked at this industry after settling in Adrian, Mich., in 1838. After living there twenty years he removed to Lansing, where he served twenty years as Deputy Superin- tendent of Public Instruction. Here the subject of this sketch was reared and re- ceived his primary education. He became a student of the M. A. C. during the years
1877 and 1878, and the two years following was in the University of Michigan. After completing his education, he worked one year in a drug store.
In 1881 Mr. S. A. Eaton, who at the time was sole proprietor of the Wheelbarrow plant, located at Hudson, Mich., moved it to Lansing and organized a stock company with a capital of twenty-five thousand dol- lars. It was at this time that Mr. Stebbins first became identified with the company. He served two years in the shipping room, and gradually worked his way up until 1886 he became secretary and manager of the plant. and its recognized head. In 1886 the busi- ness employed $25,000 capital, which has in- creased, until in 1905 the sum of $800,000 is used. The company has added other goods besides the production of wheelbar- rows, enlarging, from time to time, until the plant now covers twelve acres of ground, producing annually hundreds of thousands of wheelbarrows, warehouse trucks, express wagons, hand-carts, sleigh runners, horse pokes, coal shutes, steel scrapers, coal cars, rubber tired wheels, etc.
When Mr. Stebbins first entered this fac- tory it only gave employment. to twenty-five men, whereas they now employ about four hundred. It is probably the largest plant of its kind in the world. The company has a large foreign trade.
They also have another plant at Parkin, Ark., where they own twelve thousand acres of timbered land. Two hundred men are employed there. The growth of the busi- ness and its success is largely due to the keen foresight and good judgment of Mr. Stebbins.
He has other business interests in the city, being vice president of the W. K. Prudden Co., and president of the New-Way Motor Co .; yet his time is chiefly employed at the Wheelbarrow Works.
GEO. W. SWARTWOUT, M. D.
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INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Mr. Stebbins was united in marriage No- vember 18, 1885, to Miss Rena Stowell of New York City. Five years later Mrs. Steb- bins died, leaving two small children, named, respectively : Stowell C., born July 29, 1886, and Cortland B., born April 23, 1888.
Mr. Stebbins was again married in 1892 to Miss Anna Burgoyne, a teacher in the Lansing schools. The present Mrs. Stebbins is the mother of two children : Francis B., born November 9, 1895, and Charles Row- land, born February 6, 1903.
Mr. Stebbins is a member of the Royal Arcanum, and in politics is a Republican. Mrs. Stebbins is a member of the Congrega- tional church, and has always been interested in Sunday school work, and is a member of the Lansing Woman's Club and Lansing Chapter of the Daughters of the Revolution. Mr. Stebbins may feel a sense of pride in the success which he has met in business af- fairs. He is counted among the foremost and progressive citizens of the city ; is inter- ested in every enterprise looking for the bet- terment of the conditions of the laboring classes, and that of society at large. Fore- most among the names that constitute Lan- sing's prominent list of citizens, we would place the name of Arthur C. Stebbins. Not inheriting great wealth, he possessed that which was far better-the strong will and cletermination to make a success of the busi- ness in which he engaged.
DR. GEORGE W. SWARTWOUT.
In a profession where advancement de- pends upon individual merit and skill, Dr. Swartwout has won a very enviable position. By his thorough and comprehensive under- standing of the principles of medical science and the adaptability for the needs of suffer- ing humanity, and although living practi- cally retired, his work has in the past received
the endorsement of public opinion and has therefore been accorded liberal patronage. Dr. Swartwout is a native of the Empire State, his birth having occurred in Saratoga county, Aug. 11, 1830. The father, whose name was Samuel, was also a native of the same county, and there born in 1800 and was there married.
Dr. Swartwout is the oldest of two chil- dren, the younger being Elizabeth, who was the wife of H. L. Henderson, a banker of Mason. She is now deceased and lies buried in the Mason cemetery. The mother of these children died in 1847, and the father was again married on the 13th day of March, 1850, to Miss Cornelia L. Doolittle of On- tario county, N. Y. The year of 1855 wit- nessed the arrival of Samuel and Cornelia Swartwout to Ingham county. Here the father bought forty acres in Vevay, township of Minnos McRoberts of well improved land, for which he paid twelve hundred dol- lars. He continued residing on this place until 1873, when he removed to Aurelius, where he resided until his death, which oc- curred in 1875.
The early education of Dr. Swartwout was acquired in the common schools of East Bloomfield, New York, which was later sup- plemented by a course in Canandaigua and then in Fairfield Academy of the same state, attending until about the age of nineteen years. At the completion of his schooling he became identified with his father on the home farm and also taught during the winter for six terms. At the age of twenty-six he began the study of medicine and in 1857 re- turned to New York and began studying under Drs. Pratt and Smith, who were also engaged in the drug business, in which our subject also acquired a practical knowledge in compounding medicines. This he found a great deal of help to him in his later years of practice. After a short time spent in the
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East he returned to Michigan, and entered the office of Dr. Chas. Sackrider of Mason, as a student, and from there entered the Medical department of the University of Michigan, where he attended the lectures and made practical dissections on the cadaver and began practice in Aurelius in the spring of 1860. By hard study and faithful prac- tice, Dr. Swartwout has kept abreast of the profession, and has always maintained eth- ical relations with his fellow practitioners. He first "hung out his shingle" at Aurelius and in 1863 moved to Mason and bought a home and there continued his practice for seven years ; he then moved back to Aurelius where he has resided until the present.
On Christmas night of 1861, Dr. Swart- wout was united in marriage with Caroline E. Hopkins, daughter of Joseph Hopkins of Vevay township and three children were born to that union ; Mary Ellen, who became the wife of Charles Enos, a farmer in Aureli- us township, and two children have been born to them; the second, Jane E., who be- came the wife of E. H. Freeland, a railroad carpenter who resides in Detroit, and they have four children ; the next, Joseph Samuel, named after his two grandfathers, died at the age of twenty-two years. The wife and mother of these children died in June, 1904, at the age of sixty-three years and lies buried beside her son in Greenwood Cemetery. She was a Baptist in religious belief and was a worthy example of that faith, a devoted wife and mother and her loss was deeply mourned, not only by her immediate family, but by an extensive number of old and valued friends.
For forty years has Dr. Swartwout been identified in the practice of his profession, ofttimes contributing his knowledge in the alleviation of human suffering, where he knew full well no remuneration need be ex- pected. Few men of this county have so
many warm personal friends as the doctor, who has by his genial and kindly spirit brought many a ray of sunshine into be- reaved and stricken families. The doctor af- filiates with the Democracy and is one of the old school, believing that "all men are equal and have equal rights." He has served his township as Clerk and is also a member of the following societies, in which he has taken an active part in their maintenance and or- ganization : F. & A. M., I. O. O. F., K. of H., K. of L., honorary member of the order of Foresters and he has also been medical examiner for numerous insurance companies and societies. Now living in honorable re- tirement, in the full enjoyment of his mental capabilities, the doctor is surrounded by hosts of friends, who in appreciation of his long years of service hold him in the highest esteem and wish him many long years on life's downward journey.
He has been a member of the First Baptist church of Aurelius since 1877.
DELEVAN C. SMITH (DECEASED).
In this age of books, records, family trees and genealogical research, those who fail to place in form for permanent preservation the biographies of their friends "who have lived and won," do scant justice to their memories. They may not have achieved greatness as the world counts greatness ; they may have simply met and performed the duties and carried the burdens of life, laying them down beside their open grave, yet in their circumscribed sphere, the ele- ments of true greatness may have shone out of their lives in rich measure. Let them be remembered for what they have done.
Delevan C. Smith was born in New York, July 23, 1827, and died in September of the year 1899 at Mason, Michigan, and his re- mains repose in Maple Grove Cemetery. In .
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INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
the year 1848 Mr. Smith married Sarah Ann, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clark Berry, of Fulton, N. Y. One daughter, Jennie, came to cheer and brighten their lives, now the wife of A. L. Vandercook of Mason, the well known grocer. It was in the spring of 1857 that Mr. Smith decided to leave his native state in quest of a home somewhere in the west. For some months he prospected in Wisconsin and Indiana, where he had relatives, and finally settled on the farm where spent more than forty years of his life, experiencing in turn the joys and sorrows common to the lot of mortals. Sep- tember Ist, 1866, he braved the first great sorrow of his life in the death of his be- loved wife. She sleeps in Maple Grove Cemetery. Although the grass has long years been green above her lowly bed, an affectionate and dutiful daughter, who has grown to noble womanhood, reveres the memory of her sacred dead.
November 24, 1868, Mr. Smith - was united in marriage to Jane, daughter of Col. George W. and Deborah Shafer of Mason. Four children were born to them, as fol- lows: Gertrude, March 14, 1870, widow of Emmett Bush. Mrs. Bush resides near her mother and has the comfort and companion- ship of two dutiful children, Leon and Wen- dell; Guy is superintendent of the Luding- ton city schols. Mr. Smith is a graduate of the Kalamazoo College and is making a commendable success of his chosen profes- sion ; Ray died at the age of five months; Allie is the wife of Alfred M. Allen, a prom- ising young attorney of the Ingham county bar and Deputy County Clerk. Mr. and Mrs. Allen occupy the Smith home, in which they are financially interested. Mr. Allen conducting the farm. From a small begin- ning on a forty acre farm lying one half mile south of the city limits, Mr. Smith im- proved and added to until he was the happy
possessor of one hundred and twenty acres of choice tillable land with fine buildings, stock and modern conveniences. Mr. Smith was of the best type of American citizens. He was honest and upright in all of his dealings, conservative in his language, kindly disposed, an indulgent father and husband and christian man, whose life was consistent with his profession.
"How beautiful it is for man to die Upon the walls of Zion; to be called Like a watchworn and weary sentinel,
To lay his armor off and rest in heaven."
Politically, Mr. Smith affiliated with the Republican party, until four years prior to his death, he lost faith in its moral integrity and gave hearty support to the principles of the Prohibition party. He was not only a temperance man, but more, he believed the best interests of the sacred institutions of our country, the schools, the home and the church demanded the overthrow-the out- lawing of the American saloon. To this end he contributed his vote, his time and means for the promulgation of the temperance sen- timent.
He was interested in every enterprise looking to the betterment of society, social, intellectual, moral and financial. To this end he gave his support to the Grange, the Farmers' Club, I. O. O. F. and the Royal Arcanum, in which he carried an insurance of three thousand dollars. Mr. Smith and family were all identified with the Baptist church of their city, to which he gave a hearty support. A good man has gone.
"AAfter life's fitful fever, he sleeps well."
Mrs. Smith, whose parents were among the earliest settlers of Ingham county and who are given recognition in the sketch of her brother, James H. Shafer, found else- where in this volume, gives the following interesting remembrances : Her mother was
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present at the first funeral held at the little burg of Mason. Her father owned the first team of horses ever brought into the county. He kept a grocery store and his goods were hauled with ox team all the way from Dex- ter, Washtenaw county, many times cross- ing swollen streams with difficulty.
JAMES STOUGHTON.
James Stoughton was born November 25, 1827, at West Bloomfield, in Oakland coun- ty, Michigan. His parents, Dillucena and Sophia (Capin) Stoughton were natives of New York and Windsor, Vermont, respect- ively, the father having been born August 10, 1791, at Cayuga county, and the mother February 16, 1795, at Windsor. The father came to Michigan in 1822, first settling in Oakland county on a piece of wild land, which he finally improved and upon it built a brick residence, where he lived for about twenty-four years. For two years he had a residence at Pontiac and in 1840 came to Ingham county and located on section thirteen of Williamston township. He first built a log house and by the assistance of his sons improved all the property and at the time of his death had divided the four hundred and forty acres of land among the children. While farming was the business of his life, he was a shoemaker by trade and gathered in a considerable income from his work at the bench at odd times.
Before the organization of the Republican party, the elder Stoughton was a Whig, but later a Republican. He died October 31, 1876, and the mother died March 31, 1865. They were buried side by side in the Branch cemetery.
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Our subject was the seventh of twelve children born to his parents, four of whom are living: Alfred W., February 3, 1832; John, July 15, 1834; Dillucena, May 17,
1837, and our subject ; the names of the de- ceased are as follows : Samuel E., April 17, 1814, died March 18, 1872; Earl, April I, 1817, died November 3, 1892; Aaron, June 17, 1819, died August 25, 1821; Alvira, September 2, 1821, died September 25, 1838; Sophrona, August 28, 1823, died Sep- tember 5, 1872; Sarah L., September 16, 1825, died February 27, 1899; Alonson, March 19, 1830, died November 14, 1862; Amasiah, June 23, 1841, died June 8, 1898.
Mr. Stoughton was educated as were the boys of large families with parents of mod- erate circumstances in the new country. When twenty-one years of age, in 1848, he started out for himself, his father gener- ously making over to him the deed for sev- enty acres of land, which he still owns and upon which he lives. He has at times owned considerable land which he has sold and given to his sons. He now owns one hundred and ten acres of choice land. When he started out for himself there was but a small clearing of twenty acres on the place given by his father, however, he has im- proved the premises until it has kept pace with the progress of the surrounding coun- try.
In politics, Mr. Stoughton is an inde- pendent voter, casting his ballot, as he terms it, for the best man. He was united in marriage to Catherine, daughter of Seldon Gillett, July 26, 1857. Mrs. Stoughton's father was one of the early settlers of the Township of Wheatfield, working in an early day at the trade of a shoemaker. Her mother's maiden name was Martha Chase. She was born August 22, 1814, and died January 19, 1896. Her father was born February 1, 1810, and died January 18, 1857. There were three children in the family : Catherine, born May 25, 1836, wife of our subject; Mary L., born August 5, 1839, wife of Russell Hammond; Abram
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INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
C., born April 13, 1841, now a resident of Williamston. Her father gave loyal sup- port to the principles of the Republican party, throughout his life.
Mr. and Mrs. Stoughton are the parents of five children, three of whom are living : Elden J., born June 28, 1860, married Cora Smith, in December of 1903, now living at Whitmore Lake: Martha A., born Novem- ber 7, 1867, is the wife of Lewis Bristow, living at Williamston; Charley, born Octo- ber 1, 1862. The names of the deceased are Seldon P., born April 5, 1858, died Septem- ber 10, 1859, and Earl, born January 29. 1865. died May 10, 1868.
Mr. and Mrs. Stoughton are among the highly respected people of their township and are now living in the full enjoyment of the comfortable competence which is theirs by reason of their early activity, ability and economy.
WILLIAM M. STEPHENS (DECEASED).
When death arrested the pulse of him whose name is at the head of this sketch, society lost one of its most genial and whole- souled members, and his home the spirit that uplifted, encouraged, and advanced the in- terest of the family. That he was held in high regard was manifested by the positions of trust which he filled, and the many friends who mourned his loss.
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William M. Stephens was born in Under- hill, Vt., June 27, 1825, and died March 17, 1891. He was the son of Royal and Sally ( Richardson) Stephens, natives of Vermont. The father was born in 1795 and the mother in 1799. Royal Stephens came to Michigan in 1836 and bought two hundred and forty acres of wild land in Stockbridge township from the government. A grandson (by adoption) who lives on this place has an old government patent signed by Martin Van
Buren in 1837. The first brick made in Stockbridge township was made by Royal Stephens on this farm. He here built one brick house, which has been torn down and the present brick residence was built by his son, our subject. Royal Stephens lived and died on this farm. He was a Republican and a Methodist and helped to form the first class in Stockbridge.
William M. Stephens was one of nine chil- dren, only two now living: Melissa, born February. 1820, and died in 1897; Orange. born in 1822, died March 31, 1893 ; Edgar, born in 1824 and died the same year; our subject ; Justine, born in 1827 and died in 1857; Edgar, born in 1830, died in 1866: Martha E., Mrs. Oscar Gregory of Stock- bridge; George E., born in 1835 and died in 1860, and Theron A., born in 1841, a hard- ware merchant of Stockbridge.
Our subject was educated in the district schools of Stockbridge and stayed at home and cared for his parents until their death, the father's occurring in April, 1867, and the mother's in November, 1880. In 1850 he went to California and engaged in mining for four years, and returned with five thou- sand dollars, as a result of his labors, and lived on the home farm.
July 25. 1855, Mr. Stevens was united in marriage with Miss Harriett, daughter of David and Laura Ormsby of Stockbridge. Mrs. Stephens was born February 26, 1824. and her father, a native of Vermont, was born June 25, 1797, and the birth of her mother occurred August 19, 1797. David Ormsby moved from Vermont to Illinois and then to Stockbridge township in 1849, where he has since resided.
To Mr. and Mrs. William Stephens two children were born : Ida May, born February 2. 1856, died eight years ago, was the wife of Perry Barrett: Alvin Willis, born June 3. 1859, died at the age of three years. An
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adopted son, Carrol J. Stephens, born in De- troit, January II, 1862, was married to Miss Phebe M. Townsend, October 10, 1888; she departing this life November II of the same year. She was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Townsend of Stockbridge, both now deceased. On May 27, 1891, he married Miss Jennie Milner; two children came to them, both dying in infancy. The mother going to join them January 23, 1896. She was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Elisha Mil- ner of Stockbridge, both now living. In June, 1897, he married Mary, daughter of Alba and Charity (Bell) Riggs of Stock- bridge. Mrs. Stephens was born July 20, 1868. Her father's birth occurred Novem- ber 9, 1835, and the mother's July 8, 1832. Mrs. Stephens has four sisters : Sarah, Julia, Anna and Emma, and one brother, Herman, all living. Mrs. Carrol J. Stephens prizes quite highly a picture of the Bell family, which she possesses, containing seventy-two persons; or four generations of a family taken at family reunions.
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