USA > Michigan > Ingham County > Lansing > Past and present of the city of Lansing and Ingham county, Michigan > Part 57
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In 1871 our subject was married to Miss Addie Bulen, of Dansville, and in 1873 the young couple came to Lansing to accept posi- tions in the Reform School there. At that time the institution was a prison in every sense of the word, and had nowhere a touch of home. Mr. and Mrs. St. John assumed the positions, respectively, of superintendent of the cigar shop, and matron of one of the cottages which housed fifty boys. During the two years that they remained at their posts they did much to instill a spirit of good will while among the inmates, and acquired themselves a strong liking for the work.
Mr. St. John next engaged in the flouring business with D. L. Crossman, operating the Mason City Mills, but at the end of ten months returned to the Reform School as cottage manager and teacher. He was suc- cessively assistant in the chair shop, teacher, relief officer, and at different times filled nearly every position in the institution. His wife continued to teach in the school, being connected with one room for sixteen years. He was finally promoted to the position of bookkeeper and Superintendent's clerk, re-
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maining thus for eleven years. He severed his connection with the institution during the Democratic administration in 1892, and retired to a farm which he owned near the Agricultural College, Lansing.
But men of such training and tempera- ment as Mr. St. John are not allowed by the community to withdraw from the field to which they are so admirably adapted. On August 1, 1893, he was appointed Superin- tendent, and Mrs. St. John, Matron, of the Industrial School, the positions which they have filled with unvarying satisfaction to the present.
A word more regarding the able and be- loved Matron, who has been the means of bringing to so noticeable an extent the home element into the school. Her father was a native of England, marrying her mother in Auburn, N. Y. The couple were among the pioneers of Michigan, clearing up a farm near Dansville, and living many years to enjoy a well-earned prosperity. It was here that the daughter met her future husband, to whom she was married October 21, 1871.
Mr. St. John has for many years been a member of the Masonic fraternity, a deacon in the First Baptist church of Lansing, and a Republican. He is earnest and stanch in all his beliefs and has ever proved his faith by his works.
HARRISON TAYLOR.
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Among the successful farmers of Alaie- don township will be found the name of Harrison Taylor. Mr. Taylor was born in Grass Lake, Jackson county, Michigan, in 1838, and was the son of William and Mary Taylor. Our subject's father and mother were natives of the Empire State, who, seek- ing a fortune, emigrated westward to the Wolverine State and settled in Jackson coun- ty, taking up Government land, which farm
the mother still owns, and where the father died in 1894.
Harrison Taylor received his early educa- tion in an old log school house, and after- ward attended college at Leoni, Michigan. He lived on the home farm, assisting the father in its operations until twenty-nine years of age, or until 1867, when he came to Alaiedon township, where he now resides and bought one hundred and sixty acres, af- terward adding eighty acres and again in- creasing his possessions by the addition of forty-seven acres, making in all two hundred and eighty-seven acres of well improved and highly cultivated land. Only sixty acres of the original purchase was cleared when it came into possession of Mr. Taylor. He has since placed it in a high state of culti- vation, built a commodious country resi- dence, with all modern improvements, and made it an up-to-date farm, which will be a comfort to himself and family during the remaining years of his life. In 1865 oc- curred an important event in the life of Mr. Taylor, it being his marriage to Miss Mary, daughter of Peter M. Shearer, of- Jackson county. Mrs. Taylor was born Oct. 15, 1847.
Unto this union have been born four chil- dren, two of whom are now living : Million Lee, born Dec. 7, 1866, died Oct. 16, 1888, at Spokane, Wash .; Herbert, born April 24. 1869, in Alaiedon township. He is one of the popular young men of his township, as he has been verified by his election to the office of Supervisor, annually since 1901. The duties of which office he has performed to the entire satisfaction of his constituents ; Mary P., born Nov. 25, 1871, died Aug. 25, 1900 ; Nellie M., born Sept. 30, 1877. Miss Taylor by her frank and cordial manner makes many friends. She is still under the parental roof.
Fraternally our subject is a Mason, in
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which order he takes an active interest. His political convictions are with the Democracy, by which party he was chosen as Clerk for fifteen years. He also filled the office of Justice of the Peace.
Mr. Taylor engages in general farming. making a specialty of good horses and dairy- ing. He keeps a fine herd of cows, mostly of Holsteins. He is a genial and throrough- ly public-spirited man, a successful and pros- perous farmer, and his friends are only num- bered by those who know him. If you de- serve a good, hearty hand shake, grasp the hand of Harrison Taylor.
GEORGE M. THOMPSON.
George M. Thompson is probably one of the best known men in the Township of White Oak, Ingham county. He is a gen- eral farmer and the owner of a fertile and productive farm of one hundred acres, lo- cated on section 28, and a farm of eighty acres at Dexter, Michigan. He was born in the Town of Lima, Washtenaw county, Sep- tember 18, 1850. His father, Morris Thomp- son, a native of New York, was born March 2, 1814, and his mother, a native of Connec- ticut, was born March 14, 1830. She was a daughter of William Turner of Connecti- cut, whose birth occurred March 20, 1799, and his death in 1890. William Turner came to Michigan in 1834, when our subject's mother was but four years old. He first bought a farm in Livingston county, which was sold, and they emigrated to White Oak, where they bought one hundred and twenty acres. Here they lived for a short time, but finally went back to Washtenaw county, where they died.
Morris Thompson was one of twelve chil- dren, namely: Hannah, who became Mrs. John Gifford, lived in Battle Creek, and was
the mother of three children; Daniel, came to Michigan in the thirties and died in 1841 ; Sarah, died in New York: Cynthia, mar- ried a Mr. Chamberlain, lived in New York and they had one child; Lydia, died in New York : Mary, died when a young woman of consumption in New York ; the seventh died in infancy ; Benjamin, born in 1815, lives in Oregon : our subject's father : John, lives in New York; Jane; Mrs. Cheeney of South Haven, Michigan, and Catherine, Mrs. Sample, lived and died in New York.
Our subject's father was educated in the district schools of New York, where he taught ten years and was afterwards prin- cipal of a high school in Seneca county, New York, for one year. He came to Michigan in 1844 and bought a farm formerly owned by his brother, Daniel. Here he lived for two years, when he sold and bought another farm in the same county, where he lived and died. At the time of his death he owned two hundred and forty acres. Morris Thompson was a Quaker, and in political convictions was a Republican. He was Supervisor for fifteen years, and held the office as Justice of the Peace and Notary Public. Our subject's father was U. S. En- rolling Officer during the war, and also acted as recruiting officer. He died March 13, 1897, and the mother, January 3, 1903.
Our subject, George M. Thompson, is one of five children, the other members of the family being : Henry, who lives in Mon- tana, born June 27, 1852; Frances E., born March 16, 1854, single and owns the old homestead in Lima township and lives in Dexter: Charles, born in 1857, and died April II, 1902, and Mary. born in 1859, died in 1865.
George Thompson was educated in the district schools of Washtenaw county, and spent his boyhood days at home with the
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parents. He taught one term of school and at the age of twenty-three was married, October 30, 1873, .to Orphia, daughter of Paul D. and Sally (Adams) Easton. Mrs. Thompson was born in Washtenaw county, February 10, 1855. Her father, a native of New York, was born August 12, 1805. and died in 1858, and the mother, also from New York, was born February 14, 1805, and died December 2, 1881. Paul Easton was one of the early settlers of Michigan, as he settled in Washtenaw county in 1836. He obtained one hundred and twenty acres of wild land from the government, which he improved and made his home until his death. He was a Republican, and Mrs. Eas- ton was an active member of the M. E. church. To them were born eight children : Rufus, died at the age of twenty-one ; Am- brose J., enlisted in Co. K, 4th Michigan Infantry, killed at Malvern Hill in the Bat- tle of Richmond; Fernando, lived in Cali- fornia, where he owned an orange grove, was born December 1, 1835, and died in January, 1887; Rhoda, born December 16. 1837, wife of Demetrius Chamberlain of Iowa: Leander, born June 26, 1840. lives on the old homestead in Washtenaw county ; Almeda, born September 10, 1853, wife of John Bradbury of Iowa; our subject's wife; Mary, born February 22, 1851, died in 1886, the wife of Timothy Fisk of DesMoines, Ia.
After our subject was married he rented lands for two years, then in 1876 bought a farm of eighty acres where he now lives. Since that time he has added twenty acres to his purchase, and when the father's estate was settled received eighty acres of the old home, making him a fine piece of property. One child was born to Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, Eva. November 2, 1877. the wife of Thaddeus Clements of White Oak. Mrs. Thompson is a member of the M. E.
church. In politics Mr. Thompson is an ac- tive Republican, serving two terms as Jus- tice of the Peace, and interested in the wel- fare of the community in which he lives. .
S. J. TOMLINSON.
Well known throughout the county as one of its energetic and enterprising agricultur- ists is S. J. Tomlinson, the only child of Samuel Tomlinson, who was born in Edden- dary, Kings county, Ireland, and who came to America at an early day and settled in Ontario, Canada, in 1840, and who took up his residence in Michigan in 1877. The mother of our subject bore the maiden name of Ann Allen and was a native of Trim county, being born in 1808. She departed this life September 25, 1878.
Samuel J. Tomlinson, the subject of this review, was a native of Rindvill, Kildare, Ireland, and accompanied his parents to Ing- ham county in the year of their removal here. The father upon his arrival in this locality purchased one hundred and seventy acres in Vevay township and at once began the improvement and cultivation of that property. He prospered in his undertakings and afterwards bought an additional tract of one hundred and fifty acres in Leslie township. He became one of the substantial farming citizens of this county and departed this life on the 11th day of June of 1888, his birth having occurred December 12, 1812. Both were members of the Episcopal church and lived in harmony with its teach- ings.
Our subject acquired his early education in the common schools of Toronto, spend- ing his boyhood and youth on the home farm. As he began to assume man's estate. he became identified with his father, form- ing a partnership in their operations, which
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continued until the father's death. Cordial indeed was the relationship between father and son, as there existed a harmony which was rarely, if ever disturbed. On the 28th day of April, 1876, occurred the marriage of our subject to a Miss Mary Scott, a daughter of James Scott, also a native of Canada.
Unto our subject and wife have been born six children, five of whom are living : Anna, born June 16, 1879, married Arthur Lax- ton ; Mary, born March 5, 1881 ; Allen, born February 26, 1882 ; Ida, born May 24, 1885 ; Carrie, born February 12, 1887; Pearl, born March 1, 1890.
Mr. Tomlinson has become one of the extensive land owners of his adopted county, as his property interests would comprise five hundred sixty acres of well improved and valuable land. He is a man thoroughly abreast of the times, giving his aid and in- fluence to all measures of importance to all his community. Mr. Tomlinson exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the Republican party, and while not a politician in the sense of office seeking, yet he takes an active interest in the party's success. He is likewise a mem- ber of the Elks at Lansing. A man of strict integrity, he is universally respected as one who has left upon his community the im- pression of his individuality.
DR. FRANK N. TURNER.
Dr. Frank N. Turner was born in Lan- sing March 13, 1855, his parents being na- tives of the Empire State, where the father was born January 22, 1818, and the mother February 20, 1824. The elder Turner was a mechanic by trade. He came to Lansing in 1847 and was associated with his brother for a number of years, but his health fail- ing him he bought a farm, west of the city,
later known as Beechbrook addition. The land was in a state of nature at the time. Our subject's father made the improvements and in 1865 disposed of the property to J. E. Warner, Michigan's great showman. Mr. Turner then bought a farm four miles west of Williamston where he lived until his death, which occured April 8, 1888. In politics he was a staunch Republican and it is recorded of him that whoever was so for- tunate as to get his name on the Republican ticket could count on his vote. The mother is still living with her son, John M., on the old homestead. There were eight children in the family, four of whom are now living, cur subject being the eldest. The names are respectively : Emmagene, John, Elizabeth, William S., Hattie, Catherine and John M.
Dr. Turner always entertained a liking for books and study. At the age of nine- teen he had acquired sufficient education to enable him to teach school, which he did winters and helped the father on the farm through the summer. He graduated from the State Normal at Ypsilanti with honors in the class of 1881. Later he served as principal of the school at Essexville in Bay, county for two years and then in the same capacity in L'Anse, Baraga county, for two years. In 1885, having decided to enter the medical profession for his life's work he entered the medical department at the Uni- versity of Michigan, where he remained for one year and then went to Detroit and was associated with Dr. H. W. Longyear and Dr. J. K. Gailey for two years, and in the interim attended the Detroit Medical Col- lege, from which he graduated with distin- guished honors in 1888, after which he came to Webberville and "hung out his shingle." At this time his cousin, Dr. R. B. Smith, liad built up a good practice and on account of failing health was obliged to give it up. Dr. Turner filled the opening and has re-
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mained there ever since. He has enjoyed the liberal patronage and the confidence of the public to a good degree and his accumula- tions in a worldly way have been quite suf- ficient to gratify his ambitions. He is a Re- publican, has held the office of Treasurer of the village for three terms and also that of President for the same length of time. He has been Health Officer almost continuously since settling here. He has served one term as County Coroner and was re-elected at the recent election by a majority of two thou- sand. All these positions indicate the per- sonal popularity of Dr. Turner with his fel- low townsmen.
Perhaps the most important event in Dr. Turner's life was his marriage in Septem- ber, 1891, to Miss Kate, the accomplished daughter of Mr. and Mrs. I. H. Brunsdick. Mrs. Turner was for several years a popular teacher in the Lansing schools. Her father was one of the old settlers and also did valiant service for his country during the great Civil War. He was confined for six months in a rebel prison pen at Saulsbury. By occupation he was a cabinet maker and now resides at 605 N. Chestnut street, Lan- sing, Michigan.
Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Turner : Bessie, August 7. 1893 : Horace Richard, August 24, 1896, and Ralph Paine, March 17, 1900.
Dr. Turner is a member of the fraternal order of Masons, holding his membership in the Williamston Chapter. In 1902 Dr. Turner took a post graduate course with Drs. Herdman and Nory. Perhaps no or- ganization to which the doctor belongs gives him more pleasure than the fact that he is a member of the Sons of the American Revo- lution. As a reminiscence of the early days of Lansing. Dr. Turner's father recalls the fact that while looking for a stake which marked the ground where the capitol build-
ing was to be erected, he became bewildered and was lost in the woods. He assisted his brother James in the erection of the first frame house in North Lansing, which build- ing stands just north of the site of the pres- ent brewery. The frame was made at Mason and brought to Lansing with teams and set up. He recalls that at this time there were not sufficient houses in Lansing to accom- modate the working men with lodgings and he -- his father-was obliged to sleep under his work-bench.
Reminiscences of this character will never lose the interest of the generations who fol- low in the footsteps of the old pioneer.
CHARLES CLARK TERRY.
Charles Clark Terry is a native of Ba- tavia, N. Y., where he was born March 2, 1862. He was the son of George W. and Clarissa (Leach) Terry. His father was a native of New York. George Terry, the father, came with his family to Michigan in 1872, and first rented land in Onondaga township and continued working land on shares for several years, after which he moved with his family to Mississippi, where he engaged for one year in the meat market business. Twelve months in that climate seemed to have satisfied his ambitions for the Sunny South, and he returned to Michi- gan, and for thirteen years resided on a farm three miles east of Leslie, after which he purchased a farm of seventy acres in the Township of Onondaga, where he now lives. Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. George Terry, of which Charles C. is the eldest, the others being: George H., born September 2, 1864, married to Adah May Blackmore. Mrs. George and Mrs. Charles Terry are sisters. Walter, born June 22, 1869. married Ida Taylor, is a farmer liv- ing near Onondaga : John R., born Novem-
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ber 27. 1876, married Jessie Harwood; Nor- ton J., born February 13, 1882.
Mr. Charles Terry received his education in district schools of various localities, where his parents resided, during his school age. The event to him in life was his marriage February 26. 1887, to Eleanor, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Blackmore of Leslie township. Mrs. Terry was born in Leslie, January 7, 1868. Mr. and Mrs. Blackmore were the parents of five children: Ellen ; Willie and Adah, were twins, the former dying in infancy; Adelbert, who married Charity Mills and lives in Leslie township: Blanche, the wife of George Gibbs, a well- to-do farmer of Leslie township.
But one child was born to Mr. and Mrs. Charles C. Terry, Jasper J., March 28, 1890, and he resides with his parents.
Mr. Terry ranks among the reliable, pro- gressive and well-to-do citizens of Onondaga township.
JAMES . P. TOWNSEND.
Onondaga township has few, if any, more reliable and -trustworthy citizens than J. P. Townsend. Mr. Townsend is a native of New York, where he was born in Erie coun- ty, July 26, 1838. He was the son of Asiel and Ruth (White) Townsend. His father was a native of Vermont, where he was born Jan. 21, 1792. He died at the age of forty- seven years in Erie Co., N. Y. His mother was born in the Green Mountain State, Dec. 15, 1798, and lived to the advanced age of eighty-four years. Thirteen children were born to them.
Our subject being among the younger, at the age of eight years went to live with a sister, and his school advantages were com- mon to the boy of his time. At nineteen years of age he started out in life for him- self, and after a few more years of study
was granted a certificate, and taught school for one year.
Mr. Townsend was united in marriage Oct. 31, 1858, to Margaret E., daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Parsell, natives of Penn- sylvania. Mr. Parsell was born November, 1804. and died at the age of fifty-seven years. His wife, Sophronia ( Kendrick), was born Aug. 14. 1815, in New York state. She died at the age of seventy-one years.
Mrs. Townsend was one of a family of nine children. Her brother, George, died in Detroit, and Egbert, lives in Flint, Michi- gan. For six years following their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Townsend made their home with her people. His first purchase of real estate was forty acres of land near Akron. N. Y., where they lived for about two years, and, coming to Michigan, they settled for a time at Almont, Lapeer county, after which they moved to Northville in Wayne county, where Mr. Townsend was engaged for two years in the lumber trade.
Our subject, feeling himself adapted to the activities of a farmer's life, decided to purchase for himself and family a per- manent home and it was in the year of 1873 that he purchased the eighty acres of land, adjacent to the village of Onondaga, to which in later years he added forty acres, and is now the owner of one hundred and twenty acres of fine farming land, with good buildings and well stocked, all the result of his own efforts. .
Mr. and Mrs. Townsend are the parents of five children : Ullman, born Dec. 17, 1859, died Nov. 26, 1861 : Lucia S., born Oct. 14, 1863, is now the wife of Arthur B. Turner of South Bend. Ind., employed as commercial clerk in the Singer Sewing Machine Com- pany employing 2,000 men : George H., born Aug. 16, 1865, a graduate of Olivet College, Eaton Co., Mich., also a graduate of the Medical College of Louisville, Ky. He was
J. P. TOWNSEND
MRS. J. P. TOWNSEND
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professor of natural sciences in the Alpena High School, this State, three years, also one year in the State Military Academy at Gainesville, Florida. He was commandant of the cadets in addition to his other duties. Afterwards he taught the natural sciences for three years in Northwestern Military ยท Academy, located at Highland Park, Chi- cago, Ill., since which time he has been prac- ticing medicine, and now located at Tomp- kins Center, Jackson county. He married Carrie Barber and has three children : Mar- tha E., born March 1, 1872, at home with her parents ; Charles E., born Sept. 2, 1873, graduated from the M. A. C. in 1898, and, fully equipped to enter upon the activities of a successful and useful life, was suddenly stricken down and died April 13, 1900.
At the breaking out of the Civil War, there were seven brothers in the Townsend family, six of them served in the U. S. army, as follows: Carmel D., enlisted in 100th Regiment, N. Y. Infantry, for two years, served under Gen. McClellan, during that time, was honorably discharged at the end of his enlistment, and died on his farm near Vassar. Tuscola Co., Mich., Oct. 15, 1883 : Lucius, George and Daniel A., also Eg- bert Parsell, a brother of Mrs. Townsend, enlisted at Buffalo, in Co. B, 116th Regi- ment, N. Y. Infantry. The regiment served under Gen. Banks at the siege and fall of Port Hudson, La., and in the Red River ex- pedition, after which it was sent to Virginia. and participated in driving the Confederates out of the Shenandoah valley, under Sheri- dan. At the battle of Winchester, Lucius was killed by a minnie ball through the breast, was buried on the field : Egbert Par- sell, while carrying him from the field re- ceived a ball through the calf of his leg, dis- abling him for some time. he now resides at Flint ; George, color bearer of the regiment, was struck in the temple with the fragment
of a shell at Cedar Creek, Va., Oct. 13, 1864, was sent to Philadelphia, where he died in Saterlee hospital, Oct. 30, 1864. His remains were buried at Elma, Erie Co., N. Y. Several stars were found in his pocket, that he picked up as they were shot from the flag he bore : Daniel A., the only sur- vivor of the three brothers who went out together, now resides in Burnside, Webster Co., Iowa, a retired farmer. John went to war with a regiment from Illinois, and marched with Sherman to the sea. He walks on badly crippled feet, smashed while tearing up a southern railroad. He now has a home in Gowrie, Webster Co., Iowa.
J. P. Townsend, our subject, was second sergeant in Co. G. 98th Regiment, N. Y. State National Guards, and was sworn into the U. S. service three times during the war. The regiment was sent to Pennsylvania at the time of Lee's raid, but did not arrive at Gettysburg until after the battle. It was then sent to New York to quell the draft riot. In the summer of 1864, the regiment was stationed at Elmira, N. Y., guarding Confederate prisoners. At the end of four months' service, Mr. Townsend carried home with him a first lieutenant's commis- sion.
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