USA > Michigan > Ingham County > Lansing > Past and present of the city of Lansing and Ingham county, Michigan > Part 64
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INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
To Mr. and Mrs. Valancourt Hudson were born two children, Anna May, born September 11, 1877, died May 5, 1881. Alva, born January 22, 1872, now lives on a farm adjoining his father. October 5, 1898 Alva Hudson was united in marriage to Edith Lantis, and they have one child, Ulah, born January 6, 1901.
Alva and his father are staunch Republi- cans, and the son is now serving his third term as Supervisor of White Oak township.
By habits of industry, energy and strict attention to business these men are both in possession of good property. the son of fifty- one acres, and the father, Valancourt Hud- son, of one hundred and forty acres. To these good characteristics no doubt, is due the success which has so generously reward- ed our subject's labors.
GEORGE RAPP.
The following brief story of the life of George Rapp of Lansing township stamps him as a man of generous impulses, filial af- fection and inbred Christian character. He was born August 28, 1839, in Darmstadt, Germany, also the birthplace of the father and mother, August 10, 1808, and Novem- ber 21, 1816, respectively. The father, George, and the mother, Elizabeth, were married in 1836 in the fatherland. They came to America in 1845, when George was but six years of age, and landed in New York, a brother coming with them. Roches- ·ter, N. Y., was their objective point. Hav- ing learned the harness-making trade in the old country he made an effort to obtain em- ployment at the business, but owing to the fact that he could not speak intelligent Eng- lish, he was unable to find employment. He, however, succeeded in securing a position of sewing boot tops, at which he worked for two years and then came west to Lockport.
Niagara county. Here he found employ- ment as a farm hand by the month, which he followed until the year 1853. Imbued with an ambition, peculiar to his countrymen, that of securing a home for himself and fam- ily, he turned his face westward to Michi- gan. They came on the M. C. R. R. as far as Dexter in Washtenaw county and then by team overland to Ingham county and set- tled in the Township of Wheatfield. His first purchase was eighty acres of heavy tim- bered land, upon which he built a log house and began improvements: Here the family lived for four years, when he sold out the farm and moved to Lansing township, where he worked land on shares for H. H. Smith, a well-to-do pioneer of the county. Here he remained for about five years, or until three years before his death, which occurred in the fall of 1861.
In the meantime our subject had worked by the month, and with his earnings had helped to maintain the family. Following the death of the father, George was the recognized dependence of the family and paid for the litle home, which had been con- tracted for by the father. He sold this af- terwards and bought a farm of eighty acres on section 18, in the year 1866. The land was in a state of nature, and heavily timbered. He began improvements at once and soon after built a good frame house, in which the family have since resided. The family, including his junior brother and sis- ters, remained with him.
Mr. George Rapp was united in marriage June 28, 1867, to Miss Mary Myers, a na- tive of Germany, who had been in this coun- try but one year. She came here with a brother and sister. Six children have been born to them, four of whom are now living. Two are married, while two are still under the parental roof.
Mr. Rapp classes himself as a liberal
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Democrat. His abilities have been recog- nized by his fellow townsmen, as he has filled the position of School Director and that of Commissioner of Highways. His farm operations have been those common to the community, general or mixed farming.
The family are members of the Lutheran church, to which they cheerfully contribute of their substance. At the time of the mar- riage of his brother, Mr. Rapp very gener- ously deeded to him forty acres of land in return for services rendered while he re- mained at home after the years of his major- ity.
It goes without saying that the German people are the most industrious, self-depend- ent and successful foreigners that come to American shores.
ADAM KNIERIM.
Adam Knierim is one of our German- American citizens who are a credit alike to the land of their birth and the country of their adoption, and his characteristic German qualities have helped to keep him in the van among the leading men of his township.
Our subject was born in Germany in 1827, where he lived until the age of twenty-seven, when desiring to seek the fortunes that were to be found in the New World, he emigrated from the Fatherland and landed in America in 1854, first going to Elmore, Ohio, where he lived for five years, when he went to Woodville, Ohio, and there resided for five years also. In 1864 our subject came to Michigan, and settled on a farm of sixty acres in Delhi, on the state road. By his sturdy qualities and characteristic energy, so common to the German, he soon cleared the farm and made many improvements upon it.
Before coming to America, or in 1848, Mr. Knierim was united in marriage to Christina Bachman, whose birth occurred in
1825. Mr. Knierim has been a hard worker all his life and beginning without means, his success is entirely due to the combined efforts of himself and wife, who have worked in harmony for the success of every endeavor. Our subject has mourned the loss of his helpmate since the year 1890.
A family of seven children were born to Adam and Mrs. Knierim: Fred, born in 1848, living in Ohio; Anna, married to Chas. Levering, living in Lansing : Mary, married to George Miller, lives on a farm in Delhi; Kate, married to George Bludeau, living in Lansing: Lizzie, married George Albert, born in 1851 ; John, lives on a farm in Ohio, and the seventh, Louise, the wife of Clarence E. Holmes, Superintendent of the School for the Blind, of Lansing.
Our subject lived on his farm until 1902, when he sold it and came to live with his son- in-law, George Albert, a native of Germany, his birth having occurred sixty-two years ago. He came to America when sixteen years of age and lived in Ohio until the Civil War, when he enlisted and served dur- ing the whole war. He experienced many of the trials of the soldier's life, was wounded in battle and was also prisoner for seven months in Andersonville. His marriage to our subject's daughter, Lizzie, occurred in 1868, and unto them have been born four children : John, born in 1868, lives in Toledo, Ohio: Edward, born in 1875, lives in Eaton county ; Gusta, aged nineteen lives at home ; Fred, aged seventeen, also resides with his parents.
Mr. Albert has been an active and enter- prising farmer all his days and owns a well cleared and improved farm in Delhi. He is a valued citizen of the township, is a Repub- lican in his political convictions, and an ard- ent supporter of the German M. E. church, to which church our subject and wife also belonged.
DANIEL W. FRARY
MRS. DANIEL W. FRARY
477
INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
The political convictions of Adam Knier- im have led him to cast his vote for the prin- ciples of the Republican party, and although never having a desire for office, he was al- ways an interested citizen in the prosperity of his adopted country. It is the wish of his many friends that he may be spared for many years and enjoy a peaceful closing to his well spent life.
DANIEL W. FRARY.
Daniel W. Frary, the subject of this re- view; was born on the second day of June in 1830, in the County of Oswego, State of New York, and emigrated to Michigan with his father, David Frary, who arrived in this state and settled in Washtenaw county in 1839. Here the father remained until 1844, when he took up his residence in Ing- ham county, Leslie township. The mother of our subject bore the maiden name of Ann Weller and was also a native of New York state. In the family of David Frary were four children, two sons and two daughters. Cloie, the eldest, is now deceased; Warren T. is also dead. The third in order of birth is our subject, while Analiza, the last mem- ber of the family, has also departed this life. The mother of our subject died when he was but two years of age, and the father died about the year 1852, in the village of Leslie. Upon the father's location in this county, he purchased two hundred acres, where he re- sided for some time. This was principally timber land, a portion of which he improved and placed under cultivation.
The early education of our subject was acquired in the common pioneer schools of Washtenaw county, attending during the three winter months and spending the bal- ance of the time in assisting the father upon the home farm in clearing the land and pre- paring the fields for cultivation. It was in
the year 1854, that he really started out in life for himself, when he purchased eighty acres where he now resides. Here he built his first home of rough hewn boards with loose board floors. As the years passed and he was prospered, he added to his farm until its boundaries now comprise one hundred and twenty acres of well improved and valu- able land. Mr. Frary has made many valu- able improvements upon this place and to the passerby it needs but a glance to indicate the progressive and enterprising spirit of the owner.
For a companion and helpmate on life's journey, Mr. Frary chose Miss Sarah J. Tuttle, a daughter of J. J. Tuttle, now de- ceased, whose life's history appears on an- other page in this volume. The important event took place in 1856, on the third day of March. Mrs. Frary was born in this county on the third day of June, 1840, and her en- tire life has been spent in this locality. Unto our subject and wife have been born three daughters. The eldest, Elizabeth, married C. J. Clark, the second, Emma, is the wife of Arthur VanHorn, and Blanche, the third, is now deceased.
Our subject and wife have resided upon their home farm since 1856, or almost half a century, and have therefore witnessed the many changes which have occurred in the development of a wild and uninhabited dis- trict to its now thriving village and produc- tive farms. Stored within their minds are many scenes and incidents of pioneer times, when deer and other wild game were in abundance, and the red men of the forest still called Michigan and Ingham county a part of their hunting grounds. Unto this class of worthy pioneers, who have given the best years of their lives in laying broad and deep the foundation of civilization for the benefit of posterity, is this volume dedicated, that their life's efforts may not
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have been spent in vain, but that the future generations may in years to come read with pardonable pride of the accomplishments and self-sacrifices of their pioneer fore- fathers.
J. J. RIDER (DECEASED).
J. W. Rider, the son, who, out of respect for the memory of his parents, places in form for permanent preservation an outline of their life's work, does a gracious thing, and confers a favor upon posterity that possibly may not be fully appreciated until many long years have intervened. The following facts relating to the history of the family of the late J. J. and S. J. ( Patterson) Rider · by their son, J. W., of Aurelius, now in pos- session of the old Rider homestead.
The parents were both natives of the Em- pire State. The father was born in 1820, and the mother in 1827. The father re- ceived his early education in the state where he was born and where he lived until he arrived at his majority. In 1841 he married, and soon after came to the Wolverine State. He was reared on a farm, his father follow- ing that occupation before him. Six chil- dren were born to Mr. and Mrs. Rider, as follows : Louisa A., now the wife of Charles Marshall of Vevay township, who is a suc- cessful and prosperous farmer ; Alma is the next in order of birth and is now deceased, and was the wife of Gilbert M. De Camp; Alice, the third child, the wife of Floyd S. Rorabeck, a well-to-do farmer residing in Aurelius township, and they have two chil- dren, named Lovisa and Nellie; J. W. was the fourth child born; Elmore J. the next, married Alice Rorabeck, one child has been born to them.
Of the two members of the family de- ceased William, the first born, died at the age of six months. Alma married Gilbert De
Camp, was the mother of a young daughter, at the time of her death at the age of 31 years, whose name is Stella. Stella finished a course in the Mason high school, and has been a successful teacher for several years. Mr. J. J. Rider first settled in Rome, Lena- wee county, after coming to Michigan, bought 160 acres of land, lived upon it for several years, making quite extensive im- provements, after which he sold out and pur- chased the grist mill at Rome Center. He operated this for a time and later disposed of this property and moved with his family to Alaiedon township, Ingham county, where he purchased eighty acres of land, which he im- proved.
He sold this place, where he lived several years, and purchased one hundred and twenty acres in the Township of Aurelius, which he owned at time of his death July 19, 1904. The wife and mother paid the debt of nature in 1897. Both rest in the family plat in the Plains cemetery, south of Village of Aurelius. In politics Mr. Rider was an en- thusiastic Democrat and ivas a zealous worker in the discussion of the principles of his party. He served his township as a member of the Board of Supervisors. He has many reminisences of early experience while engaged in serving his family and ac- cumulated a sufficiency for his later years. He loved society and was a good entertainer. He will be remembered as a man of force, outspoken and earnest in whatever he be- lieved to be right.
J. W. Rider was born in the Township of Alaiedon, where he has spent nearly his whole life, Sept. 17, 1859. He attended the dis- trict school until 20 years of age, then went into the lumber woods and worked for three years.
. March 14, 1889, Mr. Rider was united in marriage to Miss Anna Isham of Aurelius Center. To them have been born five chil-
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INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
dren, all living at home. Five dutiful and healthy children is a heritage for which the parents may justly feel a sence of real pride.
Orla, born Feb. 9, 1891; Ellis J., born Oct. 24, 1893 ; Nellie J., born July 11, 1896; Agnes, born August 15, 1899. Little Agnes is the companion and pet of her father. She seems never to tire while wandering over the premises with her father. Helen Irene, born March 29, 1903.
The three eldest are in school, fitting them- selves for the cares of life. Mr. Rider is a Modern Woodman and carries an insurance in that order. Mr. Rider is carrying on the homestead farm and hopes to arrange with the heirs so as to come into possession of the entire estate. He is in love with his occupation and having a well equipped, well stocked farm, he seems easily to be on the highway to success and a goodly heritage.
O. V. REEVES.
O. V. Reeves, the present popular and ef- ficient Supervisor of the Township of Lan- sing, is an Ingham county product, having been born in the Township of Ingham, April 16, 1844. His parents, John D. and Julia Reeves, were natives of the Empire State. The father grew up a farm boy, and when twenty years of age he began clerking in a store, which he followed up for a few years. He came West locating on eighty acres of land, obtained from the Government, and later bought, as he prospered, until the farm embraced three hundred acres. It was dur- ing the Civil War in 1864, that Mr. John D. Reeves closed out his farming interests and moved his family to Ypsilanti, where he re- mained for five years. In 1869 he moved to Lansing city, lived there one year, and the year following moved on a farm upon which his son, our subject, now resides. The fath- er died January 20, 1901. His wife pre-
ceded him two years, having passed away in 1899.
Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Reeves, six of whom are living : Louisa, wife of Ralph Muscott, resides at Clare, Michi- gan; Emma L., wife of H. L. Whiting; Sarah J., deceased ; Franc A., wife of H. N. Stilson, living at Stockbridge, Michigan; Ella E. and Alta E., both single and residing with the brother at the old home."
Our subject has followed farming all his life, and for the past thirty years has had the management of the farm, which he now owns, comprising one hundred acres of choice farming lands. He made all the im- provements on the place, which is one of the substantial farm homes of the community.
Mr. Reeves takes an active part in pub- lic affairs, and is in harmony with the Re- publican party in his political views. He has held nearly all the offices in the township: Clerk, Treasurer, Justice of Peace and was Supervisor for four years. Mr. Reeves' father was not only a pioneer, but for many years was recognized as a man of more than ordinary ability, a man of genial social qual- ities, and was always regarded as a first- class citizen.
GARDNER RICE.
Gardner Rice of Locke township, was born in Parma township, March 20. 1840, and is the son of Ezekiel W. Rice. His father was born in Vermont. and his mother in New York. Ezekiel Rice came to Michigan in 1833. Shortly after he was married and located in Parma ; he bought one hundred and sixty acres of government land. To Mr. and Mrs. Ezekiel Rice were born seven chil- dren, all of whom are living: Jasper, Tru- man. Gardner, Polly, Henry, Lydia and Albert.
July 20, 1861. at the breaking out of the
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Civil War, our subject enlisted for three years, or during the war, in Co. H, 42nd Illinois, which was the first regiment of Douglas' Brigade. He, with twenty-three others was detailed from his company with Captain John A. Hotenstein and Lieutenant E. A. Montgomery to go on board the U. S. Gunboat "The Crondalet," to run the block- ade at Island No. 10. Afterwards, he re- turned to his company, and was engaged in the battles of Farmington, Corinth, Stony River, and Chickamauga. In the last named. September 20, 1863. he was wounded three time, for which wounds he was discharged, and returned to his home at Parma, Febru- ary 18, 1864. One year later he moved to Locke township and was married to Mrs. Lina Rowley. October 6, 1867, who was formerly married to Charles B. Rowley, August 20, 1861. To Mr. and Mrs. Rowley was born one child, Charles W. Mr. Rowley died while serving in the Civil War.
To Mr. and Mrs. Rice were born three children, all of whom are living: Josie, Nancy and James. The last mentioned served in the Spanish-American War and camped on the same battlefield that his father did during the Civil War.
Mr. and Mrs. Rice are members of the Wesleyan Methodist church at Locke. They now reside upon the same farm where they commenced life together.
THE INGHAM COUNTY NEWS.
The Ingham County News was estab- lished in .1858 by D. B. Harrington. He sold it in 1866 to K. Kittredge. In 1875 Mr. Kittredge sold to W. F. Cornell, who conducted it about one year and sold out to Otis Fuller & Co. Later Mr. Fuller became sole proprietor. In 1880 it was sold to V. J. Tefft, who retained control until 1887, when he sold to J. A. May, who sold to J.
T. Campbell in 1889. It was published by J. T. Campbell and A. L. Rose, under the firm name of Campbell & Rose, until Mr. Campbell's death in 1899. It has since been published by A. L. Rose.
D. B. Harrington, while in control, issued at different times the Western Oddfellow and the Baptist Tidings.
AUGUST HAWN.
There are few, if any people, who come to this country from foreign lands, who are more welcome, or make better citizens than the Germans. Their energy, coupled with persistent perseverance, add annually mil- lions to the productive wealth of the nation.
The Irishman takes to office as naturally as a duck to water. He seems to possess the inherent desire to govern. The German, on the other hand, takes to the soil, desir- ing only to know the laws that govern, that he may conform to them, and become a loyal subject of his adopted country. It goes without saying, that the German farmer is a successful farmer. He often wins out when others fail. The ease with which a home is to be acquired in this "land of the free," is a marvel to the average foreigner, as well as the "muchness" of the soil. He no sooner gets his bearings, than he grapples with the problem of a home for himself, and long before he is familiar with the lan- guage, he is well established in a home of his own, and his children are in the public schools. Numbered among the most desir- able liberty-loving. law-abiding citizens of Ingham county, a man respected to the limit of his acquaintance, is August Hawn. Mr. Hawn's parents, Henry and Hannah Hawn, were natives of Erfurth, in Germany, where August was born October 17, 1838. The elder Hawn was born 1806, and died about thirty years ago. His wife, Hannah, died
AUGUST HAWN
RUTHERFORD B. HAWN ( Deceased)
481
INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Christmas, 1856. Both were buried in west- ern New York near Pekin. It was in the year 1853, that August Hawn, with his father, bid adieu to the scenes of their na- tive land, and sailed for America, leaving wife and mother to follow later, with the other members of the family. Mr. Hawn received his schooling for the most part in his native country, this was supplemented, however, by two terms in a district school in the State of New York. When but a lad of 14. he started out for himself, empty- handed. He found employment at farm work by the month, and kept at it for sev- eral years, adding each year from his monthly wages, to his cash account, until the breaking out of the war of the Rebellion in 1861. He was among the first to volun- teer his services in defense of his adopted flag and country. He enlisted in the 28th New York Infantry, and served with that command for two years following its for- tunes, participating in a number of engage- ments, enduring the hardships incident to active service in the field. He was mustered out of service at Lockport, N. Y., June 22, 1863, by reason of the expiration of his term of enlistment, bearing the rank of corporal. The country still needed men, and he pa- triotically reenlisted on August 23, 1863, in the 2d New York Mounted Rifles. He participated in numerous skirmishes, besides eight hard fought battles, as follows: Win- chester, Va., early in 1862, Cedar Mountain, Va., in August, 1862, in this engagement the Union forces were under General Banks, and lost in killed, wounded, and prisoners were 1.500. General Jackson commanded the Confederates, who sustained a loss of 2,- 500 and were repulsed. Antietam, Md .. fought September 17, 1862, was one of the fierce conflicts of the war. The Union forces were commanded by Mcclellan, and lost in round numbers 12,500. The Confederates.
under Lee, in the aggregate, 15,000, and meeting inglorious defeat at Chancelorsville, May 2 and 3, 1863. Cold Harbor, Va., June 1864; this was a struggle between the great Captains Grant and Lee ; the losses footed up between eight and nine thousand on a side without perceptible advantage to either. Two engagements before Petersburg in 1864, in one of which the Union forces lost 5,000 men, while that of the enemy footed up 12,000. The last heavy engagement in which Mr. Hawn took part was on Septem- ber 30, 1864, at what was known as South Side R. R. The Union forces lost heavily in prisoners, and he was among the cap- tured. Five months spent in the rebel prison pen at Salsbury was an experience never to be forgotten. The stockade contained about ten acres of land ; Mr. Hawn was among the first prisoners confined there. The numbers soon increased to nine thousand five hun- dred. February 22 was fixed as the day for parole; about three thousand marched out as being able to reach the nearest railroad station, fifty miles distant. Twelve hun- dred were left sick, diseased, too weak to make the effort to reach God's country. The other five thousand three hundred had been carried out and buried in the long trenches outside the stockade-starved to death. A recital of the common every-day experiences of Mr. Hawn while confined in this awful place of starvation, misery and death is something simply appalling. He was mus- tered out of service June 21, 1865, from Camp Parole, with the rank of Sergeant, by reason of the close of the war, never having received a wound. Considering the service rendered, his preservation from wounds and death was little less than a miracle. The year following he came to Michigan, purchased a farm of 83 acres in the Township of Ingham, in this county, and set himself to clearing and improving
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his land. This was to be his home, here he was to experience the joys and sorrows com- mon to the lot of mortals.
Ten years later, in 1876, the centennial year, he was united in marriage to Mary E., daughter of Irving. Barnhart of the same township. Mrs. Hawn was born in Wyan- dotte county, Ohio, January 4, 1845. To them five children have been born. Their names and ages are as follows: Rutherford B., born April 15, 1877, he died at Cien- fuegos, Santa Clara Province, Cuba, Febru- ary 7, 1899, where he was buried. Later his remains were brought home by the gov- ernment. He was a member of Co. F, 31st Michigan Volunteer Infantry. He was one of two soldiers of his company that gave their lives to free Cuba from the yoke of Spanish tyranny. He rests in the family plot, Maple Grove Cemetery, in Mason. He died as he had lived, with faith in God and a good hope of the life beyond. William A., born September 16, 1879, died at Ann Arbor, Mich., after undergoing an opera- tion for appendicitis, June 12, 1903. He was a student at Ypsilanti Business College at the time of his death. His remains sleep beside those of his soldier brother. Tedman G., born July 7, 1882; Effie A., born Feb- ruary 19, 1886; J. Cordon, born July 27, 1887. The three living are all still under the paternal roof, well established in Chris- tian living. Exemplary young people, all are attending the city school. The entire family are members of the M. E. church and exemplifying the virtues of right living day by day. Politically, Mr. Hawn has faith in the Republican party, believing that the ship of State can be best managed by her tactful crew led by great leaders like Mr. Roosevelt and Fairbanks. About three years since Mr. Hawn retired from active life, bought a comfortable home in Mason city and with
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