Portrait and biographical album of Gratiot county, Mich., Part 20

Author:
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago, Chapman brothers
Number of Pages: 856

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life;" and records "that while on Tongue River, in Montana, they were 'corralled' by the Indians. Henry Evans, one of their number, volunteered to attempt the hazardous undertaking of stealing his way through the fine of the enemy to the command, for the purpose of procuring aid. He and Sergeant Hall stole forth in the night time, successfully eluded the watchfulness of the redskins, and by traveling in the night, and concealing themselves in the day-time, they reached the command on the third day. Re- inforcement soon reached them, and after being cor- ralled for 12 days, they were rescued from their perilous condition."

He also relates that while at Detroit, waiting for his discharge, and stopping at the Wesson Hotel, at about two o'clock in the morning of the 4th of July, 1866, he found himself on the floor of his room, shouting " fire!" He and Henry Evans attempted to escape down the stairs; but these were on fire, and they were forced to jump from the first-story window. This was a narrow escape, and a poor way to celebrate the national holiday.

Mr. Wight is a member of the I. O. O. F., and also of the Grand Army of the Republic.

Mason Wight, brother and business partner of our subject, was born in Lorain Co., Ohio, March 2, 1850. He followed the occupation of a farmer until 1883, when he came to this county and engaged with his brother in the business they are now jointly con- ducting.

He was married, Dec. 16, 1874, to Miss Edith Wright, and five children have been born to the union, four of whom are now living, namely : Lydia A., Laura L., Irvin and Nettie.

He also is a member of the I. O. O. F.

enry W. Myers, farmer, section 19, Wash- ington Township, is a son of Jacob and Magdalena (Walburn) Myers, natives of Maryland and Pennsylvania. Mr. Myers yet lives, in De Kalb Co., Ind. Mrs. Myers died in Seneca Co., Ohio, in 1850. Henry was born Oct. 3, 1844, in Seneca Co., Ohio, and left home at the age of 18. He was variously employed until Nov. 5, 1865, when he married Mrs. Lovina E. Mc- Entaffer, the widow of Timothy McEntaffer, and the

daughter of Jacob and Catharine (Kountz) Echelbar- ger, natives of Pennsylvania, where they followed farming. They afterwards removed to Ohio, locating in Columbiana County. Their next move was to De Kalb Co., Ind., where they died, both in April, 1878.

Mr. and Mrs. Myers came to this State and county, and located on 51 acres on section 19, Washington Township. He has a fine residence, and a substan- tial barn. Politically, he has always supported the Democratic party. Mrs. Myers has by her first mar- riage five children,-Isabel, Lorinda, Byron B., Oli ver and Olive (twins).

andrew J. Hatfield, farmer, section 15, Em- erson Township, was born in Medina Co., Ohio, July 11, 1839, and was the son of Jacob and Roxie (Houghton) Hatfield, natives of Pennsylvania and Cortland Co., N. Y. The former went to Ohio when seven years old, and lived on a farm in Medina County until 1862, when he moved to Michigan, and came to Gratiot County. He settled first in Newark Township, and then in Bethany Township, where he died Sept. 28, 1870. Mrs. Hatfield was of Puritan ancestry, and when quite young was taken to Medina Co., Ohio, where she was married at the age of 16. She died March 22, 1841, at the age of 20 years, 10 months and 29 days, leaving two children,-Andrew J. (our subject), and L. Catharine (Shelly), who died in Charlotte, this State, in November, 1881.

Andrew worked on his father's farm and obtained an academic education at Seville, Ohio. When 22 years old, he engaged for a short time in teaching. Nov. 25, 1860, in his native county, he was married to Julia, daughter of John and Barbara (Geisinger) Wydeman, natives of Northumberland Co., Pa., and of German descent. They emigrated to Canada, where they were married, and 15 years later they removed to Medina Co., Ohio, where Julia was born, March 28, 1836. She was educated in that county, and lived at home (her father dying April 26, 1850) until her marriage. Two years after that event Mr. and Mrs. Hatfield came to this State and county and lo- cated in Newark Township. He purchased 40 acres in that township. May 25, 1864, he engaged with J. M. Kidd, of Ionia, as agent and collector for their

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fanning-mill establishment. This business he fol- lowed for 12 years. In April, 1877, he moved to Emerson Township and located on a farm of 80 acres, partly improved. He has it now nearly all in good cultivation, and has a very fine residence, which cost $3,000.

Mr. and Mrs. Hatfield have a family of three,- Emma E., born May 25. 1861 (married and residing in Grand Rapids); William Forest, born Aug. 24, 1862, and Arthur IL., born July 21, 1864. They are members of the M. E. Church. He is a member of Ithaca Lodge, No. 123, F. & A. M. Politically he is a staunch Republican. He has held the office of Deputy Sheriff.

yenry Grover, an enterprising farmer, resi dent on section 2, Arcada Township, was born in Hull, Yorkshire, Eng., Dec. 10, 1844; and is the son of Thomas and Maria (Sherwood) Grover, natives of Yorkshire, Eng. Thomas Grover was by occupation a carriage smith, and came to this country in 1856, locating in New York State. Two years later, he came to Len- awee County, this State, and after a few years there he came to Gratiot County, where he died, at his home on section 2, Arcada Township, Aug. 27, 1877, at the age of 65. Ilis wife now resides at St. Louis, in this county, at the age of 68.

The subject of this sketch came with his parents to New York State, and thence to Lenawee Co., Mich., where he was married. Nov. 28, 1867, to Ame- lia, daughter of Joseph and Eliza (Clark) Barber, natives of New York. They followed farming, and came to this county, where Mr. Barber now lives, on section 2, Arcada Township. Mrs. Barber is de- ceased. Amelia was born in Hancock Co., Ohio, and came when five years old with her parents to Lena- wee Co., Mich.

Two years after marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Grover went to Manistee County, where they farmed for seven years. They returned to Adrian, and three years later came to Gratiot County, settling down on 90 acres of his father's homestead. He is a progress- ive farmer, and has about half his farm nicely improved. They have five children, as follows : Char-

lie O., born Aug. 25, 1871; Eliza M., Sept. 24, 1873; Clara E., Dec. 31, 1875 ; Rose A., March 11, 1878; Maria B., Oct. 6, 1883. Politically, Mr. Gro- ver is a staunch Republican.

avid D. Stoddard, farmer, section 10, Washington Township, is a son of Orson and Bathia (Hulbert) Stoddard, natives of Connecticut and New York. Mr. Stoddard, Sr., was born Jan. 1, 1804, while Mrs. Stod- dard was born in July, 1810. In 1854, they came to Michigan and located in Wayne County. Soon after, they removed to Gratiot and located on section 11, Washington Township, where Mr. Stod- dard died, June 15, 1870, and Mrs. Stoddard, April 21, 1870.

The subject of this sketch was born in Allegany Co .. N. Y., April 24, 1830. At the age of 20, he en- gaged as a farm hand, and worked as such for five years. Nov. 9, 1854, he married Mary Ryan, daugh- ter of Adam and Betsy (McNett) Ryan. In 1856, Mr. and Mrs. Stoddard came to Gratiot, and located on section 11, Washington Township. They after- wards removed to section 10, on a farm of 20 acres. They were among the first settlers of the township, and found no improvements when, amid the snows of winter, they first arrived among the forests of this part of Michigan. They have two children, named Alice F. and Freeman O. In politics, Mr. Stoddard is a Republican. He and wife are members of the U. B. Church.

ames Remaley, farmer, section 2, Hamilton Township, is a son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Nonnemaker) Remaley, natives of Penn- sylvania, and of German and Welsh extraction, both of whom are deceased.

5 James was born in Northampton Co., l'a., May 19, 1826, and in 1834 accompanied his parents to Trumbull Co., Ohio, where they located. Here he attended the common schools of the county, acquired an education and developed into manhood. In the year 1846. he determined to battle against the trials and struggles of life alone, and came to Eaton

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County, this State, and entered So acres of Govern- ment land, for which he paid Broo. This land lies two miles north of Charlotte, Eaton County this State, and is now valued at Sioo per acre.

Mr. Remaley remained in Eaton County until the year 1854, when he removed to Hillsdale County, and there lived for 23 years, until 1877, when he came to this county, since which time he has con- stantly resided here. He owns 250 acres of land, anc besides attending to his farming devotes a portion of his winters to lumbering.

Mr. Remaley was married, Feb. 13, 1853, to Susanna, daughter of Eli Foglesang, of Ilamilton Township, of German descent, and one of the old settlers of Southern Michigan. Of this marriage seven children were born, six of whom are living, viz .: Elizabeth (Watkins), Mary (Wilber), Geo. A., Alice R., Clara L. and Clarence A. One son, Eli, died in December, 1877, in his sixteenth year.

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illiam E. Winton, attorney, Ithaca. is a son of William Winton, who was the son of James and Ann Winton, and was born June 10, 1779, in the parish of Dunning, Perthshire, Scotland. After the death of both his parents, which occurred about the year 1800, having a desire to visit the New World, he took passage at Greenock, May 12, 1802, on board the ship " Draper," of New York, for America; ar- rived at New York July 4, 1802. He came West into Madison Co., N. Y .; became acquainted with and married Desdemona Leach, of Chittenango, in 1817. He then purchased and settled on a farm at Bridgeport, in the town of Sullivan, Madison Co., N. Y., and about 12 miles northeast from Syracuse, at which place his wife died, April, 1823. To them were born three sons,-James Winton, born Jan. -- , 1819, now living at Manchester, Washtenaw Co., Mich .; William E. Winton, the subject of this sketch, born Dec. 17, 1820; and David L. Winton, born Jan. 21, 1823, now deceased, having died at Cohoctah, Livingston Co., Mich., Dec. 17, 1853. He afterwards married a lady by the name of Lana Houser, by whom he had one son and four daughters, all of whom are now dead except Mary, who was born Oct.

31, 1830, and now living between Chelsea and Man- chester, Washtenaw Co, Mich .; and Ann, born March 15, 1833, and now of Fairmont, Il. Ile came to Michigan in December, 1845, and died at Man- chester, Mich., Jan. 21, 1858.

His second son, William E. Winton, enjoyed the advantages of the village school at Bridgeport, dur- ing his childhood, his father keeping him during the school vacations at the Chittenango Sulphur Springs for his health. At the age of 13 he went to Albany on a tour of sight-seeing, visiting the museum, thea- ter and places of amusement, and where for the first time he saw a steamboat, as she passed up the ITud- son, bound for Troy.

In the winter of 1837, being then 16 years of age, he obtained the consent of his parents, and came to Michigan with the family of Daniel Boutell, and after a journey of 21 days reached their destination, on section 30, in town 4 north, of range 5 east, after- wards organized as the township of Deerfield, Liv- ingston County.

Mr. Winton remained in the family of, and worked for, Mr. Boutell until the age of 21. In the fall of 1839 he returned to the State of New York to trans- act some business for Mr. Boutell, giving him an op- portunity of visiting his father's family, but so changed in personal appearance as not to be recog- nized by any one of them.

On his return to Michigan, after a month's absence, he induced his younger brother, David L. Winton, to come West with him.

He became acquainted with Sarah Ramsdell in 1840, to whom he was married Nov. 27, 1842. She was the daughter of Noah and Polly (Mary) Rams- dell, then of the township of Tuscola, afterwards changed to Cohoctah, Livingston County. She was born Oct. 2, 1821, at Fairport, some 10 miles east of Rochester, N. Y., from which place her father, in 1828, moved to Waterford, Plymouth Township, Wayne Co., Mich., and built the first flouring mill there.

In 1839 her father exchanged his mill property for a farm of 640 acres in said township of Tuscola (now Cohoctah), where Mr. Winton became at- quainted with the family.

At the time of his marriage, his father-in-law, being considerably involved in debt, induced Mr. Winton to take charge of the farm, pay off the debts and save the property, which he accomplished in the

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course of ten years of hard labor and strict economy, receiving for such services about 200 acres of the farm: during which time he held various township offices.

1 On the zed of June, 1852, he was left a widower by the death of his wife, by whom he had three children : Sarah J. born Dec. 9, 1843; Mary D., born Oct 10, 1845, and John 11., born May 31, 1852. After the death of his wife, he leased his farm and made pro- visions for the care of his two children then living,- Sarah J. having died of croup Sept. 23, 1844,-and, : having had only the advantages of a common-school education, he spent six years teaching, attending school and reading law. August, 1858, he graduated at the State and National Law School at Poughkeep- sie, N. Y. Armed with his diploma, he went to New York, purchased a law library, and returned to Mich- igan, and was, Sept. 10, 1858, at llowell, Mich., ad- mitted to practice in the courts of law and equity in this State.

lle visited the World's Exhibition at the Crystal Palace in New York, 1853. He visited the United States Military Academy at West Point, July, 1858, where he was introduced to Gen. Winfield Scott, at his headquarters. Ile attended the celebration of the laying of the first Atlantic cable at New York City in August, 1858.

lle received, October, 1858, the nomination for Prosecuting Attorney, on the Republican ticket, in Livingston County, and was, with the rest of the ticket, defeated, the Democrats, who were in the ascendancy, carrying the county.

March 3, 1859, he sold his farm.

April 4. 1859. he was married to Mariette Thomp- son, daughter of Joseph R. and Mary J. Thompson, of Corunna, Mich. She was born March 15, 1831, in the town of Columbia, Ilerkimer Co., N. Y. Her father came to Michigan in 1834, and settled on a farm at South Lyon, Oakland County.

Mr. Winton started June 11, 1859, on a prospect- ing tour, visiting St. Johns, Maple Rapids, Ithaca, St. Louis, Midland City and St. Charles, and returned home. He moved into Gratiot County, and arrived at Ithaca, March 28, 1860, then the county seat, boasting of 15 families all told, and having a weekly mail ; a dense forest covered the greater part of the present village, not a road opening to it from any di- ret tion.

He was elected Circuit Court Commissioner No- vember, 1860, and was appointed Deputy County Clerk in January, 1861. Having received his com- mission therefor, he enrolled all persons liable to military duty in the south half of Gratiot County in 1863, and continued in the conscripting business to the close of the war; and was, during the same period, Superintendent of the County Poor, and, as such, had to make provisions for the support of quite a large number of families of the patriotic citi- zens who had gone to the front to defend the liber- ties of the country. Such families were provided for at their homes. Mr. Winton made arrangements with John Hicks, of St. Johns, who filled his orders for supplies.

He was elected to the offices of Circuit Court Commissioner and Prosecuting Attorney in Novem- ber, 1864. He was re-elected Prosecuting Attorney in November, 1866, and was a delegate to the Con- gressional Convention held at Flint the same year, at which Hon. Randolph Strickland received the nomination. Mr. Winton was also a delegate to the Congressional Convention at Flint in 1868, at which HIon. John F. Driggs received the nomination, and, as was believed by many of the delegates, unfairly ; and for that and other reasons, whether founded or unfounded, Judge Isaac Marston, then of Bay City, and William E. Winton, of Ithaca, took the field against Mr. Driggs, defeated him, and Hon. Jabez G. Sutherland was elected to Congress over Mr. Driggs.

Oct. 19, 1868, Mr. Winton, wile and his wife's sis- ter, Mrs. Gilbert, visited the prairies of Wisconsin, Illinois and lowa, and enjoyed the hospitalities of Milwaukee, Chicago, Davenport, Muscatine, Sigour- ney, Oskaloosa, Des Moines, and returned via lowa City.

He was elected Judge of the Probate Court No- vember, 1872, for the term of four years.

On the 28th day of June, 1876, Mr. Winton and wife, in company with Hon. Wilbur Nelson and wife, left Ithaca for Philadelphia, via Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburg, Ilarrisburg, Washington, D. C., and Balti- more; and on the 4th of July witnessed the nation's grand display. After spending 12 days visiting the Centennial Exhibition, the thermometer vary- ing from 95° to 100°, they returned via New York C'entral & Canada Southern, visiting all places of in- terest, and reached home in August.

GRATIOT COUNTY.

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Mr. Winton has been successfully connected with many of the most important suits in the county, both of law and equity. He has an interest in the new bank building known as the " Jeffery, Winton Bank Block," in which he has as good, if not the best law office and library in the county. He was a proprie- tor of Turck, Winton & Co's. Bank, at Alma, and is now a stockholder in Steel, Turck & Co's. Bank at Ithaca.

He was elected the first President of the village of Ithaca, in November, 1869, and has been a mem- ber of the Common Council most of the time since the village was incorporated.

He is strictly temperate, and is a member of the Presbyterian Church. IIe was brought up a Demo- crat, but identified himself with the Whigs soon after arriving at the age of 21 ; became a Free-Soiler, and represented that party in convention at Pontiac, September, 1848, and was chosen Secretary of the Convention. He became a Republican on the or- ganization of that party in 1856, and as such attended the mass convention at Kalamazoo that same year, at which many of the Northern States were repre- sented, and where for the first time he had the pleasure of meeting Abraham Lincoln, our late President.

Mr. Winton relates two incidents occurring on his way to Michigan in 1837. They came overland, via Syracuse, Rochester, the Ridge road to Youngstown, crossed into Canada and took the Mountain road. A sudden change to extreme cold, after a rainy thaw, left the road a bed of ice; the vehicle, a covered emigrant wagon; Mr. and Mrs. Boutell and three children seated back, and their oldest son, John, seat- ed in front with Mr. Winton, the driver. Advan- cing in this condition, six emigrant teams and two loads of Indians following close in the rear, ap- proached the foot of Battle Hill. The road up this was cut into the side of the mountain on the left, a precipice 200 feet deep on the right, with logs laid along the edge, a trifle higher than the dirt line; the snow and ice, then as smooth as a skating rink, had raised the road bed above these logs. The emigrant teams and Indians remained at the foot of the hill, to witness the attempted ascent, which proved nearly successful ; but, on reaching the summit, both horses slipped down, the wagon ran back, dragging the horses after it; and as the off hind wheel passed over the edge of the precipice, with immediate destruction

apparent, young Winton made a desperate leap for- ward, to avoid entanglement with the horses, down this awful gulf, rushing through the shrubs, plunging down the steep declivity with such momentum that his downward course was continued for a hundred feet or more before he had the power to effect a halt. He was greatly surprised, on looking up, to see the wagon above him hanging on the edge of that dreadful pit, in the exact position as when he made that " leap for life."

Hurriedly clambering up the steep, on reaching the road, he was further surprised to find the wagon os- cillating on two wheels only; the off front wheel, having dropped slightly in between the log at the edge and the ice, became bound sufficient to hold all fast ; the off hind wheel hung over, while the near fore wheel was raised up clear from the road, waiting to go over on the least stir of a horse or person in- side. The horses lay as if dead, the family re- maining in the same position. Not an emigrant or Indian had stirred. All sat spell-bound, as silent as the chamber of death, until Mr. Winton beckoned (not daring to speak for fear a horse would stir) for help from the foot of the hill. At this, some 20 white men and Indians came rushing franticly to the spot, surrounded the wagon and held it fast, while Mr. Winton assisted the family therefrom ; and tak- ing the horses by the bits, they sprang to their feet, and, with the help of men and Indians, took it to the top of the hill in safety !

On arriving at Windsor, opposite Detroit, just as the ferry had made its last trip, a delay was caused of about three days, for the river to freeze over, it being then jammed full of broken ice from shore to shore, slowly moving down the stream from the upper lakes, during which time over 200 families arrived on their way to Michigan. The ice a little below Windsor parted, all above remaining stationary, while that below moved on down to Sandwich before coming to rest, leaving the river open between. The crossing was effected near Sandwich on the new ice formed in this open space, on the afternoon of the third day, the forenoon having been occupied in get- ting the women and children over from Windsor to Detroit, on foot, the broken ice from the lakes having been thrown into so many strange, fantastic heaps and windrows, reaching up the river for miles, as to render crossing there with teams impossible, and very

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difficult to be effected on foot. The ice at and be- low Sandwich was thrown into heaps similar to that at and above Windsor. The new-formed ice ex- tended from Sandwich up the river about three-quar- ters of a mile, where the channel was still open. The new ice over the channel was thin and slippery. Great precaution was used by the ferrymen who had charge of the crossing. The ice near the shore being of sufficient strength, the teams were distrib- uted thereon from Sandwich up to within 30 rods of the open channel to avoid two crossing in the same place. The teams were unhitched and the horses led over singly. The loads were got over by hitch- ing a single horse, with about 200 feet of rope, to the end of a tongue. The rider, with hatchet in hand, to cut the rope in case a load broke through, put spur to his horse and crossed at full speed.

Mr. Boutell's wagon being uppermost, brought his crossing nearest the open channel, increasing the peril. He led one horse and Mr. Winton fol- followed with the other some 20 rods behind. On reaching a point opposite this open channel, the wagon went spinning past, when two wheels broke through the new ice ; dropping on a large cake of lake ice that had floated under, they bounded to the sur- face again and passed on ; at the same time a violent gust of wind came sweeping up the river, sending young Winton sliding over the smooth ice, at the halter's end, the horse following for some considera- ble distance towards this open sea, with no power to stop, except by ordering the horse to stand, which the dumb brute obeyed, and by means of the halter got himself back to the obedient animal; and by keeping the horse between himself and the open river, passed beyond danger.

They stayed over night at the "New York and Ohio House," situated on the southwest corner, where Woodward Avenue crosses Jefferson Avenue, which, with the " National llotel," the " Eagle Tavern," and " Detroit Cottage" (all wood buildings). were the leading inns of that city.

Detroit, then the capital of the State, and one of the oldest cities of the Union, was but the embryo city of to-day. It contained more log buildings than brick ; the streets were entirely destitute of pave- ments, and nearly so of sidewalks, and the place had no railroad communication whatever.

William E. Winton's great-great-grandfather was

the Earl of Winton, whose estate and strong castle was west of Edinburgh. The Earl of Winton, in 1715, then of the age of 25 years, very reluctantly espoused the cause of the son of James II, known as the " Chevalier de St. George," the pretended heir to the English throne. Earl Winton commanded the cavalry and had great influence with the Highlander Infantry. He was, with many other Scottish noble- men, taken prisoner at London, February, 1716; and while many of those Scotch noblemen pleaded guilty to the charge of high treason, Lord Winton pleaded not guilty. He received sentence of death after trial, but made his escape from the Tower. He is frequently referred to in the "Tales of a Grandfather," by Sir Walter Scott, Vol. III, Chap- ters VIII and IX.

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Portrait and biographical album of Gratiot county, Mich., Part 20

Author: Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Chicago, Chapman brothers Number of Pages: 856

Author:
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago, Chapman brothers
Number of Pages: 856