Portrait and biographical album of Gratiot county, Mich., Part 48

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

USA > Michigan > Gratiot County > Portrait and biographical album of Gratiot county, Mich. > Part 48

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For the first 18 months after marriage, Mr. Jessup was engaged in burning lime on his father's home- stead. Ile then came to this county, and purchased 63 acres, 40 in Newark and 23 in North Star. In the latter township he lived for a year, and then he moved across the line into Newark. Here he lived a number of years, and changed his forest tract into a highly cultivated farm. In August, 1880, he ex- changed for 100 acres on section 26, Arcada Town- ship, where he now resides. He has excellent farm buildings on his place. and expects to make it a model farm.

Mr. and Mrs. Jessup have two children : Eleanor E., born May 31, 1864; Mary V., born June 25. 1866. He is often solicited to accept township of- fices, but always declines. He was for two years Postmaster at Pompei. Politically, he is a Republi- can. Mrs. Jessup is a member of the U. B. Church.

ichards, Althouse & Co. The firm of Richards, Althouse & Co. are located at St. Louis, and engaged in the manufacture of all varieties of slack-barrel cooperage. The business is managed by Josiah C. Richards and Clarence W. Althouse.

Mr. Richards came to St. Louis in the fall of 1880 and, associated with Isaac Morris, built a stave mill in the township of Breckenridge, which establish- ment has since been sold. The mill which the com- pany are now running at St. Louis was built in the spring of 1882, and is furnished with all the latest improved machinery. The firm became J. C. Rich- ards & Co., and, Jan. 1, 1884, Mr. Althouse was ad-

mitted, the firm style becoming as stated. The con- cern owns a large mill at Ithaca, which was built in the spring of 1883. Each mill requires about 35 men in its operation, and the aggregate product of both represents about $70,000 in value annually.

gavid Van Leuven, general farmer, section 10, New Haven Township, was born in Pleasant Valley, Livingston Co., Mich., March 21, 1834. His parents, John (a farmer) and Anna Eliza (Dietz) Van Leuven, were natives of Albany Co., N. Y., ard came to Michigan in a very early day, crossing Lake Erie on the vessel " Walk-in-the-Water," on its first trip, and the first ever made by steamer, across that Lake. Owing to adverse winds, they were five weeks on the lake. Ar- riving in Detroit, then a village of but a few log huts, Mr. V. found he had but sixpence. After settling for a time in Wayne County, near Detroit, he moved to Livingston Co., Mich.

David, the subject of this biographical notice, was Il years old when the family moved with him back to Wayne County, locating 17 miles from Detroit. Here he lived until the death of his father in the spring of 1864; one year later his mother died, both aged 61. To him, then 30 years old, was left by will the homestead, then of 74 acres, which he continued to manage for 15 years ; then, in 1875, he rented this farm, came to Gratiot County and settled upon his wild tract of 120 acres, which he had pur- chased in 1862. Three years later he returned to Wayne County, and soon afterward sold his farm there, returning to his farm in this county, where he has since resided. The first year he improved 90 acres from the stump. He erected saw-mills, etc., and induced other enterprising parties to settle around him, thus accelerating the rise of the value of real estate in his vicinity. Indeed, his noble ambition led him to over-exert his physical energies and injure his constitution. He is still enthusiastic. Politically, he belongs to the Republican party, and socially to the Masonic Order, being a Master Mason in the lodge at Elm Hall, No. 257.

July 9, 1869, Mr. Van Leuven was married in Wayne Co., Mich., to Miss Katie, daughter of Timo- thy and Sarah (Choate) Walling, the former a native

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of New York State and the litter of Michigan. MI. W. was of English descent, and died in Monroe Co., Mich., in February, 1855, aged 44 years. Mrs. W. was a second cousin of the eminent Boston jurist and Senator, Rufus Choate. She is now living with her daughter, Mrs. V., is 64 years of age and retains her usual good health.

Mrs. Van Leuven was born in Monroe Co., Mich., Oct. 13, 1844, near the site of the famous Indian mas- sacre on the River Raisin. From the age of 18 until 24, the date of her marriage, she was a school-teach- er; and she would excel in that capacity now were she still in the profession.

3 artin W. Cramer, farmer, section 11, Beth- any Township, is the son of Jeremiah and Ruth (Lowry) Cramer, and was born in Marcellus, Onondaga Co., N. Y., Oct. 12, 1831. In 1837 the family moved to Freedom Township, Washtenaw Co., this State, and pur- chased 60 acres of land and followed the vocation of farming until their death, which occurred in 1843 and 1846, the father dying in the former and the mother in the latter year, leaving nine children.

In 1850 he left Washtenaw County and went to Plymouth, Wayne County, and remained there, va- riously occupied, for two years. He then located 120 acres of land in Tuscola County, on the present site of the village of Union. Mr. Cramer remained on this land for 15 months, and then came to this county and purchased 240 acres of land in Bethany Township, for 50 cents an acre, and on which he is at present residing.

In 1857, Mr. Cramer was selected by the citizens as the bearer of a petition to the Supervisors of the county at Ithaca for the naming of the Township " Fremont." The majority of the Supervisors did not favor the name and consequently rejected it. Mr. C. was then requested to give another name and offered the name Bethany, which was voted on and adopted.

Mr. Cramer was married Oct. 28, 1855. and was the first resident of Bethany Township to marry.

Mr. Cramer moved on his land early in 1855, and

in December of that year escorted his new bride to the humble " log cabin " on his place. Her effects consisted of a pillow-case full of bed-clothes, which she shouldered and started for the "land of promise." Coming to the river, the same being partly frozen, and there being no way to cross except by wading, Mr. C. " shouldered " his wife, "together with the bed-clothes," and safely forded the stream. At the raising of their cabin, all the white men in the town- ship were present, namely : W. J. Partello, Sylvanus Groome, Alfred Clark, John J. Partello and Charles Vorce; and the remainder who assisted in the erec- tion were Indians, some seven of them from the Mission.

Mr. Cramer now owns 105 acres of land, of which 65 acres is under good improvement and adorned with good buildings.

Mr. C. is and has been identified with the educa- tional interests of his township and has been honored with the position of School Inspector.

. Mr. C. was again married, to Miss Charlotte An- drews, of Bismarck, Eaton County, this State, March 24, 1876.

To his first union were born eight children, namely : Ambrosia. Alice, Chester, Ben Butler, Syl- vanus, Martin W., Jeremiah and Emmett. One child, Sarah, has been born to the latter union, but has passed to the "better land."

Mr. Cramer was among the first to respond to the call of the martyr President for troops to engage in the late civil war, and enlisted at Ithaca, Aug. 12, 1861, in Co. C, Sth Mich. Vol. Inf., as private, under Capt. Ralph Ely, and served until Sept. 23, 1864. Ile participated in the engagements of the taking of Port Royal, Coosaw Ferry, S. C .; Wilmington Island, James Island, second battle of Bull Run, Chantilly, Antietam, South Mountain and Fredericksburg, and assisted in the capture of Morgan. He was also en- gaged in numerous skirmishes, and becoming indis- posed was taken to the hospital at Louisville, where he remained several months, and was finally dis- charged at Lexington, Ky. At Coosaw Ferry, Jan. 1, 1 862, he was one of the 20 picked men taken by Col. Ely, whose narrow escape is described at length in "Michigan and the War."

Mr. and Mrs. Cramer are members of the Chris- tian Church and are respected and esteemed citizens of their township.

THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS R L

Mr Mr. Barstow

GRATIOT COUNTY.

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illiam M. Barstow, farmer, section 22, North Star Township, was born in Smith- field Township, Madison Co., N. Y., Nov. 1, 1826, and is a son of Elias and Sally (Mor- gan) Barstow, both of English ancestry, the former a native of New York State and the latter of Ohio.

Mr. Barstow attended the common schools until 17 years of age, and then was employed in a woolen factory for to years, the last four years as foreman of the weaving department. During this time, namely, Oct. 15, 1845, at Morrisville, he married Miss Eunice McBride, daughter of John and Polly (Wilbur) Mc- Bride, who was born also in Madison Co., N. Y., July 30, 1828. Mr. and Mrs. B. have had eight children, seven of whom are living, viz .: Adelbert E., Mary E., Ellen E. (deceased), Charlie E., Eunice M., William Henry, Hiram Chancy, and Nellie F. The first named is married, and now resides in Ith- aca, where he is an insurance agent. Mary E. is the wife of A. J. Brown, who is in the employ of Nelson Barber at Ithaca. Charlie is married and is living on section 15, North Star Township. Eunice M. is the wife of John .A. Srodes, real-estate dealer at Ith- aca; William Henry resides on the homestead; and Hiram Chancy is attending school at Ithaca.

About 1853 Mr. Barstow came West with his fam- ily and settled in Wright Township, Hillsdale Co., Mich., where he bought a farm of 40 acres and re- mained three years; he then came to North Star Township, bought 120 acres of timber land, erected a log cabin and began clearing away the forest. The country was new and Mr. B. had to encounter the hardships and struggles common to the pioneer. Here he cleared 65 acres, 40 of which he ultimately gave to his eldest son.

As a patriot Mr. Barstow has had both military and official experience,-the latter often as bitter as the former. Aug. 9. 1862, he enlisted in Co. D, 26th Mich. Vol. Inf., Capt. Lafayette Church. Having helped recruit the company he was mustered in as Second Sergeant, and he served until Dec. 20, 1864, as Orderly Sergeant, participating in the battles of Mine Run, Spottsylvania Court-House and in a num- ber of skirmishes. In the last named engagement

he was wounded, his right leg being shattered by a minie ball, which troubled him for a number of years. On account of this disability he was mus- tered out, at Detroit. About the same time he was wounded, he received a commission as Second Lieu- tenant ; but he did not muster in as such. Officially, Mr. B. has been Township Supervisor nearly five terms, Township Clerk two years, Township Treas- urer one year, Township School Superintendent two years, Justice of the Peace one year, and is at present School Inspector. He has also served as County Treasurer two terms,-1878-82. He was first elected on the Republican ticket, over Washington ('lark, Greenback, running ahead of his ticket by a large number. In the fall of 1880 he was re-nominated by acclamation, and elected. He is a member of the G. A. R., and, with his wife, also of the Method- ist Church.

Mr. Barstow's many friends will be pleased to see his portrait in this Albumn.

ber Loomis, farmer, section 17, Seville Township, was born June 14, 1821. in Cuyahoga Co., Ohio. He is a son of Eber and Julia (Thompson) Loomis. The former was born Jan. 25, 1779, in the State of New York; the latter was born Aug. 23, 1792, in Connecticut. The father was a farmer and shoe- maker, and combined the two callings all his active life. After his marriage, he settled in his native State, where he resided some years, and removed thence to Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, whence they went later to Lorain County. The father died there in April, 1843; the mother died Oct. 9, 1865, in Branch Co., Mich.

After his father's death, Mr. Loomis was thrown upon his own resources, and was variously engaged. Among other occupations, he was a sailor on the lakes for some time. He was first married in 1840 to Delilah, daughter of Nicholas and Rachel (Haynes) Wood. She was born in the State of New York, and died in Erie Co., Ohio, in 1856. Of six children born of this marriage, three survive. The eldest son died in the army in 1865. In 1860, Mr. Loomis was married to Emily Eldred, daughter of Job and Mary (Dethrick) Eldred. Her parents were natives of the

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State of New York. The children born of this second marriage are : Sarah E., Jessie, Ada, Eber, C'ora, Maud and John W.

Mr. Loomis enlisted in 1865 in Co. B. 11th Mich. Vol. Inf. The regiment was assigned to garrison duty on the Knoxville & Chattanooga railroad, and was finally discharged Sept. 28, 1865, at Jackson, Mich. On leaving the army, Mr. Loomis joined his family in Branch Co., Mich., whence they came, in 1867, to Gratiot County, and Mr. Loomis located where he now resides. He bought 40 acres at first, and is now the proprietor of a farm containing 120 acres. Of this, 70 acres are cleared and improved. Mr, Loomis is a Republican in political faith and action, and has served a term as Road Commissioner. He is a member of the Order of Masonry, Lodge No. 257, Elm Hall. Mrs. Loomis belongs to the Church of the Disciples.

enry L. Holcomb, lumberman and manu- facturer of salt, residing at St. Louis, was born Aug. 22, 1808, in Granby, Hartford Co.,

* C'onn. Heis a son of Thomas and Clara ( Petti- bone) Holcomb. His father was an attorney of some prominence, and passed the latter years of his life in the pursuit of agriculture.

Mr. Holcomb was reared to the calling of a farmer and was engaged in that vocation until he was 25 years old. At that age he embraced a seemingly feasible project for improving his fortunes, and oper- ated four years as a contractor on the canal then being built between New Haven and Northampton. He again engaged in farming a short time, and then went to Georgia for the purpose of taking a contract on the Savannah Central railroad. This enterprise occupied two years, and at the expiration of that time he returned to the North. In 1848, he again went South and became a contractor on the South- western, Savannah & Brunswick railroad, and after- ward on the Columbus Branch of the Southwestern. He was thus engaged eight years, after which he re- sumed farming.

In 1860, Mr. Holcomb came to St. Louis and made extensive purchases of timber land, owning in the aggregate 2,000 acres. The tract included the present site of the village of St. Louis. In 1861 he

built the saw-mill just north of the present grist-mill of James Henry. He continued its management until 1867, when he sold all his property in Michigan and returned to Connecticut and resumed operations on his farm, which he still retained. Six years later he found himself once more in possession of his property at St. Louis, the parties to whom he had sold it failing to meet the terms of the sale. The village had been platted and part of the lots sold, and Mr. Holcomb continued to dispose of them. The real estate of which he acquired possession amounted to 1,500 acres. He built the giist-mill re- ferred to in 1875, and sold the same to James Henry in 1882. Ile has been continuously and extensively engaged in lumbering, and besides his operations nearer home, owned a saw and shingle mill in Rock- land, Montcalm County, which he managed until 1883.

Mr. Holcomb built his present fine residence soon after coming to St. Louis the first time. In 1881 he built the Opera House Block, and another adjoining in 1882. The first-named is one of the finest struct- ures at St. Louis The auditorium of the Opera House seats 1,000 persons, and in the two blocks there are six commodious rooms for store purposes. The upper floor of the second block is devoted to offices and society rooms. Mr. Holcomb is the pro- prietor of several business buildings on Mill Street.

He was married at Granby, Conn., Sept. 22, 1828, to Aura P., daughter of Origen and Rosabelle Pinney. She was born Jan. 13, 1810, Simsbury, Conn., and died May 5, 1883, at St. Louis. Mr. Holcomb is a communicant in the Episcopal Church.

10 ilo Standish, farmer and stock-raiser, sec- tion 9. New Haven Township, is a son of Samuel W. Standish, who was born March 12, 1797, in Vermont, and died July 26, 1883, in Hillsdale Co., Mich., at the age of 86 years. He was a descendant of Capt. Miles Standish, whose name is celebrated, and from whom the sub- ject of this notice is of the sixth generation.

Milo Standish was born in the township of Bristol, Ontario Co., N. Y., Dec. 11, 1833. When he was three years old the family moved with him to Hills-

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dale Co., Mich., and at the age of 12 he set out in the world for himself, engaging to a farmer at $4 a month. Four years later he began to work in a brick-yard as a molder, at Coldwater, Mich., in which vocation he wrought successfully until he was 21, except one year in Illinois, at the same trade. He then came to this county and engaged as a common laborer for John A. Crispel, and one year later he began to work upon and improve his present farm, which he had pur- chased in the fall of 1861. To this he has added 120 acres, and he now has 170 acres in a good state of cultivation. When he came here he had but $3, and he is already worth about $15,000. He has large and commodious farm buildings, and his residence, recently built, cost $2,000. He has also been High- way Commissioner and held several township school offices. He is prominent among the farmers of his portion of the county, as a progressive, judicious and energetic agriculturist. On National issues he is a Democrat.

Mr. Standish was married March 22, 1862, in Lib- erty, Jackson C'o., Mich., to Miss Mary Crispel, daugh- ter of John A. and Mindwell L. (Spencer) Crispel (see sketch of the latter). Mrs. S. was born in Spring Arbor Township, Jackson Co., Mich., Jan. 6, 1844. When ten years of age, the family moved to Mont- calm Co., Mich., and thence to Hillsdale County, where she received her education.

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John Thomas, farmer, section 4, Pine River Township, is the son of Stephen and Jane Thomas, and was born in England April 7, 1829. His parents were also of English birth and spent their entire lives in their native land. Mr. Thomas caught the Australian gold fever, and, at the age of 19, went to the island continent, where he engaged in mining more than a twelve- month, and in 1849 came to the United States, and to Michigan. He spent the first year of his life on the American Continent in Clinton County, Mich., and in the spring of 1855 came to Gratiot County. He bought 240 acres of land in an entirely unin- proved state, where he now resides. He has disposed or 80 acres, and, of the remainder, has 50 acres in tillage. Mr. Thomas is a Republican in political faith. He is one of the early settlers of Gratiot

County, and has passed through the vicissitudes of the pioneer's life, observing the gradual progress of the county to a fair rank in the Peninsular State.

He was married near Lansing, Michigan, to Mary A. Saunders. She was a native of the State of New York, and died Jan. 8, 1876. Four of six children born of her marriage to Mr. Thomas yet survive : Edgar S., Loretta J., Della A. and Irving J. Ada and Mary E. are deceased. Mr. T. belongs to the Disciples'Church.

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eorge W. Dawes, photographer at St. Louis, was born June 15, 1847, at Goshen, Mass., and is the youngest son of Dryden and Per- melia (Hubbard) Dawes. He resided in his native place until he was 18 years old, when his parents, having sold their farm, they removed to Grass Lake, Jackson Co., Mich., where they had pur- chased a farm three years previous. The father's health failing, he sold his property at Grass Lake and removed to Manchester to give his children better educational advantages. The family now re- side at Dowagiac, Mich.

Mr. Dawes received a substantial education, and in 1871 was graduated in the classical department of the union school at Manchester, Mich., when he was appointed Principal of the union schools of Antioch, Ind. He acted in that capacity two years, when he returned to Manchester and worked at his trade of builder, which he had learned previous to reaching his majority. In the spring of 1876 he came to St. Louis and operated as a carpenter and builder until the fall of 1882, when he entered the establishment of C. N. Stark, a photographer at Ann Arbor, and remained under his instructions until March, 1883, when he opened a gallery at St. Louis, where he has since been engaged in a prosperous business of increasing proportions and requiring two assistants.

He was married April 7, 1873, in Ypsilanti, Mich., to Eva S. King. She was born Oct. 28, 1854, at Ann Arbor, and is the eldest daughter of William S. and Sarah (Hall) King. Her parents removed to Ypsi- lanti in the fall of 1860, where she received a liberal education. One daughter, Nona, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Dawes, Dec. 17, 1878. Mr. Dawes is a

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member of the order known as the Knights of Labor. He has been Superintendent of Schools of Pine River Township four years. Ile owns his residence on Olive Street.

dwin S. Hoskins, editor and proprietor of the St. Louis Leader, was born in Ogden, Monroe Co., N. Y., July 2, 1843. He is a son of Myron and Sarah S. (Brown) Hoskins. His father is a native of Vermont and spent the earlier part of his business life as a con- tractor and builder, and later as a farmer. Hle is now in the insurance business at Paw Paw, Mich., and still retains his farming interests. The mother is also a native of Vermont and is still living.

Mr. Hoskins was reared on a farin and attended school chiefly, until he was 18 years old. He acted for nearly five years as a clerk in Brockport, and spent two years as an assistant in the postoffices at Brockport and Rochester. In 1866 he opened a grocery and provision store at Brockport in company with his brother, George W. Hoskins. A year later this business closed, and in 1867 the brothers went to Leavenworth Co., Kan., where he was employed on the Union Pacific railroad. Afterwards Mr. Hoskins was placed in charge of the Fairmount Station, where he operated two years. Returning East, he went to Allegan, Mich., where he engaged in milling and buying grain for his uncle, A. S. Brown, of whose business he had charge. He was well fitted for its management, having been engaged in Kansas in han- dling grain, in connection with railroading. He was thus occupied until the death of his relative, which event occurred in about four years.

In 1873 he went to Bellevue, Eaton County, and bought the Bellevue Gasette, which he conducted eight years, with reasonable success. In July, 1881, he came to St. Louis and bought the St. Louis Leader. It is published as a Republican sheet and enjoys a fine patronage, which is constantly increasing. A job office is conducted in connection therewith, in which branch Mr. Hoskins is doing a successful bus- iness. The work requires three assistants.

Mr. Hoskins was Assistant Secretary of the Senate of Michigan during the last session of that body

held in the old capitol building, in 1877-8. He was elected Secretary of that body in 1879 and has been successively elected every session since that date. He was Clerk of the village of Bellevue eight years, and held the same position in the township two years. He was married May 11, 1869, in Brock- port, N. V., to Minnie, daughter of Nathan and Me- linda Fisk. She was born Jan. 2, 1847, in Monroe Co., N. Y. Following are the records of the children born to Mr. and Mrs. Hoskins: Etta L., Nov. 6. 1871; Frederick M., May 29, 1873: Fern, Nov. 1, 1879; Ralph, June 21, 1882, at St. Louis, where he died Oct. 9, 1883. The two eldest children were born in Allegan ; the third in Bellevue.

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iram Burgess; deceased, was born Oct. 10, 1802, in Cayuga Co., N. Y., married Keziah Terry for his first wife, and she died five years later. He married Betsey Placeway, a native of Vermont, and located in Allegany Co., N. Y. In 1837 they removed to Michigan and passed two years in Northville, Wayne County. They re- moved thence to Clinton County, where they settled on 160 acres of land in the midst of an unbroken forest. They held possession of the place four years and went to Livingston County, where they spent 12 years in agricultural pursuits. In 1853, they re- turned to Clinton County, and in 1855 settled on 80 acres of land on section 25 of Pine River Township, Gratiot County. It was situated in the unbroken wilderness, which had never before hardly known the presence of the foot of a white man, and the house- bold experienced pioneer incidents sufficient for a volume.

Mr. Burgess afterward added 40 acres, on section 26, to his original tract of 80 acres, and, later in life, sold 20 acres to one of his sons, which left him in possession of 100 acres of land at the time of his death, which occurred April 9, 1879. He was a prominent citizen of the county from its organization, which he was instrumental in effecting, and was elect ed its first Sheriff on its obtaining its municipal reg ulations. He was also active in all matters pertain- ing to the progress and welfare of his township, of which he was the first Supervisor.

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Portrait and biographical album of Gratiot county, Mich., Part 48

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

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