Portrait and biographical album of Gratiot county, Mich., Part 54

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

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Hle found his services as a surveyor were in im- mediate demand, and he at once engaged in the work . in this vicinity and in Midland County. He was elected County Surveyor in the fall of the year of his arrival, 1855, and has pursued the same calling ever since. He surveyed and platted the villages of Al- ma, Ithaca, Riverdale, Estella, Breckenridge and Wheeler, besides ten additions to St. Louis.

Among other important pieces of work he has ac- complished is the survey of the State Road to Sagi- naw from St. Louis when the country was in a state of unbroken wilderness ; and also the survey of the State Road to Newaygo, and from St. Louis to Mid- land; also from St. Louis to Bridgeville, near St. John's. He also assisted in surveying the route of the Saginaw Valley and St. Louis railroad. He has been County Conveyor or Deputy since the organiza- tion of the county. He is a member of the State As- sociation of Engineers and Surveyors, and has held the various village offices at St. Louis. He is a member of the Baptist Church, and upon the organi- zation of the society at St. Louis he was made Dea- con, and has held the position continuously ever since. Ile bought the site of his present residence in 1866, and also iSo acres of land. He now owns 70 acres on the east side of the village, 50 acres of which are platted and known as S. S. Hastings' Ad- dition.

Mr. Hastings was married in Guilford, Medina Co., Ohio, March 2, 1854, to Julia, daughter of David and Harriet Dix. Of this marriage seven children were born, four sons and three daughters: Frank W., born Dec. 29, 1854, mail agent between Saginaw and Lake View, is a graduate from the Agricultural Col- lege at Lansing. He is a practical surveyor, and was Postmaster at St. Louis about three years ; Forest B., born Feb. 26, 1857, is a farmer on section 16, Beth- any Township; Russell M. was born March 16, 1859; Mary E. was born Jan. 11, 1862, and died Aug. 27, 1863; Fannie E., born Sept. 6, 1865; Charlie S., May 31, 1869, and Hattie (., Nov. 30, 1871, reside at home with their parents.

The portrait of Mr. Hastings, which appears on another page, is presented with peculiar satisfaction, which is universally shared by the patrons of the work, among whom are a considerable number who live to remember the period referred to by Mr. Hast- ings in the data given herewith, and the servicesThe performed in which his wife shared :

" Nearly all the settlements in Gratiot County were made under the Graduation Act, passed by Congress Aug. 4, 1854, by the provisions of which the price of the land was reduced to 50 cents an acre. Probably three-fourths of the land in this county was located by actual settlers within eight months after its pass- age. Most of them were men of small means, who could only command sufficient money to enter claims of 40 or 80 acres, which were located in the dense forests, miles from roads or trails and discoverable only by expert woodsmen. Few of such settlers were able to take immediate possession of their claims, but they made some slight improvements and returned to their former homes to earn teams and sufficient provisions to ensure them from suffering until they could maintain themselves and families.

"In February, 1856, the Commissioner of the Gen- eral Land Office issued the following 'Circular,' to all settlers on these lands :

" LAND OFFICE AT IONIA, MICHL., Feb. 20. 1856. -

" Nir-Under instructions from the Commissioner of the General Land Office, you are hereby called upon to produce testimony to perfect your title to the land en- tered by you on the 27th day of Dec .. 1854. at this office. per certificate of purchase. No. 13555. for *actual settle- ment and cultivation." under the provisions of the act of Congress, entitled . An act to graduate and reduce the price of the public lands to actual settlers aud enlti- vator-, approved Ang. 4, 1854. A form of the required testimony is hereto annexed.

" If'-nch testimony be not produced at this office within two months from this date, it will be regarded as an abandonment of your claim to the land. and the case will be reported to the General Land Office, in order that step- may be taken for throw ing the land into mar- ket again. after proper notice.

" Very respectfully, your obedient servants. "A. F. BELL. Register. " FRED HALL. Receiver." "This circular caused an immediate immigration of a large number of settlers into Gratiot County to fulfill its terms, which, under the circumstances, were simply outrageous. It was in the winter, and the hardships were greater and proportionately severe, as many of the settlers were compelled to take pos- session of their land and build houses without lum- ber. In many instances means were found to evade the law, and I was reminded of the results of an en- actment in the early days of Canada, which granted land to settlers on condition that they should 'chop down and chop up and roll out four rods of highway in front of the land.' The settler would take two witnesses, go to the land on the line of the highway, take his ax and 'chop down ' into the roots of a tree

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and 'chop up' as high as he could conveniently reach, then lie down at length on the ground and roll over four or five rods out of the bounds of the highway. This done, he presented himself at the land office, accompanied by his witnesses, and made oath that he had 'chopped down and chopped up and rolled out four rolls of the highway in front of his land!' The subterfuges resorted to by the sufferers of Gratiot County, sometimes presented features of equal absurdity.

"The circumstances narrated must of themselves have been productive of unparalleled suffering from the influx of numbers so great as to render their sup- port in the unsettled sections an utter impossibility, but the condition that ensued was, in point of fact, beyond the vagaries of the wildest and most erratic imagination. The summer of 1856 was extremely dry and the small patches of corn and potatoes were well-nigh failures. A windy day occurred in Octo- ber after the leaves had fallen, and fires broke out from all the little clearings throughout the county. The woods were soon on fire in every direction, and when it expired the ground was covered with ashes to a depth of from one to four inches. The smoke was suffocating and so dense that vision beyond a few feet was wholly obstructed. People could not safely venture from their houses because of the in- tense darkness, and candles were necessary when sewing and reading were to be done. Our Board of Supervisors was in session and transacted its busi- ness by candle-light. The cattle died in consider- able numbers, and many of the inhabitants were violently ill. The river looked like lye, and the fish died. The sound of falling timber echoed through the woods continuously. This state of things con- tinued 14 days, when we were relieved by a shower.

" As the winter drew on, we began to realize what hard times were. The small crops were divided with the new comers and were soon exhausted. As soon as the trails were passable for sleds, farmers from the south brought in provisions to barter for shingles, and soon nearly every house was a shingle shanty. When the snow disappeared the trails again became impass- able, and by May supplies were almost wholly ex- hausted, many subsisting on fish, turnips and leeks. Rumors of the destitution in the north began to reach Lansing and the cities beyond. A meeting was called in Detroit and a clergyman named Hickey was

selected for a tour of investigation. He shipped his horse to St. John's by railroad, and followed the trail thence to St. Louis via Maple Rapids and Ith- aca. There was no hotel at St. Louis and he stop- ped with me. He said he had inquired of all whom he had seen of the amount of provision on hand. On the morning following his arrival he made a long tramp north and west in Pine River Township, return- ing at night to my house. Among other incidents of the day, he mentioned meeting a small boy, whom he questioned concerning his breakfast, and was inform- ed that he had "bagas and salt." Further inquiry elicited the fact that the bill of fare for dinner va- ried in the substitution of salt for bagas and bagas for salt. Mr. Hickey decided that the necessity de- manded immediate action, and that the supply of provisions would not hold out two weeks. Many were entirely destitute and borrowing of their neigh- bors. He recommended that the Board of Supervi- sors be immediately called together to take action in the matter. He said that the people of Detroit had raised several thousand dollars for the relief of the destitute, whom they wished to remain on their lands. I recommended that provisions be sent instead of money, and suggested that should supplies be sent to Saginaw they could be brought hither in canoes. Mr. Hickey returned to Detroit and submitted his report. In a few days I received a communication from John Owen, of Detroit, Chairman of the Relief Committee, stating that he had forwarded a quantity of provis- ions to G. W. Bullock at Saginaw City, subject to my order, and requesting me to take measures to con- vey them to St. Louis and distribute them to the needy and destitute. My field was to include the north half of Gratiot County, and all of Isabella County. He also stated that he had established a depot of supplies at Benedict's, near Maple Rapids, for the benefit of the south half of Gra- tiot County. I was staggered by the letter and all it implied. I was young and unaccustomed to business of that character, and reflection greatly mul- tiplied the apparent difficulties of the situation. It invited a summer of labor without compensation, and the probabilities of incurring enmity were great ; but inclination gave way to duty, and I laid aside my compass and chain and entered into the work. The route to Saginaw by the river was at least 100 miles. There was no road and the channel of the river was dangerous from logs and rocks, and the current was

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rapid. But there was no alternative. A trader named Wilden owned a boat, named for his daughter. a bux- , on German maiden, the Red Susan, made for him by an Indian named Chib-i-nee, from a monster pine that grew near where now stands the residence of Mr. Elwell. The boat would carry 6,000 pounds, and its owner offered it for the required purpose. Seven men could take it to Saginaw and load it in two days. Five days were required in the return. None but the most hardy could endure the labor and fatigue and the exposure consequent upon camping nights on the banks of the river. Mr. L. D. Mosher, of Alma, owned a boat and brought up a number of loads. Following is one of his bills of lading:

· SAGINAW CITY. June 17. 1857.

. Delivered to L. D. Mosher. per your order, to carry to vou at l'ine River, Gratiot Co .. Mich .. for distributionto the destitute the articles named below : 10 bbls. Flour, 1 bbl. Pork. 1 bbl. Hams. 1 bag Potatoes, Leaddie- Tea, 6 1bs. each, 4 packages Tea, 1box containing 2 pes. Deninis and Shirtings. 1 pr. Boots. 1 lot Women's and Misses Shoes.

. To S. S. HASTINGS, EsQ., . Sup. Pine River. Gratiot County.

. G. W. BULLOCK. Agent.""

Supplies were also brought in considerable quan- tities by Mr. R. Ely and the Indians, many of whom performed the same service with their canoes. All were paid in provisions. On the days when supplies were expected to arrive the people for miles around flocked to St. Louis, numbering from 25 to 100 persons. I usually weighed out to each man 20 to 50 pounds of flour, ro of pork and a quantity of corn meal and beans, proportioning the amount to their fam- ily and ability to carry. I had potatoes for seed, tea for the sick and a few pairs of women's shoes for the barefoot. Few or no applications were made for sup- plies by those who had money to obtain elsewhere. we continued to receive aid until the people began to use green corn and dig new potatoes, when I informn- ed Mr. Bullock that assistance was no longer neces- sary."

Mr. Hastings omits to state the amount of labor he performed and the personal effort made by himself and wife to alleviate the suffering which was neces- sarily brought to their knowledge. The people who came in from the country were always pinched with hunger, and they never returned unfed. Mrs. Hast- ings' own hands prepared substantial meals for a large proportion of the needy, and she spent the summer of 1857 in virtual fulfillment of the command "to

feed the hungry." Her name belongs to the record- ed history of the "starvation period " of Gratiot County.

enry Stitt, farmer on section 19, Fulton Township, is a son of John and Laura (White) Stitt, natives of Berkshire Co., Mass. They lived in that county until some four years after marriage ; then lived in Portage Co., Ohio, 15 years; then in Fulton County, same State, nearly 13 years ; and finally came to Gratiot County, where, in Fulton Township, Mr. Stitt had previously purchased 100 acres. Before he was fairly settled, however, he was taken sick, and died at the residence of her son Harry, Sept. 4, 1864. His wife lived the remainder of her life with her children, and died at the residence of her son Winfield, Dec. 26, 1877. Their family comprised three sons and one daughter.

The subject of this biographical sketch was the second son. He was born in Berkshire Co., Mass., July 4, 1833, and was only two years old when his parents removed to Ohio, in which State he was reared and educated. He left the parental roof at the age of 22. In the fall of 1862, he purchased a tract of wild land on section 19, Fulton Township, and built a log cabin. The following February, he returned to Ohio and brought back his family to their new home. He has since added 40 acres, and has 100 acres under cultivation, besides making neces- sary improvements in the way of erecting farm build- ings, etc. In November, 1880, he moved into his present fine residence, which he had just completed.

March 24, 1861. in Medina, Lenawee Co., Mich., he was united in marriage to Miss Mary A., daughter of Henry and Roxa (Francis) Huyck, of German and American ancestry. She was born in Richland Co., Ohio, Nov. 8, 1840. Mr. and Mrs. Stitt have been the parents of three daughters, two of whom survive : Dora E. and Laura C., living, and Cora E., deceased when about six months old.

In the spring of 1883, Mr. S. was elected Supervi- sor of Fulton Township. He was Treasurer for two years, and has held minor offices in the gift of the people. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and in political sentiment is identified with the Dem- ocratic party.

THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS R 1

Mrs Kate A Whitman

@Whitman

THE NEW YORK PUBLICAT MARY

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osiah P. Whitman, of the firm of Whitman & Son, liverymen at Ithaca, was born in Springport Township, Jackson Co., Mich., April 18, 1841. He is a son of Clark R. and Keturah A. (Pratt) Whitman. His father was born in Stanbridge, L. C., and is now a resident of Ithaca. The mother was a native of the State of New York, and died Nov. 29, 1850, in Springport. The parents were pioneer settlers of Jackson County, and owned a tract of land in Concord, which they sold a year after its purchase, and removed to Spring- port, where the father owned several faims success- ively.

Mr. Whitman was a pupil in the schools of his na- tive town until he was 15 years old, when he became an assistant on his father's farm. When he reached the age of 20 years, he engaged as traveling sales- man for George M. Cady in the notion trade, and a year later entered into the business on his account. He operated several years with satisfactory results. In the fall of 1865 he came to Ithaca in company with two brothers, George and William Whitman. The three formed a partnership, opened a tea and grocery store and established a country exchange trade. Mr. Whitman bought the interests of his brothers a few months later, and, after managing the business one year alone, he sold to Cady Brothers. In 1867 he bought the site of the building where he is now doing business, and in the following summer erected a structure for a store in which he established a grocery. Four months later he sold his stock to Samuel J. Thoenen and opened a livery barn. In 188r he built a brick livery stable. 33 by 157 feet in dimensions. The barn is two stories high and he keeps 15 horses, with vehicles of all sorts, to ac- commodate the demand. The store building has a frontage of 60 feet and a considerable mercantile business is managed there by the proprietors. The residence of Mr. Whitman is located on the same grounds. He owns 40 acres of land on section 1, in the township of Ithaca. He is the inventor of a patent carriage top bow support, which is becoming popular in the trade. It was patented Feb. 20, 1883. He has been one of the Trustees of Ithaca two years.

Mr. Whitman was married Oct. 26, 1862, in Clar- ence Township, Calhoun Co., Mich., to Kate A. Kashenider. She was born Nov. 17, 1844, in Akron, Ohio, and is the daughter of Michael and Catherine Kashenider. George M. was born in Springport, Sept. 4, 1863, and Floyd ('., born at Ithaca, April 5, 1875, are the surviving children of Mr. and Mrs. Whitman. Wilfred C., born March 5, 1873, died Sept. 16, 1877.

The portraits of Mr. Whitman and wife appear on neighboring pages, and are, like many others in this volume, the likenesses of enterprising and worthy cltizens of Gratiot County.

ames D. Vallance, farmer, section 4, Ful- ton Township, is a son of James and Eliz- abeth (Brewbaker) Vallance, who first set- tled in Pennsylvania, then in Richland Co., Ohio, and then moved to Wood Co., Ohio, where he died, and where she still lives. The - subject of this narrative was born in Fayette Co., Pa., May 17, 1831, and was about three years old when his parents removed to Ohio. He was edu- cated in the common schools, and lived at home un- til 22 years of age. He then engaged in farming, and rented different farms for six years. He then bought 40 acres, on which he lived until 1866.

Coming to Gratiot County in that year he purchased 80 acres of wild land in Fulton Township, where he now resides. He has since added 109 acres to his farm, and has about 100 acres under cultivation. June 15, 1862, in Wood Co., Ohio, he married Sarah, daughter of Tobias Bassler, a native of Pennsylva- nia. They had two children, George M. and John H. ; and the latter died when two and a half years old. Mrs. V. dying, he was again married, March 11, 1860, to Miss Elizabeth, daughter of David and Mary Leslie, natives of Stark Co., Ohio. She was born in Carroll Co., Ohio, Aug. 10, 1842. By this marriage, Mr. Vallance has had two children, Jack- son D., and one who died in infancy. Mrs. V. is a member of the United Brethren Church, and Mr. V. is politically a Republican.

Mr. Vallance enlisted, Aug. 8, 1862, in Co. B, IlIth Ohio Vol. Inf., and served till June 10, 1865,

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when he was discharged at Camp Chase, Ohio. He was in the battles of London, Tenn., and Lenore Station. At the last named place, where the fighting began Nov. 14, 1863, and continued one week, he was taken prisoner early in the morning of the third day. He was confined till Sept. 6, 1864, -two weeks in Atlanta, Ga., two months at Pemberion Castle, Va., three months on Belle Island, and then for a long time at Andersonville. In that iniquitous pen. he suffered for six months all the horrors of "man's inhumanity to man." Ile was then for two months at Charleston, S. C, and then at Florence, S. C., where he was finally exchanged.

ames Bates, farmer, section 1, New Haven Township, was born in Seneca Co., N. Y., May 31, 1802, his parents of English de- scent. His father, Thomas Bates, was a Cap- tain in the British army for 16 years, and, except a few years' sojourn in Canada, he lived all his life in England. where he died in 1854. His mother, Ann, nee Hutson, died in England, her na- tive country, in 1858.

When seven years of age, the subject of this sketch was taken by his parents to Cambridgeshire, Eng- land, and four years later he joined his uncle, James Bates, who was at the time Captain of a fruit vessel bound for Amsterdam. Shortly after arriving, they were pressed aboard a man-of-war, and the former was assigned the position of cabin boy, which place he kept about four years, when he had to go aloft as an active sailor. In the meantime they were taken to France, which country was then at war with Eng- land. While there he, in company with 11 other young sailors, maneuvered a scheme to "skip " the war vessel, and, succeeding, they soon arrived in England, where young James engaged to labor on the public works of the beach, etc. Thus employed until 1851, he emigrated to America, landing at New York, and settling in Oakland Co., Mich., where he had a farm on shares for three years. In 1854, he entered, at the Ionia land office, 120 acres of wild land, where he now lives, before examining it. The year following he settled upon the place, then sev- cral miles from any other settlement. He had to go to Ionia and St. John's for provisions. Although

many in this part of the country succumbed to the hardships of the period and returned East, Mr. Bates kept up his courage and bravery until a time of greater plenty arrived. He has retained his original purchase, added 120 acres, improved 60 acres, and made for himself and family a good home. He is esteemed as a true, sturdy, and high-minded pioneer. He has worthily filled the school offices of his town- ship, and in respect to national issues he is inde- pendent.

During his early travels, Mr. Bates visited the East Indies, and on his way was wrecked near the coast of Arabia, his vessel being lost in a chase by a pira- tical vessel. He, with others, had to work their way to shore in a row- boat, and were thus exposed to the dangers of the sea for 14 days with but little pro- vision. They were reduced to the last extremity, and were about to " cast lots " as to who should be thrown overboard, when they suddenly reached shore.

Mr. Bates was married Dec. 25, 1844, in Harding- ham, England, to Miss Elizabeth Mail, a native of that country. She was born Oct. 11, 1818, lived at home until 12 years of age, then was with her grand- mother until her death, and returned home, where she remained until her marriage. The living chil- dren of Mr. and Mrs. Bates are : Eliza, born Jan. 24, 1852; James Thomas, Jan. 24, 1855 ; Elizabeth, July 2, 1858; William, March 18, 1860; Rosetta, March 16, 1862; and Susan A., Aug. 20, 1863. The deceased are five infants, four named Elizabeth R. and one named George.

illiam W. Fraker, carpenter and farmer, 9 section 12, Fulton Township, is a son of Alexander and Jane (Sprague) Fraker. They settled after marriage in St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., where they still reside. Their family comprised two sons and four daughters, of whom William W. was the eldest son.

He was born in St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., Jan. 13. 1846, and lived at home attending school and work- ing on his father's farm until 18 years old. Sept. 5, 1864, his patriotic impulses led him to enlist in the both New York Vol. Cav., and he served about nine

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months. He did not participate in any heavy en- gagements, as his company was generally on detached service, performing such duties as usually fall to the lot of cavalry commands.

In July, 1865, he came to Gratiot County. He was variously employed until 1872, when he bought 40 acres of wild land on section 12, Fulton Town- ship. He has erected good farm buildings, has added 60 acres to his original purchase, and of his whole acreage, 82 acres are cleared and cultivated. Dec. 25, 1867, in Washington Township, this county, he married Miss Martha, daughter of William W. and Lucinda E. (Schuyler) Armstrong. Mr. and Mrs. A. were natives of New York, and came to Gratiot County in 1864, settling at their present home in Washington Township. Mrs. Fraker was born in Herkimer Co., N. Y., March 2, 1852.

To this marriage has been born one child, Aug. 17. 1870, named Ray. In political views, Mr. F. is a thoroughgoing Republican.

Ison P. Kinney, farmer on section 31, Ful- ton Township, is a son of David A. and Esther (Platt) Kinney, natives of Connecticut and New York. They first settled after mar- riage, in Tioga Co., N. Y., afterwards remov- ing to Huron Co, Ohio, where they lived until death, his occurring Feb. 25, 1861, and hers in 1872.

Their family comprised four sons and two daugh- ters. Alson P., the second son, was born in Tioga Co., N. Y., June 7, 1828, and was about 1 1 years old when his parents removed to Ohio. He received his education in the common schools, and also attended the Norwalk Academy at Norwalk, Ohio, for eight terms. He remained at home until 22 years old and then was engaged for eight winters in teaching in different places. Ile partially learned the carpen- ter's trade, under his brother, Edwin Kinney, the well-known architect and builder. Afterwards he obtained employment as foreman on a farm in Rich- Jand Co., Ohio, which position he held for seven years.

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Portrait and biographical album of Gratiot county, Mich., Part 54

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

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