Portrait and biographical album of Gratiot county, Mich., Part 62

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 62

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The subject of this biographical narrative, the eldest of the family, was born in Gilmanton, Belknap Co., N. H., Dec. 2, 1834. He attended the common schools, the Belknap County Academy, and for three months the Gilmanton Academy. He taught school two terms. With the exception of one summer he lived at home until 21 years old. He then went to Lynn, Mass., and for four years was employed as foreman on the "Town Farm." He was then em- ployed in the grocery business at the same place until June, 1861, when with his wife he came to Gratiot County. Ile purchased 40 acres on section 22. Fulton Township, and there lived until 1866, when he sold out and then bought So acres on sec- tion 23, his present residence. He has now 55 acres improved and under ‹ ultivation. He has for a num- ber of years also dealt in stock.

June 4, 1861, at Lynn, Mass., he was married to H. Ann, daughter of David and Caroline (Rhodes) Oliver, natives of Lynn, Mass. Mr. and Mrs. Oliver resided in Lynn until her death, Dec. 12, 1849. He then came to Ohio, and for 11 years lived with his daughter. Mrs. Elizabeth Huntington. He then came to Gratiot County and passed the last 19 years of his life with his daughter. Mrs. Price. He died April 28, 1883, aged 95 years and six months.

Mr. and Mrs. Price, having no children of their own, reared and educated an orphan, Samantha J. Hatfield, who lived with them until her marriage. Mr. Price has held the office of Justice of the Peace one term, and has been also School Inspector. He was appointed Notary Public in 1872, which office he now holds. He is a Royal Arch Mason, and, with his wife, belongs to Essex Grange, at Maple Rapids. They are prominent members of the East Fulton Congregational Church. At the organization of that society there were but four members, of whom Mr. and Mrs. P. were two. He was the only male mem- ber. He has been Clerk of the Church from the beginning to the present time. Politically, Mr. Price leans to Democracy. He is, however, a strong Pro- hibitionist, and takes a deep interest in all temper- ance movements.

ames MeGregor, farmer on the west half of the S. E. 14 of sec. 18, Bethany Tp., is a son of Robert and Margaret (Morrison) M. Gregor, of Scotch ancestry, and was born in Donegal, Ireland, May 4, 1825. When he was ten years of age his parents moved to On- tario Co., N. Y., and followed farming there a num- ber of years. Mrs. McG. died there, and the re- mainder of the family removed, in 1847, to this State, settling in Somerset Township, Hillsdale County, and residing there about a year. Not liking the country, all except two brothers returned to New York.

One of the latter, the subject of this sketch, re- mained there four years, and next was a year and a half in the employ of Dr. Patterson at Tecumseh, Lenawee Co., Mich. He then returned to New York, and was married in Canandaigua, Ontario Co., N. Y., Jan. 1, 1849, to Miss Catherine Hanavan, a native of Ireland. Of their seven children, since born, six are living, namely : Fanny, born Oct. 26, 1849, and died May 24, 1864 ; William, born Aug. 5, 185 1, now living in Canandaigua, N. Y .; Robert, born Dec. 27, 1853: Mary E., Sept. 14, 1857 ; Emma, Sept. 14, 1860 ; James A., Sept. 21, 1862 ; and George B., Dec. 1, 1864.

In 1857 Mr. McGregor again returned to Hillsdale

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Co., Mich., farmed on shares for several years, then bought 120 acres in Somerset Township, on which he lived two years ; then he sold and came to Beth- any Township in 1868, and purchased So acres where he now lives. He has cleared 80 acres, has an orchard, has built a nice residence, barns, etc.

illiam J. Gargett, farmer and stock-raiser on section 16, Sumner Township, was born in Medina Co., Ohio, Dec. 26, 1841, and is a son of John and Mary (Woodward) Gar- gett, natives of Yorkshire, England. John Gargett was a farmer, and came to the United States in 1828, locating in Ohio, where he still lives, aged 81. His wife is 69 years old, and they are truly a venerable pair.

The subject of this biography passed his youth on his father's farm, and received his education in the common schools and at Berea University, which he attended for two years. In September, 1861, at the age of 19, he enlisted in Battery A., Ist Ohio Vol. Light Artillery, under the command of W. F. Good- speed. He was in all the principal engagements of the Army of the Cumberland, and at Stone River he was captured by the rebels. He remained under their inhospitable protection but one hour, for in that short space of time he was recaptured. He was slightly wounded in the left leg at the battle of Chickamauga. He was sick in the winter of 1861-2, with typhoid fever, but during the most of the war was actively engaged in marching or fighting. He was promoted to Corporal Sept. 13, 1864, and discharged at Cleve- land, Ohio, July 31, 1865.

Returning to his home in Medina County, Mr. Gar- gett shortly came to this State and county, and loca- ted 120 acres on section 16, Sumner Township, where he has since resided. In September, 1866, at North Plains, Ionia County, he joined his fortunes for life with Miss Catharine A., daughter of Thomas and Eleanor (Seaton) Barnborough, natives of Ireland and New York, respectively. They were of English and Scotch descent, and died, the former at North Plains, Ionia County, in November, 1881, and the latter in Sumner Township, this county, in February, 1883. Mrs. Gargett, their daughter, was born in Lyons,

Wayne Co., N. Y., Aug. 14, 1842, and when nine years old came with her parents to Ionia Co., Mich. In that county she was educated, and she taught school for several terms.

Immediately after marriage, Mr. and Mrs. G. set- tled on their then new farm, which contained little but standing wood and log heaps. He has since demonstrated his capacity as a farmer by bringing 100 acres of his place to a high state of cultivation, and has built a comfortable residence and substantial barns. Mrs. G. owns 80 acres, 60 of which are in- proved, on section 21. Mr. Gargett is highly respect- ed and popular, and has been Highway Commissioner for six years and has held all the school district offi- ces. Politically, he is a Republican.

gbertson Goodrich, deceased, formerly resident on section 35, Pine River Town- ship, was born Oct. 31, 1825, in Oakland Co., Mich. He was a son of Alanson and Sarah (Stout) Goodrich, both of whom were born in the State of New York. His parents came to De Witt, Clinton County, in 1836. They were pioneers of Oakland County and at the time of their removal there that section of Michigan was in an entirely natural state. Their children were born and reared under all the circumstances incident to first settlers. The conditions in Clinton County were precisely the same, and there Mr. Goodrich continued his experiences as the son of a pioneer and shared with the family the privations and pleas- ures of that variety of existence. He went to Ne- waygo County when he was 25 years of age and again encountered the experiences, which were no longer novel. He lived in the township of Big Prairie ten years and was engaged during that time in lumbering on the Muskegon River. In 1860 he returned to De Witt, where he resided until 1865. In the spring of that year he again voluntarily renewed his pioneer life in Gratiot County, settling in Pine River Township, where he bought 144 acres of land. He spent the remaining years of his life in improv- ing his property ; and the handsome estate, with its attractive brick residence, fine large barn and other

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creditable farm buildings, present substantial testi- mony of his good taste, judgment and the energy and perseverance which wrought such results. He lied Aug. 2, 1882, and left the record of a well-spent life. 1Ie is held in honored and loving remembrance by his family and neighbors. Ilis portrait is pre- sented on another page.

Mr. Goodrich was first married to Elizabeth A. Lott, who was born in Michigan. Of this marriage two children were born : George and Viola. The elder of these died Dec. 14, 1881, when he was 23 years of age. The mother died Dec. 16, 1855. Mr. Good- rich was a second time married, Oct. 23, 1864, to Louisa (Tinkham) Lounsbury, daughter of Levi and Lydia (Chase) Tinkham and widow of Herman H. Lounsbury. The latter was born in Oakland County and died in the service of his country, Jan. 2, 1863. Alanson M., Francis M. and Bertie are the names of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Goodrich.

Charles M. Brown, dealer in saddlers' and harness-makers' goods at Ithaca, was born Sept. 10, 1857, in Niagara Co., N. Y., and is the son of Merritt J. and Fannie E. (Swan) Brown. Ilis father was born in 1826 in Ni- agara County, is a miller by trade, and resides at present in Kent County, this State. His mother was born in Niagara County, and is descended from English and Scotch ancestry. In 1861 the family went to Cattaraugus Co., N. Y., where the father en- listed in the service of the United States. He fought to the close of the war.

They settled at Pompei, Gratiot County, in 1865, and the senior Brown came to Ithaca and was em- ployed in the saw and grist mill of William M. Com- stock, in which he bought an interest a year later, and the family moved to Ithaca.

Mr. Brown attended the common schools until he was 15 years old, when he secured a situation as clerk at Ithaca He operated in that capacity until May, 1876, when he went to learn the trade of har- ness-maker with Theodore Ryckman. He remained until the fall of 1879, acquiring the details necessary to a perfect knowledge of the business. lle then engaged in journey-work until March, 1882, when he

purchased the interests and business relations of his former employer. He is doing a good business and carries a fine stock of all varieties of goods common to similar establishments; he employs two or three assistants. Besides his business he owns two build- ing lots in Ithaca. In the spring of 1882 he was elected Clerk of Ithaca Township.

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eely D. Hicks, farmer, section 32, Bethany Township, was born July 24, 1831. in Orange Township, in what is now Schuyler County. He is a son of David and Mary Hicks. His father was born in March, ISor, and was a descendant of English and German ancestors. He passed the early years of his life in the business of builder, and at 35 years of age bought 72 acres of land in the extreme southeastern corner of the township of Orange, where he passed the re- maining years of his life, and died in April, 1862. His wife and nine children survived him. Three daughters passed to the land of the hereafter before him. Mary (Buck) Hicks, the mother, was born in Connecticut, and was a daughter of Ebenezer and Jane Buck. She died on the homestead in Novem- ber, 1866.

The first important event in the life of Mr. Hicks, of this sketch, was his marriage to Clarissa, daughter of Moses H. and Betsy Benham. She was born Jan. 6, 1834, in Reading, Steuben Co., N. Y., and was married Nov. 23, 1852. In the spring of 1853, Mr. licks bought 43 acres of land in the township of Dix, Chemung Co., N. Y., and continued its manage- inent two years. In the fall of 1855 he sold the farm, left his wife with her mother, and turned his face Westward, designing to go to Minnesota to pur- chase land. He met an uncle in MclIenry Co., Ill., who induced him to go to Missouri, where, in the spring of 1856, he bought 160 acres of land in Da- viess County. The land office was situated in Platte County, whither he proceeded twice to arrange the necessary preliminaries to secure his title. The period was one that stands most prominent in the political record of this country, and that part of Mis- souri swarmed with border ruffians. The state of turmoil and violence seemed terrific to people o

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peaceable proclivities and quiet aspirations, and on the 23d day of May Mr. Hicks left Missouri for his native State, where he remained until April, 1869, when he came to Kent Co., Mich. In company with Archibald Robbins and J. W. Griswold, he built a saw, planing, shingle and lath mill in Spencer Town- ship, and managed its affairs with satisfactory results three years. At the expiration of that time, he sold his interest and went to Maple Valley, Montcalm County, and managed a saw-mill for a Grand Rapids firm. This completed the sixth year in which he had been constantly engaged in building and running saw-mills. He next went to Bay City, where he was offered $5 per day to run a circular saw, but declined the position. In July, 1874, he bought the farm where he has since resided, and has 58 acres in a state of advanced cultivation, with a fine orchard large barns, and a most attractive residence. He is considered the representative farmer of Bethany Township.

Mr. Hicks has always been a warm advocate of the principles upon which the Republican party was founded. He cast his first Presidential vote for John C. Fremont, and acted in a direct line with his first convictions until 1877, when he became an adherent of the tenets of the National Greenback element, and assisted in the organization of the party in his town- ship. He served as Supervisor of his town in 1876- 7-8, and in the fall of ISSo was nominated by the Labor party for Sheriff. The Republican candidate, A. A. Wood, was elected.

omer L. Townsend, deceased, late farmer and stock-raiser on section 11, Sumner Township, was a son of Chester and Delight (Wilber) Townsend, natives of Genesee Co., N. Y., and of English and Irish extraction; he was born also in Genesee County, Feb. 14, 1817. Receiving his education in the common and high schools of his native county, he came to this State when 18 years old, and engaged in teaching in the common schools of Livingston County.

After a time he went to Detroit, where, in 1842, he was united in marriage to Miss Jeannette Wilcox, a native of New York. She died at her home in

Detroit in the winter of 1850, having been the mother of two children, both of whom died in in- fancy. At the time of her death, her husband was running a hotel. Abandoning this soon after, he went to Livingston County, and after a time to Lan- sing. Ile soon located a tract of land near Maple Rapids.

Oct. 5, 1854, at Eaton Rapids, he was again mar- ried, to Miss Ruby, daughter of Josiah and Lorilla (Clark) Piersons, natives of New York, and of French and English descent. Josiah Piersons was a farmer and died in February, 1861. His widow is still liv- ing, on the old homestead near Eaton Rapids, and is now 79 years old. Ruby was born in Orangeville, Genesee Co., N. Y., Aug. 3, 1833, and when four years old her parents came to Eaton County, this State, where she lived until her marriage.

Mr. and Mrs. Townsend spent two months at Ma- ple Rapids, and then located on 160 acres of wild land on section 11, Sumner Township, this county. For several winters afterwards, he was employed as a cook in lumber camps, a trade which he learned when a boy, and followed several times in after life He built a comfortable residence, and made many improvements, before he died, which event occurred Feb. 19, 1879. He left a sorrowful wife and two daughters to mourn his death,-Ruby and Nettie. Ile was the father of two other daughters, Ella ard Emily, who died in infancy.

Mr. Townsend was a prominent man in his town- ship and in the county. He was the principal means of securing the organization of Sumner Township, wading around in the deep snow for two weeks to secure sufficient names on the petition. He was the first Sheriff in Gratiot County, serving two terms. He was a staunch and influential Republican, and something of a politician, and he held nearly all the township offices, at different times. He had a high respect for the great Senator Charles Sumner, in whose honor the township was named, through his instrumentality.

The social position of the family is of the best character, and in the portrait of Mr. Townsend, which may be found elsewhere, his friends will re- ceive a genuine pleasure. His life was identified with the general interests of his township, and he spared no care or effort to secure the general welfare. Mrs. Townsend resides on the homestead.

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li Woodmansee, farmer, section 12, Pine River Township, was born Aug. 29, 1837. His parents, George and Anna (Cole) Woodmansce, were born respectively in Massa- chusetts and New York. They were in some- what straitened circumstances, and early in life the son became the main support, a duty he dis- charged 15 years in a manner highly creditable to himself.

He came to Isabella County in 1856, where he re- sided four years, and in 1860 he bought 120 acres of land in Pine River, Gratiot County. It was wholly unimproved, and he afterwards sold 40 acres. He has placed 50 acres of the remaining 80 under good improvements and cultivation. In politics, Mr. Woodmansee is identified with the National Green- back party.

He was married Sept. 11, 1861, to Amy A., daugh- ter of Solomon Sias, of Isabella County. She was born in New York, and her parents in Vermont and Connecticut. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Woodmansee: Lucy M., Hollis E., Dennis E. and Nettie E.

illiam R. Wight, Assistant Postmaster at ? Ithaca and Clerk of Ithaca Township, was born July 2, 1854, in Grafton, Lorain Co., Ohio, and is a son of Leonard and Parthena (Sheldon) Wight. His father was born June 19, 1815, in St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., and in 1858 removed his family and interests to Eaton Co., Mich., where he bought 80 acres of land near Char- lotte, and resided there until 1875. The mother was born June 26, 1822, in Pennsylvania and died in Eaton County, this State, Sept. 2, 1874. The fol- lowing year the father returned to Lorain Co., Ohio, where he again married and remained two years. In 1877 he came to Paw Paw, Mich., where he is now resident. The children of his first marriage were six in number, of whom one is deceased, Lydia, eldest child. Francis, Sheldon, Mason, William and Abraham are living.

Mr. Wight was brought up after the method com-

mon to farmers' sons, attending school winters and working on the farm summers, until the fall of 1874, when he left home and was married, Oct. 23, of that year, to Frances M., daughter of Silas and Laura (Briggs) Dean. She was born Nov. 22, 1855, in Kalamo, Eaton County. Mr. Wight remained in the latter place one year after his marriage, when he re- moved to Edgewood, Gratiot County, where a son, Ira D., was born, May 25, 1880. Mr. Wight bought a farm of So acres in Hamilton Township, and Nov. 15, 1875, was appointed Postmaster of Edgewood. He held the situation until March 3, 1881, when he sold his farm, and in August of .he same year came to Ithaca, and was appointed to his present position. He has been in active public life for a number of years ; he was Supervisor of Hamilton Township one year ; officiated as Clerk two years ; as Justice of the Peace four years, and Township Superintendent of Schools two years. In 1880 he was Census Enume- rator of the townships of Hamilton and Elba. He was elected Clerk of Ithaca Township in the spring of 1882 ; is a member of the Odd Fellows' fraternity.

angdon B. Longwell, farmer and carpen- ter, section 24, Pine River Township, was born Dec. 30, 1845, in Upper Sandusky, Ohio, and is the son of James and Margaret (Winslow) Longwell. His parents were natives of the State of New York, and after their mar- riage became residents of Crawford County, where the mother died Nov. 17, 1849. The father remained in Crawford County until the spring of 1870, when he came to Gratiot County, where he resides with his son.

At the age of 16, Mr. Longwell became a soldier. He enlisted in the first year of the war in Battery I, Ist Illinois Light Artillery, and was in that service six months. A year after he again enlisted, enrolling in the 12th Ohio Cavalry, and served in the cause of National unity 26 months more. He received hon- orable discharge, and on his return to the Buckeye State he went to Crestline, where he obtained employ in the machine shops of the railroad company. A few months later he engaged in carpentry, and has followed that as a vocation 16 years. He came to Gratiot County in November, 1869, and is the owner

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of a small farm, which he has placed under first-class cultivation, and makes a specialty of raising fruit. Mr. Longwell is a member of the Order of Odd Fel- lows, and also of the G. A. R., Post Wm. D. Wilkins, No. 91, at St. Louis. He is a member of the Repub- lican party.

He was married Jan. 29, 1867, in Bucyrus, Ohio, to Lorinda M., daughter of Charles and Lillis (Wea- ver) Barber. They were natives of Ohio and New York, and the daughter was born Oct. 2, 1849, in Morrow Co., Ohio. The household includes five children : Jennie B., Bertha L., Henry W., Lizzie J. and Lula B. Lillis, eldest daughter and first-born child, died when she was six months old.

3r. John R. Cheesman, one of the oldest settlers now resident at St. Louis, and old- est physician by priority of location, was born at Cazenovia, N. Y., March 10, 1820. His father, Joseph B. Cheesman, was born Feb- 4, 1788, in the city of New York, and was the eldest son of Joseph Cheesman, a native of Queen's County, Long Island, who was by trade a mason, and served during the entire course of the war of the Rev- olution as Captain of Artificers, and was engaged in building the fortifications at West Point. Elizabeth (Crawford) Cheesman, wife of Joseph Cheesman, was the eldest daughter of John Crawford, descend- ant of a Scottish Earl, who emigrated to the Ameri- can Continent previous to the Revolutionary war. He was a man of wealth and unblemished character and belonged to the Society of Friends. The father of Dr. Cheesman was a book-binder by profession, and married Sarah Rowling, who was born in Yorkshire, England, July 20, 1797. The son was about a year old when his parents removed to the city of New York. On reaching a suitable age he was sent to the Mechanics' School in Chambers Street, until he was 19 years old, when his parents removed to Auburn, N. Y. He attended the academy in that city one year, and when he attained to man's estate, he went to Chicago where, associated with his brother, Will- iam H. Cheesman, he established a drug store under the Commercial Hotel on Randolph Street. This en- terprise lasted two years, during which time he stud-

ied medicine with Dr. Hunt, and took a course of lectures at Rush Medical College, in that city. He sold his interest in the drug store to his brother, and, being in impaired health, he went to Brooklyn in the southern part of Michigan.

In 1854, he came to Gratiot County and located on what is now sections 5 and 6, Hamilton Township, where he entered a claim of 320 acres of Govern- ment land, all in a wild state. He cleared and im- proved his farm and maintained the practice of a pioneer physician. He was married in Chittenango, Madison Co., N. Y., Oct. 13, 1847, to Mary Ann, daughter of Capt. Chapman, of that place. Of this marriage three children were born, as follows : Laura A., wife of Rev. Theodore Nelson, of St. Louis, Mich., born Nov. 11, 1848, in Manlius, Onondaga Co., N. Y .; Jessie C., born in Chittenango, N. Y., Aug. 21, 1850, now wife of Samuel A. Flint, of St. Louis; Frank, born in Hamilton, Gratiot County, July 2, 1857, and died Oct. 6, of the same year in Brooklyn, Jackson Co., Mich. The wife and mother died Aug. 1, 1857, in Hamilton, Gratiot County.

On the occurrence of this event he went to Brook- lyn with his little children, where he left them in the care of his sister, and attended the Medical Depart- ment of the University of Michigan one winter, when he returned to Brooklyn and formed a business part- nership with Dr. J. R. Crowell, which continued two years. He was married Sept. 26, 1858, in Napoleon, Jackson County, to Mrs. Ellen E. Moulton. One child has been born to them, Minnie M., at St. Louis, May 20, 1862.

In January, 1860, Dr. Cheesman came to St. Louis, and was for many years the only resident physician, and had a large and thriving practice. His brother, Edward T. Cheesman, owned a portion of the site of St. Louis, then in a wild condition, and Dr. Chees- man bought of him So acres, all of which was then platted. His brother had erected a building on his tract for the sale of general merchandise, where Dr. Cheesman established himself, and his stock com- prised drugs, dry goods, hardware, etc., and he car- ried on an extensive trade, a large proportion of which was with the Indians, who were then numerous. This was the first store in St. Louis, and it was under the management of Dr. Cheesman ten years. The county was then in an unsettled condition, and of the few white settlers comprising the village at that time,

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Portrait and biographical album of Gratiot county, Mich., Part 62

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

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