USA > Michigan > Huron County > Portrait and biographical album of Huron county Michigan, Containing biographical sketches of citizens also a complete history of the county, from its earliest settlement to the present time > Part 31
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ful occupation, and after giving it a year's trial he ran away to sea, and shipped as a seaman in the merchant service, operated by Harvey & Deans, of the city of Cork, Ireland, with whom he bound him- self for a term. After a service of 18 months, he severed the obligations, because he received no recompense, and came to St. John's, N. B., where he became a seaman on an American vessel, and he spent some years in cruising on the principal oceans. Leaving the service of the sea, he engaged in that of the lakes, where he operated until his death, Nov. 24, 1869, on Georgian Bay. He was second mate of the "Aerthusa," and, while reefing sail during one of the severest storms on record, was swept over- board. The correspondence of his captain with his widow, spoke of the dead sailor in the most com- mendatory terms. He was an efficient seaman, strictly temperate and correct in all his habits. He won the respectful consideration of all who knew him at home or pursuing his vocation, was well edu- cated, and well qualified for any calling in life.
He was married Oct. 24, 1850, to Mary Duggan, a native of the city of Cork. She is the daughter of James and Mary (Beteman) Duggan, both of Irish nationality. Her father was a salesman in one of the chief stationery shops in that city, and died at 29 years of age, leaving two daughters. The mother died in Cork, in 1866.
Mrs. Harvey is the elder of her parents' children, and was reared to womanhood and educated in her native city. A few years after her marriage she re- moved with her husband to the United States, and remained a year in the city of New York. They returned thence to Cork, where they had a residence three years. At the end of that time they came again to the United States and took up a claim of 160 acres of land in Chandler Township. Subse- quently Mr. Harvey became the proprietor of 120 acres additional. The entire acreage is still retained in the family, and 120 acres have been cleared, constituting one of the best farms in the township. Two sons of Mr. and Mrs. Harvey hold 80 acres each ; the widow retains possession of 120 acres.
Mrs. Harvey was educated in the parish schools of St. Mary's, Shandon Church, situated on the River Lee. Both herself and husband were reared in the English Church. At the time they fixed their home in Huron County, the vicinity in which they located was in a wholly unimproved state, and they
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experienced all the variety and privations of pioneer life, which, however inconvenient, seldom appeared to discourage or weaken the purpose which instigat- ed first settlers in their efforts to accomplish their designs.
illiam Hedley, a resident on section 5, Chandler Township, is one of the leading agriculturists of the Huron peninsula. He has lived in Chandler Township since 1866, when he became a land-holder by the pur- chase of 120 acres, to which he afterwards added 40, and has cleared and placed under the best improvements 100 acres. At the time of his making a location, settlers were widely separated, and he has brought the most satisfactory results from the " uncut forest and the unbroken soil."
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He was born Dec. 28, 1823, in Northumberland, Eng., and his parents were both natives of the same county, of unmixed English origin. His father, George Hedley, was a farmer, and lived and died in his native county, his decease occurring in 1856. His mother, Elizabeth (Morton) Hedley, died in the same place, in 1879, aged 78 years. Their family included five sons and three daughters ; Mr. Hedley was the third in order of birth of the children born to his parents, under whose care he remained during his minority.
On reaching the age of 21 years, he engaged in the butchering business, in which he was occupied until 1854, the year in which he emigrated to the United States. He had a wife and four children, and the family first settled in Connecticut, where the husband and father spent three years as a common laborer, or farm assistant. He removed his interests thence to Kent Co., Ont., where he purchased a farm, of which he retained the proprietorship four years. His next remove was to East Saginaw, Mich., where he entered into a contract as packer for a salt company, in whose interests he was occupied eight years.
He came to Huron County in 1866, and secured the 120 acres of the farm he now owns, and to which, by a later purchase, he added 40 acres. The appearance and value of his property is substantially
increased by the quality of the buildings he has erected.
Politically, Mr. Hedley is a Democrat. He has officiated as Township Clerk 13 years.
He was first married in 1844, to Jane Hogg, a native of Northumberland, born in 1818. She died in the township of Chandler, March 28, 1874, of cancer of the breast. Five children survive her,- John, Ellen, Elizabeth, Mary and Henry. Mr. Hed- ley was a second time married, Feb. 1, 1879, at Caseville, to Mrs. Sarah (Martin) Davison. She was born Dec. 21, 1822, in Durham Co., Ont., and is the daughter of Moses and Catherine (Luno) Martin, natives respectively of England and Germany. Her father died in Ontario, at the age of 87 years. Her mother is still living, and is very aged.
The marriage of Mrs. Hedley to William Davison took place in her native county. Four children were born of this union,-Lydia, Mary, Hannah and Ed- ward. All are married. Mr. Davison was of Yankee birth and origin, and died in 1878, in the State of New York.
ichard Gwinn, farmer, section 12, Case- ville Township, was born in Ireland in October, 1820. His parents, James and Sarah (Short) Gwinn, emigrated to Canada when the son was about a year old, locating in New Glasgow, where the mother died, in 1838, aged 56 years. The father died in Brant Co., Ont., in 1860, and was aged 64 years.
Mr. Gwinn was married July 7, 1849, to Mary A. Saunders, and they are the parents of five sons and a daughter-John, Maria, William, Richard, Joseph A. and Samuel J. The mother was born Feb. 24, 1823, in Ballafin, County Queens, Ireland, and is the child of Allen and Maria (Luttrell) Saunders. Her mother died in Kilmanagh, County Kildare, on the Dublin Road, in Ireland. Her father died in Canada.
After his marriage, Mr. Gwinn remained a resident on his father's farm until the next fall, when he re- moved to Arthur Township, Wellington Co., Ont., and bought a farm, on which he expended his efforts and energies nine years. In 1859 he sold the place,
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which he had put in excellent condition, and came to East Saginaw. In the fall of 1860 he settled on the farm he now occupies and owns, and of which he secured 80 acres by pre-emption. He paid for it under the provisions of the Graduation Act. In political principles Mr. Gwinn is a Republican.
lexander B. Arthur, proprietor of the Arthur House at l'innebog village, was 100 born Oct. 13, 1854, in Hamilton Co., Ont. In addition to his business as a landlord, he is also managing the sale of agricultural imple- ments at the same place. His father, George Arthur, was a native of Ireland and a farmer. He emigrated to Ontario in early life, where he is still a resident. He married Margaret Brown, who was born in Durham Co., Ont., and brought by her parents to Hamilton County when 17 years old. In 1877 she came to Huron County to reside with her son, and is 56 years of age.
Mr. Arthur is the eldest of II children. He re- ceived a careful education, and at the age of 16 years began teaching, in Peterborough Co., Ont. After operating in that capacity one year in the province, he came to Grindstone City and engaged in the ser- vice of the Lake Huron Stone Company, in whose interests he operated nearly one year. He next engaged in teaching in Sanilac County, and after a short time was interrupted in the prosecution of his business by the destruction of the school buildings by fire, and he returned to the province of Ontario and rented a farm for a time. In 1874 he secured a homestead claim, which he purchased afterwards, and later sold it, to good advantage, for the purpose of returning to Michigan. In 1877 he bought 160 acres of land in Greenleaf Township, Sanilac County, in the midst of a wholly unsettled and unbroken coun- try, miles in extent. He opened a clearing, built a house and entered vigorously upon the improvement of his property, also trafficking in wild lands in the vicinity, until 1881, when adversity compelled him to dispose of his entire interest.
He sold out and came to Grindstone City, where he obtained an interest in a meat market. He also
purchased several houses and lots and is still pro- prietor of all the property. The meat market is now leased (1884).
In 1883 Mr. Arthur became associated with E. A. Lincoln, of Sand Beach, in traffic in stock and in the business pertaining to the vocation of drovers. In his travels through this section, he perceived the feasi- bility of erecting a hotel at this point, and was ad- vised by his partner to reduce the plan to practice. He made arrangements accordingly, purchasing land and material and proceeding to the erection of the required building. He formed a partnership with Mr. Benjamin Shires, and they bought and refitted the old Duran store building. He afterwards changed his associate in business, forming a partner- ship with his brother-in-law, Magnus McLean. In the sale of agricultural implements he is associated with a brother, E. G. Arthur, and they are prosecut- ting a successful business in that line.
Mr. Arthur is liberal in his religious views, and is a Republican in political sentiment. He declines all official preferment.
obert M. Wagstaff, Custodian of the Harbor of Refuge, Sand Beach, received the appointment to the position in 1882, from Robert T. Lincoln, Secretary of War, on the recommendation of F. U. Farquhar, Ma- jor of Engineers, U. S. Army.
Mr. Wagstaff was born Sept. 10, 1835, in Buffalo, N. Y., and is the son of Robert and (Catherine Walker) Wagstaff. His father was born in 1808, at Palmyra, N. Y., and was a sailor most of his life. His connection with the marine service of the United States has given his name an historical in- terest, and it is prominent in the records of the country. He became a lake pilot at an early age, and in 1832 was one of the five whose name was mentioned in the Chicago Inter-Ocean, of December, 1883, as knowing the route from Buffalo to Chicago. In that year, during the progress of the Black Hawk war, Captain Wagstaff piloted the United States squadron from Buffalo to Chicago, which conveyed supplies to the army of General Scott. He was on
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board the schooner " United States." In 1836 he was made commander of the " Julia Palmer," the first full-rigged ship on the lakes. She was lost in 1874 on Lake Superior. At the time of his death, which took place in December, 1864, he was Harbor Master at Washington, D. C. He was Harbor Master at Tampico during the war with Mexico, and was the first Harbor Pilot of the Harbor of San Francisco, Cal., receiving his appointment from the Governor.
Mr. Wagstaff was at school some years in Detroit, and at the age of 17' years he went to New York and shipped on a vessel bound for California, where he remained on the Pacific coast four years. He also went to Australia, China, and the waters of the North and South Pacific Oceans. He was absent from 1853 to 1857, and made the passage around the globe. In 1857 he shipped on the ship " Ellen Fos- ter," bound from San Francisco to China, returning thence to Boston with a cargo of sugar and manilla. In 1858 he sailed on the "C. J. Kershaw," the first vessel which sailed from the fresh water lakes to Liverpool and return. He came back as her first mate. He went again to Liverpool in 1859, and, altogether, has made nine trips across the ocean to Liverpool.
When the war of the Rebellion broke out he was appointed master's mate on the schooner "Sydney C. Jones," in the fleet under Commodore Porter, and was in action at the capture of New Orleans. He went afterwards to Vicksburg and thence to the James River, where he was in the service at the time of the retreat of Mcclellan. He went thence to Baltimore, and on to Alexandria, where the schooner was stationed as guard-ship. While there he was promoted as Acting Ensign and ordered to re- port on board the steamship " Florida," under orders to join the Wilmington blockading squadron, where he assisted in the capture of the rebel schooner " Hattie." He took command as prize master and took her to the Port of New York. On his return, he was transferred to the gunboat "Morse," sta- tioned at Yorktown, Va., where he participated in a severe engagement at White House, on the Pamun- key River, where the rebels made an attack on Sheridan's baggage trains. He was again transferred to the gunboat "Tulip" on the Potomac River, and three days later she exploded, while on her way to Washington for repairs. Her crew consisted of 69
men, of whom Mr. Wagstaff and two others alone escaped. He was in the water nearly two hours, sus- taining himself with a stick under each arm. He was picked up by an army transport and was dis- abled about a month. In the fall of 1864 he was transferred to the United States store-ship "Guard," which was attached to the European squadron and spent two years in foreign waters, where he visited the ports of Lisbon, Portugal, Carthagena and . Gibraltar, Spain ; Spezzia, Italy, and Mahon on the island of Majorca, whence he returned to the United States, when he was honorably discharged from the Government service, Sept. 11, 1867, at New York. He then became connected with the lake service, and for eight years was pilot on the revenue cutter, " W. P. Fessenden." He was a sailor on the lakes until October, 1882, when he acceded to his present position.
Mr. Wagstaff was married in Boston, June 19, 1865, to Kate B. Nial. She is the daughter of Hugh and Ellen (Corbet) Nial. She was born Nov. 16, 1839, in Canada. Their children are- Robert D., who was born Sept. 5, 1867, at Buffalo; Francis was born in Detroit March 14, 1870, and died in Detroit Nov. 3, 1873; Charles B. was born in De- troit, Nov. 4, 1874. Mr .. Wagstaff belongs to the Order of Masonry and to the A. O. U. W.
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illiam McCoy, proprietor of the Port Cres- cent House was born Jan. 20, 1847 in Ottawa Co., Ont. His parents, Thomas and Catherine (Cane) McCoy, are natives of Ireland, whence they emigrated to the Do- minion of Canada, where they are important and influential members of the agricultural com- munity.
Mr. McCoy was reared after the method common to the education and training of farmers' sons, and was instructed in all the branches of farming. He came to Michigan when he was 17 years of age, and began his struggle for independent maintenance in the lumber regions of the Pinnebog River in Huron County, entering the employ of Leonard & Ayres. He went thence, in 1868, to Grindstone City, where he operated as a turner in the manufacturing estab-
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lishment of Wallace & Co., engaged there in the grindstone business. He was skillful and effective in his work, and his task was of a character that commanded most remunerative wages. He operated there 11 years, during the last of which he officiated as foreman for Hubbard & Peer.
Meanwhile he had become the proprietor of a farm in Port Austin Township, and after managing his agricultural interests there two years, he came in the spring of 1882 to Port Crescent, and took possession of the hotel he is now (1884) conducting. He owns the property and still retains the ownership of 120 acres of land in Port Austin Township, a portion of which is improved. In political opinion Mr. Mc- Coy affiliates with the Democrats, and he has held the minor local offices of his township.
He was married Dec. 17, 1871, in Buckingham, Ottawa Co., Quebec, to Bridget A. Carr. Mary G., born Dec. 17, 1872, and Thomas E., born Oct. 30, 1875, are the children of Mr. and Mrs. McCoy. Their mother was the daughter of Edward and Mary Carr, natives of Ireland, who emigrated to Canada, where the father is still living. The mother is dead, and Mrs. McCoy was born at Elmer, Ottawa Co., Quebec, Sept. 10, 1849. She was well educated, and was a teacher in the common schools for seven years. She died at St. Mary's Hospital, Detroit, March 4, 1870, of a tumor. Mr. McCoy was again married June 20, 1882, in Pontiac, Ont., to Mary Donnelly. She was born April 22, 1859, in Pontiac, and is the daughter of Patrick and Bridget (Heapley) Donnelly. The parents are natives of Ireland, and are resident at Pontiac. They had 12 children. The family are Roman Catholics.
Mr. McCoy's portrait, on a preceding page, will no doubt be welcomed in this volume by all his friends, and the public generally.
illiam Kappen, farmer, sections 29 and 32, Winsor Township, was born May 31, 1827, in Prussia, and is the son of Frederick and Mary (Ode) Kappen. His father died in Prussia, in 1846. His mother came with him to America in 1854, and died in 1868. Mr. Kappen landed in New York, on reaching this
country, and proceeded to Marine City, St. Clair County, where he worked as a farm laborer one year by the month; at the end of that time he bought 40 acres of land, on which he resided and labored two years, sold out and went to Lexington, Sanilac Co., Mich , where he conducted a rented farm one year. In 1858 he went to Booneville, Mo., where he rented a farm, on which he labored two years. In September, 1861, he enlisted in the Union service, enrolling in Co. A, Fifth Mo. Cav., State Militia. He was a par- ticipant in, the battle of Booneville, and his regiment had many engagements with bushwhackers. The command did not leave the State. He was dis- charged in March, 1863.
In May, 1863, he removed hither and bought 80 acres on each of the sections named. He is a de- cided Republican in political sentiment, and has served four terms as Highway Commissioner, four years as Township Treasurer, School Director ten years, and has this present year acted as Census Enumerator in the Township of Winsor.
He was married in April, 1852, to Wilhelmine Dannenburg, and they have been the parents of 10 children,-William, Lena, Frederick, Margaret (de- ceased), Mary, Herman, Ernstina, Matilda, Augusta and Martha.
acob T. Rorick, editor and proprietor of the Bad Axe Democrat, published at Bad Axe, Mich., was born in the State of New Jersey, Feb. 9, 1853; he is a son of Mark and Ann E. (Moore) Rorick, the former of German-English extraction, the latter of Irish descent, and both natives of New Jersey, where they lived and died.
The subject of this sketch attended school the first 15 years of his life; he was then engaged in working on a farm by the month for a period of seven years, after which he engaged in teaching school, some 14 terms, in the country; he then became Principal of the Schools at Canandaigua, Mich., for three terms, then acted as Principal of the Schools at Fayette, Ohio. He emigrated to Michigan in the year 1867, having been engaged for a short time previously as
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clerk in a grocery store. Several years since, he was engaged for a time in dealing in produce, with a fair degree of success. He came to Bad Axe in July, 1884, and purchased the press from William T. Hutchinson and entered immediately upon the duties of publishing a paper known as the Bad Axe Democrat, which he has continued up to the present time, a more extended sketch of which will be found elsewhere in this work.
Mr. Rorick was married in Lenawee Co., Mich., April 16, 1881, to Carrie Eldridge, daughter of the Rev. H. P. and Sarah (Averill) Eldridge; she was born in New York, Feb. 4, 1858. They have by this union one child, Mark Eldridge, born Feb. I, 1884. Mr. Rorick is a member of the Order of Freemasons, belonging to Lodge No. 173, Medina, Lenawee Co., Mich. In political faith Mr. Rorick is, as the title of his paper would seem to indicate, a Democrat of strong type. He holds to the principles of no compromise with wrong, but to hew to the line and let the chips fall where they may. On the sub- ject of religion he is a freethinker.
eorge C. Green, attorney at Sand Beach, was born in England, Nov. 22, 1844. He is the son of John and Elizabeth (Smith) Green, both of English descent. The former died when the son was an infant, the mother emigrated to Canada, where she still resides. Mr. G. was raised to the occupation of a farmer and lumberman, which business he followed until he was 25 years old. He then purchased a farm in Lexington Township, Sanilac Co., Mich., which he continued to operate until 1868, when he was ap- pointed Under-Sheriff of Sanilac County, filling the position for a period of two years. He then began the study of law, with Judge Wixson and John Devine at Lexington, Sanilac County. In 1875 he was ad- mitted to the Bar of the 24th Judicial Circuit of this State and also the United States Court. In 1878 he located in Sand Beach, where he has since conducted his business with success. Mr. Green is entirely a self-made man. In 1876 Mr. G. was elected to fill the office of Circuit Court Commissioner of Huron
County, which position he held for four years, and on Nov. 4, 1884, was again elected, with a larger major- ity than any man in Huron County,-585.
Mr. Green was married in Canada, in 1860, to Mary Giddings, daughter of William and Susan Gid- dings. She was born in England, in 1840. Of this union two children have been born : Henrietta and Roselpha. Both are qualified teachers in graded schools.
Charles Henning, proprietor of the Sebe- waing Steam Planing-Mills, was born Dec. 3, 1846, in Prussia. His parents, Charles and Dorothy (Grambauer) Henning, emigra- ted to the United States in 1854 and located in Niagara Co., N. Y. Mr. Henning there grew to the age of 16 years, when his father became a de- fender of the integrity of the country which had become the home of his family. He enlisted in 1862 in the 129th N. Y. Heavy Artillery, and was killed in the siege of Richmond, leaving a wife and three children-Charles, Carlotta and Frederick.
Mr. Henning was nine years of age when his par- ents transferred their family and interests to America, and at the age of 13 years he began his single- handed conflict with the world. He passed the first three years as a farm laborer by the month, after which he went to Bufialo and entered upon an ap- prenticeship of three years to learn the trade of cabi- net-making. On completing the term of his inden- ture he came to Michigan, and was employed about one year in the vicinity of Mt. Clemens, working as a house carpenter. He proceeded thence to Bay City and worked at cabinet-making for the next seven years. He was in the employ of several par- ties during the first three years, and at the end of that time entered into a partnership with S. B. Sher- man, and they transacted business in furniture- making, and also as undertakers.
In 1865 their establishment burned, with practi- cally no insurance. Their loss was nearly total, and in the summer of 1869 Mr. Henning came to Sebe- waing. His entire cash capital consisted of a two- dollar bill, but he opened a furniture store, on a
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small scale. His first bill of stock amounted to $25 ; but his business constantly and rapidly increased. At the end of six years he formed a partnership with two other men, and they started a small planing- mill, operated by a 4 x 12 engine. He afterwards purchased the claims of his partners, and disposed of his interest in the furniture business. His plan- ing business increased so rapidly as to require ad- ditional motive power, which he leased from a grist- mill in the vicinity. He continued this variety of operation three years, when he formed a partnership with George Winterhalter, and the firm bought the property where the business of Mr. Henning is trans- acted, and which the latter now owns. In connection with his planing-mill he manufactures broom-handles, in which line of business he is extensively engaged. Mr. Henning is a Republican of unmistakable views, and has been one of the Councilmen of Sebe- waing since the incorporation of the village.
He was married May 6, 1867, at Bay City, to Margaret Bartel. She was born May 1, 1848, in Bavaria, and came with her parents to the United States when she was two years of age. Her father died in Frankenmuth, Saginaw Co., Mich., where her mother still resides. Mr. and Mrs. Henning have had eight children, four of whom survive. Three died in infancy. Johnnie died before he was three years old, from the effects of being scalded. Charles was born June 16, 1868; Margaret, Aug. 15, 1870; Leonhart, Feb. 14, 1875 ; Martha, Dec. 31, 1877.
A portrait of Mr. Henning is given in proximity to this sketch, and is welcomed in the collection given in this ALBUM.
ames Ross, farmer, section 17, Bingham Township, was born April 19, 1822, in Banffshire, Scotland. His parents lived and died in their native country. Mr. Ross became a laborer when he was a boy of 12 years. The first event of his life of any im- portance was his marriage, in Scotlond, to Mary Corley, of the same nationality. She was born in April, 1822, in Aberdeenshire, and has been the mother of 12 children, born in the following order :
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