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 41
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He then became interested in the hotel business at Willow Creek, where he conducted a house for the accommodation of the traveling public. During the great fire of 1871 he lost all his property, having to
send his children to his friends in Port Austin to get them clothed. Having to commence life anew, he went to Grindstone City and kept boarding-house for Worthington Brothers for two years and then moved back to Huron and kept hotel, and in the year 1876 moved to Port Hope, where he has since continued in the hotel business.
Mr. Winterbottom was an adherent of the Repub- lican party until 1879, when he adopted the princi- ples of the Greenback element. He has been Supervisor of Huron and Rubicon Townships several terms. After the fire of 1881 he was appointed local State Commissioner for building bridges in the township of Bloomfield. In November, 1884, he was elected Sheriff on the Fusion ticket.
He was married in 1860 to Flora Mckinnon, and they have had six children, born as follows: Ida, Elizabeth (deceased), Christine, John, Jane and Ella. Mrs. Winterbottom was born in July, 1831, on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, and is the daughter of Alexander and Mary (Kennedy) Mckinnon. Her father died in Iowa. Her mother, who came to Port Huron in 1851, died afterward in London, Canada. Mrs. Winterbottom came to Huron County in the year 1855, to the village of Port Austin.
ansing E. Lincoln, farmer and stock-raiser, residing on section 30, Sand Beach Town- ship, is a son of Milton and Lydia (Car- penter) |Lincoln, natives of Tompkins Co., N. Y. They resided in Massachusetts for a period and then moved to Tompkins Co., N. Y., in which county they resided until the time of their deaths. The family of the parents embraced eight children, namely : Catharine, Diana, Amelia, Eugene, Lewis, Lorain W. and Lansing E.
Lansing E. Lincoln, the youngest of his father's family, was born in Tompkins Co., N. Y., Nov. 23, 1852. He received a common-school education in his native county and assisted his father in the main- tenance of the family until he arrived at the age of 16 years.
At the latter period in his life, Mr. Lincoln went
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forth to fight for the preservation of the Union. He enlisted in the 23d N. Y. Inf., for two years. While on picket duty at Bell's Cross Roads, Va., he received a bullet wound in the left arm, which he carries to the present day. Receiving his discharge, he re- turned home and remained for six months, when, in company with his brothers, he was appointed Sutler of the 148th N. Y. Inf., and was thus engaged until the close of the war.
On the closing of the war, Mr. Lincoln, in com- pany with his brothers, went to Richmond and opened a general store. He remained in the business about eight months, when he sold out to his brothers and returned to his home in New York. He then moved on the old homestead, which he had purchased from his father while in business at Richmond, and car- ried on the same for a year and then sold it. A year later he went to De Ruyter, Madison Co., N. Y., and formed a partnership with Henry De Lamota to carry on a tannery and boot and shoe store. The partner- ship continued for about a year, when it was mutually dissolved, Mr. L. taking the boot and shoe depart- ment. He continued in this business for about two years, when he removed his stock to Mason, Mich., where he followed the business for another year. At the expiration of that time, he formed a partnership with his brother under the firm name of L. E. Lin- coln & Bro. This partnership continued for a year, when he sold out his interest and entered the em- ployment of Case, Tolman & Co., of Utica, N. Y., wholesale boot and shoe house, with whom he re- mained one and a half years.
Mr. Lincoln, at the expiration of the latter date, left New York State for Colorado, but on reaching this State determined to go into the stock business. He resided in Missouri from 1873 to 1881 and then came to this county and located in" Sand Beach Township. He owns 80 acres of land in that town- ship, all of which is under a good state of cultivation. He deals extensively in stock, shipping to Buffalo and other points weekly.
Mr. Lincoln was first married in Tompkins Co., N. Y., to Miss Lucena M., daughter of William and Sarah C. (Brower) Tiffiny. She was born in Tomp- kins Co., N. Y., and has borne to Mr. L. two children, namely, Minnie S. and Earnest. Minnie S. died when nearly 10 years old. The wife and mother departed this life in Cortland Co., N. Y.
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rancis Crawford. There is, perhaps, no portion of this great and enterprising na- tion that has been more rapidly, and at the same time substantially, developed than that included within the boundaries of Michi- gan. The enterprise and business capacity of the people of the Eastern States has been one of the chief motive powers observed in the onward march of the people of this State. Within the borders of the State there has been no greater enterprise mani- fested than on the Huron Peninsula. All around the coast, towns have been started and large plans for the development of the country manifested. Men of large ideas and rare business ability and sagacity located at these different points on the shore and began their work of opening up and de- veloping the peninsula. In this work we have very largely detailed the labor of these men and, in their different biographical sketches, given the life history of the men themselves.
Among the men above referred to, and one who has perhaps done as much as any of them toward developing Huron County, is Mr. Francis Crawford. A gentleman possessing far more than the average capacity for business and with commendable enter- prise, he came to Caseville, and has since been the very life and soul of the place. As early as 1856, and while a resident of Cleveland, Ohio, in com- pany with Mr. George Martin, he purchased Mr. Leonard Case's property here. This was a very large estate, consisting of some 20,000 acres of land. Two years later, 1858, Mr. Crawford bought Mr. Mar- tin's interest and moved to Caseville, where he has since resided, and has either been the prime mover of, or otherwise prominently identified with, every enter- prise or movement for the benefit of the place that has been started. He owns all the salt wells and blocks now at Caseville. Besides these large interests, he also manufactures lumber, shingles, lath and salt barrels, the latter for his own use. He also owns a grist-mill, a general supply store and a hardware store.
Among those of whom we give portraits in this
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work, there is none more worthy a place among the leading men of the county than Mr. Francis Craw- ford, and we therefore take pleasure in presenting his portrait in connection with this sketch.
acob Spriess, Postmaster at Sebewaing, was born June 25, 1839, in the village of Zut- zendorf, Province of Elsass, Germany. He received the quality of education common in his native land, and came to the United States in 1852, locating at Pittsburg, Pa., where he was variously occupied during the two years, in which he was there resident. He went thence to Haldimand Co., Ont., and was there " bound out " for three years to acquire a knowledge of shoemaking, in the village of Cayuga. The man to whom he was apprenticed fell into financial difficulties within the second year and fled from his creditors, thereby leaving his apprentice free from his obligations. He obtained work at his trade, of which his knowledge was incomplete, and he engaged successively in several places, adding to his understanding of his business in each, until he became a fairly thorough craftsman. He was employed as a journeyman until 1864, when he established business in his own behalf in Croton Mills, Norfolk Co., Ont., and prosecuted shoemaking. His success was of an indifferent order, and in 1868 he came to Huron County, where he established himself once more in the shoe business.
In 1872, he became agent for the Singer sewing-
machines, and traveled in the interests of the man- ufacturers. He now combines the sale of machines with his business proper of shoe-making. In the spring of 1881, he received his appointment as Post- master from President Garfield, and is still the in- cumbent of the position.
He was married in Rainham Township, Haldimand Co., Ont., March 28, 1864, to Catherine Starnaman, and they have had II children, six of whom are still living,-Sophia C., George G., Otto H. W., Emma M., Jacob A., Martha M. Those deceased were named, Martha A., Mary M., Jacob A. W., Ida R. and Louisa E. The three first named died within the same week of scarlet fever, in 1871, Martha and Jacob being buried in the same coffin. Mrs. Spriess is the daughter of Abraham and Anna Starnaman ; the mother was of foreign birth, being a native of Elsass, Germany, and the father of Penn- sylvania, U. S. The daughter was born Feb. II, 1844, in Rainham, Ont. She and her husband are zealous and prominent members of the German Lutheran Church, of which he is a Trustee. He is also a Republican of the most decided character, carrying into his politics and religion the same sturdy, inflexible traits that have enabled him to conquer all obstacles and make a success of his life's efforts.
He has held the office of Justice of the Peace 14 years, has been School Director 13 years, both of which offices he still fills, Township Treasurer two years, and has served four terms as Village Trustee. He is engaged in insurance, and represents several companies. He is the manager of the office of the Western Union Telegraph Company at Sebewaing, and is the agent of the American Express Com- .pany.
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HISTORICAL
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INTRODUCTORY.
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HE forests of the Huron peninsula have been but recently subdued by the enterprise of a civilized race, preparatory to the establish- ment of comfortable and permanent homes for a dense population. The early surveyors which the Government sent out to make the survey of this part of the State reported that it was an irre- claimable waste and not fit for cul- tivation in any quarter, the soil being of that character which pre- cluded the propagation of cereals. The subsequent rapidity of settle- ment and enormous crops of every- thing in the line of cereals has demonstrated con- clusively their mistake, for no acreage surpasses Northern Michigan in productiveness. Notwith- standing the oft-repeated tales of want and hard- ships told by their sires, men of energy, with their families and all their earthly possessions loaded upon wagons drawn by oxen, pushed their way step by step, through the unbroken forests of Huron, until they found suitable locations. With a spirit of hero- ism have they toiled until the forests were laid low, and their herculean labor is manifest in the broad acres of highly cultivated land, upon which stand palatial residences and outbuildings .of the most
expensive character. Over the grounds where the red man chased the bounding deer, and the wild- cats and wolves held their nightly vigils, may be seen herds and flocks feeding and reposing in con- tent; where useless weeds and unused timber cum- bered the ground, the husbandman may now be seen gathering the golden harvests; and where the sav- age's miserable wigwam occasionally appeared, now stands a dwelling which by comparison is a mansion, with here and there a school-house or a church, the greatest distinctive feature of all in contrast with the aboriginal paganism. Transportation of goods by ox teams has given way to the power of steam, and a commerce has been opened up with all parts of the civilized world. Prosperity in a high degree has smiled upon her people, who, taking age into consideration, are fortunate in living in the most healthful, beautiful and productive States in the Union.
The history of this county is possessed of no small degree of interest. While other counties were con- nected with the frontier by large bodies of excellent lands, this seemed for a long time shut off from the gaze of shrewd speculators by reason of its heavy growth of timber. They were destined to become the heritage of an honest, industrious people, and the income derived from the timber and products of the soil has given many of the first comers a hand- some competency.
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Value of Local History.
HE great dread of mankind from the re- motest ages has been to be forgotten. The means employed to prevent this and to perpetuate his memory has been in proportion to the amount of intelligence he possessed. It has been conceded now by scientists that the principal object of the Egyptians in building their pyramids was to perpetuate the name and deeds of their great leaders and rulers. The walls in the ex- tensive apartments beneath those huge stone monu- ments are covered with paintings illustrating the deeds, both in peace and war, of her illustrious princes, and in a chronological order. These colors are as bright, apparently, as when they were first laid on, and the work shows great skill and artistic de- sign. The exhumations made by the archeologist of Egypt from buried Memphis indicate a desire of these people to perpetuate the memory of their achievements. The walls of these palaces found buried here are decorated with historical emblems representing the lives and deeds of these people. In Memphis they displayed a higher art. They carved out in marble elegant and life-like statues of their distinguished princes, accompanied with hieroglyph- ics, illustrating their deeds. The erection of those great obelisks were for the same purpose. Coming down to a later period we find the Greeks and Ro- mans erecting mausoleums and monuments, and carv- ing out statues to chronicle their great achievements, and carry them down the ages. It is evident that the mound-builders, in piling up their gross mounds of earth had but this idea, to leave something to show that they had lived. All these works, these represent- ations, though many of them costly in the extreme, give but a faint idea of the lives and character of those whose memory they were intended to perpet- uate, and scarcely nothing of the masses of the peo- ple that then lived. The great pyramids and some of the obelisks remain, objects only for scientists or curiosity seekers ; the mausoleums, monuments and statues are crumbling into dust. The monuments, statues and other relics are being gradually con- veyed to the different museums of the world, and -
soon there will nothing remain in these countries to illustrate the lives of the people who once dwelt in them.
Generation after generation comes and goes like the leaves of autumn. Nations have been born, have had their rise and fall, and then passed away leav- ing scarcely a riffle on the great ocean of time to show that they ever existed, so imperfect and muta- ble has been their means to perpetuate their achieve- ments. It was left to modern ages to establish an intelligent, undecaying, immutable method of per- petuating this history; immutable in that it is almost unlimited in extent, and perpetual in its action ; and this is through the act of printing. Nations may be- come disintegrated and pass away, monuments and statues may crumble into dust, but books will live. This art has been rapidly advancing from its first in- ception until now it would seem that there were no longer any further ground for improvement. This is pre-eminently an age of printing, an age of books.
To the present generation, however, are we in- debted for the introduction of the admirable system of local history and local biography. By this system every man, though he has not achieved what the world calls greatness, has the means to perpetuate his life, his history, through the coming ages ; so alike has every community.
We come now to the work before us: To our patrons, we say, that the scythe of Time cuts down all; nothing of the physical man is left; the monu- ment which his children or friends may erect to his memory in the cemetery will crumble into dust and pass away ; but his life, his achievements, the work he has accomplished, which otherwise would be for- gotten, is perpetuated by this book through coming ages. Shakespeare has said :
The evil men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones.
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Our aim in this work has been only to preserve the good. We have sought to gather from the best sources of information obtainable, the conditions and incidents of the early pioneer life, and to present that, together with the present development of the county. Many of the pioneers came into these primeval forests without a dollar in their pockets, and with but the ax on their shoulder to carve out their fortunes and build up a country. With un- daunted hearts, and a courage equal to that of the great heroes of history, they began life.
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The land where the wild animals once roamed undisturbed, where the Indian later on built his wickeup, has been transformed into cultivated fields, or is occupied by business houses, dwellings, schools and churches.
Here may be seen now all the elements of an advanced civilization : the husbandman at his plow; the artisan at his forge; the merchant with his stock of goods; the railroad train steaming through the country ; the youth gathering into schools, and the people into their places of worship.
The facts mentioned have been carefully culled from every source ; neither pains nor expense has been spared in the compilation of this work, which, although not without error, is as correct as can be gathered from the pioneers themselves.
Upon local history depends the perpetuation of facts heretofore unwritten, as well as the biographical sketches of every worthy pioneer in the county that could be procured. Each sketch speaks volumes; and a history of one man's life, perhaps of an entire family, is now recorded where naught can efface or destroy it. From this will all future volumes of like import take their data. Those who have volunteered the information from which this work is compiled, will live in the history of this county as long as time lasts. No manlier hands e'er drew a sword than they who faced privation and danger while engaged in the subjugation of the dense wilderness which once covered this now beautiful land, and to them is this volume dedicated.
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How Our Fathers Lived.
HE young men and women of to-day have very little conception of the mode of life among the early settlers of Sanilac County. In but few respects are the manners of the present time similar to those of a quarter of a century ago. The clothing, the dwelling, the diet, the social customs, etc., have undergone a total revolution as though a new race had taken possession of the land. Pioneer life in Huron County finds its parallel in almost every county in the State and throughout the entire Northwest. The land was to be cleared of forests, and the skill of human art
used to transplant to the fertile region the civiliza- tion of the East. Cabins were to be erected, wells dug, and the rivers and creeks made to labor for the use of mankind.
As many living citizens can well remember, the pioneers had many difficulties to contend with, not the least of which was the journey from civilization to their forest homes. The route lay through a wild and rough country ; swamps and marshes were crossed with great exertion and fatigue ; rivers were forded with difficulty and danger, nights were passed in the dense forests, with mother earth for a couch and the trees and foliage for a shelter; long, weary days and weeks of travel were endured, but finally their eyes were gladdened and their hearts beat faster when a vision of their future home burst upon them.
The first thing upon his arrival was to set about building a cabin. While this was being done the family slept in the wagons or upon the grass, while the horses or mules, tethered to prevent escape, grazed on the grass around them. Trees of a suita- ble and uniform size were selected, felled and pre- pared for their places. The day for the raising was announced and from far and near came other pioneers to assist in the labor. The structure went up, a log at a time, those engaged in the work stop- ping now and then to " wet their whistles," and soon it was ready for the clapboard roof, which was held on by huge weight-poles. A door and a window were cut where the good wife directed, a chimney built, and the building was ready for its occupants. The space between the logs was filled with split sticks of wood, called "chinks," and then daubed over, both inside and out, with mortar made of clay. The floor was sometimes nothing more than earth tramped hard and smooth, but was commonly made of "puncheons," or split logs, with the split side turned upwards. The roof was made by gradually drawing in the top to the ridge-pole and on cross- pieces laying the clap-boards, which, being several feet in length, instead of being nailed were held in place by weight-poles, reaching the entire length of the cabin.
For a fire-place, a space was cut out of the logs on one side of the room, usually about six feet in length, and three sides were built up of logs, making an offset in the wall. This was lined with stone, if convenient; if not, then earth was used. The flue,
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or upper part of the chimney, was built of small split sticks, two and a half or three feet in length, carried a little space above the roof, and plastered over with clay, and when finished was called a "cob and clay " chimney. The door space was also made by cutting an aperture in one side of the room of the required size, the door itself being made of clapboards secured by wooden pins to two cross- pieces. The hinges were also of wood, while the fastenings consisted of a wooden latch catching on a hook of the same material. To open the door from the outside, a strip of buckskin was tied to the latch and drawn through a hole a few inches above the latch bar, so that on pulling the string the latch was lifted from the catch or hook, and the door was opened without further trouble. To lock the door it was only necessary to pull the string through the hole on the inside. Here the family lived, and here the guest and wayfarer were made welcome. The living-room was of good size, but to a large extent it was also kitchen, bed-room, parlor and arsenal, with flitches of bacon and rings of dried pumpkins sus- pended from the rafters.
The old cabins are rapidly being superseded by
modern frame and brick structures, yet with almost tearful eyes we watch them disappear. Every log and chink has a history; could they speak, they would tell us of the days of toil and privation under- gone by our fathers, of the days made sacred by the birth or death of his children, of the religious servi- ces which were held there when no church was yet built in the neighborhood, or the merry-makings which the neighbors for miles around attended, when logs were to be rolled, and a dance given in the evening; the whole to conclude with a supper, the delicacies of which consisted of venison, maple sugar and corn bread. One by one the old log structures are being removed ; but it seems almost a sacrilege to tear them down, so closely have they been connected with the success of our pioneers, many of whom now state that although they are now wealthy and have every every comfort and luxury that money can procure, yet the days spent in their primeval home and the kindness which every- where prevailed among neighbors, brought more happiness than is now enjoyed, although their barns are filled with grain, their pockets with gold and their lands dotted with herds of cattle and sheep.
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General History.
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ON
OMING to the history, we find Huron County located in the Lower Peninsula, and forms what is called the "Thumb of the Michigan Mitten," and is composed of twenty-seven townships, having an area of 480,000 acres. Its location is pre- eminently good, having a coast line on three sides, formed by the waters of Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay, which make a junction at the north. On its southern border lies Sanilac and Tus- cola Counties. This peninsula is an alluvial formation, and, in a geological sense, of very recent date. This county is very liberally watered by rivers and small streams. The Cass, Pigeon, Pinne- bog and Shebahyonk (or Chebeong, now corrupted to " Sebewaing ") Rivers all head near the center of the county ; and Willow Creek, further toward the east. The Pigeon, Pinnebog and Shebahyonk, after com- pleting their circuitous courses, empty into Saginaw Bay. Willow Creek empties into Lake Huron, and Cass River into Saginaw River.
This drift soil, which in this Peninsula is chiefly composed of a mixture of clay, sand and gravel, is exceedingly well adapted to the growth of plants and fruit. It is easily tilled, holds the moisture
well, and yet is sufficiently porous to allow proper drainage.
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