USA > Michigan > Midland County > Portrait and biographical album of Midland County, Mich. containing portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county > Part 24
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Feb. 2, 1885, Mr. B. married Miss Sarah P., a daughter of John and Jilla (Depie) Fields, resident at $. Loni, she was born May 23. 1859. in I-a- bella Co., Mich., and when a young woman accom- Taried her parents is change of residence to St. Louis.
,ohn M. Chamberlain, farmer, section 36, - In_ersoll Township, is a son of Eriel and Mary A. (Barne») Chamberlain. and was born in Saginaw Co., Mich., May 3, 1848. When he was 15 years old his father enlisted in the war, and consequently the cares of the homestead devolved upon him at so early a time in his youth. He was this employed for three years.
Although farming has been his life business, he has been employed considerably in the lumber woods and on the river.
In the spring of 1866 he bought 30 acres of land in section 36, where he now resides. When he came to it there was very little improvement there, but by in- dustry. guided by good judgment, he has added 30 acres to his estate and has now 38 acres in a well cultivated condition.
Officially. Mr. C. has been Justice of the Peace two years; politically, he prefers the "National " party ; and religiously, both himself and wife belong to the Methodist Episcopal Church.
He was married in Saginaw City, Mich., July 2. 186;, to Miss Ann J. daughter of David and Paulina (Wood) Cromton, who were natives of Vermont. Mrs. C. was born in Hadley, Lapeer Co., Mich., June 20, 1850. and came with her parents to Midland County when three years old. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Chamberlain are. Daniel C., Ada B., Clarence E. (deceased), Oliver R., Claude D. and Bennie A.
Peter Raymond, farmer on section 15, Hope Township, wa- born in Detroit, Mich., June 15, 1828, the son of Peter and Char- lotte (Boullar) Raymond. of French descent. The father died of small-box at Windsor, Can., when J. P. was but four years old. The mother, a native of Canada, has married again, and lives in Wayne Co .. Mich., three miles from Rock- wood Station.
The subject of this sketch was reared on a farm and remained at home until of age. His first em- ployment after attaining his majority was in the lim- ber woods in the winter seasons and in saw-mills in the summers. He came to Michigan in 1852, stop- ping in St. Clair County. Here he lived for 16 years, working at various things-in the woods, at farming. or anything else which could yield a liveli- hood. In the fall of 1368 he came to Midland County and bought his present farm of 30 acres in Hope (then Lincoln) Township. To this he has added 40 acres. It was then in i's primitive state of wild forest. He has now 55 acres inder the plow, and several acres more chopped.
Mr. Raymond enlisted July 13, 1562, in Co. F,
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22d Mich. Vol. Inf. His company was commanded first by Capt. Henry Carlton, and afterwards by Capt. H. P. Wands. His first Colonel was Moses M. Wisner, and his second Eber Le Favour. He was assigned to the First Brigade, Second Division, 15th Reserve Corps. At the battle of Chickamauga, he was attached to the brigade known as the "Iron Brigade," commanded by Gen. Whittaker. Here he was taken prisoner and sent to Richmond.
He was for two months confined in the Pemberton House Prison, and then he was in the Danville Prison until the spring of 1864. Next, he spent six months in that iniquitous pen, Andersonville, after which he was at Florence, S. C., then at Charleston, S. C., and Wilmington, N. C., at which latter place he was paroled. He was taken with the camp fever the next day after arriving within the Union lines, and was for four or five weeks confined in the hospital at Indianapolis. He then received a furlough of 30 days, with orders to report at Camp Chase. At De- troit he received another order to return home and await his discharge. This he did, and soon came the welcome notice to report at Detroit, where he was finally mustered out of the military service of the United States June 7, 1865.
He was reduced to a skeleton by his sufferings in rebeldom, and he was so weak mentally and bodily, and so changed by his terrible experience, that his neighbors did not recognize him when he returned from his three years' absence.
Mr. Raymond was married in Clyde (now Kimball) Township, St. Clair Co., Mich., Jan. 18, 1855, to Sarah E. Wheaton, daughter of George M. and Har- riet (Bartlett) Wheaton. Mr. W. was a native of Canada, and died at Victoria, in that country, when Sarah was eight years old. Mrs. W., a native of New York State, died a year after her husband. Her father, Christopher Bartlett, was one of the first set- tlers of St. Clair County. He was the great wolf hunter of that section and literally cleared the county of wolves. Mrs. Raymond was born in Lon- don, Can., Jan. 17, 1840, and is the mother of nine children, seven of whom are living.
Following is the record : George W. was born Dec. 22, 1855, in Kendall Township, St. Clair Co., Mich., and was married at Midland, April 15, 1884, to Anna Grice; Chancy B. was born Oct. 4, 1857, in St. Clair County, and was married Sept. 25, 1883, to Delia R
Wright ; Collins E. was born Dec. 3, 1859, in same county ; Wallace 1 ... was born Dec. 28, 1861, in same county; Elmer E. was born March 8, 1867, and died April 16 following, in same county ; Lillian E. was born Oct. 28, 1868, in Lincoln (now Hope) Township, this county ; Almond J. was born July 22, 1871, in same township, and died May 2, 1872 ; Alden N. was born Jan. 4, 1876, in same township; Shirley C. was born Aug. 8, 1879, in same township.
Mr. R. is in political sentiment a Republican. He has been Highway Commissioner one term and School Inspector two years.
Charles Smith, farmer, lumberman and blacksmith, resident on section 34, Homer Township, was born Dec. 9, 1842, in On- tario, Can. His parents, Charles and Mary (Labreche) Smith, are natives of Ontario, and are respectively of Irish and French extraction. They yet reside in the Dominion and are 64 and 74 years old. Of 13 children born to them 12 are living.
Mr. Smith is the third child and eldest son of his parents, and resided at home until he was 14 years old, when he went into the lumber woods. He con- tinued to operate as a lumberman in his native prov- ince until he was 24 years old, when he came to Bay Co., Mich., and was similarly engaged on the Rifle River six years. In 1869 he made another transfer to Midland County, and spent two years Inmbering on the Pine River. He then bought 40 acres of land in the township of Homer, on which he settled and began the work of clearing and improv- ing. He remained thereon about 18 months, when he went to Midland and remained nine years, opera- ting as a farmer summers and as a lumberman win- ters. At the end of the period named he returned to his farm, to which he had added 123 acres, and now has one of the most valuable and desirable farms on the Pine River. He has 63 acres under advanced cultivation, with good residence and barns. In poli- tics he is a Republican.
Mr. Smith was first married March 1, 1871, in Midland County, to Delilah Stevenson. She was one of the first white children born in the county
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and died June 8, 1876, in Midland village. She left two children : Charles, born March 4, 1873, and George, born July 3, 1875. Mr. Smith was again married Feb. 23, 1879, in Porter Township, to Charity, daughter of Daniel and Phebe (McCall) Walsh. Her parents are natives of Ontario, Can., and are respectively of Scotch and Irish descent. The daughter is the eldest of nine children born to her parents, and is a native of Norfolk Co., Can. She was born Nov. 28, 1858, and accompanied her parents to Michigan when she was 19 years old. They have since returned to their native province. She has been the mother of three children : William, born Jan. 2, 1882, and an infant daughter, May 21, 1884; Freddie, born April 4, 1880, died July 25, 188r.
amuel Mills, farmer and manufacturer of lumber and shingles on section 26, Hope Township, was born in Nova Scotia, Aug. 24, 1820, the son of Peter and Phebe (Williams) Mills. The father was born about 1795 in Nova Scotia, and died in Southwould, Can., Nov. 17, 1856. The mother was born in the Prov- ince of Nova Scotia in 1799, and died also in South- would, Can. Samuel's grandparents, who were of the same surname but no connection, were natives of the State of New York.
The subject of this narrative came to Southwould, Ont., in 1870-one year later than his parents. There he rented a farm, which he cultivated on shares. In 1857 he came to Macomb Co., Mich., where for four years he was similarly engaged ; and then he came to Midland County, arriving Oct. 5, 1861. For a few months he lived in a shanty near his present farm, while he erected a good log house and made a little clearing. There were then no regularly laid out roads, and he made his way to his new home over an old lumber trail. He first home- steaded 40 acres ; but he has since added by pur- chase two forties on the east, one on the west and one on the south, making a fine farm of 200 acres, of which 70 are improved. He operates also a saw and shingle mill, with a circular saw, and is able to cut 10,000 feet of lumber and 25,000 to 30,000 shin-
gles per day. He has dealt considerably in real estate at different times.
Jan. 9, 1849, in Nova Scotia, he formed a life part- nership with Miss Sarah Fillmore, daughter of Will- iam and Sarahı (Hollis) Fillmore. Mr. and Mrs. F. were of English descent, natives of the Province of Nova Scotia, and died in Southwould, Ont., the former in November, 1881, and the latter Sept. 12, r881. Mrs. Mills was born in Nova Scotia, Feb. 26, 1827, and is the mother of 11 children. Three are deceased, and five sons and three daughters survive. Following is the record : Josiah, born Oct. 5, 1849, in Nova Scotia ; William H., Sept. 27, 1851, in Can- ada ; Stephen, June 20, 1853, in Canada ; Welling- ton, Aug. 20, 1855, in Canada; Burton, April 9, 1857, in Canada; Sarah M., July 8, 1860, in Ma- comb Co., Mich .; Edwin, Nov. 22, 1863, in Lincoln (now Hope) Township; Phebe A., Feb. 22, 1866, in the same township; Priscilla R., May 22, 1871, in Hope Township. Freeman, an infant, died when nine months old, and an unnamed infant died two days after birth.
The parents were formerly members of the Chris- tian Church. Mr. Mills is politically a Greenbacker, and has been Township Clerk three terms, Justice of the Peace two terms, or eight years, Township Treasurer one term, and Highway Commissioner two terms.
For four or five years after settling in this county, he obtained but few of his supplies at Midland, go- ing to Saginaw for most of them. He would go to Edenville, and then go in a canoe down the Tittaba- wassee. Loading up with his purchases, he then poled back. When night overtook him, he hitched his boat and camped out. Arrived at Edenville, his supplies were transported in whatever manner was most convenient, over lumber trails, to his home.
Jacob Hager, farmer, section 33, Lincoln Township, was born Feb. 29, 1820, in Erie Co., Pa., and is a son of George Hager. His mother is deceased and his father resides with a son in the Keystone State. The pa- rents were natives of that State, and about the year 1832 the father received an injury which ren- dered him unable to support his family for a time,
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and their maintenance absorbed the earnings of the son until he was 21 years of age.
On the arrival of that period he engaged in farm- ing and bought a tract of land half a mile from his father's location, where he maintained his own do- mestic affairs after the method commonly styled "keeping bachelor's hall," until he was 25 years old ; then he sold his farm and came to Milford, Mich., where he remained two months, assisting in the con- struction of a grist-mill, for which he hewed the timbers. He then came to the Saginaw Valley, where he spent two years with the Indians, engaged in their pursuits -- hunting, fishing and trapping. He succeeded in securing a livelihood, which was the extent of his success. He then engaged in lumber- ing in the winter, and began to prepare for better for- tunes by the purchase of 21 acres of Government land, five miles above his present location, upon which he spent the summer seasons in clearing. He afterwards added 24, 44 and 74 acres by successive purchases, and kept ;the property about ten years, when he came to the place where he has since been located, and bought 64 acres, to which he afterward added 40 acres. Ile is the proprietor of the tract still, and has cleared 60 acres. Mr. Hager came to the county of Midland in 1847, and believes himself to be the first permanent white settler now living in the county.
He has been married three times. His first wife was Mena Titmore, to whom he was married May 1, 1856. One daughter, Anna, was born by this union, Feb. 4, 1857, who is now living in California. He was a second time married in September, 1857, to Louisa Snyder, who died June 10, 1877. Albert, only issue of this marriage, was born March 28, 1858. Mr. Flager was again married July 8, 1878, to Gene- vieve Hecht, widow of George Hecht, who died Aug. 25, 1871, in Homer Township, Midland County. She was born Dec. 18, 1822, in Austria.
im guncan Wayne, farmer, and Supervisor of Mt. Haley Township, resident on section 4, was born in Simcoe, Norfolk Co., Ont., Jan. 7, 1858. His father, John Wayne, was born in England and was a distiller by voca- tion. The mother, Elizabeth (Wilson) Wayne, was a native of Ontario, Can. The father died Jan.
20, 1859, in Ontario. The mother is 58 years of age and resides with her son in Mt. Haley Township. She is now Mrs. Vanderburg.
In 1868, accompanied by his mother and step- father, Mr. Wayne came to Michigan, settling first at St. Charles, Saginaw County. Later on, they went to the city of Saginaw, returning thence to St. Charles. In the spring of 1872 he located on Pine River in Homer Township, and in the spring following they purchased So acres of land in Mt. Haley Township. It was all in heavy timber, and the estate now in- cludes 120 acres, with 70 acres improved and culti- vated. Its value is greatly increased by the erection of a fine barn 34 by 50 feet, and a good convenient residence, which latter is now in process of construc- tion. Mr. Wayne has yet to consummate the most important epoch of his life, and is securing the fairest prospects by his correct habits and stable character. He is a zealous Republican of wide influence, and has held the position of School Director since April, 18So. He has recently been elected School Inspector and Township Supervisor.
illiam Vance, farmer, section 20, Midland Township, is a son of William and Mar- garet (Gordon) Vance, who were of Irish ancestry. He was born in Monroe Co., N. Y., Jan. 22, 1836; when 13 years of age he came to Saginaw County and about three years later to Midland County. He has been engaged in various occupations for several years, principally lum- bering on the river and farming. In 1859 he pur- chased a quarter-section of land, which he afterward sold; and he has since bought and sold several tracts of land. In 1866 he purchased 40 acres, on which he has since resided. He has sold ten acres of this place, and all the remainder is in a good state of cul- tivation.
Mr. Vance was married in Midland, March 21, 1855, to Lucy M., daughter of John and Sarah (Sny- der) Wyman, the former of whom was a native of Vermont and the latter of Pennsylvania. Mrs. V. was born in Midland City, Dec. 14, 1839. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Vance are, Charles H., John B., Emma L., Lillie M., Frederick E. and Mar- garet J.
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Mr. Vance and his wife are members of the Baptist Church, and on national issues Mr. V. is in sympathy with the National party.
Charles S. Brown, general farmer, section 21, Jasper Township, and acting Post- master of Pleasant Valley, was born in Sidney Township, Hastings Co., Ont., Feb. 28, 1819. His father, John Brown, was a native of New England, and his mother, Anna (Myers) Brown, was born on the "Genesee Flats," near the Mohawk River, in New York, of New England an- cestry. His father was a miller by occupation, and died in Belleville, Ont., in 1831; and his mother in Murray Township, Ont., in 1862. In their family were four sons and two daughters; two of the former died in Ontario, after they were married. They were all natives of Canada, and the living are still residing in the Dominion, except the subject of this sketch, and one sister, now living at Rochester, N. Y.
Charles S., the third child and second son, was 12 years old when his father died, and he had to help support the bereft family by working at farm labor. May 30, 1848, in his native county, he was married to Hester A. Lott, second daughter and third child of George and Hannah (Barager) Lott, both deceased, in Sidney Township, Ont., their native place,-the former in 1869, aged 74, and the latter in 1871, aged 66. In their family were three sons and four daugh- ters; two of the former and one of the latter are de- ceased. Mrs. Brown was born in Sidney Township, April 25, 1825. The following are the three children of Mr. and Mrs. Brown: John E., born July 29, 1850, married, Nov. 24, 1873, Miss Louisa Christ- man, a native of Gratiot County., Mich., and has one child, James C .; George N., born Dec. 7, 1852, mar- ried, in Jasper Township, June 1, 1873, Miss Mary A. Turner, a native of Wisconsin (see sketch of Sam- uel Turner); and Nancy M., born Oct. 29, 1862, married, Nov. 7, 1883, Clayton A. Davis, a native of Hillsdale Co., Mich., and resides in Coe Township, Isabella Co., Mich. All the above mentioned belong to the farming community,-John E. and George N. Brown in Jasper Township.
After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. B. lived in Hastings Co., Ont., until 1869, then two years in
Saginaw City, Mich., and since that time in this county, settling on a quarter-section of land. In connection with his son, he now has 240 acres. He has dealt considerably in real estate, having bought and sold 1,000 acres of land. Although not a stick had been cut when he first located here, he now has a good farm of 75 acres of well improved land. Many wearisome seasons, too, has he had to contend with the disagreeable features of a swampy county,- water, mud and mosquitoes. The latter were so nu- merous and noisy at times that they had to be smoked away from the premises by " smudges," so that the people of the house could hear the tinkling of the cow-bells in the roads not far distant. Even the Sunday-schools, held in the primitive log school- house by pioneers, had to be guarded by " pillars of smoke " by day, to keep off the "pesky critters " sufficiently to enable the teachers and children to proceed with any degree of progress.
March 5, 1875, when the family were all absent, a fire consumed Mr. Brown's dwelling, with all its contents, leaving not even a second suit of clothing for any of the family, and entailing a loss of about $500.
Mr. Brown is a staunch Republican in his political views, and he has been Township Treasurer four years, Highway Commissioner three years, and has held other offices. He and his wife have been zeal- ous members of the Methodist Episcopal Church for the last five years.
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ndrew J. Davis, general farmer and lum- berman, section 14, Lee Township, was born in Chenango Co., N. Y., March 3, 1849. His parents, Washington and Adaline (Shepherd) Davis, were also natives of the Empire State, but of New England ancestry. They are both still living, in charge of their sons, the former in Illinois and the latter in New York, aged respectively 65 and 67. The father came to this country in 1873, and after three years went to Illinois.
When 22 years of age, Andrew J. enlisted in the Union army, Sept. 15, 1861, and served over three years, participating in the battles of Corinth, Shiloh and Atlanta, and was discharged in November, 1864.
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During the next month he came to Michigan and bought a quarter of section 14, Lee Township, where he has since lived, following lumbering to a considerable extent, especially during the winter seasons. Of his farm he has improved 60 acres, adding the necessary buildings.
Mr. Davis has just closed his third term as Super- visor of his Township, has been School Inspector, and is now Drain Commissioner, Justice of the Peace and Township Treasurer. In respect to national affairs he votes with the Republicans.
ndrow J. Martin, general farmer, section 30, Jasper Township, of which township he is at present also Supervisor, was born in Port- age Co., Ohio, July 22, 1839. His father, Thomas Martin, a native of Ohio, was of English-Irish descent, a farmer by vocation, lived in Ohio until 1860, when he came to this county and took 240 acres of land under the Pre-emption Act, on section 30, Jasper Township, where he has ever since resided. He was one of the first settlers in this township. He is 79 years of age, yet hale and active. Andrew's mother, Mary, nee Craig, was born on the Atlantic Ocean while her parents were on their way to this country from Ireland. They located in Trumbull Co., Ohio, in which county Mrs. M. died, in 1849, aged 37.
The subject of this sketch was the first son and second child in the above family of five children; until of age he was engaged on his father's farm in his native county. Oct. 6, 1860, in Sharon, l'a., he married Miss Alvira Waterman, who was born in Warren, Ohio, Sept. 13, 1837, of New England parentage and of English and German ancestry. She lived at home, and ten years with Rev. Isaac Errett, who preached President Garfield's funeral sermon. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Martin are: Robert, Charles, Alice, John and Lucy, besides Mary, Addison and Lottie, deceased.
One year after marriage, Mr. Martin enlisted in Co. 1, Sixth Ohio Vol. Cav., of the Army of the Cumberland, commanded by Gen. Pope. He was discharged May 30, 1862, before he had participated in any action on the field ; but April 27, 1864, he re-
enlisted in the 17ist Ohio National Guards, and took part in several engagements. He was captured by John Morgan, at Cynthiana, Ky., July 11, 1864, but was shortly afterward paroled. He then served on guard duty until the expiration of his enlistment.
Honorably discharged Ang. 20, 1864, he returned to Warren, Ohio, where he served as engineer until March, 1866, when he came to this county and set- tled on So acres of section 30, Jasper Township, which he had purchased three years previously and where he still resides. Here he has improved 35 acres and erected all necessary farm buildings. He is at present Supervisor, which office he has held every year since 1873, excepting the year 1877. He has also been Highway Commissioner three years, 1868-72, Township Clerk, and has held all the minor offices. He maintains the Republican plat- form with regard to national affairs.
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dwin Simons, residing in Coleman, War- ren Township, was born near Grand Rap- ids, this State, Oct. 22, 1838.
His parents were John K. and Margaret (IIop- kins) Simons. (See sketch of T. B. Simons). Edwin was brought up under the parental roof-tree, in Canada, and worked on his father's farm and in saw and shingle mills until he attained the age of 19 years, when he went forth to fight the bat- tles of life single-handed and alone. Hle engaged to learn the mason's trade, but did not remain long at it. Hle returned home and worked in the mill for a while, and then went to London, Can., where he engaged with a brother-in-law in a bakery. He re- mained with him for about six months, when he again returned home and once more went to work in the mill.
January 8, 1860, Mr. Simons was united in mar- riage to Miss Ursula, daughter of Caleb and Pris- cilla (Roberts) Ray. Her father was of English descent and died June 6, 1853, in Middleton, Can., and her mother is living in Bad Axe, Huron County, this State. She was married a second time and is now living with her second husband, Mr. Joseph Watson, at the place named.
Mrs. Simons was born Dec. 15, 1842, and is one of six children of her father's family, all of whom
Di 73 Marsh
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Mancy att Marsh
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are living. She is the mother, to Mr. Simons, of eight children The living are: John K., born Jan. 18, 1861, in Walsingham, Can .; Mary A., born June 26, 1865, in Walsingham; Walter William, born June 30, 1868, in Walsingham; Thomas L., born Aug. 22, 1877, in Coleman, this State; Edwin, born June 15, 1881, in Coleman. The deceased are Mattie S., born July 22, 1870, and died Nov. 30, 1872; Norton F., born July 3, 1863. died March 7, 1883; and an infant twin sister of Edwin died when TI hours old.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Simons were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church while residents of Can- ada, but have not united, since coming to this State, with the Church.
Mr. Simons, politically, is a Republican, and socially is a member of the Masonic Order, being a Master Mason.
§ oses B. Marsh, farmer, section 26, Homer Township, was born April 20, 1830, in Chautauqua County, N. Y. His parents, Mason and Lavinia (Creel) Marsh, were na- tives of New England, of English ancestors, and were among the earliest settlers in Chau- tauqua County. The family descent is traced to two brothers who came to the New World in the "good old colony times." The father was a General during the Florida War of 1838. They removed in 1842 to Crawford Co., Pa., and two years later went to Ashta- bula Co., Ohio, where the mother died in 1854, and the father in 1856.
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