USA > Michigan > Newaygo County > Portrait and biographical album of Newaygo County, Michigan : containing portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county also containing a complete history of the county, from its earliest settlement to the present time > Part 25
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The parents of Mr. L. reside on section 4, and are quite advanced in years. They are among the pioneers of the county.
eroy Tift, farmer on sections 8 and 11, Croton Township, and resident at Croton village, was born in Delaware Co., N. Y., May 9, 1832. He is the son of Martin and Elizabeth (Hunter) Tift, both of whom were born in the State of New York and of English ancestry. The birth of the former occurred Dec. 15, 1807, and his death April 2, 1881, on Stearns' Prairie. Newaygo County. The latter was born in 1805 and died June 11, 1858, in the same place where her husband's demise occurred 23 years later.
The parents of Mr. Tift came to Michigan in the fall of 1835, when the State was in its territorial days, and settled in what is now Kalamazoo County. In March, 1853, they again sought pioneer life in Newaygo County. The son was 18 years of age when he became a resident of Croton, and he made
his first start in life on his own responsibility in the capacity of a lumberman on the Muskegon River. He has made a fine record in his quiet, persistent, energetic efforts, and his admirable judgment is plainly manifest by his achievements, for which he makes but modest claims. He owns 5041/2 acres of land in the township of Croton and four lots in the village of Croton. His farm includes 106 acres under advanced cultivation. He is somewhat prominent as a mem- ber of the Masonic Order and belongs to the Valley City Lodge, No. 86, at Grand Rapids, and in 1865 connected himself with Newaygo Lodge, No. 131. In politics he is a Republican.
Mr. Tift has been married twice. His first wife, Elizabeth (Ferguson) Tift, to whom he was married April 6, 1856, was born in the Province of Ontario, Sept. 18, 1838, the daughter of Duncan and Mary (McCall) Ferguson, both of whom were born in the State of New York, and of Scotch ancestors.
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The wife of Mr. Tift died Sept. 13, 1862, leaving one daughter, Mary Isabel. Mary Estelle, the first born child, died before the mother. Mr. Tift married Bessie Trask, June 29, 1869, in Kalamazoo Co., Mich. She was the daughter of Oliver and Margaret Trask, natives of Maine and both deceased. Mrs. Tift died Aug. 30, 1874, at Grand Rapids, leaving three children-Libbie, Leroy (Jr.) and Martin O.
In view of his double representative character as a pioneer of the State of Michigan and county of Newaygo, the portrait of Mr. Tift, which appears on another page, has a two-fold value.
ohn W. Hopper, merchant, Fremont, was born in the State of New York, Dec. 7, 1860, and attended the common schools of New York, Michigan and Illinois. On leaving school he was employed in the grocery store of R. N. Lloyd for three years, and was afterward employed as clerk in the store of M. B. Franklin six years. In 1881, he formed a partner- ship with C. C. Mericle, for the purpose of opening business in dry-goods, boots and shoes, and clothing, under the firm name of Mericle & Hopper. This enterprise has been very successful.
Mr. H. is a young man of industrious habits, is energetic, and has the reputation of being a shrewd business manager. In politics, he is a National.
alter Stirling, farmer, section 18, Gar- field Township, was born Sept. 11, 1824, in Lancaster, Glengarry Co., Can., and is a son of James and Agnes (Irving) Stirling. When he was twelve years old his parents changed their location to Beauharnais County, where the father bought a farm of 100 acres. On this the parents passed the remainder of their lives, the father dying Aug. 21, 1841. He was born April 7, 1853, of Scotch descent. The mother was the child of Irish parents and was born on the sea.
Mr. Stirling remained on the farm as his father's
assistant until the death of the latter, when he went to learn the shoemaker's trade, which was chiefly his business until 1861, when he purchased the farm he now occupies. He was married July 5, 1849, to Ann Mclaughlin, a native of Ireland. They have a family of five children : Agnes, Elizabeth M., James H., Mary J. and John D. Mr. Stirling came with his family to Newaygo in September, 1855, and dur- ing the winter of that year he worked in the lumber woods. During the succeeding years he followed his trade, finding his accustomed labor more profitable as well as more to his taste than the hardships and exposure of a lumberman's life. He took posses- sion of his farm in 1862. At the time of the pur- chase it consisted of 80 acres of land in a wild state, 35 acres of which are now substantially im- proved. Mr. Stirling has been Supervisor of the township two years, and is at present a School In- spector.
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tephen D. Barnum, farmer, section 33, Ashland Township, was born in Hector, Schuyler Co., N. Y., July 29, 1829. His parents, Czar and Margaret (German) Barnum, were natives respectively of Connecticut and New York, and were of mixed Scotch, French and German ancestry. In 1839 they located on a farm in Lenawee Co., Mich., where Stephen at- tained to the age of 19 years, attending the district school and working on his father's farm.
Mr. Barnum early resolved to obtain as good a de- gree of education as was in his power. In 1848 he set out to accomplish his plans and engaged as a farm laborer. He was industrious and economical, saving his earnings to secure his education, and attended the High School at Tecumseh, Lenawee County, where he studied two years. He put his stock of learning to practical use in teaching, which profession he followed until 1855. The confinement of the school-room shattered his health, and he was com- pelled to abandon his favorite pursuit and seek the woods of Northern Michigan. He came to Newaygo County and located on 80 acres of land in Ashland Township. The place was in its original state, and since he has been its proprietor he has devoted his best energies to its improvement, and has placed 50
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acres in the best condition for successful farming. Mr. Barnum was married Aug. 19, 1855, in Mus- kegon County, to Roby A., daughter of Michael and Hannah (Carpenter) Kriger, natives of Massachusetts and New York respectively. The daughter was born in Angola, Ind., July 16, 1840. Her parents settled in Hillsdale Co, Mich., when she was in infancy, and afterward removed to Casnovia, Muskegon County, where she resided until her marriage.
Mr. and Mrs. Barnum have been the parents of six children, two only of whom survive: Ai, born April II, 1857, and Adella, March 23, 1869. Adelsia was born April 16, 1860, and died Nov. 29, in the same year; Almond, born Dec. 6, 1862, died March 25, 1863; Arthur, born July 11, 187 1, died Sept. 21, 1873 ; Decatur, born Aug. 18, 1873, died March 6, 1874.
Mr. Barnum is a zealous and active Democrat. He has been School Inspector ten years, Justice of the Peace, 12 years, and Superintendent of Schools several terms. He is also Clerk of the Baptist So- ciety, of which Church himself and wife are mem- bers.
arren Davenport, farmer, section 14, Bar- ton Township, was born in Whitley Co., Ind., May 5, 1846. His father, William Davenport, was a son of Jesse Davenport ; the former was born Sept. 24, 1824, in Wayne Co., Ind .; was married July 31, 1842, to Jemima Stanley, of Richmond, Ind .; in 1845, he went to Co- lumbia, Whitley County, where he embarked in a suc- cessful mercantile enterprise, and three years later came to Newaygo County, and engaged in the busi- ness of millwright; settled in Barton Township in 1856, where he has since resided.
Warren Davenport is the oldest of six children born to his parents .. He received a fair educa- tion in the common schools of Indiana, and was bred to the calling of farmer, which he has pursued almost exclusively in Barton Township. He owns a fine farm of 214 acres, and is cultivating 120 acres, which he has cleared and placed under most credit- able improvements. He was married Sept. 12, 1863, to Eliza, daugeter of William C. and Lucinda (Lord) Bliss. Her father was born in New York and her mother in Pennsylvania, of which State she
is a native, born in 1846. Mr. and Mrs. Davenport have eight children : Jessie L., Walter, William F., Frank F., Rosa J., George W., Addie E. and Fred. (.
Mr. Davenport is a Republican in respect to na- tional issues. He has served his township as Justice of the Peace eight years.
eorge Pollard, deceased, was born in Yorkshire, England, Jan. 5, 1822. His
enk parents, Joseph and Betsey (Hillingsworth) Pollard, were born, and passed the entire period of their lives, in England.
Mr. Pollard worked in the woolen mills of Bradford, in his native country, until the age of 30. In 1852, he emigrated to the United States, and located in Philadelphia, where he was employed in a flour and feed store two years. In 1854, he re- turned to his native land, and worked at his trade of weaver and wool-dresser until the spring of 1857, when he again crossed the ocean and came to Mich- igan. He was employed at various points until 1859, and finally settled in Newaygo County. He pre- empted 80 acres in Ashland Township, his claim being the last secured in the township under the law governing pre-emption territory.
In 1869 Mr. Pollard became disabled from dys- pepsia and a kidney disease, which continued several years. When their violence abated he found himself to be afflicted with cancer of the stomach, of which he died, May 9, 1875, after a long period of unmiti- gated suffering, which terminated in literal starva- tion. This continued three months before death brought a merciful release. He was endowed with a fine mind and was an extensive reader, possessing the ability to assimilate and make practically useful the knowledge he acquired. He was engaged during all his active life in the best interests of Church. society and all movements for moral reform. He ad- hered to the tenets of the Republican party, and held the post of Treasurer of his School District nine years before his death. He belonged to the Baptist Church, was the Treasurer of the society and was an outspoken and zealous advocate of temperance.
Mrs. Elizabeth (Houlding) Pollard was born in the city of Leeds, Yorkshire, Eng., June, 1824. Her
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mother died when she was 20 years old, and upon her devolved the care of six younger brothers and sisters. This duty she continued to discharge, and also worked in the woolen factories of Leeds un- til 1857, when she came to the United States, and, after a short residence in Philadelphia, joined her brothers in Ashland Township. She was married March 25, 1859, to Mr. Pollard, when death left her a widow with three children. Albert was born Nov. 10, 1859, and died Sept. 14, 1864. Those liv- ing were born in the following order : Alfred L., Nov. 10, 1859 (twin brother of Albert); George A., Dec. 3, 1862; Joseph W., March 6, 1866.
Mrs. Pollard is passing a peaceful, consistent, christian, sunny old age among her children on the homestead, situated on section 9, Ashland Township.
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ames A. Town, farmer, sec. 18, Sherman Township, is a son of Elias and Almira (Lewis) Town, the former a native of Ver- mont and the latter of New York. He was born in Pittsford, Hillsdale Co., Mich., Oct- 27, 1849. He came with his parents to Ne- waygo Co., and lived at home until 1872. Dec. 8, of that year, he was married to Miss Belle Hall, daugh- ter of Obed and Nancy (Brown) Hall; who was a na- tive of Muskegon Co., Mich., born in 1855, and their four living children are, James A., Leota B., Lula E. and Leo G .; one is deceased.
Mr. Town purchased 40 acres of wild land in the winter of 1873, and lived on it till the spring of 1880, - when he sold out and bought 80 acres on section 18, where he now resides, and has 15 acres under cultivation. In politics, Mr. Town is independent.
Charles McKie, farmer, section 18, Bridge- ton Township, was born near the St. Law- rence River, 50 miles west of Montreal, Feb. 26, 1825, and is a son of James and Elizabeth (Campbell) McKie, both of whom were of Canadian birth and respectively of French and
Scotch descent. His parents went to Glengarry, Can., when he was five years old, where he remained- until he had reached the age of 23 years. He had been reared as a farm laborer, and in 1848 went to St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., where he found employ- ment for some time as a millwright, afterwards en- gaging in farming. He remained there until the fall of 1854, when he came to Michigan and settled in Newaygo County, at the point known as the "Plain," where he entered upon the business of raft- ing on the Muskegon River and otherwise interesting himself in the lumber business. In March, 1856, he secured a tract of land of the Government in (now) Bridgeton Township, by making a deposit with a condition attached giving him 30 days' grace. His fellow lumbermen made a bee on Easter Sunday of that year and built his house. No time could be afforded during the week, and the near expiration of the marginal time made the erection of the building on that day necessary. The Indians located in the neighborhood urged him to avail himself of their hospitable invitations, to place his wife and two little children under the shelter of their tents; and he wishes to record his appreciation of the liberal kindness he and his family received at their hands. He remained over night in their care, and the next day he set himself vigorously at work to render his rude hut suitable for the accommodation of his family. A nice residence, built at a cost of $1,000, replaces the pioneer home, and 65 acres of the then unbroken forest are cleared and otherwise ini- proved.
Mr. McKie was married April 7, 1850, at Bur- lington, Vt., to Anna, daughter of James and Mary (Ragen) Shehan. Parents and daughter are natives of Limerick, Ireland, where the latter was born June I, 1832. The father and mother came to the United States in her infancy and located at Quebec. They went thence to Montreal and later to Lancaster, Glengarry County, Ont., where the daughter re- mained until the fall of 1849, when she went to Burlington, Vermont, and resided there until she was married. She has become the mother of nine children, born in the following order : Charles J., Feb. 17, 185 1; James E., Nov. 16, 185.3 (died May 5, 1854) ; William P., March 25, 1854; John A., March 25, 1860; Elizabeth A., Aug. 25, 1865 ; Alice M., April 8, 1867; Mary A., July 12, 1869 (died
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April, 1870 ); Georgie A., April, 1870 (died April 15, 1871); Robert H., Dec. 22, 1871.
Mr. McKie is a Democrat in political sentiment, and has held most of the local offices in the town- ship.
avid Cram, farmer, section 5, Goodwell Township, was born Jan. 18, 1833, in Canada, near Turkey Point, and is the son of William and Margaret (Hadley) Cram. The father was a native of Scotland and the mother of England.
He had the rearing common to the sons of farm- ers, and at a very early age was brought to face the ne- cessity of carving out his own fortune. He spent some years working as an assistant in the saw-mills and as a lumberman, after which he came to Newaygo County and began to improve a tract of 120 acres of land, on which he remained some years ; next, he re- sided for a time in Kent County, and finally returned to his original location, of which he has since retained possession.
Mr. Cram has been twice married. His first wife was Sarah, nee Hall, by whom he had three children, namely : Mary, James and an infant deceased. In 1880 Mr. C. married Isabella Sharp, who was born Oct. 25, 1862, in Howell, Livingston Co., Mich., a daughter of Richard and Lydia (Howell) Sharp.
oseph Baillargeon, farmer, section 8, Sheridan Township, was born in Canada Oct. 14, 1843. His parents, Peter and Angeline (Moxin) Baillargeon, were also natives of Canada. They removed to Muskegon, this State, and afterward returned to Canada, where the mother died, in the fall of 1881 ; the father still resides there. Joseph left Canada at the age of 20 years, and went to Massachusetts, where he followed the trade of machinist, which he had formerly learned. He remained in that State about 10 months. Dec. 18, 1863, he enlisted in the 2d Keg't. Heavy Artillery of Mass. Vol., Battery A., Capt. Kimball ; this company was afterward transferred to the Light Artillery. Early in September, 1865, he was mustered
out of the service at Smithville, N. C. He was in the battle of Plymouth, N. C., where two companies of his regiment were taken prisoners.
After his discharge, Mr. B. went to Canada and soon after came to Muskegon, Mich., where he resid- ed until 1875, engaged in millwrighting, engineering and lumber surveying. In the spring of 1875 he went to St. Louis, Mo., and took charge of the Star Rolling Mill, of that city, and in the fall of the same year he came to Newaygo County and bought 80 acres of wild land in Sheridan Township, section 5. He improved 40 acres, and in the summer of 1883 sold out and removed to section 8, same township, built a house and barn, and still resides there. In the fall of 1882 he built a steam hoop mill, for the manufacture of patent coil hoops. He removed this mill to section 8, and still carries on the business, manufacturing from 7,000 to 10,000 hoops per day, and employing about nine men.
Aug. 11, 1866, he was married to Artimise Secord, a native of Canada, and they have had nine chil- dren : Sarah A., Lea, Joseph E., Edith, Angeline and Harriet A. ; Sarah Josephine and Rosamond died in infancy. Mr. Baillargeon has held the office of Highway Commissioner one year, Overseer of Highway two years, and in politics is a Republican
illiam Kimbell, Sheriff of Newaygo Coun- ty, resident at Newaygo, was born in Bed- ford, Cuyahoga Co., O., April 8, 1837. He is a son of William and Amanda (West brook) Kimbell, and was reared on a farm, ob- taining his education at winter terms of school. From the age of 15 years he was variously engaged until he settled in Newaygo in 1853.
In 1843 his parents transferred their family to Kalamazoo Co., Mich., where his father was a farmer. On coming to Newaygo, Mr. Kimbell interested him- self in the pursuit which in some of its varied branches was that of nearly all men in active life in this portion of Michigan, namely, lumbering. Soon afterward he began taking contracts, engaging first with the Newaygo Lumber Company and successively with Kelly .. Wood & Co., of Chicago, and Lyman
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T. Kinney, of Grand Rapids. He commonly em- ployed a working force of about 50 men.
In 1864 Mr. Kimbell was drafted and assigned to Co. A, 13th Reg't. Mich. Vol. Inf. He served nine months and participated in the battle of Benton- ville, besides doing duty in a number of skirmishes. On receiving his discharge he returned to Newaygo and resumed lumbering. He continued his opera- tions in that pursuit until February, 1881, when he rented the White. Cloud House at White Cloud. The hotel was under his management until December, 1881, when he was elected to his present official position and transferred his residence to Newaygo.
Mr. Kimbell was married in Newaygo, Sept. 3. 1856, to Sarah B., daughter of John and Matilda Hathley, a native of Canada, born April 12, 1839. Of eight children born to them six are living: Ida J., Alice M., Ruey, Sarah, Jessie and Eddie. Martha A., eld- est daughter, and Edward are deceased.
Mr. Kimbell came to Newaygo in its pioneer days and has been a witness to its varied steps of progress. Two or three shanties constituted its mu- nicipality and the adjacent woods were the delight of hunters and trappers. Mr. Kimbell was one to whom the abundance of wild game was a great source of satisfaction, and his exploits as one of the Nimrods of this region are full of interest. Deer and bears abounded, and one of Mr. K's accounts records the slaughter, on one occasion, of four of the latter in the evening after supper !
oseph Reed, farmer, section 29, Sheridan Township, was born in' Canada, May 15, 1846. His father, Nelson Reed, was a native of Scotland, and his mother, Josette (Thibbert) Reed, was born in France. At the age of 18 he left home and for two years lived in. Vermont. He then went to Illinois for a short time, then to Muskegon, Michigan, where he re- mained until the fall of 1872, then came to Neway- go County and bought 80 acres of wild land in Sheridan Township, where he now resides. He has since added 40 acres to his farm, and has about 60 acres under improvement. He was married i
Muskegon, June 13, 1868, to Margaret Malett, a native of Canada. In politics he is a Republican, and himself and wife are members of the Baptist Church.
saac Shick, farmer, Brooks Township, sec- tion 10, was born March 8, 1831, in Port- age Co., Ohio. He is the son of Jacob and Barbara (Swinehart) Shick. His father was born March 8, 1808, in Berks Co., Pa, and died May 4, 1863, in Elkhart Co., Ind. He was of German descent, as was his wife, who was born Jan. 21, 1812, in the same county in the Key- stone State, and who is still living, in Elkhart Co., Ind. They settled soon after marriage in Portage Co., Ohio.
Mr. Shick remained in his native State until he was 14 years of age, when his parents went to Indi- ana. He interested himself in acquiring a good ed- ucation, and as he designed to fit himself for teach- ing he became signally proficient as a student. Dur- ing his last term of school he was called on to take the place of his teacher, who was suffering from a temporary illness, and officiated in the capacity of a school-teacher, for the short space of one month. The experience wholly exterminated his aspiration to make teaching the business of his life. He is characterized by the clannish instincts of the nation- ality from which he has descended, and lived with his parents until he was 32 years old. He was one of 14 children, all of whom survived their parents, the youngest being eight years old when the father died. The father's death occurred soon afterward. Mr. Shick was married in the course of a few days thereafter, and continued to pursue agriculture in that State for ten years, when he came to Michigan. He settled on 240 acres of land in Brooks Township. He sold So acres of this, and has by his inherited thrift and good management cleared and put in first- class condition the remaining 160 acres. The place is of increased value and made attractive by good farm buildings and a small orchard. Mr. Shick is a Democrat and has served his generation as Justice of the Peace, Highway Commissioner and School Director. He is a member of the F. & A. M. frater- nity and belongs to Newaygo Lodge, No. 131.
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He was married in Springfield, Ohio, May 1, 1863, to Sarah, daughter of Samuel and Catherine (Wey- rick) Garl, both of whom were born in Pennsylvania. Mrs. Shick was born Dec. 10, 1840, in Summit Co., Ohio. Samuel Garl was born in Portage Co., Ohio, July 22, 1818. He died March 29, 1873. His wife, Catherine, was born Aug. 27, 1819, in Mercer Co., Pa., and is still living, in Ohio.
lias Town, farmer, section 18, Sherman Township, was born in Vermont Dec. 29, 1826. His parents were Ira and Ruby (Prouty) Town, the former a native of New Hampshire and the latter of New York. They first settled in New York, then removed to Ver- mont, thence to Michigan in the spring of 1845, and settled in Hillsdale County, where they passed the remainder of their life. In early life, Elias was en- gaged mostly in farming. He came with his par- ents to Hillsdale County, where he was principally engaged in carpentry for 22 years. In the spring of 1869 he came to Newaygo County and bought 40 acres of wild land in Sherman Township, where he now resides, and has 32 acres under cultivation.
He was married in Hillsdale County, in 1848, to Almira Lewis, a native of New York, where she was born July 9, 1828, and they have six children : Ari, Ida A., Alphonce J., Alfred J., Mayne A. and Nettie M. Mr. and Mrs. T. are members of the Advent Church, and in politics he is a Republican.
illiam H. Horning, lumberman, located on section 23, Monroe Township, was born in Bradford Co., Pa., Feb. 28, 1849, and is a son of James and Harriet A. (Barfield) Horning. His parents were both natives of the State of New York, and are deceased. The father died in 1853, and the mother removed with her family to DeKalb Co., Ill., where the son attended district school. When he reached the age of ten years he took upon himself the burden of his own support, working on a farm till he was 17 years
of age, when, in Feb., 1865, he enlisted in Co. C, Ninth Ill. Cav. He served until the close of the war, and on his discharge went to Pennsylvania, where he attended Mansfield College one year. He then went to Wisconsin and engaged in lumbering, work- ing a short time in the woods, after which he went to California, Oregon and Washington Territory, spend- ing a year on the trip. He returned East and located at Sand Lake, Kent County, where he engaged in the manufacture of lumber and shingles. After a resi- dence there of eight years he came, in 1871, to Newaygo County, where he engaged in lumbering, in connection with Samuel Hart.
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