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 30

Author:
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago : Chapman Brothers
Number of Pages: 592


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 30


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garvey A. Headley, farmer, section 35, Ash- land Township, was born Oct. 6, 1840, in De Kalb Co., Ind., and is a son of John and Celia (Coburn) Headley, both of whom were natives of New England. When the son was 16 years of age they removed from De Kalb County to Michigan and settled on 60 acres of land in Ashland Township, where they have since resided.


Mr. Headley was the assistant of his father upon the farm until his marriage. He was married in Casnovia Township, Muskegon Co., Mich., Dec. 23. 1863, to Elnora, daughter of Dayton and Sophronia (Loomis) Moore. The parents were natives respect- ively of Massachusetts and New York, removing after their marriage to Ohio and finally settling in Medina County, where the daughter was born Sept. 11, 1846. When she was six months old they went to De Kalb Co., Ind., and in 1854 made another remove to Mus- kegon Co., Mich.


After his marriage Mr. Headley purchased the family homestead, and continued the improvements begun by his father, adding considerably to the cleared acreage, and has erected good buildings. He is a Republican in political principle and himself and wife are members of the Christian Church. The family includes an adopted daughter, Mary E. Childs, born March 25, 1875. The brother of the last mentioned, Julius A. Childs, was born Sept. 8, 1868, and has lived with the family since he was seven years of age.


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illiam H. Dubois, farmer, sec. Io, Barton Tp., was born March 22, 1840, in White Oak, Ingham Co., Mich., and is a son of Conrad M. and Susan (Spear) Dubois. The father was born in New York and the mother in New Jersey. After their marriage they came to Michigan and settled in Lodi, Washtenaw County, whence they moved to Ingham County. The father died there, and the mother died in Mecosta County.


Mr. Dubois came to Mecosta County in 18-, and


James Barton


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Reliance PanTon


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dwelt there until 1867, when he entered a home- stead claim of 80 acres in Barton Township. On this place he has since been a resident, has placed it under good improvements and a fair state of culti- vation. He was married May 14, 1858, to Lucy E., daughter of Carlos and Phebe Ann (Palmer) Marsh. Her parents were natives of the State of New York. They came to Michigan in its infant days and located in Monroe County, residing there until 1856, when they came to Newaygo County. The father died in 1872 and the mother is still living, in Osceola County. Mrs. Dubois was born in Monroe County, April 19, 1844. To her and her husband one child, William A., was born, Sept. 14, 186 1.


When Mr. Dubois came to Newaygo County the township where he settled was in its original wild condition, and he has devoted his best energies to its advancement and progress. He is a Republican in political action and belief and has held most of the local offices.


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con. James Barton, Probate Judge of Ne- waygo County, resident on section 8, Big Prairie Township, was born June 4, 1812, in County Tyrone, Ireland. His parents, William and Susannah (Culton) Barton, belonged to the sturdy, upright and uncompromising race in the north of Ireland known as Scotch-Irish, and were members of the Presbyterian element peculiar to the upper counties of the Emerald Isle. William Barton was born in County Tyrone, in 1775, and died in Ionia Co., Mich., in 1848. The mother of Judge Barton was a native of the same county, and was born in 1777, and died in 1824, in Quebec, Can., on the very night of the arrival of the family in that city. After a brief tarry, the bereaved husband and motherless children proceeded to Lyons, Wayne Co., N. Y., where they remained until October, 1829, when they came to Bloomfield, Oakland Co., Mich., and settled on a farm. Later on, this property was sold, and they came to Otisco, Ionia County.


Judge Barton was a boy of 12 when his parents removed their family to the New World, and he re- mained a member of the household band until he


attained to man's estate, and put on the dignity of a benedict in 1832. He was 17 years old when his father came to Michigan, and, two years after coming to Bloomfield, he spent the alternating winters and summers in teaching and farming. He obtained his education in a desultory manner. He received five years' regular instruction in his native country, and picked up fragmentary learning in the common schools of Lyons. But his good sense and correct judgment stood him in better stead than crude school privileges and instructions. He studied as his understanding dictated, and he chose judiciously in reading, which he recognized as of more practical benefit than the curriculum of such schools as those to which he had access. In August, 1833, he re- moved to White Pigeon, where he resided for two years. John S. Barry, third Governor of Michigan, was then an obscure provision merchant at White Pigeon, and Judge Barton was one of his constituents in the first public office he ever held-that of Mem- ber of the first. Constitutional Convention which framed the Constitution upon which Michigan was admitted into the Union in 1837. The ability, wis- dom and judgment, and incorruptible integrity dis- played by Mr. Barry, whose course in the Convention, and afterwards as Governor, was studiously watched by Judge Barton, undoubtedly exercised a great influence over his own public career, and, in addition to the peculiar traits of his own inherited character, undoubtedly colored all his after life.


Judge Barton went, in 1835, to Thornton, Cook Co., Ill., where he spent ten years in agricultural pursuits, and during the time officiated four years as a Justice of the Peace. In the spring of 1845, he returned to Michigan and settled on a farm in Berlin, lonia County. He was there a resident two years, engaged in farming, and in 1846 was elected Super- visor of Berlin. In January, 1847, he bought a farm in Otisco, in the same county, and continued to manage his agricultural interests there until his re- moval to Newaygo County, in February, 1850. He prospected through the unsettled, unorganized town- ships and bought 200 acres of land in township 13, range 11 (now Big Prairie), designated as State or Asylum land. The specific name of this land was Salt Spring land, and referred to the appropriation, by the Government of Michigan, of tracts of land for the purpose of furthering the development of the saline resources of the State. A few years later, a re-ap-


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propriation, for the benefit of the Deaf, Dumb and Blind Asylum, was made of the same tracts, and they are still " Asylum " lands.


The Judge's purchase was wholly prairie, and was all put under the plow during the first year of his res- idence there. He is still a successful farmer in the township with which he identified his interests more than thirty years ago. He has been a factor in every progressive step of Big Prairie, from its days of incipiency to the present period. He aided in the organization of the county in 1851, and his name and position are perpetuated in the name of its northeastern township. At the meeting for arrang- ing the municipal regulations of Newaygo County, Judge Barton and Isaac D. Merrill, who died Dec. 14, 1883 (current year), were elected its two Super- visors. The former has held the incumbency, with- out intermission, ever since, and is one of the oldest continuous officials in the position of Supervisor on record, having acted in that capacity an aggregate of 32 years, and has been Chairman of the Board every year, with one exception. In Oct., 1852 he was elected County Judge to fill a vacancy, and was selected for the same position at the regular election, in the fall of 1853. He was elected the first Probate Judge of the county, and served six years. In 1863 he was elected Prosecuting Attorney, and discharged the duties of that position five years. In 1870, he was appointed by Gov. Henry P. Baldwin to fill the office of Pro- bate Judge, the vacancy having been created by the resignation of the Hon. A. H. Giddings (who had been elected Circuit Judge), and filled three years of the term of his predecessor. He has held the same position, by regular election, ever since. Judge Bar- ton has also been Circuit Court Commissioner six years. When he came to Newaygo County it had no attorney, and he applied himself to the study of law and was admitted to the Bar in 1858. In 1852, Judge Barton was put in nomination to represent his district in the Legislature of Michigan; was, accord- ing to the general understanding, elected, and pro- ceeded to Lansing with his credentials. On arrival there he found "King Strang," the Mormon chief of Beaver Island, ready to occupy the seat to which Judge Barton supposed himself the sole and legiti- mate claimant. Mutual ignorance of the other as candidate had prevailed, and on investigation it ap- peared that Strang was within the district; though 14 miles from the main land, Beaver Island belonged


to Emmet County, and on comparing numbers Strang exhibited a proportion of 30 votes in his own favor to one for Judge Barton. . The length, breadth and thickness of the matter were too stupendous for any adequate arrangement under the circumstances, and Judge Barton quietly beat a retreat. Mrs. Bar-


ton received him on his return with wide-eyed amazement, and inquired as. to the "wherefores." " Mrs. Barton," said the Judge in his phenomenal chest-tones, and with an assumption of all his offi- cial dignity, " I have but one wife, and King Strang has four." The response is one of the best reminis- cences of Judge Barton that can be recorded. It


shows that he has the keen, satiric wit which charac- terizes his nation, and his ready aptness on occasion. The spurious character of James Strang's claims to the seat he held in the Legislature of Michigan were afterward proven. When George W. Peck ran for Congress he was assisted materially by 600 votes furnished by James Strang as the result of the elec- tion on Beaver Island within his dominion. Strang was shot within the year, and his subjects betook themselves to other fields. The aggregate of men, women and children who emigrated from the island made an exhibit of 150 persons.


Judge Barton was married March 25, 1832, in Oakland Co., Mich., to Reliance, daughter of Lettes and Fear (Swift) Jenne. Her father was born in 1762, in Rochester, Plymouth Co., Mass. His ances- tors were born in Holland, and belonged to the Quakers who were banished from that country for their religious belief, and settled in Massachusetts. Mr. Jenne went to Lyons, Wayne Co., N. Y., in 1814, and finding no Quaker society there he united with the Methodist Church, of which his wife was a member. He died at Sodus, Wayne County, in 1828. Mrs. Jenne was born Aug. 12, 1770, in Massachu- setts, and died at Lyons. N. Y., April 10, 1825. Mrs. Barton is a member of the Disciples' or Chris- tian Church. She is one of eight children born to her parents-five sons and three daughters. Her- self and one sister, now residing in Farmington, Oakland Co., Mich., are the only survivors.


The sons and daughters of Judge Barton and his wife were born as follows: Charles, born March 25, 1833, died at Bald Hills, Humboldt County, Cali- fornia, January 30, 1875; Emily, born May Io, 1835 (died July 27, 1861); Mary, March 7, 1837 (died June IT, 1841); Henry, June 2, 1839 (see


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sketch) ; Mary E., June 6, 1842 (see sketch of Robert Fisher); Mark, Aug. 14, 1844 (see sketch); Ellen, Oct. 10, 1846 (died May 28, 1874); George O., April 13, 1849. The latter resides with his parents and manages his father's agricultural affairs. He was married April 13, 1873, to Mary, eldest daughter of Patrick and Catharine Neville (see sketch). She was born Jan. 8, 1854; was reared and educated a Roman Catholic, but in 1877 renounced the dogmas of the Roman Church, and in October of that year connected herself by baptism with the First-Day Adventist Church. Two children have been born of her marriage-Charles, June 11, 1874 (died Nov. 23, 1875); and Jenne C., July 19, 1876.


The salient points in the character of Judge Barton and his noble wife are clearly defined in their portraits, presented on other pages. Their in- corporation among the biographical records of Newaygo County, where they have wrought their life-work, will afford the most general satisfaction among the patrons of this Album.


ohn A. Mundy, farmer and lumberman, Brooks Township, section 13, was born June 12, 1861, in Morrow Co., Ohio. He is a son of Elinus and Experience Patience (Peters) Mundy. The former was of Scotch de- scent and born Feb. 15, 1821, in the State of New Jersey The mother was a descendant of Welsh ancestors, born Feb. 24, 1822, in New York, and died March 28, 1876, in Brooks Township. Eli- nus Mundy is the son of John D. and Elizabeth (Ballou) Mundy. The father was born June 30, 1788, in New Jersey and died Aug. 8, 1855. The inother was born in the same State, Jan. 16, 1797, and died Nov. 26, 1860, in Ohio, descended from French parentage.


Elinus Mundy came to Newaygo County in 1862, and settled with his family on 120 acres of land in Brooks Township, located on the Muskegon River. Of this 40 acres are cleared and improved, and the farm is conducted by the two elder sons.


John Mundy was one and a half years old when his parents settled in Newaygo County, and has been reared to the pursuits common to the section,-farm-


ing and lumbering; - and has also worked with his father, as opportunity served, at the callings of builder and blacksmith. He is the owner of 60 acres of land lying on the river, to which he has added 80 acres by recent purchase. In political adherence he is a Democrat.


ilas Millis, farmer, sec. 26, Denver Tp., was born in Erie Co., N. Y., Oct. 15, 1827. His parents, John and Lois (Porter) Millis, were natives of New England and Scotch and Ger- man descent. They moved to New York in an early day and settled upon a farm. Having received a good common-school education, Silas, at the age of 19, started out to do for himself. Farm- ing being his chosen occupation, he went vigorously to work in that direction for one year, and then, for a time, worked in a saw-mill. July 2, 1847, he was married, in his native county, to Miss Mary A. Ide, daughter of Oliver and Caroline Ide, natives of New York, who was born, reared and educated in that State, in the vicinity of Rochester. Two years after the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Millis, they moved to another locality, in Erie County, where Mr. Mil- lis farmed two years, and in the summer of 1854 they came to this State, settling near Grand Rapids. In the fall of 1856 they moved to this county and settled in Denver Township, where he has since resid- ed. His first purchase of land was 120 acres, to which he has since added 40 acres, and now he owns a quarter section of fine land, with 120 acres im- proved. Oct. 4, 1872, Mrs. Millis died, leaving nine children; their names are as follows : Caroline R., Junius A., Silas E., Emery E., Eber O., Amherst L., Oliver R., Arthur A. and Frances E .; Mary A. and Irvin N. are deceased. Dec. 25, 1872, Mr. Millis married for a second wife Miss Margaret Johnson, daughter of Elijah A. and Vestie (Doud) Johnson, natives of Canada and New York, respect- ively, who was born in the vicinity of Detroit, Oct. 24, 1848. She spent eight years in her birth-place, six years in Hillsdale Co., Mich., and 11 years in California. She then came to this county and re-


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mained until her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Millis have three children : William E., Effie L. and John B. They are members of the M. E. Church, and in politics Mr. M. is a Republican.


....... eorge N. Wade, farmer, section 12, is a son of Jonathan and Elizabeth (Sovereign) Wade, the former a native of Massachusetts and the latter of New Jersey. He was born in Canada, October 15, 1821. He left the Dominion when 20 years of age and came to Allegan Co., Mich., and in two years returned to his native land, where he made his home eight years, and again came to Allegan County. In 1874, he came to Newaygo County and lived in Fremont four years, engaged in the manufacture of brick. He then pur- chased 20 acres of land in Sheridan Township, sec- tion 12, where he has built a good brick house and has all his land under tillage.


Mr. Wade was married in Otsego, Allegan County, May 25, 1841, to Mary Updike, who was born in N. Y., June 2, 1824, and died Nov., 1883. They have, nine children: Lena E., Jane L., Warren D., Frank W., Clarence W., George D., Willard B., Wilbert C. and Fred. Mr. W. has held the office of Supervisor of Sheridan Township two years, and various other town offices. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., and himself and wife are members of the M. E. Church. In politics he is a Republican.


illiam J. Jewell, farmer, section 17, Day- ton Township, is a son of Ezekiel and Loretta (Brown) Jewell, is a native of New York State, and remained with his parents until he was 17 years of age, attending the common schools and working on the farm. At the age mentioned he commenced to learn the trade of carpenter and joiner with his eldest brother. At the expiration of three years he came to Eaton Co., Mich., where he worked at his trade most of the


time for two years, then bought 40 acres of wild land in that county, which he began to improve. After clearing a portion of it, he exchanged it in the sum- mer of 1859 for 160 acres of wild land in Newaygo County, Dayton Township, section 17. In the winter of 1861 he moved his family to this county and set- tled on his farm, where he now resides. He has since sold 80 acres and has 60 acres under good cultiva- tion.


Mr. Jewell was married in Eaton Co., Mich., Nov. 24, 1850, to Angeline, daughter of Darius and Malona (Foster) Tallman, who was born in Onondaga Co., N. \'., Jan. 17, 1828. Her parents were natives of Ver- mont, and subsequently settled in New York. Mr. Jewell has held the office of Commissioner of High- ways for six years, School Inspector six years and Justice of the Peace seven years. He is independ- ent in politics, a member of the I. O. G. T., and him- self and wife are both members of Hesperia Grange, No. 495. They have five children: Charles M., born July 17, 1851 ; Albert, S., Sept. 11, 1853; Viola MI., Feb. 15, 1856; Zernah J., Feb. 24, 1863; and Delos, Aug. 20, 1869.


8 enjamin F. Wood, farmer, section 14, Brooks Township, was born in Genesee Co., N. Y., March 5, 1831, and is a son of Jonathan and Martha (Reynolds) Wood. The former was born in New York, in 1791, of English lineage, and died in 1870. The latter was also a native of the Empire State, born in 1787 and died in 1876.


When Mr. Wood was six years old his parents transferred their family and interests to Ohio, where he grew to manhood and followed the trade of car- penter, which he acquired from his father. He came to Newaygo County, and after a stay of one year went to Lansing, Mich., where he operated four years, returning thence to Ohio. He worked at his trade four years, and in 1861 he enlisted in Co. I, Third Ohio Vol. Inf., under the call for three-months men. He received honorable discharge at the ex- piration of his term, and soon after re-enlisted for three years, in Co. C, 15th Ohio Vol. Inf. He became disabled, and after nine months' service was


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discharged. He came to Lansing and settled upon a farm of 30 acres, of which he became proprietor during his first stay at that place. Seven years afterward he went to Harrison Co., lowa, where he stayed about 18 months, and returned for another residence of seven years' duration on his farm at Lansing.


In the spring of 1878 he came to Newaygo County again and bought 50 acres of land, whereon he has lived and labored since. He has cleared and put in good farming condition 27 acres, with good buildings and other improvements. In political connection Mr. Wood is a Republican.


He was married Dec. 25, 1853, in Morrow Co., Ohio, to Marilla, daughter of Luther and Sybil (Webster) Vining. She was born Sept. 27, 1831, in Delaware Co., Ohio, and her parents were natives of New York, of English lineage. Of this marriage five children have been born : Charles, Arvilla, Francis H., Ansel E. and Josephine R. The family attend the M. E. Church.


ohn McFarland, farmer, section 13, Bar- ton Township, was born in Kentire, Scot- land, in 1825. His parents, Andrew and Margaret (Gray) McFarland, were also natives of Scotland. They emigrated to Canada when the son was but a child. They belonged to the agricultural community and pursued the same calling in Canada. The father is deceased and the mother, now 90 years of age, resides in Mecosta County.


Mr. McFarland was brought up as a farmer's son, and in 1852 came to Michigan and spent three years operating as a lumberman near Big Prairie, Newaygo County. He went thence to Green Township, Me- costa County, in 1855, and remained five years. His next business was in managing a hotel at Mid- dle Branch, where he was occupied two years, and exchanged the hotel property for a farm of 80 acres in Barton Township, which has since been his home- stead. It was the first farm located and settled in the township, and at the time he came into its pos- session there were few permanent settlers, and the entire region was but little advanced from its primi-


tive condition. Mr. McFarland is a Republican.


He was married Dec. 25, 1860, to Mrs. Elizabeth (Gibson) Tirk, daughter of John and Nancy (Pen- rod) Gibson, natives of Pennsylvania. Her first husband died in 1849, leaving four children,-John Morgan, Samuel Harris, Mary Elizabeth and Mar- tha Jane. The latter child is not living. Of the marriage of Mr. McFarland to Mrs. Tirk, three children have been born, viz .: Nancy and Peter Alexander, living, and Margaret Jane, deceased.


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ustice Chapman, farmer, section 36, Mon- roe Township, was born in Phelps, Onta- rio Co., N. Y., Feb. 18, 1820, and is a son of Justice and Clara C. (Evarts) Chapman. The father was born in New Hampshire and died in November, 1819. The mother was a native of Connecticut, and, after the death of her first husband, became the wife of Joshua French.


Mr. Chapman spent the early years of his life in obtaining his education and preparation for a suc- cessful and useful future, and at 16 years of age en- tered upon the career of builder, working also at farming for a time, after which he engaged in teach- ing and followed that profession for a number of years.


He was married in 1848, to Isabel Spraker, born in Montgomery Co., N. Y., in 1829. After that event he remained in the Empire State one year, removing to Liberty, Jackson Co., Mich., where he bought a small farm and engaged in the business of a nursery- man, growing fruit-trees. He officiated as Postmas- ter of that township for 25 years. In April, 1868, he came to Eaton County, and a year later he came to Newaygo County, where in 1869 he entered a home- stead claim of 80 acres of land and embarked at once in the work of improving and cultivating his property. In the same year he took charge of the postoffice and discharged its duties until 1883, when he resigned and the office was discontinued.


The family includes the following children : Adel- bert S., Emma E. (Mrs. Henry Hollister), George W. Mary C. (Mrs. William Griffith), Horace E., already a trusted and competent citizen of Monroe Township.


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George W. was born Aug. 31, 1855, and was married Jan. 17, 1880, to Ada Eva Corbett, a native of Farm- ington, Me., born June 21, 1860. One child has been born to them.


Mr. Chapman is now the owner of 160 acres of land in Monroe Township and 80 acres in Norwich Township. He has trained his sons in the moral and political principles which have proved his best capital in business, and they are active, zealous Re- publicans.


ichard Boyd, farmer, section 8, Sheridan Township, is a son of William and Jane Boyd, natives of Ireland, and was born in that country in 1814. At the age of 13 years he emigrated to Lower Canada, and lived there seven years, then lived in Ohio about 19 years, and in 1853 came to Hillsdale Co., Mich .; finally, in 1872, he came to Newaygo County and purchased 80 acres of land where he now resides. Mr. and Mrs. Boyd have had the following children : William A., John1, Richard, Charles, George, Samuel and Jane. In politics he is a Republican.


ark Barton, farmer and lumberman, sec- tion 30, Big Prairie Township, was born Aug. 14, 1844, in Cook Co., Ill. He is the sixth child and fourth son of the Hon. James Barton, Probate Judge of Newaygo County. (See sketch.)


The parents of Mr. Barton brought him to the Peninsular State when he was but six months old and to Newaygo County when he was six years of age. He was brought up as were the sons of the earliest pioneers of Newaygo County, trained in the pursuits common to Northern Michigan and received a fair education. He passed the winter after he reached the age of 20 years in the lumber woods, and in the following spring enlisted in Co. F, 15th Mich. Inf., as a soldier of the war for the Union. He received his discharge Sept. 9, 1865, and on his return to Big




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