USA > Michigan > Oakland County > Portrait and biographical album of Oakland County, Michigan, containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county > Part 29
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Our subject left to each of his three sons -- James, George and William-a fine farm. James, the eldest, now lives on the old homestead first owned by his father. He was born in Northamp- ton County, Pa .. March 3, 1841, and accompanied his parents to this State a few years before he be- came of age. He married a Miss Burrows Decem- ber 31, 1863, and after a brief wedded life, the wife died May 17. 1872, leaving a little daughter, Hettie J., then eight years old, but now grown to womanhood, and a very amiable and interesting young lady. James Fox is a member of the Odd Fellows fraternity : the American Order of United
PETER BREWSTER.
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Workmen; the Patrons of Industry, and politically is a Democrat, taking a lively interest in public affairs and is known as a prominent politician.
George, the second son, lives on a farm adjoining that of his brother James. His marriage occurred September 4, 1864, when Sabra Burrows became his wife, and one child, a daughter-May, was born to them. She is now married. Mrs. George Fox passed from earth December 1, 1871. William, the youngest son of our subject, occupies a farm adja- cent to those of his brothers. On February 15, 1878, he was married to Ettie Dawson, and two daughters have been born to them. William is a model farmer, devoting considerable attention to fruit-growing and stock raising, and his farm bears all the improvements to be seen on a first-class es- tate.
ETER BREWSTER. This gentleman whose portrait is presented on the opposite page, is one of the earliest settlers of Oak- land County now living. He came here in 1825, and has passed through every phase of pio- neer life, and lived to see the once wild country changed into a highly cultivated region, populated by happy and contented people. One of his chief delights during the carly years of his residence here was deer stalking, and more than three hundred of these animals fell before his heavy rifle. Ile be- came the most noted deer hunter of his neighbor- hood, and the first barn he built was known to the early settlers as "hunters' deposit." Although he has passed fourscore years, Mr. Brewster still en- joys taking his shot-gun and going out for a bunt, and nearly every year he makes a trip into the north woods for that purpose. Bears were numer- ous when he came to the county, and exciting sport was found in the bear-hunts of that period.
Mr. Brewster is a lineal descendant of one of two brothers who came to America in the "Mayflower." His grandfather was Eliphas, and his father Ezra, and the latter was born in Vermont, and followed farming. He was a soldier in the War of 1812. Ile made a settlement .in Monroe County, N. Y., near Rochester. While living in Vermont, he mar-
ried Hannah Shetler, who was a native of the Green Mountain State, and who was left an orphan in early life. In the spring of 1825 Ezra Brewster came West and spent some time in looking over the country in the then Territory of Michigan. Here- turned to his home, and the next spring accompan- ied by his son Peter, came to Oakland County. After a sojourn of considerable length, he again re- turned East, but soon made a removal and located in Mahopack. He remained there three years, oc- cupying himself in making shingles for a company. Indians were more numerous there than whites, there being fifty of the former to one of the latter. However, the Indians were kind, peaceable and ac- commodating.
Ilaving made enough to pay for eighty acres of Government land, the father of our subject located in Oakland Township and county, and bought an ox-team with which to carry on his work. Ile put up a log house and barn and went industriously to work to reclaim the land. lle made it into a good farm and spent the remainder of his life there, dy- ing in 1878, in the seventy-eighth year of his age. He was a Democrat in politics. He was one of the well-known and honored pioneers, and his wife was equally esteemed for her cheerful endurance and earnest efforts to improve their condition. She died in 1870, in her seventy-fourth year. They were the parents of six children -- Caroline, Peter, Owen, Deborah, Stephen G. and Allen. The last named lives on the old homestead.
Peter Brewster was born in Rutland County, Vt .. October 27, 1809, and spent his early school days in Monroe County, N. Y. He accompanied his father to this State when fifteen years old, and wielded the ax on the heavy timber that covered their farm, managed the breaking plow and did other needful work such as must be undertaken in reclaiming wild land. Whenever it was possible to do so lie attended school, but his privileges were necessarily limited, owing to the very sparse set- tlements. He remained with his father until he was of age, then began working by the month, and for a year and a half was employed by one man, his wages being $12. He saved all that he could from this stipend, and was thins enabled to buy eighty acres of land upon which to establish a home,
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Young Brewster removed the forest growth, brought the land under subjection, and put up good buildings, including every needful and convenient edifice. As a farmer he proved very successful, and the attention he gave to stock-raising was also well rewarded. In 1877 he left his farm and moved into Pontiac, where he resided until 1882. Ile then went to Dakota and took up a claim, and later added to it, making the estate three hundred and twenty acres. This he sold to a railroad com- pany for $3,000, but bought another tract of one hundred and sixty acres, of which he is still the owner. It is located in what is now South Dakota. Mr. Brewster spent the winters in this State, and the summers in Dakota until recently, but now makes his home in l'ontiac, where he has retained his resi- dence since he first moved into town. Ile has a good home and a competence sufficient to satisfy his wants during his declining years, and all has been secured by industry and good management on his part, with the hearty co-operation of his wife.
On March 18, 1833, Mr. Brewster was united in marriage with Miss Amelia W. Swayze, who has shared his fortunes for nearly sixty years, and has faithfully borne her part in their battle of life. She was born in Warren County, N. J., April 20, 1812, and was the youngest of twelve children comprising the family of Christopher and Sarah (Davis) Swayze. In the maternal line she is de- scended from a passenger on the "Mayflower," and her grandfather Davis was a Revolutionary soldier. Her mother was born in Orange County, N. J., and died in Oakland County, this State, at the vener- able age of ninety-three years. The family came West in 1832. and the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Brewster was solemnized in Oakland County. They have six children : De Witt A., who died June 5, 1891; Martin S., a farmer; Sarah, a widow now living near Armada; Clark A., whose home is in the State of Washington; William A., a clerk in the store of P. A. Hitchcock; and Mary E .. wife of Silas Hillman, of Pontiac.
Mr. Brewster has borne his part in carrying on the public affairs of the locality in which he has lived, having been Township Collector, Assessor, and Constable, and held office a number of years. Politically he is a Democrat, and his list of Presi-
dential ballots is headed by the name of Andrew Jackson, while the last he has deposited was for Grover Cleveland. He has been a Class-Leader for a number of years, both himself and wife hav- ing been identified with the Methodist Episcopal Church for six decades. He has never used intoxi- cating liquors nor tobacco, and this is probably one reason why he is so much more active in mind and body than many men of even less years. Ile is well-known as one of the most noted threshers of this portion of Michigan. Hle was among the first to use steam threshers, and followed the business forty years without a vacation. Ilis upright life has won many friends for him, not only in Oak- land Connty, but in many other districts where he is known.
RANCIS INGERSOLL, a prominent eiti- zen of Commerce Township, is a man high- ly respected by all his neighbors for his true Christian character and his record as an industri- ous and successful farmer. Ilis father was Samuel Ingersoll, a native of Washington Connty, N. Y., where he was born in 1785. Ile was a soldier in the War of 1812 and was taken prisoner at Queens- town lleights, and there saw Gen. Brock before the latter was killed. Ile was a Corporal and after- wards a Sergeant in rank and was released on pa- role. Ile was the son of Francis Ingersoll, a Ver- mont farmer who enlisted when sixteen years of age in Washington's Army, and served seven years in the Revolutionary War, taking part in many bat- tles.
The mother of our subject was Mary Nelson in her maidenhood, and was born in 1787 in Dutch- ess County, N. Y. Her father was Phineas Nelson and at an early date settled at what is known as Nelson's Landing, on the west side of the Hudson River. The parents of our subject were married in Tioga County, N. Y., and after seven years residence there went onto a farm in Genesee County. After awhile they retired from active life and came to Michigan and made their home with their son Francis for the last twelve years of their life, Both died here and lie in the cemetery at
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Commerce. They were the parents of eleven chil- dren, four of whom preceded them to the grave.
The gentleman whose name heads this sketch was born January 2, 1814. He lived in Wyoming, then a part of Genesee County, N. Y., and received a district school education. He began for himself at twenty years of age and left home and went to Warsaw, where he learned the trade of a tanner. This trade he followed for twenty years. He mar- ried in 1842, Frances A., a daughter of Gurden and Rachel (Lee) Armstrong, thus becoming a brother-in-law of Orson H. Smith, whose sketch ap- pears in this volume. Frances Armstrong was born January 7, 1818, in Orangeville, N. Y. She taught school for eleven terms. The first home of their wedded life was at the village of Perry, N. Y., where Mr. Ingersoll was foreman of the tannery. He then went to Orangeville in 1855 and estab- lished a business of his own. After this be came to Michigan and settled on the farm where he now resides. He at first had sixty acres and has added to it until he has one hundred and thirty five, thirty aeres of which he has cleared himself. He is now retired from active work and rents his land.
Mr. Ingersoll was deeply afflicted February 7, 1888, in the death of his wife. Their two children have grown up to be an honor to their parents and a benefit to the communities in which they reside. The eldest, Charles L. was born November I, 1844. Ile married Frances E. Stroud and makes his home in Fort Collins, Col. He has been president of the State Agricultural College, and has just resigned to accept a professorship in the Nebraska State Uni- versity at Lincoln. The second son, Lovias F., was born March 1, 1854, and married Flora Hen- derson. They live at Grand Junction, Col. Ile is a practising physician and assistant surgeon of the railroad from Denver to Salt Lake City. Mr. In- gersoll joined the Baptist Church when he was only eighteen years old, and his wife professed her faith in the same when quite young. He has been a Dea- con in the church at Commerce for over thirty years. He is also active in the Sunday-school, in which he has been a teacher and superintendent for many years. He is a member of the Sons of Tem- perance, of the Good Templars and of the Grange, and has held office in all of them, He has held the
office of Director and other school offices and has always taken an interest in educational matters. Ile is a stanch Republican and has been Highway Commissioner.
Mr. Ingersoll's son, Charles L., has a fine war record. He was a soldier in Company A, Ninth Michigan Cavalry, in which he held the rank of Sergeant. He was engaged in many battles, was always on duty, but escaped unhurt. He was with Sherman on his celebrated march to the sea. For six months he was Orderly for Gen. Shackleton ; then as Regimental Clerk at Atlanta, was acting as Orderly Sergeant, and continued thus from there on till the close of the war. He took part in the Grand Review at Washington, D. C. After the war he followed teaching for awhile and took a regular course at the Agricultural College at Lan- sing. After graduation he received $1,000 a year as foreman at the farm of the college. He was the Professor of agriculture for two years and after that took a like professorship in Purdue Univer- sity, Lafayette, Ind. Lovias F. graduated in the same class with his brother, and after being at home a year and a half took a two years' course in the medical department at Ann Arbor, and took the degree of Doctor of Medicine. Mrs. Ingersoll was an active member and Secretary of the Bap- tist Womens' Missionary Circle and was also a teacher in the Sunday-school. Her death has thrown a shadow over the declining years of our subject; but his strong Christian faith strengthens him to bear this great affliction with trne fortitude.
OHN SHERWOOD is one of the oldest set- tlers in Milford Township, and is one of those men who have prospered by exercis- ing care and economy, and laboring indus- triously. He still lives upon a farm comprising one hundred and fifty-five acres on section 3, and eighty-one acres on section 9, but he does not now operate the estate. He built his present brick resi- dence in 1861 at a cost of $1,400. Ile dug the stone for the foundation and cellar, hauled it, and himself made the brick and tile roofing, burned the
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lime and went fifty miles to cut the logs for the fine lumber. He also put on the roofing. The dwelling is 22x33 feet in the main, with a wing twenty-five feet square and an "L" 16x18 feet. The main structure is two stories in height. while the wing is one and a half stories. All the improvements on the estate were made by Mr. Sherwood and include a good tenant house, built in 1880, cattle sheds 20x50 feet, grain barn 32x40. sheep barn 20x70, horse barn 22x24, wagon house 18x20, corn crib 16x26 and hog house 18x24. It will be seen that ample accommodations have been made for housing stock and storing fodder, and such crops as it is desirable to keep on hand. Mr. Sherwood has two hundred and thirty-six acres of farm land and a dwelling and three acres in the village of Milford. He gave his son eighty acres of land, partially im- proved his farm and built him a two-story brick residence.
The parents of our subject were John and Maria (Barnes) Sherwood, natives of County Suffolk, England, who died in their native land, the mother in 1819 and the father in 1857. The latter made a sceond marriage, and there are two children of that union now living, while our subject is the only survivor of the first. The father was a brick manufacturer. lle was a constable for many years. Both parents belonged to the Episcopal Church.
Our subject was born August 27, 1818. received instruction in the common school branches and worked with his father at brick and tile making. When eighteen years old he began to receive wages from his father, and when he emigrated in 1844 he had about $500. He went from New York City to Geneva, then to Lyons, where he remained a short time, working in a briekyard. Ile thien came on to Michigan and selected Milford as his place of residence. He was sick nearly all the first year, but he worked as he could by the month or day. Ile bought thirteen aeres of wild land, paying for it in English gold. He improved the land and in 1845 started a brickyard, which he carried on un- til 1872. He hired three men to work and paid their board as well as his own, and he also hired a horse. After thirty thousand briek were made he was taken sick and got another man to lay up his
kiln. As soon as he was able he fired the kiln and burned three days and nights, when the part that he had hired laid fell down, causing a loss of all lie had there.
During the winter Mr. Sherwood worked at the threshing machine and in the fall of 1846 he bought one hundred and forty acres of land where he now lives. The price of the property was 81,000, $300 down and eight years' time on the balance. Not- withstanding the fact that misfortune fell to his lot, he paid for the place within the specified time. He was aided by his father to the extent of thirty Brit- ish pounds. lle bought a cow, which died before he got her home, and a sow that dug ont of her pen and broke her back, and one of the horses for which he paid $110 was taken sick the first day he worked the team and could not be used for three months. Ile and his wife used to take turns watching that horse, as its life was more than usu- ally valuable to them.
Horses were very scarce at that time in Michi- gan. Mr. Sherwood went to Detroit to buy a span of Indian ponies, but could not get them for less than $75 cash, and was expected to take his choice and catch them as best he could. Hle returned home without them. However, he started off again, traveling on foot four days, and finally find- ing a team that suited him, tried to bargain for them. But the owner feared to take the money offered him, thinking it might be "wildcat." He told Mr. Sherwood that if he would accompany him to Mt. Clemens, they could see the man who held a mortgage on his farm, and if this man would take the money Mr. Sherwood could have the horses. Accordingly, Mr. Sherwood and his new acquaintance mounted the horses and went to Mt. Clemens, twenty-eight miles distant, where the gen- tleman who held the mortgage pronounced the money good, and Mr. Sherwood started for home rejoicing.
During one of his early trips to Detroit Mr. Sherwood hauled nine barrels of flour to that place and returned with a grindstone, to the great joy of bis neighbors, as this was the first grindstone in the community. At the same time Mr. Sherwood started in search of horses, his wife with her father went to Detroit to buy some hardware. She
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bought a pail, kettle, iron sauce pan and iron tea kettle, as well as some iron for horse shoes and a new wagon. It was then impossible to get a horse shod unless the iron was carried with which to make the shoes. The wagon which Mr. Sherwood owned was painted by himself, while he paid the wagon maker with oak posts for making the wood- work and the blacksmith with brick for ironing it. Good money was very scarce. Wheat could not be sold at Milford, but had to be ground and the flour taken to Detroit. On account of bad roads the trips to the latter place could be made only during six months of the year.
Mr, Sherwood claims to have manufactured and done more work in getting the material with which to build his house than any other man in the State. He dug his own well forty feet deep and at the bottom struck a stream of water on one side which it took a large quantity of stone and gravel to fill before the brick walls were put in. In 1848 he planted out an orchard. Ife had no money to buy trees, but Mr. Allison, who owed him, gave him an order on Mr. Goodnow for some clover seed. Mr. Sherwood could not afford to sow it, so he gave the order to Mr. Potts, who bought the trees and let Mr. Sherwood have them. The first time pictures were taken in Milford Mr. and Mrs. Sherwood sat for theirs; however, they had only money enough to have one taken, for which they paid $1.50 and which they sent back to England.
Mr. Sherwood began clearing off the timber in order to burn brick and also improved the land, but after 1872 rented his yard to a man who man- ufactured brick and tile eight years, since which time it has been idle. When Mr. Sherwood paid for his place he had to go to Ann Arbor to settle with the person who held the mortgage. He arose at 3 A. M., rode to the city on horseback through the woods and swamp and after making his pay- ment had just enough money to buy some oats for his horse and crackers and cheese for himself, after which he mounted his horse and rode home. His first grain was hauled to Detroit. He once took a load of flour in barrels from Milford to De- troit at fifty cents per barrel and got money enough from it to pay expenses and the rest in bran and
shorts. Three miles from Milford one wagon broke down and it was necessary to unload and re- pair it. Orchard Lake was reached at dark, and, being lost in the woods, Mr. Sherman did not get to Pontiac until 11 P. M. Early the next morn- ing, being told that he could not get into Detroit, he put part of the flour upon a train and divided the rest among the three teams, and so reached Royal Oak at dark. The journey was continued the third morning before day and Detroit reached at noon. The same day the party left for home and made eight miles. They reached Novi after dark the next day and on the fourth night got lost in the woods between that place and Milford, but finally reached home about midnight. Such inci- dents give a slight idea of what it was to live in remote settlements and through what experiences the early settlers passed.
In January, 1846, Mr. Sherwood was married to Miss Susan Potts, whose parents, William and Mary Ann (Weaver) Potts, were born in County Snffolk, England, and came to America in 1833. They came to this county the same year and settled upon a raw farm east of Milford. The place was improved, but after a time Mr. and Mrs. Potts moved into the village. He was a first-class far- mer and the family was one of the highest respect- ability. Mr. Potts died in 1859 and his wife in 1865. They have five living children, of whom Mrs. Sherwood is the youngest. She was born in County Suffolk, England, June 26, 1828, and was not yet five years old when brought to America. lTer girlhood days were spent among the pioneer scenes of Milford, and she well remembers when the village contained but one log house and a saw- mill. She and her husband have had for child- ren, two of whom are living, namely: William J., who was born March 23, 1848, married Fanny Sands, has one child and lives in Milford Town- ship; Charlotte Maria, born January 16, 1851, liv- ing in the village of Milford and the wife of Dennis Boyer and the mother of three children.
Mr. and Mrs. Sherwood belong to the Methodist Episcopal Church in Milford and he is now Trus- tec and has been Steward. ffe has been Master of the Grange several years. In earlier life he was a Republican, but he has recently joined the Prohi-
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bition party. He is temperate in all his habits, and although more than seventy-two years old, is in fine health. His beautifully furnished home contains a number of specimens of taxidermy, at which he is an expert. Some years ago he made a pleasure trip to his native land and greatly enjoyed revisiting the scenes of his youth and places of world-wide fame, but rejoiced to return to the "home of the free."
LFRED SOULBY is one of the prosperous farmers of Milford Township. He is pleasantly located on section 27, where he has one hundred and seventy-two aeres of land. One hundred and eighty of this is under the plow. The property was bought by him in 1872, when about eighty acres were cleared. Ile has con- tinued to remove timber, and has taken off stumps and stones, put on new buildings and improved the old ones. Mr. Soulby is the son of Charles B. and Eleanor (Burrill) Soulby, natives of Lincolnshire, England, who came to this country in 1843. After landing they came at once to this State and settled in Milford, where the husband worked at his trade -blacksmithing. They subsequently removed to section 16, Milford Township, and he gave his at- tention to farming. lle is now living in the vil- lage of Milford. Mrs. Soulby died in 1852, leaving five children, who still survive.
Our subject was born in Lincolnshire, November 15, 1842, but his earliest recollections are of America, as he came here when an infant six months old. He was educated in Milford Town- ship and worked for his father until the Civil War began. Ile then entered the service, enlisting in August, 1862, in Company I, Twenty-second Michigan lufautry. After the organization was perfected he was sent to Cincinnati, Ohio, where the boys had to borrow two rounds of am- munition apiece from the Eighteenth Michigan, as the enemy was in sight. The regiment served in the Second Division of the Army of Central Kentucky under the command of Col. Wisner, and their first campaign was in the Blue Grass State. They re-
mained there until April, 1863, then took part in the Nashville campaign, which kept them ocenpied until September 5. The next objective point was Bridgeport, Ala., whenee they went to Ross- well and Ringgold, Ga. They then built fortifica- tions at Moccasin Point, which place they left October 28.
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