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 37
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Capt. Miller helped lay out what is known as .Crook's Road and traveled fourteen miles to his work in the morning, returning the same distance
at night. A family by the name of Chase, who lived in Royal Oak Township, helped to lay out this road. On Christmas Eve, 1825, a neighbor woman and her child who had been visiting with Mis. Miller all day, started to their home two and one- half miles distant through the woods, the only road being a cow-path. Capt. Miller accompanied the woman to carry the child and when he reached her home, found one or two of the neighbors gath- ered there, and stayed later than he had intended. About one hundred Indians who had seen him leave his house surrounded the little cabin before dark and filled both windows with their grinning, sav- age faces. Mrs. Miller was alone with her child and she could hear them at the corn crib, the bee- hives and hen roost for abont three hours. Finally they left, taking every thing they could find. The next day Capt. Miller and four or five neigh- bors started in pursuit of the Indians, but returned after an unsuccessful search of two days. Capt. Miller died in 1849, beloved and respected by all who knew him. His work as a pioneer will be long remembered. Could he with the other hon- ored pioneers who have long since passed away, see the country with its fields of waving grain and its cities teeming with life and enterprise, scarcely would they be able to realize the wonderful trans- formation. The wilderness has been made to blos- som as the rose and the efforts of our forefathers have been amply rewarded.
ARON S. PALMER lives on a farm in Mil- ford Township but rents out, his land on shares, not caring to take part in the toils of rural life. He has never done much hard work, as he was in possession of means that enabled him to spend his time in more ease than many, but he has a good trade and considerable knowledge of business measures. Elsewhere in this volume appears a view of his present residence, which he erected in 1880 at a cost of $1,100 beside his own labor. The farm upon which it stands consists of sixty-seven acres, well improved and stocked, The parents of our subject were John and
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Margaret (Stewart) Palmer. natives of Connecti cut and New Jersey respectively, and the former born March 20, 1775, and died February 21, 1864. They were married in the latter State December 7, 1805, and passed the balance of their lives there. Mr. Palmer was a tanner and currier and also a farmer. His father was a native of the Isle of Jersey, England. The maternal grandfather of our subject was Aaron Stewart, a large land-owner in Monmouth County, N. J., and a Quaker by birth- right. Mrs. Palmer died in 1834, and her husband survived her thirty years. He made a second mar- riage, but had no children. The first union resulted in the birth of four, two of whom are now living. Mary is the widow of Sterne Palmer and has one son, Theo G., who is a large leather manufacturer at Newark, N. J.
The subject of this notice was born April 18, 1823, in Allentown, N. J., and received a common- school education there. IIe left home when seven- teen years old to visit a brother in Saginaw, this State. This brother, Charles S. Palmer, took a great interest in politics. Ile served as County Clerk and County Treasurer, represented the peo- ple in the State Legislature and was Probate Judge at the time of his death. During a sojourn in Saginaw of three and a half years our subject learned the trade of a tanner and currier. Ile then returned home for a year, after which he again visited Saginaw and interested himself in mercantile and livery business. In 1852 he sold out and settled npon a farm in Novi Township, this county. It consisted of one hundred and sixty aeres, one hundred of which was under im- provement. After carrying on the place a few years, Mr. Palmer rented it and returned to his native State, where he remained about a twelve- month. Coming again to Michigan he sold his farm and bought another in Lyon Township, and in 1864 left it and bought another farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Brighton Township, where he resided five or six years. He next leased that property and returned to Novi Township, where he made his home a year, after which he was a resident of the village of Milford afew years. Ilis next removal was to his present farm, where he has been living twelve years.
January 31, 1849, Mr. Palmer was married to Sarah A. Johnson, daughter of Daniel and Rebecca (Smith) Johnson, pioneers of Novi Township. Both parents are now deceased. Mr. Johnson was a prominent farmer. The daughter who married Mr. Palmer was born October 4, 1823, and died September 10, 1884. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and a worker in the Women's Christian Temperance Union and Mis- sionary cause. The children born of the union were John G., May 15, 1850; Daniel J., October 17, 1852; Frank B., September 17, 1855; William E., September 12, 1857; Harry J., September 1, 1861; George W., July 11, 1865. John married Georgie Dunham, has one child and lives in Cleve- land, Ohio; Dan resides in Boyne City, this State, has a wife, formerly Miss Rosa Kniseley, and five children; Frank married Lizzie Turner, has one child and lives at Houghton, in the Lake Superior region; William is living in Cleveland, Ohio, and his wife was formerly Miss Ella Armstrong ; Harry lives at West Superior, Wis,, and is married to Emma Brown, daughter of Dr. Brown, of Mil- ford; George is unmarried.
A second matrimonial alliance was made by Mr. Palmer, June 16, 1886, his bride being Mrs. Sarah JI. Armstrong, daughter of Mrs. O. W. Armstrong. IIer mother was born in Parma, N. Y., in 1811, and came to this State in 1834. She settled upon a raw farm of six hundred and forty aeres, consisting of seetion 32, Ilighland Township, and under her management the land was fully improved. She was one of the smartest business women in this sec- tion and showed herself abundantly capable of managing her large property and all her interests. She belonged to the Methodist Episcopal Church when she was quite young, but after coming to Milford Township she became a charter member of the first Congregational Church organized here. She labored actively for the advancement of the cause of Christianity, and was liberal in her gifts to the church and to all benevolent enterprises. She was strong in mind and body, and she lived to the ripe age of fourscore, dying after an illness of but six weeks March 23, 1891. She was the mother of eleven children, seven now living.
Mrs. Palmer was born in Ilighland Township,
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February 22, 1844. She was first married to Thompson Armstrong, a native of Connecticut, who died in January, 1885, leaving her with one daughter, Alice, who was born August 3, 1866. Mr. Armstrong was a California miner for twenty years. Mrs. Palmer was reared by a mother whose memory she holds in reverence, and was prepared when she entered a home of her own to faithfully discharge the duties that lay before her. She is a notable housekeeper, keeps well informed regard- ing topics of general interest and is a useful mem- ber of the community. Mr. Palmer votes the Dem- ocratic ticket. He has been a member of the School Board for years, has served as Road Overseer and a member of Milford Council, and was formerly Postmaster of West Novi.
D. HOLCOMB, M. D. This name is fa- miliar to many of our readers, as Dr. Hol_ comb has been living at Southfield for several years and is the owner of some fine property in that section. The dwelling he occupies is a pretty, two-story frame house of modern design, containing all the conveniences, and is a credit to the place. On the lot is a fine barn that cost about $500, and the Doctor has also two farms in Sonth- field Township, on which he carries on general farming and stock-raising. He is a good judge of stock of all kinds, but is particularly interested in horses and takes great pride in breeding fine trot- ting and running stock. He has some equines of more than ordinary value, and as a breeder he is becoming known to horsemen far and near. As a physician Dr. Holcomb is thoroughly well grounded, his medical studies having included hos- pital practice and his sound common sense and good judgment have led him to make fine use of his theoretical knowledge. He possesses the personal traits that prepossess those with whom he comes in contact and lead to their forming a good opinion of him as a man and feeling confidence in him as a practitioner.
Dr. Holcomb is a native of Canada, born in County Welland, Ontario, March 10, 1857. His
parents are Andrew T. and Lydia (Horton) Hol- comb, Canadians, who are now living in the vicin- ity of Niagara Falls, the father being engaged in lumbering. The family comprises five children and our subject is the second on the roll. The eld- est is Elizabeth A., now the wife of A. Cook; An- drew T. is practicing medicine in Juddville, this State, and Elliott F., in Lennon; the youngest child, Beverly C., makes his home with his parents. The fundamental schooling of our subject was ob- tained in his native place and he then attended col- lege at St. Catherines, whence he went to Montreal and then to Toronto, and in the latter place he fin - ished his medieal studies and spent some time in the hospital. He came to Southfield in 1880.
Dr. Holcomb was married in Toronto, Canada, in September, 1879, to Anna W. Lockie, a Cana- dian lady of education and refinement. They have one daughter, Ina May. Husband and wife being hospitable and social, their pleasant home is often invaded by their friends. The Doctor is one of those agreeable and liberal-minded men who en- (leavor to make life pleasant for all around them, and he takes a proper interest in public affairs and the improvement of the town. He is a Mason, belong- ing to Sand Hill Lodge, No. 152, F. & A. M., Bir- mingham Chapter, No. 44, R. A. M., and Red Cross Commandery, K. T., in Pontiac.
OWARD M. CHURCH, the Postmaster of Holly and an enterprising dealer in books and stationery, has made his own way in the world and achieved success by dint of energy and plenty of hard work. He was born four miles from Clarkston, in the township of In- dependence, Oakland County, February 22, 1850. Ile is the son of Enos and Anna P. (Chase) Church, natives of Vermont and New York respectively. . The father learned the cabinet maker's trade in Ver- mont and followed that business both in that State and in New York. When he came to Michigan he established a manufactory for fanning mills, in which he was very successful. Ile then moved to Auburn, near Pontiac, where he built an hotel and
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managed it for three years. Ile then sold it and purchased a farin of one hundred acres of finely improved land in Independence Township. He lived on his farm until 1854, when he moved to Clarkston and purchased a foundry and machine shop. This he operated until his death in 1863. He was a man of influence, both socially and politi- cally, being a prominent Mason and a Democrat. Ile was Supervisor in Independence Township and was Justice of the Peace for twenty years. His wife was a true helpmate in the pioneer life and survived him until 1885. Of their family of five children, four are now living, namely: James E., proprietor of the Holly Foundry; Herbert V., an extensive farmer at Eckelson, Dak .; Howard M., and Ida A. (Mrs. T. S. Joslin), of Pinconning, Mich. Mrs. Church was a prominent member of the Baptist church at Holly.
The school days of our subject were spent at Clarkston. At thirteen years of age he lost his father and went to work on a farm for 86 a month, but this did not satisfy him. He elerked one win- ter in a general store for O. A. Frazer & Co .. at Clarkston. Ile then went into the printing estab). lishment of the Holly Register. Ile clerked for A. B. Coleman in a drug store at Plymouth for three years and thoroughly learned the business. In 1868 he came to HIolly and clerked in a drug store for Wick- ens & Bussey for one year. Ile then, in company with P. D. Baird, purchased the business. Ile re- mained in this establishment one and one-half years and then sold ont his interest and opened a drug store on the corner of Saginaw and Martha Streets, with a capital of $300. The store he then oe- cupied, which was only 10x20 feet, stood on the same ground where his splendid new brick block now stands. He continued in the drug business until 1888.
Mr. Church's handsome, double brick store, the best briek block in the city, fronts on Saginaw Street. It is finished with briek columns, inlaid at intervals with bloeks of granite. The window sills and the keystone of the upper windows are also of granite. The eornice is of galvanized iron. The building is 34x94 feet and divided into four stores with offices on the second story. The corner of the building is beveled and an entrance made
there, and the windows are of French plate glass. measuring 92x124 inches. The Oakland County Advertiser has its office in this building.
Mr. Church was appointed Postmaster in 1887 by President Cleveland. When he was only twen- ty-one years old he was Township Clerk and has at one time served on the City Council. Ile is a Dem- ocrat in politics and has taken an active interest in public affairs, both in county and State. The lady who presides over his beautiful home in Maple Street is IIettie, daughter of William Mothersill, of Ilolly. They were married in 1890. By a former marriage he has one daughter, Zilpha P., who is now attending college at Oneonta, N. Y. Mr. Church is one of the prominent men of Oakland County. Few citizens of llolly have ever shown more enterprise than he.
G EORGE W. PORTER has good standing as a citizen and farmer, and is particularly well known in White Lake Township, where he has resided during his entire life. He now oc- cupies and works upon the homestead on seetion 21, where he was born June 11, 1847. He is a son of Charles and Elizabeth ( Arthur ) Porter, a sketch of whom occupies an appropriate place in this ALBUM. Ilis boyhood and youth were spent in the usual alternations of study, work and play, and he not only acquired a practical education, but be- came skilled in agricultural management. After he had attained to his majority he began operating the homestead, and this he has continued with sat- isfactory results.
Mr. Porter was married December 23, 1869, to Miss Eliza Fair, the ceremony taking place in the town of Holly. The bride was born in White Lake Township, June 11, 1847, and is of Scotch parent- age. Her father, James Fair, Sr., came to Amer- ica when quite young, and settled in White Lake Township on section 3. Ile owned a good farm here and operated it, making tilling the soil his business during life, although he was a carpenter by trade. He was married in this county to Eliza Galaway, who was born in Scotland, and accom-
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panied her parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Galaway, hither in an early day. She died leaving eight children, namely: James, Mary, Jane, Eliza and Elizabeth (twins), Alice, Helena and Ann. Mr. Fair remained here until 1860, then went to Cali- fornia, where he spent the remnant of his days, dy- ing in 1884. He made a second marriage in the Golden State. and two daughters, Alice and Eva, were born of the union.
Mrs. Porter is a well-informed and refined lady, who understands the art of making her home cozy and attractive, and wins friends by her kindness of heart and social disposition. She has had one child, a daughter, Ina, who died February 23, 1881, after having lived but seven weeks. Mr. and Mrs. Porter belong to the Methodist Episcopal Church at Commerce. Mr. Porter has always cast a Dem- ocratie ticket. He has been Township Treasurer two years, thus proving the confidence felt in him by the community.
G EORGE W. GLINES, a prominent farmer on seetion 1, Hartland Township, Living- ston County, lives just across the line from Oakland County, and is considered by his neighbors of that county as quite one of their number, which he is indeed socially and in neighborly kindness. He is a son of Jolin Glines, a native of Vermont, who went to Canada when quite a young man, and who was married in New York to Judah Maxfield, a daughter of Levi Maxfield. Iler father was in the War of 1812, in which he served as a Corporal. Her mother. Laura (Richmond) Maxfield, was a native of Canada. The children of this family were Levi, Thomas, Leonard, Judah and Fannie. Mr. Maxwell was a farmer, and both he and his wife died in New York.
The parents of our subject had nine children, namely: Julia, Fannie, George W., Paulina, Wes- ley, Elzina, Laura, Mark and Elvira. His second marriage was with Cynthia Ormsby, by whom he has had five children: William, Charlotte, Alonzo, Clara and Dora. Mr. Glines eame to Michigan in 1836 and settled in Ifartland Township, Livingston
County, where he lived until his death in 1865. His first wife was called from his side in 1845, and the death of his second wife occurred in 1889. IIe took up eighty acres of Government land when he first came, and afterward owned one hundred and eighty acres. He was ever an earnest member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and an ardent Re- publican.
The subject of this sketch first saw the light No- vember 3, 1829, in Godmanchester, Franklin County, Lower Canada. He was a boy of six years when he came to Michigan with his parents. Ile lived with his father until of age and in 1852 took to himself a wife. His wedding day was Novem- ber 18, and his bride, Jane, daughter of Levi Max- field of New York. Levi Maxfield's wife was in girlhood Caroline Campbell, and their children were Levi, Warren, Jane, Emily, George Charles, Jude. Alfred and Edgar. Mr. Maxfield was a far- mer who went to Ohio in an early day and finally to Michigan. He died in 1888, his wife having preceded him to the other world in 1864.
To Mr. Glines and his wife have been born three children-Charles, Emma and Ida. The two daughters had been called away from earth and the son is the only child living. He resides in High- land Township on his father's farm, and was mar- ried in 1883 to Anna Holloway. No children liave been born to them. Ile owns three hundred and ten acres in Highland and Tyrone Townships, two hundred and forty acres of which is finely im- proved. Here he has built a pleasant home and excellent barns and outbuildings, Ile and his wife are earnest and consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church and he is a Republi- can in politics. He started in life by buying fifty acres of land from his father, upon which his father allowed him $100, which was all that he could give the young man for his start in life.
Our subject has been a tremendously hard worker all his life. He commenced driving a breaking team when only seven years of age, and followed it for twelve years. His father broke six hundred aeres of land, mostly for other people. His schooling was secured by going to school in winters. When he was a boy there was an abun- dance of deer and wolves all about, and when mneat
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was needed in the family it was easy to shoot a deer. Indians abounded and often camped near Mr. Glines home. His father often carried his wheat to Detroit to market, where he sold it for fifty cents a bushel. He went to Pontiac to mill. This pioneer is now comfortably situated and en- joying the prosperity which he has earned by his unaided efforts -- except the assistance of his excel- lent wife, who bore her share of the toil and hard- ships incident to pioneer life.
ORACE HALL. One of the most striking examples of pluck and industry crowned by fortune, is to be found in the life of ITorace IIall, of Birmingham. He was a poor boy, with only a limited education, but an uncommon amount of perseverance and determin- ation, and the sturdy common sense without which book knowledge is of little avail. He became the owner of land, and when he retired from agricul- tural life sold his property for a good round sum, and is now enjoying all the comforts heart can wish. Ile began his wedded life while still poor and could then have carried all his earthly posses- sions on his back. His good wife planned and worked with him and now has a share in the com- forts and luxuries they have earned.
Mr. Ilall was born in Bristol, Ontario County, N. Y., May 9, 1814. His parents, Nathaniel B. and Sarah (Gavett) Hall, were natives of Broome County, and had taken up their residence in Bris- tol early in life. After living there a number of years they removed to Orleans County, where the husband died. The widow, with six children. came West and settled in Royal Oak Township, this county. She, however, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Edward Perrin, in Troy Township. She and her husband belonged to the Methodist Episcopal Church, and he was a Whig in politics. Nathaniel Hall, paternal grandfather of our subject, was an Englishman, and John Gavett, maternal grandfather, was French.
Our subjeet was the third in a family of twelve
children. His father was a lifelong farmer, and his own early years were spent in the rural homes in Ontario and Orleans Counties, N. Y. His school privileges were limited to attendance during the winter term and his summers were devoted prinei- pally to aiding his father on the home farm, IIe became well acquainted with agricultural work, even when quite young, and acquired the industri- ous habits and principles of thrift that have char- acterized him while making his way in the world. In 1847 he came to this State and settled on a farm in Macomb County, where he carried on agricultural work fifteen years. He then bought a faim of forty-seven acres and the Six-Mile Tav- ern, which was located that distance from the city of Detroit. Removing to that locality he carried on the hotel and operated the farm, making it his home for twelve years. During that period he added to the acreage of the estate and when he sold out had ninety-five acres to dispose of. The growth of the neighboring city and the consequent rise in value of real estate, added to by the intrin- sic worth of the property, made it command 830,- 000 when placed in the market. After selling the estate Mr. HIall removed to Birmingham, of which place he has since been a resident.
The wedding day of Mr. Hall and Miss Abigail Abbey of Bristol, N. Y., was solemnized December 24, 1835. The bride was born in Richmond, On- tario County, April 27, 1810, and was a daughter of Joseph and Susan (Griffin) Abbey, who were natives of the Empire State. She is a brave-hearted, capable woman, who was willing to take up life and its duties with the man of her choice, even though their early possessions were limited, and the prospect before them was one of toil and fru- gality. To them have been born two children- Susan and William Mareus. The daughter became the wife of John F. Stevens, a farmer near Bir- mingham and the mother of one son, William. Marcus is now farming in Troy Township; he mar- ried Miss Rebecca Rose of Royal Oak, and had two children-Frank and Lottie, the former is deceased.
When old enough to exercise the right of suff- rage Mr. Hall determined to cast his influence with the Democratic party, and he has continued to sup- port its principles and candidates. He is held in
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due regard by his acquaintances and is pointed out as one of the most successful men living in Bir- mingham. Were we to give the details of his life during his years of toil it would make a volume of itself. We leave the filling in of this brief sketch to the imagination of our readers, many of whom know something by personal experience of what qualities must be exerted and what experien- ces passed through in order to rise from the lowest round of the financial ladder to such a position as that held by Mr. Hall.
D AVID W. SHAFT, one of the veteran sol- diers of Michigan, was born in Herkimer County, N. Y., March 31, 1812, the son of Cornelius and Jane Shaft, natives of New York. Ile left home at the age of twelve years, and went to work for himself. Heengaged first in a mill, and then farmed for four years. IIe then bound him- self out to learn the trade of a carriage and wagon- maker, which occupied him for three years. He came to Michigan in 1832, and from here traveled over the South, spending some time in Charleston, N. C., and then going from there to Petersburg, Va., by way of railroad. This was the first rail- road ride he had ever taken.
From Petersburg, Va., Mr. Shaft went to Rich- mond, where for some time he was employed in driving a cab. He then went to Washington, D. C., and was engaged in the business of painting carriages and wagons. He enjoys telling about the work he did for Gen. Jackson, then President of the United States, for to him was given the job of painting the carriage of this notable man. Our subject went from the National Capitol to Steuben- ville, Ohio, where he engaged in painting stage coaches. At New Lisbon, Ohio, he drove a stage for nine months, and was in the same business at Erie, Pa., which was not far from where he was brought up. Ile cut stone at Lockport, N. Y. one winter, and then went to Rawsonville, where he met and married Eliza A. Curtiss. The wedding was solemnized April 7, 1841. Here he opened a wagon-making shop which he carried on for twenty years.
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