USA > Michigan > Genesee County > Portrait and biographical record of Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola counties, Michigan > Part 34
USA > Michigan > Lapeer County > Portrait and biographical record of Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola counties, Michigan > Part 34
USA > Michigan > Tuscola County > Portrait and biographical record of Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola counties, Michigan > Part 34
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67
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b ON. WILLIAM A. ATWOOD. We are pleased to present a sketch of one of the most prominent citizens of Flint, who is well known, both in political and business circles, a- a man of ability and character. He is a member of the firm of Stone, Atwood & Co. pro- prictors of Stone's Wooden Mills, and also a mem- ber of the Wood & Atwood Hardware Company. He is a stockholder and Vice-President of the Genesee County Savings Bank and stockholder in the First National Bank. In the former he has been Vice-President since its re-organization, some fourteen years, and has been interested in the latter for some fifteen years.
Mr. Atwood was born in Nagara County, N. Y., April 11, 1835, and is a son of Asa and Fannie ((ibl) Atwood. The father was in early life a merchant and later lived a retired life on a farm. Having received his education at lockport, young Atwood left the farm at the age of seventeen and learned the jeweler's trade at Lockport, and fol- lowed that calling for three and one-half years after which he joined his brother, dese BB, in a stave and cooperage factory at Gult, Canada. In
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the fall of 1869 be closed out this business and returned to New York, where he carried on a farm near Pendleton for two years, during which time he built a shingle and bending mill, Two and one-half years later the mills burned without insurance and all the property was lost.
In the fall of 1863 our subject returned to Canada where he carried on a business in humber and shingles until the expiration of the reciprocity treaty in March, 1866, on account of which he closed the business and came to Michigan, engag- ing in the same business with desse B. and B. W. Linnington. They operated a mill with a capacity of thirty thousand fert a day, and in 1877 our subject became interested in the Flint Woolen Mills. In text he became a partner in the hard- ware business on Saginaw Street, where they carry a full line of both heavy and shelf hardware and agricultural implement ..
Mr. Atwood has at a distance of only n mile and a half from the city a line farm of one hundred and fifty acres, which is carried on under his per- sonal supervision, and another which he rents in Mt. Morris Township. He has been Alderman for the third Ward for two years and was elected Mayor in 1881 on the Republican ticket. During his administration the water-works were estab- lished, the first iron bridge in the city was built and other important improvements made. In the fall of 1886 he was elected to the State Senate to represent Genere and Livingston Counties and in that contest carried his county by more than two thousand majority against ex-Gov. Begole.
During Mr. Atwood's incumbency of the Sena- torial office he was chairman of the following com- mitters: on State affairs, on Public Lands and on Railroads. During his term of service he secured for Flint a new city charter and put through various bills for public improvements at Flushing and Howell, besides taking an active part in general legislation for the good of the State.
Since his Senatorial experience this gentleman has retired from active participation in politics and devotes himself mainly to business, being President of the Flint Gas-light Company, in addition to the other important branches of trade previously mentioned. He is a member of St.
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Paul's Episcopal Church and has been a Vestryman for twelve years. He is a Mason and a Knight Templar, belonging to the tienesee Valley Com- mudery. His wife, Helen C., is a daughter of II. C. Wood, one of the oldest residents of this city and the founder of the machine shops here and in Saginaw. The marriage took place m January, 1871, med they have one son, Edwin W.
ELOS 1. JOHNSON, a prominent farmer of Genesee County, was born in Lancaster Township, Erie County. N. Y., on November 25, 1831, and is the son of John and Esther ( Miles) Johnson. The Father was born in theego County N. Y., and the mother in Niagara County, but reared to womanhood in Erie County. The pater- nal grandfather of our subject was one of three brothers who came over from England and settled in Rhode Island. Grandfather Johnson removed from Rhode Island to New York State and settled in Erie prior to the War of 1812. The maternal grandfather of our subject, whose name was War- ren Hull, settled in Erie County N. Y., about 1805 and five years after locating there he built, in 1810. a large stone residence, which stands to this day. Until his career was terminated by death, Warren Hull made that his home. and was devoted to his chosen calling as a farmer.
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John Johnson, father of our subject, was a farmer by occupation and resided in the townships of Lancaster and AAlden. Erie County. N. Y. Ile came to Michigan late in life and there be passed from the scenes of earth. October 1, 1887, in Thet- ford Township, Genesee County. The subject of this biographical notice was given good common- school advantages, and at the age of twenty at- tended for four months the High School at Clar- ence, N. Y. Shortly after finishing his school days he left the oll homestead and engaged to work ou a farm; by careful saving he had on found you at the age of twenty-one, and with this money he was prepared to start out in the world for himself,
to work for a railroad company, and cleared $250 while thus engaged. In the fall of 1853, he came to Michigan, arriving here October 1. and locating in Thetford Township. He immediately purchased with the money he had saved forty acres on section 12, this being a part of his present property. In 1855 he bought one hundred and sixty neres on section 13, paying for it $1,000, and this consti- tutes his homestead. It was then n wilderness without roads or any improvements, and he had to set to work to clear the place of its forest growth. With the assistance of some hired help he had cleared about one hundred and fifty acres, and he subsequently added forty aures on section 11. which he has also improved froni it- primeval condition. He was compelled to mortgage his farm in 1855 in order to meet his obligations but paid off the mortgage in 1858 since which time there has been no indebtedness on the place.
On July 20. 1856. Mr. Jolmon was married to Miss Hannah J. Scott, of Thetford Townslup, and three children have come to bless the union, viz .: ( harles S., Clara A. and Earl F. Charles is mar- ried and resides at Vasar, Tuscola County ; Clara married Daniel Ramsey, of Spokane Falls, Wash .; Earl is engaged in the mercantile business in East Thetford and is married. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson occupy an honored position in the community and and their benevolent characteristic and genial, hospitable natures, have won for them a large cir- ele of friends. Since coming to Michigan Mr. Johnson has always resided in Thetford Township, but during the first fourteen years of his residence here be made his home in East Thetford, afterward in 1870 came to his present estate and built the elegant residence where he and his wife are now comfortably domiciled.
In addition to farming Mr. Johnson has operated a threshing machine for the past forty years, and has also engaged in lumbering for twenty-five years. Stock-raising engages his attention consid- erally, and he raises line grade cattle, horses and sheep, In the first named he makes a specialty of of Durham stock, In politics he takes an active interest and is identified with the Republican party. He has never been an offresreker, although he
When he was twenty-one our subject commenced , accepted the office of Township ( lock, This how-
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ever be resigned after holding it one month, and would never afterward accept public positions, pre- ferring the quiet of domestic life. He takes an ative interest in both the Farmer's Alliance and the Patrons of Industry, and to any measure which tends to promote the public weal, he gives his hearty support.
8 ETH N. BEDEN, who is carrying on gen- eral farming on a splendid estate of sixty acres in Vienna Township. Genesce Coun- ty, is a man of more than ordinary intelli- gence and education. He was born January 25, 1×25, in Rose Township, Wayne County, N. Y., and is a son of Smithfield Beden, who was born in Smithfield, (now called Fairfield,) Vt., and as he was the first white child born in the township, received its name and also had a grant from the township of forty acres of land on account of his name. His father, William Beden, was the first white settler in that township nearly one hundred years ago. That pioncer felled a large hemlock free which was used as the back of his shanty, and the father of our subject used to remark that he was born in the shadow of a hemlock tree. The grandfather served for seven years, eight months and eleven days in the Revolutionary War and held the rank of Sergeant. He was also in the War of 1812 as was likewise his son Smithfield.
Smithfield Beden became a physician and came to Michigan in 1836, and in Hadley, Lapeer Con- ty, took from the Government eighty acres, which he cleared and lived upon until his death, in 1853. When he settled there, there were only fourteen voters in the township which now forms two township-Hadley and Metamora. For a number of years he was Justice of the Peace and Township ('lerk and was a Whig in politics, His faithful wife, to whom he was married in Wyoming County, N. Y., was previous to her union with him, Re- beren Melvin. She was born in New Hampshire and died in Genesce County in 1871, at the ad- vanced age of eighty-five years. Their son, seth. remained at home until he attained his majority,
after which he went away from home and worked for his board while attending district school, and then studied at the Fenton schools until able to obtam a teacher's certificate.
The young man taught six terms very sucres- fully and entered the State Normal School of Yp- silanti when it first opened. Lack of funds ob- liged him to drop out for a while and he became Principal of the Howell schools until he could carn means to resume his studies at the Normal. In order to make up time and graduate with his class he had to take seven studies each term during the last year, and was allowed to undertake this unusual curriculum on condition that when his standing should fall below one hundred on any study he should drop that branch from his list, but he was enabled to continue throughout the year with a grade of one hundred in every branch.
After graduation Mr. Beden taught in Romeo, Hadley and other towns until the breaking out of the war, and then enlisted in 1862, in Company K, Fourth Michigan Cavalry, and was in every engagement where it took pint, and it is the record of this regiment that it was in four more engage- ments than any other Michigan command, being under fire more than eighty times. During all this time Mr. Beden was never excused from duty dur- ing a single day and for the last six months he was on tien. Wilson's staff, as Topographical Engineer.
Since the war our subject has largely engaged in teaching and civil engineering and surveying and has twice completed a term as County Sur- veyor, but has made his home upon his beautiful farm since 1865. It was during that year that he was united in marriage with Miss Emma A. Stearns of Vienna Township, Genesee Comty, and they have had one child-William S., who was born Janu- ary 25, 1871, and died in his fourth year.
Mr. and Mrs. Beden are people of devoted Christian character, his connection being with the Congregational Church and hers with the Meth- odist Episcopal denomination. He is connected with the Bradley Post. No. 191, G. A. R. at Cio, and has been a Republican since the formation of that party. His connection with educational mat- ters and his drop interest in them, as well as his native talents have made him very valuable to the
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township in regard to all school matters and he has served as School Inspector. He was one of the charter members of the Michigan Engineering So- ciety and has prepared papers and read them be- fore the society. The first Solar Transit over brought into Michigan was brought hither by this intelligent gentleman and used by him in his sur- veying and he still has this valuable instrument.
S AMUEL SANSAM, a prosperous farmer and stock-raiser, on section 25, Argentine Township, Genesce County, is a native of Lincolnshire, England, and was born Sep- tember 20, 1833. His parents Robert and Sarah Sansam, followed agricultural pursuits in England and died there. Samuel Samsam is one of a family of twelve children and was reared in the rural districts of his native island where, as the family was large and the parents poor, his opportunities for ohtaming an education were exceedingly him- ited.
This boy at the age of thirteen found it neces- ary to become self supporting, and began work upon a farm receiving Cf for his first year's work, but as he was industrious and atten- tive to duty his wages were gradually increased to tx. He heard and read much concern- ing grand opportunities offered to active and in- dustrions young men in America and he detvi- mined to leave behind his kindred and friends and untive land and seek his fortunes in the New World. 11 nineteen he bid farewell to his parents and set sail alone for the United States, and landed in New York after six weeks' voyage. He at first proceeded to Fleming, Cayuga County. N. Y .. where he spent a few years as a farm hand and tin- ally had gained such headway in means as to be able to purchase a house and fifteen acres of land near that town and there established a home of his own.
In April, 1863, after a residence of ten years in New York. he sold his property there and came to Generer County, Mich., where after prospecting for a short time be finally purchased eighty
acres of land on section 25, Argentine Township, where he has since lived. This property was part- ially improved and he made his home in the log house which he found upon the place, until he was able to replace it with a substantial brick residence. As his means permitted he added from time to time by purchase until his broad farm now com- prises two hundred acres.
In 1859 Mr. Sansun was united in marriage with Margaret Craver, a native of Cayuga County, N. Y., and a daughter of Philip and Coraline Craver, both New Yorkers. Five children were born to them, Louise, deceased; Charles, Frank, William and George. The mother of this household was called from earth in October, 1881; her character was of more than ordinary beauty and vigor and her life both in the home and community afforded an example which will long be cherished as of great value.
The ideas which are advanced by the Republican party are those with which Mr. Sansam has found himself in sympathy, and yet he has not been an active politician, contenting himself with constien- tiously attending to his duties as a citizen and using his best judgment in the selection of men and measures for which he shall cast hi- ballot. In 1883 our subject purchased an imported Percheron stallion and -ince that time he has given consider- able attention to the improvement of his stock; lie has raised some very fine horses as well as improved grades of other stock. In the line of cattle he gives his preference decidedly, in favor of the Jersey's.
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R ACHEL J. DAVISON. M. D., one of the most prominent physicians and surgeons of Flint belonging to the school of homeopathy, was O, born in Grand Blaue Township, and is a daughter of Paul Davison, who was born in Lima N. Y., and was n son of Rufus, a native of Vermont who became an early settler of Lima, but in his later years came to Michigan aut resided with his son until his death in 1×12. Ills wife was it daughter of U'upt. Morgan who served through the
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Revolutionary War and was present at the Battle of Bunker Hill.
The Davison family trace their ancestry back to England as far as William Davison who was con demned by Queen Elizabeth to be beheaded at the time that Mary, Queen of Scots, was dethroned. but was later reprieved and incarcerated in the old tower of London for life. The first American pro genitor came to this country in 1632.
The father of our subjeet was educated at the Lima Academy and came to Michigan in 1837 after his marriage, becoming one of the pioneers of Grand Blanc Township. Later be removed to Gaines Township, where he resided until his death in 1889 at the age of eighty-three. He was an okl Jacksonian Democrat, a highly educated and well- reared man and had a high standing in the com- munity. His wife, Lucy E. Oathoudt, was born in Cherry Valley, N. Y., and was the daughter of Alexander Oathoudt an early settler near Roches- ter. Mrs. Onthoudt was a Higginbotham and her father served through the Revolutionary War, hay. ing command of a naval vessel. Their first ances- tor in this country settled on Staten Island. The mother of our subject now resides with her son, Otis, in Waterloo, Ind. Rufus, another son, was in the Fourth Michigan Cavalry and served until the clave of the War and has the honor of being one of the men who captured Jefferson Davis.
Our subject was reared in this county and after attending the common school studied in the Flint High School, and in 1868 engaged in teaching, be- ing employed for three years in the Gaines High School, of which she became Principal, and in 1873 took a position in the Saginaw Public Schools where she remained for five years. She had prov- iously decided to study medicine and make that her life work, and after a year of private study she entered the Homeopathie Hospital College at Cleveland, Ohio, taking her diploma there in 1882, after which she located in Flint and has since prac- tired medicine here.
Dr. Davison is the complete mistress of her pro- fession and is considered one of the leading doctors in Flint, having a large and lucrative practice and making aspecialty of gynecology. She was elected member of the School Board in Flint in 1883 and
served a term of three years. Flint was the first city in Michigan to put a woman upon the school board and is proud of its record in that respect. She isa very active woman, well informed and thoroughly intelligent, not only on profesional and school matters but on general topics. She is an excellent conversationalist and is actively iden- tified with the Congregational Church.
MES HOOL. Prominent in social and agri- cultural circles is the farmer whose name we have now given, and whose line property is situated on section 20, Millington Township, Tuscola County. He was born in England, No- vember 17, 1811, and is a son of John and Isabella ( Butler) Hool, natives of England. who remained throughout life in their native land. To them were born four sons and three daughters, and as the father was a man of considerable wealth, he was able to give his children good advantages, and he spent his last days in retirement from active labor He died December 31. 1888, aged seventy- two, and was interred at Dalton Cemetery on the 4th of January. The mother is now living at the age of seventy-three years. The Church of England is the religious body with which they have ever been connected.
Mfter growing to manhood in his native land, James Hool came to America, and spent one year in New York. He had then reached his majority, and it was in 1867 that he came to Michigan and settled in Otisville. Genesee County, where he bought forty acres of land which he afterward sold and removed to Millington Township, where he now has eighty acres. Thus he has cleared and upon it erected good buildings, and now has sixty acres under cultivation.
Our subject was in 1877 united in marriage in England with Margaret Riley. an English lady, and to them five children were born, manely: Bell, Nellie. Agnes, John, and one who died in carly in- fancy. John Riley, Ow father of Mis; Margaret Hool, was a native of England, a miner by occupa- tion, and spent his day in his native land, Ili:
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J . G. Marshall
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wife was Aun (Butterflee) Riley, and she became the mother of four son- and four daughters.
The wife of our subject died in October, 1887, and he was subsequently married to Caroline Davis, a daughter of Robert England, a native of Eng- land. Our subject is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and belongs to Lodge No. $20, at Otisville, and he is also a Master Mason. His political views bring him into harmony with the Republican party, but he is not active in pub- lie affairs, preferring to devote his energies to his farm duties.
G GEORGE C. MARSHALL .. This progressive farmer who now resides on section 26, tienesce Township, Genesee County, was one of the patriotic sons of America who fought and suffered for the glory of the stripes and stars during the period which we call the War of the Rebellion. He was born in Hartland Township, Huron County. Ohio, November 23, 1812. His father, Abel Mar- shall, was born in the Green Mountain State, but reared in New York, where he found his bride in the person of Mary De Witt, a native of the State. They established their first home in the Empire State, whence they afterward removed to Ohio where the father died at the age of forty-two years.
The mother of our subject after a period of widowhood became the wife of Urin Seeley, of tien- este Township, Cience County, whose sketch will be found upon another page of this Krwoun. The subject of this brief notice is the third child and first sou in a family of tive, and had his training and early education in his native home. As his father died when he was only twelve years old he found it necessary to support himself when he should have been in school, and his first work upon the farm brought him an income of $8 per month.
The breaking out of the Civil War greatly inter- ested Mr. Marshall, who at once desired to join the I'nion army but as he was at that time less than twenty years of age he was induced to postjune his enlistment, but finally joined Company 1;
Tenth Michigan Infantry, in 1862. His regiment was ordered to Corinth and took part in the fol- lowing battles: Chickamauga, Buzzard's Roost and Marietta. When his term of two years bad ex- pired be re-enlisted as a veteran and remained in the army until the close of the war, receiving his honorable di-charge at Jackson and at once return- ing home.
The next important step in the life of Mr. Mar- shall was his entering the state of matrimony in February, 1865. He chose as his bride Anna Fletcher, a native of Canada, and they became the parents of five children, three daughters and two sous-Thomas, who died at the age of five weeks; Ethel; Philla; Mary, who died when nine months old; and Orin, who is still beneath the parental roof. The beloved wife and mother was called from the midst of her family June 28, 1888.
Mr. Marshall located after marriage in Thetford Township, this county, where he bought a forty- acre farm and remained for five years. He after- ward traded this property for land where he is now living, and at present owns eighty neres there and eighty acres on sections 21 and 26, the same town- ship, where he carries on general farming. His property bears good improvements, among them a commodious dwelling house and five barns. He is a Republican in his political views and a member of Crapo Post, G. A. R .. of Flint.
The attention of the reader is invited to the lithographie portrait of Mr. Marshall and the view of his comfortable rural abode presented elsewhere in this volume.
LEXANDER MOARA. The aggressive pioneers of Genesee County have been the ones to be foremost in every new en- terprise and improvement, and to thus set a standard for their more timid or less progressive neighbors, Such an one is Mr. Mera, whose family came here in the early days with no wealth, but with the grand possession of inde- pendence and pluck, and the determination to
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make progress in every direction. They have bought and paid for over nine hundred acres of land, and our subject employed the first step thresher in the township of Davison, where he lives. To see this people came for miles about, and all condemned it, declaring that it would never do their threshing, since which time they have had abundant opportunity to change their minds. It was he who built the first stone almitments ever put in this township, and he also placed the con- tracts for the first iron bridge here.
Alexander Metra was born in the North of Scotland, August 29, 1811, and he is the son of John and denette MeAra. A six weeks' voyage across the ocean was taken by this family in 1857. and the father came to this county, where be located in Atlas Township and carried on a farm on shares for ten years. In 1867 the family removed to Davison Township, where they bought their first land partly improved, and here the fa- ther is now living, having completed his four- score years on the 11th of April last, and the mother is also in her eightieth year. Their mar- ried life together has extended over fifty-one years. They were Presbyterians in Scotland, but. have not been connected with any church since coming here. The three sons and one daughter of this family are still living, and of that number Alexander is the eldest.
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