USA > Michigan > Genesee County > Portrait and biographical record of Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola counties, Michigan > Part 53
USA > Michigan > Lapeer County > Portrait and biographical record of Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola counties, Michigan > Part 53
USA > Michigan > Tuscola County > Portrait and biographical record of Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola counties, Michigan > Part 53
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young man was principally engaged in gardening having received training as a landscape gardener He emigrated to America in 1826, having taken passage on a sailing vesel at Liverpool and after a voyage of nine weeks landed in Boston and spent some two years at gardening in Lowell, Mass, He thence went to Orange County, N. J., remmining for three years in that State and while there did a great deal of line landscape gardening.
Mr. MeC'andlish then went to Dutchess County, N. Y., and after remaining for a short time there came to tiene-ce County, Mich., and in 1818 et- lled on the farm where his widow now resides. It is located on section 19, Atlas Township, and here he passed the remainder of his life, his decease oc- curring April 15, 1886. It must have been a pleas- ure to him from an artistic standpoint to have so magnificent a tract of country to display his skill and knowledge of nature upon. for the place was virgin timberland. He cleared it off, but not in the sense of the clearing of stane farmers, for he left in the place where they were needed and would most beautify the landscape, the choice trees of the forest, and added to the features that were lacking, so that he made of it one of the most at- tractive places in the county. He came here as one of the early pioneers of the district.
Our subject was married November 27. 1813, to Mis- Margaret Stiven, like himself, a native of Scotland. She was born May 18. 1822, and is a daughter of Alexander and Mary ( Downey ) Stiven, natives of Scotland. In 18H she emigrated to America, taking passage in a sailing vesel of the Allen line, and after a voyage of five weeks landed New York City. By their nation eleven children have been born, of whom eight are living and named respectively : William. Mary, (Mrs. J. R. Macomber), Jane Robert. John, Colon. Allen and Stephen D. Our subject was a staunch Democrat in politics. He was highly estermed as being a man of undinching principle and of great purity as well as strength of purpose. He was a man of intelligence and was well educated. He enjoyed the entideuce of all who knew him. He and his wife were members of the Presbyterian Church. He was a kind and loving husband and father and an obliging neighbor, where example as well as
precept had an elevating influence in the commun- ity. His departure left a blank not only in his own family but in the community at large.
The widow of Mr. MeCandlish resides on the home farm, which comprises one hundred and sixty acres of good land. As it stands it is the product of the latter and best part of his life's work. Ile was ably assisted in all his aim- and ambitions by his wife. He was a typical Scottish- American cit- izen and as such was greatly esteemed.
C HARLES J. CASE, the present efficient and popular County Drainage Commissioner residing on section 38, Grand Blanc Town- ship. Genesee County, is a native of Macomb County, Mich., where he was born July 16. 1810. He is a son of Richard and Caroline (Clark) Case, both natives of New York, whener his father mi- grated to Macomb County, Mich., in 1838, and after doing pioneer work there be removed in 1815 to Oakland County, where he died June 2, 1882. Ilis widow survives him and is now in her seventy- fourth year. They were the parents of live chil- dren, four of whom are having, namely : Charles d., Nancy E. (deceased). Mary A. (wife of William Webster). Heury R. and Luman.
Charles J. Case grew to manhood here in Mich- igan. having had his education mostly in Oakland County, taking there also hi- training mpon the farm. After attending the district school he stud- ied in the Flint public school for nine terms and then began teaching in the district schools, He was married September 13, 1861. to Sarah J., daughter of Silas D., and Robamah (. (Person) Halsey. Her father came to Generce County in 1837. Mr. and Mrs. Case have been blessed with two children, Celia E., now the wife of W. J. Me Wain, and Marian.
In 1861. Mr. and Mrs. Case located in Grand Blane Township, where they have since made their home upon eighty acres of fine land, which is in a thorough state of cultivation, and on which he raises Merimmo sheep. For six years this gen-
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R.C. MYERS
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tleman has served as School Inspector of the township, and for one year acted as Township Clark, besides being Supervisor for two years. In the fall of 1889 he was elected County Drainage Commissioner and beassumed the duties of the of- five the following January. His political views have brought him into affiliation with the Royals lican party and throughout his public life he uf way's favors every thing looking to the upbuilding of the community. The Congregational Church claims both himself and wife as members and he is also a Church Trustee. All the family are active and esteemed members of society. Hi- brother, Dr. 11. R. Case, is the skillful and highly esteemed physician and surgeon, located at Grand Blanc.
R ANSOM C. MYERS. The gentleman whose portait appears on the opposite page is one of the loyal sons of America who come forward in the country's hour of nred and offered their services, and life if need be, to preserve the oneness of the Union. He is now the owner and operator of a fine farm comprising one hundred and forty acres on section 11. Water- town Township, and is one of the best-known citi- zens of Tuscola County. A native of this State, he was born in Wayne County, March 1, 1×11. and is the son of Solomon and Charlotte ( Black- more) Myers, both natives of New York, the father having been born in Lyons Township. Wayne County.
The parental family comprised eleven children, eight sons and three daughters, The father came to Michigan in 1830 and settled in Wayne County on a farm of one hundred and sixty acres of Gov- ernment land. In 1861 he sold his place and re moved to Toccola County, where his dovesse occurred in 1870; his wife passed away ten years later. Solomon Myers served as a private in the War of 1812 and many were the reminiscences that he related of those stirring times in American his- tory. Both he and his wife were ardent Methodists. Our subject was reared in his native county until twenty-one years of age, when he came to Tuscola
County and was here married to Hannah 1 .. Chap- lin, a native of Livingston County, this State, and a daughter of Heury S. and Rebecca (Sweet ) Chap- lin, natives of New York. They were the parents of four sons and three daughters, and although of the agricultural calling, their ancestors were also early patriots. Prior to the union mentioned 11. S. Chaplin was married to Corina Fuller, by whom he became the father of one son.
Unto our subject and his wife have been born six children whose names are as follows: Henry s., George la. Fred, Ida B., Willie and Minnie. All reside in this township except Minnie and fivorge I ... the latter of whom is engaged in Ohio in the manufacture of butter and cheese. The oldest son. Henry S., who was born January 8, 1861, lived under the parental roof until after he was of age. He attended school in Adrian for one year and followed teaching until his marriage, which took place in Tuscola County. Ins bride being Miss Roxie L. Johnson. a nativeof Canada and a daugh- ter of David D. Johnson, of whom a fuller history will be found elsewhere in this work. He makes his home in Watertown Township, and follows farming as his calling. He is a Master Mason, socially, belonging to the lodge at Mayville, and he is also a member of Fostoria Lodge, No. 22, 1. 0. 0. F. In his political sentiments he is a Re- publican and has served as Township Clerk four years successively. He and his wife have two children, George H. and Clarence Roy.
Willie Myers, the fourth son of our subject, was married in Watertown Township to Killian B. Sears. a native of Canada and a daughter of William Sears, also born in Canada. She was one of ten children born to her parents and is now the mother of one son, Clinton Ransom. George I .. married Alice Gilson, of Ohio, and they have one daughter, Ger- trude. Fred, the third child in order of birth, had the misfortune to lose his eyesight at the age of eighteen years. He and his sister, lda B., are an- married and at home. Minuie became the wife of Edwin E. Plain and resides in Genesee County, Mich.
In 1861 our subject came to Tuscola County and his father at that time gave him eighty acres of land. He has since added a tract contaming sixty
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acres and has erected good buildings on the place. Upon the estate he devotes himself to general farm. ing unul pay's particular attention to the breeding of graded Merino cheep. In 186] he enlisted in the army, joining Company C, Tenth Michigan Infantry. He received his discharge in 1862 and the following year re-enlisted in Company C, Tenth Michigan Cavalry with which he remained mtil the close of the war. He took part in the battle of Corinth and for a month previous was engaged in skirmishing. He was also a participant in the capture of Morgan and served as a Sergeant until the close of the hostilities, At Hickman Bridge, Ky., directly over the place where Daniel Boone's cave was said to be, he was wounded and lost his left arm.
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Ever since the war Mr. Myers has been an ardent Republican. Socially he belonged to the St. Charles Lodge 1. O. O. F., in Saginaw County, is a mem- ber of the Caro Encampment and the Fostoria Lodge, No. 33, K. O. T. M. He has held various local offices, having for nine years been Highway Com- missioner and serving as Drain Commissioner for one year. He is also a member of the Board of Review. For a period of eight years he officiated as an itinerant minister in the Methodist Protestant Church, and has for many years been active in church work. He and his estimable wife and chil- dren hold a very high place in the esterm of their acquaintances and occupy a prominent position in social circles.
ITHER P. BROWN resides upon a farm on section 1. tieneste Township, Genesee County. He was born in Canada near Brookville, September 17, 1832, and is a son of Luther Brown Sr., who was a native of New York, having been five years of age on going Canada with his parents. He was there reared until twenty-two years old and then went back to New York where he was united in marriage to our subject's mother, Rachel Jack- son, whose nativity her son does not know. The young couple located in New York on a farm
which they improved and cultivated and then traded it for another. They then removed to Canada and made that their home forabout n year. returning, however, to New York where they spent the remainder of their lives, our subject's father being eighty-eight years old at the time of his decrease, which occurred September 1, 1881. He was a Republican in politics and a progressive and public-spirited man.
thur subject's mother died at the age of seventy- eight years. They were the parents of seven children, there being six sons and one daughter, six of whom are now living. They are Nothun, Nancy, Naham, Luther P., Francis and Benjamin. Our subject is the fourth child and third son of his father's family. He was reared in the I'nited States, coming hither when but a year old and re- maining until twenty-two years of age. He was subject to his father until twenty-one and then worked for himself as a farm laborer. He came to Michigan in 1851, first settling in the southern portion of the State where he was employed in the lumber wood. In 1865 our subject came to Genesee Township and in July of that year he purchased forty acres of raw land on section !!. This he has greatly improved, clearing out the stumps, fencing and erecting a good class of build- ings upon it. He worked upon his farm in the summer and in the woods in the winter.
Our subject was married in 1862 to Miss Jane Devining, a native of this State. After marriage they located on section 9, on the small tract of forty acres which he was then engaged in improv- ing. They remained there nutil 1876 when they sold the place to our subject's brother Nathan who still owns it. Mr. Brown then purchased the place where he now resides. It comprises one hundred and twenty acres upon which there were at first but few improvements. He has now all cleared with the exception of thirty-eight neres and has a pleasant residence which he built at a cost of $1500. He has good barns and all other improvements that go to makea first-elas farm. Mrs. Jane Brown died October 18, 1876. She was the mother of one child-Samuel, who resides on section 4, adjoining his father's farm.
Or: subject contracted a second marriage the
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Indy of his choice bring Elizabeth Allen, the widow of Charles Foote, Mr. Brown is aund- herent of the Republican party. He has been School Director and also Moderator and is a mem- ber of the Helping Hand Society.
LONZO FORBES, Born at a time and in a class of life to which the luxuries of ex- istence were unknown, and where there seemed but small prospect of accumulating any large amount of wealth, our subject early made a determination that he would land as near the top rung of the ladder of success as push. ! perseverance and pluck would take him, and to- day after years of effort and enterprise he can con- tidently say that he has fulfilled his youthful intention and that he has been the architect of his own fortunes. Mr. Forbes was born in Penfield N. Y .. April 30. 1829. He is a son of Jefferson and Mary ( Roscobough) Forbes. The former was a carpenter. He emigrated to Michigan in 1821 and located in Shelby, Macomb County, and worked at his trade; he died in 1810, his wife hay- ing preceded him by five years.
Our subject is the elder of two children, both of whom are living. He received a liberal educa- tion and began working out at the age of twelve years receiving a shilling a day for his labor and later rising in the value of his services to $ 1 per month. He worked in this way for about five years and then began buying cattle and butchering in Sterling, Macomb County and continued in this business for fifteen years. In the meantime he purchased a farm which he improved and bought and sold land to quite a considerable extent.
Mr. Forbes came to Fenton about 1876 and en- gaged in pork-packing for about two years. Ile then launched into the clothing business, in which he has since continued. He occupies in his tisi- ness a two and half story brick building of which he is the owner and carries a complete line of ready- made clothing, which finds a ready sale.
Our subject was married in 1856, his bride being Miss Mary J. Aldrich, of Sterling, Macomb
County. They have become the parents of one child, Mariam G. Ile of whom'we write is n Re- publican in politics. For many years he has deals. extensively in wool, his experience in this direc- tion embracing twenty-seven years and during the past year he has handled one hundred and thirty thousand pounds of wool. As his mother's de- care occurred when the lad was but five years of age and his father's when he was but eleven, the boy was thrown at a very early age upon his own resources. Doubtless the responsibility that was forced upon him was not without its good effect, for he has proved to be a man who is equal to any emergency.
G I FORGE H. BEACH. The interests of our subject in a business way are varied. Ile . is a farmer, residing on section 33, Juniata Township, Tuscola County, where he owns eighty acres of land and is also the proprietor of a saw. mill at Watrousville Station. He is a son of Liberty and Hannah (Gaylord) Beach, natives of Madison County, N. Y., where divorge H. was born Decem- ber 22, 1821. He was reared upon a farm and in . his early boyhood came with his parents to Michi- gan as a pioneer and settled in Wayne County. He well recollect- when Detroit was only a very small village and when paved streets were un- thought of.
Our subject was the eldest child in the parental family. They are by name, George H., Clarissa. Liberty, Ira, Almeda and Mary P. George re- mamed at home until nineteen years of age, when he started out in life for himself. He began to work at fifty cents per day, but soon did better. January 2, 1851, he was happily married to Miss Betsey Culver, a daughter of Orrisseen Culver, a native of New York State, where Mrs. Beach was born, October 19, 1825. Our subject and his wife are the parents of two children. Newton, who was born March 25, 1819, and married Lilly Lawrence March 21. 1875; they are the parents of four chil- dren, Roy, May. Ralph and Helen. The other child was Avilla, who married Edgar Lapham and
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died in 1879, leaving two children. The elder, a boy of about fifteen years, lives with his grand- father Lapham in Lenawee County, and the younger, a girl of twelve years, receives the tender que of our subject and his wife, with whom she lives.
Our subject came to Tuscola County in 1883 and settled at Watrousville, and four years ago he built the sawmill and he and his son Newton to- gether conduct the same. He is an old mill man and has an experience in the work that extends over fifty years. AAlthough advanced in years Mr. Beach still operates his own farm. He built a fine dwelling on section 33, in 1886, and the son another on section 28, where he has forty acres. Politically he is a Republican, as is also his son. In their church affiliations they are Methodists.
LBERT B. VAN VLEET. Among the many patriotic citizens of Gaines Town- Ship, Genesee County, who in the time of their nation's struggles shouldered the musket and went into the battlelickl, weare pleased to name Mr. Van Vleet, who enlisted August 13, 1862, although less than twenty years of age, in Company K, Twenty-third Regiment Michigan In- fautry, and served three years nuder the stars and stripes.
James Van Vleet, the father of our subject, came to Genesee County with his wife, Mary Ann Coo- ley, about the year 1811, migrating hither from Seneca County. N. Y., and settling in Gaines Township, where they lived until 1868, when they removed to Flint, which has since been their home. Our subject is the oldest of six children and was born in Varrick, Seneca County, N. Y., October 9, 1×12. His boyhood days were spent in Gaines Township after his second year, at which time he came West with his parents and he has here carried on the business of farming since he grew to ma- turity.
During his military career Mr. Van Vleet took part in the battles of Resca, Atlanta, the siege of Knoxville, Franklin and Nashville, and was
with Sherman in his march to the sea. He also fought at Ft. Anderson, S. ('., and was engaged in many minor lights, Upon returning to Gaines Township he resumed farming operations but with impaired health. He suffered much from severe and exhausting marches while in service and was one of those who on foot pursued John Morgan's raiders through Indiana.
Our subject was married in Grand Blane Town- ship to Miss Edna, daughter of Eli Brainerd of Grand Blane Township, where she was born. One child blesses their home, namely, Lillie, and they have laid to rest one child, Jessie, who died at the age of eleven years.
Mr. Van Vleet has been raised by his fellow- townsmen to the position of Township Clerk and wa Township Treasurer for four years. He is a member of the Samuel Atherton Post No. 116, G. A. R. of which he has been commander and being an earnest Republican and a man of more than ordinary judgment and discretion as well as zeal, he is considered a leader in the politied affairs of the township and county. He owus eighty acres of land and carries on operations on over one hundred acres besides his own. His beautiful home is situated amidst attractive sur- roundings and the family is looked upon as a lend- ing one of the township in all social matters.
N 1.I.AM H. BUTTS, one of the first pio- neers and most venerable citizens of Grand Blanc Township, Genesce County, was born October 7, 1827 in Dutchess County, N. Y. His parents, David W., and Perlina ( Husted) Butts, were natives of the Empire State and emigrated in 1836 to Genesce County, Mich., bringing with them a yoke of oxen to use as their team. They procured land at $1.25 per acre and made their home in a log cabin where dimensions were 12x16 feet and there they resided for a number of years. Later they built a good farm house on the site where our subject now resides.
The parents of our subject had to undergo se-
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vere self-demal- in their carly life here. Three of their four children are now living: William 11., Me linda, wife of Willis Swartout and Perlina, wife of Thomas Wright. In the early part of his life the father was a Democrat but became a Republican during the Civil War.
The usual experiences of a pioneer boy were those of our subject in his youth, and he assisted in surveying and laying ont many sections of this county. The land was hard to break in those early times and he has employed in this work as many as six yoke of oxen at a time. He cleared two farms alone and helped to clear a third. He was a good huntsman and brought down many a wolf, bear, and wild turkey and more than once went out to hunt with the Indians. His education was exeved- ingly limited and the opportunities of that day were seant indeed, but he has ever pursued a sys- tem of reading which has made him a man of in- telligence. Even after he was married and started in life he studied many a night until twelve o'clock, maistering school books which he did not have an opportunity to possess in his youth,
Elizabeth Webster became the wife of William 11. Butts on Christmas Day, 1850, She is a daugh- ter of the Rev. James and Elizabeth Webster and a native of Hudson, N. Y. Her father has done a great amount of pioneer work on the circuit and kept appointments in many a schoolhouse which he could reach only by riding on horseback through long stretches of territory. The family is dis- tantly related to the great statesman, Daniel Weh- stor. Four of the five children of Mr. and Mrs. Butts are now living. Shee, is the widow of eorge Belford; Eliza is the wife of the Rev. .. I. Atkins of the church of the I'nited Brethren, and the sons are George W. and Charles ti.
For seven years Mr. Butts has served as Notary Public and he was the first Postmaster of South Grand Blanc postoffice of which be had charge for many years and is deeply interested in schools and other means of improvement. He operated a mer. cantile business for three years in a building which is still located on his farm and he also carried on for a long while both blacksmithing and wagon- making, being a natural mechanic. He is a Repub- lican in his political views and has served as
Constable for two years besides declining offers of other important offices, His handsome property of one hundred and ten aeres is the result of his own thorough and enterprising work and we take pleasure in presenting a sketch of his life here.
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B ENJAMIN FRANKLIN MUNGER. We are gratified to be able to place before our readers the life sketch of this influential resident of Richfield Township, Genesee County, and who as well as his parents is a native of New York, where he was born in Orleans County in the village of Medina, December 11, 1×33. His parents were Alanson and Margaret (Culver) Manger, and the father followed the trade of a cooper, coming to Michigan in 1812 and finally settling in Richtield Township where he improved a farm and resided until his death at the age of fifty-five. The mother passed away on the Gth of Angust, 1868. They were the parents of twelve children, ton of whom grew to maturity and of that number three sous and three daughters are still living.
lesse Munger, a native of Connecticut and a shoemaker by trade, was the grandfather of our subject and spent most of his latter years in the State of New York. He of whom we write was a lad of eleven years of age when he came to Mich- igan and he continued with his father until he reached the age of twenty-one. le devoted him- self to making shingles and in this way he earned in eleven months enough money to buy his farm of eighty acres. Having thus secured a property upon which to live the young man decided to set upa home and was married July 2, 1867, to Alvira S. Pearce, daughter of Richard M. Pearce and a native of Wayne County, Mich., where she was horn June 9. 1836. At the age of eighteen yeus she had come from her native county to Genesre County,
Immediately after marriage this young couple settled upon their farm in a small frame house which Mr. Munger had erected there. At that time they could see only one house within miles of
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their home but there is now within sight from their doorway, live churches and many dwellings. They have one daughter and one son, namely: Celia, the wife of Charles Shaker, who resides on section 9, Richfield Township, and Julius who has married Martha Davis and resides at the old home and takes charge of the farm.
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